All things EARTH...

[laurspag]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It is so good to talk to people who know and understand hypothyroidism. I know I am fortunate that I don't suffer from something worse though. Steady but slow wins the race is right! As of yesterday night, it looked like I lost 2 more pounds. It is in the 90s here with high humidity, and the gardening really has me sweating up a storm. I am hoping that the slower pace instills a change that will stick with me.

 

Now, those things to avoid...I can do without the soy, once I start looking at the ingredient labels. But the veggies? I did some checking online, and spinach, kale and brussell sprouts are on the list too. You know, I love those. Seriously. I know most people run at the sight of certain vegetables, but I absolutely love them, and they are part of my current scheme of things. What I do is, I put more veggies on my plate than anything else with no sauces or butter or anything. I then eat those first. I then eat the next leanest thing and so on. If I'm still hungry, I eat more vegetables because they are quite filling. I will have to start paying attention to which vegetables I'm making.

 

Your weight loss story is amazing. I maxed out last year at more than your top weight but now that I've seen a few pounds go, I know it's possible to lose. I was excited to take a few things back not long ago that were too big. It really isn't a noticeable loss overall, but things do fit a bit differently.

 

Dying versus tea staining...I haven't tried clothes dye in ages. Tea staining works well. I do find that you are best working with something without stains, because even if you don't see them, the tea stain takes a bit differently sometimes. I have a white sweater I did not too long ago and it came out nice. I am going to re-do it and leave it in longer this time because I'd like it to be a bit darker than it is right now.

 

Margaret, those tops are great! I got a beautiful golden yellow one at Dress Barn that I didn't take a picture of, but I love it. Our local Dress Barn is actually one of their smaller stores. I go to Marshalls all the time. There is a Chico's that is about a half hour away. I'm generally not in the area much, but I have been wanting to check it out. I need to check Kohl's too. That is on the opposite end of town as Chicos. :p

 

I agree that we get great support here on this thread! You are all my friends.

[Anita Latte]

Ladies...

 

Just a quick note...I am CRAZY busy packing. My countdown is 8 days today! :eek: I want to have a couple days to stage all the packed boxes and the furniture and also clean the house...I have given myself until next Wednesday night...Thursday is trash day...and my last corporate Zumba class...so I'm hoping to have a nice day that day...a bit leisurely. I'm hoping anyway...

 

Meanwhile...does everyone know my 15th anniversary is July 5? It's the last one where you there are annual themes for each year...the next theme is 20 years. ANYWAY...DH asked me today if I had started packing my clothes and the clothes he left. He has made special plans for us for a big day together...and I have a bit of shopping to do!

 

He is not telling me what to wear...but is telling me his plans...he is going to wear cruise worthy casual...linen pants and a tropical feeling button down rayon blend shirt with his leather sandals...Mom you saw him wear this on the cruise. He said he would probably wear his swim trunks at some point during the day...and then change into dinner wear. And YES...my new Cache red dress would be appropriate...

 

SO...I need new bras...because I have shrunk since the cruise in the cups :p and I don't fill those bras out any more...*sigh*...and I might need shoes to wear with the red dress...and I need to figure out a day outfit.

 

Mom read a quote from this one designer that said that Ladies need to learn how to dress from the shoes up...that your shoes really set the mood for your outfit...so I have to decide which shoes I want to wear:

 

 

 

The Gold T-straps or the Orange Cross Straps? Ya'll saw the orange sandals in my nail polish shots...the difference between blingy and matte...hmmm. I don't know if I'll be able to be back at home for changing or not...things to consider. Fun things to think about while packing...

 

Break's over...

[laurspag]

I'm all for blingy shoes, so my vote is for gold. :D:D Since you don't know where you are going, you may like the option of wearing the gold ones. Will he tell you last minute, or when you arrive at wherever?

 

That is one area I need to work on a bit - shoes. You can never have too many shoes. Seriously though, I want a something either flat or a microwedge in gold. I have a pair, but the part that goes between the toes broke. I was heartbroken, those are my favorite sandals. My handy husband says that the right glue will fix them, and you will never know. I hope he is right!

 

I could use a solid color brown or beige every day sandal. I don't want a strap - just something I can slip on. It's been so busy lately, but I am hoping to go shopping soon to take a look.

[Member123]

But the veggies? I did some checking online, and spinach, kale and brussell sprouts are on the list too. You know, I love those. Seriously. I know most people run at the sight of certain vegetables, but I absolutely love them, and they are part of my current scheme of things.

 

I agree that we get great support here on this thread! You are all my friends.

 

Laurie, just a BIG point of clarification before we leave this subject behind.

 

RAW vegetables in the brassica family are to be eaten rarely. What I've been told is to stay away from, for example, crudites where you have a tray of raw carrots, celery, cauliflower bits, and broccoli that you might dip in ranch dressing? That sort of thing. And, of course, if you love cabbage slaw or broccoli slaw.. then you have to be aware that on the days that you would eat that you might see an uptick on the scale and you might feel a bit more tired and that would be the reason.

 

I've been known to pop a piece of raw broccoli when I've cut it up for steaming, etc. and it's not like it brings me to my knees. I did, however, in a non-mindful moment eat a cup of broccoli slaw and that made me feel awful. But it was so tasty! Broccoli and the other brassicas have a lot of nutrients that are extremely nutritious.

 

I love veg. I'm with you all the way...

[MJC]

I'm all for blingy shoes, so my vote is for gold. :D:D Since you don't know where you are going, you may like the option of wearing the gold ones.

 

 

I agree. I think the gold ones do the day-to-night thing better, and just feel a bit more special.

 

I went shoe shopping at DSW on Tuesday, and I was so disappointed. The selection of summer shoes was horrible, unless you are a size 10. So then I went to our poor excuse for a Target, and it wasn't any better. AND they've discontinued my absolute favorite blush color of all time that I usually make a pilgrimage for and stock up. So I just bought some nail polish and car wax. Not very exciting.

[MJC]

Just got the happy news that we've been given a free upgrade on our November cruise. Doin' the Snoopy Happy Dance!! :D:D:D

[Joby]

Ladies...

 

Just a quick note...I am CRAZY busy packing. My countdown is 8 days today! :eek: I want to have a couple days to stage all the packed boxes and the furniture and also clean the house...I have given myself until next Wednesday night...Thursday is trash day...and my last corporate Zumba class...so I'm hoping to have a nice day that day...a bit leisurely. I'm hoping anyway...

 

Meanwhile...does everyone know my 15th anniversary is July 5? It's the last one where you there are annual themes for each year...the next theme is 20 years. ANYWAY...DH asked me today if I had started packing my clothes and the clothes he left. He has made special plans for us for a big day together...and I have a bit of shopping to do!

 

He is not telling me what to wear...but is telling me his plans...he is going to wear cruise worthy casual...linen pants and a tropical feeling button down rayon blend shirt with his leather sandals...Mom you saw him wear this on the cruise. He said he would probably wear his swim trunks at some point during the day...and then change into dinner wear. And YES...my new Cache red dress would be appropriate...

 

SO...I need new bras...because I have shrunk since the cruise in the cups :p and I don't fill those bras out any more...*sigh*...and I might need shoes to wear with the red dress...and I need to figure out a day outfit.

 

Mom read a quote from this one designer that said that Ladies need to learn how to dress from the shoes up...that your shoes really set the mood for your outfit...so I have to decide which shoes I want to wear:

 

 

 

The Gold T-straps or the Orange Cross Straps? Ya'll saw the orange sandals in my nail polish shots...the difference between blingy and matte...hmmm. I don't know if I'll be able to be back at home for changing or not...things to consider. Fun things to think about while packing...

 

Break's over...

 

So exciting, a surprise date! And, happy early anniversary, Anita and DH. We're far past 15 (actually 35) and for our anniversary I think the theme is: LIFE--we're still here and we're happy. We old farts are just glad to still be kickin'!!!! :eek:

 

I like the gold sandals too.

 

Of course, if there's time and inclination---a pictodiary is in order :D

[Anita Latte]

SO. I agree with the gold shoes. Just seems more festive while still casual...I really liked wearing them with a particular pair of capris the other day when I had lunch with a friend. What I'm short on in my wardrobe are short sleeved shirts. I had about 45 minutes to kill before I had to pick up DS from his friends house and so I headed to Kohl's...I had a gift card...

 

Anyway...I tried on several things. I was interested in a couple things Margaret had posted. What I found though was this shirt in the color called "Palm."

 

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/landingpages/apt9/womens/tops/PRD~959995/Apt+9+Shirred+Slubbed+Tee.jsp

 

It looks bright online...but I'm pretty sure it's muted. I'll have to take a photo verification.

 

For the straight body type (me)...this shirt is very flattering...love the flutter sleeves (I've said this before...), the neckline is lovely...and the drape is great. It's 100% Rayon which is a laundry challenge and something to be aware of, for sure. Anyway...I went through my accessories and I have about 4 or more different jewelry ideas that I could wear with this shirt...I might have to find some time for photos.

 

There is another GREAT EARTH color at Kohl's right now...UGH...isn't online...I'm pretty sure the brand is Apt 9...and the color is a perfect match for the Tomato Red color on the color cards. I really debated the maxi dress...and it took me a while to figure out WHY the proper size looked worse...and why it wasn't as flattering...I DID finally figure it out though! And I'm sharing for the benefit of all you other straight body types. I WISH I could find a photo of the dress...

 

OOO I found it...in black though...

 

 

SO. The deal with this dress is that the STRAPS aren't positioned in the right place...it's at the top of two triangles...this makes the straps hit in the middle of the shoulders and this is NOT FLATTERING for the straight body type...

 

We need straps that hit on the outside of the shoulder...

 

 

I know this is hard to see without a model...but check out the strap location in relation to the arm pit area and the edge of the manikin...the second one has the strap hitting way closer to your arm pit and way closer to the edge. (This would also help with that little roll of skin that wants to pucker out there at the arm pit, if you have that...I do...:o).

 

So if you are a Spoon, Oval, or Diamond body type...the straps on this maxi dress are for you! It's currently in my Kohl's in that fabulous red...

 

Just sharing...time to pack. :(

[laurspag]

Laurie, just a BIG point of clarification before we leave this subject behind.

 

RAW vegetables in the brassica family are to be eaten rarely. What I've been told is to stay away from, for example, crudites where you have a tray of raw carrots, celery, cauliflower bits, and broccoli that you might dip in ranch dressing? That sort of thing. And, of course, if you love cabbage slaw or broccoli slaw.. then you have to be aware that on the days that you would eat that you might see an uptick on the scale and you might feel a bit more tired and that would be the reason.

 

I've been known to pop a piece of raw broccoli when I've cut it up for steaming, etc. and it's not like it brings me to my knees. I did, however, in a non-mindful moment eat a cup of broccoli slaw and that made me feel awful. But it was so tasty! Broccoli and the other brassicas have a lot of nutrients that are extremely nutritious.

 

I love veg. I'm with you all the way...

 

Thank you for the clarification. I never really gave thought to if things interfere with your thyroid function or how your body absorbs the thyroid medicine. I just did as my doctor indicated, and I take my medicine right when the alarm goes off at 6:00 with as much water as I can drink when I'm not quite awake yet. ;) By the time I am ready for work, take the dog out, do a few odds and ends, it is about 1 1/2 hours since I took the medicine so I then eat. The only thing I ever avoided was grapefruit because someone told me I shouldn't eat when I am taking a thyroid medicine. I will have to see how accurate that is. I love grapefruit, and I've literally not had it in about 2 years now because of this.

 

You have me thinking a bit about food in general. I think I would like to track my tired days and ask myself what I ate that day and the day before, and start seeing if a pattern exists. One thing I absolutely hate is being tired all the time!!!

[laurspag]

Just got the happy news that we've been given a free upgrade on our November cruise. Doin' the Snoopy Happy Dance!! :D:D:D

 

Oh, and upgrade! I've been begging for a visit from the upgrade fairy! What line and ship will you be on?

 

And I loved your comment about Target and buying things like car wax, lol. I always end up at Lowe's or Home Depot.

 

I'm sure going to be busy over the next few months....DH just found out he needs surgery for an injury sustained this weekend. Who would have thought that just putting in a screw into drywall with a drill would cause a complete tear of the bicep distal tendon? But, the sooner he has the surgery, the better the outcome will be so he doesn't lose any suplination function. (I think I spelled that right!) Maybe I'll be the one drywalling the garage now! :eek:

[Anita Latte]

TGIF!

 

A little packing procrastination here...

 

Margaret...I agree that wellness is a part of being truly fashionable...what a wonderful way of wording that...I love that. About your brown Rit dye experiment...the two photos you posted look pretty much the same to me, is one a before and one an after? How was that putting the dye in the washer? Did you have any issues with washing afterwards? Did you do a sort of rinse load before doing regular laundry again. The concept of dye in the washer makes me a little nervous about what would happen to my loads following the dye load. Also, I would still be interested in seeing the results of the tea dye project.

 

Mom gave me her white Cache capris...she shrank out of them...and I plan on doing a dye experiment with them. I've been debating what color to go for, and haven't decided. Nor have I decided on methodology. Hence, my questions to you...I have only ever tie-dyed in the past...and that was at school, a long long time ago.

 

Congratulations on the upgrade!!!

 

Julie...rice milk, in particular, is really sweet. I don't care for it. I can't recall almond milk's taste...what our family has settled on lately with our oatmeal is hemp milk. Unsweetened Hemp Milk. Largely because of the good oils to be found in it...and because it seems to have just a bit more substance to it that the rice or almond milks. It has a distinctive flavor though...not like soy's flavor, but similar to how soy has a distinctive flavor...and you either acquire a taste for it or you don't.

 

Laura...I have a book with a title similar to Food: Nature's Pharmacy...something like that...anyway...it is a compilation of scientific studies in an easy to use format that addresses different health issues and what is beneficial and/or harmful to eat for the different health issues. Nutrition is all chemistry really...and as individual as everyone is...we all have slightly different chemical make ups that translate into different challenges...and how our food chemistry interacts with our body chemistry can either help us with our challenges or make matters more challenging, so to speak.

 

Mom and I are California girls...and there was a time and place where "health food stores" were very popular...and everyone within a certain community was a buzz with the idea of healthy eating before it became fashionable..."granola people"...there is a certain smell that I will always associate with these stores...we used to think of it as the Santa Cruz smell, I think, because there must have been a store there that we frequented...ANYWAY...Mom has been abreast of healthy eating since FOREVER...but I think that she really got turned on to the idea of nutrition by her brother, who was a Type 1 diabetic, who learned a LOT about adjusting his insulin through diet...so much so that he was among the first in my experience to enter the field of nutrition, which is still a growing and largely non-yet-understood field of study...it's hard to study actually...I've thought about it myself...ANYWAY...he understood about food and body chemistry and I think that this is part of what inspired Mom to eventually study out food and it's affect on thyroid...

 

I think that there is still too much emphasis on calories in and out, when really, the truth is that not all calories are equal...and to simplify food in such a way is to really do a disservice to powerful tool that it can be. These things gradually come to light...but really nutrition is so much more than just fat v. carb v. protein...more than vitamins and minerals...the chemical composition of food is fascinating really, because it is so complex. I look forward to hearing about your journey as you track your food and maybe begin to pin point some trigger foods for you...I KNOW that you can get yourself to a better place, where you aren't as tired and can feel better...even with the thyroid challenge. Please continue to share.

 

Meanwhile...I asked some more questions and DH let slip some more info about our anniversary celebration. It is an overnight getaway SOMEWHERE. In our recent lives, DH and I have not had much time together...just the two of us...the last REAL scheduled time we made for each other was a single instance...and it was about 8-9 years ago...for one evening and one overnight. DH had worked that day, but we were able to have a date and one night alone while DS stayed with family. And that is the only scheduled time we have had to ourselves since DS was born...at least that I can recall.

 

Anyway...not to overshare...(I picked that up watching "Morning Glory") but this has not necessarily been a big issue but it surfaces as an irritant at times...you can imagine...and DH wants to express to me that things are going to be different in GA. He is going to make more time for the two of us. And it will begin with our anniversary celebration.

 

I think he's missed me. And not that he hasn't appreciated me in the past...because he does...and he is verbal about it...but I think that his appreciation may have hit a new deeper level with this sustained absence. He'll be back here one week from today. And by then, we'll have seen him for 4 days out of 9 weeks.

 

SO. I ordered some shoes for my red dress. I've decided to try for a nude shoe...mainly because that was the style that appealed to me...and the most appropriate color offered in the style. I really like the video option on Zappos...I like being able to see how a shoe really looks on a foot. And I've found a bra that might work available at Macy's...I was looking for a strapless, backless bra...how's that for a seemingly impossible thing? Strapless, backless? Are they serious? But that's what it may take with a low back, halter dress.

 

Hope everyone is having a great day!

[MJC]

Here are two tops I tea-stained. The first one is this one from Old Navy. I knew it was too bright when I got it and I planned on tea-staining it. It is just the right weight for a hot summer day when I've had too much sun and need to cover up, or when I feel like giving my skin a rest from all the sunscreen:

 

http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=72302&vid=1&pid=114448&scid=114448052

 

The second one is Columbia and I've had it for a while. It is great for hiking and I wasn't prepared to abandon it for being gray. I'm still not happy with the color, but I'm holding off on making a decision.

[MJC]

TGIF!

 

A little packing procrastination here...

 

Just a well-deserved break:)

 

About your brown Rit dye experiment...the two photos you posted look pretty much the same to me, is one a before and one an after? How was that putting the dye in the washer?

 

The two pictures are the same, I didn't think to do a "before" pic. I just followed the directions on the bottle (I like the liquid better than the powder packets, it's neater). I ran the clothes through the rinse cycle twice, and then I ran the washer empty with just detergent (they say to use bleach but I don't have any). Then I just did my regular laundry, no problems with staining.

 

Mom gave me her white Cache capris...she shrank out of them...and I plan on doing a dye experiment with them. I've been debating what color to go for, and haven't decided. Nor have I decided on methodology. Hence, my questions to you...I have only ever tie-dyed in the past...and that was at school, a long long time ago.

 

My only complaint is that the color selection is limited. If I had the time and the money I might experiment with mixing them for more subtle shades, and trying it on old towels. But I'm not that energetic. I just thought that if I wasn't going to wear these anyway I might as well experiment on them.

 

Congratulations on the upgrade!!! Thank you :D

 

 

Meanwhile...I asked some more questions and DH let slip some more info about our anniversary celebration. It is an overnight getaway SOMEWHERE.

 

Happy Anniversary! A romantic night away, how fabulous. Moving is a lot of work, but how nice that your family will be reunited soon.

[Anita Latte]

I bought another flutter sleeved shirt! I really like these. :o And fortunately, I found another one with a different collar style. I think I got the color "Honey Glaze"...it's a beautiful muted gold color:

 

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/style-co.-top-flutter-sleeve-solid-basket-weave?ID=636926&CategoryID=255&LinkType=&swatchColor=Yellow#fn=BRAND%3DStyle&co.%26COLOR%3DYellow%26PRICE%3D0|19.990000000000002%26SLEEVE_LENGTH%3DShort Sleeve%26SPECIAL_OCCASIONS%3DCasual%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D6%26ruleId%3D65%26slotId%3D2

 

I'm excited to try it with MY animal print skirt...and a particular maxi skirt I have with corals, reds, oranges, and yellows. It's a very feminine shirt, so I think it will go great with the skirts...but it's casual, so I like it with shorts too. Short sleeved shirts are what I really need...so I'm happy that I got out of the store with something I really need...

 

Funny thing...I've tried to observe myself shop...ever find yourself consistently attracted to things in a store...and yet...they aren't what you need or even what you would really wear? I find I have to watch myself, because I have a thing for fabric...and so I get attracted to all kinds of fabric...I have to really pull back and analyze the fit.

 

Teal was ALL OVER Macy's...and a lot of it was EARTH...of course it is so hard to find online...having my nails painted the right teal was really helpful! I highly recommend painting your nails a good teal color and go shopping for it...because it is all over the store right now.

[laurspag]

Me and my daughters went to the mall for a little while today. I was happy to see quite a bit of teal myself. I am now wondering why I didn't buy any? Oh wait, now I remember...I was buying for the girls too. :rolleyes: I did find a pair of basic everyday sandals I wanted, plus I grabbed up a few gold neclaces at NY & Co. that were on clearance for a ridiculously low price.

 

I did realize something today though. I struggle with red, and I shouldn't. If I find that rust tone or something in that range, I can see it immediately. The minute I go from orange to red, I have difficulty. I did see some reds today that looked like fire reds. I need to make sure that when in doubt, I go to my color cards. I did that eventually, but when I was no longer looking at reds.

 

The more blues, teals and purples people can post pictures of, the better!! There aren't a lot of samples of that for us. I am feeling pretty good about teal right now, since I saw a bunch of it today. We have a few new stores in the mall that is expanding, so we checked out BCBG MaxAzria, Saks 5th Avenue Outlet and Michael Kors. Saks was incredibly expensive, but there were some things that weren't horrible, and they had an additional percentage off certain designers.

 

BCBG was kind of impressive for cocktail dresses. The full lenght formal wear was mostly air, but very beautiful. My daughter Alyssa actually ran over and told me she found the perfect earth green dress, and by that she meant the perfect earth green I've been looking for....that dark, evergreen type color. There was none in my size though.

 

She's what I call a resistant earth. She knows it and gets it, but doesn't migrate to the colors. She was very impressive today though, trying on many things in earth tones. My older daughter, Stephanie, is a fire. We are going to order her cards soon to assist her with choices, and to help me too as control cards.

[MJC]

Our upgrade is on the Dawn Princess, which stays in Asia and Australia now. We'll be celebrating our anniversary on board so we had booked a balcony, and got upgraded to a mini-suite. :D I think it's because the two big groups onboard are all booking balcony cabins and they're running out. Since we're independent, we were easy to bump up. Yay for us!

 

Laurie, what a drag about your husband's injury. I hope he heals soon. Sometimes those repetetive strain injuries seem to come out of nowhere.

 

Thanks for the heads-up about all the teal at Macy's. I feel like I want to run around and collect it all before it disappears and the next fad comes in. :)

 

Anita, I saw that tomato red dress at Kohl's too, and they didn't have my size or I would have tried it on. It was really pretty. I agree with Laurie that seeing red is hard. I think purple is too, but I'm getting a bit better at it.

 

I love my new purple t-shirt so much, I painted my nails to match:

[MaidMirawyn]

I'm pretty new to the forums (as evidenced by my post count!), and a recently-discovered earth. Hi everyone!

 

How was that putting the dye in the washer? Did you have any issues with washing afterwards? Did you do a sort of rinse load before doing regular laundry again. The concept of dye in the washer makes me a little nervous about what would happen to my loads following the dye load.

 

I may be able to help you a bit on this. I'm a bit of an amateur fiber artist, so I've done a bit of dyeing. When you dye in your washer, there are a few precautions you should take, unless you want to dye randomly afterward, of course.

 

First, you will need to run an empty load or two through your washer! I usually do two loads, with detergent for one load, but if I'm washing my dark towels, and my dye was either very light or in the same color family as the towels, or if I have junky cleaning cloths to wash, I'll just do one empty load and then wash that stuff. You may think you can skip this, but trust me on this and just do it. All (or at least almost all) washers leave some water in them afterwards, and you don't want to take the chance.

 

Second, wipe out the inside of your washer, too. Check for trapped lint and the like. It's quick, but you would be surprised what you may find! (Actually, if you have cats or dogs, you may be surprised how much animal hair you'll find in the washer anyway!) A lot of fiber artists I've talked to do this.

 

That said, I dyed some beautiful earthy purple veils with some brighter blue accents recently, and they turned out beautiful, without turning the rest of our wardrobe funky colors. I didn't dye in the washer, but I did rinse and spin in the machine.

 

By the way, if anyone has a problem using the tea staining method, check the label! Synthetics, sadly, don't take so well to natural dyes; it's a real crapshoot. Cotton, silk, linen, wool, hemp, ramie, and (sometimes) rayon handle natural dyes much better.

[Anita Latte]

Welcome MaidMirawyn!

 

Taking a quick break to try on my Zappos order! I do like the shoes I ordered and think they will be a great addition to my wardrobe. I wanted shoes to wear with cocktail dresses. They have to be somewhat comfortable. I preferred a sandal style...the straps have to be wider for my somewhat wider, but not wide, toe box...The shoes that fit the bill did come in a nude color, which I think will be very versatile. These are shoes I ordered:

 

http://vip.zappos.com/rockport-inelle-strappy-anklestrap-dark-beige?zfcTest=fw:1

 

 

And here they are on my foot:

 

 

The photo is a picture of my reflection in a mirror that is on the floor. The color isn't true to life in this photo. Something about the light in this photo is making the shoes seem very plastic-y, but they are a combo of full grain leather and patent leather. The insole has an Adidas trademark cushioning sole...which is very comfortable. I'm very pleased with these shoes. I think they'll look great with my red dress.

[Member123]

Very Pretty Blue Toesies!

[MJC]

Love the shoes! The style, the color, so versatile and so pretty.

[laurspag]

Anita, I love those shoes! I have a real serious problem with shoes, as I need wide width. Even then, those silly bunions stick out. I have thought about having them removed, but my doctor says they really aren't bad, and the bunions will likely come back. I haven't talk to him about it in a while, but maybe I'll bring it up during my next appointment, which happens to be my yearly physical. Those remind me a bit of my new gold ones. They look really comfortable.

 

Margaret, my husband's arm injury was a sudden one, and very much a fluke. Apparently this is common in middle aged men, but sometimes you have your arm bent but your muscle is in a position as if your arm is straight. Then...you straighten your arm out and pop! You tear the distal bicep tendon. We are hoping this will be quick and easy for him.

 

Tea staining is something I enjoy trying. What I do is, I scrub out my stainless steel sink with a gel type cleanser with bleach. Do a very large amount of rinsing after. Then i use boiling hot water and a bunch of tea bags. Once is it good and dark, I may let it cool a bit, especially if the item may shrink. Then I just put the item in and take it out when I think it's done. Maidmyrawyn, this has worked for me but I also haven't done a ton. It sounds like you have done quite a bit. I have a friend that does a lot of weaving and what not...maybe I will ask if she has done tea staining or other types of dying" I have a dress I love with teal, yellow and olive in it, but it had white background to it. I decided it would be a good choice and it toned down the white, but I really want to put it in for a second round. I don't think I left it in long enough.

[laurspag]

Remember the olive green dress I purchased for formal night? Well, I finally received a necklace I ordered that I was hoping would look nice with the dress. The last time I tried on the dress I couldn't zip it. My husband helped me, and after much work it was zipped. My goal has been to be able to wear it without it being adjusted.

 

I decided to try it on again today and althought it is snug, I was able to readily zip it. This is without the body shaper too. I was so happy and confident, that my daughter took a picture of me. I'll call it my Anita Latte pose. :D:D

 

Here goes!

 

 

I feel really good about this dress.

[MaidMirawyn]

Remember the olive green dress I purchased for formal night? Well, I finally received a necklace I ordered that I was hoping would look nice with the dress. The last time I tried on the dress I couldn't zip it. My husband helped me, and after much work it was zipped. My goal has been to be able to wear it without it being adjusted.

 

I decided to try it on again today and althought it is snug, I was able to readily zip it. This is without the body shaper too. I was so happy and confident, that my daughter took a picture of me. I'll call it my Anita Latte pose.

 

Love it! The color and the style are both fabulous for you!

[JaneStarr]

Remember the olive green dress I purchased for formal night? Well, I finally received a necklace I ordered that I was hoping would look nice with the dress. The last time I tried on the dress I couldn't zip it. My husband helped me, and after much work it was zipped. My goal has been to be able to wear it without it being adjusted.

 

I decided to try it on again today and althought it is snug, I was able to readily zip it. This is without the body shaper too. I was so happy and confident, that my daughter took a picture of me. I'll call it my Anita Latte pose. :D:D

 

Here goes!

 

 

I feel really good about this dress.

 

LOVE it! Color & cut both SOOOOO flattering on you! Congrats on the weight loss.

I'm just back from a fabulous eastern med/ greek isles cruise. Will try to post some pics soon, but I'm under the weather with a bad cold and WAY behind on work & "life".

 

Jane

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...you look wonderful in your dress! And the necklace! Is that sexy dangle thing a part of the necklace? Love the combination of the weight higher up and that dangle part lower...like I said...SEXY. ;)

 

Jane! Eagerly waiting for cruise photos!!

 

I'm in a big debate on the shoe size...I ordered two...and it is a serious debate as to which is best. Leather stretches...and so the smaller may be fine...the bigger though has enough room to be more comfortable...BUT, my foot does move a bit more...I need a pad at the ball of the foot to keep my foot properly positioned.

 

So...DH has found a house for us. We will likely be living in my SIL basement for about a month, give or take, before the house is available...the relevant point here is that month time period...as we will NOT be unpacking...or at the very most...we will be unpacking the very LEAST that we can...and so...I will be trying to make available a wardrobe that will last for a month...all the while having clothing that I feel represents ME, especially for meeting new people.

 

Let me describe my mindset...

 

I read somewhere in the midst of all the wardrobe planning...I think it was the blog about the Small Closet...anyway...I read about the idea of thinking about your clothing NOT as a representation of your inner most self...but more as a representation of the YOU that you want to present to the world. Think of your wardrobe in the way that a costume designer thinks about dressing a character in a play. What I read talked about little orphan Annie...and how she is defined by the red dress...easily recognized...and how for many costume designers for the theater...there is a whole meaning in the clothing of the characters...things that you want the audience to think and understand about the character...and that this is a new idea in wardrobe planning...forget about the deep inner character analysis...and instead focus on what you want to project...

 

And since I haven't done the exercises in the Statement Style book...this is how my thoughts are directed as I am planning what to make available for up to a month's worth of clothing. YAY! that we are dealing with summer...much easier...but this is an interesting project as I finally hit the master bedroom in the packing. I am packing in such a way that I can easily get to my clothes so that if needed, I can get to something I want that I didn't make more readily available. Still...it is a challenge to try to limit my wardrobe to an easy to deal with, care for, unpack, etc...for 30 days, or so, worth of outfits.

 

Thursday is trash day...my goal has been to be overwhelmingly done with packing by the time I go to bed tomorrow. As scary as it is to say...I think I'm on track!! *happy dance*