My Irish Princess Barbie - I Refuse to Grow Up!

My first Barbie was in about 1962-ish. So long ago but I remember it so well... we were in some store, and there she was.... dressed in a black and white striped swimsuit with a goofy pony tail. But I adored her, and begged to have her. At the time, 5 bucks was a lot of moolah so my parents said no, which of course scarred me for life... No wonder I'm so warped!

Well, I did eventually get her for Christmas, and later her friend Midge. Boy I wish I still had them both now. They must be worth a fortune now. As my own daughter grew, I of course bombarded her with Barbie crap.... ok I admit it, she was my excuse to buy and play with Barbies. One Christmas in particular I think I bought everything Mattel had out dealing with Barbie at the time.. McDonalds, a spa, pool..you name it. I then stayed up all night and arranged a little town in the living room. Gads it was SO cool. OK.. *I* thought it was so cool, the kid wasn't all that impressed at age 5.

So here I was at 45 and walking thru a toy section when I spy some Barbies that are dressed like Medieval princesses.. I'm a certified freak over Medieval thangs. Well I about had the same fit over them as I did way back when I spied the first one. Again, the male wouldn't buy it for me..he even laughed at me! I figured he really thought I was kidding...

Then came Christmas and I was opening my presents... there she was! My Irish Princess Barbie! I cried. Seriously. She was so gorgeous... and my gawd he actually had paid attention to something I wanted... Double score!

With alabaster skin tones, this Irish Princess Barbie is dressed all in green to represent the Emerald Isle. She is decked out in an olive green satin gown reminiscent of a traditional kirtle, which is adorned with dark green paneling trimmed in gold with various crosses and Celtic knots. The gown is cinched at the waist with a golden waist chain.

Over the gown she wears a forest-green velvet cape adorned with a golden brooch reminiscent of the legendary Tara Brooch of the ancient Celts. Upon her flowing long, wavy red hair sits a lovely golden crown. Little bright green shoes come to put on her feet. Now, as with most barbie shoes, these don't fit so well...but I don't care!

I'm not a collector so out of the box she came and onto the stand which was included. She sits atop my curio cabinet now in the living room with one arm raised to signify SHE rules this house.

The Packaging features educational information about the region of Ireland and the history of the Celtic people. The inside of the box is adorned with a castle, so if you wish to keep yours in the box, she is in her homeland. Her stand is plastic with a round black base and clear stand which runs up beneath the gown.

As with all Barbies, she is approximately 12 inches tall. Her legs are posable at the knee, but the arms will only move at the shoulder, not the elbow. The luxurious red hair is worn loose and to below the waist, except for one small braid toward her face as was typical during the period.

Although the shades of green clash just a bit, this is a wonderful Barbie. In fact, she my favorite present that holiday. Her regal smile is perfect for watching over all of my numerous dragons.