52@48-Dolls From My Past

December 4, 2010 at 8:04 AM (52, Confessions, Family Life, Friends, Help Me Please)

I loved dolls. I asked for a doll every Christmas, and usually got one.

I remember poring over the Sears and JC Penny catalogues every year with Beeve and my next door neighbor, Tina.

I am sure I had more than these, but these were all I could remember, and they seem like QUITE enough!

Here goes.

Yes, I had one of these scary, chubby, pop eyed dolls. Mine had a plaid kilt or skirt or something. We always made it  the boy doll for some reason. As I look at this picture, I guess mine was actually a girl doll, as she was the blond one.

Beanie. Another somewhat creepy doll. Was this a character from something? I remember he had a propeller on his hat, and my Beanie had no hands. Evidently I ripped them off dragging him around. My Mom sewed them straight across at the wrist. Also creepy. Wasn’t I progressive, having a disabled doll?

Ahhh, Mrs.. Beasley. Featured on the tv show, Family Affair, which I thought was the bomb! I loved, loved, loved this doll. Carried her everywhere. This summer, my Dad brought over a big box of my old toys that he had kept at his house for our kids to play with. Mrs.. Beasley was in there. Looking very poorly, I might add. All her stuffing was hanging out and her hair was a fright! She has gone to heaven now. RIP, Beas.

Baby First Step. This doll had a strange, Frankenstein gait. Back and forth rocking that propelled her about a foot in an hour. What I most remember about her is Beeve LOVED watching her!

Baby I’ve Got A Secret. Also in the big box brought over from my Dad. My doll had been blond, but unfortunately was nearly bald at the time of her passing. She had a pull cord and said things like “I hurt my finger, please kiss it for me”, and “ something, something, something, and you can too!”  When she talked, her soft face wiggled a bit. I remember thinking she was a beautiful doll.

Pepper! My first or second Barbie type doll. Hey, I just remembered that I had a Mary Poppins type doll. Given to me by me by my Aunt Ava, Uncle Frank, and no doubt heavily coached by Girl Cousins, Lynn and Kay. I looked for a picture of her, but the pictures were not of the one I had.

Back to Pepper. She was a lesser Barbie. Her legs did not bend, and she was made of a harder plastic. Most disconcerting? She would never look me in the eye. I liked her, even if she always acted like she would rather be somewhere else.

And now we arrive at The Kiddles. These were a phenomenon that ripped through our generation. I was not privileged to have very many, but Girl Cousin Kay, oh, she had the mother lode!!!!! How I LOVED to play with her Kiddles. She had this case, just stuffed with all things Kiddle.

Just looking at this gives me a little thrill.

I did have the Cinderella Castle case, as did Girl Cousin Kay. We got them from our Grandma and Grandpa Hoover for Christmas one year. I never did see one picture of this case in all of my combing of the internet yesterday. I have a picture of Kay and I, playing with them, I will try and hunt it down.

This is Cinderella here, sleeping on her hard bed. You know, it has just occurred to me that maybe she was Sleeping Beauty! Hmmmm. What I can tell you about her, is I thought she was BEE-YOU-TI-FULL. I didn’t have that guy. Kay probably did.

Peter Paniddle. One of our favorites. Kay had him.

I can’t recall her name. Miss Muffet-iddle? Kay had her.

Bunson Bernie. Kay had him.

These were the only ones I had. Because I was a deprived child. They had a powerful smell to them. Their names were flower related, therefore they smelled like whatever their name was. I remember that I had a Lily of the Valley, and a Sweet Pea, and some sort of Rose. Among others. I’m sure Kay had them as well.

These things kicked around in my room, far longer than I played with them, and I want to tell you that they still smelled YEARS after. That was some powerful perfume they used.

I also had a couple of these treasures. I would bet cash money that Kay had them too.

Had one. I think one of these survived to be passed down to The Ab-Cat.

Years ago, while reminicing on the Kiddles phase of our life, I remember asking Kay whatever happened to all of her Kiddles. She said they were up in her parents barn. Her parents just purged their home up north this summer, and moved lock stock and barrel, down to Florida. I wonder whatever happened to her stash?  I will have to find out.

Darling Tippy Toes. This may have been the first doll that best friend, and convenient, next door neighbor, Tina, and I both had. At some point, we decided that we needed to get the exact same doll every Christmas.

Newborn Thumbelina. You pulled her string and she wiggled, and if memory serves me correctly, she rolled herself over. What I liked most about her was she was so tiny. Poor ugly, doll, child.

Now for the exact opposite! The adorable Baby Go Bye Bye! Tina had it.

Last but not least, my favorite and last doll, Baby Tender Love. The most realistic baby I ever had, she was very movable, smelled good and had delicious, squnchable cheeks. Tina had her as well.

Speaking of that new doll smell, doesn’t it just take you back? Every now and then, usually at Christmas, I get a whiff of that new plastic smell, and just have a stroll down memory lane.

I kept her until her leg fell off. Looking at that bottle in the picture, she may have been a tinkler doll. I think she was.

Every girl I knew had Barbie’s. Oodles, and oodles of Barbie’s. The first one I had, had non-bendable legs. Sort of awkward to sit like a lady in those pretty party dresses. Here is Malibu Barbie. Loved her.

Our Girls had many, many, Barbie’s as well, but what did the manufacturers do to the hair? My Barbie’s hair never looked like the RAT”S NESTS  of these Barbie’s today! Of course our doll’s hairs were straight and silky, which I would infinitely prefer to the Wreck of the Hesperus Barbie’s they have nowdays.

Malibu P.J. Loved the pig tails and how much did I adore the beads? SOooooo groovy!

Here is Stacy. I loved her red hair. Maybe this is where I developed my penchant for red hair. She may have been my first bendy leg Barbie. All dolls were Barbie’s, no matter what their names were.

THEN, we all graduated to Dawn Dolls! Here was where I had the mother lode!!!! My Mom must have felt bad about my unfulfilled longing for ALL things Kiddle, and indulged me with all things Dawn.  All of these girls AND their clothes look familiar to me.

Here as well. I think the second one from the left was actually Dawn. I think the red head was Gloria and then Girl #5 was Angie? They had the coolest clothes. I never had that many Barbie clothes, but I made up for it in Dawn Doll apparel.

Last, but not least, is my Precious, Tucky. Given to me by my Grandmother Georgia one year, after her trip to Kentucky. Her felt face has been worn off, her blue silky hair ribbins worn away,  from hours of playing. Even when no longer played with, she had a place of honor on my made bed, for YEARS. I didn’t even have to look to find her, she is still in my closet to this day. Just looking at her reminds me of my Grandmother, gone now for 18 years, but lovingly remembered.

I know a lot of you told me your favorites yesterday, but maybe this has jogged your memory further. Tell me what you think, or remember, or WISHED you had. Any Kiddle envy out there? Just try living with Kay, the Kiddle magnet!!!

Guy’s, we want to hear about your favorite toys too!