Los Ayala
Local Folks - The Barbie Grandma
Local Folks - The Barbie Grandma
The Barbie Angel Project all began when founder, and lifelong crocheter, Geri de Moss got tired of doilies.
Ten years ago, her two 5 year old great granddaughters inherited a collection of her granddaughter’s unwanted Barbies. She then bought an instruction book for making Barbie doll clothes at a rummage sale.
In December 2003, Geri and her husband came to stay with Bob Howell and Vicky Flores at their casita in Guayabitos where they got involved in a project to clean and clothe old Barbies for distribution by Vicky. The following year, Geri began to make dresses for the dolls which were given out to the local children by the Guayabitos Homeowners Association on Christmas Eve. Subsequently she joined forces with local La Penita resident, Dawn Blevings, to clothe and coif the hundreds of donated dolls which have since been given to local children.
It takes approximately three hours to make a Barbie outfit, the length of an American football game. Geri crochets while watching games and as an avid fan, she measures time by the length of a game. She finds inspiration in the vibrant colors surrounding her here in Mexico and all creations are made from yarn purchased in La Penita. To replace the contents of the Barbie outfit filled suitcase which she brings to Mexico each year, she fills it with the local yarn, which she takes home to California, to make the outfits for the following season.
These days, with the growing recognition of her project, Geri receives boxes and suitcases of naked dolls, donated from all over North America, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Minnesota, Washington, California, Baltimore, Seattle, Spokane...
By the end of December 2008, almost 500 dolls had been given to deserving children through the Guayabitos Homeowners Christmas Eve Project, through Vicky’s school party, and to recipients at holiday school functions at Alta Vista and Los Ayala. Last year, during the winter season of 2009, 835 dolls were distributed. With the abundance of dolls, other venues were reached and dolls were given out to many other local school holiday events.
For the enduring and growing success of the Barbie Angel’s Project, Geri is grateful to the many folks who contribute in various ways including donations of dolls, ready made and handmade outfits and transportation to Mexico. Plus the help she receives from local volunteers, who gather at barbie dressing parties, to bathe, coif and clothe the dolls once they arrive.
Last year, through the cooperative effort of local volunteers, Tom Plattenberger of the Jaltemba Folk Board; Roberto and Eddie of Xaltemba Restaurant & Art Galeria in La Penita; George Aceves of Hotel California in La Penita; and Dorothy Bell of Jaltemba Sol Ezine; a very successful Barbie Doll Fashion show featuring 425 of the dolls was held at Xaltemba Restaurant Galeria. The four day Holiday Event attracted many locals and tourists alike. The culmination was the distribution by Santa, of some of the dolls, to an especially selected and invited group of children.
For more information about participating in this project you can contact The Barbie Lady by email at Geri de Moss
Ten years ago, her two 5 year old great granddaughters inherited a collection of her granddaughter’s unwanted Barbies. She then bought an instruction book for making Barbie doll clothes at a rummage sale.
In December 2003, Geri and her husband came to stay with Bob Howell and Vicky Flores at their casita in Guayabitos where they got involved in a project to clean and clothe old Barbies for distribution by Vicky. The following year, Geri began to make dresses for the dolls which were given out to the local children by the Guayabitos Homeowners Association on Christmas Eve. Subsequently she joined forces with local La Penita resident, Dawn Blevings, to clothe and coif the hundreds of donated dolls which have since been given to local children.
It takes approximately three hours to make a Barbie outfit, the length of an American football game. Geri crochets while watching games and as an avid fan, she measures time by the length of a game. She finds inspiration in the vibrant colors surrounding her here in Mexico and all creations are made from yarn purchased in La Penita. To replace the contents of the Barbie outfit filled suitcase which she brings to Mexico each year, she fills it with the local yarn, which she takes home to California, to make the outfits for the following season.
These days, with the growing recognition of her project, Geri receives boxes and suitcases of naked dolls, donated from all over North America, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Minnesota, Washington, California, Baltimore, Seattle, Spokane...
By the end of December 2008, almost 500 dolls had been given to deserving children through the Guayabitos Homeowners Christmas Eve Project, through Vicky’s school party, and to recipients at holiday school functions at Alta Vista and Los Ayala. Last year, during the winter season of 2009, 835 dolls were distributed. With the abundance of dolls, other venues were reached and dolls were given out to many other local school holiday events.
For the enduring and growing success of the Barbie Angel’s Project, Geri is grateful to the many folks who contribute in various ways including donations of dolls, ready made and handmade outfits and transportation to Mexico. Plus the help she receives from local volunteers, who gather at barbie dressing parties, to bathe, coif and clothe the dolls once they arrive.
Last year, through the cooperative effort of local volunteers, Tom Plattenberger of the Jaltemba Folk Board; Roberto and Eddie of Xaltemba Restaurant & Art Galeria in La Penita; George Aceves of Hotel California in La Penita; and Dorothy Bell of Jaltemba Sol Ezine; a very successful Barbie Doll Fashion show featuring 425 of the dolls was held at Xaltemba Restaurant Galeria. The four day Holiday Event attracted many locals and tourists alike. The culmination was the distribution by Santa, of some of the dolls, to an especially selected and invited group of children.
For more information about participating in this project you can contact The Barbie Lady by email at Geri de Moss
The Barbie Grandma
Los Ayala, Jaltemba Bay, Mexico
Los Ayala, Jaltemba Bay, Mexico
About Geri de Moss...
The Barbie Lady/aka Barbie Grandma.
Geri is 75 years old (2010) and lives with her husband of 45 years in San Andreas, California, which is located in the Sierra foothills, east of Sacramento, west of Yosemite and southwest of Lake Tahoe.
Geri and her husband retired here in this small rural community 20 years ago from the San Francisco Bay Area. They love the small town feeling after having lived and worked amid the hustle and bustle of the San Francisco area for many years. But the winters there get cold, so for the past 18 years of their retirement they have spent 3 to 4 months in the Guayabitos. Two years ago they moved to Los Ayala.
They chose Los Ayala for the same reason that they chose to retire to rural California over the San Francisco bay area. The quaint and quiet village of Los Ayala appeals to them for the convenience of shops, restaurants, transportation and most of all the placid and easily accessible beach. They adore Los Ayala, because they have found everyone in the community to be delightful, gracious, helpful and friendly.
Geri became involved in the Barbie Angel project 7 years ago. She also makes afghans for the “Linus Project",
a nationwide organization made up of volunteers who make blankets which are then distributed, to ill and hospitalized children; in the same area that the blankets are made. Last year over 700 blankets were sent by the Linus Project to the earthquake victims in Haiti.
Geri also serves as a volunteer docent once a week at her local Historical Society/Museum. As if that were not enough - she has researched and compiled three family history genealogy books and is currently working on four more.
The Barbie Lady/aka Barbie Grandma.
Geri is 75 years old (2010) and lives with her husband of 45 years in San Andreas, California, which is located in the Sierra foothills, east of Sacramento, west of Yosemite and southwest of Lake Tahoe.
Geri and her husband retired here in this small rural community 20 years ago from the San Francisco Bay Area. They love the small town feeling after having lived and worked amid the hustle and bustle of the San Francisco area for many years. But the winters there get cold, so for the past 18 years of their retirement they have spent 3 to 4 months in the Guayabitos. Two years ago they moved to Los Ayala.
They chose Los Ayala for the same reason that they chose to retire to rural California over the San Francisco bay area. The quaint and quiet village of Los Ayala appeals to them for the convenience of shops, restaurants, transportation and most of all the placid and easily accessible beach. They adore Los Ayala, because they have found everyone in the community to be delightful, gracious, helpful and friendly.
Geri became involved in the Barbie Angel project 7 years ago. She also makes afghans for the “Linus Project",
a nationwide organization made up of volunteers who make blankets which are then distributed, to ill and hospitalized children; in the same area that the blankets are made. Last year over 700 blankets were sent by the Linus Project to the earthquake victims in Haiti.
Geri also serves as a volunteer docent once a week at her local Historical Society/Museum. As if that were not enough - she has researched and compiled three family history genealogy books and is currently working on four more.
Barbies Galore at Xaltemba Restaurant & Art Galeria
Geri de Moss with several delighted Barbie Doll recipients!
Magical
Click on any photo to view Barbie Photo Gallery
To view more photos of the beautiful Barbies distributed to children in Jaltemba Bay every Christmas see.... Barbies Geri DeMoss
" Piropos "
"Tossing Gallantries at the Girls" - A traditional, ritualized custom of young Mexican men of calling out amourous or flirtatious comments to girls who are attractive to them. The most common "Piropos", include "Que Bonita!", "Que Guapa!", "Que Chula!" and "Que Mona!"- translating to "How Beautiful!", "What a Body!",
"What a Doll!", and "How Cute"!
"Tossing Gallantries at the Girls" - A traditional, ritualized custom of young Mexican men of calling out amourous or flirtatious comments to girls who are attractive to them. The most common "Piropos", include "Que Bonita!", "Que Guapa!", "Que Chula!" and "Que Mona!"- translating to "How Beautiful!", "What a Body!",
"What a Doll!", and "How Cute"!
