Hype train choo choo! Seeing all the goodness at the D.C. Pen Show has me more hyped than ever to head to San Francisco in two weeks. Myke and I discuss our upcoming trip, play discovery in the Closet of Doom, and Myke enjoys the wonders of #bearcam.
This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:
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(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)
With Doomsday (i.e. school) drawing nigh, it’s time to think about supplies. Supplies are the best part of going back to school, so finding some new items for the year is always fun.
The King Jim Frio Stand Roll Pen Case is made in China. It has felted material on the top half and polyester on the bottom.
The case has three 30mm pockets (best for pens and pencils), two 45mm pockets (good for larger pens and rulers), and one 75mm pocket (for scissors or a small notebook). A felt flap protects your instruments when the case is rolled up.
Although I’ve seen many roll cases, I’ve not seen one quite like the Frio. Two magnets connect to the bottom portion when the case is folded backwards so that it functions as a stand.
Although it doesn’t look very elegant from the back, the case morphing into a stand is quite practical and looks nice on a desk.
Although the case rolled up adequately with all the things I put in it, the felt flap didn’t provide enough protection for my fountain pens. It’s much too short to cover them completely, and I was concerned that the scissors and ruler would scratch them.
I wouldn’t recommend using this case for special fountain pens due to the potential for scratches and dings, but it is terrific for EDC pens, art pens, pencils, and other instruments. It’s compact when rolled up, and it acts as a stand when unrolled. That makes this case rather unique.
You can purchase the King Jim Frio in several colors, including green, black, navy, and white for $19.00 from JetPens.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
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(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)
Like many of us, my love for stationery began early, possibly from birth. Was there anything better, in childhood, than a fresh box of crayons? Back-to-school shopping was the highlight of the year. Better than my birthday or Christmas. Back then, the school supply lists gave general guidance on what you might need, and the list hinted at what grand adventures might await in the new classroom. I remember the first time my list had paints on it. The excitement was almost unbearable.
College school shopping was extra exciting--there were no real lists, and I was free to use glitter gel pens and fountain pens and Clairefontaine notebooks to my heart's content. No more college-ruled loose-leaf nonsense! I missed school shopping, after I graduated. The rows of bins of fresh erasers still tempted me every fall.
So, you can imagine my delight when my eldest child started school and back-to-school shopping reentered my life.
But times have changed. The list has changed. And some of the fun has gone out of school shopping. The days of picking out your own markers are over--now they give you an item number or exact brand name and type. It's more of a scavenger hunt than a selection process, and it takes place in a maze full of frazzled obstacles. What once was the biggest celebration of the year has become the biggest burden.
Now, part of that is the financial aspect. The school list alone, without any of the extras, like shoes or the requested classroom donations, runs about $300 a child. Between the two kids and all the gear they need, we can easily top $1200, if we're not careful. So we have to be very careful. Every year it gets more expensive (separate gym shoes! Calculators!), and every year, I have to develop new strategies to make sure my kids have what they need to get through the year.
My strategy this year? Screw the list. Yeah. Normally, I'm a list follower. I used to glide gleefully down the aisle from item to item, checking things off. But I'm just done. 48 sharpened number two pencils? No. That's ridiculous. Twelve red pens? I don't think so. I spent twelve years of my life editing for a living, and I don't think I went through twelve red pens in that time. He has two, still, that we got him last year, and that's enough. It's true that he might lose them, and in that case, we'll have to get more, but I hope he might learn, instead, to keep track of what's important.
He'll need new notebooks, of course, and I'm always happy to provide the classroom with sanitizing wipes or whatever else they may need to prevent the rampant spread of classroom diseases, but the supply list madness has to stop.
We're having to watch our pennies quite closely this year, and I think a lot of my frustration comes from that--that these items are deemed necessities when, really, many of them are luxuries. And I realize the high quantities on some items are because we're supplying the classroom, not just our child. And I don't believe that teachers should ever have to purchase classroom supplies, and I know how often they do, and it breaks my heart.
But I also don't feel like my eleven-year-old NEEDS a wireless mouse, so he's not getting one. He definitely needs jeans and a new coat, so we'll focus there.
Maybe I'm just being grumpy. Maybe I've got the summer break blues. Tell me, parents, do you still enjoy the school supply shopping? Or has it worn you down? How many pencils does your list ask for? How much do you end up spending on your school shopping? Do you follow the list?
I hope the magic is still alive for you. And I hope it comes back, for me, too! Perhaps it will next year, when we'll be school shopping for three, as I'll be going back to school, myself. I can't deny that one of my first thoughts when I decided to return to school was that I'd need school supplies! I wonder if we need fresh crayons for grad school...
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
