Golden Rule Days

image from here

Besides new clothes and seeing people after a summer away, the thing that always excited me about going back to school was new school supplies. Purchasing new notebooks was always such a thrill, their blank pages eagerly awaiting words and notes.

The notebooks had to be college rule (wide rule just didn't sit right with me) and over the years, I discovered an affinity for 5-Star by Mead, specifically the three or five subject ones. With their durable covers, folder dividers, and plenty of room to doodle in the margins, they were perfect for taking notes in class. I also loved any notebook or journal with unlined pages, as if they were challenging me to think creatively.

"Schoolwork" from Holden Gerber's flickr

Of course, new pens (more often blue ink than black, but at times red and purple, as well as gel pens in a multitude of colors) were needed to accompany the notebooks, as were a bevy of other supplies. Planner? Check. Folders? Check. Crayons? A large box of Crayola, thank you. Highlighters, colored pencils, and markers? Check, check, check!

I still feel a thrill when back to school supplies hit the shelves each year. I get the same rush I always did, though I have less need for those items now. I am perfectly happy to wander the aisles of an office supply store at any time of year; I still covet pens, markers, colored pencils, highlighters, planners, folders, and the like.

I have yet to break my obsession with notebooks and journals, with either college rule or blank pages still reigning supreme. Although I always carry a notebook in my purse, I purchase them more than I have use for now; slowly, my collection builds. However, anytime I stare longingly at a bound collection of blank pages, my husband, an enabler some may say, always sweetly asks, "Do we need to get some new notebooks for you?"

Yes, please.

Cavallini Green Bird on Black Notebook
The bird is so beautifully illustrated on this small notebook.

Cavallini Seaweed Notebook

The cover on this notebook is graced with a gorgeous vintage design

Paper Patisserie- Mini Journals Set

This set of four mini journals, housed in a hardcover slipcase, feels delicate and official, as if it were made just for holding a small collection of your own greatest works.

Hand-bound Leather Journal

There is something intriguing about this antique-looking journal by Etsy shop "lapaperie;" it feels as though you could have unearthed an undiscovered work of some great novelist or even stumbled upon the sweet memories of a true love story from days gone by.

French Cloud Notebook

From Etsy shop "rabbitandtheduck" comes this sweet fabric covered journal. Perhaps this would have helped motivate me to stick with French language classes, which I bailed on after "disappointing" myself by getting B's throughout the majority of my third year. It was hurting my GPA... yes, I was that type of student... I know!

Graphic Image Robin's Egg Leather Diary with Lock and Key

This beautiful journal just speaks to the child in us, who felt her secrets and dreams were so precious as to need to be guarded by lock and key.

SusyJack* Desk Notebook in Forsythia

I love the brief time of year when Forsythia are in bloom, their splash of vibrant yellow a welcome sight after the lack of color in winter. This eco-friendly notebook would make it possible to appreciate their beauty all year long.

SusyJack* Pencil Cup in Forsythia

Just as Forsythia add cheer to a bleak winter landscape, this pencil cup is sure to cheer up any desk.

Recycled Natural Wood Pencil Set

I am sucker for packaging, and I would take this sunny set of pencils, from Etsy shop "OhSmile," in a heartbeat.

SusyJack* Ring Jotter in Dunes

This brilliant eco-friendly "notebook" would be the perfect thing to carry in a small handbag!

Pool & Chartreuse Book Covering Kit

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Poppy & Chocolate Book Covering Kit

If I had school books to cover, these beautiful kits in Pool & Chartreuse or Poppy & Chocolate would certainly do. Who wouldn't look forward to studying with these beauties?

SusyJack* 5 Good Fortune Clips

After a meal at a Chinese restaurant, I love pulling the piece of paper from a Fortune Cookie to discover what it has to say. I even find some that inspire me enough to save them, although they usually end up crickled in the bottom of my purse, only to be discovered the next time I clean it out. This set of five good fortune clips definitely puts those tiny slips of paper to better use! I'd use the clips to gather bills and other important pieces of mail into tidy and organized piles.