The feel of a good pencil and the smell of cedar evoke creativity in me. The routine of sharpening and whittling away at a pencil feels like progress. Pencil nubs litter my workspace like cigarette butts, each representing a project completed.
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Putting words or images on paper, not just any paper, good paper, is magical and addictive. I am starting to fidget as if I want to smoke a cigarette; I need a fix!
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I am a papyrophiliac, a person obsessed with stationery. I love quality wood pencils. I use high-end sharpeners, special erasers, fancy pens, and foreign staplers.
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Where do people like me get their fix? A shadowy figure leaned in, close to my ear, and whispered, “Jori Jackman,” she has the goods. Unlike a drug den, her stationery shop Seaside Papery exists in plain sight at 1162 Orange Avenue right here in Coronado.
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My natural drug of choice is a quality wooden pencil. I like the Blackwing brand. No, that doesn’t make me a hipster. I am not following a trend outside the mainstream. The truth is I never stopped using wooden pencils.
Blackwing pencils have a variety of graphite textures, from hard to soft. They have replaceable erasers that come in a rainbow of colors. This brand has numerous accessories from point guards to extenders that allow you to still hold a pencil long after it is too short for normal use.
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Blackwing also promotes a “Volume Series,” themed pencils that come out several times a year, promoting artists, writers, and musicians. How is this fair? At $30 a dozen, this habit can get expensive.
I am not satisfied with just pencils; they were a gateway drug. I now love good German pens, quality writing paper, and fancy stationery. I recently hit rock bottom when purchasing a bright, fire-engine red, Italian stapler. No, it doesn’t take standard staples; Jori is too brilliant for that; you need to return to the head shop for refills.
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Have you ever had a gift professionally wrapped and seen the reaction of the person receiving the present? I have. Damn you Seaside Papery!
My sloppy folds, visible tape, and sophomoric bow-tying now tell my loved ones I didn’t care enough to go the extra mile.
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Yes, Seaside Papery will wrap just about anything for a price; you don’t have to buy the item there. The wrapping paper and ribbon choices will give you pause. The reaction from the receiver is undoubtedly worth the effort.
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Before Seaside Papery I had never seen someone try so hard not to rip wrapping paper or damage ribbon when opening a gift. Once you try this service you will soon be chasing the wrapping paper dragon, hooked on an aesthetic that is hard to duplicate on your own.
I could go on and on about all the kitschy gifts and goodies Seaside Papery has to offer but I won’t. You need to explore this place on your own. Don’t blame me for introducing you to this rabbit hole, I will deny I got you hooked.