Full disclosure time…when I bought these pencils in a flea market in Buenos Aires, I had every intention of giving them to my little niece, Celine. She inherited the art bug from her mother and me and we’ve spent countless hours hunched over her kitchen table sketching and painting together.

Whenever I travel, I’m always on the lookout for interesting art supplies to bring back for her. Over the years she has scored coloring books from Mexico and very elegant watercolors from Paris but for some reason, I just never got around to giving her these pencils. I think it’s because they are just about the prettiest thing in an art closet where pretty is kind of scarce and desperately needed. I guess I’ll just hang onto them for now. Hmm…I can always save them for her kids.