Childhood Memories: Barbies

For most women in the world ( and I use the term most in a loosest sense possible), Barbies were a staple of our childhood. I was no exception to this thought. I spent many hours in my bedroom, living room, or basement playing Barbies throughout my childhood. By the time I was really into playing with Barbies, my sister was past that stage, so not only did I get to use my own Barbies, but I got to use hers as well. I had my own Barbies, including an Ice Skate Barbie, Hollywood Barbie, Yo Yo Skipper, a Barbie  that came with her own Cat, Teresa, Midge, Baby Kelly, and "Gymnastics" Whitney. My sister had much of the same, but some of her special ones including a 1996 Olympics Barbie and a bowling Barbie. Each one had a special place in my "Barbie family" (Hollywood Barbie was the Mom, Ice Skate Barbie and Teresa were the high school sisters, Skipper was in middle school, and Whitney and Kelly were the little ones. Midge was their best friend that basically spent most of the time at their house anyway, so I'm not sure why I just didn't include her as a family member). I also had a mom that sewed, so we had containers full of Barbie clothes.  We also had our fair share of Barbie furniture. I had a Barbie dreamhouse that I got for my birthday in Kindergarten, and we also had several other pieces of furniture, like a bed, dresser, vanity, and a TV Stand. We also had a Barbie "apartment" that came from my cousin. We were also the owners of a Barbie Bank and two barbie Groceries stores. Rachel had a pink 2 seater Barbie convertible while I had a 5 seater blue convertible. We also each had the Barbie pony complete with all the accessories. Well, as you can imagine, I went to TOWN as a five year old with all these Barbie things at my fingertips. I set up a Barbie Megatown. In their "home" town, I had my dream house, along with one grocery store, Whitney's gymnastic studio, the vanity(beauty salon),  and the bank. Two of the high school sisters would drive to the stack of books that served as the high school in the pink convertible. The Mom would drop the others ones off then go to work at her business (she was a lawyer). The other side of my basement was the "vacation" area, with the apartment that served as a condo, the horses and Rachel's bowling alley for recreation, and a grocery store, because you had to eat! The other random furniture was set up near the Dreamhouse for Midge, who was constantly visiting. I would spend 3 hours in my basement playing with my barbies, and I had a blast. It's so much fun to look back on those memories and still be able to remember the specifics about them. I also find it interesting that I was kind of sexist in the fact that I NEVER played with the Ken dolls....

Music Suggestions- Oldies

If you are like me, you are constantly looking for new music to listen to. Most of you probably listen or have listened to these sometime in the past, but this is my oldies playlist, I recommend them all. If you don't recognize a single song or artist on this list, you obviously listen to crap, and should download every song on this list immediately!

ABBA
Gimme Gimme Gimme
I Have a Dream
Mamma Mia
Money Money Money
Voulez Vouz
Waterloo
Ring Ring
Chiquitita
Dancing Queen
Fernando

Little Willy- The Sweet
Wig Wam Bam- The Sweet
Stayin' Alive- Bee Gees
Julie do you love me?- Bobby Sherman
Baby I'm-A Want you- Bread
If- Bread
I Think I love you- David Cassidy
Ghost Riders in the Sky- Johnny Cash
Indian Reservation- Paul Revere and the Raiders
Molly Malone- The Dubliners
Lord of the Dance- The Dubliners
One Tin Soldier- The Original Caste
I Think We're alone now- Tiffany

Tommy James and the Shondells
Crystal Blue Persuasion
Mony Mony
Crimson and Clover

Barry Manilow
Weekend in New England
Mandy
Copacabana
I Write the Songs
American Bandstand

Bye Bye Birdie
Kids
One Last Kiss
Spanish Rose
The Telephone Hour
We Love you Conrad
What did I ever see in Him
A lot of livin' to do
An English teacher
Baby talk to me
Honestly Sincere
How Lovely to be a Woman

John Denver
Rocky Mountain High
Rocky Top Tennessee
Thank God I'm a Country boy
Annie's Song
Grandma's Feather Bed
Leaving on a Jet Plane

Michael Jackson/The Jackson Five
Beat It
Billie Jean
Thriller
Pretty Young Thing
Man in the Mirror
They don't care about Us
I'll be There
ABC
Rockin' Robin
Scream
Black or White
The Way you make me Feel
We are the World
Bad
Smooth Criminal

Pat Benatar
Hit me with your best shot
Hell is for Children
Heartbreaker
Love is a battlefield

Total Eclipse of the Heart- Bonnie Tyler
Build me up Buttercup- The Temptations

Queen
Another Bites the Dust
Bohemian Rhapsody
We Will Rock You
We are the Champions
Under Pressure (with David Bowie)

The Beach Boys
Barbara Ann
Little Surfer Girl
Good Vibrations
I Get Around
Kokomo
Help me Rhonda

My Boyfriend's back- The Dixie Cups
Love Potion Number 9- The Drifters

The Monkees
Daydream Believer
I'm a Believer
Last Train to Clarksville

Joy to the World- Three Dog Night
Play that Funky Music White Boy- Wild Cherry
Stand by your Man- Tammy Wynette

Lesley Gore
It's my Party
Judy's Turn to Cry
Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows

Alabama
Fiddle in the Band
Louisiana Saturday Night
Mountain Music
Song of the South

Jolene- Dolly Parton
Coat of Many Colors- Dolly Parton
Islands in the Stream- Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers

Earth, Wind, and Fire
Fantasy
In the Stone
September

I Will Survive- Gloria Gaynor
Bad Bad Leroy Brown- Jim Croce
The Ballad of Jed Clampett- Flatt and Scruggs
Going to the Chapel of Love- The Shirelles
Seasons in the Sun- Terry Jacks

Simon and Garfunkel
Cecilia
Mrs. Robinson
Scarborough Fair

Cats in the Cradle- Harry Chapin
Gyspies, Tramps, and Thieves- Cher
I Got you Babe- Sonny and Cher
Sex and Candy- Marcy Playground
Barbie Girl- Aqua
Ice Ice Baby- Vanilla Ice