Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Best Gifts of Childhood #5

THE MATTEL VANITY! I thought I had surely reached the Nirvana of girlhood when I got this gem at about age 6. It came with a cheap "tufted" styrofoam stool, but it might as well have been expensive damask, so deep was my love. I kept all my fake little-girl cosmetics in there including my fake nail polish, fake lipstick, and fake pressed powder. My imagination conjured up a lovely 4-poster lace canopy bed with over-stuffed white furniture in the background, and marabou mules on my feet, with a silky satiny quilted white robe around my shoulders.

Of course the reality was much different: the bunk beds with mismatched bedding, my youngest sister's crib, the piles of toys, the diaper pail, the chipped paint, the hand-me-down flannel nightgown from a cousin, the floor covered with the flotsam and jetsam of busy dirty kids. But this girl had a dream.

8 comments:

Shannon said...

Oh wow, that IS a little girl's dream! What an awesome present for a 6 year old. I can imagine your joy. :)

Unknown said...

Oh my gosh, I had one of those too.........and I'd almost forgotten about the styro stool until you mentioned it!!!
Really Margaret we have to stop this stuff........our parents brought us up in the same home!!!

Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

Too cute.

Anti-Supermom said...

I love how you remember it, all dreamy and stuff and then of course, the reality of it.

I really need a girl so I can get stuff like this - augh!

MommyLisa said...

I love it. Never had one myself...my mom thought it was like Barbie and created a stereotype. I got "The Sunshine Family" and papaya juice and peanut butter with the oil slick on top from the health food store.

Churlita said...

I had a brother who was a year older than me, so I wasn't very girlie. I didn't even start wearing make-up until I was in my 30's. Sadly, the vanity was lost on me.

Cheesecake Maven said...

The stool didn't last too long, I think we all took bites out of it when nobody was looking!

Cheesecake Maven said...

Or was that just my jealous rage coming out in a passive aggressive sort of way because YOU got the vanity and I did not. Sister #3, wanna weigh in on this one?