I’m having a difficult time reinventing myself because my old self keeps butting in. Yesterday, while waiting for my new glasses to be made, I wandered over to Dilliards thinking I’d spend $25.00 at the cosmetic counter in order to qualify for the “free” gift from Lancome. As I approached the cosmetics department, a clerk asked if she could help me and I just shook my head no and kept walking.

Why spend $25.00 on cosmetics when what I really want is the little black notebook I saw at Book People last week. Granted I toyed with the thought of using one of the many notebooks I bought in Japan ten years ago–maybe even break out the super-duper special Fido Dido notebook. But then I saw this black one that is made in the same style as the little notebooks we picked up a few years ago at the Paperchase in Manchester and knew it was the one, perfect, must-have notebook for my Japanese class. It is European-sized, 1-inch thick, grid-lined (great for practicing kanji and writing top-to-bottom, or left-to-right, or right-to-left), with a plain, black flexible vinyl cover, and gently, rounded edges.