When Maria and I staged the first Stickers and Donuts school supplies celebration, we weren’t even in school.  We both succumbed to the 9-5 lifestyle, and tried (with all our might) to skirt around becoming a what-is-it-about-20-something.  And as all little girls dream about greater things beyond their immediate life, we envisioned ourselves lying on quads, with our fingers waffled through plushy blades of grass.  Loads of grass.

In reality, our dreams manifested in posts on notebooks and pens, and all the great materialistic things associated with school.  A year later, Maria went off to University of Virginia to terrorize undergraduates with multi-colored syllabi (just kidding, Maria), and I just completed my first week at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.  I do not get to terrorize fledglings with fun syllabi.  I AM a fledgling.

To commemorate the fact that we are both in school, you will get to enjoy a special bombardment of back to school posts.  Like shoes.  Shoes would fall under the “back to school” category.  And books.  (Because there’s just so much reading you can do on neonatal mortality.)

This year is even MORE special, because there is a GIVEAWAY involved.  One reader will win some tight Stickers and Donuts buttons made by Busy Beaver Buttons, and two fantastic JetPens gifts: a Nomadic Triple Pouch Pencil Case and a Stad K’Zool Multi Wooden Pencil Sharpener (more information on these below)!  Per usual Stickers and Donuts giveaway rules: to enter, comment on this post (by September 12) .  We will select the winner by a random number generator. To enter, you must live in the US (sorry international friends)!

1. I am a big supporter of post-it note flags.  My piles of reading assignments are littered with translucent flags, to such an extent that I’ve devalued the importance of each flag.  These page markers are much cuter than mine.  I think they’re supposed to be snow white and the seven dwarves, but the little men look like lawn gnomes.  And lawn gnomes make me think of playing the Sims.  Yeesh.  Fairytale Page Flags from Patina, $5

2. Poor handwriting?  Start using grid paper.  It will do wonders for your handwriting, and your future secretary (for when you are big and powerful) will be eternally grateful.  Given my past as one of THOSE secretaries, I can affirm that this fact is true.  (Also this grid notebook is designed by Jason Munn.  We interviewed him ages ago!).  The Grid Notebook by Jason Munn from Little Otsu, $6

3.  These pens have become my favorite pens, and have never failed me while I’m trying to furiously scribble notes because my laptop is too old/heavy to bring to class.  I once bought a couple of these pens for someone, and he immediately purchased a box of them.  They are that great.  I swear.  Uni-ball Signo DX UM-151 Gel Ink Pen in BORDEAUX BLACK (!!!) 0.38mm from JetPens, $2.25

4. If you cringe when people dog flag pages in one of your books, you probably have secretly fantasized about getting a library embosser.  OR, you haven’t fantasized about such a thing, but now that I’m bringing it up, getting one sounds like a good idea.  I bought this for a friend, and she seemed to enjoy it.  So much so that after she got it, a sheet of paper was filled with the same embossed image of her name fifteen times.  Well, that’s what she reported.  Library Embosser from Horchow, $26

5. My confession: I have had John Derian for Target in my Google Calendar for a month.  John Derian is a designer based in NYC, who puts my mod-podge skills to shame.  His home goods feature beautiful 18th/19th century illustrations, which are unfortunately out of the grad school, or even non-grad school budget.  I’ve already shared my love of vintage science illustrations, so of course I am pro-John Derian.  John Derian for Target Animal Wastebasket from Target, $30

6.  I use Mirando Black Warrior pencils.  70% of this behavior stems from the fact that it is deeply gratifying using a pencil named “black warrior.”  It is like you have a pencil advantage over someone who may be using something inferior.  Like a pencil called “black cadet.”  Mirando Black Warriors sharpen exceptionally well.  For pencils that don’t sharpen well, however, a good pencil sharpener is necessary to abate the frustration of a BROKEN PENCIL LEAD.  This pencil sharpener has an adjustable dial, so you can control lead length.  It even won a Japan Good Design Award, and I am all about accolades.  Except that one time my friends and I tried barefoot wine out of curiosity (it had a gold medal sticker).  A very regrettable choice.  Stad K’Zool Multi Wooden Pencil Sharpener from JetPens, $4.50

7. Oh Joy! is one of the most solid blogs I read.  As a result, I can click on Oh Joy!, and never suffer shock over seeing something really hideous and questionable.  This never happens.  Since Oh Joy! is far cooler than me, she has designed all kinds of pretty notebooks and stationery- like this notepad.  Oh Joy! Noteblock from Chronicle Books, $15

8. A few months ago, I reviewed the Nomadic Wise-Walker backpack (thanks for all the nice comments!), and now that school has begun, I am finding the backpack incredibly reliable for daily use.  This pencil pouch shares similar characteristics to its backpack sibling: it’s lightweight and has lots of pockets. Nomadic Triple Pouch Pencil case from JetPens, $12

9. I’m unfortunately on an 8-week quarter schedule now, which I do not enjoy.  At all.  Last week in NYC, I picked up these notebooks, which are recycled, very portable and a perfect size for an 8-week term.  Recycled Paper Note from Muji, $4 (set of five notebooks)

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