Book Nook: New Merchandise Category

About the Author

Inge is senior editor and a regular contributor at YLF.

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Book Nook: New Merchandise Category

— by Inge

on December 9, 2011

Sometimes I think I’m a person of extremes. Friends call me a bit of a tech nerd. I absolutely love my smartphone, use electronic apps to keep track of appointments and projects, send e-cards regularly and love online shopping. Developments in new technology have certainly made my life easier. But I also carry a paper diary in my handbag, and adore cracking open a fresh new notebook and jotting down that first sentence. I have a back-up address book with family and friends’ phone numbers just in case my digital data get lost. And saying that I’m a huge fan of stationery and paper goods would be an understatement. Call me a dinosaur, but for me nothing beats the personal touch of a beautiful, hand-written greeting card or an artfully wrapped present.

That’s another reason why I can never tear myself away from a good bookshop. Nowadays both brick and mortar and online bookstores not only carry books and DVDs on every possible topic, they also have wonderful gift and stationery sections. Books, calendars, organizers, paper goods and other related items seamlessly go hand in hand, so we loved the idea of adding a carefully curated selection of “style merchandise” to YLF Books. Our new Merchandise department opens today and you can browse this section for style-related products and fashion-themed items like calendars, smartphone cases, greeting cards and notebooks. They make for fun and colourful gifts, and the beautiful images and fab designs definitely count as eye candy.

Do you love to send and receive paper greeting cards? Do you still use a paper organizer or calendar or have you gone the electronic route? And would you pick stationery with a fashion theme?

YLF Book Club Starts Today

Today’s the official start date for YLF Book Club, and we’re excited! As you know, we created this online discussion group so everyone can get together to talk about selected books and movies from our bookstore.

The last few weeks many readers have told us how much they are enjoying Parisian Chic by Ines de la Fressange, the first title on our list. Visit the Book Club forum category if you’re curious to hear their thoughts about this fun style guide with a French twist. Or start a new thread of your own to discuss other aspects of the book that have struck a chord with you.

Quick reminder: On the Book Club page you can find the schedule of previous, current and future Book Club titles.

Books

8 comments · Add a comment

Scarlet

Veteran

Inge, this resonates with me so much!! I am also a paper goods-loving tech nerd. At this point I think I am finally transitioning to an all digital day planner, but I also love beautiful address book back-ups. And one has got to have a system for the 3,000 complex passwords we are all supposed to have now. I look forward to checking out the store! I would also love to hear sometime about what apps you find handy.

December 10, 2011 at 12:25 am

Veteran

I still use a paper family calendar that I post in the kitchen.

I don’t buy stationery, but I still like to mail birthday and Christmas cards.

I also have a back-up address book.

December 10, 2011 at 1:04 am

Mellllls

i still love sending holiday and birthday cards as well as pretty stationary for thank you notes!! i made our engagement party invitations, save the dates, and rehearsal luncheon invitations myself. i also made some of our wedding thank you notes. so much fun

December 10, 2011 at 7:47 am

Inge

(website)

Moderator

Wonderful to hear you ladies are still loving “paper” too, and nice that I’m not the only one with a paper address book:-)

I just bought some wonderful holiday cards and already look forward to the whole writing and sending out process.

Mellllls: that’s fantastic! Love that personal touch. I bet everything looked absolutely beautiful.

Scarlet: High five! Those passwords can be such a hassle. I was reading about a few apps that take care of that, but haven’t taken the plunge yet. I use the usual things, really, iCal, Google Calendar, Dropbox… makes synching and sharing data so much easier. I also find Evernote and Instapaper very useful. On the go, my iPhone’ dictaphone and camera come in handy too. And not work-related, but I just downloaded Gorillacam, an app with among other things ,a self-timer. Might help me take a decent outfit pic with my phone:-)

December 10, 2011 at 3:45 pm

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I use a paper diary, a small notebook, and a large notebook several times a day. I can’t function without these key organizers in my life! They think for me. I write into them with a pencil because I prefer pencils to pens. Is that odd?

I receive the odd written card, and I write the odd written card. But most of my correspondence is electronic. I do prefer it that way.

December 10, 2011 at 4:37 pm

MsMary

Veteran

Big fun! I love browsing these beautiful things!

December 11, 2011 at 1:44 pm

rachylou

Veteran

Oh, opportunity to whinge! LOL. What I miss is my Palm Pilot, because you could hand write notes with a stylus. This has gone the way of the dinosaur and now everything is a mess. *Thumb typing* is just too slow and clunky. I need a good, tiny note book for logging my meals, insulin, and blood sugar numbers. Something that can survive being crushed in pockets.

Anyways, I love paper and journals and gift tags and letters – but I don’t really like greeting cards. I much prefer e-greetings, even though I don’t like the cheesy designs out there. Paper cards feel like clutter to me.

December 12, 2011 at 9:26 am

Lisa

Veteran

I am old fashioned and only send cards in the mail and not ecards. I prefer the feel of fine stationary in my hands. I like the personal touch of hand writing when sending someone wishes and I figure it’s nice to get something in the mail that is not a bill for a change. I also like stationary, but mine has butterflies on it. Or I would choose a monogram. I would not select a fashion design. And my daily calendar is still a paper based piece. I purchase a new one every year. I enjoy checking off tasks as they are done. And I like flipping through the pages. It feels a bit more personal to me than computerized schedulers. And I don’t have to worry about dead batteries preventing me from my to-do lists.

December 13, 2011 at 7:24 am

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