Friday 9 November 2012

Computer shop or stationery shop?


I know – what a daft question!

Beloved had to make a mercy dash to PC World for a spare part and granddaughter no. 3 (who is aged 3) and I went along too.

PC World is right next door to Staples.

“Which shop shall we go in?” I asked. “The computer shop?”



“Or the pens and paper shop?”



Well what can I say? There was no hesitation, no thinking about it – I was so proud!



PC World didn’t have the part he needed so he came into Staples while we were still browsing to see if they had it. They didn’t. So he went off to Curry’s.

We carried on browsing. She insisted on checking out every single aisle, poor me - not.

By the time we came out, he was waiting in the car. Had he been waiting long? Probably. But where stationery is involved, time loses all meaning.

This is some of our loot! I didn’t buy any notebooks (Izzy bought the tiny notebook), but I did treat myself to some gel pens.



Then when we got home five Chinooks flew over one after another. I grabbed my camera quick, but couldn’t get a decent shot. They’re a rare sight here.



And we had the tree done last week. Poor thing is completely denuded. Not a single leaf left.



This was the best picture I got while it was being done. 


If you look closely you can just about see a man. There were two of them and I didn't dare go out and start taking photos in case I distracted them so I took this one from my office window!

They did a great job and cleared up every last leaf which means, this autumn at least, we won't have to!


36 comments:

  1. We can't pass a stationery shop either, so we have drawers at home stacked with note books, pens and envelopes - but never the right sized one when you need it! That tree without the brances and leaves is spooky. Can you see a man lying on his back at right angles to the tree. Nobody you know I hope!

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  2. I often see the shapes of people in the tree, Maggie - it is a magic tree :-) x

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  3. Ooooh please, please, please can I come shopping with you and Izzy next time. Stationery shops are my very favourite shops in all the world.

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    1. Of course you can - it'll be lovely to have you along :-) x

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  4. That's your defence is it? 'A three year old dragged me in the shop and made me buy stuff.' Wonder if I could use that after a trip to the garden centre?

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    1. You made me laugh out loud, Patsy! I should have got her to drag me into Costas afterwards, but unfortunately she dragged me to McDonalds! Our garden centre has a lovely cafe and they have fantastic cakes - never been a problem to get kids to drag us in there ;-) x

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  5. Stationery is my guilty pleasure too. I've already bought 3 diaries for 2013 from the pound shop - all for me!

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    1. I've only got one diary, but I like to use several calendars - I did mean to look at calendars and a yearly planner and I forgot - now I'll have to go back again, what a shame ;-) x

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  6. Lovely stationery has a charm that computer stuff can never match. I am a sucker for notelets.

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    1. You're so right, Jenny - computer stuff just doesn't have that same magic x

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  7. I got my fix last week. Into the basket went notebooks, coloured index cards, a half price filofax (ideal for keeping track) a lovely purple pen, and some paper for the printer!

    Mission accomplished. :-) I got home and caressed all my new lovelies. Yum!

    So Teresa, I completely understand...

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    1. I looked for coloured Index cards, Maria, but couldn't find them. Definitely must go back. And I'm so glad I'm not the only one that gets home and caresses my lovely new stuff :-) x

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  8. Of course you need note books for writing all those stories. I treated myself to a new ink pen and lined writing pad today - from our own shop! It was quiet, so I played at being a customer (who doesn't pay), and then I carried on writing. Izzy has great taste.

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    1. There is something so very special about a brand new pad and pen isn't there, Sue - even better when it's free :-) x

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  9. Oh, I love stationery too but I haven't been let loose in such a big shop yet! Give me time.

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    1. They have trolleys, Rosemary :-) I restricted myself to a basket yesterday, but... :-) x

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  10. I love the SMELlL of stationery! Really makes me feel creative. If only that was all I needed...

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    1. You're right, Frances - there is a smell and it's wonderful :-) x

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  11. Great to hear you sounding like your usual self, Teresa. Well done, little Izzy and Staples!

    xxPat

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    1. Thank you, Pat :-) I should visit stationery shops more often x

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  12. I love Patsy's comment. It made me laugh out loud, too. Glad you're feeling a bit better, Teresa.x

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    1. I laughed out loud, too, Jacula - and read it out to passers by (well, passers by that live here) :-) x

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  13. I worship stationery. I've just been putting things into party bags for my middle daughter's eighteenth birthday. And mine had a lovely little project notepad in it. Hubby had a Lego-man pen and the girls all had heart-shaped post-its. Bliss. x

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    1. They had those Lego-man pens in Staples. I did wonder about getting one for a Lego fan... oh dear, I really, really will have to go back. Your party bags sound perfect :-) x

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  14. Only highlight of going back to school was getting my new fountain pen!! And gorgeous pristine writing pads and envelopes. Emails are wonderful, aren't they, (wouldn't be without them, I don't think anybody would hear from me now if I had to handwrite my letters!!) but there's still something about a handwritten letter plopping through the letterbox. Alas few and far between now. Roll on the Christmas Cards, often with a handwritten note. Cards and the Christmas music, oh and family, of course, my favourite things about Christmas. Oh dear now I'm waffling - Byeeeee :o) xx

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    1. Oh lovely fountain pens, Sue. At primary school we weren't allowed to use biros - it had to be a pencil or a fountain pen.
      And that's another smell I like - the smell of ink :-) x

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  15. Isn't it great to buy stuff?? Any stuff, really... If it's to do with creativity - all the better! I tend to buy stuff then put in a drawer and forget about it! But yeh, the smell of a brand new notebook with it's pristine pages does tempt you to write, no?

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    1. Not just me then, Pat - I have a cupboard with several pristine notebooks awaiting my attention :-) x

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  16. Staples...Ooooh! Great to see you are bringing young Izzy up in the faith, Teresa.

    Did you ever discover where all the Chinooks were off to? x

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    1. No idea, Rena - might have been going to an airbase in Suffolk or Norfolk - they were headed north! x

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  17. We get police helicopters round here quite often. We've started getting Chinooks every now and then too for some reason. They make a hell of a racket.

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    1. Hm, yes we get the police helicopters a lot - usually right over our house in the middle of the night! First time it happened I thought it was an alien invasion. We see a lot of the Air Sea rescue helicopter and air ambulance, but they're usually just passing by.
      Those Chinooks (I love that name) certainly are noisy :-) x

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  18. Always good to have a willing co-conspirator...:-)

    My husband won't let me loose in Staples by myself, and I'm not allowed to browse too long just in case I buy more notebooks, folders and pens.

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    1. Mine usually drives past at speed then says, "Oh you didn't want to go in there did you?" and if I do get him in there, he gets very edgy and impatient too. They just don't get it do they? :-) x

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  19. A trip to Staples always cheers me up - my youngest son shares my fascination with stationery - his stocking always contained items such as felt tipped pens, pencils and sharpeners, erasers and sticky tape plus the obligatory notebook! I too like the horizontal figure in the tree - my walks in the woods always reveal some strange and magical form in those old branches. This morning's walk was less magical - a wizard's staff, the stuff of one of my home grown fairy tales, had been cruelly felled, only a broken stump remained.I will have my youngest grandson with me tomorrow - maybe I'll try a trip to Staples too! :-)

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    1. Isn't it wonderful when they share your love of stationery, Deborah? That is a shame about the wizard's staff and there is something so sad about broken stumps.

      The first time our tree was cut back as much as this, I was heartbroken - but the next spring it burst into life again.

      Hope your grandson enjoyed Staples :-) x

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