Information


Smiley has a minion!

Smiley always has the Happy Thought




Smiley
Legacy Name: Smiley


The Custom Scribble Blob
Owner: Balloon

Age: 7 years, 8 months, 4 days

Born: August 19th, 2016

Adopted: 6 years, 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Adopted: June 2nd, 2017


Pet Spotlight Winner
April 30th, 2018

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profile, artwork, overlay, and story by Balloon • "Smiley" lyrics written by Billy Corgan
Harvey Ball information from Wikipedia

Building Blocks Display Destroyer at Toy Box

Lots of kids have imaginary friends, but mine wasn't human. She wasn't even completely imaginary-- in fact, she's still with me, sitting on my bed. Smiling.

Harvey Ball invented the smiley face in 1963 as an employee morale-booster for an insurance company, but as a child of the 80's, I didn't really discover the lemony yellow symbol of eternal happiness until 1990. Then, at the age of 8 while I was back-to-school shopping with my mom, I saw a red plaid dress that came with a little yellow smiley face purse. I claim that I don't believe in love at first sight, but I have to admit that when I locked eyes with that blank, black gaze, I lost my heart.

I didn't go home with that particular smiley, but I did get a vinyl yellow tote bag with a smiley face printed on it. (I still have and use that tote bag, although it's really more purse-sized for the adult I masquerade as.) That was the start of a smiley face collection that I've kept adding to ever since, but I received my most prized smiley item a few months later as a Christmas gift from one of my best friends. Those intervening months had been filled with an unstoppable obsession with all things smiley, and considering how obsessed I get with things now at the age of 35, I can only imagine how unbearable I was at 8. I'm amazed I had any friends left by Christmas, but I did, and she picked out the perfect present.

The present was attached to a cardboard backer that declared the item to be a "Suction Cup Smiley Face," like those iconic plushie Garfields that stick up in car windows. Smiley was round and fuzzy and yellow with a string loop on the top of her (of course she was a girl, because I was a girl!) head, black embroidered eyes and smile, and a tush tag that read "Smiley" in case there was any doubt as to her species. She had black arms and legs with knobby, somewhat arthritic-looking knees and elbows, natty white gloves, white socks, and for reasons that have never been clear to me, yellow tennis shoes. Her suction cups were sewn to the palms of her gloves, but I never attached her to windows very often because she's kind of top heavy. When stuck to a window, Smiley's head (and she's all head) flopped backwards, barely supported by her spindly arms, and she always seemed uncomfortable. I didn't want to let go of her long enough to stick her to anything, anyway.

In the months and years that followed, Smiley was my constant companion not only in plushie form, but also in my imagination. As I would many (many) years later for Poof the Drifblim, I invented an entire world for a living entity based upon my beloved plushie. Suction Cup Smiley Face came to life as Smile E. Face, nicknamed "Smiley," who lived in the town of... well... Smileyland. Smileyland was located somewhere up in the clouds, in close proximity to Heaven, I guess. I do know there were always a lot of rainbows around, and the smileys used sentient, sapient, talking unicorns as transportation. I don't know why the unicorns didn't mind this, probably because Sundance never minded ferrying Megan around on the My Little Pony cartoon. Although Smiley was a girl, she presented as completely agender and never wore clothing, as evidenced by my childhood drawing of her above. (In contrast, I made several skirts for the real world, plushie Smiley. Now that I'm much better at sewing, I make her much nicer looking skirts, but I've also fixed up some of the old ones she especially liked.)

Smiley's three siblings were more tightly bound by societal gender constraints, and by my weakness at coming up with good names. Her brother was named Smiley Boy and wore a beanie propeller hat. One of her sisters, who was also her best friend, was named Smiley Girl. Smiley Girl always wore a pink hair bow and had eyelashes. Because, you know, she was a girl. Never mind that Smiley was also a girl and had no eyelashes, or that none of the Smiley children had any hair elsewhere on their heads. Smiley's other sister was named Hippie Smiley, due to the romanticized peace-and-love notion I had of hippies thanks to Lisa Frank. Hippie Smiley also had eyelashes, along with a polka dotted hair bow and a bead necklace.

Before you wonder how I managed even to name any of my Subeta pets myself without breaking my brain, not all inhabitants of Smileyland had names like "Smiley [insert generic identifier]." The Face kids' parents were Clark and Clarice Face. Not bad, right? Although I didn't come up with "Clark" all by myself-- I got it from Clark Kent, because while Smiley's dad was a mild-mannered something-or-other by day, he had a secret identity! He was actually SUPER SMILEY, defender of Truth, Justice, and a Nice Day! (...I'm still kinda proud of that line.) As one might guess, Clark Face had black hair and nerdy glasses, while Super Smiley wore the requisite cape. Clarice Face (come to think of it, I don't know why I didn't name her Lois... apparently I was protesting canon hetero ships even at the tender age of 8) was a blonde who wore a blue apron. Because, you know, she was a mom.

Smileyland had many other inhabitants, most of them with normal human names (although I have to admit, I got a lot of them by using the phone book to look up people who actually had the last name of Smiley, Smily, or Smilie). Most notable was John Smiley, Smiley's best friend besides Smiley Girl, and her sometimes-boyfriend. John had spiky blond hair, sunglasses, and shorts which I drew as blue triangles but which were probably meant to be board shorts or something. John also has the distinction of being the only other inhabitant of Smileyland to have a real world counterpart: when my mom saw how well-loved (read: well-worn) Smiley was getting, she suggested we get a spare Suction Cup Smiley Face while Toys R Us still had them in stock. We did, and I named the newcomer after John.

While John Smiley has maintained most of his fuzz and bright yellow color, Smiley lost the string on top of her head after a few years, and her tush tag had to be cut off after it got worn and dirty. Eventually, she had a suction-cup-ectomy as well when they began to yellow and crack. (The fact that I tended to chew on them may have had something to do with that.) She went through the wash once when I accidentally put her in the machine with my sheets, and it so improved her appearance, I started giving her surface baths from time to time after that. Her plush is now nubby, her color has faded, and her once pristine white gloves are drab. I don't write stories or draw comics about Smileyland anymore.

But out of the 9,855 nights (more or less) that have gone by since Smiley came home with me that Christmas, she has been with me for 9,850 of them (approximately). She has accompanied me in six countries, three houses, and three apartments; through high school, college, and two graduate programs. Through it all, she's never lost her smile, and she's never given up on me, even during all the times I gave up on myself. I haven't always rewarded her as well as she deserves, but I keep her dressed in seasonally appropriate skirts (calico in summer, sweater knit in winter) and drop a kiss on the top of her round little head whenever I pass by my bed, where she sits each day. She gets her baths in Dreft baby detergent and frequent airings out in the sun. I don't talk about Smiley the way I do about Poof-- worn childhood smiley faces don't carry the cultural capital handmade Pokemon plushies do-- but she doesn't mind. Smiley's not the jealous type.

Pet Treasure


Imaginary Friend Sticker

Letters to an Imaginary Friend

Plushie Love Sticker

Box of Childhood Memories

You Make Me Smile! Sticker

Fuzzy Smiley Plushie

Darkmatter Fuzzy Smiley Plushie

Smiley Balloon

Happy Balloon

Happy Balloon Sticker

Daylight Spirit

Happy-in-the-Pants

Sunny Love Plushie

Full of Joy Magic Lamp

RoQ Candy Xtra Decorative Pins

Happy Face Spider

Happy Face Spider Plushie

Clocky McClockface

Volli

Happy Bomb

Fake Malevolent Grimfruit

Rora

Joyful Snowball

Smiling Snowball

Hail Insurance Sticker

Ice Cube Blub

Blub Cube

Silver Angel Doll

Gold Angel Doll

Angelic Blob Doll

Spooky Ghost Blub

Painting with Blob Kit

Happy Ghostpop

Ghost Freeze Pop

Sodilume

100k Members Rainbow Candle

Enchanted Candle

Tiny Virus

Meeples

Bite Me Sticky

S Tile

Book of Doom

Dad Jokes

Book of Smiles

Happy Stories of Joy Book Tape

Happy Face Eraser

Large Happy Face Ring

Bottled Happiness

Happy Axe

Happy Spear

Happy Hammer

Crown of Bright Sunshine

Sir Small Beanbag

Sir Happy Beanbag

Sir Tickle Beanbag

Sir Greedy Beanbag

I Like Your Face Sticker

A-peel-ing Sticker

Someone Was Here Sticker

Happy Smiley Sticker

Good Smiley Sticker

Lovely Smiley Sticker

Happy Bonfire Sticker

Sun-Sun

None-Sun

Super Happy Fun Time Sun Plushie

Sunrise

Beaming Sun Puffy Sticker

Cheery Sun Sticker

Hello Sunshine Sticker

Sunny Daze Tie

The Sun and the Flower

Field Frolicking 101

Uncle Carls Sun Safety Guide

The Perfect Shades

Moon Pumpkin Garden Stone

Mister Moon

Plump Moon Beanbag

Gold Moon Relic

Starguardian

100k Users Plump Star Plushie

Origami Star

Wittlebebestah

Sweetie Star

Mister Stardust

Happy Star Bracelet

Cutesy Shooting Star Sticker

Happy Subeta

Meteo

Spectrumbie

Spectrumbie Plushie

I-Love-You Rainbow

Rain-Tombie

Book of Really Really Happy Rainbows

Content Cloud Sticker

Cheery Windy Sticker

Cloud Beanbag

Happy Thought Beanbag

The Happiest Storm Cloud

Recycled Storm Cloud Plushie

Stormy Moods

Ribbons

Sequin

Festive Mushy Plushie

Clivey

Strawberry Milk Sticker

Banana Milk Sticker

Pear Milk Sticker

Milk Sticker

Chocolate Milk Sticker

Eddie Bell Sure Bet Cute Popsicle Prop

Happy Cotton Candy Sticker

Cotton Candy Friends Sticker

You Are My Butter Half Sticker

Wok This Way Sticker

Phoever

Happy Cactus Sticker

Cheery Lumineve Tree Sticker

Parent Sticker

Sibling Sticker

Really Awesome Cool Fun Person Sticker

Hollyberry Pie

Lemon Peel Puddin

Jolly Soup

Friendly Stone Hombre Cookies

Mallow

Iced Smile

Too Cute To Eat Cake Plushie

Smiley Cuppycake Plushie

I-Love-You Cupcake

Chrust

Cinnaman

Gingerbread Cookie

Gingerbread Man Ornament

Shortbread Man Ornament

Super Festive Gingerbread Man Sticker

Gingerbread Girl Beanbag

Tiny Gingerboy

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate Bomb

Choco Lot

One Dot Four Dash Cookie

Happy Little Peach-Pie

Angelic Pie Minion

Super-Pie Plushie

Slicelius Pie Minion

Evil Pie

Happy Muffin

Pirate Cupcake

Smoreluvin

Peary

Peary Plushie

Happy June Strawberry Plushie

Happy Bendy Banana Toy

One In A Melon Sticker

Smo-N-Ore

Delectable

Delectable Plushie

Runaway Hot Chocolate

Scented Peppermint Cocoa Plushie

Luvalatte

Good Egg

Sleepy Yolk

Egg Trio

Happy Popcorn Sticker

Candy Hearts

Valiant Jelly Bean

Dandy Candy

Ilovesweeties

Yummy Lollipop Beanbag

Yummy Wrapped Candy Beanbag

Bubble Gum Blub

Peppermint Blub

Mintobe

Mint to Be Sticker

Two Peas in a Pod

Broklee

Brococo

Beet Warriors

I-Love-You Sausage Ham and Mayo Sammich

I-Love-You Taco

Lovely Tasting Taco Sticker

Tacoboutus

Pizzamahart

I-Love-You Pizza Slice

I-Love-You Pizza Slice Plushie

Little Ham Plushie

Happy Nuggets

Suave Onion

Olivyu

Perfect Pear

Avocutie

Roasted Avocutie

Hartbeet

Beanthinkinofu

Happy Gourd

Mister P

Dunklin

Dunklin Plushie

Plonkin

Winkle

Pumpky

Overly Happy Pumpkin

I-Love-You Pumpkin

Unusual Crowned Pumpkin

Happy Paper Jack-o-Lantern

Super Happy Face Pumpkin Plushie

Happy Pumpkin Plushie

Friendly Pumpkin Plushie

Jolly Pumpkin Plushie

Pumpkin Spooky Doll

Jackie Mooshiboi

Overexcited Carved Pumpkin

Happy Pumpkin Drops

Caramel Covered Popcorn

Sweet Pumpkins

Fruity Pumpkin Lookalike

Morostide Coconut

Smiley Pumpkin Leaf Bag

Pumpkin Inflatable Decoration

Jack O Lantern Succulent

Pumpkin Soul Patch

Pumpkin Printed Foil Wrapped Chocolate Ball

Jack-o-Lantern Drawstring Bag

Happy Pumpkin Eraser

Malicious Pumpkin Ball

Pumpkin Keychain

Super Happy Face Pumpkin Sticker

Om Nom Face Pumpkin Sticker

Excited Decorative Pumpkin Jar

Sly Jar-O-Lantern

Collectible Pumpkin Glass

Jack-o-lantern Pumpkin Candle

Pumpkin Pencil

Spooky Ice Cream Soda

Tiny Morostide Pumpkin Stickers

Sweet Oranges

Sweet Oranges Beanbag

Apeeling

Cheerful Harvest Apple Plushie

Smiley Apple

Appli

Spudd

PO-TA-TIS

Smiley Croissant

Smiley Tropical Juice

Smiley Pea

Smiley Pie

Smiley Strawberry

Smiley Strawberry Beanbag

Smiley Tomato

Smiley Sushi

Smiley Sushi Beanbag

Baby Sushi

Baked Flat Fish

Smiley Steak

Smiley Sausage

Smiley Pea Beanbag

Smiley Pear

Smiley Fried Egg

Smiley Drumstick

Smiley Broccoli

Smiley Cheese

Smiley Cheese Beanbag

Smiley Cherry

Smiley Cherry Beanbag

Lucky Cherries Plushie

Smiley Cookie

Smiley Avocado

Smiley Beef Burger

Smiley Tea

Smiley Soup

Smiley Steak

Smiley Salad Sandwich

Smiley Marshmallow

Smiley Lemon

Smiley Lime

Smiley Orange

Smiley Pineapple

Smiley Egg

Smiley Dollop

Smiley Cupcake

Smiley Carrot

Smiley Banana

Smiley Milkshake

Smiley Ice Cream

Smiley Ice Cream Beanbag

Long Corn Buddy

Snowy Suit Shirt

I Love Winter! Sticker

Snowman Hot Chocolate Bomb

Smiley Snowball Man

Snowballman

Spinning Snowman

Evil Snowman

Snowman Wallcling

Snowman Doll

Snowkid

Tiny Snowbuddy

Gingerbread Snowman Cookie

Snowman Sugar Cookie

Silly Snowman Doll

Saheric Sandman

Pumpkin-Headed Snowman

Sandwich Cookie Snowman Pops

Snowman Cake Pop

Thumbprint Snowman Cookie

Yoole

Happy Coal Plushie

Angelic Pet Rock

Angelic Spider

Spider Balloon

Sougara Yellowjack Bee Pin

Bee Blub

Ladybug Pinata Plushie

Timey Wimey

Lovetron 3000

Mister Top Hat

Small Inanimate Blob

Guano

Partying Hat

Cutesy Funnel

Lil Rock Buddy Beanbag

Smarmy Rock

Infatuated Pet Rock

Subeta Coal Fairy

Crystal Blub

Blubby Lava Lamp

Lil Gear

Plank

Happy Box

Klaver

Batty Bat

Haxxor

Foamy Hand of Perpetual Poking

My Pet Brain

My Pet Heart

My Pet Lungs

Taddy

Jelly

Chelkur

Happy Clam

Finvoila

Fish Pinata Plushie

Star Fruit Fish

Star Fruit Fish Plushie

Staer

Staer Plushie

Wind-up Staer

Maplestaery

Shimmering Holly

Chilly Tree

Mimictree

Fairy Tale Beanstalk Plushie

Henni

Festive Cactus

Festive Cactus Beanbag

Knit Succulent Candy Jar

Snake Plant Pot Plushie

Seed

Acornling

Happy Tree

Arborling

Sadistic Shrub

Melix Flower

Bara

Purple Dancing Flower

Hapoom

Autumn Mushroom Plushie

Sweetshroom

Friendly Visitor

Whale You Be Mine Sticker

Ball of Love

Patched Flopit Figurine

Wastie

Crawling Goo

Neon Blub

Frugala Blub

Bubble Spirit Beanbag

Steam Spirit Beanbag

Love for Them All

Childs Valentine

Hartz

Love Bug Cardboard Mask

Newfie

Fireball Blub

Stinker Bomb

Bomber Beanbag

Musical Note

Annoying Singing Blub

Musical Notes Blub

Mister Paintbrush

Eggus

Happy Luminaire Lights

Pastry Buddy Icing Bag Plushie

Tinny Tim

Foily Fred

Cinched Garbage Bags

Dawn Happy Fashion Plushie

Sun Happy Fashion Plushie

Field Happy Fashion Plushie

Dusk Happy Fashion Plushie

Lilac Happy Fashion Plushie

Cream Happy Fashion Plushie

Red Happy Planet Plushie

Orange Happy Planet Plushie

Green Happy Planet Plushie

Blue Happy Planet Plushie

Purple Happy Planet Plushie

Brown Happy Planet Plushie

Black Happy Planet Plushie

White Happy Planet Plushie

Red Smiley Spider Sticker

Yellow Smiley Spider Sticker

Green Smiley Spider Sticker

Blue Smiley Spider Sticker

Purple Smiley Spider Sticker

Black Smiley Spider Sticker

White Smiley Spider Sticker

Spiderbelle

Red Fuzzy Bat Sticker

Orange Fuzzy Bat Sticker

Green Fuzzy Bat Sticker

Blue Fuzzy Bat Sticker

Purple Fuzzy Bat Sticker

White Fuzzy Bat Sticker

Black Fuzzy Bat Sticker

Snuggly Red Bat Plushie

Snuggly Orange Bat Plushie

Snuggly Citrus Bat Plushie

Snuggly Ice Bat Plushie

Snuggly Purple Bat Plushie

Snuggly Pink Bat Plushie

Snuggly Brown Bat Plushie

Snuggly Black Bat Plushie

Snuggly Silver Bat Plushie

Snuggly White Bat Plushie

Red Pumpkin Decorations

Orange Pumpkin Decorations

Yellow Pumpkin Decorations

Green Pumpkin Decorations

Blue Pumpkin Decorations

Purple Pumpkin Decorations

White Pumpkin Decorations

Pink Pumpkin Decorations

Pink Ghost Pop

Pumpkin Ghost Pop

Green Ghost Pop

Blue Ghost Pop

Purple Ghost Pop

White Ghost Pop

Black Ghost Pop

Pink Jelly Beanbag

Orange Jelly Beanbag

Seafoam Jelly Beanbag

Blue Jelly Beanbag

Purple Jelly Beanbag

Bright Octosquish Beanbag

Lemon Octosquish Beanbag

Sugar Octosquish Beanbag

Green Yarn Octopus Plushie

Purple Yarn Octopus Plushie

Red Pepper Lantern

Carrot Lanterns

Green Pepper Lantern

Turnip Lantern

Potato Lantern

Sustainable Wooden Chef Playset

Fiddlehead Fern Love Sticker

Garlic Love Sticker

Spring Onion Love Sticker

Parsnip Love Sticker

Cauliflower Love Sticker

Onion Blub

Asparagus Blub

Turnip Blub

Strawberry Blub

Raddish Blub

Kohlrabi Blub

Grosseries Infected Turnip

Rave Turnip

Centropolis Tree Blub

Riverside Tree Blub

Veta Lake Tree Blub

Fairgrounds Tree Blub

Caramel Apple Blub

Fantasy Orange Pumpkin Blub

Great White Pumpkin Blub

Potater Blub

Pumpkin Harvest Dragon Macaron

Campfire Weiner Blub

Crispy Marshmallow Blub

Knotta Planet Blub

Pet Friends