Well-Read Life™

With Lighting, Too, Less Can Be More

When I unpacked, assembled, and placed this lamp next to my favorite seat for reading, I was reminded of what we naturally want from new technology, but don’t always get: more performance, with less fuss. The Overarching Lamp is a small but important triumph of simplicity.

With it, you receive just the light you need in order to enjoy your novel or to see clearly your close work. Press the finger-friendly, rubber switch and, voila! 

You might think that 3 watts won’t give you enough light, but witness the magic of LEDs focused with a convex lens. I actually find the light too powerful if pointed directly at my book. But deflect the beam off to one side, and there you are. It’s easier than fussing with a dimmer. 

While the first generation of LED lights were often clinically white in color, the Overarching Lamp produces wonderfully warm light, the light of sunrise and sunset, the campfire color we humans tend to prefer in our homes. 

The less-is-more guiding principle also rings true in its outward appearance. Rather than being burdened with a style statement, like troublesome checked bags, Overarching Lamp travels light, with only a silver or black flight suit, and thus fits into whatever style you have going on in your home.

Simplicity extends to the bulb, which you never have to change since it will last for 50,000 hours. 

Added warmth comes from a halo of light encircling the head of the lamp, which provides just a friendly amount of ambient light. This head is so small, only 1-½” in diameter, you can conceal it within your fist like a magician, while it gently warms your fingers on chilly mornings. 

Enjoy Overarching Lamps in floor and desk models, in brushed silver or matte black. Consider buying two for either side of your sofa or bed, and thus avoid battles for what may become the favorite reading light in your home. 

Learn Fast, Learn Well

We can thank Hermann Ebbinghaus. Born in Germany in 1850, he was the first to study quantitatively our capacity to memorize, and our proclivity to forget. He graphed how our recall of recently learned facts fades quickly at first, and then gradually. Pondering this graph, he wondered what would happen if we quickly reinforced what we are trying to learn, and then repeated the reinforcement at increasing spaced intervals thereafter. What would be the optimum number of repetitions and intervals in order to obtain the best memorization with the least study time?

Today Ebbinghaus´s pioneering work is put to use in what are called spaced repetition systems, which lots of app makers employ to help us learn. But the apps haven’t torpedoed the heritage technology of paper flash cards. To the contrary, it turns out that the physical act of writing by hand and handling a card helps reinforce our learning. These movements tap into our physical selves in a way that merely tapping keys cannot.

Any index cards can work, yet a standard index card box can’t do the job. Another smart German named Sebastian Leitner designed an elongated box with enough compartments to provide the physical locations necessary. Followers of Leitner made their own boxes, usually out of shoeboxes and tape, but our designers were confident they could make something both more functional and more beautiful.

Of course it would be made of wood, but what kind? The wood grain would need to be long, straight and stable in all temperatures. It would need 8 compartments, yet the dividers would need to be easily removable so that one compartment could double in size if need be.

Our Levenger Leitner Box is, therefore, beautifully crafted of bamboo (like the old slide rules, devices demanding even more precision).

An Exacting Path or a Wandering One

If you follow the included instructions as to which cards to review on which days, you’ll reap the rewards of the best memory return on your invested time. If you are preparing for a test on a fixed date, this is your path.

A second way to use your Leitner is more casual, which is what I do with my Spanish. I write down idioms and dichos that I encounter in my reading just as I find them, in long sentences or phrases. These cards (with English on the flip side) follow a progression, starting their careers in the first compartment and advancing one compartment back when I get it right. Even though I am more casual about the timing and sequence of repetition, I still gain much from the method.

Whatever you want to learn and commit to memory, I hope your own Levenger Leitner Box will become one of your beloved tools for decades to come.

Yours,

Steve Leveen

 

Established 1987

When companies advertise “Since 1969” as The Gap does, or “Established 1987” as Levenger does on our gift boxes, the suggestion is “See, we’ve been around for years so we must be doing something right…” But as co-founders of Levenger, we look at these little proclamations a bit differently. We see our Established 1987 as a responsibility.

We have a responsibility to know what to keep, and what to change. We still want the warm, dimmable halogen lights that we began with 34 years ago, but also the new cool-as-a-cucumber LED lights that pack more lumens per watt. We still want our luxurious, top-grain leathers, but also those sleek new synthetics for our Circa notebooks. And unlike some online stores that grew up knowing nothing else, we remember how satisfying it can be to call up customer service and get an informed human being. “Why sure, Ms. Smith, we can monogram that and I´ll make sure we include your gift card, too. I know how important it would be to me to receive such a gift....” 

Automation has its place, but so does genuine human connection, which, since 1987, has been the best part of our jobs.

Steve & Lori Leveen

Co-founders

Sometimes going back is the way forward.

For most of recorded history, pens behaved themselves. That is, they stayed close at hand in a fixed spot, never going out on the town. This is because for thousands of years, people wrote with cut feathers. These quills were trimmed with a pen knife and then rested near the writer’s inkpot. Rarely did they travel with their owners (Charles Dickens was an exception), and never very tidily.

Only when humans figured out how to design pens that carried their own ink supply—an innovation known as the fountain pen—did pens become portable. The fountain pen’s cap crowned the achievement: portable and (relatively) unspillable.

But portability came with an unexpected side effect: some pens left home, never to return. Other pens got misplaced, left in a bag or jacket pocket, and not there at your desk when you sat down to write—blast it!

Feeling secure in the knowledge that your pen stays home, patiently waiting for you right where you left it, is a simple pleasure to savor. And that is why we are happy to offer a major step backwards in writing technology—the Peninsula Pen.

Like a welcoming lighthouse extending out into the turbulent waters of life and then beckoning you back to port, your Peninsula Pen is something you can depend on. Once you lift it from its pedestal and heft its elongated, elegant body in your hand, you’ll understand what the world gave up with abbreviated traveling pens. 

Peninsula doesn’t have to fit in a bag or pocket, and so it stretches out luxuriously, the way goose feathers did.  It bothers not with a traveling cap. It travels no farther than your arm’s length, then comes back to its port. 

Sit at your favorite writing spot, write a love note, pen a  correspondence card, then put your Peninsula back where you know it will stay, until you reach for it again.

Sometimes going back is the way forward. 

Steve Leveen, Co-founder

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

There are so many wonderful things about being the Co-Founders of Levenger. But at this time of year, our favorite part is picking out gift ideas for our nearest and dearest. If you can't decide what to treat yourself or give to others, maybe this will help.

From Steve:

Levenger Bookweight

Caution: May cause Christmas stocking to sag. 

Reports of the death of the printed book have been exaggerated. And thus we listened to customers and brought back our traditional Leather Bookweight. Can any desk be without one? Not mine. Under its delicious, full-grain leather is the same kind of microfiber cloth used for cleaning eye glasses, so pages are properly pampered. Banish the stapler, hole punch, or six-shooter you might be using to keep your books open. Relax in the simple wisdom of this time-tested solution. 

Choose a monogram, or simply, DAD. 

Bomber Jacket Tablet Stand

Even if it’s just your phone, what a simple pleasure it is to be able to set it up, rather than down. Next to your computer, in the kitchen to hold a recipe (iPad or paper), or to cradle your Kindle in your lap while reading in bed, it just works better when you set it at a comfortable angle, hands free.  You may never want to be without this lightweight, adjustable stand that is as rewarding to touch as it is to use.

Bomber Jacket 2-Pocket Folio

With all our digital devices, we use less paper today, but when we do use paper, it’s all the more meaningful. So the time has come to give our 21st century papers the setting they merit. That was the design philosophy behind our sleek 2 Pocket Folio. The soft, pebbly, Bomber Jacket leather makes your fingertips linger. During a meeting, this can serve as a lux placemat for laptops and tablets. Then, open it to reveal your report, your resume, your call to action, your proposal. A worthy new quiver for that wondrous heritage technology we call paper. 

True Writer, back in Sea Glass

If you’ve ever picked up sea glass on the beach, you know it’s a gift. Like a garden, sea glass is an example of inspired choreography between human made and nature made. Ever patient sea and sand soften our accidents, and lay them, like jewels, at our feet. We paid tribute to these translucent wonders in 2007 when we premiered our Sea Glass True Writer. It sold well, but we retired the design a few years later. But customers weren’t ready to say goodbye. So this year, we answered with our encore Sea Glass fountain pens, roller balls and ballpoints that are even sweeter than the original. Our new models have sea glass buttons on the tops of the caps (the originals were black) and the True Writer script logo is now engraved on the back of the belly band.

True Writers, now 21 years old, are of legal drinking age, and the fountain pens drink responsibly from your choice of Levenger inky microbrews. Set your needle down on a favorite LP and relax to write a card, slowly, the old fashioned way. By the time you press the stamp on the envelope, you’ll hear the gentle thewp, thewp, thewp that lets you know it’s time to lift the arm and flip your record to the other side.

From Lori:

Luxe Midnight Leather Circa Foldover 

Wow, the Luxe Midnight Leather Foldover brings my notebook up to functional luxury status.  The midnight blue leather reminds me of the deep blue skies of New England.  And, it feels deliciously soft to my hand, while also being durable for everyday use.  Add the optional Aurora or Seashell White Discs (in your choice of sizes) and you have a beautiful, personalized notebook for your notes, journal, or new novel.  As a gift, it will be cherished for years.  Add a monogram or subject emboss on the front for that added personal touch.

Luxe Folio Ensemble

Meetings and holiday celebrations may be virtual this year, but tangible gifts are appreciated more than ever.  To enhance one’s own workplace, or that of a friend, nothing beats the Luxe Folio Ensemble.  It features our irresistible Midnight Blue Luxe Leather letter-size folio, the stunning Herringbone Anniversary True Writer Rollerball, and extra Luxe Freeleaf Pads (with smooth, sumptuous paper).  Such a beautiful gift for a colleague, newly promoted or graduated friend or family member, or to honor yourself for surviving 2020.  You’ll be decked out when in-person meetings rev up again.  Cheers!

Carrie Satchel

When I go out now, I try to stack many appointments and errands together. I’ve found the Carrie Satchel is the best bag for my new life.  I can take my snacks, water bottle, notebook, pen, wallet, and mask—and the compartments let me stay organized for every activity.  The softness of the leather and construction gives me a comforting, casual look, while inside is as orderly as a file cabinet. It is a bag that means action, yet it waits patiently when I stop working, always ready for my next adventure.  Kind of like my dog Chet.

Carrie Tablet and Tech Storage Trio, Set of 3

An instant hit given my constant struggle to stay organized. These 3 pouches are soft enough for jewelry or tech tools and let me keep cords and adapters neatly. A thoughtful gift for anyone who wants to move quickly from bag to bag, or desk to bag, in a flash.  I love the blush and chili pepper colors which stand out in my deep tote bags. 

Bring Your Own Pen—The New Normal, Again

Before I walked out the door to go to the post office last week, I made sure I had my mask, my rubber gloves, and... then I thought of something else. I went to my home office, grabbed one of my pens, and clipped it to my shirt. 

Might carrying your own pen when you go out become normal again? 

Back in the last century, people used to carry pens, but in our present century, not so much. Today most people use their phones to take note of something, which might be a photo or voice note, or some other such digital document. If they need an actual pen somewhere—well, there is usually a cup full of communal pens. You pluck one out, sign your name or fill in the form, and stab it back in the cup. 

Nowadays, those communal pens don’t look so good. 

Which is why you might want to add your own pen to your everyday carry (EDC). You’re doing it both for your sake and for the sake of others, a small but reassuring addition to our armor for staying healthy.

Get into the BYOP groove

Any old disposable pen that’s yours will do, but just as some people are wearing nicer masks, why not consider a nicer pen? Choose one pen that pleases you, not only in the way it writes but in the way it feels and looks, too. Consider it affordable luxury-made-necessity. 

And by the way, you take apart and wash all our True Writer pens (setting the refill aside) with soap and water, just as you would your hands. 

And the next time you go out, remember to BYOP.

Be safe and know that our customer service people are in our Delray Beach office (or working from home) if we can help.

The Time-at-Home Book Bonus

My father was ordered to the Philippines during World War II but got lucky: while he was shipping over, the war ended. When he and his buddies arrived in Manila, they were given work to keep them busy, including scraping barnacles off the bottom of Navy ships—right before said ships were to be scuttled. “Welcome to the Navy!” he told me.

Each morning, my dad and his fellows would walk from their barracks over to the notice board to see if their name appeared, ordering them home. But while his friends were getting their orders, my father’s name didn’t appear. Days turned into weeks. When there was no busy work left and the number of sailors dwindled, my dad was told to stay out of trouble.

There was a small library on base, so my father started reading books. “I never read so much in my life,” he told me many years later. A broad smile came over his face as he remembered. “I read plays, classics, contemporary stuff.” For most of the day he would lie in his hammock reading, until one morning, more than two months after he arrived, he finally did find his name on the notice board. The Navy hadn’t forgotten about him after all. 

Today, in our unplanned time at home, we have more options than my father did. While many of us work via our computers, or help teach our children at home, and all of us want to stay up with the news, I hope you can also find some time to escape to your reading hammock.

In case you’re interested in a few suggestions, here are five ways for you to take a deep breath and breathe in a book...

No. 1: Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World by Laura Spinney

If you think we’ve got it tough (and we do), wait till you read what our great-grandparents had to contend with. When the Spanish flu attacked (spoiler alert: it didn’t come from Spain), the world was a century behind where we are today in science. British science journalist Laura Spinney takes us back into that even darker time, to the rumors and desperation, as well as to the lasting impact this worldwide debacle had on public health, art and literature. 

 

No. 2: Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations by Amy Chua

 You’ve probably heard of the Tiger Mom. Would you believe Amy Chua is also a Tiger Scholar? I had a chance to hear her present her work on modern tribalism and then devoured this book. Finally, I think I understand the basis of the political turmoil we’ve been suffering through in America. Her chapters on Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq will break your heart—and elevate your understanding. 

 

No. 3: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

When I heard the author was criticized for not being the right sort of person to write such a book, I bought it. (Was Harriet Beecher Stowe the right sort of person to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin?) This suspenseful tale paints the inconvenient truth of how, for many migrants seeking El Norte, it’s not just to earn more money but because to stay in their homeland means death.

 

No. 4: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

After Bel Canto, I now read everything Ann Patchett writes. If she offered her shopping list, I’d read it. It’s not just that her writing is beautiful. Of course it is. It’s that she is an indefatigable champion for other writers, for books, for bookstores and for readers. She is America’s Book Sweetheart. (And even if you think you don’t like audio books, listen to a sample of Tom Hanks reading, and you may change your mind.) By the way, Ann offers her own timely favorite books on the PBS News Hour here.

 

No. 5: La Casa de los Espíritus/The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende

 

For those of us learning another language, there are few things more valuable than reading just what interests you. And while the number of bilingual printed books is very limited, e-readers come to the digital rescue. I’ve been enjoying Isabel Allende’s dreamy The House of the Spirits in Spanish. But, since I get only most of what’s happening, I flip to the English version periodically. The ability to do this with electronic books is one of the literary blessings of our age. (Another are our literary translators.)

Stay safe, my friends, and I hope you can make do the way my dad did, and breathe in a good book or three. 

Yours,

P.S. Many Levenger customers over the years said to me, “I love the book stuff you guys sell; I just wish I had more time to read.” They inspired me to write The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life way back in 2005. It’s a short book designed to help readers get more books into their life, and more life from their books. It’s newly available as an e-book here.

The Majestic Handwritten Card

Today it’s easy to awe a fellow human. All you need to do is write a short, handwritten note and send it through the mail. But its real power to awe may not be what you think.

Yes, handwritten notes, these ancient evergreens of communication, look even more majestic in the snowfall of texts and emails that blanket us.

Yes, a hand-addressed envelope seems to glisten amidst the slurry of machine addressed stuff we get in the mail, like gold in a prospector’s pan.

But the true power of a handwritten note comes from something else, I think. For me it comes, like the literal passing of a torch, from the same piece of paper held by one and then the other, written on, then read.

Your words are not displayed in perfect Calibri, Palatino, or a default text chosen by a programmer, but are imperfectly scribed in the "font of you".

Passing through no Internet Service Provider, screened by no filter, scanned by no algorithm, a handwritten card is as elemental as written communication between two humans can be.

Because handwritten cards have been sent out to pasture, retired, relegated to those communications of no commercial importance, and of no particular urgency, they do something else. They are used for messages of gratitude, of care and of love. They are not of this moment but of this lifetime.

We will print and save few of our emails, but many of the handwritten cards will be put away for safekeeping. Those letters from camp, letters from our grandparents, advice from mom and dad, passions of a lover, tears of a friend, are the fabric of life.

Their very encumbrances can be blessings in disguise. Handcrafting a note forces us to slow and compose in your head before we put ink on paper. And in the slowing we can sometimes find ourselves. A handwritten note can do as much for the sender as the receiver.

And all this is before you conspire with your envelope to deliver another surprise--tickets, a photo, a hotel key card, the pearl of wisdom or humor released from our fortune cookie, a beer coaster, a few rose pedals. Such stowaways can become breathaways. 

Some of us, I know, bemoan our handwriting, but to me writing by hand is like Willy Nelson’s singing. Fans love him not for his perfect voice, but for how his music makes us feel, and that familiar imperfection that is uniquely his.

Our loved ones and friends will not grade our handwriting, but will they even recognize our handwriting when they see it? Only if we give them the chance, and send them examples. To recognize a dear one’s handwriting is one of the pleasures in life we should not give up, not when the pleasure is so high and the cost, well, isn’t even a cost.

So write to your favorite people, write to your loved ones. Handwritten cards have also been released from the need to be long. No one needs them to be long, only to be there, like those evergreens, welcoming us home.

Welcome 2020 with Traditional Technology

She is maybe the fastest person I’d seen at navigating the web. Before I could even finish asking my question, she seemed to find the answer online. She was an undergraduate at Stanford, and I was fortunate to be working with her on a project. But when it came time to schedule our next meeting, I was shocked by what she did. She snapped closed her laptop, reached into her bag, and lifted out a medium sized agenda--a paper agenda.

Seeing the look on my face, she said, “Yeah, I find this faster and easier. I just like being able to see everything on paper.” 

I had to pinch myself. 

But when I relayed this story to our Chief Marketing Officer, Margaret Moraskie, she wasn’t surprised. “We’re seeing an interest in our paper products in general among younger customers. I think they see paper as an affordable luxury.” While the press is writing about how young people are glued to their screens and walking into traffic, at Levenger, we see them buying paper. And they particularly like paper calendars, which were officially made obsolete before the class of 2020 was born. 

It warms my heart, I have to say, that our future doctors, lawyers and computer scientists (the number one major at Stanford), are enjoying the quieter pleasures of that thin, traditional technology we call paper. 

So, let’s get to the goods: Our bestselling calendar products are our Circa Daily Agenda Refills--in letter or junior size. Most customers already have a Circa notebook they like, maybe leather, maybe book cloth, they might also have high-speed aluminum discs, and are using the paper formats they like best. Then, they press in these agenda refills just where they want them, in just the quantity they want (maybe three months, maybe six). 

Listening to our discriminating customers over the years, we now provide multiple ways for them to see their future--detailed daily views for some, for others, seeing a week at one time is just right. All formats also come with big-picture monthly and yearly views to assist in their longer-term plans.

Other customers prefer to buy their agendas as complete finished notebooks, which they can also enhance by swapping in larger discs, which allow for extra paper, or by slipping this plastic covered notebook into a leather case. They know that Circa notebooks are like Lego--the parts snap together, plug and play. (Sorry, we haven’t licensed Batman covers yet.)

Still other customers go real old school and use our calendar 3x5 cards, which were officially made obsolete when Prohibition ended. These hopelessly 20th-Century folks (I love you) seem to like the idea of carrying just the little cards they need in one of our Pocket Briefcases. 

Read the reviews and you’ll find that Levenger customers appreciate that their paper calendars won’t run out of power, won’t send urgent emails demanding their latest upgrade, and won’t be hacked by the Russians. Customers enjoy their private “peace” of paper. 

As technology author Kevin Kelly writes, new technology doesn’t completely kill the old. “It’s not either-or, it’s and.” Thus, thankfully, we still enjoy our beloved sailboats, bicycles, candles--and our dear old, (queue the spa music) paper calendars.

Why We Love Being Levenger’s Retired Co-Founders

One of the best perks of being the retired co-founders of Levenger is that we get a sneak peek of new and updated products for the holidays. After getting our hands on them, here’s a select few that we’re proud to say are our top picks for 2019. 

Since I’m the traditional loudmouth, I’ll go first with my take on some of these Founder Favorites. Then Lori will share the products that spoke to her. 

Impact On-The Go Backpack v. my cherished Bomber Jacket Backpack

A funny thing happened when I began evaluating the new Impact backpack. I put it beside my Bomber Jacket Backpack, which I’ve been using (and loving) for two years. I started transferring my stuff, item by item, into this new one. It took just a few transfers for me to realize that the new Impact has more going on--more pockets, more function, like the internal water bottle sleeve (which you can access outside the bag through a smart little trap door) and the cool looking orange honeycomb lining, which helps your gear stand out. The bag’s just a wee larger, too. When I was done transferring, I didn’t want to go back. 

I’ll hasten to add that I am perfectly happy with my Bomber Jacket Backpack, and I’ve gotten many compliments on it. Although it’s more of a dress up bag, on a summer trip to Corsica, it became my daypack on long, hot hikes and it worked just fine. But compared with the new Impact Backpack, the Bomber Jacket pack is simpler in terms of compartments. Despite the increased compartments, the Impact is less money than the Bomber Jacket Briefcase. The reason is that the leather, while still being really nice full-grain black leather, is less expensive than our Bomber Jacket leather. 

The Impact is going to be my new EDC (Everyday Carry), while I’m keeping my Bomber Jacket Backpack for those occasions when I want to be a bit more dressed up, and don’t need to carry the complete lineup of my work gear.

Wall Street Leather File Folder

You don’t need one of these. Nor does anyone else. A paper manila file folder costs 39 cents, so why spend $39 dollars for a leather one? Because...it’s just about as cool as Adam Driver, that’s why. 

And as a gift? Well, ask Levenger to emboss your initials on the tab. When your loved one sees their initials embossed in gold on a pebbled leather inside surface, and their hands feel the smooth leather on the outside and run their fingers along the stitching on the bottom, well, damn, these are totally cool…

No one needs leather upholstery in their cars, or a cashmere sweater, or Dom Perignon but most of us sure like ‘em when we get them. If you’re like me, you’ll want a functional justification for this affordable luxury, so here it is: These hold a few important papers (a contract? a new license? a love letter?) just about perfectly--without them sliding out. Sometimes, presentation can be everything.

Luxe 5-Year Journal

First off, I’m a big fan of our venerable 5-Year Journal. I appreciate the constraint they impose. They give you five lines to say your daily piece. That, it turns out, is just right for many people, including me. When I finally flop into bed after a long day, five lines are about all I can muster before, capping my pen, laying the silk ribbon in the page, and setting this handsome tool back on my nightstand.

I keep one 5-Year Journal up at our summer cottage in Maine and record those long days full of warm times and cold water. While journaling is its own reward, you’re in store for an additional reward when you complete your first year and can see what was holding your attention exactly one year ago--then two, three, and four years ago as your prized journal matures.

I keep a second 5-Year Journal in our Florida home for our winter days.

I have to add that these journals are just the right size to use, neither too big nor too small. And the texture of their book cloth covers feels really good. All in all, our standard 5-Year Journals, in my opinion, are just about perfect.

But guess what? 

Our product designers decided “just about” wasn’t enough. They commissioned another version clad in leather. As my grandmother used to say, “Oh, my word…” Check out the gold gilt edges, too, which not only look cool but will help protect the pages of your journal for your great grandchildren to read with wonder. 

Catwoman has her black leather pants, Will Smith, his black leather vest in the “Wild, Wild West.” Now diarists have their Levenger Luxe 5-Year Journal, ready for the next--and best--five years of your life. 

Read & Write Eyeglass Case in Bomber Jacket Leather

Oh, la la...I do love our Bomber Jacket leather. Touch it, and you’ll want to rub it. Smell it, and you’ll likely leave your nose there a moment longer and go, “Mmmm…” Those qualities make it the perfect leather for our Read & Write Eyeglass case, which you’ll likely handle many times a day.

In the two fully lined internal pen sleeves, you can keep two different pens sorted.  I like to have a signature pen with me (blue ink, broad point) for writing short notes to others and, of course, my signature. And then I want my note taking pen (black ink, fine point). So, I keep both of those with me, flanking my sunglasses in the middle. The outside pocket comes stocked with a microfiber cleaning cloth (and I put in a few business cards, too). “Essential” is overused. I’ll just say I sure like having it with me.  

The United States Constitution

An instant bestseller when it came out, and still good reading today, the United States Constitution, plus a few other American founding documents, is an absolute winner in a Christmas stocking. According to the paintings we saw in our history books, a bunch of old guys in white wigs came up with this, and are we are grateful they did. It’s been a handy owner’s manual for us Americans for almost 250 years. The leather cover is as durable as it is good looking, and, at just 2¾ x 3¾, it fits in your hand like a river stone.

 

Lori’s Holiday Picks 

Carrie Convertible Clutch

This bag is so well constructed and made of such soft leather that I just want to hold it. It’s like a fine leather book tucked against me when used as a clutch. But when suitcases (or grocery bags) call my hands to duty, the adjustable strap swings into play—perching on my shoulder or comfortably hugging me as a cross-body.This bag is perfect for running a quick errand, or for a long-haul flight when it stays at my side while my larger bag is stored overhead.  It holds my phone, credit cards, glasses and lipstick—all the essentials.  It tucks like a pearl into the matching Signature Tote. 

Charlotte Baguette

Tucked under your arm, as happily as a Parisian baguette, this bag is lusciously soft and serviceably compact.  A cool, casual version of dressy—a go-anywhere bag, which transforms from work to evening in a snap.  It’s versatile given its removable cross-body strap and shorter shoulder strap.  Its exterior pocket with a hidden magnet holds your phone or keys securely, your credit cards tuck away safe in six slots, your makeup in a zip pocket. Day & night. I think you’ll love it as I do.  Pairs perfectly with the Charlotte Tote. 

The Signature Tote

The Signature Tote is my go-to tote: it gives one a large, structured base to hold files and notebooks upright and at the ready for easy access. The center pouch functions as a secure storage pocket that zips, but it also snaps out to use as a large clutch, leaving a gigantic open storage tote. This lets one stuff it full of gobs of reading material, or put in a small handbag, a jacket and change of shoes for a trip or local outing. It’s almost like having two-bags-in-one! The textured leather is both soft and strong. designed to reward you daily, and long term. This tote makes a wonderful gift because it’s a classic style that goes with almost everything, and likely fits most everything you need.  

Palomino Blackwing Gift Set

OK, I admit it. I’m a pencil fanatic.  Maybe it’s my perfectionism problem that leads me to endlessly erase and correct my scribbles. Anyhow, I’m also a frustrated artist (doodler, mainly), so I like that a pencil is more forgiving.  Writing with the Palomino is like driving a fine car.  For starters, its silky finish reminds me of the glistening paint on a BMW.  Its hardware is machined beautifully, and tightly encases the replaceable eraser, which is a blade shape, allowing for a finer erasing area (key on my priceless doodles).  And replacing the eraser let’s one use the pencil to the very end of its useful life. It comes with a handy sharpener, too. The beautiful, French made wooden gift box sits on a desk beckoning to be opened.  Adding a name makes it a personalized gift, to be cherished and used for years to come.  So, for those loved ones, or colleagues who love to write, draw, or doodle, the Palomino Blackwing is the pencil to have. 

These are just the highlights of our favorites. Explore the full collection here.