The addiction to art supplies

When I was a kid I used to go to my father's office sometimes. He had this amazing secretary that knew about my "problem" and she used to take me to the supply cabinet. Every time I went she gave me a box-a gross-yup-144 !! blue, #2 pencils, Dixon. They came in a lovely cardboard box with all the pencils lined up inside with the most wonderful smell. In my bedroom closet I had a secret stash of boxes of pencils. I must have had 8 or 10 boxes. Then! they came out with markers that had crisp clear colors and fine points that didn't run out of ink in a minute-FLAIR'S. OMG-I was instantly hooked. She used to give me a handful every time I went to work with my father. They were the color of the marker on the outside, inside was a firm pointed tip with a white collar. If you started with the light and worked to the dark colors they stayed clean. I had boxes of them in my closet too. It was the beginning of a lifetime of hoarding art supplies!