I love stationery. Sometimes I think I love it a little too much. I head straight to that section whenever we go browsing in shops. I make a beeline to the notebooks, wistfully tracing what is on the covers with my fingers, deciding which ones have the best colours. I always choose a red variant initially, then remind myself of the multitude of red items I own, so if I was to potentially buy something I should shake it up, colour-wise. I weigh up the pros and cons of lined vs unlined vs grid pages. Sometimes, if I can do it unnoticed, I will give them a subtle sniff and breathe in the papery smell they have. Some of them are surprising, one that I have has a distinctly peppery smell to it!
I go through a similar process with the pens and pencils, debating internally over whether I would use black or blue in more, or if I should get a bright coloured ink to make things interesting. I take them out of their holders and cradle them, feeling their weight and testing their balance. I very rarely end up actually buying anything because I already have entirely too many notebooks that I’m not using to justify buying any more. But every time it’s a serious struggle, a test of will.
So when my friend asked on facebook if anyone wanted to buy stuff from a stationery website to bump the order up enough to get free shipping, I understandably went a bit crazy looking at everything. I think at one point I had over 10 tabs of product pages open. Finally I was able to narrow it down to three things. And that ended up being about $85. Shoot. So I’m putting them up here so I do’t forget about them and can close the tabs I still have open.
1. Washi Tape: $29.95 2. Lamy Safari Rollerball Pen: $32 3. O-Check Undated Diary: $22.95
The washi tape I can go without, but the pen and the diary I reeeeeeeeeally want to buy. Ben has a Lamy pen (but a different kind) and it feels so nice to use, and the diary will match my O-Check notebook journal and will be good for general organisation. Plus they all look pretty. And I wants them.
I think I’m the only one in my family that feels this way about stationery. There have been a few times where I’ve asked for stationery as presents for my birthday or Christmas, and they always seemed so confused at what I mean. It’s frustrating because I don’t know how to explain what it is I want, but I also don’t understand how they can’t see what is so amazing about this kind of stuff. Don’t they hunt for the perfect pen to write with? Am I crazy for obsessing over these things as much as I do?
I think, in a way to try and justify buying more shinies, I’m going to take the little notebook that’s propping the laptop up and start actually using it. The first day of a new month seems like a good time to start. If I can write something in it every day for a month then I shall give myself a reward. Sounds like a good plan to me!