I have no idea where this compulsion comes from. But it’s undeniably bad. For years now, probably since I was seven, I’ve been collecting labels and tags of all kinds. This is but a sampling of my arsenal. Once, when I was in Paris, I confess to having ripped three pages of stationery store listings out of the phone book in my hotel room. And the thing is, I am definitely not alone in this pursuit. That said, I’ve promised myself that if this stockpile ever threatens to outgrow the confines of its designated box…out it goes.

This brilliant flowchart is the creation of the late H.D. Stephens, the father of a long ago friend of mine. Mr. Stephens, as he would have been known to me, was a high school math teacher, who left the education world for that of computer programming…when no one really knew what that meant. I’m told he did pretty well with computers in their early days, later leaving a well-paying job with an oil company, for a life of happy self-employment. These are his words of wisdom.

In this era of computer generated type, anything handwritten seems almost like a novelty. So, ever since I first saw one of my brother and his partner’s to do lists, I’ve been begging them to save each and every one of them for me. These guys are really really busy – they travel 8 months a year and run an amazing one-of-a-kind travel company – so it’s no wonder that they have a lot to tackle. Anyway, yesterday I received a Fed Ex delivery from them which, when opened, felt as though I had hit the motherlode: 9 of the most unintentionally beautiful patterns I have seen.

I have issues with flatware. After 20+ years as an industrial designer, I still can’t find a set of utensils that I would want to own and use every day…three times a day. So, as a result, we have a mismatched assembly of hand-me-downs and samples. Some of these are pieces I have purchased over the years as reference for the designs I have yet to create. The Alessi set pictured at top, designed by Achille Castiglioni back in 1982, is one of my favorite designs. It’s the price tag I don’t like very much. The picture of the lone camp fork is one of two that I bought at some flea market years ago. Probably paid less than a dollar for both of them. I’m not sure its looks are so fetching, but for sheer functionality and balance it can’t be beat. It scores a perfect 100 when it comes to impaling a piece of lettuce. And, I kind of like its lack of pretense. It is the one fork I reach for every time. My task is clear…