Weather & Seasons

Even though it’s not officially Autumn yet, it’s September, the month when Autumn begins, and Autumn is our favorite season. Not just for us Whimsies, but Miss Chrissy and The Man are in complete agreement as well. We think Mr. Squee probably feels the same way, but we can’t seem to get a straight answer out of him lately. He’s been in a contrary mood because try as he might, he can’t seem to figure out how to make his autofeeder drop kibble simply by knocking his head against the plastic container. It’s a perplexing problem that makes him occasionally ornery.

But enough about Mr. Squee! I’m here to begin our celebration of Autumn! Autumn is a time of many celebrations, containing not only Halloween and Thanksgiving, but also many birthdays here in Whimsieville. At Halloween we’ll disguise ourselves in costumes, but for Thanksgiving and birthdays we might very well have a party! And you know what that means: friends and fun, games and music, and let’s not forget…fashion!

In anticipation of Autumn Parties, we Whimsies have been surfing the internet high and low, looking for pretty party dresses, trying to get ideas for festive outfits we would love to have. And we’ve found a few that really stand out, so we want to share them with you now, to see if you don’t agree.

First, let’s take a look at this adorable pixie in a pretty green party dress. You’ll notice she has bright pink braids, somewhat like our Trixie. But I don’t know if we’ve ever seen Trixie so fashionable decked out in such a lovely shade of green! Trixie would prefer this outfit in pink, of course, but wouldn’t she just look lovely in so much green silk and ribbons? And notice the shoes! They’re sandals, white, but laced up with pretty ribbons. How dainty!

This pretty Green Pixie adds bright pink ribbons to her lively braids, and her cheeks shine as brightly as her smile. Well, who wouldn’t smile in such a pretty dress? It’s long and fluffy, and full of ribbons and tiny ruffles. Any girl, Whimsie or otherwise, would simply adore such a spectacular party dress.

Unless, of course…you wanted to appear a bit more casual, like this carrot-top here, who pairs her simple shift dress with a striped sweater and a gorgeous necklace of HUGE pearls! Carrot Top also wears the white sandals, but the thing you absolutely must notice most about her outfit is all that adornment to her hair.

First of all, hair like that….wow! I’m calling her Carrot Top, and honestly, I don’t know when that name has ever been more appropriate. We might see a Whimsie now and then whose hair is so red it’s orange, but…c’mon now! And there’s so much of that truly orange hair. So much that she needs to use numerous hair ornaments to keep it under control. Each ponytail is restrained by a fluff of orange and white, and there’s an additional fluff on the top of her head. There’s so much going on here! Carrot Top is saying, “Yes, I’m casual…but I’m also a little bit crazy! And I’m ready to party!”

Now here’s another girl who’s ready to party. So much so, that her outfit is not even a dress, it’s described as “playsuit.” The multicolored stripes in this playsuit, offset by a blue bodice eloquently portray the idea of fun, fun, fun! Suzy Stripes looks like she hopes this party will include a spirited game of Twister, and she’s ready to get down on the dots and twist herself in knots! Her shoes are simple, with a single leather strap, so easy to kick off at a moment’s notice.

And don’t you just love her hairstyle? So simple, yet so stylish! This is a hairstyle that says “I’m too busy having fun to take time to mess around with styling my hair!” Suzy Stripes is ready for anything!

I suppose…

But I have to wonder about her eyes being closed. Was she counting off in a game of Hide and Seek when this picture was snapped? Or was she indeed sleeping, so tired from partying too hard? If sleeping, then her dreams must be pleasant, as evidenced by her huge happy grin. This is the kind of girl everyone wants at their party. We just hope we can keep her awake for all the fun!

Now let’s switch gears a bit and get back to some more preposterously pretty party dresses, as you’ll see worn here be another braided beauty. Lollipop is working the flowers like there’s no tomorrow! A delicate trim of lace at the bottom of her full hemline says, “Yes, I’m a lady, and if you don’t’ believe me, check out the little pink ribbons on my braids!” So! Our Trixie is not the only one! Pink ribbons and braids seems to be a recurring fashion theme among high-spirited Whimsies.

But what I really love about Lollipop’s outfit is her simple white socks and black shoes. It’s hard to tell from this picture here, but I’ll just bet these are patent leather shoes. And nothing says “party” more than patent leather shoes! Oh, if I could have only one thing for Christmas, I would ask Santa for a shiny pair of black patent leather shoes! (After Autumn comes Winter, and Christmas comes in Winter, so perhaps I ought to seriously start thinking about that list to Santa!)

There’s one more thing I must say about my friend Lollipop here. You’ll notice I call her Lollipop, due to the large multi-colored lollipop she holds in her hand. When your partygoer arrives looking so lovely in her flowered dress, pink hair ribbons and patent leather shoes, you are so happy to invite her in to the party. But when she brings with her a gift of candy, how can you not help but be overjoyed? This Whimsie looks so friendly, I feel quite sure it’s her intention to share that lollipop with everyone else at the party. In fact, I imagine she’ll pull a tiny hammer out of the back of her left sock, and suggest a game of Smash the Pop. Everyone will take turns, and as colorful pieces of candy go flying, there will be a mad rush to see who can gather up the most pieces.

I want to be at that party.

Now we move on to a Whimsie who is so confident in herself and her ability to choose party clothes, that she has blatantly ignored the first law of Whimsie fashion…and yet she looks fabulous doing it. What is that first law? Why…Never Wear Yellow, of course! But Little Miss Sunshine has decked herself out in yellow, head to foot, and is working the look like it’s nobody’s business!

Starting at the top of her head, Sunshine wears a tiny yellow pillbox hat, so reminiscent of the 1960’s era from which we Whimsies hail. There also seems to be a white ribbon hanging down from the back of her hat.

Sunshine continues her theme of yellow and white with a beautiful necklace of what in the 1960’s was known as “costume jewelry,” as well as a matching bracelet. Her dress is yellow and white, and who can go wrong with a simple white sweater over such an ensemble? So classic! To top it all off, Sunshine finishes with those lacy sandals again, but can you believe it? No, they are not white! They’re yellow! Oh, the bold fashion choices! I’m about to faint! Our little Miss Sunshine must be channeling Jackie Kennedy, First Lady of Camelot. Only a Whimsie with such a large supply of self-confidence could pull off a look like this…and yet, this Whimsie does it with style and aplomb.

Now, we have yet one more Whimsie we’re inviting to our Autumn Party, and in some ways, I’ve saved the best for last. When you look at Brownie here, you’re probably thinking, “How in the world does this qualify as a pretty party dress?” I mean…really…who ever heard of a party dress in the color BROWN? You thought little Miss Sunshine was making a bold fashion choice with all that yellow? Well, that’s nothing compared to this Whimsie, who decks herself out in this most unusual outfit.

The first impression is that our new Whimsie friend is a “Brownie,” which is a very young Girl Scout. She even appears to have merit badges sewn in to her very plain dress. And what is that on her very lacy neckerchief? Could that be yet another badge? At once, you have to look at this Whimsie and wonder, “What an unusual Whimsie! What in the world is she all about?” At a party, when she walks in, all heads will turn, and instantly be topped with a floating question mark. As this friendly Whimsie approaches, even though you have never met her before, you can’t help but ask…”What is the meaning of all these symbols on your dress?” And so, there is a topic of conversation, an “ice-breaker,” as they call it.

After Brownie explains her badges, you would no doubt go on to compliment the yellow and brown ribbons on her unique headpiece. And I’m certain she would tell you all about it in the most pleasant and friendly way possible, and as one thing led to another, you two would surely end up being the best of friends.

You see, Brownie is not a Whimsie who puts on airs. She is a Whimsie who knows who she is, and likes who she is, and has special interests she enjoys and loves to share. Surely her enthusiasm would be contagious, and after only a short time in her company, you yourself may also think about joining the Girl Scouts!

And so, at last, we come to the end of our Fashion Review. We have assembled quite a collection of party-goers here, haven’t we? Unfortunately, Tillie, Trixie and I don’t have any clothes that are anywhere near this elaborate. Unless we were to bring out our Christmas dresses. But that, my friend, is a different type of party, and we will get to that eventually. In the meantime, we admire and support our fellow Whimsies, who have taken the art of Party Dresses to new heights! Maybe someday, as Miss Chrissy continues to visit the Thrift Shop Boutique, we may yet acquire such beautiful dresses, and be able to put them together with just the right accessories so that we too may be worthy of attending any Autumn Party!

When that happens, I’m sure you know that we will be right here to share our good fortune with you with excited words and beautiful pictures!