Attending a show by oneself is a great experience. It gives space to taking in the inevitable overstimulation of the DC pen show at one’s own pace. My first DC show was a solo visit and was the right way for me to experience a pen show at that moment.

But my second DC show? Having a crew that includes your Pen Twin (PT) grants the ability for buddies to play off of each other. Simultaneously, you both have the comfort and freedom to wander while having a “home group” adds a new dimension to the experience.

I visited this year’s DC Pen Show on Saturday and Sunday. There are already quite a few accounts of the show itself. Both wonderful descriptions and thoughtful evaluations.

My focus skews toward the current evolution of my pen show kit — which I call my floor kit. The pens and notebooks and bags I used to navigate the large, wild aisles of the DC Pen Show.

When I give a gift, I want to see wide, happy eyes. I want to see my loved one dive into the gift and find joy in it. However, my stationery joy lays in picking my stationery apart, separating out what works from what works less-than-well for me — in addition to digging writing itself. My picky, choosy, sticklerish obsession makes me a bad stationery gift-receiver. Oof.

I like to take an inventory of my pen collection now and again. A check-in with myself as to which pens are working for me and which would be better housed with more eager owners.