All Things EARTH... part 2

[awhfy]

Understand about zero drop, I can’t wear it with my foot, I trip if I do. OOFOS occasionally have earthy colors

Edited October 7, 2021 by awhfy

[laurspag]

Melody...isn't baseball grand???  I'm still wearing the same sweatshirt, unwashed.  In my defense, it goes on before the game and gets folded nicely after.  I will not mess with good juju.  

 

Last night's game was epic.  

 

My husband is working today, and my daughter is out and about.  I'm getting lots of household stuff done, and the plan for tomorrow (before the baseball game begins) is to stop and get ceiling paint and look at some bookcases.  Vacation starts next week, so I will be working on the den!  Now, I don't know about you, but I like a flat white in closets so I am getting the ceiling paint because that is what I always use.  The closet is small, but then I have the ceiling to do next week.  I want to get the closet painted now, because we had an issue not too long ago and the shelves came down in the closet.

 

So, I'm going to paint it some time prior to next weekend.  The plan is to get the closet shelves back in so I don't have to move a pile of books out of the room since  there are plenty of other things to move in there.

 

Anyway, in between things, I started to focus on cruise clothes. Here is where I am at.  

 

I generally start with what dresses I want to bring.  Once I figure that out, I coordinate the shoes and jewelry, then move on to the daytime outfits.   in between, I will usually pick the swimsuits and cover ups that make the trip.  I will be taking 2-3 of those.

 

Here is the first picture of possible dresses, with some background on each:

 

The far left is the red dress for DYB night.  I plan to wear my gold sandals and some sparkly jewelry.  Due to the high neckline, it will be a bracelet and earrings.  All are items I already have.  The dress was purchased on clearance (with an additional percentage off) at White House Black Market in 2019, and I am so excited to be able to wear it.  

 

The next dress is also from WHBM, and it was bought on sale as well.  The blue is warm as well as the brown, but they made the fadeout areas very powdery.  It is not really a loose style.  It is comfy and looks nice.  AT this point, this  dress is definitely going.

 

The next dress didn't come through color wise the best, but I have another picture I will share shortly.  I got this at Marshalls a few month ago.  My daughter and I were shopping and she got this in gray and I got the rust.  Very easy to wear, but I am undecided if the particular knit will travel well.  It has a little section underneath that is attached, so I don't have to worry about the dress blowing open.  I haven't decided for sure.

The next dress is an interesting clearance find I got in 2019 from New York and Company.  There is a slip dress with the sweater dress that goes over it.  It is a midi length and fitted.  Part of me feels like my figure is not suited for this, and that it doesn't look great.  The other part of me says I am what I am, and I love brown dresses!   So I'm on the fence on this one too.

 

Next one is an old favorite...the Michael Kors snake print maxi.  I have had this a while, and it has gone on quite a few cruises.  I tried it on, and fell in love with it all over again.  It seems like it might move up the list.  I just realized that the second dress is an animal print too.  A bit of an artistic interpretation, but still.  

 

The last one is an old favorite too.  The colors are awesome.

 

I'm not done posting all the possibilities, but I wanted to share a bit more on the third dress, the rust one.  When I was looking at it, I thought of the newer sandals I had, and instantly knew what necklace I would wear with it if it goes on the cruise.  Then I noticed those old sandals of mine, that have gone on every cruise for I don't know how long.  Animal print, surprise.  I think they may a nice outfit, and I can literally choose between a number of casual sandals, flat or wedge, for this dress.

 

 

It is fun having things that I love, that I feel so comfortable with.  

 

Now he next set of dresses...for a total of 11!  I have to narrow down to 5, but it is fun to see what I pulled out of the closet on instinct.

 

 

It is a cloudy day, and the sun made an appearance here and there, so it threw the color off in this picture.

 

The ivory linen dress looks so big, doesn't it?  Well, it isn't.  It is a size 6 so I'm sure it was intended to fit looser than it does, but it ends up working out really well for me. This was given to me from my sister in law when she was moving.  It's from J Crew, and still had the tags on it.  It's pretty cute on, and different.  I'm not sure how I feel about linen though, since it wrinkles so much.

 

The next dress is a wonderful olive green, and I've had it a long time.  Anita, don't you have this dress too?  I haven't put it on in a while so I would need to try it on and see if it still fits.

 

The next is the gold swing dress, which may work for tropical night.  It's definitely comfortable.  

 

The next item up is a tomato red jumpsuit.  Very different for me.  I'm not sure it looks great, but it is fun.   I would wear it with my flat sandals and a necklace.  The downside is always using the ladies room, but I can zip it up okay on my own.  It's just if you're in a hurry...

 

The last dress is an animal print, lol.  This is another dress I have had a long time.  I took it in when it was too big because I liked it so much.    While I was at it, I shaped it just a little so that it follows the contour of my body.

 

a few up close pictures form the last group:

 

 

I admit that I like variety.  Narrowing down the choices can be hard.  Generally, outside of formal (DYB) night,  I usually try to think about how I want to feel as well as look.  When I hang them up like this,  I get a better feeling for what jumps out at me.

 

For example, the second dress, which I was sure I was bringing, doesn't tug at the heartstrings as much when I see everything together.  I like to start with what can go, and I've always enjoyed getting everyone's thoughts.  What do you all like and dislike in this group?

Edited October 9, 2021 by laurspag

[awhfy]

Nice choices Laurie. For me in first grouping, definitely 1, 5 & 6. Second grouping 4. I know it’s a lot of reds, but you look so good in them & they make you happy. The ivory is cute, but linen so wrinkles. The long brown, try it with spanx & see if you like it better. 
 

our daughter showed me the dresses she’s bringing on the cruise. I need to up my game!!  I was going more casual, so now the redo of wardrobe. Melody

[awhfy]

Laurie, Les has on his Varitek shirt, I have on my Pedroia shirt. Our son & our (cadet) grandson are coming for the game, pot roast & lemon pudding cake. Go Sox

[slidergirl]

On 10/6/2021 at 1:29 PM, Anita Latte said:

Love that legging print Margaret but those look medium to low rise to me. Whenever I get not high rise I have to deal with waistband rolling down…my tummy doesn’t cooperate unless it’s completely under wraps. 😂 

 

I’m currently debating my shoes. I know that we do get cool enough, especially in the evenings after the sun goes down, that having non-sandal shoes is nice. I’ve been eyeing the clog style of Birkenstock. I think that suits me.

 

 I’m about to start breaking in my Doc Martens. We’re going to a rock festival next month and they would be perfect to wear there but I’ve only worn them a few times. Also debating what else I might wear to the festival…it’s a super fun atmosphere and with it being in November, could be great weather. 

Lurking over here from  my thread as I'm not a color person:

 

Anita - I was thinking about buying another pair of Docs for the winter.  I loved them when I had them years ago.  As for what to wear:  check out the offerings on the Natural Life website.  Totally fun and boho clothes.  There's even a new tie dye "denim" jacket that I've been eyeing.  

[awhfy]

Laurie, keep wearing that sweatshirt!!!

[laurspag]

Melody, I am wearing that sweatshirt religiously every game!  Wow, that was something.  I know there was a lot of discussion on that ground rule double, but the rule is what it is.  As a matter of fact, a few people mentioned that Toronto benefited from the exact same rule a while back, and I think that is why they were respectful about the decision.

 

In any event, they still would have lost by one, so it is water under the bridge.

 

Thank you for your input on the dresses.  I definitely had dress 1 going for formal night.  The sparkly jewelry will set it off nicely.  I am going to maybe get a picture or two of what I plan to put with it today, since I am off today.

 

I am definitely up in the air about the rest, but I have eliminated the linen one.  I can tell you that just trying it on and moving around, I just didn't like it for a cruise.  I think I may be eliminating the olive one too, but we shall see.  I haven't tried it on a while so I want to do that first.

 

I don't have the Spanx brand, but I do have a few smoothers and shapers.  For things where I just don't want a lot of lines, I have these smoothers from Dressbarn. Essentially, they don't pull things in, but if you are wearing knit or jersey, they look so much nicer.  For that particular dress, I would lean towards a shaper.  I may be trying things on in a little while.  I don't have anyone here to take pictures for me, which can be helpful, but I have a feeling I will know right off if they are still in the running or should be eliminated.  Then I will go from there.

 

I did a little bit of painting in the den today.  I had decided that I would get that closest done early, and I am so glad I did.  It is easy to say it is a closet and doesn't matter, but it looks so nice now.  I also purchased a few fabric covered boxes that are designed for hanging folders, so I put those together and moved the files.  We have a two drawer lateral cabinet, and one drawer was empty.  

 

I am very serious when I say I want to clean things out, lol.  The cabinet will be moved out of the room permanently next week, and likely listed on Marketplace along with the matching bookcase.

 

In between all the household stuff, I have been considering the dresses, and took some pictures of tops I want to bring.  During the day, shorts are likely.  I have an ivory pair, and mostly sand and khaki, so those are very neutral.  I have a pair of shorts in a color called oregano.  I have had them for quite some time.  I wouldn't call them olive, but they make for a nice base.

 

So if you will all humor me with my clothing pictures, here are some shirts I'm contemplating.  I often will change after dinner, and find the sea air chilly on deck so I bring along some sort of cropped pants and a summery shirt with sleeves.  I have two I would like to bring.  The first is an animal print.  That is brown, not black.  It is a cold shoulder shirt and is comfy.  It will travel well.  The second is a find from Old Navy, and was super cheap...like $7.00 or something in the outlet store?  It is a linen blend, but looks like you see it here the whole time I wear it.  I think the important thing with linen is finding blends like this.  Both of these would be paired with my ivory cropped jeans.

 

 

Here is another shirt I can wear during the day, or with those same cropped jeans if I want.  I can't believe I never realized how many animal prints I have.  This is a much warmer shirt than the pictures seem to show.  distinctively chocolate brown.

 

 

Here are some other daytime shirts.  I love the aqua one, although it isn't really earth.  It is more of a fire color but I like it a lot.  The second is our old faithful.  Melody, I know you said you sewed down the pleat, so I am considering that.  I took it in twice when I lost weight, because I like it so much.  The third is shirt I watched for a long time.  I finally purchased it in the spring, and have gotten a lot out of it this summer.

 

 

And all my swimsuits, just for fun!  Nothing new here.  What I love about them is that they don't take up much space so I can bring more than what I need.  I won't be bringing all of them, but probably three.

 

The orange tankinis are called coral something...they are from Athleta.  The red one piece I have had for ages.  I remember the name of that color - saffron red.  

 

The rust one is Athleta also, and a fabulous color.  The last one I'm not sure if I will take or not, but we will see.

Edited October 11, 2021 by laurspag

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...I did have that same green dress but I culled it from the herd a while ago. There was something about the lining on the dress that was annoying...sheath dresses also aren't the best look on me especially in a solid color...so I let it go.

 

I think you have your DYB night dress picked with the red one. I thought you were wanting to bring the yellow dress for a Caribbean night...and I think that will work, especially if your accessories are theme appropriate. That would leave 3 more dresses...

 

You've nixed the linen...I would nix the green dress because I don't think it has a vacation feel to it. I would also nix the red jumpsuit because it is not worth wearing something that isn't bathroom friendly on vacation. You know how much I like prints so I would pick the 3 print dresses in the first picture. The far right two are just great dresses and I remember them and they look great on you. I also like the short blue print. The rust is okay...but concerns about how the fabric will travel and also just the general feel of the dress...it doesn't seem very vacation-y to me either. BUT...if you are generally cool in the evenings...then I would switch out the short blue print for that dress because it has more coverage and that could be nice. I would skip the animal print in the second photo because it looks like you are bringing more animal print in your day shirts.

 

22 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Lurking over here from  my thread as I'm not a color person:

 

Anita - I was thinking about buying another pair of Docs for the winter.  I loved them when I had them years ago.  As for what to wear:  check out the offerings on the Natural Life website.  Totally fun and boho clothes.  There's even a new tie dye "denim" jacket that I've been eyeing.  

 

There are several items on that site that I like! Thanks for sharing. I was looking for fun multi fabric skirts...I had been looking on etsy but most of the skirts that I liked were shipping from overseas and wouldn't be here in time. I just have to decide if I really want to get new skirts to wear to this festival or not. The rules get pretty strict these days and the skirt could potentially be damaged...especially if I sit on the ground (which may be the only option since you can't bring in blankets or anything) and at those prices...I'm not happy with that thought.

 

On the festival wear front...I asked DS if he would be unhappy if I were to borrow 3 of his concert tees that are still here. I like wearing band tees when we see bands...but these bands aren't necessarily all bands that I would want to wear under "normal" circumstances so I'm happy to just borrow his. They are all black...of course...so that's the way that is... A lot will depend on what the weather is actually like in November.

 

Meanwhile...I found a great cosmetics brand...at least by the information available. I've ordered some samples and the money you spend on the samples gets credited back in the form of a discount code that you can use to buy products on the site.

 

https://kosas.com/pages/kosas-tryouts

 

I threw away all my makeup! Buh bye! Never used was one lip sample, one eye liner pencil and a newer brow thing. My new samples should be here this week...I'll share how they are.

[laurspag]

I find the process of clothing and figuring out what I like and want to bring with me on vacation so interesting.

 

I think the yellow/gold dress is really the only possibility for tropical night.  I will get out the jewelry that I would wear with it, and take a picture for you.  While the jewelry isn't "tropical" it is flower based so I think it gives the right vibe.  

 

One funny thing is that I didn't get out the warm green maxi I have, simply because I have worn it on the last 2 cruises.  It was time for something different.  It is super fun with a solid to change the total look by changing the accessories, but I wanted to wear something else that I haven't worn in the past two cruises.  I think the Michael Kors maxi is going.  When I put it on, I instantly felt so good.  Isn't that what vacation is all about?  Feeling good?  

 

I think I've mentally eliminated the olive green dress that you used to have Anita, but I'm good with trying things on for fun.  Your comment mirrored my own thoughts, in that it doesn't feel like a vacation dress.  The ivory linen dress didn't feel that way on either, despite being linen.   Whenever I look back at dresses that I wish I hadn't brought on vacation, they were almost always of the same nature as the that dress.  So I think that is telling.  If I can wear it to work, don't bring it on vacation.

 

I forgot to mention about the swimsuit pictures - those coral tankinis are mix and match. I had ordered those along with the aqua with the intention of sending back whatever I didn't like.  I like them all a lot so I kept them.  My husband pointed out to me yesterday that if I bring both, I can switch around if I want.

 

Isn't it funny how if you like something, you can remember exact when you wore it?  I wore the aqua tankini in Aruba on our anniversary (belated) cruise.

 

When I think of formal nights, I remember my orange dress and the teal sparkly one.  

[awhfy]

Laurie,just remember to bring a swimsuit you don’t care about for the pools & hot tubs!

 

Yay Sox, keep wearing that sweatshirt, don’t you dare wash it 😉

 

 

[awhfy]

This mess with Southwest has us thinking about driving to TX next week 🙄

[slidergirl]

Anita - for the festival:  If you can't take blankets or such, find an old big shirt that you don't mind messing up and tie it around your waist.  Then, you have a little "blanket" you can untie and sit on!  

 

Melody - that SouthWest situation is a giant mess!  It's lack of a hub/spoke system really fouls things up when something goes wrong.  Driving - that's about a 15-hour deal right?  I'd think about that too.  At least it's a relatively scenic drive (to me).  

[laurspag]

The sweatshirt will not be washed any time soon.   🙂  🙂  

 

The linen, long rust dress, olive green dress and brown dress are off the list now.  Since I need 4 besides formal night, and I am pretty sure I am bringing 3 print dresses, there is a part of me that wants to bring a solid color.  The reason is that I love how I can choose shoes and jewelry to create the mood I want.  It's like a blank canvas, if you will.  There is the gold dress, but I am limited if I am trying to create a tropical feel. 

 

I don't know if this works or not, but here is the jewelry I was referring to.  I have a few fun things that create a tropical or beachy feel, but they are necklaces, which don't work with this dress.  two are coral colored.  The other is an antique gold colored starfish.  It has matching earrings, but you can barely see those with my hair.

 

So this is what I am looking at.  It's kind of summery?

 

This is he bracelet I will wear with the red dress on DYB night.  I haven't figured out which earrings yet.  I will be wearing one of my gold sandals also.

 

 

Lastly, I think these shirts will come along for the trip too.  Tops to wear with shorts are easy to figure out, especially with sand and khaki shorts.

 

 

 

 

[awhfy]

Kat, we’ve done the drive before, all oil fields once you get to TX, not very scenic. 

[slidergirl]

5 hours ago, awhfy said:

Kat, we’ve done the drive before, all oil fields once you get to TX, not very scenic. 

oops.  I was thinking of the part from CO through NM.  Forgot about TX...

[laurspag]

I'm still deciding on the dresses, and decided to look at the daytime clothes in the meantime, along with jewelry for the dresses I am definitely bringing.  It's been a busy week, so that helps sometimes.  I find that when I walk away with thoughts to digest, they stay in the back of my mind so that when I have the dresses in front of me again, I feel much closer to making decisions.  

 

That isn't to say they are "major" decisions.  One important thing for me has been realizing that while I have lost weight and want to look good, I have also gained back a little.  It's not a lot, and most things fit.  But I am really thinking long and hard about how I feel about my body.  I think the reason I was always drawn to fitted sheath style dresses is that I wanted to feel like my body was one size, and proportional.  It isn't.

 

I'm focused on wearing things that I feel I look good in, but more importantly, that I truly like and feel comfortable in also.  That is the reason I eliminated the brown dress.  It wasn't that it was fitted, it was the way it fit.  I had to play so much after putting on each layer to make it lay right, and when I was done, I had the camisole style dress underneath adjusted to cover my bra right, and it was I couldn't do that with sweater dress part.  It just wasn't made for my shape.   

 

On another train of thought, I am not sure if hot tubs will be open on board, but I have the same dilemma as all of us when it comes to swimsuits.  They fade right out.  I didn't take a picture of the peach colored tankini from Athleta, because of that very reason.  I hate the way it looks.  Since I knew of the possibility in advance, I kept this suit for that reason.  It has gone into hot tubs about 3 times now, and the top part of the halter is a different color, and the seams didn't fade proportionately.  

 

I almost bought a Miraclesuit that was ivory, but didn't like the idea of such an expensive suit.  Then a lightbulb went on.  What if I found a decently made suit that wasn't expensive in an ivory color or lighter print?  It's not my best color, no.  But you know that feeling how if you are wearing your grubby clothes and painting or doing yard work, you aren't thrilled with going to a local restaurant wearing them?  Well that is how I felt about the suit.  So this may be a way to deal with it.  I also like a one piece for the tub, so that jets don't inflate the tankini top like a balloon, lol.

 

I was thinking of this one:

 

Women's Textured Pique Vanilla Latte Ring Hardware Medium Coverage One Piece Swimsuit - Kona Sol™ Ivory L : Target

 

I saw a few others, but at online stores I've never heard of.  I haven't looked far.  The main thing with a light colored suit is to make sure it is has a good lining.  That is where the miraclesuit was nice.  They are a great quality, but I don't want to spend much.  I just want to feel like it looks nice.

 

Well, the den where I sit is almost empty.  Tomorrow is the first day of painting!  We will move the rest tonight, and tomorrow I do the ceiling and trim.  If I move along quick enough and feel up to it, I might paint the upper part of the walls.  That means the lower part on Tuesday.  I'll have Wednesday free, and I already planned on lunch with my sister.  I'll also be able to move some items back in, and figure what will go where on the walls.  

 

I guess I'm just excited about everything!!

[Anita Latte]

Melody...have you made up your mind on driving vs. flying? I've done that drive from Colorado to Texas. We went to San Antonio but still...SOOOOOoooo boring. We cut through the pan handle...my grandparents lived in the panhandle for a while. Grandpa always said it was the place where you could stand up walk 50 miles and turn around and look at your house. It's just THAT flat. 

 

Laurie...I'm in total agreement with you regarding clothing. You have to feel good wearing it. It's a difficult ask wanting the colors and the fabric and the fit to all add up to feeling good but it'll be worth it to take the time to figure it all out, especially for a vacation wardrobe. It's too bad that we all don't just have a closet full of such choices.

 

My Kosas samples came and I LOVE them. The tinted foundation is wonderful. Sadly, they had a big sale and my foundation match was out of stock. 😞 I match to a 3.5.

 

Big news over here...it hit me last week or so that my 50th birthday is next March. I had a bit of a debate with myself as to whether or not is was really worth it to plan something big around my birthday...do I need all that just to celebrate? After tossing around SEVERAL ideas...we made reservations over the weekend in FAIRBANKS, ALASKA!!  Yes! I'm going back to Alaska and I couldn't be happier about it. As it turns out, March is one of the best months to visit Fairbanks because daylight is a manageable 12-14 hours each day and the Aurora Borealis tends to be more active around the equinoxes (so I've read) so March is a great month for chasing the aurora, as they say in all the ads. Also...it's still winter so all the winter activities are still available. 

 

I've made reservations for snowmobiling, dog sledding, and ice fishing. Those are our big ticket "excursions" and I'm gathering a list of other to do items to fill the space in between depending on how the day is and how we are feeling. The thing about chasing the aurora is that prime viewing is between 10PM and 2AM...so winter tourists like ourselves may fall into a pattern of a shorter nighttime sleep...our morning activities are all scheduled for mid-morning (9AM, 10AM, and 10:30AM) and also some mid-afternoon naps... All the reservations are for the first half of the week we are there...ice fishing is a go no matter the weather because it takes place in a heated hut...and we have some availability if we have to reschedule because of inclement weather.

 

There is quite a bit to do in and around Fairbanks...one place I'm really excited to visit is a museum that has around 100 pre-WW2 antique, fully restored and operational automobiles as well as the largest collection of vintage fashion in the Pacific Northwest. They have fashion on display with the cars to show the fashion of the day. It all sounds wonderful and it's a top rated museum for Fairbanks. Mom was reminded of a similar focused museum in Malaga, Spain. The Fairbanks museum opened in 2009, the Malaga one opened in 2010. We wonder if they collaborated at all...they are both a single auto collection of one collector.

 

So while ya'll are going through your summery clothing in the midst of your autumn...I'll be going through my winter clothing in the midst of my spring. LOL. I am well covered from the waist up...I have some pants that may work fine in town and I have great shoes...but I will need serious snow pants for the trip. I am hoping to continue the downward weight trend that has been happening though so I'm planning to wait for a bit for those purchases. Doing a bit of research on what may be good and then watching for sales as the season runs its course.

 

We did a bit of shopping over the weekend...went to Disney Springs and looked around. 'Tis the season for Earth colors...they are EVERYWHERE right now, as they usually are this time of year.

[Anita Latte]

On 10/12/2021 at 1:07 PM, slidergirl said:

Anita - for the festival:  If you can't take blankets or such, find an old big shirt that you don't mind messing up and tie it around your waist.  Then, you have a little "blanket" you can untie and sit on! 

Definitely thinking along those lines... IDK what the weather will be like in November...it could be cooler, especially in the evenings after the sun goes down...definitely might have layers that could be rearranged for a decent sit. I went through my shoes...I forgot that the reason I haven't been wearing my Doc Martens is that the heel can bother my knee. I'm so used to perfectly flat shoes now that I can feel any sort of heel (even simple sandals). I did buy a pair of lightweight day hikers from Altra a while back...they are high tops but not super high...and they are currently in the running for being the shoe I'll wear for the festival. I just have to wait to see how the weather is to see if I'll be wearing shorts or pants with my concert tees.

[slidergirl]

Anita - very cool on the Fairbanks trip!!!  Lots of fun to plan it all out.  A long taste of Alaska instead of little bites from a cruse ship!   You definitely have to put together a different wardrobe for this trip.  For those winter pants - you are kind of in the weird spot to hunt for them.  Everyplace is putting out this year's models and the sales are at the end of season in March/April.  Look online at Sierra, Backcountry and REI for some good basic winter pants.  

 

On colors: I discovered I am definitely not a orange/rust person.  I ordered one of the dresses from Natural Life that looked like the color was more towards reddish.  But, when I got it, the color looked horrible on me.  Sad beause I really liked the dress (the Rebecca).  But it totally washed me out.  Oh well...

[awhfy]

Anita!  What fun!!!  Something to really look forward to. 
 

Well, we’ve been stalking the airline sights on flight status & decided we’re going to fly to TX on Friday 

[Anita Latte]

23 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Anita - very cool on the Fairbanks trip!!!  Lots of fun to plan it all out.  A long taste of Alaska instead of little bites from a cruse ship!   You definitely have to put together a different wardrobe for this trip.  For those winter pants - you are kind of in the weird spot to hunt for them.  Everyplace is putting out this year's models and the sales are at the end of season in March/April.  Look online at Sierra, Backcountry and REI for some good basic winter pants.  

 

On colors: I discovered I am definitely not a orange/rust person.  I ordered one of the dresses from Natural Life that looked like the color was more towards reddish.  But, when I got it, the color looked horrible on me.  Sad beause I really liked the dress (the Rebecca).  But it totally washed me out.  Oh well...

We are so excited for Fairbanks! I know it going to be cold. And especially when we might be just hanging out over night chasing the aurora…could be extremely cold. I came across the brand Kari Traa. Anyone heard of this? I love the patterned fleece.

 

https://www.karitraa.com/en-us/olga-fleece/622903.html?dwvar_622903_color=FANCY&cgid=109644
 

I have two 250 quarter zip Smartwool base layers. Thinking about this fleece for on top as a mid layer.

 

Too bad on the Rebecca dress. That looks like a fun and easy dress to wear!

[laurspag]

 your trip sounds so exciting!  I can imagine it will be quite cold, and a few new things will be needed as a result.  Like Melody, we get some wintry weather every year.  We are not outside in it a tremendously long time though.

 

Alaska is on my bucket list.  I think I would enjoy seeing it by cruise first, to figure out what I would want to go back and see and spend my time doing, since it so different.

 

I also like the idea of doing something special for a milestone birthday!  I used to be the type of person who didn't like any of the fussing.  Then I realize that life is worth celebrating.  It doesn't have to be a "party".  It can be a special dinner with those you are closest to, a weekend getaway, or a vacation.   I did the Pacific coastal cruise for my 50th.   Then in 2017, my husband and I went on a particular cruise I always wanted to go on for our 10th anniversary.  For my husband's 50th birthday, we went to the Grand Canyon.

 

So I share your excitement!  

 

My week of vacation is going along well.  I babysat Saturday, and spent Sunday doing laundry and emptying the den.  Yesterday I painted the ceiling, put another coat on the trim, and then did two coats of the dark blue.  That was pretty exciting, since I've never painted a dark color like this before.  

 

Th blue is called deep twilight blue.  It captured what we were looking for, in that I wanted a dark blue, but didn't want anything that felt like it looked super dark or black.  Here is the link - go through the pictures as it will give you a good idea of how it looks when used in a room:

 

Valspar Signature Satin Deep Twilight Blue 4007-6c Interior Paint (1-Gallon) in the Interior Paint department at Lowes.com

 

This color is for the first three feet of an eight foot wall.  The bottom is currently painted white.  We will be doing the board and batten over it soon, I hope.  When the cost of wood skyrocketed, we decided we would wait a tad bit longer to pick it up.  

 

The white was done today.  There is two coats, and it could really use a third, despite the primer and paint on one.  I am not concerned, due to our process for the lower walls.  I plan to put a few coats of paint on the wood before we cut and install it.  We will then caulk everything, and put another coat of white over the whole thing.

 

I also gave thought to some of my decorating dilemmas, and after thinking it through, I realized that decor is just that...decor.  So my Red Sox memorabilia will be going back up, but in a much better way than it was before.  If I ever feel like I need a change, or we need to stage if for selling, I would simply take down my baseball stuff, and put up something different.  It doesn't require much.

 

I kind of like to move things around in general, but I don't do that too much anymore.

 

Tomorrow some things will go on the wall and I will put the room back together and hang the curtains back up.  I can say I definitely realized that my house was built in 1955 when I was working on this.  Just the little imperfections and so forth.

 

I'm also meeting my sister for lunch, which will be fun.  My husband took Thursday and Friday off, so we are likely going to go shopping for a bookcase.  We have a rough idea of what we want, and two really good place to shop for it.  Hopefully, we will do something fun, such as take a ride and go for lunch.

 

And you know...finish picking out my cruise wardrobe!   The break from work has been great.  I really needed this.  I am also realizing that I really need to clean this desk!  🙂 

[MJC]

Laurie, that is a beautiful blue for your room! Also, it's fun to see your cruise clothes again. You are way ahead of me with your planning. When do you leave again? We fly to FLL the day after Thanksgiving and board on the 28th.

 

Today I was able to print our luggage tags! That was a nice surprise. Now that fall is truly here, I decided to go through my closets as usual and see what I have. I actually forget from season to season what's in there. 🙂  I pulled out a few things for the cruise, but nothing is final yet. I wish I had lost more weight this summer, but oh well.

 

We cruise Sunday-Sunday and have two formal nights, one on Tuesday and the other on Friday. I'm leaning toward taking the brown sequined for first night and the black one for second (which doesn't look like much on the hanger, but is a pretty silhouette). DH wants to wear his tux, so I'm thinking the teal swing dress is not as dressy as I would like. I think this will be the 4th cruise the brown dress has been on.

 

I'm thinking I'll wear a very comfy pair of black pants I have for the flights. I'll have them to wear with these silky tops for our first and last evenings. I have pretty jewelry that goes with each. Our first night we have a comp for the steakhouse. 👍

 

 

And for the other three nights I have these dresses. I haven't had a chance to wear the one in the middle yet, so that will be fun. I haven't worn dresses much at all during covid, except for some very lightweight cotton ones around the house during the summer. I'm looking forward to dressing up again.

 

 

Lots of pattern going on here!  I'll have to think about shoes. I always try to pack so that I don't have to bring too many. So none of this is set in stone.

 

Laurie thanks for the reminder about hot tubs. I have a least-favorite suit to bring for that up at the lake.

 

 

 

 

[awhfy]

Margaret great choices. Love that brown dress
 

Laurie, love that wall color. Our guys need some help today. We’ll actually be going through Houston on Friday on our way to Galveston. Go Sox!!  

[laurspag]

Margaret, I fly to Tampa the day after Thanksgiving.  I will be on a 5 day cruise.  I have always loved your brown dress!  That  is such an elegant dress.  And your husband wearing a tux sounds just wonderful.  

 

What line are your going on, and what are your ports?  I am seeing some long sleeved dresses in your grouping.  I used to always be cold in the dining room, but not so much anymore.  The cool air bothers me more in the lounges, it seems.  I am curious how it will be with less people on board.  I have a feeling that my after dinner outfits will get a lot of wear.

 

While I had those thoughts in the back in my mind while painting and doing other things yesterday, I subconsciously made my dress decisions.  I was pretty certain, but I've had it down to 6 dresses for at least a week.  I will likely get more pictures today to show you, but here at the final choices: the red high/low dress for formal night, the gold dress for whenever they have their Caribbean night, then the two maxis - the orange and brown kind of tribal print and the Michael Kors snake print.   The final is the dress with the blue.  all are comfortable, easy to wear, and travel well.  (the red will require some careful packing)

 

After I got out of the shower this morning, I just went right over to my jewelry and grabbed a few things out.  I have the jewelry pretty well set for my dresses, but I am having one issue.  As I have mentioned before, I don't wear earring a lot.  I can wear them for dinner, but they always seem to bother me.  If I try and wearing earrings off an on before the cruise, it makes a big difference.  Right now, my right ear seems to be partially closed up.  I can get an earring almost all the way in.  Sometimes, I just play a bit and it ends up okay.  Then I just have to remember to keep wearing them every other day.  Today, I just couldn't get that earring in.

 

I'm kind of sad, because I love jewelry, and with a few higher necklines, I really wanted to wear earrings!  Well, I guess we will have to see.  I also found a bracelet on Etsy for the gold dress, and it came in on Monday.  It is perfect for the theme.

 

Now on to the daytime outfits.  I have realized that while I have 5 pairs of shorts, I don't love a few of them.  I guess I had forgotten how much I was wearing tshirt dresses and the same shorts lately.   I can make do with what I have, but I might check for a few sales.  I could use a pair or two.  In retrospect, that is probably why I've worn the dresses so much.  Of course, it is really easy to throw on a knit dress after work, and my legs don't stick to the chair.

 

Melody, that game.   😞  It should be about offense, defense, pitching and strategy.  Bad umps should never be a part of the mix.  But on to the next one!!