Erik (aka "The Very Nice Man") had the fabuloso idea to post childhood pictures, following Vicki’s inaugurally-fabuloso idea last week to post our front door views. Next week, Erik has tagged the illustrious Swampwitch to come up with a "My _______ picture post", and knowing her, it will also be fabuloso (if I say this word enough times, it WILL become a real word, ain’t that right?).
I could write a post that would have you crying a river–there aren’t that many childhood pictures of me (divorce and my mom’s death at an early age; then, my dad marrying someone young enough to be my older sister, who consequently didn’t realize the importance of capturing our tween and teen years on film :/), so I’m especially thankful for the ones we DO have. Most are not in good condition, so I’m pretty limited.
I love this one for a lot of reasons: 1) The misshapen Christmas tree, it’s so imperfect it’s perfect! Today there seems to be a trend to have "picture perfect" and/or theme trees, and this one extols originality. I’m sure my parents didn’t put that much thought into it, but I appreciate it’s beautiful ugliness. 2) There are ornaments hanging behind me that now hang on our tree :). They’re a part of Mama that’s still with me (I guess Daddy now, too). 3) We had retro red bulbs that got VERY hot and I entertained myself for hours (okay, minutes) "melting" silver metallic tinsel on it. It kept me away from the matches.
This is me at age 10. I thought the lavender bubble shirt was as cool as it gets, and no matter how cool I think the patchwork wrap-around skirt
is, my kids just laugh at me and say incredulously, "You actually wore that in PUBLIC?" Who says they have an eye for fashion?
I had NEVER seen this picture before two weeks ago; my brother had it….I have no idea how old I was, no idea who took it, no idea of the location. It has creases in it and needs to be lightened up (I’m gonna take it to have one restored). In spite of the quality, I LOVE that little girl, gap-toothed expression. Wouldn’t you like to know what she’s thinking? I sure would.
For fun and a look down memory lane, be sure to visit the others playing today.
Vicki at Living Life & Catching Light
Swampwitch at Anecdotes, Antidotes & Anodes
Beccy at Peppermint Tea
Kila at Momto3cubs
A Novelist at All you can’t leave behind
Peggy at Peggy, as she is
Robin at Pensieve
Songbird at My Way
Karmyn at Dreaming of What If’s
Tiggerlane at Tiggerlane, the Neophyte Blogger
Willowtree at A Dingo’s got my Barbie
Marnie at I didn’t say it was your fault . .
Leann at View from the Eagles Nest
Heather at Fumbling for Words
Desert Songbird at The Ice Box
Chrisb at Ms Cellania
Amy W at A Family Story
Anvilcloud at Raindrops
Yara at Hovering over Mediocrity
Jenny at Mama Drama
Cuppa at Brown Betty Brew
Enid at Third-Person Singular
It’s not too late for you to play along, too. Just send a link with YOUR childhood photos to Erik (and me 🙂 ), and we’ll be sure to drop by for a look-see!
P.S. Okay, so this is totally a mother thing, but I just added some pictures of my three monkeys playing in the rain to THIS POST and they’re so stinkin’ cute I had to tell ya here on this totally unrelated post. Mothers earn a right to be obnoxious…!
Love the Christmas tree, and it’s uber-cool that you still have some of the ornaments.
I thought those skirts were THE DEAL, too!
Beautiful pictures! I love the 3rd one. It’s so sweet. 🙂
Hah, excellent photos.
I’ve only looked at a few of those earlier “our front door views” posts and they all made me terribly jealous. So much so I couldn’t follow the links to anymore of them. Oddly though, I still wouldn’t give up living in the city, 20 or so miles from downtown LA, but the nice views so many of the rest of you have is a bit envy-inspiring :-p
Thank you for sharing your treasured photos they are lovely
So glad you came across the photo. Because of its story, it’s my favorite. Although, the tree and the lavendar bubble shirt are pretty special. Thanks for signing up for next FunMonday.
BTW: I think I know what happened to Granny’s Panties and why she’s wearing a thong. No PhotoShop but some Pirate is wearing them in Australia. *giggle*
I agree with you about taking photos for keepsakes, it’s a shame your situation resulted in only a few photos. I keep telling my 13 year old son he’ll regret it when he won’t let me take photos.
You were a gorgeous child, lovely photos.
I LOVE these pictures – and weren’t you just so stinkin’ cute 😉 And what is wrong with that skirt? I love it!
Man, Oh, Man, but my job is keeping me from some excellent blogging, and I missed out on this group thing!! *sigh*
My favorite really is you in front of the Christmas tree! That is priceless! For so many different reasons.
Oh, and you so purty!!
Love the last picture, that was really cool.
AW – so cute. Love it. and yes, that last picture was great. It needs to be saved.
cute pictures.thanks for sharing your a pretty girl.God bless.
Hey, my details are back! Yipee!!
That wrap around skirt is totally Holly Hobby material!! I love it!
I love those pictures, especially the first and the last. I wonder what that girl was thinking too. :O)
I decided to join in at the last minute.
Wow, you are so pretty, and those are great pictures.
Thanx,
-Yara
What a cutie you are! I think your eyes are just beautiful.
This was a neat idea! I need to check out the others too!
It’s nice to see and hear your recollections too.
Well, now, mon amies, new and not-so-new…nice hearing from all of you today :). Fun little thing to do on a Monday, n’est pas?
Stephanie, since you speak French so fluently, I’m sure you know what that means, unless you’re throwing the blond card;).
Nice to meet you today on this totally fun Monday. Looking at old pictures is always a blast.
Very nice pictures. I don’t know why I didn’t find out about this until way after the fact. Oh well, pictures of a young boy on a website called Dirty Uncle Mark seems wrong anyway.
What a beauty!
And the three monkeys are pretty cute too!
I enjoyed your pix. Every blog I have visited I see the faces and recognize. No one has changed that much.
I’m sorry I missed out on this. I’m having computer problems as well. (actually I think it is my provider CHARTER CABLE that is having the problems. But it is effecting my ability to visit and comment)
I think you were really posing in that skirt. It was CUTE.. IT WAS. I SAID SO
Such a sweet peaceful expression on your face in each photo, despite your childhood hardships… God must have been present in your life, somehow. :~)
Kila, Thank you for visiting my “monkey” pictures :)…you might’ve been the only one who did. BTW, I tried to post to you yesterday, Blogger apparently wouldn’t let me…after 3x, I gave up…I’ll try again later (and thanks for the sweet words here).
Pamela, I guess in addition to all your “excitement”, ISP can be a wretch, too. And I believe EVERY word you wrote…EVERY WORD ;).
E-mom, ah, dear cyberpal of mine, you read between every line. A gift or a curse? With your words of encouragement, a gift :).
I love, love, love that last photo.
Such a mischevious look in your eyes.
Not much has changed, huh?
Loved the photos! Thanks for sharing that with us!
I tried to get to the “monkey post” but the link just brought me back to this one. What did I do wrong?
Jenny, is it that obvious? 🙂
Carol, Geez, I linked to the wrong post. Thanks for letting me know! Everyone else was apparently fakin’ it (or more likely could care less about going back to an old post, even though the pictures I added are stinkin’ adorable! 😉 ).
Tres bien, Robin!!
Hee!!
Oh, and I don’t get to play the blond card anymore; my hair changed to a dark red now. I can’t explain it. I must still be blond under there somewhere!
Illustrious !?!
Fabuloso ? ! ?
When did DubYaT lose his details?
And how did Stephanie’s hair change from blonde to dark red with no explanation?
I was back – thinking about your red lights.
My friend and I used to DARE each other at Christmas time to see who could hold onto the lights longer. (I don’t remember how long we made it – but they were stinnking hot)
I love the picture with you in the ‘patch-work’ skirt…And I think it is very fashionable :)…Not trying to ‘score point’ – I just like it…Couldn’t have been me wearing it.
You’ve got a GREAT smile!
What a challenging childhood you had. I am sure there are pieces of it that are hard to shake, even now.
You were just as adorable then as you are now!
My ex took all of my Christmas ornaments that we had on the tree. I was so mad at him by that point I decided to just let it go rather than having to deal with him.
I heard they were thrown out.. and that kills me.
I’m so glad you have yours.. it really makes Christmas special.
Stephanie, I will NOT ask you to prove your blond roots!
Swampy, hehe :).
Karmyn, I think I did the same thing with my sister now that you mention it…
Iris, it was the coolest outfit of my tween years, that’s my story and I’m sticking with it!
Heather…interesting that you know so much not to know me ;). Thanks for checking in.
Marnie, :)…btw, I wanna kickbox your ex, that makes me furious for you! 🙁
that outfit was sweet – too bad kids these days can’t appreciate fashion. 😉
fantastic pictures!
btw – I’m praying for you today — all day
Popping in late… 😀
What a great set of photos…I absolutely LOVE the b/w one you recently came across…for so many reasons, it’s a very special picture.
I have a dirty, little plastic christmas gnome that my mother would unearth each year and wire onto one of her wreaths. I now strategically place that gnome somewhere in my holiday decor as a tribute to my mom! Something about Christmas momentos and memories really brings one’s childhood back.
Thanks so much for putting these photos up
Janice…I hear ya;).
Thanks, LCO!
Peg, better late than nevah!
I like your little gnomatic tradition, it is special how we bridge our past to the present.
Those retro C7 bulbs are my favs. Love the shape, the gentle frosted glow, the fact that the color is sooo thick on the glass that there’s absolutely no hot spot in the light. The C7 is a dying breed in a world of skinny, puny, gadgety new lights.