Back to School - Wrangling Up Your Writing Tools

Today's finds are based on your writing utensils!

First of all, you need a great pencil.  One that writes clearly and doesn't break every time you touch it to paper.  I think these from missisaau are so cute and unique, but she has many other varieties if you want to see what other pattern choices you can find.

In order to keep those pencils in tip top shape, you'll need a portable sharpener.  Is there a cooler vintage sharpener out there than this neato Stage Coach one from penorus?

To make sure that those pencils don't disappear to the bottom of your bag and get lost, they'll need a bag to keep them safe and on the top of the pile (or at least easily distinguishable at the bottom).  I'm loving this scooter one from jellytoastkids.  If it were only a bit more yellow it would look like my scooter, Daisy.

Back to School - Keeping Your Space Tidy

As I said yesterday, this week will be back-to-school week!  I shared some of my favorite carry-to-class items yesterday and today is all about keeping your space at home organized and tidy - keeping it a bit more user-friendly for those long nights of homework and studying.

Everyone *needs* a desk organizer of some sort.  If you don't have one, your desk quickly becomes a war zone and you won't want to go anywhere near it and your homework won't be done, or it won't be done to the highest quality.  This vintage one from ModishVintage would be perfect, and that color is great! (yellow being my favorite color and all...)

Bulletin or Cork boards  are great to have hanging over your desk.  Sticky notes lose their 'stick' too quickly and leaving a scrap piece of paper with an important note on it on your desk ensures that it will be lost to the depths underneath all of the other nonsense that takes up your space. I really like this one from boardvinos, and they're from Albuquerque (only a short drive from where I live)!

The cork board above your desk would be pretty much useless without some thumb tacks to secure things with, and these Wizard of Oz inspired ones from cocostitch are perfect!

Another Semester

Classes start back up today and in honor of that (and because I'm feeling quite un-organized and a bit frazzled being back in our house and having to unpack and make-ready) I'm sharing with you all some of the best back-to-school organizing paraphernalia I found on Etsy.  Who else gets excited about tidy work spaces and neatly organized desks?

Every stressed-out, over-scheduled, under-fed, insomniac college students owes his or her academic success to a well-used day planner.  I love these from muchadoaboutyou because not only are they colorful and stylish, the hours of each day are printed out so that I can "see" the layout of my day - when I have free homework time, when I have classes, etc. I also love being able to see the month laid out in the same fashion, I can see when long-term projects are due or tests are scheduled.

I don't know about the rest of you, but lists really help me keep control of what needs to be done and by when.  Marking something off of the never-ending to-do list is also a relieving little motion, helping me to see that, yes, things do (eventually) come to completion and not everything is as ever-growing as the list from which it is crossed off.  This List Taker from grandmaslittlelilly would be perfect to carry around, and those birdies are so cute! I also appreciate that it has pockets for a pen and important scraps of paper.

The size of this bag from GetReadySetGO is perfect, a large main compartment with a pocket and the external zipper pocket for pens is so functional and efficient.  The color is lively and the panda really tops off the charm of the vintage messenger.  Your bag can really make all of the difference, too small and you lose things, too big and you risk hurting yourself filling it up, but this one is a great size for running to class and making sure you have everything you need.

That's all for today!  Tomorrow I'll have more organizers and school supplies :)

Indie Fixx

Lookie! I did a Back to School list on Indie Fixx :D what do you think of my choices?