Review on Travel In Style: Refillable Leather Notebook Cover For Small Journals by Michael Mayes

Unless I lose it, I'm going to use this for the rest of my life.I bought this with the insert kit, which includes a sturdy cardboard folder with card slots and a plastic insert with a zip pouch on one half and card sleeves on the other.Here's what I love about it:- It is my wallet, notebook, pen case, and paper ephemera collector all in one. No more loose change, pens, and receipts rattling around in my bag. No more heavy notebook to carry around.- It keeps me organized. All of my receipts and shopping cards are in the front cardboard folder, my library card, cash, and random ephemera are in the back cardboard folder, and my frequently-used cards are stored in the very back of the card sleeve. No more digging and flipping for what I need!- It's well-designed. I think back on all the wallets I've had that used those stupid card sleeves which allowed a scant quarter inch of card to peek out of the top so you'd have to guess which card it was, mash your thumb into it and push or use your fingers like forceps to extract them. THOSE DAYS ARE OVER. With this, my cards are secure, clearly displayed, and easy to take out and put back.- It can hold a lot. You could turn this into a Costanza wallet if you wanted to. I have something in every storage spot but there's still plenty of room for additional inserts, notebooks, cards, pens, etc.- It's light and small. I had the full-sized Traveler's Notebook for about two years before I conceded it hadn't helped me achieve my goal of shaving weight from my everyday bag. The size of the notebook and inserts meant carrying around more leather and paper than I needed to. This size is perfect. It fits the smallest bag I own and I no longer feel like I'm lugging rocks around after a day of adventuring. The single notebook holds all the paper I need for the day.- I can freely indulge my love of Field Notes and their knockoffs. I love those cool little notebooks but couldn't justify the cost because they kept getting destroyed in my bag. This setup gives them a home, keeps them nice-looking, and provides a sturdy base for writing and drawing.This is one of those objects that becomes a close friend. I've had mine for half a year now. We've traveled together, gone to class and museums together, hiked together. It feels so familiar and cozy that I can sit down anywhere, open to a blank page, and immediately settle into a creative headspace. It always looks good but is understated enough in appearance that it doesn't draw attention to itself when I take it out. The leather patina only gets more beautiful with age and use because it records our history together.If it lasts as long as I suspect it will, I will never have to throw another wallet into a landfill again.This wallet made my life better in so many ways. It's one of best investments I've ever made.