FUN WITH PHOTOSHOP

My son, the graphic designer, has been showing me some cool actions on Photoshop. These photos remind me of the retro Kodachrome photos I've seen of my parents in the 1950's.

IT'S GETTIN' COLD OUTSIDE

Another "Cinderella" gown for my niece. This one is burgundy velvet, gold brocade and white fur collar and cuffs. What fun to play dress up for little girls........and big!

BARBIE FANTASY

Now wouldn't every little girl like to dress up like a princess, ride off in a carriage or on the back of a white horse? I bought these "princess" dresses for my great niece who is 3 years old and wants to grow up to be a Princess.

BRING THE FURS OUT OF STORAGE

NEW PEARLS

FRIDAY NIGHT DATE DRESS

This is my childhood Barbie that has been restored and is wearing a vintage Friday Night Date dress. If you are interested in restoring your doll contact Krista at www.dollrestoration.com. I've enjoyed taking photos and plan on doing some small gallery wrapped acrylic paintings soon, so check back. Thanks for stopping by!

BARBIE'S NEW OLD DRESSES

When I was little one of the few Barbie dresses I owned was the striped #912 "Cotton Casual" dress pictured above. I'm not sure what happened to my original dress so I decided to purchase another one on ebay. I feel like I'm 6 years old again and ready to play with my friends. We had so much fun playing with our cardboard Barbie house and making clothes. Amazing these dresses are 50 years old! The blue flowered dress below is #978 "Let's Dance".

BARBIE SHEATH SENSATION

The red dress is a vintage Barbie Sheath Sensation. I love the simplicity of this dress.

Vintage Barbie Dress

My Barbie has been restored by Krista at www.dollrestoration.com

This vintage dress is from 1963-64. It is Barbie's Prom Dress which included green shoes and long white gloves. I have the shoes but no gloves. The painting in the background of the last photo is a watercolor I painted of Glenridge Hall in Atlanta.

FAMILY PORTRAIT - GROOVY TOY STORY

Welcome to VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY hosted by Suzanne at Colorado Lady. Check out her blog and all of the other bloggers who post such wonderful vintage goodies. I always learn something new. Below are some of my toys from the 60's. I'm sure you recognize Snoopy as the Red Baron. He along with the large Troll Doll sat on my Dad's desk in the basement forever! Remember the smell of the plastic of those troll dolls? She still has that funny smell! You will also see my Skipper doll, who is in pretty good condition although it looks like I trimmed her bangs at some time. An old Raggedy Ann is in the middle. My Barbie has been restored by a wonderfully talented girl in California named Krista. You can look back at previous blog posts if you want to read more about her. To the right of Barbie is my Midge doll in her original condition. I have purchased a couple of vintage Barbie dresses on ebay recently. Seeing all of these toys together brings back good childhood memories of playing with friends during those carefree summers. The black and white fabric in the background was given to me by an artist friend. She bought the cotton in New York City in the early 60's planning on making a "mod" dress. It's being recycled and I am making a dress for my daughter.

BARBIE AND AUDREY

WELCOME HOME, BARBIE

Barbie arrived home today after a revitalizing spa vacation in California. Below is a "before" photo of Barbie showing her slightly orange dyed hair, that I trimmed when I was about 7 years old. I never even noticed how bad her lips looked and that half of one eyebrow was missing. She also looks a little anemic.

And here you can see Barbie's transformation. Her hair has been completely restored and styled back into it's original ponytail. She has been completely cleaned and now shows off new lipstick, fingernail polish, blush and an eyebrow touchup. Isn't she beautiful?

Here you can see Barbie has new earrings and her skin looks like it is glowing. Her bangs are original but the rest of her hair is new.

Didn't Krista do a wonderful job on my Barbie? You can see many other Barbies that she has restored on her website. You can identify your Barbie on her website along with purchasing vintage clothing or new dolls that she creates.

I think she turned out beautifully. Now I need to find the perfect vintage dress to complete the restoration!

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Well it's getting that time of year again! The days are getting shorter, the breezes are picking up and there is a nip in the air. Time for COLLEGE FOOTBALL! Time to pull out the chip and dip, stadium seats, car magnets and flags. Go UGA, Tech and Auburn! (mostly, UGA)

BARBIE'S PROGNOSIS

Well it seems that my dear Barbie needs a new head of hair! It's no wonder since I trimmed it many, many times myself! I also dyed it, curled it, and restyled it.....so I'm not really surprised. She also needs a little touch up to her lips, eyebrow and eyelashes. I will post an "after" photo when she returns from her spa vacation.

My 2 loves at 8

While cleaning out the basement yesterday I came across my old Barbies. I loved my Barbie! I dyed her hair, cut her hair, pierced her ears, made clothes and houses for her and her friends. She was a big part of my life at 8 years old. So were the Beatles! In 1963 when the Beatles arrived I was 8 years old. My friends and I would swing and sing Beatles songs........She Loves You Yea, Yea, Yea......I Want to Hold Your Hand...........we even started a little band of our own called The Pickles. My dad made me a guitar out of a cigar box, wooden thread spool and fishing line. We would perform for the neighbors on the concrete patio. It was a great time. Well, tonight I get to cross off one item on my bucket list...............we're going to see Paul McCartney at Piedmont Park!!! I've waited to see him since 1963!