I remember seeing it under the tree, turquoise giving a hyper nod to the evergreen needles that scattered the ground around it.  The perfect Christmas gift for a little girl.  

Even then I knew it was a thrifted find but all that mattered was that it worked, light-bulb buzzing magic onto a mini pan that puffed up a perfect little cake.  Joy to the world!  

It wasn't until today (in this, the week of Easy Bake's 50th birthday) that I realized I have owned a first edition oven for all this time.  It's not in perfect condition - there's a knob missing and some warping underneath - but the adorable coloring and vintage scars lend itself to serve as artwork in my home and who knows, maybe someday soon Noa and I will stick in a new light-bulb and see if those little cakes really are as good as I remember.