On Fountain Pens
A great idea from Maybelline, a series of guest posts titled 12 Days of Fountain Pen Bloggers. Given the title, the nature of the series is fairly self-explanatory. A post by yours truly has recently gone live, as the Day 5 contribution. A great blog, a great idea, and something I was honoured to be involved in:
12 Days of Fountain Pen Bloggers

Pens! Paper! Pencils!
Ian reviews a pen I have had half an eye on for some time. I remember actually asking myself what was so special about a tube you can write with, and why I necessarily wanted it. I didn’t really come up with the answer, however Ian’s review does confirm my initial thoughts:

It is all about being a tube with a nib.

Perhaps the draw for me is somehow tied to the Kaweco nib at the end of said tube:
Kaweco Liliput fountain pen review

The Pen Addict
Speaking of the Liliput, this one, the Fireblue has a very interesting back story. Brad explains, with the help of a great video from JetPens, whom incidentally are the exclusive carriers of the Fireblue. A great looking pen at a price to match — that is, if you were quick enough to get one:
Kaweco Liliput Fireblue Fountain Pen Review

Alt. Haven
A great review of one of my favourite pens, the Pelikan M205. The words notwithstanding, what really struck me in this post was how great this pen looks in white — a thing of beauty:
Review: Pelikan M205

Third Wave Wichteln
According to the site, Wichteln is the German word for secret Santa, and this global Christmas coffee exchange initiative is now in its third year and going strong. This is my first time participating, and I was lucky enough to receive a superbly roasted Kenya Sukari from RoastInc in Germany.

I highly recommend this as a fantastic way of sharing your love for coffee, and a way to sample roasters from around the world. It really is as simple as registering, buying coffee and sending it to your allocated recipient. Although 2014 is now closed, there is always next year:
Third Wave Wichteln

CRS Coffeelands Blog
Although the best of/year-end lists are out and about as usual, there are some that are certainly worth having a look at. For an interesting take on various aspects of the coffee industry, Michael Sheridan’s posts throughout the year usually don’t disappoint:
The best of Coffeelands: 2014 in review

Shawn Blanc
It may not necessarily be my favourite brewer, however there is no denying the good old AeroPress, for its ease of use, portability, and versatility:
What’s So Special About the AeroPress

Tech Distortion
Speaking of year-end lists, this one by John Chidgey is one of my favourites so far, and will take some toppling. Why? This as a lead in for starters:

Rub your finger-tips gently on the sides of your temple and picture in your mind where you’d like to be…you can have anything you want…be anyone you want…

Now snap out of it. Instead, try these more useful ideas.

The second to last bullet point being my favourite. Resolve, to go and see for yourself:
Johns Different Year In Review for 2014

The Finer Point
Whether you are a daily journal keeper or not, the Day One app just adds that little something extra to encourage those entries you may not otherwise bother to make. This post highlights those very features. My favourite feature is the random photos I get to see each day in the iOS Today view widget — mostly of family snaps during holidays or other happy times:
Journaling with Day One

European Coffee Trip
Partnering with 2009 World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies, the European Coffee Trip plan to release a series of 6 videos demonstrating a few tips and tricks in the preparation of coffee, from a man who certainly knows what he is talking about. It looks geared towards the espresso machine user, and I have already subscribed. Have a look at the video on this introductory page to see if it interests you:
Get Rid of Basic Barista Mistakes

This post will be the last you will hear from me for 2014. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank each and every reader who has stopped by over the past 12 months, and I look forward to having you along again in 2015. I hope the New Year treats you well.