Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Books? In A Bookcase????

As some of you know, I'm something of a Barbie freakazoid.  Not vintage Barbies--they're too expensive and frankly, the ones I could afford aren't in the best condition.  I mean, how many of YOU twisted off Barbie's head a time or two?  And let's be honest, combing out that ponytail and giving her a ratted-up 'do was obviously a major pastime in the 60's and 70's.  I have a Miss Yvonne action figure (part of my treasured set of PeeWee Herman figures) and even though you didn't need to rat up HER hair my sister's little girl felt obligated.  Of course this was after they'd located Miss Yvonne's head that had been twisted off and thrown under the couch shortly after coming out of the package.  When my sister kindly gave me the figure I left Miss Yvonne in her disheveled state (with her head back on) since whenever I look at her she reminds me of when Tinky was a wee little girl wearing her cereal bowl on her head and smiling like that was a totally normal thing to do.  Love you, my sweet soon-to-be-married niece!

Anyway, I have a bookcase in my dining room that's just chock full of cool stuff.  Since the hubby has been a professional diver ever since he was a chubby-cheeked Navy boy I thought it was important that we have a vintage Navy Seal Diver GI Joe in the house.  GOOD LORD, ARE THEY FREAKING EXPENSIVE!  This one came with all kinds of accessories like an ax, several rifles, a knife, blah blah blah, you know, things that you kill people with.  Or use your doll to kill other dolls with.   Navy Seal Diver GI Joe also came with an old "coppertop" dive helmet, weight belt and boot weights so your kid could throw him in the pool and he'd sink straight to the bottom, pretty much ruining him but hey, who knew Navy Seal Diver GI Joe was going to become so FREAKING EXPENSIVE 30 years after he got fished out of the pool?
Next to Navy Seal Diver GI Joe, Ken looks pathetic.  Even Divin' Barbie and Mermaid Barbie look more butch.  The reproduction coppertop helmet was a Hobby Lobby find--it's made out of some kind of hard composite and when I found it it was on a display case with a bunch of glass animals with a sign that read "All Glass, Ceramic, China Items 50% Off" which caused me to have a vigorous discussion with the manager about what the helmet was made out of since 50% off always makes me salivate and want to buy things I don't need.  In her vast wisdom as Hobby Lobby manager she determined that it was NOT on sale, then looked at me and said, "Well, do you still want it?" as she was already turning around to put it back on the shelf.   It was obvious she wasn't reading my mind since if she had that ability she would've then slapped me for what I WAS thinking.  I said, in my best snarky but polite voice, "Well, YES I want it", snatched it back and marched off, vowing that this was absolutely the last time I'd ever set foot in that store.

Ha ha ha ha HA. 

On shelf two, we find more manly stuff.  Please note that the only thing the manly person in this household has purchased on this shelf is the little diver figurine.  Of course we had to have the Captain America "Easy Rider" chopper (on the left) and the bike on the right is a model of Mike's 1986 limited edition Heritage Softail.  And how about that freakin' awesome Woody station wagon with all kinds of cool surf stuff?! 
Those rocks are actually fossils.  I think one of them is fossilized dino poop.  Note: to answer Miz Pixie, NO THAT IS NOT A PROTECTIVE LAYER OF DUST!  That is an exact replication of the floor of my husband's workshop.  Really!


 More cars.  The two in the rear are GTO's since Mike loves them and it's much safer to have the models rather than an actual GTO, seeing as how I managed to slide (going 2 mph) into the last GTO and mash its just-recently-restored quarter panel.  The company that sold the cars also had available the accessory kit with the auto hoist, tool chests, tanks, etc.  When they arrived at the house I took them out of the box, squealed and showed them to Mike, saying "Oh honey, aren't these just tooooo cute?!"  He sat there staring at me, then said, "Yes.  They are cute."  The word "cute" really isn't in his vocabulary but he utters it when he knows it's just better to agree with me.  After 20+ years together, he's well aware of the rules . . .
You may recall the car in the front from a post regarding the mysterious death of Melvin the Chicken (read post here).  Boo the Cat was exonerated, of course, as it turned out the murderer and driver of this car was A LOW-DOWN SCURVY SQUIRREL!  Note: again, the amazing ON PURPOSE replication of actual workshop floor dust.  Really!

For all you readers who weren't aware of my political leanings, I have a feeling you'll figure it out by noting the book titles below.  See, I DO have books in my bookcase!
OK, I can't get away with another lie about workshop floor dust here, so, hmm, let's see . . . oh yeah! that isn't just undusted dust on this shelf, it's an amazingly clever ruse to get FAIRY PRINTS (and as you can plainly see, that fairy got up and walked over to the salt & pepper shakers.  Really!).

Have a happy Wednesday!  It's raining cats and dogs here AGAIN.  I'm not complaining, though--I COULD be in Queensland (and I really hope our bloggy friend Celia is high and dry!).

13 comments:

  1. I posted a picture of that Hardrock Rockabilly Barbie on facebook yesterday! I'm totally buying her on next payday! Mattel is getting sued by Patricia Day, the singer to the Horrorpops since it is a rip-off of her likeness.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I didn't see George Bush's or Sarah Palin's new books on your bookshelf. What gives? (smiles)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is that a protective layer of dust I see? Perhaps you pratice the same method of preservation as I do?

    I have collections of stuff too, but most of it is too bizarre and weird for anybody to understand. lol

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, what a ton of neat stuff! I remember a friend and myself,I'm ashamed to admit this, used to take his sister's Barbie and pin it on his Dart Board!!! Poor thing was covered in little holes! Does that make me a bad boy......I think so! But I am OK now and have fully recovered....honestly Chris!
    All your stuff reminded me of what I have been seeing on American Pickers.
    Jim

    ReplyDelete
  5. I still think you should buy that lifesized Barbie and Ken.

    I have protective dust and super-protective dog hair all over the house. It makes me feel safe.

    Cool stuff, as usual. I envy your things.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ha,I used to give my dollies Farrah haircuts!
    I love Barbie,I had over 20 of them,and 2 Kens and 2 Skippers(one was a Growing Skipper),not to mention 3 Cindy'd and gawd know what else.Haven't kept any though....Mummy got rid of them at one point......:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. You have such cool stuff; my favorite is that station wagon. I do believe that all of your uses for dust are completely valid & logical. Who knew it could be so useful!? Long live DUST!

    I didn't twist barbies head or cut all of her hair off, but all of my barbies had tattoos. Barbies skin was the best canvas for markers :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am loving your shelves and all your fun collectibles. I love the 'manly' stuff. And dust is a protective coating...my Mother told me that and I believe her!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. My grandmother still has all my barbies, which were originally my mothers, from the 60s. Yes I'm high and dry, thanks, now that I'm down near Sydney, ha ha, think I've brought the rain with me as its pouring here, but it's not gonna stop me checking out the local antique shops and thrifts, ha ha!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love this post! I want to see more Barbies! I have a few vintage repros I should send you pics of.

    FUN!

    ReplyDelete
  11. There is just something about a Barbie doll that makes me quiver inside...I want to own every one I see. I really love the reproduction Barbies...they remind me of my childhood wishes...looking in that Sears Wish Book and wanting each and every outfit...sigh...
    Have you seen the Bond Girl Barbies? Only my economic situation kept me from buying them...
    the auctions are the first Satuday of every month. Sometimes they are diamonds and sometimes they are stone (John Denver) but they are always fun.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Somehow I missed the whole Barbie phenom... I wanted Breyer horses and thought Barbies were for wussies lol... Please don't take offense! Mom LOVED dolls and I think I broke her heart because I didn't grow up loving dolls like she and her Mom did...

    But Mom bought these Gene dolls which are like Barbies for grown ups, and I kept those, along with her Mary Englebreit dolls =)

    Oh as for the dust, yeah, I collect that too!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Pretty sweet little collection you've got going there. And you're right, Ken does look like a chump next to Scuba Barbie.

    ReplyDelete