Hello Sparkle!

There is a lot of pretty, sparkly, Hello Kitty jewelry available.  I've just recently started to collect some of the pieces that jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino designs.  She has an entire collection devoted to Hello Kitty called Pink Head.  The jewelry she makes is pretty expensive, at least my standards, but I do try to buy some of her items every now and again.  They are very cute and handmade. 

Kimora Lee Simmons also has a Hello Kitty jewelry line, which is available on the Sanrio website.  Some of her pieces have real diamonds in them, so as you can imagine they are pretty expensive too!  At this time I do not own any of the Kimora Lee Simmons Hello Kitty jewelry but I hope in time I will purchase some. 

JEWELRY BOXES

My jewelry collection is pretty small but I love all the items I have.  These first two pictures are some of my jewelry cases. 



SANRIO

The following 4 pictures are items I purchased from Sanrio.com.  The ring is a newer purchase.  I bought this in this spring.  The ring is the shape of Hello Kitty's head and has the words "Hello Kitty" etched on it.  Next, is a watch that has a sort of punk theme to it.  I would guess this watch is probably about 7 years old.  After that is a pair of crystal Hello Kitty stud earrings.  These are probably about 12 years old.  Finally is a necklace in the shape of Hello Kitty's signature bow.  This was purchased at the same time as the Hello Kitty ring. 

TARINA TARANTINO

Here is my small Tarina Tarantino collection.  First is a Hello Kitty ring.  It's pretty big in size.  Needless to say, it makes quite a statement when I wear it!  Next, is a blue Hello Kitty broach and Hello Kitty barrette.  After that is a pair of Hello Kitty chandelier earrings.  Following that is a Hello Kitty barrette.  Finally, another Hello Kitty broach.  What I really love about Tarina Tarantino's Pink Head collection is that she makes different types of Hello Kitties.  There is the "mod" Hello Kitty, as seen in the ring below and the "goth" Hello Kitty as seen in the Hello Kitty earrings below, among a ton more.  I also love that her pieces look real jewelry.  Sure, you can find Hello Kitty necklaces, rings, bracelets, and things in the toy section of Target or other stores but now that I am getting a little older, I don't feel that I can carry them off without looking like an old person trying to look young.  Not a look I am going for.  With Tarina's items, I don't feel weird about wearing them. 



Hello Kitty Shopping Across the United States!

HELLO SHOPPING!!!

My pursuit of all things Hello Kitty has led me to many different stores, which sell many different sorts of Hello Kitty items all over the country.  NYC, LA, Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Cleveland...  The list goes on and on.  When I am on vacation, I usually will check to see if there is a Sanrio Store in the area.  If there are no Sanrio stores, I will check for authorized dealers in the area.  In addition, if it is a big city with a Chinatown, I will try my hardest to make a trip there to hunt for Hello Kitty.  It seems like the stores in Chinatown that sell Hello Kitty have the best and most unusual items. 

SEATTLE, WA

Here I am shopping for Hello Kitty in Seattle’s Chinatown/International District in 2008. We were at the wonderful Uwajimaya Village.   My boyfriend Jonathan snapped this photo.  Notice how excited my friend Michael is.  I, on the other hand was very excited to be there!  Just look at that big smile on my face!  This place seemed to specialize in Hello Kitty bags and school supplies. 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Below you will see a picture of me hugging a giant stuffed Hello Kitty at the (now defunct) two-story-super-sized Sanrio store in Union Square section of San Francisco.  Imagine my surprise and delight, when I saw the store had two floors of Hello Kitty greatness!  My friends were a little annoyed with the amount of time I wanted to spend going through each and every item on both floors.  I think at one point they left and came back.  I’m not sure how long they were gone, since I was in the Hello Kitty shopping zone!  I believe this picture was taking way back in 1999.  Sadly, the two story Sanrio store is no longer there. 

NEW YORK, NY - SANRIO STORE

Finally, a trip to New York City in 2006.  Not only did I got to the Sanrio Store that is located near Times Square but my boyfriend and I also spent some time in Chinatown as well.  (He's a really good sport when it comes my Hello Kitty addiction!)  Here I am, very excited about being at the store near Times Square, despite the construction going on outside.  (Note the Blue Hello Kitty messenger bag I am sporting!)

NEW YORK, NY - CHINATOWN

This is a shop in Chinatown, NYC, that sells a ton of Hello Kitty items.  I did purchase that very cute, pink, Hello Kitty jewelry box that is to my left.  It is perfect for holding all of my sparkly Hello Kitty jewelry.