Thursday, April 18, 2013

P ~ Paper, Pencils, and Pens, Oh My!


These are the continuing adventures of a Swedish immigrant during her first year as an American. She boldly went where she'd never gone before...please come along on Adventures in America.

Hi, my name is Tina and I'm an addict. I'm addicted to school supplies: pencils, markers, pens, colored pencils, markers of different widths and tips and textures and erase-ability and special effects, different textures of paper, how a pen feels in my hand, what the combination of pen and textured paper produces, experimenting with various combinations...oh sorry. Got distracted.

In Sweden, the school supplies (verb) all the school supplies (noun). (Sounds logical to me when I read that...) However, a brand new world would open to me when Grandma Vivian took me for my first school supply shopping trip.

I didn't know what a school supply list was, but she knew everything and took me to the local drugstore to the back-to-school display. I was awestruck. The variety! The colors! The choices! Oh my...

We were there much longer than Grandma Vivian wanted to be, but when we walked out, I was the proud owner of my own 3-ring binder, loose leaf paper, bound notebooks, composition books, ball-point pens, something called a #2 pencils (why didn't we use #1 if it was better?), COLORED pencils, MAGIC markers, and my very own water color set. No more sharing with my messy desk partner! I was in heaven.

Subsequent years, The Nutritionist, whose name could easily be The Saver, would make us produce what was left over from the previous year and ONLY let us buy what was missing. I vowed that if I had children, they'd get fresh supplies every year.

I stuck to that, too. The boys loved it. With Walmart's prices, I always picked up a few items for myself...just a few...It wasn't THAT expensive, and there's nothing better than facing a brand new year with shiny new stuff.

I know. You're thinking about all those supplies that could have been re-used. Yes, there are a lot of them. But hey! The year and a half I homeschooled we didn't have to buy ANYTHING! However, I probably could still outfit an entire pre-school. The left-overs are actually pretty organized in our 13 year-old's desk. If you're low on something, come on over. I have 15 glue-sticks (yes, I just counted).

27 comments:

mooderino said...

How can anyone not love the stationery store? Although I still never have any glue sticks when i need them.

mood
It's the soggy socks for the rest of the day that ruin it. Good shoes a must!

mood
Moody Writing
#atozchallenge

A Daft Scots Lass said...

I have a huge box of "left over" and "back up" stationery for my two school-going girls. I'm not usually that organised but I just love buying stationery.

Unknown said...

The week before "back to school" was my favourite as a child. The annual trip to the stationary shop was SO much fun and so much thought went into my purchases as a child!

Loving your posts - so interesting!

http://www.mydestinationunknown.com

Sheena-kay Graham said...

I'd join you in stationery heaven.

Disha Doshi Shah said...

i can live in a stationary store ..*happy shy*... I'm following you now, via the challenge! See ya soon on www.disha-doshi.blogspot.com

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Why not get new ones? We had new ones every year. Who wants to start the school year with used stuff?

Mary said...

So...I take it you're like me and are in HEAVEN in Office Depot??? :)

Jeremy [Retro] said...

on and off subject... my wife collects pens and note pads from when drug reps bring their stuff in to promote the flavor of the month. we have boxes full of this stuff, yet if i need a pen... we go the store and buy new stuff. you know i ask why cannot i have some of the stuff where we don't need so many...

well that is another story.

Jo said...

Oh yes, I love stationery stores, never had to outfit kids, but I could spend a fortune myself. Staples is a great place to be. I have almost a fetish about clean paper, I want to use it.

JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

Alternative Foodie said...

I'm still excited whenever we go to school supply shop, more than my son. Now he is already with geometrical stuffs, am still happy with pens and papers; and glue sticks too. Don't think will ever grow out of enjoying school supplies.

Ali said...

ooh, I am a school supply junkie too. Yesterday I got a mailing about school supply packs for my daughter, it will be her first year of school supply shopping this fall, and I totally squealed in delight. :)

~Ali - a fellow A-to-Z-er from Off The Mark

Sandy said...

lol...school supplies, always such a fun time. Expensive though. The disappoint was always you bought exactly what the teacher requested, your child took care of things, loved their supplies; but they're collected on day one at school and dumped into a group supply thing. That covers the people who don't buy them, and so there is no ownership of the beautiful supplies. My DD is almost 30, but I still enjoy buying notebook paper, pens and pencils myself. lol

<a href="http://oozingoutmyears.blogspot.com/2013/04/polygamy.html>A-Z</a>

Mark said...

Good things to be addicted to...it's the sign of a natural artist:) Great post!

Andrew Leon said...

I hate glue sticks, but we can always use more notebooks.
And pencils.
And pens.

Sue McPeak said...

Sometimes, we got NEW replacements at mid-term or fell back on the the 'Used Stash'. Getting a BigBox of colors...that was the Cat's Meow...especially with the built in sharpener.

My Letter 'P'...Prolific Patchwork Pattern Piecer
Sue CollectInTexasGal
AtoZ LoneStar Quilting Bee

Barbara In Caneyhead said...

There was absolutely nothing like sitting down the first time with fresh new paper, pencils and crayons. Oh, the magical smell!
Barbara
Life & Faith in Caneyhead

Fe said...

Thanks. I've just decided that all my old stationery is going to The Salvation Army. Then I'll Have to buy new stuff. Mmmm, love the thought...

JoJo said...

School and office supplies are da bomb aren't they? I loved that part of school shopping the best! New pencil case, all kinds of bits and bobs to go in them...although our elementary school supplied crayons, erasers, rulers, etc. Not anymore though.

Carol Kilgore said...

LOL - I have five glue sticks! They come in real handy when nothing else works. And during the holidays. Walmart's a great place to stock up on stuff like that.

Ida Thought said...

I can smell that stationery from here. I'm more of a hoarder than an addict. When I moved into my new house there was two boxes of stationery that I still can't bear to throw out

Ida Thought said...

I can smell that stationery from here. I'm more of a hoarder than an addict. When I moved into my new house there was two boxes of stationery that I still can't bear to throw out

Andrea said...

The folders used to be my favorite to pick out!

Lucy said...

That was my favorite time of the year,fresh new school supplies, I totally understand.

Lucy from Lucy's Reality

P.S. I am hoping my link is fixed, you know only halfway through the challenge I have found out my link to my blog is not working LOL

J.L. Campbell said...

You're not the only one, I love anything stationery - especially notebooks and pens with large barrels. The more colourful the ink, the better. I don't make as many trips to the bookstore these days, but when I do...

Rachel said...

I have this problem when it comes to Sharpies and highlighters. When I have them, I HAVE to draw on something. Its like I can't help myself. I don't know why.

I got new supplies basically every year. I would always run out of things by the end of the year and reuse what I had from the year before, or even just when I was playing. You should have seen my collection of pencils and crayons though. It was so massive that it's kind of sad.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Tina .. I think I'd better come over with my own trunk of goodies - granted some COLOURED! .. but they'd mix in with all yours - as long as number two boy will release them! We could make a mint or two?!

I have cards for Africa too .. it's sad - I do wonder if I'm sad sometimes .. but I don't think so?!

Cheers Hilary

Rob-bear said...

I also am a lover of pens, paper, notebooks, and the like. Computers are grand, but the sound of a fountain pen scratching on paper (yes, I have a lot of fountain pens) is delightful on a quiet night. We used fountain pens in school before we were allowed to use those horrid, cheap ballpoints (which the teacher thought were terrible for penmanship).

Blessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting