Do you love a good pen just as much as I do? Then this list is the one for you!
Sections
3
Writing Utensils
Planners / Journals
Stickers & Seals
Writing Utensils
My absolute favorite pen - they're technically ballpoint pens but the tech means that the ink flows as smoothly as a gel pen but without any of the smear / dry time required. The refills are almost uniformly awful, so as wasteful as it may seem, I wo...
uni Jetstream Ballpoint Pen, Fine Point, 0.7mm, Black Ink ...
Here's a case where I actually prefer the medium point so you get a larger wash of color. I loved the old colored barrel, but as long as the ink is still purple, I'll deal with the clear barrel.
To be clear, the RSVP pens are also great - I also have them in the classic black / red / blue, but I love the purple the best.
Pentel R.S.V.P. Ballpoint Pens, Medium Point, Purple Ink, ...
The full color range of the purple pens that I like
Pentel® R.S.V.P.® Ballpoint Pens, Medium Point, 1.0 mm, Clear Barrel, Assorted Ink Colors, Pack Of 8
Love this triangular barrel - it's a ballpoint pen and the ink does flow very nicely, but the winning point for me is the comfortable barrel. The triangular barrel not only adds comfort - it helps so the pens don't roll of the table.
Paper Mate® InkJoy 100 RT Pens, Medium Point, 1.0 mm, Translucent Blue Barrels, Blue Ink, Pack Of 12
I only have the pack of blue, but if you like color coding things, you might want to check out this 8 pack with a variety of colored inks. Same comfortable triangular barrel on this set.
Paper Mate® InkJoy 100 RT Pens, Medium Point, 1.0 mm, Translucent Assorted Barrels, Assorted Ink Colors, Pack Of 8
I have an older version of this product where it wasn't retractable, but was instead a stick pen in pink, blue, and purple. All three were more pastel / spring colors but had good color payoff against white/off-white backgrounds.
BIC® Glide Bold Ballpoint Pens, Bold Point, 1.6 mm, Translucent Barrel, Assorted Ink Colors, Pack Of 8 Pens
They're the breast cancer awareness version of the classic Pilot G2 gel pens, but it's a beautiful pink ink so I'm all for it. It's the class G2 smooth gel writing that you'll find in any other color combination. Note that there is a slight dry down ...
Pilot G2 BCA Retractable Gel Pens, Fine Point, Pink Ink, 2 ...
Pro of the 20 pack is that you get this nice orange which is great for “highlighting” text - it really pops against black or blue text
Pilot® G2 Retractable Gel Ink Pens, Fine Point, 0.7 mm, Clear Barrel, Assorted Ink Colors, Pack Of 20
Haven't tried these yet but I was super excited to see the metallic ink - reminds me of all of the gelly roll pens I had growing up!
Pilot® G2 Metallics Gel Ink Pens, Fine Point, 0.7 mm, Assorted Barrel Colors, Assorted Ink Colors, Pack Of 8 Pens
A solid contender for if you want a bolder line of ink, but I would only recommend use on heavier paper - it's great for cards and cardstock though! I love the smoothness of the line. It will bleed through on thinner paper and there is a slight dry d...
Sharpie S-Gel Retractable Gel Pen, Medium Point, Black ...
Fine tip marker that gives you a bolder line than you'd typically find with a gel or ballpoint. Does bleed through thinner journal paper.
Staedtler® Pigment Liners
I love these highlighters - they're a lighter “pastel” version of each color so it draws attention to the highlight but without being as glaringly obvious as a typical neon yellow. I use it to help categorize the events I mark in my planner - one col...
Pilot FriXion Light Erasable Highlighters, Chisel Tip ...
The absolute best erasers ever - doesn't make a huge mess and as long as you wait for the pen/marker ink to dry down, doesn't smear. Also great for fidgeting with as it's pleasingly squishy.
Staedtler® Mars® Plastic Erasers, Pack Of 4 - Office Depot
For when I'm feeling particularly artsy, love the Staedtler lead holder.
Staedtler Mars Technico Lead Sharpener / Drafting Pencil
Super neat - Tombow created a pen that's filled with glue that's thin enough to be laid down precisely but thick enough that it holds its shape on paper. Use for attaching small, intricate details, or for creating negative space in washes of color.
MONO Glue Pen
I love these for scrapbooking but they're also fantastic for any sort of more-permanent lettering. It's a felt tip that comes in multiple sizes. I just used the .05 size to hand write wedding invitations and someone thought they were printed in a han...
Pigma® Micron® Fine Line Black 6 Piece Pen Set
Planners / Journals
My absolute favorite planner and the one that works best for me. It's small (5"x8" I think) so it's pretty portable, but the best part is the way the pages are set up. I don't use my paper planner as a daily scheduler, but more to call out any events... Format: It starts with a 2 page yearly plan spread with a space to jot down any important information month by month. Then it's 2 pages of a yearly plan by day - I use this as a daily habit tracker or to make note of vacations / birthdays. It's your year-at-... Then you get a 2 page month spread, starting in December of the prior year. Following the month spread, you have 2 page weekly spreads with all 7 days on the left, and a page of gridded paper on the right. This repeats for the remaining months, Decem... Finally, the back half of the planner is all gridded pages - perfect for any other lists you keep (e.g. gratitude, books read, movies/tv shows watched, books to be read, impulse purchases, longer notes from work meetings, etc.) Additional Notes: This planner is from Korea, so has Korean holidays marked, but the majority of the text is in English (therefore usable by English speakers).
2024 Medium Ardium Planner - MochiThings
If you're anything like me, you've taken notes and been like “oh shoot, I forgot to include something” and then everything is ruined because now they're out of order. Or you left too many blank pages to fill in other information after the fact and yo...
Arc customizable notebook from M by Staples™
I've heard great things about this - the pages are super lightweight and yet resist bleeding even with very heavy inks. It's made of Tomoe River paper which is very close to (if not) the gold standard.
I'm considering using this one for a specific event that I'm planning and the lead up to it. While I understand a digital version may be easier to use, I'm planning on considering this like a scrapbook or memory keeper of this time as we lead up to t...
Make It 4 Month Daily Planner
Stickers & Seals
Love that this is an all-in-one kit - perfect for testing the waters.
Manuscript Love & Affection Wax Sealing Set
I've ordered these twice - they're the perfect size for the 2-page monthly spread in the Ardium Medium Planner.
Holiday Planner Stickers
Super cute and seem like they'll be the maximum size that would fit on the Ardium Medium planner's two-page montly spread, but I like that it includes Lunar New Year as well.
Holiday Planner Stickers - U.S. Holidays Sticker Sheet for Planning
Truly loving this highlighter effect from the transparent stickers. Adds a touch of color!