Dooney & Burke "Disney Dogs" from the Disney Store *****
When this collection popped up, I emitted a series of shrieks and gasps--it seemed to be tailor-made specifically for my dog-loving, Disney-loving self. (I absolutely adored the bags as well, though the only kind of bag I could really use or justify at this point was a clutch, so I went with one of the Oh My Disney VHS ones.) This dress is pinker than I'd normally want, but I don't even care because of how me the pattern is. I couldn't believe my eyes at first and thought, "Okay, chill, it probably just includes the most popular characters, or the one or two main ones from each movie..." But then I looked more carefully, and started zooming in and checking out the closeups. Instantly I knew it was mine. Immediately I planned to wear it to my brother's wedding, which I was then sadly forced to miss...but oh, am I gonna find more perfect occasions for this beauty.
For reference, I'm about 5'/5"+112 lbs, wearing a small. I like the ruching up top. The only part that wasn't perfectly comfortable was the elastic around the neckline and sleeves; eventually it gets kind of itchy and when it's time to take it off, you're ready to do so. You'll also want someone to secure the back clasp, even if you can manage to get the zipper up and the bow tied yourself. That clasp was hard even without wearing the dress.
The array of canine (and sort-of/almost canine) characters is extremely impressive. I count 50 featured canine characters (including a few nontraditional dogs such as Zero, Sultan in his footstool form, and even Stitch!) The only one I had a little trouble identifying was Stella, the Bloodhound from The Princess & the Frog. And I had to look up the name of Winston (the Boston Terrier from “Feast.”) *hangs head in shame* Personal favorites include Rita, Georgette, Peg, Persephone, Dinah, Fifi, Chief, Tramp, & Dodger. (Also really love Dinah’s butterscotch-colored version from “In Dutch." Given the choice I'd have picked that one, if I couldn't have both. She just has this pretty Lisa Frank-esque coloration and gloss/sheen, plus a nice design and animation. The short is super-charming overall.) These are tippy-top all-time favorite Disney characters. I do wish that the remaining pound dogs from Lady & the Tramp had been included; that would make it just about perfect. Not sure how they chose Pedro over Boris (my fave!!!!), Toughy, & Bull. There's another Bulldog, but there’s also another Chihuahua, so it really should’ve been Boris or Toughy. Oh, or Dachsie! But ugh, imagine how excellent Boris'd look on there...;; So unique!!
It was probably wise to rule out anthropomorphic (or for that matter, live-action) canids. The Pixar* situation is a bit odd. And while I certainly love some from sequels/prequels/midquels (e.g., Dixie & the Singin’ Strays of The Fox & the Hound 2, Lil’ Lightning of 101 Dalmatians 2: Patch’s London Adventure, Ruby of Lady & the Tramp: Scamp’s Adventure), they’d probably like to pretend the direct-to-video era never happened (and really can’t be blamed.) *Now I had said that the grouping ruled out Pixar--somehow overlooking the studio behind Dante, Dug, Alpha, Beta, Gamma...eheh. But Slinky Dog then seems rather an odd omission, despite him actually being a toy...and then you've got Buster, Scud, the DunBroch Deerhounds (OH IF ONLY!!!!)...smaller parts, so I guess the rest would have to be in the considerably smaller "Pixar dogs" pattern! Could even expand to include non-speaking/unnamed/background/cameo/other-studio/non-American-made ones, perhaps. Like one of the biggest "Where's Waldo"-type images ever...xD
All in all, the greatest dress that currently exists. And I now have soooooooo much Disney-dog stuff. x'-3 (Couldn't be enough o's in the world for how much Disney stuff...)
{11.1.20 edit: OMFG HOW TF DID I NOT NOTICE THAT THE DRESS HAS POCKETS??? 10 MORE COOL POINTS TO ITS ALREADY RIDICULOUS TOTAL}
...And since I mentioned "the other Dinah" (Pluto's such a ladies dog!)...I've noticed that Fifi's been given a makeover or had a glamour placed on her over the years since her original "Society Dog Show" appearance; it reminds me a tad bit of Strawberry Shortcake's redesign. Not nearly that dramatic, but y'know. Actually, SS is more like Dinah, since there are clearly two girls by that name. =p Fifi's is kinda like, a very slight redesign coupled with the polish/gloss given the princesses...
Roster:
- Rita
- Georgette
- Persephone
- Peg
- Dinah
- Fifi
- Chief
- Tramp
- Lady
- Annette/Collette/Danielle
- Scamp
- Dodger
- Sparky
- Copper
- DeSoto
- Roscoe
- Tito
- Pedro
- Jock
- Trusty
- Francis
- Einstein
- Pluto
- Dante
- Nana
- Dug
- Pongo
- Perdita
- Patch
- Pongo
- Thunderbolt
- Bruno
- Toby
- Napoleon
- Lafayette
- Stella
- Colonel
- Max
- Percy
- Bolt
- Sultan
- Alpha
- Beta
- Gamma
- Winston
- Little Brother
- Zero
- Stitch
...and the "Oh My Disney!" VHS clutch! *****
I love VHS tapes; I grew up with them and have hundreds upon hundreds. A large percentage of those are Disney films. So I absolutely HAD to get something from this adorable collection. Went with the clutch, since I'd only ever used my mom's, in my favorite of the movies. It's a bit bigger than I expected, and at first I had a lot of trouble getting it open. (Actually, I still often have trouble. It helps to hold it against yourself; the "front cover" pulls forward without the clasp and eventually you get it, but I wish it were much easier.) There was some black goo that needed to be (mostly) rinsed off with a paper towel, and what remains on the edges is presumably some sort of non-removable glue. Basically, to remove as many marks/smudges/fingerprints as possible, I gave it a good wipedown. The thing is shiny and squishy and amazing, very reminiscent of a VHS case. The interior looks quite capacious but actually only holds a certain number of very thin objects, some of which need to be slid and positioned a certain way (thought I could add more, but then it wouldn't shut.) Ah well. It'll be useful to drop into a shopping tote for trips out, holding the most important cards (including my Elsa Visa ;), sunglasses, pens, cash, coupons, phone, and/or anything else I might be able to fit. There's a central zippered pouch with 3 card slots.
