Check Out This Jar Lamp I Filled with My Childhood Toys!

This, my friends, is a lamp I made way way back in 2007...yep, over ten years old, and it still lights up just like it did the day I put it together. (Of course, it's probably in all that time have seen it's share of bulb changes!) One day I was out shopping somewhere in a venue that carried real old antique stuff and I saw this lamp that was made out of a glass jar and filled to the brim with something like seashells....It was love at first sight - I didn't actually buy it, as I had a better idea...I chose to be inspired by it, as what I really wanted was a lamp just like that one, just not filled with seashells. (I have nothing against seashells - I just wanted to put something else in there, just what ? I've always been quirky like that.) Out of nowhere I had the idea....I got to thinking about all the cute little toy miniatures I had from my childhood that I kept in shoe boxes or whatnot, and I got to wondering if I should put them in some kind of display case so I could enjoy looking at them....and then I just got this genius idea out of nowhere....Jars are great to display stuff, and jars can make great lamps too, and then..well something about a stone and birds comes to mind!

The meson jar I used is also an old timer too, if you collect them and you see "Perfect Mason" on the front, that's the big giveaway, most new ones don't have that anymore. But it's a half gallon 64 oz jar big enough to hold all my cute little toys from way back when. Everything from Cabbage Patch Kids to Strawberry Shortcake and friends, found a way. Then came the bottle kit - I've always been scared to death of messing with electric wires, but this kit is not the least bit as scary as it sounds as long as you just read the directions and follow them.

Actually the most scary part is the step where you have to create a hole in the jar to thread the wires through....I was in luck as my boyfriend at the time was used to power tools and was able to do the much-intimidating job of drilling the hole without a disaster on my hands. Boom - I was in business! I must have obsessed about this lamp all through the summer of 2007, adjusting the toys, the shade, and that stuff.

I also run a craft blog (which I spend more time on that this one) and I discussed it in a post there too.but I went into more depth talking about putting it together and how readers could do the same. I guarded this baby like a well-kept secret, but felt like I ought to share this, when you reach adulthood and you realize you collect stuff like I do, there are ways you may not have considered to repurpose them and bring them to new life! Hope you enjoy!

These Top 80s Hits Are, Like Totally Overplayed on the Air

Did you ever like a song or two from way back when, but after awhile, you heard it just too many gosh darn times that the novelty has worn off. Why are some songs just so, so overplayed? While that's a question I could never answer and much better presented to someone who actually works in the radio industry, I have come up with my own list of the most grossly overplayed hit songs I remember from the 80s that literally get played like they are going out of style. I'm sure you may be familiar with at least a few of them. Here goes:

1. Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard

This one was a big hit when I was in the 5th grade and one of the kids had the main album tape and brought it to our end of the school year party, which was a great memory to always cherish. Yes, I believe we were still playing tapes back then and life was simpler. Back to the song, yes I get why it's a great rock ballad, but, still, overplayed.

2. Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams

Honestly not too big of a fan (apologies) and while this one is good to hear every now and then, it seems like it is played at least two or three times a day; or maybe it's just my perception. Who knows-judge for yourself.

3. Heaven is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle

Honest to gosh, this lady could be a very talented singer with a nice roster of songs but unfortunately, my ears get subjected (or is that more like "assaulted?") by this non-stop hit that the radio stations don't seem to let up on. Please, please, please, let me hear something else by this artist instead of THIS one over and over already, geesh.

4. More Than a Feeling - Boston

Nothing wrong with the song itself, and most of the time I don't even notice it in the room...but I do have to say, "If I had a dime..." Yep, I have literally heard this one so many times that I just don't really notice it on the air much. Kind of weird, but I guess it happens to all of us. We get either annoyed by something that plays incessantly or we get desensitized to it, and I guess I'm mostly the latter here.

5. Livin' On a Prayer - Bon Jovi

This one was a very big hit once and yes we did have our share of really great power ballads, but this one seems to hog a lot of airtime more than others. Just my two cents, anyway.


OK...I almost thought about making this a top ten list, but I thought I'd stop at five since I think it's better to dwell on the positive side of life. Right? These five were the top contenders for most overplayed if I had to keep it to a handful.

What do you think...Are there any other songs highly overplayed you would have chosen instead? Do you agree, or disagree with any on the list?

Gel Bracelets and Bodacious Bangles For 80s Jewelry Junkies!

Classic Jelly Bracelets-Set of 12

Remember Jelly Bracelets? Here They Are Back and More Versatile Than Ever

Jewelry was such a flamboyant affair in the 80s, with its loud, attention-grabbing colors and bold shapes. I was the perfect age to be a big collector of jelly bracelets - Yep, it's not just shoes made out of that stuff! Jelly bracelets came in every color in the rainbow and you could complement them with so many color combos you often ended up getting a gazillion of these to mix and match with your wardrobe. What fun!

I remember days when I was wearing pink, I would cull out all of my pink bracelets and combine them with black ones and other colors that complemented pink like purple or orange, boy did I get fashion or what? You could also find them in transparent, glitter, and pearly looking colors too which you could combine together.

Sometimes it was all a contest of she who has the most bracelets wins. You could wear enough of these so your entire forearm was covered in them. (I wondered how hard it was to take them all off after awhile? I know I used to take mine off in little clusters which made it easier when you were donning like 30 of them!)
If you want to revisit that innocent pastime of jelly bracelet collecting, these babies are BACK and in bunches...great for parties, sleepovers, or just to start a new contest of she who has the most wins the prize. The colors that I remember like the neons, glitters, and solids, and some for good measure like pearl and metallic.

Bold Bangles To Top It Off 

Did you ever wear fancy looking bangle bracelets for the fun of it? I did - I had some of the coolest ever that were filled with water and glitter when I was in grade school. So much fun to wear - but I'll bet they were distracting enough being so pretty :) I managed to find some here - sorry, these aren't filled with water but they are glittery and operate on LED light; kind of a modern take on the ones I had.

 I also had stretchy bracelets with elastic...they contained plastic seashells in bright colors and would go on my wrist by stretching a little bit. I found some in heart shapes which are pretty much the design I had. Have fun! Pretty close to what I remember - there are kids and adults sizes too :) Put some of these on and get the party started!

Coral Entertainments Led Bracelets 12 Pack Set Battery PoweredNeon Nation 6 Pack Set Ridged Saucer Shape Hinge 80s Bangle Bracelets

My Latest Additions: Collectible Drinking Glasses with Characters

Collectible Drinking Glasses Sporting 80s Characters

Do you know what I miss the most about visiting different popular chain venues back in the day? All of the promotional items like drinking glasses that restaurant chains like Pizza Hut and McDonald's actively advertised as an incentive to get us on the road to the fun hobby of collecting.

I've got Care Bears, I've got the McDonaldland characters (which probably go back a little further than the 80s) and a few of the famous Muppets. And as of late, I recently inherited these collector glasses showing the Wizard of Oz characters....there was this 50th anniversary edition commemorating the movie's magical and joyous impact on us. The glasses are circa 1989 but they have held up nicely with no paint chips or fading.

I've been encouraged to try listing them on eBay, something I probably won't be in any hurry to do right now as this is not the greatest shopping season; plus there's a caveat that comes with the packaging part of something like this if I do land a bidder: these guys are fragile.

I actually did sell some collectors glasses a number of years ago sporting the lovable Smurfs on them. It looked to be going well until one buyer wrote to tell me that one of the glasses arrived broke...Yikes! We do our best to prevent things like that from happening, but glass is fragile and Murphy's Law is always around the corner.

I followed the correct SOP...I apologized and said I would be certain to send her a replacement at no charge. Here's the catch, or punchline...the Smurf on the glass that broke was "Giggly" I just happened to be in luck that I had another Giggly glass, as I had only had one Brainy, one Papa, and one Doc; and at the present time I can't quite remember the names of the other Smurfs. I'm not even sure if "Giggly" is the correct name (If you're reading this right now, please let me know)

Well, I am glad I could regale you once again with another nostalgic tale, hopefully I will be better able to remember the Smurfs' names as well as I do the scenarios surrounding them; and for now, enjoy looking at my glass collection. Some of these are too cute to sell. I might change my mind later, but for now....I'm going to collect on :)

Remember the Famous Rubix Cube? It's Back...With a Vintage Vengeance

The Original Rubik's Cube

Remember the Rubik's Cube? It's Back!!

Anybody who was anybody back in the 80s had a Rubik's cube....but it's only, like two decades later that we realize that this baby had some nostalgic value...including yours truly :) I remember when I was half-heartedly attempting to solve the puzzle, I was probably in grade school and I probably gave up after awhile, sorry to have to disclose that, just being totally honest. Maybe we had lost the paperwork that came with it at the time that might have continued the clues.

Moving on, this colorful cube has gotten so much mass appeal that it's no surprise it has bounced back onto the fun brain-teaser market once again....along with some cool new extra features like this little pyramid shaped stand (mine didn't have one of those) and some other unique things that appeal to the generation after mine, like social sharing for scorekeeping so your friends can see what you've been up to; and maybe even invite them to join along with their own cubes too.

It's said that brain-teaser games are very beneficial for young developing minds, so no time like the present to give the gift of eye-hand coordination, problem solving skills, and logic to the kids of today. In this day and age when STEM games and activities are the hottest addition to the market, it only makes sense to introduce something that complements it perfectly. Don't forget to tell them that when you were a kid "This was the most popular toy on the market; anybody who was anybody had a Rubik's cube" And the Millennials (or should I say Generation Z now?) with a sense of nostalgia will definitely get it!

Treasure Trove of 80s Toys I Found in My Aunt's Attic

Ok a long story short about 10 years ago my paternal aunt passed on, and we were undertaking the big job of going up into the attic doing some in-depth searching...

I remember a few things I pulled down like it was yesterday: first was a vintage Lite- Brite (yeah I think it was spelled that way) That was the coolest toy EVER that worked on the principle of using a real electric bulb, this "screen" with rows of small empty holes, in which children would insert different colored pegs to form a design that kit up once they switched the bulb on.

Trouble is we were at the start of a horrible recession and my sense of practicality over sentimentality for the better of me when I listed it for auction on Ebay. I know, right? I don't remember how many bids I ended up getting on my LiteBrite set, but I hope I played with it a few times before I sent it to a new home.

After all, family attics are a treasure trove of secrets, some very priceless indeed. For awhile I kind of regretted letting that one go so easily.

Not too long ago I was shopping and found a little version that was handheld and kinda meant for car trips, but yeah it was the same concept  just in a little compact version. It operates on double-a batteries. I ended up getting it for my MR older brother as a Christmas gift, among a few other choice retro toys.

Is there a moral to this story? Perhaps....you may get a second chance with a cool retro toy and see a new revamping of it, but other times, it pays to cherish it long time instead of putting it up for auction.

The Best Totally 80s Characters To Dress Up As For Halloween!

Totally 80s Characters - Which One Do YOU Want To Be?

Being a kid in the 80s, dressing up for Halloween was always a big deal! I remember one of my first character costumes....Strawberry Shortcake no less since I was a huge fan of her and the gang and had practically every kind of adornment with their likeness from furnishings to beddings to figurines.

I don't remember where we got costumes from back then, but I do remember all of the parts - the clothing and mask - all being crammed into this little rectangular box. The masks were made out of something in the plastic department with respective eyeholes and an elastic strap. The clothing part was fashioned from vinyl to sateen. If you can recall the brand name please bring it to my attention....I think these would be collectors' items by now!

But back to 80's characters....if this is your goal for your next Halloween costume party, let's look at some great picks to make a real totally 80s statement.

Adult Marty McFly Halloween Costume

Marty McFly Costume

One of the most iconic 80s film characters - to get the look you'd need the orange vest, cap, almanac and who could forget the hoverboard? I was able to locate one in adult and kids sizes...look closely, though, It is actually the vest with denim sleeves sewn in...nevertheless, it's a great start on its own. You can find the additional accessories to complete the look and be a big hit at your upcoming party!

Ghostbusters

Another fun character you could dress up after is one of the Ghostbusters. That was a mega hit back in the day for sure! As a matter of fact, an all-female remake came out a few years ago which is telling me that movie is still tops.
You have several options to consider....with the jumpsuit and Proton Pack you would be all set!

Mr T Costume

One of the most unmistakable icons of the day, who can forget Mr T? I remember Mr T lunchboxes, TV trays, action figurines, the list goes on. If you really want to strike gold at your next big party, you will need to capture the whole Mr T ensemble including: the signature mohawk wig and gold chains.

There are a myriad of other characters out there in which costumes and accessories related are available, and come in both adults and kids sizes. I even saw some for dogs too - now that would be something, get your pooch all decked out in an awesome eighties icon getup!

Wishing you a successful party and a bodacious eighties Halloween!

Check Out These Retro 80s Sam and Libby Flats

Check 'em out....Genuine Sam and Libby vintage ballets!

What do you think? I got them on Etsy during the recent Labor Day sales event...
My cat is giving me his gesture of approval:)I've got a collection going with white, navy blue, and turquoise....the goal is to find them in my actual shoe size, which is 9.5 or 10...My actual shoe size is 8 but these tend to run little or the 8's I had way back in grammar school would still fit, which they don't unfortunately :(

I've actually done the math and found that in a year I manage to find a new pair that fits this criteria...a different color and size 9.5 or 10...Not too bad in the odds department right?

If You Were Born in the 80s Are You a Millennial or Gen-Xer?

Gen-Xer or Millennial? Which Are You?

If you were born in the 1980s you pretty much fall into one of these generational demographics....but it's kind of tricky to tell which one, because there are some disagreements on what the actual age group or span of time. And it's made a little more trickier by the fact that there is that "first wave" and "second wave" thing going on in the stretch of time.

Well, I always heard that Generation X starts around the time of the Vietnam War (1965-ish) and goes into 1982. So the "first wave" of GenXers is those of us born between 1965 and 1975, and the second wave, 1976 to 1982. I don't how that first and second wave thing got started...unless it's because there's some peer-related differences that are enough to stand out more.

 As for me, I guess I'm a second-wave X-er (You can probably guess my age very easily now :) And that Millennial generation, also known as "Generation Y" is our successors and based on what I looked up and researched, were born between 1983 and 2001. I had a discussion with a friend on this one once, we had to agree to disagree on who is who and what age makes you which generation.

It's understandable to kind of get a little confused on these 2 when they are so close together . You'll probably remember and cherish different things, movies, TV characters and pop culture ism's depending on whether you're an X'er or a Millennial. Being a second wave X-er, my fondest memories were of Pac-Man, the Speak and Spell, the movie E.T., and the Rubix Cube (but who doesn't remember the Rubix cube...that's a dead ringer right there!)

Amazingly enough, if you're younger than me by at least 5 years, you may have less of a recollection of those things I mentioned above...Pop culture changes so much and it's surprising how much a year or two can alter our ideas of what was "cool" "trendy" and "hip", even things like our language, catchphrases, etc.

What's the point of this discussion? If you're wanting to know which generation you belong to? Most likely, If you were born between 1965 and 1982 you are a Generation X-er. If you were born between 1983 and 2001 most likely you're a Millennial Keeping in mind that a "generation" is supposed to be about 20 years. Some things we enjoyed, watched on TV , did for fun, etc., may overlap too, which is OK....but the bottom line, we had and have a lot of great memories to share!

Cute Plastic Jelly Flat Shoes For Women Who Love 80s Fashion!

Remember wearing "jellies" back in the day? These unmistakable plastic shoes with elaborate lacing design were the must-have summer wardrobe staple. These adorable jelly flats are the perfect gift for women into 80s fashion now that they're making a comeback!

What better way to get in touch with your inner girly girl than a pair of these beauties? If you're like my age, you probably have a vivid recollection of slipping your feet into these colorful slippers and wanting to get a pair to match every outfit.


OK...Believe it or not, I've never been a real big "shoe person" but I'll have to make an exception from time to time and one of them is the jelly shoe fashion trend of the 80s. I will always remember my first pair of these, way way back when I was in kindergarten I thought I had found Nirvana. These were the coolest EVER! But like potato chips, it was hard to stop at just one.

That first pair (pale pink) led to many more...Pretty soon I had orange, green, red, white, clear...Being made of plastic they were dirt cheap, and you could hose them off if you'd had a pretty adventuresome day tromping through that old Georgia clay that's so prevalent where I live. Sometimes there would always be that inevitable piece of the lacing that would break. Sometimes I would be on the playground and get little pebbles stuck in the pockets of the heels but that didn't stop me from wearing them everywhere. So it paid to have many pairs.

Of course, when wintertime came along, I was sad because I had to put my collection away, knowing they would not be the best kind of cold weather footwear with all their open cutouts.

As you can see I've still got 2 pairs that I've kept that are in big-girl sizes that I still wear occasionally...Since I only have 2 I want to preserve these as long as I can because they are definitely vintage 1985 or something (see below) Wearing plastic on my feet did take some getting used to but like every fashion trend, you get used to it and learn to love it :) And one pair might lead to another.

Check Out These Two Adorable Vintage Alarm Clocks!

Never shared this before with you guys but one of my favorite things to collect is cute vintage clocks like these here! I believe I got them both on Ebay - Do you remember when clocks for a bedside table or nightstand looked cute like this? They are also electric too - Most clocks nowadays are battery powered but you can hear them ticking -to some of us that's a little unnerving. Electric clocks are more tranquil in that they operate with a sweep second hand that moves gracefully across the front instead of going tick, tick tick.

I got them in working order but the one on the left with the cute little rainbows, not sure why but the hour hand is kind of loose so it doesn't keep correct time. I realize that's the breaks  Listings for "collectible" items sometimes come with that label "sold as is" -which is not dishonest, it's just meant to let people know that sometimes old things, when age is concerned, are going to have their flaws. It's still a great little collectible item to have in my collection. It reminds me of exactly the kind of bedside clock I had when growing up that had that soft glow in the background and made the daunting prospect of getting up for school a bit easier.

The fuschia pink one on the right, I plugged it in a while ago to see if it is still keeping good time. Looks like it is :) Dontcha just love bold colors like fuschia pink? It's one of my favorite colors so I knew it was a no-brainer to bid on this one! This model, I think it is made by Westclox, comes in a range of colors like purple, turquoise blue, orange (my all-time favorite color) and aqua green. I'm hoping to add to my collection as I browse around to see what others I can find.

I'm not sure if the alarm works well or not, but I don't need that, this makes a great office desk clock too! If I can find more like this in these colors I may switch them out periodically to suit my mood. Sometimes you've got to make your own idea of fun :)

Top Five Most Unforgettable 80s Toy Characters I Remember Most Fondly

My Five 80s Toy Character Faves!

Do you fondly remember a certain toy character from the 80s? Perhaps they made your Saturday morning cartoon lineup - or you just got a kick out of collecting stickers, cards, figurines or many other great little trinkets. If you are a collector like myself, you probably know as well as I do that these authentic character toys are hard to find now unless you pay a visit to Ebay or another venue that specializes in vintage collectibles, because let's face it these characters are over 30 now so they qualify as vintage. If you are a Gen-Xer like me or an older Millennial this list below will definitely make you wax nostalgic:

Strawberry Shortcake and Friends

What girl could resist a troupe of characters all named after desserts or fruits? I had all the accessories graced with their presence...bedding, jewelry, dolls, you name it - but the creme de la creme was the miniatures...there were so many of them and I was always looking out for new additions! I kind of regret selling some of them on eBay - They were so cute and even after 30 years they still kept their sweet scents intact!

The California Raisins

Remember these guys? Maybe I first saw them in some lets-get-kids-away-from-junk-food public service TV commercial, IDK....but these characters were some cool cats. I remember one time entering a contest to come up with the best names for the three of them...I have no idea what the grand prize was - but I thought "Shady Vine" was a great choice for one of them.

ALF

If you were a grade schooler with a bedtime you probably loved watching ALF on primetime TV....He was this wisecracking alien with a real attitude! For those of you not yet old enough to remember, here's the backstory: ALF is an alien from the planet Melmac who crash lands into the roof of a suburban middle-class family that then takes him into their home as a permanent member of the family.

The TV show was all about ALF's exasperating and hilarious hijinks, and in addition to the show there was a good bit of merchandise with him on there, like collector cards, buttons, and miniatures like this one.

I was so crazy about ALF back in the day...I thought he was the funniest creature ever; what kid isn't bowled over by a smart alecky alien with killer catchphrases? (I don't think I liked the fact that he thought cats were a delicacy, though!)

Care Bears

Everybody remembers these lovable guys....All of them were different colors and had a little symbol on their tummy that represented a feel-good emotion (well, except for "Grumpy") as well as being named after the emotion. I had a few posable figurines that I can't remember what I did with at the moment, but I'm sure they didn't get too far.

Cabbage Patch Kids

Saving the best for last...who can forget these loveable cherubs? all of them unique, some of them had little teeth sprouting, some of them had little eyeglasses, and as for me, I have a collection too, unfortunately what I don't seem to have is the boxes they came in and their adoption papers :( I had to rename one of mine because I accidentally lost her certificate...They'd be worth some major bucks right now if I had the boxes and papers, being vintage collectibles.

But the eponymous dolls were just the tip of the iceberg....there was SO much cool stuff with the characters on them, like stickers, books, and miniatures. I remember vividly getting to go to visit their headquarter tourist locale Babyland General in Cleveland, Georgia (Don't quote me on that for sure...but I think it's still open to the public)

Well that's my lineup of my favorite five.....What other characters do you remember that you loved, watched on TV, or collected little versions of?

Cool Pop Culture Trivia Board Game Gift For 80s Fans

Are you someone who can't get enough of trivia games? Well you'll love this pop culture trivia game gift for 80s fans!

With the advent of so much technology it's almost like board games are viewed as something passe but us nostalgia buffs couldn't disagree more. I even heard someone one time say "It's no coincidence that word rhymes with "bored" Kinda sad - I guess some people are more jaded.

My husband and I already have the original "Scene It" game in the closet somewhere (along with a number of other forgotten mementos like Scrabble and Sorry) but this is the totally 80s version where you and a number of other players can test out all your knowledge of movies, music, TV shows and much more.

A DVD is included to enhance the experience, but there are plenty of accessories included for people to match wits and see who the real culture connoisseur is. You and your buddies may just surprise yourselves at the next party or family game night
(Remember when people used to treasure time spent together as a family?) Get ready to have a blast (snacks and soda pop are optional.)

Totally Awesome Cassette Tape T-Shirt Gift For People Who Love the 80s

Are you a righteous dude ( or dudette?) Then you'll love this cassette tape t-shirt for people who love the 80s!

Take a trip down memory lane to a simpler age in which nobody had ever heard of CDs, MP3s or digitally downloading music...Back then the best pastime was going to the mall to get the latest album by your favorite artist on one of these babies and pop it in your Walkman for some R and R! With five color choices and sizes for all ages you're sure to rock your next theme or costume party in this cool tee with funky retro fonts and graphic of an old school music tape emblazoned in the middle.

When I look at that cool cassette graphic I find myself thinking about those big boomboxes we had to play them with. You had to take good care of them because there was nothing worse than the thought of the ribbon getting caught in the machine. Sometimes I got lucky and could rewind the ribbon back without a scratch other times it was a total loss. Bummer right? That was a great time but those were the breaks I guess. I probably have a small collection gathering dust somewhere...whether or not they still perform is anybody's guess. One thing is for sure, this is a great addition to your wardrobe that will never get old or wear out!