rubistudios.com

I remember fondly late August lunchbox shopping. Standing in front of the sale rack at the First National Supermarket trying to determine what my academic persona will be for the upcoming year based on my choice of character lunchbox. Am I the Bionic Woman? Or do I succomb to the sweet nostalgia of Smurfs? Or maybe I am Princess Leia? In later years, I wanted to be one of the kids who was too cool for a lunchbox and nonchalantly sported a brown bag. After all, the advent of the juicebox and it’s uber packaging negated any need for the bulky thermos which came in the lunchbox.

Thirty years on, I am not a parent, but am somewhere in the second half of graduate school  and I do have to do a kind of back to school shopping. I have my new red cruiser bicyle, a few dresses from the vintage shop and am expecting some boots delivered today. My transport and sartorial needs are accomodated, but I still require supplies.
I don’t feel I have outgrown the need for a Trapper Keeper, but don’t want to cycle around with their bulk and my art supplies. I want something a bit more streamlined, although sophistication is not a requirement (I will shortly cover my notebooks in Wacky Packages stickers). I have a writing class, which will require lined paper, and an embroidery class which I would prefer plain, smooth sheets. Standard notebook sizes are too big to fit the array of handbags I will use, and wirebound sides have a tendency to catch on anything within a 7 foot radius (please note afforementioned embroidery class and the threads, yarns, needles and fabric that has the potential to be destroyed).

All of these requirements lead me to one option: Moleskin.

Available in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, Moleskin papers are all acid-free. The extra large (7.5 in x 9.5 in) Cahier (kaa-yay) is my favorite. I buy them in buff colored three packs ($17.95 for a set of three). With 120 pages, I have more than enough sheets for a 10 week term, or to assign them to thematic projects. The last 16 pages are perforated and there is a flat pocket tucked in the back. While many of their other books are “book bound”, Cahier books are saddle stitched, so they are much thinner (fits in overcrammed bag more easily), and they open flatter for sketches on the full two pages.

Among Moleskin’s other offerings are Japanese books (open accordion style), ruled books, tiny books, graph books, watercolor books, art books, reporter books and date books.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 at 9:39 am and is filed under review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.