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Hi, I’m Melsenpai, & I have a problem. That’s how these confessions usually start off, right? Well, to really get into it, I do have a problem…a stationery hoarding problem. It mostly revolves around postcards & pens, but today I will only be focusing on pens.
This all started when I was a small child back in the mid 80s. My aunts & uncles from Japan would always send my parents presents & snacks from overseas, & they would often include small trinkets for my sister & I (mostly Sanrio/Hello Kitty related). Also at that time, my sister’s dad (my mom’s ex-husband) used to manufacture licensed Sanrio merchandise. So, my sister would always get a whole bunch of free Sanrio stuff, which she would pass on to me if she didn’t want them or got bored of them. That really jump started my huge obsession/fanaticism/passion for practically ALL THINGS SANRIO. Then, when you couple this with my habit of hoarding (a.k.a. not wanting to give away or throw away any of my toys & things), that’s where the snowball effect came into play.
What I am about to show is only a portion of my pen collection (with a couple of mechanical pencils thrown into the mix). I’ve got many more pens scattered around the house & stashed away in old storage boxes. A while back I got this large craft box from the Container Store & quickly filled it with stickers, pens & other supplies.
That is what the box looked like before I went nuts. Over the course of one year plus that box became cramped, dare I say…too small. I filled up that box with what my husband would call “useless junk”…but I would call them my treasures! After my last few trips to Tokyo, this is what my craft box has become.
I had to take out all of my pens. They were becoming unruly & kept falling out every time I opened the box. This box now houses a majority of my stickers & a few washi masking tapes.
I now store all of my pens in a new box, which I lovingly refer to as Trevor. (Yes, I gave it a name.)
Trevor is slowly being filled up as well. However, despite all of my “hoarding”, I DO, in fact, use all of these things. I don’t just collect them for the fun of it. I actually use the stationery I buy. Though it may take a long time for me to use them all. I keep adding to my stockpile before I can finish them. Oh well. Cheers.
Boy, greeting card companies like Hallmark™ must love me! I am the customer that keeps on giving (my money, that is). I am such a sucker for any type of greeting card or postcard with a cute design, illustration, graphic or photo on it. No matter what the occasion is, I have a card for that (except for, say, Sympathy or Get Well). I don’t quite know what it is about those awesome little bi-folds of card-stock that keeps me coming back for more, but be it 1 or 100, I will not stop collecting them.
It’s not only about collecting, I also use the cards I buy. I am constantly making/writing cards for friends & family. For example, one year, a friend of mine was really upset over the passing of her pet, so I sent her a note to convey my thoughts. It was a serious matter, but all those With Sympathy cards you see at the store just seemed too heavy & sorrowful. So, I decided to lighten the dark mood by using a Bon Voyage (a.k.a. going away) card…to say one of those “This is not a ‘goodbye’, just a long ‘see you later’ ” type things. That’s what I do…it’s a small example of how I use all those darn cards I’ve hoarded over the years.
So, after all that’s been said, I recently came back from a trip to Los Angeles. My companion & I were entertaining some relatives visiting from overseas. We took them to a new favorite hang-out spot, the Abbott-Kinney district in Venice Beach. While we were there, I stopped by my new favorite shop Urbanic Paper Boutique. As you all may know by know, I always find a way to sniff out new stationery shops every time I go on a trip. So, while I was there, I couldn’t resist getting a few cards & things. You couldn’t expect me to leave empty-handed, could you? Nope, I didn’t think so. Now for the reveal… Dun, dun, da-dun…
1. blank card w/ fruits, metallic hearts & striped circles graphic
2. “Wedding Day Wishes” card for an upcoming wedding of my friends in Taiwan
3. blank French-themed card that says “Bonjour” on the cover
4. blank “World’s Best Husband” medal card (that I might give to my husband soon)
5. “Happy Birthday” card w/ a hatchback car & presents illustration
6. black & gold decorative washi-tape w/ a honeycomb/link type pattern
7. color swatch inspired bookmark (it was free)
Here’s a close-up look at the washi-tape pattern:
close-up view
Today, I took a day off. A day off from my usual home chores & daily routine. I just couldn’t wait for the weekend to do a little shopping. My all-time favorite clothing brand from Japan just recently opened up a pop-up shop in my city in anticipation of their very first West Coast flagship store (which will officially make its debut this October). I just couldn’t wait to take a quick peek at the pop-up shop before the flagship opening & snag a few much-needed items for the sooner-than-you-think fall.
I felt quite guilty though, since October isn’t really that far away (considering how fast time flies these days). I know I could’ve just waited until then… Or even more so, I could’ve waited until November when I embark on my trip to Tokyo. But alas, I was a bit impatient & decided to just pick up only the exact things I need right now (& resist the urge to max out my husband’s credit card. Tee-Hee…)
Some of the items I purchased were much needed goods such as: a thin coat, a zip-up down vest, a few undershirts, & a pair of denim jeans (which can be tailored in-store, same-day). So, while waiting for my jeans to be tailored, I continued to stroll the downtown shopping area…& I ended up back at my favorite stationery shop.
I couldn’t resist! There were just too many greeting cards staring back at me, shouting, “Please buy me!” I was very tempted to grab everything, but I only ended up buying some cards for a few upcoming weddings I will be attending. Oh who am I kidding?! I splurged a tiny bit & also bought a “You’re A Fox” card & a sheet of cute sticker seals. (I just can’t resist sparkly things!)
Time to go, my phone battery is about to go kaput. Woof.
Rabbits & Foxes 
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