All Things EARTH... part 2

[pacruise804]

Happy Anniversary Melody ❤️ 

 

I'm not traditionally romantic, so a big splurge like HVAC that keeps me comfortable year round sounds lovely to me.  Now for the 50th anniversary I'd probably want something a little more traditional like a bucket list vacation 😉 

[awhfy]

1 hour ago, pacruise804 said:

Happy Anniversary Melody ❤️ 

 

I'm not traditionally romantic, so a big splurge like HVAC that keeps me comfortable year round sounds lovely to me.  Now for the 50th anniversary I'd probably want something a little more traditional like a bucket list vacation 😉 

We’ve booked Celebrity Eclipse Vancouver to Hawaii for our 50th with a follow on week split between Kauai & Oahu. 

[Sailor_Sally]

Margaret , Patagonia ! Wow ! Good for you to grab all the adventure now while you can still enjoy it .

 

Melody , Happy Anniversary !

[Anita Latte]

On 11/27/2018 at 8:53 AM, laurspag said:

Anita, do you find things to be very different when your husband is home with you on any given day?  I think you said he can work from home.  I am just thinking, because when my husband is working and I'm off, I'm doing this, doing that, so productive.  When he is home, I'm like....so, what do you want to do today?   It's kind of funny, actually.  I think in part it is because we both work full time, Monday through Friday with some extra hours.  He grabs the overtime when it is available because the money is handy.  So sometimes, it seems like we don't have a lot of time together.

 

I must have ordered the boots too late in the day...they should be here today, not yesterday. How is the dress Laurie?

 

Our situation is a bit different. DH has been a virtual employee, so it isn't just that he can work from home...it is that he DOES work from home, unless he is traveling. I could write a dissertation on the pros and cons of working from home. I worked from home when I worked for Mom before DS was born, both my parents work from home at various times in their careers, and now have been dealing with DH working from home. I had thought that my experience could help DH overcome some of the cons, but no. There have been quite a few cons for me personally with his work space basically being in the middle of the only living space in our loft...at times, it really hampers my ability to get anything done around the house, mostly because of the noise factor when he is in a meeting (conference calls)...which happen throughout the day.

 

If I understand what you are saying though...when you and your DH have time off from work, the last thing you want to do with that time together is anything that remotely resembles work around the house. You want your time together to be more enjoyable than that and so you struggle to be productive when together. When you are alone, you are motivated to get a bunch done because that helps you "save" your concurrent free time with your DH to do something that is related more to leisure or recreation. 

 

And yes...we struggle with that same concept...which is how I can project onto you what I deal with myself.

 

Happy Anniversary Melody!

 

Anniversary gifts are weird. I have a couple things that DH gave to me for anniversary gifts. He's pretty romantic and followed the protocol for gift giving in the early years. I think he gradually realized that I prefer experiences and doing to gifts and also came to realize that it's a lot of effort on his part to figure out how to spend money without me knowing about it (I'm the bookkeeper) so traditional gifts have fallen by the wayside. We do the same thing...decide that a big purchase is what we will do to honor our wedding anniversary...hence, two kayaks last year. LOL. Not quite the expense of yours Melody, but 20 isn't quite 49 so maybe proportional? LOL.

[Anita Latte]

I really like Zappos. My Dr Martens arrived and they were too big. IRL I'd tried on some pairs and realized that I had tried on the 1460W style, which is the traditional Dr Marten boot BUT made on a woman's foot form. It was a bit tight across the foot and so I wanted to try the men's version and had ordered the 1460. I had a great price. Online, you can't do an exchange, just a return and reorder...but if I did that, I would lose my great price only good that day. So calling in, I tried to exchange the 1460s for a smaller size...which, sadly, wasn't available. But I was able to get the 1460Ws in the same size and they were about to price match my order even though I was technically getting a different product. The original price was the same, but I was able to keep my one time only discounts.

 

Just sharing...incase others find themselves in the same situation. You must call to get it done properly. Basically, what happened is that he returned the one pair, crediting my account with a Zappos credit (not going through he original card for purchase), then ordered the new pair, did a price match on the new pair and then used the credit to pay for it.

 

I have the return label in my inbox. I have 14 days to return them. The new ones will arrive tomorrow.

 

Zappos has great customer service. I've been ordering from them ever since we discovered that DS needed Wide shoes back in the early years. Online always had more Wide choices than the stores. Anyway...people repeatedly say that they need to be in the store to try shoes on and the fact is that being in the store really just makes the process faster...with good customer service like Zappos, you can actually do what you do in the stores, just over time.

 

Laurie...all this talk about the wedding. I've never done the whole dress preservation thing with my own gown. It's been in the dress bag for over 21 years. I was inspired and found a local cleaners that specializes in gowns. They check the beading by hand and clean the dresses by hand. I'm going to do the box preservation. This is basically my Christmas gift to myself...not an inexpensive thing to do. OMG. Anyway...saw my dress for the first time in over 20 years. Wow. Really love my dress! LOL!!

Edited November 29, 2018 by Anita Latte
I'm picky like that

[MJC]

On 11/28/2018 at 8:15 AM, pacruise804 said:

Happy Anniversary Melody ❤️ 

 

I'm not traditionally romantic, so a big splurge like HVAC that keeps me comfortable year round sounds lovely to me.  Now for the 50th anniversary I'd probably want something a little more traditional like a bucket list vacation 😉 

Lol I once asked  for a cordless screwdriver for Valentines Day. I love it. I am a romantic but I dont need more jewelry and chocolate (chocolate is my downfall).

[MJC]

Anita, my mom stored her dress in tissue (not plastic!) in a special box in 1958, and always kept it up high in a closet. When I wore it in 1986 it had mellowed to a pale ivory which was perfect for me. She had it professionally preserved for me while I was on my honeymoon. I love my dress and I'm so glad she took such good care with it.

 

Well, since I havent had enough misery this autumn with my teeth and the infection, followed by a cold for Thanksgiving, here is my latest accessory.

[awhfy]

Good grief Margaret!  What happened?  Did you fall down the subway stairs?  That looks pretty uncomfortable, I’m sorry. Heal quickly

 

today is our actual anniversary & we went to breakfast. Les likely wont eat for days!

 

This is is a picture of us at 17 & 19 & now   (I made the green gown) Melody

[MJC]

9pm last night I was walking home from the subway, it was dark and cold and I had to pee so I was really walking fast. I tripped on some uneven pavement on a downhill slope and went flying onto the sidewalk. I hit my knees, my right shoulder and hand, and my head. No concussion but a huge lump, no broken hand but very bruised and painful, slightly sprained wrist, likely hairline fracture right knee. 4 hours in the ER. 

 

On crutches and cant put any weight on that leg until I see the Ortho specialist.  Am really glad I didnt cut my face or have a concussion. Am really glad Im a lefty. Am SO glad I was conscious because nobody was on the sidestreet with me to help. 

Edited November 29, 2018 by MJC

[pacruise804]

Margaret - ouch! Praying you heal soon.  (Cute kitty in the box)

 

Melody, lovely gown (cute shoes too).  You two looked adorable ❤️ 

[MJC]

Melody, so lovely, both pics. Wonderful to see such a happy loving couple.

[Sailor_Sally]

Margaret , Wow ! You really did a number on yourself . I hope you heal really fast .My wedding dress from my second wedding is upstairs in the closet . It is hopelessly outdated but I can not toss it . It is a silk midi dress with lots of lace accents very 80 ish .

[Anita Latte]

Omg Margaret. Praying for very speedy recovery. I hope this doesn’t negatively impact Africa! When do you leave again? Aw man, I’m so sorry this happened but also so glad that it wasn’t worse. I hope you can see the Ortho quickly.

 

kitty in the box is the best. Wow. Such a familiar site.

 

wow Melody. Was that your natural hair color? I recall you said you had red hair but that hair is not at all what I was picturing. I would have called you Ice if I had seen that photo. There was a red head back on the original thread that was actually an Air. Her hair dye jobs were always jacked up because cool red isn’t as common.

 

 

[purduemom1]

Oh Margaret, I’m so sorry this happened. Wishing you an incomplicated, speedy recovery.

 

Congrats, Melody. You two have aged well and look just as good as 50 years ago-maybe even better!

[laurspag]

Margaret, I'm so sorry about your accident, and I hope you heal up quickly.  I will say that when we have things that happen, our furry family have a way to make things so much more bearable.  I too hope this doesn't impact your Africa trip.   You are still dealing with the tooth infection too, right?

 

Melody, happy anniversary!  I admit that other than going to dinner, we don't exchange any gifts or anything.  For our 10th anniversary, we did take a slightly delayed cruise.  Since our anniversary was the end of July, we thought it would be great to take a cruise the first week in September because the rates were so good.  You may recall that is the cruise where we were in Puerto Rico between the two hurricanes, and got stuck for an extra day.

 

I loved my dress, but I also knew that my daughters would be highly unlikely to wear it, and I thought it would be best to share it instead.  I decided to try and sell it in a consignment shop a year ago.  They said they would hold the dress until February, and if it didn't sell, I could pick it up.  Unfortunately, what they said and what they put in the contract was different.  by January, it hadn't sold and they donated it.  😞   I have my pictures though, and maybe with the donation, someone who didn't have much may have been able to grab the dress for hardly nothing from Good Will,  Salvation Army or whatever.

 

My dress arrived today.  The blue is deeper than what I was expecting, and almost has a purplish cast to it.  It is very beautiful, and if I chose to wear high heels, or ordered a size down (I'll explain that in a minute) I wouldn't need ti hem it most likely.  I knew in advance that the color wouldn't be earth, but I was thinking it might be a fire like clear bright navy, so I was surprised at first.  But it is very pretty on, and I don't mind.  It seems to look nice next to the maid of honor floral dress I posted a picture of previously.

 

I ordered a 10 in the dress, not sure it that was a mistake or not.  Formal wear, better brands, usually you need a bigger size than what you normally wear.  My thing is, as you all know, the top part of the dress.  With the styling, I figured I had to fit that, and the dress would flow from there down and I probably wouldn't need any adjusting other than the hem, and maybe the top of the shoulders.

 

It actually fits very beautifully.  I can tell I could wear an 8 probably just as easy, since I'm not stretching the jersey whatsoever.  I don't even need to use the zipper - I can just put it on over my head.  That being said, it isn't big either. 

 

When I have someone take a photo of something I'm wearing, it's often not a good picture.  I do that kind of on purpose...I'm not trying to strike a flattering pose, I'm trying to see what the dress looks like on me.  At first, I didn't like the dress at all, but then I zoomed in so I could see the detail.  The lighting in our room is awful, and if I take a picture downstairs in my kitchen, it will look so much better.

 

All shoes arrived.  Since I knew I could send back what didn't work, I went ahead and ordered 4 pair that I found on Zappos.  Anita, I love Zappos too.  I always wish for better sales, but their customer service is fantastic.  I love the free returns.

 

One pair fit wonderful.  The other 3 were big.  I am making sure I am very careful about fit, because my neuroma has been acting up in my foot the past few weeks, and I will be on my feet a lot the day of the wedding.  I needed comfort and style, so I looked for wide width and either kitten heels or shorter heel.

 

The pair that fits is really, really pretty.  I'm just deciding on whether or not I am comfortable wearing them. They are the highest heel, and when I show you the picture, envision wearing them a bit.  Loose ankle straps that don't anchor your foot the way a shoe or regular strap does.  Another pair I really like enough to order in a smaller size, and I think they will go really nice with some of my other things.  So I could choose between the two.

 

I will post pictures in a bit, after I'm done with a few things. 

[Sailor_Sally]

Melody , That is a great younger picture of you two . You both look gorgeous !

[laurspag]

[laurspag]

Here are the likely shoes.  You can see why I have some concerns about the strap around the ankle.

[laurspag]

Then these are the other 3.  The sequined slingbacks I'm going to order in a smaller size.  

 

[laurspag]

Please let me know your honest opinions!

 

Melody, if you had dark Auburn hair, I will bet you are a winter/ice.  I love those photos, and that dress was so pretty.  A nice jewel tone, which are often ice colors!

[awhfy]

16 hours ago, MJC said:

9pm last night I was walking home from the subway, it was dark and cold and I had to pee so I was really walking fast. I tripped on some uneven pavement on a downhill slope and went flying onto the sidewalk. I hit my knees, my right shoulder and hand, and my head. No concussion but a huge lump, no broken hand but very bruised and painful, slightly sprained wrist, likely hairline fracture right knee. 4 hours in the ER. 

 

On crutches and cant put any weight on that leg until I see the Ortho specialist.  Am really glad I didnt cut my face or have a concussion. Am really glad Im a lefty. Am SO glad I was conscious because nobody was on the sidestreet with me to help. 

Wow!  That’s bad, but could’ve been so much worse. Heal quickly. Patella fractures can take awhile to heal, be careful. Good that you’re left handed is right!  Hope the pain eases quickly. Melody 

[awhfy]

15 hours ago, Anita Latte said:

Omg Margaret. Praying for very speedy recovery. I hope this doesn’t negatively impact Africa! When do you leave again? Aw man, I’m so sorry this happened but also so glad that it wasn’t worse. I hope you can see the Ortho quickly.

 

kitty in the box is the best. Wow. Such a familiar site.

 

wow Melody. Was that your natural hair color? I recall you said you had red hair but that hair is not at all what I was picturing. I would have called you Ice if I had seen that photo. There was a red head back on the original thread that was actually an Air. Her hair dye jobs were always jacked up because cool red isn’t as common.

 

 

Yup, that was natural color, dark auburn

[awhfy]

9 hours ago, laurspag said:

Then these are the other 3.  The sequined slingbacks I'm going to order in a smaller size.  

 

Love the sequined sling back & I really like the first pair, they’d be fun with that dress. It really is a much different color than the catalog, but it’s lovely. Melody 

[awhfy]

9 hours ago, laurspag said:

Please let me know your honest opinions!

 

Melody, if you had dark Auburn hair, I will bet you are a winter/ice.  I love those photos, and that dress was so pretty.  A nice jewel tone, which are often ice colors!

Dark auburn hair, always thought I was an ice as I look best in clear, unmuddied colors, the jewel tones. That was my favorite dress, I made while going to college full time & working full time, it was my college winter formal. Melody. 

Edited November 30, 2018 by awhfy
Addition

[Sailor_Sally]

Laurie , The dress is pretty . I think a smaller size may not drape as nicely. As for the shoes I would wear them around and keep  the most comfortable pair . The wedding day will be a very long day so comfort wins over style .

 

Margaret , I hope you get good news from the Orthopedic specialist . Your big trip is coming up.

 

Last year at this time we were getting ready for Gary's sons wedding . It was a beautiful wedding at a beach location and then they did a two week honeymoon in Italy . They split at three months .So this has been a crazy year . I will be glad to see 2018 leave .