“The Redhead Club” friends (Georgiana, Natalya, Brighton and Bunty) have planned a quick two-day reunion to attend Harold’s annual Islandshire Christmas Tree Sale. This year, Georgie’s neighbor, Frances Shanti, arranged her schedule to join the girls for part of the day. (Frances Shanti uses her middle name, but Bunty thinks Frances is such a nice, old-fashioned name that she’s decided to call her Fran.)
Islandshire is in the middle of a cold snap, and Georgie made sure to tell her friend to bring a change of clothes that would keep her warm out in Harold’s tree lot. Shanti’s never seen cold weather before, but she said she had the perfect outfit in mind. Georgie warned her that one outfit would be enough for the few hours she’d be here. Her friend is into fashion, you see, and the more the better. She’d seen Shanti’s closet. It’s not a sight for the faint of heart.
Let’s join the two as Georgiana shows Shanti up to Bunty’s bedroom for a quick clothes change.
“Oh, Georgie, this room is wonderful! I just know I’m going to love Bunty and the other girls. They DO know that I don’t have red hair, right? You’re sure it’s okay for me to join the crowd? Great! Just drop those bags over there, if you would. I don’t want to hold up the party, so I’ll get changed right away.”“Boy, Shanti, these bags weigh a ton. What did you bring with you? Bricks? I’m not sure we should put these on Bunty’s bed.”“No, silly, it’s just a few clothes, and the bed looks sturdy to me. Besides, how much can a few clothes weigh? Maybe you’re just tired or something. Here, let me have the big one. (Grunt huff puff.) There! That wasn’t bad at all, was it? And the bed’s just fine.”“Shanti! What is all that?! I told you ONE OUTFIT! Did you stop and shop on the way? Well then, why did you pack all those? You’re only going to be here for a couple of hours! No wonder that bag was so heavy! And I can’t believe you got those all in one suitcase! Bunty, you need to come and see this!”“You called? Oh, my. What is all that, Fran? Did you shop on your way here? Oh, my. Georgie, didn’t you say she was only here for a couple of hours? Did you tell her that it’s cold outside? Well, let’s see if we can help you sort this out, Fran . . . uh-oh, there’s another bag. At least it’s smaller than the suitcase. Wow . . .”“Oh, I don’t remember packing these. I wonder if the other one’s in here. Maybe I won’t need it. If either one of you spots the other one of these, let me know. Just give me one more minute, and I’ll have everything laid out to try on. Right, try on. I know you said just one outfit, Georgie, but I couldn’t make up my mind. They were all so cute, and I thought you guys would know best. Now, where should we start? Hmm. I know. I’ve got one here that’s my favorite, so we’ll start with that first. Who knows, I might not even have to try any of the others on after you see it.”“Ta da!”
“Now, come on, Shanti. You’ll freeze to death in that middy top with those short shorts. You don’t even have shoes on! It’s COLD out there. I hope you’ve got something warmer in that pile.”“I’ve got it! What about these thick wool socks and long-sleeve top? I just love these shorts, and I’ve never been cold in them before. No? Okay. Don’t worry. I’ve got a few more options.”“Whoa! Let’s take a break here for a minute. Shanti, let Georgie look through that heap for a minute. Georgie, see if you can find something suitable. Boy, am I glad Eliot can’t see this. It definitely wouldn’t work with his less-is-more mindset. Anyway, if we can’t find something in that pile, you can borrow something from me. We look to be about the same size. What? Sure, try the skirt on, but let Georgie look through your things. She’s a pro with this cold-weather stuff.”“Too skimpy.”“Too wrinkled.”“Wrong color.”“Not.”“Not what? Again? But I just LOVE these little elephants? No, I don’t have anymore slacks. I don’t wear many pants back home. But I never got cold in those clothes before. Okay. Okay. I’ll just stand here and let you and Georgie look through the pile. ““Oh! It’s just perfect! I’d forgotten that I’d packed that. Well, it was one of the first things I put in. Does that meet with everyone’s approval? I’ve always thought it was the most cuddly looking sweater in my closet. Wear it? Me? Of course, not. I’d faint from heatstroke if I wore something like that back home. I don’t know. I remember buying it because the price was so discounted that I couldn’t say ‘no’. I LOVE clearance shopping!”“Georgie, I think Fran needs to meet Lori, don’t you? [Wink] Anyway, Fran, that’s what I call an outfit made for Christmas tree shopping. But I think we should try and pack all this up before we leave, or you might end up spending the night!” [Giggles]Editorial note: If we show our readers all of this packed back into those two bags, they’ll never believe anything we say again. Let’s just leave it to their imaginations.“To the Christmas Tree Sale, milady! There’s Pete with the scooter, so I’ll grab the other Girls and we’ll be off. By the way, Fran, you look adorable! Nice outfit!” [Wink Wink]
Very cute. Someone from a warm place thinks shorts will keep them warm. I am glad she has friends.
Ally