For this month’s Stuff We Like, we’re sharing small (and some medium) things that give us a big boost!
For me, it’s new cross stitch patterns or, now that I’m teaching myself to sew, new projects and scheduling time to do them. Buying the supplies to make a thing and then making the thing is boosting my mood like whoa. This is my current work-in-progress:
Also a new lipstick, which is weird because I don’t usually wear lipstick. it always ends up on my glasses? But still, Amanda clued me into the Maybelline matte collection and I like them very much.
In larger items: new ear piercings, or, if I’m still healing, inexpensive earrings from Etsy for said piercings.
Lara: A new pen. Especially one of those ‘learner’ fountain pens they give to children (I think this might be a European thing?) It never fails to turn my day around.
Amanda: Socks and stickers!
Sarah: Oh I LOVE fountain pens, too!
And socks and stickers are brilliant. What kind of socks? I really, I must confess, don’t like the fad of printed/woven ones because they’re partly acrylic and my feet are always, always cold in those.
Amanda: Somehow Eric’s mom has gotten into pattern of giving me cat socks. Not sure if it’s intentional but I’m not mad about it.
My brother also sent me Darn Tough socks for Christmas and gave me a whole spiel on how they’re antimicrobial and how he only brought two pairs of them for his week long excursion into Glacier National Park.
I swear, you’d think my brother was 40 sometimes instead of 26.
Sarah: The entire idea of taking two pair of socks to a week in Glacier made me recoil, I won’t lie.
Amanda: Knowing my brother he put those dang socks through the sweaty foot gauntlet
Sarah: RECOIL.
Lara: a pen set like this is relatively inexpensive and brings maximum joy.
M&G fountain pens are also reasonably priced (I think) and write beautifully.
Sarah: PORN. 
Lara: Possibly the greatest small present I’ve ever received is a giant magnet for holding pins.
Claudia: Lara, are you into Japanese stationery, pens, erasers (not break apart)?? I’m a total sucker for those. Japanese fabrics and stationery and adjacent are two of my things! Jetpens.com has all my love
Lara: If shipping weren’t a literal nightmare, I would buy ALL the things from that site! Another site that I drool over is CW Pencils in NY (https://cwpencils.com)
CW Pencil Enterprise – Purveyors of Superior Graphite
The best pencils from around the world for all your graphite needs,
hand picked by pencil experts.
Sarah: PURVEYORS OF SUPERIOR GRAPHITE. How did I not know about this?
Lara: I feel like it might be my spiritual home
Maya: I LOVE JETPENS
These little guys are my favorite!
And this one, the TWSBI Diamond Mini Classic Fountain Pen – Fine Nib ($54).
Shana: I love new fancy salts, and also tea, and fancy honey. Salts make even boring foods, like avocado on toast, or a chocolate mug cake, extra fun. And I inherited a belief from my mom that there’s nothing a cup of tea can’t solve.
Catherine: For me, it’s earrings – the more colourful and eccentric the better.
They are also my number one holiday souvenir – small, portable, and you can wear them afterwards and then say airily ‘oh, these are from Paris… or Strasbourg… or Darwin….’
Tara: On the less expensive end, I like to try different kinds of chocolate. There’s an organic market in the basement of the building where I work and they have some really nice ones.
On the more expensive end, apparently tattoos are it, because I finished the full sleeve for my left arm in December and I’m starting one for my right arm in April. I go for monthly sessions that are 4-6 hours long and it’s an amazing little break from everything. My tattooer and I just chat while she works and we’ve made it part of our ritual to order in empanadas. I walk out of every session totally refreshed, almost as if I’ve had a massage.
Catherine: Shana, I love fancy salts, too! Or herb and spice mixes – or any herbs that are new to me! I was travelling last year and found a shop that sold both very beautiful salts and utterly ludicrous ones – check out the website here (it’s in German, but the link is to the fancy salts page).
Catherine: Foodie things generally – fancy chocolates, gelato, etc.
And I have a bit of a cookbook addiction. If I’m down, I will buy cookbooks, because you really can only eat so much chocolate but you can have a lovely virtual binge with the right baking book!
Claudia: Yes to that!!
Catherine: And on the stationery side, I have a thing for fancy sticky notes.
Shana: I got some amazing salts in Iceland: Saltverk´s Icelandic Flake salt is the world’s only artisan salt produced with 100% geothermal energy, and one of the best flake salts available. Making it the flake salt of choice for consumers looking for excellent salt made in an environmentally sustainable way.
Claudia: I’ve been scratching the itch to make something by making cultured butter — easy and hands off for the most part. Here’s a recipe I’ve been using adapted from several sources, if you’d like to try making your own.
Catherine: Oh, on the eccentric stuff for your office and kitchen, I highly recommend Pylones.
Maya: Tattoo pics please!!!!
Tara: This is what Kate posted the day we finished it up. She has a handful of photos in there:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5wUCG_hCnO/
Claudia: That’s pure art! Awesome.
Elyse: WOW 
Maya: PRETTYYYYYY
Tara: Yeah, I’m SO happy with it.
Shana: That’s amazing Tara!
Tara: I decided the theme for my 40th birthday gift to myself was go big or go home. Now I’m trying to figure out how to save up for more.
Carrie: That tattoo takes my breath away!
Maya: I’m saving up for a chest piece, so I totally get it!!!
Carrie: I keep trying to save for a NC (Non-Compliant) tattoo but every time something derails me. Usually nice things, not bad things, but still. Also, I can’t figure out where I would want to put it. I keep thinking just below the base of my neck but then I wouldn’t be able to see it which seems like a bummer.
Shana: I have a tattoo at the base of my neck, and I constantly forget it’s there. It’s a fun surprise when others remind me.
EllenM: For me, chocolate, paper products & art supplies, and enamel pins are my go-to pick-me-ups.
For chocolate I LOVE Lake Champlain 5-Star Bars (granola is my favorite flavor but all the dark chocolate ones are good).
I also love to buy cute notebooks/journals, washi tapes + stickers!! I mostly bought paper products when I was in Japan.
Some Etsy shops that have a decent selection of stickers/washi tapes/etc include Moopapo and WaWa Stationery.
I also have a major enamel pin addiction that I keep justifying to myself by buying ita bags and then naturally I need enough pins to fill the ita bag display window, right??
Some of my favorite pins have come from Jini&Tonic – I have the “here like the men who have wronged me” and the “gender is dead” pins:
Plus, I love Coral Witch Co and Kerin Cunningham.
AJ: I love fountain pens too! Do you guys know Goulet Pens? Lovely family-owned company that has SO MANY PRETTIES OMG it’s dangerous to my wallet.
Shana: Oh, I meant to share a link up my favorite fancy honey earlier. Ivy Tea’s shmoney orange infused honey.
AJ: Tea is an instant pick-me-up for me too, and fancy cookies. I’m obsessed with the pistachio madeleines they sell at World Market.
Also, yarn. So much yarn. Yarn makes everything better.
Sneezy: MY PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!
So the tea I’m currently into is rose tea. The one I have is from YEARS ago, and it’s still the best I ever had. Luckily, I only need two buds for the rose goodness to last for DAYS.
I like to fiddle with pencil crayons, pens, markers, or whatever craft I’m into at the moment. Right now it’s darning holey jeans.
Wearing a bold red or venom purple lip also perks me up.
Elyse: This humidifier is great for keeping on my desk:
Cool Mist Personal Humidifier, $25
And hand cream!
The dermatologist recommended this for everyday use in the winter and after a week I’ve noticed a huge difference. I use it all over after showering and on my hands as needed. My knuckles usually crack and bleed and they’re already healing up.
Susan: My people! During my MA, I bought myself a notebook or a fountain pen after every meeting with my dissertation supervisor as a little reward for doing the scary thing.
I like www.cultpens.com as a stationery site, especially because they put sweeties in your order for you.
But I also like buying myself cheap nail varnish! The Essence nail varnishes are like two quid and come in a lot of different colours, so I’ve managed to build up a rainbow of options.
My big purchase, weirdly, is stickers, because I tend to buy a year’s worth from etsy stores on Black Friday.
Okay, what about you? What are some small (or medium or large!) things that you’ve purchased to give yourself a boost? Pens? Stickers? Stickers covered in pens? Tell us all about it – we’d love to hear your favorites!
I am also a tea person (I will get a really good loose leaf jasmine tea – also my best friend sent me a really lovely berry blossom tea that isn’t available in my country). And stationary – I kind of love buying notebooks and pens (Tombow brush pens are my new favourite). I also love earrings and necklaces (actually am currently on the look out for lotus flower earrings and ring) and um, really pretty glossy magazines like Vogue Living or wedding ones (I cut the pictures out for bullet journal things).
(I actually have a lot of trouble with the idea that I remotely deserve anything, let alone nice things (I often say it’s actually the ‘non productive’ self care I have trouble with – see buying a book that I really love for a recent example) but I’m working on it with little things.
(I also love pretty tea cups a lot. I don’t need more but like, I love)
Ooh tea, I always drink a cup of jasmine (the pearls, won’t drink anything else since I had those at a high tea) right before I go to bed. The scent alone is so soothing..
Dark chocolate with whole hazelnuts is another not guilty pleasure (I cannot feel guilty about chocolate, it’s a necessity really) :).
I’m also a hopeless pretty paper addict (like wrapping paper, stationary, origami etc.) and I have too many notebooks.. I do use them as diaries. But there’s no order to them. My son is going to have a hard time sorting all those out in chronological order after I’m gone!
And Christmas baubles! I love to fill my tree with the most insane ones I can find.. my favourite currently is a purple fish with red lips and a bad eighties perm. It is lovely!
I also love visiting book shops, especially ones in special locations like churches and such. (On that note: I need for a book shop to exist like the one Aziraphale owns in Good Omens!)
Jacobsen Salt Co https://jacobsensalt.com/ Has salt, flavored and plain. Honey. And addicting salted caramels. Or salty black licorice.
One of my favorite tea providers is Bellocq https://www.bellocqtea.com/. My sister gave me a past version of their chai gift sets from Oprah’s favorite things.
I also like Maya tea. I love that I can get a sample for $1.50. https://www.mayatea.com/collections/black-tea
Not that I need more tea.
lils
Tara, my jaw dropped when I saw your sleeve. Just gorgeous! You are a walking work of art.
Yarn is high on the list of little gifts for myself. Also fiber for spinning. Nice tea, of course; and when I move and have a bigger kitchen I also like to treat myself to small kitchen gadgets, nice spices, and unusual ingredients.
I visited Powells Bookstore when I was down in Portland recently and picked up this really cute mini zodiac embroidery kit on a whim. I’ve been doing cross stitch and thought it would be fun to try. I’ve done one so far, and I like the concept but I don’t like the thread they include in the kit. I’m thinking I may go to my local craft store to find something else that’s less like wire but still sparkly. (This is the kit on AMZ: https://www.amazon.com/Zodiac-Embroidery-Stitch-Miniature-Editions/dp/0762463929).
I would LOVE some recommendations / links for cool post earrings (sterling silver preferred b/c allergies). I have double piercings on both ears and am always on the lookout for new earrings.
I mourn the demise of so many craft related small businesses -45 minutes to the nearest quilt shop! Twice that for a bead store!- because a trip to the stitch store or the bead shop or the quilt shop was always such a spirit refresher, regardless of whether or not I made a purchase. I could spend an hour thumbing through patterns, fingering fibers, rustling through bead cups, caressing the yard goods, chatting up the staff and soaking in all the creativity energy. Etsy, Amazon and Joann’s just don’t do it.
That being said, a single perfect bead that inspires a new project, or a fat quarter of luscious purple cotton that’s just what you need to kick start the next quilt? I can float on those happy endorphins for days.
Chocolate is near the top of my list, but today I bought a bag of Russell Stover jellybeans…yum!
Another relatively low-cost treat is a trip to one of the many thrift stores in my area. I like to look at books, candles, and cards.
Um, loving all these recs! And it may just be me, but the link to Coral Witch Con(enamel pins) as suggested by EllenM is taking me to The DaVinci Code?
Oh yes, tea makes everything better! I have SO MUCH tea and am always willing to try something new! Some of my favorite shops are https://www.adagio.com/ (a friend just sent me their Princess Leia tea, which is SO smooth!), http://cottagegardenteas.com/ (their Downton Tea Biscuit Rooibos is just so soothing an mellow!) and https://thefivewits.net/product-category/apothecary/teas/ (their Brandybuck Breakfast Blend is just delightful, just brace yourself for the lovely blue color…)
And I always hit up the Target the day after any major holiday to stock up my Dove dark chocolate on discount! Or if I’m really ambitious I’ll drive an hour north to the Ghirardelli outlet.
And I do a lot of stress baking. Kneading or beating the hell out of something and ending up with something delicious is a great catharsis.
For a big boost, I decided I wanted a Croning for my sixty-fifth birthday, but unfortunately I do not have enough women friends close enough that I can have the whole ceremony. So I am buying my own shawl – either this https://www.etsy.com/listing/184958799/black-silk-scarf-owl-scarf-wing-scarf?ref=shop_home_active_8&frs=1&crt=1 or this https://www.etsy.com/listing/722507386/olive-green-dragon-viscose-scarf-magical?ref=user_profile&frs=1
I mean, obvs books. ‘
But other than that, I love buying socks. I have cat socks, HP socks, GoT socks, Marvel socks, you name it. My favorites are my profane socks. I have one pair that said “You Fancy Bitch” and another that have my motto on them, “Fuck Off, I’m Reading”. At the conference I was at last month, several of us, my director included, got wind of the soon-to-close Christmas store having profane socks, and since it was right outside the doors of our hotel, several of us came home with new socks. My director now fondly remarks that all of her consultants are almost certainly wearing profane socks under our work clothes with passive-aggressive delight. I also recently had to replace my lipstick. Bright lipstick is most of the makeup I wear, and honestly, with a bright enough lip, I don’t need much else. I went to go get my favorite, Revlon’s Cherries In the Snow, and also came across one called Vampire Love, and I could not resist it for the name alone (I bought both). It’s a bonus that it’s a really great color, and goes really well with my skin tone. It’s a nice deep burgundy, and I feel both sexy and goth AF wearing it, so it’s the new hotness for me at the moment. https://www.amazon.com/Lustrous-Lipstick-Vitamin-Avocado-Burgundy/dp/B07XTRWYV9/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=revlon%2Bvampire%2Blove&qid=1582769842&sr=8-1&th=1
I also like to buy pens, especially the older I get. If I have to write stuff, I want my old-ass hands to be comfy. This also goes with the fact that I enjoy a good crossword puzzle book. I am also an inveterate cross-stitch fiend, and am never happier than when I get to go to Joann’s and get all the supplies for a new project. Work and school are kicking my keister, but when I have free time (haaaaa), I am working on a cross-stitch of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It looks like the pattern has been discontinued, but I did also just buy this magnificence right here from the same pattern shop. I have a problem. I’m not getting help. https://www.etsy.com/listing/581021354/star-robot-p371-embroidery-cross-stitch?ref=shop_home_active_5&crt=1
I don’t know if any of you saw this, but CW Pencils got a nice write up in the NYT recently – and I can’t seem to get the article link to paste. Maybe it’s behind the paywall?? Anyway, search CW Pencils on the NYT website and you will find it (and some other really cool shops too).
As for me – I love earrings and magnets on a trip, fun socks, and nail polish. Especially from the clearance section at Ulta, oh, there are deals and treasures to be found there!
I saw WaWa stationary and thought, “Wawa has stationary?” Because WAWA! Gotta have my Wawa! But, one has nothing to do with the other. lol
If you’re not from the Mid-Atlantic or parts of Florida, you probably have no idea what Wawa is, but Wawa is everything. Well, maybe not everything, but I grew up with Wawa when it looked like the ones on THE GOLDBERGS. And, it’s even better now.
Socks, tea, chocolate, lipstick oh my! But my favorite is earrings. About every couple of months I’ll get a hankering for earrings, my comfort pick me up of choice. I’ll head off to TJ Maxx and twirl the carousels looking for just the right pair. The brand that has caught my eye is Annika Witt sterling silver beauties made with a certain style. Just made for me.
@Caroline: Not sure how that mistake happened but all fixed now. Thanks for the heads up!
I’m pretty old-school in that bookstore sale tables and record store clearance bins are my go-to. (On Monday I was in need of some serious consolation after a double-whammy of bad hockey news, and a remaindered copy of Maira Kalman’s CAKE was just the thing.) I love stickers and lipstick too, but since the sheer semiglossy reds seem to be in short supply, I very rarely find a beauty bargain. My weakness lately is imported music magazines…I can read some on Pressreader through my library, but Shindig! isn’t on it, dang it.
Five Star bars!!! Fruit and Nut is a favorite, but I never tried Granola because I couldn’t see how it would be different…I must remedy that at once! BTW, the highlight by far of Steve Almond’s Candyfreak is the Five Star Bar chapter, where he visits the factory…the inventiveness that goes into the flavor execution is truly remarkable, to the point where it’s clear his mind is blown. (I remember Almond suggesting the Five Star Caramel bar as a tool of seduction on some web article years ago…)
This conversation was the first I’d heard of Five Star Bars, and now I’m clearly going to have to read Candyfreak, too. EXCELLENT. Thank you!
EC Spurlock, happy birthday to you! That owl scarf is fantastic.
Ooh, forgot about the amazingly cheap and gorgeous house-brand stickers and origami paper at Daiso Japan stores (great gift bags to fill, too)!
Thanks for the tip on the Vanicream! Bought it at Target this weekend and I’m already feeling a difference. Love these posts because I always find something great.
@Christie: You are so welcome! I love compiling the posts, too, because I always discover something nifty!
@Denise
I thought the same thing when I saw WaWa stationery. I didn’t grow up with a WaWa, but fell in love with them when my brother was assigned to New Jersey.
So, it was a bit of a splurge, but I’m gonna spin this so it sounds less pricey. After reading Lara’s review of Her Private Life, I went on a spelunking across the internet to find places to watch this goodness (especially when one doesn’t have Netflix).
Dear readers, I found a place … a place that is full of the same emotional goodness and goofiness! But, after suffering through ads for a few months, I made the plunge and signed up for the streaming service. So, for $5 a month, I can watch ad free on Rakuten Viki, and stuff all the romantic comedies into my eye-holes as fast as possible.
On top of this, even though I’m doing law school and clearly have nothing but free time, I started using the app Duolingo to learn Korean by playing matching games for free! No, no I don’t have a new obsession, why are you even asking?
I have to agree with Lara on pens. I use rollerballs – thicker line than ballpoints, & not as messy for this lefty as fountain pens – & I recently bought a Monteverde in black with rose gold trim.
Tara, your sleeve is beautiful! I got my first-ever tattoo last week; my husband died unexpectedly last fall, & I had his (very distinctive) signature tattooed on the inside of my right forearm. Somewhere, he is laughing hysterically – I didn’t take his name when we married, but it’s carved into my skin now. And now I have the tattoo bug & am wondering what to put on the left forearm to balance it out.
Chocolate, tea and books make me feel okay. I can control my intake of all three. I just started rereading the “Harry Potter” series. Shut out the world. Love the Five Star Hazelnut Bar…will try the others. Also a huge hurrah for Fran’s Chocolates out of Seattle. I am happily addicted to their chocolate covered ginger, chocolate covered dried apricots and chocolate covered pressed figs. Expensive, but what a treat. Also a shout out to the Tea Experience in Issaquah WA. The Strawberry Ginger makes the best ice tea. The Royal Blend is amazing. Please take care of yourselves! Hugs and yahoo for Smart Bitches and Trashy Books!!!
@Deianira-I am so very sorry for your loss. It is always difficult to know what so say when someone loses a loved one. Having your husband’s signature tattooed on your arm? So beautiful.
You know, I wear Darn Tough socks out hiking, and they really don’t smell even after I’ve worn them all day. It’s WEIRD.