what is the point of Smythson stationery and more to the point what do you have?

[zippitippitoes]

........those little notebooks and diaries, pasport holders, keyrings and visitors books

where do you get yours and what are they like?

samantha Cameron gets 300k bonus

MUCH better to go to photobox and download a photo of my squalling and snotty brats, get them to turn it into 100 cards for 49 quid and inflict them on everyone I know

expat appreciates "stuff"

are the sketch books the ones with black hard back covers? that is what i stretch to..haven't done any arty farty journal /sketch books for ages though

no no no expat, I said put it TOWARDS a nice little ring!

assuming you send 100 cards - that is £550 saved on not buying smythson cards - couple of years of that and you can buy something nice

I have the actual lone star flag that was flying above the texas state legislature on the day we got married (together with a certificate stating that)

v amusing

No, zippi, it's a Lyndhurst one from Miller's Graphics and Art Supplies.

Costs £3.95.

I wouldn't buy the christmas cards because they're Not Actually That Nice

In fact I wouldn't buy any of it because I know my limits. But I would go and drool over it all, and I might buy a wallet etc. as a special treat

I miss photobox. wonder how much it costs to deliver over here. mind you, the in-laws are getting a fine selection of gifts featuring pictures of DD as I've left it too late to send anything over.

Aaah, northerner,you are ignorant of the world of stationery fetishism, clearly. Smythson, the big Paperchase on Tottenham Court Road, the pen department in Selfridges - these are our places of worship!
You are like Mr Marcos saying plaintively "But they are only there to keep your f**king feet off the pavement" to Imelda.

is your house open to the public pph..it sounds like a fun tour

Satine

I am a stationary heathen. I have a 'big jotter', that's a s far as I go.

Of course the few times I have bought a really nice notebook, it's taken me ages to actually use it and not just keep it for something special! Which kind of defeats the object!
What does amaze me in Smythson are all the incredibly expensive leather bound notebooks for things like 'Restaurant Guide' or 'Wine Guide'. Blimey, how much of a ponce would you have to be to use one of them (step forward AA Gill, I suppose!)

does anyone have a visitors book int hteir own home or one of those where you keep a record of who came to dinner and what flowers you picked?

I have a drawer with quite a few notebooks in - most unused, as I can never find anything important enough to sully them with. Not necessarily particularly expensive ones, though. I just love stationery.

now did this obsession start a tschool with the new pencil case ritual?

and trying to get a new exercise book and writing very neatly for the first few pages?

finding myself agreeing with pph, the poshest people i know upload photos of their kids/ dogs/ grandchildren and make christmas cards of them. smythson xmas cards- naf. now a nice address book i wouldnt say no too, but buggered if i would fork out for it.

I do an ordinary card w/a photo of the kids involved.

B/c then the recipient gets a card AND a hand-written, individual letter, too.

DD1 makes cards out of old ones we cut up w/my craft scissors.

I do order thank you cards from Phoenix, though, for her.

Always a written thanks.

then, IMO you are v classy expat. . i wonder if i can get off mumsnet and make some cards this year. would love to send one out of ds