My Stationery Life

If you’re like me, your pens and paper deserve a home as charming as they are.

My office is my little sanctuary. It’s cozy but mighty: two desks (one for the $DayJob, one for writing), a pull-out couch (for resting between tasks), a mini-fridge and a “pantry” for drinks and snacks, and a bookshelf for the usual suspects.

But the crown jewel is my stationery cart. This cart is three-tiered and literally packed with all my favorites: pens, pencils, sticky notes, art supplies, and everything in between. I even keep a few current-use notebooks tucked in there. It’s organized with one purpose—my workflow—and everything has a place based on how often I use it. I'm not kidding when I say it's full -- I don't think I can fit anything else on this poor cart.

Of course, stationery storage is deeply personal. What works for me might not be your thing, and that’s totally okay. There’s no “right” way to store your stuff. But if you’re looking for ideas, I’ve curated a few suggestions that might inspire you to create (or upgrade!) your system.

Dorm Room-Style Organization

If your space is small or your budget is tight (like mine), I can’t recommend dorm room organization enough. Dorm-friendly storage is usually compact, affordable, and surprisingly cute. Plus, it’s made for maximizing space, which makes it perfect for tiny home offices or apartments.

One useful site to browse is DormCo. Their selection is practical, affordable, and easy on the eyes. For example, a mini desk hutch can give you vertical storage without sacrificing your writing space. If you’re ready to splurge just a little, a storage trunk can both organize and protect your most beloved supplies.

And don't forget about everyone's favorite Swedish furniture store: Ikea. Their pegboards are on my wish list. I could really use the extra vertical space for odds and ends. You probably could too.

Desk Organization

I have a love/hate relationship with desk storage. I want things neat, but I also need space to actually write. If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you feel the same.

For on-desk storage, less is more. I keep only my go-to essentials visible. A magazine holder from The Container Store helps me organize notebooks and books I use daily. A monitor stand with a drawer holds cables and tech odds-and-ends. And my iPad/book stand is in constant use.

Everything else? It lives in my desk. I use a simple drawer organizer to keep semi-regular items tidy and accessible. As for the stackable drawers, I keep them tucked away on the bottom shelf of my cart for rarely-used bits like binder clips, staples, and backup supplies. They may be useful to some, but for me they're just archival. 

Niche Organization

Now here’s where it gets fun.

I’m always tempted by this Mildliner organizer, even though I don’t own enough Mildliners to justify it (yet...). If you’re an artist or color-coding enthusiast, this marker stand is dreamy.

If you're looking for something small and cute, check out these clip holders. They're both functional and adorable, and might be just the push you need to corral your paperclips.

Final Thoughts

The truth is: the best way to store your stationery is the way that works best for you. Whether your style is ultra-minimalist or maximal chaos, there’s no wrong answer. Just don’t be afraid to personalize. Your pens deserve it.

Ta-da! I finally identified the pink multipen I mentioned in my What's In My Pencil Case entry. It’s the Vitamin 3 Color Ballpoint Pen, and I originally got it from MochiThings, a stationery site I used to frequent before I discovered JetPens.

That little revelation sent me down a rabbit hole of revisiting MochiThings, remembering what I loved about it, and
well, remembering a few frustrating things about it too.

The Adorable Selection
MochiThings has always had an adorable selection of stationery, organization tools, and home office supplies. While JetPens leans more toward practical stationery with a splash of cuteness, MochiThings goes full-on twee overload. Think:

• Egg-shaped sticky notes
• Literature-themed bookmarks
• Paw print puffy stickers

That’s just the beginning. What I appreciate most about MochiThings is that it’s not just curating big-brand stationery. It has a huge selection of original items that you won’t find elsewhere.

That originality is what led me to attempt building a Traveler’s Notebook from scratch using a bunch of MochiThings products.

Crafting a DIY Traveler’s Notebook
Before I started using my Weeks, I liked the idea of customizing a planner system, so I picked up a few items to create my own Traveler’s Notebook setup.

MYO A5 Planners: MochiThings has a whole collection of MYO (Make Your Own) planners, which are undated and come in different formats like Monthly, Weekly, and Daily planners. I picked up a few of these along with the Secret Diary notebook to round out my setup.

There are also Budget, Review, Grateful, and lined/grid versions in the MYO collection, making it a pretty versatile system. I loved the idea of it—but I have complaints, and I’ll get to those in a minute.

MYO A5 Notepad and Planner Organizer: This was the binder I used to hold my MYO notebooks together, effectively acting as my Traveler’s Notebook cover. It’s designed to fit two MYO notebooks, but with some elastic ingenuity, I managed to squeeze in four.

A5 6-Ring Binder Refills: Before going full Traveler’s Notebook mode, I also experimented with a 6-ring binder planner and picked up three types of refills:

• Daily Health Check
• Checklist Inserts
• Regular Planner Refills

I liked them, but the 6-ring binder system didn’t work for me in the long run (a story for another blog post).

Inventory Issues
Now, onto my biggest issue with MochiThings—their inventory is deceptive. They list products that are sold out or discontinued as if they’re still available. Many times, I’ve fallen in love with a planner, pen, or pencil case only to realize it’s never coming back.

This was a major headache when I was building my Traveler’s Notebook—the MYO planners were almost never in stock. In fact, the Monthly planner I bought has been discontinued, but MochiThings still lists it in the description and images. It’s beyond frustrating when you want to stick with a system but can’t get the inserts anymore.

And this isn’t just a one-time issue—it’s still a problem today. Every time I browse the site, I find something I love only to click and realize it’s permanently out of stock.

Final Thoughts
Despite the inventory frustrations, I still like MochiThings and still browse the site. They have an adorable, well-curated selection, and I do plan on picking up more items from them in the future.

However, for my next from-scratch Traveler’s Notebook, I think I’ll be looking elsewhere for the inserts. MochiThings might win when it comes to cute and creative, but their stock issues make it impossible to build a consistent planner system.