Basking in a whimsical glow...

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WHIMSY - extravagant, fanciful, or excessively playful expression; an odd or fanciful notion. [Whimsy week begins here. Read this delightful guest post or click here for some Bliss Initiatives to increase your experience of Whimsy]

Hello all! Kathy back from the land of mouse with a generous dose of pixie dust to keep the wheels of whimsy flowing.  It looks like I left the blog in VERY capable hands and was totally thrilled with the response to Theresa's terrific post! If you haven't stopped over to her blog yet, you missed a must see follow up post to the one she wrote for this blog.  Thank you again Theresa, and to everyone who stopped by while I was away/. It was a real treat to come back to all your wonderful comments!

For those of you who are interested, I've decided to share a few highlights from our wonderful whimsical trip. My Sweetie says he surprised me for my birthday but I think the fact that it was WHIMSY week must have helped at least a tad. I mean what a terrific destination for a whimsy study!!

Our trip started off on a fabulous note when my Sweetie surprised us by booking our stay at the Grand Californian right on the Disney property. We have always tried to stay within walking distance but this was out of this world lovely!! The hotel is reminiscent of an early 20th Century Arts and Crafts mountain lodge and is just fabulous to behold.  I have always wanted to stay there so you can imagine my delight when we pulled into the entrance.  Chock one up for the Sweetie's Wooing and Wowing!! (I've told you before, I have the BEST Sweetie on the planet!!)

For those of you who do not adore the mouse as we do, as you read this post, consider imagining yourself in the shoes of a fairy obsessed three year old who has LOVED Minnie Mouse since before she could walk. This is the company we were in while on this particular trip. Upon entering the park we were gifted with an immediate visit from Minnie so our number one agenda item was immediately fulfilled!

As we proceeded down the quaint Main Street Little J said, "I like this place Mommy, it is magic-ee!" Indeed! Now I am certain the cynic in anyone could find a whole host of things that might be ill conceived or at least better presented, but if you are willing to open your heart it doesn't take long for the pixie dust whimsy to take over. Even "tend (pretend) elephants" are fun and Jungle Cruises taken at dusk 

can be very entertaining.  Fireflies and Pirates enthrall, "dolly rides" (It's a Small World) require multiple trips and Princesses and Fairies clamor to say hello. The girl made new friends in EVERY line and when she wasn't run, run, running to the next thing she was resting up for the next adventure.

Here are some of my favorite shots of all the fun:

My girl's FAVORITE activity above all was to meet all of the characters and this trip did not disappoint. She delivered full body hugs to all of her favorites and turned immediately shy towards those she didn't know as well. It took Eeyore an entire breakfast to get her to even shake hands but any time she spotted Minnie she would run at her and when allowed deliver a full body hug. One of the highlights for her was introducing BIG Minnie to little Minnie (the toy Minnie she has carried around for two of her three years) She was totally delighted when big Minnie gave the little one a giant hug. Hearing J talk with little Minnie about the visit to meet big Minnie is a whimsical treat that continues to amuse! 

Cinderella is her favorite Princess and it was interesting to see that she was more interested in meeting Terrence (Tinkerbell's boy fairy sidekick) then the gal in green herself. Terrence won big points when he gave  J a little yellow flower which she carried around for the rest of the day.

There were glittery lights and fireworks to fill the night time sky. We were never in a hurry and let each day unfold as it wished... sleeping late some days and waking at the crack of dawn on another. This gentle flow and meandering style of our approach, foreign to my childish "get it all done self" was what really allowed the whimsy in. Pausing to notice the little details in Sleeping Beauty's Castle, watching an indignant mommy duck quack at us while her baby ducks swam in a nearby pond, and following Pocahontas through Adventureland were some of the unlikely whimsical moments of our trip which might have been missed if we were following an agenda.

While the trip has come to end the whimsy will decidedly live on. I am taking Theresa's advice and I am going to take a deep breath and remember that fairies share cups of tea in springtime meadows, Princesses make invitations to castles, big Minnies hug little Minnies and I'll be reminded  to take a little time – each and every day - to enjoy the whimsy! 

Next Post: A Non-Disney Whimsy Study

Have something to say about Whimsy? 

Written a a fun post about your whimsical exploits?

Created a whimsical doll, sculpture or other artistic expression? 

This is the place to share it! 

New and old favorite posts are welcome here!

I have something to say about Whimsy!

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My 13 bliss virtues are  

joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry,

community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, and surprise. 

 [Click on any virtue to see all the Everyday 

Bliss Posts on the topic.]

An Everyday Bliss Guest Post ~ Whimsy ~ a brightly colored kaleidoscope of endless possibilities beyond your wildest dreams.

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WHIMSY - extravagant, fanciful, or excessively playful expression; an odd or fanciful notion. [Whimsy week begins here. Read on or click here for some Bliss Initiatives to increase your experience of Whimsy]


This beautiful post comes to you from Theresa over at Faerie Moon Creations. I'm certain you will enjoy her inspiring tale of Whimsy. After you have read this delightful tale do visit her ETSY Shop for all of her inspired creations.  I really don't think I could have found anyone better to guest blog on this, one of my favorite Bliss Virtues. ENJOY! 

~~~~~~~~~~

Come with me and you'll be
in a world of pure imagination!
Take a look and you'll see
Into your imagination.

We'll begin with a spin
Traveling in the world of my creation.
What we'll see will defy explanation.

If you want to view paradise,
Simply look around and view it.
Anything you want to, do it.
Want to change the world?
There's nothing to it!

There is no life I know
To compare with pure imagination.
Living there you'll be free
If you truly wish to be.

Many of you will recognize this delightful song from original film version of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. Imagination. Pure imagination. Wishes. Dreams. Creation. Just some of the essential elements that succinctly define the topic that I am sharing with you today...whimsy.

Ah...whimsy. Quite possibly my favorite of all the 13 Bliss Initiatives! To me, whimsy is viewing the world as Willie Wonka sees it – a brightly colored kaleidoscope of endless possibilities beyond your wildest dreams. Everyone has probably lived a life of whimsy as a child. We held lavish tea parties with the prettiest of our plastic china patterns for our elegantly dressed dolls, stuffed bears and imaginary friends. We played for hours outside in the snow making snow angels and snow forts. In the summertime, we'd pick daisies and make daisy chains, or hold buttercups up to our chins to see the reflection of the sun.

Whimsy doesn't have to end in childhood. Deep down inside us all, there is an eternal wellspring of imagination and dreams and creation just waiting to emerge from its slumber! Living a life of whimsy is remembering to have fun and indulge all your imaginative senses even in the smallest of ways.

Sometimes, as adults, we forget that we can still be playful while in the midst of dealing with mortgage payments, utility bills, traffic jams, and household chores. There are days when you aren't feeling your best, or you fight with your spouse or your children. Perhaps you are having a bad day at work. It's at those times that you most need to stop and refocus.

I made a difficult decision last year to leave my full-time job to explore creative endeavors. My life had become stagnant, and I was very close to losing that whimsical part of me. Faerie Moon Creations has reignited my ability to dream and imagine. Everything I create stems from my personal interests and passions – splashed with a liberal dose of whimsy and playfulness.

There are days, though, when I forget my passion. And it is then that I need to sit back, take a deep breath, and indulge my inner whimsy. I'll dream of enchanted kingdoms with talking owls and butterfly queens, with gigantic castles and green rolling hills-gallant and dashing knights and fair maidens in fabulous gowns. Ah to dream! Here is a sample of real life things that I like to do to invigorate my whimsy! Just a little bit. Every day, here and there. Maybe you'd like to give one or two of them a try, too.

• 
  
  
  Create special songs for your pets or children (or both)! I love singing to my dogs. I created special little songs for each of them and sing them (often poorly) each day. Even though they can't tell me, I know they understand me! And your children may initially be embarrassed by your singing, but they will come to cherish it always. To this day, my mother still sings to me each and every year on my birthday. And it truly makes my day!

• 
  
  
  Re-read your favorite children's book...entirely for pleasure - for yourself or share it with your children. I love children's literature. Some of my favorites include Alice in Wonderland, Where the Wild Things Are, The Lorax, Bread and Jam for Frances. Remember what you found enchanting about them to begin with and allow that to fill you as you read it again. If there's truly something that will ignite your imagination, it's children's literature!

• 
  
  
  The next time you go for a nature hike or beach walk, seek out the extraordinary! Look for faerie holes in every knotted tree that you see. Search for wee faeries who might be spying on you from behind leaves along the forest floor! Pick up discarded shells along the beach that mermaids have left behind for you.

• 
  
  
  Blow dandelion seeds into the wind – and don't forget to make a wish! You never know, it might come true! Even if you are in a steady relationship, pick a daisy and pluck its petals one-by-one (He loves me, he loves me not...with the end result, of course, being he loves me!).

• 
  
  
  Go for a walk during the first real snow of the season. Lift your face to the sky and feel the tingling sensation as the flakes melt instantly on your warm skin. Stick out your tongue and taste the snow flakes as they're falling! And don't forget to run inside and grab a dish, scoop up a bunch of snow and pour maple syrup over it. Sugar on snow! Yum!

• 
  
  
  Dress up for Halloween-just because! I love dressing up for Halloween. Although I have no children of my own, I still find immense pleasure in playing “dress up” and pretending to be a princess or a good witch or even a faerie. Stay dressed the whole day. Trust me, it will make you smile – and make others smile, too.

• 
  
  
  Attend a Renaissance Faire or Shakespeare Festival! Each state usually holds one or the other, or even both, during the warmer months. Dress up when you go and drink in the merriment as the actors draw you into their fanciful world of yesteryear.

• 
  
  
  Write a poem or draw a picture! It doesn't have to be fantastic-just let your imagination run wild. Stretch your creative abilities! Maybe even sign up for an art class online! I'm doing that now, and I'm so happy that I did. I'm learning new techniques and creating whimsical and pretty items for my home.

• 
  
  
  Watch an animated film-with or without your children. It can be a classic like Snow White or a contemporary masterpiece like The Nightmare Before Christmas or Up. Some of my favorite films of all time are animated. I imagine myself being transported to these remarkable fantasy worlds.

Thank you so much for allowing me to whisk you away to a world of pure imagination! I hope that something here might resonate with you. I'd like to share with you some magical and whimsical sites I really enjoy visiting. And just remember to take a little time – each and every day - to enjoy the whimsy!  ~ Theresa

A Fanciful Twist

Raven Moon Magic

An Artful Life

Spirithelpers

Artist Class ~ Art Tutorials

Be an Artist ~ SUZI BLU

Taking Flight into Art, Love & Life

~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you again for a delightful post Theresa. Dear readers, if you haven't already done so, I highly recommend a stop over at Theresa's blog and her Etsy Shop for more inspiring whimsy!

Next Post: Whimsical surprises

Have something to say about Whimsy? 

Written a a fun post about your whimsical exploits?

Created a whimsical doll, sculpture or other artistic expression? 

This is the place to share it! 

New and old favorite posts are welcome here!

I have something to say about Whimsy!

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Easy-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
For best results, use HTML mode to edit this section of the post.

My 13 bliss virtues are  

joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry,

community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, and surprise. 

 [Click on any virtue to see all the Everyday 

Bliss Posts on the topic.]