Today's doll recently survived the deluge of water from the fire fighters. She was in a cardboard box full of boxed Barbies, in the room below the one where the fire was. Luckily for her, there was a vintage metal tray, with edges about 2 inches tall, in the top of the box. In a weird quirk of fate, the tray caught the water, and saved the dolls! It didn't do the vintage child's dish set, in it's original box, any favours though. The dish set, which looks to be from the 1960's, is porcelain, so it's fine. The box is shot. It had started to mold before Ken got to it. Know anybody who wants a children's dish set from the 60's, which until recently had it's original box? And how did the Barbie boxes, being cardboard, survive the water that must have pooled around the bottom of the box? For some reason I left the thick styrofoam that came in the box, as packing for whatever came in it, in the bottom of the box. That held the Barbies up, out of the water. The water then dried off the box, and behold! Undamaged Barbie boxes! The stuff that survived the fire and water, and how it did it, continues to amaze me.
But which Barbie am I showing you today? She's Home Pretty Barbie.
Sorry about the blurry picture. I was photographing things quickly before Ken took the packed storage tub away to storage on his way to work. The rest are better.
She's from 1990. Now, this doll kills me. She's pretty enough, and there was some great furniture available for her. (We'll get to that.) But...what today's society would make of the suggestions here! Let's take a look at how Barbie is 'pretty' around her home. For one thing, let's discuss the whole outfit. The dress has a huge tulle skirt, a gauzy bodice, and GIGANTIC rosettes on the shoulders.
Now let's talk about the suggestions for 'gown changes for every room!', as it says on the front of her box. Um, let's start with the dining room and the living room.
Then we move to the bedroom, where Barbie is ready for bed by just removing the fluffy skirt. She sleeps in those huge sleeves too. I'm reminded of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", in the scenes where she woke up before her husband so she could put on her make-up and take down her curlers, which she stayed awake to put in after her husband went to sleep, and then pretended to wake up beautiful when he woke up. My mom used to put her make-up on while dinner was cooking, so she'd be pretty when Dad got home from work. Give me a break. I'm afraid Ken has to put up with me hanging around the house, going to bed, waking up, and going almost everywhere, without make-up, or a hairdo...or a giant tulle dress, come to think of it.
Speaking of hairdos, Barbie has some pretty big, excuse me, Home Pretty big, hair too.
Of course, it was 1990. The specter of the 80's loomed large. And so did hair. Luckily hair has died down now.
But, as I mentioned, the best thing about Home Pretty Barbie was the stuff sold to go with her. The furniture was nice, and if not for the pinkness of it, fairly realistic.
But the house was pretty cool too.
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| The fireplace has the 'cooking center attached to the back. |
It had window boxes full of flowers, 'wallpaper' in every room, a ringing door bell, a ringing phone, 'working appliances', a fireplace that lit up and crackled, a porch light, vanity light, desk lamp, ceiling fan with light, and chandelier that all worked. It came with the bed, sofa that extended to a bed, and chair (which extended into a lounger), dining room table and chairs, shower/tub and vanity, plus patio furniture. There was a lot of work to this house though, as the instructions recommend giving yourself 6 to 8 hours to put it together!
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| "It's recommended that two people assemble the magical mansion |
There were loads of furniture sets, in a series called 'Sweet Roses', that you could buy separately from the house too, including a china cabinet with separate side book shelves, a fridge, an oven, and more. The sets were also combined into larger boxed sets. You can watch a commercial for the Sweet Roses furniture HERE.
But why was the furniture called 'Sweet Roses'? Well, in 1989 there had been a Barbie doll called 'Sweet Roses Barbie'. She looked just like Home Pretty Barbie, with a slight change to her underneath dress, and a larger tulle overskirt. She also had that apron pictured on the box of Home Pretty, but seen nowhere in the package.
Why were there both? I have no idea. There had also been a Sweet Roses PJ doll, but she was all the way back in 1983, and had nothing to do with Sweet Roses Barbie...the snob!
That's today's doll, and a bit more. See you tomorrow for another doll...and a bit less?
That's one of the best Barbie houses I've ever seen. A bit lavish for my taste, but structurely, it's like a proper house, whereas I've noticed some modern dream houses look more like a wall with a floor attached, or just kinda like a flmsy overgrown playset.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I remember the Sweet Roses stuff back in the day. I think I owned the bed, and quite liked the comforter when reversed to the white side with little pink bows vs the side printed with roses.
As for wearing a dress around the house, high-heels while cooking, and make-up 24/7 for a husband: I used to do all that, because I was raised to think a man would lose interest if you didn't always look your best. Well, my husband cheated and left me, anyway, so guess who hardly ever wears make-up at all anymore? ;)
Indeed, if a man loves you, he won't care. I wish my mom would have taught me that. Instead my self-worth was tied up in my looks, thanks to her, and all the beauty pageants I was in, and from dating/marrying a jerk.
I mean, there might be something to be said for getting dressed up to show a man you want to look your best for him...
But I kinda hope Barbie pulls those stunts because she enjoys her fluffy pink dress, and not because she's terrified of losing Ken.
I do like to imagine it's the former. As much as she does doll up, and wear fluff... especially back in the 80s.
It always drives me cray to see doll houses that have no realistic method of getting from floor to floor, or room to room. Of course, when we built our kids' doll houses, we did the same thing. I always wanted to attach a stair case to an outside edge though. Emma eventually took matters into her own hands and put up a ladder! Yes, if Barbie, or any person, wants to get all dolled up to please their fella, that's fine. They just shouldn't feel like they have to, and he shouldn't demand it. I mean, appropriate hygiene, and pride in one's appearance, but going full June Cleaver 24/7 is ridiculous. But you're right. Women were taught that they had to look good for their man, or they'd lose him. I can see how he might get sick of looking at a piggy slob all the time, but normal self care should be plenty. And who taught the guys that they had to always look and smell good or they'd lose their wife? It was a double standard. (As evidenced by all the beer bellied slobs in undershirts, scratching themselves on the couch. Now there's a cliché'!)
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