The Big Z said that if I do super awesome at blasting away cancer cells, as in – if I get to that moment of remission, I could do/have anything I wanted. Truth is, I don’t do/want too much more in life – except perhaps a cottage on some water…and a dog . . . and piece of warm rhubarb & strawberry pie with vanilla ice cream on the side.
BUT after a lot of thinking I did come up with an idea. It would be nice to have A CAR.
A car of my choosing, where I decided upon the type, and the accessories, and the colour. So Zsolt agreed. Get better, pick your car, he said.
Not too long ago I really wanted to buy a new sofa. But the Big Z was like, “no way those thing are too expensive.” So I said to him, if I one day get a full-time job I’ll buy a sofa. And he said, fine. Except we both knew that was a really long shot from ever happening. The sofa was a pie in the sky daydream. (a rhubarb strawberry flavoured pie in the sky daydream)
But then I went and landed the sweetest full time job you could ever ask for, and it came outta no where. BAM! At this very moment, I’m lounging on my lovely sofa. (which was going to be purchased new from the shop, but then we saw the exact model and colour on Kijiji for 200$ less. It had been sitting in a lady’s office unused, and she was moving offices – so we snapped it up! Sweet!)
Therefore, based on the sofa story, this car thing might actually happen.
To help with that possibility, I’m stimulating my mind by looking at cars. And here is what I’ve discovered so far:
I really care about the colour.
And while I also care about safety, handling and fuel economy, colour is a HUGE part of my decision. I want a really cool colour, or a cute colour, or a pastel, or pattern, or something that makes me smile every time I see the car. Fushia maybe. Baby blue. Lemonade pink!
Yes, this is extremely stereotypical, and I’m sure it does very little for the portrait of a progressive, independent and smart women shopping for her first new car. However, forget all that because I want something pretty!
I’m trolling Instagram just hoping there’s a instragrammer who loves lattes, organic markets, bright nail polish and good books who also happens to test drive many different cars and snap great photographs for their feed, and at least make the cars look cute if not colourful. But nothing! I can find it for books, food, clothes, coffee . . . but not for cars. (I love with book instagrammers do those color-coordinated collages of items and books. I also love a good latte shot.)
Where are the cute car instragrammers? The hipster car reviewers? The mani/pedi drivers? Where are the colour options?!
I look at car marketing, and I just do not jive. Yes, I like that a car is safe and drives well and gets great gas mileage – YES, I know those aspects matter – but I really don’t care about the look of the engine, or a piece by piece reconstruction of the interior, or the specs – SPECS? They are not my first stop in car shopping, they are for after my heart has been stolen by a beautiful design and colour.
Car shopping reminds me of when I first needed to switch to mastectomy bras, and suddenly realized everything comes in white, black and beige. (and, in the case of cars, red)
Dear ‘Car Marketers’, I am disillusioned. I need some serious whimsy and lifestyle imaginations in my car shopping experience – not a 360 rotating view on your website.
If you would like me to test-drive your vehicles and take cute Instagram pictures as I stop for my tea with girlfriends, give me a call. How about my husband and I take your car for a drive to the (to-be) cottage, and snap pictures along the way? Maybe we borrow a cute puppy and add it to the mix? If I’m too busy being chemo-drunk then get someone else to do it. Make car shopping instragram, pinterest, and tumbler friendly. Grab my imagination so I can push back these cancer cells! And also, while you are at it, more colour!! I reckon book bloggers, fashion ladies, bike fashionista and foodies, etc., are a valuable point of inspiration for the world of online car shopping. Take notes & leave us charmed.
The end.
Bumpyboobs ~CatherineBrunelleWrites 
I’m totally with you on this. Last time we bought a car it was all about the colour for me. My husband was, I think, a little mortified but the love stems from the look. Hope you find your true car love!
There is a car in my neighbourhood that makes me smile every time I see it. It’s a red VolksWagen Beetle with large black polka dots on it. It looks like a ladybug. The simplicity and sophisticated humour of adding the black dots to this car is what got me smiling. I never tire of seeing this car. It’s as if the owner is saying, “I’m driving a Beetle that looks like a beetle.”
I remember a Zsolti story where he found his Ladybug sleeping safe and sound. As a child, I always felt lucky when a ladybug landed on me, and as an adult, I am grateful whenever there are spotted ladybugs around–it means my garden is healthy.
So cheers to lucky ladybugs, cancer remission and Zsolt giving a cute car to Catherine.
Hey Catherine, your idea for a cute car got me thinking that my idea of a cute car would be a baby blue car with small black paw prints running up over the hood, across the roof, and back down the trunk and the rear of the car.
But then, I already have a car that makes me smile … it’s dark blue with sandy coloured paw prints on the hood, across the top of the windshield, and on the trunk … frequently re-applied and highly visible after a car wash. 🙂
I could totally see you in bright pink mini fiat.
Go remission go!!