All Things EARTH... part 2

[57redbird]

Kind of (alright way) off topic.....anybody have any secrets on how to clean grout on a large ceramic tile entry?  preferably one that does the job quickly & easily &, most importantly, without fumes.....I've got emphysema & so many products have lung irritants in them.  TIA!

 

[awhfy]

On 6/17/2023 at 6:18 PM, awhfy said:

We’ve had 8+” of rain this week. We now have a small lake!!  We are bbqing tomorrow (got ribeyes for10 from Costco), potato salad & chocolate martinis & tiramisu. Yes, the guys picked the menu. Melody

We’ve come out of our 20 year drought!  12.5” of rain so far this month now. That’s 8.5” more than ever recorded in June in Colorado Springs

[awhfy]

19 hours ago, 57redbird said:

Kind of (alright way) off topic.....anybody have any secrets on how to clean grout on a large ceramic tile entry?  preferably one that does the job quickly & easily &, most importantly, without fumes.....I've got emphysema & so many products have lung irritants in them.  TIA!

 

I use white vinegar & Dawn blue detergent in a spray bottle, (1 quart of vinegar & 6 ounces of blue Dawn) let is sit

 

20 hours ago, 57redbird said:

Kind of (alright way) off topic.....anybody have any secrets on how to clean grout on a large ceramic tile entry?  preferably one that does the job quickly & easily &, most importantly, without fumes.....I've got emphysema & so many products have lung irritants in them.  TIA!

 

Let it for 30 minutes & wipe off. I use the same in my showers but rinse it off there. Does wonders on shower doors. 

[laurspag]

That is a tremendous amount of rain, Melody.  We got some much needed rain last week.  They were calling for it all weekend, then changed the forecast.  I really have to check and see what it says for this week.  

 

We still have that big garden bed to do, but we are taking it one step at a time, and had a very busy week last week, along with the rain.  Our current preoccupation is with wildlife.  We had a raccoon getting into our bird feeders, so removed most of them.  After a few weeks, we can try them again.  They have never been a huge problem when we approach it this way, but they will check back for a while so we are trying to make sure they forget about it.  We still have saflower seed out, as they don't seem to like it.

 

Then there are wo baby woodchucks living in the retainer rock wall in the driveway.  I try to leave them be as long as it isn't problematic, but they decided to mow down some new plantings, and we weren't too happy.  I really don't want anything to happen to them, and our road is busy.  We live next to a wooded area so I am hoping that if they don't get too comfortable, they will relocate.  They lost their parent earlier this year when it tried to cross the road so it just isn't a good place for them to live anyway.  I tried red pepper flakes around the plants.  That did not work.  I put some lavender out yesterday.  We will see.

 

I spent some time taking pictures of possible accessories for the dresses I have chosen so far.  That is always a fun thing for me.  While I had no choice but to get some new clothing due to weight, I also have some older things that still fit in the mix, and my jewelry collection is rather extensive, so I'm just pairing up different things.  It is amazing how you can change the look of something so easily by just changing the footwear and jewelry.   I plan to use layout and put some things together, and I'll post later today or early this week.  I love to get ideas from all of you, and have someone to share with. 

 

I am looking at options for the dresses I haven't selected from yet as well, as sometimes that helps the process.  I will say this: one dress that is going for sure (the orange tulip hem dress) and one of the maybe dresses (purple Chico's dress) have been difficult for me to figure out.  The orange dress is probably the most casual dress I have brought along, which in itself isn't an issue.  I think the deal is that I was thinking that some of my choices look weird next to my husband's tropical print shirt.

 

I am not 100% sure, but I think this is the first ever print shirt he has worn on a cruise.  

 

The purple dress is just hard to figure out.  

 

We have such a beautiful day today that my husband is doing a lot of puttering outside and in the garage.  The garage is his happy place, and the Humira seems to be helping so much.  He is getting around well and is feeling so much better than he was.  I am very curious to see if this helps with all the issues from the RA or just some of them.  

 

Grout can be tough to clean.  The group in my bathroom we purposely chose as a beige like tone.  It created contrast with the white tile while helping with the fact that grout is so hard to clean.

 

There are two things that have worked for me.  One is Clorox all purpose cleaner with bleach.  The bleach smell is pretty strong, but it does a good job.  I spray it on rather heavily, and leave it for a bit.  For a floor, I will often use a somewhat soft bristled scrub brush to go over it, but that is mostly to be able to get into the grout area well.  For my shower, I just rinse it with water.  I spray the shower walls every other day after a shower and it seems to stay clean that way.

 

I have heard a lot about using vinegar, as Melody suggested.  Also using a hydrogen peroxide mixture as well.

[57redbird]

Thank you both -  peroxide mixed with anything causes fumes....I think I'll try Melody's vinegar & blue Dawn idea.  

[awhfy]

20 hours ago, 57redbird said:

Thank you both -  peroxide mixed with anything causes fumes....I think I'll try Melody's vinegar & blue Dawn idea.  

Make sure you rinse it off (wet mop works well) the floor as you don’t want it to be slick. I reread my earlier post & realized that had wiped out of my post. 

[Anita Latte]

Our rainy season finally kicked in and the thunderstorms have been severe. I’m happy though because we planted trees and bushes on Fathers Day and this is helping them get established.

 

We are 2 weeks away from London! DH and I will be packing in carry on only, saving the checked bag space on the homebound flight to move at least 2 bags for DS. Coordinating moving all his stuff back home…sigh…DH had status that helped us have 2 free checked bags each up to 70 pounds and we don’t have that now… There is a company that specializes in international shipping for college students that we’ll likely need to use…we’ll see. 
 

Anyway…limited to a carry on for 10 nights in London. We’re going to give The Queue for Wimbledon a go. DS wants to take us to Colchester which has the distinction of being the first Roman city in England and he said something about how the owner of it years ago left it to the city so the structure is public and apparently it’s just a great little place to see. He also wants to take us to a performance or 2. He said he’s trying to strike a balance between planned and free time. All I can think is that I’ve taught him well! Lol

 

So I’ll be wardrobe planning too Laurie.

 

And in other news…that pantry project that we started over 2 years ago? Yeah…I finally finished it yesterday! I’ve ordered the new shelving for it which should be delivered Monday so I’ll share photos when it’s truly complete.

[awhfy]

Fun times Anita!!!

[Anita Latte]

I ordered a dress yesterday. I’m becoming more conscious of my fabric choices. I really do enjoy all my merino wool clothing. Thinking about London, I decided I wanted a dress that I could wear several times, changing the look with accessories. I’ve been studying body shapes again and trying to learn good silhouettes for my shape. I think I’m an 8 shape or a cello…depends on the system but it’s basically the same thing. Shoulders and hips about equal, busty, short waist, wide high hip. 
 

Taking what I’ve learned from Margaret and Laurie…and taking into account recommended silhouettes… I ordered this dress from Wool&:

 

 

 

Fitted top, defined waist, semi-fitted skirt through hips and flare towards bottom hitting just under the knee. This is supposed to be a good silhouette for me. I believe this is a dress that Margaret would say could be dressed up or down easily and I know Laurie would be taking this solid and I could see all the different ways of accessorizing it. I think the plum color looks earthy and hoping it is irl. I hope it fits well…wraps are usually iffy…but I agree that they can be so flattering if they fit well.

 

The graduation ceremony is in an historic mason hall. Dress is “smart”. My dilemma is shoes…I need good walking shoes but I’ve gotten away from “normal” shoes and I can’t deal with any heel anymore, not even a slight heel…I think I’ve found a decent ballet flat though. Think it’ll have to be black…

[laurspag]

Anita, you must be so excited!  I tend to migrate towards "uniform" dressing.  I think it was Margaret that pegged that in a comment once, and it stuck with me.  When I went on the coastal cruise, I was not going anywhere beachy or doing things that require a lot of different clothing.  I went with more of a capsule wardrobe.  I had  cropped jeans and full length jeans that I wore with different tops and different scarves.  I was going to be outside, so I had a lightweight coat that was water resistant, along with another twill jacket and a sweater.  

 

I know you like to travel light, and take a similar approach.   I think I would do the same thing if I wanted to bring along a dress that might be worn a handful of times.  I love the whole dress up or down process.  

 

We are somewhat similar in shape.  I have broad shoulders, I'm very busty, somewhat big ribcage, but my waist and hips are not that far apart.  My shoulders and hips are not the same.  I am short waisted as well.

 

Sometimes, when I post body con style dresses, they don't really fit me that way.  They are fitted until you get to the waist, and then hang loose.  It is not necessarily the best look for me, but I have to be careful with how much flare there is once I get past the waist.  I guess i look for something that flows visually that doesn't make it look like my boobs are practically at my waist, lol.  

 

I'm all for trial and error!  I would definitely try that dress you posted myself.  You can do so much with it, and you can get a lot out of it after your trip too.  With the merino wool, I know you have indicated that it is not itchy, and it is breathable. Does it have any stretch?  For me, I tend to look for stretch so that I don't get that little section of fabric that sticks out near the underarms, across the bustline.

 

What is the weather supposed to be like when you are on your trip?   I told my husband that I look forward to taking a trip or two that is a bit different.  A co-worker just got back from Clearwater, and it sounded like a lot of fun.  She loved that the hotel offered a shuttle to and from the airport, and then there was a free trolley that went to a number of places.  I was thinking about how I would approach a vacation like that.  I tend not to repeat clothing as much when it is hot and humid, but I not tend to bring a few things that wash and dry very easily.  They are pretty much tech fabrics, and I was very happy that I brought them along the last cruise, when I had a makeup mishap and had to quickly wash and outfit.  

 

Shoes can be a big issue for me too.  There is something about the bunions and neuroma where ballet flats bother me a lot.  My daughter, on the other hand, wears hers all the time.  She wears them with straight or ankle dress pants in an office environment that is business casual, with a very firm focus on business. 

 

You may have noticed with my cruise pictodiary from last year that I wore some flat sandals a few times.  It is hard for me to find something that I can wear easily.   I have some photos ready of possibly cruise outfits that I'm ready to share, but nothing is really set in stone just yet.  The sandals, in particular, may change.  I have been wearing the ones you will see posted to work to make sure that I can handle them.  

[laurspag]

Here is my formal night outfit. I think the little rhinestone thingy at the top throws me off when it comes to jewelry choices, but this approach should work.  The sandals didn't photograph great, but they are a soft gold.

 

With dress your best night, I'm good with the dress but I don't know what I want to do for accessories.  This necklace is an antique gold.  I like that it isn't super formal.

 

I wore that dress when my daughter got married.  Here is the jewelry I wore with it.  Thoughts?  It feels a bit much to me.  I don't shy away from dramatic jewelry, but I think I like the other combo.

 

 

Last cruise, I wore an ivory dress and I love how I felt.  I get more of that same feeling with the antique gold flower necklace than this one here. For reference, I wore a bone colored sandal for the wedding, with a lower heel.  I used those for the last cruise and could probably do the same this time. Not sure about wearing them with that burgundy dress...they are comfortable though, and more broken in. There is a pair of gold sandals I am considering that I would like to buy, as the heel is more modest.  

 

I think it would be fun to do a few outfits at a time to get your thoughts.  I always have a lot of jewelry options...a lot.  I've built a collection over the years so if you suggest it, I probably have it, lol.

[slidergirl]

Anita - I just knew that was a Wool& dress!   
if you want a low shoe, look at Josef Seibel.  The Rosalie 42 keeps popping up on my FB feed.  I don’t need more shoes, but if I did, I’d try this on.  Comes in black and other colors. 

[laurspag]

Anita, I as wondering - are you looking more for a dressy flat, or a casual one?

[Anita Latte]

I’ve ordered the Phoenix Leather Xero Shoes ballet flat. I do zero drop, foot shaped shoes. I’ve gradually been changing all my shoes to this style over the past 5+ years. It has really helped how my big toe functions. Also my big toe is getting more and more straight. These are the shoes

 

 

Simple but dressy enough.

 

I haven’t ordered Wool& before but I’ve looked at them a lot lately because they have so many dresses in nice colors. Kat, do you have one? I thought you got a wool dress that you used on your River barge cruise? I was skeptical of wool in summer before but having tried it out…I’m a big believer…even if I sweat…who am I kidding…when I sweat…even if my wool gets damp, it dries quickly and I find that it is so much more breathable than synthetic tech fabric. Breathable is a big deal for me down here in humid Florida, especially where I am where it is often breezy…too often I have found that I can’t feel the breeze in something like my Athleta rash guards, which I used to love…but I get the benefit of the breeze with the wool.

 

Laurie, the merino wool is much less itchy than regular wool. I rarely find it itchy at all, but sometimes I can find that the thicker wool fabric may not be as soft but it’s not necessarily itchy, just a little rough I guess.

 

The only thing that has been a disappointment on the wool for me were bras, at least the one I’ve tried. The double layer is good for coverage but not great for drying quickly. As for stretch, I find that most merino wool clothing is knit, and that naturally has stretch, but they often add some elastane to the knit for more stretch. I hear you on the arm hole gaps.

 

It’s too far out to see the weather forecast but currently the highs are lower 80 but it’s cooling off next week into 70s…lows in 50/60 range. The thing about London though is that air conditioning isn’t common. For instance, DS doesn’t have it in his flat and the Airbnb we’ve rented doesn’t have it either.

[Anita Latte]

Laurie, I like what you’ve picked out for the burgundy dress. When there’s that bling along the neckline, definitely don’t need any added neck jewelry. The cuff bracelet and simple earrings seem like just the thing. Do you see your shoes much when you wear the long dresses? I’m all about foot comfort…I say wear whatever shoe is most comfortable.

 

I think i like the flower motif necklace better than the other. It has a bit more room? Air? Breathe? The other is seems more chunky? Solid? Packed? I think I like the idea of some skin showing in and around your necklace? Are those the same earrings from the other photo? I like the pairing with the flowers.

[laurspag]

Anita, I will share the up close pictures of the earrings for each dress.  I literally take a ton.  I eventually delete them so they don't take up too much space on my phone, but the whole layout format is so helpful to me.  I love having the pictures instead of dragging everything back out all the time while I am toying with ideas.

 

Here are two pairs of shoes I am considering, since they come in wide width and have a lower heel.

 

This pair is a thought for replacing my trusty bronze shoes that are showing their age, and are no longer comfortable to wear.  They are not bronze, but they look like they would be a viable choice for when I want to wear a more antique gold or bronze like color.

 

 

These are the standard gold replacement option, which is almost identical to the bone sandals I already have.  The bone sandals I wear to work off and on in the summer - I think they look nice with a suit.  We are less formal than we used to be at work, so I like to add some of my personality to my outfits.

 

 

 

[laurspag]

I like those shoes a lot, Anita.  I think I need to look at those.  I could definitely wear them to work.  Do they have other colors?

 

Here are the earrings for the blue dress.

 

 

they are pretty basic but i think they will work.

 

for the burgundybdress, im picking up on the style of that dress adornment.

 

 

 

[laurspag]

Don't mind me - it's been raining off and on today so I'm doing laundry and cleaning house.  My husband has a good friend in town so they are getting dinner.  

 

Here is something funny: I was looking at my swimsuits, and found one I forgot I bought!  If I recall correctly, it was a clearance find at Athleta over the winter.  I purchased it thinking that it could work well in the hot tubs because it is lighter' so it shouldn't bleach out.  What do you think?  The lighting in my toom is so off.  The comforter is dark teal and the swimsuit is green.

 

 

So here are a few more outfits ideas.

 

This teal dress falls into the dress up or down category.  I have it paired with more casual accessories, but I feel I could change the look easily if I opt for the gold or bone sandals. The hoop earrings are so pretty.

 

 

 

[laurspag]

Some better pictures of the colors.

[awhfy]

Anita I like those shoes. Maybe try a copper or dark green or even a pewter if you don’t want black. 
 

Laurie as always I like your dresses & really like both pairs of shoes. 

[slidergirl]

Anita,  I don’t have a Wool& dress.  I did buy the dress from Woolx for last summer’s journey.  It saved me over there in that 100+ temperatures.  They came out with a gray one last winter and I got that one, too.  Put some leggings under both and they were good to wear when it was cold.  True four season dresses.  They came out recently with a sleeveless dress, but I don’t have a need for it.  

[slidergirl]

FYI.  Today is the last sale day on Woolx.  21% off.  SUMMER21 is the code.  Try a shirt.  Splurge for a dress.  Get leggings for winter.  Just sayin’.

[awhfy]

5 hours ago, slidergirl said:

FYI.  Today is the last sale day on Woolx.  21% off.  SUMMER21 is the code.  Try a shirt.  Splurge for a dress.  Get leggings for winter.  Just sayin’.

I got a pair of leggings!!

[57redbird]

On 6/20/2023 at 8:12 AM, awhfy said:

Make sure you rinse it off (wet mop works well) the floor as you don’t want it to be slick. I reread my earlier post & realized that had wiped out of my post. 

Thank you - it worked.

 

[awhfy]

2 hours ago, 57redbird said:

Thank you - it worked.

 

Excellent. It’s an easy (& cheap) cleaner. It does amazing in showers & shower doors)