Don't Just Play Barbie, Be Barbie!

Real-Life Barbie: Miss America Dr. Debbye Turner

2009-12-23T15:37:00.001-05:00

I never dreamed, as a little girl, that I would one day become Miss America. I didn’t really want to. I always loved animals. And, except for a brief time in elementary school when I thought I wanted to be a teacher, I always wanted to be a veterinarian. Since I was a young girl, I knew that the expensive veterinary education was way beyond my family’s financial abilities. So I began looking for scholarship opportunities to help get me through veterinary school.

When the Director of the Miss Jonesboro pageant approached me about entering her “local” pageant which is in the Miss America System, I was more then willing because she told me that the Miss America Scholarship Program was the largest source of scholarship for women in the world. She then told me that I could win tens of thousands of dollars if I won a state pageant and went on to the Miss America competition. I knew right away that this might be my ticket to paying for veterinary school!

But before I met the Miss Jonesboro Director, I had participated in two other pageants. Thanks to the encouragement and inspiration of my church choir director, I entered my very first pageant, “Miss Black Teenage World.” I was fifteen at the time. All my friends were in it too. It was more fun than competition. Still my natural tendency to want to win made my First Runner-Up placement a bit of a disappointment. But I did enjoy the experience, so when the high school counselor announced the Junior Miss Program was looking for participants, I signed up. I went on to win the title of Northeast Arkansas Junior. And placed in the “Top 8” at the Arkansas Junior Miss Program. I was later told that I was “too sophisticated” for the Junior Miss Program and that I should consider the Miss America program.

In 1983, I was nominated to represent the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) in a high school pageant. I gladly accepted. I won! That’s where I met the lady from the Miss Jonesboro Pageant. So later that year, I entered my first pageant in the Miss America system, the Miss Jonesboro Pageant. The road was long to the Miss America stage. You see, I HAD to win a “state pageant” in order to get to the Miss America pageant. It took seven years, eleven tries in two states to get there. I entered four local pageants in the Miss Arkansas system. I won three of them, which meant that I went to the Miss Arkansas pageant three times. But I could never win the Miss Arkansas title. So after that third failed attempt, I changed my method. By this time, I was a veterinary student at the University of Missouri-Columbia. So, since I was a student in the state of Missouri, I was eligible for the Missouri preliminaries. So in February of 1989 I entered the Miss Columbia pageant and won. I went on to the Miss Missouri pageant that summer and won. In September, I became Miss America 1990. And my life changed forever...

If you want to know more about the Miss America system, click here: http://www.missamerica.org/.

Comme des Garçons Barbie

2009-12-09T09:42:00.006-05:00

From the Telegraph:

The Comme des Garçons Barbie doll by Japanese fashion designer, Rei Kawakubo, comes in a Jingle Flowers box. Kawakubo has designed a multicolored, silk dress, with a full, asymmetric skirt that stands away from the body – perfect for Barbie’s Christmas social whirl.

The dress is in a photo-style, print graphic and forms part of ‘Jingle Flowers’, the Comme des Garçons ‘new nonsense’ Christmas range.

The limited edition Barbie is part of the Barbie Collector Platinum Label collection, and comes in its own box, featuring the Jingle Flowers print, and display stand.
Comme des Garçons Barbie was launched in Tokyo last week and sold out.

© 2009, Don’t Just Play Barbie…Be Barbie!, www.bebarbie.net

Heidi Klum Gets Doll'd Up…Fabulous! [VIDEO]

2009-12-07T07:36:00.000-05:00

Here’s a video capturing a bit of the discussion on the design for the Heidi Klum addition to Mattel’s Blonde Ambition Collection. She worked with the always-fabulous Robert Best, one of my favorite Barbie designers. If you recall, he was a contestant on Project Runway a couple of seasons ago.

Anyhoo, Heidi’s doll is gorgeous. That dress is oh so cute. (“If it’s not pink, it’s not good.” Loved that comment!) And those shoes!!! OMG Everything works well on this doll; I can hardly wait to redress another doll in that fabulous ensemble.

Real-Life Barbie: Cindy Crawford

2009-12-04T07:29:00.002-05:00

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_Crawford

Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Crawford (born February 20, 1966) is a former American model. Known for her trademark mole just above her lip, Crawford has adorned hundreds of magazine covers throughout her career. She was named #3 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of the 90s. Her success at modeling made her a celebrity that has led to roles in television and film, and to work as a spokesperson.

Early life

Crawford was born in DeKalb, Illinois, the daughter of Jennifer Sue Crawford-Moluf (née Walker) and John Crawford.[1][2] She was discovered at the age of 16 by a newspaper photographer. He noticed Cindy at work during her summer job of detasseling corn and took a picture of her. The photo and positive feedback she received were enough to convince her to take up modeling. She entered the Elite Model Management's Look of the Year contest at 17 and was the runner-up. The Elite modeling agency in Chicago then started representing her.
Crawford graduated from DeKalb High School in 1984, as valedictorian.[3] She won an academic scholarship to study chemical engineering at Northwestern University, which she attended for only one quarter. She dropped out in order to pursue a full-time modeling career. After working for photographer Victor Skrebneski in Chicago, Cindy moved to Manhattan in 1986; she was signed with the Elite New York modeling agency.

In 1987, she briefly appeared during the opening credits of the Michael J. Fox film The Secret of My Succe$s.

Career
During the 1980s and 1990s, Cindy Crawford was among the most popular supermodels, and a ubiquitous presence on magazine covers, runways, and in fashion campaigns. She was repeatedly and frequently featured on the cover of many magazines, including: Vogue, W, People, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Allure. A partial count in 1998 totalled over 400 appearances.[4] Crawford also appeared in many fashion campaigns during her career, including those for Gianni Versace, Escada, Revlon, Ink. She has also worked for Omega, Maybelline, and Clairol.

Fashion designer Michael Kors summed up her impact:
"Cindy changed the perception of the ‘sexy American girl’ from classic blue eyed blonde to a more sultry brunette with brains, charm, and professionalism to spare."[11]

After modeling
Crawford quit modeling in 2000. She continues to provide celebrity endorsement for a variety of projects. In 2005, Crawford created a line of beauty products with Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh called Meaningful Beauty for Guthy-Renker. Crawford has admitted to regularly receiving certain cosmetic procedures, including Botox, collagen, and vitamin injections. She first saw a plastic surgeon at the age of 29.[12]

In 2005, Crawford launched a new line of furniture under the "Cindy Crawford Home Collection" name. This collection is manufactured by HM Richards Inc., and is sold through many retailers including Art Van Furniture and Rooms To Go. She assisted in the creation of the line by directing the designers to include certain features, colors, or styles that fit the needs of families or reflected her own tastes.[13] She also has a furniture line with Raymour & Flanigan and will launch another home goods line with J. C. Penney in late 2009.[14]

This one-of-a-kind Cindy Crawford Barbie was designed by Robert Best for a charity auction. The winning bidder paid $33,000 for this doll.

I think this Chocolate Obsession Barbie doll looks like Cindy Crawford!

Cindy Crawford’s Official Website: www.cindy.com/

007 Bond Girl: Die Another Day Barbie ~ Halle Berry as Jinx

2009-12-03T07:11:00.000-05:00

This doll is a must have for my collection. I love dolls with short hairdos and IMHO, Halle Berry has never looked better than when she rocked this style. It is likely this doll will serve as an excellent model for other doll fashions just as Ms. Berry does IRL. Anyhoo, I'll be sure to share photos with you.

Christian Louboutin Barbie #1: Love the Shoes!

2009-12-02T07:20:00.000-05:00

This is the first of three dolls in the Christian Louboutin series of dolls from Barbie® Collector. It comes straight from the "My Year in Paris" dairy calendar’s September scene—Barbie vividly dreaming of being a jewel thief on the rooftops of Paris with her sophisticated partner in crime, Christian Louboutin. Barbie wears a sleek, black catsuit with hood, headband and ultra-chic Differa gold sandals by Christian Louboutin.

The Doll comes with four pairs of Barbie shoes by Christian Louboutin each with the signature red sole, miniature shoe boxes and cloth bags. Shoes include the Differa gold sandals, Altameche Leopard boots, the Claudia ankle straps in Barbie 219 Pink and the Belle Ankle shoes in black.

Monsieur Louboutin ruffled many feathers earlier this year when he declared a redesign of Barbie's legs would be required before the doll could wear his creations. It seems the Barbie we've known and loved has fat ankles but let's not go there, okay? His shoes are fab so I may have to buy the doll just to get them!

Today is World AIDS Day

2009-12-01T06:45:00.001-05:00

From Avert:

Started on 1st December 1988, World AIDS Day is about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. The World AIDS Day theme for 2009 is 'Universal Access and Human Rights'. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done.

According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 33.4 million people living with HIV, including 2.1 million children. During 2008 some 2.7 million people became newly infected with the virus and an estimated 2 million people died from AIDS. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35.

The vast majority of people with HIV and AIDS live in lower- and middle-income countries. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world.

The Barbie Basics Collection: Permission to Play, Uh, I Meant Redress and Accessorize

2009-11-30T07:52:00.004-05:00

The new Barbie Basics Models Collection 001 is perfect for collectors who love to redress and accessorize their dolls. I confess that would be me. I have bought dolls just for their fabulous ensemble or accessories to adorn another doll. Thank you for this collection, Mattel.

I must tell you that I’d planned to only purchase three of the dolls until I saw these photos on Flickr. All of the dolls are so much more appealing than the photos on the Barbie Collector site.

Here’s more info about the Collection:

Customize. Personalize. Play. Barbie Basics is all about permission to play. Part of the Barbie Basics Collection, this collection of dolls and fashions is all about customizing the fashion staple, the "Little Black Dress," and making it your own! This collection includes 12 different dolls each of which is dressed in a different style of a "Little Black Dress.” Barbie Basics Accessories, sold separately, help you personalize your very own "Little Black Dress" Barbie!

As you probably already know, the entire collection is on back order on Barbie Collector and pre-order at many doll dealers on the internet. There may be a few available at your local Toys R Us or other large stores. Shop wisely, as the dolls are advertised on the internet for a wide range of prices.

Let’s hope Mattel produces a sufficient quantity of these creations but remember this is Collection 001 so let's try to exercise restraint. LOL

Barbie Goes Muslim (for charity) and Causes International Controversy

2009-11-29T08:40:00.008-05:00

Barbie has been almost every legitimate profession one can imagine. She's also been from several countries around the world too. Barbie has been praised for encouraging girls to be all they can be and criticized for unrealistic body measurements. She's had houses, automobiles, motorcycles, clothing, jewelry, etc. etc.

Now Barbie is the center of controversy again as Italian designer Eliana Lorena has created Burka Barbie for a fundraising auction at Sotheby's. The doll is part of a 500-Barbie doll collection. Checkout: Burka Barbie to raise funds for Save the Children csmonitor.com

Posted using ShareThis

PHOTO: Newscom

Barbie Collector Catalog Spring Preview 2010

2009-11-27T09:08:00.005-05:00

My Barbie Collector catalog arrived with an awesome cover of the Christian Louboutin Barbie from the 2010 "My Year in Paris" diary calendar. The mixture of Barbie with real people is so fabulous!

This catalog is definitely a keepsake. The folks at Barbie Collector put together a catalog with offerings that can be described as HOT...HOT...HOT! I'll blog about some of the dolls in the catalog but it definitely has an adult flavor this time. The problem is I'll probably have to eat Ramen Noodles all year just to afford the Barbie dolls and accoutrements that I want!

Smooches...

Barbie Collection (Production) Labels

2009-11-13T06:09:00.002-05:00

If you're new to collecting Barbie, surely some of the terminology you've read has you totally confused or just plain ole unaware. Here's a graphic of the Barbie Collection Labels you may have already noticed on your Barbie's box or in the description of Barbie.

For more details, be sure to check the Barbie Collector website.

Ayako Jones Barbie

2009-11-10T03:51:00.004-05:00

My Ayako Jones Barbie by Byron Lars arrived and she is gorgeous. Byron Lars’ style is definitely funky and I can hardly wait for the release of any of his creations.

This doll appears to be of better quality than his Chapeaux Collection. Gone are the plastic accessories and faux gloves. Sure, Ayako costs a bit more than the dolls in the Chapeaux Collection but I’d prefer to pay a little more for quality. What do you think?

These images have a lot of glare but I just love those shoes!

New Doll Inspired By Elegance, Innovation and Fashion

2009-09-21T00:20:00.005-04:00

A new African-American doll has been created exclusively for The Sisterhood Boutique by the Alexander Doll Company, a New York-based company that continues to draw on the tradition, elegance and innovation of Madame Alexander® dolls. Ivy Rose is a "first" for the Alexander Doll Company.

The creation of the Ivy Rose doll collection hopes to unify women who like creator and founder, Rochelle McAllister, desires a purpose driven lifestyle and a natural appreciation for fashion and style.

The three dolls from the 2009 Pretty As Is collection include the 2009 Ivy Rose, Ivy, and Rose. Like the first Ivy Rose doll created in 2008, each aspect of the 2009 collection has been meticulously considered as each doll is hand-crafted by Alexander Doll Company. This exquisite heirloom doll is perfect for sorority sisters,gift giving, and doll collectors alike. Ivy Rose, Ivy and Rose, celebrates the diversity of beauty with in the sisterhood of women. "Pretty, takes on many forms, the bonds we honors and the ties that bind us help us to realize pretty is physical, mental, and emotional and as created beings we are Pretty As Is,"says McAllister as she created the collection's concept.

For more information about the Pretty As Is collection from the Sisterhood Boutique, visit http://sisterhoodboutique.com/ and follow Ivy Rose on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/IvyRoseDoll.

© 2009, Don’t Just Play Barbie…Be Barbie!, www.bebarbie.net

Learn the Moves: Do the Barbie Dance [VIDEO]

2009-09-07T07:49:00.002-04:00

I know you loved the Do the Barbie video, here’s your chance to learn the moves with choreographer JaQuel Knight. Not only is this fun; it’s great exercise.

© 2009, Don’t Just Play Barbie…Be Barbie!, www.bebarbie.net

Vogue's Black Barbie Issue

2009-09-02T06:10:00.001-04:00

Italian Vogue continued its celebration of black beauty with a feature on black versions of our favorite fashion diva, Barbie. Click here for the article and check out my favorites of the beautiful photos below.

I have to tell you that looking at the photos made me want to pull out my dolls and re-dress them the way the dolls are in the photos.

For Barbie Lovers: Do the Barbie Dance [VIDEO]

2009-08-30T16:40:00.001-04:00

My friend Rona sent me this video, Do the Barbie. I love it. Some of the moves may seem familiar because JaQuel Knight also choreographed Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” video.

© 2009, Don’t Just Play Barbie…Be Barbie!, www.bebarbie.net

Barbie Convention 2009 [VIDEO]

2009-07-14T06:16:00.004-04:00

Here's a video from this year's Barbie Convention in Washington, DC. I'd love to have attended since this is a historic anniversary year for Barbie.

© 2009, Don’t Just Play Barbie…Be Barbie!, www.bebarbie.net

Real-Life Barbie: Desiree Rogers

2009-05-12T07:01:00.002-04:00

President Obama's Social Secretary, Desiree Rogers, is quite a fashionista. She is frequently noted for her impeccable style, taste and ability to make the most simple ensemble look fabulous and powerful.

Rogers is a long-time friend of the Obamas. Here's her interview with Essence magazine.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Desiree Rogers knows a thing or two about throwing a party. The high-powered Chicago woman and longtime friend of the Obamas was named this week as the first African-American White House social secretary. She formerly served as president of social networking for Allstate Financial, and as president of Peoples and North Shore Gas. She will be responsible for staging every event or ceremony that occurs at the White House. Rogers, 49, talked to ESSENCE.com about how the Obamas plan to make their mark on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

ESSENCE.COM: What's the first event you will be responsible for?
DESIREE ROGERS: Some of the inaugural events. We're just getting started working on them, so I can't really discuss it, but that's the first series of events I'll be working on. The first event we will have in the White House is the governor's ball in February.

ESSENCE.COM: How long have you known the Obamas?
ROGERS: Probably about 20 years-Michelle, I've known for about 20 years. I met her through her brother, Craig Robinson. My ex-husband played basketball with him in college.

ESSENCE.COM: As a longtime friend of the Obamas who knows their personal tastes, what kind of affairs do you think they'll want to have at the White House?
ROGERS: I think it will be important in this economic climate to be responsible, so we will certainly be thinking about that in any events that we have. At the same time, we want to be celebratory. This is history in the making. Americans have come together, as in no other time that I can recall, so there's something to celebrate. There's some value in bringing people together, and forming relationships with people-as President-elect Barack Obama has said, we have more in common than not. We will be creating opportunities where people can come together and celebrate the arts, cultural events, intellectual events, everyday events, like picnics with children. Michelle wants to be very involved with the work and family balance, as well as celebrating our military families.

ESSENCE.COM: And what about you-how do you hope to put your mark on the White House? Do you have things that you'd like to do differently from past social secretaries?
ROGERS: Not yet. Those will be things that I'm thinking about prior to moving over in January. But I think we're going to cast a wide net. We are certainly going to look at what has been done historically, and figure out what makes sense moving forward.

ESSENCE.COM: Since the announcement of your new job, have you been getting calls from people wanting to be put on guest lists?
ROGERS: (Laughs.) That would be an understatement. I've gotten hundreds of congratulatory notes. I can't keep up with them. They're not asking me to events yet, but maybe they're just warming me up: "Let's tell her how great it is; then later we'll ask!"

ESSENCE.COM: As a successful businesswoman, how will your business acumen specifically come into play on the job?
ROGERS: This is a large operation to run. During the Clinton years, they did 400 events in one year, so it takes a lot of planning and processes to be put in place. I think a lot of people will be reaching out to us, sending in different recommendations they think will make sense, so you've got to manage that. At the same time, I think the work I've done in the marketing area will be beneficial to me as we think about, "What does the Obama presidency look like?" Now that the election is over, certainly there are lots of issues that have to be addressed and attacked, but what does the administration look like beyond that? How can we continue the excitement, inspiration and involvement, in addition to the good work being done on the policy side? How do you do that? Are there ways that the White House can play a part in that? So that's where my strategy work comes in. The work I've done with all types of people from all backgrounds, I think, will serve me well.

Jonathan Adler's Barbie Malibu Beach House...Gorgeous!

2009-04-10T12:17:00.004-04:00

OK, what real-life Barbie wouldn't love the absolutely fabulous beach house with the interior designed by the Jonathan Adler? It is gorgeous!

Thanks for the video, barbiedolldup!

© 2009, Don’t Just Play Barbie…Be Barbie!, www.bebarbie.net

Barbie is 50!

2009-03-09T22:37:00.003-04:00

Barbara Millicent Roberts debuted at the American Toy Fair in New York on this day in 1959. Her creator, Ruth Handler, guided her production into toy history. Millions of Barbie dolls have been sold and she continues her prominence in spite of ambitious competitors in the fashion doll arena.

Barbie has changed tremendously since her inception. Well, her inception, which is down played, is actually the Bild Lilli doll that Handler brought over to the States from Germany.

Anyhoo, the original ponytail Barbie in that black-and-white striped swimsuit has transformed to represent different ethnicities, different countries and had many different careers. Barbie has even run for President of the United States.

Barbie has accomplished a lot in her 50 short years on the planet. As her legend continues, it’s crucial that little girls understand that Barbie’s message is more about her accomplishments --- teacher, astronaut, CEO, physician, businesswoman, paleontologist, Marine, veterinarian, prima ballerina, etc. --- than her measurements.

She’s also represented countries around the world and has even promoted learning sign language and understanding people who are wheelchair-bound before it was politically correct.
Barbie’s first fifty years have been awesome; wonder what’s in store for her next fifty years?

Happy Birthday, Barbie!

Real-Life Barbie: Tyra Banks

2009-02-06T05:41:00.000-05:00

Tyra Banks parlayed her modeling career into acting and then to her own empire. She is obviously more than beautiful; she's also brilliant.

Talk show host and host of a successful reality show, Ms. Banks is definitely making bank and trying help people, especially young girls in the process.

I recall her striking resemblence to fellow supermodel Naomi Campbell when noticing her in Essence magazine; she was still a teenager and she's not looked back.

Did you see her in the early Lindsay Lohan movie, Life-Size? She played a Barbie-like doll, Eve, accidentally brought to life as Lohan's character tries to bring her recently deceased mom back-to-life. It's a rather charming movie with good performances by all of the lead actors.

There is likely more in store for Tyra Banks. She has created her own empire rather than waiting for opportunities to come to her. Take note, my sisters!

The Josephine Baker Doll by Integrity Toys

2009-02-04T05:16:00.001-05:00

Jason Wu and Integrity Toys have released The Josephine Baker Doll and Fashion as a part of its Hollywood Royalty Collection. Ms. Baker is deserving of such recognition by having dolls molded in her honor.

She was a trailblazer in many fields. Though aspects of her life were tragic, she demonstrated the power of a determined female to accomplish her goals in spite of adversity.

The Official Josephine Baker Website

© 2009, Don’t Just Play Barbie…Be Barbie!, www.bebarbie.net

Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds Barbie

2009-02-02T05:00:00.003-05:00

Mattel produced this The Birds Barbie doll based on the Alfred Hitchcock classic movie, The Birds. I really want to buy this doll for a couple of reasons: first of all, I’m a big Hitchcock fan and secondly, I really like the outfit worn by Tippi Hedren’s character, Melanie Daniels. I’m trying to not to spend frivolously but if those birds can be removed from the doll's outfit, I might give it a try.

Here is a photo of the famous scene of Hedren and the children running from the school. This movie was Tippi Hedren’s break out role. She owes her movie career to Hitchcock who spotted her in a commercial and cast her in the starring role. She’s also the mother of actress Melanie Griffith; could she have been named her after her mom's character in this movie or is that just a coincidence?

Anyhoo, back in the day when there was only had one television in our household, my mom sort of got me hooked on Alfred Hitchcock. She still loves suspense movies today. The Birds, Dial M for Murder and Rear Window are just a few of my favorite movies that he directed. Of course, watching “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” was, and still is, a regular occurrence as it is in re-runs on the Chiller TV channel.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

It’s 2009 and I am so excited about Mattel’s 2009 collection. This year is Barbie’s 50th anniversary so there’s likely to be a lot of coverage of that milestone. It’s great to see more black dolls offered and I am so looking forward to adding both versions of Debut Barbie to my collection.

We’ll discuss these dolls and more throughout the year so be sure to come back often. In the meantime, enjoy this New Year and celebrate each day.

Kwanzaa Barbie

2008-12-31T08:55:00.008-05:00

In 2006, Mattel produced Kwanzaa Barbie in recognition of the seven-day celebration developed to strengthen African-American values of family, community and culture. There's also an aspect of Kwanzaa that discourages commercialism and encourages educational gifts for children.

Initially, when I saw the Kwanzaa Barbie advertised, I was disappointed in the commercialization of the celebration. The doll was included in their Dolls of the World - Festivals of the World Collection so I understood their perspective.

I was also disappointed that the doll, although dressed in African-inspired attire, had way beyond shoulder-length wavy hair and gray eyes. I'm sure there's a black woman somewhere in the world that looks like that but for the most part, the doll reinforces a negative self-image in little black girls. She's a beautiful doll but the same hair with a shoulder-length cut and brown eyes would have been much better. This doll is no longer in production but is likely available on the secondary market.