The Summer Of Barbie: 2023 (A Pop Culture Touchstones Post)

In July of 2023, the Barbie live-action movie was released in the United States. It became the highest-grossing film of 2023 and was nominated for eight Academy Awards. That summer was dubbed “The Summer Of Barbie”, and terms like “Barbiecore” and “Kenough” became buzzwords.

In the interest of full transparency, I’ll go on record to say that I rode the pipeline from playing with Barbies in my childhood, to ‘collecting’ Barbies in my teen and adult years. I loved Barbie when Barbie wasn’t cool, and I still have a soft spot in my heart for fashion dolls, even though my doll collecting hobby is currently on the back burner. Although fashion dolls aren’t as much of a priority in my life as they once were, knowing me I’ll probably go back to them eventually. I always do.

However, despite my enduring fondness for Barbie, I still haven’t brought myself to watch the live-action movie. I know how sensitive I can be, and I’m worried how I’ll react to a cherished icon from my formative years potentially being skewered or poked fun at for the sake of satire and social commentary, even if it is justified. My own childhood ideals of what Barbie is or isn’t are still so ingrained in me, that I worry it would wound me too deeply if they were challenged by an official source authorized by ‘the voice of corporate’.

But to get back on track with this post, the movie’s promotional campaign and its popularity resulted in the Barbiecore trend taking hold in both fashion and décor. Hot pink was the in color for that season, both to wear and for decorating. And it seemed like every retail store from Forever 21 to Five Below had displays of Barbie themed accessories for sale.

So, as a throwback to that now passed, pink-tinted summer, here’s a Barbiecore keychain.

I bought it on clearance at a liquidation store after all the hoopla was over. The keychain itself is made from metal and shaped like Barbie’s signature, with pink, script lettering. Fun fact, the color “Barbie pink”, a specific combination of pink and magenta, is actually trademarked by Mattel. This particular keychain was produced by Innovative Designs, LLC under license from Mattel.

I’m hoping to do more ‘Pop Culture Touchstones’ posts in the future, using my keychain collection to revisit past trends. So far, trying to research exactly when certain things were trendy has been a bit tricky for me, even with the internet. Does anyone remember what year those gecko keychains made from plastic ‘pony beads’ took the children’s crafting world by storm?

Signed, Treesa

Oh My Disney Mystery VHS Keychain blind boxes (An Update)

Just a quick post here. Apparently, Disney launched another wave of their retro-looking Mystery VHS blind box keychains. I reviewed a keychain from the first wave back in January of 2019. However, it appears that this newer wave is already sold out on the Disney website. It also looks like Disney upped the price from their first wave. My guess is that they may have been using the initial run to test customer demand. The first assortment did sell out fairly quickly, if I remember correctly.
Signed, Treesa

Brick By Brick (Lego Keychains)

I've been on a bit of a Lego kick recently. I'm not exactly sure why. I mean sure, my siblings and I played with Lego when we were growing up. My sister K. was especially good at building Lego floor plans for houses. I even had one of the larger pirate ship sets. Although if I remember correctly, my parents had to help a lot with the assembly.

But lots of kids grow up playing with Lego. I wouldn't consider myself an AFOL, as grown-up Lego enthusiasts sometimes refer to themselves. AFOL stands for Adult Fan Of Lego, and I only know that term because I borrowed a DVD copy of the Lego Brickumentary from my local public library. Anyway, I think my current interest in Lego keychains can be linked to two main factors: more licensed minifigures and easier accessibility.

For some reason, I'm really drawn to the licensed Lego minifigures. There's just something amusing to me about seeing a human film character translated into Lego form. However, since I need another collection like I need a hole in my head, I've been trying to limit myself to buying the minifigures in keychain form. After all, I've been collecting keychains since childhood, so it's not as if I'm starting a new collection from scratch. Although, I did pick up a few Lego Disney blind bag figures for my box of Disney collectables, but that's another story.

In the past, I've purchased a few Lego keychains here and there for my general collection.

For example, these two Christmas holiday themed keychains, representing Santa Claus and an angel respectively, were bought secondhand at different times.

And this Lego minifigure keychain of Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter franchise was found at a thrift store for a fantastic price.

Every once in a while, I've even purchased a clearance priced Lego keychain or two from one of the official Lego Stores, if my family happened to be shopping at a mall that had one and they wanted to stop in.

The purple Lego brick keychain and the Lego minifigure keychain of Indiana Jones' father pictured above both came from The Lego Store.

These next two Lego keychains, of Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 from Star Wars, were also bought from Lego Stores, though at different times.

The Yoda minifigure keychain pictured above actually came from the Lego Store connected to the Legoland Discovery Center attraction at Plymouth Meeting Mall in Pennsylvania. I also purchased the Discovery Center souvenir keychain shown below there.

My family and I didn't visit the actual attraction, but we did take a look in the store. There are a number of souvenir keychains in my collection from places I've never actually visited, as discussed in my "Armchair Traveling" post.

However, the main problem I've had with shopping for keychains at authorized Lego Stores is that all of the stores closest to me were too far away to visit regularly. And forget about shopping for Lego keychains online. Once you tack on shipping costs, it becomes very difficult to find many real bargains, though not impossible. The Lego minifigure keychain of Harry Potter shown below was purchased online, to coordinate with my Hermione Granger minifigure keychain. Now I just need Ron Weasley in Lego minifigure keychain form.

However, ever since the independent Lego store Andy's Brick Shop opened at one of the local malls, it's gotten a lot easier for me to get my hands on reasonably priced Lego keychains, without having to worry about shipping costs I would need to pay if I shopped online. Because Andy's Brick Shop is an independent Lego store, it sells both new in package items along with secondhand pieces and sets. I've mentioned the shop before in my "Disney Keychain Shopping Spree" post.

The minifigure keychain above was one of my early purchases from Andy's Brick Shop. I'm guessing it was originally sold as a souvenir in Orlando, Florida. There is a Legoland theme park near that part of Florida, as well as a Lego Store at the Walt Disney World resort. However, I'm honestly not sure which of those locations this keychain would have come from, if either.

I bought the minifigure keychain shown above from Andy's Brick Shop because my best friend and two of my sisters are all fans of the Marvel Comics superheroes film franchise, known collectively as the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the MCU. This keychain is based on the character Black Widow from The Avengers. Actually, I think the main reasons I bought her really were because I just really liked her hairstyle and her facial expression. But thanks to my best friend and my sisters, I at least knew who she was when I purchased her. I can't quite say the same about my next keychain purchase.

Another Andy's Brick Shop find, this minifigure keychain is based on a character from the Disney live action film Prince Of Persia. I've never seen the film, but this minifigure seemed to have a sort of 'Princess Leia' vibe to me, which I liked. Granted, I might feel differently if I actually knew anything about this character.

When I found this keychain, I knew right away that it was a hobbit character, despite it missing the original tag. Lego hobbit minifigures have shorter legs than full sized minifigures. However, I wasn't entirely sure which hobbit this was. I was kind of hoping it was Samwise Gamgee. But when I looked this keychain up online, it turned out to be Bilbo Baggins. It's still an interesting minifigure though.

Not only is Andy's Brick Shop well stocked, but the owner is also very knowledgeable. He was able to help me identify this Lego minifigure keychain that came in a grab bag I bought from a thrift store. Apparently, this minifigure was from the Lego Insectoids line.

Ok, so over half of these keychains were ones I already owned, rather than ones I purchased recently. So maybe I wasn't on as much of a 'Lego kick' as I thought.

Signed, Treesa

Update: Thanks to Andy's Brick Shop, I was able to get my hands on this Lord Of The Rings Frodo Baggins minifigure keychain. So now I have my second Lego hobbit character. Although, not everyone seems to think that this keychain bears a good resemblance to Frodo. Someone online compared the likeness to actor Michael Landon in Little House On The Prairie. I think it must be the hair, and maybe the suspenders.

Disney Keychain Shopping Spree: February 2019 (Keychain Haul)

I think I mentioned in a previous post that my favorite 'vacation destination' is the Disney parks. Ever since my family's last trip to Walt Disney World in 2011, several family members, including myself, have been putting aside money for a return trip. My third sister, A., had been lobbying for our next family trip to Disney to be during the winter holiday season. From what I understand, the Disney parks really go all out for Christmas. Well, it looks like A. might be getting her wish. Barring any unforeseen events or expenses, the next family trip is tentatively scheduled for the beginning of December 2019. I think I'll be riding up and down on that wave of anticipation for the rest of the year, especially since my birthday is also in early December. How cool would it be to spend my birthday in one of my all-time favorite places?

Being a keychain collector, I also started thinking about vacation souvenirs. Things are frequently overpriced at any popular tourist destination, but the Disney parks can be especially pricey. When my family was taking the shuttle bus back to the airport after our last Disney trip in 2011, the driver even made a joke about the price of a bottle of water at the park versus the price of bottled water in the 'real world'. Now that my family's next Disney trip has a more definitive time frame, as opposed to being at some undetermined date in the hazy future, I've found myself wondering if I should start putting aside even more money for a souvenir fund.

That's when I came up with a crazy idea. What if, instead of buying keychains at the park, I tried to save myself some money in the long run by going online and searching for Disney parks souvenir keychains at a discount on the secondary market? I know I stated in a previous post that I don't buy a lot of keychains online, mostly due to shipping costs. However, I figured there was no harm in looking around. Online 'window shopping' wouldn't cost me anything but my time, and if I couldn't find anything at a price I was willing to pay, then I could just log off empty-handed.

I discovered something while I was searching online that other keychain collectors might find useful. If you're searching for keychains from a specific Disney attraction, then there will be fewer search results, and the prices will be harder to justify budget-wise. On the other hand, if you're searching for more general Disney parks keychains, there will be more results at a wider range of prices. So consider that your secondhand shopping tip for the day. I was personally able to find a number of what I considered good deals. In fact, I sort of went overboard. I can definitely understand why people say that online shopping is addictive.

The first keychain I picked up on my "shopping spree" was this one. The words "Disney Parks", and a small castle in the clouds design logo, appear to be etched into the metal. This was, by the way, a bit tricky to photograph due to the reflective surface. Overall, I think the combination of the metal with the red leather or faux leather strap, I'm not sure which, gives this keychain a very classy look.

The next keychain I ordered had a nice design of the Disney castle on it, though again, the reflective surface made it difficult to photograph. However, this keychain isn't actually from the parks. I knew this was the case before I bought it, but I still really liked the design. According to the text on the back, this keychain is an advertisement or a premium of some kind for Partners Home Mortgage.

I looked up Partners Home Mortgage online, and the name seems to be connected to Partners Federal Credit Union, which, according to their website, "provides financial products and services" for Walt Disney Company employees. I wasn't aware that the Disney Company has its own private credit union. You learn something new every day.

This Lego Star Wars Princess Leia keychain probably didn't come from the parks either, although there was a Lego store located in a shopping district at the Walt Disney World resort the last time I visited. However, I'm fairly sure that the Star Wars franchise didn't officially join the Disney 'family' until more recently than that. Still, now that the Star Wars films are being produced by Disney, Leia should totally count as a Disney princess.

Truthfully, I've wanted one of these Princess Leia keychains ever since I first saw them at a shopping mall based Lego Store a while back. The thing about this particular version of Leia that got my attention was that she has a second facial expression on the back of her head.

I liked the idea of going from smiling Leia to frowning Leia.

This letter T monogram keychain was originally made for the Disney parks. It says so plainly on the back.

I also bought some theme park nameplate keychains that have my full name on them. In a shocking twist that will surprise no one, my real name is...

Obviously, the Harry Potter Gryffindor crest keychain did not come from the Disney parks. However, it is from another Florida theme park, namely The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. Both keychains are marked on the back, with the Disney one specifically being from Disneyland.

Next, we have a Walt Disney World 25th anniversary keychain.

I picked out this keychain because it had The Genie from Aladdin on it. The Genie was one of my favorite Disney characters when I was growing up.

This next keychain depicts Disney's famous Partners statue, with Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse holding hands.

If you look closely at this photo of the back of the keychain, you should be able to make out the words "Walt Disney World".

I'm not sure if this coin purse keychain is actually from the Disney parks, but I doubt it. Other keychains that I've seen from the parks with fabric labels will say "Disney Parks Authentic", or something similar. The fabric label on the inside of this coin purse keychain says "Mickey Unlimited". According to the online listing, the seller attributed the design on this keychain to artist Andy Warhol. I'm not sure how accurate that information is, but I do like the design.

This last online purchase was sort of an impulse buy. By the time I stumbled across the listing, the auction was almost over. I quickly looked over the page and noticed that the cost was low, that there were no bidders, and that the seller had an excellent feedback score. I also liked the 'Mickey Mouse head' shape of the keychain. So I took a chance on it. The Disneyland castle design on the keychain is a little more stylized than I would've preferred, with its heavy, black outlining. But overall, I'm happy with my purchase.

While I was in a Disney mood, I also picked up this item from my favorite thrift store. It's meant to be the rose with bell jar from Disney's Beauty And The Beast animated film. I found it attached to the zipper of an empty Beauty And The Beast themed art kit. Because the kit was missing all of the art supplies, the price on it was low enough that I felt ok with buying the case and then donating it after I removed the keychain. I suppose it's actually more of a zipper pull than a keychain but hey, my collection, my rules.

I also picked up this Lego Star Wars landspeeder keychain while I was at it. This keychain was purchased from a store called Andy's Brick Shop, which specializes in Lego items, mostly second-hand pieces and sets, but also old stock still in package. I'm assuming this particular keychain was used, since it didn't come with a cardboard tag or any other original packaging.

So, this wraps up my "shopping spree". Like I said, I sort of went overboard. But at least I can own up to that fact.

Signed, Treesa

Oh My Disney Mystery VHS Keychain blind box (A Review)

This post should have been up on the blog a lot sooner, but thanks to the holiday rush it sort of got lost in the shuffle. Unfortunately, this review is no longer very relevant, since the keychain in question is now sold out on the shopdisney website and is only available on the secondary market. I scanned Ebay to get an idea how easy these keychains would be to find, and while the supply online seems plentiful at the moment most of them also have a list price that is over twice the original retail price. In spite of this, I've decided to post my review anyway, just in case there are keychain collectors out there who are still curious about the product.

I first found out about the Disney Mystery VHS Keychains in an email my family received from the shopdisney website, advertising new products. The keychains were part of a '90s Flashback Collection that Disney launched, and some of the other items in the collection like journals and clutch bags also used the VHS case motif. I tend to refer to keychains modeled after 'old school' technology like VHS tapes as "retro tech". Naturally, it was the keychains in this collection that really got my attention, partially because I collect keychains, but also because I have a thing for miniatures. This might trace back to my days collecting Basic Fun's mini board game keychains. Or it might be because I'm also a doll collector who knows the value of nice, doll-sized props. Whatever the case, when pictures of the Disney VHS Keychains appeared in my family's inbox, it was love at first sight. So, I clicked on the link to the website for more information.

I'll admit, I was a little disappointed when I found out the keychains were a blind box item. I don't usually have very good luck with blind boxes. However, of the six different keychains that were available in the assortment, all four of the ones pictured on the website would've been welcomed in my collection. The other two keychains were 'mystery chasers', and they were supposed to be a surprise. However, by comparing the four known keychains to the full list of other merchandise that was available in the collection, and by using process of elimination, I was able to make an educated guess what those 'mystery chasers' were. With the odds of getting something I liked in my favor I decided it would be worth taking a chance. The $5.00 retail price also seemed very reasonable for an official Disney product. So, at the next available opportunity, I took a trip to the nearest Disney Store.

The store had stocked a nice assortment of merchandise from the '90s Flashback Collection. However, I didn't see any sign of the keychains. I wondered if the store had already sold out, so I asked an employee for help. It turned out the store hadn't even gotten in any of the Mystery VHS Keychains. I was annoyed when I realized that the only way I was going to get my hands on one was if I ordered it online, because that meant there would be shipping and handling charges. In my opinion, online shipping often seems unnecessarily high. There are times when it costs more to ship an item than you paid for the item in the first place. But lucky for me, the shopdisney website held one of their holiday free shipping promotions, so I was able to place an order for one keychain. The website's review section was already packed with complaints from people who'd ordered multiple keychains at once and received all duplicates.

When my package arrived, the brown cardboard shipping box was much bigger than it needed to be for a single keychain. I understand that there should be some extra room in a shipping box for packing material, but this box could have easily fit the full assortment of keychains and then some. The blind box itself is pictured below.

And here's a picture of the keychain I received.

As you can see, I ended up with The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, which was one of the 'mystery chasers'. I'm not sure if this actually means it's any rarer than the other keychains. There seem to be a large number of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame VHS keychains on Ebay. But I'm not sure if this means it's not rare, or if it's just not as desirable, or both. Even though The Hunchback Of Notre Dame isn't one of my favorite Disney films, I don't mind having it in keychain form.

In my opinion, the coolest thing about these keychains is that they really open, and each one has a pretend VHS tape of the movie inside.

However, the first time I tried to open mine I needed to use more force than I was comfortable with. I was actually worried I was going to break the keychain. Also, the plastic seems a bit thin, especially in the hinge area. I can't help worrying that repeatedly opening and closing the case will put stress on that area, and that over time the plastic might crack. Not to mention, the sticker labels on the outside of the case seem like they would be very vulnerable to scratches and other wear and tear. For these reasons, I don't think I'll be handling this keychain much.

I'll wrap up this review with a summary of what I feel are the good points and bad points about this product.

Good Points:
In my opinion, the Oh My Disney Mystery VHS Keychains are a fun idea. I love the '90s nostalgia factor, and also the fact that the keychains are miniature replicas of full-size items. The retail price was also reasonable, especially considering how much Disney often charges for authorized merchandise.

Bad Points:
The Disney company lost some points with me for making these keychains a blind box item. I never fully embraced the blind box craze. While I appreciate that blind boxes are small and usually reasonably priced, the mystery factor drives me crazy. I like to know what I'm buying, and several times that I've caved and bought a blind box on clearance I ended up with something I didn't really want. I feel sorry for all those customers who posted reviews online after placing an order for more than one keychain and receiving all duplicates. I'm also annoyed that the Mystery VHS Keychains weren't available in store. Not to mention, I do have some concerns about the long-term durability of these items.

Final Verdict:
While I don't regret buying a Disney Mystery VHS Keychain at retail price, I also don't think it would be worthwhile to go scouring the secondary market for the rest of the assortment. Not at the current market prices at least.

I hope that you enjoyed this review, even if it is late.

Signed, Treesa

The People In Our Lives

Most people, if asked, can name someone who has positively impacted their lives. That person could be a parent, another family member, a teacher, a coach, or someone else entirely. Human beings are, for the most part, social creatures. As a result, we all have an impact on the people around us, sometimes without even realizing it.

I come from a large family, so I guess it's not surprising that my family has had a major influence on my life. This influence is reflected in my keychain collection. There are a number of keychains that have ended up in my collection because they reminded me of someone I know and care about. Below is a sampling of some of these keychains, along with the necessary background information explaining who the keychains remind me of and why.

My Mom:

The house shaped keychain in the top corner features the logo for the So-Fro chain of fabric stores. The design was made to look like bolts of fabric, stacked into the shape of a house. My mom likes to sew, and she frequented this store a lot when I was a kid. At the time, there really wasn't much there to hold my interest, unless I was helping my mom pick out fabric for my Halloween costume, and I'd frequently get bored on these shopping trips. I think this store chain eventually went out of business.

My mom, like her father before her, is also a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. Philadelphia sports teams have developed a reputation for not being very good, so being a fan takes real dedication. And though my mom isn't as hardcore as some fans I've seen on the local news, she wears her Phillies baseball cap with pride.

Also pictured is a St. Anthony keychain. St. Anthony is the patron saint that Catholics are supposed to pray to when trying to find something they've lost. The prayer, "Dear St. Anthony, please come around, something's lost and can't be found," is one that my mom uses frequently. And according to her, it actually works, though I don't seem to have the same luck with it that she does.

My Dad:

I'm not sure why my dad has an interest in carousel horses. Maybe he appreciates them as art objects. Or maybe he's impressed with the craftsmanship that went into creating older carousel figures. At any rate, this carousel horse keychain makes me think of my dad.

Dad is also a fan of the comic strip Peanuts. His favorite Peanuts characters are Snoopy and Woodstock.

Dad is a card-carrying member of Triple A as well.

My Sister K.:

My sister K. loves musical theater. Her favorite musical is The Phantom Of The Opera. So naturally, when I found a Phantom Of The Opera keychain secondhand I had to get it.

The other keychain pictured is a small knife in a sheath. My sister likes to dress up in costume for the local Renaissance fairs, and she has quite a collection of, purely decorative, weaponry for accessorizing her outfits. For a while, she couldn't go to a Renaissance fair without purchasing a sword or a dagger. But she quickly realized that swords are difficult to store. So she now mostly buys additional jewelry items and headpieces for her costumes.

My Second Sister, L.:

This Bop It keychain from Basic Fun Inc. really works, with the correct batteries. I took the batteries out quite a while ago, so that they wouldn't start leaking over time while the keychain was in storage. Anyway, my second sister, L., had a full-sized Bop It game when we were growing up. She got pretty good at it too, from what I remember.

My Third Sister, A.:

My third sister, A., wanted to be an astronaut when she grew up. So the above assortment of outer space related keychains reminds me of her. A. had to give up her dream in college, when she realized that she couldn't meet the higher math requirements. She majored in history instead, but she still has a fascination with space.

A. is also a fan of Disney's Pirates Of The Caribbean films, which is why I have this key shaped keychain that replicates a prop from the second movie in the series.

My Brother:

This assortment of manatee keychains will always remind me of my brother, and of a certain family vacation to Walt Disney World. My brother is mildly autistic, and he sometimes has trouble coping if his senses are 'over-stimulated'. On one particular day of the trip, my family was checking out the ocean themed pavilion at Epcot. Part of the exhibit included a large tank for rescued manatees, who had been injured by motorboats. My brother spent quite a bit of time by that tank, watching the manatees placidly swimming and eating lettuce. It helped him to relax in the crowded and sometimes overwhelming environment of a Disney theme park.

My brother also collects a wide variety of trading card gaming cards, including Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Magic: The Gathering. Wizards Of The Coast is a prominent company in the trading card gaming industry, but that's about all I can tell you on the subject. My brother knows a lot more about it than I do.

Also pictured is a battery-operated Goosebumps electronic organizer keychain by Micro Games Of America. When he was younger, my brother had quite the collection of Goosebumps brand books.

My Best Friend:

The purple Coach keychain works on two levels, since my best friend is a fan of Coach brand purses and her favorite color is purple.

As for the Josh Groban keychain, he's one of my best friend's favorite singers. A self-proclaimed 'Grobanite', my best friend always keeps up to date on when and where Josh Groban will be performing.

My Paternal Grandfather:

This Sherlock Holmes silhouette keychain reminds me of my paternal grandfather. I wasn't as close to my grandfather as some of my siblings were, but Sherlock Holmes books were something we both enjoyed. I was a big Sherlock Holmes fan when I was in grade school, and while my interest in Holmes has cooled a bit since then, I still enjoy reading the original short stories from time to time.

My Paternal Grandmother:

I still remember how passionate my paternal grandmother was about bowling. At one time she was even part of a bowling team, along with my dad and at least one of my aunts. I was very young then, and my memories are hazy, but I vaguely recall being brought along to the bowling alley. According to my mom, my dad stopped taking me after I accidentally poked myself in the eye with one of the pencils used to keep score.

My grandmother's health deteriorated in her later years. But even when she could no longer visit the bowling alley, she still enjoyed the game. Towards the end of her life, before she had to be moved into assisted care, she liked to sit in her favorite chair and use a Wii video game system to 'bowl' at home.

My Maternal Grandmother:

My maternal grandmother always had a few of these Tupperware bowl keychains around the house. I remember playing with some of them when we came to visit. The ones in the 'playroom', which was actually a spare bedroom where her grown children's old toys were kept, were ok to play with. But if I saw one in the catch-all dish on my grandmother's dining room table, I wasn't allowed to touch it, because that's where my grandmother kept any keychains she was currently using to hold medication or bus tokens or whatever.

My Great Aunt H.H.:

My great aunt loved animals, especially cats. The cats that she kept as pets over the course of her life were always rescued strays. My great aunt's love of cats also extended to the musical stage play Cats, which is why the two keychains above are featured in this post. My great aunt's favorite character from the stage show was Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat.

My great aunt also donated money to animal related causes like wolf conservation, which is why this wolf's head keychain from the National Wildlife Federation reminded me of her.

My Aunt S.F.:

One of my aunts, S.F., and her husband, my uncle J.F., have several hummingbird feeders set up on their property. Hummingbirds are also a reoccurring theme in their indoor decor. I assume this was more my aunt's doing than my uncle's, so I think of my aunt when I see this hummingbird keychain.

My Cousin K.V.:

I'm not really sure if my cousin K.V. genuinely had a thing for unicorns, or if I just think she did. I remember strongly that she had a small box with a unicorn design on the lid that she kept in her bedroom when we were kids. I saw it several times when my family came to visit. And like every other little girl back then, my cousin loved My Little Ponies.

Whatever the actual case may be, in my mind I associate my cousin K.V. with unicorns. Or at least, I associate my childhood memories of my cousin with unicorns. My cousin is an adult now with children of her own. And these days, on the rare occasions when I see her, I don't immediately think 'unicorns'.

As you can see, there've been a lot of people in my life that I've 'memorialized' in my keychain collection. These people have all made a mark on my life, and I sincerely hope that any marks I've made on their lives have been positive.

Signed, Treesa