Agatha Primrose's Halloween

October the first swept in on tiny little breezes.  The heat of summer, the dryness that followed, left scatters of leaves in varying stages of decay, tucking themselves neatly into Agatha's herb garden.  Shin deep in gardening boots, her wide brimmed hat tucked tightly on her head, lest a pesky witch-wind came by to lift it away, Agatha was finishing up the last of the harvest.  

The recent rains helped some of the struggling plants, but many by now had gone dormant from the early setting of the sun and the cooling earth at night.

Her basket full for this season's last time, she headed back to her little stone house built by her great, great grandmother, still in the family and lovingly occupied and cared for by its current occupant.  As she approached the door under the large, covered porch, a little breeze blew a sheaf of paper, no, a white envelope down the steps, that had been tucked into the

metal scrollwork on the front door.  Agatha carefully placed her gathering basket down and took off after the envelope as it danced its way across the porch and down the walking path.  Having retrieved the now soiled delivery, she walked back inside to settle her gatherings and placed a copper kettle on the stove for a much-needed cup of chamomile tea.

Agatha's kitchen held a large fireplace in which a black kettle could be suspended above the freshly placed logs that would be lit for warmth or cooking.  Her shelves were lovingly filled with labeled jars and corked bottles of this, that and the other thing, and drying herbs were suspended from the rafter beams, tightly bound and awaiting their future purposes.  

Mug in hand, she fired up her computer to browse the latest on social media, and current potions and elixirs.

The small kitchen window was open to the autumn air, and the yellowed lace curtains ruffled ever so slightly as the sun began to set.  It had been a beautiful day filled with hope and the holiday spirit.  Rested and refreshed, Agatha picked up the envelope and carefully sliced it open with the ornate letter opener that had been passed down from mother to daughter over these many years.  As she did so, a tiny spark flew from the opening and a whisper of cedar and cinnamon rose from

the broken seal.  Unfolding the contents, she read, "Your presence is welcome at an All Souls Night Gathering on the 18th of October.  In other words, get your fanny to Denver, Colorado for the best Halloween party ever!".  It was signed, The Doll Coven.

The 18th?  Denver?  Agatha shook her head in dismay.  There was the great distance to travel, and her car was not travel worthy.  There was also very little time to conjure up a costume should she even be able to attend.  The invitation also noted that the incredible wizard, Tonner, would be in attendance bringing his special brand of magic with him.  She vowed to find a way to attend this gathering for this wizard's magic was powerful.  Agatha's class schedule was heavy, and homework was due in her biology class.  Attending appeared impossible.

She sat and stared out the window as the moon rose.  Autumn's little bats were dipping and spinning in the twilight when an idea came to her.  She rose and walked over to the shelves that lined the kitchen on all sides and pulled down the family grimoire that had been tucked among the many cookbooks and magical tomes with crumbling leather spines.  Certainly, she thought, there must be a spell to aid me in my quest.  After thumbing carefully through the pages yellowed with time, she came upon an enchantment that looked promising.  She gathered her mortar and pestle, a few candles, and lit a fire beneath a small iron pot on the old wooden table and began preparations.

Midnight arrived by the time she had a nice little pot of herbs bubbling in the pot.  As she stirred and sprinkled in the last ingredients, she chanted, 

"Moon that sails the night on fire, map the path to my desire.  Time is of the essence now, open the channels and show me how."  Twice more she spoke the words and with a flourish, dropped in the last ingredient.  A puff of smoke and terrible odor filled the little kitchen.  Agatha didn't recall this kind of result when she watched Grandmama work this spell.  What could have gone wrong?

Frustrated, she cleaned up and went to bed a bit despondent but ready to try the next night.  Twice more she tried.  Twice more she failed.  "Fiddlesticks!", she thought.  Just one wrong herb picked out of season could upset the spell.

Agatha was anything but a poor student.  Smart as a whip, she worked her studies, aced her biology exam, and only then did she come back to the issue

at hand of how to attend the All Souls Night party.  Even through her studies the question was never far from her thoughts, but Agatha, a very practical young lady, knew the answer would come if she'd just learn to relax, breathe and envision.  This was when the idea stuck her of asking her mentor, Goody Hillcomb, the witch who worked in the science department at University, for help.

Goody Hillcomb, also a very practical, very wise woman, then asked Agatha over for tea.  Shortly after, a desperate rapping came at Goody's door.  Agatha thanked her exuberantly for giving her audience with very little notice and began to describe her plight.  She reluctantly confessed to Goody, the failed attempts she'd already tried.  Goody nodded, listened carefully, and told Agatha that sometimes spells only worked in the absence of the obvious.

Wide-eyed, Agatha looked hopeful at Goody and asked what 

she meant by "obvious".  As Goody was a friend of the great wizard herself, she'd received the same invitation.  She knew that The Doll Coven was a virtual online group and everything to be enjoyed could be done magically online!  Such an obvious and simple solution.

Sometimes when we have priorities and constraints, there is yet a little bit of magic to make our desires come true.  The Virtual Doll Coven was brilliantly conceived for such a purpose to include everyone far and near.

So, Goody and Agatha made plans to attend the party together by computer.  They'd decorate Agatha's home for Halloween, magically carve many pumpkins and set them on the porch.  They'd light every candle in the house, and send the wizard and the coven of three, a special Samhain blessing.

Happy Halloween, Agatha!

This story is a small tribute to the wizards in Denver, Colorado, who continue to bring magic into our lives every day. 

 

Bewitched's Samantha!

The year was 1964 and on September the 17th, the pilot of one of America's most beloved fantasy sitcoms aired on national television.  The pilot introduced a beautiful witch named, Samantha, who falls in love with mortal man, Darrin, and marries him.  Unbeknownst to Darrin, his wife is a witch whose family disapproves of their union.  From there, the magic, mayhem and hijinks play out in every episode.  It was one of my favorite childhood programs, and I was seated on the living room floor to catch every moment of the opening animation, to the final seconds of each episode.  I was seven years old.

I can only imagine how my eyes must have lit up when the opening tune accompanied the wonderful animation of Samantha flying on her broomstick, to a cat jumping up into Darrin's arms, then turning into Samantha.  And how could anyone forget the lyrical twitch of Samantha's nose when she performed her magic?

Goodness knows why I wouldn't have wanted to dress up as Samantha for Halloween that year.  But I was a kid and tried never to ask for anything in fear of repercussions.  I know I dressed up as a witch one year, but do not recall which one.  We made our own costumes out of cast offs and whatever we could dig up.  If only I could go back to being seven, with my brain of today!  Well, I'm sure I'd be impossible to live with and sent to my room more often that I already was.

But the wonderful creativity of the show and the fantasy that anything was possible with the twitch of a nose had me sitting in front of the mirror at times seeing if I could make my nose go side to side.  

The show aired from September 17, 1964, through to March 25, 1972.  The house at 1164 Morning Glory Drive would be visited by viewers from all over the country, as we were introduced to the Samantha's incorrigible mother, Endora, her feisty sister

(played by Montgomery), Serena, and the unforgettable neighbor, Gladys Kravitz.  

And of course, we went to work with Darrin at the advertising agency, McMann and Tate.  They appeared to be the average upper-middle-class suburban family, but we all knew better!

In 1965, Ideal Toy Company introduced a wonderful Samantha doll for the Christmas season, who was modeled from their Misty doll, Tammy's sophisticated friend.

Since Tressy, the doll that grew hair, was introduced in 1963, I'm pretty sure '64 was the year I got the Tressy.  With no clothing to change into, I quickly grew bored of turning the key that wound her hair in and out of her skull.  But, Samantha!  Oh, Samantha!  She was one of my favorite Christmas gifts of all time.  

Christmas morning 1965, I flew her all over the house on her broomstick.  She was gorgeous in her beautifully curled hair, and flame red dress covered in sparkles.  I know I flew her around the house several times more, but Liddle Kiddles and troll dolls probably held more lasting appeal.

There was also something wrong with Samantha.  Wrong?  Yep.  Even to my "never skips a detail" child's mind, she wasn't dressed correctly.  The TV show never showed Samantha wearing this dress, this outfit, and I wasn't going to say anything.  Who would I tell?  My mother would have had a conniption fit if I had, so Samantha quietly got tucked away somewhere for many years.

It was after my mother died and we were going through boxes, that Samantha was found.  And she was perfect.  Still had her broom, her shoes, her hair was nice, really nice, and the costume's only issue if you can even call it one, was that one of the snaps could use new threads.  

Every Halloween, or Christmas since then, I've taken her out for a month, then put her back until next holiday season.  This year would be different.  For one thing, I discovered that she was made from the Misty mold, and last year I spent several months amassing my first Tammy collection, so I was familiar with seeing the Misty dolls.

I started doing a little reseach into Misty dolls, and thought, Why not make the animated Samantha outfit for a Misty doll?  For one, they're really expensive.  And two, they're not in very good condition.  And three, there has to be a three, Misty doesn't look like Samantha.  So I started looking for another Samantha doll to dress.  Repeat reasons one and two and I had to reconsider.

In the meantime, a lady named Peggy, who refashions Liddle Kiddle dolls share this photo of her recent Samanth and Endora creations on Facebook and I went nuts. Dummy me was 

"unaware" that these Kiddles were ever made, so I wrote to her.  This is how I found out that she refashions the dolls and these two would be up on Ebay shortly.  They now reside with my Halloween doll collection.  Her Endora is such a hoot!  The costuming is made from wool felt, so yes, I could do this, too.  I may make my own Jeannie of I Dream of Jeannie from a Kiddle sometime down the road.  But I digress.  The Kiddles are precious.

And my research continued until I started finding that they'd made Samantha paper dolls in the 1960s.  The show was so popular that TV Guide produced a Bewitched Fun and Activity Book!  Well, guess what?  Now I own a copy that's never been played with, drawn in.  And I'll be sharing some of it on Facebook in October for a fun treat.  I would have LOVED having the paper dolls and this activity book as a kid, but again, there was my mother.  She simply hid things from me, knowing that if I saw them, I'd want them, and bug her until I got them.

And this is how I collect.  When I'm really into a vintage doll, if there are books or toys or accessories of some kind that were related to the doll, I try to find them.  I may not have been able to enjoy them as a child, but maybe I get more out of owning them now!

As it turns out, I wasn't going to buy a very expensive doll in poor shape just to costume her, so I decided to actually play with my childhood Samantha.  But first, I needed black shoes.  Without the shoes, there's no point.  Just try finding a pair of those squishy black kitten heels that fit Tammy and Misty!  I looked for months last year with no luck whatsoever.  Then several days ago when I was once again looking, late in the wee hours of the morning, an actual pair was listed on Ebay.  I bought them.  Didn't think twice.

I was off to a good start.  Those magic, black kitten heeled shoes!

For the first time in 60 years, Samantha would be dressed as she should have been.  

I've never sewn for Barbie.  Never.  And sewing for this Misty body was very much like that only the Ideal body is a little less "sophisticated".  The bodies are more like a young teen's body.  I started looking for Tammy patterns to use as a mock up and found one digital set that I could only use the upper darts for.  Of course.  See?  That's why I make my own patterns.  What I want to sew, there isn't a pattern for!  So I launched my new project a couple of weeks ago and agonized for hours over it.

After this, I've pretty much taught myself how to make those long darts in the front and in the back, which sinch a dress to a more form fitting appearance.  Three tries.  Silk...muslin...silk again.  My confidence was flagging.  First of all, I'm not experienced with

making my own darts so there were many fittings, thread pulls, resewing etc.  But the worst problem and I hate to admit this, but I can no longer sew black and black.  I simply cannot see the thread going into the black fabric.  Close to giving up, I decided to just try using a thread I could see to sew with.  I used a dark gray.  That seemed to help a great deal, but it will forever bother me that I couldn't use black thread.  I can't even sew a tiny black button with black thread on a black dress.  I did, but I won't do it again.  I'm not going to analyze (yes, I will), why I can't do this any longer, but let's suffice to say, it has something to do with aging eyes.  

And now my beautiful Ideal Samantha doll is dressed the way I always wanted her to be dressed.  In that adorable outfit she wore in the opening animation of the show.  And by the way, the cape is secured to the bodice with loops on the edge of the cape and tiny buttons on the inside of the bodice so that the cape folds inside the edge of the bodice like the animated costume.  I discovered that Madame Alexander did this with their version, only the red was

green.  Go MA!

While doing my research, I watched both the first pilot episode of Bewitched on YouTube (go YouTube!), and will once again, this December, watch the first year's Christmas episode when Samantha takes an orphan boy, played by Billy Mummy, to meet Santa Claus at the North Pole.  If you get a chance, read this blog on that episode.  It's wonderful! Christmas TV History: Bewitched Christmas (1964)

I don't impress very easily, but sometimes I get a nice surprise.

When I was undressing my doll, I started to marvel at the condition she was in.  Even the pink underwear is in pristine condition.

No stains.

Perfect hair that is still soft and smooth, and get this! Still has the original pins in it!  Now I did do one thing to preserve her tresses.  I took out the old rubber band that was rotted and replaced it with similar colored cotton thread.  I've been doing this with old dolls with disintegrating rubber bands for years now.  Just thread a needle with thread to match the hair and go around and round the ponytail with the needle then tie it off.  You'll love the effect.

I took these photos for both myself for my archives and also so you could see what a doll like this in pristine condition should look like.  I'm not bragging.  I'm actually just amazed that she kept so well.  The vinyl isn't even marred or sticky.

She's just a really nice doll.

And here's the back of her red flame dress.  This fabric is sort of weird.  I don't know what to call it.  It's like a paper fabric.  Some kind of synthetic property.  The back panel is a stretch material.  I might also note that I made the new, black witch hat, roughly the same size as this red one.  In the animated cartoon image, it looks even smaller.  If only I had a nighttime back drop like the one with the city buildings and stars to pose my doll in front of!

Below are some examples of other Samantha dolls made over the years.  I'd considered getting a Barbie one, but they didn't make the cape correctly.  And while the Madame Alexander doll has the correct cape, Cissette does not look like Samantha, and she has a V neck dress instead of a square neck.  Details, details.  Picky, picky, picky.  LOL 

If you're a fan of Bewitched, you'll love the blog link I shared.  If you love Samantha dolls, these are but a few to browse sometime.  This has been a really fun project and journey for me.  And I actually got to really play with my childhood doll instead of flying her all over the living room on her broomstick.  

October is just a day away and Halloween month is going to be spectacular!

Sending you magical Halloween wishes, Melissa

Samantha Paper Doll

Tabitha Paper Doll

Tonner's Samantha

Tonner's Endora

Mattel 2001

Mattel 2001

Mattel 2010

Madame Alexander 2005

Santa's old friend, Samantha

 

September 18, Happy Birthday to Me!

I'd considered writing a birthday blog, then stopped myself thinking, how very self-indulgent that would be!  Well, honestly, is there ever a better time for self-indulgence than on one's own birthday?!  And Virgos may just be the best at this when it comes to their birthday.  I counted at least seven women over sixty posting a selfie on Facebook telling us how old they turned today.  I guess it's really no big secret, and I suppose I should be proud to have lasted this long, but I'm sixty-seven today.  The Big 6-7.  Or little in my case so small of stature, the little 67.

Last night I woke up at 11:57pm and stayed awake to wish myself a happy birthday.  Remember when I said I'd come up with a "Rabbit Rabbit" for luck?  Well it came to me in an instant just before the clock turned midnight.  "Robert Robert, magic wishes, Robert Robert."  Why Robert?  Sounds a bit like Rabbit and Robert Tonner is one of my favorite doll artists.  I think he'd be tickled if he knew what a wizard we all thought he was.  He's made more magic for me than any other doll artist to date.

It's funny, but at that very late hour while I was waiting for the clock turn to 12:00am, it felt like Christmas Eve.  It's that kind of excitement that promises a day of surprises.  I was telling Betsy today that if you make your own fun, celebrate your own way by yourself, you'll never be disappointed.

Everyone knows my husband is a stinker, and he's the worst on my birthday.  Won't acknowledge it if it hits him over the head.  I took myself out to lunch today.  I'm not supposed to be eating sugar or fats, watching my blood sugar and high cholesterol (how boring!), but I indulged like mad today.  I bought myself a cut of German Chocolate cake from Raley's this morning and ate half of it for breakfast.  It's my favorite birthday cake and always has been.  Then I took myself out to lunch at the Twin Dragon Chinese restaurant.  

I told David I was going out to lunch, while he was head to 

toe deep in irrigation work.  Feeling a little guilty, I said he could come with me, but this is what I was doing, and he said he'd figure something out later.  I enjoyed myself, and brought home 70% of the meal since I really can't eat that much, and he scarfed down the rest while it was still warm.

Then a big pink box from Crumbl arrived with still warm from the oven gourmet cookies!  From Betsy, I told him.  "Oh.  Is it the 18th?  Uh.  happy birthday."  And that was his part in this.  Stinker.  Still, he got one of the big cookies for his dessert.  You can't change the stripes of a tiger, so why try?  An hour later, as gorgeous cake made entirely of gorgeous flowers with candles inserted and a helium balloon floating above it, arrived from my lovely friend, Heather.  If he didn't get the message with the cookie delivery, he couldn't miss the floral cake!  So, I'm feeling very loved and spoiled rotten right now.  And thank you so much to all my Facebook friends who sent me a little birthday wish!  

Stuffed on sugar, fats and carbs, I thought I'd crawl up into my favorite reading chair and while the rest of the day away reading.  But I just couldn't sit still.  I needed to write my birthday blog and continue the self-indulgence just a little bit more.

I thought about the dolls I've made to celebrate my birthday over the years and decided to post the ones "I remember".  There could be others but they don't come to mind.  I've bought myself birthday dolls, but these are the ones I dressed as birthday fun.

There was Peggy Sue.  Adding to her wardrobe, she got a pretty pink birthday dress and a new pair of roller skates.

There was the 16" Maggie Iacono I dressed as Virgo after one of my favorite Virgo illustrations (artist unknown).

Gracie in Year of the Rooster.  In Chinese astrology, I'm a rooster, so I made a Tonner Gracie doll a costume and rooster kite to illustrate Year of the Rooster.

Not my best flower outfit for tiny Esme, but she got an Aster dress.  There are other flowers associated with Virgo, the Morning Glory for one, but I couldn't figure out how to make a blended color in the petals for a Morning Glory, so Aster, it was.

I was thinking about what theme I would have for this year.  Route 66 was last year, and the road was pretty disastrous.  How does "sixty-seven, year of heaven" sound?  What else rhymes with "seven"?  Well, until I come up with something better, this is what it will be.  I could use a good year.  

Yes, there are two new years for everyone.  Your birthday year, and the calendar year.  I like marking time.  It's important to me.  This birthday was special to me since I was born on a Wednesday.  It also fell on the day of the Harvest Moon!  The full moon right before the autumn equinox.  Of course it's been silly, uncooperative weather the last two days, with a sky full of rain clouds that never gave us a drop

of rain.  Looking out my window right now, I see a little blue!  Maybe we'll get lucky.  The full moon is always best to see the night before, and if I want to try and see it tonight, it will be out in my pajamas on the driveway.  Its visible much later than the day prior.  

I love this illustration because it has my rooster and my moon!  Below are some of my favorite birthday illustrations.  It's been a good day. (David just walked in and complained that a cake is something you eat, not one made of flowers.  Stinker! But, he's my stinker.)

But, yes, it's been a wonderful day and I'm going to pick the TV show I want to watch tonight.  

This is the start of a new journey.  It's the 'bers, my favorite time of year, and I'm still all about Halloween right now.  I'm working on a project that has me feeling wonderfully creative and there are holiday dolls to buy and goody boxes coming from the VDC and what more could I ask? 

Betsy always reminds me each year of her favorite birthday poem by Rose Fyleman, called The Birthday Child.  It goes, "Everything's been different, all the day long.  Nothing has gone wrong, Nobody has scolded me.  Everyone has smiled.  Isn't it delicious to be the birthday child?"  Yes.

And now we're off to Autumn and Halloween!  Let's make some magic!