Miss Celie

The BEST Christmas Gift Evah!!

Meet my new boyfriend, Nigel:

Nigel is a 2006 MINI Cooper S and I got him on Christmas Eve.  Now, I know that cars in America are usually women. But, in Spanish it’s a masculine object. So, he’s Nigel Cox (a very British family name). Could that be any more British? For a hot minute I was leaning to Alastair but Nigel had the right ring to it.

Even the GPS has a British voice (and a matching red MINI with racing stripes and a sunroof). Now, I still think cars are a colossal waste of money but my city isn’t transit friendly and I need transportation. I have been a geek for the MINI Cooper since they came out in 2002. Actually, I have been a geek for them since I was in eighth grade in Germany and would see the vintage ones zipping around. I honestly can’t think of a car that fits my personality better. So, it’s GREAT fun to to be driving my dream car.

I was in a lease on my Accord (never doing that again) and it expired this month. The timing was perfect.

64 comments

  4. A car post on a sewing blog – how fantastic! I have 2 friends with original 2002 Cooper S models – one blue and one grey/silver. They are so fun to drive – like rollerskates on speed. You are going to LOVE Nigel!

  9. OMG!!! Congratulations!!! i absolutely love it. I too an gaga over mini coopers…well and the Volkswagon Thing but that is another spectrum of the taste level. You go girl! You go!

  10. OMGosh, he’s sooooo cute! Color me green with envy! And red is my very favorite color – I would have picked him too. 🙂

  13. You and Nigel make a perfect pair 🙂 I bet you are thinking of all kinds of places you need to drive now, I know I would!

  15. I hate to rain on your parade: But you have opened yourself up to potential identity theft by revealing your mother’s maiden name on your [public] blog.

  16. You do know that owning a racy red car is the true sign of a mid-life crisis don’t you? oops, that’s a male thing. Since you’re female and the car is male, well then, have your fling and enjoy the heck out of him! He’s awfully cute.

  17. That’ a sexy car! The only thing that surprises me is that it’s not pink 🙂

  21. I am *SO* jealous! I love the Mini Coopers, and to have one in my favorite color, red, with the white racing stripes is too much! Lucky you, please enjoy Nigel for me.

  24. My friend has a white one with a soft top. She can’t bring it to my house because it’s so low it gets stuck in my driveway. It’s not a good car for someone who lives in the country, but I reckon if I were to move back to the city, I’d be getting my own red mini for sure. You’re right, Nigel is the perfect car for you. I’m sure you’ll be very happy together!

  25. Yes, Mini’s are delightful. I looked at one when I first bought a car, an old one. It was so small and spare that I felt I’d really be driving around in a tin can and, not being confident in my driving on the left side, I passed it up.

    Nigel is an excellent choice, Alasdair being too long. I know men with each of those names, but dog and car names should be no longer than 2 syllables, IMO.

    I’ve had one new car in my life, a 1983 Mazda GLC; it was years before I heard that GLC stood for Great Little Car. I had it for 11 years and loved it to bits, but I had to sell it to move over here to England.

    Love your sewing posts and all the rest (though I’m not into coloured nail polish myself). Happy New Year!

  26. Wishing you and Nigel many thousands of happy miles together! He’s just adorable!

  27. Nigel is very handsome! All my cars have been men, too. I can think of a few off-color reasons for that, but I won’t say them here. 😉

  28. Just put the sewing class address in that GPS, the machine in the trunk, and you’re ready to go :-). Too cool! I’d have gone for Allistair myself, but Nigel is just fine…

  31. Love it. I have a red mini, and think they are the cutest cars ever. zooom zooooooooooooom.

  33. Super sexy car! But don’t men named Nigel always break the heroine’s heart in British chick lit? They end up leaving poor Sophie for young things named Penelope, right? I think your Nigel will be the exception though. Congrats!

  34. Oh, I am sooooo jealous! Nigel’s a real hottie! The last payment was made on my Lexus on 12/31 and it’s taking every ounce of restraint I have to not run out and buy a Mini wagon. I will resist, I wll resist…

  35. oh man I’m so friggin jealous!!! Growing up, I always wanted a Mazda miata until these came along!!. No chance of either… YAY for you though… enjoy it.

  36. Congratulations! I, too, have a red Mini Copoer S with racing stripes and rally lights. Mine, also, arrived on Christmas Eve a couple of years ago. My LP is Joyful! I bought it to replace my BMW Z3 because I needed a backseat for my little boy’s car seat. It is a fun little car and is as easy to park in the city….and stands up nicely to little boy wear and tear!

  38. Cidell:
    Do you remember that two of the dentists in Graf, Scott and Maria Nichols, had one of these? It was so cute.
    It still IS cute. Hope you two are very happy together.

  42. Smart AND sexy! How brilliant are you to buy used (and avoid the huge hit everyone takes as they drive away from the dealer) and to avoid a lease like the plague? What a perfect car for the sassy, stylish Miss Celie!

  44. Nigel is so cute (my FIL is called Nigel and that is not a sentence I thought I would ever say!)

  45. You MUST sew yourself a mod little red dress with white stripes. You and Nigel could be twins!

  47. Nigel? That sounds like a mature man’s name. How about Hugh or Ian? Or what the guy’s name in the new Sherlock Holmes flick?

  48. Hi, nice site!! I have a WordPress blog also, and it looks like I got some traffic from your site to mine: under “possibly related posts” there was a link to one of my posts “The Best Christmas cookie EVAH.” 🙂 LOL! Congrats on the really cute car!

  49. We have a dear friend named Nigel, he’s a designer and artsy yet manly, very tall :)) Love the car, grew up with a mini, mom packed 3 kids, a huge dog and a week’s work of groceries in that baby- that was before we had to wear seat belts…

  50. I won’t lease, and I never buy new cars. I bought a 1996 Cadillac for $4000 in 2004, put in a $1500 tranny in 2007, one heat blower for $300 and a belt for $100. I only drive this car in bad weather, but compare that total price for the last 6 years to buying a new car, and I’ll stay with used cars, too. I also never got the whole “lease” thing. Pay buttloads of money for several years, and at the end you have nothing to show for it. Your car is really cute!

  52. My new baby is named Shugar. She’s glad to have a new friend in town. Hope to see you and Nigel on the road. 🙂

  53. Congrats on the new love of your life! I received an iPhone for Christmas and am so enamoured of it that I may have to name it Nigel, too.

  54. The only thing that would make Nigel any cooler would be if he was a convertible! I love my convertible and would love one in a mini version.

  57. I.am.so.jealous. I want one, but I don’t think my two teenage boys can fit in the back. Enjoy!!!!

  58. On a quick trip to Joann’s today to pick up a zipper, I was behind a red and black Mini Cooper that looked just like Nigel. It was so cute. That car is sooo you!

  59. Hi Cidell,

    I would really appreciate it if you would add me to the subscription. Your blog was the first one I ever read and I would really like to be able to read it.

    thank you!

    Mel

  62. i think the mini’s are so cute! However, extremely NOT practical for me. I often wonder where I could put a week’s worth of groceries? Or better yet, 2 forty pound bags of dog food…….I bet it gets great gas mileage? I could probably park 4 of them in my garage!! As cute as they are, i still want a Dodge Magnum. Gun Metal Gray with blacked out windows and a Hemi engine. I told my husband it’s just a hot-rod station wagon….Nigel is a good name for a Mini. WHEN I get a Magnum, maybe I’ll name it TANK. Or Dozer.

    Sam

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