All things EARTH...

[laurspag]

Margaret, I heard about that plane - scary!

 

We had a snow/freezing rain/sleet festival on Wednesday, I believe. It was incredibly messy. It's clear but cold today and yesterday was also. It's supposed to warm up during the week, which will give us a much needed melt, at least a partial one.

 

There was a newspaper headline a few days ago that said "Heatwave! CNY reaches temps above freezing for the first time since January". I thought that was pretty funny. True, but funny!

[MJC]

Laurie, things are looking hopeful for us for a week in the 40s. I have easily broken the record this winter for most consecutive parka-wearing days. :) Thursday when we got 7" of snow, our condo didn't bother to plow the parking lot so I ended up taking the bus to work. It was an adventure.

 

I'm up early because of the time change, so I logged onto the terminal cam and watched the Emerald come into port this morning. We cruise in two weeks, and I'm very excited! I have two very hectic work weeks to get through first. I noticed the temp in Houston this morning is 44, so perhaps I will re-think my travel outfit!

 

Barbara, those are all such pretty dresses you found. I think the first one is my favorite, though. I really like the open lace detail on the cocktail length one, too.

[Joby]

Anita,

 

I sent you an email, did you see it :)

[laurspag]

Well, it's been a productive day!

 

I am not currently going through the same process that Anita went through, as I haven't yet purchased the book. However, I am cleaning things up a bit. I'm happy to say that my husband came upstairs, saw me straightening things in the closet, and he joined in. What is left is what he wears. There are things that are worn frequently, and then those things that are worn less frequently. They are worn though, and there is a desire to keep them and continue wearing them.

 

Some of that comes with the multiple seasons we have, and the need for different types of clothing.

 

I did the same, but I've been going through this process rather regularly so I ended up back at my dresser, cleaning my sock drawer, lol.

 

I did take out all sorts of things to see what outfits I could put together for my upcoming cruise. Just two months to go! I took a a different approach this time, combining Margaret's theory and Anita's theory. I asked myself what made me feel good, and found myself migrating towards certain tops and scarves. Then I started pairing them with bottoms. In some cases, I started with a jacket, added a scarf, and then chose the bottoms and tops.

 

I'm feeling exceptionally good right now. The voids that I wanted to fill in my wardrobe in general are now much more noticeable. I really, really need walking shoes, and perhaps what I will call a sneaker...

 

I then started looking at dresses again. I found I was creating a pattern with the style, and wanted to change things up a bit.

 

I took a bunch of pictures, so I will be posting them soon and getting your feedback. I think I finally have my head wrapped around the idea that this is not a fun in the sun, toes in the sand sort of cruise. It's a fun no matter what the weather, need to keep my legs warm sort of cruise! And that's okay. It's fun figuring out the layers.

 

Right now, I am hoping that I will be able to wear ankle pants, no socks, and a walking shoe or sneaker on some days. If I cannot, then I will likely be wearing mostly jeans. I have some brown straight leg jeans, and I may or may not have the basic casual pants that I want. I was looking at the ones that I currently have, hoping that I can take them in. The thing is, they have double seams, and the whole process of taking the waistband off on a few of them will create a lot of work that I may not have time for.

 

I did adjust the straps on both the new soft gold dress and olive dress, so I can take either one. I also decided to de-bling the strap on the soft gold dress. I don't mind accessorizing to the beading, but the rhinestones were white, and it was really cooling off the dress. Boy, that took quite a long time, but I'm really happy that I did that. I can wear whatever captures my heart now with that dress. I actually have two sets of things I can choose from, jewelry wise.

[laurspag]

Now, I'm a bit disappointed with the pictures, because whenever the sun shines and I use my bedroom to display the clothes, it washes all the warmth out of them. It's just hard to find a good place to take pictures! Unfortunately, there isn't much of an area in my kitchen, where the lighting seems to make the colors look truer to what they are. Bare with me...

 

This is an outfit I really, really like. It has it's issues though. I've always been a diehard no-white-before-labor-day type. These are ivory, as I don't wear white, but I'm still a week or so off if I wear them. The shirt color isn't coming through well, but think of a very dark olive green, similar to the swimsuit Anita posted a link for.

 

 

I really tried to get a good picture of the colors, but...

 

 

I think this would look cute with some sort of casual walking type shoe or sneaker. I have some ideas, which I will post later on or tomorrow.

 

Here is an outfit for another day. These are my brown straight leg jeans. The bottoms are loose enough to work with quite a few shoes I wear them in the fall with booties, and the jeans go over the top of the shoe, so to speak.

 

 

I really love that shirt too, it has little built in gold necklace. It is styled loosely, but I bought a size smaller so it doesn't tent out, as I like to call it.

 

I got to thinking that if it was cold, I'd need something to wear with it. Here is one thought:

 

[laurspag]

I have this natural, oatmeal color knit cardigan that goes with a lot. You will see it here, and I think I could wear it with either of the previous outfits posted.

 

 

This here was a thought. I often wear these lightweight, 3/4 sleeve sweaters and they are great by themselves, layered, with scarves, necklaces. Why not on a cruise? This is a rust color, with a murky sweater I really like from the Eddie Bauer outlet store:

 

 

There are no pants with either of the two pictures above. I would love to take in my brown casual pants or find a new pair, but if I don't, I will wear them a bit baggy or wear jeans.

 

Here we have a lightweight, but warm scarf because it is full, and this is a great Travex raincoat. It has this little elastic pull I the inside, so when I wear it, I can make it come in a bit at the waist. This is one of my brighter outfits. The colors are muted, but not a lot.

 

 

Same coat, different top and scarf:

 

[laurspag]

I really like this. It's a very lightweight sweater. It does not have the best shape though.

 

 

I tried a different scarf as well, although this one is silky so it seems very different in comparison.

 

 

Here are some options for bottoms. First things first, the pair on the left are from Dressbarn. They are a skinny leg, and I don't really feel comfortable so I think I will be taking them back. The other two are oldies but goodies, and they are ankle length so I think it may depend on what kind of weather they predict in the forecast. The middle pair are a casual twill, and the ones to the right are a bit nicer. I think many people would wear them to the main dining room on a non formal night. One thing we are considering for the second day we are in San Francisco is a train ride through Napa Valley. It is quite long, and includes lunch. I think those could work very well, especially because we will be out of the elements for a bit.

[laurspag]

It dropped off that picture, for some reason. I'll try again:

 

 

Here are some dinner ideas. On the far right is the soft gold dress and red dress that I feel pretty definite about when it comes to formal nights. The other nights are up for grabs, but the brown dress has 3/4 sleeves, and a great styling and fit.

 

Both of the red dresses are probably not earth. But red is my kryptonite, I guess!! The short red dress has this little tiny grouping of rhinestones near the neck, and they are set in gold. It's a great little touch to an otherwise basic dress. The purple I've had for a long time, and the ruching and ruffle is quite forgiving.

 

The blue/teal dress has a really funny story.

 

After I had my eyes checked, I stopped at Dressbarn to see my daughter. My other daughter was driving, since I had my pupils dilated and don't like to drive after that. I was certain the dress was teal. When I got it home, I wasn't sure at all. Sometimes I'm still not sure, but it is more of a blue. A warm blue, but not exactly muted. I do really like it on though, and it can do more than go on a cruise. It's a great dress for work too. I was so happy to try on a size smaller and have it fit. The same with those ivory ankle jeans I posted - they're a size smaller too.

 

Here's another photo of the dress or two:

 

 

[laurspag]

I will post more pictures of dress options this week. Right now, the hour change has thrown me off, and I started dinner late! Here it is, 7:30, and I still have dinner in the oven.

 

I don't want everything to seem the same. For the daytime outfits, I want to bring necklace options (of course) to wear when I feel warm enough instead of scarves. Then with the dresses, there is a lot of jersey going on. Once I get the dresses settled, then I will decide on shoes and jewelry. I think having two different sandals to wear with all my dresses would be great. Maybe three. I find myself a lot more concerned with luggage weight than usual, because my outfits will be heavier and take up more space than a pair of shorts and a top.

 

I get in the day before my cruise at about 8:30 at night, so I don't really have to think too much about what to wear the day I arrive in San Diego. Unfortunately, my options were very limited. On the way back, we have to self disembark very early and grab a cab for the airport. That means we have to carry all our luggage off.

[Sailor_Sally]

Laurie , Very cute outfits . The scarves really tie the outfits together . I love California . You will have a great cruise . I have found on cruises that are more exploring & less relaxing that a night or two we were so tired we skipped the dining room or went in our daytime outfits .

[laurspag]

By the way, that one post was supposed to say no white before Memorial Day, not Labor Day . Oops!

[laurspag]

It reached 45 degrees today! Yay! And the boards are back. Yesterday, I had the roughest time trying to post those pictures, and then I couldn't get on to Cruise Critic at all. It's good to see they fixed the problem, whatever it was.

[MJC]

Laurie, I like the ivory/green pants combo. Keep in mind that people on the West Coast dress very differently than we do, so perhaps you won't mind the white before Memorial Day rule so much there (I had that drilled in my head as a girl, too).

 

I love the turquoise dress. I wear that color sometimes. I think if it were really FIRE you would know right away. It may be edging that way, but for me it is really obvious when a color like that is too bright. Keep in mind that colors look more muted in the evening, too, than in broad daylight.

[ChollaChick]

Laurie -- I absolutely love that cream/green outfit. That scarf is AMAZING. I like all of your outfits a lot. But that scarf on the green shirt just rocks my world. It's beautiful. And that teal dress is really pretty. I can totally see you wearing it. It's funny I don't really know you and yet when I'm out shopping I think to myself "oh that's something Laurie would love" when I see certain styles of dresses.

 

I'm off today (it's my Sunday) so I'm trying to get my mind back into the week ahead. My job currently sucks and I don't see it getting better any time soon. Between the hours and some other stuff that's going on, it's just not a place I enjoy being lately. So I am going to be doing some cooking for the upcoming week. I don't have much time during the week to cook (I work mostly 12 hour days with an occasional 10 or 14 hour day thrown in for variety) so I like to get several things done during my "weekend". So that's the plan... and maybe some online window shopping when I'm done. :)

[laurspag]

I'm feeling really good about my outfits so far. I love the whole planning process, but I'm really liking how these outfits make me feel too. We are looking at the Napa Valley train excursion still. My husband told me yesterday that he wants me to book it, and he will pay for it. (I budget all these things and this isn't in the budget) I think this is something we will really, really love. It takes most of the day, and there is a multi course lunch with wine pairings...

 

That would be a great day for those caramel capris because they have a sateen finish to them, so they look a bit nicer.

 

I just realized that the picture of my dresses is really off, color wise. You can't even tell the one dress is purple! I will post a better one later. I'm waiting for a dress I ordered on clearance to come in, and then I will start to narrow down the choices.

[laurspag]

This picture is slightly better.

 

[laurspag]

The purple dress is warmer than what you see here. Purple is a funny color sometimes, don't you think? Every time I'm sure I've found the right purple, I second guess myself. This is a dress I've had a while, and I really do like it. I think it would be a nice choice for the cruise.

 

I went over to a local Famous Footwear yesterday looking for a pair of shoes I saw online. They didn't have them in the store, but I did see some really good options for walking shoes.

 

My daughter said some things that really got me thinking. She's a huge fan of Pinterest, and she immediately brought up a photo of an outfit she said would work so well for me. She told me that I shortchange myself, and I really should try an outfit such as this.

 

What got her thinking was that a few weeks ago, our bank sponsored a minor league soccer game for the Syracuse Silver Knights. They encouraged us to wear our bank clothing. I have two polos, and they are the fitted styled for women rather than a unisex boxy look. I didn't know what to do with it so I tucked it in and added a belt. It's the first time I tucked in a shirt in at least three years.

 

She told me that since that night, she's been thinking about how nice it looked, and how I should not limit myself so much.

 

By the way the outfit was straight, dark jeans (not skinny jeans) a button down shirt, and a braided brown leather belt. The shoes were more or less Sperry's. Then there was a cross body bag, but it wasn't being worn that way, they just had it hanging long off the model's arm.

 

I like the outfit, but I felt like it could use a necklace, lol. Anyway, I'm going to try something similar. I think I need to see if I have a dark button down shirt. I'm not seeing it with a lighter color. Brown or olive seem ideal.

[Anita Latte]

Here's a funny...

 

Laurie, I also love your olive green/ivory combo outfit! Everyone seems to respond so well to that particular outfit...I'm thinking it's because it's such a lovely and striking contrast...and contrast doesn't seem to be something that we EARTH ladies really get that much...it's hard for muted colors in general to give us that clean contrast.

 

OK...so I realize now that your outfit is one thing that inspired my purchase yesterday! How funny...anyway...after the major wardrobe clean out...definitely concluded that I LOVE maxi skirts...just love them. Again, I'm struggling a bit with the wardrobe because things aren't fitting so wonderfully...and as it turns out, my work with Curves took me to a department store last night...where I was staring at several different maxi skirts...as I said to Mom, two of them smiled at me and told me they wanted to go on a cruise! I totally thought of you, Laurie and Margaret, when I bought this one:

 

 

It truly is more off-white than white...but yes, more off-white than ivory...I love it though. And last night, I especially loved it with the same green tank and off-white/green/gold scarf that I wore in the black pants outfit that I recently posted. How's that for my version of your outfit Laurie!? LOL!

 

Anyway...also bought this lovely, not quite as long maxi:

 

 

They call the color "heather oden" which is another deep green color. Very nice deep green...actually green, not army-like at all.

 

These two skirts will be the mainstay of my MDR wardrobe for my cruising.

 

I have yet to fully decide regarding formal night. I recently did something of a stupid test...trying for evidence that I have an adverse digestive reaction to wheat...OMG...so I OD'ed on wheat while on a recent trip to Athens for DS' All State Chorus (nice plug there, eh?...my sweet Bass singer made All State)...anyway...YES, emphatically, YES...I have issues with wheat and need to lay off...

 

So, Mom has her own reasons for doing the same...and we have put in to be "gluten free" on our cruise. This should be interesting. You submit a "special needs" form to the cruise line. Mom recently heard back from them with very clear instructions and details as to how Celebrity is going to cater to our needs in the MDR. This is where they can guarantee that needs will be met...and it is our responsibility to contact the managers of any other restaurant (including the buffet, and most especially the buffet) if we eat in any other restaurant. Again, should be interesting...

 

But suffice it to say...I've had a major bloat from my experiment...but fortunately, I know what to do diet-wise to "detox" and so far have been very successful. I've been eating a modified diet since Monday and have dropped over 10 pounds as of this morning...no...that's not normal, but unfortunately, is for me...I have this water retaining body type and I have hurt myself somewhat with this stupid experiment...

 

So again...not sure what I'm going to do for formal night. I might be wearing my black pants again. I'm debating the idea of going for a man look actually...at first I was thinking sparkly top with the pants...but IDK...this morning, I'm thinking lady's tux look...

[laurspag]

Lol, Anita. Thank you. You know, I really love that outfit too. I'm really giving a lot of thought to all this, and choosing what makes me feel good. I know I am definitely taking that outfit.

 

I recently order two clearance dresses from Kohls. They were on clearance and I got an additional percentage off. For just under $20.00 each, I figured that if they were good for one thing (work, cruise, etc) that I would be okay because it wasn't a huge investment.

 

I'm not too thrilled with either. One was a big risk because it's an animal print, and it is rather busy looking. The colors are great. I ordered a size down, and I'm not really comfortable with the fit. The other dress is the exact same dress, but in a sparkly bronze. I ordered my usual size. It feels big.

 

I'm going to try them on again and take pictures, to see if it is warranted to take them back and get a different size. I'm not thinking so at the moment...

 

Anita, I love those skirts! They are both really pretty. I have two and I'm still trying to figure out how to wear them. I think I need pictures. That always helps me.

 

I can envision that skirt, scarf and top combo on you, and it will look fantastic! Great for a cruise! Have you figured out what to wear with the green skirt yet? They look so comfortable.

 

I've never considered food allergies or sensitivity, but I sometimes have an issue with bloat and discomfort. I should probably pay attention to what I ate the day before. It's funny, because it will last a few days?

 

I have a sister who must eat gluten free at all times. Anita, do you think you are fine with lesser quantities, or is it something you must stay away from altogether?

 

With all the cruises coming up, I hope to see lots of pictures!!

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...I'm in the experimentation stage here, trying to figure things out.

 

If you really get into researching this situation, you can find that gluten isn't necessarily the evil thing...what is possibly the digestive villain is the way the complex carbs surround the gluten protein. When all the different research hit the world's stage...the gluten villain was easy to put into practice, but the truth is that complex carbs in general could be the real culprit for digestive troubles, bloat, and many other issues that you might not know are related to digestive health...including brain fog, depression, autism, etc. So all grains, most dairy, some legumes, some starchy veg...these can all be the cause...not just gluten...

 

But gluten is the easy thing to say, and necessary because flour (wheat in general) can be added to so many different things...there can be hidden wheat in things like sauces, soups, seasonings, etc...and because of the promotion of one research over another back in the 1950s (pretty sure about that date)...gluten is the common factor to make communication easier with things like restaurants.

 

For me, I have been a person that has general water retention and bloat. When I have not been eating as clean as I could...I know exactly what to do, and I have been known to drop 8 pounds in one day. I know that wheat causes me problems. Painful problems. Double over in pain problems...when I have too much. In small quantities, I don't have pain, but I have the water issue and some other unpleasant digestive side effects that I don't have when I don't eat grains in general.

 

I was gluten free/wheat free for a year...but I did eat other gluten free grains...and never lost the bloat...only the pain. So now I am contemplating eating what is now called the Simple Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)...which is founded on some serious science and based on only eating monosaccharides and eliminating disaccarides and polysaccarides (the infamous-oh-so-healthy "complex carbs".) It's a one to two year plan that is geared toward restoring the health of your gut. The idea with this eating regime is to restore the natural balance of bacteria in your gut and also to heal the lining of your intestines...when you do that, you could eat "normal" again without the prior issues...

 

Personally, I'm doing a slightly more restrictive eating regime for 2-weeks to "detox" a bit more. Then, I think that I'm going to pursue the SCD plan and see how it goes. I've decided that it isn't normal to have the bloat and water retention...and I've decided, especially with my knee, that I need to reduce my overall weight...which for me means fat loss of course...but also the loss of unnecessary, excess water. (Meanwhile, I'm hoping to become much stronger, if not gain muscle), so I need to eat to support this lifestyle...if I want to be serious about my functionality.

 

Because it comes down to this for me. I've done so much reading and research, OMG, it's why "Sophisticated" is my first style word...knowledge, wisdom, and understanding are everything to me...and I've come across a growing medical science movement of treatment and health toward "functionality" rather than "structure." So, to explain, my structure is compromised...but it does not necessarily follow that my functionality has to be...it will all depend on my own work ethic and overall lifestyle.

 

So this is how I come to be thinking so seriously about my food intake. The SCD isn't quite as restrictive as some Paleo diets. I'm thinking that I'll follow the SCD for one year and see how it goes. It's a one to two year recommendation...but I think one year might be enough. Then, I'm thinking about following a particular Paleo diet for the recommended 30 days, it's called Whole30. And see how that compares to know which might be the better eating plan for me for the long run.

 

I think the general idea is to know what is the best eating plan for the long run...there may be times when you indulge in what isn't the best for you...so long as you return to your "norm" then I don't see a problem with this. But first...I have to establish the good and healthy norm, which for me includes a goal weight, goal BMI, and goal functionality which also includes being a well rested person that doesn't have digestive issues and/or water retention issues.

 

You probably didn't need such a long response! :o

 

I'm looking forward to all the pictures too! I always love reading about our adventures! I'm especially looking forward to your California report Laurie...I haven't been back in so long...been thinking about trying to go and take DS to see...

[Anita Latte]

Do ya'll wear a watch when you cruise?

 

I don't wear a watch. The battery went out on the one watch I did have when DS was a baby...and I pretty much figured out that I didn't need to wear a watch. I use my cell to see what time it is when I'm away from home. But I don't care my cell around on the ship. I don't even have it turned on...

 

We have had the hardest time figuring out what time it is on board...so I've been thinking about the whole watch situation...

 

What do ya'll do to tell time on board?

[laurspag]

My husband's biggest weakness is watches. He doesn't buy expensive ones, nor does he actually buy them...we give them to him as gifts. I find that I don't wear them much either, but I can always ask him. The time. That being said, I like to carry a tote bag with me and I have my camera in there and a few other things as well my cell ends up in the there too in case we are in port and I want to send a photo home.

[laurspag]

Sometimes I think that I feel best with a balanced diet. Low fat and cholesterol, some fat free dairy,lots of veggies...I find staying away from processed foods when I can is really good too. I try to find ways to make things healthier. We have a store here called Wegman's that I shop at every week. They have these all natural grain and rice mixes. I will cook it in vegetable stock and add spices to it. I think it is a great alternative to some sort of boxed starch in that I can control the fat, sodium, and so forth. Plus, I can pronounce everything in it, lol.

 

Carbs are hard for me. I can keep away from bread but I do like pasta. Do you eat much meat? We eat a lot of chicken and I use ground turkey in place of beef. I do allow myself to eat things that aren't always the best things though. I'm making corned beef Sunday, for example.

[Anita Latte]

Yeah...DH usually wears a watch. He has two...a dress watch and a water proof watch. He wears the water proof water on vacation...and I can ask him the time. Mom usually wears her heart rate monitor as a watch...LOL...and I can ask her for the time. I think Dad wears one too. I was just thinking how I might want my own way of telling time...

 

I'm intrigued by the idea of NOT a wrist watch...looking at clip on watches...

[Anita Latte]

I eat beef and lamb regularly. About once a week...sometimes more if I have a stash in my freezer from stocking up on manager's specials. Lots of chicken though. Turkey. Salmon weekly. Eggs.

 

I've come to realize that eating healthy means very different things to different people. People can pick and choose based on this diet or that...and the current research, which is forever changing. Something can be labeled "good" and then it becomes "bad" and then, surprisingly, it can become "good" again...or not.

 

For me, I've come to realize that milk is a processed food. So I am careful when I use that adjective now. The grocery store is filled with processed food and we really don't know what they are doing to our food most of the time.

 

And the interesting thing to learn is that it can be the production of food from seed to harvest to store that can introduce things that create problems. The current argument against wheat in general is that today's wheat isn't our grandparent's wheat. They have done so much to it to make it hearty to survive the weather and other adverse growing conditions...how can we expect our system to deal with such a hearty thing? How could we expect that it wouldn't cause problems?

 

I need to be careful...this is a slight obsession of mine...I'm very in to this topic and could seriously go off on it...

 

I find that I don't have too many issues when I make up my mind. Sometimes...the commitment waivers...like why I started eating wheat at all again...I was seriously wondering if I had real issues...or wondered if I had cleared myself up enough to handle small quantities...but I think I was just really wanted a dark beer...gluten free beer isn't dark. LOL!

Edited March 14, 2015 by Anita Latte