Apparently it’s Back To School time again, and while shopping for new clothes is certainly part of that tradition, anyone worth their Trapper Keeper knows that it’s the annual Buying the of the School Supplies that really captures the Starting Fresh feeling we all seem to get this time of year, no matter how long it’s been since we’ve seen the inside of a classroom.

 After all, is there anything in the world that inspires more hope and promise than a fresh new box of Crayolas or a clean, un-crusted bottle of Elmer’s glue? 

But we also can’t ignore the fact that nothing can send dreams of having your best year ever (for us that meant vowing to get straight A’s AND snag the cutest boy in our class)  crashing down into a million little pieces faster than choosing the wrong school supplies.  

As anyone who’s shown up on the first day of school with a Family Ties pencil case only to discover that everyone else had moved on to the New Kids On The Block backpack can tell you, school supplies are serious business.  Even that box of new crayons is a potential social land mine:  Will the kid with the biggest color assortment rule this year,  or are the specialty collections (twistable, scented, glitter-infused, etc.) the way to go?  Or is the key to not look like you’re trying too hard by sticking with the classic ("like I even care about stupid crayons") 24-pack?

The fact of the matter is, the line between dorky and acceptable in the supplies category is arbitrary and precarious, and almost impossible to predict.  In other words, this year’s “in” stuff, like everything else, is invariably determined by the cool kids.  (Let’s be honest:  This is no less true in Pre-K as it is in high school; there are Alpha Dogs and Queen Bees in every classroom--it just takes the form of the parents in the early grades). 

So we’re afraid we can’t possibly tell you what’s The Bomb this year with this year’s aspiring grade-school socialites and prom-queen wannabes, even though, in Our Day, we were the height of insoucient chic with our simple manila packet :

(Of course, having a Nancy Peat, [on the right] --a true Queen Bee if there ever was one-- as best friend didn’t hurt either.  [Seriously, just look at that fabulous hippie-inspired dress!] On this first day of fourth grade we were already way too cool for lunch boxes and clearly would have verbally eviscerated anyone who carried one.)

We grownups have it somewhat easier.  Nobody at the office cares what notebook or pen you use, (especially since you all probably steal from the the same supply closet) but for anyone who wants to show a little individual style, there’s no shortage of fabulous home and office supplies out there.

The one area where some of you--and you know who you are-- could use a little updating is the computer case category.
(Seriously, are you still lugging around that ugly black nylon thing with all the pockets that you got for free from some company vendor in, like, 2002?)
Now that laptops are getting so much smaller and lighter, most savvy women we know just pop theirs into a tote or large purse, with or without a protective sleeve,  like this neoprene one from Incase:




We’ll admit it’s not as exciting as a new lunchbox and thermos set, but then, what is? 

 Of course, there’s nothing that says you can’t buy one of those, too.

In fact, if you’re anywhere over twenty-five years old, we can pretty much guarantee that at least one of these vintage lunchbox sets is going to make your heart race--(which one depends, of course, on how ancient you actually are). 

Enjoy!