Archive for February, 2012
2013 Rhodia WebPlanners
Friends, your voices have been heard.
We are manufacturing a 2012-2013 Rhodia WebPlanner academic edition in pocket and large. They will be available in black or orange covers.
We are also bringing back the orange cover for the 2013 calendar year edition. 
The academic year editions will begin to ship to retailers in early May; calendar year by mid-June.
We are completely sold out of the large 2012 WebPlanner….right down to the two samples we had in the office!
If you want the planner of your choice, please see your retailer early in the season.
Stephanie will host some WebPlanner raffles when they roll off the presses so stay tuned!
A Rhodia Smash on NBC!
A few eagle eyed Rhodia fans recently spotted a large orange spiral notebook with our familiar logo on the front on the new NBC show, Smash. (Actress Debra Messing is shown holding it above.) “Smash” is a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire – to be a “Smash.”
I’ve sent a note to NBC to try and find out if this book was a simple prop, or since it appears to be well loved, if it actually belonged to one of the cast or crew. I will keep you posted!
Oscars Anyone?
In the late 80′s when VHS players became reasonably priced, I, like many others, bought one and began turning my living room into a nightly mini-theater. My husband and I would put pillows and blankets on the floor in front of our 25″ TV and pop in one after another of our favorite horror movies and also every new release we could get our hands on. Continue Readering »
Friday Link Share
Five things I learned in Creative Writing Class at Writing Forward
Tohkin Pencil Holder at Pencil Talk
Fisher Space Pen Review at Field Notes and another at Quo Vadis Blog
Modern budget fountain pens at The Well Appointed Desk
Ink Formula Modifications And Consumers, An Unhappy Mix at Inkophile Continue Readering »
Rhodia Unlimited Winners from Valentine’s Day Contest
And now to announce the winners of the recent Unlimited giveaway! Much thanks to all of you who entered, stay tuned to the blog for more giveaways of Rhodia products! Continue Readering »
Rhodiarama Rhodia
A couple of people have written to us asking when Rhodiarama Rhodia will be available in the US. 
Rhodiarama Rhodia is a new product for 2012 – it basically 15 colored versions of a pocket Webbie. Colors include: black, chocolate, taupe, beige, anise, turquoise, sapphire, iris, purple, lilac, raspberry, poppy, tangerine, orange and yellow. The paper is 90g, and the size is 3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ or A6.
You can see them on the French Rhodia website here.
Here’s the biggest reason we are not carrying them now: they aren’t made yet. What you see on the French site is a prototype.
We expect the manufacturing to be done this spring, and hope to have some samples on hand at the National Stationery Show (May) and for Book Expo (June).
If there is sufficient interest by our retailers we may bring in some? all? of the colors to have on sale by June or July.
They are expensive—and will retail somewhere between $18.50-$20 each. Are you willing to pay that amount for a pocket journal?
If so, what colors do you like?
Thank you! Your votes make a difference!
Rhodia in the USA
If you’ve ever wanted to view all of the Rhodia products currently available in the US, be sure to visit rhodiapads.com where you can also search for a local or online retailer.
Located in New York City, Exaclair is the exclusive US distributor for Rhodia products and also the other brands under the Clairefontaine umbrella which include: Clairefontaine, Quo Vadis, J. Herbin, Exacompta, G. Lalo, Brause, Mignon and Decopatch.
If you have questions concerning product availability in the US, you can submit your question here.
If you have questions about Rhodia products outside the US, please submit your question here.
Vintage Rhodia
I wonder when this image was taken. 1940′s maybe? I’m specifically eyeballing the cahiers on the right – the ones that look like composition books. Seeing the rounded corners on each of the products above makes me so happy – rounded corners are kinder on the palm of your hand when you reach the bottom of the page.
See anything you like? If there were enough interest, maybe we could convince Rhodia in France to reproduce one of their vintage designs…
Writer’s Bloc looks at R by Rhodia vs. Original Rhodia Notepads
Have you tried the R pads yet? Our friends at Writer’s Bloc recently decided to put these products side by side to show the difference between the two. (If you don’t already know, it’s mainly in the paper – which people are *loving!*)
Read the full review at Writer’s Bloc
Need further convincing? Here are a few more reviews of the “R.”
Gourmet Pens
Note Booker, ESQ.
Life Imitates Doodles
East… West… Everywhere
Missive Maven
Pocket Blonde
Spiritual Evolution of the Bean
Image courtesy of Writer’s Bloc
The Lobster Boat Story
Mr. Frank Thompson (“Frankie T”) is a lobster fisherman living on the island of Vinalhaven, Maine. He needs to keep records for the National Marine Fisheries Service, and he uses Clairefontaine wire bound notebooks to write down his entries. Some of the fishermen use laptop computers, but Mr. Thompson considers them unreliable, and sticks with Clairefontaine. His faith was rewarded after a recent disaster. Continue Readering »
Valentine’s Day Giveaway! Enter now for your chance to win 1 of 14 Unlimited Pocket Notebooks
Black or orange, lined or grid- this will be your choice if you are one of the 14 lucky winners of a new Rhodia Unlimited Pocket Notebook!
This contest is now closed – thank you to all who entered! Winners will be announced on the blog during the week of the 20th.
Randi’s Safaris
The Lamy Safari is a very popular fountain pen- I know because I’ve got more than a few myself. They don’t cost an arm and a leg (around $35 with an ink convertor) and are pretty darn sturdy. They are a great starter pen for new fountain pen enthusiasts because of their firm nib design. People switching from ballpoints/rollerballs to a fountain pen may at first write a little harder than they need to until they get used to the fact that they barely have to touch the pen to the paper for the ink to flow. While the nibs on some fountain pens are more delicate and can become misaligned or damaged with a heavy hand, I can say that my Safari’s have come shining through a fair amount of abuse. (Except for the one I dropped nib first to the kitchen floor)
As you try different fountain pens, (because I don’t know anyone that only has one) you may decide that you prefer a firmer nib (affectionately called a “nail”) or one with more flex. (Super flexy pens are known as “wet noodles.”) I tend to flip flop depending on my mood.
Photo courtesy of Randi Zafman. See more of your favorite pens in our Photo Pages.
Connecting one thing to another
I’ve received a recent question pertaining to Tuesday’s blog post in which I wrote about my husband cooking me a dinner of loose meat sandwiches. The question surrounded the relevance of that post to Rhodia and its fine writing products, so I have decided to elaborate and see if I can explain how my brain made the connection. Continue Readering »
The First Ever Rhodia Journal Swap is underway!
“What a friend you are to me,
When the “chips” are down, you are there for me.”
So starts Trillium’s poetic musings in “Ode to a Redfish” – one of his first contributions to his shiny new dotWebbie.
The group should all have received their journals by now and are starting to dig in. You can see how and what they are doing via the group Tumblr blog we’ve set up: Rhodia Journal Swap.
Have you written in your journal today?
Sloppy Joe
Working late in my studio tonight, I get a text from my husband that he made “Sloppy Joe’s” for dinner. Yum. What’s a Sloppy Joe?
From Wikipedia: “A sloppy joe is an American dish of ground beef, onions, sweetened tomato sauce or ketchup and other seasonings, served on a hamburger bun. Commercially made sauces are also available…. The Original Sloppy Joe Sandwich was invented by a cook named Joe at a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa, as a variation of the popular “loose meat” sandwich (which does not contain tomato sauce).”
As my husband is learning to cook, I won’t hold it against him that he bought a can of the prepared sauce, but I will someday soon teach him to make it like my Mom used to. She’d first saute green peppers and onions, (always chopped very small) then add and brown the ground beef which she’d season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. The sauce? Heinz Ketchup mixed with Gulden’s Spicy Brown Mustard. (The 2 major condiments of my youth) Super simple and very tasty. She’d serve it along with her homemade macaroni salad – comfort food at it’s best.
When was the last time you ate a version of a loose meat sandwich? Do you have a special recipe for the sauce?
