Notebook Keychains (A Rant)

In my experience, mini notebook keychains are adorable as keychains but useless as notebooks. The one time I tried actually writing something in a keychain notebook, the stress on the binding that resulted from holding the notebook open caused the pages to separate from the spine. I think the problem was in the design. With most of the notebook keychains I've come across, the pages are glued inside the spine, rather than being sewn with string or spiral bound with wire. This is probably the most cost effective option for manufacturing notebook keychains, but as I said before it makes the end products more or less useless for writing in.

There are a lot of people who like to carry a small notebook around with them, tucked into their bag or purse. Writers, scrapbookers, and other creative types like to have somewhere to jot down quotes and other inspiration before their next big idea slips their minds. Busy working professionals will keep a small notebook handy to write out a quick to-do list or copy down contact information. In theory, having the notebook on a keychain would be convenient and would save on space. But what good is a notebook that you can't actually write in without it falling apart?

As I said before, I found out about the fragile nature of notebook keychains the hard way.

I can't remember exactly where I got the keychain pictured above, but I most likely bought it second-hand. It was made by Applause, and the Disney fan in me was probably drawn to the Piglet design on the front cover. Around the same time that I started using my scrapbooking and papercrafting supplies to create personalized artwork for my photo keychains, I got the idea to try 'scrapbooking' my notebook keychains as well. I decided to turn this Piglet keychain into an A.A. Milne quote book. (Milne was the author of the original Winnie The Pooh stories.) My plan was to use stamping, as well as a package of tiny, Winnie The Pooh themed stickers, to decorate the project.

As you can see from the photo above, I did get one quote into the book. However the block of pages separated from the spine before I'd even completed what you see in the picture. I decided to finish the pages I'd started, before gluing the notebook back together with strong craft adhesive. However, after that I admitted defeat. I didn't even attempt to design any more pages because I didn't want to risk the book falling apart again.

I think the pages I was able to complete turned out really well, and I'm still disappointed that I wasn't able to do more with this project. I'm also disappointed because I was looking forward to customizing the rest of my notebook keychains. But that particular project will likely be put on hold indefinitely. After all, who wants to put time and effort into something if it's just going to fall apart?

Okay, done ranting for now.

Signed, Treesa

The Most I've Ever Paid For A Keychain

(Note: This post has been in draft for a while and is now a little outdated, even more so after last year's trip to Walt Disney World. But I didn't want the work I put into it to go to waste, so I decided to upload it anyway.)

When it comes to buying keychains, I'm pretty much a cheapskate. I rarely pay more than a dollar for a single keychain, at least nowadays. If I remember correctly, back when Basic Fun Inc. was at its peak I was easily shelling out between five and seven dollars apiece for their Barbie keychains and their mini board game keychains. But the last time I bought something in that price range was when I got my World's Coolest Polaroid camera keychain.

(Note: This statement is no longer true. See my Walt Disney World Vacation post.)

In fact, if I hadn't wanted that Polaroid keychain so badly, and if it hadn't been a similar value to my old Basic Fun keychains, I don't think I could've justified the cost to myself. So, $6.99 is pretty much the maximum price that I'm willing to pay for a new, unused keychain. That is, until now.

I fell in love with this notebook keychain the first time I saw it. The cover is made of leather, and the pages inside are stitched into the spine, rather than being glued.

I found the keychain at a little shop called East Meets West. It's the type of place that sells incense, dreamcatchers, and dragon sculptures. My Dad, who has a rock and mineral collection, also likes to look at the store's assortment of stones and crystals.

This style of keychain was available with a number of different cover designs, all of them having some sort of fantasy motif. I specifically remember a dragon design and a pentagram design. However when I looked at the price tag, I went into sticker shock. The cost was $9.99 plus sales tax, for a single keychain. I couldn't justify spending that on such a small, frivolous purchase. But when and where was I ever going to find something like that notebook keychain again? That's when it occurred to me that I might have another option.

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of my sisters likes to go to the local Renaissance fairs. I'd only been to a Renaissance fair once, and the experience was off-putting for me thanks to the number of costumed performers who came up to me out of nowhere and tried to involve me in their routines. However I knew there were a lot of vendors and craftspeople at these events, trying to sell their wares. Maybe my sister could find a similar keychain for me at a lower price the next time she made an excursion.

I showed the keychain notebook to my sister and explained that I was hoping she could find me one for less money at the next Renaissance fair. My sister told me that she had seen similar keychains at the Renaissance fairs, but that they were priced higher there than what the store was charging. Even after hearing this I still managed to find the willpower to put the keychain back on the rack. But deep down, I think I knew it was just a matter of time before I bought one.

The next time my family was in the area I went into the store, just to look. At least, that's what I told myself. I immediately looked for the rack with the leather covered keychain notebooks. It had been moved since the last time I'd shopped there, and there were a lot fewer keychains on the display. I was hit with a new feeling of urgency. If I waited any longer to buy one of these keychains the store might sell out before I could get one and they might not restock them. I felt like it was now or never, so I bought one.

I'm not sure why I picked the unicorn design cover. Like I said before, there were a lot fewer keychains when I got back to the store, so the cover options were also more limited. Maybe it has something to do with seeing The Last Unicorn film too many times during my childhood. Regardless, I don't think I'll be spending $9.99 on a single keychain again any time soon.

(Note: Famous last words)

Signed, Treesa