OK, hands up who gets excited about this time every single year over all the fresh new diaries that appear in newsagents & stationery shops everywhere, and online, and now on Instagram too?!
Meeeeeee!
Since my dad first bought me that little geeky [adorable] brown satchel full to the brim with stationery for my 5th birthday [or my 5th Christmas I can't recall that long ago], I've been a stationery addict. It doesn't stop with new diaries each year of course. There's lots to love about stationery. Here's some of my fave random stationery related things....
1] Getting book lists in high school, O.M.G., - almost nothing better than gathering up a whole pile of brand new supplies & books.
2] Those electric sharpeners in primary school classrooms that would sharpen pencils so perfectly you could use them until they were sharpened all the way to tiny little one inch stubby pencils. I am still searching for one of those for my home!
3] Perkins paste in pink tubs. Fabulous smell. I'm not an addict or anything. Actually any kind of glue or paste, clag, aquadhere - did you ever pour it onto your hand in a thin layer & once dry peel it off & show your younger siblings the fake skin? OK, so just me, lets move on... Brand new glue sticks, any kind of sticky tape, and now washiiiiiiiii!!!
4] Covering new school books in contact. I am the self proclaimed master & love love love it. Clearly didn't investigate schools well enough for my children though. No book covering required by parents. Tragedy. Ok, a tragedy of the book covering type.
5] Brand new pencils that in primary school you shave off a portion at the end to write your name in your best best writing.
6] Tom Hanks saying to Meg Ryan in the movie, 'You've Got Mail,' "I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." Oh!!!!!! I would have married him on the spot if that were me. Well, if I, the actress, knew him in person, not just online. And if it were real life & not just a movie. Forget flowers & chocolates, a bouquet of pencils is a winner!
6] Whole boxes of Bic fine point blue pens [yellow pen with blue lid] from Officeworks that I buy from time to time to replenish my stock. I have pen stealers living in my home. And the other day found a lid chewed. Ewwwww. I'm not sure if that annoys me more or less than pens with their lids MISSING!!!! Aaaghh! Terible, renders them almost completely useless. I hand them down for homework purposes. Anyway, I love this brand of pen. Surprisingly inexpensive too. They allow very fine writing, infinitely neater than with any other blue ballpoint pen I've come across. Very few ink smudges with this pen.
7] Receiving my pen licence in grade 3, way back in 1979. A most proud moment early on in my stationery loving addiction.
Ok, I'm sure I could go on & on. So I will.
For 2012, I've been using the Kikki K diary and I have loved it. I still use it every day. Being a work at home mum, obviously I have large to do lists, a critical TODAY list but not too many appointments each day, usually just a few over the week. This lends itself to a diary with week to opening pages & a bit of space, but not heaps, for writing a few appointments here & there and todays critical list of things to do. I keep all my longer wishlists & planning lists in a list book [because I'm a list freak] and I also keep some alarmed reminders in my phone that scream at me when I need to be somewhere.
All in all my systems work for me.
For 2013, I came across this little gem above: The Frankie Magazine Daily Journal. Its hardback & beautifully bound. The cover has a lovely texture & inside there are beautiful illustrations throughout, as well as stickers & labels and other pages to write & record things.
As well as the weekly openings there are also monthly planners which are great for birthdays & holiday plans etc.
So now I have to wait another 2 whole months to get into it. Oh I know I can start filling out some of the fresh new pages in my best best writing but I can't really get stuck in & start writing in appointments for the new year. Oh wait!!!!! I can write in Chelsea's cardiology appointment for January. Yes! Ok, skipping off to get my diary!
Have you chosen a diary for next year yet? What makes it or breaks it for you?
Do you have a favourite stationery story to tell me?
