All Things EARTH... part 2

[slidergirl]

Anita - if I listened to the "appropriate for my age" babble, I wouldn't have 90% of my clothes!!!  I'm not a matron and I refuse to dress like one. 😸  Dress in what you like and what makes you feel good and what makes you happy.   

[Anita Latte]

Melody...I do have pictures! Our bedroom has 3 reach in closets, each with a pair of louvered bifold doors. I reworked the two closets that are side by side and take up one entire wall of our bedroom. There's about 2' of drywall separating the two pairs of bifold doors. There used to be a single wire shelf for hanging all along the closet and four smalls shelves separated the two closets. In the before photo below, you can see the brackets of those small shelves still but I had taken those shelves out before taking the photo.

 

 

My closet project was originally going to be the third single closet that DH was then using. He had gone to out of state to onboard and this was going to be my sort of happy new job/wardrobe present for him. That plan was derailed when I saw the evidence of the carpenter ants at the bottom of his then closet...

 

So I turned my sights to the other closet where there is actually a light installed in the closet...there is no light inside that third closet. I had purchased a relatively inexpensive closet kit already. https://www.homedepot.com/p/ClosetMaid-12-in-W-White-Custom-Organizer-Wood-Closet-System-7033/100597846 Using this closet kit as the basis for my idea...I purchased a second closet kit so each side would have one...and then I purchased cube like shelving for behind the drywall. I reinforced the stacked cubes with a 1x4 which also helped to anchor the closet rods in something more sturdy than the MDF of the ready-to-assemble furniture. The cubes are just the right depth that we can pull them out. I added a shelf all along the top of the closet. I reused the stackable bamboo shoe shelves we already owned on my side of the closet, and my big splurge were the two adjustable shoe shelving units for DH's shoes. The closet rods in the kit are such that each rod is actually two rods, where one fits into the other and this is how they are adjustable with a minimum size and maximum size. The minimum size was too big for my project and I had to cut the rods to make them fit. I just cut off however many inches off each of the two rods...so now the manufactured edge of the rods are gone and the "lip" where the bigger rod ends more abrupt...the hangers don't glide over it quite as easily but otherwise, no big deal to cut the rods.

 

My side:

The longer side accommodates most of my dresses. There's just enough room on the side of the shoe racks to hang the very few long dresses I have.

 

DH's side...he doesn't need long hanging space. I made sure that the height of the rods can accommodate his long length jackets and shirts.

 

 

 

I did remove the baseboards across the back and the right side of the closet to be able to put the shelving units as close to the wall as possible. I can cut the long baseboard to size later when DH can help me with the air compressor and the brad nailer. I haven't used those tools yet.  I've been debating some cedar planking in our closet. I might put sections of planking in various areas not all over. HD has a kit for about 15 sq ft of wall space...

 

These show the middle cube storage. Target was having a sale on all such items at the time. The shelves and cubes were 25% off. I bought enough cubes to fill all the cubes. And I purposefully picked the color/pattern story of the cubes going from lightest on top to darkest on bottom.

 

 

 

Here's my side after culling and organizing:

Dresses and skirts on the left. Upper right are my tops. Lower right are my overskirts/hoodies/pullovers/jackets. The middle cubes have hats, handbags, scarves. I have clear plastic tubs across the top shelf with sentimental things that I've kept...things like my high school tall flag uniform...

 

 

DH's side:

Upper left are shirts. Lower left are pants. Right side are jackets/suits/overshirts. His middle cubes are hats, work pants (as in yard work and home improvement), jeans, etc. The left side shoes are more work related and thus used more often. DH has gone from working a 4/10 with two days at home and two days in a very casual office (because most programs were still working from home) where he would wear Vans into the office to working a normal, but flexible, 5 days in the office in a normal business casual/very casual work environment. The right side has more athletic shoes (for instance, DH has 3 pairs of tennis shoes...one each for hard court, clay, and grass).

 

 

The unseen middle cubes have things like the few clothes that don't fit me right now that I hope will fit again, costumes, concert tees, specialty clothing (snow pants, snow bibs), shoe care, etc. The things you might need but rarely need. 

 

I also replaced the light bulb with a bright daylight LED bulb. It's a single bulb fixture in the middle of the closet. In the future, we might replace that with a bar type light fixture that would stretch further to the right and left than the single A19 bulb.

 

Meanwhile...I'm absolutely thrilled with how my project turned out. For the first time since we moved into our home two years ago we have sorted out storage space for all our wardrobe, including out of season (rarely ever IN season in Florida) winter clothing. 

Edited August 12, 2022 by Anita Latte

[Anita Latte]

22 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Anita - if I listened to the "appropriate for my age" babble, I wouldn't have 90% of my clothes!!!  I'm not a matron and I refuse to dress like one. 😸  Dress in what you like and what makes you feel good and what makes you happy.   

 

Kat...Like I said...I'm working on not letting other voices tell me what I should or shouldn't be wearing. I still feel like I don't have much of a style. It's a work in progress. I usually think function first. I'm the person that dresses shoes first. And part of my clothing evaluation has been influenced by what size I am and how happy I am at that size...so often I've looked for cheap clothing to meet needs "temporarily". I'm dealing with that tendency too...

 

Lately, I'm becoming more particular about fabric. I think you and I share an absolute LOVE for merino wool. I never would have thought I would wear it as much as I do...but the few lightweight shirts I have, I reach for first all the time after laundry day. I haven't purchased too many because I've been on a losing, changing body shape trend for a while...so I'm riding it out until I more comfortably reach the next size. My hope is that as I need new clothes I will be purchasing more and more wool and other natural fibers. Someone mentioned to Mom that cashmere has the same temperature regularly qualities as wool...not sure I believe that, BUT I'm willing to give it a go. Looking through the Garnet Hill catalog, I saw a serious sale on some cashmere lounging/casual clothing...and I am contemplating.

[awhfy]

Anita, perfect closet!  Great job!!!  I too love Woolx & merino wool. I find most cashmeres way too itchy. 

[awhfy]

Ladies, Chicos has brown this year!! They’re calling this Briar brown. Pants, tents, tshirts, this ruana & more 

[laurspag]

Melody, I have been noticing that brown is making a bit of a comeback.  It was popular about 3-4 years ago where I could literally find anything and everything.  Then the past year or two, it has been a struggle.  I treat brown like most people treat black, so I am definitely looking around at items that I feel will be good to invest in.  As a matter of fact, one of my cruise dresses is a wonderful chocolate brown.  While I could not get the best photo, it really is a great shade...very warm.  

 

I'm definitely going to check out Chicos!!

 

Anita, I like your closet organizers.  We did something similar in our closet a while back, and I love it.  We have an area for dresses on the left, a middle section with shelving for hoodies and jeans with shoe storage in the lower half.  Then on the right, there are two rods.  It works out really well.

 

One thing for us is that we have four seasons, so we have more clothes than you would have if you lived just in a warm or cold climate.  Then, we both need a variety of items between work, home, activewear and for cruises, nicer events, etc.  

 

With the spare room, the closet is tiny.  Like very, very tiny.  It feels like an afterthought to us, but it works out well for me to put my long formal wear in.  That is the only thing that fits, and it isn't like I have a huge amount.  On the shelf above it, I store my packing cubes and a few tote bags.

 

Closets need to be so much more than just one rod these days.  I mentioned earlier about space for hoodies and jeans.  Those are a staple of my husband's cooler weather wardrobe.  He also wears fleece and nicer knit quarter zips.  These things are so hard to get into a dresser so I am glad we have done the closet this way.

 

Anita, remember that comment I made about aging gracefully?  I think it ties into what you were saying earlier.  I can imagine that my comment could have been construed in many ways.  For me, it means feeling good about myself and embracing whatever stage my life is at.  Hair turning gray?  That's cool!  Putting on weight?  Not so cool, but I am taking good care of myself, and it is okay to embrace my body while trying to lose a few pounds.  

 

So it is about feeling comfortable and confident.   I happen to love choosing an outfit and the accessories for a cruise, so I go for it.  I feel so good in a cruise when I do this.  I just feel good about myself.

 

With work, I find my own way to create an individual look, and that is really aided by the fact that people seldom wear suits at the bank anymore.  I can put on a pair of brown dress pants, an ivory hammered satin shell, and a teal cardigan.  Then I add something like  one of the pair of sandals I have been showing, and a necklace of my choice.  My hair and makeup is done.  

 

I feel just as professional as I did in a suit, but I am more comfortable and so are those around me.  We learned very quickly in the pandemic, when we had to go to the office every single day, that wearing a suit didn't make us more productive.  It wasn't even practical to wear something that was dry clean only during the early days of not being exactly sure how long the virus would live on surfaces, or be transferred.

 

Anita, how are you liking your room color?  It is so pretty.  We keep our room fairly light in color right now but that might change when we get new light fixtures.

[laurspag]

I just saw this, and it seemed relevant.

 

 

[Anita Latte]

About our bedroom wall color:

 

 

 

You can see the wall of closets in the first photo and the third single closet in the second. Our room has east facing windows so it gets morning light and then becomes progressively darker throughout the day. I love the deep color on the walls. It’s very cozy at night and makes for a wonderful sleeping atmosphere. We recently installed dark brown woven roll up shades on our windows. That reinforces our cozy cave at night. The over the bed lights are on dimmers with soft white bulbs. It’s been great for sleep.

 

In future, we have thoughts of painting all the louvered doors so that would introduce a much lighter color in the midst of the deep wall color because we’d probably pick a white color. That might really offset the walls since they would be significantly broken up by the closet doors, the furniture, and the mirrors. I think that would have a brightening effect during the day, maybe, but not do too much to

counter our good sleeping space. Right now, the lamps on my dresser (short and wide with the mirror above) have daylight bulbs installed and we usually have at least one on during the day. Reflecting in the mirror, it offers nice enough light during the day. We don’t really spend too many daylight hours in our room so that light is really just about walking through the room to access the bathroom. I’m a person that can deal with various forms of insomnia so I try to keep our bedroom dedicated to sleep and little other activity so the deep walls really work for me overall.

Edited August 14, 2022 by Anita Latte

[awhfy]

I love that deep color, very restful

[irvington]

Love the closet and wall color

[laurspag]

We are having something here today that we have not had in quite some time - a rainy day.  It makes me happy.  Yesterday, for whatever reason, my husband FINALLY decided to straighten out his dresser and get rid of a few things, which he has been talking about for ages.  Then with the rain today, we both were talking about going through different things, and just started to work in the mud room, where we have a large pantry/closet.  It looks better, and we feel better.  

 

The rain has stopped now, but it is getting pretty overcast again so I'm sure the rain will be returning.  Before it returns, we are going to drop off the donation items we cleaned out, and make a stop at Home Depot for a few things.  Mostly, we are going to price out a few items: new shelving for the pantry closet (going from wire to a solid shelf)  and the wood to create the batten and board in the den.  I painted it last fall and he hasn't felt well enough for us to really focus on that.  In addition, the price of lumber was running so high, we decided to wait a bit.  

 

I'm just feeling focused right now.  I admit I was feeling depressed for quite a while.  Sometimes, you have to remind yourself that there are things out of your control.  And then there are things that you have to just take charge of and do.  

 

And we are a month and a half away from our cruise.  It is getting close!  I grabbed a few pairs of shorts online from Kohls for my husband, so he looks pretty well set right now.  They were on clearance and super cheap.  He loves cargo shorts, but he is fussy about the back pockets (no flap) and he likes the length just so.  I found him what he wanted and they were only $16.00 each.

 

I am thinking now about daytime outfits  for the cruise.  I generally just wear shorts and easy to wear tops onboard.  If I find something that feels nicer for a top or maybe pair some cute earrings, then all the better.  Port days, I always focus on what it is that we are doing.  Nachi is easy - swimsuit with a pair of shorts and a loose top, and then I can change when I am back on board into the usual stuff.

 

For the eco walk, I was thinking that I would like something with a pocket, and maybe I'll bring my mini backpack.  I just have to find it, lol.  I don't want to bring a big backpack, as it isn't a long hike.  I just like the idea of not having to deal with a purse.  I want us to have two water bottles, and a few things we should have with us out in port.  

 

We are visiting the ruins, which my husband is really excited about.  I kind of feel like my attire should be similar as what I wear for the eco walk.  

 

My current shorts don't have that.  I don't intend to buy anything I won't get a lot of use from either.  If I have the backpack, and my shorts have a pocket that I can zip or something like that, then I'm fine.  I also like a comfy quick dry fabric.  I had some from Eddie Bauer, but I think I got rid of them a few years ago because they fit me kind of odd.  We have an outlet store at the mall as well as one in the outlet mall.  I should have time to take a look.  The outlet mall is cheaper, and has a lot of 40% or 50% off the whole store sales.

 

My husband had fluid drained from his knees about three weeks ago, and they gave him lidocaine shots.  He says they have been feeling really good since this was done.  While he isn't 100%, it is so good to see him being able to do a few things.  The shots have to be at least 3 months apart so we are hoping it lasts through the cruise.

 

Do any of you have suggestions for shorts for a hike?

[awhfy]

Laurie, I just got a pair of Pro Guide capris from Eddie Bauer, they also have shorts & are on sale. Very comfy (once I got the right size). Athleta shorts are also on sale

[MJC]

Laurie, my favorite hiking and activity shorts are similar to these (different brand):

 

https://www.rei.com/product/167140/mountain-hardwear-dynama2-bermuda-shorts-womens

 

I think there are as many opinions on hiking shorts as there are types of hiking shorts. 🙂 To me the important factors were quick wash, not too many pockets, no fly (I don't wear belts and don't like the bulk), and a comfortable length. You want your knees to be free to climb stairs etc, and for the legs to not be too tight on your thighs when you step up. A drawstring is nice for a custom fit. I don't like back pockets because things  can fall out when you sit down. I usually carry a string backpack for a simple hike around here, and I have the lightweight nylon one I used in Africa that has a water bottle pocket and is roomy for another layer, sunscreen, camera stuff or whatever I need if I'm gone all day.

 

After how hot its been this August, we are looking forward to some hiking nearby when fall comes.

 

 

[awhfy]

Celebrity & Royal Caribbean just announced that starting 5 Sep vaxxed passengers on a cruise of 10 days or less DO NOT need to do a Covid test prior to sailing. Unvaxxed still need to test within 3 days prior to sailing. This is such a stress reduction!!!  Melody

[MJC]

We expect Cunard to follow suit for the US but it's still important to check your itinerary countries' requirements in case your specific cruise is different. We still have to test before our NE/Canada cruise.

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...agree with Margaret regarding the hiking shorts. I would want to know about the conditions for the hiking...I tend to prefer wearing pants when hiking especially if there are chances for tall undergrowth/plants that might rub on my legs and/or biting insects. Then I find that a looser pair of pants is preferable to shorts. If bugs aren't a problem then I tend to prefer a capri length legging with side pockets. Athleta made several that I've acquired over the years., some have the phone pocket only, some have a zippered pocket.

 

For a backpack...I bought two of these packs back in 2018 for our Alaska trip. They are still going strong and we use them ALL THE TIME because they are so handy. I believe that one of Melody's son's or some family also had purchased the same and used them all the time as well.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TEIVUQW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

[purduemom1]

OMG, Anita, I was just looking at that back pack earlier today. I added it to my shopping list so I could think about it. It looks like you have the 20L? I haven’t had a chance to get out our old backpack  and compare measurements. I want something about the same size that we currently have but a bit more durable. For our recent trip I packed our 2 light jackets, a 3-1-1 bag and my small purse (while going thru security only) and a few small items. Just want to be sure the new one will hold the same.  Glad yours is still going strong as that was another question I had.  Thanks for posting!

 

I saw your post on the Cunard thread. Can’t believe that your DS is already graduating. I remember your trip to London to get him set up and it seems like it wasn’t that long ago. Congratulations to your DS and to you and your DH. It’s a family celebration and a cruise is a nice reward.

Sharon

[awhfy]

16 hours ago, Anita Latte said:

Laurie...agree with Margaret regarding the hiking shorts. I would want to know about the conditions for the hiking...I tend to prefer wearing pants when hiking especially if there are chances for tall undergrowth/plants that might rub on my legs and/or biting insects. Then I find that a looser pair of pants is preferable to shorts. If bugs aren't a problem then I tend to prefer a capri length legging with side pockets. Athleta made several that I've acquired over the years., some have the phone pocket only, some have a zippered pocket.

 

For a backpack...I bought two of these packs back in 2018 for our Alaska trip. They are still going strong and we use them ALL THE TIME because they are so handy. I believe that one of Melody's son's or some family also had purchased the same and used them all the time as well.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TEIVUQW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Yup the entire family has these now

[awhfy]

Anita your DS is graduating already??  Wow time just flies!  Seems like yesterday he was packing to start university. What are his plans now?

[purduemom1]

2 hours ago, awhfy said:

Yup the entire family has these now

Melody, size wise, do you have the 20L or the 33L? 

[awhfy]

1 hour ago, purduemom1 said:

Melody, size wise, do you have the 20L or the 33L? 

I have the 20L. Hubs has the 33L

[laurspag]

Right after I sent my last post, I thought that I might be happy with a pair of ankle pants.  Anita, like you said - the type Athleta has.  I need to try on the pair that I have to see if they fit.  If there are a lot of bugs out, it might be the ideal thing to wear.

 

There are the ruins also, and I want to wear what is comfortable for that.  The eco tour is more of a walk, but since there are some trail type areas, I figured I should dress in a way that makes sense.

 

That backpack looks nice.  I was thinking really small, kind of.  I want something to hold sunscreen, phone battery pack, sunglasses. My husband and I will each have a water bottle.  I'm not a backpack person really.  I was hoping one of the pictures would show someone wearing the backpack so I could see how big it was when being worn. 

 

I used to have this mini thing...size-wise, it was great but it only went over one arm. 

 

I definitely want shorts or pants with a secure pocket or two though.  I like keeping my sea pass card where it can't get lost. 

 

 

[purduemom1]

12 hours ago, awhfy said:

I have the 20L. Hubs has the 33L

Thanks, Melody. That helps. Also good to know that you and Anita like them and that they wear well. I know that the Amazon reviews are really good but you and Anita have confirmed it.

Sharon

[MJC]

Laurie, Chacchoben is a well groomed tourist site and you can google photos of what most people wear. I don't remember having any bug issues but we always bring a wipe or two.

 

I usually wear long pants tucked into my boots when we hike here because of ticks and Lyme disease. I don't know if that's an issue in Roatan.

 

 

 

 

[awhfy]

Laurie, sounds like Eddie Bauer Pro Guide pants are what you want. Lightweight, zipper pockets & comfy