We were in New York City last week and Paris this week, showing our little notebooks at the fabulous Capsule Show. We met a bunch of really cool people, added some great new retailers and said hi to some of the fine folks that currently carry our books in their shops. We’d like to give a shout out to BPMW, the people who put on the show, it’s always a blast and always top notch, so thanks for letting us be a part of it! We’ll be in the Las Vegas edition next month there, stop by and say hi!

Jace Mullen was at a Secret Santa party in San Diego. One friend got Field Notes. One friend got mustaches. The rest is history. Could this be our next COLORS edition? The answer is “nope!” But it’s still glorious.

The little book began to look like something of a scrapbook, then as a kind of handbook with needed maps and itineraries. Adding it into pictures, the book resembled a passport. The working, unfinished document en route to becoming an archival document (…) Now I see my document as artifact, and through the pages I can recall the mountains, rivers, and skies that surrounded my steps.

Abraham writes about FIELD NOTES a lot in his blog, and he promises us Maine and Massachusetts writeups soon. Thanks for the field work, Abraham, we’re lucky to have great fans like you spreading the word.

Most “County Fair” state editions are in stock, including the second printing of New York. The few missing states will be back in stock next week.

Surely the last thing on anyone’s mind as one toils away… practicing guitar, running for political office, writing code, looking through a microscope, or, say, designing notebooks… is “this would make an awesome halloween costume.” But as Patton Oswalt will tell you, there’s nothing quite like seeing your very creation begging for candy at your door on October 31.

So we were as honored as we were surprised to find an email from Gary the Gary this morning about his FIELD NOTES halloween costume:

Did a little homage to your awesome product for this Halloween. My craftsmanship doesn’t approach yours (as evidenced by my off-center stenciling) but it still turned out to be a super fun costume.

Wow. Just wow. Thanks, man! That give us an idea for next year’s fall edition…

“I’ve used a variety of sizes and styles of paper notebooks as I’ve built the cabins and planned projects at Two Mile Ranch. I’ve used calendar style journals to record weather, laying habits of chickens, garden plots, feed purchases, building and shelter plans, shopping lists, and the general diary of events.” –Fritz Nordengren. Iowa, December 28, 2010.

Thanks to Fritz’s oldest son for giving Field Notes (Iowa, of course). And thanks to Fritz for the lovely post and photo.

Last summer we introduced our “County Fair Editions” by taking a long, hot road trip to the Iowa/Nebraska border.

There are FIFTY versions available in the series, one for each state in the Union. Above is a look at “Alaska.” They’re sold in 3-Packs, as a special 50-State Box Set and also via our new ROAD TRIP KIT. Traveling the USA this summer? Make sure to take along the proper state books.

Dear Field Notes Crew:

This past weekend, I helped two friends move. After going in to work at 7am (a bit hung over, I might add) and working six hours, I helped them load the truck, drive an hour to their new apartment, and unload the truck. About fifteen minutes into the unloading process, in order to keep them from getting any sweatier, I took out the things that I always keep in my left front pocket, and laid them on the kitchen counter: my wallet and my notebooks, the notebooks in this case being a maroon Moleskine Cahier and the Raven’s Wing FIELD NOTES that I’ve been carrying since mid-November. A half-hour or so later, the unloading was finished and as we left to grab dinner, I picked up my wallet and notebook and (so I thought) shoved them into my pocket.

Retracing my steps about an hour later, we realized that in my overworked, still semi-hungover, addled state, I must have laid them on the roof of the car when I got into it, and they fell off at some point in our travels. And so, for the first time in my life, I had
lost my wallet.

About three hours later, I received an email from the local police department telling me that my wallet had been found next to the road by a gas station right off the highway, and that I could pick it up at my convenience. Since my friends were coming down the next day they volunteered to make the pickup for me. The Moleskine is lost, but waiting at the police station were my Raven’s Wing and my wallet, completely intact with ID, and credit cards. Even cash and gift cards were in place and undisturbed. I give credit for the quick, full recovery to the fact that my name and email address are written inside the front cover of my Raven’s Wing.

Or maybe it’s because my wallet says “BAD MOTHER FUCKER” on it.
But it was probably the Raven’s Wing.

Thanks, from a loyal customer for life,

William A. Cockrell

Had a guy call me yesterday afternoon and say, “I saw you in the paper. I want to buy some Field Notes. I’m coming in.” Just like that. Sure. Come on in.

I had a little write-up in the local Willamette Week city paper. Talking about Field Notes. A fast, hot little talk with a spirited reporter. Proud to talk about our little brand whenever and wherever I can. Hell yeah. Mr. Plunkett came in and told me about his son in college, how he was retired and how he appreciated how I mentioned our UPS guy in my little interview. Turns out he worked 32 years with the Big Brown. We talked about how far Portland had come, and how much it had changed. He loved the fact that Field Notes were made in the America. It meant a lot to him.

“How much do I owe ya?” he says, holding his little stack. I look at him and without missing a beat say, “We’re not charging you a cent.”

This is why we do this. Sure, it’s fun to make stuff. It’s a blast to see it show up in so many different stores across America, and hell, the globe. But man, to outfit a fella has NOTHING to do with the way-too-often-frivolous world I worry too much about…man, that’s the best.

The last thing Mr. Plunkett said as he left the shop, “Get to know your UPS guy. Learn his name. He’ll love you for it. Our guy who brings us stuff to Field Notes Northwest is named “Mike.” Always cool, always good to us, always. All these years.

So this post is also for Mike the UPS guy who’s been lugging our goods up to the 5th floor the last three years here in the shop. We loaded Mike up with Field Notes a long time ago, but due to company policy stuff, we can’t really get into that. He uses them, and if our little books make his long days a little easier, then our job is done.

In parting I told him, “Tell you what, use those books. Send us a shot of how you and your son use them.” I can’t wait to see what they come up with. Top billing on this site. Just you wait.

And yes, Field Notes proudly uses UPS with some of our shipping needs. You bet.