Saturday, April 9, 2011

I have a confession to make

I am obsessed with office supplies.
I don't know when it started... but I was young.
Back to school shopping was always something I looked forward to... and still kinda miss now that I'm not in school anymore.  The Staples "It's the most wonderful time of the year" commercial with the dad dancing through the store always cracked me up.  The kids looked so unhappy... but when my dad would say it was time to go to Staples my face would light up. {It still does}

As a part of market prep I've been putting some supplies aside... and purchasing a few new ones.
It's not that I needed new ones... but i needed them! ;-)
Notice the blue trend?  I'm not sure why I think my office supplies need to match my logo!

One of my favorite new purchases is this mini binder.

It has half size page protectors that are exactly the size of my patterns!


Please tell me I'm not alone in the office supply addiction!!!



© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

81 comments:

Maloree said...

I am a addict too. Back to School time is my favorite time of the year. Something about spiral notebooks and new markers makes me super happy!

Sandy said...

That binder is darling....and very handy. I have always loved school supplies...especially crayons...hence my collection of Crayolas!

Rhonda the Rambler said...

I am a little obsessed with office supplies as well. Not as much as I used to be but yes i do love them. LOL When in school (even college) I would spend hours organizing and reorganizing the supplies while other girls were trying to decide how to do their hair.

Unknown said...

Guilty as charged. I used to love ordering all the office stationery and now I get a real kick out of mooching around Staples. I much prefer it to almost all other types of shopping!

Karen Linton said...

You are not alone. There's is nothing comparable to using a new stapler or opening a pack of notebook paper or writing the first word with a new pen. Nope, definitely not alone.

Liz Hawkins said...

Nope! Not alone! LOVE the smell of a NEW notebook. And markers and CRAYONS that have those little perfect unused points??? I don't like to take the kids to Staples, I like to go myself. It's like walking through rows of infinite possibilities....

corina said...

You are not alone. I still remember the feeling of filling my duotangs with looseleaf, scraping away a bit of the colored pencil to write my name on it and organizing everything in my pencil box. To this day, I still get a little flutter when I see the back to school specials. I have more journals, notebooks and binders than I can ever use. I think a trip to Staples in order as I definitely need one of those small binders!

KarrieLyne said...

School shopping was my favourite when I was a kid too. Nothing has changed. When I take my kids I gotta get all the "cool" stuff. They just roll their eyes at me..LOL. Still can't go shopping with out looking for more pens..I only have like eleventy billion of them!

Did you get that binder at Staples? I'd really like to go get one. Great idea for holding patterns!

MahQuilter said...

I am standing right next to you on line. But I have to add Pink. If it is pink I have to have it. So now I will go shopping for a pink half size binder. I love it. I have projects in clear containers that are stacked so high they reach the ceiling. I should take a pic of them but then I would have to admit how many unfinished projects I really have. I wish I was a finisher.

rachel griffith said...

SO not alone.
promise.

Cathy said...

I love office supplies, too!! I've never seen the small page protectors--how cute!! And perfect for pattern storage.

CBB said...

You are not alone! I love back to school time. I buy so much, thinking the kids will need, when in reality my love for paper is absurd!!! So, I buy tons of binder paper, and notebooks. I donate around this time of the year to their teacher.

Jodi-JoJoMia's Place said...

You are sooooo not alone! I love office supplies, especially different colored pens, and plastic boxes and bins.

Wendy said...

You~preacher, me~choir .... totally hear you! Love the office supply isle :) Sweet binder made to order esp. for your new patterns ... you are truly connected ;)

Sally said...

Just like everyone else, I love school/office supplies! Of course, it's a common theme among myself and my teacher friends. I have to take a hard line, though and try to only buy the stuff I really need, otherwise.... yikes!

P.S. I was at one of my local quilt shops last night and was sooo delighted to see one of your quilt patterns for sale! I think it was Hugs and Kisses, if I remember correctly!

Kwiltsfl said...

Oh yes - husband has learned it is dangerous to take me with him to an office supply store. Are half page sized page protectors available to buy in bulk or did they come with the notebook? I have been looking for pattern storage and this looks great! ~ Karen

Rachel said...

Oh yes, you are not alone...Hubs and I like to take cheap date nights to the office supply stores and pick out a new pen! My favorite time of the year is when I get to pick out new planner refills. AHH.

MandMStudio said...

Totally love school supplies still. and now when I take my onw kids back to school shopping I always get new notebooks too :)

Rori said...

WOW!!! I never knew there were so many office supply junkies! "Hi...my name is Rori...and I like office supplies."

I even take it to maybe another level, when I go to estate or garage sales, I make a bee-line for the office and rummage thru the desk and file drawers. hehehe I like VINTAGE office supplies too!

the essentials in life said...

You are not alone! I find myself lingering in the office supply aisles at Target all the time! I love buying pens, notebooks, binders and all that stuff. I love the mini binder!

Monica said...

*hangs head*

I have an addiction to pens, markers, Post Its, and cute notepads. Please don't tell my husband I've admitted this because I'd never hear the end of it...LOL.

Crystal Hendrix said...

You're not alone...the office supply store rates up there on top with the quilt stores :D

paront1222@comcast.net said...

Alone in your obsession with office supplies? I don't think so.....
I LOVE Staples and any office supply stores. You should see me in work when I run out of folders or something and I have to ask a custodian to unlock the storage closet....it's like angels singing when the doors open :)
I'm guessing most people are that way, thats why our closet is locked up and the teachers have to ask to be let into the inner sanctum! :)
Peggy in NJ

Tiffany @ Another Pie In The Sky said...

I am too! Mine started in school as well!! I loved nothing more than to get a brand new notebook and everything awesome to go with it!! Now that my kids are in school I get to go with them to do their shopping! I LOVE it! Oh and the best thing was...when I worked at staples (for 2 years), I got to buy extra of the back to school specials!!! You know, the penny and nickel sales..oh yes...it was wonderful!! Lol not so fun working it, though! I used to walk up and down the isles just seeing what awesome thing I could find that I didn't know about. Lol!

ritad said...

Me Too! My favorite times of year ~
Back to School and anytime Wal Mart puts office supplies in the clarence aisle.....

Mary Grace McNamara said...

You are definitely not alone in this addiction Julie! When I was about 8 years old, I used my birthday money to shop for 'office' supplies so I could play 'office' with my friend Cathy from down the street! I still get excited about the prospect of going to Staples or Walmart or anywhere to find the perfect pen or container or desk accessory! My 6 year old is just the same! Today we are shopping for a new bulletin board and wastebasket for her newly renovated bedroom! How fun!

MGM

Katie said...

I am with you on the addiction! Pens, paper, notebooks, pencils, erasers, folders, stick notes, thumb tacks, paper clips, binder clips, etc. LOVE THEM! And I would want my supplies to match my logo, too. Completely understandable!

Kim West said...

I absolutely love office supplies. WOW - half size page protectors... I see a new project coming on - organizing my patterns and putting them all in a binder and... swwoooonn ... a trip to the office supply store. Unfortunately we don't have a staples here on Oahu (that I am aware of), but all the people at the copy counter (for guild stuff) know me well.

Connecticut Chronichols said...

Half page sheet protectors. Oh.My.
Gosh. I have to get them. I'm a retired teacher and the thing I miss the most is buying all that stuff for my classroom.

Anonymous said...

OMG I thought I was the only one ...!!!

Unknown said...

so. not. alone.

I go giddy at the smell of pencil sharpenings ...

VickiT said...

Oh yay! A fellow office supply addict! Welcome to my club. LOL I LOVE going to any office supply store. I look like a little kid in a candy store at these stores. I swear my husband must think I am totally nuts. And that commercial is my absolute favorite ever! It is really funny but somehow I have developed a very good sense of watching/listening mostly to the tv while in my sewing room or on my computer. I can listen to the shows all day long and yet never hear the commercials. It's like I just have this auto-switch in my head BUT....... THAT one comes on and I not only hear it but must stop what I'm doing to watch it too. I have no idea why but yea, love it.

You should see the supplies we have in our house. Some of these things we'll never use in about 20 yrs but I keep buying them anyway. Like I said - my husband has got to think I am friggin crazy.

Esch House Quilts said...

Whenever I go into OfficeMax I have to keep telling myself "You only need a new printer cartridge (or whatever)." No new paper, pens, pencils, binders, folders ... :)

April (Polkadot Sparrow) said...

I'm gonna be that Dad in the commercial someday. So glad you had an excuse to wander the aisles at Staples! :) Have fun at market!

Nicky said...

I'ts ok you are safe among friends - imagine the fortune Staples would pay for this list of names? My weakness is notepads (I just bought an Orly Keily one - love it!!!) and binders.

ewecan said...

Another one here. I have a had time letting the grands use 'my' crayons.

Shannon said...

That binder is so cute, it hurts! I need to find a purple one!

Gene Black said...

you are definitely NOT alone! I love office supplies and could spend lots of money in Staples or any big office supply store. I have ink pens stashed in places that I have forgotten. LOL

goecker said...

SEW, SEW glad U told me about those little binders. I've ordered 3 of the new patterns from a local quilt store, and will pick up one of the binders (or 2) next time I'm out that way...maybe tomorrow! have a great time at market.

Mary said...

Not into office supplies but I love buying cleaning supplies...crazily enough I hate cleaning!

Becky said...

No, Julie you are not alone. In fact, I want to race to Staples and purchase one of everything you bought in blue:) Thanks for sharing! I see a trip to Staples next week.

Briawna said...

I, too, am addicted to office supplies. Maybe it's because I was a teacher before becoming a SAHM & quilting fanatic or maybe I'm just a nerd at heart. There's nothing like a freshly-stocked, clean backpacks full of coordinating office supplies! :-)

Anonymous said...

Oh, yes I love office stores. There is nothing like getting new pens, storage boxes of all sizes with nifty colors (I always think I am going to color code stuff.) And I never have enough sleeve protectors.

Terriaw said...

Yes, I love to buy office supplies too. Going to the office supply store is a fun field trip, almost as fun as buying art supplies. How fun to be gathering supplies to take with you to Market!

Evelene S said...

Hi, my name is Evelene and I am addicted to office supplies.

Regina said...

We're a family of office supply addicts! My kids can't get enough of them.

Nancy said...

You are not alone! I do believe this obsession goes along with fabric addiction very well. They also keep making really cute office supplies! Darn them.

KatheG said...

Hello, my name is KatheG and I am an office supply addict, too. And I ran my own business for a while - you just can't imagine how much fun. Thankfully I only have Office Depot and Office Max - no Staples. It's nice to kow I'm not alone.

Beeshebags said...

Nope you're not alone with the office supplies 'fetish', I too have it, and there's a joke amongst my friends, that when office supplies 'junk mail' gets delivered to my letterbox, it's my 'porn' lol

Now, please tell me that mini binder doesn't come in purple?

Hugs
Naomi

Zegi said...

you are soooo not alone. Even the office aisle at the drug store gives me a thrill!

Greta said...

Not alone. Obviously, from the number of comments already left. I'm also happy in hardware stores which suits my husband. But, somehow, he's not as thrilled to roam through quilt shops with me. Darn!

natalie. beyond the reef said...

Toolbox. Gotta add the toolbox.
Oh, and First Aid box.
Maybe they'll come in JaybirdBlue as well!

Paul said...

Just in case 52 others telling you that you're not alone isn't enough...

You are not alone.

Angela Nash said...

That binder is SO perfect!! Yep, I love office supplies, too.

Andrew J said...

Totally with you on this one. Living in Japan was so dangerous, they have such AMAZING office supplies and stationery! Next time you are in NYC, check out Muji if you haven't already.

Cathy @ CabbageQuilts said...

Me too, I'm an office supply addict, though lately my fabric obsession has taken over. xo

Canadian Kristin said...

Oh honey, you are preaching to the choir on the office supplies love!!!
How handy that you found half size page protectors! I *need* those...really, I do.

Anonymous said...

I love office supplies too

Melissa said...

Office/school supplies, journals, stationary, oh my! I have a weakness for them all. I'm already dreaming of school supply shopping for my daughter when she starts Kindergarten in the fall :)

schmidt1016 said...

You are so not alone! We used to have a little stationery store in my hometown. It was magical to me. The promise that clean, new paper held, all the different pens and pencils, the boxes of writing paper and envelopes that were so beautiful.
Of course, this was back in pre-historic times. There was no such thing as Staples. I still love to troll the stationery aisles to see what is new.

Leslie S. in MN
esclante at comcast dot net

julia said...

nope, definitely not! shopping for new supplies was one of the things i looked forward to each autumn...and every season in between! (i sometimes even cheated and wrote extra large so that i could go to the office supply store and buy a new exercise book :)
till now, i collect college blocs or similar from every country i visit (i love all the differenz sizes & rulings).
have fun with your new supplies!

Dirt Road Quilter said...

Joining the club! And my 17-yr old daughter has it too. Who knew it was genetic! LOL! I might even have shed a tear when we finished homeschooling because I would no longer have an excuse to buy loads of fun school supplies. Ah, heck. Who needs an excuse?

Ruth said...

I also feel that I have to admit to a slight obsession with office supplies. I think it comes with the crafting territory!

Cindy said...

You're definitely not alone. I go to Staples when I'm on vacation ( we don't have them here)!

Vicky said...

I always look for things I can use in quilting, like markers for applique or bins for supplies. One of my favorite things that I use often is the Staedtler sheet of circle templates. Found it in the drafting supplies.

Paula Ganyard said...

You are not alone. I LOVE new office supplies. Each fall even though I am not going back to school, I still like to wander through to see what the nespw thing is.

Laine from JustPlainLaine.com said...

You are not alone! I, too, love office supplies. I love notebooks and post-its, and pens, pencils, tape, of every shape and kind.

I love quilt and sewing tools also. The stores love to see me coming. LOL

Lazy Girl said...

A little? Please! I feel the same way about kitchen gadgets/organizers, the hardware store, office supplies, and all things storage. There's probably a fabulous name for us. Nerdy-cool.

School of Crafts said...

Oh, I so right with you! I am a teacher and still get giddy every August as I head to get my new years school supplies. My main addiction is pens though. You can never have enough, haha.

Unknown said...

I can so relate. I am 50 and still obsessed. My obsession started in college at Walmart Store. Their headquarters was located in town connecting to my college town. I have been sewing since I was 7. My husband thinks I am crazy for plastic organizing items. But I think I am practical. I am redoing sewing room now and labeling everything!

Grace said...

Oh, I'm right there with you. Maybe we should all start an office supplies anonymous support group... OSA? I love organizing things, so getting new binders and labeling everything makes me unreasonably happy. Glad to see there are others out there!

KathyB said...

My mother taught school for many years. After she retired, she continued to be drawn to the school supplies each fall. As she sheepishly told me recently; she still goes 'school' shopping every year and comes home with a single new composition book. She still enjoys the excitement of a new school year, just as you do. And YES, I too love the boxes, tablets, etc.!! You are not alone. http://kbartdesigns.com

Anonymous said...

I love office supplies. Quite addicted to them to say the least. I want that binder. I guess a trip to Staples is in my future.

Lori said...

Definitely not alone. My kids are well stocked when back to school arrives. I buy in October when everything is el cheapo!

Katie Z. said...

Um, yes, I have a problem. I particularly love notebooks, narrow-line black pens, mechanical pencils, and fat erasers I can carry in my pocket... not to mention storage.

IHaveANotion ~ Kelly Jackson said...

75 comments on an office supply post....proof you are definitely not alone. I too have a nice stash...I loved to play office when I was a kid.

Kelly

Anna said...

I am a HUGE office supply fan! Pens, notebooks, post it notes, paper, binder clips...I love it all.

Carrie Siegfried said...

I've always loved pens and fresh paper. Plus, looking at a new set of markers that look like a rainbow were a favorite too.

Anonymous said...

Oh, no, you are DEFINITELY not alone. I audibly went "oh" when I saw the mini sheet protectors and binder...8-) I had a heck of a time finding them. Staples was my salvation and I got next day delivery!! Unfortunately, I was only able to find the binder in black, but I figured I can always cover it if need be. I love the little sheet protectors. Thanks for the enabling...lol

Megan said...

A girl can never have too many page protectors. Oh, and paper is definitely NOT dead in my sewing room!

Auntie Pami said...

I am addicted to them as well, esp. if they are pink. Never thought about using the small binder for patterns. I used the large ones. But, the little one would be perfect to tote to fabric stores when shopping. Just got my Quiltmaker--had to try 6 stores to find it. I'm looking today for fabrics. So happy to see you have patterns out now!