✨ How I Fell in Love with Stationery ✨

by Michelle MaliZaki, Founder of Pen Paper Palooza

When I was four years old, I met my first true love: a box of Colleen colored pencils. 🎨

I can still picture them — neatly lined up in their little case, all perfectly sharpened and glowing like tiny candy sticks. I remember the smell too — that mix of wood, wax, and wonder. I spent hours arranging them in rainbow order, then by favorite color, then by which ones “looked the most polite.” (The pink was definitely the friendliest.)

That’s when my lifelong stationery obsession began.And guess what? I still have some of those Colleen pencils today. Pink one is all worn down and stubby, and I don't have the box, but every time I see my psncils, I remember exactly how it felt to hold endless possibilities in my tiny hand.

Fast forward a few decades — and about 800 pens, a cupboard full of notebooks, and one very patient husband later — and I’m still that same little girl, swooning over paper and ink.

For me, stationery isn’t just about writing tools.It’s about possibility.Every blank page feels like a fresh start.Every ink color carries a mood.And every notebook — even the one you’re afraid to mess up — whispers, “You can create something beautiful.”

When I worked for a Japanese notebook company, I thought I had reached stationery heaven… until I realized something was missing: community.

I wanted to bring together people who love stationery the way I do — artists, writers, journalers, dreamers, doodlers, and anyone who gets butterflies walking into a stationery store.

That’s how Pen Paper Palooza was born — a celebration of creativity, connection, and the joy of analog in a digital world.

This blog is my little corner of that universe — where I’ll share stories behind the paper, spotlight amazing artist vendors, and talk about all the quirky, heartfelt things that make stationery magical.

If you’ve ever bought a notebook “just in case inspiration strikes,” or tested ten pens to find the one, you’re in the right place. 💕

Welcome to my stationery world. Let’s fill these pages together.