There's something about Mary...

Yes, there is something about Mary.  She's scary!  Who is Mary, you ask?  Mary is a creepy old doll that belonged to one of my sisters-in-law.  Imagine that you bring your beautiful, innocent 1 year old baby to your in-laws and they bring out this eerie doll for her to play with.  That's how I first met Mary, but the most disturbing thing was that my sweet little baby loved her!  I guess she looked past Mary's fused-shut eye, chewed off fingers, and hospital gown style dress...  she just didn't see a creepy doll that would try to kill you in your sleep, like I did.

A couple of years ago, the oldest child jokingly changed the background on my phone to a photo I had taken of Mary.  Guess what?  Mary is still on my phone!  And it's not just because I don't know how to change my screen saver...  I don't, but that's beside the point.  I kind of like scary Mary.

I've been wanting to capture Mary in all her eerie glory for some time.  She was fun to paint, but it was even more fun to see everyone's reaction while I was painting her.  A friend of mine who is afraid of baby dolls asked what was in Mary's hand that you can't see.  Hmmm....  That's a good question!  I think I'll leave that up to interpretation.  The kids all found her disturbing and we joked that they worst-behaved kid of the day was going to have Mary's painting put in their room that night.  Settle down...  I would never really do that!  Although Dear Husband and Peanut tried twice to wake me up with Mary's painting next to my face...  luckily I was already awake.  I anticipated years of finding Mary in a cupboard, on a chair as I pulled it out, in my trunk, as I pulled back the covers on my bed, in the closet, in the dryer, even when I lifted the toilet lid...  you name it.  They're all good hiding places for Mary.

Alas, we never got a chance to scare each other with Mary and the fun has to stop before it's begun. Peanut has started having nightmares about Mary's painting, which  has been drying on our living room mantel.  Oops!  Sorry, little one.  I hope you don't have PTSD because of Mary!  After taking these photos she's moving to the basement, or better yet someone else's house.  Anyone else want to traumatize your kid?