My 2026 stationery ecosystem
Some of the notebooks and supplies I'm planning to use this year
I, like many other stationery enthusiasts, have had stumbled upon the recent trend of sharing one’s “notebook ecosystem”—a thing I’ve had for ages but never really described it as anything other than “my journals”. Often times when I see these videos, the author is using a traveler’s notebook or Paper Republic leather cover to bind up several small/thin notebooks, each one with a different use. I find these to be beautiful as objects but don’t really resonate with the way I use my journals (I like different sizes and paper types and brands for different uses and they wouldn’t really work together all bound up in a single leather cover). The other reason I have yet to be influenced by these is that I really enjoy a high quality leather cover where I can slip my notebook covers directly into the sleeves and not have to worry about it sliding around (as seems to be the case with the multi-notebook leather covers). Regardless, I enjoy watching videos about them and have really been excited about a general push towards more analog ways of note-taking that we all seem to be having now thanks to a general sense of digital exhaustion.
I’ve called this newsletter my “stationery ecosystem” because I thought I would share some of my other favorite supplies in addition to my stack of notebooks. I am very particular about most of these items and can tell you that anything I’ve listed here comes with the highest recommendation, but I can talk about notebooks/stationery all day and I’d love to discuss any questions or suggestions if you have them.
The Notebooks
There are six notebooks I plan to use regularly in 2026, and I’ll share a bit about each one below. If you’re more interested in the stationery/art supplies I’m using, feel free to skip closer to the bottom.
1. A6 Nanami Paper Seven Seas Cafe Notes
This was the first leather cover I ever bought from Ilona of SasankaStudio, and from then on I was hooked. Unfortunately she is not currently shipping to the US due to current costs, but as of November mentioned she had been looking for a more affordable shipping method. So if you’re elsewhere in the world for now, I can’t recommend her work enough.
This notebook’s use has evolved over the years (this is my 2nd or 3rd Cafe Notes, though the A6 ones I use aren’t in stock right now) - for a while I was using it as a to do list/planner, especially during COVID. Right now I mostly use it as a journal to take with me when I’m not feeling like schlepping my larger one, particularly to take notes during lectures/classes/while out in nature (I’m currently taking courses at the New York Botanical Garden to earn my Urban Naturalist certificate, which you’ll see notes for above). I’ve also been trying to avoid the double screen situation (aka looking at your phone while watching TV) and am thinking I’ll also start using it as a sort of media journal to doodle or sketch in while I watch movies/shows.
2. B6 Sterling Ink Daily Planner
I started keeping a daily planner in a plain notebook during COVID to help me keep track of the days that were passing and seemed all the same. Over the years since, the practice has evolved and this is my 3rd year using a designated planner rather than a plain notebook. The first year, I used the Moleskine A5 softcover daily planner, followed by the Jibune Techo A5 slim Days planner (pictured below). I do most of my task/event organizing and planning digitally, but having a paper daily planner has been a nice way to not get overwhelmed and to focus in on the things I really need to do. I am really liking the Sterling Ink planner so far and think it may be the first daily planner I repurchase. I enjoyed both the Moleskine and the Jibun Techo, but both of those day timelines didn’t quite work for me (Moleskine started at 8am, and I wanted an earlier start, and Jibun Techo was a full 24 hours which compressed my daily schedule into just the hours I actually needed). I also am really enjoying the B6 size - I’ve learned I tend to not like a narrow notebook as much.
I had reached out to Ilona at SasankaStudio for the cover of this notebook originally, but then found out she wasn’t shipping to the US. On my hunt for similar covers to hers I found EternalLeatherGoods and have been loving this beautiful orange-brown cover. This cover is a much softer/”floppier” leather than Ilona’s covers have been (at least in the leathers I have ordered from hers, they are more structural). I personally like both types (EternalLeatherGoods’ feels like a glove on the notebook, while Ilona’s feels more like a real book cover, which I think are both great qualities) but thought the distinction would be useful if you’re looking for something specific in your next cover.
Above, you’ll see my 2025 Jibun Techo planner–a great planner, just a few quirks that didn’t line up with what I was looking for.
3. A5 Nanami Paper Seven Seas Crossfield Notebook
This journal is sort of a catch-all: morning pages, regular journaling, brainstorming, common placing, some drawing and sketching. I absolutely love the cover and the scratchy patina it has developed and try to take it everywhere I can with me. I have found that having separate notebooks for too many separate use cases causes some overwhelm and makes me not use any of them, which is why I have dumped most of them into this “everything” journal. I know this might be funny to non-stationery or notebook people on a post already talking about six notebooks, but on a daily basis it’s mostly just two of them (my planner and this journal). I know that some people separate out morning pages or commonplace books from regular journaling, but to me these things are sort of all connected.
4. B5 Leuchtturm Blank Hardcover Notebook
No interior shot of this one, mostly because I’ve just started using it instead of reaching for my iPad or a blank sheet of paper. Sometimes I need to do some mind-mapping or want to figure something out on larger paper than I have in my A5 journal, so I’ll use this notebook for that.
5. Handbook Journal Co Watercolor Journal
I bought this sketchbook a couple of years ago (note the 2023 date on the last entry), hoping to use it as an art journal, but kind of got overwhelmed by how big it is and stopped using it. I’m trying again this year where I hope to complete a double spread per week composed of smaller illustrations/art journaling based on what I observed during the week. It will be a sort of nature journal but I’m not necessarily limiting myself to that if there’s something else I feel inspired to draw. I am really inspired by the work of Helen C Stark and her weekly visual journals, and am hoping to build a similar practice to the one she has.
6. A5 Leuchtturm Dotted Softcover Notebook
I also use an A5 Leuchtturm Dotted Softcover notebook for work that’s only pictured in the stack at the top. I like these because they’re easy/light enough to take with me between work/home and I like being able to bend back the cover to take notes during a meeting/conference/presentation.
Stationery/Art Supplies
Here are some of my favorite journaling and art supplies. Most of these things were collected over years, so I’m not sharing these in an effort to influence you to go out and buy them all at once.
Uniball Vision pens in .5mm and .7mm: I absolutely love these and have used them for years. They are waterproof and write like a dream.
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen: I use this in my everyday journal because when I use a fountain pen, it feels like writing is an Experience. I have tried many fountain pens within the $50 budget range (brands like Pilot, Kaweco, Hongdian) and to be honest, I have always returned to Lamy. I read somewhere that western fountain pen brand nibs tend to write more broad/thick (like Lamy and Kaweco), which makes sense so far with my experience. I think this is an unpopular opinion in the fountain pen world, but I don’t really love a fine line. The only pen I’ve loved more than Lamy is perhaps my Pilot Lucina, which I believe they don’t make anymore, but I could never find a broad nib sold separately from the pen itself and I had already purchased one with a Medium nib that was a bit too fine for me.
Prismacolor Pencils: I’ve used these since high school, and really enjoy using them to add some character to marker or watercolor drawings.
Sakura Koi Watercolors: These have lasted forever, are cheap, and I don’t have any complaints about their pigmenting.
Windsor Newton Watercolors: I haven’t tried these yet but I’m sure they’ll be amazing - they were a Christmas gift this year.
Tombow Markers: I love these on all my Tomoe River paper notebooks (3/6 of my notebooks are Tomoe River..) because they don’t bleed and still blend great.
Some other supplies not pictured:
Canon PIXMA iP8720: Great photo printer for the price
Bookmark Tabs: I love these because a sheet of them can be used as a bookmark, and then the sticky tabs are great for noting quotes I want to copy down after I’m done reading.
Caran D’Ache water soluble crayons: I haven’t used these in forever but am hoping to start using them in my watercolor journal this year
Mod Podge/Yes Paste/Scotch Permanent Glue Stick
Micron Fineliners for outlining
I’m sure these notebooks and tools will change and evolve over the year, and maybe I’ll make interim posts on how I’m updating my notebooks or how they are naturally changing based on what I’m using them for. Starting a new planner in the new year always reminds me to take stock of what purpose my notebooks and sketchbooks are serving and I am excited to see how they grow with me in 2026.
Such a lovely ecosystem. I am still figuring out what works and doesn't for me regarding notebooks and trying to establish a habit of journaling and mostly sketching!
I too prefer thicker fountain pen lines!