It is Wednesday is Rednesday and time to party with our hostess Sue over at It's a Very Cherry World. Today I decided to show a little red, Barbie style so I am also joining Twyla and Lindsey, a mother and daughter blog at Two Crazy Crafters for a little Barbie Wednesday.
As a young girl, I loved playing with my Barbies. I never was one for baby dolls and dish sets. I liked that everything would fit in my Barbie Doll case, all the dolls, clothing, and accessories, and be ready to be taken on a road trip, visit to my favorite Aunt, or to a friend's house.
On my little Singer sewing machine, I would sew outfits that at the time I thought were oh so lovely, but am a little embarrassed to show them now. I got my first pony tailed Barbie when I was 5 (please see the story of the naked Barbie in the Family Christmas Photo here). That was in 1965.
My next Barbie was handed down to me from a neighbor. She had no hair and came with 3 wigs, blonde bubble cut, long black hair with a flip and a red wig, which had been lost before being handed down to me. My last 2 dolls were both for my birthday in 1970. I was thrilled to finally receive a Ken doll. My brother's GI Joe doll just didn't cut it being Barbie's date. It was hard to pretend that they were at the prom, Barbie in a gorgeous gown and Joe in his fatigues.
The other birthday doll was Julia from the TV show starring Diahann Carroll. She played a widowed single mother whose fighter pilot husband had been shot down in Vietnam. The show ran from 1968-1971 and was one of the first weekly tv series to depict an African American woman in a non-stereotypical role.
The blonde doll is marked Mattel and is dated 1966 and was a lawn sale find for my daughter to play with. The reddish tint of my Julia doll's hair happened over time and I'm not sure why. Both dolls are wearing actual Barbie fashions.
Here is my Barbie with the black wig along with Ken, resplendent in his red tuxedo. This is the Talking Ken and he is buff, unlike the earlier version of the Ken doll that was skinny, pasty and the one-to-have-sand-kicked-in-his-face-at-the-beach-doll.
Barbie without her wig.
This is an actual 1970 catalog of Barbie fashions. This page shows "Francie Fashion Flings", but there are also fashions for Skipper, Barbie, Ken, Tutti, P.J., Brad, Christie, Stacey, Julia, and Casey.
Tops for Ken. The one on the right is the beach jacket that came with the original, dare I say, wimpy, Ken doll. Why is it that the Barbie doll had unrealistic proportions of bust and waist that no real woman could ever achieve and that the male counterpart being the original Ken doll looked like he just graduated from Junior High.
These are homemade Red fashions. The one on the right was made by my Aunt in the 60's. Unlike the official Barbie label fashions, this wouldn't sell on eBay; however, it is the most valuable one to me.
Please be sure to say Hi to Sue at It's a Very Cherry World and Twyla and Lindsey at Two Crazy Crafters. I am going to go play with my Barbies. Have a great day.
I got it at Goodwill
Sherrie
Silver monogrammed pitcher from Goodwill $4.99 with phlox and lilacs from my garden.
Wow. This past week, I have been so busy. The kind of busy, that as tired as you are, you can't even fall asleep because your mind is racing over the list of 300 things left undone on your to-do list, kind of busy. For all of you that have a shop or a booth you know what I mean, because that is what I now am, officially a shop owner!
This is something that I have wanted to do for several years. Having a strong business background, I knew it would take more than finding treasures and setting them up in oh-so-lovely vignettes. It would be a commitment of time, energy and resources. In the past, in anything I did, I always put family first. So while Elizabeth was in school with all her recitals, concerts and other activities, it just wasn't the time. Of course, after she graduated, I still made up excuses.
I have always had the talent of finding my treasures, literally for pennies, being knowledgeable about their true value, and reselling them for a substantial profit on e-bay or through my lawnsales. In fact, my lawnsales were legendary. Being located in the center of town, I never had to advertise in the paper. My distinct red signs put up the Friday before the sale at the two main intersections in town, always guaranteed a good turnout. I could count on my "regulars" waiting in my driveway at 6:00 a.m. and would be disappointed if I hadn't made at least $200 by 7:00 a.m.
My sales would have the usual housewares or toys along with some rescued furniture (which I found curbside or real cheap and fixed up). I live in a college town and there are always students looking to furnish their apartments. But it was my McCoy, Weller, Hull, & Roseville pottery, my vintage linens, silver and especially my quirky/unusual vintage finds that fueled the sale. Priced to sell but not just give away, I understood that the folks buying the big ticket items would be re-selling them and that everyone along this consumer chain had to make a profit.
This past Saturday, I held my lawnsale to coincide with the rummage sale being held by my neighbor, the church. Since they had heavily advertised, I was expecting even more customers. It wasn't my usual sale. No McCoy, Weller or anything else that distinguished my sale from the others. Those items have been set aside for my shop. I only netted $200, but not bad considering what I was selling. Typically, I end a sale day between $700 to $900. More important than making money for the day was being able to meet potential store customers and getting out the word that there is a new shop in town. I collected a list of e-mail addresses to be notified for the shop's grand opening. Even better, I made several contacts with women looking to do consignments.
Right now the space is being renovated so I am looking at the end of June to open. It is located at 8 School Street, Second Floor, Gorham, Maine. The name of the shop is "2nd fl Thriftiques" and will feature vintage fashions, furniture, housewares and art as well as repurposed treasures made from vintage pieces with a new twist.
I didn't receive my business cards in time to pass out on Saturday, so I quickly made some up using mailing labels and vintage playing cards. Talk about "repurposed treasures". The cards were a huge hit.
On the front side it reads:
2nd fl Thriftiques Shop
Fabulous Vintage Finds & Repurposed Treasures
The back reads:
Consignments Taken
e-mail: thriftiques@yahoo.com
8 School St. 2nd fl, Gorham, Maine
I have created a blog for the shop and will be posting shop business at that site, when new inventory arrives, etc., with lots of photos. I will be setting up a paypal account if anyone is interested in purchasing items from the shop. However, until the grand opening and commencement of my new blog, I will be posting a few blurbs about the process of getting the shop ready here at A Conversation at Goodwill. I would love any comments, advice, and helpful suggestions, from all of you that already have a shop or booth. Your help would be so appreciated.
Any new adventure is as intimidating as it is exciting. When people ask why now, why this point in time of opening up a shop, I simply respond with this ......... I turn 50 in August and know that I will have to work for at least another 17 years. It might as well be something that I truly enjoy doing. Good or bad, I will never regret opening the shop; however, I would regret not at least trying. "It is never too late to be what you might have become" Please wish me luck.
Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie
Have you ever wondered about my profile photo? It is a little black & white photo of a 3 year old little girl, yours truly, charming in my little frilly dress and sweater. In this photo, I am at my Uncle's store. I always thought it funny that it isn't the jewelry that I am pointing at but rather the silver trays. Always thinking about entertaining my guests in style, apparently at age 3, I was well on my way to wanting to be the "Hostess with the Mostest".
The photo is a favorite of mine. Coming from a family of 4, all of us really close in age, I don't have many photos of just me. Besides, I stopped being photogenic a long time ago. The other photo on my sidebar is a recent shot of me clutching my Blue Goodwill Bag in front of my favorite place to shop, but it is from a distance. Hey, I just wanted to get the store sign in the background and not hide away from a close-up, honest.
I was born to shop, but allow me to make clear, I am not a shopaholic. I am a "Thriftique Shopper". (Please see my post "If it walks like a duck, confessions of a thriftique shopper", click here) In 1968, a much older cousin passed down a book to me, titled Sally Goes Shopping Alone, by Louise Eppenstein published in 1940. Little Sally is only 8 and she goes to the department store, 3 blocks away from her house, on a mission to buy a birthday present for her mommy. "Mummy looked at Sally. She looked at a little girl who was eight but wore size twelve, and who bathed herself without forgetting ears, and who made her own bed without a wrinkle and who knew her tables-of-tens." I was also 8, and the stores were about the same distance away, in the quiet little town of Gardiner, and I could make my bed, wash my ears and as for the tables-of-tens, well I have said it before, creativity and math do not go together, anyway I still couldn't walk downtown by myself until age 10.
Most children carry around a toy or two, I carried my little book collection. This book was a favorite, right along with Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel, and went with me on visits to Aunt Eva's house, or on other long road trips. All I have from my childhood are my barbies and a few books. I suppose the book might be valuable, it is in great shape for being 70 years old; however, I would never part with it. As I hold it in my hands, lovingly turning each page, a flood of memories rush back to me of a much happier and simpler time, when even though I had to wait until I was 10, I could go shopping alone. I wouldn't let my own daughter go to the Mall with friends much less alone until she was 14. Yes, it was a simpler time.
Thank you for letting me share this childhood memory. Before I got ready to post, I was visiting some of my favorite blogs and found that my friend Melinda @ Alabaster Rose Designs is doing her first blog party "I'm So Blue Monday's" and through Diann @ The Thrifty Groove, I found Sally @ Smiling Sally for "Blue Monday". What a nice surprise, my post today was meant to be. My little Blue Book is joining these 2 little parties. I hope that you stop by and see what everyone else is showing.
I Got It At Goodwill
Sherrie
Good Morning all. Today is Vintage Thingie Thursday, once again brought to you by our fabulous hostess, Suzanne@The Colorado Lady. (click here to visit). Before we even start the party, you have to see the photos Suzanne posted today of her Vintage Theme Bridal Shower. They are fabulous, and I am shamelessly going to copy all her ideas.
Today I have a few Goodwill and church sale finds that made me rather happy this week. After all, it is about the hunt and the found treasure is a bonus.
The two cups in the back came from a recent church rummage sale for a $.10 apiece. The one in the front is from Goodwill for $.99. I love that the design is also inside the cup. The design is the same on all three cups; however, the execution of the cups is different.
All three are stamped made in Japan. The two from the church sale are thicker than the other piece, with different handles. I have no proper place to display my blue & white collection; but I can't say no to Blue Willow or the Flying Turkey Design.
PYREX, apparently I can't say no to that either. This divided casserole dish followed me home Sunday from the new Goodwill store ($2.99). The photo does not do the colors justice, the flowers are gold leaf on a cream background. Although it is missing it's lid, the gold leaf is in pristine shape. The pattern is called Dandelion Duet (also known as Thistle) and was part of the Promotional Cinderella Divided Dish Series 963 in Spring 1959.
There were 4 other Pyrex pieces at the store. Two of which were 50% off being the color of the week. The 2 not on sale dishes were marked $3.99 and $2.99. At first I had them in my cart until closer inspection showed unacceptable cracks and major chips along the handles. This brings me to a small complaint about Goodwill. Their employees are given certain names to look for in both housewares and in clothing. For dishes, Pyrex is one of those names to watch for in pricing. I can appreciate that; however, I don't care if it is Pyrex, if it is broken, you get $.50 only. Last night I was at the store again and found another casserole dish, that the entire design had been rubbed off, for $3.99! Yes it still served a function, you could cook in it, but otherwise would have to be hidden in the cupboard. I want both form and function with my purchases, please.
I actually passed on the 2 sale pieces. They were in great shape but had been priced really, really high to begin with. Knowing that I would be reselling them, it just didn't leave me room for a mark up.
I saw this little chicken in a basket at Goodwill. It was $1.99. The two pieces had been taped together, around and around and around .... so I could not easily unwrap it to see what was inside. I decided to take the chance and purchase it. I suspected it was Made in Japan but there were no markings on the outside.
This is what I discovered when I got home. Egg salt n' pepper set with the Japan label. You have to admit, what vintage table couldn't use a chicken-in-a-basket with salt n' pepper eggs?
I have shown several of my turquoise dishes. I have always loved that color, especially paired with yellow. In fact, I was reading that turquoise has replaced the pink/brown combo of last year's must have colors. In this photo you will see 2 glass trays. The large circle was purchased at a Goodwill several years ago, the rectangular matching tray, last week at Goodwill for $1.99! I almost danced in the aisle when I found it, buried underneath a stack of newer plates.
These are my Vintage Treasures for today. Please be sure to stop by and visit Suzanne and see what everyone else is bringing to the party.
Have a lovely day.
Sherrie
Today, I am very honored and delighted to have received an award, the Happy 101 award that was presented to me by my friend Melinda at Alabaster Rose Designs. Her charming blog showcases her jewelry designs using such beautiful and artistic photography, as well as sharing the occasional snippets from her life. (Please click here to visit). Upon being presented this award, I was asked to list 10 things that make me happy. I have to admit that home-made chicken and dumplings makes me happy or being able to curl up in my favorite chair, with my favorite book, blanket and cup of tea on a cold winter's afternoon, makes me really happy. However, this request made me pause and reflect on what was important to me, what truly made me happy. So here are my thoughts.
1. Family, all in good heath. I love them dearly, I really do, although at times .......... Good thing that they're cute!
2. My Blog. I may not be the best writer or photographer, but I hope if nothing else, I entertain. The wonderful and supportive comments that I have received, bring a smile each day. I am genuinely blessed by all the new friends I have met in this wonderful blogging community.
3. My Gardens, especially if you count colorful weeds as flowers.
4. Decorating, my home, my gardens, my garden shed ..... I'm working on my car next. You can never have too many pillows, right?
5. The satisfaction of salvaging a piece destined for the junk yard (can you say dumpster diving) into a fabulous treasure and being asked which high priced gallery did I purchase it at. (Although the down side of that thought is, that they didn't think I could have made it?)
6. When I learn something new on the computer, like how to add text to a photo or make a photo collage. Although I am not old, I didn't grow up with computers. I was busy with paint brushes and sewing needles. Frankly I have always felt I was born in the wrong century, I would have liked to have been BFF with Susan B. Anthony.
7. Taking 8 hours to shop, prep, and cook a gourmet meal served on a fabulously designed table. When guests comment how much work must have gone into the meal and presentation, I simply reply "Oh this (add a little laugh here) It was just a little something I threw together."
8. Having my 22 year old fashionista daughter comment on how nice I look and having her hang out with me, just the mom, when she could be out with her friends.
9. Still getting excited whenever an article of mine gets published. I have been a free lance writer for years and just recently was asked to be on the staff of the local paper. It doesn't pay but is immeasurably satisfying.
10. Knowing that it is never too late to be what you might have become. I am happy to not be content with the way things are, that it is okay to dream for one's self and to strive to make those dreams a reality.
That is what makes me happy, and oh yes, Chocolate Pie with real whip cream and chocolate shavings, mashed spuds drizzled with truffle oil and I never met a Peking Duck that I didn't like.
But enough of what makes me happy. Apparently, I get to share this lovely award and have chosen 4 fellow bloggers to bestow it upon, because they each make me happy, when they leave me comments and when I visit their lovely blogs.
First of all, I would have chosen Melinda at Alabaster Rose Designs; however, she is the one to have awarded me. Next I thought of Sissie @ Sissie's Shabby Cottage. That woman can crack me up. The photos of her home are scrumptious as are her ruffled creations; however, her blog is respectfully Tag Free. Please feel free to stop on over and check out her blog anyway, (click here) you will be glad that you did.
These are the four that I have chosen for bringing me a smile, perfect for the Happy 101 Award.
Julie Marie @ Idyllhours (an elegant and gracious blog hostess)
Linda @ A la Carte ( a friend with fabulous finds)
Mimi Bleu @ Bonjour Romance (for a virtual trip to Paris. I love her quote "Put a little ooh la la in your life."
Sweet Bee @ Sweet Bee Cottage ( sharing wonderful snippets of her family life and being generous with her sweet comments).
Just think how much better the world would be, if in real life we were able to award Happiness Awards and that people would strive to bring happiness to those all around them. Oh well, I am back to daydreaming but every thing starts with a dream.
Have a lovely day my friends.
Sherrie
On Saturday May 1st, I catered a surprise bridal shower (Breakfast at Tiffany's Theme a la Audrey) for a very lovely young lady named Amy. Amy thought that she was attending a birthday party for her sister, whose birthday was in fact on May 1st. The entrance to the building was festooned with birthday balloons and banners. As she walked through the doorway to the cheers from friends and family that had gathered, she realized the day was for her and she just glowed.
I would like to say that everything went off without a hitch except I am embarrassed to admit that my camera was out of commission. I was so good about recharging the batteries and remembering to place them back in the camera the night before, unfortunately I left my memory chip in my computer after downloading some photos earlier in the day. So I had to rely on guests to kindly relay their photos to me. I had visualized certain poses as it were for my "food photo shoot" that did not materialize; however, there were a few good shots that captured the atmosphere of the day.
Originally, the buffet table had been set up against a nice bare wall, which would have provided a clean backdrop and a better photo opportunity. Once set up, the table had to be moved as it turned out that the hall lights above the table were not operable and created a dark spot. Unfortunately, the move to a better lit spot placed the table in front of doorways and clutter which I tried my best to edit out. I staged a few shots at home, mimicking some of the table decor set-ups for you to have a better view.
In an earlier post, I described the menu and posted some of the recipes. (Click here to see). The photo above shows the Shrimp Cocktail that was served. A martini glass was dipped in lime juice and then dipped into a bowl of finally chopped cilantro to create a pretty green ring. Then finely shredded lettuce was placed inside the glass and topped with guacamole (thinned out with sour cream to be more of a cream style than chunky).
The ladies enjoyed the food with the two most requested recipes being for the Chicken Waldorf Salad and the three quiches (ham & cheese, crabmeat & dill, and feta, bacon, & spinach. I will write them up to post.
Also in earlier posts, I had hinted that shoes would be used for flower arrangements and indeed they were. Originally floral foam and fresh flowers were to be used; however, when I found the fabulous black Gerber daisies, I changed the design. Now normally I would not use fake flowers, as they would look just that.... fake. But I was using black daisies, big black over-the-top daisies, which became more of an art piece as opposed to a floral arrangement. This was how I assembled them.
I found the shoes at Goodwill. Each pair was the color of the week so would have been 50% off but some had been pretty pricey to start with, especially the Nine West pair. When I explained what I was doing with the shoes, they gave them to me for $1.99 a pair. I did have to promise to bring them in for show & tell. Thanks guys for the help. Then I cut a square of black tulle and tightly pulled it together on one end to create a fan shape. I glued the gathered side at the top (heel) of each shoe. Next I cut out some foam, just regular white Styrofoam that I had lying around and placed it in each shoe over the base of the tulle fan. I used a black paper napkin tucked around the foam to hide everything.
Next, I wanted a little bling so I found sparkly pieces here and there to hot glue in the center of each flower including, on sale, packs of 6 beaded flowers that I cut from their stems and placed on the smaller daisies. The larger jewelery piece shown above is actually from a fancy pony tail holder that I purchased at Goodwill.
One shoe from each pair had 2 small Gerber daisies, silver leaves and pearl berries. I then added a white candle, placing hot glue at the base of the candle and pushing it down through the paper napkin cover and into the piece of foam. The other shoe had only one large bejeweled flower, silver leaves, pearl berries and no candle.
Here are some photos of the finished project.
You will see in the buffet photos that I used this large gift bag to add some height to the table. I filled it with stuffed newspaper and then added a child's black tutu. Some more of the black Gerber daisies were placed inside the opening of the tutu.
Next to it is a jar of black licorice. The licorice flared out like petals of the daisies.
Here are a few color shots of the buffet table. The first photo shows the decorated bandboxes that I made and the silver shoe menu card holders that I created. Click Here and Click Here to see how they both were made.
This is a staged vignette of some of the pieces used at the shower which included the shoes, black gloves and silver glasses.
The ladies loved the purse "save the date" favors that were designed for the shower, my original design, (click here to see) and also the silver shoe menu card holders.
The photo on the left shows the gift bag flower arrangement, the band boxes, and a nice rectangle box that held the plates and napkins. The photo on the right shows a vintage pair of long black gloves adorned with a "diamond" engagement ring ( a paperweight purchased at Christmas Tree Shop).
Here are a few more photos of the buffet table which include the cake made with gumdrop roses (click here to make). The photographer of these photos was trying to be creative in taking black and white photos. I hope that you can see all the different components of the tablescape.
The happy couple, Amy and Jeff. I raise my mimosas to them in a toast, best of luck with the wedding and their new life. Cheers.
Have a great Day.
Sherrie
You know that you are a Mom, when it is dark, cold and late in the evening, and you have a big report to finish for work the next day, with flashlight in hand, you are out the door, looking for your child's most favorite, can't go to sleep without it, toy. It was your 3 year old daughter's bedtime and Mr. Clown Bear was nowhere to be found. You knew she had it in her stroller on the mile and a half walk home from daycare. Then it hits you, somewhere on the streets between your house and daycare, was Mr. Clown Bear.
Out of all the toys my daughter ever owned, Mr. Clown Bear was her favorite. It was a gift from her Uncle when she was born. It was a white teddy bear with a cloth body covered in bright colored circles. It reminded us of a clown, hence the name.
Clown Bear went everywhere Elizabeth went. Over the years he would occasionally loose an arm or a leg, each time it would be reattached, ready to be hugged, loved and held again. It was like a security blanket. With clown bear in hand, all was right with the world ..... she felt safe.
Each day I would take the bus from work to Elizabeth's daycare, bundle her up, and begin the long walk home. It wasn't a straight path from school to home, but rather a series of lefts and rights, up and down all these charming little streets, all named after trees. I was going to have to backtrack to the school in hopes of finding this little 10 inch piece of white fur with polka dots. As much as Daddy wanted to help, he couldn't. He would not have known, which streets, where we crossed or on which side of the street we walked. It seemed like a futile endeavor, but with a teary eyed toddler clinging to her Daddy, crying out for clown bear in between the sobs, I had no choice.
20 minutes into the walk, my flashlight picks up something white. It is up on the lawn of a house, near the porch steps. Could it be? I held my breath and walked into the yard .... and yes, there it was, Mr. Clown Bear, a little bedraggled, arm dangling, but otherwise in good shape. I imagined that a dog or even a child had found it and then dropped it on the ground. With clown bear in tow, I raced home.
Daddy had been trying to calm her down with her favorite bedtime story, but I could still see the tears running down her little cheeks when I entered the room. Then there was the smile, the pure unadulterated joy of a child being reunited with her childhood friend. The look of relief on Daddy's face was pretty good too. Finally, she fell asleep, clutching clown bear. Once again, all was right with the world, she was safe. A little bit later, I gently pried Mr. Clown Bear loose and gave him a bath and fixed his arm. Usually I am a germ freak; however, for that night, it didn't matter how filthy the toy was, only that it had been found. A lesson for Mom, "Don't sweat the small stuff".
I love being a mom. True, my daughter now presents me with more complicated matters than a lost clown bear, but they are the usual things that make up a young woman's life. I would never trade a single moment of being a mom. I have loved them all, the good and the painful growing experiences, the boo-boo's mommy can't fix but will help make a little less painful by just being there. It is what moms do.
So Happy Mother's Day to you all. Happy Mother's Day to my Mom. Here is my favorite photo of her. She will kill me for posting it. Hi Mom. (She faithfully reads my blog) But I think she looks beautiful. Have a good day.
Today is Vintage Black Friday hosted by the French Cupboard (click here to join). I had a few pieces to share today, one for fun, the other has memories.
BLACK FASHION
My friend Jess that has the store Tinsel Bright, was out scavenging one day and came upon a place that had three storage buildings full of goodies, all owned by an elderly couple. One of the things she found was this costume piece. We think it was part of a dance hall gal's costume. Surprisingly it is in good shape, but nonetheless fragile, and is now viewed under glass with a tiara sitting on top of the frame.
BLACK TRAINS
My next treasure is a pair of train bookends. Marked Japan in gold lettering, my husband remembers having them on his childhood bookcase. After his dad passed away, they came to our home. The train plaque/wall vase was a recent find at Goodwill for $1.99. It is also marked Japan.
Speaking of things that are Black, I am finally ready to post the shower photos. As you will recall, it was a black and white theme. Unfortunately, there had been a glitch in my camera, and I have had to wait for photos from others to use. I will have everything ready for Saturday to finally post. It had been a wonderful shower and I was glad to see that the bride-to-be was so pleased.
See you tomorrow. Please don't forget to stop by and see what everyone is posting for Vintage Black Friday. The corset and train graphics were courtesy of the Graphics Fairy.
Have a good day.
Sherrie
The blonde doll is marked Mattel and is dated 1966 and was a lawn sale find for my daughter to play with. The reddish tint of my Julia doll's hair happened over time and I'm not sure why. Both dolls are wearing actual Barbie fashions.
Here is my Barbie with the black wig along with Ken, resplendent in his red tuxedo. This is the Talking Ken and he is buff, unlike the earlier version of the Ken doll that was skinny, pasty and the one-to-have-sand-kicked-in-his-face-at-the-beach-doll.
Barbie without her wig.
This is an actual 1970 catalog of Barbie fashions. This page shows "Francie Fashion Flings", but there are also fashions for Skipper, Barbie, Ken, Tutti, P.J., Brad, Christie, Stacey, Julia, and Casey.
Tops for Ken. The one on the right is the beach jacket that came with the original, dare I say, wimpy, Ken doll. Why is it that the Barbie doll had unrealistic proportions of bust and waist that no real woman could ever achieve and that the male counterpart being the original Ken doll looked like he just graduated from Junior High.
These are homemade Red fashions. The one on the right was made by my Aunt in the 60's. Unlike the official Barbie label fashions, this wouldn't sell on eBay; however, it is the most valuable one to me.
