My sister-in-law just came back from a trip to Japan.  While in Japan she visited a Sanrio Store in a large Japanese Departement Store, Daimaru in the south city centre Namba in Osaka, at the Shinsaibashi shopping arcade. The shopping arcade is like 2 km long.

I totally envy her. I wish that I could go to Japan and see my favorite Japanese feline Hello Kitty.

Well, while she was there she was thinking about me and got me 4 packs of stickers showing 35 years of Hello Kitty. 

I also discovered that in Japan they also packaged your purchased items in a cute bag, seal it and also give you a very cute surprise.  See how they do it……

Sanrio if you are reading this. Thank you. I love the idea of the loyalty cards, special bags or wrappings and the little surprise gifts.  It really brings a happy feeling in my heart. 

It has been about 3 months since my adoption of Hello Kitty Hibiscus.  She was suppose to say at our condo with her other friends. But I just couldn’t resist, she ended up travelling in my Carry-on bag all the way back Home.  Now I wonder if she will make the trip back out to the condo the next time we visit. And if she does, will she stay? The story will have to continue another time…. 

So now I have Hello Kitty Hibiscus with me all the time… OK only at home. Oh she has gone on a road trip to Toronto with me.  I wish that I was much younger and then I could bring her around everywhere I go. But since I am no longer less than 5 years old; I guess I shouldn’t do that. Otherwise I would look like a crazed Hello Kitty Person.

Pssss but I am a crazed Hello Kitty Fanantic! 

As you can see I have Hello Kitty all over the place, water bottle, pencil case, cell phone holder, and messenger bag just to name a few items… He he he.

Stainless Steel and BPA free water bottles are in fashion these days. More and more people are using them instead of disposible water bottles and potentially BPA leaking containers.

I have had mine for the last year. Love it! The boys have been recently encouraged to bring in their own water bottles to school (instead of running in and out of the class to drink from the water fountains: yucky germy, also a time waster). Recently we purchased ones for everyone in my family.  But of course I don’t think that theirs is as cute or beautiful as mine is. 

While shopping in Whole Foods Market in the US, I came across their SIGG Stainless Steel water bottle collection.  They had so many different ones to choose from. But of course one stood out for me.  That’s right it was the Hello Kitty one. 

As mentioned in a previous blog, visited a few Sanrio Stores while in the US.  I went around this one Sanrio store several times, while everyone else gamed at Gamestop (EB Games) next door on Wii Resort Sports.  Hey they are busy, so I can explore a little bit longer.

I was looking to purchase a plush Hello Kitty (and maybe something else too). I really didn’t know which Hello Kitty I was going to get.  I wanted them all. But of course I couldn’t have them all.  Remember she must be able to at least fit in checked luggage and even better if she could fit in carry on luggage.

I finally decided to purchase Hello Kitty Hibiscus. She matches currently my blog background. Cute eh?  She has been my constant companion since I got her.  Of course during the day she stays at home (I have to work during the day, need to earn money to purchase more Sanrio stuff. ;-)  ) and either enjoys reading books, watching TV or visits with some of her other friends in my son’s bed.  Spencer also likes Hello Kitty. But he has said that she feels a bit like carpeting.  Oh poor Hello Kitty! She is a short haired cat.

When my Hello Kitty is missing I know that she is in the loving arms and hands of Spencer.

While traveling in the US this summer I got a chance to visit a few Sanrio Stores.  I love visiting these stores (search for location nearest you or you can shop online). They have many different products from Sanrio. There is so much to choose from.  What I really like about the Sanrio Stores is they have loyality cards which they will stamp your card for each $1 that you purchased.  I also get a cute bag and a small gift.  This time I got a Cinnamoroll screen cleaner and a sheet of paper clips. Very cool. 

I could spend hours in the store exploring all of the different products available. From chopsticks to paper. Also stuffed Hello Kitties to carry-on luggage.

We don’t have any Sanrio stores in my local area, so when I see them I go a bit crazy.  We do have a few local stores which have a small collection of Sanrio products.  But they don’t compare in size to the Sanrio Stores. Tour de Jeux and Renaud Bray. Thanks for carrying Sanrio products.

While shopping at one of my favorite stores in the US, Target I spotted this Hello Kitty Messenger Bag.  Wow!  It was screaming at me to bring it home. I couldn’t resists, so here it is, home with me.

 I think it will come in handy to carry my Hello Kitty Neoprene sleeve. What do you think?

I have been looking to purchase one of those Neoprene Sleeve for my laptop computer. I have been looking at different ones, but nothing really stood out. It was going to be either going to be a classic black solid one or a pink one.  There were some patterned ones which were different color of blues or pinks too.  But again, nothing that I really wanted.  Until one day while traveling, we stopped at a store called “One’s Better Living“ . This store carries many different Japanese items from household stuff to slippers to pens and pencils.  I enjoy shopping there when we get a chance to visit the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I could spend an hour just exploring the store.

While looking for other Hello Kitty items to purchase I saw this Hello Kitty Neoprene Sleeve for a laptop computer.  And I said to myself I had to have it.  Lucky it didn’t break the budget.

I love it! It’s perfect to hold my laptop and a few items such as power supply, mouse, paper folders.

On the weekend while shopping at our local Mall, I saw this young lady with a Black Hello Kitty Balloon and this cute Hello Kitty bag.  I had really wanted to go up to her and ask her is there a new Sanrio Store in the Mall or what was going on.  But I decided against asking her. I didn’t want to look like a Hello Kitty crazy person. However, come to think about it now… if she had those items she must be as crazy as I am about Hello Kitty.

I didn’t have to go very far to discover where the Hello Kitty items came from.  The new MAC Cosmetics (www.maccosmetics.com) store had a promotion going on. All about Hello Kitty. 

There she was, a stuffed Hello Kitty in Black Leatherette. Hello Kitty make up brushes and container cup. They even had a few mini bags for your make up items. And of course a mini-line of makeup from nail polish, lip gloss, eye shadow to face power. I couldn’t resist and picked up a few items. The items are a little bit pricy.

When I paid, I had my credit card in my hard plastic credit card holder which had been decorated with a few Hello Kitty stickers.  The cashier saw this and offered me a Hello Kitty MAC bag to put my purchases in. I was so excited.  I bounced out of the store. But before I was able to exit the store, a male Hello Kitty stopped me and offered me a temporary tattoo. Of course I couldn’t say no.  Too bad I didn’t have my camera with me. 

I thought that I let you see a photo of our group of friends at our Condo. Some of them our mine, some of them are the boys.

About 2 years ago Build-a-Bear Workshop introduced a White Hello Kitty. And it stayed around for about 18 months or so.  I loved seeing her in the stores when we went in.   But then after Christmas 2007 she was gone.  I missed seeing her there. However, I knew that all of the Hello Kitties must have been adopted by loving Hello Kitties friends. :-D  Well during our most recent trip to Build-a-Bear Workshop, I spotted an ad which announced the arrival of a tanned summer time Hello Kitty who is from Hawaii. Yah!!!  Along with some new clothes and accessories.  I can’t wait to adopt her and add to my collection of things Hello Kitty. Maybe for my birthday?  Hint hint….