First Post! =^.^=

Sis and I thought it would be fun to make a little blog for our Mini Coopers: Atori and Chili Red (who has yet to be named but will)

Here's a little background about how we both got caught up in the mini cooper culture: Back in 2002, I did a study abroad in Europe. I studies in Paris, France. It was there that I saw my first smart car. I thought, how cute, but knew the car was not for me. I then took a weekend trip to London England, where I had my first in person encounter with a classic mini cooper. It was love at first sight. I just knew I had to have a car like that, but thought, it would never happen, since mini coopers aren't sold in my little area of the world (Central Illinois). Eventually, I returned back to the states, back to isolated little rural towns where import cars are pretty much limited to Toyotas. I forgot about my love for mini coopers.

Fast forward a few years, to Arizona. My sister and I were driving in Chandler in our 2003 Ford Taurus when I look over, and next to me is a BMW Mini cooper with a Union Jack roof graphic. I screach! "It's my car!" I knew I had to have THAT car! It became my ultimate desire. This was 2008. I thought it was an unreachable dream.

Fast forward to 2009, due to my new job location, it was no longer feasible for my sister and I to car pool together. I work in the west valley of Phoenix, she works in Chandler. We needed a second car. It was time to get a mini cooper. We brought home our first Mini Cooper in April 2009, a beautiful 2009 Chili Red JustaCooper with contrasting white roof and mirrors and white bonnet stripes. I was Delighted.

Only problem was, my sister wanted to drive the car too. Bummer. So we had to share, which I loathed driving the taurus. It felt sluggish and big, and just not as refined, nor not nearly as FUN as that mini cooper. Things had to change. By shear luck, or bad luck :) our 2003 Ford Taurus' starter went out. It stranded my sister, and we decided it had to go. It was time for a trade in for, you guessed it, ANOTHER mini cooper. My sister decided she wanted an Oxygen Blue 2009 mini with white roof, mirrors and white rims. We traded the car in June 2009. Now we had two!

Thats how we became a two mini family within a year! We joined the local mini cooper club Dynamic Mini Collective and have tried our best to be active. We've meet some really helpful and friendly mini enthusiasts who embraced us when we joined. We are really enjoying being a part of the mini community, but even more so, we are just fully enjoying and enthralled with our cars. Who knew motoring could just be plain FUN! Our cars offer us smiles for every mile we motor.

-About and purpose of this blog-

Sis and I have been keeping a motoring journal the old fashioned way, but also decided a digital version of our trips, events, modifications, and photos of our cars would be fun. This will be a a place for us to record our memories with these amazing cars :)