All Things EARTH... part 2

[laurspag]

I'm not quite wearing the right stuff under this, but I think you get the idea. Your thoughts?

 

 

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[MJC]

Laurie, I think you're wearing my dress... seriously, give it to me now. :D

 

 

 

You look absolutely fabulous.

[laurspag]

You know what I thought when I saw it? Margaret would love this! I thought of you immediately.

 

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[Sailor_Sally]

I love that dress . It looks great on you .

[Sailor_Sally]

.

 

SSally, glad your transatlantic wardrobe and the trip itself was good.

 

Think I'm caught up.

Thanks ! The transatlantic was beyond good it was great .The sea days are so relaxing and Spain is gorgeous.

[MJC]

Laurie, I love the look on your face in that picture. It's that "I've got a perfect color, perfect fit, perfect style" satisfaction.

 

Anita, it was fun to see and hear about the rest of your time up north. It's interesting to hear a non-resident's impressions. One of the things I love about NYC that is very different from my hometown is the myriad of non-chain restaurants to choose from here, and the large variety of food styles to choose from. Many of the big chains you see in places like Times Square are not even that great compared to their partners in other locations, partly because of the sheer volume of customers they serve in a day, and partly because they draw people in by familiarity and don't need to work that hard. How many of those tourists will ever be back? Before there was Yelp there was Zagat's, and we used to live by that when choosing restaurants.

 

I just have to add to the comments about Anita's son that in addition to being handsome, he is a charming young man who holds his own very nicely in adult conversation. We enjoyed talking with him very much, with all of them. A lovely day.

 

I'm actually getting to relax and have some fun this weekend, and I finally got to use my birthday present! I'm on the right:

 

[laurspag]

And...I'm back! The weekend sure went quick. Boston is just wonderful. I can't wait to go again someday. I almost pictures when I have a moment. There was so much to do, and so little time. Fenway was great!!

 

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[cruzisme]

Laurie, perfect dress, perfect fit.

Margaret, I can see this dress suiting you too. :)

[laurspag]

Thank you. It's not often I find a dress I like, with a good fit and an earth color. And at $39.99, I couldn't beat the price.

 

Boston was great. We truly didn't get to half if what we wanted to do, but we were out and about the whole time. Here are s few pics.

 

 

 

 

I'll post more later. These are just a few from my phone. Our weather was great!

 

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[awhfy]

I'm baaack! Doc gave me clearance to resume "all normal activities"...he really doesn't know me !!! [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

I had my Retina "vacuumed" to remove "debris" (i.e., floaters) & take care of a vitreous hemorrhage. I'm really doing well, depth perception is still a little wonky but it'll improve. My color sense is also a bit off, but he says that'll improve in a couple of weeks.

 

It'll take me a bit of time to read about all of your adventures! Chat soon. Melody

 

 

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[laurspag]

Melody, it is so good to hear from you. I've been thinking about you all week. I'm do happy you are doing well.

 

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[Sailor_Sally]

Melody ! It is good to hear that you are doing so well .

[awhfy]

Anita & Margaret you both look fabulous! Anita, so glad you had such a wonderful trip, love the pictures, handsome men in your life! Margaret, my favorite thing to do, paddle boarding! What a beautiful lake, perfect for a board. Laurie, wow, just wow! What a dress! Absolute perfection! So glad you had fun in my hometown, there's so much to see & do. Sally, hope you get to Cuba with what's looming on the horizon with changes.

 

Reading on the computer still stresses my eye, so I'm only on sporadically for the next couple of weeks. I'm feeling great & headed back to Aqua Zumba this morning, might as well get back into things with a big splash [emoji23][emoji23]. Thanks for all the comments. Melody

 

 

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[Joby]

Glad to hear you are on the mend, Melody(y)

[Anita Latte]

Melody...sounds like good news! So glad to hear you are doing well.

 

Laurie...that is a gorgeous dress. A very good deal. Beautiful color and the shoulders are divine. Your tease of photos looks like fun! I'm eager to hear about your jaunt in Boston. I've never really thought that visiting a city sounded all that wonderful...but that Chicago trip with the Chorus really sparked my enthusiasm for our trip north...and that trip really helped me to see how fun it can be to pick a city and visit it. Expensive. ;p But fun.

 

Margaret...I've seen both you and Melody on the paddle boards now...and they look like such fun. I haven't tried them, and I'm sure that I would prefer to have been a bit more active than I have been recently before trying it...but I will. I'm anticipating being able to do a lot more recreation in NC with the new living situation. And thank you for sharing such kind words about DS. DH and I actually love to hear him talk to other people, adults especially, because it gives us the opportunity to listen to him as he makes more of an effort to really express himself. It's funny to say, but in some ways, it's an excellent opportunity to hear his thoughts in a way that we don't often have a chance to hear.

 

Well. The move is real. I know that seems odd to say, but I just reserved the moving truck and so...it's real. Kind of like when you get your airline tickets for a trip...the trip becomes real. Well...that's kind of the moving truck for me.

 

I don't know if I've shared...but we are moving into a 2 bed plus office downtown loft apartment. It's such an exciting prospect. I've been researching the downtown area and all the events and all the activity and the opportunities there...and I'm beyond excited.

 

A new development to share... I have quite a bit of inherited furniture. To make a long story short...a lot of this furniture is furniture that has served me well over the years, but after almost 20 years with some of it, I'm ready to let go. BUT...what is upsetting to me is that it is project furniture, in a sense. I've found many repurposing projects, revitalizing projects, etc. where people have really brought these pieces into practical use and the aesthetic of today's homes. And I wanted to be able to do these projects and sell this furniture. At this point...these pieces are fodder for someone else to love on and then flip...

 

SO. The big news is that we have discovered that many of the storage places in NC (could be elsewhere too) have transformed some of their units into workshops. Some of them have them set up as a consignment/flea market to compete with those rent a booth type places. Some include lighting and electricity in the cost of rent. Anyway...DH believes that I should get a shop! And that I can work on these pieces there...

 

So the short term plan is to just get a normal storage unit for these project pieces. Plan for that to be a short term solution to give us time to really research these work shop opportunities...evaluate the safety and desirability of the different options...and the distance to the apt...and for after we have actually settled into the apt a bit and gotten the first few weeks of the school year under our belt to see how that goes. Because the cost of the workshop is a bit more than traditional storage space...

 

Anyway...that's my big news. I'm very excited to think about having these projects. About finally doing the refurbishing of these furniture pieces...some of which I have literally been thinking about and mulling over for since 2001. Very exciting!!

 

Meanwhile...the packing is about to begin. I've cleared out a space inside the house. We'll be bringing in the boxes this weekend. And thus...it begins. Very few can relate to the excitement and anticipation I'm feeling about really going through our stuff and yes, doing the difficult decision making that the downsizing requires. I've already made arrangements with the new tenant of this home to pass along many things, for which I'm beyond happy about. She is buying our fridge, washer/dryer, and lawn mower, which means that we can use these things right up until we move and not have to worry about that whole process. ALSO...my extra beds (my super comfy king guest and the extra queen we have from DH's apt up north)...she is taking those!! Which means that we have actual beds to sleep on, even after we load the truck...for the time it takes to clean the empty house thoroughly etc. When you are moving pets...being able to stay under your own roof is really a big huge plus...and the fact that we will have good beds to sleep on!! Woo hoo! Not to mention the fact that I don't have to otherwise deal with those beds...if you didn't know it...mattresses are one of the hardest things in this world to get rid of...no one wants to buy them and you can't donate them. They are a nightmare if you don't know someone that could use them.

 

I have to admit that one of the saddest prospects of all this moving business is leaving my hair stylist. For the first time in my life, I found someone who is just so wonderful. So gifted. And so NICE all at the same time. I've never had a person before that I would go to regularly. And I've been going to her for 5 years now! I'm so sad to leave her. I'm not kidding when I tell you I'm thinking that I might just have to drive 5.5 hours for a hair cut. Anyway...thinking about doing something wild for the summer...a full on, have a blast, it's summer color extravaganza. Like...a lot of color. All on the tips of all my layers...

[MJC]

Melody! Sounds like your eyes are coming along great, so happy for you.

 

Anita, you seem to have some fun times ahead of you, and when you start your furniture projects you should post some pictures for us. In trying to get rid of our giant entertainment center furniture recently, I did a lot of googling about how to market it, and in the process I saw lots of repurposed units. The cutest was a smaller one that had been turned into a play kitchen for children. None of that involved antiques, of course, but there are some very creative ideas out there.

 

I saw an interview with the director of this movie this morning and thought of your son: https://www.score-movie.com/

 

I finished school this week, and yesterday was my first real day off, but it was rainy so DH went furniture shopping for our new living room. I kind of knew when we packed our stuff that I would likely give a lot of it away later, but it was clear as we were shopping and I was envisioning our new space that I just don't want a lot of it any more. Too much stuff.

 

I have heard stories of people renting storage cubes in NYC to use as offices. There are even people who have tried to live in them, using their gym to shower etc., but that is very illegal and they always get caught.

 

Here are some cute things I'm thinking of for summer, if it ever gets here!

 

https://www.coldwatercreek.com/shirts-and-blouses/long-sleeve-and-3%2F4-sleeve/blossoming-rows-linen-tunic/12634.html?dwvar_12634_color=593

 

http://www.coldwatercreek.com/dresses/casual/tucson-embroidered-skimmer/12801.html

 

http://www.coldwatercreek.com/dresses/day-to-dinner/-floral-print-twist-front-knit-dress/12785.html

 

 

And I like this brown sweater, which has linen shorts to match:

 

http://www.coldwatercreek.com/shop-all/sweaters/open-crochet-cardigan/20118.html

[MJC]

I fell in love with this coffee table. I'm seeing a lot of navy, denim, and teal sofas. Of course I love them but I think a color that strong is too trendy for the long haul, and not as versatile as I would want.

[Joby]

Anita,

 

Just want to say--you amaze me with your always upbeat thoughts and your ability to make changes so easily and positively. I would be a wreck :eek:

[awhfy]

Anita, good luck with your move...I always enjoyed the "do I really need/want that" process on our many moves. The possibility of a shop sounds very intriguing, my middle daughter would be all in, as would my new daughter-in-law (those two are thick as thieves!!!) both are very, very crafty. Daughter is doing amazing things with pallets. Her SO owns a commercial landscaping business & she has unlimited access to pallets.

 

Margaret, I've noticed the color trend as well, seems to roll around every 8-10 years. We bought a cordovan leather sofa & 2 recliners for our family room last year, the burgundy feels like a neutral color to me (I have pearl grey carpeting & oyster grey walls (with one burgundy accent wall by our moss rock fireplace). Our upstairs living room needs new furniture but I haven't seen anything that says "I need to live with you". I have a beach theme there & navy would work, but I'm afraid it'd make the room look small (I have light taupe there now). I will downsize the furniture to two recliners & probably a loveseat (maybe two) (from a recliner sofa, recliner loveseat & oversized recliner & rocking chair).

 

We're taking the grands paddle boarding next week, we're in for a major spell of hot weather (low hundreds, high nineties even at night). Don't usually get that warm for the 10-12 days everyone is forecasting.

 

I got the pathology report from my eye yesterday, what was vacuumed was the vitreous gel & titanium particles. I still have excited doctors [emoji849]. At least they are confident that they got it all in the left eye, now they're testing the right eye, even though I don't have apparent problems with it. Sigh. Foot feels better which is a bonus!

 

Melody

 

 

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[laurspag]

I was making a return today to Dressbarn and saw this. Even though I would like a few short formal dresses, I refrained from buying it. It wasn't easy!!

 

https://www.dressbarn.com/detail/lace-sequin-shimmer-halter-dress/102776500/206

 

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[laurspag]

So many things to talk about! I've been following along, but haven't had a chance to say as much as I would like.

 

First, going from most recent postings and then moving backward....

 

Margaret, I loved that Tucson skimmer dress. The color is so earthy! And that can be hard to find. The brown sweater too. I've been looking for one for ages. If I take a sweater like that, add dress pants, and a nice shirt with accessories, it is good for work. There are times when I really have to go with a suit, but since they can be hard to find in a good fit with the right colors, I have to improvise. It's really more my style to do that than wear a suit, but I do what I need to for the job.

 

And that dress at Dressbarn I really like. It's $59.99, and I have a 25% off coupon if I am inclined to go back. I have a theory that you sometimes have to grab certain things when you see them. However, I have spent a lot of money in the past two years due to my weight loss, and I have had to give things to the Rescue Mission or I've paid to have them altered.

 

All that being said, I think I am getting close to where I want to be. Or close to where my body says I'm going to be. ;) I've been smaller than this before, but honestly, I starved myself to do it. It was not a healthy weight loss at all. In addition, I think your body is very different when you simply lose weight and when you are exercising a lot.

 

Anita, I loved Boston. I don't know how much our tickets actually were because they were a Christmas gift, but my husband told me he was very surprised at how inexpensive they were. I think we had really good seats too. The train was easy and cheap to take. Very convenient as well. Food and drink were similar to pricing here at home. The hotel and underground parking however, were quite expensive. That is the one thing that I think would slow me down a bit from going right back to Boston every year. We stayed at a Holiday Inn, and it was over $300.00 a night plus $38.00 a day for parking. Ouch.

 

Your move sounds exciting, scary, fun and adventurous all rolled into one! The idea of living in a loft sounds so different. You know, this reminds me in a way of the Boston trip, because my husband and I talked a lot about how much we saw people out walking, running, biking, etc. Everyone was out and about, in the open - not jumping into their cars and heading the a closed in mall. I think this comes with city life. You don't really have outdoor space in Boston, so you get outside a lot and just go places.

 

So you have the truck ordered! You are right, that makes it official. I can part with things. My husband is another story. I don't think he could ever make the kind of move you are.

 

Melody, it really sounds like you are doing well. Eye surgery must be difficult in that it's hard to keep yourself occupied without creating eye strain.

 

Margaret, furniture shopping is very fun. But, as I said earlier, my husband tends to hold on to things he likes. We have gone through furniture though. Things such as tables you can have for years and pass on, but not couches or chairs. They just wear out. We have a lot of mission style furniture in our home, and then some classic, traditional pieces.

 

I really love that teal dress. One thing I am noticing is that I have some items that I really love in my closet now. This new dress is one of those things. I wasn't sure about the shoulders and how that would look, but I love it. I've been thinking about accessories, and what I want to wear with it. I am pretty sure this will be my second formal dress for the September cruise.

 

Do you remember those bronze like sandals I have? I"m having trouble finding a regular picture of them, but I found this picture. It's not the best, but it will give you an idea. They are a copper, bronze like color. I went through my mind I might be able to try those with the teal dress. I may be pushing it a bit though - for those to work, I really have to plan out the accessories to make sure everything looks pulled together. I have a thing about creating a sense of flow, unit, harmony...whatever we want to call it.

[laurspag]

As I mentioned earlier, we stayed at the Holiday Inn. I have nothing against "basic" hotels, but I'm used to more mid range places so I expected this to be very bland. It was really a great hotel. Very fresh and clean looking. My pictures of the hotel room are on my phone and I'm on my desktop right now, so I will have to post pictures later. But here is the view from the bench just outside the hotel.

 

 

This area across the street is where we caught the train, which literally runs every about every ten minutes. We never had to check the schedule. After our leisurely 5 hour drive to get here, we unpacked, and decided it was time to explore.

 

My first thought was to take the train to Fenway. Now, this was Friday, and we were going to the game on Saturday. My thinking was that we would then know where the stadium was and what to expect, and maybe we'd be able to grab a bite for dinner and head someplace else? Really, I had no plan. At the same time, I get very nervous about getting lost. It's a phobia of mine. So my husband was willing to oblige.

 

I'm so glad I did. The area around Fenway is literally a city within a city on a game night. There were a ton of people, just taking in the whole team atmosphere. It's the tailgating of baseball, I think.

 

 

 

We stopped at the Cask n' Flagon for a beer, and ended up staying for dinner. It was mobbed. But in the spirit of things, that was all part of the fun.

 

 

We wandered into souvenir stores, and ended up on a bridge. The pictures I want to post is on my phone, so I will get back to the bridge.

 

But we had such a great time just wandering. We ended up back at the hotel and watched the game. That probably sounds odd, since we were so close! But we caught part of it over dinner, and then the rest later on. We were ready to rest up for a full day of fun.

[laurspag]

Mrlify, I think you will get this when you see the sign behind me.

 

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[awhfy]

Laurie. So glad you had fun. Love the Ortiz Bridge! Next time stay at the Copley Plaza Hotel. It's about the same price as HI, but it's a 4-5 star hotel & it's walking distance to Fenway! Boston is such a great walking town! Love it! Melody

 

 

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[Anita Latte]

Lovin the pics Laurie! Keep 'em coming!

 

I love that print top! Is it a top? The high neck combo with the V opening is really flattering!

 

The walkability of being in an urban area is really attractive to me right now. I'm considering the next 2-3 years an experiment of sorts to see how the whole living in the city really is versus how I imagine it being. Right now, I'm all enthused for all the summer activities that I'm reading about...the live music in the open areas/parks, etc etc. I guess the downtown branch of the library has been under renovation for the past 3 years or something...it's getting close to reopening and it sounds FAB! And it's less than a mile from our new apt! It's supposed to have an outdoor but enclosed reading room...an outdoor third floor terrace that has city views and views of Pilot Mountain in the distance...a coffee shop and cafe and another common room with fireplaces? I LOVE a good library! So this is exciting!

 

I've been reading about farmer's markets too. There's one 0.2 miles away that meets during the week...

 

I agree with the thought about how people are out walking and biking, etc. I'm really hoping to not be as car dependent. In fact, we are currently in a big debate over selling my car before we move. Long story, but we have 3 and the one that makes sense to sell is actually mine...so...that's in the works.

 

Margaret...nice functionality on those coffee tables! I like how the one fits over the other for everyday usage, but then they are actually two tables for those times when it would be nice to have that. Having moving coffee tables is really handy. Personally, in this house, I sent the coffee table to the basement and got a large tufted ottoman on wheels...and then went with multiple smaller round tables for drinks. We move those tables all around depending on how we sit in or lay on the couch/loveseat etc. or move the chairs around. SO HANDY to have that movement.

 

As for the colored couches...really think about that. Personally, most of the couches that I have purchased over the years have been a color. We bought a brown leather couch once, with a matching oversized chair and while I enjoyed them, I can honestly say that the brown was rather dreary. We had a kind of tan-like, taupe-like color couch/loveseat that was given to us by a friend when we were first married...and that was okay, but honestly...that's one reason why I've bought colored couches. Neutrals aren't really as neutral as you think...

 

You think that brown or tan is one color and then you get it into the lighting of YOUR space and it's totally different...the undertones come out in everything you try to match it up with and it's just a nightmare.

 

I have what I would call a muted aqua kind of colored apt sized couch. It's only 76" long with 3 cushions. In the photo, it's the one in the middle:

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8702/16852220677_6a691e2c01_o.jpg

 

And it goes with everything. Partly because, when you really love a color, you just believe that goes with everything. But seriously, right now, I found so much that had that blue or similar paired with rusty orange...especially in some ethnic looking rugs...and then I just picked up more of that orange/rust color. I also found some pillows that added a cheerful yellow in the pattern. My point is that, if you really like the couch and the color, doesn't matter what the trend is...you can continue to make the item work well for as long as the item holds up, as Laurie talked about how things like couches really do wear out.

 

I bring up that couch because it made the cut and it's headed to Winston. The current family room couch/loveseat seat which is more of a sky blue are too big...that apt sofa is much better I think.

 

Still in a debate over whether or not the loveseat and chair from the basement (the previous house's family room) will make the cut for the den or not. That loveseat is a full on reddish rusty kind of color...

 

Like Melody mentioned...sometimes the color can really be treated like a neutral and you build your accent colors around that one color. The whole idea of a neutral is that it goes with so many things...BUT, we know how difficult it can be to find the right neutral from all our clothes shopping...furniture is no different.

 

I also love that Tuscon skimmer dress! That would be so easy to wear! The idea of that, where it looks so nice but would be so comfortable and easy!

 

Melody...I read out loud about your eyes to DH and he was like :eek:. You have had to deal with so much! OMG. You seem to have such a great attitude about it all though. I've been reading about the outdoor opportunities in NC. Getting very excited about it all. I haven't looked specifically for paddle boarding...but funny enough, the book I was just reading had a scene about paddle boarding. I am so intrigued...just a little worried about what kind of stress that might put on my knee. But good grief...if you can do it with your foot! I'm thinking I should be able to do it.