School supplies. Were there ever any two sweeter words in the entire English language? Not for me!
I love new notebooks, Crayola Crayons, fresh pens, unsharpened #2 Ticonderoga pencils, Pink Pearl erasers, and most of all...composition notebooks.
I didn't always feel this way. At first, I hated the composition notebooks because you can't easily tear sheets out. But now, I love them, especially to take to conferences. You see, at conferences and conventions, you don't get a desk with a surface for writing. So...a composition notebook with its sturdy cover is both a notebook and a desk top all in one handy, dandy item.
Recently, I took a bit of flak for showing up at a fancy writer's meeting and whipping out my composition notebook. One of the celebrated writers at the table said, "I haven't seen one of those since I was a kid." I think he meant it as a diss, but I don't care. I have composition notebooks with all sorts of nifty info in them. They are sturdy, they are tough, and they fit neatly on my bookshelves. Take that legal pads! Boo-ya spiral bound notebooks!
To make the most of a composition notebook, I have a trick. I leave the first three pages blank. Then I number the pages inside the notebook. When I'm finished with the notebook, I go back and create a table of contents on those first three pages. This leaves me free to change subject, to put anything I want inside, and I quickly find what I want by refering to the table of contents.
I love dedicating an entire notebook to a conference or an organization! I have a notebook for my Sisters in Crime meetings and for my Mystery Writers of America meetings as well. I just use different colored covers to tell them apart.
Here's another cool use for composition notebooks: Decorate the covers and give them as gifts. See my samples above. To learn more about how I made each of them, visit my blog.
CONTEST
Want me to make you a customized little composition notebook? (Actual size is about 3" x 5.") Comment on this blog post! I'll choose one lucky comment author to win a notebook in his/her favorite colors. Why not share this offer with a friend?
