Ahhh . . . School Supplies
I hated school as a kid. I mean, I used every excuse, every illness I could (whether real or feigned) to get out of going as often as my mom would let me get away with it (thanks, Mom). Yet even way back then, there was one thing about the end of the summer/beginning of the school year that I looked forward to: SCHOOL SUPPLIES.
School starts in mid-August here in Tennessee, so naturally now is the time when all of the stores are putting out their displays of supplies—as a matter of fact, Wal-Mart had already started setting up their display when I dropped by a location the first week of July looking for my books. But when I ran to Kroger tonight to get milk and eggs for tomorrow’s breakfast, they’d switched over their “special display” aisle from the summer-time pool toys, picnic, grills, and outdoor living merchandise to school supplies. My fingertips tingled as I walked past all those bright, shiny binders and notebooks, the bottles of glue, the boxes of crayons, the packages of fresh pens and pencils no one has ever used.
But I made myself keep walking, reminding myself I recently purchased a new (purple) spiral notebook for the pieces of Ransome’s Crossing I’ll hand-write along with four (purple) two-pocket folders for . . . whatever I end up using them for. I have plenty of refill ink cartridges for my (purple) gel-ink pens, and a full tube of 0.7mm lead for my mechanical pencil (the one with the purple accents).
It was a good thing they didn’t have a display of colorful, multi-sized, or even unusually shaped Post-it Notes. That I probably wouldn’t have been able to walk past without at least touching, even though I have a big enough supply of all the different sizes at home to stock a 12-person office for at least three months.
What’s your vice? Is there something in that display of the wide array of notebooks and paper, pens and pencils, markers and crayons, folders and notepads that you just can’t pass up? Have a secret stash of anything at home because you just can’t help yourself but buy just one more whenever you see that lovely back-to-school display? Is the office supply store for you like walking into a liquor store is for an alcoholic?
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KayeDacus.com 
Oooh, I love stationery too, Kaye! I don’t have a particular fetish but love crisp new books and journals, beautifully shaped pens and pencils and the endless possibilities that are awakened when I open a brand new exercise book.
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I have such a hard time passing up all the blank-book journals they have at B&N, especially. Leather-bound, fabric-bound, some with inspirational or literary quotes, some with lined pages, some with unlined. I LOVE them so much. Yet I cannot allow myself to buy them, because when I do, they end up staying blank, because I never feel like I’ll write anything “worthy” in them.
Well, I take that back—they’re what I carry to church to take sermon notes, but it takes quite a while to fill one up.
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Oh, most definitely. Staples is Bailey’s all wrapped up in milk and clanking ice cubes for me.
Anything to do with stationary is my soft spot. Finding unique shaped paper clips and those decorative sticky notes too, is tops!
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Ooh–I got some really cute, medium-sized binder clips at Staples a few months ago—there were twelve in the package: six in a pastel blue plaid and six in a coral/pink plaid.
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Hi Kiki,
I love school supplies, too! Wasn’t a great student. Did well in the classes I loved (English, writing, journalism), but survived the rest.
Each summer when the school supplies come out, I tingle, too. Just the thought of getting all of my thoughts organized in these shiny, new purchases! I’m a very disorganized person, though. I have good intentions.
I tend to stock up on school supplies that I don’t even need. I refuse to pay full price for packages of notebook paper or spiral notebooks throughout the year. I still have 5 or 6 packages of notebook paper that I bought a couple of years ago at 10 or 15 cents each. Now that the school supplies are out here in Missouri, I remind myself not to buy more.
I love fine-point pens with colored ink (pink, purple, teal) and two-pocket folders in fun designs.
I also love the file folder pockets. Cram stuff in there to make my current projects portable, since I like to get away from my home office for a change of scenery at least two or three times each week.
With kisses from your grad school critique partner,
Jillicious
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Yes–this kind of stuff is definitely harder to pass up when it’s all on sale!
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I loved getting new school supplies when I was in school!:) My parents were both brought up frugally, so sometimes we had to re-use items that we had used previously like our crayons, three-ring notebooks, etc. It was a wonderful feeling when those things had out-lived their usefulness and we could buy new sets.
On the previous two blog entries I didn’t post,as I’m sure others didn’t either, for the reason that I’m not a writer. I enjoy your books and the topics you write/blog about. You probably have a large readership that follows this blog, but are not writers, so feel that they couldn’t post knowledgeably in those particular areas.
This is way off topic, but I don’t know where else to post this since the proper places would have long since been sent to the archives. Did you ever get around to watching S&S1 (Sense and Sensibility 1981)? What did you think of it? I think it’s my favorite version, except for the absence of Margaret and not warming to Col. Brandon.
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I have not had a chance to watch it yet. I need to come up with a schedule to re-watch all eight Hornblower films, Master and Commander, and every version of all of the Jane Austen adaptations I own (I own at least two of every one of the six novels except for Mansfield Park, of which I have only the 1980s BBC version which, for me, is the best and most faithful adaptation anyway). I have the boxed set of the 70s/80s adaptations, but have never watched the S&S or Emma adaptations in it. Will rectify that soon, though.
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Kaye, since David Rintoul is your favorite Mr. Darcy I thought you would appreciate this.
This gives a little background to the video link posted further below.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article6015123.ece
The David Rintoul part starts at 3:16.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8152793.stm
This looks like alot of fun. I would love to have been a part of this event. Unfortunately, the $5,000 ticket price plus air fare would have been a little out of my budget! Whew! Miss Deborah Jenkins would not have approved of that previous sentence!
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Speaking of pens, I’m afraid I am a black and white person all the way. I prefer black ink, fine tip Zebra pens! If you think I’m unimaginative how about the fact that I prefer vanilla ice cream to any other kind.:) Vanilla bean is the best,but I do love McDonald’s ice cream and Chick-Fil-A’s frozen yogurt! Sorry for getting off topic there!
By the way, Kaye, the word count hasn’t moved!:) This is a reminder like you said you wanted.:)
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When I have to fill out something official, I prefer black to blue (usually official forms give a choice).
We coined a phrase in my AP English class when I was in 10th grade: “That’s so brown ink!” We had to take the state standards tests during that class period. My teacher—the one who came up with a pun for every vocabulary word he gave us every week—read the instructions aloud to us, including the part that mentioned we had to use blue or black ink to write our answers to the short-answer and essay questions.
“After all,” he said, looking very seriously at all of us, “everyone knows brown ink is a sign of stupidity.”
I believe that was what began my love of using pens in any color BUT blue or black on a regular basis!
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I love brown ink. Have two different colors for my extra-fine nib fountain pen. Currently it’s loaded with Noodler’s Walnut. The other one is French and called Lie de The (with an accent on the e)
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Oh, and I have written a little by hand in the past two nights. I’ve been allowing myself to think that I’m blocked and forgetting the most important maxim about writing, which I’ve advocated on this blog time and time again: writing every day keeps the pump primed!
Therefore, I’m going to forgo watching TV tonight (even though it means missing both the third episode of the Torchwood: Children of Earth miniseries and the new episode of Top Chef Masters—but don’t worry, the DVR is set to record them) to see how much I can get written.
If that counter hasn’t moved tomorrow, I want to hear from everyone about it!
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Kaye, here’s a video that will get you in the mood to write!;)Hee! Hee!
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Ooh, that’s a new one!
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My only complaint: they didn’t include any clips of Ciaran Hinds from the BEST version of Persuasion. But happy to see Ioan Gruffudd (and Benedict Cumberbatch) clips from Amazing Grace made this montage!
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First, I love the Moleskin notebooks at Barnes & Noble, and I just bought a few more over the weekend. They last (the provenance of the company is fascinating, too) and they fit perfectly in a purse or on a nightstand. They inspire me to catch phrases and quirky ideas as they fly by, and since I buy the smaller ones, they don’t intimidate me as much. (Glad to know you struggle with writing something “important” in bound journals, too, Kaye!).
Second, to spur you on as you write Book 2 in the series, I’m re-posting this comment I made on an earlier thread, because it was the last one and you may not have seen it. Be encouraged!
***
“Ransome’s Honor is such a satisfying read. It will definitely go in my collection of books that are perfect to read again and again.
I became so involved in the story and with the characters of this book that it will be hard to wait for the next two in the series!
Well done. 🙂 ”
See? If you can write one good book (and you’ve written several!), you can write another one. (That’s a paraphrased quote I heard, and I remind myself of the fact as often as I can!)
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You pretty much hit my vices on the head, Kaye–purple stuff and Post-it Notes:) Though school supplies in general are a beautiful thing.
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Tax free weekend starts first friday in august…. wait and stock up then! *grin* But… beware of the swarm of crowds. LOL.
My vice? Uh… I’m not a HUGE huge school supply person. Mostly because I cringe at the thought of handwriting my books. I DO like to organize though, so I try out lots of different organization systems. Most end up being too cumbersome though.
Bookstores are my downfall. I could spend a million dollars in there and STILL find things I want to buy. Oh, that and the chocolate store. MMMMmmmMM But I’m on a diet. Alas.
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OH! BTW… I see your counter moved from 5-7. GOod job! AND, I posted my blog review of MFR scheduled in the morning:-)
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Oh! I loved school (I was odd, but the first day of kindergarten I didn’t want to go home – and my mom says from that point on I loved school) Anyway! I have to say back to school shopping was the most fun when we lived in France. Their whole system from pens to pencils to notepads are COMPLETELY different from ours and I loved it. They’re notebooks were so much better (well made) and their pens! Oh I loved it all.
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