"HelloKitty" news and stories

I was so excited about this Japanese Cloer model 1611waffle iron that I saw on Inventor Spot today. I thought that someone finally made a waffle iron that creates heart shaped waffles (even though this one is supposed to be in the form of a cherry blossom).

Then it occurred to me that this could not possibly be the first flower/heart shaped waffle iron out there. (You'll have to forgive my ignorance of waffle irons, but they're just not something I put a lot of thought into.) I looked around and, sure enough, there are plenty of flower/heart shaped waffle irons. You can even get a Hello Kitty waffle iron!

While there are some nice design features on this new model, Inventor Spot shouldn't be pimping it like there's nothing else like it in the world. Yes, the waffle iron is stored vertically so it takes up less counter space, but who keeps a waffle iron out when they're not using it anyway (except someone who uses it every day, of course)? I wonder if Inventor Spot knows that this new Cloer model isn't the first flower shaped waffle iron?

Someone please tell me why I have never seen a Hello Kitty Patisserie in the United States. Why? Why?!?

I know. It sounds ridiculous. And I can't believe that when I read about it over on A Hungry Girl's Guide to Taipei, I actually felt the my inner little girlie girl shriek with delight. She many have even clapped her tiny hands together. All of the pastries are adorned in some way with the little mouthless kitty that we all love, whether the image is stamped into the dough, or accessorized with some candy, kitty-shaped confection. The bakery wraps your purchases up and send you off with a giant Hello Kitty bag.

Does it taste good? Who cares? It's Hello Kitty! (But according the Hungry Girl, some were forgetable, while others were "actually pretty tasty").