Office Supply Tips

With the new school year right around the corner, I wanted to take some time this month and focus on it! For the next four weeks I'll be doing a series of school related posts. There will be a ton of very special memories for me, some amazing tips and even better recipes!

To begin I thought I'd discuss one of my favorite things... school supplies! It was always my favorite thing to shop for when I was a child and that has not changed. Just this past weekend I was a part of a family raffle, instead of putting my tickets in the bag for the amazing wine or the fluffy towel set... I put mine in the bag for a collection of school supplies! I happen to win those school supplies and walked away with some gems... magic markers, crayons and the real trophy... glitter gel pens! It tugged right at those 90's heart strings! So yes, I'm obsessed. As a kid, I would choose a collection of Lisa Frank supplies in lieu of some rockin Tommy Hilfiger jeans any day.

As an adult, I still find myself very drawn to supplies. I search out fun, unique supplies that fit my space and elevate it. This is important for your office/office area as a whole. What is the point of having a chic room and then a corner filled with stacks of paper, the pen collection you picked up free from various conferences, booths and hotels, and those binders that have Sharpie labels sloppily written down the spine? It stunts your creativity, it promotes disorganization and lets not even get started talking about the Feng Shui. Here are my favorite tips for finding the perfect supplies for your space!

1. Shop online.

Now, I can spend hours and a grip of money in an office supply store, don't get me wrong. However, they all tend to have the same supplies... the black mesh containers, the primary color folders or the neon post-its and yes, sometimes those are perfect. But if you're looking for truly unique, more personalized and better priced supplies, check out some online shops... like http://www.poppin.com/ where you can shop by color! and not just any color, they have coral, gold, silver, mint and so many more. I absolutely adore their options. There is also https://www.ohhellofriend.com/ that has the most adorable stuff! They have great stamps, beautiful  magnets and very unique themes.

2. Think outside the box.

Not all of the best office supplies are sold as supplies. Some of my personal choices are: a yellow mixing bowl for my pens, old silver cans from canned veggies as pen, marker or paintbrush holders, an incense tray for paper clips and tacks. The opportunities are endless.

3. DIY. 

I LOVE designer folders, binders and notebooks but I don't have the kind of money that I can keep my supply stocked with Kate Spade items (even if I wish I could!). What I do instead is take white or manila folders, an ink pad in my favorite color and a cute dot stamp and make my own! It's super simple and doesn't take mad skills. The washi tapes they have started to make works wonders too. It's quick, cheap and easy and adds the special touch! For binders I buy the white binders with the clear covers and I insert decorated pages or photographs. It personalizes them, brightens them and adds the sophisticated touch that I love in my space.

4. Unique storage.

This is key for me. I love my space to be simple and clean. I want everything off my desk... a place for everything and everything in its place. This was difficult for me because I only have one room (my bedroom and office combined) and I need my closet for my clothes! So I went thrift shopping. I would make my rounds around San Antonio, going from Goodwill to Goodwill searching for pieces. I ended up with 1 tall file cabinet (plain gray and blahhhh), a 50's metal storage container (gunmetal gray and a bit worn) and a rolling file cabinet that had a lid. I paid $25 total for the three pieces, spray painted them and boom... TONS of storage for my office area that ADD to my rooms decor instead of taking away from it. Now all of my supplies, other than my pen bowl and incense burner, have their own hidden space. My desk stays clean, I actually know where things are located and I have some super chic furniture!

5. Buy for you!

Office supplies should make you as excited now as they did when you were a pre-teen shopping for your first day of school! I personally have a collection of what I refer to as my Ghostwriter pens because they look like the ones that were used on that show in the 90's! I was always jealous of those kids so I fulfill my childhood dream as an adult, ha! I also still collect gel pens. Why? Because they're pretty, sparkly, colorful and everything else I love about life. Who cares if its not the most professional writing tool? Picking it up makes me happy and that is all that matters. My point is that you should buy your office supplies like you buy shoes. Pick the ones that you love and will want to use all of the time! If you want your tape to come out of a gold glitter holder, damn it, buy it! If you want all of your supplies to be white because you have always wanted your office to feel like it belongs in a Manhattan skyscraper, then buy all white! If you feel happy, inspired, creative, motivated... then you've picked the right stuff. If you're office makes you feel like you're in a non-specific box that could belong to anyone... maybe you have some work to do!