I got my Kitchen Aid as a gift from Tripp on our second anniversary. We were living in OKC and I was taking Wilton cake decorating classes at the JCPenney in Quail Creek Mall. I had just completed the Level One course and had just burned up my little hand mixer making batch after batch of “practice” icing (flavorless icing made with shortening as opposed to buttercream icing).
Man, I LOVED cake decorating classes. Once a week we’d bring our bowl of practice frosting up to class and then we’d practice piping with the different tips on this special plastic board they provided. Once you finished with one type of piping tip, then you would scrape the icing back into the bowl, switch tips, and practice with that tip. Level One was all about piping borders and stars, and our anniversary was around the time that I graduated to Level Two – Flowers! My awesome new mixer was just the ticket for making batch after batch of stiff icing which is what I needed for practicing roses.
Lord, how I practiced those damn roses and shell borders. 
But ah, how it made my little perfectionist heart happy.
Anyway, I’ve seen lots of shiny new mixers in fun colors out there, but I think I’ll hang on to this one.
Old faithful has held up for nearly 20 years of birthday cakes, a zillion batches of chocolate chip cookies, and approximately 417 loaves of banana bread. Plus now I have a new piping obsession…that perfect little frosting swirl on cupcakes.
Some things never change.
Peace, Kelly
Ah, Kitchen Aid, 20 years, that is good. You know if you got a new anything it would never last for 20 years in this day and age! They just don’t make things with that kind of “shelf life” any longer.
oh i know it! we still have our old washer and dryer from when we first got married and they’ve never needed service. ***knocking on wood*** 🙂