All Things EARTH... part 2

[slidergirl]

Anita - looks like a "red carpet" dress for today.  Understated compared to some of the dresses lately, but still glamorous.    That museum looks totally awesome!   An interesting intersection here:  I was watching "Diners Drive-Ins and Dives" the other night because I couldn't watch more of what was happening in Ukraine.  The episode was about Fairbanks!!!!  I thought of you right away!!

 

Hey - I forgot to comment on your festival in Tampa - I like the Lumineers, too.  Our local publicly-funded radio station plays them all the time.  

[awhfy]

I’d love that museum. 1900, I’d expect that dress was all handmade. It’s exquisite. Melody

[Anita Latte]

Kat...I won't tell yet but we ate at a place that was featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives! I didn't know that it had been on the show prior to eating there though...we saw the sign in the restaurant LOL.

 

Melody...I think those colors would look fab on you. 

[awhfy]

1 minute ago, Anita Latte said:

Kat...I won't tell yet but we ate at a place that was featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives! I didn't know that it had been on the show prior to eating there though...we saw the sign in the restaurant LOL.

 

Melody...I think those colors would look fab on you. 

Edited April 5, 2022 by awhfy

[awhfy]

I’d love to try it on, but I definitely wouldn’t like the whalebone corset that would be the underpinning

[slidergirl]

2 hours ago, Anita Latte said:

Kat...I won't tell yet but we ate at a place that was featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives! I didn't know that it had been on the show prior to eating there though...we saw the sign in the restaurant LOL.

 

Melody...I think those colors would look fab on you. 

No probs, no shame.  My favorite pizza place in town was featured on DDD, along with a place that I get my pulled pork sammies in town.   I ate at both pre-DDD.  

[Anita Latte]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

No probs, no shame.  My favorite pizza place in town was featured on DDD, along with a place that I get my pulled pork sammies in town.   I ate at both pre-DDD.  

Don’t misunderstand…I’m just not going to give it away until that point in my trip report. I didn’t take much food porn but I did of one thing from this restaurant. It was amazing!

[awhfy]

We leave tomorrow for our cruise, stand by for food pictures. I’ve changed up my color scheme. I’m taking black, white, cobalt blue & added turquoise  We got a photo package (unlimited digital & prints) for $50. 
 

Anita I’m enjoying your trip review. Melody

[laurspag]

Anita, I love that picture from the museum.  My husband is a huge car buff, so we often visit places like that when we travel.  There is a museum here in New York, and I am trying to remember the name of it.  We took a day trip to travel to it, and they had some era specific clothes with the cars too.  I loved being able to get a sense of the whole era.  

 

I am a fan of certain eras when it comes to fashion.  I know I have mentioned it previously, but when I watch a movie like White Christmas, or Holiday Inn, even Rear Window, I adore the way they dressed to go out, and how seriously everyone took the whole look.  It wasn't just about a nice dress for the ladies and a suit for the men...it was the accessorizing too.   I think that is why I love formal nights so much.  Its a chance to embrace that feeling.

 

I also understand fully why people don't, in that there are not many formal events anymore, and that is a lot of money to spend for something worn once or twice.

 

But I am digressing!

 

We have a few DDD places right here in Syracuse that I enjoy on a regular basis: Pastabilities, Eva's...I think Dinosaur Barbecue may have been on the show too, but I can't remember.  My daughter is a big fan of Funk N' Waffles, but I have never been there myself.

 

Well, this is my staycation week that was going to be filled with day trips and the like.  I spent it so far in isolation, as my husband and I have Covid.  I do not wish this illness on anyone, and I am thankful that I have my vaccination and booster, because I can only imagine if I didn't.  The first few days were beyond rough.  AT this stage, I am mostly just exhausted.   I feel so worn out.  

 

I am waiting for the county to call me to tell me when I can wander out in the world again, which I believe will be Friday.  That being said, if they told me I could today, I just don't have the energy.   We are making the best of it.  We watched both NCAA tournaments, baseball, and we watched a movie last night.  

 

I'm thankful we weren't scheduled to travel, and so happy that we aren't as sick as we could be.  I'm feeling kind of sad at the moment, because we had things we wanted to get done and some fun little things planned.  If all goes well, we will try to do a little something over the weekend.

 

Anita, I live hearing about Fairbanks.  It is great to hear too about how your attire choices are working out.  As someone who lives in a climate with tough winters, I am often surprised at how badly I choose clothing for travel when it is a bit cooler out.  I always underestimate what I need, and end up freezing!

[purduemom1]

Anita, that dress is beautiful! It does seem timeless. As for the “train”, it’s lovely as it is displayed but I wonder how it will look when the person wearing it is walking or standing and there is nobody to “arrange” it. Never the less, it is a lovely dress and  red carpet worthy.

 

We ate at a DDD featured cafe in Palm Springs. Nothing special appearance wise, in fact it was located in an industrial area. We ate lunch there and the sandwiches were delicious. 

 

Your trip is making for interesting reading. While I have been to Alaska, I’ve never been to Fairbanks. Your clothing choices are perfect and you look great. Looking forward to the next installment. 

Sharon

[purduemom1]

Laurie, I’m so sorry that you and DH have Covid, especially during your planned staycation. Hope you feel better soon and can at least have a few days of fun before going back to work.

Sharon

[Anita Latte]

I'm very grateful to hear everyone is enjoying hearing about Fairbanks! It wasn't a cruise but in a way, when I was planning out our trip, it felt like a cruise. Each day in Fairbanks was like a port day...what is our excursion for the day?...what else could we do this day? Each day had one major thing planned, an excursion that we paid for and scheduled in advance. These were all in the mornings so that we could do whatever we felt like in the afternoons. I pretty much picked everything...DH drove us around (his experience driving in winter conditions begins younger than mine as he learned to drive in Colorado Springs) and otherwise DH pretty much relied on me to guide us around. It was his vacation from being a program manager that has to make decisions all the time...no decisions for DH on this trip, except for what he wanted to order to eat or drink.

 

Laurie...I'm very sorry to hear that you and your DH have COVID. It is the worst. I'm glad that you are able to weather the symptoms and the course of the virus at home. I know it must be so disappointing to have this happen during your staycation...I feel for you. I hope you can make the best of it...spending time with your DH and maybe doing something this weekend. Meanwhile, I hope you can pamper yourself and do some simple things for yourself that you normally don't take the time to do. Face mask? Mani over time? Massage your cuticles, etc. And eventually new polish? *hugs*

 

Melody...I hope you have so much fun on your cruise! I'm very interested to hear all about how it goes. I'm still on the fence with cruising. It still feels like a no go to me...rather than feeling happy to be isolated from the world on a cruise ship, a sort of letting go of the day to day...it feels like it might be more like jail...LOL...trapped in a place where I have no control. I realize that's the way a cruise always is? To a certain extent? IDK...I can't imagine not going on another cruise for the rest of my life, but I haven't yet crossed that line where a cruise is more appealing than other vacations. And that's probably the greater part of my cruise reluctance...I'm all over the outdoors/nature/active focused vacations...

 

I was very concerned about being cold in Fairbanks LOL. I didn't pack like I normally do, I ended up taking way too much, thinking that I might wear some cold weather items that I haven't been able to in Florida, but it turns out that I wasn't really happy with those choices anyway...so I'm thinking that I have some wardrobe culling to do. If I didn't wear it when it was cold, and I don't wear it in Florida...then maybe I shouldn't have it at all.

 

Fortunately, I have spent years living where cold can hit...Colorado, Kansas, and crazy enough North Carolina was cold, especially in our loft conversion with the wall to wall industrial windows all around. I generally did a pretty good job in my wardrobe choices. Fairbanks was much like all other places...if you were inside, you didn't need to be overly dressed, and in fact, if you were dressed too well for the cold, if your cold weather clothing couldn't be shed upon entering your restaurant, museum, store, etc., then you would roast because the heat was on inside.

 

I'll be posting more about the trip today...

[Anita Latte]

The auto museum was enthralling really. Wednesday was a good day to be there...IDK if it would be more crowded on a Sunday, but there were few people there. We could look to our heart's content without feeling like we were in anyone else's way. We did spend time reading all the signs and really looking at everything.

 

There was a docent that would pop in on us and give us more information at various different vehicles. I wish I could remember which vehicle it was...but he came up to us and said the automobile we were studying was a tap dancer. He pulled up a video on his phone...the car was being driven around the parking lot of the museum and it sounded JUST LIKE someone tap dancing...an uneven, syncopated rhythm of clacks as it was driven. Seeing such a vehicle in motion was truly awe inspiring...seeing that something well made and either maintained or restored could still be in working order over a century later...and that it was a mechanical thing. Our society can feel like things are now just made to be replaced...they have a built in expiration date from the time of manufacture. It's sad really.

 

I suppose fashion is the same way. IF you are fashionable.

 

I haven't studied women's fashion, so the display addressing the changing silhouette of women's dress from Victorian to Edwardian style was all new to me. With Melody's comment about a whalebone corset...I thought I'd share this next.

 

 

This dress made me think of Margaret...the blue and the brown was gorgeous and reminded me of Margaret's eyes. All of the following items were behind glass in wall displays. The reflections are a bit rough but I think you can still see the gown.

 

Here is dated fashion for me. I can't imagine anyone wearing a such a dress in the afternoon. Today's fashion would split this dress up into separates, I think. The lapels outward would be a jacket over a shirt. The high neck would make me crazy...especially with the bow. I recall there being a shirt style in the 80s that was similar to this though...with attached extra fabric that could be fashioned like a scarf. I just rewatched 9 to 5 and definitely saw that shirt there LOL.

 

On some other sign, I think, there was a mention of how the puffy sleeves emphasized, or gave illusion to, a smaller waist. I recently purchased a clearance blouse from Target that had puffy sleeves and a scoop neckline...so flattering. I bought it because it is a lightweight woven fabric...the sleeves are elbow length...I wanted something that would offer a bit more sun protection but still be ok for warmer weather. I understand a bit more why the simple blouse is so flattering.

 

Anyone else watch Anne of Green Gables from long ago? Not the recent ones...I was much younger...and the brother bought Anne the dress with the puffy sleeves? And she LOVED that dress so much...

 

 

Again...sorry about the reflection...but this is the angle of the dress where you can really see how broadening the upper body does indeed show off the waist. Not that this waist needs to be any smaller...OMG...I get how this is accomplished greatly with a corset, but still.

 

 

This is the best shot of the fabric of the dress. The brown was actually a beautiful bronze color. 

 

You can see the corset in the background...

 

 

This is what I think of when I think of a corset. I have seen similar corsets for sale now, sold as waist training corsets. It's like a thing. There are people who are into this again, as uncomfortable as that sounds.

 

What I didn't know about corsets is revealed in this next photo. I didn't know that there could be suspenders on corsets. And that the suspenders would be used for holding up an underskirt.

 

 

This is actually where the change in silhouette happens.

 

 

Please zoom in to read if necessary. So here we see that the sequin gown is actually of the Edwardian silhouette. The corset would begin under the bust. But the lighter weight fabric...the sleeves. 

 

Does anyone else recognize the right silhouette as a "mean, bad" aunt or step mother from a Disney animated movie? Is it Cinderella's step mom? I swear I can see the silver hair with a streak in it... And the step sisters are still caught up in the silhouette on the left...

 

 

What seems weird to me are the layers on the upper chest. I guess this is the pigeon bodice? The ruffles fill it out?

 

 

So technically, it seems like the suspenders here should be holding up the skirt.

 

I'm so glad that it's not the norm to be wearing so much FABRIC all the time. The sheer weight of it all must be exhausting to have to carry around. 

 

I agree with you though Laurie...there's something about caring about what you are wearing. Margaret got me turned on to watching the Guilded Age and the fashion there is fabulous. So much fun to see. I feel inspired to do something more with my own clothing. To be aware that my choice of clothes is a statement to others. And then I think to myself...why should I care? I can just be comfortable and not worry about it. And then I think that I should be able to be comfortable AND stylish. 

 

When I was looking at these fashions, what struck me most was what made everything unique. The details. Today, things are so very boring to my eyes. Even as I sit here in a plain, solid green v-neck tee shirt...I'm thinking how sick I am of plain knit clothing that doesn't do ANYTHING to help present my shape to its best advantage. It's not so hard to put one shirt on over another...it just takes time to sort through it all and have some outfits pulled together. I just haven't prioritized that at all...

 

I think I want to.

Edited April 6, 2022 by Anita Latte
The pictures were weird...

[awhfy]

Laurie, hope you & DH are feeling better 

 

Anita, the sequined dress with train like has hooks under the waist to bundle the train up (into a bustle) for walking. The ruffles on top were for Les’s well-endowed women. As a teenager I used to model wedding gowns & they usually had the hooks for the train. 

Edited April 6, 2022 by awhfy

[laurspag]

Hi all...I must say, this COVID thing is a process for sure.  I'm officially at the one week mark from I first started to feel sick.  I am definitely much improved, but I can't believe how weak and tired I still feel.  At least I am on the upswing now. My cough is minimal.

 

I am hopeful that the next few days get me prepared to return to work on Monday.

 

My younger daughter picked up our dresses yesterday that were being altered.  I only had one, she had two.  They all look great.  While I knew her formal night dress was chosen, she confirmed the other dress is going along for our cruise as well.  I often think about how we go together.  It is interesting to plan all this out.  I wish I felt a bit better, as I would be trying on different things and picking out jewelry and so forth.  Soon.  

 

Melody, I am sure you must be excited to be going on your next cruise!  I looked into Celebrity, but I found the cost to be rather high for me, at least the cruises I looked at.  I think that when I am planning farther out, I will look and see what is available.  I am set for 2022 now, and 2023 is when I am planning on a Disney trip.  I am not sure I would be able to do anything more in 2023 as my budget is limited.  But I don't mind planning ahead!

 

Anita, I am enjoying learning about Fairbanks.  The outfits that you posted pictures of are great.  I love that winter scarf.

[slidergirl]

Laurie - it seems that the fatigue is what gets everyone, regardless of the severity of the COVID you get.  Don't be surprised if it takes a few weeks to feel not so tired.  My friends tried to "gut it out" and failed with the fatigue.  It's there, you just have to deal with it.  

 

All by myself all day today.  Absolutely nothing to do.  One owner's kid came in for the night, but we were expecting him.  I did a little more of my key and keycard accounting today.   I have Michael McDonald on shuffle on Apple Music today.  He's always good for some background music when alone - I do my long distance drives to him (and Boz Scaggs & Donald Fagen).  I'll come up with something for tomorrow, it's me and the boss.  But the boss has been leaving around 1-2pm lately.  

 

OOTD:  gray Prana sleeveless T, my light oatmeal shrug, jeans, high tops.  I tried to clean the high tops last night and failed.  I have to try something else on my next days off.  

[Anita Latte]

That scarf is one of the best gifts my Mother in law has given me. It’s a cashmere scarf that was made in Scotland. They were a booth at a work conference she attended. She picked up scarves for all the “sisters” which got to include me. I had been teaching her about clear vs muted colors. She’s a Fire. They had the same scarf but with clear colors. She could totally recognize the difference when they were side by side. She bought the muted one for me and clear ones for herself and another sister. I don’t recall the other ones she got. I appreciate it so much because it’s so soft, it goes with everything, and it’s proof of us having good communication.

 

Bummer that your first try to clean your high tops didn’t work Kat. Canvas shoes can be really hard to clean I think.

 

Bon Voyage to Melody! Hope she had a good travel day.

[laurspag]

Michael McDonald has a very soothing voice, SliderGirl.   While I have very little hearing left, I can pick up sound with a hearing aid in my right ear, so I have a special gadget that works kind of like headphones, except it transmits directly to my hearing aid.  I listened to some music a few days ago, and it really made me feel good.   One thing I never anticipated was that I would feel a little depressed.

 

I am so thankful though - I could be so much sicker than I am, and I have some great things to look forward to!  I was thinking of asking my daughter to help me pick some of my cruise dresses.  I can honestly say that the least favorite dress taht I recently purchased was the one I had adjusted, at least as far as my daughter and husband go.  Now that it is altered, I have tried it on and they are both very excited about it.  

 

If we narrow down our choices enough, I will take pictures so that you can see what we are wearing each night!  I'm looking for us to sort of go together, but mostly, that means that we don't clash or that one of us doesn't dominate.  Does that make sense? I would never tell her she needed to wear something to match me, or the other way around.  Our formal night dresses will look great together.

 

There is a print maxi dress I think I am bringing, and she is bringing a gray knit casual dress.  I think they work okay.   This is a fun thing to do, in my opinion - that whole pick the dress and the accessories and see how the outfits look together.

 

Speaking of dresses, I am just mindlessly surfing websites, and came across this dress.  When you look at the three different photos available, there is a clear difference in colors, but I think they are all earthy.  I am tempted, but I don't know if I could wear this big of a print comfortably.  I also don't like the price either.  thoughts?

 

Julie Brown Lissy Floral Print V-Neck Sleeveless Shift Mini Dress | Dillard's (dillards.com)

 

 

[laurspag]

Okay, so it is on sale for $121.97.  Still too much, I think.  This may be final clearance as well, meaning I can't send it back.  2% cash back on Rakuten would mean $24.00 back.

[laurspag]

I had some fun comparing our dresses.  It felt good to do something, even if it was a little tiring.

 

Formal night.  Whenever I try to post right from my phone, the pictures turn sideways.  It is soooo annoying!

 

 

I love all of these necklaces, but I think my daughter is going with black sandals and brings earrings, so I may tone it down a bit.

 

 

so this may be the best option.  I have rhe matching earrings and bracelet.

 

[MJC]

Lots of questions... 

Laurie, how are you feeling? love your dresses. I really like how that last necklace suits the v-neck of the dress. Did you get that floral shift dress? I would totally wear that.

Melody, are you back? How was it?

Anita, will there be more pics from Alaska? So cool about the auto museum.

 

I've been home from Washington for a week but with Passover to prepare, I was soooo busy. My redeye home was very turbulent so I got no sleep. I came back with a slight cold too and I've really been dragging all weekend. I have a quiet spell for a bit to catch up at home and rest up before our Niagara Falls vaca in late May.

 

I'll try to share a few photos of my time in the PNW. It was quite cool, sometimes damp, occasionally beautiful and sunny. I took a packable parka, hooded rainjacket, and one fleece. All got used and layered in various combinations. It's also key to pack hats because umbrellas are not practical for the wind and rain we experienced at times. My baseball cap came in most handy. Temps ranged from low 40's in the evenings to 72 one day. I had two sweaters, four long-sleeved cotton shirts, one pretty top, a cami (would have liked another one), my black travel pants, and jeans. Sneakers for travel, waterproof hiking shoes, and winter hiking boots. A workout top and leggings that I ended up wearing to sleep in since it was too cold for the nightgown I brought. Also could have used slippers. My sister's house is over a crawlspace so the floors were always cold. I was glad for my wool socks!

 

When I got to SeaTac I took the light rail to Northgate where my brother could pick me up after work. It is a long walk with luggage... through airport, the length of the parking garage, into the train station, and up the elevator or escalator. Except for the distance it was very easy, however, with good signage, and easy to buy a ticket in the machines. The station and train were very clean. I had looked at the map online before my trip and read how it worked. Compared to the large NYC subway system it was a walk in the park. I would NOT recommend it, however, for a cruise out of Seattle since it doesn't go anywhere near the port area. And it was commented on more than once that the downtown area of Seattle is not very safe at this time. That may sound funny coming from a NYer, but the two cities are vastly different in that Manhattan never empties out of working people and tourists the way downtown Seattle does in the evening. Safety in numbers.

 

One tip I read here on CC was that there are some cars - the accessible ones - that have flip up seats and other seats with room under them where your suitcase can fit. I tucked mine under and behind my legs and it kept the aisle free.

 

 

 

 

Saturday we drove out to my sister who lives on the Olympic Peninsula. It was little league game time on my first day. OMG it was so fun to watch. My nephew is quite the hitter, he got on base each time and even scored a run!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MJC]

The next day we were going to hike at Hurricane Ridge, but the clouds were too low for good views and there were concerns the trails would be wet and slippery. So, instead we walked the Dungeness Spit. It is ten miles long with a lighthouse at the end (but we didn't go that far). It was good to have my proper hiking boots because the sand isn't firm, it's very stony and rocky, and it was damp. We didn't have rain but the surf was up and there was a thick mist in the air.

 

 

We did see a few sea lion heads poking up in the ocean as we walked, and there were lots of seagulls on one side and ducks on the other. Lots of good skipping stones.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes people had stacked the driftwood into teepees or other fun things.

 

 

 

[jhsocal]

Briefly, back to that dress with corset--what did they wear underneath the top? Did they wear bras as we know them?

[MJC]

Because of the way The Spit curves, I could just get a pic of the lighthouse at the end.

 

 

I had never seen kelp before!

 

 

Lots of crab shells on the beach.

 

 

The forested area in the distance is the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge access point. We walked downhill quite a ways to get to the beach.

 

 

In the woods, the trillium were just opening. I haven't seen one since I was a child in Michigan. What a nice surprise!

 

 

 

 

[MJC]

8 minutes ago, jhsocal said:

Briefly, back to that dress with corset--what did they wear underneath the top? Did they wear bras as we know them?

One generally wore a light cotton or linen chemise underneath to protect the skin (the white part that shows above the corset in the photo). The bra didn't become widespread until the early 1900's, I believe, though they existed in some form before that.