All things EARTH...

[MJC]

Laurie, what a cute fur family. :)

 

Melody, goldens are such wonderful dogs. When we lost our kitty Katya it took me a while to be ready to even look. But, it was too sad and quiet around the house for me to bear. We ended up being foster parents for the ASPCA for several months. It is a great way to have some animal company without feeling like you have to commit before you're ready.

 

Sally, glad to hear you're fine. I ordered the green dress today, can't wait to see it IRL. I meant to take a picture of the coral one with the scarf and necklace I have, but it was gray and cloudy all day, and we finally had our first snowfall. Too dark for taking pictures.

[Joby]

Anita,

 

I'm sorry about Toby! I love the name Grace, it has a lot of meaning in our family and is a name that has been passes down.

 

I love all the photo of everyone's "babies"! Our animals are family to us. We have a Lab, a cat and a Cockatiel now. Over the years we've also had rabbits, anoles, hermit crabs, a hamster and a guinea pig.

[laurspag]

We have a winter storm warning out. It comes in bands, so it hinders visibility and the roads become slippery. That being said, we are in between bands right now and the sun is shining. We're going to visit my sister today and she texted me to say that she didn't think we should come out. I guess even though she is about 8 miles away, it was snowing hard there. We're going to keep an eye on the forecast and make a decision in a bit.

 

I had asked her yesterday if she wanted anything, and she said her Entertainment Weekly magazine from her mail, and Panera tomato soup! I'd hate to let her down.

 

While it was snowing, I got my daytime outfits out again for the upcoming cruise. I had just put the shorts and tops in a pile in the closet so that they were handy when it was time to get ready to pack. I was surprised how hard it was for me to remember which shirt I planned with which top? But the fun thing is, when you are working with a color group, it makes the process of mixing and matching so much easier.

 

One thing about shorts is that most of mine are neutrals rather than earth colors. But they work. I decided to take some pictures this time to remember what I liked together and what I did not.

 

I discovered that your pairings affect which sandals look good as well. That was really making a difference for me, because basic shorts and a basic top look kind of blah to me. Then I see how the sandals start bringing an outfit together. Then I grab a necklace or a scarf....

 

It goes from being an outfit, to being your outfit. I want my outfits to be comfortable and casual, but it really doesn't feel right to me until I add a little something. My boarding outfit always seems to be a big deal to me. It has to say fun, it has to say I'm starting my vacation!

 

I will post some pictures in just a bit.

 

On a side note, I kept a few pieces of jewelry that belonged to my sister Sharon, who passed away in May. She was not an earth, but she had a few necklaces that were wonderfully warm and muted. I am finding they work with some of my outfits, and that is a good feeling. I like to wear them from time to time, as a reminder of her. It's kind of bittersweet, because it I think about how I miss her, but I'm thinking about how I carry her memory with me when I do this.

[laurspag]

I always bring along an outfit that I can change into if it happens to be cool in the evening. I haven't really had to do that on my more recent warm cruises but I like to be prepared. These are some options I was thinking about. I have a light oatmeal colored knit boyfriend style cardigan that is a go to on my cruises. It is lightweight and matches just about anything. The only thing is, these shirts are both a bit to the long side. They would hang past the cardigan, but they are also not the best looking shirts on me. I do like them though, and I have some limitations in my wardrobe at the moment. I could always re-wear one of my knit daytime tops as well.

 

 

Here is a group picture of the outfits I have in mind. There are 6 outfits for a 5 day cruise because there is a good chance I will need to change when I arrive the day before the cruise. I hope so, anyway...I'll be going from cold weather to warm weather! This isn't the best picture, but I think you can get the general idea of colors.

 

 

When I discussed previously the idea of a fun boarding outfit, this is how just a shirt and short can become a fun outfit I can relate to. Is is feeling to much like fire? In reality, it's more muted. You can see a few different necklace options and sandal options. I am definitely leaning towards the embellished sandals. Not sure about the necklace yet though.

 

 

I would say that the necklace on the right looks too busy, but keep in mind there is quite a distance between my neck and my feet...

Edited January 18, 2016 by laurspag

[laurspag]

In this picture, I grabbed a few outfits to be able to show how a pair of sandals works with all of them. These are one of those oddball things, in that, I got the sandals at BonTon for 70% off clearance around 5 years ago, and they were all of $7.00. I thought it was fine for something that I would get a little use out of, but not a lot. By chance, they are a go to sandal every summer, but especially on a cruise. I think the embellished sandals create a whole new look. By the way, the shorts on the right are a nice, dark earthy olive.

 

 

Depending, on what I decide, here are some favorite casual necklaces of mine. I have some fun bracelets I can bring too, but this is as far as I got this morning. The three on the left were my sister's, and they go with a few of the outfits readily, even my boarding outfit.

 

 

Now I just need to start thinking a bit because I didn't want to bring 4 pairs of sandals! That doesn't include what I wear at night with my dresses. Oiy.

 

Sometimes, I switch thing around to make the process easier. There is one shorts outfit, it's in the main picture, where the top isn't exceptional with any of the sandals. I might just change it for that reason.

 

Oh, and our weather just went from sunny to total white out. I can't even see across the street!

[Sailor_Sally]

Laurie , Feb. in Florida can be cool especially if up North is having a cold snap . So I would plan on something you can layer for Tampa even if it is warm during the day it gets chilly at night . Right now Florida is downright cold . It went into the 40"s last night and is supposed to be in the 30's tonight. I am in my winter outfit jeans , a long sleeved shirt , sweater , real shoes (no sandals ) & socks and occasionally a jacket . Nice outfits by the way .

Edited January 18, 2016 by Sailor_Sally

[laurspag]

Dally, I try to watch the forecast carefully so that I have the right clothes with me. The last time I sailed in February, we had a storm at home and great weather in Florida. Another time we sailed in November and it was very cool and windy in Florida I've learned that I want to be comfortable so I'll bring whatever I need to.

 

Let's hope for warm though!! [emoji1]

[MJC]

Laurie, I vote for the starfish necklace and the sandals on the right. Such a fun vacation outfit. I know what you mean about packing so many shoes, though. With weight limits what they are, I try to be streamlined in my shoe choices (except for formal night).

 

Here is my new dress with the scarf I'll use as a shawl for dinner. The shiny parts on the scarf aren't sequins, it's gold paint in a very diffuse spatter pattern, and the gold necklace has different shades of coral in it:

 

 

It's the first pic I've taken with my new phone so I apologize that it's a bit blurry.

 

I love that the dress has pockets. And not side seam ones, which I hate.

 

We booked our ship excursions today. We're doing about half ship, half independent tours. Sometimes we like to wander off on our own. :) We also found a great resort for day passes on our last day, since we disembark early in the morning but our flight home isn't until 7pm.

Edited January 18, 2016 by MJC
add info

[MJC]

I toned it down with a wooden necklace & got a lot of compliments .

 

 

I like that color combination a lot. I will have to look through my brown necklaces.

 

When I was bigger I had a brown and ivory tropical print chiffon maxi dress with that green for a satin border around the neckline. I loved that dress. I wore it with my green fake alligator sandals. I always felt more interesting in that outfit. :)

[laurspag]

Syracuse beat Duke!!! Yes!

[Sailor_Sally]

On recommendation from Laurie & Anita I tried the Merona tees sold at Target . They are perfect . Do not shrink & fit correctly . I am going to buy a few more . Thanks !

[laurspag]

Sally, a few of the tops in my last few photos were the Merona tees. They are great. One thing I love is being able to find such a great variety in color.

 

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[aoknkentucky]

Sorry for your loss, Margaret. There is a special bond with certain animals that I will never forget. You must have many, many wonderful memories to enjoy for years to come.

 

Since everyone is sharing, I grew up with horses, dogs, cats and chickens; pigs and cattle when I was very young, but I guess the chickens, pigs and cattle don't count as pets. My children had goldfish, hermit crabs, dogs and cats. I'd be a horse person if I could and I like dogs, but will always be a cat person. I just don't keep house well enough to have indoor pets and we are away from home so much camping on weekends, that it isn't fair to have animals now. Maybe some day.

 

Anita, I LOVE your fleece gloves. They look so stylish. Like Laurie, I sewed for my daughter when she was little and made curtains, tablecloths, pillows and such. The only curtains in my house that weren't made by me are my living room curtains and I hate them. I'd like to carve out some sewing time again soon. But as the old saying goes: if wishes were horses, we'd all take a ride.

 

Laurie, I LOVE those aqua stone-embellished sandals and the aqua stone necklace that's in that same picture. If they are all the color I see on my monitor, I'd wear the top, too. I have a personal problem wearing multiple patterns, so I'd need to wear the necklace and the sandals separately. I think they would look fine together for anyone else though. I really appreciate the way you show us your ideas in pictures. It helps me so much.

[Anita Latte]

Margaret...That's lovely combination. I love the gold accent on the scarf. I need to look up that JJill dress to see how the pockets are done...I'm not a big fan of side seam pockets either...they generally flop around and don't lay nicely and unless they are deep, stuff tends to fall out.

 

Laurie...I always need to wear shoes that I can walk around in a lot and feel good, especially on boarding day, because we always explore the ship so much on that day. And all the ramps and up and down, I wouldn't want my foot sliding around in a shoe. Therefore, as cute as they are, I totally wouldn't wear those flip flops.

 

I like your sister's necklaces a lot. That pendant style is more me.

 

I love that Earthy peacock feather print top!

 

Sally...Merona knit has been really good for me. My only complaint with some tanks that I have is that the stitching isn't a stretchy on the hem of a few of the tanks, so that I have popped the stitching on a couple. I know that technically, they were smaller than they should be :rolleyes: because I grew :o but still, the stitching should stretch to the same amount as the fabric.

 

I think it was just a bad batch though, because I haven't had that issue on most of my Merona knits.

 

Thanks for the compliments on my fingerless fleece! They are surprisingly helpful for keeping warm, even without the full fingers...They go to about the first knuckle. And I can still use my phone without taking my gloves off. LOL!

 

Meanwhile...I'm continuing with the sewing. I have a back log of projects so it feels amazing to just get ANY done. I'm keeping perspective and trying to not rush anything, which I have done in the past...making getting something done more important than the process. Instead, I am enjoying each step and appreciating it all as progress toward the ultimate goal.

[awhfy]

Laurie I love your starfish necklace. Is that blue a Merona tee? If so, I think I'm going shopping. I need more tshirt (about as much as I need a new whole in my head!), but I love that blue. Melody

Edited January 19, 2016 by awhfy

[laurspag]

Melody, that one is from Eddie Bauer. I love this shirt. I don't hesitate to wear both the necklace and the sandals together.

 

Anita, the sandals work well for walking around the ship. I wouldn't wear them to stroll around in a port though.

 

Well, we've had some heavy snow between yesterday and today. I think we've gotten about a foot. They are calling for snow showers tomorrow and Thursday. The blizzard they're forecasting for this weekend going to miss us, as of right now. I sometimes wish we had snow days. Sliding down the hill sideways this morning was no fun at all. Sally, you don't miss the driving in the snow, do you?

 

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[MJC]

We had our first snowfall on Sunday, but the roads stayed clear. We are in the path of the big storm that's coming Friday and Saturday, though. They are predicting 10-12" for the city. I'm planning a grocery run on Thursday since the big issue for us isn't usually getting around later, since we can walk or take the subway anywhere we want to go, it's that the trucks can't get to stores to restock them. Things like bread and milk go quickly. And produce.

 

My latest TV crush is on this show called Reign, ostensibly about Mary Queen of Scots, on the CW network. It's horribly historically inaccurate but the clothes are GORGEOUS. Someone there knows their colors, for sure. I admit to being a sucker for beautifully designed historical dramas. Or semi-historical, as the case may be.

 

I decided to order the green dress too. Can't wait to see it IRL.

[Anita Latte]

Hey Kim (especially)...check it out!

 

 

 

This is one of my latest sewing projects. It is my skirt from one of Kim's fabrics from one of her Africa trips.

 

The skirt is fairly simple, elastic waist in a yoke, a slightly flared skirt part, and then an attached ruffle. It's just slightly A-line, slim fitting through the hips and then the ruffle above the knee.

 

Should be especially cute in warmer weather. I have so many tank tops that will go.

 

For colder weather. I'm thinking that it could be cute with brown tights and my knee high boots. Unfortunately, I don't have too many tops that would be appropriate with that sort of outfit. I think a chunky cable knit sweater could be really cute.

 

Everyone in the path of storm, stay safe and warm. That sounds like very scary driving conditions Laurie. I hate driving on icy roads. I don't think we are expecting much from the storm, but I haven't looked again lately. I did hit the store to get the few things I would need to get through the end of the week.

[Joby]

Soooo cute, Anita! I love the little flounce at the bottom. It gives the skirt such a little kick :)

[laurspag]

Anita, that is such a cute skirt. I do wish I still sewed like I used to. I made so many of my girls' clothes. I also made a mini bride's dress for a flower girl once, and when my brother got msrried, I made all the bridesmaids dresses and even the bride's dress,as she didn't want a really formal long gown. It was fun.

 

I do get pretty scared with driving in our winter weather sometimes. I wish they plowed better. Margsret, I went to see my nephew once in Garden City in January. Snowy weather has such a big impact on the area you are in. It really seems to disrupt normal day to day activity.

 

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[MJC]

Anita, love the skirt. Love, love, love. I like the idea of a chunky sweater and boots for the cooler weather.

 

My green dress came today. The color is very EARTH. I'm looking forward to playing with jewelry options.

[awhfy]

Anita, cute skirt. I also made a lot of our girls clothes but haven't done significant sewing in quite awhile.

 

Margaret, glad you like the dress, I didn't care for how it fit on me. For the price I should have bought it & altered it

[MJC]

Melody, I may take it in a bit under the arms, but I'll probably wait until closer to cruise time to see where I am with my weight.

[Anita Latte]

Sewing is something that I have gone through fits and spurts with over the years. In some of the places we've lived, all my sewing remained boxed and in storage...or it was never unpacked...or I didn't have a dedicated space. In this house, I have a dedicated room for all my sewing, etc.

 

I would like to be able to hone my skills enough to be able to sew the better part of my wardrobe. I can still remember shopping with my Great Grandma Mary and watching her testing the fabric of some clothing and say, "You could whip this up in a jiffy."

 

Some things will never be cost effective or worth the time. Jeans, for instance. And some things, I'm not as interested in learning about...sweaters, for instance. I do fancy the idea of thoughtfully creating a wardrobe without having to search for all the clothing...being able to make what I want in the colors I want and in the style that I want.

 

So I'm on the look out now for a sweater. I don't want a cream colored one...or any other color reminiscent of beige. I want a richer color to match with the fabric.

 

I found a lovely sweater on the Nordstrom site, but it is pretty pricy:

 

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/nordstrom-collection-v-neck-cashmere-sweater/4081455?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=TEAL+DEEP&resultback=5368.181701829613

 

I think the Teal Deep color would be pretty fabulous though. And the length seems right. Tunic length seems to be more popular right now, I haven't seen a great selection in hip length...and that's what looks best on me.

 

So if anyone sees anything...please share. I'd love a blue or a burnt sienna kind of color...and brown, of course. I would prefer a non-crew neck.

 

That does seem a reasonable price for cashmere though. I've never had a cashmere sweater. I can't help but think about Seinfield...when George gets that discounted/flawed cashmere sweater for that woman. The way that woman said, Cashmere.

[awhfy]

Anita, that's a beautiful sweater, but pricey. I've bought most of my cashmere sweaters at Macy's or Dillards. Look for at least a 4ply or they tend to pill. I'd also look for Merino wool. I don't pay more than $50-60 for cashmere this time of year. You could also look at Marshalls, Ross or TJMaxx or SteinMart. Melody

Edited January 21, 2016 by awhfy