Sale!

Daily Candy's Daily Deal says that you can get 30% orders from Sorting with Style if you use the code DCDEAL when you check out. I'm not sure how long this deal will last (it was on today's email, but was dated 4/28), so check it out soon!

Monograms Make Everything More Functional

When I was in high school, we spent our entire junior year learning how to write a research paper based on using note cards. We had to write an outline and take notes on 4x6 cards, marking the part of the outline to which the notes corresponded on the upper right hand corner.

Now that I've been writing my dissertation for six years or so, I keep thinking if I only had the right system, I could finish the thing this weekend. I have occasionally entertained the thought of transcribing all of my notes on little note cards, spreading them out in front of me, and imposing order on all of the information I have collected over the years. The idea of the note cards having my name printed along the top makes that an even more appealing waste of time. Hmmmm....

You're gonna shuffle when you walk at the depot

So I made it to Office Depot this week to use my coupon and stock up on some pretty paper clips and other essentials. (Why do metal paper clips make me feel like Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest?) I found some wondrous new things to share with you all.

The first is the Office Depot Brand Combo Pack, for first-time forays into the world of pretty office supplies. It has red, blue, yellow, green and purple staples--a veritable cornucopia of color!--as well as large and small binder clips and paper clips in the same colors. I think it should be renamed the Gateway Pack, but that's just me.


Next are these fun leopard-print binder clips. Not much to say there, except how can you go wrong with tacky AND functional?










These are my favorite: people-shaped dry-erase boards to hang on your door knob so that you can write a note about where you are, when you'll be back, secret codes, whatever.








And finally--success! My stash of pretty paper clips has been replenished. All is well in the world.

A Meditation on Paper Clips

I had to use couple of paper clips yesterday at work and I realized that somehow my stash of cheerful, brightly colored and/or interestingly shaped paper clips had morphed into a stash of depressingly functional metal paper clips. It made me sad. Part of this is because I receive clipped-together papers from folks who evidently don't care about the presentation of their work with alarming regularity. And part of it is that, as part of a larger effort to delegate some of my responsibilities, I don't order most of our office supplies anymore.

My favorite paperclips have been striped, vinyl-colored clips in the traditional shape--functional and funky in one package. But they're hard to find these days, although I did just find them online here today. I also appreciate the round gold and silver ones that Clipiola makes, although I find them a little awkward to use. And I will buy novelty ones for friends--dog bone shapes, daisy-shaped clips, and so on, although they're too pricey to buy for myself.

Anyway, I might have to make a trip to the store to stock up on more aesthetically pleasing products. While some of the stuff referenced above is ridiculously overpriced for day-to-day work, the vinyl clips are cheap enough to buy even on our meager operations budget.

What Day Is It Again?

I love days-of-the-week stuff, ever since I saw When Harry Met Sally and Sally told the story about her days-of-the-week underwear and the jealous boyfriend who thought she was cheating on him because she didn't have any Sunday panties. I have days-of-the-week dish towels and days-of-the-week panties (of course). I've already documented my love of planners with their days and hours so neatly laid out. And now (clearly!) I need days-of-the-week clothespins ($8.50 from SusyJack).

Brown paper packages tied up with string...

...are so last year. It's all about the tape these days!
Think how many things could be improved with attractive packing tape ($7)--moving day, trips to the post office, um, well that's all I got.
TapeSwell has some more tacky ideas for this stuff--they might be geniuses!

Stolen Sharpie Upgrade

All the cool kids want one! Oh yes, it's a stainless steel, refillable sharpie. Wow. Every once in a while I come across something I didn't know I needed until I found it.

Color-Coded Planning

I love to plan out my days by the hour. And I love bright colors. I am so totally susceptible to the siren song of day planners--the possibility of exerting control over my time is irresistable!

This may very well be one of the most appealing planning tools I have ever seen.

My Stapler Has Been Bedazzled

My friends Rachael and Tamara got this for me. They say pink rhinestones always make them think of me. I have no idea why.

Pens I Love, Part 1

I was doing some writing this morning, and my thoughts started to wander, as they tend to do, and I found myself thinking about how much I love the color of the ink in my pen. This is a really good pen (the uni-ball vision elite in blue)--it writes smoothly and, like I said, has a really satisfying blue ink. The strokes are a little thick, but the color more than makes up for it!

The Matrix Is Calling

This phone makes me wish I still had a land line!

Pain Management

I spend a lot of time on my computer--I work a 40-hour/week job, I am a graduate student, and I am a freelance graphic designer. All that typing and mousing leads to a lot of pain. To combat that pain, I go to physical therapy, massage therapy, and occasionally acupuncture. I wear wrist supports and do exercises. And now I am experimenting with a new style of mouse--it is like a regular mouse turned sideways. It seems to be helping...

I'm also interesting in trying out a left-handed keyboard--that's a keyboard that has the keypad on the left. My thinking is that it would create less strain on my shoulders if my mousing hand were more aligned with my body. Anyone else try this?

!!!

My friend Ellen gave me these. She's generally recognized as one of the greatest gift givers of all time. These punctuated post-its are more evidence of that fact.

Just to Be Clear

My friend Alka gave me these folders in which to carry my resume on job interviews.

My Documents Demand Bling

So I bought them a very fancy USB Drive. Triple C's Glamnoir sells jump drives that do a good job of making my documents feel special, although they don't seem to carry them in pink anymore. How sad.

Our USB Ports Are *SO* Underutilized, Part 1

I'm a mac girl, but I have to use a PC at work. Every time I login, a little part of me dies. But if my computer were decorated with Fairy Lights? I would probably skip to work with a song in my heart!

Plain Office Supplies Make Me Sad

Everyone needs red staples, they just don't know it yet.

My Favorite Office Supply Store: Paperhaus

I love this place--it's so graphic design-y. There is no reason to shop here unless you have decided that the presentation of your work is as important as your work. It's a little like office depot meets ikea, at five times the price. And while the prices are pretty spendy, I can still afford paperclips, pens, and paper. At Christmastime, they stock pretty cool cards, too.

Highlighters: A Necessary Evil?

I have to research. A lot. So marking useful passages is a must. Unfortunately, regular highlighter markers tend to bleed through pages easily. And they tend to be permanent.

That's why The True Writer Highlighter Drylighter is so cool--it's actually a pencil! That fact makes highlighting a much more controllable exercise.

Check them out at Levenger.