September Stationery Staples

I've already done my best to find your new coat so it seems slightly inevitable my attention should head over to the next September staple: stationery (and actual staples coming later). In fact, new school stationery is much more fun as an adult - you're pretty guaranteed it's not going to get nicked, be defaced with the scratched-in initials of a boy once you thought was your true love, or be ruined by a chewed biro leaking at the bottom of your satchel. Actually, that last one probably will still happen to me, but we've all got to dream.

In the world of dream stationery, this item would be sitting, gleaming atop of my desk. Selfridges have given it a rather confusing product name, Tool the Mathematician gift set, but it's essentially a glorified ruler, protractor and set square kit. Which happens to be designed by Tom Dixon. All the bits are apparently made from the same sheet of brass. And, when armed with your new swanky kit, of course you'll be able to answer how many square centimetres of brass were left over at the end. For the £80 price tag, I'd hope you would anyway.

Hay's colour notes look like a more exciting form of maths than that, a much better kind of study aid than the traditional post-it and infinitely prettier than a stack of post-its on your desk too. A set is £4.20 from Made in Design.

Anthropologie are calling these 'the indespensible notebooks'. They certainly look too pretty to throw away with their bright primary school-style colours, various sizes and - most importantly - a space to neatly write your name on the front. It's a set of four, so one for every possible notebook purpose: shopping lists, a secret diary, that novel you're going to write and general doodling. So much potential for only £14.99.

Work is bound to be more fun with a novelty paperclip. Lagom have a lovely range of animal paperclips in stock, including cat, dog, crocodile and pig designs. I'm obviously quackers over these ducks. A set is £6.50.

We've featured Sew Lomax's make-up bags before as well as their infamous poo bag. No poo in this embroidered pencil case but I'd definitely try and fit some make-up in there. It's £16, a small price to pay for, urm, keeping your shit together.

While the poo chat is making me feel like I'm regressing, one look at this Back 2 Skool desk tidy really takes me back. It may have a badly spelt name but it's actually quite a nice thing, a wooden mini desk for you to store all your bits and bobs in. Joy are selling it for £13.

And - finally - here are your September staples. Or basically the most fancy staple holder I've ever seen, available from Mocha for £12.99. Staple city is a monument to the staple, a mini city scape where the staples are the skyscrapers. This wouldn't have lasted ten seconds at school. Another reason why being a grown-up is just so much fun.