Collection Showcase (and a finished product!)

Hello there!

Thank you all for being patient with me as I deal with that thing we call "life." Between family and friends and work...I have been busy!

First and foremost, the Beach Ball painting project is DONE!

I love it.

There are a few things I would have done differently. You'll notice that the dark blue panel is way larger than the other ones. It's the first one I did and that was the size I was going for but for some reason, it didn't work out that way.

Also, I wanted to keep original beach ball colors (blue, yellow, white, red.) But because I had so many panels, I needed to use all the colors I had (light green, glitter green)

Overall, I think it turned out great! It will be the perfect addition to my Barbie beach scene. (And once I go to Hawaii I can grab more sand for that setup.) Maybe by then I will be the proud new owner of a Barbie pool! I'm still looking around for one!

And now that this project is done, I can again fixate on the "Benny" doll project. Yay! Can't wait to get him finished.

And today I wanted to post a doll from my childhood collection. At the beginning I mentioned family. My husbands cousin, wife, and children came over last weekend. (Would that make their kids my 2nd cousins?) Two adorable little girls, 7 and 11. We went into my Barbie room to pick out a Disney movie and of course, their eyes were glued right to the Barbie shelves.

The littlest proclaimed: "You even have one in a wheelchair!" (Becky)

The older girl: It looks like she is wearing Pajamas! (Funky in Philly Fashion Avenue)

Both: Which one has the shortest hair? (They voted this one which is probably true.) I had to cut the already cut hair to fit the wig on.

Both: Which one has the longest hair?

Which brings me to my Collection Showcase. Both their eyes fixated on this doll.

The super fabulous Totally Hair Barbie. I got this doll brand new when I was a kid and she is one of my top 5 favorite dolls of all time. 

Now she by no means has the longest hair of any doll I have (That would be Jewel Hair Mermaid Teresa) but because she is positioned at the end of my shelf, they saw the hair and immediately voted this one to be the longest. And of course, had to touch it as well. Because, this long hair just begs to be touched right?

I never ever ever brushed her hair. I never wanted the crimps to fade or for it to frizz. So she always had the perfect hair with a light pick here and there and is still as perfect as the day I got her.

She always had the same bangs because I used to style mine like that believe it or not! Don't you love the sweet face?

The cool thing you received with this doll is your very own bottle of Dep styling gel for you and Barbie!

She also came with some different colored rubber bands, and another couple of hair accessories which is in one of my boxes somewhere. I'll post them when I can dig them out. I remember one is a long pink piece of fabric with a wire in it with some ribbon curls on the end. So super cute.

Look, I found a picture of it on google!

katesnyder.blogspot.com

I love her. She is so beautiful. And you can't say no to that mod print mini dress!

So friends, do you have Totally Hair Barbie? Do you love her as much as I do? Let me know in the comments!

I am hoping to have more of the Benny sewing project up soon. We'll see how the days go!

Until then!

New dolls and "who is she?"

I hope everyone is ready for this wonderful weekend! Summer is definitely upon us (at least where I live.) It's been in the 80's outside and I've been soaking up on my vitamin D every afternoon driving home from work in a convertible. Love it!

I visited my parents this last weekend and they are always getting me new dolls. I think I remember telling you that my dad as a booth in a local antique store so when he goes to drop off new product, he takes a gander at the new stuff that comes in for other people's booths. Surprisingly there are a lot of dolls that come in. Since my dad deals in antiques, he has a lot of knowledge of how things should be priced based on box condition, discoloration and fading, etc. So if the price is right based on condition, he will usually pick some up for me. And then there are some that pass through garage sales that just need to be rescued! You know how that goes!

First, the boxed dolls I received.

Here we have the special edition Navy Barbie! I remember when this doll came out. I love how Mattel made Barbie serve in the armed forces. Those men and women deserve all the support they can get.

Unfortunately the box is not doll or 'deboxed' friendly so I am unable to slip the casing out and fix her tie and hat. It's going to drive me crazy. Oh well I guess!

The box states that she has an extra pair of pants and shoes! I knew she had heels but didn't know what the other pair would be. Upon further inspection, I tilted the box so I could see the bag of goodies and they are a pair of black flats. Just in case anyone else was wondering like me. :)

She is so cute on the back of the box! It reads: "All ashore! What an exciting day! The ship is back from the sea with the crew 'manning the rail.' Using her charts (maps) and sextant, Petty Officer Barbie has accurately plotted the ship's course to get it into port exactly on time. Barbie is wearing the official uniform for the enlisted women in the U.S. Navy. Authentic insignia and campaign ribbons on her jumper blouse indicate that she is a petty officer first class and quartermaster, has been in the Navy 8 years and earned many honors, and knows everything about her ship from stem to stern. Navy Barbie is proud to serve her country while enjoying an exciting and challenging career."

I love how they made her insignia real and accurate and I also love her with her little charts! Cute!

Next we have one of my favorites growing up. All American Barbie! Can you believe that I remember the commercial for this doll? The announcer said "Barbie! With a double pair of Reebok's! Oh wow!" Those were the days. I was so excited when my mom and I found her on clearance. We just moved into a new house and my mom was doing a lot of work cleaning and preparing for the move in. My brother and I had to entertain ourselves for a while so for our good behavior she bought each of us a new toy. She was $8. :)

I absolutely loved her vest with "American" icons on it such as shoes, a baseball bat and ice cream cones. She has beautiful crimped hair and the tie dye socks are sweet! Unfortunately the box is severely crushed but that's okay because now I have 2!

Also if you've never checked out the shoes, this is a unique style that I've never seen on any other doll. The shoe is a regular Barbie sneaker and they made sort of a casing to go around the shoe to make it look like hi-tops. I think it's a unique idea! My Barbie mostly loved to wear her pink ones (of course) so they get a little dirty on the bottom because of the cloth. I don't think that matters too much though. She is one of my favorites.

Now for the ID's! This dark skinned doll with both light and blonde hair highlights needed to be rescued from a garage sale of a person who smoked. I washed her up and my mom washed her dress which is super super cute by the way! I know she is a beach doll (with a newer body style.) But who is she?

This one I don't think is a Fashionista because she does not have jointed arms and legs. She is very rigid so maybe I'll give her a limb change. I also hate the one bent arm and one straight arm. It seems so unnatural. She has a cute outfit though. Is she from one of the Barbie movies?

And the last one. By typing in "wheelchair Barbie" it brought up that this was Becky, I'm the School Photographer doll.

www.amazon.com

She has really cute features. She did need some dusting so I cleaned her up and now she's ready to take pictures! (But I still need to give her a camera.) She came still tied in the wheelchair so I'm not sure if you are supposed to untie her waist and feet or leave them where they are. I would think that this doll would be kind of contradicting the point of being in a wheelchair if you could take her out and make her stand on her own. Does anyone have this doll and has taken her out of the chair?

She does have jointed elbows though which I'm guessing were necessary for her both taking pictures and pushing her wheelchair. Ah, I like getting new friends of Barbie. I love her outfit too because it reminds me of what I wore in High School. Jeans, sneakers, and a T and overshirts. :) She has beautiful strawberry blonde hair which is in really good condition. Judging by where the dust was on this doll, she looked like she has been displayed and not played with a ton. She is beautiful.

Well that's it for today! My husband has gone to Alaska for a fishing vacation so it gives me time to dig in and bring out some stuff for Barbie that hasn't been out in a very long time! I'm also going to work on photographing Camp Barbie and her gift that I gave to her when I was a child. It's mentioned in THIS post! So stay tuned!

Do you have any of these dolls?

Until next time!

Back from Vacation and $8 of Goodness

Hello all!

I'm finally back from vacation. I had a lovey time in Maui! The weather was perfect and it was the best time swimming and snorkeling and boogie boarding and body surfing and.....well, just everything!

Here is a picture from our trip. Me and my hubby by the palm tree.

But now I'm back and ready with more Barbie awesomeness!

So I went to the thrift store and got another load of Barbies!

I wasn't very impressed with the service at the store this time around. There was a new guy and girl there, not the usual eclectic, new age, fun girls that are there. But I will tell you that I got a whopping 38 dolls! When I went up to the counter with my stash, this is the conversation that played out.

Me: I know this looks a little strange but I love dolls! (laugh)
Girl: (no laugh, no smile) Well...some of these dolls have price tags on them.
Me: Well, they are usually $1 per pound, that's usually what all the toys are.
Girl: (starts taking dolls out of the bag) well, there are prices on some of them because they are collector.
Guy: (Sitting back behind the counter on a laptop) I checked all those dolls.
Girl: You checked ALL of these?
Guy: Yeah, all of them are not real collectible. They all say 1967 or so on the back which is the year of the mold.
Me: You know your dolls!
Guy: (smiles)
Girl: Ok, we'll do it by the pound.

Note that the last time I got dolls there were the same tags on them. Most read $2. They are not the tags the store uses because theirs say "ReGroup" on them. I'm thinking that these were at a yard sale or other store and didn't sell so they donated them. Every time I have got dolls I have paid $1 per pound. Even when I bought 3 pieces of doll clothing (which weigh nothing) I paid $1 because the money goes to Hospice so that is a good cause.

I'm willing to pay for dolls what they are worth. I will not rip someone off but if I can get a bargain, I do it. Especially for dolls with the old body style. But when I have paid $1 per pound in the year I have been going to that store and they are in that section, I expect to pay what they are signed at. If they wanted to go by the tag price (again, that was not their stores tags) then they should have moved them.

I like the other girls better. They actually talk to you and laugh with you and have fun. Also note that I have never been there on a Thursday. I'll continue to go on Friday when the other staff works.

Okay, ready for the magnificent 38? Some are very unique so I'll need some ID's! (Andrea!)

First we have another sparkle haired doll exactly like the one I got before. I think this one's hair is a little longer. I may put her in the "Barbie Club" crop Tee and shorts set after I give her a bath. The next has black painted on leggings and a swimsuit. However, it does not fit real well on Barbie. Her chest is too big. Maybe a Skipper swimsuit? I'm sure it would fit my Jazzie doll! The next is Glitter Beach Barbie. I have her already and put her in a nice Hawaiian ensemble. I think I will use this one because the other one has some terrible black spots on her legs that I can't seem to remove. Probably from the spray glitter she came with. The next is a generic doll.

Glitter hair Barbie looks like this one from last time.

Here is my Glitter Beach Barbie!

Next we have some fully anatomical dolls! The one on the left only has the arms. The two in the middle have both moving elbows and knees and flat feet. They are also wearing clothes that are way too big. The one on the right is so pretty. She has this cute lingerie with pink bow earrings. So cute.

This doll has golden hair but is not a Barbie. I don't know what she is! But tell me, is this the jumpsuit from Great Shapes Barbie?

She has faded looking eyes. Maybe she goes to sleep when you rub icy water on them? Kind of like Bedtime Barbie? Sorry for the blurry picture but her irises have stars in them.

Next we have a little bit of a mix. We have a non-Barbie with a split waist. A Barbie, a darker skinned Teresa with a beaded necklace and another non-Barbie wearing some kind of dress?

This "dress" reminds me of Dance Magic Barbie where when you take off her skirt, her dress becomes a ballet outfit. I don't think this is complete! Also, her head fell off and was pushed on so a high-necked outfit may be ideal for her. 

This is the one from the left. She has glass eyes. Very pretty.

Now we have some interesting ones. The one on the left has an interesting lower section. It's not like "panties" like some of the older dolls. It's more round? I guess? The next is a non-Barbie wearing a strange dress, an older Barbie and a newer Barbie.

Here is a close up of the dress. I don't think it's genuine Barbie. It fits the waist fine but the halter top is way too big.

Our next group has the new body types. I'm not sure what the one on the left is. A Disney maybe? The one on the right has a pretty pink streak in her hair!

Now we have body types both new and old. The one on the right has anatomical knees but I had a hard time sitting her up as they are very loose. But take a look at the second doll.

This waist is soft and squishy. I have NO idea who she is!

So now we have more old and new bodied beauties! Left has anatomical arms. Then a new body, then a generic old body, then a dark skinned new body. Who is she?

Now we have a new body, another squishy waist doll, an old body and a beautiful AA doll. She is wearing a bead necklace and has somewhat of a do-rag attached to her hair. Any one know who she is?

This doll is a little odd. She must be a runner or something because when her legs move, her arms swing back! She's cute though!

Now the last group. First a non-Barbie wearing a peasant dress (it seems to fit okay, not perfect though.) A Snow White wearing a Cinderella dress that doesn't fully close in the back. A new bodied Barbie with pink legs. Maybe a ballerina? Then the last doll, a generic old body.

I lied. I do have a few more. A couple of McDonalds dolls and a little Kelly!

I also got an extra leg. It's plastic, not vinyl but it will do when I need another leg for something. I also had to pass up a couple of dolls. I passed by a Twilight Edward doll. He had one entire foot chewed off and the other foot was 3/4 of the way chewed off. I might have picked him up in the mix had his feet been intact but he is a BIG doll! I don't think Ken's clothes will fit! I also passed up a beautiful good condition Ariel doll. I loved the red hair but her hips were very big. Again, no clothes would have fit them. There was a small and skinny Tinkerbell doll and then a few Bratz (with no feet though!) All in all, I did well with this run!

I hope you all get a chance to read this and help me with some identification. I am so bad at finding out what dolls are so I'm glad I have readers like you to help!

Until next time!

Barbie's Super Fab 80's Casual Wear

So in between trying to make my second dress for Hawaii, I had time to give some Barbies a bath!

Now that's A TON of Barbie's in the tub!

I scrubbed the bodies (a lot from my last thrift store run were very dirty) I washed hair, I conditioned hair. And I even ran a pick through the hair with minimal pull out! Success!

I was so excited with this last thrift store grab because almost all the dolls I got were with the old body style. All of the fashions I played with from my childhood are for that body type. And as you know, the old clothes just do not fit on the new bodies that well!

So, now that I had enough dolls, I pulled out this box.

Barbie Casual Wear! Look at the label on the front of this box. "JCPenney Catalog Division." Does JCPenney even have a catalog anymore? In my hometown we had a JCPenney Catalog store. You would order it from the catalog and pick it up at the store. They even had a very small selection of clothes. Sometimes you could find something good. But I got this for Christmas one year back in the late 80's. I never dressed up my dolls in these clothes very often but now it's time to show them off!

Here is a quick look at the box contents. Shoes still in the plastic bag. I was so particular about my dolls and clothes.

And here is the group! The fab 6 in the SUPER fab 80's casual wear.

I put this sparkle hair beauty in this "Barbie Club" crop top with wild print shorts and white sneakers. I even fluffed out her bangs 80's style. More height the better right?

This next one I put in a yellow and blue ensemble with ruffles, stripes, and polka dots and blue sneakers. Adorable!

Next we have another piece in the casual wear which doesn't really fit the theme. But it's still casual nonetheless! Barbie in a pink snow suit with ski boots. (The head of this doll fell off so putting her in a high necked piece was ideal.)

I'm not sure how she is supposed to stand in these boots as they seem to tilt forward. At the thrift store sometime ago, I found ONE pink ski. If only I had found two I could have added them to her!

Now we have this long haired cutie in pearl earrings wearing this blue sundress with a bow at the side and blue sneakers.

The light purple eyeshadow and nude lips made a perfect choice for this purple and pink shorts and shirt combo with hot pink sneakers.

Teresa goes Jazzercise!

I just love the 80's workout wear. Isn't this the best? I love the legwarmers. So super cute!

So there you have it, the Barbie Casual Wear ensemble! Do you like it?

I also did some other clean up on some other dolls. My my, Miss Stacie looks SO much better without the hat and a hair clean up!

I can't wait to make some clothes for her and display her on my shelf.

Remember this doll I got from the thrift store last week?

This poor cutie. She got a makeover (or in a fight with some scissors, one of the two.) I was going to research and try my hand at re-rooting until I remembered that I had these fabulous wigs from my mom's collection.

So this Barbie is going vintage!

This doll is wearing the dress from the 1961 Orange Blossom Wedding Ensemble. Read about it on the Fashion Doll Guide here.

I added some brown open toe heels (which I believe go to my Sew Free Fashion Fun "Day in Town" outfit) and I added a cute furry leopard print purse. Like?

The wig looks perfect from the back.

I think it's a good look for her!

Until next time!