Could it get any better than this?

Okay readers. Who wants to take a trip to Taipei, Taiwan with me?


http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/31/travel/taipei-barbie-cafe/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Bloglines

Christmas Loot #2

My dolls always were sophisticated when I played with them when I was little. Most of the time they were at the ball or gala dancing the night away. But sometimes they had a pool or slumber party, you know, good girl times. But never did I make them act 'ditzy' or clueless like some portray blonde's to be. :)

I'm glad that Barbie never had that aura about her. With all those careers, how could she? She has to have a good head on her shoulders to hold that many occupations. I was excited to find this wrapped up under the Christmas tree. Barbie as President! (I found other President dolls from 1991 and 2000. Thanks Andrea for the update! I thought this was Barbie's first presidency.)

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One reason that I mentioned the 'clueless' or 'ditzy' was because of the comment on the front of the box. "She stands on her own (literally)". Not only did Mattel want to make sure that this doll would not be falling over in heels, they also wanted to make it a point that Barbie (or any other female) could be president one day if they set their mind to it. That is the reason of The White House Project listed on the front of the box. This is an organization that encourages women to enter careers in politics and business. I do think that it's a great area to be involved in especially for girls.

But I do love the way that she stands, don't you? Only problem is you can't change her shoes. Boo! But it's okay for this purpose.

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She does have more of a subdued look. Not a lot of makeup, perfect for a girl in the politics industry.

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I love her. A lot. The back of the box also talks about how you can get involved and be an insider of the "B Party." It also talks a little about Chris Benz, the designer of this doll.

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The website barbie.com/barbieforpresident is still up! Go check it out, it's a fun colorful site. :)

Until next time!

Christmas Time Fun

A week since the last post? I am SERIOUSLY shirking my duties as a blog writer! I promise to be more diligent. I have lots to write about!

Even though I am SO ready for summer I figured now would be a great time to make one final Christmas doll post. Because the closer to summer I get, the more I will not want to write about holiday stuff.

Today, we have a cute, fun doll. Does anyone else have her?

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This is Tree Trimming Barbie from 1998. The most fun of the holiday season for me is trimming the tree. It is for this doll as well!

Isn't she adorable with her chunky knit sweater and green velvet pants? You also know that my favorite dolls are the ones with super long hair. Well, I also love the ones with straight bangs. Cute!

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She holds a cute little ornament ready to put on the tree. Another fun thing about this doll is inside the box there are ornament punch outs so you can help Barbie decorate her tree.

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On the back of the box is the instructions on how. I think it's a very cute idea!

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This would be a very cute display doll if I had taken her out of the box. I would have left her holding her ornament. So cute. I think my favorite part is the sweater!

See you next time (hopefully sooner than a week) with another post not holiday themed. :)

Until next time!

Ready For Summer?

Is anyone else ready for summer? It's been getting warmer here, the snow is melted (well, in the places the sun hits) and the street sweepers have been out in full force picking up the dirty cinder rocks left by the trucks who laid them down to make the roads safer when they were icy.

Like me, this Barbie is also ready for summer.

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This is Sun Lovin' Malibu Barbie from 1979. Since 1979 is before my time, it's a real treat to get one from this decade. All of mine from my childhood are from the late 80's to the 90's. My dad has a booth in a local antique store for some sales and another booth client brought this in to sell. So he picked it up for me. Thanks Dad! :)

And, as it mentions on her box, she's had a little TOO much summer :)

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Because her box is in less than stellar condition, I took this as a great opportunity to get some "deboxed but not deboxed" photos.

Her hair is still held in by plastic and her sunglasses are still there too. The mirrored look has turned cloudy over the years but maybe it can be cleaned up.

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But all in all this doll is in great condition.As shown in this pic and the one with the tan lines, she is a little dusty and could use a refresh.

And I love her!

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The Help!

First is the mirrored sunglasses. The fact that they were "foggy" is really odd to me. Do you think its something that could come off with water and a rag? I'd be devastated if I ruined her mirrored sunglasses. Meaning, could the rag wipe off the "mirror" effect?

And help me out readers. Is this one of the more sought-after Malibu dolls? I know there were a few "Malibu" Barbies but can't remember which is which.

And one last question. The picture on the box shows a "B" symbol on the left leg of her swimsuit. My doll does not have that. Was that a feature only on the picture? Or did mine fall off somewhere through the years?

Until next time, enjoy the wonderful sunshine!

Christmas Loot #1

Before I go on to another Christmas themed doll, I wanted to share some of the dolls I received this year under the tree.

I don't know if I mentioned that I love the space dolls. I have always been fascinated with space and everything that has to do with it. My dream job when I was in high school was working at NASA ground control in Houston. But knowing that I was not skilled in math or physics I abandoned that option and went into business (which has been a very fruitful option!)

Oh well, I can live out my dream job through Barbie right? Because she has held some 200 jobs or so through the years?

I was pleasantly surprised with her as one of my gifts.

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The 1965 reproduction of My Favorite Career Miss Astronaut. I LOVE her! The mod look, the blond hair, everything! I love how she is proudly proclaiming that she IS indeed a rocket scientist standing with her helmet in tow next to her lunar module.

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This next picture depicts a little better that her space suit is sparkly! Perfect for Barbie!

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What I love most of all? Her little space mittens, space boots, and the flag. So cute!

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I don't know why but the mittens are the most adorable things I have ever seen.

This was originally sold as an outift for Barbie and Ken even had a Mr. Astronaut outift too! Check out here for pictures of the original outfit on the Fashion Doll Guide

Barbie sets the path for girls who want to be anything. I admire anyone who challenges girls to be in different industries that were primarily dominated by men. I have a girlfriend who got her Ph.D. in physics and now works at a huge computer company in research and development. She is one of the brains behind your computer processors. :)

Go Girls. And Go Barbie!

See you next time :)

A few more ornaments

Are any of you having some trouble getting back into the "swing" of things after the new year? Or is this just me? It seems like when I get home from work, all I want to do is sit and do nothing. Even trying to make dinner seems like a chore. Maybe because there has been snow on the ground here for about a month?

Well anyway, I'm back with a new post! Sorry sorry for all the wait!

Going through my boxes of Christmas decorations, I found some more Barbie ornaments. However, these are not like the Hallmark kind. These are porcelain of the most breakable kind. I'm surprised that none of these are broken considering how many times these ornaments have been moved with me in the past 5 years. But they've stayed in their original packaging and have been handled with care in boxes with the word "FRAGILE" plastered all over it.

So here is the collection!

The first: Barbie as the Sugar Plum Fairy.

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Isn't she beautiful? Dress is a little smooshed from being in her tight Styrofoam packaging.  But I love how they styled her arms. So befitting of the perfect ballerina.

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Really great detail!

The boxes have fun excerpts like the Holiday Barbies. This one reads: "Barbie as the Sugar Plum Fairy captures the beauty of this lovely ballet character. With her tea-length tutu of shimmering, layered tulle...her tiny ballet slippers...and her golden tiara, she is the perfect beginning of an exquisite collection."

She is the first in the series. Next up: Barbie as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake.

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Don't you just love the feathers? And the dress is just adorable. So cute! And again, such great detail went into making these.

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Her box reads: "Barbie as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake captures the essence of this breathtaking ballet character. With her glittering tulle and organza tutu...her tiny ballet slippers...her silvery tiara...and her delicate, fluttering feathers, she is the perfect second addition to an exquisite collection."

Well, the tiny ballet slippers are always cute. Anything little is so cute right? :) This is the doll she was modeled after.

www.ajilbab.com
Not a bad job of making the two look identical. I may have to look for this doll, so beautiful.

Next is a little different. I don't think there was a third in the series of these ornaments but they did put out this one called "Lighter Than Air."

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This one is my favorite of the three. So beautiful. I never had the will to put her on the tree for fear of her delicate arms and legs getting broken. The other two are not so much of an issue but this one is very delicate.

She's so beautiful.

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Her box reads: "Your Barbie Lighter Than Air Porcelain Ornament is crafted in fine porcelain and her delicately painted face fully expresses the classic beauty and manner of a prima ballerina. Dark, up-swept hair is the perfect contrast to her pastel portrait. Her glorious costume and lithe pose are inspired by the renowned paintings of Edgar Degas. Layers of soft, hued, pleated tulle portray her as the perfect picture of ethereal grace. Her forever winsome look is completed with ivory ballet slippers."

Most of Degas' paintings are of ballet. Paintings of dancers in the studio, on the stage, and everywhere. He loved ballet. The pose of this dancer resembles our Barbie.

Edgar Degas via www.judaica-art.com
And last but certainly not least: Barbie as the Millennium Bride.

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What a great likeness of Barbie! And the silver roses are perfect for this bride. I love the cathedral veil. And she has such a sweet face.

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This face just shows that she is happy and is truly the blushing bride! She is a lot more composed than I was on my wedding day. I forgot to look at my husband while I was coming down the aisle because I was looking at everyone looking at me. Then the waterworks turned on when he wrote me a song. Ah, memories. :)

Her box write up is so cute. "There's one thing that hasn't changed since the first millennium - the fetching beauty of a blushing bride on her wedding day. This Barbie Millennium Bride porcelain Ornament embodies the elegance and grace every bride dreams of. She is simply breathtaking in a special bridal gown of shimmering tulle over satin the color of moonlight. Its dramatic silhouette is highlighted by a sweeping train that drifts out from the back of her gown. Her glimmering cathedral-length veil flows from a delicate silvery tiara that crowns her long hair and she carries a beautiful bouquet of silver-hued roses."

These ornaments were produced and sold by Avon. My mom has sold Avon for as long as I can remember. Since I was in preschool I think! I love Avon products and they have come out with some awesome things through the years. These ornaments being some of them!

I promise I will be back sooner this week. Until next time!

Matching Outfits: Cool or Corny?

Before I head on to more Barbie Christmas "Stuff" (okay, I am SO not over Christmas yet!) I wanted to ask a question. But first, here is a little story.

I am not a crafter. I am not one who pours over Pinterest for hours upon hours trying to find that perfect project. I was out with a friend last weekend and when I told her that I did not have an account on Pinterest she exclaimed, astonished: "What?! You don't pin?!?" Frankly, between this blog, keeping up on other blogs I follow, Facebook, Instagram, trying to keep up a house, working 8+ hours a day, exercising every night of the week.....you get the picture. There is just no time to "pin."

Once in a while I get the craft bug. Quite a few years ago when I taught a Sunday School class at my church, I had to think up crafts for these girls to do. (tons of fun by the way.) When I was unemployed this summer, I busted out the polymer clay and made a charm bracelet of items from my favorite video game. Check out my very cool bracelet here. I follow a very funny and awesome blog titled "Pinstrosity" (<--- Click for the link to the blog) and there was a craft project posted by someone that went awry. Well I got the craft bug and had to try the project for myself.

Project? Covering a pair of pumps in fabric for an updated look!

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Using nothing but this!

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And I have to say, even after this project, I've gotten the bug again to make some sundresses for my vacation to Hawaii in a couple of months. I got some really cool patterns at the thrift store.

So the real reason for my post. Part of the fun of Barbie is making clothes for her right? I know I'll have left over material from my sundress project so would it be fun to make Barbie an outfit that matches my own? I think that if made Barbie shoes that match these and then made her a sundress that I'll be making to match these shoes, it might be kind of a fun project. So is it cool or corny.

I've always wanted to try to make clothes for Barbie so this might be kind of fun. I also have a Stacie doll that I cannot find clothes for at the store. So what better than to make clothes for her myself. But I don't know about the matching Barbie's clothes to my own! 

(I really won't be offended if it's a corny idea. That's the reason why I'm asking.) :)

Thanks for helping out and I'll have a new post for you all this week!