Glow by Lady E

I keep seeing these Pentel Vistage Watercolor Sticks at SM Stationery. And every time I see them, I look. Then I leave them there. I was curious about them, but my friend told me they were student grade. Apparently, that was enough to lodge itself somewhere in my brain as you don’t need those. So I didn’t buy them. I actually saw them again just last Saturday. Looked at them. Still didn’t buy them. Except this time, I had completely forgotten about something rather important. My $4 Mont Marte watercolors. I’ve been exploring painting more seriously lately, and those inexpensive little watercolor tubes surprised me. They may not be fancy, but they work really well with my hand and the way I naturally paint. And that’s making me rethink the way I’ve been judging art materials. Maybe the question isn’t always: Is this professional grade? Maybe sometimes it’s: What can I do with this? Because a material can have all the impressive credentials in the world and still fight my...

  S ome things don’t call for attention loudly. They don’t demand to be bought or even understood. They simply exist—and somehow, they make you stop.  As I wandered through the different stationery stores, I found quiet little moments that caught me…and made me pause.

  A s a child, I’ve always had a love for stationery. So back-to-school shopping was one of those events I look forward to.  As an adult, I still get excited for back-to-school shopping even though we homeschool. I love checking out what’s new this season.  Nostalgia, I guess. 

E arlier this week, I found myself wandering through the stationery section at SM. Dangerous place.  Stationery stores are wastelands. That’s my term for places that I love so much that bleed my wallet dry.