Clairefontaine Triomphe Correspondence Pads

Just new in the shop we have Clairefontaine Triomphe pads, premium and white and super smooth stationery for your notes and letters to pop into the post. I'm not sure if this is terrible timing, given the potential Canada Post stoppage, or maybe great timing, since if Canada Post does go on strike or get locked out, there will be plenty of time for everyone to catch up on their snail mail - either way, we just got in something we've been meaning to carry for a long time. We got these pads in just in time for our Letter Writing Club evening this Thursday! Our Letter Writing Club is from 7-9 pm in our shop, with everything providing from stationery and pens to postage and treats. Hope to see you there! I think actually the real reason it took us so long to finally begin carrying this paper is that I've always been in love with G. Lalo paper. Jon has long said I need to stop stocking the shop based solely on what I'd like to use, but I think my desert island paper might G. Lalo. Who needs anything else?? Apparently lots of people (like one of my favourite pen bloggers who happens to be Canadian). Clairefontaine Triomphe Pads are a bit of a staple correspondence paper for letter writers everywhere. It's like all Clairefontaine paper - smooth and white and luxurious for your fountain pens, but in pad form. We have it in A4 + A5 plain and lined, and the plain pads come with a liner sheet which you can tear off and place underneath as guidelines. Each pad comes with 50 sheets, and they're glued on top for tearing sheets off. But of course, the most important thing is how this paper holds up to fountain pen ink - and like almost everything from Clairefontaine, it does beautifully. Here are a few close-ups of my writing with Rohrer + Klingner Sepia, a favourite of mine. I currently have it in three pens! All coincidentally Parker. It is a dream to write on. I love how the lines of ink are crisp and even on this paper, especially compared to the G. Lalo Verge de France paper which I typically love, where the lines end up looking a bit uneven because of the ridges of the paper (which give it the texture that I love!). There's something very romantic and old-timey about textured and thick paper, but I can't deny that it feels super smooth and rich writing on this Clairefontaine Triomphe paper.

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In other news, it's another hectic week for us, as we charge forward, undaunted, into the depths of the unknown with Canada Post Corporation withdrawing their lockout notification (for yesterday).

We're back on high alert with the possibility of 72 hour notice for a strike or lock out, but I'm hoping they'll continuing negotiating in good faith and come to a resolution soon, rather than locking anyone out or going on strike, especially as I've got some stuff coming internationally that will make its Canadian journey through Canada Post.

While me, Super and Chicken are all sleeping like babies, and the baby is sleeping his usual turbulent sleep, like that of an old arthritic woman, Jon has been losing sleep and hair over the turmoil. We've seen our online order volume ebb and flow, and we're hoping that we'll be able to just keep sending out orders and ride the tide.

I've been sending my snail mail out as I've been writing it, rather than holding onto it in case of a stoppage, maybe in some foolish optimism that there'll be no stoppage and all my mail will continue flowing out.

Despite most of our classes taking a break for the summer, it seems like we've only gotten busier, especially as we get ready for our trip, and we're still doing a few last interviews as we're waiting for those just right few folks to come into the fold.

I dragged Caleb in his wagon up to our local pet supply shop to pick up litter and cat food. We're low on the litter because I underestimated the number of litter boxes one tiny kitten needs (three), and we're low on cat food I suspect because Super is eating it when no one's watching.

This week we've got another vet checkup for the cat on Thursday, and another doctor's visit for Caleb on Friday. His doctor is on the other side of the city, in Roncesvalles, but we really like him, so I guess it's worth dragging Caleb onto the TTC.