I have always wanted an aqua malden. I missed the boat on them because I honestly did not really care to invest in something that I wasn’t sure about yet. I have used planners forever but a malden seemed like a very pricey investment and when the aqua maldens were on sale I thought geez they are beautiful but goodness they are expensive. I kick myself each and everyday for that thought process because I always come back to looking at photos on pinterest and just drooling about having one in my life.  Back in April I was at an event and I ran into a woman who had painted her Kate Spade Wellesley planner and it really looked fantastic. It looked like the planner was intended to be that color. I immediately began researching the paint and how to go about doing it. The process seemed simple and relatively inexpensive. I of course didn’t pick up my Malden immediately and start to paint instead I went with a less expensive planner, my faux Daytimer Malibu. I loved the planner I even have a review on it,  but I could stand to change the color and I found a beautiful kelly green color. I was just so impressed with how it turned out!! I couldn’t stop touching it and playing with it! I used it and found that it did not change the texture or feel. It did not peel or crack or add a funny smell to it. I endlessly looked at all the pictures again of the aqua malden and tried to find a shade closest to it so that I could change my Malden and finally have the planner I have been lusting over.

The supplies are really very simple, you will need a foam tip disposable brush that you can pick up at any craft store. I used the gift box blue paint and a satin finish to help seal everything together. I don’t officially know if it is required to add the top sealer but it’s how to I like to ensure that everything is properly sealed and finish. I don’t know if the paint will crack or peel with or with out but I do like the satin finish.  To begin you want to put a small amount of paint onto the brush and make small circles onto the planner. It may look messy and scary but I promise the end product will be well worth it! You can seen that only after one coat it looks like maybe this project wasn’t such a good idea but I promise if you stick with it you will most likely be fine. I went from the darker purple color to a lighter aqua color so the amount of coats of paint required are more, about 4-5 to be exact. I initially thought that I could save the stitching and use a small brush to go around the stitching. It looked ok but then in different lighting I could see the purple trying to peek out from behind the threading so I needed to go back and paint over the stitching which is fine because I LOVE how it all turned out. The paint does not have an overwhelmingly strong smell and I wouldn’t say that the smell of the Malden is gone. It still has the softness and I am still able to bend and move the Malden so the floppiness is not gone from the planner. I took the plunge because I was hoping for something amazing and I feel I got what I wanted. Something in the future that I look forward to is trying to paint things onto the planner, add spots or patterns and mix colors to make planners much for unique to me!! It’s a fairly exciting journey to take to achieve something that is truly yours!!  Just to prove to you that the stitching idea didn’t turn out quite the way I wanted to turn out here is an unclose shot. I did my best to paint around but you can still see how it is peeking through with the purple color. I believe from photos that I have seen online the stitching is white but again this is a DIY project and I must say I am very grateful to have found the paint and the idea to be able to create this planner transformation.  In the picture below you can see the original color and that it is a beautiful egg plant purple. I loved it initially but then put it aside after last fall and started to lose some of my love for it. So when I started changing it I could feel in my heart that I would be in love with the new color!! The inside when painting is really no different than painting the outside. The only hiccup I found was around the zipper. The zipper is a material and so the paint gets really absorbed into it. I needed almost 8 or 9 good heavy swipes of paint in order to cover up the color. It works out fine just keep adding paint onto it. I also recommend letting every layer dry fully before adding more paint. I say this for both the zipper portion and the leather cover. I found that if you do not wait between layers the paint will just keep swirling and you end up with a lot of paint on your brush and then unable to add more color to the leather. Have no fear the acrylic paint dries almost instantly so luckily this does not take a very long time. I like watching a really long youtube video or putting on some Netflix and it helps pass the time. 

  Before putting the satin finish onto both the inside and outside I did give it a good 24 hours just in case. I also waited about two days after applying the satin finish before filling the planner with paper. I know it’s hard not to use it right away but I used caution just in case and didn’t want to  ruin my hard work.   To the left you can see how gorgeous this color is unclose!! If you would like to see the final product I have a video !! I also share what inserts I will be using inside of the planner. Have you painted your planner? Do you want to? Please share!!

So I have to admit that since my first B6 size purchase of the ZenKraft old man comfort I have just been enamored with this size of travelers notebooks. B6 fist off is such an amazing size, it’s approximately the 7×5 size but it varies depending on the company. It’s shorter than your average TN but wider. It’s just the perfect size to have in front of you for writing!! I love the width because it allows me to be able to rest my hand comfortably. The size is not intimidating for those folks who don’t feel comfortable with larger spaces.  After exploring the B6 and just being so in love with this size I purchased an A6 size Gillio.  I very quickly became obsessed with this size too!! I think it’s the width that I love so much with these TNs but also the portability. The A6 size is also great for those of you who love making your inserts. To make them you simply fold a letter size piece of paper in half and that is A5 then fold that A5 in half and you have an A6! It’s that easy and I feel like you are not wasting too much paper. With the more awkward sizes that are out there I just feel like this makes it so easy and you don’t have to take out your ruler to make sure that your measurements are correct!

While on this journey of looking for more unique TN’s I purchased from three different sites. Two of them can be found on etsy and one has their own site.  To start with I went with a company called Speckled Fawns.

I initially began seeing these beautiful little chunky notebooks show up on my instagram and of course I jumped on the band wagon and just endlessly stared at all the beauty that they were. I also joined the Facebook group which is always the route you want to take whenever investing in a beautiful TN. The reason I say this is because many of these pieces are pricey and you want to make sure you love and cherish these little notebooks. The FB groups give tons of inspiration and help you to choose the correct one and not create orphans!  The Speckled Fawn that I went with is the Nubuck Huggable leather! I can not even express to you how huggable this leather is. It’s like a wonderful little pillow that’s soft and squishy but yet will hold alot of your love on it. It’s not like any other leather that I have ever felt. It’s something you could easily bring with you to bed and write it and if you fall asleep it’s cuddly enough that you will feel as though you are holding a luxurious little piece of heaven. The stitching on this notebook is very precise and beautiful. The notebooks can also come in all different leathers and the spine can be doubled in size, so if you are someone who loves carry around about 10 or so notebooks you can comfortably do this!

Terri is the owner and she is really great to work with. I had a little hiccup with my shipping but she fixed the issue and I had my TN very quickly!! I can’t even express how happy I am with this little notebook. I have just been carrying it around and touching it and smelling it all day long! Love this little guy. It’s perfect to bring with you in your purse and carry around to jot down thoughts and ideas!

The second purchase that I made was with Sojourner.  I first found the company back last February and I just had to place an order! I since then have been following Rowena (the owner) and has constantly been amazed and inspired. She is a wonderful human being with a huge heart. She does mission work and shares her work on instagram and has been doing periscopes to share little helpful tips on how to add color to your TNs. Once again the importance of following people on social media behind these notebooks. It helps you to have an appreciation and to better understand where the notebooks origin is from. I personally love that the notebook comes with a story and then develops and longer tale in your hands! What makes the Sojourner so unique is that it comes in a B6 slim size! Something I had never seen anywhere else on the market!

I love the B6 size and to have it in a slim means it makes it the perfect size to take with you. Again the added width allows for more journaling space but not so bulky that it becomes difficult to carry it around with you! I LOVE this size so much and I always come back to this little TN. It’s perfect for quick sketching and jotting down ideas. You will be pleasantly surprised with how easy it is to love on this TN and to begin filling the pages. If you were concerned that you would not be able to find inserts have no fear because Rowena sells some pretty beautiful inserts with Tomoe River paper. This paper is amazing for wet media and fountain pens. That is my favorite medium to use in TNs and it’s just the perfect little combo!

The next purchase and certainly not the last is from Pellestudio. A company I had seen floating around on Instagram with some delicious looking Tns. What made their TNs stand out to me is that they come in some beautiful colors almost like a candy shop! If you get bored with the browns and the blacks this might just be your cup of tea! I felt like I was dropped into a land of Willy Wonka and the Travelers Notebook Company. Just could not get over all the candy colored leather! I opted to get two because they did come from Hong Kong. I just adore these! The leather is beautiful, lightweight and just makes me smile. With the beautiful peachy pink color I just wanted bright and happy. The smell is just divine and I just Love love the color!! The blue wax jean one is something that not only do I love the color but the wax will begin to fade and the leather will take on that worn jeans look!! I am so excited to watch this take place. I really love when TN’s tell their own story. I already have a few more from this shop that I have on my wish list so I have to say I am beyond happy. The company also includes a charm and so many other wonderful little goodies. My tip for you is to opt for the expedited shipping and it takes about a week from the time you place your order and for it to show up on your door step!

Do You have any TNs’ you feel like I NEED to have in my collection? If so PLEASE include it in the comments!!