Is it weird that I love stationery? I wasn’t even that bothered about it at school. I mean, I had the same new-school-year excitement of choosing a new pencil case and ring binder for all of my notes to go in, that everyone had, but it was more a means to an end rather than anything else. And it didn’t really matter which ring binder or pencil case I chose anyway, as within weeks, they’d inevitably be covered in stickers, given away free with Smash Hits or Just 17.
(Side note: teens really miss out by not being into stickers these days. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with the youth of today – not enough fun with stickers. Every 15-year-old needs at least four “Mrs Owen” stickers. Although in 2013 it would probably be “Mrs Styles”.)
But now, aged 34, I have a slightly geeky love of stationery. At work, rather than go to the stationery cupboard to help myself to a bog-standard notebook, I buy a pretty one and take great pleasure in using it in meetings. I went through a phase of loving the brightly coloured notebooks separated with tabs, from Paperchase, but now there is only one place I’ll buy my stationery…
Ikea.
Not the first place you’d think of, when it comes to stationery, granted, but you should give it a whirl. Quirky designs, fab use of colour and best of all – reasonably priced. The Ikea stationery range extends from notebooks to photo albums and from sticky notes to wrapping paper. This week, I treated myself to some new notebooks, some quirky gift tags and tape (Love the one that says ‘Open me’). The only problem is, every time I visit Ikea to stock up on stationery, I might end up leaving with a sofa or two.
*feints*
(do you like my play on words there?)
OMG I can see a shopping trip coming. The notebooks are amazing. It doesn’t matter that I have 8 different ones on the go already, does it? And how cute is the wrapping paper, eeek…
I’m swooning- I also have a total stationery fetish. I have been seen drooling at the windows of posh west london stationers & bemoan the loss of paper pen pals….another fab reason to carry one of those bags round ikea ….more things to dump on top of the 50 pack of tea lights….
I LOVE stationery. Always have. Remember crying at my sister’s birthday party because there wasn’t an exercise book in the party bag. My dad has countless scrawled notes from me, left on his briefcase asking him to bring home a notepad.
But now I could buy one anytime, I don’t! You’ve reminded me how lovely stationery is. And I love that you treat yourself to a pretty one rather than use the boring, industrial ones.
Off to get a notebook.
Oh and IKEA also do great photo frames. But you knew that already.
Ohhhh don’t show me stationary!! I am a reformed addict. *twitches*
I have always been a wee geek for stationary. I think my eyes popped a wee bit when I read this post. Ikea and stationery – a match made in heaven! Xo
I buy all my wrapping paper from Ikea, the value and quality just can not be matched for price anywhere else, but I honestly can say I have never noticed the notebooks etc and I am a huge stationery nut, have always been, I shall have to go look now, I want it all x
I’ve already got the note books you got from Ikea – LOVE their stationary, good quality too! I too have a stationary fetish, since birth I think! What I’ve been doing lately is searching for the ‘perfect’ notebook to write up my baby’s journal (a more detailed journal about how great our kids are and what they’re up to) and now have about 20 blank notebooks, one better than the next!! The funniest thing is, I like them so much, it seems a shame to write in them ha ha! Nuts!!