I walk into an office supply store and I am in heaven. My kids hate going with me, because they know we could be there for hours. Office supply stores to me are like my Disneyland. I love the smell of the paper, and the plastic binders, and the Sharpies. Everything is crisp and new and so organized. If only my office and my life could resemble the clean, neat shelves of the store I would be complete. Its safe to say that for me buying office supplies is definitely a fetish of some sort. If I am having a really bad day, I go buy something for my "office". It doesn't have to be big or cost a chunk of money. I've been known to be soothed just with a pack of brightly colored push pins and a new notebook. The cheapest thing that made me all smiley inside recently was a package of purple staples for my one finger powered Paper Pro stapler.

I literally have to watch my spending in these stores because its so easy to start buying things that I don't need, just so that I'll have enough. Enough for what I'm not sure, but I tend to buy extra of things like they are going out of style. One of my new favorite things I even have an excuse to buy is puple pens from Papermate that actually write with puple ink. If you haven't guessed yet my favorite color is purple. Since I am not a student and don't have to write in "blue or black ink" I write almost everything with purple ink, and it makes me happy.

My favorite office supply store has one of those member clubs. You know the type. You give up your mailing address and they send you tempting little coupons in the mail. You know a person like me opens everything they send too. Wouldn't want to miss out on anything at my favorite store! Right now I have several of their coupons in my back pocket and I have been seriously looking for an excuse to get down there and spend some money. At the moment I am really broke, so I can't think of $50 worth of stuff I have to have in order to get $10 off at the register. Darn. All I need is for one of the kids to say they have a project due and then I can rush over there and pick out supplies for them. Waiting.....waiting.....Hmm. Might need a Plan C. I had a Plan A. My printer had been acting up lately, so I really wanted to go buy a new one and use my coupon, but this plan was foiled by my associate at work. She owed me some money so she offered me a new printer in trade! Blast it all woman! I was so close to getting my little trip to the office store. Oh well. I really should be thankful that she gave me such a nice printer in trade for about $55 worth of shampoo at work. In the long run, I saved some money on the printer, coupon or not.

Eventually I will get to the office store again. Some people look forward to holidays like Christmas and 4th of July; I look forward to Back to School shopping at the big box retailers. For a mid year fix, January is great for all kinds and types of calendars and appointment books! Maybe this year I will buy stationary products for people on my Christmas list. BINGO!! Cool, I have to go, um, shopping now!