A grandma is finally living her best 'Barbie' dream in a pink home with a completely pink wardrobe - but says any potential Kens are banned from the house. Dena Daniels, from Fort Smith, Arkansas, America, has always loved Barbie and played with them until she got bullied by other children for being too old.
However the 54-year-old finally decided to 'live her truth' by decorating and truly 'pink-ifying' her shabby chic home two years ago after becoming tired of hiding how she wanted to live. Dena eats, sleeps and breathes pink, waking every morning in pink robes and enjoying her morning coffee and toast from a pink coffee pot and toaster.
She even has a human-size Barbie display case she can pose in as a life-size living doll and is called 'Barbie' by her neighbours.
The mum-of-two had felt that for years she had been hiding her 'authentic self' to please others - particularly men - so decided to paint her home doll-house pink and dye all of her clothes shades of rose to magenta.
While not totally opposed to love, with no men in her life she feels she can 'express herself more' and urges other women to 'get another husband' if they aren't being their authentic selves.
Even though she was dating when she originally turned her home fuchsia, she admits she didn't 'make it available' for him to move in and now she's single says that the home is not designed for any future 'Ken' to be comfortable in.
The semi-retired grandma and her 'Barbie-core' home have more than 65,700 followers online and more than 846,900 likes on her videos which share her daily life.
Dena said: "I was concerned about people's approval and pleasing those around me, especially men.
"One day I just woke up and thought 'I'm not getting any younger, I want to do what I want to do. I don't care what anyone else thinks about it, I want to be me'.
"I've always loved Barbie, ever since I was a little girl. I had them and played with them as long as I could until I got made fun of.
"I thought 'I want to turn my house into a real-life Barbie house'.
"I'm not really a collector of them, I just wanted to be the Barbie and my house be the Barbie house.
"I do have a Barbie house and some Barbie accessories, but I don't put a whole lot into that because I'm the Barbie.
"Honestly, in the beginning I was kind of made fun of. People would say 'you're a full-grown woman, why are you playing with toys?'.
"What's so funny is now everyone's into Barbie. I'm not crazy after all."
Dena explains that when she wakes up in the morning she puts on her robes and 'of course, everything is pink'.
She then has breakfast using her pink coffee pot and toaster and taking food out of her pink refrigerator, which she cooks in pink cookware and eats of pink plates.
When she goes out, she drives a VW Beetle that waits on her drive - complete with pink wheels and pink hearts on her.
Dena said: "Once I got started, I just couldn't stop. It's been a journey of 'how much pink can I add before it gets tacky'."
Since decorating both inside and outside her home, Dena decided she is no longer looking for love, and doesn't want to change her style for a man.
Dena said: "I do not have a husband, by choice. I think it means I can express myself more.
"When I moved into the house, I was dating someone but decided on purpose to not make it available for him to move in with me.
"I've lived a lifetime of pleasing others and I decided it was time to please myself.
"Not that a man couldn't be comfortable here, but I don't want a man. I don't want a man to be comfortable here.
"I'm such a giver, I spent my life giving to everyone else. Now I just want to do what brings me joy.
"It was just part of my healing journey. I think healing my inner child is part of that.
"I have dated a few times since I've been single. I've decided it's not for me.
"The men that I have found in my age bracket are just not what I'm looking for. I'm open to romance, but I'm allowing it to come to me.
"[Some women] say 'if I didn't have a husband, I'd do that'.
"It lets me know how many are not being their true self. I think 'get another house' or 'get another husband'.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm all for compromise but this house is not a house to accommodate a man, and that's on purpose."
Recognised at local supermarkets and around town as 'Barbie', the grandma poses in the iconic Barbie box at Halloween, and offers pink treats to children, in the hopes to create a little 'magic' for neighbourhood kids.
Dena said: "In the neighbourhood they all call me Barbie.
"I get recognised 'oh you're the pink lady!'. They all call me the pink lady wherever I go.
"At Halloween, I open it up for the neighbourhood kids to come.
"The little girls go insane, I think it's quite magical to them, so I let them come in and have pink candy and snacks for everyone.
"I do get negative comments, people have said 'you're too old to play with dolls' and 'are you crazy?'.
"It's the way that I express myself. It's my soul coming out to express itself on the walls.
"I'm not doing anything to harm anyone, I'm expressing my art and my soul.
"I'm an individualist, I despise being like anyone else. It always bugged me to be like everyone else. So, I decided to just be me out loud."
The Barbie-lover can't wait to see the new film starring Margot Robbie, and hopes to encourage other women to follow their heart in life and not hold back for any man.
Dena said: "I'll absolutely be going to see the new film, I'll be wearing my pink clothes and carrying my Barbie purse.
"I'd say to other women you should just follow your heart.
"Go slow, do it bit by bit. Start wearing pink clothes or adding more to one room at a time.
"Realise that when people say negative things, that's on them. That's something that isn't healed within them.
"It is scary. It isn't easy to paint a house pink and live in a pink house, but it's worth it."
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