Woohoo!! Such a wonderful treat from your hubbie!! Our men are generous with our craft, aren't they? Owning your own copy of this will be great for you...as you said, note taking is a benefit. Plus, it has a great layout in the back that I used to highlight the blocks as I completed them. Kept me organized and many don't really require this but, for me, it kept me motivated to see all the highlighted boxes. Whatever it takes. Lol!
Looking forward to seeing your blocks and cheering you on, NZ... Scrappy w/white will look beautiful. I favor white backgrounds and use it more then off-white or neutral. Are you thinking bright scrappies or a whole pallet of shades?