Paperchase Wishlist - Buy all the things!

Stationary. Lets talk about stationary. Unlike most school children, my favourite time of year was that busy week or two before the start of the school year when you were dragged with your mother to the school book shop to queue up and buy your new school books. (Yup, we queued, the internet did not exist then my friends.) The heavy purchase of new school books, brought new copy books too. 

I literally got excited by 88 and 120 page copy books and swore blind that I would only use them for my 'nice writing'. I would flick through the school books taking in their new book smell and wonder for while about how my new copy books would be filled. What work would take place in these new copies, what lessons would I learn and what homework would I do?

Of course none of these empty copy books, with their academic possibilities could reach their potential unless I was fully equipped with a bulging pencil case overflowing with pens in every colour, erasers in every shape and size and because I had a love of art, I had allllll the pencils. 2B, 5B, 6B, I had them all. Sharpened to precision and well taken care of. Those pencils were like close friends, seen in my company often, with protective maternal feelings often expressed about them.

My love for stationary continues to this very day. While my school days are well behind me, my career days are here, alive and well, and there is probably at least another 30 years before my retirement days arrive. My need for stationary is just as important to me now as it was then and it will come as no surprise that I have a big fat girl crush on Paperchase. A big fat girl crush that means I receive their email newsletter, pooch through their sale stock and take stationary loving visitors to Manchester to visit their anchor store. There is no doubt. I love Paperchase. We're in a relationship and we're fully committed.

As my professional roles have always contained an administrative and managerial element, I find I'm always in list making mode. Lists to ensure tasks are complete, lists to ensure the customer is happy, lists to ensure I and the team are meeting deadlines. Given my creative background, using cute (but practical!) stationary that gives a sneek peek into my personality ensures that I'm never fully in 'power suit mode' and assists in me enjoying the creation of what sometimes feel like endless lists upon lists upon lists.

At the moment, I'm lusting over the following and with payday on the horizon, a trip through the busy streets of Manchester to my beloved Paperchase just might on the cards! We need a date, it's been a while and I'd hate for our relationship to get a bit rusty!

All of the above items can be purchased via the Paperchase website.

Who needs a penpal?

From a really young age I was literally obsessed with those who lived in other countries. I'd even go far as to say I was obsessed with those who lived in other towns in Ireland. (FYI, I had a pen pal from Monaghan and I'm from Louth...go look that up on a map of Ireland and you'll see why that's hilarious!) I just always, always wanted to meet new people, hear about their lives and exchange letters. I had an insane appetite for it and probably lived my teenage years believing the grass was always greener.

When Spanish students came to our town every summer to learn English, none of them left without giving me their address (because I plagued them...yup, I was that annoying!) and so the correspondence with them started. I still have all of those letters and as they were written during my teenage years, its hilarious to read through them and see how I documented my life to others. We wrote about boyfriends, the things which seemed sooooo uber important in our lives at that time and swore to death that we would visit each other and be BFF's before the term BFF's was even invented.

The fun thing is, I'm still in touch with one of those Spanish students via Facebook, but I miss the feeling of an old school letter with lovely handwriting and nice stationary and so the search begins for a new pen pal, but on a different and more adult level.

So, if you fancy an Irish penpal, look no further. I'm your gal! Drop me an email to luckyrainbowdesigns@gmail.com and hey, lets be friends!

Some great facts about my pen pal skills and reasons why we should be pen buddies;

• As a stationary addict hoarder, I will write my letters on lovely paper, with nice pens and all placed in a cute envelope. I may even send you some of this lovely stationary. A girl has got to de-clutter right?
• I will write back! I'm awesome at this! There is practically a post box and shop selling stamps outside my door, I have no excuses.
• I might send some of my letters in lovely LuckyRainbow cards. Nice huh?
• Finally, who doesn't want a lovely letter from Ireland. (It might even smell of the rain, Guinness and leprechauns*)

*Disclaimer; It won't, but you secretly wished it did.

No previous experience necessary, just an appetite to receive nice letters and the time to write one back.

January Stationary Wish List

Whenever I see wish lists, most people are like "I want these jeans and that top with those uh-mazing shoes topped off with this cute brooch!". But this being a blog which is (mostly) craft related, I'm gonna drool over all the super funky, crafty items that I want / need in my life right this very moment. Is it January after all, and apparently we're all suffering from the January blues and need some cheering up. Stationary, cheers me up.

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Give or get me a pretty / cute / funny new notebook and I'm putty in your hands baby! Honestly, I love notebooks, diaries, new sketchbooks and every September when we went back to school, I loved getting new copy books. I used to think "these notebooks are full of possibilities!" and then usually after a week I'd hate school again and only really be concerned about my sketchbook. The above notebook  made me smile, it kinda rings true for me sometimes but in a "Whoa, I wish I thought of that!"

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When I was a kid, I had a yellow beetle (the car, not the bug) toy thingy that sat on my desk in school. One wheel was an eraser and the other a pencil sharpner and on the roof you stored your pens and pencils. Ever since then I'm a sucker for oversized, weird (but cool) desk tidy's slash stationary holders. I freaking love this pencil sharpner holder and same goes for the two tape dispensers below. Lo-ve!

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Next up, I am so in love with these action clips, its not funny. They are so me and I can see them working in every aspect of my personal and working life AND they would make the office a cuter space to work in and sure that's a win / win situation for all involved.

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Twine, just gimme twine! I love the stuff and maybe its more of a material than a piece of stationary but I use so much of the stuff that to me, its a daily staple in the craft room. In fact, right now, I know my current supply is low and that kinda makes me uncomfortable, I won't lie.

An finally, some thing cute but of course, practical!

 I mean they're paper clips that look like mini elephants. What's not to love? Go, get um!