(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)
I've raved about the Midori MD line several times. Really, anytime anyone brings up paper. ("Can I have a tissue?" "Tissues have their purpose, but have you tried Midori MD paper???") I've tried just about every variety they offer, but I hadn't yet tried their planners and diaries. Now I have, and here I go raving again.
The A5 planner comes wrapped in a waxed paper cover, with a set of stickers that you can use to label your planner with the dates and contents. I usually discard the wax paper, but if you want to use a spine sticker, you should hold onto it for storage purposes, at least. The stickers won't stick to the texture of the spine beneath the cover. The book itself has a cream-colored, soft, cardstock cover, its spine reinforced with a fabric tape that holds the ribbon bookmark to the spine.
Inside, the book greets you with "The story of 2020" which I thought was delightful. After that is a monthly date spread for the year, for reference. Past that, the monthly planner pages. The squares for each day are very small, and then there are wide margins around the grid for making notes. I think I'd prefer larger squares and smaller margins, myself, but I tend to use the monthly spread more than other pages in a planner, and I don't think that's typical.
After the monthly pages, there are undated weekly spreads. There are eight sections per spread, so one can be used for notes/lists, etc. After the weekly spreads, there is a generous chunk of totally blank pages, ready for all sorts of shenanigans. Sketches, scrapbooking, notes ... I love that this planner has so much room for creative play.
At the end, the book closes with, "To be continued, 2021" which delighted me even more than the first page. I appreciate your optimism, planner.
So, all the necessities are there, without too many extras and no clutter. The build is great. And of course, best of all is the Midori MD paper.
As in past experiences, its performance is superb. The only thing it doesn't like is alcohol-based markers like Sharpies. Everything else did well, even big, juicy fountain pens. There is show-through, but no trace of bleeding or feathering. All told, there are 175 pages of awesomeness, here. 113 lined, 32 blank, plus the calendars.
I could easily see myself using the monthly pages as my planner, then the lined pages as more of a diary or journal. I hadn't yet selected a planner for 2020--I was still spinning my head at all the fancy options. What I like best about this planner/diary is that it isn't too fancy, but I still feel spoiled with the great construction and snazzy paper. Best of all, I can stop thinking about 2020 planners, now!
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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