We Love You So – Where The Wild Things Are – Spike Jonze

Photo credit: beaucolbern!

When we did a post on the tools of the trade a while back, some of you commented that your notebooks of choice were Field Notes. After investigating the matter, we agree that their products are a necessary addition to the notebook arsenal.

An honest memo book, worth fillin’ up with GOOD INFORMATION is what the company calls their notebook; inspirations include “the vanishing subgenre of agricultural memo books, ornate pocket ledgers and the simple, unassuming beauty of a well-crafted grocery list.”

Say no more! Well, maybe a little more. Field Notes are durable, naturally, but more importantly: they’re pocket-sized and flexible. In other words, they’re built for the road, and there’s no excuse not to carry yours around everywhere. Available in all the standard denominations––ruled paper, graph paper, plain––the books also include suggestions on how to use them, for those at a loss. Examples: Road Trip Mileage, Shady Transactions, Crop Predictions. You’ll find that you probably won’t need the suggestions; in these fast-paced modern days, there’s always something to write about.

Soap is for wimps. We can all agree on this, no? The only acceptable body-cleaning agents are those that fizz, explode, or resemble fireworks in some way. Which is why we find these things very agreeable.

These are hygienic tools that even Max (and MAYBE a wild thing) could get behind. They resemble golf balls, giant blueberries or Uranus (ha-ha), depending on the scent, and the best part of all is that they literally erupt when placed in water.

Ka-boom!

Simplicity is best. Not sure if that’s a truism or just true, but it’s always a good axiom by which to live. We’re big fans of these notebooks for a few reasons: their clean colors, the artfulness of the letterpressed covers, the animals that look straight out of a Rudyard Kipling book, and the slim but sturdy size of the things.

A good notebook isn’t easy to find, particularly one with a sweet French fold and a couple of built-in ribbon bookmarks. This is one to tuck under your arm next time you go adventuring.

Tools are important in any trade. How would Max make mischief without his crown? How would Mark Gonzales skate without a skateboard? How would Dave Eggers write without a pen?

Which brings us to our current fascination: tools of the writing trade. When it comes to utensils, not any old thing will do. Every writer has his preference, whether it be a razor-sharp No. 2 pencil or a promotional ballpoint pen. There’s also, and more interestingly, the matter of a notebook. (We’ll leave computers aside for the moment- that’s geek stuff.)

The most reliable pads for scribbling are those with a sturdy cover, a good thick page and a variety of sizes from which to choose. For this reason, Rhodia is a crucial outfitter to know about. The French notebook company produces its tangerine-colored books in all sizes, with skinny reporter pads and thick lined notebooks and tiny pads the size of a few squares of chocolate. Have you ever seen a Rhodia display? It makes you want to forsake baseball cards for good and start collecting notebooks.

Battling Rhodia for prominence in the “classic notebook” category is  Moleskine, which makes those stylish little companions that come with their own bookmark and a slip of paper announcing that the notebook is an old favorite of Van Gogh, Picasso, Hemingway and Chatwin (who is Chatwin?). Toting a Moleskine is always a slight risk, since everyone and their mom is a fan and it’s pretty easy to get yours mixed up with someone else’s if you happen to leave ‘em in the same place.

But no matter. A good tool is a good tool, and these two notebooks are the cream of the crop. Go forth and fill them.