After years of writing this blog and expressing many unsolicited opinions about everything from fashion to eggnog and earthworms, it may come as a surprise that I have a secret pseudo-fanatic love for stationery and kawaii culture. Random? Maybe.

A Stationery Hoarder

I started journaling about 3 years ago but ever since high school, I was big on planners, stickers, post-it notes and cute stationery of all kinds. I went through a Garfield phase in elementary school, but high school and college were the perfect opportunities to find my place in the stationery universe. In college, I had this DIY Tool [inspired in the 10,000 days album] binder and the first laptop I ever bought was quickly covered with stickers that subtly revealed my interests at the time (because that is how introverts think they can make friends).

I’ve even thought of starting a stationery business for years, but I haven’t made it happen just yet. Maybe now is the time?

While navigating different online stationery forums and groups, I found that, like me, some people hoard stationery, which is a strange behavior I didn’t know plagued brains all over the world. If I find a sticker pack that is very unique and beautiful, I don’t want to use it just on anything… I want to find the right occasion because it feels wasteful to just use it in your daily notebook. I’ve even had stickers go bad because I save them for too long (yes, stickers can go bad).

Then, I realized that the point of cute stickers and stationery is to actually use them because they make your day a little bit better. Or, if you’re me, a lot better. Actually, I discovered that the ephemeral nature of these paper goods, journal spreads, stickers and washi tape is precisely where their allure lies.

Journaling

Every single day can be precious and awesome and full of positive thoughts. Or just another regular day. You decide.

For me and many other journaling enthusiasts, spending the time in making a beautiful journal spread can serve as a way to describe in which ways that day was special. Not to mention the cathartic effect of writing your thoughts on paper (for some reason, writing in paper elicits a different mental response than writing on a computer) and the desire to document important events in your life.

Each journal page is a tangible reminder of how short life is.

If you are wondering why a blog post on stationery became a dissertation about the nature of life, I am wondering the same thing.

[Many people use Facebook to document their lives, but I don’t and I do not view Facebook as a good thing for the world or anyone. My paper-based thoughts and comments will not be used to serve me ads for things I don’t need.]

From Instagram user @kawaiijournaling

Kawaii Everything

Lately, maybe due to the pandemic, maybe due to motherhood, I have been drawn to pastel pink and food with faces. I’m currently crushing on Hello Kitty, Sumikko Gurashi, Aggretsuko and Kuromi (people mistake her for My Melody when she is really her nemesis). For a black and white person like me, this is a big change, but I do think that being surrounded by happy visuals that evoke childhood memories and better times in general, is good for the soul.

My nightly anxiety shopping and cute scouting led me to the cutest thing I’ve found this year.

Kawaii Box

Kawaii Box makes all of those pastel dreams come true. This subscription box is full of Kawaii stationery, plush toys, pouches, stickers, Japanese candy and all sorts of Kawaii accessories.

I couldn’t think of a better gift for me to give to myself (or for anyone to give me, really). I am seriously obsessed and I just needed to pass this along because I think we can all use a little more fun, harmless and positive pink energy in these times of [insert crisis name].

Kawaii Box has 3 plans: 1, 6 or 12 months. The monthly cost on the 12-month plan is $19.99, which I think is very affordable considering the retail value of what’s in each box. I tried to think of what could I buy with $19.99 that would bring me an equivalent amount of happiness and I’m not sure I can find anything similar.

If you are into Kawaii culture and need acute surprise in your mailbox every month, this is for you. Check out their plans below:

I know what you’re thinking: isn’t this for kids? The answer is not. If you can appreciate a plush toy, mermaids and Sanrio characters every once in a while, you are a perfect candidate for Kawaii Box. Of course, it can be for kids too, but my plan is to get it for myself and say it is for the baby, then give her all my toys someday, muahahahaha… [insert Kuromi emoji that doesn’t exist]

What is Kawaii?

I’m not knowledgeable enough to give you an answer to this. I think that to understand Kawaii culture fully you also need to understand history, economics and Japanese culture. This article takes a rather cynical but realistic approach to explain what is Kawaii.