repeat outfits, books & notebooks
February 2025 favorites (part 2 of 3)
I have to admit, after rereading and editing this post, I feel like it truly lives up to the “quiet luxuries” I had in mind when I first started this Substack.
Here is part 2 of my February favorites:
1. Notebooks
In my latest post I shared my favorite pen for note taking, so it only seems right to share my favorite notebooks.
I’ve had my fair share of notebooks throughout my adulthod, especially in the last five years. From the Traveler’s Notebook to a simple Mead notebook, I’ve bought and tested the paper thickness, how it was bound together, and of course, put pen to paper to check for smears, bleeds and if it answered the one question: will I buy this again?
As someone who gets influenced on social media, I also bought notebooks that I used once or twice (or never at all) and just archived it in my collection, 99% of its pages still crisp, blank, and unused.
Going into 2025, I did not want the above to be a repeat habit.
The Hobonichi Cousin (a5 size) is my go to for yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily notes. Though I am working on consistently documenting my days, checking off tasks on my handwritten to-do lists, in playing the long game when it comes to journaling, it is fun to see progress. It is made of tomoe river paper which is perfect for writing with fountain pens and so smooth. I use it for to-do lists, habit tracking, journaling, and decorating with cute stickers.
The Hobonichi Techo (a6-pocket) lays flat when you open it and it is the perfect size to take wherever you go. The sturdy, durable and beautiful textured, black cover feels elegant and pricey, and I love the dot pages. I use this one for wishlists, journaling my overall mood for the day.
The Leuchtturm1917 (a5 with dot grid, hardcover) Weekly Planner & Notebook is what I use for work. The left side is a weekly spread that I use to jot down to-dos in a checklist format, while the lined pages on the right are used for quick notes office related documentation. I typically use gel pens, and I love the look and feel of Leuchtturm paper when writing.
I recently bought the wire bound Rhodia dotpad in the pocket size as an “art” pad for sketching, drawing and writing down creative ideas for business and Substack posts. I keep it in a small cloth bag with my highlighters, Tombow markers, colored pencils and fountain pens mainly for creative thinking.
2. Books
I thought I would never say this, but sometime between September and December, I forgot about my joy of reading.
It sounds lame to blame my busy work schedule, but I really feel like part of the reason was because I just didn’t make enough time to read. The autumn season was challenging to get through (personally and professionally) and I found myself doom scrolling through Tik Tok and Instagram for hours and hours then realizing that I had not even cracked open my book. In the evenings I found myself too tired to even enjoy reading so I would fall asleep with the phone in my hand.
Sure, I found a ton of books to add to my personal library, but what good are they if I don’t read them? I followed book club after book club, feeling initially inspired, only to find myself immersed in my work and then feeling too tired to continue (or even open) the book I was meaning to read.
A Court of Thorns and Roses (Sarah J. Maas)
I purposefully avoid reading books that are read by virtually everyone because I don’t want to be swept up in the frenzy. I didn’t start reading the Harry Potter books until 2012 during Hurricane Sandy while we were in the middle of a week long blackout in New York City.
To get back on the reading horse, I picked up a copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses from the local bookstore. The pacing was slow, but it is starting to pick up, and with it, my love for reading. Would this book fall under the subgenre of “romantasy”? If so, I’m all for it. I never thought I would say this, but the characters are growing on me (and this is after a difficult time getting through Fourth Wing).
The Idiot (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
What do you do with goodness in a world that doesn’t know how to handle it?
This seems to be the prevalent question in Dostoyevsky’s The Idiot. I never pigeon hole myself into reading one book at a time because I am a mood reader. So while I was reading ACOTAR, I picked up a copy of The Idiot because I was feeling courageous in my pursuit of reading again and well, I really like Dostoyevsky. This book is so good. Dostoyevsky knows how to write characters in a way that you can’t forget about them. They are not just characters in a novel, they’re actual people (literally speaking, Nastasya Filippovna was based on a real person). It is worth noting that this story was published as a series in a journal, so the story feels disjointed at times. But this is what actually keeps me hooked.
3. James Perse Tees and Trousers
The softest and most comfortable tees and trousers for lounging around in are the ones I found at James Perse. I’ve mentioned this brand before (and again during rainy day season) but these tees are all I wear these days. Like every day. My favorites are the men’s tees in crewneck (size S, or 1) in either the short or long sleeve. They’re great for layering too. I also bought a pair of wool drawstring trousers that I’ve had to alter (mentioned here) but it has that slouchy, comfy, “want to stay home and need to wear something I can fall asleep in” feel that makes me wish I bought another pair.
4. To fringe or not to fringe?
About two weeks ago I woke up with a sudden urge to get fringe bangs. I guess I wanted something a little different, as I hadn’t cut my hair in over six months. Though I miss my bob at times, I didn’t feel ready for another big chop, so I decided to get bangs instead. I went to Jasmin Pak in Ktown and am absolutely loving my new-ish hair.
5. Lippies!
We’ve all seen this:
So it’s no surprise that “mocha mousse” inspired make up looks have come up on my YouTube feed.
M.A.C. makes fantastic nude lipsticks, and their nude lip collection in all their 90s glory made me go out and buy a bunch of these ($200 something dollars well spent, imo). One of my favorites is Cool Teddy, a matte finish with a cool beige tone. Another favorite for everyday wear is Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balm in Trace.
An honourable mention is brown eyeliner. My go-to is black, but when I want to switch things up a little, creamy brown eyeliner is perfect for softening up eye make to make it less graphic looking. My eyeliner of choice is the Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof liner in Espresso.