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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
