Blythe Doll is a Fashion V.I.P. in Tanzania!
- Jun 21, 2016
- 3 min read
If you have been keeping up with my Africa posts, you must know I am on an adventure of a lifetime! But who would have thought I would be getting a fashion V.I.P experience here in Olduvai Gorge, while on safari!
I guess it pays to know the right people because a creative fashion designer just made a "Lulu inspired" Maasai dress and jewelry as a gift for me to take home! I love them so much! The bright colors just make me smile and the fit is divine!
How did I get so lucky, you ask? Well, you may recall our beloved Sam, the tour guide, from an earlier post. He, Karen, and I became fast friends in the first few days here and have since spent a great deal of time with each other. We had the opportunity to visit his family in the village of Maji Ya Chai (population 500.)
If you remember, we had given a Barbie doll to Sam to give to his children since they don't have those kinds of toys here. They named her right away! She will be known as Furaha, which means happiness in Swahili. She helped Jennifer out by trying on the dress when I wasn't around! The family appreciated the doll gift so much that they decided to give a gift back, and I was to be the recipient! (YES!!!)
Jennifer, Sam and yours truly!
Here is where the story gets good! It turns out that Sam and his wife, Jennifer are both artists. Creativity is a big part of their life together. Infact, their story began when they met in school in an art competition. They both do paintings, batik, and make recycled paper Jewelry. Sam sells the jewelry to the safari adventurers and to friends. I'm so lucky to receive these gifts!
Jennifer designed this lovely dress for me! And then the Sam and Jennifer worked together to make me these one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces! As you might imagine, my new necklace is made from recycled paper! (My "Green" California friends would be so proud of my for wearing recycled fashion jewelry!)
Here is a brief explanation on how it is done...
Sam and Jennifer cut the papers in the shape of a pyramid, then roll the paper around a toothpick and use glue to attach the end tip of paper. This becomes a paper bead. Next, they put them on a string and dip them in clear wood varnish to make them water resistant and dry them in the sun. Once dry, they can design the jewelry!
They usually make jewelry for people, not dolls, so Sam and Jennifer had to take extra care to create the miniature beads for my items! It takes a great deal of skill and time to make the beads so small, but Sam said because of the experience they had making my jewelry, he is willing to make small items again and will even take orders if any doll accessory reseller wants them to make more of these miniature sized pieces! So if you want authentic Maasai tribal jewelry for your doll, I've got the connection for you! How cool is that???
Sam helped with the photo shoot. In this picture, he is helping me pose on some buffalo horns! (I know! Cool right?) Be sure to notice the amazing backdrop! Tanzania is so beautiful!
Furaha, the Barbie, was nice enough to volunteer to be the model for the dress Jennifer made for me when I couldn't be around. What a nice friend!
Karen continues to be a wonderfully adventurous travel companion and she goes out of her way to see that everyone in her tour party has the time of their life, and I am no exception! Every day is packed with amazing memories in the making! I am very grateful to her and I'd recommend her tour to anyone looking for a safari adventure beyond their wildest dreams! http://travel.klpn.net/
And, speaking of gratitude, I don't know how to begin to thank Jennifer and Sam for the way they have spoiled me with gifts so precious! What a wonderfully generous and talented people!
Here is a picture of Jennifer, Karen and me.
I really must get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow we venture out to see some wildlife up close and personal! You can bet that I will share those pictures with you, as well.
I am "living the life". What Blythe doll gets to do this stuff?
LuLu, that's who! (Woot!)
Bye for now, friends!
Yours truly,
Lulu
To read all the stories of Lulu, go to the home page or click here http://kimbengali.wix.com/lulu-blythe http://kimbengali.wix.com/lulu-blythe
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