tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26955150359186238552024-02-02T00:48:12.470-08:00Cliquey Pizza: 80's teen book series & pop culturePeachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-50887230142435180242011-07-28T11:19:00.001-07:002011-07-28T11:19:16.193-07:00The Treehouse Times #5 Daphne Takes Charge and 90’s fashion – neon cord bracelets , bandana headbands , Ocean Pacific and slouch socks!<p><font size="4"> </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEHsz7kVo_zT686g2-VaLWYxsx_f0-lR_oWhPL46XN3AgXYvZm25HW_7S8s0IZHa-fQsPDK563laUax6vYSp2jLK6yH7P6QyG4ZthZO9v1CEfZXDBVKOs6HfKYV4pcKx7lwLdiCDq/s1600-h/The%252520Treehouse%252520Times%252520%2525235%252520-%252520Daphne%252520Takes%252520Charge%252520-%252520PaGE%252520McBrier%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="The Treehouse Times #5 - Daphne Takes Charge - PaGE McBrier" border="0" alt="The Treehouse Times #5 - Daphne Takes Charge - PaGE McBrier" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhmr0YJ7LKzWq-leshckJtb68uZB0F4ks-ZTgBavPyKnwdE-uIWZKUyXWSMN6Hu52sOVke3dEVQ_xY6MtNF0xdh0xvuB3_PvwkYkILVDj4_ecslbgc70kAxfYg0Lc49Q_oigmjIj_/?imgmax=800" width="327" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> * The Treehouse Times gang is back for another entry and this time it’s summer vacation – which the writer lets us know , right off the bat with characters shouting we’re free , we’re free to kick off scenes of yearbook signing. How many grade school kids had year books?! Considering most of my teachers made a fuss if we wasted mimeographed copies of tests and such, years books weren’t around until high school. Even then ,whoopee, it’s like a glorified collection of mug-shots. ( sorry if I sound a little bit hostile – not one of my school pictures was ever a keeper. ) <br>* Anyhoo back to the gang - since it’s summer vacation ( and they’re characters in a themed series ) they don’t do what mere mortals do for summer vacation: lay around the beach , bike-ride , drink cherry Kool-aid , wheel around the dented merry-go-round at the park watching the cloud spin into a ice cream whirl - like the Dairy Queen commercials , attempt to find a job , make a few bucks and blow it all on leaky floats for the beach and plastic sandals that bust. Instead they are hoping to put out some summer issues of the paper with new summer fun items like a crossword puzzle. Amy even has plans of going to summer school for typing. <br>* Say what?! Who voluntarily goes to summer school?! Only in paperback fiction. This is what I like to call the Shirley Temple syndrome - remember her? She was this child actress back in the thirties who became a box office smash playing in lightweight movies that featured her singing and dancing and warming the cockles of some old coots heart - in every movie. The format became so cookie cutter that Shirley’s characters became synonymous with herself - she was even called Shirley in one role and in another her character wooed the audience by singing a song with lyrics implying that they were the audience favorites , that she’d sung them before ( yeah but in former movies !) - clearly stepping out of the character and into the role of herself - Shirley Temple - whoops! What does this have to do with anything you might ask - bare with me. She was such a role model that she wasn’t really a favorite with the kiddie’s so much as that she was a favorite with the adults. Because she was the perfect , precocious child :helpful , kind , considerate without any ( seen ) coaxing. She was something out of the Victorian era - child as goddess. Every once in a while the YA fiction characters slip under this didactic direction. Children start doing things not because they have such fabulous role models ( parents are rarely seen so if they’re getting any input the reader doesn’t know it ) , but because they appear to be setting an example to the readers. It would be better if the characters had more balance - Watch Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes it was my grandmother’s favorite ( next to Heidi ) - I was partial to The Blue Bird , she is sugar sweet but you can’t help but admire Jane Withers as the obnoxious brat who wants a machine gun for Christmas , and if not that a wheelchair. Shirley is the preferred child yet you don’t necessarily believe her constant maturity. <br>* Neither do I buy some of the things that go on in this book - If I had read this entry apart from the other Treehouse adventures I might have flung it aside in anger. Amy , is one of those characters that you have to take with a grain of salt - she is not so much bossy as extremely levelheaded and organized , she also consistently does the right thing so that her age seems well beyond that of twelve. What other twelve years old would never a. take a bribe and b. know enough to look into a situation concerning one of the Dear Abby/Daphne letters. I don’t know about you but I don’t recall meeting anyone like that when I was younger - Specially not someone who wasn’t nudged a little in the right direction. <br>* Let me explain, first off the story is about Erin who through a slip up believes she will heading off to California with her family for the summer , her friends are disappointed as it will mess up their plans for their paper. But Erin is only disappointed when she discovers she isn’t going - so much so that the friends suggest that perhaps Daphne the friend she was hoping to see again ( they used to live in California ) could come for a visit. Well since it’s fiction - nothing such as : airplane tickets , summer plans , parents permission, stands in there way and before you know it Daphne is in the picture. <br>* Notice how every new / visiting character comes from exciting places like New York or California - both I guess are impressive - and even when a writer picks out lesser places it’s always lesser as in bumpkin corner - like Stony Gap West Virginny ( SVT ) or MooseJaw Canada ( Sleepover Friends. ) Or places inspiring accents Louisville Kentucky ( BSC & Sleepover Friends ) ,or Australia ( BSC )Nobody I guess would be too impressed with a character that came from say - Ontario Canada , or South Dakota - cool people , in-people, fashionable people in some unwritten law in teen fiction must come from New York or California. <br>* So Daphne is fashionable , trendy , beautiful blonde ( do any brunettes come from California ? not in the 80's I suppose - it’s all that brain washing from Sun-in ads ) <br>* I guess I’m getting a little testy but by page 14 a strange sensation has come over me - it’s been plaguing me since I pulled the book off the shelf and noticed the cover. I never realized just how analogous ( parroting ) certain series were until now - I mean the worst offenders are the ones exiting the 80's simply because there’s more series by then to compare them to. Plus, by then, the bulk of the series’ revolved around a gang of girls with diverse backgrounds who had one similar interest pulling them together. <br>* What gets me, is knowing that all series by now can merge , intersect , flow together until they gel together in your mind as one big mass of cliches - the cover artist seems not to have lost his sense of humor about possibly moonlighting between series - Call me crazy but is that not Erin - from Camp Sunnyside Friends - impersonating Daphne for the cover of The Treehouse Times - now drawn characters have multiple modeling jobs! </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdx4HcMgnrkXz1iQXpSTb33gsn9HEhgXBlbbrMTDJKz49wtF9IG7S72k3O9kv1yq7GmiSRhlYN2uc6QX8FrtcIJtfDzcSOaS3XYVZIjsI2jImto3GY1V2TljL7kXGNmva8bk_ZO7yY/s1600-h/Analogous%252520characters%252520-%252520Erin%252520from%252520Camp%252520Sunnyside%252520vs%252520Daphne%252520from%252520Treehouse%252520Times%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Analogous characters - Erin from Camp Sunnyside vs Daphne from Treehouse Times" border="0" alt="Analogous characters - Erin from Camp Sunnyside vs Daphne from Treehouse Times" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRi98a7MTwp2N2ASLTZQB5ZAKQ7Iuii1fZf12fXduEnCR4J67lcAM_JZO55lqeDaxQTx0JWNnPagbXOyEuw17-so-nZwFftJeFASn7u2bf3nhrCVXtX2EViBVusUHgg6fuGN3a3q6i/?imgmax=800" width="503" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> <br>* Here’s some more evidence for the analogous theory - Most characters become standard and as the series pile up sub-standard ( but only because they’re last in line.) , defined only by key-note ideas or temperaments - for instance we are told that Leah ....had a talent for putting strange combinations together and making them look fantastic pg 14. Now compare her with other popular characters from other series.....Sounds like... Olivia ( SVH - also an artist ) , Claudia ( BSC - also an artist ) and Amy ( from Fifth Grade Stars - also a budding artist ) What’s even more bothersome is the standard set for the side characters - is it just me or does every sister in the known universe ( at least in the universe of YA series fiction ) have to be a gorgeous shrew who hogs the phone? Robin’s older sister is a speed demon of a driver and in another book , bossy and boy-crazy helping them hunt down a famous star in a hotel lobby. ( With the exception of Janine - from BSC most sisters - especially in later Ya series - held up the image of a teenage nitwit. Younger brothers faired better bringing out the little mother in big-sis , but little sisters were often obnoxious. ) Check out what happens if I was to swap covers with two similar series – that have two similar stories – If I hadn’t told you of the swap would’ve you’ve known which was which?</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__V3MNFkHwm-I4191MDcnnidhZ36M6ZHC8ywED4SA_KrEnKPnT3siGAktjXhiu-ARJLxguSEHHfhV-Kyahp_4lOWDouxqHX53OJh0JDgi9Gt-nUz8BoaP49EsmHOEJzjmulu_XIIj/s1600-h/Phony%252520Fifth%252520Grade%252520stars%252520cover%252520analogous%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Phony Fifth Grade stars cover analogous" border="0" alt="Phony Fifth Grade stars cover analogous" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XDRwKkLvHjKNuwuC736ImL9heV9FrNbggs_FZmdHLlJdXUJJjtJDIh9W_jZBhMyz0xEkpFF_TfwL-JIb60qVPGg6dOShhQa476UnjYSwmIfGmQ2BC7PPRfViFnr3pmP9ec1f21Sx/?imgmax=800" width="319" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJj9uJ2hnTtDDjfa8-IqvhNWjoW9jJzQzkzVlKbdOF1y-HvQ78hSj22AaqMsRh9Jb27Dh1VSH3vud41Ff9evlxy6ZPNby8lfizaayMKo70jqp-ybqHMQhX9LwjloSDrQzl94ZLqoX8/s1600-h/Phony%252520Sleepover%252520Friends%252520cover%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Phony Sleepover Friends cover" border="0" alt="Phony Sleepover Friends cover" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCx7iUSRCObETotdZBJXPD6zHfte3VXVMjNZFcgN-ybZFRQ-z346iRU9EgJ7mlXXHQYMXYv-TS4egt3r4Fq2Wz8QEdKEG7NiTl71two3sEY5eAtHzKHXgA6IU2escx64vxfHGQseQI/?imgmax=800" width="324" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> </font></p> <p><font size="5">( It’s the Sleepover Friends on the cover of Fifth Grade Stars and the Fifth Grade stars on the cover of Sleepover Friends. Eerie isn’t it? ) <br>* On a good note I have to hand it to Page McBrier , she’s the only one in juvenile series fiction to successfully merge - kids with adults, and not on a patronizing note - they interact on a level that surpasses the usual cuteness. The scoop for the story - is an ongoing debate on whether or not the town should vote on putting in a public pool. Doesn’t sound exciting but McBrier manages to keep the reader interested with a busybody town council woman by the name of Ginger Grover who tries manipulating the girls into writing no on the pool vote. Though Amy flatly states to her friends - Newspapers don’t take sides, it’s not until later on, much, later on do we even discover that Amy has a side concerning the pool idea - in her effort to become the ultimate journalist her non-opinion smacks a little of as-if! I would’ve been - a pool?! Awesome! and would be using the paper to ensure votes for it - but then I was your average twelve year old. <br>* Amy’s level headedness begins to orbit the moon on this one - when Mrs. Grover resorts to bribing the girls with tickets to a rock concert, slyly suggesting they write about the it rather than the silly pool debate - Amy demands they give the tickets back. <br>* But I’m getting a little ahead of myself - Daphne , thank God , isn’t a stuck up nitwit but by the looks of the cover a reader gets the impression, she’s in for the usual -houseguest from heck who’s a royal brat - this is plot device no 347 - ( okay the number is made up but it would be interesting to number all the various Ya genre plots out there ) - and it’s been done several times - The Sleepover Friends had several guests that were brats , even Camp Sunnyside Friends had an obnoxious new bunkmate to deal with - and SVH well, their nightmare guest had nearly put poor Roger Collins behind bars! What Daphne is a thorn in perfect Amy’s side , she wears stretchy tight tops Amy wouldn’t dream of wearing , she attracts the eye of Erin’s older brother , and makes a hit among all the kids with her new advice column Dear Daphne. In short with Erin fawning all over her , Amy feels left out and is bitten by the jealousy bug. <br>* It’s a relief that Daphne isn’t your typical jerk , in fact she really isn’t a jerk - recall the BBC when Jessi attempted to replace Dawn with a new babysitter - it was Book #68 Jessi and the Bad Babysitter - after reading it I kept thinking she wasn’t really that bad , she just didn’t go in for the club rules - I think Kristy had a hand in the title to throw the reader off the real issue :Wendy just wasn’t into clubs. Daphne is cut from the same cloth - she loves working on the paper , but doesn’t take it as seriously as Amy. Especially not her advice column which mirrors the flighty advice given in Teen magazines. It’s not really a Dear Abby type. So can she really be faulted. Amy’s jealousy over her success could cloud her initial interest in a write in called Confused , who wants advice on how to handle her dad’s temper and beer drinking. But later on sees signs that the problem is more serious than Daphne’s regulars and deserves special attention.<br>* While Daphne sticks to her pat advice , Amy does some sleuthing and discovers the girls identity and her family ( her dad really is intimidating.) Meanwhile as she’s trying to push Daphne into giving better advice the incident with the rock concert tickets come up and though all three of her friends plus Daphne thinks she’s crazy for wanting to return them- Daphne, rather than let Amy have the final word, offers up all the tickets and says none of them will go. </font></p> <p><font size="5">*Not a big shocker that her friends start treating her like an unwelcome grown up in their midst – overly polite but <br>we are told Amy felt good about doing the right thing despite this snag- Nice but I don’t buy it. It’s one of those patented moments where an author writes what they want a child to be like , not how they are, because most kids would’ve snatched up the tickets and then turned the tables on Mrs. Grover - like the next issue declaring - Mrs. Grover Supports Town’s Youth from rock concerts to Swimming Pools! But enough about that lets get on to the title - does Daphne ever take Charge? Not really - what she does is stand her ground against Amy who insists she change her pat advice when Confused writes in wanting to run away. Amy caves for a moment before altering the paper at the last second. And sends her to Alateen on the advice of Vicky her adult friend and fellow journalist. Daphne is furious and there is the typical blow up in which Amy can’t understand why Daphne doesn’t just admit she was wrong and help pass out papers. Yeah , don’t think so. Daphne is after all a kid and stalks off , Erin takes her side. However, Daphne writes later after her return home glad that Amy had intervened but not really apologizing. The vote comes and the pool is a go and Mrs. Grover steers clear of the Treehouse gang - Alls-well that ends well. <br>* It was a good entry for the Treehouse Times but sometimes I knew how Confused felt! The whole journalism theme could at times sacrifice the true nature of children in favor of a professional aloofness - for example why didn’t Amy take Daphne over to see Confused , give her the real advice and eliminate the charade - it sounded as if the girl could’ve used a friend as well as some good advice. At a big paper you couldn’t do that , but would you if you could? Apparently not. <br>* Another nugget that irked me - was the fact that on pg 37 Amy is shown reading a Katherine Paterson novel - do I actually have a viable argument or is it just me? But don’t you hate it when YA writers attempt to create a universe that is marketed to lowbrow tastes but insults their readers by making their characters too good to read series fiction! I appreciated SVT creating a phony series for Elizabeth to read ( though I tended to think that if anyone read Newberry award winners it would be Liz. ) Yet here we have intelligent Amy reading Katherine Paterson - at least balance it out with Robin reading Betsy Haynes , I mean argh! </font></p> <p><font size="5">* I was trying to decide what to tie in with this story - there was the pool thing so I thought eureka! If only I could find some vintage pool ads that would be fun but nope , couldn’t find any - so I decided after carefully examining the cover. It would be fun to dissect Daphne’s style. Now in the book Daphne is a victim of tight stretchy things - it was after all 1990 and spandex had become the new polyester but on the cover she dressed like most of us mere mortals of thirteen. <br>* Lets take it from the top - the cloth hair band - around 1988 the bandana had made a huge come back as a hair band and was still hanging around years later. The idea was to buy a bandana - I recall that I had a red one and a navy blue one ( our resident cool girl Jamie started it in our class ) and you had to fold it in such a way as to not make it too think at the center. Sometimes I’d tie it before slipping it on - adjusting it afterwards sometimes not. It was a pretty effortless look better than plastic hairbands because they could break or pinch. Here’s a Sears ad selling a batch of neon bandanas at four bucks a piece! </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZPsutWZiz6-kn49j4kGEvYg1sfC_AfuCvFarBArtqeCBxloSFUwkW6gQP57DJSkcVv7Vsh5uIMIs4bhXKwI2fPYgqbros7sWC7gr-g03u0obTbQRMKJg-htr4gjxQUdjh81OGiy-/s1600-h/Sears%252520ad%25252090%252527s%252520-%252520paisley%252520bandanas%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Sears ad 90's - paisley bandanas" border="0" alt="Sears ad 90's - paisley bandanas" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpML0l6LUkpRggeR3Z7rUFrE6Ee0fhQoQakgDur6zPrQziyuTmdnVBQWM_y9jX0c5Y-GzP7cZ29f6Hgmb_XmGiv5qQZhudZiLic96YT57TojNEWbUHtsQ1kIge4b0WI6gt_uBpnY7A/?imgmax=800" width="337" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> <br>* Okay now for Daphne’s hair - to me this is easy, it’s so smooth & straight and that color of honey blonde reminds me totally of Jodie Sweetin on Full House who ironically became something of teen series fiction star when her character Stephanie was spun into her own series! </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihx9M0DZVKCZa9EyG2AKpVINmuRSOYP1fr1nzHLkBkW90ZFC-FvmW1O41yArh_0tQ5ky8DrBnofIuhATSdhUe2tZg8iu1UX9mJWHN8QwHK6mhboxO_AR15vyBDXUCJ6EBLOZ4QluKu/s1600-h/Jodie%252520Sweetin%252520-%252520young%252520and%252520sweet%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Jodie Sweetin - young and sweet" border="0" alt="Jodie Sweetin - young and sweet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0V_grn3U3Hkqh-pMcSKJ_nnfQtx8U5KkhZHbgTZvQzG89Tjq3LUSMthmZ57XbYdMn0cgKoA3AbDbMQJ6iJ3EuRmA64ZiKHF-cn__Cz28TSg7pmlN6U_6T-OlyMD5S2ZZNeJIIfek/?imgmax=800" width="545" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> <br>* The t shirt with suspenders - I don’t know about you but this seems totally Mickey Mouse to me - </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4z1b_X5xbSsCvW1lV4B4-Vygt6mAXmMoHWEUTJaDsX40DCdwSPpZeACUArxxBKB9uspVveQlefAQbS0xbfOLTWZwv4pleZSxx9MLLv7nSaS4MCK-I8SG7DtsJHrWlpaPe21OzIwTK/s1600-h/Mickey%252520little%252520boppers%252520toy%2525201987%252520big%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Mickey little boppers toy 1987 big" border="0" alt="Mickey little boppers toy 1987 big" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLLxjKIVfSTpM46qExUo2qaRH6Zc8MkArz2X6O3TyCpS30GVp4pifIML0_PczzkD7gNPYqgiiCcbBI1p9TslBQCWZ_XQ9EDa5aWXliYc_gtM5zT0SHMimaea0mcy9WU7hT2ecY3RG/?imgmax=800" width="320" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> </font></p> <p><font size="5">Okay so he’s not wearing a shirt , I guess I mean suspenders and shorts. ( Isn’t he cute? – he’s part of the Little Boppers line of toys that came out in 1987 – they’d dance/hobble to music ) </font></p> <p><font size="5">I admit , I was guilty of wearing suspenders but never with a t shirt. My suspender outfit was a turquoise blue, pin striped button down shirt ( short sleeve – but not a t shirt! ) made with some nubbly crushed fabric, under the pale blue suspenders and over the long cut off denim shorts ( like from Dirty Dancing ) - cuffed and also pinstriped in turquoise blue. It was one of my coolest outfit but after having the boys snap my suspenders all during class it was the last time I wore them with the suspenders. In fact I think it was the last time I wore suspenders! <br>* The shorts - longer than earlier 80's shorts but shorter than the jammers that surfer dudes were making so popular - I loved these kinds of shorts - they were basically like boxer shorts - elastic waist - slip on easy to wear. The little emblem in the corner totally brings to mind this ad in Sears for Ocean Pacific. And didn’t you just love the fad of contrasting colors - I had a black and white top like Daphne’s shorts ,where one side was black, the other white and the cuffs were the opposite colors too , like black cuffs on the white side and white cuffs on the black side! </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FKZQET5rLCaEL9jfD96F1S7s7sqm_ShwjNeLElS81vpe62QnKth-DmM_eWkaRaBAVwsRPPmbh4tzP7ElTkn1zDyiH4tri-kt-Fihhyphenhyphenh5VzD3onk3S-2r-wbwvKUsiWiAtZ99uUS8/s1600-h/Ocean%252520Pacific%25252080%252527s%252520kids%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Ocean Pacific 80's kids" border="0" alt="Ocean Pacific 80's kids" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrNP3D_KBZNRxRV_tuR5no8Ts0GhZb0z6PBo_qMhrdMxfdvL9cuGbzMfwe8EFsJ3cR5bFSDXn1Nzkqt1u6TXgmsYkLFXwXpAk24ZF6oZMMRjoith2KSpPMZ6t2hlBEXYRT7LeapcL/?imgmax=800" width="353" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> <br>* Slouch socks! Me and my friends always got into a debate on these - I loved them! But one in my group of four hated them - she said they were ridiculous - it was like buying socks with the elastic already shot in them , and they’d always slither off your foot and bunch up at your toes. Okay I had to agree with her that slouch socks didn’t have a very good wear life , but to start off with they were great and comfy like wearing a squishy soft scarf around your ankles. I had a pile of them but my favorites was a pair of three roll - they were hideous! The bottoms were white the tops had three fold over squishy rolls of neon - yellow , orange and lime green. They didn’t go with anything! But I loved them. On the cover Daphne is wearing hers in what was the trend - if you were trendy - I recall doing this once or twice - first you took out two pairs of slouch socks in different colors like pink or purple or in this case orange and pink and you’d put on one pink sock and one purple sock then alternate for the second layer. Funky but cool. </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8ZRyn7wIFMf1E9O2-ymGkr4XjayUMP8zgtUi16685P1ZPi9GWcEU68x986TLCgxDpdEoA1z5tRZrNE3-2TdpkpK7FHK7bNxmZEULubN4IVlye0ZNnf2xgD7QByQitBk6SSdGMw8i/s1600-h/80s%252520Neon%252520orange%252520slouch%252520socks%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="80s Neon orange slouch socks" border="0" alt="80s Neon orange slouch socks" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvtkL2O33FGS4xV0SQ_YVvm-_BwPMErlqZ0rqreBDoFZ2Nx7tTTU2V-TGtRFiotzpSdK2Lbm-hguqGhTJ7qstPQSVC8VdxOQy_55ZU_hQkUGTHvT3HriKJRbsfhC4bIPYls_lbOiv/?imgmax=800" width="366" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9H4pMf-ddaN3wuu0-ljS70ngPDoELADfbHoAGgOMhi-p8UE54lyMHEP7lnay5XiX-ApcFcr6Edt4S1RnU9K27eDqcXhwJlo25u4rNvVN-M9EYkKSnfbO5kCXXeiKJF_LgbJdQtR3/s1600-h/80%252527s%252520pink%252520slouch%252520sock%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="80's pink slouch sock" border="0" alt="80's pink slouch sock" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Fm2gmZGmrjV8dprIrV5T6ilslWk-GrY6yPUX1W5mRcycM97VaKR8BCh1CMbWHQ2DdcaoX9lU_WWyy0gcxCXAkKnWVSNYaBKkc2zNrFfblVmNWTZlu-hDf9-6xB2lgE8z2FeKarNc/?imgmax=800" width="225" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> </font><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8Zo6s1cB06AZ7wOQOKz12l8lBouBzN17Rs8yluzfCLW5zAlfXAGuZ6eSaTBshgSZPixJj_Pr9Bu429XW5vSEgzq_O_o3I5h8ewwOA8Z7eDQYbYSgQBHCWurVPSWO2VHbPb-YnBXb/s1600-h/80%252527s%252520slouch%252520socks%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="80's slouch socks" border="0" alt="80's slouch socks" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2HQyhki6l_Mas87Vvtr4_a15VZnTKlcnp8DfvOHjblefhNZfbrxxP_CZr4jME7rFJe72OOYhJqIrYl66dah6jl9oGdtorSxjQFjgDq_LCJYhQCmjBd7H-dC9xifb8rURiygIngi9/?imgmax=800" width="225" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> </font></p> <p><font size="5"> </font></p> <p><font size="5">Hey did you know Reeboks called there’s flop socks!</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzHLN9_LOjs532LboYJHUxCgca5cAzU6ybnV_Oi_sHyKpIpR9LLj2QSCVgTGEj1ty-6AJO4ovmvbzIOXxK2cn5C90mJtzP5LYIeLf_ibsa64wRcLM5RErgy5f4SR-dR8yM-9ho5IR/s1600-h/80%252527s%252520Reebok%252520flop%252520socks%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="80's Reebok flop socks" border="0" alt="80's Reebok flop socks" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84mrbVFT0vsiNBYJbAL7C_yYM4CEn5ITMSUnoZgT05REOKvzqH1OcykAAbfwIwIqqyYOR01zXovWF-VoAFRcPlbY-Xp8X6paK9hLHOg0Uq9ZEgjTJYbB9yQwcXPMiFD7MJ96EcGvC/?imgmax=800" width="214" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> <br>* Let’s forget the shoes - they’re pretty average - any white slip on sneakers will do - instead check out Daphne’s wrist no cusp –of –the- 90's kid could get away without having at least one of these two accessories, maybe even both - a swatch , and a friendship bracelet. <br>* Here’s a batch of early 90's neon bracelets & rings- not the nice woven ones girls made by pouring over all those friendship bracelet manuals instead these look like they were made from ready made cord from a craft shop. </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbdkiWJFDKYDjFaZKar-8etoROKWgV1b9bsoLapZOlfGBsXDvw2_8C0F6KmxNF3vz152wrs6S2uUHD0RZqQpgdi3V68Bw51gfXrHGHz3HneusfXDWqlg54Y9GTJNlGARfFqGkCIw8/s1600-h/90%252527s%252520neon%252520orange%252520and%252520green%252520friendship%252520bracelets%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="90's neon orange and green friendship bracelets" border="0" alt="90's neon orange and green friendship bracelets" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBZUR6OQNrbJTuC0ga3HFlxw7w07dfL11ulcdfzmbl1V_cUU2vSLk3jTc3PY3k0oEfgTowWTJB8PqaTM0ZtzI8mOUyFWI1OM9UXx5PDBc0yi6fEuTaKXZSuqRWYoU5V6cv5CfgKwI/?imgmax=800" width="451" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> </font></p> <p><font size="5">* Here’s an ad for a needlepoint teddy bear – I love the junk on the dresser !– yellow/gold nail polish , pastel jewelry , blue and purple eye shadow and a turquoise fluffy brush ( I had one of those! ) – Can you spot the friendship bracelet?</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yCj8wDtxZ_c0lP2s_XqlOyyU_54aup35CqFmHPoZZl7MrTJWau1kA5-YM09S1LeOLSAZJ3kklUqeh7BkdRoWroqJuwe-uteDLz0YZk2mhyP23EnF4A169JVbBy_-4L5yevfM_FMK/s1600-h/Cute%25252080%252527s%252520ad%252520with%252520friendship%252520bracelet%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font color="#ffffff" size="5"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Cute 80's ad with friendship bracelet" border="0" alt="Cute 80's ad with friendship bracelet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGGsAFKsR_NBLZZlqqzeB_oUBug05mZU2oS04_VkJ6UeMUmEWn419cm-80yQBvuWZKXlGYLFpzXOpKTIRggyksSkrHeH-CnHqNUNd9rwZVS0nIz2Jvfjci7KxEqDMb3LTwBRKcQJ-/?imgmax=800" width="367" height="480"></font></a><font size="5"> <br>* And don’t you just love these Swatch ads - I’ll take Traffic Jam! </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjql3BCRo28JJwaCpbvMQLAJNHmXrw1Ub8jqyo1LBkWzTK6_9jgQ8kLkV7DX-IyO2VXTEV-BBbItqDL6jXrx6DsyzBW2RYZfOpVAE50vENwDwl7xlbBVcwHUkznZ6A9-bDDuxmGVMot/s1600-h/Swatch%25252090%252527s%252520ad%2525201%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Swatch 90's ad 1" border="0" alt="Swatch 90's ad 1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQch00pIJqxu42Zw4kIQpzNrcBwb_JkORiBzkNSQZ0t0F8WGj2wZsPxpqKbWuAS-oQxT4UJGrEgQpvChAyDXQTcb6oFrWSm3890bENU9vKtjTuEUVaV_MvPYTbxeobVsqjYM-N0nt/?imgmax=800" width="640" height="448"></a> </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUpPzS-wQE73y3GMcemanZdMqosh9v7dOV4XL_qfPAJCGR_2_c5r_RC10XB0kaJ7tcObLpWizLtkiMVzoHbZD8NjsQEw7Q0itI9iRBfwrz_9KpNBQC50F8MBG4Afpw8T7HNBDmwKk/s1600-h/Swatch%25252090%252527s%252520ad%2525202%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Swatch 90's ad 2" border="0" alt="Swatch 90's ad 2" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZfe2yDRfK3B7g-H0_VWVTRnj7_RqSwgVzClCwyv1bxRNfHqTKCdWcoECssO9wI3eTyubKUxTcRgY-5rqqBGxhqroQCKp1MYeMMseuINXUXy8cfIxr-vsJTQzES5YdjFV40WbeU_N/?imgmax=800" width="640" height="457"></a> </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKO0wDxoaosZkjuwhgdIlKl83kK4WV1q_V_R8Ke6dOw0bKSQ0O3CfShDCDUD7AC8IjqbenNm-AAn3bWyicodrp6NcTjMskNQe-uMksDNn-cNEJgd6d30ITieOv4GIvAwMqxmz9DUlb/s1600-h/Swatch%25252090%252527s%252520ad%2525203%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Swatch 90's ad 3" border="0" alt="Swatch 90's ad 3" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jbm9mHF10vezfLyP0_7lOFLWA0Sciy0UnGFmjwQfRXucCvB5PeAqDSuvoE-a7JF_a8pu5ko84TLmWatf4ZR6MJpkGTwY7Vb3Hp3y7VnmNTo1rvkflB9DrmbM2lzgeDKWYO7CVstt/?imgmax=800" width="640" height="458"></a></p> Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-54037640799653414672009-10-25T13:44:00.000-07:002009-10-25T14:52:48.323-07:00THE U - TO - Z PAGE - FROM - UGLY - TO - ZOOU<br /><br /> UGLY - ( SEE CHARACTERS - LOOKS & BULLYING ) <br /><br /> UNDERWEAR - ( SEE FASHION - UNDER GARMENTS ) <br /><br /> UNDERSTUDY - ( SEE PLAYS )<br /><br /> UNIFORM - ( SEE FASHION - UNIFORMS ) <br /><br /><br /> V<br /><br /> VACUM - ( SEE HOUSE & HOME - UTILITY CLOSET & CHORES ) <br /><br /> VAGRANT - ( SEE CHARACTERS - UNUSUAL ) <br /><br /> VALENTINES DAY - ( SEE ALSO HOLIDAYS ) <br /><br /> VALLEY GIRL - ( SEE MOVIES & CHARACTERS ) <br /><br /> VANITY - ( SEE ALSO WEALTH & CHARACTERS - LOOKS & CHARACTERS - VILLAINS ) <br /><br /> VAMP - ( SEE CHARACTERS - VILLAINS & CHARACTERS - SEXPOTS ) <br /><br /> VAMPIRE - ( SEE CHARACTERS - VILLAINS & CHARACTERS - UNUSUAL & FANTASY ) <br /><br /> VANDALISM - ( SEE ALSO CHARACTERS - VILLAINS ) <br /><br /> VENGEANCE - ( SEE ALSO CHARACTER TRAITS ) <br /><br /> VENTRILOQUISM - ( SEE ALSO UNUSUAL ) <br /><br /> VET - ( SEE ALSO ANIMALS & CHARACTERS ) <br /><br /> VICE - ( SEE TABOO & BAD HABITS ) <br /><br /> VILLAINS - ( SEE CHARACTERS - VILLAINS ) <br /><br /> VINTAGE - ( SEE ALSO CLOTHING & FADS - PAST & TIME CAPSULES ) <br /><br /> VIRGINITY - ( SEE TABOO - SEX & PUBERTY ) <br /><br /> VISITOR - <br /><br /> VOLLEYBALL - ( SEE SPORTS ) <br /><br /> VOMIT - ( SEE HEALTH ) <br /><br /> VOTE - ( SEE POLITICS & ELECTIONS ) <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> W<br /> WACKOS - ( SEE ALSO CHARACTERS ) <br /> <br /> WAREDROBE - ( SEE ALSO FASHION ) <br /> <br /> WADING POOLS - <br /> <br /> WALKIE-TALKIES - <br /> <br /> WATCHES - ( SEE JEWELRY ) <br /> <br /> WALKMANS<br /><br /> WEAPONS - <br /><br /> WEATHER - <br /> <br /> WEIGHTLIFTING - <br /> <br /> WINDSURFING - ( SEE ALSO SYMBOLS & SPORTS ) <br /><br /> WITCH - <br /> <br /> WORKING GIRL - ( THE IDEA NOT THE MOVIE ) - <br /><br /> WRISTBAND<br /> <br /> WRITERS <br /> <br /> X<br /> XEROX - A.K.A. THE MIMIOGRAPH <br /><br /> Y<br /> YACHT <br /><br /> YEARBOOK <br /><br /> YO-YO <br /><br /> YOGURT - ( SEE FOOD ) <br /><br /> YOUNG ADULT<br /><br /> YOUTH HOSTEL <br /><br /> <br /><br /> Z<br /> ZANY - <br /> <br /> ZOO'S - <br /><br /><br />** WORK IN PROGRESS**Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-56981628958116764802009-10-24T16:52:00.000-07:002009-10-24T16:53:50.989-07:00THE S PAGE - FROM - SAILBOATS - TO SYMBOLSSIGN OF THE TIMES - BLOCK PARENTS , DANGER-STRANGER , TAKE A BITE OUT OF CRIME - MCGRUFF , O.G. READMORE <br /><br /> SAILING - ( SEE SPORTS ) <br /><br /> SAILBOATS - ( SEE WEALTH & PLACES & SYMBOLS ) <br /><br /> SANDWICH - ( SEE FOOD ) <br /> <br /> SCAVENGER HUNT - ( SEE GAMES ) <br /><br /> SCHOOL - TEACHERS - CLASSROOMS , SUBJECTS - MATH - SCIENCE - GYM - <br /> - SCHOOLYARD <br /> - EVENTS - NOTE PASSING , FLYING PAPER AIRPLANES , SPITBALLS , <br /><br /> SCIENCE - ( SEE SCHOOL - SUBJECTS ) <br /><br /> SCULPTURE - ( SEE ART & CRAFT ) <br /><br /> SEA - ( SEE BEACH OR SPORTS - SAILING ) <br /><br /> SEASONS - MONTHS - JANUARY - FEBUARY - MARCH - APRIL - MAY - JUNE - JULY - AUGUST - SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - NOVEMBER - DECEMBER <br /> <br /> SECRETS - <br /><br /> SETTING - ( SEE ALSO PLACES & HOUSE & HOME & SCHOOL ) <br /><br /> SENIOR - ( SEE HIGH SCHOOL ) <br /><br /> SEQUINS - ( SEE MATERIAL & FASHION ) <br /><br /> SEX - ( SEE TABOO & PUBERTY ) <br /><br /> SHAKES - ( SEE JUNKFOOD & HANGOUTS ) <br /><br /> SHALLOW - ( SEE CHARACTER TRAITS ) <br /><br /> SHAMPOO - ( SEE BRAND NAMES & GROOMING & HOUSE & HOME - BATHROOM )<br /><br /> SHAWL - ( SEE FASHION ) <br /><br /> SHELLS - ( SEE JEWELRY & SYMBOLS & ART & CRAFT ) <br /><br /> SHIP - ( SEE WEALTH & PLACES & CRUISES & SYMBOLS ) <br /><br /> SHIRT - ( SEE FASHION - TOPS ) <br /><br /> SITCOMS - ( SEE ALSO T.V. SHOWS ) <br /><br /> SHOES - ( SEE FASHION - FOOTWEAR ) <br /><br /> SHOPPING - <br /><br /> SHOPPING MALL - <br /><br /> SHOPLIFTING - ( SEE CHARACTER TRAITS & WEALTH ) <br /><br /> SHORTS - ( SEE FASHION ) <br /><br /> SKIPPING ROPE - ( MATERIALISM & SPORTS & SCHOOL ) <br /><br /> SKIPPING ROPE DEMONSTRATIONS - <br /><br /> SKIPPING ROPE RHYMES - <br /><br /> SHRIMP - ( SEE CHARACTERS & SLANG & FOOD ) <br /><br /> SHY - ( SEE CHARACTER TRAITS ) <br /><br /> SILK - ( SEE MATERIAL ) <br /><br /> SKETCH - ( ART & CRAFTS & SCHOOL & HOBBY ) <br /><br /> SIBLINGS - ( SEE FAMILY ) <br /><br /> SLANG - <br /><br /> SLUMBER PARTIES - <br /><br /> SLEEPOVERS - <br /><br /> SMELL THE 80'S - <br /><br /> SMOKING - ( SEE TABOO ) <br /><br /> SNAKES - ( SEE FEAR & PETS ) <br /><br /> SNOW - ( SEE WEATHER ) <br /> <br /> SOAKIES - <br /><br /> SOAP - ( SEE HOUSE & HOME - BATHROOM & GROOMING ) <br /><br /> SOAP T.V - <br /><br /> SODA - ( SEE JUNKFOOD ) <br /><br /> SOFA - ( SEE HOUSE & HOME - LIVING ROOM ) <br /><br /> SPEECHES - ( SEE ALSO SCHOOL -PROJECTS ) <br /><br /> SPORTS - ( SEE ALSO SCHOOL - GYM ) <br /><br /> STATIONARY - ( SEE ALSO SCHOOL SUPPLIES ) <br /><br /> STEREOTYPE - ( SEE CHARACTER CLICHES & PLACE CLICHES ) <br /><br /> STALK - ( SEE DANGER & ACTION ) <br /><br /> STUBBORN - ( SEE CHARACTER TRAITS ) <br /><br /> STUDY HABITS - ( SEE SCHOOL & CHARACTER TRAITS ) <br /><br /> STUTTER - ( SEE CHARACTER - CHALLENGES ) <br /><br /> STUFFED TOYS - ( SEE TOYS - STUFFED TOYS ) <br /><br /> SUAVE - ( SEE CHARACTERS ) <br /><br /> SUBJECTS - ( SEE SCHOOL - SUBJECTS ) <br /><br /> SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS - ( SEE SCHOOL - TEACHERS - SUBSTITUTES ) <br /><br /> SUBURBS - ( SEE ALSO PLACES ) <br /><br /> SUEDE - ( SEE MATERIAL ) <br /><br /> SUICIDE - ( SEE TABOO ) <br /><br /> SUPERSTITION - ( SEE FANTASY & CHARACTER TRAITS ) <br /><br /> SURFING - ( SEE SPORTS & CHARACTER TRAITS & SYMBOLS ) <br /><br /> SURFER DUDE <br /><br /> SUSPENDERS - ( SEE FASHION & TRENDS ) <br /><br /> SWEARING - ( SEE TABOO ) <br /><br /> SWEEPSTAKES - ( SEE RAFFLE ) <br /><br /> SWIMMING - ( SEE SPORTS ) <br /><br /> SWING - ( SEE SCHOOL - PLAYGROUND & PARK & PLACES ) <br /><br /> SYMBOLS - <br /><br /> SWORD & SORCERY - ( SEE ALSO FANTASY )Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-58071812176139609692009-10-23T15:02:00.000-07:002009-10-23T15:04:13.119-07:00THE P PAGE - FROM - PAINT - TO - PUZZLESPUBLISHERS - <br /><br /> PAINT / PAINTING - ( SEE ART & CRAFT & HOUSE & HOME & HOBBY ) <br /><br /> PARADES - <br /><br /> PARENTS - ( SEE FAMILY ) <br /> <br /> PARKS - ( SEE PLACES ) <br /><br /> PARODY - ( SEE HUMOR ) <br /><br /> PARROTS - ( SEE TRENDS & PETS & SYMBOLS ) <br /><br /> PASTE - ( SEE SCHOOL - SUPPLIES ) <br /><br /> PATHOS - ( SEE THEME ) <br /><br /> PERFUME - ( SEE BRANDS & SMELL THE 80'S ) <br /><br /> PERSONALITY - ( SEE CHARACTER TRAITS ) <br /><br /> PETS - BIRDS - DOGS - PUPPIES - CATS - KITTENS - FISH - TURTLES - SNAKES - TOADS - <br /><br /> PETSHOPS - ( SEE MALL ) <br /><br /> PIANO - ( SEE HOBBY - MUSIC - INSTRUMENTS ) <br /><br /> PICNIC <br /><br /> PILLOWS - ( SEE HOUSE & HOME - BEDROOMS & HOUSE & HOME - LIVING ROOM ) <br /><br /> PIMPLES - ( SEE ACNE ) <br /><br /> PINS - ( SEE JEWELRY ) <br /><br /> P.O.V. - <br /><br /> PING PONG - ( SEE GAMES ) <br /><br /> PLACES - PARKS , SCHOOL , HOME , POOLS , SUMMER CAMPS , BEST FRIENDS HOME , ZOO <br /><br /> PLAYS - ( SEE ALSO SCHOOL EVENTS ) <br /><br /> PLOT DEVISE - <br /><br /> POPULARITY - <br /><br /> POLITICS - ( SEE ALSO SCHOOL & ELECTIONS ) <br /> <br /> PLAYGROUND - ( SEE SCHOOL ) <br /><br /> POT - ( SEE TABOO - DRUGS ) <br /><br /> POTATO CHIPS - ( SEE JUNK FOOD ) <br /><br /> PREROGATIVE - <br /> <br /> PUBERTY - <br /> <br /> PURSES - ( SEE ACCESSORIES ) <br /><br /> PUZZLES - ( SEE TOYS )Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-62329643948658411952009-10-21T21:02:00.000-07:002009-10-21T21:03:50.791-07:00THE N PAGE - FROM NAIL POLISH - TO - NEAR NUDITYNAIL POLISH - ( SEE MAKE-UP ) <br /><br /> NAMES - ( SEE CHARACTERS - NAMES ) <br /><br /> NAIVE - ( SEE CHARACTER - TRAITS ) <br /><br /> NEUROTIC - ( SEE CHARACTER - TRAITS ) <br /><br /> NEWSPAPERS - ( SEE SCHOOL - ACTIVITIES & SCHOOL - PROJECTS )<br /><br /> NICE - ( SEE CHARACTERS ) <br /><br /> NICK NAMES - ( SEE CHARACTERS - NAMES ) <br /><br /> NOTE PASSING - ( SCHOOL - CLASSROOM ) <br /><br /> NUDITY - NEAR NUDITY -Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-3363180574042508782009-10-21T11:32:00.000-07:002009-10-21T11:33:31.823-07:00THE L PAGE - FROM LACE TO LUNCHL<br /> LACE - ( SEE MATERIAL & FASHION ) <br /><br /> LACROSSE - ( SEE SPORTS & HOBBY ) <br /><br /> LANGUAGE - ( SEE SLANG ) <br /><br /> LAUNDRY - ( SEE CHORES & HOUSE & HOME ) <br /><br /> LEAGUES - ( SEE SPORTS ) <br /><br /> LEATHER - ( SEE FABRIC & FASHION & TRENDS ) <br /><br /> LETTERS - <br /><br /> LIBRARY - ( SEE ALSO SCHOOL ) <br /><br /> LICENCE - <br /><br /> LIES - ( SEE ALSO CHARACTER TRAITS ) <br /><br /> LINGERE - ( SEE FASHION ) <br /><br /> LITERATURE - ( SEE ALSO JUVINELLE FICTION ) - AUTHORS MENTIONED , BOOKS FOR ADULTS , CLASSICS <br /><br /> LOOMS - ( SEE CRAFT ) <br /><br /> LOVE - <br /><br /> LOYALTY - ( SEE CHARACTER TRAITS - THE BEST FRIEND - THE BOYFRIEND ) <br /><br /> LUNCH - ( SEE ALSO SCHOOL - CAFETERIA )Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-69571723608595551852009-10-20T16:06:00.000-07:002009-10-20T16:07:39.731-07:00THE J PAGE - FROM JELLY BRACELETS - TO - JUNK FOODJELLY BRACELETS - ( SEE JEWELRY ) <br /><br /> JERKS - ( SEE CHARACTERS ) <br /><br /> JEWISH - ( SEE RELIGION & BIRTHDAYS ) <br /><br /> JOBS - ( SEE WORKING GIRLS ) <br /><br /> JOURNAL - ( SEE DIARY ) <br /><br /> JUDGEMENTAL - ( SEE CHARACTERS & INDIVIDUAL VS CONFORMITY ) <br /><br /> JUNIOR - ( SEE HIGH SCHOOL ) <br /><br /> JUVINELLE FICTION - <br /><br /> JEALOUSY - ( SEE CHARACTER TRAITS ) <br /><br /> JEWELRY - BROACHES , PINS , EARRINGS , RINGS , NECKLACES , JELLY BRACELETS , BRACELETS , BANGLES , <br /><br /> JUNK FOOD - ( SEE ALSO FOOD )Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-18804325221303424042009-10-19T05:48:00.000-07:002009-10-19T05:49:49.725-07:00THE H PAGE - FROM HAIR - TO - HUMORHAND CLAPPING RHYMES - <br /><br /> HAIR - ( SEE ALSO BEAUTY ) <br /> - STYLES <br /> - ACCESSORIES <br /><br /> HALTER TOPS - ( SEE FASHION - TOPS ) <br /><br /> HAMMOCKS - ( SEE HOUSE AND HOME - BACKYARDS ) <br /><br /> HANDSOME - ( SEE BEAUTY & CHARACTERS - LOOKS ) <br /><br /> HEALTH - ( SEE ALSO CHARACTERS ) <br /><br /> HIGH SCHOOL - SOPHMORE , JUNIOR , JUNIOR , SENIOR <br /><br /> HOBBY - ( SEE ALSO GYMNASTICS & HORSE CRAZY & ART & CRAFT & AMBITIONS ) GYMNASTICS , HORSEBACK RIDING , DRAWING , PAINTING , MUSIC LESSONS , WRITING , POETRY , <br /><br /> HORSE CRAZY - <br /> HORSES - <br /> HORSE-BACK RIDING LESSONS - <br /><br /> HOSPITAL - ( SEE ALSO BROKEN LIMBS & HEALTH & AMBITION & WORKING GIRLS ) <br /><br /> HOT HEADS - ( SEE CHARACTER TRAITS ) <br /><br /> HANG OUTS - ( SEE ALSO PLACES )<br /> <br /> HOUSE & HOME - KITCHEN <br /> <br /> - BATHROOM <br /><br /> - BEDROOMS <br /> <br /> - BACKYARDS<br /><br /> - GARAGE <br /><br /> <br /> HOUSEHOLD OBJECTS - BATHROOM - TOWELS - ESPECIALLY BEACH TOWELS , SHOWER CURTAINS , TOOTHBRUSHES <br /> <br /> - KITCHEN - PLASTIC TABLE MATS - CORALE DISHES - MUGS WITH CARTOONS & RAINBOWS ETC. - <br /><br /> HUMOR - SPOOF -Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-65128031970289245592009-10-18T14:14:00.000-07:002009-10-18T14:17:59.183-07:00THE F PAGE - FROM FAIRY TALE AND FANTASY - TO - FURFABRIC - ( SEE MATERIAL ) <br /><br /> FAD -<br /><br /> FAIRY TALE & FANTASY - <br /> <br /> FAKES - AS IN FAKE I.D. - AS IN FAKE PERSONALITY - LIARS PRETENDING TO BE SOMETHING THEY'RE NOT - FAKE CELEBRITIES - FAKE BRANDS - FAKE T.V. SHOWS - FAKE FADS <br /><br /> FAME - ( SEE ALSO AMBITIONS & ACTING ) <br /><br /> FAMILY - SIBLINGS <br /> - MOTHER <br /> - FATHER <br /> - GRANDPARENTS <br /> - COUSINS & AUNTS AND UNCLES <br /> <br /><br /> FASHION - TOPS , SWEATERS , SWEATS , BLOUSES , DRESS SHIRTS , T SHIRTS , CROP TOPS , BAT WING SLEEVES , SLASH SHIRTS , SLASHED SLEEVES , SLASHED SHOULDERS , TUBE TOPS , TANK TOPS , TIE TOPS , SHOULDER TIE TOPS , BUSTIER<br /><br /> - PANTS - JEANS - CALVIN KLIENS , BUBBLE GUM JEANS , GLORIA VANDERBUILTS , LEE , 501 BLUES , CHIC , COLORED JEANS , CUT OFFS , DAISY DUKES , DIRTY DANCING STYLE CUT OFFS , CAPRI STYLE , PEG LEG , TAPERED , BAGGY , ROLLED CUFFS , PINNED CUFFS , ZIPPERED CUFFS , ZIPPERED SIDES , <br /> <br /> - SKIRTS - BUBBLE , DENIM , LONG PRAIRIE STYLE , FULL SKIRT , FLARED SHORT SKIRT , TIERED SKIRTS , TIERED SKIRT GATHERED AT SIDE , PIN UP STYLE SKIRT ,<br /> <br /> - DRESSES - HALTER DRESS WITH STRING TIES , TAILOR-SHIRT / WAITRESS DRESS , WRAP DRESS , THE PROM TIERED SKIRT DRESS , SLEEVELESS PARTY DRESS , DROP-WAIST , SLIGHTLY IMPROVED SACK DRESS , <br /> <br /> - SUITS - 40'S LOOK - PADDED SHOULDERS , MILITARY TOUCHES , UNSTRUCTURED JACKETS ,<br /> <br /> - OTHER THINGS - UNDEROOS , SOCKS , KNEE SOCKS , STOCKINGS OF EVERY GLITTERY GADGET AND COLOR , MENS BIKINI UNDERWEAR , <br /> <br /> - STYLE -<br /><br /> FANTASY - <br /><br /> FAST GIRLS - ( SEE TABOO ) <br /><br /> FAST FOOD - ( SEE ALSO JUNK FOOD ) <br /><br /> FEAR - ( SEE ALSO ACTION & DANGER ) <br /><br /> FEATHER EARRINGS - ( SEE JEWELRY ) <br /><br /> FEELINGS - ( SEE EMOTIONS ) <br /><br /> FEUD - ( SEE ALSO CLIQUES ) <br /><br /> FIGHTS - <br /><br /> FIRE - ( SEE DANGER & ACTION ) <br /><br /> FISH - ( SEE PETS & ANIMALS ) <br /><br /> FLAVOR - ( SEE FOOD & TASTE THE 80'S ) <br /> <br /> FLIRTING - <br /><br /> FLOOD - ( SEE DANGER & ACTION ) <br /><br /> FLOWERS -<br /><br /> FLORESCENT - ( SEE NEON ) <br /><br /> FOOD - <br /><br /> FORTUNE TELLING - ( SEE FAIRS ) <br /><br /> FOSTER CHILD - ( SEE CHARACTER ) <br /><br /> FOX - ( SEE SLANG ) <br /><br /> FRECKLES - ( SEE CHARACTER - LOOKS <br /><br /> FROG DISECTION - ( SEE SCHOOL - CIRRICULUM ) <br /><br /> FRUIT - ( SEE FOOD & JUNK FOOD - VS FRUIT ) <br /><br /> FUGITIVE - ( SEE DANGER & ACTION & CHARACTER - VILLAINS ) <br /><br /> FUR - ( SEE FASHION ) <br /><br /> FRATERNITY - ( SEE SCHOOL - HIGH SCHOOL & COLLEGE ) <br /><br /> FUNNY - ( SEE HUMOR ) <br /><br /> FITNESS - ( SEE TRENDS & SIGN OF THE TIMES & FASHION )Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-8273070239813719362009-10-17T17:00:00.000-07:002009-10-17T17:01:41.707-07:00THE D PAGE - FROM DAINTY CHARACTERS - TO DREAMSD<br /> DAINTY - ( SEE CHARACTER TRAITS ) <br /><br /> DANGER - <br /><br /> DATES - <br /><br /> DAY-GLO - ( SEE ALSO NEON ) <br /><br /> DEAF - ( SEE CHARACTER - CHALLENGES ) <br /><br /> DEATH - ( SEE TABOO ) <br /><br /> DEFECTING - ( SEE SIGN OF THE TIMES - COLD WAR ) <br /><br /> DELINQUENT - ( SEE CHARACTER TRAITS ) <br /><br /> DENTAL / DENTIST - <br /><br /> DIARY - <br /><br /> DILEMMA - <br /><br /> DIORAMA - ( SEE SCHOOL - CIRRICULUM )<br /> <br /> DISGUISES - <br /><br /> DISHES - ( SEE CHORES & HOUSE AND HOME - KITCHEN ) <br /><br /> DIVORSE - <br /> <br /> DOLPHINS - ( SEE ANIMALS & PLACES & TRENDS ) <br /><br /> DRAB - ( SEE CHARACTER TRAITS & FASHION ) <br /><br /> DRESSES - ( SEE FASHION ) <br /><br /> DRINKING / DRUNK - ( SEE TABOO ) <br /><br /> DRUGS - ( SEE TABOO ) <br /><br /> DUNGEONS & DRAGONS - ( SEE GAMES ) <br /><br /> DUNGAREES - ( SEE FASHION - JEANS ) <br /><br /> DETENTION - ( SCHOOL ) <br /><br /> DISECTION - ( SCHOOL - CIRRICULUM ) <br /><br /> DETECTIVE - ( SIGN OF THE TIMES & TRENDS ) <br /><br /> DRAMA - <br /><br /> DREAMS - <br /><br />** WORK IN PROGRESS**Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-76739673912186695972009-10-16T18:36:00.000-07:002009-10-16T18:38:38.828-07:00THE B PAGE - FROM BABYSITTING TO BOYS VS GIRLSB<br /> BABYSITTING - <br /><br /> BAD HABITS - <br /><br /> BARS - <br /><br /> BALLET - <br /><br /> BATTLE OF THE SEXES - <br /><br /> BALLOONS - ( SEE ALSO SYMBOLS ) <br /><br /> BEACH - ( SEE ALSO PLACES ) <br /><br /> BEAUTY - ( SEE ALSO HAIR & BODY ) <br /><br /> BEEFCAKE - ( SEE ALSO CHARACTERS - HANDSOME )<br /><br /> BETTING - ( SEE ALSO COMPETITION ) <br /><br /> BICYCLE -<br /> <br /> BLIND - ( SEE CHARACTERS - CHALLENGES ) <br /><br /> B*TCHES - ( SEE CHARACTERS ) <br /><br /> BLACK OUTFITS - ( SEE FASHION ) <br /><br /> BLACKMAIL -<br /> <br /> BLINDS - ( SEE BEDROOMS ) <br /><br /> BEDROOM & FURNITIONING - ( SEE HOUSE AND HOME - BEDROOMS ) <br /><br /> BODY - ( SEE ALSO CHARACTERS - LOOKS & PUBERTY ) <br /><br /> BRAIDS & BOWS - ( SEE HAIR - ACCESSORIES ) <br /><br /> BRACES - <br /><br /> BROKEN LIMBS - <br /><br /> BROACH - ( SEE JEWELRY ) <br /><br /> BRUNETTES -<br /><br /> BUTTONS AND PINBACKS - ( SEE ACCESSORIES ) <br /><br /> BIRTHDAYS - <br /><br /> BREAKFAST - ( SEE ALSO FOOD )<br /><br /> BLACKBOARDS - ( SEE SCHOOL - CLASSROOM ) <br /> <br /> BUBBLEGUM - ( SEE CANDY ) <br /><br /> BULLYING - <br /><br /> BUTTERFLIES - ( SEE SYMBOLS ) <br /><br /> BOYS VS GIRLS - ( SEE BATTLE OF THE SEXES ) <br /><br />** WORK IN PROGRESS SEE CLIQUEY PIZZA 2 **Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-57970458698050042532009-10-08T19:23:00.000-07:002009-12-11T20:02:32.308-08:00The Fabulous Five - #1 - Seventh Grade Rumors & 80's Back to School Supplies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOi9ukzs6dj1ObzMBJbowioGL_TSOX3V5cMAZP2QxTNdrHq46mdWqoemyZTrVO1abmOhv_ZnIYXUCmx1rjWd8yTMS0nA5ol7L94_-AZRB1GwsKkLZTN560ON_YFN2yURBf1Ru8O7O/s1600-h/The+Fabulous+Five+%23+1+-+Seventh+Grade+Rumors_edited-1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOi9ukzs6dj1ObzMBJbowioGL_TSOX3V5cMAZP2QxTNdrHq46mdWqoemyZTrVO1abmOhv_ZnIYXUCmx1rjWd8yTMS0nA5ol7L94_-AZRB1GwsKkLZTN560ON_YFN2yURBf1Ru8O7O/s320/The+Fabulous+Five+%23+1+-+Seventh+Grade+Rumors_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390422006084789602" /></a><br /><br /><br /> The Fabulous Five - Seventh Grade Rumors - Back to school supplies ,<br /><br /> Ah , school. The beginning of a new year with that mixed pleasure of reuniting with friends separated by summer camps , possible new friends to be found all spiked with the nausea of homework , crabby teachers and obnoxious classmates. I never went to Junior High so I couldn't exactly relate to the Fabulous Five and even when I made that nerve wracking jump from top of the heap eighth grade to bottom of the barrel nineth grade , I had made more of it then I needed to. As for this first book I was totally psyched ( as they used to say ) for it’s arrival. I had just bought The Truth about Taffy Sinclair and had saw the enticing bit of ballyhoo for The Fabulous Five emblazoned like movie advertisements - Coming Soon! To a bookstore near you complete with chapter segments. I waited appeasing my anticipation by eye-gobbling up the rest of the Taffy books. By then I thought I knew the characters backwards and forwards but the first book throws us a bit of a loop - gone is the I p.o.v. which I didn’t mind , and because of this a lot of Jana’s incessant worrying , she was at times borderline neurotic , is gone. Although in this first <br />book Jana has some genuine worries. <br /> She and her friends will be entering Wakeman Junior High - dubbed Wacko and they also learn they have competition - four girls calling themselves The Fantastic Four. The girls quickly formulate a plan on how not to make themselves look like nerds - pretty great idea actually! And <br />after writing down important stuff to remember they head to the school to scope out a hangout <br />spot so they don’t look too intimidated by just wandering around.<br /> Unfortunately the next day guess who is standing in their spot - yup the Fantastic four , if that wasn’t bad enough , in an attempt to squeeze into their spot they learn by the cool but catty leader Laura that she has heard about them - and that Beth is the show off. Meaning someone - not the Fantastic four has described them to the Fantastic Four in some possibly and probably cutting terms. Who’s the culprit - Marcie Bee? Alexis? Shawnee? <br /> Later on boys grading the girls in the hall give Melanie and Jana three and a half tops , and Laura with her top knot braid hanging all the way to her waist gets a 10. I’ve had waist length hair and <br />to pull it up at the top of your head and braid it takes off a couple of inches meaning Laura had looooong hair. Jana’s day perks up when she meets a superfriendly girl who has found her schedule card , ran after her to return it and helps her tape it into her notebook. This act of kindness sparks instant friendship signals in Jana until the girl shyly introduces herself as Karen Janelle - a.k.a Funny Hawthorne. One of the dreaded Fantastic Four. After Jana introduces herself they promise to get together but as it would fate does it for them. They share English class and send each other a series of funny notes about their eccentric teacher.<br /> Meanwhile Melanie Edwards the sweetheart of the group , has a fullblown crush on Shane Arrington who owns an iguana named Igor and looks just like River Phoenix! In fact Melanie decides to approach him urging her friends to go with her to inquire if the iguana rumor is true. But Shane is a pretty cool character he sees the gullibility in Melanie’s big blue eyes ( it’s interesting that Melanie as a bit of a ditz is a redhead not blonde ) and tells her that Igor uses the bathroom. Lizards as pets were making the rounds on t.v. - I recall Saved by The Bell had Slater mourning the loss of his pet chameleon. And a couple of class oddballs in movies had lizards as pets.<br /> Jana’s secret friendship is finally revealed when she is caught laughing and joking with Funny in the hall - about all things if Jana wouldn’t please slip her a little information about the boys from her old grade school - namely Melanie’s backup boyfriend Garrett Bolt and Beth’s boyfriend - Keith Masterson. Jana giggles that her lips are sealed. Her friends think she’s a traitor<br />and possibly not the only one since Beth seems to be avoiding them lately. <br /> I love the next scene where Jana and Funny decide to show their friends that their cold shoulder ( from both groups ) don’t bother them by walking to school together and it becomes like this event , kids are watching , they’re fake laughing and zipping into the school - I remember doing stuff like that when emotions ran so high as a kid that yeah walking in with a new friend had the ability of attracting like a rock stars audience of gawkers. But Jana doesn’t want to just push her friendship with Funny she wants to clear things up and calls an emergency meeting , amid spilled soda and hugs - tears from Melanie they make up only to notice Beth didn’t show in fact Beth is missing. <br /> The group learns their problems pale compared to Beth’s her mother might have breast cancer. As the group decides to form a search party the Fantastic Four offers to help drawing the sudden scorn of Jana but Laura actually comes up with a winning idea - suggesting Beth is somewhere that she feels safe. Back at her old school. They find her and of course Beth’s mother is okay. <br /> A pretty rousing start to a series with lots of interesting new things to take note of specifically - the gum tree - a Wacko tradition the oak tree stands majestic and colorful as the students plop their unwanted wads onto the tree trunk decorating in every flavor imaginable. This actually isn’t unheard of - I decided to google the idea and you must check out these pics they are so cool go to <A HREF=" http://travelingmamas.com/2008/08/12/chew-on-this-san-luis-obispos-bubble-gum-alley/">the San Luis Obispo’s Bubble gum alley</A> , and here is a <A HREF=" http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=+BUBBLEGUM+TREE&form=QBIR&qs=n#focal=e4efde939288ee909a97e4460c1354d9&furl=http%3A%2F%2Flupusranting.files.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fgum_tree.jpg">bubblegum tree.</A><br /> And there is the notorious hangout spot Bumpers decorated with old bashed in bumper cars turned into booths. To be honest I could never picture anyone sitting in the bumper cars - in my minds eye the bumper cars dangled from the ceiling on wires , and most kids sat in ordinary booths. Strange but true.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UCYs2RNaXss19a2p5NOxTCc9Cy5WCKsOfRmWaf8ShGiByxJOHosNxs00BvbN4LIqh6eiMrULLBWa879wNZhxPQE3tEMDKpPa6x1px_4J1ZZs6xDeEN6Hp9KEpJi0IU5TvYEFw-mX/s1600-h/accessories+page.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 289px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UCYs2RNaXss19a2p5NOxTCc9Cy5WCKsOfRmWaf8ShGiByxJOHosNxs00BvbN4LIqh6eiMrULLBWa879wNZhxPQE3tEMDKpPa6x1px_4J1ZZs6xDeEN6Hp9KEpJi0IU5TvYEFw-mX/s400/accessories+page.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390422250992251682" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzAmZD9cm5mSHu7OQDlKb8cFzj4lv9aBNVsWPNXxY1UzlDwiR7GddxHsHieXZO-fOCrs_XdifhsbASaAcO1CWROniN_85mbZ2GJh_dLTsISYjDfTo2kDpV2hOsvY3Jg_6TCBp7LDVj/s1600-h/Accessories+page+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 293px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzAmZD9cm5mSHu7OQDlKb8cFzj4lv9aBNVsWPNXxY1UzlDwiR7GddxHsHieXZO-fOCrs_XdifhsbASaAcO1CWROniN_85mbZ2GJh_dLTsISYjDfTo2kDpV2hOsvY3Jg_6TCBp7LDVj/s400/Accessories+page+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390422519290747522" /></a><br /> All this talk of the first day of school got me nostalgic about school supplies - that was the highlight of back to school I just loved all that junk!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7tyH4jvvRBJ8xIdQ1A1oRrCz3aQodzecJXP_fNuuA0_yG7KptLuJBAksrwegrc6SEdEKcKxtCvhO_SeKVhf5PtxDPvkA_xBArGky-1ahcT74R69OoP1_6tL_bZjhny-6bHi5_B34/s1600-h/ERASER+LOT+ON+BLACK+BACKGROUND_edited-1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7tyH4jvvRBJ8xIdQ1A1oRrCz3aQodzecJXP_fNuuA0_yG7KptLuJBAksrwegrc6SEdEKcKxtCvhO_SeKVhf5PtxDPvkA_xBArGky-1ahcT74R69OoP1_6tL_bZjhny-6bHi5_B34/s400/ERASER+LOT+ON+BLACK+BACKGROUND_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390423068668398450" /></a><br /><br /><br /> Trapper Keepers , Note Totes , little scented erasers in all shapes and colors - I remember having the strawberry - isn’t that goofy - I mean everyone even the boys probably had the little strawberry erasers. How about the pencil cases - the plastic ones were cool because they had the artwork on them of your favorite characters - Frankenberry , Strawberry Shortcake , Foofur but the ones made out of fabric were sturdier - we have a company in Canada called Kettle Creek they made all kinds of high end canvas stuff all branded with their name on thick leather plaques. I wanted one of their pencil cases so bad - everyone had one instead I had to make one out of a pair of jeans - truth be told I kinda liked the one I made it was huge - and it held everything. You could practically lose an elephant in it okay okay not an elephant but maybe a pot of my favorite Bonne Bell lipgloss or a tube of roll on Kissing Potion. I loved getting new pencil crayons - Laurentien - they were the best ever my favorite color was a mauve color called Sky Magenta. And the sounds of the pencil crayons clicking together in your pencil case or scritching over a sheet of paper. Those are the things I miss about school just little things like that - when a pencil case full of new things all clinking together made you feel probably better than a business man with a briefcase full of important papers.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTUmjD0iEfstWE-Pt8nZ1UqcT8No1IllQoXEKAyP0FG1gF2a7HAoDahLn815TyhTAv0Vo58Lw3TG8s09N0VKvQ4L8C49nK1MryCHOxHW4RAgC8XvYZOPhYW9UY-U-KOv-RhKt07in/s1600-h/Note+pad+holder.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTUmjD0iEfstWE-Pt8nZ1UqcT8No1IllQoXEKAyP0FG1gF2a7HAoDahLn815TyhTAv0Vo58Lw3TG8s09N0VKvQ4L8C49nK1MryCHOxHW4RAgC8XvYZOPhYW9UY-U-KOv-RhKt07in/s400/Note+pad+holder.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390423460052907778" /></a><br /><br /><br /> Around 1986 a stationary store popped up in our town I don’t recall the name it came and went as the novelty of that sort of stuff waned and conglomerates like Staples swallowed up independents. It was one of my favorite places to browse - I say browse not shop because this was before the era of the dollar store and each little thing seemed to cost a fortune and to me it was nicer to think about having pom-pom topped pencils with googly eyes than to spend three dollars on one. Member those pencil toppers - man we must have looked insane using them - but I loved the ones with the fuzzy troll hair you’d roll the pencil super fast between your palms and make his hair fly out. Anything beat doing homework. Lets not forget making rubber pencils by waving them loosely. Did you ever scratch out letters in your Pink Pearl eraser so that it now became an ink ear eraser or a Pink earl , Pink ear , Pink Pear , Pin ear? <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZ_3bUOK-kKIPC750_xIu9_CmkPBHcl4kYamrSZyewrkKjz9qgZZl_FF1qnaWR19t3KGqyF-_OMHS-EriFHCCdFaHsN2-xeKHgPmBpkbuS4R_vu9HFqBKhzvmzbp50YPiCeU7wGC7/s1600-h/drawing+board.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZ_3bUOK-kKIPC750_xIu9_CmkPBHcl4kYamrSZyewrkKjz9qgZZl_FF1qnaWR19t3KGqyF-_OMHS-EriFHCCdFaHsN2-xeKHgPmBpkbuS4R_vu9HFqBKhzvmzbp50YPiCeU7wGC7/s400/drawing+board.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390422783568335058" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5kiummQk5ik-yfMovnXky2Zcnelwvq_L2uLyjpxcCXhUgYTMWDNqhi0T0XDpmYsFnOYzJ91yy8al-0jb6NBA4zSzkAv_RfyzLdWV7A04_K3aEfAoI1ND1UnBm1cpMZUSlOv52-dA/s1600-h/Stuff+for+kids+-+pens+and+stuff.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5kiummQk5ik-yfMovnXky2Zcnelwvq_L2uLyjpxcCXhUgYTMWDNqhi0T0XDpmYsFnOYzJ91yy8al-0jb6NBA4zSzkAv_RfyzLdWV7A04_K3aEfAoI1ND1UnBm1cpMZUSlOv52-dA/s400/Stuff+for+kids+-+pens+and+stuff.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390423818238369170" /></a><br /><br /> What kind of junk was in the stationary store? - oodles of good stuff , candy colored paper clips - good for making necklaces , liquid glitter filled pens & pencils , stationary sets with pencil , eraser & paper all patterned with rainbows or maybe Garfield. Neon spiral notepads - those I actually did invest in - they were a must for passing notes and nobody looked cooler than someone who brazenly put one at the edge of their desktop - although the teachers always threatened to confiscate them. Member all those I don’t know what they were paperweights? - some were globes others stood up like those pushbutton water basketball games. They were filled with water and blue oil. They would stay separate making it look like the sea , I had one that had a tiny windsurfer bobbing along the blue oiled sea. But there was one that was brought to school and sat on the desk of one of the most popular girls in our class , I had no idea what it was, it just one of those battery operated gadgets - I dubbed it the ink factory, it was a novel thing that had a swirly ramp and would drip blobs of blue oil that would spiral down the ramp one after another and get sucked into the bottom to make it’s journey back up to the top to start over and over again - It was hypnotic watching it. I was annoyed when the teacher told the girl to take it home. Day-glo pens? Fluorescent markers , highlighters? They were a must nothing looked cooler they writing a bubble letter note with each letter a different neon shade. White out - that was a necessity which was banned after some buffoon in our class sniffed it so much he passed out. We had the kind of teachers who didn’t mind white out , but if we had too many pen marks scratching out mistakes they would say it looks messy do it over - without white out we had to become a lot more careful. <br /><br />Isn't the Fab Five cover Fabulous! It just about wins my prize for best designed covers for junior division - the fake spiral note-book coils at the side , jazzy triangle print , scrawled graffiti , and 3-d diamond to house the fat jumbo lettering of the series title. As for the painted picture giving us our first real look at the fab five since the Taffy books , Beth looks a little young and awkward before her haircut , I love Katie's perm and pink jumpsuit! see how the cuffs are rolled to mid-calf that was actually the style , Melanie looks great in her turned up coller but Jana is the best dressed - big floppy bow tied in her hair , denim skirt , striped top ( these were all standard - nobody could look bad in this outfit ) Christie looks the most mature and I was kinda bummed in later stories that she was well, kinda dull ( until she moved to London ). This painting is probably what messed me up on never picturing Bumpers as anything but a souped up coffee shop - the booths are normal but they're obviously in bumpers!<br /><br />Got any school supply memories? Let me know I love hearing about stuff I've missed , or forgotten.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeLeH6SYVrZLlImvo6wSkeS49Q_BIlkm3OoA0yksml2oeMFpbBSzu06SxZKLze1Q9QrMHYcMGx8Io7g2t-HNpSUTwki7C1P6P7jy-_uOCvnLXSkcvYzUGN0M7zWWNrJKM10EQRwo7/s1600-h/Shirt+tales+crayons+in+case.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 314px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeLeH6SYVrZLlImvo6wSkeS49Q_BIlkm3OoA0yksml2oeMFpbBSzu06SxZKLze1Q9QrMHYcMGx8Io7g2t-HNpSUTwki7C1P6P7jy-_uOCvnLXSkcvYzUGN0M7zWWNrJKM10EQRwo7/s400/Shirt+tales+crayons+in+case.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390424066622219490" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQmzIkNFy-5MXzSLOc1SvF6jVfrWRDPKqD6UrEc1x_eogPIr-iY8wy9N14OY-D-B4Sbla5DgUix0vMLYZsqyCXcjb7KjE-azn1RQTfWj-iCF4EnYdGFyiUCnSxqUoHv56aFjM-3Dz/s1600-h/Shirt+tales+crayons+list.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQmzIkNFy-5MXzSLOc1SvF6jVfrWRDPKqD6UrEc1x_eogPIr-iY8wy9N14OY-D-B4Sbla5DgUix0vMLYZsqyCXcjb7KjE-azn1RQTfWj-iCF4EnYdGFyiUCnSxqUoHv56aFjM-3Dz/s400/Shirt+tales+crayons+list.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390424379675292178" /></a><br /><br /><br /> I found some images of old vintage erasers , some pics from an Ideals catalog circa 1984 and a page full of 80's school accessories and how do you like the Shirt Tales crayons? Aren't they wild - I picked them up for a quarter<br />at a used clothing store - I just love the names they gave the colors - Gotcha Green , Playful Purple , Yum Yum Yellow , Rascal Red , Giggly Green , O.K. Orange , Peachy Keen , Frisky Brown , Bogey Blue ( Bogey was the name of the Shirt Tales monkey ) , Pepper Black , Oh Oh Orange , Pammy Pink ( Pammy was the name of the panda ) Gopher Gray , True Blue , Bold Gold , and Rowdy Rust! Hope you enjoy.Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-22081620970322308992009-09-02T06:43:00.001-07:002009-09-02T07:26:52.424-07:00I JUST LOVE TOMMY HEPP ER JOHNNY DEPP TOO! - FAKE STARS IN SLEEPOVER FRIENDS & SWEET VALLEY TWINS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHw3_friy1oIh5QDRAMrVLVHJXHIkfx95gOpP0eUVB-iOxEdNJEx3uTa3sDu679AwcDGT8bgZtC9tH28J74Tyo3AhZK0OfxKhSB2gya7WAcyB3PiUwOaovmN12QgIxKxATV6BH8V9/s1600-h/johnny+depp+poster.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHw3_friy1oIh5QDRAMrVLVHJXHIkfx95gOpP0eUVB-iOxEdNJEx3uTa3sDu679AwcDGT8bgZtC9tH28J74Tyo3AhZK0OfxKhSB2gya7WAcyB3PiUwOaovmN12QgIxKxATV6BH8V9/s400/johnny+depp+poster.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376876066949745586" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> “He looks just like Tommy Hepp!” Stephanie said. Tommy Hepp is our second-favorite t.v. star after Kevin DeSpain. He’s on Roadies, the new show about motorcycle cops on Thursday Nights. <br /> From Susan Saunders Sleepover Friends Series - #27 - Where’s Patti? <br /><br /> Notice in t.v. shows characters guzzle Cola , not Coke or Pepsi or even Dr. Pepper but Cola , they also wash their clothes in Sudsy detergent and gobble up Corn Crunchies for breakfast , I had read that it was for a two fold reason - 1 - they didn’t want to endorse products - <br />imagine what havoc it could’ve caused to see Kirk Cameron on Growing Pains eating only <br />Capt’n Crunch. Kidding aside , in the 1938 movie It Happened One Night during the infamous bedroom scene - Clarke Gable is getting ready for bed , he peels off his shirt to reveal a bare chest - no undershirt. Of course people watching it now might think oh - ho-hum. But this actually caused an uproar , no - not for the sight of a bare chested Gable! The uproar was caused by several undershirt factories who begged the scene be removed as the sales of undershirts suddenly plummeted! 2. - if you didn’t use a brand name you had the freedom to do whatever you wanted with the product - say a character found a severed finger in his box of Corn Crunchies - Kelloggs would be near fainting if the finger was pulled out of a box of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes - with it’s technicolor token rooster in prime view. People in a way are brand names. A child mentioning Prince in the 80's would be hard pressed to find any child that would say Prince who? What Prince? Series fiction, kinda like T.V. shows, exercised the same procedure with stars as the t.v. shows did their brand names. <br /> The biggest peddlers of fake stars were the preteen / juvenile series this was perhaps because this age group was so in tune with the idea of branding and labeling. By then a phenomenon surged in brought on the heels of the 70's for star-gazing ( and not with telescope ) , proposed between the glossy layers of squeaky-clean pin-up magazines. Centerfolds of t.v. and movie stars were promised on bright backgrounds , ‘tell-all’ interviews scraggled out nonsense about all the really important things a ditz of twelve wanted to know about her fave star - preferred pizza toppings , the name of their pet dog , favorite color and carefully coaxed opinions. In order to represent a good portion of the preteen population , writers followed suit and characters that would be the readers of said magazines were developed. In all honesty, though it was never mentioned , can anyone not picture Jessica Wakefield lounging in the local variety store thumbing through a copy of Big Bopper? Of course she would not be looking for Johnny Depp or Kirk Cameron only her beloved Johnny Buck. <br /> So lets bring on the fake stars! <br /> Sweet Valley Twins made almost a reoccurring character out of Johnny Buck , in fact if a fan was to try and list all of the Unicorn members or simply mention Jessica’s favorite rock star they wouldn’t hesitate to remember Johnny’s name but may stumble on some of the Unicorn’s who were mostly filler. <br /> Who is Johnny Buck? I was positive in my mind when I read the series back in the 80's that he was created to represent Bruce Springsteen , some of my friends agreed but then it was pointed out that wait , Johnny is described as young , practically a teen himself with blonde hair. <br />This threw our discussion momentarily off the loop of Bruce and switched us to the possibility of Corey Hart - after all in the late 80's everyone was Corey crazy! There was Corey Hart , Corey Haim , Corey Feldman and I think their was even a football player with the name Corey! In the end it didn’t really matter Johnny Buck represents all of them - from Bruce Springsteen to Corey Hart to even perhaps Michael Jackson - anyone that can instigate an aficionado. Jessica’s quest for fame is the following shadow of the achieved goal , hoping their glittering light will shine down on her and she can step on into the spot light. It was a feeling most 80's babes craved - to become their own idol. To come full circle no longer the worshiper but the worshiped. Arrogance as it’s most tin-foil glory. Jessica’s heart palpitates for Johnny Buck with a following that boarders on cultish - she never goes that far but in book #55 the Unicorns go cukoo for a new singer named Coco - cukoo for Coco ( puffs ) ( couldn’t resist ) , and literally create a fan club. Though other singers and stars came and went - Melody Power , Kent Kellerman , Jessica was most loyal to Johnny Buck. Ironically because he is such an ‘in’ figure to adore watch what happens in book #42 Jessica’s Secret - when she is confronted that he could be ‘out’. <br /> ‘“Don’t you love this poster of Johnny Buck?” Jessica said as she examined Robin’s walls. “I have the exact same one at home.”<br /> Robin shrugged. “It’s okay , I guess. I’m not really into Johnny Buck anymore.”<br /> Jessica frowned uncomfortably. “Oh , me either,” she said quickly.<br /> Elizabeth gave her sister a surprised look. If Jessica didn’t like Johnny Buck anymore, it certainly was news to Elizabeth. Up until about two seconds before, he had been Jessica’s very favorite singer.’<br /><br /> How typical! When Jessica is confronted with the possible sudden unpopularity of a star , she’ll ditch him , revealing how fickle , how capricious a tightrope walk the celebrity must endure for his fans! Even a fake star! I remember how many arguments I had with my friends - I had jumped on the Johnny Depp fan wagon back in 1988 but my friends were split , two of my best friends - including my very best friend adored Corey Haim , only me and my other best friend loved Johnny Depp. Their argument against Depp , he’s beautiful but too old! That may sound strange now but mind you , us being twelve meant that Depp was seventeen years older , compared to other actors like Corey Haim and Kirk Cameron who were only five and six years older than us at the time that was a huge stretch but who were we kidding - we didn’t stand a chance with any of them! They were only to be admired , eye candy for our walls and taped inside the inner cover of our Note Totes & Trapper Keepers. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7cq-xWua5Rp4MIhALMSF185fu7JsN2_GZSeEw8ZIX1cDZydZ6ycyGm_i5U7zhQEOTieyeCg_iToeg4UO-6IjBd4b1F8IiPQZ45HOWy2oUEYFf3KuMuMI-hFLa1yg9hVP0dhpv2CW/s1600-h/Bruce+_+Johnny+Buck.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7cq-xWua5Rp4MIhALMSF185fu7JsN2_GZSeEw8ZIX1cDZydZ6ycyGm_i5U7zhQEOTieyeCg_iToeg4UO-6IjBd4b1F8IiPQZ45HOWy2oUEYFf3KuMuMI-hFLa1yg9hVP0dhpv2CW/s400/Bruce+_+Johnny+Buck.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376868471562906498" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrDGzQnhUQuj1kWXB20L3sD4CupYbk_oTYL0-hTJW85otG8A2nNUN-XsKVmr3lQoogOx66AuJ2LeIb41SCHZAIhAwjiuKmHDdjHRS8woyXePK5Pdo3tXElMzAQMg2YRaz9dUnNo3m/s1600-h/COREY+HART+from+RS.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrDGzQnhUQuj1kWXB20L3sD4CupYbk_oTYL0-hTJW85otG8A2nNUN-XsKVmr3lQoogOx66AuJ2LeIb41SCHZAIhAwjiuKmHDdjHRS8woyXePK5Pdo3tXElMzAQMg2YRaz9dUnNo3m/s400/COREY+HART+from+RS.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376869045413116418" /></a><br /><br /><br /> Sweet Valley Twins swung full force into the 90's and with no dated stamp on Johnny Buck that would leave him for dust in the 80's - that was another good reason to use a fake star imagine trying to convince the grunge set how cool M.C. Hammer was , or Vanilla Ice? Even Michael Jackson would be a hard sell - Johnny Buck continued on as timelessly un-aging as his fans. But a sprinkling of what was going on made a hilarious appearance in book - #86 - It Can’t Happen Here , <br />In the book Aaron Dallas befriends new kid / bad boy Brian Boyd who is one of those disrespectful kids that always impresses materialistic ninnies like Jessica... for a while. With his cap on backwards and oozing an aura of coolness he shoplifts c.d’s at the local record store and to prove he’s not exactly up to Sweet Valley’s more mainstream standards - those who listen to the pop rock sounds of Johnny Buck - the groups he’s into are - The Flying Lizards - probably an in-joke because they sing - Money ( that’s what I want ) - and you guessed it, Brian’s father is loaded! , but don’t laugh too hard save it for this one - The Jumping Jack-o-lanterns - yup! That’s right , an obvious reflection of the grunge mood and one of it’s top bands - the Smashing Pumpkins. I laughed like crazy when I first read it , making me wonder if boy bands would suddenly creep up for Jessica to pant over. Usually Sweet Valley High and Sweet Valley Twins kept out anything that would date the books too much - clothing was vaguely described and always things that could be read years later and still be easily pictured - jeans and t-shirts for the tweens and for the teens - khaki walking shorts , polos , and slacks. <br /> I kind of wished Lila in Sweet Valley High would’ve made some eviscerating crack to Jessica about her love for Johnny Buck. <br /> Other series leapt on the fake-star band wagon - The Party Line and The Fabulous Five mirrored each other in their wavering stance on using both real and fake stars. The Party Line<br />would mention Paula Abdul and then switch over to have it’s characters discussing their favorite singer Vermilion - in fact book #1 Allie’s Wild Surprise - is about the characters - Allie , Rosie , Julie and Becky’s attempts to score tickets for Vermilion’s concert. That’s where rule and reason number 2 comes in - being able to manipulate the reputation of a fake star , Allie is not only able to score tickets for the concert she’s able to score them from Vermilion herself! The Fabulous Five runs a similar course - while they can talk of Paula Abdul , Charlie Sheen , and River Phoenix they can also rush to buy the latest Brain Damage album , crash the group’s hotel room and manage to convince the lead singer into dedicating a song to them during a concert tour thereby one-upping their enemies the Fantastic Four. It’s a fantasy a writer couldn’t pull off with a real celebrity without becoming liable.<br /> The Babysitters club is a real curio on this subject , I mean decide for yourself - the series is about 4 - stretching to almost 8 preteen girls - ranging in age from 11 to 13 and yet celebrities were rarely discussed. I never noticed this at the time - though I remember wishing they’d go to the mall more to flirt of course. Basically , I had noticed their was something missing just not sure what exactly. As accurate as the girls are portrayed that’s a key point to miss - and movies when they are discussed are often dated - The Parent Trap , Meatballs , Mary Poppins. It’s not until book #10 Logan Likes Mary Anne - that a fake movie star is really gushed over and by Mary Anne of all characters who declares her soon-to-be-steady-boyfriend , looks exactly like her heartthrob Cam Geary. Later on the series goes for a more accurate stab in book # 87 -Stacey and the Bad Girls. Having left the 80's far behind it’s now 1995 and grunge is rearing it’s ugly head , Stacey has begun hanging out with girls who wear sly grins , nose jewelry and black lipstick as if it were the norm. Well the norm for Stacey. Considering Stacey is a cheerleader I’m still not sure what she was ever doing with them these were girls who had the ease to throw food in someone else’s house , raid their friends cupboards , buy things on sale and return them at cost for a free lunch , and sneak liquor into a concert ( but exclude one of their so-called friends). Most of all I thought how could they possibly have the same tastes in music?! U4ME I assumed was a boy band - though Stacey’s mother assumes it’s a grunge band , Stacey assures the reader it’s not , and because Stacey’s boyfriend can’t stand U4ME there’s not a lot of options left for it to be anything but a boy-band. Strange - grunge girls going to a boy band concert with little bottles of liquor hidden under their hats?! Rereading it , it seems a little hard to take. <br /> Considering what I recall of the 80's I pegged both Stacey and Claudia as girls who were so concerned with being hip , they would pour over magazines , watch the latest videos and check out the new shows but after scouring the books I begin to doubt wether these girls ever watched t.v. <br /> On the flip side Sleepover Friends offers a virtual buffet of fake stars but then , it is a series probably most accurate in describing fifth grade girls. Lets be honest, flashback to 1987 , <br />as a fifth grader , if you didn’t know that Growing Pains wasn’t just an expression that it was a t.v. show you would’ve probably have been considered a nerd. If your friend said how cool the new boy’s hair looked - just like Billy Idol and you said whose he? You’d probably have some serious explaining to do. If nobody tried to fake you out with Fleetwood Mac’s Big Love song as being a couple actually making love well then you just haven’t experienced culture. You couldn’t escape it , especially as a child nor sometimes did you want to , that being said I give you Sleepover Friends own celluloid csar - Kevin DeSpain. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuYr7D4X4vH3c5zIpR-hwZMlIz4RJnNMPkQAxOuk_5LEti99MB9hh7MMf0R7U5K5lv81M19h16aNqnwKWsRyJVPXhDv06_X8XVqV3XY7XMzj1sVS9nMkPlKx8Jkaf_Wxa6gFrErS3/s1600-h/STEPH+hugging+Kevin.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuYr7D4X4vH3c5zIpR-hwZMlIz4RJnNMPkQAxOuk_5LEti99MB9hh7MMf0R7U5K5lv81M19h16aNqnwKWsRyJVPXhDv06_X8XVqV3XY7XMzj1sVS9nMkPlKx8Jkaf_Wxa6gFrErS3/s400/STEPH+hugging+Kevin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376874688071622626" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54poXsTj9ZXq6N46jPnC0Xm8QbRPtHjC3sP3PJnAYJcR4bQvBzxxyvknwgaZbAa1Ws0CfU3R4pwXcxafr6Hf5t02MgDNyDTPNoGEDLX-arTmaxcIxGnCOOAnjiGFhcFM4nHtbs8y9/s1600-h/River+Phoenix+-+Kevin+Despain.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 293px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54poXsTj9ZXq6N46jPnC0Xm8QbRPtHjC3sP3PJnAYJcR4bQvBzxxyvknwgaZbAa1Ws0CfU3R4pwXcxafr6Hf5t02MgDNyDTPNoGEDLX-arTmaxcIxGnCOOAnjiGFhcFM4nHtbs8y9/s400/River+Phoenix+-+Kevin+Despain.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376875024005709490" /></a><br /><br /> Over six feet tall , looking fantastic in a bathing suit he is described as having wavy dark hair , piercing green eyes , and an adorable dimple. He is not a teen , not a singer just a t.v. actor - often burned by Kate as - ‘He’s not an actor at all. He’s a....a...t.v personality like Spunky the wonder dog!”’- book #20- Lauren in the Middle. They watch him with slavish loyalty wether it’s in his weekly series Made for Each Other where he plays a detective with bionic powers who travels around in an antique bi-plane solving crimes with his beautiful co-star Marcy Monroe or <br />if it’s a mini-series co-staring the sexy Tanya Colter or even a box-office bomb at the theaters called Endlessly. Susan Saunders deftly handles the spoofing of said stars gently - for instance she could’ve just said a detective who travels around in an antique bi-plane - I mean bionic powers! And sticking in antique bi-plane brings to mind all the detective shows that had just about exhausted all modes of transportation. A talking car - K.I.T. from Knight Rider , the Screaming Mimi helicopter from Riptide , retro corvettes - Riptide again , Simon & Simon and new corvettes - Miami Vice , red ferraris Magnum P.I. , cigarette boats - Miami Vice , not to mention the lamborgini-ish fantasy car from Hardcastle and McComick. Interestingly, though Kevin is described as very much a man when he finally appears on the cover of book #21 - he looks quite a bit like River Phoenix. To show you how much Kevin is a part of the series I decided to find out just how many books he is discussed in - out of 39 books he is mentioned in 19 - that’s half! That’s not bad considering he’s not mentioned until book four. The girls follow Kevin DeSpain’s on again off again romance with Tanya Colter his co-star in several movies. They make his date-night chili , they have all his key ‘info’ , they stalk him when he blows into town to film and wonder of wonders they actually get to meet him. I have to give credit where credit is due - Susan Saunders came up with the most interesting star-meeting I’ve ever read! Rather than bump into him in the usual way - hotel rooms , restaurants , backstage - they, having taken in a stray dog and given him a temporary collar , lose the dog only to have it found by - you guessed it Kevin DeSpain who now wants the dog , Lauren whose p.o.v. the stories are mainly taken from thinks she’d give him anything - including her brother if he wanted him. <br /> As for the other fake stars there is the Boodles - Great name! ( Boodle means booty - you know the loot taken in a robbery ) and their hit - I’ve gone dotty over you. They play a key role in book #2 - Starring Stephanie.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfr-uaxl8H9sD9aJsqMry42urGBzYQ0tRYmJ9cxaE2g8wQx5Y6n2-K4BgeLH-WN7VZXiWBcW2n4xJYt5rSVNZLIhlbM59JOMbXe2KyPqKn16ePiUNaRkjblIlum_z4L2x9lIBOT2A/s1600-h/BOODLE+AD.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfr-uaxl8H9sD9aJsqMry42urGBzYQ0tRYmJ9cxaE2g8wQx5Y6n2-K4BgeLH-WN7VZXiWBcW2n4xJYt5rSVNZLIhlbM59JOMbXe2KyPqKn16ePiUNaRkjblIlum_z4L2x9lIBOT2A/s400/BOODLE+AD.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376875480709745554" /></a><br /><br />( Flipping through a Rolling Stone magazine ( or should I say Star Turns?, I found this ad for Boodle liquor! What I love about this ad is they assume nobody else knows what Boodle means either. They make it sound like some sort of dance - let's Boodle!) Joel Carter and Carter Grant in Surftown ( which may or may not be a subtle Miami Vice spoof ) , The Fabulous Flynn brothers - a.k.a Marx Brothers , The Gruesomes - rather than the Addams Family. Tangles an all girl rock band with hair practically to their knees ( Bangles ) , The Bounder Sisters ( ahem Pointer Sisters? ) who sing Get Down , Heat with it’s sexy lead singer Chaz who has spiky hair and a snake earring , Suzy Q from the Hot Tamales , Jangles ( I’m not sure if this is a mistake from Tangles - to Jangles or really a different band but it’s actually mentioned twice ) , the Grady Gang - Brady Bunch , The C-47's with their hit Funky Shack , the B-29's and in book #14 - Lauren Takes Charge - a fifteen year old singer is mentioned who started her career in malls , with only a cheap cassette player to back her up , ( sound familiar? ) her trademark is poufy red bands and a pillbox hat - so cutesy they scoff! Her name is Lavonne and she inspires this accurate stab out of Stephanie ‘for someone who can’t sing , she has a pretty good career going,”but my all time favorite star spoof is in book #27 Where’s Patti when the girls notice the older brother of a pair of rowdy twins looks exactly like Tommy Hepp. I laughed like crazy when I first read it - in fact I almost rolled out of bed. I recognized immediately whom she really meant. Johnny Depp and that’s all the writers usually want is for us to relate to the characters - their adoration of Johnny Buck , Brain Damage , Kevin DeSpain - Tommy Hepp mirror our love , they are the thinly veiled stars decorating our walls - Corey Hart , the Smiths , River Phoenix , Johnny Depp. <br /> Hope you love the pictures - the 21 Jumpstreet shot is a full length poster that was incredibly hard to get , they were all sold out at the local Woolco and I managed to convince them to sell me their display model. I had dormer style ceilings and taped him right over my bed and a few times the tape unstuck just at the top and I would wake up with beautiful Depp , hanging down in front of me! The Bruce Springsteen shot is from a Rolling Stones ad - I cropped out some lettering at the bottom - to me this is the infamous Johnny Buck. Though there is something to be said about Corey Hart. Okay I still can't make up my mind.Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-5168286119297844582009-08-08T15:19:00.000-07:002009-08-29T12:55:46.294-07:00Who's got the better board game - Sweet Valley High or The Babysitters Club?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrWZNMg6ew3I1lbT3txvb2ZT8-RrMWZLa3Uhm_Wl_wA7WqxTKC2ufb3ZBrFAP122jF-u9Yw9jMuUQrWfHECmSnoBt57JsTGkvRquh8sEZaXMSp0IYEoAVzaNFLkNrfNLYlp0z6mGL/s1600-h/Sweet+Valley+High+Board+game.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrWZNMg6ew3I1lbT3txvb2ZT8-RrMWZLa3Uhm_Wl_wA7WqxTKC2ufb3ZBrFAP122jF-u9Yw9jMuUQrWfHECmSnoBt57JsTGkvRquh8sEZaXMSp0IYEoAVzaNFLkNrfNLYlp0z6mGL/s320/Sweet+Valley+High+Board+game.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367736302550655922" /></a><br /><br /><br /> Toy marketing in the 80's was a booming business. Everything it seemed, as the joke went, was made in Taiwan. It was no holds barred as toy makers leapt at every opportunity and a kindof bizarre Alice’s mirrored world effect took place as toys spawned cartoons or was it cartoons spawned toys. Did cereal art and potato chip bags and Kodak film produce toys or was it vice versa? Everything spawned anything. Often the spawn-child made no sense and you had a feeling it’s momma & poppa cringed at their bizarre offspring but that didn’t stop them from producing more and more. In 1988 Sweet Valley High had spawned a board game. Why a board game you may ask. In answer - who knows. I do know however that board games were extremely popular in the 80's and every creature , character and doohickey seemed to have it’s own board game (even, again, if it didn’t make much sense ) There were board games for the cartoons -like The Wuzzles , arcade games - Donkey Kong , Q-Bert and Pac-Man , T.v. shows - Family Ties , dolls - Holly Hobbie , Strawberry shortcake - even comic strips - Garfield. So why not books.<br /> Offered up by the top board game company Milton Bradley, Sweet Valley high the board game incorporated a look that was still familiar to the readers but blazing with a new insignia - a pastel sphere and flapping flag that was also simultaneously appearing on the backs of the series books replacing the letterman arch. Other than that the fan could tell there would be few surprises, a fact reinforced by the game’s questioning selling point. Can you find your boyfriend in time for the big date? Hmmm , a wee bit vapid even for series fiction. I would’ve found the game more exciting to guess which of Jessica’s boyfriends was a psychopathic dope fiend , or had the players scrambling through Sweet Valley to buy the new dress in Lizette’s before your opponent. I opened the game , read the instructions and surveyed the board - truth be told it’s not a total loss - it’s just a bit of a letdown. The board layout is rather like Clue - with four room/like areas all taking place in - of course- Sweet Valley High. Oddly enough there is a coldness to this layout , they can’t be bothered to call the French Room , Mrs. Dalton’s French Room and there is no designated spot for the school newspaper room! Considering it’s a game for super-fans only I would think this would grate on their nerves. The game plays a lot like memory - cards are laid face down in each room section. Each player takes a board depending on which character you chose to be - for instance if you’re Liz - you’ve picked Weekend Bike Tour and it’s your goal to find all the items to fill up your board - one boyfriend Todd Wilkens , one backpack , a biking outfit , a bicycle and Mr. Collins. Where it gets confusing is that you are permitted to swap or steal boyfriends - not a bad idea because if you pick Enid Collins , which from the almost pristine condition of the card , I’m not sure many players did - you’re stuck with of all boyfriends - not the hunky Hugh - but get this , Winston Eggbert?! On a positive note though , this gives fans a rare glimpse of never before seen characters as painted by the wonderful James Mathewuse - gorgeous Mr. Collins who does resemble Robert Redford , Mrs. Dalton ( of the jell-o in her sleeping bag fame ) , and Winston Eggbert - even though the bespeckled Winston looks rather grim. Look closely at all the characters and some of them , especially the guys look as though they’d rather be elsewhere than beefcake for a girls board game - it’s a scream!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpuWOTc1vIl6pmnrJt27LxU_2_Vf2vjT9SPaiZ-YDRcFJ9uVwOil1e0Y0Z0fZxKn-b2FYKQ3Wlzp2OjHd5x5lQ3KyX3FLwS4ZxuOS39TtvNK69lgGYSxDZPfsDMmgKXwW4jO-MBCJ/s1600-h/sweet+valley+high+board+1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpuWOTc1vIl6pmnrJt27LxU_2_Vf2vjT9SPaiZ-YDRcFJ9uVwOil1e0Y0Z0fZxKn-b2FYKQ3Wlzp2OjHd5x5lQ3KyX3FLwS4ZxuOS39TtvNK69lgGYSxDZPfsDMmgKXwW4jO-MBCJ/s320/sweet+valley+high+board+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367732172946218786" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjtoXNl_L2MMVIA6kXWj4aTTE9X_R1N4q7-YACr6A1N10nHisLwGMYWdhlWF6I_s2lMNV9YNJjjI3oCMrR5DQ4UZHOap7Yev6wZ1CAfqkscrVbbPwSaoG0IUsQWqDMdb6WB6g0xlt/s1600-h/Sweet+valley+b-g+cards.jpg"></a><br /><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0vlcbmdJseld8YXkKRQnlIE5_32GV0T159V0aOccRhoW8X_H3ylfC_9s7YY8XFGcNDvcFNf8AM5kvASlMq1eAJDznrxYg0yGKmL9D5eV2bJgYlpi4UVrKNjxoB2sklHVmfHHFqai/s320/svh+board+game+collins.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367731138843154434" /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsS2fjG0mpVaQM7FC2KC3ljCLIa6SmCo5NeXem7I-ZNDZSBqLYrRrL8YNhmlJIW2Vq8-m_W7gd4MKqqEExJ4dCzvWy3sthBYL9KrEBBcQK8dCQceR8-IIFhoYd5zsCEccYoXjhL8z/s1600-h/SWEET+VALLEY+HIGH+BOARD+GAME+-+WINSTON+ON+ENID%27S+BOARD.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW-QYnNJk-gkhJmpFfV46wc0ix_FV6EhECWxjfRh-Ju-hDAs6tCv0dcMhbD1ylvE1mcgrWBJX1edh_faWn1btl_9zCObddT_h8013o4yXNkVzUHzsgJaRwKs4ilz3Xat8eS5ojDQA/s1600-h/svh+board+game+collins.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidw0NOA_c7CFOoBvVmFJ8GWMeya0XC9LJ_9rg0-XXrGMYl2Frtw-8Z5cLZ-1CVjcF6lhOQyxmgD5_Y7ceJDrgXfh5VEMEFMrB7dcKOvNt3cqsDzFb7qeSDxxXpXIlC-NGHEho4rJrT/s1600-h/Sweet+valley+board+game+-+d.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRyaV4ufqcsV8OixMcP3BnnhE4zzHb12IlqmQzEAck35ZMBGleb6UxLZ5vVQAgQcv-ye9SArJ-DAh0K67wx_0ro-DRIB-ZGzm6Cb5udVy1xWN331UkarG-G_A-1wXETcGydcDjHYm/s1600-h/Sweet+valley+board+game+-+lila%27s+board.jpg"></a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRyaV4ufqcsV8OixMcP3BnnhE4zzHb12IlqmQzEAck35ZMBGleb6UxLZ5vVQAgQcv-ye9SArJ-DAh0K67wx_0ro-DRIB-ZGzm6Cb5udVy1xWN331UkarG-G_A-1wXETcGydcDjHYm/s320/Sweet+valley+board+game+-+lila%27s+board.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367734507278605490" /><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iwPCyDeGSFD3BBvPG1aWxGvp_2lKH7e-cjj7Jc04Ht6oEzJnBhWDNyRp_xi2hOCyWAskYp6avRGYIIiZ850eCdRy1804Hq6AEoED-6BIhyqJ0xcIyaO5v4tqcN0szomOePZuNDFX/s400/Sweet+valley+high+board+game+-+enid%27s+board.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367750851905412946" /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJrLKTtU6WjARLBjbKksOb8prgBZY0uwCUKRinTj3bxXKxymhb6WsUijSMOuOgN-UNs6SCaGngouI0mc8WklC0Sa5A6CzM2b4Hq1tmp5JWcAVO2gya1fbVWJbBuswTnoacUy-Rx4j/s1600-h/Sweet+Valley+High+Board+game+-+jessica+board.jpg"></a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJrLKTtU6WjARLBjbKksOb8prgBZY0uwCUKRinTj3bxXKxymhb6WsUijSMOuOgN-UNs6SCaGngouI0mc8WklC0Sa5A6CzM2b4Hq1tmp5JWcAVO2gya1fbVWJbBuswTnoacUy-Rx4j/s320/Sweet+Valley+High+Board+game+-+jessica+board.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367734718045699298" /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZHfX_Js_EW8aLc6jSQJIsvBsCnm84KkoaQ71V5F_l7PvasTDa9fjHJQOwlkLx5VfmfTsHqMKN9GNRXpumnSwCTNnY5EM74Eav_lYm38b7hsXWKIkro22v_XZG2blGgBpnCCg7SLB/s1600-h/Sweet+Valley+High+board+game+-+liz%27s+board.jpg"></a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZHfX_Js_EW8aLc6jSQJIsvBsCnm84KkoaQ71V5F_l7PvasTDa9fjHJQOwlkLx5VfmfTsHqMKN9GNRXpumnSwCTNnY5EM74Eav_lYm38b7hsXWKIkro22v_XZG2blGgBpnCCg7SLB/s320/Sweet+Valley+High+board+game+-+liz%27s+board.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367734937033998562" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Some of the cards describing the characters actions are spot on to a fault - Elizabeth gives Enid some good advice with Enid uses , some are unbelievable - Lila donates a large sum of money to a local charity , Bruce helps Jessica set up for the prom , Jessica’s plot to break up Winston and Enid does not work?! ( huh say what? Why would Jessica care about those two? ) You know things are a little loopy however when out of four cards - each devoted to an action - from the four boyfriends , Bruce turns out to be the most sensitive! Ken is duped by Lila , Winston is attracted to another girl ( poor Enid! Despite her good grades , she has the most boring cards of all , she just can’t win , not in the series , not here - could be the name - remember Enid in Taking Care of Terrific by Lois Lowry who says that Enid was a horrible name that all disgusting words like squalid and fetid echoed Enid. ) Even Todd’s card , though faithful to his character, is nonetheless jerky - Todd believes a rumor about Liz. Here’s some cards I would’ve liked - Enid, in revenge to Jessica’s rumor, shaved Jessica’s head during a slumber party making it impossible for Jess to win Prom Queen! Nobody shows up for Lila’s super-once-in-a-lifetime-every-weekend party leaving her so outraged she is arrested for driving her Triumph across the football field nearly clipping Ken during his game-saving goal. Elizabeth dumps Todd and decides to actually do something constructively charitable like take out someone who isn’t ultra-gorgeous and ultra-popular. Todd faces this rejection bravely, after about two minutes of wallowing he asks out a curvy tenth grader he already had his eye on as backup. The game sums up as so-so , I’m neither here nor there about it , I guess I was disappointed that it didn’t really showcase some of the sights we’ve only imagined in Sweet Valley - I mean where’s the Beach Disco? Lizettes , The Dari Burger , Lookout Point , Kelly’s Bar , Jessica’s bedroom the Hershey Bar , I mean for gosh sakes they could’ve made it a rip off of Monopoly!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpR-sCCEbaNbjYM2g7hZNXfNIgUTyndUcirUCVQSBruNE9b7MHmDa7e9mwXI8POoVAO-NnpNC3NLcarOygfWlMbngtRDeNlpqFL17GMz1ihqJvlYHBEGWWAdpDboKUUuN_Lzv3snD/s1600-h/Babysitter's+club+game.jpg"></a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpR-sCCEbaNbjYM2g7hZNXfNIgUTyndUcirUCVQSBruNE9b7MHmDa7e9mwXI8POoVAO-NnpNC3NLcarOygfWlMbngtRDeNlpqFL17GMz1ihqJvlYHBEGWWAdpDboKUUuN_Lzv3snD/s320/Babysitter's+club+game.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367733223615833682" /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_72Zj8yfFr8lsttHn4SBJ-XXxSeJrvimwIAtE3DqBy0vQPX2RjmluFEaIUZwckgyjJLFgNKxdHwOXFWxNf2hr9ymwb3R317rXPWtHV7ekavXSurzfqFc03vZ4DnFgUIK-IT45I1l/s1600-h/Babysitter's+club+board.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_72Zj8yfFr8lsttHn4SBJ-XXxSeJrvimwIAtE3DqBy0vQPX2RjmluFEaIUZwckgyjJLFgNKxdHwOXFWxNf2hr9ymwb3R317rXPWtHV7ekavXSurzfqFc03vZ4DnFgUIK-IT45I1l/s320/Babysitter's+club+board.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367733441772705794" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xyysYEMcrPA_bxlQqgmqzQ4m-4H4hFmYtBfScQv2SUqCqsOllE8AVkoB9pIbjtXxyGqB3_apsvJxolypgX4kPpWHRZ3GFSPv_hPDXCou0eEyTefGGF80igmHO8mhCSGeockIbeOu/s1600-h/Babysitter's+club+game+-+more+stuff.jpg"></a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xyysYEMcrPA_bxlQqgmqzQ4m-4H4hFmYtBfScQv2SUqCqsOllE8AVkoB9pIbjtXxyGqB3_apsvJxolypgX4kPpWHRZ3GFSPv_hPDXCou0eEyTefGGF80igmHO8mhCSGeockIbeOu/s320/Babysitter's+club+game+-+more+stuff.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367733740694402562" /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJRhYgS7Uj0tMnP8-o_iBeEto5ILSIyJsDJv_QjyPOdlEWstHTj1Lgqlz0f-LaGEEggnnsOSKfWwdpTT4K5Q1UZshby73qgXw3lCBaMiyn3E1ee5uX4KqFtf9yGblPLzDFcWA8IOt/s1600-h/Babysitter's+club+game+cards.jpg"></a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJRhYgS7Uj0tMnP8-o_iBeEto5ILSIyJsDJv_QjyPOdlEWstHTj1Lgqlz0f-LaGEEggnnsOSKfWwdpTT4K5Q1UZshby73qgXw3lCBaMiyn3E1ee5uX4KqFtf9yGblPLzDFcWA8IOt/s320/Babysitter's+club+game+cards.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367733959101132274" /><br /><br /><br /> But as bad as anyone thinks this game is , I found the Babysitter’s Game to be far worse. It too was offered up by Milton Bradley , two years after the release of Sweet Valley High suggesting it was successful enough to try their hand at exploiting er-capitalizing on a second franchise. Opening the box , I was immediately overwhelmed by the amount of cards , pieces , notepads , tokens it contained and totally underwhelmed by the flimsy pastel playing board and equally bummed that the men were not those nifty little cardboard player cutouts wedged into little holders , no, the pawns were just those plastic thimble things in pastel shades.<br /><br /> What does that have to do with the Babysitter’s club? There is no- I get to be Stacey or Claudia or any of that , if I was twelve I’d feel ripped off. Not to mention frustrated . The game is also jammed with too many ideas , there are four sets of cards each colored peach , gold , green , purple each adding to another facet of the game - Peach cards are for collecting points if a square under the picture of the babysitter matches your token , green cards are for babysitter’s club trivia with questions like which club member’s bedroom looks like a nursery all pink and white? Or who usually needs the Pike barf bucket on car trips - (well I don’t know about Margo but anymore aspects to this game and I might just need it...) Gold cards are the kind of -what if while babysitting - like - You discover that your new babysitting charge is a monkey , not a child! What do you do? Feed him your kid kit and hole up in the nearest closet.( Kidding! ) Purple cards - are truth or dare - dares of which your friends get to judge, by giving you points if you performed well. The game is okay in the most generous sense of the word, I guess to me , it just seems thrown together , and not really for fans. A much better board game along the same lines is Girl Talk. I don’t know why they didn’t model a game after say, the game of Life - with moolah and obstacles , like items for the kid kits , dues day , babysitting jobs and a goal maybe to arrive at a dance with enough money to attend. I wonder if anyone designing the games even read the books or were given basic trivia and information like a list of ingredients if so , they really screwed up the formula.<br />So whose got the better game between SVH and Babysitter’s Club - Sorry Babysitter’s club it’s hands down - Sweet Valley HighPeachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-69249851011946181982009-06-25T08:01:00.000-07:002009-08-08T19:04:15.569-07:00The Stars are Shinning on Sweet Dreams & Caprice & First Love From Silhouette- Jennifer Connelly & Courtney Cox & Lori Loughlin!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwgGeJRtHdlL-o8IWGwYCzqIH9DVvJdn0iab42GGB7zrVh9B6IANCeGjcGDtjEG3j1bMA_TBXFGXENCL_gqsRq3k4l4LGLYgQpTByBfMS77APdyHqJdQ6hW4OOHaf9fK8V-Lo1LYa/s1600-h/First+Love+From+Silhouette.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359892429173285922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 181px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwgGeJRtHdlL-o8IWGwYCzqIH9DVvJdn0iab42GGB7zrVh9B6IANCeGjcGDtjEG3j1bMA_TBXFGXENCL_gqsRq3k4l4LGLYgQpTByBfMS77APdyHqJdQ6hW4OOHaf9fK8V-Lo1LYa/s320/First+Love+From+Silhouette.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFulWihIdHRMQ9m8e59ozCZj_J53YValUjwz0karANk2QfQlZ5VRs_6bn68MAVgYpBpe4aaiTbE-qWrGv2PwGlwWJ_Z9HSlLhpp69mEg0dYBsbmXBUgULfaqBTCyyk6Dc3ZJ6mVnUH/s1600-h/Caprice+Rock+and+Roll+Romance.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351288431208816994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFulWihIdHRMQ9m8e59ozCZj_J53YValUjwz0karANk2QfQlZ5VRs_6bn68MAVgYpBpe4aaiTbE-qWrGv2PwGlwWJ_Z9HSlLhpp69mEg0dYBsbmXBUgULfaqBTCyyk6Dc3ZJ6mVnUH/s320/Caprice+Rock+and+Roll+Romance.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguseOud7GeXZpC85St_SX-bPjZ4w1N63oIQ5-6vL-WHCk7goQvc8MPq_SMZCIYzaX104kAimZJQ91gzyPhttK_CYN0SFEW5m6sua_pjUFqqEEsm7c6Ydy7lnHfKlJNY8XhvVNwdmEn/s1600-h/Sweet+Dreams+Kiss+me+Creep.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351288233982392818" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguseOud7GeXZpC85St_SX-bPjZ4w1N63oIQ5-6vL-WHCk7goQvc8MPq_SMZCIYzaX104kAimZJQ91gzyPhttK_CYN0SFEW5m6sua_pjUFqqEEsm7c6Ydy7lnHfKlJNY8XhvVNwdmEn/s320/Sweet+Dreams+Kiss+me+Creep.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4e05z-DpDF877LN0leZZMd7eFLjXfNt0K-VP3Kn7cl3_nOQF0TPbQqj5Wk_OsyDLa1J3jf_54q9u7NwKQ0vhEC4Jt-N4ykLDFSPSNk3_cp0_jb2dVNPB8E-QGkUrUmQ57ue8JvXte/s1600-h/babe+and+stuff+380.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351287982431893058" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 181px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4e05z-DpDF877LN0leZZMd7eFLjXfNt0K-VP3Kn7cl3_nOQF0TPbQqj5Wk_OsyDLa1J3jf_54q9u7NwKQ0vhEC4Jt-N4ykLDFSPSNk3_cp0_jb2dVNPB8E-QGkUrUmQ57ue8JvXte/s320/babe+and+stuff+380.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueJd36r7eP5j4Wrm1p-88_LhaQ2ZmkYcbFegvtkVB9a0SyON9_fGKVW0rfCjcRBGY8-BsfNR4CgokvEeRAvyw3malAiMJf-RzHaK3uWjDItwvKZQoVabXNQPa-pFfswFFpRNqw7uA/s1600-h/Sweet+Dreams+Princess+Amy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351286961627678482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueJd36r7eP5j4Wrm1p-88_LhaQ2ZmkYcbFegvtkVB9a0SyON9_fGKVW0rfCjcRBGY8-BsfNR4CgokvEeRAvyw3malAiMJf-RzHaK3uWjDItwvKZQoVabXNQPa-pFfswFFpRNqw7uA/s320/Sweet+Dreams+Princess+Amy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-rsG0tllbQRrvTaUN8NnuSRgpgtIaJfNYD1A2phyGRI2NGSMkl5OxaVUTvmQukz_IsjJa3Ygf4icEPNPMBD2kC_1PeXSg5PzWiG63Q0K5i1a1Gx3Gou0CCqS59tdaPFJEC2PzdKU/s1600-h/First+Love+From+Silhouette+one+for+the+Road.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351286737974308834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-rsG0tllbQRrvTaUN8NnuSRgpgtIaJfNYD1A2phyGRI2NGSMkl5OxaVUTvmQukz_IsjJa3Ygf4icEPNPMBD2kC_1PeXSg5PzWiG63Q0K5i1a1Gx3Gou0CCqS59tdaPFJEC2PzdKU/s320/First+Love+From+Silhouette+one+for+the+Road.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_X2lpmhtBH3mHmxmXftNRTrPlIu17oeD3CroZoRRgHukxd6efpvi-vLMDQPSKH7VI-ke7I7teGBj_nqsm3AMN-KcV6GifFOs5r7XfkzrOl61DjBm2PCHluTR6rFBQPDRvWfoTBEu/s1600-h/helene+brooke+sheilds+cover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351286427007633586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 201px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_X2lpmhtBH3mHmxmXftNRTrPlIu17oeD3CroZoRRgHukxd6efpvi-vLMDQPSKH7VI-ke7I7teGBj_nqsm3AMN-KcV6GifFOs5r7XfkzrOl61DjBm2PCHluTR6rFBQPDRvWfoTBEu/s320/helene+brooke+sheilds+cover.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Finding books I don’t have is always a treat , I practically pounce on them like a miner discovering gold! It’s an even bigger treat when there’s a nice surprise on the cover! Is it just me or is that Courtney Cox on the cover of Sweet Dreams? It is! - looking like she did back when she was pulled on stage for a dance with Bruce Springsteen - staged of course but who cares! And who’s that on the cover of Caprice - could it be? Yes it is - Jennifer Connelly!<br />As for the others I’m not too sure about I just thought they’d be fun to include. One looks like a dead ringer for Kate Jackson , and though I know the dates are really off one of the cashiers at Value Village pointed out that the girl on Kiss Me Creep , Sweet Dreams looked exactly like Thora Birch. The guy on Kiss Me Creep actually looks a lot like John Philbin from the New Kids 1985 - the movie with Lori Loughlin. The other Sweet Dreams cover looks like someone I can’t put my finger on an actress from the 80's wait - Meredith Salenger - that’s it! From Journey of Natty Gann and Dream a Little Dream , and get a load of the guy on First Love From Silhouette he’s got kindof a Flock of Seagulls thing going with his hair. </div><div> </div><div>** Just found a new one! First Love From Silhouette #54 - Picture Perfect by Carrie Enfield. That's Lori Loughlin looking ravashing as always! She was without a doubt, one of ( if not ) the best looking brunette of the 80's. She had the most magnificient sparkly eyes and the sun-shinniest smile. I love how she is bathed in a warm buttered toast glow on this cover. It's kind of interesting that I should find Lori Loughlin after just maybe perhaps recognizing her co-star of the New Kids on Kiss Me Creep. If you haven't seen The New Kids check it out - it's not much of a horror , more of a psychotic teenager played with lizardy villainry by a bleached blonde James Spader , ( he was the ultimate 80's slimeball! ) harassing two new kids that have moved into <em>his </em>quiet Florida town. Orphaned they have come to live with their aunt and uncle at their rundown Santa's workshop carnival. Lori Loughlin makes the movie better than it is with her spunky , level headed charm - she turns Spader down flat which sparks the out and out war he wags against them, and her brother hunky newcomer Shannon Presby isn't bad either. Doesn't Lori Loughlin have the best hair? It hasn't changed much , she knew what looked good on her and stuck with it , but I love that loop of bangs that arches over her forehead like a feathered visor brim. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Just to show you celebrities aren’t snobs ( or maybe they just don’t have the rights to their pictures ) check out this cover of Helene ( not a Series book but I thought it was cool ) that’s Brooke Shields on the cover - looking about thirteen which is strange because the book is not about a Lolita relationship well not that much of one! The girl in the story is seventeen. If you know of anymore celebrities on covers let me know , maybe I missed a few. </div><br /><div>Hope you like the pics sorry the Caprice cover is in such rough shape!</div><br /><br /><br />I've finally figured out how to duh! handle the comment-replies and moved my answer to it's proper location. That reminds me - feel free to ask questions about series books or pop culture , maybe there is a shadowy book whose title is on the tip of your tongue but you can't recall it - if you've got a few clues maybe I can help out! No promises , but I always give it a shot and if I come up blank someone out there might have the answer.Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-62192322401583805562009-06-24T12:46:00.000-07:002009-06-24T14:16:07.412-07:00Cheerleaders #12 Staying Together - Shady photographers , Fallen Angel 1981 & the Equalizer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXNDLmb297L1yZpYXqfd5_uws-ROCTSW6MEayeku1DfnhLlwti_MpR5jsX-VOF1XuDd6ISXljx4iSerW1jx-bz4vLLOJSFXFpfLwaUq9jy_3edccmuoixDRcAj2aNu-lga5NaNrYl/s1600-h/Cheerleaders+%2317+Staying+Together.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351005859756497554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 181px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXNDLmb297L1yZpYXqfd5_uws-ROCTSW6MEayeku1DfnhLlwti_MpR5jsX-VOF1XuDd6ISXljx4iSerW1jx-bz4vLLOJSFXFpfLwaUq9jy_3edccmuoixDRcAj2aNu-lga5NaNrYl/s320/Cheerleaders+%2317+Staying+Together.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEison76gIFre0zaPmpSwu4AZowo_0-a6s-kdKQpD7ww72ZkxWeWgTcFh8vDufMCMA04BL9PwPBHxCwe-iLCIRVUjml51mpYLuRjdEfiAUGvZiKMIFT8PoHcT75hvKSf6rOeGpBQM4NR/s1600-h/Fallen+Angel+1981+Dana+Hill.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351005397690714722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 261px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEison76gIFre0zaPmpSwu4AZowo_0-a6s-kdKQpD7ww72ZkxWeWgTcFh8vDufMCMA04BL9PwPBHxCwe-iLCIRVUjml51mpYLuRjdEfiAUGvZiKMIFT8PoHcT75hvKSf6rOeGpBQM4NR/s320/Fallen+Angel+1981+Dana+Hill.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhcd4mmQg1lWrx0DKOftbtqGBEK38hYgskeLaM4PEX8NoQ5AammEl0Y1anHbTYYNe5mkWYCpZGGrMK8vkR4ILhDVIAhwA9s91IqlhScfp0TwE4yEVPVJekIcW07jPV3RlInURL4QI/s1600-h/fallen+angel+1981+3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351004395613988498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 223px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhcd4mmQg1lWrx0DKOftbtqGBEK38hYgskeLaM4PEX8NoQ5AammEl0Y1anHbTYYNe5mkWYCpZGGrMK8vkR4ILhDVIAhwA9s91IqlhScfp0TwE4yEVPVJekIcW07jPV3RlInURL4QI/s320/fallen+angel+1981+3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwgWQIr5XFDXcPIMVawBl0jzLGV_HGVoM9l1osXZGiarxnZ4OCK_Waw9YqQC-Y2Ecn34H5AhE_v-xv1MTL55QQuJ74C1nmk3KZtVf7ruEm9zlF5ET6JGYXWkbB1oIp4UXxMZgu8db/s1600-h/fallen+angel+1981+3_edited-1.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351002997830762482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 187px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwgWQIr5XFDXcPIMVawBl0jzLGV_HGVoM9l1osXZGiarxnZ4OCK_Waw9YqQC-Y2Ecn34H5AhE_v-xv1MTL55QQuJ74C1nmk3KZtVf7ruEm9zlF5ET6JGYXWkbB1oIp4UXxMZgu8db/s320/fallen+angel+1981+3_edited-1.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeo_I0syqz7P6-0d5s0jhwLugKacQPJ-ZriPvIBnjRsRqlUOCVa4vKgiQee4E0B3q7zi0tEBp5bOWfQYWQug_snIlqp4av7RO4w54hLt-3BVP5EuSowQWCtbJ3rJndYc2jLVHYAnj/s1600-h/Equalizer+episode_edited-1.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351000815421070018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 192px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeo_I0syqz7P6-0d5s0jhwLugKacQPJ-ZriPvIBnjRsRqlUOCVa4vKgiQee4E0B3q7zi0tEBp5bOWfQYWQug_snIlqp4av7RO4w54hLt-3BVP5EuSowQWCtbJ3rJndYc2jLVHYAnj/s320/Equalizer+episode_edited-1.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br />The 80's was filled with t.v. shows that featured dramas filled with rip-snorting action , though seldom was anyone in any real danger - the A -team could convert their van into a tank , the trio on Riptide would skim across the water in hot pursuit of their villain , the Fall Guy<br />would find his stunt player skills coming in handy as he’d leap from moving vehicles , while Magnum P.I would duke it out almost comically over some damsel in distress and bikini. This<br />style converted nicely to teen fiction giving them nail biting action plots that eeked out towards the end of the 80's as P.I. shows began fazing out. Cheerleaders had their fair share of exciting<br />action packed episodes that had them lured by shady photographers , out running an avalanche and kidnaped at gunpoint!<br />Cheerleaders - # 12 Staying Together - 1985 - Diane Hoh<br />Honey blonde hair Angie Poletti ( not to be mistaken with corn silk haired Mary Ellen ) wallows in loneliness that her computer geek boyfriend Arne isn’t paying enough attention to her perhaps she could console herself with some Rocky Road ice cream , and for a moment wishes she were a computer or a typewriter anything with wires that would interest her boyfriend. ( Careful now remember the over-computing boyfriend in Wes Craven’s Special Friend - he put the mind of his robot into the body of his dead girl friend! ) Wondering wether she can actually keep a boyfriend leaves her with a touch of resentment towards the ultra-gorgeous Mary Ellen. ( Ever wonder if Mary Ellen was named after Mary Ellen from the Walton’s - I always thought so , it’s such an unusual name , old fashioned yet with a strong persona. Just a thought ) </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Mary Ellen works at Marnie’s ( okay now that has to be a homage to Hitchcock’s Marnie! ) a posh boutique where she models clothes and gets to wear interesting do-dads - a raspberry knit top and skirt ( but no raspberry beret - sorry the Prince reference slipped out! ). She is actually something like a live mannequin! ( Was this actually a practice? I know from old movies that store models would put on a fashion show for the clients - one of my favorite scenes is in How to Marry a Millionair in which Marilyn Monroe , Betty Grable & Lauren Bacall play such models. Incidently Marilyn wears these terrific stacked see-thru plastic heels held on with red ribbons! ) Mary Ellen then notices a strange young man watching her who introduces himself as Reece Oliver a photographer who wants to do a portfolio for her , but Mary Ellen is no dummy she takes in his colorless eyes , impatience and the fact that he wants to do the photo shoot in his motel room and turns him down flat. Annoyed Reece , brushes her off as if he didn’t need her anyway because he works for American Sports magazine.<br />Reece makes the rounds spooking Nancy Goldstein who takes his card ‘as if it were a pamphlet from a religious cult’ and quickly brushes him off though wonders when the man drops Mary Ellen’s name is Mary Ellen silly enough to pose for this ahem traveling photographer.<br />Meanwhile Mary Ellen having seen Reece’s name in her father’s copy of American Sports calls herself Dope! Dope! Dope! And tries to leave a message for Reece changing her mind. Still thinking about it she decides she’ll take her younger sister Gemma to his motel room for the photo shoot knowing with her there , she’ll be perfectly safe. Meanwhile lecherous Reece has come to the football game and has decided healthy looking Angie Poletti is perfect! </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />But Perfect for what?! The reader by now has all kinds of horrors running through her mind.<br />Back to Mary Ellen - seeing Reece as her one way ticket out of Tarenton she decides it’s stupid to get to overly involved with hunky garbage collector - Patrick and begins pulling away form him. As for Angie she is more excited about being chosen by Reece to photograph over gorgeous Mary Ellen who when she finds out is horrified - in fact her face drains of color we are told till her complexion is the color of smoke. Her little sister Gemma tries to pick up her spirits by suggesting too bad their wasn’t a store department for pushing people off cliffs dissolving Mary Ellen and herself into a fit of giggles. Marnie’s second outfit mentions teal suede boots. Did anyone own suede boots at sixteen in the 80's? The closest I came was cowboy boots with red stitching in the early nineties. And Villainous Vanessa ( whom Mary Ellen mistakenly thinks was chosen over her by Reece ) is wearing black leather trousers. Fashion police alert! While Olivia and Walt plot to include lonely Angie along on their date she is wearing an orange sweater that clashes violently with his cranberry turtleneck! Cranberry turtleneck - yikes , is that part of Walt’s sense of humor? Angie is unavailable ( no it wasn’t the turtleneck that scared her away ) she had a date with Reece who rather than take pictures of her has a strange request of having her show him around town. Though voices of unease nudge Angie she is so blown away by the fact that he picked her over Mary Ellen she ignores her doubts. It doesn’t help either that when her parents are introduced to him , they too ,don’t seem to think anything is wrong with their daughter spending time with a man who claims he’s a photographer and that the shoot will take place in his motel room - huh? Say what!? </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />When he starts asking for an advance on his fee you’re wondering where is this story going , my first thought was pervert! The old I’m going to put you in the movies routine or some underground dirty magazine called Naughty Nymphets or something. But by page 75 I was thinking scammer he’ll drain her for every penny. But is doesn’t quite go that way. While Mary Ellen’s ego has taken a nose dive , thoughts filled with maybe I doesn’t have what it takes , Reece keeps showing up on Angie’s arm like a date. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />There is an interesting moment in the story where Mary Ellen throws herself at Patrick almost deciding to make love to him on the spot to erase the humiliation of not being picked - but realizing that , she backs off ( not wanting to cheapen the act ) and changes track to abandoning her goal of branching off to New York , she’ll stay within the confines of pokey old Tarenton<br />As Angie wishes Reece would just get on with taking her picture , the doubts her friends have about him as a fraud are finally given some evidence during a basketball game when the coach recognizes Reece as an ex student called Billy Slocum , a loner who never fit in but loved basketball even though he didn’t make the team. Angie on frosty terms with the other girls on the team hasn’t discovered Reece’s true identity and has gone off to his motel to take pictures. The girls Mary Ellen & Olivia hoping to confront Angie discover she’s gone off to the motel and decide to go over there in an interesting move ( Sweet Valley High never takes this route unless they want to fling a damsel in distress ) the girls decide to do this consciously- without men. Though Olivia briefly wishes she could tell Walt ( she always feels safer when he’s around ) Mary Ellen steamed with woman’s lib scolds her - you don’t think we women can handle this? Olivia reprimanded also agrees with one good reason not to call in the male-calvary - they would just think the girls were jealous with over active imaginations. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />The girls storm in , but the scene is not the seedy underworld an anxious reader might have envisioned first off , Reece Oliver a.k.a Billy Slocum is just a self-pitying crumbbum who graduated two years ago from their high school with a thorn in his side for cheerleaders recalling the ones that rejected him. Meanwhile Angie is mortified to discover she’s been tricked - worse still is Billy seems to be enjoying the fact that he’s tricked her. As Angie’s eyes fill with tears she whispers - ‘ "Oh, no. No , I’m not that stupid. I’m not.’ Billy flatly says ‘Guess again."’<br />After Billy rants about how cheerleaders all think they’re high and mighty and run the school , the girls with a small amount of sympathy but not much tell him to get some help and if he ever tries to do it again they’ll inform everyone that he’s a sleaze and a cheat. The kids quickly form a party to cheer up Angie whose harsh tone oozes with sarcasm - ‘ "What’s this a therapy session? Good friends gathered around the bereaved to mourn the loss of her pride."’ - wow not bad. But in the end Angie comes around and her friends hope she won’t loose that honest , trusting spirit that makes her so special. The girls then promise to branch out more, admitting they felt rather sorry for all the Billy Slocum’s out their - but we’ll see. Do they don’t they?<br /><br />Angie’s fate could’ve been a lot worse - Shady photographers popped up in the 80's mainly as plot devices for t.v. movies of the week and action series. All of them were up to no-good and the girls didn’t escape their fates as easily as Angie who’s pride was the only part of her wounded. One of my all-time favorites was Fallen Angel a t.v. movie put out in 1981 about a young girl ,12 just turned 13 yr old Jennifer Phillips who is frustrated by her young mother’s new relationship. Her mother is played by Melinda Dillion ( you might recall her from A Christmas Story ) she does a terrific job of playing that vivacious single mother ( I recall some mothers who were like this back in the 80's ) friendly , childlike but fiery - calling their daughters Missy as in listen Missy! when they got mad. She is a waitress who wears a bouncy ponytail and friendly smile at the diner where she works , flirting with the male customers- for tips mainly ( she whispers to her daughter ) but also because she likes men and encourages Jennifer to take an interest, after all she is growing up. All fine advice, if not for the fact that Jennifer is bored during her summer and meets up with Howie in the local arcade. Howie is a baby faced pedophile ( played by the marvelous Richard Mazur - who was in License to Drive ) who frequents the kids hang outs looking for fresh prey. He instantly latches onto Jennifer and starts a powerful psychological attack on Jennifer hoping to keep a wedge between her and her mother. Treating her like an adult he invites her to join his softball team , even gets her a dog from an animal shelter and begins taking harmless Polaroid pictures of her. Howie is even introduced to Jennifer’s mother who takes him as a friendly , harmless man who has given her daughter a new interest in sports.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Due to the beginning of the movie we know exactly what Howie is up to , his real job is filming dirty movies starring all the children he’s seduced into his trust. And when they are burned up ( too drugged out , and emotional ) they are tossed away. Even Howie is unsure of allowing his ‘Angel’ as he calls her to possibly succumb to this fate and wants to keep her for himself , his boss laughs at him and urges him to start her and soon. Jennifer is reluctant at first until her mother drops the bombshell that she is marrying her new boyfriend ( who’s not a bad sort , but Jennifer just isn’t ready for the change. ). After seeing some of the children at the house where they film the movies ( the little boy looks slightly like a Chad Allen - real cute) , Jennifer is eager to become a star ( not for what they have in mind! ) but becomes uneasy by one of the children a curvy twelve year old pro painting her toenails who purrs flash ‘em some skin and you can have anything you want. Jennifer is soon urged to kiss the Chad Allen lookalike while Howie takes photos , Jennifer doesn’t really mind and the boy is strangely kind and friendly ( one wonders what goes through this little boy’s mind when he asks in a hopeful eager rush if Jennifer is coming to live with them?! ) Pretty soon the two kids don’t need urges to kiss anymore and finally Howie takes it a step further. Faced with Howie telling them both to take off their suits at a secluded pond the boy doesn’t hesitate , Jennifer embarrassed says no. But Howie puts on the pressure claiming to be her only friend , and that if he’s not friends with her , her dog Fred would have to go back to the pound and you know what they do there - Jennifer cries stop and struggles for a moment before giving in trembling with embarrassment. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Later on we see Jennifer playing rather aggressively with Fred after her mother has come home to confront her , her boyfriend has shown her a dirty magazine left behind at a truck stop that he noticed some of his crew members passing around and laughing about and points out an advertisement for a movie called Lollipop Lovers and says Tell me that’s not Jennifer.<br />Confronted with the ad , Jennifer scoffs it telling her mother she’s crazy in a jovial way, lying with ease. But faced with the fact that her mother is now suspicious Jennifer writes a goodbye note admitting she won’t be able to face her and runs off to Howie. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />In this one scene we discover the kind of damage that has been done to Jennifer she has gone from a carefree shy young girl to a manipulative survivor. When Howie urges her to go home , she demands he put her up at his place and then turns on the charm knowing Howie has a soft spot for her. Running her fingers seductively up and down his chest she says I’m getting better and older - a lot of dubious promise in that statement. Up until now, we, as viewers assume that any action Jennifer has had was with the boy , who is her own age, not with Howie , not with a grown man. It’s enough to make your stomach do a flip to see that she is a breath away from becoming the tart , the pro whose only motivation seemed to be getting things. Howie takes her back to his place where three other ‘stars’ live , three boys one of them Jennifer’s kind co-star. He orders them pizza and as soon as he is alone with Jennifer begins to put the moves on her.<br />Meanwhile Jennifer’s mom has been searching everywhere and do to the fact that a run-in with Howie has made her suspicious - he admits hesitantly to taking the harmless Polaroids of Jennifer that she manages to wrangle his address out of an overworked police officer.<br />As Howie is all set to kiss Jennifer the doorbell rings , he gets up to answer it , hears a mumbled reply to who’s there and opens the door to let Jen’s mom come flying in. Enraged and pissed off - it seems she was peeking through the window , she hits him with her purse as Howie cowers , even Jennifer tells her to stop it. The three boys come out to see what all the commotion is about and the mother grabs all of them and leads them out telling Howie that he is sick! Sick! But Howie protests that he loves them , loves them all , they’re all he has and stumbles over to the door to watch them leave. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />The end comes to a decision that has to be made wether or not Jennifer will testify against Howie. Her mother says absolutely not and wants to put it behind her , the boys have disappeared and if something isn’t done he’ll walk. Howie even manages bail by his disgusted lawyer who is irritated by Howie’s inability to see that what he does is wrong and tells him the first girl at the beginning of the movie - Michelle is now in a nut house. Howie literally shakes with this knowledge on the brink of cracking himself. Jennifer finally resolves the issue of accepting her soon to be step dad by asking him what he thinks she should do testify or not? Weighed with the responsibility of now being asked for his opinion knowing he’s taking the opposite stance as her mother , he tenderly tells her yes she should testify. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Jennifer out and about thinking with Fred sitting in the basket on the front of her bike she runs into Howie who grabs Fred and tries to manipulate/intimidate her into not testifying , he makes no real threats but implies that people with think she’s a whore and it will be embarrassing. Jennifer realizes that Howie won’t hurt her and gently takes back Fred. She tells him that she believes he truly loves them ( her and the others ) but he needs to discover it’s not right and she says maybe I was whore - she trails off barely getting it out - but I’m not anymore. With that she rides away stunning Howie. The last scene is her passing Howie in the courtroom to testify.<br />Terrificly well-done, well acted movie displays many emotions - Jennifer doesn’t just hate Howie that’s the kicker, part of her still thinks of Howie as a friend , she passes him on the way to take the stand in court with an almost apologetic smile. Their only fault lies in showing Howie in a too sympathetic light , and he’s left as scapegoat for the other monsters who financially back perverts like Howie to get away.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Jennifer is played by Dana Hill ( Audrey in National European Vacation ) she is adorable with apple cheeks and a charming overbite. She looks like a common twelve year old -the way I remember being at twelve year old - flat chested , thinnish , puppy fat , small. I look at kids nowadays and I’m a loss guessing ages! It must be those steroids they shoot into our beef - twelve year olds now are tall , husky and developed!</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Another shady photog pops up in an episode of the Equalizer - remember that show I just loved it! It was so 80's icy-noir I think they filmed most of the episodes during the months of November in New York just to give it that frosty look - also so McCall could legitimately wear his trade mark trench coat. If you don’t know or remember it , the show was about an ex- C.I.A?<br />Agent Robert McCall whose retired and runs an ad in the paper Odds against you? Need help call the Equalizer. Basically he was a bit of a vigilante mixed with strong arm. The first season’s out and it’s worth buying or at least renting. This episode isn’t out yet - The episode starts with a twelve year old girl running away from home taking the bus to N.Y. to escape her violent father who spends most of his time yelling / arguing with his wife. After sleeping in an alley she meets Judy a streetwise 14 yr old prostitute ( from the looks of it ) in a coffee shop. Judy is dressed in tight jeans a bomber jacket , has teased hair with a short side ponytail section held up with a small plastic bow shaped barrette , she carries a hard little clam shell round purse and smokes cigarettes , she urges the girl to do like the best line in a movie she ever hear go home ( E.T. ) but the young girl is stubborn and naive and Judy takes her to a ‘photographer’s place though she grinds her teeth for the young man to give the girl a ‘straight’ job.<br />Meanwhile her mother calls up the Equalizer. Unfortunately as he drops by to talk to them , the girl after a night on the town decides maybe she just better go home and starts to head for their hotel room hears them violently arguing and runs back out of the building. ( I think they’d left their whereabouts on their answering machine. ) McCall recognizes her and wants to know why their daughter changed her mind about coming home causing the parents to take a good look at themselves. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />The young girl stays with the photographer , he feed her and though she is uneasy is eager to work. At first the pictures come across like ad’s for a Sears catalog , The girl poses grinning in jeans holding a big teddy bear. He takes the pictures and shows them to his boss who runs an underground magazine behind the facade of an actual magazine. He comes across like the actual pervert going hmmm over the pictures and demands the photographer to speed up her progress. After posing in a tank style bathing suit the young man starts the next step holding out a flimsy blue nightie set for her to put on. The young girl gulps, you can see right through it. He keeps urging, she takes it and goes off to change only the room she picked holds some copies of her fate - the dire magazines. The young girl comes out fully dressed wearing her coat -( I loved that coat - it was featured in Sears I had one just like it , it was red kindof a felt material heavy wool I think with frog closures mine looked like something Little Red Riding hood would wear.)<br />The man is furious and starts to strong arm her , till McCall comes in, gun drawn, to save the day. Forcing the guy to tell him who and where his boss is , McCall crashes the bosses glamorous party , publicizing his new magazine. McCall however has a stack of dirty photos which he flings at the party guests informing them of the man’s after hours publishing. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />The girl is reunited with her family and though wants them all to go home together , the father has enough sense to admit he has to get help first. Just enough wise-up stories to make any girl cautious in the 80's who wanted to be the next Brooke Shields. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Hope you like the photos - some are from Fallen Angel , some are from the Equalizer episode. </div></div></div></div></div>Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-2984772783641016322009-06-09T14:52:00.000-07:002009-06-09T15:56:05.885-07:00JESSICA WAKEFIELD SECRET MINI-POPS WANNABEE - 80'S ROCKIN' KITSCH & HEY BABE 1980<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITz369GNW6xk18ApyxzYLmvMRlqSyAKP2EQDleyL1XZx9Q18KMIGc4cKeQi-Su8ajEy2QfDK-MR_9caGr65H58vePUJAtHX78FPtoIUeXBZftz59Pv_y9yC9mTVDqw9fU6QoYSFBv/s1600-h/MINI+POPS+COVER+NUMBER+1_edited-1.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345465269301166914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITz369GNW6xk18ApyxzYLmvMRlqSyAKP2EQDleyL1XZx9Q18KMIGc4cKeQi-Su8ajEy2QfDK-MR_9caGr65H58vePUJAtHX78FPtoIUeXBZftz59Pv_y9yC9mTVDqw9fU6QoYSFBv/s320/MINI+POPS+COVER+NUMBER+1_edited-1.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2bmgG0CEZ8EMti96cll8iBXwodrDHCPKMKAX0C0CgJutFFS5DqYf9C9g4806eHEkkIL83D-FKlggWuWE3gG4xCXUeCqLSQDokQJlpnJyWMbeFAOMOyAoy48bIdPme2MFG6raPaCi/s1600-h/babe+and+stuff+241.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345457219070305554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2bmgG0CEZ8EMti96cll8iBXwodrDHCPKMKAX0C0CgJutFFS5DqYf9C9g4806eHEkkIL83D-FKlggWuWE3gG4xCXUeCqLSQDokQJlpnJyWMbeFAOMOyAoy48bIdPme2MFG6raPaCi/s320/babe+and+stuff+241.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudkTQhqFE0ZOnrbRVY6WUVVZENAVvvV0uwkq9a6dB_Vbm6ZwxGFr9p4xnNzkKi5pKTMa4NZ50ULGrQAx_gMnnb59OXNKd8MsfmwkTPG0uy4zB5WWjEX-iJj9LGP6Pz1It8pYODwdX/s1600-h/MADONNA+-+MINI-POP.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345456192226740178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudkTQhqFE0ZOnrbRVY6WUVVZENAVvvV0uwkq9a6dB_Vbm6ZwxGFr9p4xnNzkKi5pKTMa4NZ50ULGrQAx_gMnnb59OXNKd8MsfmwkTPG0uy4zB5WWjEX-iJj9LGP6Pz1It8pYODwdX/s320/MADONNA+-+MINI-POP.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIJtM4N3bE4OtF0_VrvFG-fSaGIv6rV8kCGUfPudvRlXB4tPnXv7WMloazbfYvPGF5rOQwv0J5Dgva21-iV3SWuC346ef2QLjutPI8iBmKNqHfhBHW44v4ySPx_JvTbPWrjFklrQG/s1600-h/HEY+BABE+-+PRINCESS.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345454519703184098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIJtM4N3bE4OtF0_VrvFG-fSaGIv6rV8kCGUfPudvRlXB4tPnXv7WMloazbfYvPGF5rOQwv0J5Dgva21-iV3SWuC346ef2QLjutPI8iBmKNqHfhBHW44v4ySPx_JvTbPWrjFklrQG/s320/HEY+BABE+-+PRINCESS.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9-IDMJ5yXlVdD4DD8H87kpsnyMcaCw4Kozrf6d7NI8KkSzX-gXtuBlonNxQhRNVQ0IPpkMRDfDH1bKszpgLPJzHpQQgzdsoQDpompbVBtvOiASc5ThX_7cuGvHKdj4JRV8ubjw1B/s1600-h/BLUE+LIPSTICK+FACE+CLOSEUP.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345453177905478242" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9-IDMJ5yXlVdD4DD8H87kpsnyMcaCw4Kozrf6d7NI8KkSzX-gXtuBlonNxQhRNVQ0IPpkMRDfDH1bKszpgLPJzHpQQgzdsoQDpompbVBtvOiASc5ThX_7cuGvHKdj4JRV8ubjw1B/s320/BLUE+LIPSTICK+FACE+CLOSEUP.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9h1oDbUGuykSUc5dN5PHKItMO6x2UVmWO9Q3LsXrgrJfbU12jYm4xa3eL_h8Bwel4pIIIWYQJzgpMheEgcf4S60q2KhJWAdt4nOUpTyhyphenhyphenRMNrc1xHexZs4jPYZzbFq9CwL9OVnb_/s1600-h/Gummi+Bears+-+sunni.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345451462679943682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9h1oDbUGuykSUc5dN5PHKItMO6x2UVmWO9Q3LsXrgrJfbU12jYm4xa3eL_h8Bwel4pIIIWYQJzgpMheEgcf4S60q2KhJWAdt4nOUpTyhyphenhyphenRMNrc1xHexZs4jPYZzbFq9CwL9OVnb_/s320/Gummi+Bears+-+sunni.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br />Remember the mini-pops? they were kind of a guilty indulgence , you just couldn’t win with something so kitschy. Depending on your age, most kids over twelve thought they were annoying , grown-ups thought they were annoying and creepy - after all little girls dressed up with lipstick , lisping through Sheena Easton’s Morning Train had most cringing with hope that they eliminated the lyrics - ‘Night time is the right time ...we make love.’ But for kids under twelve and perhaps a few mums-the-word twelve year olds they were a heady rush of jubilant wish fulfillment. I mean who didn’t want to dress up like Madonna and pretend to be a star?<br />Best of all they had an audience who were buying their records - they weren’t just wishing , they technically were stars - it was the kind of dream fantasy every kid goes through only the mini-pops were living it. I can recall only one video - I admit it I watched the mini-pops - guilty! It was a twelve year old girl doing Material Girl and they’d decked her out like Madonna. White boxy tank top baring a strip of midriff , white lace capri pants , a white crinoline , and a scrap of white lace tying up her tawny tangle of Madonna curls. They’d even drawn on a little mole. She even had the vixen stare down perfectly! I remember thinking how cool she looked - perhaps even better than Madonna because it was so unexpected. It’s takes a twelve year old a great deal more effort to look cool.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />The 80's were the perfect time for kitschy kid music I don’t know if the minipops spawned other things but it certainly got the ball rolling and snowballed a lot of other bizarre/likable ventures.<br /><br />How about Kid’s Incorporated? If you don’t remember or want a memory jog open another tab go to You Tube and type it in. You won’t be disappointed! Those kids were talented! Renee Sands is great - she nails all the Madonna songs with her slightly husky voice. And Stacy Fergeson as in yup Fergie does a good job of the bouncier songs like Belinda Carlisle’s Heaven is a Place on earth. Forget some of the cheesier elements of the show and just enjoy the whole feel of it. The outfits! I think that’s why I love the 80's so much it was such a fun time for fashion , for music , for series fiction everything was just so light hearted. I shudder when I think of some of the outfits kids will have to look back on nowadays - jogging pants with the words Juicy on their butt , pants cut so they can show off the wedgie-inducing thong. Check out some of the Kid’s incorporated performing outfits -<br />Side ponytails , fluffy perms , denim jackets studded with rhinestones , blue sequined vests , short-jumpsuits with wide belts in hot colors like pink and blue. Hoop earrings , cotton t shirt dresses , layered socks , men’s tail shirts with rolled cuffs. Grey denim. Bold colorful prints , cinch belts , skinny cotton pants.<br /><br />The rocker influence had seeped everywhere - partially or maybe all to do with the fact that MTV had come out and music videos suddenly became a part of our t.v. schedule - cartoons even became musical - Kidd Video immersed live action and cartoon - I dare you to listen to the theme song and not tap your toe. Corny but it’s the 80's who cares! The incredible , unimitatable Jem and their original songs. The format was even something akin to a new kind of musical - chopping up into an outrageous music video moments - things that could only happen in a music video - Pizazz growing giant size to knock Jem & Kimber’s hand glider’s out of the sky etc. Barbie and the Rockers followed suit and then their were the regular cartoons that you could say well nobody could relate to those - however Muppet Babies with their catchy songs - Merry-Go-Round , Trackin’ , and especially fueled by the fact that they behaved like children much older than their labeling of tots - they’re fantasies were fueled by pop culture , movies , Miss Piggy even imagined once she was Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink playing out the scene where Andrew McCarthy asks her out. She even often dressed like a rock star - Madonna and dreamed of stardom. Alvin and Chipmunks were preteen like faux-children who lived like mini-popstars , traveling, giving concerts, escaping raving fans etc. I even remember an episode of the Gummi Bears where Sunni Gummi ( the young preteen gummi bear who seemed your typical child of the 80's she even sported what looked like a flippy Vidal Sassoon pompadour , her sherwood-knottingham garment looked like an 80's dress with a shredded hem paired with a nifty slouching belt ) , decided to enter a costume contest. Her outfit is a mishmash of everything 80's epaulets , crinoline , mardi gras beads , lace gloves , hair clips. The other gummi’s burst out laughing. Frustrated and hurt , she declares someday it will be what everyone is wearing -well everyone imitating Cyndi Lauper. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />One of my favorite 80's movies that reminds me most of the minipop phenomenon is a movie called Hey Babe - it was done in 1980 and stars Buddy Hackett and Yasmine Bleeth - believe it or not in her first major role. Basically they were taking the formula that had made Brooke Shields famous and made their own little rip off movie. Yasmine Bleeth plays 12 year old Teresa a cynical , streetwise orphan who lives in a group home that resembles a correctional facility where the sullen inmates sit in hallways and smoke up. Teresa however is not content to stay at the facility and usually escapes - at the beginning of the movie she literally crashes the filming of a music video by sliding down a bar of neon! ( you have to see it to believe it ) , grabs the mike from the bewildered singer and takes over singing. She is thrown out of the building but not before eyeing a poster advertising a theater school. Managing to squeeze herself into the theater school by lying that her mother is a producer she still has to come up with the dough to pay for the school. The next thing we see is Teresa dancing in a new wave shop - love the disco-y song they’re playing I think it’s Two hearts Explode by Experimental Warriors which I can’t find anywhere, along with the glitter faced shop clerks , distracting them she winds a boa around one after clamping on a flashing pin & belt ( pretty cool accessory - but we’ve come a long way from merely blinking belts ) she grabs a pile of accessories ( scarfs , pins , bangles ) and rolls out the door on her roller skates.The shop clerk gives chase but Teresa hops in the open side of a Coke truck helps herself to one and drinks it down before flipping it over head behind her when she realizes the truck is coming to a stop and the shop clerk is picking up speed. ( I love the way the music plays a part in this scene as the song builds up to it’s title - two hearts explode - the Coke bottle smashes on the pavement. ) She winds up hiding in an abandoned building which turns out to be an old theater and home to Buddy Hackett - Sammy Cohen- an ex-vaudeville star turned alcoholic homeless man. He’s quirky , lippy and at first frightens Teresa - not that she can’t take care of herself she pulls a knife on him and as he says I want to make you a star she says - talk to my a** they ain’t got no ears! But she’s intrigued and when he follows her home on a subway she gives him five minutes in an eatery , but basically brushes him off. Still hoping to get some dough for her classes and having hocked the stolen accessories , Teresa comes up with a rather bizarre idea ( for what’s advertised as a family movie! ) by taking the boys to the basement and doing a striptease with a padded bra , a slip and stripped socks for gloves. Unfortunately her punchline - taking off her slip to reveal a nude body stocking with comic-ly drawn breasts as circles leaves the boys grumbling and taking back their money. Faced with the realization she’ll have to actually strip , Teresa humiliated starts to peel only to have her careworker storm in. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Having been thrown into a solitary cell , a lock down , Teresa is rescued by her ardent admirer and takes her belongings and moves in with Sammy. He is outraged but also enjoys the company , while he sleeps in a hammock Teresa lines an empty bathtube with dark red velvet to sleep in. Thus starts their weird make-shift union. Her ,playing wifey, rather like Shirley Temple, cooks , cleans ,while he grumbles and plays the sour-puss , his temperament wavering every time he thinks of his lady love and partner from the old days. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Then Teresa hocks his beloved victrola for her tuition money and Sammy spanks her shouting you must learn people are more important than money - Teresa in tears outraged - shouts that he’s a crummy old drunk. But she sort of apologizes / explains and they team up starting a street act, vaudeville style, and make enough money to get his victrola out of hock. At school the teachers notice her style is becoming more polished , and secretly Sammy is calling in some old contacts for Teresa - unfortunately she takes one look at his contact - a woman, gets jealous and while they’re in a disco club with flashing colored floors , lighted tables and three transvestites singing oh Daddy , 40's style, she lights the woman’s polyester jacket on fire and it burns up like lightening creating havoc. It’s such a bizarre, beautifully strange scene. How is she allowed in such a club? And Transvestites - ai yi yi. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />While the kids back at the group home are sent off to find Teresa , Teresa celebrates getting a part in her theaters production of Cinderella - a small part - however the celebration is her washing Sammy’s back in the tub which is full of bubbles. As Sammy playfully pulls her in , several men from the group home accompanied by police officers show up and catch them in the tub only they both stand up - Both are wearing clothes - Sammy has on one of those old fashioned striped bathing suits. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Told she can never see him again , as if , she goes straight out and sees him , and later manages to get the lead in the school play when the lead ( a barely fifteen years old girl) gets pregnant and can no longer fit in her Cinderella gown. Rushing to tell Sammy the good news who meanwhile has gone and bought Teresa a present - an old fashioned make-up case complete with make-up has fallen down in the alley walking home and died. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Teresa finds other homeless people in Sammy’s place listening to his victrola dancing , divvying up Sammy’s belongings and learns what happened. Dressed in her sensational Cinderella gown - looking like the princess in The Neverending Story - I love those jeweled forehead pieces! - she goes to the morgue says her goodbye’s to Sammy, where the morgue attendant gives her the present. Teresa unwraps it and almost gives up wallowing in her grounding until recalling Sammy’s show- must- go-on attitude incorporates her ever-loving devotee for help. He steals the group home school bus and drives Teresa to the theater. The play goes off without a hitch till at the end - her furious careworker storms in huffing and puffing ready to yank her off the stage. Teresa startled freezes then improvises and starts singing a rather jazzy song - that has nothing to do with the play but livens up the audience till they are dancing in the aisles , she strips off her Cinderella gown and does some jazz-baby dances in her slip and the movie ends with how it starts a music video - only the dream realized has come full circle - what Teresa hoped to be most of all - a star , has come true. Over the end credits she is singing a pop version of the song Sammy loved ( I gotta whole lot...I gotta whole lot of you babe ) dressed in a spunky pop art style black and white jumper with full skirt in emphasized tiers rimmed with black ribbon , a headpiece of pop art style daisies - she is surrounded by matching girls surrounding her platform like Busby Berkley babes brandishing lit sparklers. The woman who’d kicked her out of the crashed music video before is now watching behind the scenes, pleased. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />*The strangest thing ever was to call this a family film - there is a strange Lolita-ish moment when Teresa offers herself to Sammy to make-love he turns her down saying - there are many reasons a woman gives herself to a man one is because he’s the most important man in the whole world to her and another cause he’s the least important man. I’m not the most important.<br />Not bad advice. And it also saves the movie from becoming too creepy. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />I adore Yasmine Bleeth’s wardrobe in this movie! It’s so kid playing dress-up. And because it hinges on 1980 it’s still got that 70's influence but it’s also got that glitter/glam punk look. Teresa has a black leather jacket with the Rolling Stone’s tongue on the back , she also wears a black Rocky Horror Picture show t shirt. Ringed knee socks that are pink and purple glitter over white fishnet stockings , blue denim hot pants with a heart decal on the back. Strappy two inch heels , a purple sequined soft beret , a purple , silver and pink sequined boob tube , with a string of plastic fruit roped around her neck like some daffy sort-a boa , glitzy glittery scarfs , feather roach clips , Lolita heart shaped sunglasses , her make-up is glitter-glam. Two fuchsia lighting bolts on her cheeks , blue glitter lips , and later heavy red lipstick , a half moon beauty mark , rhinestones glued on her cheekbones , red-hot streaks of blush and when they are performing she paints on a mask of heavy purple glitter.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />The best part of the child as star is, for me, the dress up part - but I know for one of my old friends from childhood it would have been the performing part every time she came over to my house she wanted to sing for my dad. He was too polite to say anything to her face , he would merely glower and later tell my mom , would you get her outta here! She had a very supportive mother however , one that lied through her teeth and told her she sung like an angel.<br />She was terrible! She needed a group that could drown her out to sound good. I loved the idea of being a rock star - my mother had this old heavy crocheted black gown, I put that on , really troweled in on the drabs of her make-up ends - blush like tire tracks , eye shadow bright as tent awnings , and every gob of junk jewelry I could get my hands on. Fancying myself as the next mini-Madonna I discovered I couldn’t sing and would not even punish my own ears with my warbling, instead I loved lip syncing , my friend and I would line up our stuffed animals and put on a gala performance - oddly enough I don’t recall lip syncing to a Madonna song - our favorite was Tina Turner’s Typical Male. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />**I didn’t forget the book element - here goes - Sweet Valley Twins - Jessica the Rock Star - a definite mini-pop. Jessica has to be one of the most infuriating characters ever written in teen series-dom - of course I didn’t miss an episode - be it Sweet Valley High or Sweet Valley Twins - I could never decide which Jessica was my favorite - 12 year old Jess with her Unicorn posse or 16 yr old Jess, always making a fool out of herself in her ever-loving quest for her 15 minutes of fame. This book Jessica the Rock star ( svt ) came out in November of 89 as we were about to kiss the 80's goodbye. The story starts up with Jessica keeping Liz awake reliving their exciting night at a Melody Power concert - did 12 year old go to concerts? I remember once wanting so badly to go to a Debbie Gibson concert that was playing in Toronto I was tempted even to go as a mini-Debbie complete with ripped jeans , painted knee - the whole sha-bang. Nobody in my family ever liked driving to Toronto so it was out even if the tickets weren’t outrageously high. I always wondered who was Melody Power modeled after - I mean she goes back to the 80's so I’m trying to pin point her first mention in the series to really nail it down. Unfortunately I don’t have time to skim through every book nor do I even have every book below 34. But considering the heavy make-up the pile up of scarves bracelets , and colors one would assume Melody Power is modeled after Cyndi Lauper who’s album I Drove all Night was released in 1989. Of course she could also be modeled after Madonna who’s Album Like A Prayer came out in 1989 - could also be Debbie Gibson - Electric Youth , Stacey Q? Mmmm? Hard to tell - parents who approve of a singer in the 80's? So she couldn’t be too tarty. Melody Power is described as growly voice with purple hair , knotted scarves? , and an album called Powerful my guess it’s she’s just a mishmash of all female singers. Young , hip , outrageous. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Jess’s rock star look - a Melody Power t shirt , her shortest miniskirt , electric pink tights , and matching high top sneakers , in addition it looked like she’d put on every necklace and scarf she owned - including a few of Liz’s who gasps that’s my coral necklace! Elizabeth laughs at Jess’s eyeshadow overdose and tells her the heavy layer of lavender makes her look like she has a black eye. Jessica wipes off the shadow but warns ‘when I’m a big star , you’ll be sorry you didn’t appreciate me."</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />At school Jess is basking in the attention she receives from having dressed like Melody Power ( accept for the Melody Power t shirt ) , Lila is pouting and struggling to change the subject because her father couldn’t get tickets and she feels left out. Jessica not wanting to let the attention slip from her grasp dramatically announces that - drumroll- she has decided to become a rock star. This gets a mixture of gasps and Lila’s wonderful statement - ‘Forget it Jess , you’ll never make it!’ </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Her family wavers in their support as well , Steven laughs ‘that it looks like the contents of her closet fell on her , oh what do you know? Jessica grumbles - enough not to wear thirteen colors at once.’ Jessica’s plans however start to grate on even her closest friends nerves when attempts to steer the conversation back to Melody Power are suddenly derailed. Nobody can keep Jessica down for too long and before you know it - basically an eyeblink later she finds an advertisement wanting a girl singer. Boy band alert! Aaron Dallas , Peter Jeffries , Scott Joslin and Bruce Patman - I love how sometimes in series people who don’t have much to do with one another will suddenly get thrown together. The band’s name is pretty cool though NRG.<br />Jessica’s competition - Sandra Ferris and Dana Larson natch - I almost fell over when I read Dana Larson’s outfit - blue jeans and a simple cotton sweater - what happened to Dana’s leopard print! </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Disaster strikes the auditions - like any teen band - nobody wants them in their house , garage , block and Jessica spotting an opportunity airly says ‘you can hold the auditions at my house my parents are pretty cool’. Without telling anyone - of course, and Liz is upstairs with a good book and is nearly given a heart attack by the first deafening cords. The auditions play out and Jess of course is hired Liz ( not an Amanda Howard mystery reader for nothing ) has suspicions that Jessica is only part of the band for the use of her basement.<br />Liz pokes around in the following days of practice to discover that Jess has been reduced to status of groupie painting the bands names on their instrument cases ( perhaps with a bit more artwork - she could windup with a cool skeleton drumcase like the one in Desperately Seeking Susan ) , she even brings them cookies and when Bruce mockingly calls her a real gem - Jessica contemplates it as a stage name. Gem , Gem , Truly Outrageous!</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Jessica happily relishes her delusions of rock star status not helped by the fact that after she sings Bruce suppressing a shudder tells her she sounds like a pro , while Liz is torn trying to decide wether she should tell Jessica how awful she sounds. While Jessica puts up posters she painted at a mall , and gets them a job , the boys are still treating her like a slave yet refusing to let her sing and annoyed that she might skip a rehearsal for a Unicorn club meeting because she won’t be there to shlep their drinks. After recording herself on tape Jessica finally realizes how awful she sounds trying to imitate Melody Power’s husky voice. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Then that coninkadink moment that might have you rolling your eyes - Elizabeth just happens to overhear Bruce and the others shopping for band uniforms , plotting to exclude Jessica from the party by giving her the wrong time so that she can save Jess. But really how else would you do it - predictable but nice - Jess’s none Melody Power performing outfit is cool<br />- Blue and red sweater , blue denim miniskirt , blue suede shoes , a silver and coral belt , a silver necklace and silver bracelets. But for all of Jessica’s bravado she suddenly needs Liz to come along for support and Liz is only to willing to come watch the show. As a twist the overly confident band wasn’t doing too well before Jessica showed up and suddenly her singing livens everyone up , people are dancing and calling out ya Gem! Even Lila who wrangled an invite to the party is impressed. The book ends with Jessica - er - Gem a hit and in the basement Bruce is now fetching lemonade and everyone is eager to get Jessica’s approval and advice. Jessica however has had it with singing and wants to go back to the Unicorns - ‘why didn’t you tell us that before we brought all our stuff over.’ Bruce demands ‘I though you could use my advice’ Jessica says cheekily squeezing them out as the Unicorns pile in to plan one of their many upcoming parties.<br />Pretty cute , and at the time nice to see a girl get one up on boys that are blatantly using her. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Hope you like the photos it’s my first attempt with photo shop so it’s not quite perfect - I had to make the album cover sorta peachy because white kept bleaching things out. The ‘stars’ were taken from various book covers - Jessica from Jessica the Rock star - Lila from Lila’s Music Video , Allie from the Party Line - Allie’s Big Break , Deena from the Cranberry Cousins and Lynn - from Alone in the Crowd , Andrea from Rock Star’s Girl and Dana from Starting Over. SVH<br />The others are from Hey Babe - and that’s Yasmine Bleeth. </div></div></div></div></div></div>Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-42338923631031541712009-06-03T15:54:00.000-07:002009-06-03T16:48:23.024-07:00Wildfire's The Best of Friends - Friends Brought together by the bond of a Make-over , 80's style!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsMLk6tVpemgxfID_gXEiw_pxl98AK6mk2jRfn-6nu8xoV0nSi0DKhK0wPAYxWc-qrwyAaYoTWjKvUCR7d5HKkVch_UBEaQel7pN4CtBB1ZG8MESjOVDWEOKiZeO65ephoZolG3UW/s1600-h/best+of+friends.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343250724587588354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsMLk6tVpemgxfID_gXEiw_pxl98AK6mk2jRfn-6nu8xoV0nSi0DKhK0wPAYxWc-qrwyAaYoTWjKvUCR7d5HKkVch_UBEaQel7pN4CtBB1ZG8MESjOVDWEOKiZeO65ephoZolG3UW/s320/best+of+friends.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFthtQLXsZu9cA4r26pvgMmN8faqW5ca7coQYcjaF5Z84PjPTaRNkbqDrwgO2GR0oWpmUpqkCpNkT7hf7m7_oMaR_j9L_6kFMXpJyny9c6O8w409AAb4VpS3Dff0D3CYqHh7FLOZl/s1600-h/after+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343247931038581474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFthtQLXsZu9cA4r26pvgMmN8faqW5ca7coQYcjaF5Z84PjPTaRNkbqDrwgO2GR0oWpmUpqkCpNkT7hf7m7_oMaR_j9L_6kFMXpJyny9c6O8w409AAb4VpS3Dff0D3CYqHh7FLOZl/s320/after+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vhri-F0uMxmc4BZ_SxnPp4iPiT_3ggIHOh9tgnM4oZj76ALiuZQxlEauSh1SLfbAlq3xbQnrNjO7dtK3NyoS1PDAX1IE6nfUYI-mHWmGDC5fmLnBX96AW9Vb_l1I7LBU4F8t3e4R/s1600-h/before+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343246636632029826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vhri-F0uMxmc4BZ_SxnPp4iPiT_3ggIHOh9tgnM4oZj76ALiuZQxlEauSh1SLfbAlq3xbQnrNjO7dtK3NyoS1PDAX1IE6nfUYI-mHWmGDC5fmLnBX96AW9Vb_l1I7LBU4F8t3e4R/s320/before+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLKwW-G9ot7wAaJd6QhJSCdT8ylKbhyphenhyphen-9RHbKzyvKApncCT9v26OCGlygfEoYd7wReIE7-dLmFXn-cOHMcYibz744F-iKlW_QBpLySa3QnhQYEWzmRJcfsuGsaKGOlH3GMAPES-kY/s1600-h/best+make+up+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343245464234096322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLKwW-G9ot7wAaJd6QhJSCdT8ylKbhyphenhyphen-9RHbKzyvKApncCT9v26OCGlygfEoYd7wReIE7-dLmFXn-cOHMcYibz744F-iKlW_QBpLySa3QnhQYEWzmRJcfsuGsaKGOlH3GMAPES-kY/s320/best+make+up+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA46sMKN15BEOfYwGStvk4JsRVlxn-3piNW-lgMcVAbSdM-_LQLWA7R2fnalOOJMFHmX3I1e2q2rYKgJVZflGXEXtVntr9sJ3LpAsL9GgdTU17YwK1S7ERYx446cYe4Q8JAgd7zbcQ/s1600-h/best+make-up.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343243833092559682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA46sMKN15BEOfYwGStvk4JsRVlxn-3piNW-lgMcVAbSdM-_LQLWA7R2fnalOOJMFHmX3I1e2q2rYKgJVZflGXEXtVntr9sJ3LpAsL9GgdTU17YwK1S7ERYx446cYe4Q8JAgd7zbcQ/s320/best+make-up.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_SY7eaN5hxlQYqyAIq57RMYKCcWutB7Ak5XRrjBBaWaUh3jpo9HUww9ooJLFnsSXEUo3wNR1nFOJ_UERaOXSmAXLJhgZ6FPk2Nd7tif2L27pRwlBb1H5XS0DAa5zuw83BQsJt6yf/s1600-h/babe+and+stuff+041.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343241681794455074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_SY7eaN5hxlQYqyAIq57RMYKCcWutB7Ak5XRrjBBaWaUh3jpo9HUww9ooJLFnsSXEUo3wNR1nFOJ_UERaOXSmAXLJhgZ6FPk2Nd7tif2L27pRwlBb1H5XS0DAa5zuw83BQsJt6yf/s320/babe+and+stuff+041.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In two minutes Jessica was out of bed and in an entirely different outfit. Then she grabbed her mother’s hot curlers and stood in front of the bathroom mirror. She rolled the ends of her hair lightly around the fattest rollers. After a few minutes she gently brushed out a mass of curls. Next she touched some mascara to her eyelashes and carefully put on lip gloss. The change was amazing. She looked like a different person - much older and very glamorous.<br />*from - Sweet Valley Twins #1 - Best Friends - Francine Pascal - Skylark - 1986</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />On the edge of the sink was Elizabeth’s brand new eyeliner stick. She picked it up , admiring the color. It was exactly right for here.<br />She cast a quick look over her shoulder at the shower curtain and figured her twin wouldn’t mind if she used it. She peered into the mirror again , then outlined her eyes carefully , smudging and blending the smoky color until she had it just right. Her eyes looked enormous. The pencil was blunted terribly , but she knew Elizabeth could always sharpen it again , so Jessica put it out of her mind.<br />* from - Sweet Valley High # 39 - Francine Pascal - Bantam - 1987</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Then she sprayed what felt like a quart of hair spray on Josie’s hair. "Now, look at yourself!"<br />In shock , Josie stood before the mirror. Somehow, she forced her lips into something like a smile. "Nice," She lied. Actually, she thought she bore a close resemblance to a circus clown.<br />"Red’s going to flip!"Cat exclaimed.<br />He sure will. But not the way you think.<br />* from - Three of a Kind # 4 - Marilyn Kaye - Harper Pb - 1991<br /><br />One of the highlights of a retro 80's magazine is the make-over - drab , unsmiling average<br />pretty girls with scrubbed faces are suddenly transformed into perky new-wave beauties with<br />blue mascara and neon clothing. Interestingly the make-over is only as good as the trends that<br />correspond with it , leaving many to wring their hands at the possibility of trying to pull off a<br />Vidal Sassoon haircut with a Magic Cuts mentality.<br /><br />I love this Wildfire book written by Jill Ross Klevin , 1981 , mainly because the focus isn’t specifically on romance it’s really on Allison’s sudden life-transforming friendship with Susannah. It’s also a book about a make-over that covers more than the basics not just outwardly but also covers the sometimes mythical ‘inner beauty’ as well. Really well written! Of course the plot thread is about as old as all original make-over’s like Marilyn Monroe’s nose bob and Archibald Leach’s star dazzling new moniker - Cary Grant - which is pretty old! Allison the class brain wants to be seen in a new light , she doesn’t like the image she’s projecting - at times she envies school beauty Susannah - whose not just pretty or even ‘a prettier pretty girl she is gorgeous , beautiful with blue-violet eyes , cascading hair , flawless skin - a living embodiment of heroines you read about in soppy romances.’ And if that isn’t bad enough her clothes are gorgeous - gedda load of this ensemble -<br />‘Susannah walked in wearing black silk baggy trousers , a cerise wool jacket with padded shoulders and a black lizard cowboy belt , a Hawaiian shirt , black with fruits all over it , and unreal cowboy boots black with red top stitching. With her hair swept to one side secured with a flowered comb , her makeup so professional looking , she looked like some sort of fashion model on her way to a photography session as though she’d just stepped off the cover or Vogue or Madamoiselle. She made the other girls invisible.’<br />What do the other girls have to say about that?<br />‘After this stunning entrance one girl can’t help but crab - "She thinks she’s one of Charlie’s Angels."<br />What a hoot ! a reference that’s still good for nowadays.<br />Allison can only say - ‘not too shabby’. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Allison then discovers she is put on a committee with three of the school’s most gorgeous creatures and wishes she hadn’t worn her scrungiest jeans - don’t you just love that word - Scrungiest! The story is from her point of view giving that lively zest that comes from inner dialogues - and some humorous razzing even when she herself is the target like calling her hair frazzly , her face a blob her body pear shaped. The project is the<br />typical teen project of following a parent around for the day - and it being 1981 and feminism on the rise they decide to do a project on the most overworked underpaid woman ever - the stay-at-home-mom. The teachers called Ms. Dorcas - remember calling people Dorcas Melorcas? Her main dreamboat in typical early 80's fashion is slender with dark curly hair think older brother on Eight is Enough and a whale watcher to boot one of the gorgeous things on their<br />their project who only sees Allison as a chum. Allison & Susannah become friends during the<br />project when they discover that Susannah can help beautify Allison and Allison can help smarten up Susannah - the funny thing is both girls have the potential for beauty and brains they just<br />need discipline and better choices. Susannah makes study dates with Allison , and Allison takes up jogging with Susannah. The hair part of the make-over is done by a man named Dusty<br />-( oh does that bring back memories never trust a man named Dusty - I once knew a Dusty an oddball who claimed to have reverse binocular vision instead of seeing things up close he claimed he saw things as if at the end of a tunnel everything teeny , tiny sized ) and the scene is a hoot - he gives her a gamin cut that she yelps looks like a crew cut and shows off her stick out ears.<br />Her shopping spree leaves her with two pairs of baggies ( the nickname for baggy trousers ) , charcoal grey and red , two shirts , a grey cable knit sweater , a vest , a purple jean skirt , a suit with an unstructured jacket in muted mauve-ish grey and cream stripe. Annie Hall meets Yuppie.<br />Susannah calls it ‘Early Ingenue’ Allison pegs it as being ‘Early Boyish’.<br />I love the fashion in this book! And it gets even better when it’s discovered that Susannah wants to be a fashion designer and makes all her own fabulous outfits and is itching to create a look for Allison’s school concert. ( Allison is a violin trapped in a stodgy grind’s body grueling away to fulfill her parents dream of becoming a doctor ) a mauve Edwardian dress with plenty of lace , mutton sleeves and full skirt , paired with a picture hat and white gloves. Most definitely early 80's! And though Susannah is the ultimate chic chick , her room copied from a decorating magazine in what they think every typical American girl wants , pink and white flowers , ruffles , ribbons , stuffed animals - Yugg she says. Yugg! </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Susannah’s romance is mired by the fact that she comes from a rather poor background so when a sleazy movie-director’s son with toothpaste-ad teeth starts offering to take her away for the weekend she , despite feeling nothing really but dazzled seriously contemplates just marrying him rather than face a future drudging away as an office clerk or waitress. Allison fired up for her friend says this - ‘ "You could have a great future Susannah , or anyway , you could try instead of copping out at the first opportunity , settling for somebody else’s future instead of going out there and fighting and working for one of your own." Great advice!<br />As for Allison’s romance she gets Bobby to ask her to go steady after a little nudge from Susannah , just to ask her out , and they have a cute scene which reminds me of a similar scene in the old movie Picnic ( rent it , it’s wonderful ) in which both are in bathhouses at the beach changing and shouting back and forth - ‘ "This could get to be a habit , you know it , Al?" "What , going to the beach?" "No , dummy , you and me."’<br />After some romantic snafu’s where Allison thinks Bobby is two timing her , only to discover the woman he goes clamming with and whale watching is not only married but 60 years old. Allison learns to stop being so wary and more trusting. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />I love the fact that these two girls just don’t become friends - the kind of best friends where they steal each other’s boyfriends or become ultra-competitive like Jessica and Lila ( from SVH ) - they are friends that actually improve one another’s lives! Transforming not just their appearances but their thoughts , their own insight , the way they view themselves. An inspiring friendship when you think about it. Allison knowing her friend does not recognize her self worth or talent sends Susannah’s fashion designs off to a future designers contest. While it’s Susannah who nudges Bobby into asking Allison out and because of her coming more out of her shell feels comfortable telling her parents that she would rather play her violin than study her butt off to follow in their footsteps of becoming a doctor. It’s not a surprise that in the end Susannah wins , well , second prize in the designers of the future contest and breaks up with Mr. Hollywood in a violet-blue jogging suit that matches her eyes none the less and the Dynamic Duo ( their term for each other ) have brunch and toast- ‘ may we live happily ever after.’</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Ever get a hair cut that changes everything?- I had one once only not in the good way. I was going for a Jennifer Grey perm ( it was Dirty Dancing season ) everyone wanted one - few had them , I trouped out with high expectations of hopefully resembling Jennifer Grey or least my hair resembling her hair , unfortunately I was taken to a salon that specialized in cheap and fast , after several hours of sitting under smelly pink rollers waiting for the new me to emerge I was revealed after the last puff of hot air blew from the hair dryer. I saw myself and was close to<br />screaming I was eleven mind you , and thought looking at the frizzled pom pom that was now my head er hair that fifth grade had just sunk to a new low. I did not look like Jennifer Grey not even my hair looked like Jennifer Grey in fact it didn’t look much like anything accept a wig that might’ve been used in a sub-par revival of Annie that had gotten run over and had been with some effort moderately squished back into shape. It was horrible. Worst yet I had to pay for it.<br />After that I did not set foot back into a salon for four years. I think one of the best make-overs a person can ever have is spiritual - one day just looking in the mirror and realizing your not as bad as you think you are - heck , you’re beautiful for you! </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Hope you love the pics - the Go Crazy for Color pic’s are from Canadian Living 1983 ( check out the one pic where it looks like the woman is holding lollipops - they are actually lipgloss containers - I saw one on an episode of Fact's of Life and recall knowing some older girls in school who had these - very cool! ), the makeover pics are from Morgan Fairchild’s Superlooks. Don’t you just love the book cover ( accept for the torn bits! ) the girls look like they’re wearing the same white pants , and that guys shirt what is that? geometric print goes Hawaiian! Best yet is their picnic basket - stocked with oranges , green and red apples , bananas and grapes! Where are the chips? the sandwiches? It's mad love among the astroturf! These staged photos are a blast!</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Favorite Make-over movie is She’s out of Control with Tony Danza & Ami Dolenz - 1989 - Ami goes from a slumpy brain , with ultra thick glasses , droopy ponytail & braces to a gorgeous knockout with the worlds best hair - long , sunlit blonde waves ( I always think of Stacey McGill’s dream perm in the Babysitter’s club as being something like this. ) Her outfits are to die for in this movie - she pre-dates the Clueless look by about six years! She wears this incredible midriff baring white eyelet blouse , with this bouncy white softly pleated skirt , white over the knee cuffed stockings , and later on , those Alice-inWonderland ringed black & white stockings peeping through slashed jeans. Her jean jacket clanks with lots of pinbacks , and her prom dress is heavenly! Not the best 80's movie in the world it bombed when it first came out<br />mainly because it was nothing more than a bloated episode of Who’s the Boss without Sam. But I like it , if only for the idea of a hidden goddess waiting to be let loose in everyone - on the flipside check out an old Doris Day movie called That Touch of Mink , Cary Grant’s boozy assistant tries out the cliche of getting Grant’s stodgy secretary to remove her glasses and take down her hair in attempt of finding her inner goddess - what is revealed is a woman just as homely only now she is squinting , has frizzy hair and has the man gulping in disappointment -<br />it always works in the movies , He says. I laughed like crazy. </div></div></div></div></div></div>Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-78138321768974509142009-06-02T19:55:00.000-07:002009-06-02T20:43:54.157-07:00The Tell-tale Summer of Tina C and 80's paintbox make-up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzPEfOa2mQ0_nPd1YnBuxBr69h_FL4t_4MY665TdR5QPXqJhpLp4ftHGBLCqqtVWD0sjP-eQfdMtfeCgH4YrirS3_BrgaM6VJvVTkub3jJh6mIOHzJvdo0ZTihJEYFOmpwZLkXsv0/s1600-h/the+telltale+summer+of+tina+c.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342939617844948322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzPEfOa2mQ0_nPd1YnBuxBr69h_FL4t_4MY665TdR5QPXqJhpLp4ftHGBLCqqtVWD0sjP-eQfdMtfeCgH4YrirS3_BrgaM6VJvVTkub3jJh6mIOHzJvdo0ZTihJEYFOmpwZLkXsv0/s320/the+telltale+summer+of+tina+c.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWp8tnMSYflVf11meqR3H6Og8XWVejSPVfMQk3eNpGLHw8md2uMrUEcs2Nr8VNU4hC6gwMplKnfjf13aIFpypKKsMYfgSKKkTgsCb0PHilmXs1y2jWI0uLJ-ND7XF1KaRoOucGq1M/s1600-h/babe+and+stuff+307.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342938122233601922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWp8tnMSYflVf11meqR3H6Og8XWVejSPVfMQk3eNpGLHw8md2uMrUEcs2Nr8VNU4hC6gwMplKnfjf13aIFpypKKsMYfgSKKkTgsCb0PHilmXs1y2jWI0uLJ-ND7XF1KaRoOucGq1M/s320/babe+and+stuff+307.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpcIeRX8rBkOSgwvP32GRIWiSrerQAc_Gb50n5uSqf1LYZRNRARai8gCg5wl3JxY6hyphenhyphenuwpE6-DSp5yCk304dPB41H3bK0t7zw72qItn8OOF3oafOx8I_4ukeqJXoHy_lAvBeji9MA/s1600-h/babe+and+stuff+304.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342935568643398066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpcIeRX8rBkOSgwvP32GRIWiSrerQAc_Gb50n5uSqf1LYZRNRARai8gCg5wl3JxY6hyphenhyphenuwpE6-DSp5yCk304dPB41H3bK0t7zw72qItn8OOF3oafOx8I_4ukeqJXoHy_lAvBeji9MA/s320/babe+and+stuff+304.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXilNC5kss980EXCAiRjJozRh4zMrWwM4i6QyT1xQKmaykCYbbogLOwKFZxidopYlH07DrbIfxyR4lgQ5odEx1LmmPWxDTl6cmlkALTUn8rpG8H7l5i-scDO-G2bEbkoVyZdQmr-a0/s1600-h/babe+and+stuff+306.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342934138207358962" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXilNC5kss980EXCAiRjJozRh4zMrWwM4i6QyT1xQKmaykCYbbogLOwKFZxidopYlH07DrbIfxyR4lgQ5odEx1LmmPWxDTl6cmlkALTUn8rpG8H7l5i-scDO-G2bEbkoVyZdQmr-a0/s320/babe+and+stuff+306.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Aww the superficial nature of make-up often viewed as a magical wand , the cure-all for facial imperfections , able to erase any glimmer of the uglies , and anyone who wore it seemed to have that magic touch as if they wielded the wand and , one drab drip would forever hope they would pass that sparkling know-how over them transforming them one , two , three. Pumpkin to Princess. </div><div><br />And how advertisements , articles , magazines pandered to everyones need!<br /><br />Sylvie leaned closer to the mirror and smeared a little Vaseline on her eyelashes.<br />"What’s that for?" Rosie asked.<br />"It helps the lashes to grow," Sylvie said in her superior way.<br />"Does it work for bosoms?" Claudia asked , all fake wide-eyed.<br />Betty Wu giggled. "Let’s have some." She pretended to grab for the tube of Vaseline , but Sylvie frowned and dropped it into the little padded cosmetic bag that matched her pj’s.<br />* from - Sixth Grade Sleepover - Eve Bunting - Apple - 1986.<br /><br /><br />Her thick wavy hair hung to her shoulders. Lime green ribbons were woven into two little braids on either side of her face. From our window seat we were close enough to see the gold earrings that gleamed in her pierced ears - little hearts in the top holes and flowers in the bottom ones.<br />"Hearts and flowers and Perilous Peach lip gloss," Stephanie said gloomily. "I saw her buying it last night at Romanos."<br />*from - Sleepover Friends #23 Kate's Surprise Visitor - Susan Saunders - Apple - 1990<br /><br /><br />I adore the make-up themed book The Telltale Summer of Tina C - scarcely an 80's book it was written in 1976 but I’d read it in the 80's and some of those fast-read books of the 80's put out by Apple & others are rather like the series books anyway - you know just Fun reads! So they might pop up now and then specially now since I'm on an 80's make-up kick.<br /><br />The book was written by the incredible Lila Perl she’d wrote lots of great books - Hey Fat Glenda , The Secret Diary of Katie Dinkerhoff , Beanpole etc. The language in it is colorful and snappy the plot is simple. Tina’s summer is going down the tubes. Her parents are separated. Her mother is dating a man who has shunned the -at the time popular male role , he cooks and has a little dog called Worrywart , her mother a beauty forsakes makeup and makes wire jewelry , her father is dating a rather exotic but silly Hungarian woman called Rosebud and Tina caught up in the trap of superficial suburbs just wants to be beautiful. She creates a club called the Saturday Sad Souls club ( isn’t that the most depressing name for a club - ever!? ) in the hopes of recreating the members into raving beauties. Each member has a flaw and decides to rename themselves in alliterations accenting their flaws as inspired by a local hunk Tiger Rawson ( whose nickname is inspired by tawny striped hair and rather pointed bicuspids ) he has dubbed Tina - Tina C. The Teenage-Twitch. For a habit of twitching her nose when nervous.<br />The other members are called Ina the Insomniac - who blames her weight on not being able to sleep at night and then resorting to raiding the ice-box. Cokie the curvature - for having braces on just about everything. But new member gorgeous Karla is let in for being a kleptomaniac only it’s later discovered Karla only lied about having a problem to get into there club ( how arrogant not to have one problem , just one , in need of fixing! )<br /><br />There are wonderful passages of the girls talking about make-up or reading articles hoping some miracle cosmetic will transform them - perhaps all they need is - Yellow eyeshadow for that ‘sun-drenched look’ or velvet false fingernails in burgundy red , midnight black or deep purple , tissue thin transparent make-up that no one notices , fruit flavored lipglosses , or even an all purpose eyeshadow kit that resembled a paint box with colors ranging from bone China white to black denim. All of this has her mother muttering softly ‘I can see the suburbs haven’t changed.’<br /><br /><br />The highlight is when Tina after being dumped at her mother’s for the summer meets a boy from Holland named Johann in the museum and makes a date to meet him there the next day. However Tina is so caught up with what she looks like - taking off her glasses , and rushing out to buy the perfect shampoo before washing it - and then horrified when her best feature - described as butterscotch blonde with sharp golden glints in it snarls up and frizzes out of control that she almost spoils her afternoon. But by the end of the book she’s disbanded the<br />club not needing it anymore as the problems begin to resolve themselves. I wondered though if they were still gathering body oil samples and testing low-calorie drink recipes. Old habits die hard.<br /><br /><br />I was one of those buyers of the paintbox make-up eyeshadow kits - I still have a couple<br />left from the 80's - one is white - I think it was Barbie’s make-up or something it’s so old though - and the colors are bizarre army fatigue , tired mint , pixie moss green. The other one is a hot pink container with the words Sugar Baby written on the top - it came with purpley-pink blush , concealer , mascara , I think a lipstick , six little pots of eyeshadow only four colors have survived - pale lilac , dusty yellow , smoke grey , and dusty sapphire blue all of them sparkled. My most favorite little eye shadow paintbox however never made it very far after I took it to camp. It wasn’t one of those sleepaway camps and some one climbed up onto my bunk and knocked it to the floor popping out ( wouldn’t you know it ) my two favorite colors - aquamarine and hot pink. I was furious.<br /><br /><br />Don’t you just love the names of make up colors ( actually I’m a sucker for paint color names too I once painted my room light mauve just cause I loved the color’s name Love-in-a-mist ! )<br />Cover Girl offered up some perky blushes called Cheekers in 1986 15 shades. Cherry Blossom , French Toast , Cinnamon Stick , Rose Silk , Very Berry , Classic Pink , Soft Sable , Snow Plum , Roseberry , Pretty Peach , Ripe Peach , Peaches & Cream , Pink Icing and my favorite - Plumberry Glow.<br />Clarion offered the personalized colorsystem<br />1. The cool tones of mauve - lipstick - Victorian Mauve , Wood Violet , Plum Perfect , Sugar Plum , Wild Orchid , Plum Wine. - eyeshadow - Wild Plums , Night Violets. - blush -<br />Peony. - blush duo - Flowering Plums.<br />2. The cool tones of pink - lipstick - Rose-Pink , Geranium , Iced Pink , One Perfect Rose , Wild Strawberry. - eyeshadow - Blues in the Night , Racing Silks. - blush- Sweetheart Rose. - blush duo - Sweet Briar Pinks<br />3. The neutral tones - lipstick - Real Red , Bright Peach , Sweet Cinnamon , Heather Berry , Sweet Peach , Peach Blush , Pure Gloss. - eye shadow - Silver Sequins , Pure Earthtones.<br />- blush - Bittersweet. - blush duo - Spiced Apples.<br />4. The warm tones - lipstick - Angelskin Coral , Clover Honey , Amberberry , Terra Cotta , Sweet Sherry. - eye shadow - Sand and Sky , Seascape. - blush - Peach Blossom. - blush duo - Cinnamon apricots.<br />Bonne Bell in 1988 had some really fun sounding colors<br />Eyeshadow<br />- Iced Kiwi , Periwinkle , Pink Pizazz , Almond Frost , Aqua Frost , French Vanilla , Hot Canary , UltraViolet , Blue Skies , Silver Sand , Pearl Pink , Morning Glory , Misty Orchid , Peaches-n-Cream , Sunny Apricot , Real Teal , Antique Rose , True Blue , Khaki Frost , Electric Blue<br />Pencils<br />- Sable , Wild Grape , Soft Black , Bonne Blue , Evergreen , Navy , Electric Blue , Charcoal , Khaki Suede , Blue Skies , Mountain Heather , Teal Shimmer , Plum Shimmer , Evergreen , Denim Suede ,<br />Mascara<br />- Khaki Suede , High Voltage Violet , Denim Suede , Pacific Blue , Turquoise Lites , Electric Blue , Teal Brites , Really Green<br /><br /><br />What was your all-time favorite make-up color? It could be anything - lipstick , lipgloss , nail polish , mascara anything! I had two - a nail polish color that I’m not too sure of the brand but it was called Sky-blue Pink and when you turned the bottle you could see the color shimmer between this great airy-turquoise and bright pink it was fantastic an actual color change nail polish! My favorite lipstick was a tube of Fire Red lipstick that I only worn when I was feeling Madonna-ish you know dressing up more as play , the pigment in the lipstick was so strong if you didn’t apply it carefully you could get this awful clownish outline over your lips. I remember a boy once decided to make me laugh by grabbing the lipstick and reliving a scene from Wild at Heart - even before Wild at Heart came out - he just went nuts and slashed all these lipstick marks over his face. I was more annoyed then amused , him wasting the lipstick but I couldn’t help crack a smile knowing what was in store for him. It took three days of scrubbing for the red marks to come off!<br /><br />Hope you like the make-up propaganda , I think they're from a 1986 magazine - I torn them out a long time ago.</div></div></div></div>Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-61779162642901125902009-03-18T16:19:00.000-07:002009-03-18T17:31:41.615-07:00Love Among Mushrooms - Smurfy Good Times with Crosswinds #32 - New Boy in School<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_x_ERHRvj2ElXC_8j98SxTg26mDEMU1bIGZLddAdcVgiecSt5r-XLrVXR6JrJ9OgtR-L4Dmj73CYQGsU-39BOzm_qztl0d_CHCuUdANm8Ais6i9sFsu0K2ofYu37GJWsHNxsaR98/s1600-h/New+boy+at+school+best.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314688532245859026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_x_ERHRvj2ElXC_8j98SxTg26mDEMU1bIGZLddAdcVgiecSt5r-XLrVXR6JrJ9OgtR-L4Dmj73CYQGsU-39BOzm_qztl0d_CHCuUdANm8Ais6i9sFsu0K2ofYu37GJWsHNxsaR98/s320/New+boy+at+school+best.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72JikKWoifzl_H4wyWNOyz1rRl5yDsyBl1waze33wCJhOno34dn8zqbBw93Gnhg-Ygvx75Rlo8xcFMikqCfEoDiZtgDRsQUrby5vcrSGP3xaZanQIrXBOjLJqnb1eQcWslL7Qf_q0/s1600-h/Merry+Mushrooms.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314683897132664178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72JikKWoifzl_H4wyWNOyz1rRl5yDsyBl1waze33wCJhOno34dn8zqbBw93Gnhg-Ygvx75Rlo8xcFMikqCfEoDiZtgDRsQUrby5vcrSGP3xaZanQIrXBOjLJqnb1eQcWslL7Qf_q0/s320/Merry+Mushrooms.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOV2sCSwdRq_Sig8-JZe_T5CFRoSIZbMOe_pMngIHKvyDLjVfeh_yN6rsM70nFu_KfPiZ4V9avmuizrGuB6p0fURes-VwrYvOHJWrIMEviTleHncraTsQHJqp5Vv76wi__2QtSu2EW/s1600-h/Marathon+Mascara.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314678210515918306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOV2sCSwdRq_Sig8-JZe_T5CFRoSIZbMOe_pMngIHKvyDLjVfeh_yN6rsM70nFu_KfPiZ4V9avmuizrGuB6p0fURes-VwrYvOHJWrIMEviTleHncraTsQHJqp5Vv76wi__2QtSu2EW/s320/Marathon+Mascara.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br />Even though 80's culture to us includes the typical movies like The Breakfast Club & Pretty in Pink or St. Elmo’s Fire I tend to think of the 80's as also being my intro to classic movies , and some have that same 80's nostalgia ( after all most were watched sliced with commercials for the Craft-matic adjustable Bed ) and one of my favorites is a technicolor , overblown adventure called Journey to the Center of the Earth - I love Pat Boone jubilantly crying out ‘Mushrooms! It’s a forest of mushrooms’ and then running amok under the giant toadstools like a handsome little smurf. I bring this up because the two sort of go together - I mean in the 80's unless you were some left over hippie snarkily laughing about your own forest of psychedelic mushrooms bubbling up in a dark corner of the basement the only ones that were present were A. The smurfs red topped , polka-dotted suburbs. And B. The leftover kitchenware from the Sears catalog dubbed the Merry Mushrooms - aren’t they a hoot!? </div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div>Imagine my surprise to find that someone else has mushrooms on the brain and shares them in a teenage romance - yes you read right a teenage romance. The story is New Boy in School put out by Crosswinds in 1988 and written by Harriett Trueblood. Had this been released under the now defunct First Love from Silhouette you would have gotten some catalog model teens wandering in a shaggy forest carrying a basket full of fungi instead Crosswinds deceives us with probably one of the most deceptive drool-worthy covers ever! Check this doll out. Have you ever seen such a photo cover - the guy should be off making banned Calvin Klein ads or wet and half-nude in razorblade commercials ( I wouldn’t face her without my Tracer whisk-er away! ) not steaming up the cover of some tepid romance in which the highlight is wafting through the woods in search of death cap & earth star mushrooms. The cover could be torn off and slipped under the readers mattress. That pout , those lips , that brooding stare , that shaved chest. Yum! </div><br /><br /><br /><div>To be fair the story kept me absorbed enough to finish it , but it was just so quirky!<br />A girl named Twink , a movie about a psychic owl , a rock concert called the Skeleton Keys - are just a few nuggets but basically it’s about this girl Sara whose at a crossroads in her young teenage life , bored with her best friend Scott whose reluctant to make a move on her and is more absorbed with creating fantasy games filled with Elvish runes and mist-shrouded lakes and crystal dice. Her parents are struggling - her father out of work , her mother wants to open her own antique store. In walks the cover hunk Paul Weiser who is brooding , quiet , a runaway living with his grandfather who walks with a limp and for his 'most exciting event speech’ in class describes how his drunken father tried to kill him. Beforehand Sara meets Paul in the meat section at a supermarket- the beefcake’s checking out the ground round! And gives him tips on a cheap casserole - hamburger , noodles , a can of onion soup and catsup - not Ketchup , catsup!Even though Sara’s intrigued by him their romance limps along slower than Paul , finally after a rock concert date ending in a grounding when Paul’s hunk-a-junk car breaks down causing them to be incredibly late ( and nobody is going to buy the old wink-wink car broke down excuse. ) Sara discovers something about Paul. He’s a fraud! While flipping through an out-of-date teen magazine in the library she comes across Paul’s oral report of his drunken father - as a teen confessional. When Sara confronts him he admits in a rage that he was tired of being a nobody , that he hurt his leg doing something stupid ( not something brave like barely escaping a gang fight ). Sara though now realizes she never really felt comfortable with him and la , la , la , life goes on - her mother buys her a wonderful dress for the Spring Formal -<br />‘It was sky-blue chiffon , with a gathered top , a fitted waist and yards and yards of skirt , and it was lined in pale green , so that when Mrs. Barnett gently swirled it the blue and green shifted into each other like reflections on water.’ </div><br /><br /><br /><div><br />And at the Spring Formal she realizes her best friend Scott is the one for her and over chocolate milk shakes the next day he asks her to wear his ring which is engraved Lady Amarna ( the character he designed after her ) Love Scott. </div><br /><br /><br /><div><br />I have to mention Mindy Kincaid ( no relation to Ginger Kincaid ( small Sleepover Friends joke ) who loves pink - here’s one of her outfits - Pink short & top , pink jazz shoes , and a pink ribbon in her light brown hair. Her accessory is a tiny Kelly green purse to match her pinky nail. The pinky nail is her thing it’s very long and is always painted different from the rest of her nails. At one point when all nine are lacquered in a soft rose the left pinky is tarted up like a bumble bee with black and yellow stripes. Her fashion advice is truly 80's though telling Sara wear your violet blouse but get some blue mascara!</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Hope you like the pictures - what you see is a picture of my very first tube of mascara<br />bought back in 1988 or 1987 I’m not sure I was about 12 and had to have blue mascara - this is Cover Girl's Marathon Lash mascara in Cobalt blue. </div></div></div>Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-8707012508410753892009-01-06T20:37:00.000-08:002009-01-06T20:41:55.388-08:00MOVING CLIQUEY PIZZA!Hi , I'm trying out a new site - cliqueypizza.wordpress.com , in hopes of better organizing my<br />ramblings! Hope to see you over there!Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-89180121353017550922008-12-25T18:58:00.000-08:002008-12-25T20:10:40.936-08:00SHORT CIRCUT DROPS BY THE SLEEPOVER FRIENDS FOR SOME HOLIDAY LAUGHS # 17 - PATTI GETS EVEN<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1O_KyhcOXJwo6-RNFfwdfiAy1OG09ROg-fevGlS9sl0MTQ5oIilpPfnDu8x5bqWiU3DhBgN6dEBhThy-xTyqGUYhtnBYzkMb-5IS0LtscAtAe9_Rl1gjQAceLyXcvaJ9TvFJh4_R/s1600-h/SLEEPOVER+FRIENDS+%2317.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283944104303377410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1O_KyhcOXJwo6-RNFfwdfiAy1OG09ROg-fevGlS9sl0MTQ5oIilpPfnDu8x5bqWiU3DhBgN6dEBhThy-xTyqGUYhtnBYzkMb-5IS0LtscAtAe9_Rl1gjQAceLyXcvaJ9TvFJh4_R/s320/SLEEPOVER+FRIENDS+%2317.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>As the Sleepover Friends - Kate , Lauren , Patti & Stephanie gather at Patti’s<br />for a sleepover , she tells them to close their eyes - she’s got a surprise for them. But the girls are impatient , in a hurry to get a pizza at the mall and have left Roger , Lauren’s brother and part time chauffeur , waiting. When they open their eyes they find a robot in front of them - an exile from Short Circuit I suppose what with the fact that his feet are like bulldozer treads. His name is Oddjob and he’s designed by Patti’s Uncle Nick and can do anything like vacuum or mop the floor or save the day and he’s their’s for the weekend. After a quick dash through the mall , given only fifteen minutes by Roger who’s growling about not being late for his hot date with Linda , Stephanie - the shopaholic says if we have time left over we can dash past Just Juniors ( their favorite clothing store ) While they skid across the icy parking lot discussing the Winter Carnival ( okay okay so technically this isn’t exact a Christmas book per say but it’s always hard to peg down anyone actually declaring it’s Christmas in a series cause then , the jig would be up and kids would be saying we’re half way through the school year , schools gotta end sometime - but it never does. ) and also Stephanie’s mom is getting ready to deliver. What names has Stephanie come up with? The trendy Vanessa , the aristocratic - Cedric or maybe Sting. Sting Green? Kate quips. That’s when they spot an adorable little denim jacket covered with satin patches in a baby shop which is sponsoring the Winter Carnival. Hmmm. As they are getting their usual at the Pizza Palace - Wayne Miller alias the burper - who lets loose with a belch usually in Lauren’s ear , makes his presence known and gets the normally shy Patti in a froth when he starts picking on her beloved Quarks club. She challenges him saying she’ll do his next Science project if they don’t win more events at the winter carnival then him , he agrees. Though the girls don’t immediately protest , later they ask Patti if she’s crazy? - Bullwinkle as a sled dog? But then Lauren - the goofball suggests they have Oddjob pull the sled. Odddog -Stephanie cracks. But after pigging out on pizza , chips , chocolate bark from Sweet Stuff , and listening to requests on WBRM of which they send in - Fools can never Win to Wayne Miller , the girls agree to help out Patti and see if they can train Bullwinkle - in the middle of the night?! The goofiest scene is perhaps thinking that Bullwinkle will respond to their urging of Mush , then when they turn to the cartoon reasoning of dangling a dog treat on the end of a fishing pole trick and get Bullwinkle racing around in such a tight circle with Kate on the sled behind him hollaring help! Lauren’s dad catches them outside having been awakened by a phone call that Steph’s mother was off to the hospital ( a false alarm ) , as they describe the contest to Lauren’s dad he grins and says if I was a boy your age I sure wouldn’t want to have you girls mad at me - but then he says no more practicing tonight or Mrs. Green won’t be the only one at the hospital - I could never tell if that was an implied threat - or a warning cause Bullwinkle was so reckless? I love the part where the girls catch Wayne Miller and his dog Killer - hooked up to a sled mushing along past their house , He sure is ugly - Kate says staring at Killer , He looks like a hyena , Lauren agreed. Who? Killer or Wayne - Stephanie giggles. As they agree they’ll have to diversify and try other contests Stephanie offers to sing in the Snow Maiden contest but the others can only look at each other knowing Steph , is not as good as she thinks she is. At another Sleepover , Oddjob plays butler pouring them Cokes.( this was a usual scene for most 80's robots probably from seeing R2D2 reduced to waiter on Jabba the Hut’s hover-boat in Return of the Jedi - Radio Shack , Sears and other toy companys like Tomy put out all kinds of ‘robots’ basically little remote control dustbins that could do little more than hold a tray of drinks - they could definitely not pour them , occasionally they could be taught to say a few words , but other than that most cute robots were fictional. ) As some of the boys in their class get wind of the contest they begin bettingWayne things ( like baseball hats ) that the girls will win - making the girls more determined than ever. Catastrophe! The snow is melting what to do? Their little penguins they’d counted on are slumped and melting. Oddjob to the rescue - they program him to cut blocks of ice and they stack them into a castle shape , while Wayne battling soggy snow throws a temper tantrum as his snow fort collapses. Steph’s mother goes into labor early leaving one of them to take her place lip syncing and dancing in the Snow Maiden contest , Patti the shyest person of them all agrees to do it and guess what - another nod to Short Circuit , hands down wins the contest when Oddjob rolls up onto the stage and dances with Patti. As they celebrate winning enough gift certificates to buy the jacket - they get a call from Steph and learns Mrs. Green had twins and Patti has solved the problem of using Bullwinkle in the sled dog race by getting him to<br />follow the only command he listens to - Get your Ball. While Patti throws rubber balls from a bag full of them on her lap , Wayne’s dog chases after a rabbit. Pleased with their victory they are unsure about the baby present until Steph says so we’ll buy two regular jackets and decorate them , you’re supped to be the brains here , she kids Patti. Sleepover Friends forever. Oh and the twins they were named the popular 80's up and coming name of Emma and Jeremy. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>For another 80's Christmas robot check out the t.v. classic The Night they Saved Christmas - if you can get your hands on it. The movie is a spectacular hoot - when I was little I must've watched it a hundred times. It's about a man Michael Baldwin living in Alaska near the north pole with his family on an oil drilling operation - His wife Claudia ( Jacklyn Smith ) is ready to leave him and head back to L.A with their kids , serious minded David , C.B. a whiny troublemaker with Masters of the Universe bedsheets, and quiet Mary Anne. While Michael is in crunch time to bring in oil he gets a vist from a short ( not quite dwarf ) man named Ed , chief elf asking would he stop drilling on site B or he'll blow up Santa Claus in Northpole City. Michael thinks it's his competition and laughs uproariously as does his family with the exception of C.B. But when the elf drops by and invites the family to visit Santa at Northpole city - Claudia can't resist even if it is a joke. The elf drives them in a reindeer zephyr ( a self propelled sled parked near a candy cane telephone post- with a candy-cane telephone ) into Northpole city hidden behind a huge ice wall. The elves give them quilted overall jumpsuits to wear like everyone else ( all of them embroidered with a reindeer on the front.) Some of the stuff seems to be out of a Sears catalog - I could swear the snowman mugs they drink cocoa out of at Northpole city were readily available - I even think one of my teachers had one. As for the robot I think he too was available. Art Carney makes a good non-typical Santa who gets grumpy over his elves singing Jingle Bells ( after a hundred years he's had it.) There's a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo about molecular disintergration machines , time slowing machines to explain how Santa does everything but most of the fun lay in the colorful sets and the distinctive music. And Santa trying to convince Claudia he's real so she can convince her hubby to stop dynamiting. She comes home with a gift from the Claus's a beautiful star treetopper but can't convince anyone to stop dynamiting everyone thinks they were kidnaped and drugged! Even her husband! The kids of course take the situation into their own hands and head to Northpole city and Claudia follows them telling Santa that the dynamiting has not been canceled. Pal the robot makes his entrance </div><div>he knows riddles , and can help with homework ( but won't cheat! ) and unlike real robots can carry on a conversation following which is a jazzy country song 'Gotta be ready by Christmas Eve' sung by the elves in the toy work shop. Tremors threaten the fun that the North Pole is going to be dynamited on Christmas eve and is only stopped in a matter of minutes when they learn they struck oil on site A. Claudia , David and MaryAnne are dropped off by Santa on Christmas eve with Pal for C.B. and when Michael's stuffy boss hears sleigh bells outside and asks whats that? Pal answers Santa Claus! Great Fun! </div><br /><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /> </div>Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-53013479190746525862008-12-23T16:37:00.000-08:002008-12-23T20:58:17.230-08:00HOLIDAY MYSTERY IN THE BIG APPLE - FIRST LOVE FROM SILHOUETTE #173 - SOMEONE ELSE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKSCXkvmMbedBg8GaaKLBD-r4JxauIUaIByyA5ucquLCopWAhsbxfJ4osNF_0Pmzsnj8IW0855GhlUQDDTntv-7G-2rkhcaLr4Le6k3DEmwHQq3fJTI7Yj_SJiuTlW4uyP5VmXs_X/s1600-h/FIRST+LOVE.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283214566866496322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKSCXkvmMbedBg8GaaKLBD-r4JxauIUaIByyA5ucquLCopWAhsbxfJ4osNF_0Pmzsnj8IW0855GhlUQDDTntv-7G-2rkhcaLr4Le6k3DEmwHQq3fJTI7Yj_SJiuTlW4uyP5VmXs_X/s320/FIRST+LOVE.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I love the photo cover !, a roaring fire , the edge of a Christmas tree draped with a glittering silver garland , wrapped presents sitting atop the fireplace mantel , and Kellogg and Carey by the tree immersed in opening a small box that even holds the golden retrieve Theo’s attention. Very festive!<br /><p><br />The Kellogg and Carey books were actually a series within a series - rather like Sweet Valley High spawning off - First Love From Silhouette had several series within their thematic romances that popped up now and then with recurring characters - sometimes they were so popular they actually altered the lacy First Love From Silhouette outline to read - A Blossom Valley book , A Hart Mystery or A Kellogg and Carey Storey - others - the Vonnie books were unmarked and undistinguishable from a regular First Love From Silhouette.<br />- The Kellogg and Carey books focused on two childhood friends who , now teenagers are trying to figure out how to carry on a friendship without letting romanticfeelings destroy it , at the same time solving mysteries like a junior version of Remington Steele.<br />The story enfolds with Kellogg coming to New York with Theo his beloved golden retriever to see his best friend , childhood chum Carey. Carey lives in a penthouse , her father is a powerful publisher while Kellogg lives an interesting life having been raised in the famous Seven Cypress Inn in the Hamptons , his mother the proprietor and his father the chief of police. Carey has a likable , saucy black cook named Jefferson Booker Lowell. ( ever notice in the 80's people never stumbled around trying to find the politically correct term , sometimes I think it was better and easier - for instance with so many immigrants in Canada - do you call them Jamaican-Canadians? Or if they came from America having come from Africa - African-American-Canadians. I don’t know , I never found calling someone black as being racist , maybe if that’s all you had to say about a person sure , but I’m more concerned with<br />wether a person is an idiot rather than their race. ) Anyhow Jefferson Booker<br />Lowell is one of those feisty characters who reminds me of Benson - remember that character from Soap who spun off his on series. Down to earth and just a wee bit lippy in fact he seems insulted when Kellogg asks him , a french cook to make him something as ordinary as a grilled cheese sandwich. Carey’s dilemma is her father is marrying a woman she believes to be a gold digger ,and Kellogg unsure how to make her feel better tries to look at things logically what proof do you have - she dismisses this with a woman knows these things. Kellogg is startled that 16 yr. Old Carey thinks of herself as a woman. When he still recalls her as a child who wanted to be Minnie Mouse.<br />To avoid an argument he goes outside to get Theo ( the dog , ) who has squeezed onto another terrace and is thought to be chasing squirrels 27 stories up! and Kellogg attempting to squeeze through the fence after him, gets stuck. While he lies there hoping to die of mortification , Mrs. Brinks the owner of the apartment wonders if she’s just found the stupidest burglar. Carey meanwhile grabs Kellogg’s ankles and yanks till he yells cut that out! But that just leads to Mrs. Brinks thinking he’s crazy not being able to Kellogg’s other half. I was laughing like crazy at this point especially when Mrs. Brinks and Carey greet each other and everyone’s forgotten about Kellogg half in and half out of the fence. Who makes grumbling quips in hopes of being remembered. No such luck. Finally he interrupt Mrs. Brinks ‘can you just haul on my arms while Carey pushes’ but just then Theo comes over trailing the cause of his disappearance a tiny white poodle , Traitor! Kellogg shouts and Mrs. Brinks says now young man you mustn’t panic help is on the way! They finally pull him out and invite Mrs. Brinks to take a walk with them , knowing Theo wants to be with the poodle Samantha and then surprises Mrs. Brinks by taking her to look at the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller center. </p><p>They then learn that Mrs. Brinks wanted to be a Rockette ( one of those high kicking chorus girls ) just like Mr. Ashton’s soon-to-be wife Lilly Labomba ( I would think even for the 80's that name sounds like a strippers name but it sort of suits her character as she is rather low class and a possible gold digger who calls Carey’s dad Pookie.) No matter how happy you are , Mrs. Brinks says , you always want to be someone else. Back at the apartment , Kellogg and Carey drink hot chocolate and wonder if when they get to be old they’ll have regrets worse yet , they realize they’re going in separate dirrections - him wanting to take over his parents Inn while Carey longs to be a traveling reporter. While Carey demands they spend Christmas vacation investigating ( ahem - following ) Miss Labomba , Kellogg is disgusted and would rather go shopping. Staking out her apartment Kellogg gets bored and wanders off to get a coffee comes back only to find that Carey has drawn on the alley wall with chalk leaving a trail of arrows - Although this is a cute idea - one has to wonder at least once , logic forces us , where did Carey get the chalk! Kellogg follows the arrows till they reach the subway and then decides to just go shopping while Carey presses on without him , we later learn that as the police<br />come to inform them that Mrs. Brinks is missing , that Carey lost Miss Labomba ( who was onto her ) and spent the entire day getting pushed and shoved onto the wrong subway routes due to overcrowded Christmas shoppers. Although distraught that their new found ‘friend’ Mrs. Brinks is missing upon learning that Theo is missing too , Kellogg near in tears , flings himself into the search and rushes off into the park. I love the following scene - Carey follows him though protesting the idea mentioning the probability of muggers and killers ( was it just the 80's or was New York like an episode of the Equalizer with criminals skulking around every alleyway? ) Kellogg isn’t going to take any chances - when they hear a group of teenagers approach they jump off the path into the trees - so nobody will see their footprints and wait<br />for them to pass. Pretty smart. Of course Kellogg takes this heart pounding moment to kiss Carey who makes the requisite comment - we shouldn’t have done that. Kellogg protests why not , we love each other. ( Almost sounds like a friends with benefits intro ) But Carey afraid of change says ‘friends who fall in love spoil everything.’ Mrs. Brinks children a rather awful pair , one a holier than thou aristocrat , the other fat and accusing. As Mrs. Brinks shouts that her mother is no longer signing their checks that she could be out their giving her money away to orphans , to the hungry - to the deserving - Carey bursts in. It’s Carey who finds Mrs. Brinks working in a t shirt shop she’s gone punk! - orange curls , green fingernails , pink and yellow striped slacks a neon blue blouse and earrings in the shape of toasters ( I immediately thought of Mrs. Slocombe , from Are you Being Served - An old British show that carried on into the 80's , whose hair had been dyed every color of the rainbow - from bright green to Easter egg pink and even went punk a few times ( for laughs ). After Mrs. Brinks’s showdown with her children in which they threaten to put her to in a home , she pulls out her secret weapon t shirts that say Free Brinks - like Free Ferris?! In neon-pink and aqua-neon. And rather than be humiliated by New Yorkers taking up the cause , they back off but after a talk they realize things could’ve been fixed by communicating , that the children aren’t as hideous as their behavior. ( That’s what I love about series fiction that alls well that ends well feeling! ) Even Carey learns that her Miss Lilly Labomba’s big secret was trying to improve her diction so she wouldn’t seem so low class. And Carey’s embarrassment that she was so wrong even has a Christmas theme hue - she blushes poinsettia red! The story ends with Kellogg back at the Seven Cypress Inn with Carey drinking eggnog and putting a silver garland on the tree -( what’s your preference silver or gold?) And Kellogg discovering he’s tall enough to put the star on the tree without the ladder. Sweet but not saccharine.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It got me in the mood for Hart to Hart , I love that series!- I have the 1st season on DVD and watched the one , semi-holiday episode Downhill to Death where the honeymoon-never-ends duo head to Vail to stop a cheating hubbies plot to murder his wife whose plans were overheard by the vivacious Jennifer. Although not strictly a Christmas episode , I love the bright ski outfits , the sleigh ride and the ultimate Christmas pun - the killer dresses in a so-cute frosty the snowman costume to do his/her dirty deed!</p>Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-176227943962424662008-12-22T20:59:00.001-08:002008-12-23T16:31:30.655-08:0080'S FESTIVE FUN! - SUNSET HIGH # 10 - THE NIGHT BEFORE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWjnHD2WAaP_C9tGhZn9gZjPFtmyAUSwjWhNWBdBD9lNknC5vFOtO4dEWlbDhtYukOM7bdsyikiXqdV23xwxg80OsI3478H6wahdgsMrlpwf2upX4kzuuuYF1LMsc8f6VgK_FvxIq/s1600-h/SUNSET+HIGH+%2310.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283147660111935666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWjnHD2WAaP_C9tGhZn9gZjPFtmyAUSwjWhNWBdBD9lNknC5vFOtO4dEWlbDhtYukOM7bdsyikiXqdV23xwxg80OsI3478H6wahdgsMrlpwf2upX4kzuuuYF1LMsc8f6VgK_FvxIq/s320/SUNSET+HIGH+%2310.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Sunset High # 10 - The Night Before<br />Nice girl Kristin can’t sit still Grady’s coming home! She’s excited and worried all at the same time after all he’s a college man a Yalie ( I never thought that expression lasted out of the 60's Where the Boys are movie. ‘Member Yvette Mimieux so-excited to latch her kittenish mitts onto a Yalie.) Christmas vacation is fast approaching with white Christmas trees and blue bulbs. Kristin isn’t convinced by the Christmas glitz of silver angels and candy canes next to palm trees and longs for cold weather , icicles , spiced hot cider of her Minnesota roots. While the girls cringe at derelicts while trying to find a parking spot near their destination to try on clothes from Roger Coring’s showing. A designer who is dating Monica’s mom. While Kristin isn’t that into fashion meaning she’s a jeans and flannel shirt girl , and even her boyfriend she explains wears an old photographers jacket - whatever that is - and an Indiana Jones hat she watches Monica dress up. I love the way they describe the dresses looking like<br />upside down flowers the first emerald green dress looks like a rose and the lavender dress like an iris. What does the trendy Monica say - give me Camp Beverly Hills any day. Sunset High’s resident hunk is Denis Daniels brooding bad boy smokes Marlboro cigarettes and while his mother chiding him that he smokes too much would also like him to grow out of the habit of wearing no socks with his loafers. - Not until Miami Vice is canceled mom - ( Not that he actually said it! ) J.T. ( Janet Terry ) other local nice girl is caught between bad boy Denis and love of her life Will who won’t let her explain whey she locked lips with Denis at the grunion run - ( it’s tradition to kiss there , I would’ve grabbed a pier piling only he happened to be closer , it was dark - I thought he was you , the grunions hormonal display was too much and I succumbed to passion! ) Denis is the rebellious son of Deann Daniels movie star who can’t remember what she ever was like before she became America’s favorite mom while his father wins the don’t-trust-ya-for-a-second-and-never-let-you-forget-it award. Denis throws fits and emotes like<br />James Dean whiny that nobody needs him and knowing he’s used J.T. over and over again and assures us he would rather die than hurt her continues to use her<br />as his make-believe girl friend. Will meanwhile , reading Kurt Vonnegut in a coffee house high school hang out called Oskies with 80's chic checkerboard floors and nursing a Coke that’s lost it’s flavor over hears a discussion in off-kilter couples - first Shakespeare’s Katharina & Petruchio , Diane and Sam from Cheers! And then J.T. & Denis. Whoa! Before he can decide wether to flush himself down the toilet or cry - he figures it’s best just to get out of there but is dragged back in by another couple. Surrounded by so-called friends - Elena Mz. Macho woman orders a carrot cooler ( - oh the awful health food craze of the 80's - the carrot sounds about as appetizing as Fred Flinstone’s cactus Cooler. I would much prefer Hi-C ecto - cooler! ) Just as Will is starting to have a good time J.T. arrives with Denis who drags J.T. off to meet a sleazy looking couple - a guy with stringy blonde hair and a girl with blue hair.( In the 80's that’s all it took. ) Will tries to beat a hasty retreat and of course bumps into J.T. awkward moment where neither even attempt to clear up the situation. Arg! Elena than badgers Denis says Oskies<br />isn’t your style they don’t even serve beer. (Which makes you wonder if the blue haired couple came in for the carrot coolers? ) Continuing to be bitchy Elena<br />wants Denis to prove he’s a new man and not a druggie still crawling for a fix ,<br />yes these Carrot drinking hotspots are where all the pushers hang out in? Duh!<br />But Denis shows her he’s lost that Don Johnson look he’s wearing socks. J.T. is sick of the whole evening especially her pushy friend Elena and leaves. More<br />trouble in paradise abounds as auburn haired , Jessica-ish , Nadia is dating Mad Max the lead singer of Junkfood ( a high school band ) who swaggers around like he’s Mick Jagger well Mick with a vicious temper. While Nadia swooning over the way his tight jean cling to his thighs woo-ooh! ( Remember 80's jeans guys jeans, tight jeans! Loved them - I loathe this new 90's look that hasn’t quite panned out yet - you know what I’m talking about , those 3 times too big log legged jeans that droop and always look like the guy is about 3 yrs old and didn’t make it to the john. Hip hop goes ca-ca ) As Mad Max flares over his band losing a gig and Nadia won’t fix it he threatens to reveal her part in stealing a test for him and though she pleads , he sneers I’ve got a dozen like you waiting in the wings -what a charmer. To let us know these teens are merely self absorbed the school in<br />involved in a toy drive for the Community center. And more holiday spirit bubbles over causing them to sing ‘here comes Santa claus to their late and rather over weight teacher but when he mentions the results of their latest test the lyrics are changed to Here comes Scrooge , Here comes Scrooge. My favorite dresser is Samantha Sockwell in electric green overalls - ( I thought there was only electric blue who knew other colors could be electrified. ) with a red ribbon adorned with tiny bells tied around her ponytail. She’s even pinned a sprig of Holly to her friends red and green striped rugby shirt. Everyone is feeling festive wearing red or green at school. Back to Kristin whose main squeeze Grady returns from College and though she senses things have changed won’t dare to admit it<br />or question it. Enter the resident villainess - Glennie Taryton the best dressed , best looking senior who had to work hard at it - facial’s once a week ( while the ordinary slobs have to make do with Noxema ) And get this she is scolded for egads letting a ugly red bump ( a big old zit ) sprout up on her chin. For shame!<br />And here I thought it sort of came with the territory. After her facial Max , who scares her , hops in her silver Jaguar and threatens her that if she don’t fix the bands reputation he’ll expose her for in the test stealing scam. Here she is afraid and the first thing she thinks about is that she’s vulnerable without makeup! What is it her war paint? I can never understand characters who when faced with a blackmailer agonize over actually agreeing to uphold some bargain they reach , especially Glennie I was thinking just tell him sure of course , anything you say - you know you’re going to double cross him - I know you’re going to double cross him just get him out of your car! Kristin in the meantime is having an interesting date with Grady who decides to introduce her to his ‘grown-up’ college friends.<br />First thing is when go to the couple’s apartment to pick them up , they are both<br />wearing robes and have wet hair , suggesting or rather beating it over ours and Kristin’s head that they have sex lives. And if that didn’t do the trick if that was too subtle the girl Caroline doesn’t belt her robe and is wearing only bikini panties<br />and no matter how ‘mature’ you are I still think no matter what age it’s trashy to<br />flash the boyfriend of your double date. The funny thing is it’s Kristin who feels<br />immature for the rest of the night it’s no wonder that she decides that the best way to solidify their relationship and prove her love is to make love to Grady on Christmas Eve. Hold that thought. Back to the class making gift baskets for the<br />needy - one of the girls actually picked up a Joan Collins paper doll book! For all those eight year old Alexis’ wannabees. As they hand out their presents and gifts<br />Will and J.T. very nearly reconcile after a collision during clean up but unfortunately Denis is there to pick up J.T. ( Why in the world did the creator chose that spelling for Denis - that could provide hours of therapy alone , perhaps in some prior book or missing history we’ll have learned that Denis was called Denis Penis in childhood. Who would drop such a significant N? ). Kristin in<br />teen series history makes her move ( most teens in series didn’t have a sex life though their were exceptions Seniors was one of them) but Grady turns her down a super nice thing to do ( most guys would be salivating to take advantage ) but Kristin can only see it as rejection then proves she was just so in love with Grady but starting something with Denis who comforts her with a glass of egg nog and a ham sandwich. While Will decides being a jerk could pay off , gets drunk climbs the tree outside of J.T.’s window who is reading the Night before Christmas to her young niece who thinks Will is Santa Claus. Anyhow Will falls out of the tree ,<br />her family just laughs it off?! Seeing that he isn’t hurt and gets J.T. to drive him home and when he comes over to apologize and make up the next morning her father offers him the hair of the dog that bit him - yes a beer!? I guess the Just say no campaign wasn’t up to full steam yet. As for Glennie’s revenge , after hooking that scumbag Max into believing she’s got the hots for him - get this<br />, Glennie says how can any woman resist you he in a very Bruce like manner<br />drawls , They can’t. Hysterical! She then makes him think she’s got music<br />connections all so she can be seen making out with him at the New Years Eve<br />party by Nadia. That’s her revenge. She then laughs as Nadia tries to scratch out Max’s eyes and hoots I never wanted this scumbag - Scumbag Max roars. And<br />all is seen by Sunset High’s own ace reporter Scott who always reminded Glennie of that obnoxious guy in Pretty in Pink ( I wonder who she means - probably Duckie she’d be the type to root for Steff. ) The story is peppered with lots of great 80's outfits - Samantha’s bright yellow sweat shirt and red striped baggies held up by suspenders. Glennie’s too cool get up for New Years Eve - White satin pants , white silk top with spaghetti straps with faint stripes of grey that could only be seen from a certain angle and a dark pewter colored jacket of heavy satin. Her earrings - diamond studs with lots of little diamonds dangling from chains. Nadia’s trashy New Years eve get up - A gold lame bodysuit that fit like a second skin , a rolled gold headband of matching gold lame and gold earrings that looked<br />like chandeliers while Sam in typical bizarre fashion - is wearing a turquoise dhoti , with a magenta Indian style shirt and hundreds of gold chains around her neck.<br />The book ends with the group heading out early to reserve a spot for the Rose<br />bowl parade watching Joan Collins waving from an enormous cake with the promise of budding new love between Denis and Kristin.<br /><br />In the scene before the drunken Will crashes down out of J.T.’s tree , J.T. was thinking of having an old fashioned pig out and on her fantasy list of mouth watering treats was a hot fudge sundae , two pounds of cookies and fruitcake?<br />What the fudge? Does anyone out there eat fruitcake , I tried it several times thinking perhaps I would change my mind about it like I did about mushrooms -but no I still can’t stand it , It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever ate - there’s usually no cake to speak of just this dense sponge that holds all the sharp walnuts and rubbery green cherries in place. Ugh! I found an old 1975 Eaton’s catalog that offered one full page of Scrumptious Christmas Cakes - I had no idea their were different kinds each one stranger sounding than the next - lighter batter , darker batter , almond icing?! , Irish whiskey - on second thought that one doesn’t sound too bad it might kill the taste of green cherries. And though each cake is relatively the same each ad tries to juice up it’s prose to ensure you chose their cake with words like plumpest cherries , choice nutmeats ( nutmeats? Yikes that sounds about as appealing as the Christmas puddings listing of beef suet as one of their ingredients.) Suet by the way is described in my dictionary as the hard fat deposited around the kidneys and loins of cattle and sheep. Blech! Give me Pilsbury dough boy santa cookies any day. My favorite holiday treat was my grandfathers special Chex mix , he’d toast up a big spicy batch and pour them into huge jars with the tops wrapped in red and green felt. It was the best! Got a favorite childhood holiday treat? Or a favorite holiday theme-d 80's book post it.<br /><br />Great cover with the narrowing three-d style series lettering , and the drawing of Will & J.T.? Decorating the tree. The cute guy on the cover looks a little like Hardy from Some Kind of Wonderful or maybe Josh Brolin crossed with Michael Damian from the Young and the Restless and just a hint of masculine stubble.<br /><br />With Christmas right around the bend I'll try to keep up with some festive 80's series books - the plan is First Love From Silhouette #173 Someone Else - a holiday mystery with Kellogg & Carey! , Sweet Valley High's festive super editions - Winter Carnival & Special Christmas , The Candy Cane Caper , Sleepover Friends - Patti Gets Even & The Fabulous Five - Christmas Countdown.</div>Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2695515035918623855.post-23031261218099313572008-12-15T21:42:00.001-08:002008-12-16T18:00:09.072-08:00Shimmering , Glimmering - FIFTH GRADE STARS!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9zSGX_X4iEhoxOS76z1cb4Kz49biROf84Zqo4hcUz7unzvpVqq-6fmnUcJOJ5h9d34fKHq792BOj8j2zin4R_f5__M2Dj-ZHBp_ThLDHK21I4eJ-jLdfxmw7fx5gAbZYnOaTIcLG/s1600-h/FIFTH+GRADE+STARS+4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280571299044926178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9zSGX_X4iEhoxOS76z1cb4Kz49biROf84Zqo4hcUz7unzvpVqq-6fmnUcJOJ5h9d34fKHq792BOj8j2zin4R_f5__M2Dj-ZHBp_ThLDHK21I4eJ-jLdfxmw7fx5gAbZYnOaTIcLG/s320/FIFTH+GRADE+STARS+4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3mUgYwgXCt-skniTZ7-Je3BfMeYUFJDu8V-_vz139CJVFKIFXnpHuj2SUTdGIno2YpJHSrdrzW_L2qbJMTNofvBdGyyO8NbgWf8PizPTGz2q7ibtOD7k7ChYhF7dLszPvTxCLClC/s1600-h/FIFTH+GRADE+STARS+5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280557543519294690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3mUgYwgXCt-skniTZ7-Je3BfMeYUFJDu8V-_vz139CJVFKIFXnpHuj2SUTdGIno2YpJHSrdrzW_L2qbJMTNofvBdGyyO8NbgWf8PizPTGz2q7ibtOD7k7ChYhF7dLszPvTxCLClC/s320/FIFTH+GRADE+STARS+5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ew0i9EvsdtOFGcxi-nOzKXv5Jdj-k7nw2bcgwy_ZGJK5hG2nCApTGfihMJfH_cXqT8panarRX8PpP5e9RgUus2OcbqJZIoGYroiCVf-7o61Xs2LMztqulteDWz91ehq8UtD1YSoC/s1600-h/FIFTH+GRADE+STARS+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280553157829387458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ew0i9EvsdtOFGcxi-nOzKXv5Jdj-k7nw2bcgwy_ZGJK5hG2nCApTGfihMJfH_cXqT8panarRX8PpP5e9RgUus2OcbqJZIoGYroiCVf-7o61Xs2LMztqulteDWz91ehq8UtD1YSoC/s320/FIFTH+GRADE+STARS+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYirUNdcp0SKGYCneJ9eTaNt9afriTUp8G-Phy5NL5gHkPgStIIqmUf3K8S4gvkCoCt4-7QfikpddmiqgRZQvx4xhcBPaeZFAGZzmGtmmRmHd9lg5McgOuw2pczYuDCRAYH7sCRBi/s1600-h/FIFTH+GRADE+STARS+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280284230967885906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYirUNdcp0SKGYCneJ9eTaNt9afriTUp8G-Phy5NL5gHkPgStIIqmUf3K8S4gvkCoCt4-7QfikpddmiqgRZQvx4xhcBPaeZFAGZzmGtmmRmHd9lg5McgOuw2pczYuDCRAYH7sCRBi/s320/FIFTH+GRADE+STARS+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Fifth Grade Stars is a fun little series about feuding clubs , friendship , contrasting households , blended up with loads of competition. Though Fifth Grade Stars was published by Bullseye ( Knopf ) in 1989 , it has the feeling of being an appetizer to Sleepover Friends published from 1987 - 1991. It’s a short series - 6 books long , 2 of which are written by Susan Saunders who also wrote the Sleepover Friends books. The books feature five girls who become fast friends , feeling like misfits for living in the suburbs, compared to the estates of the snobby , rich girls in their class who have formed an exclusive club called the Clovers. They dub their club the Stars , after their bus route ( Sugar Tree Acre Route ) which draws the most ridicule , for being on the edge of town on what used to be farmland. There is no main character , each of the stories shift to show you the behind the scenes look at their home life , though the view point is always omnipresent. Jan Bateman is the average girl who feels overlooked in a household where her brother is a star athlete , and loves to cook attempting in book #5 to make meringues , Amy Danner is the fashion risk taker whose favorite color is Day-glo orange. Karen Fisher is the organizer and book worm of the group , enthusiastically spouting off about sci-fi plots. Last but not least are the identical twins , outspoken Beth who adores animals and Sara who writes everything down in a notebook ala Harriet the Spy while plotting a romance novel that never gets off the ground. They spend most of their time reminding us how different they are from each other. The Clovers are your typical series villains with one hilarious twist - to be a Clover you had to have a side ponytail! That was their signature. ( I wonder if someone working on 13 going on 30 had read one of these books?) The head Clover was rich , blonde , blue eyed , dimpled Holly Hudnut. ( can you believe that name? It sounds like your trying to hoark a lugie. , i.e. spit ) every class has a Holly Hudnut - the annoying smart , kiss-up who can do no wrong in the teachers eyes. Her cohorts are Brenda Wallace , horse crazy and horsey looking with a sassy mouth , and smart-ass comebacks. Mary Rose Gallagher is the athlete , whose immaculate look and mannerisms were once the envy of Jan. Roxanne Sachs , the one Clover who sneaks wearing make-up to school every day and Sue Pinson - small and mousey she only got in cause she’s cousin’s with Brenda. There are a few boy characters , Pete McBride short but handsome with spiky blonde hair and a rebellious nature , Matthew Ellis tall and gangly saved from being a nerd by collecting and knowing all about golden oldies , and collecting ‘45's? Say what? I don’t think this would’ve stopped any boy in my class from being a nerd , I think the girls just decided he was less nerdy than say Cliff Hargrove who , though was handsome also knew it. The stories revolved around face-offs between the two clubs , the stars trying to achieve some level of status the Clovers , already had or were striving for themselves.<br />One of the most interesting points for me was this was one of the only series that included girls , twins as main characters who were not blonde haired and blue eyed , they were redheads with freckles. Redheads were rare in any series , be it teen or preteen fiction. Katie from the Fabulous Five comes immediately to mind and even Melanie was said to have reddish brown hair but other than those two I’m drawing a blank. Mallory? From the Babysitters club but she was added in later. I sometimes think nobody picks redheads on purpose because redheads are more stereotyped than blondes. For instance a redhead either had a fiery disposition to match her hair - Katie , and ( for those who read other teen fiction besides series -The Secret diary of Katie Dinkerhoff by Linda Perl ) , or they’re shy and bookish - Mallory. ( this is not just book stereotype it’s also movie stereotype! ) Both of the twins in the Fifth Grade Stars series rather than live up to those two stereotypes meld after the other popular 80's redheads of spunky and solemn. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Bring on the redheads!<br />The 80's were chock full of spunky redheads and though blondes were often number one ( Michelle Pfeffier , Ellen Barkin , Daryl Hannah , Kelly McGillis ) there was a moment that flaming , florid tresses were all the rage. Sparked perhaps by the beautiful confident Molly Ringwald , whose cherry red locks and freckles were a bold , fresh stand out among the numerous , platinum blonde starlets only to be reignited in 1990 by Julia Roberts unobtainable mane. In the Pick Up Artist Robert Downey Jr. compares Molly to a work of art - Did anyone ever tell you that you have the face of a Botticelli and the body of a Degas? She had numerous imitators and even a few predecessors. Others in the decade made a definite pro redhead stamp! Megan Follows and Melissa Gilbert became famous playing period piece redheads. Bringing the beloved characters of , Anne of Green Gables , and Laura Ingalls from the Little House books to life with scintillating charm. Though their hair was often in braids and wearing repeat pinafores and high button boots , they were called Half-pint and Carrots and felt as plain as the calico they wore , Laura envied her sisters blonde haired , blue eyed beauty and Anne , her friend’s Gibson girl features it was both girls who were more memorable and snagged the most dashing mates. Movie stars like Kerri Green who created a mild sensation as the beautiful teenage cheerleader in both The Goonies and Lucas and as the nubile daughter of John Candy in Summer Rental who asks her in dismay , upon viewing her ruffly bikini and braided side ponytail - Who’re you Lolita? And then as the troubled daughter of an abusive politician in Three for The Road , she chews ice in a posh restaurant and shows the boys how to eat their pasta with their toes. Aileen Quinn was all boisterous cheer in Annie with a ball of red hair that sat on her head like the top of a lollipop as she belted out the upbeat Tomorrow. Fanny Lauzier is a little known french Canadian actress who starred in two, Rock Demers productions , both characters exuding an effervescent charm that gave her a fairy-tale aura - In Bye Bye Red Riding hood , she bewitched a love struck wolf and in Tadpole and the Whale , she talked to a winsome dolphin named Elvar. Lea Thompson wavered between brown and red hair , much like her look alike Mare Winningham , in Some Kind of Wonderful she was the school princess whose popularity hinged on dating sly , skunk Hardy. And on t.v. in the late 80's two teen knockouts on top rated sitcoms made the color red desirable , Khystyne Haye on Head of the Class had a streaming mane of crinkly, gorgeous red hair while on Just the Ten of Us , curvy Jamie Lerner was a ditzy redhead with freckles and a cute giggle who managed to snare every boy with a simple , promising Hi-yee! , Jenny Lewis had a flash in the pan career as a freewheeling preteen , sweet and popular in Troop Beverly Hills she’s torn between her flashy mom and practical father during their turbulent divorce , while in The Wizard she plays a plucky independent young girl named Hayley who forges a financial partnership with Fred Savage and his brother a wizard at Nintendo games. Robyn Lively whose hair also fluctuated between red and brown went to extremes in Wildcats by dying it a punk- florescent red , and in Teen Witch her frizzy locks and spiky bangs are transformed by a spell into the perfect (i.e. impossible - because nobody could accomplish this perm without careful curling every day! ) perm.<br />Some even went red for a moment - Melanie Griffith, at first poster glance could be mistaken for the title’s model - Cherry 2000 but she plays a rough hewn tracker in a distant future competing for a man whose off to find a replacement love-bot. Eventually he comes to find Melanie’s red head is a darn sight better than any flaky , empty headed robot’s.<br />Oh! And let’s not forget! A couple of faux stars of the 80's both red heads the beautiful Cheryl Blossom from the Archie comics who seems a perfect foil for Veronica being richer and nastier bragging that she not only paints her car to match her nails but also will cut up a mink coat for carpeting. The other scarlet princess of celluloid is Kimber from Jem and The Holograms , the younger sister of Jem/ Jerrica and like Daphne in Scooby Doo always seems to be in need of rescuing. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Fifth Grade Stars - a little about the artwork. I don’t think Bullseye did much other than Fifth Grade Stars - maybe younger fiction but I don’t have them listed in any of the hundreds of series I picked out. The series logo graphic is fair but a little obscure what is that box supposed to be? A stomped on diamond? The side view of a pencil? It doesn’t compete well against Sleepover Friends plumped up pillow , or Fabulous Five’s coiled notebook , or even the simplicity of the Taffy Books with their over sized cover art and plain author band. The first cover art is done by Vince Natale , and the rest ( of my copies at least ) are done by Susan Tang. Though the first cover is pretty good the expressions of agony on the Stars listening to Holly sing is well done with one of the twins in back hiding her face and cringing with disbelief. But the front part of Amy? Jan? Karen’s? Cotton pants look so baggy you’d think she was wearing diapers! Though I love Holly’s tiered white skirt and turned up collar on her pink top. I found one of these vintage tiered skirts , black lace it was fabulous! Susan Tang does a bit of a better job book number 2 has the girls hammering in a yard sale sign with two cute dogs on a leash , one dog has a bit of torn paper in his mouth from the book just under his feet - this cover however looks posed - all three girls are smiling out at the reader as if they were having their picture taken. Fashion wise - Beth’s outfit is super bizarre & super cool! A pink and orange striped sweater vest with a thick cinched part at the bottom. ( I remember these it was sort of like a sack dress you could push it up and kind of poof out your sweater though thinking back now I’m not really sure why looking like a balloon was in!) Orange leggings , pink and orange layered slouch socks. Mismatched pink and orange high tops. Two long necklaces one dangling a gold heart the other an enormous red star. Embarrassing to admit but I too , did what Jan did - check out Jan’s jeans - she’s tucked them into her slouch socks , yes I admit it , this was actually a style! It was horrible , your ankles looked like they had the mumps and you panicked whenever your jean cuffs had escaped quickly cramming them back in until your slouch socks had no more staying power , what’s left of their elastic was shot and they’d slither off your feet at the most impractical moment - running to spike a volley ball and by the end of the game your socks were jammed in one tiny section of empty shoe space in front of your big toe! #4 - Barrettes and big bangs and extra long t shirts! #5 My favorite cover. I’m assuming the one in the turquoise is the infamous Amy with the wild wardrobe - That whale-spout ponytail! That took some finesse to accomplish first if you’re hair wasn’t layered it didn’t work , which is why whenever you see this style in older 80's movies it’s usually with someone who has a perm. Amy’s outfit is way cool - printed turquoise top over black turtleneck , blue pedal pushers cuffed , ankle socks and squiggle earrings. I’m not quite sure of the other characters in the picture are - from the look of despair clasping her cheeks pre-Home Alone style - I’ll take a stab that it’s Karen , get a load of that sweater - Black with sleeves that from half way down the arms turn into black and white stripes! I think Sara , one of the twins, is the one with her hand on her hip - her finger is too long it looks like she’s holding a carrot! Check it out. What gets me most about these covers is they didn’t even try to do anything eye catching why didn’t they stick their series logo in a big bright star - who knows , a jazzier cover might have made the series last longer the stories were just as interesting as any of the books that hung on past six books.<br /><br /><br />FIFTH GRADE STARS #1 - The Holly Hudnut Admiration Society.<br />Jan Bateman who loves to cook and lives under the shadow of her allstar older brother hopes upon hope that at her new at school , which she takes the Sugar Tree Acre’s Route school bus to, that she’ll make some friends. She meets the redheaded twins Beth and Sara Greenfield and Amy Danner whose first outfit - A day-glo orange t-shirt with a turquoise blouse over it , a short black skirt , turquoise socks , black hightops and a plastic earring shaped like a banana dangling from one ear - is enough to make Jan question wether or not she wants this possibly color blind girl as her new friend. Not five minutes into her school Jan finds herself at odds over a reserved seat for the all important Holly Hudnut - leader of the Clovers a rich clique of girls who all wear their hair in side ponytails- Ever wear one of these? Now mind you I’m not sure I like the side ponytail slur these books tend to give , I always thought it looked stylish for a while , wearing them was another issue , it made you not only feel lopsided but as if the invisible man was trying to yank your head to one side. I could only last long enough to make an entrance than pull it out. - Jan feels miserable that she’d already made enemies of all the most popular kids. But she earns some points with the boys who call Holly - Holly Hitler. One funny spot is when their nervous art teacher tells them to draw a picture that reveals something about themselves - Jan decides to draw a food dish?! Chef Hubert’s shrimp and rice casserole?! but the girls think it looks like a dish full of fingers. Amy on the other hand has a very cool art concept called LIPSTICKS IN SPACE! Like a lipstick advertisement which doesn’t sit well with Mrs. Crossley.( Great name for a cross teacher - like Mrs. Crabapple!) Though Jan admires Amy’s bizarreness she can’t help but ask the obvious - Aren’t you worried what the others will think of you? To which Amy answers ‘Why should I care what some girl who wears plaid skirts and penny loafers think.’ - Right on! I always despised that whole preppy look I tried it once cause one of my friends got into it and she always looked super neat , my hair would never stay untangled for two seconds - I’m not sure what I thought wearing preppy clothes would do to my hair but I though maybe my hair could I don’t know be tricked into cooperating once it seen me in my skirt and blouse and<br />penny loafers maybe it would just calm down with defeat and say we’re not going to be having any fun around her , she looks studious. I lasted about one week in my penny loafers before chucking them to the back of my closet. Isn’t it awful what you do to fit in - I mean I loathed the look of them , they looked like men’s funeral shoes and yet girls were supposed to clump around in them and then supposedly smart girls , these were the ones wearing this junk, decided to leave off wearing socks with them , dumb! Because of course you bought them wearing socks so they never quite fit right and they not only gave you all sorts of blisters they made your feet sweat eventually making your shoes smell! And those awful pennies! What was worse then asinine atrocity , other penny-loafer wearing clones and even the non-penny-loafer-wearing clones ( of the jelly shoe & flip flop club - of which I am a proud long standing member ) shook their head cause they thought their was nothing sadder than a dull penny stuck in your slot. I made a quick recovery back to jellies which by the way some say are no better than penny loafers , they made your feet sweat , they gave blisters and would break two days after you bought them - I didn’t care you got to wear socks with them great , kooky socks! - Where was I oh yes - Jan then gets a note tossed onto her desk that isn’t meant for her - why is it no matter who hates who we’re supposed to deliver notes in school like we’re suddenly some sort of neutral zone? The note mentions a party and for one glorious second Jan assumes she’s been invited only to realize she’s to pass it on. Major embarrassing. After gathering to talk about it with her new found ( hesitant to be ) friends , Jan marvels at Karen’s beige colored house , and matching dog called Oatmeal , while Amy steams at the thought of not being invited , ‘Who does she think she is , Little Miss Preppy?’Though they decide to start their own club Jan is reluctant to make a commitment. One of the name suggestions is get this - The Fabulous Five - think the girls are fans of the Taffy Sinclair books? As their meeting gets sidetracked they mention a rock star called King Zero which I couldn’t help but think was a subtle Prince slam , and can’t come up with a reason for their club they do what most clubs do and cut-up Holly and the rest of the Clovers. The side story begins to unravel at the twins house were identical redheads Beth and Sara live with younger siblings Amanda & Jeffery , dogs - Skippy & Emmaline , guinea pigs - Arthur & Guinevere , an old toothless cat named Clementine , a turtle named Herkie who spends most of his time hogging the tub , and two goldfish Martha and George. Beth is the animal lover , Sara is more content to jot down things in a notebook - namely a story she’s been having more fun saying she’s writing than actually writing ( happens to a lot of writers ) it’s about Tiffany Vandermere and reformed pirate Sean MacNeill. ( I tried this in school once managing to complete two whole pages about a torrid love scene between a busty red head , I can’t remember her name and a hunk whose name I can never forget Sebastian - I always thought Sebastian was the most dashing name in the world. ) , Sara with her Harriet the Spy- like notebook it’s not a wonder that she doesn’t start imagining the next door neighbor with the bad toupee is some sort of vampire , especially when he carries groceries into his garage and she spots a coffin. Faster then you can say Ala Peanut Butter Sandwiches - sorry - flashback from Sesame Street - It’s later discovered by her sister who reads her notes that he’s a magician. One of the neat parts of the story is how when Jan after making an impression on the athletic Mary Rose , she manages to wrangle an invite to Holly coveted birthday party and though her friends are upset that she’s going , they don’t turn it into an ultimatum - drag out the old - if-you-were-my-friend-you-wouldn’t-go , dust off the moth balls and throw in a - it’s-either-us-or-them instead they have to admit they all would like to go and probably would if they’d been invited. But Jan realizes that not only is the party a snooze , the boys are uncooperative , but that her real friends aren’t there or are they? The magician shows up with a disguised Beth as his assistant , who met Beth when she snuck into his garage to release his rabbits back into the wild! Who does that? The highlight of the party was when Holly’s present from Pete , a big fat snail gets loose - 'Jan noticed that Pete’s snail had escaped and was happily forging a highway through the pink and white icing atop the remains of the cake. It was in snail heaven.’ I love that line forging a highway! The book ends with a talent show in which Beth is a hit , showing off some of the tricks the magician showed her while Holly sings a song that inadvertently makes her sound totally arrogant. Good guys win , villainess is made a fool , all's right in preteen fiction.<br /><br />FIFTH GRADE STARS #2 - Rent-a-Star<br />While the girls complain about fish again in the cafeteria - I’ll have to write something about cafeteria it fascinates me - was it really that awful? There was no cafeteria in any of my grade schools everyone either walked home for lunch which for a lot of grades I did , or brought a lunch , we get an update on what Amy’s got on and in her purse today. First off everyone knows what’s in Amy’s purse cause it’s a see-thru plastic pocketbook! Does anyone out there know the difference between a purse and a pocketbook - I’m assuming they’re one and the same the only difference being that the person who calls it a pocketbook is only slightly older than the<br />one who calls it a purse but still younger than one calling it a handbag. Sometimes I think though , that pocketbook could be exactly the right term for an 80's purse cause those flat color<br />coordinated things looked like giant envelopes on thing little straps. This is the contents of Amy’s purse /pocket book ‘ , change , a purple styling brush , a pin that said BUMMER , a pink flamingo hair clip like the one already in her brown curls , and a key chain with I ( heart ) chocolate stamped on it.’ This is what Amy is wearing a cartoon printed jumpsuit with the cuffs rolled up to the tops of her AllStar Converse. Groan! Name brand! This is the one name brand that really bugged me in the 80's , while others can moan about not getting Chic jeans or not<br />having Jordache or Levis’ AllStar Coverse hightops were one of those trends that brought out the ugly in well just about everyone. They were nice shoes , I loved the colors - banana yellow , bright green ( in one book it was described as poison green ) , turquoise , hot pink , red , orange , but they were so expensive - for a canvas shoe. And like most trends the kids had to bump it up a notch - okay you were cool if you had a pair but if you had two and three pairs and wore them mismatched you were considered awesome. Awesome? Over a pair of shoes. One of the low moments of childhood is actually trying to scramble to measure up under this fascist mentality. I didn’t beg for a pair of converse , I just liked the color and brand name meant nothing to me ( or so I thought ) so I bought a pair of rip off’s called Panthers , they were essentially the same shoe<br />except for the little black silhouette of the panther on the side and the same hot pink color. Whew! Those panthers might as well have been bullseyes , kids I didn’t even know would come up to me just to sneer Panthers what are those? (Well , duh , they’re these animals see- ) , can’t you afford Converse , no I should’ve replied and neither can you , your mommy and dadums bought them. Ugh! There was nothing quite as annoying in grade school as a kid acting like he was rich! Something like that usually sent me on some panicky spiral wondering if I should ditch them and just return to ordinary sneakers but no , I liked them and used them till they wore out. They were my favorite sneakers - even if they were rip-offs. - Back to Fifth Grade - the girls are eating in the cafeteria Beth brought peanut butter and jelly on rye?! And as they overhear Holly telling her cohorts that her mother allowed them to turn the room over the garage into a clubhouse , the Stars start fuming that they should have a clubhouse. Amy compares Holly to something out of Leave it to Beaver with her preppy ensemble , pleated plaid skirt , fuzzy sweater , penny loafers. Amy still can’t believe she isn’t popular at this school since her club the go-go’s! ( I can’t get too worked up over that for a while some girls in my class started a would-you-believe a Unicorn club! ) ruled the school. Amy is famous for her mismatched high tops ( I forgive you ) , personally designed glitter t-shirts and necklaces spray painted gold - this must have been in a magazine some where cause Beth does the very same thing in the Fabulous Five - mall madness. During chorus Pete the resident troublemaker passes out lyrics to the Beastie boys , fight for your right to party! Beats what was mandatory - we are the world?! Holly despises both Pete and his friend Matthew and calls them Rocky and Bullwinkle ( Mattthew’s ears do stick out.) But it’s Matthew who tells the Stars of a cabin near their suburb that might make a good club house , but his slight compliment to Amy that she would be handy fixing it up rubs her the wrong way and Amy has it out for him the rest of the book declaring that if a boy who thinks the one eyed one horn flying purple people eater song is the best ever written he has no taste. This said before she can even get a clue that he’s crushing on her. The hundred year old cabin turns out to be a great little building and the girls decide to put up flyers - Rent-a-Star offering to do odd jobs to pay to fix it up. ( Anyone out there ever do that? Put up flyers with friends offering to do odd jobs - I did , twice , my friends got called to house clean and haul beach rocks to a garden and then in grade six we tried it again unfortunately we included our names on the add - now my friends and I didn’t have the plain Jane Mary names in a list they look pretty seductive like an escort list and it must have got some fella’s mouth watering because my mom who didn’t know we’d put up the flyer came up to me all amused saying you got a job. I was pretty excited until my mom , rather grim faced went on he requested me and my friend ( a pause , you put your names on the flyer? ) to clean his apartment and he said he would pick us up in his red corvette( say what how does that even enter the conversation - what an operator! ) - and that afterwards he would take us out for drinks , my mother than informed him we were eleven years old , he fumed all those imaginary plans spoiled , I of course was begging mom why not , why couldn’t we clean his apartment and ride in his red corvette , he hung up and that ended our short business venture. I was quite sulky , so was my best friend , we reasoned he could’ve taken us out for Pepsi! ) As the Stars are putting up their flyers they run into Holly at the library who is going to help out at the book fair , sounding like such a sainted giver that Amy blurts out that they’re there to sign up for the book fair too , say what?! Her friends do a double take since it’s news to them. Then regaining their fighting stance they brag that they’ve got their own clubhouse with a fireplace , Holly agog recovers to deliver this last zinger eyeing their flyers - Do you do bathrooms? ( only if you’re the toilet brush. Well of course they didn’t say that. But I couldn’t resist. ) Their first job is cleaning the attic , Kowabunga! Beth cries when she sees all the junk , of a bristly old woman named Mrs. Ross ( why is it in stories bristly old women always turn out to be kindhearted underneath their grumpy crust , I knew several crotchety old woman who underneath had onion layers of grumpiness. ) the junk is to be thrown out so Mrs. Ross can get rid of the mice , but Beth decides to do it safely bringing a safe mouse trap to school to bring to Mrs. Ross’s , spotting it , Holly manages a clever jibe - trying to get new members for your club? Matthew tells them not to throw out the stuff they have a gold mine sell it , the girls ask Mrs. Ross if it’s okay , she says yes. Jan’s hunky Uncle Robert comes to access the repairs to the clubhouse and offer to fix it up for them. At the garage sale the girls make over three hundred dollars managing to just juggle it and the book fair , baking brownies only to discover the land on which their clubhouse is sitting is being surveyed. All that ends well - you just know the girls will get to keep the clubhouse and it’s not a shocker when you come find out it belongs to Mrs. Ross who was going to sell it but decided after meeting the girls to donate the land as a park after the girls finish using it. Oh - one laugh out loud scene is when Matthew buys a moth eaten moose head at the yard sale and the next day in school , Holly is screaming take that down! Take that down , the Stars look up and see that Matthew has put the moose head high above the chalkboard. And the moose is wearing a blonde wig in a side ponytail!<br /><br />FIFTH GRADE STARS #3 - Crazy Campout ( don't have yet )<br /><br /><br />FIFTH GRADE STARS #4 - Twin Trouble<br />Sara is going through an identity crisis when both twins are forced to abandoned their room to accommodate an upcoming baby and move into the den downstairs. Beth assures her mother it’s okay looking on the bright side they’ll have the entire downstairs to themselves thought Sara clutches her stuffed unicorn and wishes her twin wouldn’t speak for her as if they were one person. Amy’s wildest outfit yet - An orange jumpsuit made out of parachute cloth , and her hair was tied up with five neon green pipe cleaners - Claudia Kishi eat your heart out! A Sesquicentennial is coming up that will include the grade schools which includes among a fair , a boat competition that the girls want to enter. The school librarian informs them they will have to write an essay on What River Grove means to me and the student with the best paper will be made honorary mayor of the Sesquicentennial - to which the boys promptly offer what they would do if they were mayor , Anyone with a side ponytail goes straight to jail! I like their attitude! Holly gets her revenge as only a teacher’s pet can - wait till Teach , isn’t looking trip the boy and get him sent to the principals office for creating a disturbance - ‘Holly could commit the perfect crime - the girls say , ‘no adult would ever believe she’d done it.’ Then as the girls are working on their raft , Mrs. Hudnut phones but Beth thinks it’s a prank and quickly replies ‘Sure it is , Matthew you Turkey!’ of course after that Beth can barely get her composure back after realizing it is Mrs. Hudnut asking out of desperation for the twins to replace another set who’ve come down with chicken pox , for her pageant. Beth agrees for both her and Sara thinking of the trophy they’ll win , ( the Sesquicentennial quickly turns into a competition of how many trophies they can win away from the Clovers ) , but Sara is furious , she doesn’t want to be on stage and Beth’s dismissal of her feelings is the last straw. Sara gets up in the middle of the night and dyes her hair pitch black! Only a rinse but the side effects of being forced to wash it out turn her hair slightly green - ( how does this always happen with redheads in movie's or books - my hair was red and I dyed my at least five different shades - black , brown , light brown , blonde , blondissima , sun-in and nothing ever happened like that - in fact nothing ever happened my hair up until I turned twenty was absolutely immune to dye , it was like trying to dye copper wire!) - Which at least gets her out of the pageant. Without the help of any adults their raft sinks to the bottom of the river , but not before dunking - Amy , Jan and Beth into the water right in front of the Clover’s of course. Holly cracks ‘I’ll bet I can guess your theme 20,000 leagues under the sea'. Since it’s too late to build a new raft they take one look at the boys raft and manage to finagle riding with them. Knowing they need a theme they decide to use Holly’s idea of 20,000 leagues under the sea knowing it will infuriate Holly if they win with her idea. Beth with her still green hair is transformed into a mermaid and the girls make fun pirate clothes by cutting the edges of their jeans and wearing striped tops. Part of the fun of the boat tour is launching water balloons at the other boaters. Though the book doesn’t say - it’s impossible to stack water balloons on top of each other without them breaking they have to be sitting in a water cooler or some sort of tub filled with water to keep them intact. - Beth’s mother has her baby - baby Jessica and Sara wins the composition competition to represent the school. And while the girls stop to watch a pie eating contest ( how to Lauren Hunter from Sleepover Friends miss out on one of these ) , Jeffery the five year old wanders off with the baby carriage and enters Jessica in a beautiful baby contest under the name of G.I. Joe! And wins! As for the girls they have fun launching water balloons at the Clovers whose raft’s prissy theme is bicycle built for five! I often wondered sometimes knowing girls like this if they weren’t influenced more by the adults around them they by their own creative power - In the story the raft is being designed for them which sort of gives away to the too-cuteness of it. Of course the Clover’s have a trick up their sleeve they don’t have water balloon they have a water cannon. But in typical Susan Saunders fashion the girls don’t exactly win but they don’t exactly loose either.<br /><br /><br />FIFTH GRADE STARS #5 - Star Reporter<br />When the teacher asks them to do a group project that represents cooperation , the girls are stumped by this but Amy in her hot pink rain slicker does a cartwheel having come up with a winning idea - A newspaper. Though the others think it’s a good idea Karen is reluctant , she’s been through this before and doesn’t want to get stuck doing the work for everyone or being called bossy when she wants to keep on schedule.( Anyone remember this component to school group projects? - unfortunately while I can sympathize with Karen I know at the same time I was one of the shirkers , always trying to cut corners , and especially falling off topic - which the girls do - They start talking about Brenda the horse lover whose wardrobe includes: horseshoe earrings , a belt with a brass horsehead buckle , and pony patterned socks. Even the girls say her plaid skirt looked like a horse blanket. ( I do remember the 80's being pony / horse crazy - not just with the pastel-tattooed My Little Ponies , but with those flocked plastic model horses every serious horse lover had sitting on their desk! Horse books , ) As they agree not to make the paper about cutting up the Clover’s ( Awww! ) they decide it’ll be about serious stories.( Zzzzz! ) Karen goes over to the twins house early in the morning to walk them to the bus , loving the chaos of their busy household. When she comes in , Beth calls from the shower asking Karen to bring her , her robe while Herkie the turtle is nearby swimming in a saucer. Karen catches Beth accidently washing her hair with dog shampoo who laughs about it , Karen says you’re outrageous. ( Of course anyone who has a pet can sympathize with this On the field trip to the t.v. station they meet a makeup lady who volunteers to do someone’s face Roxanne who is ‘makeup mad’ vaults into the chair , among the highlights of the trip are Holly yanking the microphone away from the host and singing the theme song of a cheesy fake t.v. show that one of the guests star on , causing fellow guest a monkey to clasps his hands over his ears! Holly fumes ‘did you see that monkey - he acted just like an - an animal!’ After Karen meets poised reporter Stacey Chandler she decides that she would like to be a reporter causing all sorts of problems when she suspects their teacher Mr. Carson is dating Stacey Chandler after a rumor and coincidences pile up. When Mr. Carson asks them to tell them their thoughts about the show the monkey is brought up and one boys says his cousin Linda had a monkey that got into her makeup and put on gobs of purple eyeshadow causing Matthew to turn and look at Roxanne also wearing gobs of purple eyeshadow - looks like that monkey was smart enough to be a Clover. Other scenes include the Clovers project which is being cheerleaders for the soccer team. The girls bored with waiting their turn at the word processor decide to help Amy make meringues?! ( who at 11 years old ever attempts anything gourmet? Me and my friends were lucky if box mix cake batter made it into the oven! ) Amy chases her friends with egg yolks getting silly - now that I can relate to! - Karen is stuck typing out the articles while her friends ‘punk out on her’ for Invasion of the Body snatchers. Karen adds some ‘funny things’ to the paper such as Beth using dog shampoo and Jan admitting she hates football ( her father is a coach and her brother a star player! That’s the type of info that good really make things uncomfortable at home.) Mr. Carson talks to her and gently tells her she followed rumors that he and Stacey graduated together and are on the same reunion committee. Stacey calls to tell her , she sort of feels responsible for not telling her how a good reporter should act. They are invited on the show - causing the girls to forgive Karen fast , Beth brings two of her pets Herkie and the mouse Harold who runs up Brian Jones’s sleeve. Beth gives Harold to Karen - who calls him Snowball knowing it’s a pet her mother won’t mind. The end - is That’s why we’re stars , stars till the end. Though Susan Saunders didn't write this book it reminds me of the Sleepover Friends motto - Sleepover Friends Forever!<br /><br /><br /><br />I don’t have books #3 & #6 to rate though they look & sound interesting - #3 -Crazy Campout is fairly obvious ( I love Camp books! Though I think this one is merely a camp out not a going to camp book - I would’ve loved A Sleepover Friends Super Edition on a Camp theme story maybe even a crossover book would've been fun if you can even do that in series fiction - Sleepover Friends go to Camp Sunnyside!) #6 - The Goofy Gamble - I’m not sure what it’s about but the girls are seen on the cover struggling in a tug of war so I'm just guessing it's probably some town picnic or something.<br /><br /><br />This series was one part Fabulous Five - two opposing clubs constantly clashing ( in fact in book 1 they consider the name Fabulous Five for their club ) , and two parts Sleepover Friends with which it bore several similarities - see for yourself.<br />FIFTH GRADE S.T.A.R.S. VS. THE SLEEPOVER FRIENDS<br />- River Grove - Riverhurst<br />- A Sesquicentennial - a Bicentennial<br />- twins Beth & Sara Greenfield - twins Emma & Jeremy Green ( babies ) main character is Stephanie Green<br />- Side Ponytails ( the clovers ) - side ponytails appear twice ( the polka dots music group which the girls Lip sync , and a make over by Christy )<br />- Eliminated by chicken pox #4 - # 29 - Kate The Boss ( Ginger comes down with the dreaded pox )<br />- humiliated by water - #4 - #6 - Kate’s Campout ( The creepy Norwood boys strike! )<br />- Pete McBride - the old McBride house & Pete Stone<br />- Helping boys out in a competition allowing them the prize #4- #27 - Where’s Patti<br />- Mother’s have babies before important events #4 - # 17 - Patti Get’s Even<br />- Comparing babies to wrinkled up monkey’s #2- #18 - Stephanie and the<br />Magician<br />- same sly wit - when they spot Holly without her side ponytail Amy mutters , ‘And I always thought that rubber band was holding her head on.’ & Ginger glancing at the Sleepover Friends<br />‘Now we know bowling is way uncool.’<br />‘Only if your way bad’ Lauren mumbled loud enough for her to hear.<br />- The main prize escapes them #4 -#20 - Lauren in the Middle. ( Karla gets the beautiful denim jacket.)<br />- Jan’s older brother is a basketball star - Lauren’s brother plays basketball<br />- Holly calls Pete & Matthew - Rocky & Bullwinkle - Lauren’s dog is called<br />Bullwinkle & her cat , Rocky<br />- Olsen’s store - Michelle Olsen<br />- Karen has a lamp that beams the constellation onto her ceiling -#26 - The New Kate - Bitsy has a makeshift lamp that beams the constellation on the ceiling.<br />- Karen a sci-fi freak often brings up plots as weird parallels to situations - Kate does the same<br />thing occasionally with movie plots.<br />- A hunky Uncle Robert ( both with moustaches) - a hunky Uncle Nick<br />- Karen cleans Jan’s brother’s room for $ - the girls clean Roger’s room for $<br />- A weenie roast in a fire place #2 - #6 - Kate’s Campout<br />- Holly is petite and pretty with an occasionally annoying voice - Jenny is petite and pretty with<br />An annoying voice<br /><br />If you're feeling nostalgic for the fifth grade sneak read these books , only a hundred and so odd pages , breezy fun , and can be found if your diligent on Ebay , or especially Abe.</div></div></div></div>Peachaluluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937705867389513202noreply@blogger.com1