A little while ago I got a very charming email from Mr. Foreal Lee from this Hong Kong-based company called
Daycraft. They make a crazy large variety of notebooks and sketchbooks. Whether he could send me some - for review. Uhm. YES!
A few weeks later a package arrived with two diaries for 2012, a travel journal, and a card holder. Wheee! So. Let me dive right in.
The Executive Diary for 2013
This '
Executive diary' directly caught my eye. It's small and sturdy (handy for girls with big bags), silver and shiny with a pink strap (!), and it has one spread per week, which I like so I can keep track of my projects and see all appointments for the week all at once. Also, 'executive' makes me feel all important-like.
Very cool and handy for working ladies (in this case, but it comes in
different colors, too). Paper is nice and thick and my regular felt pen doesn't bleed through. Also, it has inspirational quotes on not wasting time, an international conversion table, a list of golf clubs, and a table giving stars to vintage wines. Ahhh yes. I will soon be needing those. For sure.
The Signature Diary for 2013
The first thing I noticed about this '
Signature diary' is that the cover is made of incredibly soft PU leather. It feels so nice and luxurious. It's a bit bigger than the executive and it's nice and thick. No strap, but the pages' sides are colored.
The paper seems a bit thicker even than the executive diary, and every page has one day each (except for the weekend). I personally don't like this very much, as I like having an overview of the entire week, but if you've got like ten appointments a day - this might come in handy (believe me, when I worked as a PA, I was very grateful for the any space I could get in my analog director's diary).
Funny detail - this journal helps you stay healthy with information on calories, food groups, and exercise. Which is, actually, kind of depressing. But the pictures are pretty. That helps.
MyTravel Notebook
The third notebook I got was the '
MyTravel Notebook', which is a lot more simple than you would think. Refreshingly simple, to be honest. I do love those very elaborate travel journals, where you have to fill out questionnaires, paste in all sorts of treasures, etc. But in practice, I never use those features and prefer a blank notebook instead.
This travel journal has a hard, cardboard cover embossed with a world map, and an offbeat strap. It opens with a fun quote, has a pocket in the back for small keepsakes, and the rest are just thick white pages with a nice grid on them. Nothing more, nothing less. The pages are good for drawing with pencil and regular ink pens, but less ideal for markers and watercolor.
Cardholder
I personally never use little nicknacks like these (unless they have Hello Kitty on them, of course), mostly because I keep my business cards in my wallet. I guess if you want to be a bit fancier, this very soft little pouch could come in handy. I can also see it working very well as a metro card holder, instead of those ugly plastic grey things they hand out here in Brussels. Pretty, but really not as functional as the other three items I received. And as you know, all things featured on this blog are superduperfunctional. Honestly, judging by this blog it's almost like I invented Calvinism, really.
Soo! That was my review. I am definitely going to be using the executive diary next year (and have already been carrying it around in my bag), but I think the other three items may make lovely gifts - to you! So, who's interested in receiving the travel journal, card holder, or Signature diary? Let me know in the comments what and why you would like any of those items and I might pick youuu!!
Of course, a HUGE thank you to Foreal Lee and to
Daycraft! You can find all of these and many, many more awesome and useful things over on their website
Daycraft.com.hk. Oh! And they have a special deal on personalized embossed diary covers going on until the end of the month.
Check that out here. It would really make a lovely gift for your friends or relatives (or yourself, hehe).
See you on the flipside, buddies!
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