I've always loved back-to-school. Admittedly, an embarrassingly disproportionate amount of my excitement orbited around the school supplies. I gushed over every last new (and nerdy) tool. Click erasers. Pointy crayons. Lively, start-of-year markers (nothing at all like the parched, crooked, end-of-year versions they become). Pencil sharpeners. Fresh notebooks. Eek!

A couple of years ago, when my Grannie had to move into assisted living after a very bad fall, my brother and I were helping clean out her house and I found her old label maker. That brought back the best memories, so I tucked that little treasure into my bag to share with our kids.

We labeled everything for back to school that fall (and have each year since). Every last folder, pencil sharpener, and pencil pouch got a freshly punched, classic black sticker (or two)! Also, I can neither confirm nor deny that I started labelling everything in sight.

While I might be a little bit older, I'm still a sucker for school (and art!) supplies. I shared some of my favorites in my August studio newsletter today. I even included a link for an old Dymo label maker like my Grannie's (but even better, this one comes in an old Radio Shack kit with a bonus mini label maker AND a roll of wood grain tape — not something you see every day hahahaha). They do have an automated version now too, but nothing beats the feeling of hand-cranking out those little magic stickers.

If you happened to stop by my site and would like a copy of the August newsletter, just shoot me a message. You can also sign up for future issues here.