My Entire Chic Sparrow Traveler’s Notebook Collection 

Wow, I bet your time traveler is stunning in A5! Thank you so much for watching♥️♥️

I hope you never have to deal with the horrible smelling leather! Waypoint is definitely one of my favorites (with Maverick being the other)❤️. Thanks for watching!

Aw, welcome! I hope you love the covers you choose. I actually no longer have any Chic Sparrows-I sold them years ago. But I will always credit them for making me fall in love with Maverick leather. Now I make my own! Happy journaling!♥️

Thank you, Jenny! Outlander was my favorite floppier leather until it got booted out by Waypoint 😂. I like how rugged it is. Maverick is my favorite stiffer leather...it beats out the Darcy and hand tooled for me! Nightingale is my favorite colored leather. So basically I’m no help, ha! Omg I’m going to need those folio covers too! I may break my CS no spend for those BUT THAT’S IT😂

Thank you, Barbara! I’ve recently been very interested in folios as well and I can’t wait to start exploring that. It took me months to finally buy my first CS but it was quite easy after that😂

I sure do love the way the creme feels in the hand too😍. I have literally just fallen in love with wide size! My current journal is a moleskine and I bought a wide Maverick just for it. It’s my new favorite thing!!

Thank you, Pam!! I have several TNs from other makers but CS TNs are my favorite too! I love this community too and I’m so grateful to be able to connect with you all in different ways❤️

You don’t sound crazy at all! I totally understand why people prefer to keep it minimal. Thank goodness for the BST groups so you can get rid of the ones that don’t work out. Floppy rugged leathers are just the best! I will definitely do an update on the TNs in use❤️

I will be your number one cheerleader for getting a Maverick!😂 Can’t wait to see your updated TN!

Thank you! Everyone should have at least one Maverick❤️❤️❤️

Love creme!! You’ll have to take advantage of the Black Friday sale to get those wish list items. Thanks for watching!

I’ve SLOWLY started to pare down my collection...very slowly😂. Leather samples are starting to seem like an excellent idea now that I’m not wanting to increase my collection! But definitely no more Odyssey’s for this gal.

Thank you! If you decide that collecting is for you, it’s really awesome to have so many to admire and choose from. I’ve been collecting for 7 months!

Oh I wish I knew about it back then! You wouldn’t happen to have a Christopher Columbus from her, would you? It’s my unicorn and I torture myself just trying to see other people’s!

Sarah Martinez I don't have a Christopher Columbus but I do have a Persimmon Sidekick that doesn't get as much love as it should (my fave is the Dove Grey Sidekick). If you'd like to see some of my collection (it's grown a lot since then 🙈), I posted a pic on IG for the CS Photo Contest last year, here's the link: instagram.com/p/BV-VtZvn_y9/). Btw: I've never had the smell issue you mentioned with any of my CS's so I was surprised to hear it. I once had a VDS Touch Me leather ring binder that had a bad fishy smell and I used a common remedy for removing smells from leather: wipe down with a solution of white vinegar and water (do a spot test first to see if there's any discoloration), let completely air dry, then wrap in newspaper overnight. It removed the pungent fishy smell reducing it to a faint, non-descriptive smell (it wasn't fishy or leathery but at least it was less off-putting). HTH!

Oh the sidekick looks so awesome too! When I was using personal I wanted one SO BADLY. I emailed CS after this video to hopefully get more input and what I found out was the dye used for purple/indigo/blue can be strong and horrible for a lot of people. So what did I do? I washed both of them in soap and water TWICE. 😬I even filled a sink and dunked them, scrubbed them, and soaked them a bit. So much excess dye came off! Stained my hands but the purple (which smelled the worst) had tons of dye come off. It turned the water opaque purple! And the TNs still look like their original colors. So weird! But the smell has significantly improved.

You’re right!! I contacted CS again and they told me the purple/indigo/blue dyes can have a pungent odor so that’s the culprit. I ended up washing them in soap and water and SO much excess dye came off Calypso and she was the stinkiest. Highland green will always have a special place in my heart!

It was just a personal sized Chic Sparrow dashboard. Its fits so good in there! Creme is one of my favorite smelling leathers after all this time❤️❤️

I’m a sucker for the green outlander too! Sounds like you have a fun collection. I always forget that Jetpens carries the Pemberley leather. If I was a Pemberley lover I’d be all over that!

Thank you!! If you add 3 inserts to one string, you will need to connect 2 inserts together using a jump band, extra elastic or rubber band. Once you have them connected, close them and lay them flat so the spines are touching (so one insert on the left and one insert on the right, with their spines connected). Slip one of the inserts through the string in your nano so that the string is laying over the connected spines. Then take your third insert and open it to the middle like normal and slip it under the string as usual (it becomes the middle insert in your setup). I hope that was clear enough!!😊

@@sarahmartinezjournals Sarah, thank you. My Nano is good to go. I had done it wrong. I couldn't get my inserts lay right. Looked messy... Thx

Awesome! I’m glad to hear it!

Thank you so much for watching!♥️

A chic sparrow Wide will fit the softcover moleskine expanded. But it’s a perfect fit. If you bulk up your Moleskine even a little, it will quickly outgrow the Wide. The A5 is WAY too big, even with a bulked up moleskine. This is why I ended up having a cover custom made👍🏼

Thank you! Even though I don’t prefer bright colors, I can’t get rid of it!

Oh thank you!! I have a few TNs that are non-chic sparrow too. But the quality and craftsmanship of CS are my fave! You know, it’s not that there’s a particular thing I “hate” about Darcy or it’s derivatives, it’s just that there is something I enjoy way better in another leather. For smoothness and shininess I prefer mockingbird and outlander, for stiffness I prefer Maverick, for ruggedness I prefer waypoint. Basically, all the new leathers have booted out poor Darcy for me😆. If I wanted any Darcy, it would be a Buttered Rum, but they always seem to end up looking like a toffee in the end so I’ve always passed.

Thank you!! Turns out the purple/indigo/blue type dyes are what make them stinky! I’ve been washing the excess dye off them and it’s helping! But beware, and stick with those browns😂

I sure didn’t 😩. I washed them 3 or 4 times in warm water with lots of soap because it’s the dye (most especially in the blue/indigo/violet range) that stinks. I washed a lot of extra dye out and it made it SLIGHTLY better. The washing warped the leather a lot but I don’t care at this point. I think I’ve tried every single thing people suggested here...multiple times🤷🏻‍♀️

I tried that too! 😩 I actually tried it 4 different times and ended up leaving them in the bag for a month at one point. lol. I’ve since found that ones like mine will never completely fade. Others have told me they’ve had theirs for years and they still smell so I’m resigned to having stinkers in my collection😂

@@sarahmartinezjournals Awwww that's too bad. They are gorgeous!

Oh no! I just received my Darcy from the Austen collection and it smells awful. That stale wet smell. And the inside has what looks like mouldy spots too. I’ve reached out to Customer Service so fingers crossed they’ll take it back without charging me a restocking fee. So years later, this smell problem still exists!

You can find Beautifully Branded covers here: chicsparrow.com/collections/outlaw/products/beautiful-branding-books-bags They will restock occasionally as they receive branded leather. Each one is one of a kind!

I bought these when CS had the option to add top stitching to Maverick classics for $4.99. When they got rid of deluxes, they also got rid of the top stitching option😢

@@sarahmartinezjournals thanks a lot!

Thank you, Cheryl! It’s so hard to choose! This is probably why I ended up with so many😂. I hope you enjoy the next one you add to your collection!

Thank you! I love having the variety❤️

Thank you for the suggestion! I’ll definitely try it! I’m so with you on fitting flush to the edge, it’s so satisfying to me😊

Were do you by the Insert for the by and a6 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

I personally go for Aubrey font. It’s my favorite! But I do like how the Goudy Cursive looks. I don’t think you can go wrong with either.

@@sarahmartinezjournals thank you I have goudy cusive on my Siren & my daughters think I outta change it up a bit, I just wasn't sure how aubery would look on crème so I really apricate your time in answering me. im also one who gets a new tn & gives one away I never have more than 3 excluding my sidekick of course, so I love seeing your big collection :)

You have a sidekick?! I’m so jealous! I think Aubrey looks great in creme. I think the font is slightly bigger than goudy cursive, if that makes a difference to you. 😊

I remember getting my first! It took me 3 months to make my first purchase and no other unboxing has ever been like that first one. I’m excited for you❤️

It’s so crazy! I ended up throwing mine away. They were useless. I actually have an updated video about the Stinky Odysseys and I talk about everything else I did to them😂. I even resorted to scrubbing them in soap and water. The smell always came back the longer they sat😣.

Wow. That's terrible! Did you contact CS about it? I was thinking about it early on with mine but in the end I didn't need to.

I contacted them twice and they told me to sell them on the BST. To be fair, I didn’t contact them right away because I assumed the odor would dissipate with time. So I learned my lesson!

I'm surprised by that. Aren't they usually more helpful and quality oriented?

I’ve always had great customer service from them so I was disappointed they didn’t try to make this right even after I tried all of their suggestions to remove the smell. When nothing worked I contacted them a second time about 3 months later saying how disappointed I was that they were still unusable. They insinuated I might be more sensitive to odors and that I would be able to find someone who wants it on the BST. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you! The sun didn’t end up helping so the trial and error continues😂

@@sarahmartinezjournals Awe Dhang! Possibly an odor Nutrualizer type spray, will help!👍😉

On it!😂 I ended up washing them in soap and water which helped A TON but I’m still going to try everything else.

Watching this video in April 2020, I wonder if you ever got rid of the smell.

@Sandra Carter I didn’t 😞. I ended up throwing both of them away. The odor would always come back!

😂😂😂 hilarious!! I have washed mine in soap and water to remove the excess dye and help the odor but it’s still pretty strong. I have a feeling it’s here to stay.

@Jon that totally makes sense!

@Jon that totally makes sense!

I’m still sad that deluxe Mavericks were removed😢. I hope you enjoy your first one! The first is always so special 🥰

Thank you so much! I’m still trying to get the odor out so I will definitely try that. I’ll do anything at this point 😬

Thank you!! It never felt like I could have enough but I’m proud to say I’m slowing down and really enjoying what I have!😁

It’s so weird how that works! My outlanders have all smelled great, thank goodness! I know now that if I receive any smelling this way I’ll return immediately because I’m not having much luck removing the odor 😩

I am so bummed hearing about this. I've been wanting a Cronos but between your experience and that of at least two other people, I'm not going to risk it for a while. I wish I knew how long it takes them to move through a full lot. Oh well - it's not as if there aren't others on my mile-long wishlist! 😂

Shannon Ramsey it’s been over 2 months for me and it’s still going strong 😭. Going to keep trying though!

I actually sold all my chic sparrows about 2 years ago!

I found out that the odor is most common with the purple/blue dye, so I just got some from a strong batch 😢. I tried dryer sheets but they didn’t work! I ended up washing them with soap and water (twice) and they still smell. Others have mentioned that theirs have not lost the smell even years later-at this point, I believe it! I’m currently using them to store used inserts😂

Yes, Linda! Narrow is the size you need for those measurements! It’s my favorite size. I would start with that size because you can fit 6-8 inserts pretty comfortably in a chic sparrow narrow size. It’s a slippery slope once you get your first sparrow😂. I’m excited for you!

Sarah Martinez Thank you for confirming the size and all the info. I cannot wait to get one. 👍

No problem!

Oooo I’m excited for you! Mavericks are the most fun and most nerve wracking for me to open😁

Sarah Martinez Haha, yeah. I’m really nervous 😁

So I finally got it after 2 weeks in customs, and I love it! It's so gorgeous and just like I wanted.

That was a long time to wait!! I’m glad you have it now and that you love it! Do you have an Instagram account where you share pictures of it?

Sarah Martinez Yeah, I was getting impatient 😄 Sorry, no IG, but I’m thinking about it, so you never know 😉

It can be overwhelming in the beginning! Don’t worry, just keep it simple. Just dive in and start exploring. The journey of discovery is one of the best parts. The notebook size for a wide TN is about 8.25” tall and 5” wide. A narrow (also called standard travelers notebook size) is 8.25” tall and 4.3” wide. Best of luck♥️♥️

@@sarahmartinezjournals thank you so much!

Raunda R you’re so welcome!🤗

@@sarahmartinezjournals I jumped in, ordered a standard Tn with a few different style inserts. Didn't spend alot of money but before I invest in a really great quality cover I want to make sure of the size I want to start out with.

That’s the way to do it! The journey begins 😁

If I would have known it was going to be this hard to remove the odor I would have returned right away. I will absolutely do that if it happens again! I always say narrow is my favorite size, but I’ve found that I have favorite sizes for specific things. Don’t kill me, but I’m trying an A6 next year for art and memory keeping😬. I don’t plan to collect TNs in A6 size but I want to have something in my arsenal😂

@@sarahmartinezjournals Yeah I agree about that. Haha love it, I started in A6 and still have one. It's a great size especially for portability. 😊

😂 I typically offset the costs by being minimal in all other areas of my life. Like, seriously minimal😂. I don't buy nearly as much these days since I'm so happy with the collection I have. I've been able to gift some of them to friends and family to push them down the rabbit hole, which is nice🤣

Riiiight? a couple grand in notebook covers... geez!

Totally valid question! I approach these covers as a true collection, like anyone who chooses to collect something for a hobby. I have many retired colors and because they’re no longer available I like to keep them in my collection. I have a few favorite sizes so I buy in those sizes because I know that’s what I like to use. It’s also helpful to have different colors/leathers around for comparison reasons when I make videos. I also like the ability to be able to gift them spontaneously to friends or family if they show an interest. I cycled through all of them-I switched to a different one every month or so. But I totally get that it may seem excessive to anyone that prefers to keep minimal notebooks 😂

Sarah Martinez that makes sense. It’s obviously a passion of yours. Enjoy them!

All of these are traveler’s notebooks that I got from Chic Sparrow❤️. I do collect TNs but I use them all! I switch them out as I feel like it. I don’t use them all at once so I take turns and cycle through them. It’s like having lots of shoes or purses😁.

Sarah Martinez I just purchased a pocket Mr. Darcy from CS, but inserts were not available.

Chic Sparrow sells inserts here: chicsparrow.com/collections/paper but there are many places that sell pocket-sized inserts and notebooks to put in your TN. Lots of Etsy shops like Paper Penguin Co and Yellow Paper House. There are companies that make special pocket notebooks like fieldnotesbrand.com or www.writepads.com or shop.dappernotes.com/pages/dapper-notes-handmade-notebooks or www.logandjotter.com. I have also found pocket notebook at craft stores like Joann’s, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby. And stores like Target. Etsy also has a lot of shops that make inserts that aren’t paper if you’re looking for folders or wallet inserts: www.etsy.com/shop/LifeInserted?ref=ss_profile or www.etsy.com/shop/keelyreichman?ref=ss_profile and so many more!

Sarah Martinez Yes, I ordered from Yellow Paper House, searched Michaels and Hobby Lobby. Still looking.

Yeah there’s just something about Pemberley that doesn’t suit me! I’m also waiting for Black Friday to fill in some gaps in my collection😂

Oh thanks for that info! Yeah, it’s such a bummer😞

It’s a narrow deluxe Creme Brûlée from the Branded collection♥️

Thank you! I made it for you!❤️😆

Sarah Martinez awh honestly feel so honoured !🙈 thank you! Xx

Right?! Thank goodness they source from the food industry! I’m horrified that you had Darcy’s smelling that way. My Odyssey’s are headed outside asap😂 thanks for watching, Sylvia❤️

Thank you!! The results of extreme obsession 😂😂

I definitely have a love for leather covers!😍 My collection is much different now but it’s still a collection even though it’s small.

I’m proud to say I haven’t added to it much since I made this video. That must mean I’m pretty happy with what I have! Can’t go wrong with Chic Sparrow♥️♥️

I haven’t tried that! I’ll do it right away, thank you!😁

Sarah Martinez I hope it works for you!

Hello! I’m so sorry but I don’t speak Spanish 😞. Martinez is my husband’s name. I’m from the Philippines but I only speak English, unfortunately. Thank you so much for watching❤️❤️

He’s a singer/songwriter and my husband and I used to listen to his music when we dated in college. It was really nostalgic for me to see his words on a TN so I had to get one!😊

@@sarahmartinezjournals thats so cute! Im thinking of buying a chic sparrow ur video helped a lot! Also love ur collection :)

I’m so glad to hear that!♥️

It is!! Thank goodness their resale value is good😀. I no longer have any of these anymore!

I’m literally trying anything at this point. I washed them multiple times with soap and water😂. They could use a good conditioning at this point!

Give it a go. It might help :o)

Just set it on fire😂😂. I totally understand. I’ve been told it’s the dye but I washed out a lot of it with soap and water and it didn’t make much of a difference. So I bet you’re right!

@@sarahmartinezjournals check with chic sparrow, maybe they could do an investigation haha or perhaps offer u an exchange. Please let us know if u figure out a solution to the smell regardless! ^^

I contacted them twice about it but I had already had them for 2 months and it was too late to do anything by then! So remember to contact them immediately if you encounter any issues with your order!

I’m sure they would replace the Odyssey’s if I made a fuss about it-I find their customer service to be one of the best. But I’ve had these for over 3 months now and I’ve done a lot to them already 😆. Don’t let my bad batch stop you from enjoying all her other leathers though!❤️