Holiday Wishes

We wish you a joyous and tranquil Christmas/ holiday season,

(1998)

a festive and bright Christmas/holiday season,

(2000)

an offbeat and "glowing" Christmas/holiday season

Many blessings to you and your family this Christmas and throughout the new year!

The Beauty of Color, Light, and Nature

I adore Mattel's "The Museum collection" giving enlightened meaning to Barbie and art.  This is a clever and lovely tribute to the famous iconic paintings and works of artists Gustav Klimt, Vincent Van Gogh, and Leonardo da Vince that still inspire modern art and even current fashion.

 

 

The ladies looking still enchanting in natural lighting, sans the flash.

This is not the first time that Barbie has been fused with the works of classical painters.  Barbie was also in the late 1990's series inspired by famous and iconic paintings.  Here from 1999, is Barbie looking elegant in a gown with soft palette of lovely colors inspired by Pierre Renoir's "Reflections of Light". 

 

Also from the series inspired by famous paintings, is one of my favorite Barbies that I have displayed in my living room, "The Sunflower Barbie" (1998) in all her floral and golden radiance, inspired by the famous painting by Van Gogh.  

Barbie, receiving some sunlight.

 

Her gown is distinctively and delightfully lovely and cleverly depicts a sunflower with the dark velvet bodice representing the center or seed head and a crown or corolla of strips of fabric emerging from below the bodice and above the skirt as the ray florets.

 

My daughter's version of "Sunflowers" as a class assignment from last year.  She wanted Barbie to pose next to her artwork.

From Barbie and us: Have a sunshine-filled Thanksgiving Day or a day of gratitude and appreciation.

 

Barbie Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 to October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month.  Barbie joins in on the celebration to acknowledge the contributions of Hispanic-Americans.

Bienvenidos!

Spain Barbie

Spanish Barbie from 1999

Spanish beauty Penelope Cruz in a Stella McCartney dress

Appearing on the June 2011 issue of "Vogue"

Angelica of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

My Penelope Cruz that I purchased personally from Senor Juan Albuerne, a doll "repaint" artist and caricature artist of Spain, nearly a decade ago. Mr. Albuerne transformed a Hamilton "Candi" doll into Penelope with much precision and skill. 

The Cinco de Mayo Barbie (2007)  with colors of the Mexican flag

Mexican Barbie from 1995

My other Mexican "Teresa" doll out of the box

Singer/actress Selena Gomez of Disney Channel's "The Wizards of Waverly Place" is of Mexican/Italian ancestry.

Here are my daughter's "Alex" dolls

Puerto Rican Barbie with the Teresa head mold

Triple crown (Oscar, Emmy, Tony) winner Rita Moreno is still looking fabulous at 80! Born in a small town in Puerto Rico, this dancer/singer/actress was the first Hispanic female to win an Oscar for her performance as "Maria" in West Side Story, 1961.  I remember watching her and another acclaimed actor Morgan Freeman in Electric Company in the 1970's.   She is still dazzling and energetic!

The cast of "Electric Company" from the 1970's, a children's TV show on PBS.  A younger Morgan, Rita, and Bill Cosby are pictured second and third from the left.

Actor Peter Gallagher, Rita, and Morgan backstage at the 39th AFI Achievement Awards

Rita as a brunette with her trademark stunning eyes

Bronx native Jennifer Lopez is also of Puerto Rican heritage

"Designer Spotlight" series featuring Katiana Jimenez originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico who worked in the design department of Barbie collectibles after winning  a Barbie designing contest sponsored by Mattel.   In fact, she does not live too far from me!

From 2002, the Katiana Jimenez "Designer Spotlight" Barbie.

Peruvian Barbie with the Steffie head mold, 1985

Born in Lima, Peru is actress Nathalie Kelly who starred in "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift", 1996

Peruvian Barbie with the Kira head mold, 1996

La guapa Chilean Barbie, 1997

The mysterious and magnetic Chilean-American actress on the NCIS tv show (starring Mark Harmon) who plays Ziva David, a former agent of the Israeli Mossad.  What a versatile actress!

International superstar Shakira, originally from Colombia. I purchased her album "Pies Descalzos" in 1996 from Target on a whim, thinking that this young lady will be a big star in the United States, which happened 5 years later. I prefer her "Roquera" style  over her mainstream pop.

Shakira! Shakira!

Miss Mebarak at the 2009 American Music Awards wearing a Versace dress

Even though she plays all-American Wonder Woman, Texan Lynda Carter is of Mexican-Irish heritage.

Wonder Woman Barbie 1999

Wonder Woman Barbie, 2003

Thirty-five years later, she still retains her "wonder"-ful looks!

A Mexican customized doll with "Barbie" looks (not affiliated with Mattel) that I purchased from ebay probably nearly a decade ago.