every lady needs a mixer

I used to say that every lady needs a Kitchenaid mixer and, well, that might still be true. Because: PRETTY! They're just so pretty! I've had my eye on one for years but I figured I wouldn't get it until I got a house or got married or had some other Big Life Event.
Recently mixers have been even MORE on my mind because several people I know are getting/have gotten married and a pretty, colorful Kitchenaid mixer seems to make it onto every registry. It's almost like it's not even a discussion anymore. No one questions the need for a three hundred dollar mixer; you just put one on your registry because that's what people do. I don't want you to misinterpret my tone here, dear reader. I am FULLY ON BOARD with the Kitchenaid mixer and its placement on one's registry. It's been on my imaginary registry for YEARS. And because of a timely blog post, I've recently found myself daydreaming about what color I might get.
Like Tangerine.

Or Buttercup.

Ahhhhh. Such bright, vibrant colors. I heart them.

And then, out of the blue today, I fell in love with this.

Pictured below its shiny new counterparts, that little mixer sure looks like a hunk o junk. I honestly don't know why I love it so much. It's a dusty, mustard yellow color with big chunky buttons and that whole top piece is vaguely reminiscent of an iron. But it caught my eye, sitting on the appliances shelf at the thrift store amongst coffee makers and food processors. I fondled it for awhile and then bought it. It was $8, marked off from $16.
It didn't come with any of its accessories (of which, according to several ebay searches, there are apparently MANY) so I had to order a pair of replacement beaters online for $10 and I'll probably just use a bowl I already have. Again, I hope we aren't misinterpreting my tone here. I'm not listing the amount of money I spent as a "neener neener my mixer was dirt cheap!" but more of a "look at the interesting vintage find I happened upon today!" sentiment. Because, again, I'm a lifelong supporter of the Kitchenaid mixer and the republic for which it stands.

But back to my drab lil mixer. I love how it looks in my kitchen. I've got a bit of a retro flava thing happening in there.

A bonus I discovered when I tried to pick it up by the handle and thought it broke: it's also a blender, apparently.

Maybe someday I'll get my hands on the blending attachment.

Also, when it turns on it smells like my grandmother's mixer. That probably means it is a fire hazard, but it gives me a pleasant grandma association: grandma baking cookies, grandma letting me lick the bowl, grandma giving me a little cup of cookie dough to eat. (It's a wonder I never got salmonella.)