laurspag

those pictures are stunning! Did you find it hard to stay warm enough? I am always cold, it seems. My husband and I often talk about cruises that are not tropical, and how we would need to really focus on being warm. It isn't just me, my husband has the issue also. His issue is a little different, in that it is all related to his rheumatoid arthritis, which causes many other things. I love how you had layers that you used. I love using scarves, and keeping my neck warm can really make a difference. I've outgrown my vest, sigh. Eddie Bauer usually has some nice ones, so I am going to look and see what they have. You and Mark look so happy!

I'm a bit of a fan of jacobean prints. I already had two sets of drapes in very si.ilar pri ts but different colors. I was trying to avoid it because I thought I "needed" something different. My daughter reminded me that they should be what I love, and I realized she was right.

Here is the close up of the fabric.

I forgot to add that we will be replacing the light fixtures over the winter and finishing the door area.

Margaret, I am loving hearing about London! My only trips have been cruises mostly to the Caribbean. We also went to the Grand Canyon about 11 years ago. I have always wanted to see England in some way. Right now, I'm doing that through your posts! I would have been besides myself with excitement to see that Leonardo DaVinci drawing!! I don't have my cruise stuff together yet since we've been so busy in the house, but I am going to sneak a few mudroom pictures in so you can see the paint and drapes. You can see the bright orange in the laundry room. This will be a pretty Caribbean blue/aqua color when we are done, so being able to see the laundry room so clearly is why I went the route did for the drapes.

Oh my gosh, this is too funny!!!

Margaret, you made some great clothing choices. I know we joke a lot about me not wearing the same thing twice, but that isn't the case when the weather is cooler. I wear my jeans multiple times before I wash them, as well as things like fleece. Fleece quarter zips tend to be my go to during the winter. I have added a scarf when I am on my way out the door to a casual restaurant, but it is also really durable and warm when we don't want to turn the heat up too much at home. I can imagine I would want to pack similar to you when I go to Alaska? That cruise isn't booked yet, but it is a bucket list item for my husband and I. I am still so excited that you were able to see the northern lights on our trip. I have been off a few days to use up some of my remaining vacation time. I've been painting away, lol. Friday, I made drapes for my mud room, I painted the kitchen yesterday and today I painted part of the hall. The hall consists of the upstairs portion, downstair portion, stairway and landing. I painted the upper and lwer halls only, as my husband wants to do a bit more patching on the stairway before I paint. I cannot begin to tell you what a beating that stairway has taken. I knew it was due for a fresh coat of paint, but when I did the upper and lower halls, it was pretty obvious how bad the stairway area needs it. I did a lot of small patching before painting in all of the rooms so far, and those little touch ups have created such a nice foundation for the fresh paint. I am beyond excited about this. You know I talk a lot about too much stuff....one of my goals is to think before I put things back. I'm trying to thin out the clutter. So far, this is working very well. We are choosing what means the most to us. With some of the items that "don't make the cut", it doesn't necessarily mean we are donating or tossing out an item. It just means that it needs a new location. Sometimes, just starting with blank walls makes you realize that you don't have the wrong items, they're just not in the right place. Our laundry room project is spiraling a bit, but nothing we can't get done in a reasonable amount of time. That will be one room where I am not going with lighter, fresher color. Well, it is very fresh looking, by my definition, but it isn't a light color. Gotta be bold somewhere!!!

Oh, I LOVE this picture!!!

Margaret, that is a beautiful photo. Norway sounds like it was really enjoyable! As I have mentioned before, seeing the northern lights is a bucket list of mine. Do you sometimes feel like there is so much to see, and so little time? I do, for sure. I think one of the reasons we often talk about retirement so much is the hope that we are well enough to just enjoy things more, and live in the moment. It may mean traveling a bit more, or just taking more time to read a book or spend time with my grandson. Speaking of which...we took my grandson to see the Paw Patrol movie on Sunday. He is four, and it was his first movie theater experience. He did great, and we enjoyed spending time with him so much. This may sound silly, but there were large sections of the movie that I didn't really watch, because I was just watching Krysyn. Watching him smile, tug at Papa's hand, eat popcorn. Melody, I am so sorry. This must be so difficult for you and Les.

Excuse the mess, we were just getting the room back together.

Here is another photo from the second formal night. I really liked that I chose this necklace. I convinced my husband to go without the tie, because we were going to Jamie's Italian, and that is EXTREMELY informal. With the change of the orts and everything, the days got a bit mixed up so we were just going with it. They still treated us wonderfully, but we did feel overdressed for the restaurant. I felt it was a good dress your best type outfit, for people who like to dress formally. was really loving he necklace, and only realized later that I didn't have a better picture of it. Then I realized that this photo shows it well. To give a mini review, because I've been pretty busy in the house, I'm going to just try and give a quick daily rundown. We got to Miami just fine, and took an inexpensive taxi to our hotel. As silly as it sounds, I need to look up the name of the hotel we stayed at, lol. I remember it was followed by Miami Airport South. The location wasn't bad. We were across the street from a little plaza with a Cuban restaurant and an Italian one. We wandered around the plaza when we got there, and that is when we were notified of the change in itinerary, which we were expecting. We decided for a very low key dinner. We picked up a mini bottle of wine that is good for two glasses, which was for me. My husband got another beverage or two to bring back to the hotel. He can't drink with his medications he currently takes. We decided to order pizza and hang out and watch the game. It was fun! The bar has a beautiful pool area that we didn't use, but it was really nice. The staff was great, the hotel was clean, it was close to the port. We really wanted a bar. It wasn't about alcohol, but about a lounge area where we could watch a sporting event and chat with the bartender. There was another hotel that we considered, that we should have gone with. I think it was called Intercontinental? A bit pricey, but I think it would have had all the amenities we wanted. This isn't a knock to where we stayed, as it was a very nice place. But I think we wanted a little something with a different vibe. We took the early shuttle, as the hotel offers three of them. The second time slot would have gotten us there a little after check in, and the earliest a bit earlier. We decided on the earlier one. Getting to the port was easy and we got in line for our time slot. The nice thing is, if the people who have an earlier check in are though the line, they let you through. We were onboard very quickly. Our daily lunch spot was Park Cafe. It is located in Central Park, which we love, and was never crowded. With the big dinners we have, it was perfect to get soup and salad for me. Every day, they had different soups, so I loved the variety. My husband would get a roast beef sandwich and salad. Our first night was when we ate at Chops. The filet mignon was excellent, as always. Service was great too. We loved our waiter. I had a little steak left on my plate, and he said "just one more bite?" Being a mom and a grandma, I can appreciate that comment! We have a wonderful photo form the restaurant, but it won't be too clear here because it is a scan of a photo, not digital, like the rest I have been posting. We heard some mumbling and grumbling off and on about the port changes. I did sympathize with a few, such as the couple from Galveston. They could have waited a month and skipped the airfare. The chose to sail from Miami for the ports of call. It took a few days for the app to be situated, but we were able to book new excursions at the kiosk or guest services in the meantime. We also started out with a few sea days. We found all the quiet areas we had been looking for, and started walking the track multiple times a day. We took the guacamole class, which was served with your choice of margarita, a few different entrees, and dessert. Of course, we got to eat the guac we made too! I think the only downside was that we were sooooo full! In Puerto Costa Maya, We went to the aviary. We spent more time than some people, in part because we got a bit of a storm that came through. We got pretty wet,so when we were in a covered area part way through, we waited for the rain to let up a little bit. After the aviary, we wandered around at all the little shops. Brian was a bit tired, so we decided to eat lunch on board and he rested a little bit. Other than this one day, he felt really good on this cruise. When we went to Cozumel, we did one of those semi submerged aqualife excursions. We love birds, and we love fish/aquariums so we had a good time in both ports. After this excursion, we went to Margaritaville in honor of the late, great Jimmy Buffet. I had a Fireball Colada, and now I really need to know how to make this. It is one of the best new drinks I have tried in ages. We followed up with nachos and then a Cheeseburger in Paradise. They didn't rush us, so we enjoyed our table and then wandered the shops a little bit. Sometimes, we are go, go, go. Sometimes, we are not. My husband was so relaxed and happy the whole time. I felt as if I could book another cruise and just stay on board the whole cruise. We were moving all the time, constantly exploring new areas and trying out new places to eat and everything. The aqua show was fabulous, and our deck seven, there is a side area near the rock climbing wall. It was like having our own personal theater balcony of the aqua theater. This is one of the first times in a very long time where I felt truly refreshed after vacation. I'm feeling extremely grateful to have had a happy husband to enjoy it with, who is feeling much better than he has in about three years. Melody, you mentioned wanting to see what the board and batten looked like, so I will post a few pictures from my phone in a bit. We really like how it came out, and the mudroom looks great with the new paint color. I picked up our paint choices for the hall and kitchen this weekend, and we are moving along on a bunch of different things. It feels good.

I have bought and sold items on Marketplace. I always meet in a public, busy parking lot during the day, and bring my husband with me. I've done some small transactions alone as well, and our local police department encourages people to use their lot if they want added security. I'm going to look!

Thanks, Melody! We had such a great time. I think it shows...we always talk about being comfortable in our skin, going with the flow, relaxing, etc. It can be so much easier to say than do. I felt like I embraced it this time, and so did my husband. Watching him, it seemed like one of his best cruises. Happiness is very contagious. 🙂 With that floral print maxi, there was a lot of fabric, but I also loved the dress. There are some pictures of it that I didn't like at all. I wonder if I can take in the sides in a way that I still have the flowy feel and looseness, without having to have it "tent out" at times. Does that make sense? I actually altered the dress already, because it tied around the neck and the elastic was too loose across the back. With the way the dress was made, I found I needed to take the tie and make into a strap that attached the back. There are some styles that you can play with a little, and this is one of them. I might pin it and try it on and see what I think. What I really wish I had was one of those sewing mannequins. I have wanted one for a while. There are some things I would adjust myself if I had one. I do small alterations all the time, just not the bigger stuff. I took in the orange dress. I have purchased items lately that allow me to make simple alterations and that has been wonderful.

We did not go to Wonderland, although we walked by a few times and stopped to look in from the hall. I think that it would have a very specific group of people it would appeal to, from both the atmosphere to the food. It looked like it would be a very special and unique evening. We had the three night dinner package, and we went to Chops, Jamie's and 150 Central Park. They were all great, but I think my favorite was 150 Central Park. Despite what I was hearing beforehand, the main dining room was very good also. There were a couple of meals there that were excellent. It has been extremely busy since I got back from vacation, so I'm not organized yet for a review of sorts. I think it would be fun to share some of our photos though. With the photos being digital, it is so easy to do. I know I mentioned not being happy with my weight, but I decided that I was going to not focus on that, and I enjoyed myself. I enjoy the photos too, as they capture that.

I hope to add a start of a cruse review this weekend. It's been a busy week. I know I mentioned previously my work anniversary. A coworker and I started a month apart, so while the bank celebrated my anniversary with a cake before my cruise, they had a celebration for me and my co-worker yesterday. It was wonderful, and very emotional for me. I loved Harmony, and my husband did as well. When we went on Allure, it seemed to always be crowded and that did not happen this time. The ship was full, but it seemed like everyone was doing different things, eating at different times and places...it was great. We ate lunch every day (except two port days) in Park Cafe, as I loved getting a salad and soup. My husband would get a roast beef sandwich and a salad, and we were happy. I'd love to see more toppings available for the salads, but that really isn't a complaint. I definitely felt like I could use a few more days. It seemed I really needed this vacation. It recharged me though - I came back feeling happy and grateful. I was feeling iffy on cruise pictures. I've mentioned before being unhappy with my weight gain, but I also went into this with the feeling that I am working on taking care of myself, and to being accepting of my body and who I am. That really makes a difference. I am also learning that sometimes shapers don't do what you want them to...

I'm back! What a wonderful vacation. I think I learned a lot about being flexible, with the changes in ports and then having them move around formal night and so forth. Harmony was fantastic. Even my husband wants to go back on Harmony, and he has always said that he doesn't like the big ships. I have pictures to share and lots of thoughts. I will hopefully get to all of this soon. I always like to post one picture right when I get back though. My husband wore his shirt!

Oh, the hurricane is definitely why! They've done a good job keeping us informed the past few days. I completely understand, as I'm not too keen on getting too close to a category 5 hurricane. I just roll with it, but a number of people in our sailing are not happy. We are going to Coco Cay still, so I was unsure if we wanted togo to Nachi or not. It is my favorite place.

Thanks, Melody! We are in Miami now. Our itinerary has been adjusted, with Costa Maya and Cozumel replacing St. Thomas and St. Kitts. We are fine with that - best to be safe!

Hi Melody! I leave next Friday. I plan to do most of my packing over this weekend, with the exception of dresses. Having a long weekend is a good opportunity, plus my husband is working some overtime so I know we won't be doing other things. I feel off a bit, like I need to completely revamp the type of packing list I've used in the past. I keep thinking of things that aren't on it, that should be. I used to have a really good one I created, and I must have deleted it? My goal will be to create a new one. One will be the "one size fits all" part and the other can be specific to the cruise or trip I am taking. For example, I need prescription sunglasses, hearing aid batteries, and certain clothing for every trip. The next part will probably be cruise specific, and say things like swimsuits, cover ups, passports, set sail pass. Then, I can list my clothing. I kind of don't need to anymore, as I started taking photos of individual outfits with the jewelry and then creating a layout photo. It's right on my phone, so it I go to get ready, I can always glance to see if I had jewelry picked out or whatever. Still, I kind of like the list because there are times when I have a very specific outfit for an excursion, and I always like to determine what outfit is for sail away. We have been super busy in the house lately. We've replaced 4 light fixtures, I painted the mud room and changed out some of the wall decor to simply the room, and then the biggie....we did the batten and board last weekend in the den!!! That was kind of lengthy. We had all the spacing figured out, but we wanted to tape the boards in place first to make sure the layout was what we were planning on. We changed out the baseboard too, as I think the regular type doesn't really work properly. You need a flat top. We also wanted to be sure the room tied in well with the rest of the house, especially the trim. So while the baseboard piece was changed, we opted for the exact same size. Then we added the same two trim pieces to it that we have in the rest of the house. As a result, it feels seamless. I hope to get it painted this weekend, but we will see. It may have to wait until we are back because I have to finish caulking, and I plan to add 2-3 coats of paint to it. It is such a good feeling to see your ideas come together. Also, it has been a big week, sort of. I celebrated my 40th anniversary at the bank. It was a big deal to me internally, but I don't like people to fuss so I didn't say anything. They knew though, and they did all sorts of fun things for me. It has been very emotional, to say the least. I feel very grateful to work with such kind, caring people.

Melody!!! What did you have done?

I love to dress up for dinner too! It is part of the fun for me. The planning for a cruise in general is almost a hobby for me. I plan outfits, plan excursions, etc. When the time comes to travel, I am ready. I always try to keep myself flexible and keep it leisurely. What cruise line are you going on?

I am so excited and ready to pack. Three weeks! I am organizing at this point. Things such as my formal night purse, dress sandals, bathing suits, etc are ready. Daytime attire has to wait, since I'm still wearing a lot of those clothes. I am trying to make sure I'm using a general packing list I have. I have sunscreen, for example, with the other items I mentioned. I always have to remember the oddities, like hearing aid batteries and my prescription sunglasses. I kept trying to narrow down my daytime outfits, but I'm just going to bring what I showed you all. If I don't wear an outfit, then I bring it home clean. I sweat a lot, and washing and trying to dry clothes while traveling just doesn't always work. That being said, I have some quick drying items if I run into that problem. I never found a solution to having a backpack I like, so I'm bringing the same mini cross over style that I used last year. I have to get that out so I don't forget!

The Landmark...the photos aren't the best, but you get the idea:

Wow, Anita. It is special to see your child graduate, but even more so with the setting that you were in. That is amazing. So that you know, my daughter didn't get her diploma at graduation either. They mailed hers as well. Your dress worked out really well! I think the jacket was very fitting as well. It seems like the type that could go with a number of outfits, and it works great with your dress. I am a huge fan of architecture. We have a venue that we went to for a Christmas concert in December called the Landmark Theater. I have a few pictures I can post shortly. I am fascinated by these older, more ornate structures.

Anita, I have two jewelry rolls that I have had for a long time, but the compartments are small. I am definitely.gpi.g to check out the one you posted, because what I'm looking for is one with bigger compartments.