(My email address is not able to receive any photos or attachments)
More About Me
1969: Here I am with my sister, Jana (she is the younger of the two of us). Do you see my new Talking Barbie® and a NRFB Talking Stacey®? If you have an old picture of yourself with your childhood Barbies, I would love to add it to my Gallery of Memories, so please email me, and I will give you the email address where you can send it.
"You were born
to restore Barbies. They are so gorgeous!"
(a quote from a happy collector)
Christmas 1969
When I was young, a neighbor friend had the most beautiful vintage Barbie dolls and clothing! I did not get my first Barbie® until the 'Mod' era, but the dolls I remember most fondly are the vintage Barbies® and friends.
When I started collecting in 1995, I found that restoring sad, old dolls to their former and well-deserved beauty was a talent I really enjoyed and was pleased to offer to others.
I am a busy homeschooling mom and homemaker, and vintage Barbies are my favorite hobby.
I began college as an art major (painting, design and graphic arts), but then found my other passion was art history. I graduated from UCLA College of Fine Arts with a Bachelor of Arts, and a major in art history. I then went on to obtain my multiple subject teaching credential at UCI.
I am thrilled to be able to combine my love of history (by making sure that the dolls are historically correct) with my background as an artist.
I have restored Barbies® and 'friends' for many years, and I have worked with collectors, dealers and original owners from all over the world.
I have also had the opportunity to demonstrate my skills at Barbie® conventions in many countries, including Italy, France, The Netherlands and Belgium.
...But should you have your doll restored?
Here are my thoughts on this issue:
It is true that a properly
restored doll is more valuable than a dirty, played-with doll.
But for those dolls that still look nearly new, I have always felt that restoration is only warranted when the ability to truly enjoy
them is compromised by their current condition.
I believe in maintaining the dolls in
as 'all-original' condition as possible, and I therefore take a conservative approach to my restorations.
I use custom-mixed, original vintage paint colors, hair colors (when re-rooting is necessary),
original facial
feature shapes, hair styles, etc.
There is nothing I do to a doll that could not be completely reversed (Except
when I remove damaged original hair before doing a re-root, of course).
During my restoration process I do not alter or remove any original face paint,
nail paint, etc.
Your doll is thoroughly cleaned, her hair is neatly and correctly restyled, and
her original make-up is flawlessly enhanced, using only the highest quality
acrylic paints.
Any factory face and nail paint that has remained through the years is left, untouched and unharmed,
underneath -- or if just a very tiny touch up is warranted, I am usually able to
flawlessly match an original color and simply touch up that tiny corner or edge.
Barbie® was meant to be a beautiful fashion doll, and it is a proper tribute to restore her back to her original glamour!
But please also consider that
the vintage Barbies and friends are 40 - 50 years old. These were
well-loved (and often very played-with) "toys!" Therefore they may
possess certain "flaws" that cannot (and should not) be corrected. I will
not attempt to do anything to a doll that permanently alters it (or may
potentially harm it) in any way.
More important information can be found on the Beauty
Spa page on my site. If you still have questions, please let me know.
My home is SMOKE-FREE!
.
Please take a look at my many before and
after photos. I am sure you will agree that my restorations
will greatly enhance the value of your doll as well as your ability to enjoy her!
Email me at RestorBabs@aol.com
November 2005, Venice, Italy
My very handsome guy!
I need a day at my own Beauty Salon!
My lovely Grandma Rose (affectionately known as 'Bubba'), 1910 - 2005. We miss her so much!
This is Buzz, our sweet little girl kitty (a domestic long hair 'blue').
She was given to us by her previous owner. Buzz lived a long,
happy life. This photo was taken in 1999 when she was already getting white
hair. We were lucky to have her with us as long as we did (December 1997 - March
2005).
Here is the newest member of our family. His name is Murdoch and he is 5 - 10 years old. We rescued our new 'baby' from our city animal shelter on November 11, 2006 (though I have to say he picked us!). He is a very handsome domestic tabby -- a big boy, especially compared to little Buzz above.
My very own 'Barbie' birthday cake (a surprise from my special guy, 2004). It reads, 'Happy Birthday, Sugar.'
In Loving Memory...
Pietro, our very dear friend
Mi sento la tua mancanza piu' che posso dire.. Ti amo sempre!
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"Life, moreover, is composed of the most dissimilar things, the most unforeseen, the most contradictory, the most incongruous; it is merciless, without sequence or connection, full of inexplicable, illogical, and contradictory catastrophes." -- Guy de Maupassant
"The biggest problem confronting the world today is the illusion that our differences matter more than
our common humanity." -- Bill Clinton
“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” -- Benjamin Franklin (1706–90). This quotation is inscribed on a plaque in the stairwell of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
"If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that
money can't buy." -- Anonymous
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