After a quick trip to the post office on Friday, October 11, 2013, I decided to visit my local thrift store. The week prior, a potential articulated body donor had been there, bagged with another doll I did not need. I returned on the 11th to see if the articulated doll was still there in hopes that her color tag was the 50% off color for the week. It wasn't, but she was still there along with a separately bagged, even better articulated doll. I decided to purchase the better of the two.
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| Articulated Barbie (one of the Fashionistas I think) and a Lovely Patsy doll with red hair |
I rummaged through the other fashion dolls hanging on the racks and there she was, Top Model Nikki! What? I couldn't believe it. Less than two months ago I rescued
another Top Model Nikki from this store, and this one is in better condition and appears to have part of her original fashion.
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| Top Model Nikki as she was when found at the thrift store |
Some may call it luck, but I claim it as favor.
To the counter I headed with both baggies of dolls, stopping at the scarf section first, hoping to find silk ones in earth tone colors, but none interested me; so I paid for my finds.
At home, I dropped the thrift store bag of dolls on top of the washing machine before putting up a few groceries I had purchased before visiting the thrift store. Later that evening, I gave Nikki a thorough inspection and took some before and after photos of our doll play that lasted probably an hour, an hour and a half max. The before photo is shown above. The after photos with captions follow.
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| Nikki's hair after finger combing |
I spent approximately 10 minutes or less, finger combing Nikki's hair and shaping it into a curly style that closely resembles her original style. I did not wash it, I just used my fingers to remove the tangles, separate coils, and fluff it into shape. She still wears one of her original gold tone hoop earrings, which I incorporated into her new look.
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| One word describes her: stunning! |
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| Feeling and looking all model-like, Nikki strikes a top-model pose. |
I dressed Nikki in the already-on-hand sequined gold tank top, black satin blazer, and gold booties from Barbie Basics accessory pack
Look No. 02 Collection 2.5. Her winter white leggings were also already here, having arrived almost a year ago to date from
atelier ni Shasha.
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| Nikki tried on black ankle boots for size. |
Before meeting her long lost sisters, Nikki, tried on the black ankle boots with her new fashion after first discovering that her arched feet cannot fit into the full-length black boots of the Barbie accessory pack. We both prefer the gold booties.
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| Nikki poses with her three sisters. |
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| One final headshot illustrates their similarities and differences. |
We were equally amazed, yes, the dolls and I, at their similarities and differences. The original, mint Nikki (far right) and the center Nikki, look almost identical. Nikki #2, on the far left, appears to be the older and wiser of the triplets. She is the one the others go to for encouragement, advice, or assistance in making decisions. Good sisters, whether biological or spiritual, are like that - they encourage, advise, and assist.
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As a side note, my original Top Model Nikki was purchased the year of release (approximately 2008 since the box year is 2007). At one point, I contemplated selling her and even listed her on Amazon.com for more than people were willing to pay because subconsciously, I don't think I really wanted to see her go. I eventually removed the listing. In September of last year, at the suggestion of another blogger, I deboxed the original doll AND discarded her box. Nikki and I are shown below in a photo taken after her emancipation.
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| An orb floats between recently freed Top Model Nikki and me. |
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| With Top Model Nikki, September 15, 2012 -- I needed a silk scarf/headband to cover my gray, but I decided to embrace it and have been embracing it intermittently ever since. I can go for extended periods between dyeing my hair until I decide the dreadful gray needs concealing temporarily. One day, I don't know when, I'll embrace it fully and let go of the need for black hair dye and/or silk scarves except for protecting my hair while I sleep. |
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