Hello Kitty

Okay, some of you know I have a soft spot for cute stuff but I felt like talking about Hello Kitty which is something of an obsession of mine but anyway here we go.

Hello Kitty is a fictional character first created by the tv program company Sanrio in 1974 and registered in 1976.
She has a pet cat called Charmmy Kitty that she was presented with by her parents.

Her friends are Cathy (a Rabbit), Fify (a Sheep), Tracy (a Racoon) and Joey (a Mouse).

Charmmy Kitty has more cat like features than Hello Kitty herself and was presented to her by her papa, George White, Mama, Mary White, her sister, Mimi, and her grandparents, Anthony and Margret White.

Hello Kitty is good at backing cookies, making pancakes for friends, Origami, shopping for friends, buying things and playing tennis. Her favourite food is Apple Pie made by her Mom.

Her hobbies include travelling, music, reading, making new friends (one of her favourite words is "Friendship") and having adventures .Sounds like me!

Several Hello Kitty animated series targeted towards young children have been produced. In the animated films made by Sanrio from 1977 to 1985, Hello Kitty has made cameo appearances in them.

The earliest Hello Kitty animated series known was the American-animated (co-produced with Japan) Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theatre, which aired throughout 1987. This show was broadcast in the United States on the Family Channel.

The Japanese anime series Hello Kitty and Friends aired on CBS tv in the States in 1991, and also ran onToon Disney. Kitty is depicted on the show as a little girl who lives with her mother, father, and twin sister Mimi, who is identical to Kitty but has different coloured clothes and wears her bow under the opposite ear. 13 episodes were produced, using animation produced as early as 1991.

The show Hello Kitty (and pals) have starred in at least one anime series of their own on Japanese tv. Hello Kitty's Paradise ran for 16 episodes between 1993 and 1994. This version was released in English in 2000. This version, like "Hello Kitty and Friends", also aired on Toon Disney.

Also Hello Kitty and friends appeared in Hello Kitty's Animation Theatre, which had Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters appearing in their versions of different fairy tales. Available in the U.S. From ADV Films (who also own the video/DVD rights to Hello Kitty and Friends & Hello Kitty's Paradise)

Since her introduction, Hello Kitty has grown in popularity around the world spurning much merchandizing that has been adopted by such personalities as Mariah Carey.

Many American celebrities have contributed to the character's popularity: Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Cameron Diaz, Heidi Klum, Steven Tyler, Christina Aguilera, Carmen Electra, Mandy Moore, Raven-Symoné, Miley Cyrus, Varla Jean Merman, as well as Paris and Nicky Hilton have all been spotted with Hello Kitty and Bobby Jack goods. Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton was also spotted with a Hello Kitty handbag while doing a video blog with Ross Mathews. Perez Hilton was also seen wearing a Hello Kitty tie on Victoria Beckham's show 'Victoria Beckham: Coming to America'. Victoria commented on his 'fierce' tie. Singer Lisa Loeb, who is marketing the pink Hello Kitty guitar, has admitted to being a fan and has even dedicated a whole album in homage to Hello Kitty named Hello Lisa. 'Scene queens' like Jeffree Star, Audrey Kitching,and Hanna Beth can often be seen donning Hello Kitty apparel.










Well I adore Hello Kitty and have the current pencil case and pencils set amongst others as featured in the picture.
There is mountains of cool Kitty stuff out there, note books, diaries ring-binders for meetings.
The larger branches of any good stationary store such as W H Smiths or Amazon hold good stocks.

Vacation!

Having returned from my vacation, I thought I'd share some pictures of Conway harbour, North Wales, with you all taken on Olympus OM10 film SLR.

The weather forecast was grim - strong winds and heavy showers - but actually it was really sunny and only on the Wednesday was there a one hour shower mid afternoon.It was as well I had my waterproof jacket with me I guess.
This first picture was taken using the Zuiko 50mm lens with polarizer. 

Conway Harbour Aquarium. Taken with Zuiko 35mm lens

Taken with Tamron 90mm

You can take a cruise along the River Conway. Taken with Zuiko 135mm lens

Here are a few more pictures I took of Llandudno where I stayed

Some more vacation pictures - Llandudno sea front showing the War Memorial - done using a cheap digital camera.

Llandudno beach looking toward the Pier and Grand Hotel.
Whenever I go away I always  pack my swimsuit as I love either sitting around or playing on the beach making sand castles and the like armed with a bucket and spade. Being the child I am my school girl attire is always packed when I go away as well as such essentials as camera, sun cream and nivea cream in case I get burnt or cut myself.

I went on the Great Orme so here are a few pictures I took on film

 A restful scene with the hardy Sheep grazing

The original of this was over exposed but I corrected the exposure in Roxio Photosuite

Pictures taken with Olympus Zuiko 35, 50 and 135mm lenses on Olympus OM10 camera using Fuji Superia 200 colour print film.

The Little Girl within takes control

 

A couple of years ago, something happened to me in connection with a major public role I was undertaking outside of work which lead me down a route in life that includes this blog and it's mission.

I was responsible for a large organization that was undertaking several important projects to the community that those who made decisions on wanted but had left me to attend the meetings, met the other parties involved attending their workgroup events and so on at the same time as being the head honcho of their own body.

It also was the case I was involved in local political activity for a good two decades with it's own cycles of meetings, events and so on.

It also is true to say I was becoming increasingly frustrated at the sheer amount of time I was spending - often over 20 hours a week over being tied to my computer and mobile phone from the minute I came from work. It even cut into my vacations too being expect to work from hotel rooms!

As much as I complained about this, there was little effective cover meaning the inevitable meeting clashes weren't covered and the one who was meant to got no cover either!

By this point I had become ill, finding the combination of high demands, lack of effective management of commitments to outside bodies and the best word to describe what I went through was 'a nervous breakdown'.

Something came out during my recovery, my inner child rebelled against it's forced to groan up shadow  kicking it's butt, insisting she wanted her time,she wanted to play in her little girl clothes and chill out on the bed in the evenings.

She fought and won those changes because the little girl within had spunk and courage to make the changes that would set me on a path that would make me so much more happier because when it came down to it, I just a child in a grown up body.

Childhood Dolly Playtimes

Once upon a time, there lived a little girl who played with her girl friends dollies because Mommy didn't give her own but that was okay as they all knew what she was!
They also knew that's what she really wanted to be although they wouldn't say which curiously lead to her developing a love of being with other little girls as she could be herself as she played with them.
I was just that little fairytale ballerina with the short frilly dress on in my head.