Moving my blog!

I'm in the process of moving my blog to my own domain! My new blog isn't perfect yet, and still has a few glitches, but if I wait until everything is exactly as I want it, it will never get off the ground! So, with warts and all, I'm starting to use it. I probably won't update this blog much more, since I've imported these posts to my new blog.

The new address: http://kookychick.com

Enjoy! :-)

Win a Free Hero 616 Fountain Pen!

Julie (@Okami0731 on Twitter) is giving away 5 free Hero 616 fountain pens on her fabulous blog, "Whatever"! Comment on her blog post by midnight (ET), Saturday, September 12 to enter!

Click here for more details! Good luck!

Win a Free Pocket-Sized Lab Notebook!

Notebookstories.com is giving away a free pocket-sized lab notebook from the Book Factory! Enter by blogging and/or emailing the blog author (nifty [at] notebookstories [dot] com). Click here for more details! (Unfortunately, the site appears to be down intermittently. Basically, if you blog about it and email her the link, you get 2 entries. If you just email her saying you'd like a chance at the notebook, you get 1 entry.) Hurry, ends Friday, September 11, at 5pm (ET)!

Good luck! :-)

Mini-Review: Pilot Petit1

Placed an order with JStationery for refills for one of my main studying pens (Uniball alpha gel multipen). Of course, in order to reach the $20 minimum for free shipping, I started looking around for small, interesting purchases. This was the result!

Pilot Petit1 fountain pen (Violet)

Very cute, and surprisingly useable (even unposted). I have small hands, though, so others might want to post it. It's about 3 1/2" unposted, and 5 1/8" posted. It doesn't post terribly well, however--the cap feels as if it might fall off, and it takes a bit of concentration to get it on straight.

Here's a quick writing sample of the Petit1:

The pen came with one cartridge (violet ink). In fact, it was already "engaged" in the nib and shipped that way! I was a bit surprised by this, but there didn't seem to be any ink spills or leaks. The ink feels very wet, and the nib isn't quite as fine as I'd hoped. But that's just my personal preference for tiny nibs!

For a $4 pen, this isn't horrible--it has its own niche, being really compact, portable, and light. This would make a good purse/pocket pen (assuming it doesn't leak). The cap closes with a satisfying click, and it feels sturdier than I expected for an inexpensive plastic pen. The nib was a little scratchier than I expected for being so wet, though, and it's so small, I'm not sure a converter would fit (I haven't researched this). I plan on refilling the cartridge that came with it using a syringe.

I'm going to keep this pen in my purse for a while, since it's a good size for that. However, it's not an instant favorite, due to the slight nib scratchiness and the rather generous ink flow (I prefer stingier nibs). We'll see if my opinion changes over time!

New Vanishing Point Fountain Pen!

Just got a new Vanishing Point fountain pen today! Well, it's new to me, anyway. ;-)

My new VP is a faceted version from the 1990's, in dark green. I'd put a pic up, except that it's soaking right now--there was dried ink residue still inside it.

Here's a pic of the ink bottle that came with it, though. I'm used to the rather utilitarian Noodler's bottles, or the cute little J. Herbin bottles, so this shape was quite a surprise to me! I like it--it reminds me of the type of bottles from which genies are supposed to emerge. Hmm...I wonder if I rubbed it....nah. :-D

Can't wait to try out my latest acquisition! I've never had a VP before (or a squeeze filler, for that matter), so this should be an experience! :-)

Now, which ink should I put in it, first??

Adorable Rhodia Notebook & Beautiful J. Herbin Ink!

A package came in the mail today from Karen Doherty, VP of Marketing of Exaclair, Inc. I had responded to this post on the Quo Vadis Blog, offering samples of red or blue ink in honor of Bastille Day.

I was expecting a sample of either J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche or Éclat de Saphir fountain pen ink, but I got both! :-D


Sorry for the poor quality pic, but it was taken quickly with my phone. Look for a review of these inks in the future!

Another unexpected surprise was waiting for me in the padded envelope:



As you can see by the quarter next to the notebook, this Rhodia is very small! It's the smallest I've ever seen. This will fit wonderfully in my large pencil case. I'm also having thoughts of Rhodia hacks I can make to affix some sort of elastic/ribbon closure to it.... :-D I'll post a review of what I come up with!

Thanks, Karen, for the fun surprises! :-)

New "Letters & Journals" Magazine in the Works!

@Jafferty on Twitter "tweeted" about some surveys for a new magazine that's being developed: "Letters & Journals." It's currently set to launch in 2011.

Sounds like an interesting concept! Sure, I read blogs and e-zines, but there's just something about paper....I shop mostly online, but love thumbing through stationery and pen/office supply catalogs I receive in the mail.

If you'd like to complete the survey, click here! :-)