View allAll Photos Tagged bathtime
BOX DATE: 1995
MANUFACTURER: Mattel
VARIATIONS: Blonde; African American
BODY TYPE: 1994; lever on back
HEAD MOLD: 1994 "Bottle mouth"
SPECIAL FEATURES: Splashes
PERSONAL FUN FACT: Stephanie, the blonde cutie on the far right, was also a childhood acquisition. Like my second African American doll, she was from a flea market. However I found her at an outdoor flea market, stuffed inside a container/box with a load of other Barbie things, in very scrappy condition. I recall handpicking Stephanie out as well as all the scraps of Kelly clothes/accessories I could find. I'm pretty sure I knew back then that she was a blonde Bathtime Fun Kelly. These dolls have a switch on their backs that makes them easy to identify. I'm not sure why I was so taken with Stephanie, but from the moment we met, I was mesmerized. She often costarred with Kelly as her sister. Sometimes she full out replaced Kelly in my doll games. I remember she spent a lot of her time sitting in the clone walker we had, bouncing around our doll kitchen setup, making cooing noises. Back then, she wore her hair in a messy ponytail, since all her thatching was messed up. So it's still odd for me to see her rocking her factory ponytails. I love Stephanie almost as much as Kelly and Kelsey...honestly I probably love her more than Kelsey. Sometimes those random, grubby flea market purchases resonate the deepest with me. I simply cannot imagine my collection without Stephanie.
My fourth Bathtime Fun Kelly was the girl on the far left of this photo. She was boxed, like my second African American doll. The story behind this gal is very special as well. She was one of the very first Kelly dolls that joined my adult collection. It was one of the very last times Dad took Colleen and me out shopping at flea markets. It was either late 2011 or early 2012, during the winter, when all the outdoor flea markets were closed. I found her at a booth in the back of the building for a great deal (I don't remember what she cost anymore). It was awesome opening up the blonde version of my very first Kelly doll again. And despite the fact that I took great care of my formerly boxed African American Kelly, she had been played with quite a bit. Not to mention, her stuff had already been discolored when I first found her, probably from being improperly stored. This blondie on the other hand was in perfect condition, and I was eager to relive the experience of opening Bathtime Fun Kelly.
Last but not least, in the middle. I acquired her in 2014, in a small container which featured my second 1995 Lil' Friends of Kelly Melody, and my first 1994 Slumber Party Barbie. I bought the container mostly for the mint looking clothes inside, as well as the Melody doll, who also looked like new. But I was more than happy to adopt a fifth Bathtime Fun Kelly. What I love most about this doll is that she reminds me of my childhood friend's Bathtime Fun Kelly. I remember that my friend Ashley also had Bathtime Kelly, but the blonde version. I loved playing with her doll whenever we would be at Ashley's house. Having this girl is almost like seeing Ashley's doll again, although it's even better since she actually belongs to me!
We found a large puddle on the Plain last week, which had become the private bathing area for a flock of about a hundred corn buntings (and a few yellowhammers). It was fun watching them frolic in the sun.
Sony A7R II
Sony 70-300G lens