If It Exists, There Is Probably a Hello Kitty Version of It

At an early age, I started becoming obsessed with cats, or cat-related things.  I was about 5 years old when I acquired my first cat, who was by far - the best cat ever.  I would doodle cats on top of every grade school paper, before turning it in.  My cat was more than just a cat, she was my friend.  I think that is why an article about Hello Kitty not being a cat came out a year or so ago.  She is much more than a cat, and she has been pretty much everywhere.

Over a week ago, my mom and I and saw the Hello Kitty exhibit at the Seattle EMP.  It was really fun.  Happy, upbeat music played in the background, as visitors enjoyed the variety of fun and unusual items.  There was so much see, too!  (I took a ton of photos, but I will only share a portion here).

I was surprised how much merchandise has been developed over the years, relating to the popular icon.  There was the typical stuff, like plushies and bags:

 There was clothing, both in men's and women's style - ranging from normal every day wear, to high fashion:

There were a variety of styles of paintings, as well as large statues:

There was also some unusual items, like Hello Kitty toilet paper, feminine products, braces, and motor oil!

I learned a few things about Hello Kitty that I did not know.  Like, her wild side:

Also, she had a boyfriend named Dear Daniel?  How did I not know this?  Or did I forget?

I knew about her family, of course...

...and even owned some of the same kinds of things shown at the exhibit.

I wasn't expecting to see that much, I guess.  I knew Hello Kitty was popular, but this exhibit brought a whole new perspective.

My mom and I really had a great time.  There was so much stuff to look at!  It was amazing!  If you get a chance to see this Hello Kitty exhibit somewhere, I highly recommend it.  It has already left Seattle, but perhaps you can catch her in another city.  It is well worth it.

After looking at the exhibit, we waited in a long line to purchase some treats from the Hello Kitty Cafe, that was in town for the weekend.

I bought macaroons.  They were cute, and pretty tasty, but I think Trader Joe's macaroons might taste just a little better.  These however, are special and more fun.

After all that standing, we had real food, inside the EMP.  They had some special foods for the Hello Kitty exhibit, as well as some other foods that were not related.  I had the Red Bow-tie Pasta (red, like the bow Hello Kitty wears), and an Apple Turnover (which is supposed to be Hello Kitty's favorite food).  They were both really good, and hit the spot.