Wacky Wednesday #16: Lemons

 

This week’s costume is all about lemons.

Initially, I thought of making a dress out of Lemonheads candy boxes but I couldn’t picture myself buying forty boxes of candy for this costume. So Lemonheads are an accent only, and the rest of me is all about lemons. Although I didn’t eat a lot of Lemonheads as a child, this candy reminds me of childhood because the box’s original design has a retro feel, like many items did in the 70s, when I was born. These days the Lemonhead box has an updated look but I feel nostalgic for the original design created when Lemonheads debuted in 1962:

Since I know you love trivia, here's a fun fact: Ferrara, the company that makes this candy, sells 500,000,000 Lemonheads each year. Wow. 

 

Creating an outfit about lemons is a fun choice for me because yellow is so cheerful and a happy color with which to work. And I love citrus scents, so lemons evoke a good feeling in that way, too. Fruit is beautiful and a symbol for life. Lemonade feels summery, too, so my costume references the current season. Out of curiosity, I Googled the symbolism of lemons and found that lemons symbolize love, longevity and friendship.


Today it delighted me to bring some smiles to people at a hospital. My friend needed a nerve block and I drove her to her appointment. While I was waiting for her, at least a dozen people walking by said that they liked my costume. Some were patients but most were staff at the hospital. It made me glad that my costume surprised and brightened people’s day. Hospitals are serious places and if my Wednesday whimsy helps lighten the mood, even for a minute, I’m happy to help. One woman, Jo, introduced herself to me and told me that my costume had made her day. I told her that her enthusiasm had made my day. (See, this whole bright-and-colorful-clothing thing really lifts moods. Give it a try!)
 

Alternative titles for this post:

·         “A lemon in the hand is worth two on the tree, far out of reach.”

·         (To be sung to the tune of “Yellow Submarine”) “We all love a yellow lemon tree, a yellow lemon tree, a yellow lemon tree..."

·         “When life hands you lemons, make a lemon dessert, and you don’t even have to share it!”

Well, it’s time for me to say goodbye for this week. If you think that I’m off to mop the floor with a lemon-scented cleaning product, you’re wrong. I like citrus scents but I’d still rather make art than scrub surfaces. I’m off to dream up something fun and fabulous for next Wednesday…



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