African-American Gift Shop: Summertime, Friendship & Black Barbie!
Happy 4th of July in advance, Everyone! Summertime (June 20th) is here and the weather has been showing out! Hahaha! We're loving the sunshine over here at Black Stationery & hope you're enjoying the beautiful weather as well! It's time to hit the beach, go for a walk, literally smell the flowers, take a trip, go to an amusement park, have a BBQ, and whatever else excites you for Summertime fun! Let's go!
Flowers are bright, beautiful and colorful, as well as add a pop of color to Summertime! Take time to breathe in the intoxicating scent of fresh flowers! While you're at it, send a feel-good Floral greeting card to start off the season!
1: Gratitude Flowers Card to be grateful! It makes a difference!
2: Black Woman & Flower Crown Card to brighten their special day!
3: Flowers in her Hair Card will be a unique bouquet to celebrate!
Beach Time! It's time to enjoy the beach! Why not send a Summertime beach vibe greeting card as a reminder to have fun at the beach! Take a walk on the beach, go swimming, enjoy a picnic on the sand and other fun activities as you watch the ocean dance and take in the refreshing ocean breeze!
1: African-American Surfer Boy Card to make a splash on his birthday!
2: African-American Mermaid Card to wish a sea-full of fun for her day!
3: African-American Surfer Girl Card to wish a beach-y fun day!
Plan & GO! It's time to plan for Summertime! Get out that planner, journal and/or notebook and start planning fun things to do during the warmest months! While you're at it, grab a sticker to decorate as you go! Fun!
1: African-American Mermaid Goddess Stickers are a playful way of celebrating summertime in your planner, journal, notebook & more!
2: Mermaid Candle to take a moment out to have peaceful & calm moments in the midst of all of the summer fun!
3: Exotic Butterfly to remind you of all of the colorful butterflies you'll see flying by all summer long!
Friendship & Fun! Friends are one in a million! Now that it's Summertime, why not plan a fun girls trip! Whether it's exploring someplace new in town, a road trip somewhere fun and/or even taking a flight somewhere you enjoy, spend time with friends! Remember, International Friendship Day is July 30th!
1: Girls Trip Card Let's go! Imagine the fun, especially catching up!
2: Best Friends Card to appreciate spending time together! Fun!
3: Girls Supporting Girls is a wonderful mindset!
Black Barbie: A Documentary!
I was beyond excited to hear about the Black Barbie: A Documentary! I could hardly sit still throughout! I've always loved Barbie dolls, still do! I even attended the World of Barbie event & dressed a doll for the 40th Anniversary Black Doll Show! My Mom also collects Special Edition Black Barbie Dolls! I was lucky to have Black Barbie Dolls to play with when I was little! I do understand the importance of little girls seeing Black dolls that also reflect themselves & what a difference it makes!
Growing up, I associated Barbie with the ability to be whatever she wanted to be, as well as the color PINK! (Not blonde hair or straight hair!) I also made my dolls hair really big and curly, it was just a personal preference! Haha! Perhaps it's because in the Midwest, my school happened to be all Black; I saw all types of real life Barbie (And Ken) Dolls walking around all day long! (K-6th grade, wearing uniforms)
It was exciting hearing about Kitty Black Perkins designing the 1st Black Barbie Doll via Mattel! Even more amazing, hearing that Kitty answered a blind ad for the job! When they asked for 1 design, she gave that something extra and created 6 designs! #Fabulous It took 21 years for Mattel to create a Black Barbie & what a splash the beautiful doll made in 1980! She wasn't just a sidekick, she was a Barbie! I also loved how the timeline and history of the Black Barbie Doll was displayed on the screen throughout the documentary! The insightful interviews included Mattel Staffer Ruth Handler & even from Former Miss Black California, Isis Mckenzie Johnson!
Thank goodness, Mattel now makes a variety of dolls, showcasing a variety of skin tones, hairstyles, styles and even body types! It makes a huge difference!
Overall, I feel that I was lucky to have Black Barbie Dolls, as well as a variety of dolls w/different skin tones! My Barbie & Ken dolls were fabulous in their Barbie Dream House, had fun lives, attended fancy dinner parties & traveled the world! I constantly changed their clothes and hair to whatever I imagined! Be careful what you wish for! Hahah! Dreaming big is key! After all, I created Black Stationery to see myself reflected on greeting cards & items! Imagine that!
Until next time, BE the Barbie Doll you have always imagined...in REAL LIFE, and most of all ...have fun!!! Thanks again for supporting us here at Black Stationery! We see YOU & we appreciate YOU!
Forever Smiling, Thankful, Grateful & Wildly Blessed,
Black Stationery
www.BlackStationery.com