Tanya Stanich, a 43-year-old lawyer, clutched a handful of pink and black Hello Kitty notebooks at Sanrio Co.'s store in Manhattan's Times Square and touched a sequined bag adorned with the face of a cartoon cat.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Stanich was introduced to the white feline, which sports a red bow and no mouth, by a California aunt, who sent her a Hello Kitty lunchbox, stickers, hair clips and pencils. Now a resident of New York's West Village neighborhood, Stanich says she still buys the stationery to brighten up her life.

"It's nice to have something a little girly and flashy and fun," said Stanich, a slender brunette who keeps her iPhone in a Hello Kitty case. "I could go nuts in here."