The Chronicles of A Stationery Addict

Every person has an addiction. Some are expensive, some are inexpensive. I belong to the latter category. While people go around hunting for the best phone, or that expensive perfume, or that leather clutch from Gucci, I am the one walking around in search of the perfect stationery to add to my collection of countless dozens!

May I ask you whether you have noticed the expression of a dog that has just been given a bone? Well, you can find me with that precise expression when I am given decorative items, say, a set of handmade cards, colourful pens, or sticky notes. The silliest thing is that I have recently gone hunting for that perfect writing material for a whole day.

My stationery addiction dates back to my childhood days. From collecting colour pencils, crayons, felt pens, coloured papers, to hoarding up on paper bags, lace from old dresses, and cutting out the artwork from the numerous invitations we received, I have done it all. I remember having cut up my old frock just because there was a cute doll design on it which I later stuck elsewhere. And then, I grew up. With the help of the internet, I looked up for awesome ways to use stationery. Alas! Most of the ideas which I came across proved to be a disaster. I once tried using up an old paper cup to make a doll. The end result was more like a scarecrow and less like a doll!

Finally, realization dawned on me that my addiction is getting very serious. Each time I went shopping, I would be back home with a huge, satisfied smile across my face and the latest collection of sticky notes, handmade papers, patterned tapes, and any other arrival of amazing stationery in my hands. Let me show you the sticky notes I have managed to collect till date.

He he.. I’m so proud of my collection 😀

My recreational pastimes are doodling, lettering, mastering my penmanship (and secretly spying for the best handwriting out there). I have found this craze for using up “useless” things in the most creative way. The other day I purchased a pair of shoes and more than the shoes, I found the plastic covering interesting. Soon I found myself standing in front of my desk staring happily at the plastic container-turned-pin holder covered with the cutest coloured, patterned tape.

Another hilarious incident that I can recall is when my friend gifted me a pair of earrings on my birthday. As I opened the wrapping paper (carefully, lest it tears!), I found the most beautiful box I had set my eyes on! My friend must have seriously given a second thought on being friends with a crazy girl like me, who was thanking her for the wonderful box which contained her gift. My aunt always gifts me bracelets and other accessories in these cute, glittery pouches. Yes, you have guessed it right; I find the pouches more interesting than those bracelets. Poor things, they are forgotten the minute I glance at the pouches holding them.

People say that likes change with time. I totally disagree with this. At least, I definitely am an exception to this statement. My likes have not changed, they just have improved. You can find me at a book store or a craft speciality store even today. Mother tries her level best to take me to dress stores or shoe shops, where most of the people of my age go to, but I, being her stubborn daughter, refuse to get out of the craft store. She even jokes that if she were to leave me alone in that store and go elsewhere, I would never have known.

To all my fellow stationery addicts, we are the luckiest people in the world, as our wants come cheaply. We find happiness in a roll of coloured tapes, or in cute pencils or erasers. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a world full of the most adorable stationery items?! That would be the day! Every stationery addict’s tagline would be: Happiness is being interested in the big things and being happy with the small things.

Stay blessed!