Archive for November, 2009

Equology Reviews

Posted November 5, 2009 by
in Editorial, Pens, Paper & People | 2 comments »

Here is the first group of Equology reviews.  By and large, I was extremely pleased with everyone’s reaction to the recycled planners. equology-1

My thanks and gratitude to all the volunteers and reviewers.  All of us at Exaclair–and the head of marketing for France mentioned this to me, too– are continually amazed by the depth of care, detail and the total comprehensiveness of the reviews we receive. Thank you.

Your comments and suggestions are a reliable compass to indicate if we going in the right direction, and what adjustments we should make.

I held my breath waiting to hear how the paper performed with pens.  I was able to confirm the larger versions are made with 89 g paper; and pocket size is 74 g paper.  Based on my experience with fountain pen customers, I do not market any book as “fountain pen friendly” unless it is 80 g and up.

I think, overall, like other products – the larger books performed well with fountain pens, and the smaller ones less so. Also, the paper is not the “extra white” of Clairefontaine, but plain white with a slight grey tinge.  When I felt the pages of my Equology Sapa X the paper seemed to have a little,  a hint, of texture.

Read more about Equology here.

Jeff Abbott reviewed a Scholar.

Brad reviewed a Textagenda.

Inks, Nibs & Paper reviewed a Sapa X.

Laurie reviewed a Minister in her new notebooks and planners group on Flickr.

Lauren from Pennington-on-the-Paper reviewed a Scholar.

DizzyPen reviewed a Sapa X.

Diane from Pocket Blonde reviewed a Textagenda.

The Pen Archives reviewed a Scholar.

Thanks so much again!  More reviews will be posted soon.

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New environmental standards for Clairefontaine

Posted November 4, 2009 by
in Pens, Paper & People | 8 comments »

Clairefontaine paper

Stephanie already blogged about this over on Rhodia Drive, but since it affects Quo Vadis products, too, I figure it’s worth repeating — Clairefontaine, our sister company and the paper-maker for all Quo Vadis notebooks and planners, recently updated their inks in order to abide by the most stringent European environmental standards.

The inks that are used to create the rulings on Clairefontaine paper are now water-based rather than petroleum- or solvent-based. The colors are the same, but they are now made from vegetable oil pigments — from sources like soy bean, corn, and linseed oils — rather than mineral ones. And as Stephanie pointed out:

By replacing mineral oil with vegetable oil, we reduce or even cut out volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions. VOCs are carbon-containing gases and vapors that are released from solvents used during the printing process. In liquid form VOCs can also affect water and soil quality.

You can read more about Clairefontaine’s commitment to the environment on the Exaclair website.

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Forest in the fog

Posted November 3, 2009 by
in Where to Go? | 3 comments »

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This Saturday, we got up early and headed out to Sterling Forest for a mist- and fog-filled hike. There was a light rain (it was, as the English would say, “spitting”), and by the end we got quite wet, but a forest in fog is a treat, silent and lovely and full of humid expectation.

Continue reading »

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More help for the disorganized

Posted November 2, 2009 by
in Planning Tips | Add your comment »

PixieWebsiteLogo5

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from home-and-life organization gurus and Quo Vadis guest posters Kelly and Katie McMenamin of Pixies Did It. In the meantime, the sisters have been hard at work transforming their website into an information-packed portal with tips and advice on fashion, home décor, travel, beauty and more. Writes Kelly:

It’s official. We’ve launched our new website giving home and life solutions for who you are. Get started with our free daily PixieTips, discover your home and life personality style, and find solutions that fit who you are.

Life should be easy,™ especially at home. Sign up for PixieTips today!

And stay tuned for our Premium PixieTips (a paid service sending subscribers serenity & savings). Coming soon!

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