Midori's Traveler's Star Edition Notebook- Passport size

I know, I already had the passport size Midori, but it's been handed down to my fiance now since then. He loved mine so much (and just wouldn't let it go) that I decided to give him mine. Plus, it was a perfect excuse to justify why I "needed" to get another one, the "Star Edition" one at that.

I originally wanted the "Star Edition" when I had purchased the regular brown one last year, but the store I went to didn't carry it, and I didn't want to leave without getting one, so that was that. And this is now, and I'm happy to finally have it.

Here is the box (after taking off all the pretty store wrappings, which I purchased from the Resor Shop.)

Additionally, I purchased a #002 grid refill, a #004 zipper case, and a #010 kraft file.

And maybe it's just me, but the cotton dust bag seemed slightly different from the other two I have. It has a little more of a rough textured feel to it, which I like.

Even though the coupon for the Star Ferry Ride expired, it makes a great ephemera to add to the collection  (But let's be real, I'll probably keep it in the box nicely pressed so it won't get crinkled.)

And the beautiful camel color was the sole purpose of the purchase. It's just so nice, and the leather has such a great feel to it, weight, size, and texture wise. I even think it's a little softer than the dark brown passport Midori.

Inside the leather journal, it comes with a green limited Star Ferry notebook. 

Here is a little peek within some of the pages in notebook.

The backside of the leather cover. It's all so smooth. 

As soon as I unwrapped the notebook, I already started accessorizing it and adding a personal touch to it with some charms.

I can't wait to see how the leather develops overtime as I plan to use this as an everyday carry. 

Now, I know to some, $45+ is a little steep for a small piece of leather, but to me, it's a beautiful, soft, customize-able piece of good quality leather. It's certainly not for everyone, I understand, so if you think you might be interested in investing in a Midori notebook, I do suggest doing a little research to avoid any unexpected "surprises" or to prevent any disappoints that may arise. Before I purchased mine last year, I watched as many YouTube videos I could find (which weren't that many then, but way more now), read pretty much all of the online reviews there were, and then made my ultimate decision based on the opinions of others that had already owned one.

Here are some links and videos that I used and found helpful when I was on the search for both sizes:

-The Well Appointed Desk

-Gourmet Pens

-Ink Nouveau

-J77olsen

-Fritz Charleston

-Sketchantics

-Dan Brown

And for those that enjoy watching un-boxing videos, check out the recent video MyLifeMits did on her Star Ferry Edition. 

For you DIY-ers out there, you can check out Ray Blake's video he did on how to make your own leather notebook cover. He also created some free printable inserts that can be used for the Midori.

Anyone else an avid Traveler's Notebook user or found some great leather cover alternatives? Do feel free to share!