because barbie can be anything, women can be anything.

I can sum up my life lately in one word: Barbie. There have been an awful lot of Barbie related events and experiences taking place over the last few weeks. It all started with a Barbie themed party followed by multiple screenings of the new Barbie movie, which stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and a ton of other notable actors. Truthfully? I wouldn't have it any other way. My mom has always loved Barbie and collected the dolls then and now. No wonder my first word ever spoken was "Barbie." This iconic figure has been an important part of my life. I literally can't remember a time without Barbie! Growing up, I loved playing with my dolls and dressing them in all sorts of different outfits. I loved making my Barbie organize picnics and hold fashion shows. Most of all, I loved believing in her world. After all, in Barbieland, Barbie could be anything, do anything, and make anything happen. She could have a hundred different careers, own her own home, have an assortment of vehicles, and make her own decisions. Barbie always represented what could be....and I loved her so much for that. 

It all started with a Barbie themed birthday party for my mom. This was actually supposed to have taken place a month previously, but thanks to COVID, it was delayed. The party was hosted by my mom, but some of her friends attended as well as my oldest friend. It took absolutely ages to set everything up and my mom spent a lot of time choosing Barbie themed items to display. Thankfully, it all came together well and my mom had a good time. There was lots of Barbie themed conversation, pink snacks to choose from, and music from the new Barbie movie playing in the background. It was definitely a good way to kickstart all of the Barbie themed festivities. On that day, I wore a sparkly sequined Barbie jersey from Forever 21 (which you can see here) and tons of pink accessories. Like pink pom pom sneakers, a fuzzy pink scrunchie, a ring with a large pink stone, and a sparkly Barbie bracelet. My outfit was definitely as Barbie themed as humanly possible. Everyone else dressed up either as a Barbie or in Barbie merchandise as well, so there was Barbie everywhere you turned at this themed birthday event. 

The new Barbie movie is easily the hottest ticket in town. In fact, tickets to see the movie opening weekend were purchased a month in advance. The film is making a ton of money and is sure to make even more over the next several weeks. I was able to see the movie and celebrate my friends birthday on the opening weekend. We got all dressed up (she dressed as a literal Barbie in a retro cherry print dress and I dressed in bright pink pants with a Barbie Movie t-shirt) and watched the film. Then it was back to her place to make doll clothes and eat delicious desserts. What a day! The next time that I saw the movie was with another friend of mine. Everyone knows that I adore Barbie, so it was not a surprise to be asked to see it by multiple people. For that particular viewing, my outfit consisted of a pink Barbie sweatshirt, Barbie printed shorts, and lots of pink eyeshadow. As you can see from the photo above, there was white shadow on the inner portion of the lid, a neon pink eyeshadow on the remainder, and then lots of glitter layered on top. I was really happy with the way the makeup look turned out.

As for the Barbie movie itself...I don't want to share any spoilers. However, I can say that it was wonderful. It was colourful and funny and real and raw. It made me laugh and it even made me cry. The movie spoke to gender norms and issues within our society. It also spoke to the power of Barbie and the way that different ideas live on. There was one quote that perfectly summed up my experience with Barbie. "The real world is not perfect, but you inspire me." I wish so much that the world was perfect or even kind of okay. But it's not. At least we always have Barbie. She makes the world a hopeful and colourful place. 

Have you seen the Barbie movie yet? How are you celebrating Barbie this month?