Sunday, September 1, 2013

The Supply List

School is back in session here as of this week.  Since my youngest is in high school, his return to classes was pretty uneventful..  He knows the routine (can even drive himself to school now).  So we shoved some loose leaf paper into a binder, bought a few new pens and pencils, and he was good to go.

The thing I always loved most about the first day of school was bringing home the supply list.  I loved carrying that list to the store, searching the shelves for the right folders and writing tablets.  Oh, the smell of a new box of crayons, the feel of manila paper...and don't get me started on the joys of picking out a new lunchbox!

I admit I went strolling through the back-to-school aisle the other day and bought myself some school supplies.  Just couldn't help it.  Look at all those colors of pens!  I would have been on cloud nine to have a pen set like this way back when.  


Oh, the notes and diary pages I could have doodled with pens like these!  Just for fun I wrote a school-girlish note to my husband, complete with boxes to check in answer to my questions.  I even used my most bubbly handwriting.   We didn't know each other as children, but if we had I might have passed him a note like this in fifth or sixth grade!  (Okay, it wouldn't have said the same thing but it definitely would have been all rainbows and flowers.)

Just a bit of silliness, but the huz is used to my brand of silly.


So, in case you were wondering...no, I never really grew up.

I did experiment a bit with those ball point pens in a more grown-up sketch.  Remember the aging roses from my last post?  I had a bit of fun sketching them yesterday.



At first the whole piece was just pen and ink on white paper but I added some watercolor washes to take the brightness down a notch.  Those old roses are so mellow, a lot of contrast just didn't suit them.


By the way, the china in the background is part of a set my mom passed on to me last year.  Aren't those little violets sweet?  Love them.


So I wonder...as a child, did you like the first day of school?  What was your favorite item on the supply list?  Do tell!

Linking up today with:


16 comments:

  1. What a sweet note for your husband! I love the roses, they are so beautiful.

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  2. This is precious!Hugs from Brazil!

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  3. Janice, I love your note to your husband. You have inspired me to write my own note. It will be interesting to see his reaction! Your roses are lovely. The watercolor washes are perfect.

    I always loved the first day of school whether I was the student or the teacher. My favorite school supply was my notebook. I have always loved to write so I couldn't wait to fill up the pages. I still buy lots of notebooks in September.

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  4. Love the technique of adding color washes to the drawing! Beautiful!

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  5. your roses are beautiful, I love roses! I admit to being stressed by first day of school, just a worrier personality thing! Love your upbeat attitude to life!

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  6. I love everything on a school supply list. One of my friends refuses to go into an office supply store with me because I wander too long oohing and aaahing over all the paper and pens and notebooks and... and... and... LOL! Love your note to your hubby. ;)

    Your roses are beautiful. Hope you are enjoying a relaxing and wonderful Labor Day weekend. blessings ~ tanna

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  7. Lovely roses! School supply lists are fun, but mostly because the office supply store sells art supplies I can sneak in to the cart! :)

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  8. My favorite school supply was a giant box of Crayolas with a sharpener in the back. LOL! By the way, I love the texture in you gave your roses with the pens. I also don't think the love note to your husband is silly, it's the best way to keep the love alive in marriages. Blessings!

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  9. That is a really interesting effect with the ball point pens.
    Love the letter :) My kids start school this week :). For me, as kid,my favourite thing was getting all those new books.
    Hope you have a great week.

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  10. Love your girlie note...so cute and the sketches are fantastic. Back to school tomorrow I've got my pencil case already. :)

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  11. Bellissimi i tuoi disegni, espressivi, freschi e immediati!!
    Bellalullo

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  12. Janice this is all so great and touching! I love your sweet letter to your hubby and your whole fun way of being! Such great sketches and water colors, I love it all, good for you having fun with school supplies! I never did get too excited about my first days of school, I loved the holidays so much! But I do remember well my very first little leather school bag and the smell it had, I loved it. Now I'm kept busy every September with my lot and the endless lists and books to cover, my youngest starts nursery next year so I still have many years to go of this, still I do enjoy their faces and excitement at getting ready.

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  13. So sweet Janice. Well, crayons of course. And I still love them today. Nothing like that waxy bit of goodness to fill up the journal pages. And plain old #2 pencils....love pencils. Basic supplies are my favorites. And books. I knew there would be all kinds of new readers and I couldn't wait to start the reading programs at school. We had SRH readers in Catholic School and they were color coded. You read so many of one color and went on to the next up the ladder of colors. I love it. xox

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  14. Your rose is beautiful! I always loved tthe new box of crayons for school. One year I got a box of 16 which was such a treat! Happy Ss!

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  15. Love your dead roses! I had to giggle a bit rreading your post - I sent very similar notes in school - do you like so + so (please tick one). My favourite before school tradition was to write my name on all my brand new pens + decorating my school folder with my newest johnny depp posters! X

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