As for me, my PPK would contain:

I’m pretty sure all this would fit but boy, that is limited space for personal items! I hope a felt tip pen would work in space. Does anyone know? I don’t like the ink in the Fisher Space pen.

I realize I couldn’t take my cats with me but Ollie is volunteering to be the first cat in space.

Did you decide what you’d take to space?

All Things Stellar:

• Artemis II Captures Spectacular Images of ‘Earthset’ from Deep Space (via Colossal)
• Astronauts suggest naming a moon crater ‘Carroll’ after their commander’s late wife (via NPR)
• Moon music: Here’s a Spotify playlist of the Artemis 2 crew’s wakeup songs (via Space.com)
• New phone wallpaper thanks to Artemis II (via CJs Wunderkammer)
• Solar Eclipse From the Far Side of the Moon (via Kottke.org)

Pens:

• Pelikan Fountain Pens Explained (via Yoseka Stationery)
• The Best Beginner Brush Pens for Lettering (via JetPens Blog)
• Early thoughts on the Tom Hessin Revolution fountain pen. (via Fountain pen blog)
• Review: The Quirky Cup Collective Daydreamer Pen (via Inky Imaginings)

Ink:

• Visit to Bungu no Mori in Osaka, Japan (via Inkcredible Colours)
• Ken’s Night Chinese Soup – pea pods (via Inkcredible Colours)
• Pelikan Edelstein Pyrite Ink Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Vinta Inks – The Awareness Project – Sailfin Green – Ibid 1829 Ink Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Ink of the Week: Robert Oster Muddy Wine (via Dime Novel Raven)

Notebooks & Paper:

• Some Things Don’t Need a Planner (And Some Really, Really Do) (via Planner Fun)
• Guest Post: I have a Frankenfax – by Matthew (via Philofaxy)
• The Best Pocket Notebooks (via JetPens Blog)
• WW1 Soldier-Sailor’s Diary (via Notebook Stories)
• How My Bullet Journal Helped Me Make a Decision (via Bullet Journal)

Art & Creativity:

• Virtual Traveling (with Street View World Tour) – Underwater! (via
  Apple-Pine)
• On My Table: Beginning of April 2026 (via Apple-Pine)
• REVIEW: Lightwish Portable Watercolor Travel Set (via Doodlewash)
• Stitch Your Favorite Destinations with Jake Henzler’s ‘Knit the City’ (via Colossal)

Rubber Stamps and Stamp Pads:

• Comparing 4 Stamp Pads (via Yoseka Stationery)
• New to Stamping? Start Here! (via Archer and Olive Blog)

Other Interesting Things:

• 2026 Arkansas Pen Show (via Olive Octopus)
• Unpacking the Inaugural San Francisco Stationery Fest (Literally and Figuratively), Plus Save the Date for On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville! (via The Gentleman Stationer)
• Snow in April (via Austin Kleon)
• Public Libraries Can Get Any Book for $5 Using Interlibrary Loan (via My Modern Met)
• 2026 SF Stationery Fest in the books (via Penguin Post/ April Wu)
• A guide to which Apple chargers to use with which Apple products (via Kottke.org)
• Shoe Pop Dream Gaze, a three-hour playlist from Christina Hendricks (via Kottke.org)

Check out our Patreon where you can get inspiration, gossip and free printables that include a biweekly podcast and more. Your patronage supports this site. Without them, and without you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!

During the stream, there were several moments where the scientific reporters involved talked about various aspects of being an astronaut and being on mission. One of those is that each astronaut is allowed a personal preference kit (PPK). The size has varied a bit over the years, but the current size of the PPK is a rectangular box measuring approximately 5 inches by 8 inches by 2 inches (12.7 cm × 20.3 cm × 5.1 cm).

So here’s the question. If you were on a mission to space, what would you put in your PPK? Here are my answers.

• I’d want to bring a fountain pen, but I don’t know how well those would work in space, without gravity. So maybe I should bring a Fisher Space Pen?
• My selection for a notebook is gonna be pretty predictable too. While I’m tempted to bring a journal with more pages for all my amazing thoughts about the experience, I might need to bring one of my cherished Field Notes Lunacy notebooks with me, right?

• Something crafty. That box is SMALL. Yarn is squishy, but what do I bring for days away in space? I’m thinking a good pair of socks (one skein of sock yarn, and 5 double pointed needles – though heaven help me if I let go of one and it floats away!) What yarn? Maybe Deep Dyed Yarns Dark Side of the Moon?

So what would be in your PPK?

In my quest to spend less time on my phone, I discovered the XTEink X4. What really appealed to me was that the X4 is not tied to the Amazon Kindle ecosystem or Kobo or anything else.

Of course, this can also been seen as a downside. If you own a lot of books purchased through Amazon’s Kindle store or use Kindle Unlimited, then the XTEink device might not work. If you like to get public domain books from the Gutenberg Project or  Standard Ebooks, then you might like this device.

I have been purchasing my books through the Kobo store which allows customers to download their books to their computer and save them locally. I prefer this since I have been an ereader for many years and, like so many other technologies I’ve seen come and go, I like knowing I own my books so I can move them from device to device.

Side note: Anyone can buy books from the Kobo bookstore and save them to whatever ereader device you are currently using. I particularly like their Daily Deals page for ebooks for $4.99 or less, with most being $1.99 or so. Books can also be purchased from the Google Play Store and ebooks.com and I am sure there are others. Leave a comment if you have a good source to purchase ebooks and download them down below.

Finally, if you read most of your ebooks from the library through Overdrive or Libby,  there is not support for those books on the X4. At least not yet. So, if you are mostly a library book reader, skip the device for now.

The Device

The device  is TINY which makes it easy to hold with one hand. This is the same size as my beloved Mark’s EDiT B7 Slim notebook. It is thinner than my notebook AND my phone. Since it has a a black-and-white eink screen, it’s easy on the eyes and the battery lasts for days or even weeks depending on usage.

The XTEink X4 does not have a touch screen. In order to navigate, you must rely on the physical buttons. There is a rocker bottom on the right hand side that can be used to turn pages as well as two rocker buttons on the bottom front of the device. So again, no touchscreen may be a plus for some and a minus for others.

The screen resolution for the XTEink X4 is 220ppi. When compared to the resolution specs of the Kobo and Kindle which are both 300ppi, there is a slightly noticeable difference when compared side-by-side. However, when I am reading on the X4, I am not also reading simultaneously on the other devices and as a result, I do not notice the slightly lower ppi. So don’t let the specs affect your call about purchasing an X4.

There is wifi capabilities and some of the firmware versions (details about that below) does support transferring files via wifi. There is even an app for your phone to help transfer PDF and epub documents over wifi to the X4. Most folks recommend just popping the MicroSD card into your computer if you’re transferring files as its faster and more stable, just FYI.

I keep forgetting about this but the X4 does not have a backlight. If you like to read in the dark or lowlight situations, you’ll need a lamp or external light source. I keep not noticing this because I usually use my ereaders with exterior lights, a lamp or daylight to illuminate my device so I seldom use the backlight. But again, some will see this as a feature and others will see it as a bug.

The X4 is an ereader device, there is no capabilities for audiobooks or sound but that’s okay. There are other devices we can use for that.

The Community

The most notable thing about the XTEink devices (there is an even smaller 3″ X3 device hitting the market as I type this and rumors of other products in the pipeline) is that the software and firmware that runs on this device is being furiously upgraded and modified by a super-active community of fans and developers. I purchased my device and immediately swapped out the stock firmware from XTEink with the most popular homebrew version called Crosspoint. It added support for a bunch of features that I wanted to try and, as a type nerd, replaced the default font with Bookerly, a beautifully designed ereader-specific typeface.

So, again, the customize-ability of the device may be a perk for some and a downside for others since many people feel that the current default firmware is not great. However, I have the technical skill of a cabbage and was able to “flash” the new Crosspoint firmware onto my device following the detailed and very helpful instructions on the Readme.club, an XTEink enthusiast web site) and had it up and running in about 30 minutes. While it was installing, I picked books from my library in Calibre (the application I use to store my ebook library on my laptop) and picked out sleep screens (which can be custom and stored in a folder called “sleep” as long as the files are sized properly and saved as .bmp files).

Another side note: The best way I’ve found to customize sleep screens is to use X4 Wallpaper Converter. Just upload an image ans use the tools provided to generate the perfect .bmp file. I just grabbed the folder of images I had cellected as sleep screens for my Kobo device and repurposed them.

The Bottom Line:

If you are someone who appreciates a little technical DIY for a no-notification, no-internet, distraction-free device that is lightweight, portable and pocketable, the XTEink X4 is definitely for you. You can’t beat the price when compared to Boox Palma devices (the closest in size) or the Kindle or Kobo devices.

If you are tiny ereader-curious but worried about being “techie enough,” trust me, you are. If I can do it, you can too. If you have questions, drop my question below.

If you are tied to Kindle or Kindle Unlimited, then you should probably pass. At least for now.

I like this device so much, I have been petsitting for a friend this week and I take my phone and the X4 with me when I go over to the house. I sit on the couch and read for a bit so the cat has some companionship. Today, when I left, I only had my X4 and had to go back later and get my phone which I left on my friend’s kitchen table! Yeah. See my priorities?

There is a lot more detail about the X4 and comparison to other ereader devices in the video below.

Links to pretty much everything mentioned in the video above:

• Kindle Paperwhite (refurbished)
• Kobo Libra 2
• Boox Palma Pro 2
• Standard Ebooks public domain books
• Calibre
• Readme.club Community-driven resource sharing for Xteink users
• X4 Wallpaper Converter
• XTEink X4 (direct)
• XTEink X4 (amazon)
• Mark’s EDiT B7 Slim notebook
• Field Notes

DISCLAIMER: Some items in this review include affiliate links. The Well-Appointed Desk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Please see the About page for more details.

Even though I take long breaks between reading books, I’ll never give up reading. I’m format agnostic when I read. Print books, ebooks, audiobooks—I love them all. There’s a time and place for each of them. If I’m lucky enough to have the book in multiple formats, I will switch between them. (Thanks to my public library!)

Also my perimenopausal brain fog makes it harder for me to jump into some fantasy and sci-fi world building. So I’ve adjusted my reading goals and intentions to fit my lifestyle better. Yes, I’m a romance writer but I also love SSF. Even better when there’s romance in them!

My Reading Goals

Since I read less books, I try to read more intentionally. My reading goals are:

• A majority of my books I’ve read are written by BIPOC, LGTBQIA+, and women writers. Even better when those intersect.
• DNF (did not finish) books I’m not enjoying. I have too many unread books to spend time with one that doesn’t make me happy. Usually it’s not the book or writer’s fault. I’m a mood reader
• Read more closely (if possible). That means highlighting passages I like and writing a thoughtful review that’s for my eyes only
• Add the book, fave quotes, and review to my reading journal

Documenting Books in my Journal

I document the basics in my reading journal, but I enjoy combining multiple hobbies when I do so. I use a mix of fountain pen, watercolor, gouache, stamps, stickers, washi and more. It all depends on how much time I have to spend with my journal.

I recently made an Instagram reel of my latest journal entry for Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers. It took me longer to make this video than adding it to my journal. Ha!

I’m currently 2 books behind in my reading journal, but that’s fine with me. I want this process and this journal to be low stress. When I’m too busy and don’t feel like pulling out all the tools, I print out the cover on some sticky backed photo paper and call it done.

Just like my life, my reading journal is a work in progress.

Do you keep a reading journal?

If this has happened to you, don’t give up. Give yourself permission to start over. If your blank pages bother you, clip them together or heck, rip them out. You have my permission to start over — if you need that.

For April, I am embracing flowers, new growth and fresh changes. I am using up half-used sticker sheets as well as some new clear stamps and continuing to work my way through my washi collections.

For the whole story and flip-throughs of my March pages plus my plan for April, check out the video below.

Products shown:

• French Paper Speckletone: Madero Beach and Kraft
• Aura Estelle B6
• Writual Tarot Stamp Set
• Kodomo No Kao Mini Moji Stamp Set
• The Bibliophile Oracle Deck
• Cottagecore Sticker Book
• Bibliophile Ephemera Sticker Book
• Rickshaw Inky Dreams A5 Zipper Pouch
• Well-Appointed Desk Sticker Sheets
• Let’s Be Fronds Clear Stamp Set
• Book Tracker Clear Stamp Set

DISCLAIMER: Some items in this review include affiliate links. The Well-Appointed Desk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Please see the About page for more details.

This week’s Link Love graphic is part of the printable goodies Patrons have access to. If you want to be a part of the fun and get free downloadable and printable files, hop over and sign up now at any level to get our April graphics.

Now, onto the links!

Pens:

• Jacques Herbin Refillable Marker Review (via The Pen Addict)

Ink:

• Burgundy Ink and a Colorful Pen (via An Inkophile’s Blog)
• Weenk No. 1 Black (via Inkcredible Colours)

Pencils:

• Mechanical pencil roundup: March 2026 (via Urban Adventure League)

Notebooks & Paper:

• Midori Household Items To Do List Memo Pad Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Create a Swatch Journal For Your Stationery Supplies (via Archer and Olive)

Art & Creativity:

• Schmincke Random Grey 2026 Watercolour (via Writing at Large)
• She’s the forgotten Parisian gallerist Who Helped Make Picasso and Matisse (via Messy Nessy Chic)
• Drawing at the Protest (via Apple-Pine)

Book Reviews:

• Book Review: Queen Demon by Martha Wells (via Writing at Large)
• Review – The Second Mrs. Bennet (via Rachel’s Reflections)

Other Interesting Things:

• Thank You Atlanta! (via The Pen Addict)
• Stationery Favourites – March 2026 (via Inky Imaginings)
• Just the basics: a survival strategy (via A Gathering of Curiosities)
• Filofax Calculators (via Philofaxy)
• U.S. Postal Service Announces Transportation-Related, Time-Limited Price Change (via USPS Newsroom)

Check out our Patreon where you can get inspiration, gossip and free printables that include a biweekly podcast and more. Your patronage supports this site. Without them, and without you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!

The set is what it says – a basic set, but I love that it includes orange and pink in addition to red/blue/black which are more standard.

As a general rule, I like what I see of Zebra Sarasa pens. They function well and are a great introductory option. My only objection is that they are more or less intended to be disposable, and I’m really trying not to use “single use” plastics and fill up landfills. So I was curious to see that these are refillable too!

The specs on these inks says they’re pigment based and noted as archival quality. Does that mean water resistant? It does. That ink ain’t going anywhere!

I will say that this set with the .38mm nibs is a little on the thin side for me. They’re not scratchy, but I prefer slightly wider and wetter gel pens and nibs (I guess I’m still on my Pilot Juice kick!). That said, if I need to write in small letters and details, I appreciate the fine writing possibilities of a smaller point. And If you’re wanting to test drive some gel pens, I do like these a lot!

• Paper: Beverly Marumi Notebooks ($9.50)
• Pens: Zebra Sarasa Nano .038mm pens (5 Color Set – Basic for $12.50)

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

This time our lucky winner is Pamela!

I’ve already contacted Pamela and her goodies will be on her way to her shortly. Thanks for reading along at the Desk and stay tuned for further giveaways!

It had been a long time since I gave Faber-Castell fountain pens a spin so when I saw the slim, metal Faber-Castell Neo Slim Aluminum Fountain Pen in Olive Green (EF nib, $67), I decided it was time to try again. The Neo Slim comes in several other color options including a black-and-rose-gold.

This pen is brushed aluminum design that feel a little like the Makralon Lamy 2000, that slightly toothy exterior. It is a narrow, slender design which reminds me of the Faber-Castell colored pencil in width.

The pen uses a standard international cartridge or converter. The pen shipped with no converter. At a price over $50, I really want pen makers to include a converter.

The cap is a snap cap which makes it a quick and easy pen to use in office settings, meetings and note-taking since there is no twisting.

The clip and nib are black anodized metal. I got the EF nib in hopes that it would be fine enough for my use.

I was surprised at how wide the lines were with the EF nib. Its not scratchy but it is definitely wider than what I was expecting from an EF nib.

When the EF Neo nib is compared with other EF nibs, it is the widest. I would compare it to a medium, at least a Japanese medium. It’s EF as Lamy thinks of EF nibs. So if you like needlepoint nibs, this is not for you.

Size comparison:

I was hoping that the Neo would be competitive to the Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pen. It is very similar in length. The Neo is slimmer. Next to the Sailor ProGear Slim and Kaweco Sport, the Neo is the narrowest of the bunch.

The nib is similar in size but the Neo nib is a unique shape.

The grip section is the shortest with the sharpest step down. That is one of the things I found the hardest to deal with. It was a little pokey in my hand.

Finally, I’ve been working with this Faber-Castell pen all week only to discover that the snap cap doesn’t seal completely and every time I uncap it, the nib is dry and hard starts.

Sadly, this is the deal breaker for me. The point of a snap cap pen is for it to be easy to use on a regular basis. If after only a day, its dry, that’s a no-go.

I will try this pen with a different ink since the Monteverde California Teal is a sheeny ink that may be causing the pen to dry a little faster but I’ve never had a problem with it in other pens so I think its a long shot.

My Final Opinion

The Faber-Castell Neo Slim is very narrow pen in the hand so it is going to appeal to a very specific audience. When you add a wide nib for an EF, not a complete seal with the snap cap, and no converter, and I can’t really recommend this pen. I wanted to love it but I just don’t and I keep trying to use only to have it hard start. Argh!

Do you have a Neo Slim fountain pen? What nib size do you have? Do you like it?

This review was possible thanks to our Patrons. Please consider joining our Patreon and keep these reviews going. Thanks!

I got so excited when I saw the Artik line of pocket notebooks ($16 for a pack of 3 notebooks). For starters, each notebook in their line-up features a cover made from recycled plant by-product material like coconut, hazelnut, olive and cherry. The interior paper in all the notebooks is 100% sugarcane paper that is a warm, kraft color made with no chlorine. Their tagline is “Writing a Better Future” and with being recyclable, compostable, acid-free, chlorine-free and printed with soy ink, I have to agree they are doing their best to live up to the tagline.

All the notebook covers are heavy cardstock and feature either 90gsm sugarcane lined or dot grid paper inside. I got a lined version and the lines a just a few shades darker than the paper which is perfect — there if you need them but easy to ignore if you don’t.

Each notebook in the 3-pack set is “Singer” stitchbound for durability.

Each notebook features a whopping 80 pages which is 32 more pages than a regular Field Notes/

I tested a wide variety of pens since I often use a pocket notebook on the go and while fountain pen friendliness is a bonus, I often use extra fine gel and felt tip pens in pocket notebooks so I can fit a lot of writing into them.

I had no issue with showthrough or bleedthrough with any of the pens, markers or fountain pens I tried. This is a notebook that I could really use both sides of the paper without feeling like I was compromising. There really is NO showthrough at all!

Some lighter color markers and pens might not be contrasty enough on the kraft colored, slight speckly paper but most of the pens, markers and fountain pens I tried performed well.

In more detailed fountain pen tests, I was able to get shimmer ink to show on the page but didn’t see a lot of evidence of sheen even with the sparkly sheen monster Lucky Cosmos.

I did notice a slight spread in my fountain pen ink. My EFs looked like Fs and my Fs looked like MFs. It wasn’t terrible but is probably the only downside I have about these books.

I love the designs on the covers of Field Notes but I know I cannot ever use them with fountain pens. The Artik notebooks, on the other hand, stood up to fountain pen ink with only a tiny bit of spread but still did not bleed or show through to the opposite page. So, from that aspect, I have to give these books high praise. The higher page count and epically environmental manufacturing is also worthy of high praise.

The price point is competitive with Field Notes as well so if you are looking for the same pocketability but just a little more, I can’t recommend the Artik highly enough. Of course, if you don’t like kraft colored paper then these won’t be for you. I guess that just means more for me!

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided by the generous support of Patrons like you. Please see the About page for more details.