Little known fact, but growing up, I was Dorothy Gale. From Kansas.  I had Ruby Reds, I had a stuffed dog that I carried around in a basket, I had the dress, the braids, I rolled in the mud in  said dress and braids a la the “Return To Oz” scene when she escapes from the mental institution (that may be another post entirely).  Our round Weber grill was my companion Tick-Tock (again, “Return to Oz”) and my family even made a trip to Kansas just so I could get a tee-shirt declaring that I had indeed “Been To Oz!”

I loved loved loved that movie. Every picture of a child, boy or girl, in any book, magazine, etc., I drew long flowing braids on them. To make him/her into Dorothy of course. I watched The Wizard Of Oz all. the. time.

A few weeks ago, mom pulled out an old record we used to have with the Wizard of Oz soundtrack. I had completely forgotten about it! I used to put it on the record player and stare at the cover, taking in every poppy flower and the way Dorothy’s hand looped through the scarecrow’s arm. I know. I needed to get out more. Even etched in the corner of the record, you could see little Katie’s attempt at writing out the angelic word, “Do-roth-y”.
After seeing it again, I realized how vintage-y awesome it was! The colors, the faint yellowing that came with it being 20 some years old. I knew I wanted to incorporate it somehow into Baby Girl’s room.  Brilliant Chris suggested he could scan the album (since it’s kind of falling apart), edit it on photoshop so both the front and back of the album would be on one page, and make a huge poster of it.

Sigh. Isn’t he the BEST?!?!?

And voila. Just a few weeks later, and we have a BEAUTIFUL framed poster of one of my favorite childhood memories.

I just hope Baby Girl wants to play escape from the Wicked Witch’s fireballs with me someday.

*click on the picture to see it closer up. It’s so great.