What was the best stationery that you found in 2009? When you touch the paper, your heart melts. The ink flows from the pen. What was your stationery find this year?
I am a paper products whore. I love, love, love all paper products. And really smooth ink pens. I kind of have an obsession. I’ve dedicated an entire drawer to stationery. I constantly add to it. Alas, I rarely open it to draw anything out. I don’t write letters very often any more. I have been remiss about thank you notes. But every time I look at the beautiful paper, I find myself smiling.
Even Christmas cards can put in me in a tizzy.
I could blame the obsession on Uncle Baboo. He has a printing shop in New York. He still, upon occasion, uses the old, hand tooled machines to create designs, though the computer is taking over the printing industry as easily as it has taken over the means of correspondence. He made me beautiful book plates and a personalized storybook when I was a child. And he shared his passion for paper.
I could blame the obsession on my mother. She taught me how to make paper when I was young. She is a connoisseur of stationery and writing utensils as well as penmanship and communication etiquette. She writes beautiful letters.
I could blame the obsession on Papyrus and Soolip and Etsy.
But I won’t. I’ll just embrace my obsession. Perfectly content. And who knows? Maybe one of these days, I’ll send a note via snail mail your way…
whollyjeanne
/ December 28, 2009i’ll bet it’s a BIG drawer . . . and i’ll bet it’s not gonna’ fall victim to today’s massive clear-out;)
emmajames
/ December 31, 2009Jeanne: Of course, you guessed right on all counts
Square-Peg Karen
/ December 28, 2009Oh, I wonder if Uncle Baboo would adopt me? I’d like him just because of his name – but add the paper knowledge and tools and ohmy…
I love paper products too…though mine are stored in a hope chest (an easy to get to hope chest, were it not for the piles of “stuff” on top). I haven’t added to my little nest-egg of paper in quite awhile, but I smile (as you mentioned doing) whenever I see it!
Thanks for this, it reminded me of how much paper inspires me!
emmajames
/ December 31, 2009SP Karen: I love that you keep it all in a hope chest! Would love to see a pic.
Carrie
/ December 28, 2009What?? You get us drooling and then don’t give us a visual?!!?! LOL
Just kidding. I’ll use my imagination. Thanks for posting.
emmajames
/ December 31, 2009Carrie: I know. I thought about including a photo of my stationery drawer but decided to let everyone’s imagination run wild instead.
Julie
/ December 28, 2009Now, after reading this, I wish I was a paper products whore. Never really have been. But it sounds so sexy and devilish. I might just have to dart into a Papyrus before the new year to see if I can find any way at all to create a paper products obsession for 2010. I love this post. It’s fun.
emmajames
/ December 31, 2009Julie: Oh, you must, you must! There’s always a good excuse to purchase more paper products. It’s a great way to start the new year! (Not that I’m enabling or anything
verybadcat
/ December 28, 2009i love some pretty paper, but i’m truly a pen whore at heart. know what i bought myself for Christmas (among other things)?
Sharpie pens. In six colors.
know what ridiculous luxury i pine for?
An Ingrid Bergman Mont Blanc.
four hundred dollars for a pen. i’m sick.
emmajames
/ December 31, 2009VBC: Ooooh! I love Sharpies! Especially when they are brand new and have a really sharp point. And, btw, you are not sick; you have very good taste.
Amanda
/ December 28, 2009Ah, another stationaryphile. It’s always nice to find more people out there that obsess about stationary the way I do. It’s something akin to new car smell or new book smell when it comes to opening a new notebook. It’s the promise of great things to come, even if you never quite get to writing in that stack of stationary or the jumble of journals.
emmajames
/ December 31, 2009Amanda: Exactly. Glad we’re on the same page