Friday, July 17, 2009

Friday Night Fab Five: Made In China

When I was a little girl, I got this Barbie Dream House for Christmas one year. This house was H-U-G-E and I loved it so much! It got sold in a yard sale but I've never forgotten it and now that Toot is here, well it's all coming back to me! Lately I've been thinking about all the neat toys I had as a kid (because quite frankly I think most of the toys out there today suck! lol).

So for this Friday Night Fab Five, I thought I would share some of my favorite 80's toy memories. Yes, it sounds materialistic but don't blame me. This was the 80's. I was living in a material world and I was a m-m-material girl. So without further ado, please to enjoy...

1. Barbie and The Rockers.



Yes, Barbie was in a band in the 80's! Notice near the end of the spot where Ken says, "When Barbie asked me to join the band, (he said,) 'That's cool.'" and then Barbie says, "Now I dance with my man!" Oh brother...


2. Cabbage Patch Kids



I did not get my first Cabbage Patch Kid until the fever died down a little. If you don't know what I mean by "Cabbage Patch Kid Fever", check this out:



I finally got my very own CBK about a year later and let me tell you, back then you had EVERY accessory known to man available for these things. Cribs, diaper changing tables, strollers, tubs, everything!

3. My Little Pony



These were almost as important as Barbies for me. You could brush their hair, some smelled like candy and believe it or not, I still have mine! (Somewhere in my basement anyway...)

4. Lite Bright



Okay, I have to be honest here: this toy was more fun in theory than in actual playtime. You have this black construction paper pattern you hook onto this plastic thing with a light bulb in it. You then have to spend 3 days plugging in these little colored plastics things. Then you cut the light on and it's lights up, wow! Then you have to spend an additional 3 days taking all of the plastic do whats back out because you're tired of that picture and want to do a different one. Lots of work for little reward...

5. Kids Incorporated

Okay, so this isn't a toy but come on, in the 80's who didn't want their own kid band that performed in a restaurant and lip synced popular songs that coincided with the current problems they had??? Admit it! Plus, one of the kids on this show grew up to be Fergie from Black Eyed Peas so I guess it wasn't a total waste...



And there it is, a Fab Five directly from the most rad decade of them all, like I'm so sure. Do you have a favorite toy from your childhood?!

Now a word from our sponsors...

The ever fabulous Jocelyn shared some of her stash with me and sent the most marvelous vintage-y scrapbooking stuff ever! Thanks Jocelyn! Now it's time for me to pay it forward so if you would like to win some of my stash, please leave a comment in this post and I'll draw a winner next week. No worries if you don't scrapbook! If you win and you don't scrapbook, I'll send you something else from my myriad of stash collections. :P

Speaking of which, I forgot to show you the fabulous vintage hat I got from Sleepy Poet last week:




Isn't it darling??? I can't believe we (as a general culture) don't want to wear things like this anymore!

That's it for me, we have a fabulous crop going on over at LPS and it's awesome! I will be getting no sleep but in return I will have my child's pictures scrapped so it's so worth it! (Totally!) So if you're of a scrapping mind, hit the message board and crop with us!

Have a great weekend everyone!

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

I didn't get a cabbage patch kid until after the fever died down as well. I always wanted a Lite Bright and never got one. The 80s were the best!!!! :-)

The Wallace Family said...

Maggi! I am first!! YEA...OK so we so should have lived near each other cause those were ALL my fav. things too! We would have been best friends loved my cabbage patch doll like it was my very own baby. And Kids Inc. was the best. My husband and I still talk about that show...MAN we are so much alike..

The Wallace Family said...

oh man I was second...I had too much to typle lol!

Witchcrafted Life said...

Oh my goodness, you are an 80s toy loving girl after my own heart!!!!!

While dressing from the 40s and 50s is my fave spin on historical fashion, it's toys from the decade of my birth (the 80s) that would rule my playroom if I had the money (lol, and space) for them!

I absolutely love this post and will be thinking about all the fab (or should I say "rad") toys of the 80s this weekend, thank you, sweetie. Awesome memories, I tell you!!! :)

Tons of hugs,
♥ Jessica

Andrea said...

OMGosh!!! So those are all my favorute 80's toys too!!!

thatgirlblogs said...

favorite toy was SIMON. remember that one? it made a light pattern and you had to copy it. kept getting harder. also liked the lemon twist (wore around your ankle, swung it around and jumped the lemon).

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

Thanks for the memories....I soooooooooooo REMEMBERED EVERY one of those!!!!! And YAYYYYYYYYYYYY for winning Jocelyn's stash....looks like what I started with Jane is still going!!! YAY! :):):):):):):):):):):):)

deb famularo said...

omg, I remember good old light brite- ha! I used those rainbow pegs for all kinds of pretend play!we didn't have too many toys- not like the crap my kids have now at least! ohh, LOVE the vintage hat!

Winchester Manor said...

I remember all of these, most of them I was buying for my nieces, since I was a little past the age to play with most of it, but I did love my Barbie's.

I was actually involved with one of those Cabbage Patch riots at a Target store, it is unbelievable to me the level people will stoop. I escaped with my life....barely!

The hat is precious...I wish we still dressed like that...sigh!

xoxo
Karyn

Anonymous said...

sigh... look at all those things from the past.. ahh the good ole days. now I am sounding old!
Maggi that hat is awesomes, seriously! too darn cute for words!

Joy said...

Hey, those were great toys--my daughter had Light Bright (I was looking for it for my granddaughter), My Little Pony (her daughter has them now), and I distinctly remember being in a riot for Cabbage Patch dolls and you forgot one--- Care Bears!!

Anonymous said...

Fan-freakin-tastic! The 80's rock...hold on, I'm going to go change my swatch face protector!

debra@dustjacket said...

Oh my goodness, you forget about all that stuff, don't you. I cannot believe that's Fergi, she's such a tiny tot there. Have fun scrapping honey. love and xxx

Bananastamper said...

What a trip down memory lane! We are obviously the same age as I had all of those toys too and I know that my mother fought for the Cabbage patch kids because there were four of us!!! Wow - my mom really rocks doesn't she!!??!! What a fun post, you crack me up!

Shanna

Ann said...

What about Strawberry Shortcake? Combining two of my favorite loves together--toys and food.

Jocelyn said...

Oh do I ever remember all of these and so does my daughter!!!!!! Don't count me in for the pay it forward......but so glad you enjoyed your goodies!!!! Have a great weekend....sweet friend!!! :)

Unknown said...

I never had a cabbage patch kid! I think that they came around right when I was just barely feeling "too grown UP" for dolls, LOL!

I wanted to let you know that I'm having a giveaway! Be sure to come on over and join in!

Liway said...

I still have my CBK!!! :) I was a little older than most here - but my favs were the Easy Bake Oven...cookin' food with a lightbulb...what a riot!! How about the Etch-a-sketch!! :) Love your flashbacks Maggi!! Brayden and I still play with lite brite...but yeah...it's a little dull!! LOL!! :)

celestemlombas said...

I loved it all. You are great. Thank you

Chris said...

I remember the CPK craze. My mom started making the fake ones that you make with tights or something. They were awful, but people bought them from her.

JennyMac said...

Loved the 80s! Great post. We went to a wedding recently and drove past the "hospital" where Cabbage Patch Kids are "born". That was a psychotic craze at my school back in the day.

JennyMac said...

PS: Absolutely adore your blog name.

Lisa said...

Wow, Maggie, I forgot about all those 80s things! Love this post!

Tracey said...

You really took me back. I feel like it's 1980 on a Saturday morning in front of our huge television that weighed 200 pounds. Thanks for the great nostalgia and that headband is to die for... love it!

Gramjak said...

Maggie -- I just met you tonight over at LPS during the crop.
Just had a blast with these commercials as it reminded me of the fun times I had when my own Toot was that age! Cabbage Patch, Barbies, Light Brite. {You are sooooo right: too much effort for a few seconds reward. and all of those TIMY light bulbs to watch for in the rug when vacumming!)}

Thanks for sharing!!!

Kirsty said...

Hi Maggi,

I remember getting my first Cabbage Patch Kid when I was 5 and had just started recpetion :) I loved that doll sooooo much. I think I may even still have her in my loft!

I also had a 'My Little Pony' as well :)

Your hat is really unique! :)

Have a nice weekend!

Love Kirsty .x.

Sara Strand said...

YES!!! OK, so I remember all of that even though I was born in '82! And I got the CBK during the craze, and I still hear from my Grandma how she fought off people in Montgomery Ward for one! The kicker- I didn't even like it. (Sorry grams!! LOL!!) Does anyone remember Popples? Those stuffed animals that folded up into themselves and their tag had a joke on it? OH!! Or Jem?? Does anyone remember Jem?? I liked them better than Barbie's band. I had Jem underwear 'yo. Anyways- love your blog- visit it often. Check out my blog- I've got a candy give away happening!

yyam said...

Heehee..I never had a Cabbage Patch kid...ever.:)
Can't wait to see your scrapped pictures of precious Toot.

Yarni Gras! said...

omgosh, those ads are hysterical! They soooo take me back. I used to love 'Liddle Kiddles." haha!

the hat is GORGEOUS!

Alicia said...

wow my childhood just flashed before my eyes!! that was awesome!

Angela said...

OMG I officialy feel old! I remember and had all those toys. Though i don't remember kids incorp. I do remember watching the care bears though! Grumpy was my favorite.

Unknown said...

I am totally loving this post. So many goodies from my childhood. One thing i remember is that i soooooooo wanted this thing called the Holly Hobby Oven and never got it lol. Do you remember ever seeing one of those? My mom couldnt get me one cause i think my dad would have had a fit. Oh well, I guess i have my own real kitchen now :D