Fairy Tale Dolls

I slept in today after spending last night posting my story. Had just enough time to make Coconut-Lime Pancakes. Or tried to. I burned one. At least it still tasted pretty good. I listened to ABBA while eating. I was in a bouncy mood this morning.

Work was on-and-off busy, much busier than it has been. It is Sunday, which is usually our busiest day of the week regardless of the time of year. The down times were pretty quiet, though. Most people are probably either still at the Shore or on their way there. My relief was actually early, and I was in and out with no trouble.

When I got home, I changed my own clothes, then finally got around to changing the dolls. It took me a lot less time than usual. Dolls don't need to be stuck in hot outfits at this time of the year, either. Jessa wears the 2004 modern AG Island Luau suit and holds the pineapple-shapped ukulele. Whitney wears the Springfield Collection polka-dot navy bathing suit with the cute skirt and Springfield's white Swiss lace espadrilles. Molly's in her own peach Bathing Suit and heavier green towel. Samantha's 1904 Bathing Suit (the second version with the cap) is layered over the black stockings from Rebecca's School Outfit.

Felicity and Josefina are from time periods when bathing wasn't considered ladylike. Felicity wears her lavender "Traveling Gown" (and later meet outfit). Josefina is very pretty in her empire waist Party Dress and rebozo, with a flower clip in her long, silky black tresses.

Since I still had time after I dressed the girls and I wasn't that hungry, I worked on notes while listening to fairy-tale-themed musicals and children's records in my collection. Disney's stage version of The Little Mermaid wasn't as well-received as some of their other shows. It was nearly impossible to put the water effects onstage - the mermaids were on rollerblades. There's also the simple fact that a lot of Disney's Mermaid (including it's clueless title heroine) hasn't dated that well. Changes to the story (including a "princess contest" that sounds like it was swiped from The Swan Princess)  don't really help.

Two kids' records were more fun. Disney did a lovely Hansel and Gretel, based on the Englebert Humperdink opera, with Ann Jillian as Jill and Marni Nixon singing the lion's share of the songs, including "Brother Come and Dance With Me." One of my favorite record finds is the Peter Pan version of Alice In Wonderland. There's some nice songs - my favorites are "The Queen Has Commanded" for the ensemble and the dreamy title song.

I discovered something I wish I'd known about years ago on YouTube. Apparently, Shirley Temple did a short-lived show that was a series of fairy tale and book adaptations. I watched three tonight, including a Christmas special. My favorite of the three was the charming fantasy "The Princess and the Goblins," but they were all fun. (The Little Mermaid was uniquely set in ancient Greece.) And someone did some nice remastering here - the early 60's color is vibrant and exquisite.

The Princess and the Goblins
The Little Mermaid
Babes In Toyland.