My Friends,
This blog of mine has been through several iterations. While returning from a self-hosted site back to WordPress, many older posts were lost in translation. I’m going to use Sunday evenings to rework, repair and repost some of my favorite 2014 efforts. I hope you don’t mind blogging down Memory Lane with me. If you haven’t read before, I hope you enjoy.
Thank you,
The ‘Annagement’ (sorry couldn’t resist)
Hello Dollies, Please Don’t Hurt Us
(originally posted 4/15/14)
Returning home from a lovely garden journey, the giant husband and I happened upon an old-timer’s flea market. A pair of cigarette-smoking, timeworn vendors stood outside like cement lions. They wore pensive smiles while observing curious browsers.
The market’s outdoor portion consisted of a few makeshift tables loaded with lopsided frames, 1950’s tools, hat boxes… The indoor portion was housed in a dilapidated and dank-smelling barn that had seen better days. The giant husband and I strapped on our big-boy coveralls and entered the jittery building.
Beside the usual flea market fare of old records, fringed lamps, mildewed books, chipped dinnerware and broken Tonka toys there were boxes of dead dolls. I can’t think of anything more blood-curdling than little plastic people. Dolls used to scare the crap out of me when I was a kid, now they were back to haunt me.
These dolls were broken-hearted. Their tiny scratched lips whispered how long they’d lived without a warm embrace.
They’d been abandoned then forgotten…
The dolls choked on satin visages of yesteryear. Long ago, they’d been precious…
Eyes once marble-bright were now marred dull like the fabric tears of stuffed clowns…
The giant husband and I had to look away from the pained grimaces.
But the most frightening thing of all was when a little sinister man-doll attempted to steal the giant husband’s soul…
Thank you. May you dream of happy dolls in warm homes.
All photos taken in April 2014 with iPhone. I’ve made it a personal goal to attempt art for every post, some earlier posts in 2014 have only photos.
anntogether 
wow – this is such frightening and moving blog!
https://kmihran.wordpress.com/2015/01/18/mihran-kalaydjian-playing-tribute-to-my-parents-melody/
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I hope it’s not too frightening 😉 The only person I really like to scare is my husband 😉
AnnMarie 🙂
Have a fantastic week!
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Sorry you lost your work, this seems to be unavoidable Anne. Many have had the same issue. i lost tons of photos when transitioning back a few years ago. Grrr.
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Hi John.
I was looking for something in an older post and much to my chagrin, discovered it was a mush of text and missing photos and art. Oh well, it gives me an excuse to repost some older stuff. We all put so much effort into many of these posts, it’s a shame to only use them once.
Happy week upcoming, to you 🙂
AnnMarie 🙂
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Wow, that is sad and creepy at the same time. Just a little frightening, and very well photographed and written. In seeing the first picture of the bodybuilder doll I thought it was much bigger! At least it wasn’t sock monkeys. Those things are truly terrifying.
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When I was little, my 2 older sisters had these giant dolls. I remember the dolls each standing at about 3 feet tall. Eventually as may things do, the dolls ended up in the basement. There was never a time when those silly plastic giants didn’t unnerve me, down there in the dark scary basement.
Thank you for your ‘frighteningly’ 😉 kind words.
I whole-heartedly agree about sock monkeys. They are terrifying with those blood red mouths and long arms that can tie bodies to basement poles where scary dollies are 😉
AnnMarie 🙂
Have a wondrous, sock monkey-free week!
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OMG I think THIS is the real valley of the dolls. Creepy, especially in sepia. Nightmares for sure. Bury them in the cemetery and put stones around the grave to keep them from coming back. 🙂
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The ancient dilapidated barn as I recall made the these dolls even more disturbing. Thank goodness we made it out of there alive 😉
AnnMarie 🙂
Have a great week!
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Ah, AnnMarie, thank heavens you listen to the ANNagement; they/she makes such wise decisions. 🙂 This is a beautiful post — in words and in images. By the time I’d gotten to that sinister man-doll and your handsome husband — well, I felt as though I’d been taken through that flea market, seen those old vendors smoking their cigarettes, and of course looked upon the faces of those sad, poor dead dolls. I’m so glad you’re bringing back some of your old posts — I’m happy/lucky to revisit them. Bravo! 🙂
P.S.: These dolls are absolutely haunting … as is the post.
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Evening, Deb – What’s going on with the Colts…C’mon!
This post was such fun to put together first time around. Old flea market items provide great fodder for storytelling. And dolls, both old and new are forever frightening. It’s nice to refresh and put some of these older posts back out into the fray. Thank you for your kindness 🙂 and Keith will too 😉
AM 🙂
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I’m hanging my head in shame, Miss AM. The Dolts just got out-played, pure and simple. I agree about flea market items making for great stories (got any? LOL). 🙂 I agree that dolls can be frightening (as a kid, I mostly had stuffed animals for that reason). I like your “refreshing” strategy — may have to try it myself.
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Something jiggly going on with my WP today – I think the evil doll spirits are tolling about! Does your comment thing-a-majiggy in the upper right appear different today?
I’m having a garage sale this spring!
I’m with you on the stuffed animals!
“Refreshing” works wonders, do try it!
AM 🙂
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AnnMarie, my comment thing-a-majiggy is working; yours ain’t (at least, I don’t think so). You’ve made the doll spirits mad. 🙂 I’m having a garage sale this spring, too — the one I was supposed to had had last fall. 🙂
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Does your comment thingy look the same? My layout is a bit different now. What evil doll is messin’ with me 😉
I had a garage sale 2 years ago and it went really well. My kiddies got mad at me ’cause I kept giving stuff away. It’s difficult selling things for .50 cents to people you know 😉
AM 🙂
good luck with your pending sale!
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My comment thing-a-majiggy looks the same. Yours doesn’t — at least not on my end. I really don’t like to have sales (or go to them, for that matter) because I always feel “bad” if I don’t buy — or even if I “sell” (yes, I agree, selling to friends is awkward). 🙂
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My WP is definitely acting up. I wonder if DragonDictate has anything to do with it. I may have to call upon the WP gods soon. I plan on making enough money from pending garage sale to buy coffee for 3 days 🙂
AM 🙂
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I’m nuts for doll art. Love these photos!
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Dolls – one-half adores them while the other half shudders 😉
Glad you enjoyed!
Thank you very much, Luanne.
AnnMarie 🙂
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I know what you mean!
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This post was a fun read, mainly because, admit it or not, we’re all still kids at heart. I find nothing wrong with that. I suppose that’s why, at age 65, that I asked for crayons and coloring pencils from my senior friends.
A saw a short news story the other day about an older man whose passion is doll repair. He does it as a hobby that has grown through the years. He has spare parts in bins everywhere. He was showing the reporter his collection of replacement glass eyes. I think he’s great and so are you and your hubby!
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Ah, Bob, my thanks to you. I somehow missed your enchanting comment before – sorry.
Perhaps doll spirits are at work. I hope you’re putting those crayons to good use. I can only imagine how much better these photos could have looked if you’d taken them!
Imagine being surrounded by roving glass eyes…ooooo
Thanks,
AnnMarie 🙂
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Somehow I missed this post the first time around, so I’m really glad it got an encore. This world seems to be divided into to camps, doll-wise: those that love them, and those who are totally creeped out by them. For many years my mother and grandmother each repaired dolls, antique and modern. Mom’s favorite way to let freshly painted doll parts dry was to hang them from the rod of the cafe curtains in our kitchen. The first time my not-quite-yet-boyfriend, Jack, came to visit me, Mom had doll bodies, arms, and legs hanging in the kitchen window (the view from the driveway). It left quite a first impression, to say the least!
Your photographs are lovely, and make me want to get out the q-tips, warm washclothes, and soap and clean up those dollies! – Fawn
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Your post yesterday made me think of this doll post. You have a warm beautiful connection to dolls. Though the image of dangling arms and legs is terrifyingly humorous 😉 There were a few giant dolls in our house, but only my younger really played with dolls and those were mostly Barbie(s). We were more a stuffed animal clan 🙂
Thank you for reading this time ’round and for your ‘dollovely’ thoughts 😉
Happy MLK Day 🙂
AM
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My sister had one of those huge dolls (I think it was a “Patty Play Pal”) and while she didn’t scare me, she sure took up a lot of room in the bed we shared! – Fawn
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That name does sound familiar. Those giant plastic girls weren’t nearly as creepy until they were stashed in the basement. They went to the back part of the basement – the darkest area for misc. big toy storage. Down there in that dark place, those eyes followed you everywhere…brrrrrrr 😉
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