HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBIE!!!

Barbie just turned 50!!! Wow, I hope I look that good when I turn 50, ha! I started collecting retro Barbie's years ago. When I was a little girl I use to visit my aunt & uncle during the summers. They owned a small farm outside of Sacramento, California. I can still vividly remember every detail. They had a yellow & white farm house, a big willow tree in the front yard, white picket fence trimmed with yellow rose bushes, and a big wooden front porch swing (we use to sit in the evenings and snap green beans). I use to love visiting them because they let me help pick corn, tomatoes, strawberries, and they made me the best fried okra. I can still hear the grease popping from the cast iron pan. They also had a big swimming pool that we all took advantage of during those hot summer days. After swimming my aunt and I would lay back on the hammock and she'd read me books. I don't remember a single story she read but I remember poking my toes through the old hammock's ropes while sucking down a cold glass of tangy lemonade. Those were the best summers of my life.

At night my aunt Diane would pull out her magical box of Barbie’s. They were hers from when she was a little girl so they were the real deal. I use to study her retro Barbie’s for hours; make-up, hair, and clothes. I would tell myself I wanted to be just like Barbie when I grew up. I think collecting retro Barbie is something more than just a beautiful doll to me. It's a piece of my childhood that will always be cherished. Years have come and gone but the memory of Barbie still holds a special place that will always be cherished to me. No matter where I am; no matter how old I've become; I will always gaze at my dolls and think back to a timeless place when life was so simple and carefree. Funny, when I was little girl
Barbie represented my future and now as a woman, she represents my past. Happy Birthday, Barbie!!!