Yeah, I know Hello Kitty isn't exactly a cat, per se. But as a tyke, I was incredibly smitten by this big-headed white kitten -- and her best friend, Mimi. I didn't have any real pets, but I collected Hello Kitty change purses, stickers and little notebooks.

Hello Kitty all but vanished as I grew out of cartoon kitty stuff, but recently it all came back with a vengeance. Disturbingly, the iconic Kitty has been embraced by the likes of Paris Hilton, Target and, as the above picture shows, Swarovski crystal.

Sorry, Kitty. It didn't use to be like that.

Anyway, the Los Angeles Times take a look back at the history of Hello Kitty and her modern resurgence.

In the story I read that the Kitty, now 35, has a boyfriend. A boy kitten named Daniel. Wow. 

A "Super Hello Kitty Jewel Doll", studded with diamonds, sapphires and a citrine for its yellow nose, is displayed at the "Girlish Culture Hello Kitty" exhibition in Tokyo. Luxury cyrstal maker Swarovski, Japanese toy firm Sanrio and Japanese jewelery maker I.K. unveiled the 15 million yen ($150,000) Hello Kitty to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Hello Kitty character. YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images