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Just beyond the darkness of that entry is the beginning of a whole new world. It's in a small park just steps from an elementary school, and feels ripe for a short story.
“Mulan” was a memorable part of my childhood, which is ironic considering we did not own the movie on VHS or DVD. However, I do recall watching the film on numerous occasions. The first time we got to watch the movie was at my grandmother’s house. Dad’s second cousin lived with Memere, and mistakenly left “Mulan” upstairs. What we didn’t know when we found it on the kitchen table was that it was someone’s birthday gift. After much coaxing, Colleen convinced Memere to let us watch “Mulan.” I had been dying to see the movie since seeing the previews on television and all the dolls/toys at stores. Of course Glen was furious when he came home and found the gift opened up. It ended up becoming a massive family argument, which later got resolved. Since the “Mulan” VHS couldn’t be used as a present, it ended up becoming one of those movies we watched with Memere or Glen when we’d come over to visit. Regardless of the bittersweet memory of our first time watching “Mulan,” it became a quick favorite. It stood apart from some of the classic Disney films. What I admired about Mulan was the fact that she was willing to go to war to save her father. Even though she was a terrible soldier at first, she refused to give up, and ended up becoming a hero. There was nothing boring about Mulan--she was a relatable character who actually did something, rather than waiting to be rescued by a prince. The movie was not the only way “Mulan” seeped into my childhood. I can still see the display of “Mulan” toys at McDonalds, and hear those discussions between me and Colleen about which ones we hoped to get with our Happy Meals. I ended up with several of the toys--one was a Mulan who came with a fabric outfit and additional plastic armor. We also had a Mushu figure who came with a gong he could actually strike. Who could forget our two Shan-Yu toys. Colleen and I each got one when we were at McDonald’s with Mom one afternoon. I remember renaming my guy “Cutie” because I thought it would be a funny juxtaposition, considering his scary, villainous appearance. There was my infamous Mulan cake, which Mom and Dad got me for my ninth birthday. For years, I kept the plastic topper, which was a figurine of Mulan on a bench. The only token I have of it now is a grainy photograph that one of my parents must have taken of the cake before it was devoured. The best part about the birthday cake was that it was something Mom chose as a surprise for me. She always knew what would make me and Colleen happy. Sometimes I swear she knew us better than we knew ourselves!
The Mulan birthday cake was not my only surprise from the film as a child. I have a vivid memory of seeing the dolls at stores like Wal-Mart back in the late 90s. On one occasion, I recall wistfully gazing at the dolls from the register--I especially wanted the Mulan sold with her horse. I’m not sure how Mom did it, but she picked the perfect Christmas gifts for me in 1998. At the time, I was just seven years old, so many of my gifts were things that Mom and Dad chose, rather than ones I formally asked for. Of course, there were always requests I made too. But I was probably an easy kid to buy for, because I was not picky in the slightest, unlike Colleen. Since I was notorious for wanting Disney dolls, even before watching the movies, Mom must have known the Mulan dolls would be a hit. She chose the BEST ones too!!! For Christmas 1998, I got the Hearts of Honor 2 pack with Li Shang and Mulan. PLUS Mom also picked me out Real Riding Khan--the version sans Mulan doll. An awesome horse, man doll, AND a Mulan dressed up in fancy clothes?!!! Mom hit the nail on the head. I don’t even think I knew you could get Khan by himself, nor do I recall having seen the Hearts of Honor set in stores prior to that Christmas. Poor Mulan and Li Shang didn’t stand a chance though. At the tender age of seven, I was beginning to be more responsible with my dolls. Long gone were the days of me hand feeding my plastic friends to my guinea pigs. But I was still not an ideal doll mother. That same day I opened Li and Mulan, I undid their beautiful bun hairdos. I was obsessed with taking out factory hair styles so I could fully “play” with a doll’s hair. I can somewhat understand my need to do this to Mulan. After all, she was a female doll who would have theoretically had styling options. But why Li Shang? What on earth was I planning to do with him?!!!
My childhood memories of Hearts of Honor Li and Mulan are that of the two dolls with crazy hair that stood straight up. Unfortunately, my dolls were rooted with kanekalon tresses, which is notorious for dreading. Between their ratty manes and Mulan’s overly made up face, they took on crazy personas. Colleen had gotten her Power Wheels Kelly and Tommy set that same Christmas. I recall that we made Li and Mulan, Kelly/Tommy’s parents while we played with our new goods that holiday. But even afterwards, Li and Mulan were cast as a parental unit. I’m pretty sure they became Lil’ Friends Jenny’s parents. Instead of being “good guys” though, Li and Mulan became our resident nut cases. They acted insane and were terrible parents...inspired by their wacky hair. I recall some very bathroom related scenarios with the pair...which our younger selves found hilarious, but nobody else would. After some time, we moved away from these sorts of doll games. Li and Mulan were somewhat phased out. However, we still got use from the dolls’ things. Li’s kimono was the perfect pajama set for Collen’s beloved Water Jewel Magic Aladdin, aka Leroy. I’m also fairly certain that the kimono reappeared as “fancy/formal” attire for our Sun Colors Kocoum. That’s not what Mattel ever intended, I’m sure! Despite being semi-retired, Li and Mulan were very forlorn by this time frame. Not only was their hair matted, but they also were limp/loose, due to their heavy articulation. Khan on the other hand stayed in impeccable condition considering my age. In fact, I think I held onto every piece he came with, despite how young I was. Even though Khan wasn’t my favorite horse to actually play with, he was beloved. The miniature Mushu he came with was also the perfect prop for our games. Most of the time, I’m pretty sure we used him as some sort of stuffed animal.
There were other Mulan dolls my younger self craved. I can recall with crystal clear clarity the day my best friend, Ashley, showed me her new Mulan. She had the Secret Hero doll, who had long hair you could “cut.” Technically, Mulan was rooted with shoulder length black hair. But there was a separate ponytail you could attach with velcro. The cutting action was actually just sticking the sword into the velcro loop and pulling it off. It admittedly looked so much more awesome on the commercials. As little girls, the hair cutting sequence was naturally a favorite of mine and Ashley’s. So I was undeniably jealous of her Mulan, despite the fact that I had my own set of dolls (who I now think is the better pack). I did end up with my own Secret Hero Mulan as a child. I found her a few years later at the local flea market. I got her from the same seller I found a nude Esmeralda from (the standard lady who came with two outfits). Like Esmeralda, Secret Hero Mulan was stark naked, but I recognized her distinctive short hair. So I just couldn’t leave her behind, despite the fact that I never recall playing with her later. The only other Mulan doll I had growing up was Matchmaker Magic. I acquired her in my early teens--I want to say that I was about thirteen. At the time, I was starting to tire of playing with dolls. Colleen and I had spent so much of our youth devising intricate story lines and literally playing with dolls from sunup to sun down. However, I was still very much enchanted by dolls anyways. Around this time frame, Dad started buying me a ton of boxed dolls at flea markets and other secondhand venues. I recall my excitement the day two Disney dolls turned up at a large indoor flea market. I found Matchmaker Magic AND Shining Braids Pocahontas--two of my favorite characters in beautiful forms! While I had no practical use for Matchmaker Magic Mulan’s color change face or ornate ensemble, she was an amazing find. She spent most of her days sitting above my desk on one of the three white shelves I kept various knick knacks and other dolls.
My teen years resulted in me distancing myself from my beloved plastic friends. Although my interest never faded, I felt too ashamed to carry on buying dolls or playing with them. So from circa 2006 to 2011, Colleen and I took an unofficial doll hiatus. All my childhood Barbies, Bratz, Disney dolls, etc were packed up. Every doll on display was also put into the drawers and containers, left untouched for the better part of those five years. My priorities shifted however in 2010. Dad was diagnosed with cancer a few months after I graduated high school. Obviously my entire life changed with the discovery of the tumors in his pancreas. The “new” version of myself I had created was no longer a person I identified with. I didn’t want to be that girl anymore, and I longed to be reconnected with who I used to be. After graduating cosmetology school in the spring of 2010, I had much more time on my hands. Colleen was finishing her last semesters of college. But someone had to stay home with Dad and make sure he was taken care of. Although I had company technically speaking, I was alone most of the day. Dad spent many hours sleeping on the couch. I got bored of television and my iPod very quickly. Somehow, I found myself investigating dolls on the internet. But it wasn’t until that fall, when Dad let me get the “Disney Dolls Identification & Price Guide” off the internet, that I broke. In the pages of Margo Rana’s book, I rediscovered my passion for dolls. Disney characters had been my absolute favorite dolls in my early childhood, until Bratz came out. I wanted them all--even the dolls I already had, who were now forlorn from play. But one in particular stood out to me--Satiny Shimmer Mulan. I was so enamored by her, that I actually took to eBay. I found a doll, still with her box (although removed), for just $10.50 (including shipping). It felt as though fate was guiding me to reconnect with my lost hobby. So after debating all day, I finally worked up the courage to ask Dad if I could buy the very inexpensive Mulan. This decision, as insignificant as it may seem to others, changed the course of my life.
If I had let the fear of judgement and rejection stop me from approaching Dad in 2011, I wouldn’t be here typing this “essay.” If I had not plucked up the courage to make that change, my last few years with Dad would have been unrecognizable. But I made the right decision. Although Dad was somewhat perplexed by this random ideation to purchase a doll after five years, he didn’t question me much. Instead, after a few hours of thinking about it, he gave me an allotted amount of money to spend on eBay for dolls. It was a late Christmas gift of sorts, since we had not formally celebrated the holiday that year (or the year before, as Dad was in a medically induced coma). Although Satiny Shimmer Mulan was one of the later dolls to show up in the mail, due to the sketchy seller, she was the one who broke that barrier. I’m not sure, even to this day, what it was about her that beckoned me to ask that fated question. She is, for that reason, the most important piece in my doll collection. Without her, none of my adult purchased dolls would be here. I honestly don’t think I would have had the gumption to resurrect the hobby at a later date. And even if I had, it would have been with entirely different results.
I was fortunate enough to have a decent collection of Mulan dolls to display from the get go. In those early days, they shared a shelf with my Hunchback of Notre Dame dollies. I had gotten several of them off eBay as well in that time. Another milestone in my doll collecting history involved yet another Mulan. The first Sunday we went back to the flea market that year, I found Real Riding Khan Mulan. She was just $2 (or two dolls for $3), and was still donning her factory ensemble...shoes and all! Real Riding Khan and Tzipporah were my first two dolls I got as an adult collector in the “wild.” It is something that I’ll never forget...plus the occasion was even more special, since Mulan went with the horse Mom got me for Christmas in 1998. In the coming months, I would find more treasures from “Mulan.” There was my 2008 Sparkling doll, who I found on a blanket at another flea market that fall. She was one of the first modern Mattel dolls I chose for my collection. I will never forget our excitement when Colleen and I found a dressed Captain Li Shang at our local flea market, around that same time frame. He was at a booth where typically only books were sold. But Colleen had spotted him out of the corner of her eye. He was one of my favorite Disney finds back then--I always wanted another Li Shang! The following year my first “Basic” Mulan joined the family. She was a gift from my cousin’s now wife. A few weeks after Dad passed away in 2012, Krissy had us clean up all her childhood dolls for her. She let us keep a few of our favorites to thank us. Colleen had already picked out Mulan by the time I returned from a fishing trip with Uncle David. You can imagine my thrill when we walked into Uncle David’s house and I saw Colleen, Krissy, and my second cousin on the living room floor with dolls strewn all over it. It was also in these first few weeks after Dad’s death that another major milestone was marked. For the first time since 2002, we ventured out the Disney Store. As a kid, I had been disappointed by the “clone” like Disney dolls at the store. But I learned that the dolls were manufactured by a different company in more recent years. The pictures of this newer generation caught my attention online. Colleen and I had ogled Disney Store Li Shang for nearly a year on eBay. When we went to the store that fateful afternoon, I happened to catch an awesome sale. The dolls were $7 each, as they were trying to rid the store of the old stock. There were newly designed dolls awaiting the shelves. We got Li at that particular location, but we ended up hitting another store at a different mall, to get Mulan. They were without a doubt two of my most prized possessions back then.
My collection continued to blossom in the following years. I was able to find upgraded dolls from my childhood. There was first the boxed Secret Hero Mulan who turned up at an indoor flea market. Although I had bought a Disney Store fashion pack for my childhood doll to wear on display, I still craved a mint version. My collection felt all that more complete, seeing her stand side by side with Captain Li Shang on display. While her kanekalon ponytail hair piece is a pain, I can’t help but be satisfied that I actually have it! In 2014, I finally tracked down an elusive Mattel Mulan who was only available in one of the large Target Disney Princess packs. Mulan was not a recurring character generally speaking after her initial release. So naturally I was tantalized by the few that had been produced. While I was excited about getting all the Disney princesses from the set off eBay, Mulan was of course the token prize! Another pack doll joined the ranks a year prior, when Colleen bought me an 11 pack of Disney Store dolls as a gift. While this Mulan was similar to my first Disney Store gal, I never could imagine parting with her. 2014 was also the year I found a boxed set of Hearts of Honor dolls at the local flea market. It was the same day we also stumbled upon my Great Villains Collection Ursula. I couldn’t believe my luck finding these grail dolls for so cheap! The Hearts of Honor dolls brought me back to my childhood. Even though I had the flawless set, I still displayed my grubby childhood friends too, for several years until I needed more room. Over the years I added more pieces to my display--a ballerina themed Disney Store doll, several duplicated dolls from various secondhand lots, and of course a few Mattel fashion packs to dress them (purchased off eBay). Although I had such great luck acquiring “Mulan” dolls, I was still able to fit the majority of them in my bedroom, as there just weren’t that many produced.
Of all the many Disney movies dolls were produced for, “Mulan” will always have a special place in my heart. While my Snow White collection reminds me so fondly of my father, my Mulan one makes me think of Mom. Even though Dad purchased me many of my later ones, it was Mom who hand picked my very first Mulan dolls. She was the one who also chose the Mulan birthday cake too. Although I would never part with my original dolls from childhood, I am so grateful to have acquired mint ones as an adult. Whenever I realize a company has produced a Mulan doll, I always perk up. Despite not having a Hasbro one yet, at this time I’m typing this, she was one of the first characters who caught my eye. I also cannot deny that the Disney Store/Disney Parks Mulan dolls were among the first I warmed up to. I still regret getting rid of a Disney Parks gal in 2011, who came with some My Favorite Fairytale ladies Dad got me in an eBay lot. I secretly loved everything about her, but in a quest to have a curated collection, I sold her at a yard sale. But luckily, my collection has diversified since then, although I still hope to replace her. Undeniably however, what makes “Mulan” mean so much to me is my Satiny Shimmer doll. Never in a million years could I have predicted that she’d be the doll to break me. Why not Jasmine, or Megara, or Pocahontas? Why was it Mulan? Whatever it was about Satiny Shimmer that spoke to me, I feel that she was meant to be. I wouldn’t go back in time and pick any other doll to be the one to break the barrier. Although there are far prettier dolls in my collection, nobody will ever hold a candle to her.
My brother walking around, it was my uncles funeral, we were in a very small village in Bosnia called Kljuc. That's where my dad is from.
A set of photos that explores the relationship between persons and nature.
Fromdeno.com
Tennis in the rains
Blows my mind
My brains ..
I break all chains
Bandra becomes
Spain ..
Under Coach
Surendra Pawar
I train ..
I forget the lockdown
All my worldly pain
No I won't go to
Muscat or Bahrain
Dukhdam Micchami
To all The Jain's ..
#beggarpoet
Picture shot by photographer
@sanketkamble2984 tennis pro
Jason found dying kittens, only one survived. He was hand fed. Then, Dixie the family dog, took over. Dixie was found in an abusive home by Brenda 2 years ago. Dixie had an broken hip, Brenda took care of her. This beautiul dog is now a loved family member. Dixie has come to this new kitten's rescue. Dixie let the new kitty (still nameless) breastfeed, although she has never had a litter. She has completely become this kitten's mother, except for the milk given by the family.
Isn't this an " AMAZING ANIMAL STORY ".
The Story Bridge is a heritage-listed steel cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River that carries vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the northern and the southern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the longest cantilever bridge in Australia.
The bridge is part of Bradfield Highway (15) and connects Fortitude Valley to Kangaroo Point. The Story Bridge opened in 1940 and was tolled until 1947. It is named after prominent public servant, John Douglas Story.
Hold ourselves together with our arms around the stereo for hours
Non sono andata a vedere i National a Ferrara e continuerò a pentirmene.
There isn't a time I can remember when Aladdin was not a part of my life. I have no memory of seeing Aladdin in theaters with my family, because I was so young. But, I do remember all the merchandise that was released with the film...namely the dolls! Every time the Aladdin cartoon series aired on television, my sister and I dropped whatever we were doing to watch it. We were truly bummed out when the show was canceled. One of the reasons we loved getting cable television when I was nine, was the fact that we got the Toon Disney Channel...which ran episodes of the Aladdin cartoon. My parents bought us Aladdin on vhs tape, but we eventually had to replace it around 2004. Somehow, we managed to ruin that vhs tape as well, but fortunately, we found the same '04 edition on dvd at the flea market during the summer of 2014. That dvd turned out to be faulty after a few uses, so we once again had to track down another! I guess my sister and I watch Aladdin so much, that we have a habit of ruining the tapes! We also always loved the sequels, Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves. I still vividly recall the day I first saw Aladdin and the King of Thieves on vhs. It was around my birthday, when I spotted the display at CVS while shopping with my mom. She said I could pick the tape or Palace Wedding Jasmine as part of my birthday gift. Even though I desperately coveted the Jasmine doll, I chose the vhs, so Colleen and I could share it. For years and years, I always regretted not choosing the Jasmine doll. But realistically, Jasmine would have been destroyed within a year, like most of our childhood Aladdin dolls. Upon reflection, my childhood would have felt a little empty without Aladdin and the King of Thieves being in it!
Besides the movies, my sister and I collectively had hoards of Aladdin merchandise when we were young. We had the Sega video game, which we played every Saturday morning religiously. I owned a purple Aladdin lunchbox which I took to school with me, and Colleen had a green pencil case. We somehow managed to hang onto both the lunch box and the pencil case over the years. Then there were our Aladdin paper dolls--Aladdin was mine, Jasmine was Colleen's. We both always got into heated fights over who played with Jasmine. Jasmine's head had to be taped together more times than I can count, because we both played with her so much. Aladdin also saw play...but he was nude most of the time. I somehow lost both his outfits. Not to mention, while at the hair salon one day, I let another little girl play with Aladdin...and she chose to draw on the back of him! I also had a palace figurine set that came with Aladdin, the Sultan, and Jasmine. Our dog, Haley, ate Jasmine's head one day while I was walking down the hallway. Years later, I still resented Hayley for destroying my beautiful Jasmine figurine. I bought the Aladdin Polly Pockets too--poor Jasmine lost both her hands, but I still have the set. Colleen and I even had Aladdin clothes. Our childhood wardrobes consisted of swimsuits, shirts, and even underwear that were adorned with Aladdin cartoons. Basically, whatever merchandise was marketed for Aladdin, chances are, my sister and I wanted it.
It's no surprise given my long history of obsessing in the movie Aladdin, that I have accumulated a ridiculous number of Aladdin dolls over the years. The dolls, of all the merchandise, were always my favorite, and usually the thing I whined the most about not having. It seemed as though Colleen and I never had luck with our Aladdin dolls when we were kids. My sister's black, rambunctious (and might I say disgustingly smelly) dog, Hayley, devoured several of our dolls in the course of a few years. Hayley consumed Colleen's brand new Water Surprise Jasmine doll within the first week of her arriving home from the store. To be honest, my younger self couldn't be trusted any more with the Aladdin dolls than Hayley. It was a habit of mine to steal Colleen's coveted Aladdin dolls when she was at school. Sometimes I would take only Jasmine's necklace to use on my Sun Jewel Kira, other times, I would steal just Aladdin's lamp. One day, I worked up the nerve to borrow the Aladdin doll. Even though I was very young, I still vividly remember sneaking into Colleen's closet, digging through her laundry basket of Barbie dolls, and snagging Aladdin. Mom warned me not to play with Colleen's stuff, but that certainly did not stop me. Apparently, according to Colleen, I broke Aladdin's head that day...which she was NOT happy about. I conveniently blocked out my memory of decapitating Aladdin! Mom and Dad unintentionally rewarded me that day, as I got to keep the broken Aladdin, since they bought Colleen a replacement Water Jewel Magic Aladdin. Colleen felt ripped off, because her old Aladdin doll came with more clothing and accessories than her new doll.
I used to beg Colleen everyday to borrow her beautiful Jasmine doll. One day, she foolishly let me have my way, by giving me the privilege of carrying Jasmine around the grocery store. I lost Jasmine, who was wearing her purple dress, that day while we were shopping. Colleen was furious with me, and for years and years, she hung the entire incident over my head. I was certainly not any more trustworthy with my own Aladdin dolls. I don't know where my beloved childhood Musical Princess Jasmine went. She was either lost like Colleen's Jasmine doll, our she was one of Hayley's meals. I made my Perfume Jasmine and "Classics" Jasmine doll bald not long after I bought them. Poor "Classics" Jasmine was my birthday gift when I turned four years old. I still recall picking her out at Toys 'R' Us, along with the So Much to Do! Kitchen playset. Water Jewel Magic Jasmine and Aladdin, as well as Colleen's Perfume Jasmine were the only dolls who survived our early childhood unscathed. Well, Water Jewel Magic Jasmine didn't completely escape carnage....her head fell off on multiple occasions and Dad had to super glue her back together. Regardless, she was the surviving Jasmine doll that I always played with until I bought my Sparkling Jasmine in 2002.
Although our luck with Aladdin dolls was not the best in our early years, the acquisition of my Sparkling Jasmine in 2002 shifted things. She was the first Jasmine to be in stores since the My Favorite Fairytale lady (who I had missed out on getting). I was so unbelievably ecstatic the day Mom, Dad, Colleen, and I were at Target and I saw the most stunning Jasmine doll ever. Sparkling Jasmine's purple ensemble was unique, and I loved her less bug eyed facial screening. To me, she most resembled the character I loved, and I was so grateful that I was able to afford her. The last Jasmine doll I had been so taken with was the Holiday Princess lady. But due to her "fanciness" I declined from asking Mom or Dad if I could get her. Although she wasn't outrageously priced in retrospect, she was at least double the price of my less than $15 Sparkling gal. Jasmine became a fast favorite, of course it helped that her only competition was our sad, repaired Water Jewel Magic Jasmine. Coincidentally, I had been playing with Water Jewel Magic Jas right around this time, casting her as a poor farm girl who ran away from home. Obviously, Water Jewel Magic Jasmine was dethroned when Sparkling arrived. Sparkling Jasmine was my most prized possession for several years. She was the apple of my eye, and her beauty could not be matched. I bought her numerous Barbie fashion packs that would go splendidly with her purple makeup. Wherever I went, Jasmine was sure to tag along. Kid Kore Katie, Colleen's favorite doll, who was sold with a poodle, soon became Jasmine's traveling companion. We took the dolls to the pool, the beach, in the woods, to the movie theaters, to restaurants....everywhere and anywhere we traveled! Along the way, other Aladdin dolls joined the cast. During a beach themed doll scene, Colleen gave our childhood Water Jewel Magic Aladdin a new identity. He became Leroy, the hard working, nerdy, reliable guy. Leroy and Jasmine fell in love, and the rest is history! We would crank up my Britney Spears albums and have Jasmine sing to Leroy. Sometimes he would duet with her when male singers guest starred on the songs. They would take flying unicorn rides on my Starlight Unicorn (who did not actually feature wings), named Ocean. Jasmine's furry/hoofed friends were always nearby--Ocean and Muffin my Puppy Ruff dog I got when I was two/three. The family soon became the "Arabache" clan. Jasmine's family showcased her adopted sister Katie, and her two sisters/sometimes daughters Reggie and Myra. Leroy's side consisted of his wheelchair bound sister, Becky, and his featherbrained brother Bradley. Winning London Mary-Kate and Ashley and Pet Pals Skipper, aka Robin, were also part of the family, but changed sides. There were also usually Kelly and Krissy dolls added once we decided to have Jasmine and Leroy start their own family (one was Stroll 'N Play Krissy, aka Natasha, the other usual was 1995 Bathtime Fun Kelly, aka Stephanie). Once I got Xpress It! Yasmin, she too was a staple in our games, sometimes featured as Leroy's sister, other times as Jasmine's. Bradley was our decapitated "Classics" Aladdin from childhood. Reggie and Myra were our two Perfume Princess Jasmine minis. Ironically, I had always been jealous of Colleen's much neater Perfume Jasmine, even though I already had my own. Myra, who was my original doll, had an earring chewed off by a guinea pig and virtually no hair. Colleen gave me her Jasmine doll, who I renamed as Reggie--she was the smarter, more "mature" twin who was also the head troublemaker. Myra was the sweet, incontinent one who always asked for "Mommy" or "Daddy," and who was notorious for toting a massive stuffed Pooh Bear with her. Despite the scruffiness of some of our oldest Aladdin dolls, they were incorporated into the newer games. It was also around this time that we found "replacements" for a few of them. Colleen bought another, much fresher Water Jewel Magic Aladdin, who we named Lennon, at an outdoor flea market. He subbed in for Leroy on occasion, since his arms weren't faded and his hair paint was intact. We also scored a very mint looked "Classics" Aladdin for $5 at the town flea market (which is notoriously over priced). She decided to make him the father of Leroy and Bradley, and he was dubbed "Frank." We always envisioned Leroy and Bradley having an overbearing mother, but nobody was permanently cast in the role. As adults, we feel that Bratz Portia would have been the perfect leading lady! For several years our doll family remained more or less unchanged until our favorites began to deteriorate. I bought Princess Party Jasmine as a temporary substitute when Sparkling Jasmine balded and began to fade from too many pool excursions. But she just wasn't the same, which is why I eagerly bought a secondhand Sparkling Jasmine in 2004 or 2005. She was purchased a little bit too late though, because by that point we had phased out of the Arabache clan and were playing with a new doll family. These days, the members of the Arabache household still make appearances in photos and Youtube skits. We always cast the original dolls, despite having minter counterparts. But my skills as a doll restorer have helped our poor childhood friends look substantially better, so they aren't the raggedy faces we used to play with anyways! The "Leroy and Jasmine" era will forever be Colleen's and my favorite time in our doll playing history. Of course, it was all that more special since we incorporated several beloved Aladdin dolls!
It was not only my love for the film, but also my "not so great" childhood experiences, that drove me to collecting so many Aladdin dolls. It was surprisingly unintentional that I first began buying so many Aladdin dolls. My original focus when beginning to collect dolls again in 2011 (I took a few years off from dolls when I was a teenager) was on Hercules dolls and the Hunchback of Notre Dame dolls, as well as a few random Disney dolls. I remember I wanted Water Surprise Jasmine and Holiday Jasmine first. Not long after, I couldn't resist buying a brand new Water Jewel Magic Jasmine, since I have a long history with our childhood doll. Then, one day, I won Rajah Friendship Jasmine on eBay somehow. I was fueled with anger after losing a bid on Fashion Secrets Megara. I took all that frustration and turned it towards bidding on Jasmine. I couldn't believe I won her!!! She was the first bid on eBay I ever won that was opposed. The day she arrived, I opened her up right away, and I couldn't help but desire more Aladdin dolls. So, I used Margo Rana's "Disney Dolls Guide", as a map for which Jasmine and Aladdin dolls I wanted. One of my main targets from the get go was Palace Wedding Jasmine--a doll I coveted from the moment I saw her at CVS as a child. She was the most expensive individual doll in my collection, but worth every penny. I was able to make another childhood dream come true that first year, when I found a perfect set of Magic Carpet Aladdin and Jasmine dolls online. I had pined for them each time we were at my friend's house, and I saw her sister's dolls set up in her bedroom! Within my first year of collecting, I had nearly all the dolls in the Aladdin section of her book. It's become an addiction of mine to buy Aladdin dolls as an adult. I've taken long breaks from purchasing anymore of them, but it just takes one doll to send me into a frenzy. That's actually how my third Aladdin shelf happened. I simply wanted to buy Glitter Princess Jasmine and Sparkle Princess Jasmine on eBay. Then I found Genie of the Lamp, Gem Princess Jasmine, Enchanted Tales Aladdin, and several more dolls over the course of the next two months. I couldn't cram another doll on my other two Aladdin shelves, so I evicted all my Cindy dolls from the top shelf. My Aladdin expansion made me very happy, as I not only had a fabulous new display to look at, but I also was able to put just about all my duplicated Aladdin dolls on display!
My Aladdin dolls all have a history, whether I made memories with them as a child or an adult, I cherish each and every one. They've been a staple in my dolly world since I was too young to remember. I am so grateful that a few of our oldest dolls are still standing, like Bradley, Leroy, and our original Water Jewel Magic Jasmine. All have required an extensive amount of work--from new bodies, to partial reroots, to paint touch ups. My Sparkling Jasmine needed some of the most lengthy restoration as she was so heavily played with. Despite being able to fix up these dolls, Colleen and I still always have trouble turning away Aladdin duplicates. Colleen was over the moon to find a boxed Water Jewel Magic Aladdin, renamed Luxor, in 2018 at the flea market. I was secretly glad that a third Sparkling Jasmine joined the family in 2013 in the "60 Doll Bin." She most captures the spirit of my forlorn childhood doll (but when she was brand new, not trashed). I'm without a doubt torn whenever I see an Aladdin/Jasmine doll I don't "need" floating around a secondhand venue. Of all the Disney movies dolls were produced for, I have the most Aladdin dolls hands down. The majority are the 90s-early 2000s era produced by Mattel, as they are the cream of the crop in my opinion, due to nostalgia! But I also have expanded my collection to include Disney Store dolls and later Mattel releases, even those with gaudy molded clothes. Aladdin dolls have left a mark on every era of my dolly history. They were the coolest Disney dolls to have in our household, and also the ones most likely to be lost or destroyed, during our early years. When I was eleven to thirteen, Aladdin dolls were key cast members of the most sentimental time in our doll playing history. It wouldn't have been the same if we had another Disney couple or a random Barbie and Ken instead of Leroy and Jasmine. And of course, it was the Aladdin section in Margo Rana's book that drove me bonkers and fueled my inner doll addict when I first dabbled back into collecting as a nineteen year old. Although there aren't many Aladdin dolls I don't have, I still find that my family is constantly expanding, and I never tire of adding more! My Aladdin dolls always have the best display spaces reserved for them, in the same way that I always hold a special place for them in my heart that no other dolls can ever touch!
High up in the mountains of the Himalayas, a Bhutanese monk shares stories with three happy children.
Nueva trailer de la 2º temporada
Ya tenia que sacar mi lado macabro.. aunque esto es muy light y no da miedo... pero las muñequitas...aaaarrggg XD
Imagenes de:
stories without words
memories without thinking
dreams of Spring's return
Photo: ©06/01/2024-Phil Wahlbrink
Bain-de-Bretagne, Brittany, France
Camera: FUJIFILM X-Pro3
Lens: 33mm
ISO: 160
2.1” f16
Anya works for an elderly English gentleman author each winter time. As he tells her his stories in his lilting musical voice she captures them on a typewriter. He really has a most wonderful mind, she's quite enthralled...
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Pullip Bloody Red Hood wearing an outfit by LazyDaisyWorkshop
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Ok this is one job I would love for myself! That lucky Anya, why is it my dolls always get to do my favourite things :D
He had picked her up in his old red Skoda Ocativa. He loved that car. He had changed the car over time bit by bit. Not that much on the outside. Just a nice set of wheels. What he had changed was a different exhaust, a different manifold, chipped the motor management, upgraded the brakes, the lot. For a long time that car had been the number one thing in his life. That had changed though.
He had taken her to the old part of town. To that one bridge to be precise. He did not think of it as a romantic place. The canal could smell quite badly at times. But she liked it. She liked the old brickwork, the worn iron railing and those old red lanterns standing around. For her it was a happy place and he wanted her to be happy.
So, there he did it. He went on his knee for her. Nervous more than ever as they hadn't discussed marriage as such and he was worried his move may be too soon. She was surprised, shocked almost, and put her hands to her mouth. What would her answer be?
Taken in Madurodam, The Hague
OM System OM-5 with 12-40mm f2.8 Pro II
"Stories you read when you're the right age never quite leave you. You may forget who wrote them or what the story was called. Sometimes you'll forget precisely what happened, but if a story touches you it will stay with you, haunting the places in your mind that you rarely ever visit."
Neil Gaiman, M Is for Magic
© Copyright Nikolay Jovnovich - All rights reserved.
* Lightbox: Best seen in larger size on black (click image above)
It was a beautiful sunset.....
When the golden soft ray of the setting sun blanketed the front of this young Dahlia, I saw the amazing story of the backside.......
Mildred received a notification that her needed to update her account password. After staring at the empty password field for a few minutes, she had it!
She typed his new password: potato.
The computer responded with an error message: ‘Sorry, your password must contain at least 8 letters.’
She typed again: boiled potato.
Again, she was met with an error. ‘Sorry, your password must contain at least 1 number.’
Mildred thought she was being clever and typed ‘1 boiled potato’ into the password field.
‘Sorry, password cannot contain spaces.’
Frustrated, Mildred typed ’50fingboiledpotatoes’.
Another error message. ‘Sorry, your password must contain capital letters.’
She tried again. ’50FINGboiledpotatoes.’
It was no good either. ‘Sorry, your password must not contain capital letters that are consecutive.’
Mildred thought someone must be pulling her leg. She was getting furious.
‘IwillThrow50fingBoiledPotatoesRightatYourScreen,IfYouDontGiveMeAccess she typed, thinking she’d outwitted the password requirements.
Another error message appeared. ‘Sorry, your password must not contain any punctuation.’
Mildred, was about to lose her mind. She typed frantically, slamming her fingers into the keyboard with each keystroke.
‘NowIamSeriouslyGettingAnnoyedIwillThrow50fingBoiledPotatoesRightatYourScreenIfYouDontGiveMeAccess.’
The computer started to process the request. Mildred started to relax her shoulders.
‘Sorry, you cannot change your password to a password you have already used with this account. Choose a new password: …’
:P
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ai/gimp
The room we stayed in was literally the last room on the right side of this hallway. I took this photo to show how far we had to walk every time we went back to our room. There are stories of ghosts on the Queen Mary. The marketing department even advertises about the ghosts so I thought I would mess with the drunk people coming out of the bar. I took a long exposure and stood in the middle of the hall (see photo below). I showed a few people my LCD screen and before I knew it there was people lining up to have a look at the ghost. It was hilarious!
1995 Thinkway toys. In anticipation to Toy Story 3 I dug out our Toy Story toys. Kinda sad to see them in the boxes like this. Buzz was only $18.96.
neatocoolville.blogspot.com/2010/06/toy-story-for-first-t...