Blackberry and Crumble are the dogs, not a comment on baking. These are, as we always tell people, great names for dogs until you have to stand in a field shouting them, and then you just sound like a bit of a wally...

Welcome to my thoughts, ponderings and crafty adventures.

Friday 31 May 2013

my pencil case

Can we talk about one of the things that makes me happiest again? We are going to need to break this down into manageable chunks, the master topic is stationery and the joy and delight that the right pen / pencil / notebook can bring but today, I'm going to spend half an hour just thinking about my pencil case.

Here it is...

I love this pencil case. It was bought for me in the very early days of our relationship by HWMBO(I) when the poor chap was under the impression that I was the sort of girl who would get good use out of an expensive and luxurious makeup bag. The  man took the news well that I would rather use it as a pencil case and in the intervening 12 years I have received a steady supply of beautiful stationery related gifts (7th wedding anniversary in a few weeks - modern American, for 7 years you get wool and / or stationery - frankly my perfect anniversary).

There is something lovely about sitting in a lecture or a meeting and knowing that in this little bag there are lovely things that make me feel grown up and in control. The 15 minutes or so I spent a couple of weeks ago making sure the fountain pens were full of ink (from a bottle, lovely, lovely) and there was lead in the propelling pencils were so happy! 

I've just undertaken a brief audit of contents, and, oddly (proving my potential as a blogger) taken a photo of them...


The lip balm, the chewing gum, the pebble and the crochet hook should really live somewhere else but I love that they are in there. The clear plastic thing attaches papers together using metal clips and is reassuringly mechanical. Two different propelling pencils (different size leads - there are times when this matters!) - the same company used to do a mustard yellow one for wider leads that my Grandad used to use to do the cross word, haven't seen one in years.

For those paying close attention, the silver and grey pen fourth in from the right is a retractable fountain pen - a marvellous thing that I didn't even know existed until the fateful evening I discovered it (after a glass of wine) on ebay and it was purchased (who knew it would cost so much to ship something from Japan!)

My only disappointment is the highlighter - not that it doesn't do exactly what it says it will do, but I object to its florescence. Non-fluorescent highlighter pens are terribly hard to come by and Bob has voiced objection to my 'borrowing' all of his yellow felt tips.

Any way - there you go, my pencil case happiness. Just popping upstairs to change my clothes because in the half an hour I've been doing this the weather has changed beyond all recognition - but that's a topic for another post.



9 comments:

  1. Oh my what a sophisticated pencil case ... the last time I owned a pencil case it was of the orange fluffy variety filled with novelty erasers and felt pens ... Although I do love a nice fountain pen I'm terribly messy with the ink. Thanks for popping in to say hello ... Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had a pink fluffy pencil case which I loved, and always wanted one of those ones that zips around with individual loops fr everything,,, never had one

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think we were separated at birth. I love stationery. I also love tea. I enjoy knitting but I'm not that good at it. It doesn't stop me foisting presents on unsuspecting relatives and my husband has promised that he will support me in my knitting habit provided I never actually knit anything for him.
    A while back I sat still for an hour (it was before I had children) and wrote down 100 things that make me happy. The very top of the list was 'a freshly sharpened pencil (HB)'. It's an odd choice for no. 1, especially given that I have a wonderful family and fantastic friends, but it's the first thing that popped into my head.
    Loving the blog - please keep it coming!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thankyou re the blog - I'm loving it so far, comments and visitors are so exciting and before starting mine and never commented other people's and its so much more satisfying an experience now! A think a nicely sharpened HB is well deserving of tis place on that list.... (Sorry about the appalling typing, iPad malfunction...) What were the other 99?!
      Hope you don't mind me adding you to my blog roll?

      Delete
    2. Unsuspecting relatives (well nearly) love the foisted on presents silyoj mentions....

      Very pleased you two have "met" each other!

      Am feelign rather inspired by blogging again actually - had forgotten there were so many lovely people out here (in here?)

      Delete
  4. Am delighted about being added to your Blogroll - there is no higher honour!
    Gosh, the other 99....that's probably a post all to itself, but the top few were:
    1. Freshly sharpened pencil
    2. Tea
    3. Clean, ironed, white T-shirt
    4. Smoked mackerel
    My beloved husband comes in at no. 5 which is not actually representative of his place in my affections (it should be higher). I then felt shamed into naming my close friends and family and then at resumed my list at no. 10:
    10. The swing seat (we'd just bought for our roof terrace)
    11. The roof terrace
    12. Geraniums
    13. The sun
    14. Cold, fresh air
    15. Shop bought coleslaw (I'm a chav at heart).
    I'll stop there!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Clear, ironed white tshirt, deserves its place on the list. Smoked mackerel, ditto (have you tried Nigel Slaters smoked mackerel dauphinois?)

    Clean sheets night, new notebook, lemon cake...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Someone after my own heart I see. I too love stationary. When I was a child I wanted to own a stationary shop. I kinda still do!

    S x

    ReplyDelete
  7. I really like your pencil case - it's so elegant. Since it's back to school time I just did a post like this aswell!

    http://lifeandalilbitofsparkle.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete