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Tag Archives: vintage

a barbie birthday

10 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by creationsbycathy in live happy

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

"Barbie collector", "Barbie doll collection", "Barbie doll", "Barbie's birthday", Barbie, Barbies, birthday, collector, Mattel, vintage

barbie tea partySo Barbie turned 54 yesterday.  Gosh.  Just the word “Barbie” brings back an incredible flood of memories.  All good.  Summer memories of entire glorious days spent playing Barbies. Sun up to sun down, over in the side yard with my next door neighbor and my sister.  Pure bliss, I tell you.    Yes, if good ole’ Babs were here sipping coffee with me this morning, I would say, “Thank you.  I loved you.  I was obsessed with you”.  Let me also say that this was a pretty common thing for many, many girls my age.  And speaking of “my age”…  Let’s just say that Babs and I have a close connection.  In age.  She was “born” in 1959; I was born in 1961.  I’m fairly certain that our lives would have crossed paths.  After all; who knows, right?  Our kids may have been friends.  We certainly could have been neighbors.  In the same Bunco group, perhaps? Ya – Barbie and I probably would have been Brownie and Cub Scout leaders together. Pretty sure about that one.  Well… other than the fact that Barbie had quite a few careers to juggle throughout the years.  Let’s see; she was a princess, firefighter, cowgirl, Paleontologist, pop singer, NASCAR driver, car burglar, jet pilot in the Air Force, waitress, astronaut, olympic gymnast and ran for president of the United States four times. And that’s the short list.  See more HERE. So I’m thinking maybe the scout co-leader thing is out.  Just sayin’.

barbie dressbarbie nightgownbarbie dresses

And so Babs and I are now in our 50’s.  Personally, I am just gonna say that the “50’s” absolutely rock!! There is a certain sense of self awareness and confidence unlike any decade prior. It’s that “Like it, or not, I am who I am.  The end.”  Love that.  What I don’t love, however, are some of the other little “goodies” that seem to catch up with you in your 40’s & 50’s…  Ann Brenoff, from the Huffington Post, captured those sentiments in an article honoring Barbie’s birthday – “Barbie, Your Roots are Showing”.  I encourage you to click on and read the entire article – but here is just a portion of Ann’s article…

Vintage-Barbie-Art-6_largebarbie lucie

“Barbie, the missile-breasted doll who never ages, actually turns 54 today. And while it’s not one of those milestone birthdays — the ones that end in a 0 or a 5 — we think we know how she’s feeling about this one.

But Babs? She definitely is hanging in there. For one, Barbie has always had that stiletto heel thing down pat (remember: This is the doll who wore them to go sky-diving), although we suspect that in real life, 54-year-old Barbie kicks those suckers off as soon as she gets home and secretly wishes that comfort shoes weren’t so damn ugly. We are pretty certain she’s asked her publicist to get rid of those Web photos of her wearing Naturalizers, but wouldn’t it be nice if someone, somewhere could make a stylish shoe for women with bunions? Yep, Barbie’s got bunions. (You can see them if you look really, really hard at her permanently arched tiny feet. Try drinking wine first; it helps you see doll bunions.)

And I think we all know what real-life Barbie doesn’t want for her birthday: A cashmere sweater. Just looking at sweaters, especially turtlenecks, triggers her hot flashes. She tried hormones — hoping that they’d improve her memory too since she is always losing those damn little shoes of hers into the carpet — but the weight gain was more than she could handle.

The good news is that, at 54, Barbie very much still wants to work. Rumor has it that she’s introducing a line of reading glasses for all the little girls who grew up playing with her.”

Ouch. That hurts, doesn’t it, Babs.

barbie on telephone

Click HERE to see a collector who has over 2000 Barbies lining his wall… a clip from “Good morning America”

barbie lunchbox

Yep. The year was 1967 and this was my FAV lunchbox/thermos EVER!

barbie thermosbarbie birthday cake

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perfectly placed pearls

22 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by creationsbycathy in create, live happy

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

"Martha Stewart", "New Year Resolutions", "tip of the day", jewelry, jewels, organization, pearls, teacups, velvet, vintage

jewelry storageSo every day, my friend Martha (Stewart) sends me an “organizing tip of the day”. (Thanks, Martha) Let’s just say that I have been feeling pretty good about the (slow and) steady progress that I have been making in this department.  Now mind you, this “organize my life” project started way before the whole “New Year’s Resolutions” thingie…  As a matter of fact (confession alert!!), this “organizational mode of thinking” actually WAS a “New Year’s Resolution”.  In 2012.  OK.  So it’s “long-term”.  So what.  At least I’m still plugging away; Right???  So back to the part where I am feeling pretty good about my progress.  Today’s tip really threw me for a loop.

“Jewelry boxes can be handy, but they can also turn your prettiest baubles into unsightly nests of knots.  Let your hodgepodge of china collect something besides dust: Orphaned teacups and saucers are perfect vessels for sorting jewelry, and, when arranged in a velvet-lined drawer, they give you an easy-to-scan bird’s-eye view of your bijoux. To set it up, measure the height of the drawer’s side (not the front), then gather dishware that’s slightly shorter. Line the drawer with velvet or felt to prevent rattling and sliding, then position the porcelain. Hook drop earrings on rims of cups, nestle necklaces within them, and stash chunkier beads and bangles on individual saucers.” (From Martha Stewart )

Upon reading today’s tip, I started to question my efforts and progress thus far.  In reality, would I EVER really get to the point where everything was SO organized that I would be out shopping for vintage teacups in a specified height to delicately arrange in my (velvet lined) jewelry drawer…??  Probably not.  And that’s OK.

hanging jewelry

jewelry

But some of my necklaces are hanging, my rings are separated fom my pins, my pearls are all (blobbed together) in a pink cut crystal bowl, and I have a vintage mirror that I found in an antique store that I “blinged” (This last bit of trivia has absolutely no relevance.  I just like the mirror.)  So Martha – I’m looking for your approval, perhaps (?), that indeed I AM moving in the right direction…?

pearls3

jeweled mirror

If not;  I did come across some pretty “orphaned” teacups.  Fine.  I’ll start measuring the drawers…

teacups

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the mismatched dinner

27 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by creationsbycathy in create, live happy

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

"dinner party", "formal dining room", "matchy-matchy", detail, dinner, mismatched, shabby chic, vintage

So we had a little dinner party last week.  Simple.  Fun.  Note to self; “You’re a detail freak.”  Oh… really?  Yes, I might look past the dust on the shelves. I only dust for my height.  If you are taller than 5’5″… Well – Sorry!  Honestly,  who really cares anyway; Right?  It’s not that I don’t care about my guests; I do.  It’s just that I would rather be tying fresh rosemary on the napkins.  Confession: I’m not a “matchy-matchy” person either.  It was intentional that none of the placemats matched. I also mixed up the plates.  And the glasses.  I want to re-do my “formal dining room” and make it my “informal dining room”.  And then USE it!  A lot.  I want to (gasp!) paint my dark mahogany furniture “shabby chic” distressed white.  I would even love to throw in a few mismatched chairs.  I know.  Weird, huh?  My daughter thinks I’m nuts.  I don’t think it took her 22 years to figure that out, however.  So I will keep you updated once I actually put my plan into action.  You know – “before” and “after” pics.  All that stuff.  In the meantime, I have my eyes open for unique vintage mismatched plates.  Or glasses. Or chairs…

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What we’ve been chatting about…

  • their chapter…
  • “my word”
  • perfectly placed pearls
  • orange cranberry pistachio biscotti
  • saying goodbye to 2014…
  • easiest dip ever!
  • he is home
  • leftovers; again…?
  • thanksgiving dinner; repurposed
  • the magical Christmas tree
  • gratitude 101
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