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Author: Rachel

2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge
January 3, 2024
Rachel
3 Comments

2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge

Posted in Book Blogger

Another year gone means another reading challenge complete. As I’m sure you can imagine, 2023 had some highly-stressful times. As often happens when I’m stressed, I read a lot.

I finished 104 books in 2023. That’s high even for me. That averages to 2 books a week, or a book every 3.5 days. Of course, the average doesn’t tell the whole story. As I mentioned in last year’s post, I have periods of voracious reading, followed by periods of relative calm.

My numbers are also skewed by when I’m offered free, or drastically reduced, Kindle Unlimited subscriptions. I don’t know why Amazon keeps offering me 3 months for 99¢, but I’m not complaining.

Keep Reading2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge
Reviewing My 2023 Purchasing HabitsReviewing my 2023 purchasing habits
January 1, 2024
Rachel
4 Comments

Reviewing My 2023 Purchasing Habits

Posted in Fountain Pens

I can hardly believe I’m already writing this, but, happy new year! Welcome to 2024.

So, how did I do last year? Well, if you saw my stats or collection posts, you know I did alright — with fountain pens. I bought more non-fountain pens than I should have. Somehow, I got into my mind that my 36-pen max was just for fountain pens. I’d already changed my thinking to that by July. But, re-reading last year’s purchasing habits review, it’s clear that I intended to buy 36 total pens. Whoops.

What’s done is done, though. So, let’s take a look at how I did with the 36-fountain-pen max in mind.

Keep ReadingReviewing My 2023 Purchasing Habits
My Pen Collection Stats – End of 2023My Pen Collection Stats - 2023
December 29, 2023
Rachel
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My Pen Collection Stats – End of 2023

Posted in Fountain Pens

Another year, another overview of my collection. While I really enjoy the approach I used last year, I realize that such in-depth data visualization is not to everyone’s taste. And, while this is my blog and I can write/share what I like, I’d also like my readers to enjoy my posts.

So, this year, with the help of my non-data-hoarding husband, I’ve put together some stat highlights of my collection. I’ve included only on the fountain pens I currently own, so you will see a discrepancy between the numbers this year and the numbers from previous.

For anyone who needs, or wants, an accessible version of the graphics below, I put together a PDF of the graphics. I’ve also made sure that all of the data in the graphics is also in the text. Feel free to choose the method of reading this post that most appeals to you: text, graphics, or PDF.

Keep ReadingMy Pen Collection Stats – End of 2023
25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Wrap-Up25 Days of Dupes 2023. The Inkvent Calendar
December 27, 2023
Rachel
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25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Wrap-Up

Posted in Ink

Phew, that’s a wrap on another 25 Days of Dupes! I’ll have to come up with something special to do for next year since it will be the 5th anniversary. If you have any ideas, let me know.

Doubtless, these Inkvent inks will get released as full bottles next year as all the others have. Hopefully this series helped you decide which — if any — to get.

Differences and Lessons Learned

This year’s 25 Days of Dupes was significantly more work since I swatched the inks on an additional paper type and created YouTube shorts.

Let’s start with that first item. I chose bad paper for the swatches. The Kokuyo paper couldn’t quite handle the heavy ink application and feathered/bledthrough with multiple inks. On top of that, the grid on the Kokuyo paper and the dots on the Franklin-Christoph and Iroful paper were obstacles to editing the swatch photos to be true-to-life.

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Wrap-Up
25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 425 Days of Dupes 2023. The Inkvent Calendar
December 26, 2023
Rachel
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25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 4

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome to the last week of 25 Days of Dupes 2023. Below you’ll find the inks for days 19-25. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe for any of these inks, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some reminders:

  • I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks — sheen, shimmer, scent — only the base color.
  • You can click the images to view them larger.
  • I swatched each ink with a small (#2) paintbrush and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib.
  • Behind-the-scenes: I included more than just my final swatches for each ink. Preliminary swatches are on Iroful A5 dot grid paper. I’ve found that inks can look VERY different on this paper. I swatched the top matches on Franklin-Christoph sugar cane paper (from a leftover Firma-Flex notebook) and Kokuyo 5mm grid Sarasara loose-leaf paper.
  • While I try to edit the images so they look as close to real life as possible, I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
  • I can’t fairly call any ink a perfect color match, as I’m not comparing them scientifically, I’m just using my eyes. Therefore, I won’t be going any further than calling an ink a “near-perfect color match.”
  • You can view all of the shorts I’ve created for shimmer inks on my Diamine Inkvent 2023 YouTube playlist.

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 4
Year in Review – 2023 PensYear in Review - 2023 Pens
December 22, 2023
Rachel
4 Comments

Year in Review – 2023 Pens

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Non-Fountain Pens

I’m proud of myself for sticking so well to my fountain pen purchase limit this year. I went over by four, although one was an impulse purchase that may be a catch-and-release. I also didn’t expect my Stanford Pen Studio commissions to be ready so quickly. I thought I’d be counting them toward next year’s total.

Unlike last year, I decided to add photos so you can see the pretties. Where possible, I’ve also linked to my dedicated blog posts. Now, enough chit-chat, this post will be long enough as it is. Onto the ranking!

Keep ReadingYear in Review – 2023 Pens
My 2023 Top TensMy 2023 Top Tens
December 20, 2023
Rachel
2 Comments

My 2023 Top Tens

Posted in Fountain Pens

Once again, I’m sharing my current top pens. Last year’s approach to my top tens worked well, making me actually stick to lists of 10. I swear, this post gets harder every year. The nibs aren’t too hard, but the pens! It takes me more and more time to narrow down to ten, and then actually figure out the order.

Since I’m keeping to the same format as last year, I’ll compare my lists

But without further preamble, enjoy my top tens of 2023.

Keep ReadingMy 2023 Top Tens
25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 325 Days of Dupes 2023. The Inkvent Calendar
December 19, 2023
Rachel
2 Comments

25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 3

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome back to 25 Days of Dupes 2023. Below you’ll find the inks for days 12-18. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe for any of these inks, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some reminders:

  • I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks — sheen, shimmer, scent — only the base color.
  • You can click the images to view them larger.
  • I swatched each ink with a small (#2) paintbrush and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib.
  • Behind-the-scenes: I included more than just my final swatches for each ink. Preliminary swatches are on Iroful A5 dot grid paper. I’ve found that inks can look VERY different on this paper. I swatched the top matches on Franklin-Christoph sugar cane paper (from a leftover Firma-Flex notebook) and Kokuyo 5mm grid Sarasara loose-leaf paper.
  • While I try to edit the images so they look as close to real life as possible, I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
  • I can’t fairly call any ink a perfect color match, as I’m not comparing them scientifically, I’m just using my eyes. Therefore, I won’t be going any further than calling an ink a “near-perfect color match.”
  • You can view all of the shorts I’ve created for shimmer inks on my Diamine Inkvent 2023 YouTube playlist.

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 3
Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Sketched FashionPen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Sketched Fashion
December 18, 2023
Rachel
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Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Sketched Fashion

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉

I don’t know where to start with the Sketched Fashion. This is my first pen from artist Val Myburgh, one of Stanford Pen Studio‘s artist collaborators. Like all but one of my Stanford Pen Studio purchases, this was a commissioned piece.

Before I dive into the pen porn, allow me to say that I refer to the art on this pen as “sketches” and various versions of that several times in this post. I don’t mean that the work is rough or unfinished. I’m referring to the linework style and the fact that there isn’t any color fill. Sketch seems like the best word to describe the style, and I want to make sure no one thinks I mean anything insulting.

Stanford Pen Studio Sketched Fashion
Keep ReadingPen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Sketched Fashion
My 2023 Brand “Discoveries”My 2023 Brand "Discoveries"
December 15, 2023
Rachel
2 Comments

My 2023 Brand “Discoveries”

Posted in Fountain Pens

Before I dive into this post, I want to say I “discovered” these brands like Columbus “discovered” America. What I mean by “discoveries” is that I purchased from the below brands for the first time in 2023. That a brand is on this list doesn’t mean that I didn’t know it existed before 2023, although that’s true in a couple of cases. It means that the brand did not have any representation in my pen collection before 2023.

In an unsurprising reduction, I only purchased from seven new-to-me brands in 2023, down from the nine of 2022. It makes sense that with each year I’m in the pen world I will have less new-brand purchases, even more so when I buy less pens overall — more of that in a later post.

What is a surprise is that nearly half of them are mainstream brands. But, enough exposition, on with the plot! Per usual, let’s start with mainstream brands, then jump into the indie brands. FYI: The lists are in alphabetical order.

Keep ReadingMy 2023 Brand “Discoveries”
25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 225 Days of Dupes 2023. The Inkvent Calendar
December 12, 2023
Rachel
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25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 2

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome back to 25 Days of Dupes 2023. Below you’ll find the inks for days 5-11. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe for any of these inks, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some reminders:

  • I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks — sheen, shimmer, scent — only the base color.
  • You can click the images to view them larger.
  • I swatched each ink with a small (#2) paintbrush and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib.
  • Behind-the-scenes: I included more than just my final swatches for each ink. Preliminary swatches are on Iroful A5 dot grid paper. I’ve found that inks can look VERY different on this paper. I swatched the top matches on Franklin-Christoph sugar cane paper (from a leftover Firma-Flex notebook) and Kokuyo 5mm grid Sarasara loose-leaf paper.
  • While I try to edit the images so they look as close to real life as possible, I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
  • I can’t fairly call any ink a perfect color match, as I’m not comparing them scientifically, I’m just using my eyes. Therefore, I won’t be going any further than calling an ink a “near-perfect color match.”
  • You can view all of the shorts I’ve created for shimmer inks on my Diamine Inkvent 2023 YouTube playlist.

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 2
Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio ArdentlyPen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Ardently
December 8, 2023
Rachel
2 Comments

Pen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Ardently

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉

I wracked my brain for a while trying to figure out what to request for a Stanford Pen Studio pen painted by artist Hanna Farmer. That I wanted one, there was never any doubt. The intricate work she does is as amazing as it is beautiful.

When I finally decided on requesting a Pride & Prejudice themed pen, I couldn’t have dreamed of such a beautiful result.

SPS Ardently uncapped with the cap laying beside it
Keep ReadingPen Porn: Stanford Pen Studio Ardently
Plotter Alternatives, Part 0Plotter Alternatives Part 0: bonus
December 6, 2023
Rachel
2 Comments

Plotter Alternatives, Part 0

Posted in Paper

Some New Information

No, this isn’t a mistake. Melz, a fantastic reader, submitted a comment with so much wonderful information, I asked their permission to post it as an addendum to my Plotter alternatives series. You can find even more information about “system techos” on Melz’s blog.

I have only slightly edited the content below to make it flow well (like adding headers). Where I have edited the text (as opposed to just rearranging something), I’ve placed it [in brackets]. Please don’t grant me credit for this knowledge, it comes from the fantastic brain of Melz.

While Plotter markets itself as a leather binder, it is completely categorized as a “system techo” (システム手帳) in Japan. If you throw that into your preferred search engine, you will start to see more relevant results in terms of matching binder sizes and refills.

Keep ReadingPlotter Alternatives, Part 0
25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 125 Days of Dupes 2023. The Inkvent Calendar
December 5, 2023
Rachel
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25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 1

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome to the first post of 25 Days of Dupes 2023. Below you’ll find the inks for days 1-4. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe for any of these inks, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some info:

  • You can click the images to view them larger.
  • I swatched each ink with a small (#2) paintbrush and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib.
  • Behind-the-scenes: I included more than just my final swatches for each ink. Preliminary swatches are on Iroful A5 dot grid paper. I’ve found that inks can look VERY different on this paper. I swatched the top matches on Franklin-Christoph sugar cane paper (from a leftover Firma-Flex notebook) and Kokuyo 5mm grid Sarasara loose-leaf paper.
  • While I try to edit the images so they look as close to real life as possible, I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
  • I can’t fairly call any ink a perfect color match, as I’m not comparing them scientifically, I’m just using my eyes. Therefore, I won’t be going any further than calling an ink a “near-perfect color match.”
  • Reminder: I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks — sheen, shimmer, scent — only the base color.

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 1
Athena: Almost One YearAthena: Almost One Year
December 1, 2023
Rachel
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Athena: Almost One Year

Posted in Cat

This post is a continuation of my series on Athena — her diagnosis, treatment, integration into the household, and life after FIP. If you haven’t already, I suggest taking a look at my previous posts on her. You can find them on her tag page.

We’re just over one years since Athena’s health saga started, and just shy of one year since her diagnostics. This time last year we were desperately trying to get her to eat and gain some weight. I’m planning a post for the one-year anniversary of her diagnosis — Christmas Eve — looking back on everything that has happened this past year.

Keep ReadingAthena: Almost One Year
25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Intro25 Days of Dupes 2023. The Inkvent Calendar
November 30, 2023
Rachel
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25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Intro

Posted in Ink

Thanks to David of the DC Pen Crew, I will once again be duping the Diamine Inkvent calendar. Like last year, I’m posting once a week with all of the inks from that week.

Also like last year, I’m basing my posting day on Christmas. Since Christmas is on Monday, I’ll be posting on Tuesdays. My first dupe post will be on the 5th, with the inks from December 1-4. My final dupe post will be on the 26th, with inks from December 19-25. And I’ll have a wrap-up/reference post on the 27th linking to the 4 dupe posts and listing the best dupe for each ink.

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Intro
Plotter Alternatives, Part 6Plotter Alternatives Part 6: Bonus
November 25, 2023
Rachel
2 Comments

Plotter Alternatives, Part 6

Posted in Paper

Bonus Options

Welcome back for the sixth and final part of this series. If you haven’t read part 1, I’m sharing alternatives to the Plotter system. If you want the full explanation, I suggest you read that post. You can also review the A5, Bible and Narrow, Mini, and Mini 5 alternatives.

Welcome to the sixth and final installment of my Plotter alternatives series. While I researched the various binder sizes, I found several interesting binders that didn’t fit in as alternatives. These binders are too interesting not to share. I hope you find these interesting — and in some cases, unique — binders useful.

Some of these are more along the lines of categories, as there are multiple options for the type of binder. I can’t link to all of them, but I’ve added some links to various binders of that type.

PLEASE NOTE: The images included in the post have been taken from the listings I link to. They are not my images. You can click on them to view larger.

That said, let’s get into the bonus options.

Keep ReadingPlotter Alternatives, Part 6
Plotter Alternatives, Part 5Plotter Alternatives Part 5: Mini 5
November 24, 2023
Rachel
One Comment

Plotter Alternatives, Part 5

Posted in Paper

Mini 5 Alternatives

Welcome back for part 5 of this series. If you haven’t read part 1, I’m sharing alternatives to the Plotter system. If you want the full explanation, I suggest you read that post. You can also review the A5, Bible and Narrow, and Mini alternatives.

This post was harder than expected. I thought it would be easy to find other Mini 5 sized binders. However, the majority of binders around Mini 5 size are 3-ring, not 5 ring. I was, though, able to find some alternatives.

I found that, despite Mini 5 binders and paper not being close to A8 size, , binders labeled A8 are the correct size. So, it’s likely that if you find a 5-ring A8 binder, it will be the right size. I’m including the paper size comparison again, even though we’ve learned by now that “international standard” sizes mean next to nothing in the binder world.

PaperB7A7Mini 5A8 RefillA8
Height125mm105mm105mm105mm74mm
Width88mm74mm62mm67mm52mm

That said, let’s get into the Mini 5 alternatives.

Keep ReadingPlotter Alternatives, Part 5
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