Art Store Splurging.

The other day, I took advantage of a feel-good feeling born from a cup of highly caffeinated, but also highly disgusting espresso, and trekked (read: took a bus) to the local Blick art store (read: on the other side of town). I'd gone to Blick with the intention of buying a box of chalk pastels. It had been years since I'd last used pastels for any sort of art project, and I'd been tempted to try them out again to see if I'd gotten any better. Once I actually saw the pastels, though, I chickened out, and I purchased some sketching materials instead: a 0.3mm lead mechanical pencil with refill lead, a kneadable eraser, and an archival pen.

And I learned something that day: Check the price of the product before you buy.

I glanced my receipt after I walked out of the store and literally stopped in my tracks, thinking that there was no possible way I could justify paying more than $4 for a fancy pencil, even if it was a rather fancy one that made me feel like a true professional doodler.Well, since I can't return this kind of merchandise, I figure now would be as good a time as any to use my new ridiculously over-priced pencil to start relearning the basics of drawing. Back to square one.