#you can see why I was not a Br*tz or My Sc*ne kid (censoring to avoid the tags)

[marzipanandminutiae]

when I was little, my absolute favorite doll was Princess of Ireland Barbie (I called her "Joan Kathleen-" don't judge; it was like 2002 and this actually wasn't consciously after JKR. is Joan an Irish name? I have no idea)

I was. ENCHANTED. the contrast of her lip color with her skin (the only white Barbies I'd ever seen had that "artificially tanned blonde" look), her deep red hair, her intelligent closed-mouth smile. she was everything

I used to play that she was made of ivory, with eyes of emerald and lips of ruby. was that wildly impractical for a doll? yes, but I had a picture book where a little princess owned a rocking-horse of ebony with "sapphire eyes and twinkling golden tassels" so I was obsessed with the idea of Impractical Fairytale Luxury Toys. I imagined her a dress that felt less stiff, with embroidered instead of printed designs (but her velvet cape scored BIG points).

there's no real ending to this; she's still at my parents' house in a place of pride. I was just wildly obsessed with this doll- and look at her. she's amazing. I was objectively correct