Do you have favorite brick and mortar places where you love to buy supplies, tools, and doo-dads? I've got several, but the one that probably tops my list is American Science & Surplus. The stock changes often, but the wacky variety of stuff you'll find there is a constant. For instance, there's the aisle of chemistry beakers, the wall of medical illustration posters, the discontinued toy area, the treasury of tools section, and of course, the shelves of optical-related stuff, just to name a few highlights. (If you don't believe me, you've got to scroll through their online catalog).

I just made a recent AS&S run to pick up some supplies for a polymer clay workshop I'll be teaching in a few weeks at the Bead & Button Show. So of course, I had to peruse the latest optical arrivals. To my surprise, they had just gotten in a bunch of illuminated 20-X loupes. Sweet. Yeah, I had to get one. The 18mm diameter lens is great. And the discount price made it even more appealing. Check it out!  Jill