Stores that carry "FIRE" season clothing

[aoknkentucky]

[quote name='Joby']Hi everyone,

I wanted to wish everyone happy holidays and a wonderful, happy, healthy and safe New Year!

Maybe after the holidays there might be some new clothing photos????[/QUOTE]

Thanks, Kim.

Sitting and waiting with DD, DGd and DGs in doctors office. I'll take all the "healthy" we can get! Hopefully, they are part of the eleven expected at my house tonight.

We celebrate Merry Christmas at our house, but wish everyone their HappyHappy Holiday and Happy New Year.

[snuggles]

Sorry, I've been MIA for a while!!!!:( I've been very ill. Caught some kind of stomach bug that refuses to leave and seems to have taken up residence in my body!!!:mad: Not been a very good Thanksgiving or Christmas. I need to get better before this upcoming cruise in 6 weeks!
Belated Christmas Wishes to you all!
Hope you have a very peaceful, prosperous, healthy and happy New Year!

[Joby]

Sorry to hear you've been under the weather, Linda. I hope by now you are feeling better. How's the new diet change going?

Hope everyone else is healthy, wealthy and wise too :D

[Member123]

And I do get quite a bit reflective on this day. So, I thought that I would indulge myself in a little bit of nostalgia and take you ladies along for the ride.

But, first, before I get started. I just have to share this funny with you. A friend of mine found this New Year's Day card and the sentiment is so very funny... and so oftentimes appropriate.. that I have to share. Here goes: Happy New Year! Dear New Year's Resolution,
It was so fun while it lasted! See ya,
Sincerely,
January 2nd.
LOL. Now, I hope you can understand... it's a note to New Year's Day from January 2nd. Right?!? OK. In the spirit of reflection, I thought that I'd share the following journey through the years... with me... in pictures of my first day of various vacations.

My official retirement year was 2006. We celebrated with a cruise! We hadn't taken a vacation in 20+ years and had cruised before... ages and ages ago. So, we decided that we would take a transatlantic cruise. We flew to Boston and stayed a few days to try to get us a little bit acclimated to a new time zone. Then, we flew from Boston to London. Our first day in Boston, we toured Old Ironsides... such a fabulous tour! I am very camera shy at this point, and you will immediately know why when you see the picture that I'm brave (or foolish) enough to post. Here goes:
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OMG!

Of course, I'm traveling in a black outfit because I had a suitcase full of black and while, with just a punch of red for a bit of relief. And, of course, the red was a definite blue-red... of course. Both CJW and Zumba were in my distant future! The year, again... is 2006.

Fast forward to 2010. I met CJW, on these boards, in July, 2009. And, my next cruise vacation was to Mexico in August of 2010. Here goes:

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So, I'm definitely doing a few things much better. I'm struggling with the whole concept, but I absolutely like my hair so much more than before! But, I'm not truly comfortable and I still don't like my picture to be taken.

Now, the next picture is taken as we are getting ready to go on another transatlantic cruise; this time we're leaving from Ft Lauderdale and heading out to Barcelona. The year is April, 2011 and we are going to celebrate my 60th birthday! You ladies have seen this picture before, because now I'm not as camera shy as I was previously and we have all started sharing our pictures so much more. Here goes:

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I feel like I've really gotten into so much more of a rhythm. I like my hair much better. I've found ZUMBA which is why my pants are baggy. So, now I'm getting into the fit of clothes as well as the color, etc. Lots to think about!

Finally, this picture is from our anniversary cruise in June, 2012. I have been having so much fun with my colors! Gold accessories, for sure! And, I'm just loving my blue nails (On the Beach by Deborah Lippmann) and my gold nails (The Full Monty by Butter London) and my bling, bling, bling! Such fun with my wardrobe.

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And, finally, we arrive at the very latest vacation. Here I am in the Phoenix airport, again... early in the morning on my way to Hawaii where we will spend a few days before we board Celebrity Solstice on our way to Australia.

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I really like purple don't I? That's funny. It's way too early in the morning for me; I don't much like the flying portions of my trips so I'm not as thrilled to be in the airport as I am when boarding a ship! I don't know how many pictures I'll be able to post of my wardrobe in this cruise because, believe it or not, we were having so much fun and so relaxed... something happened with the pictures being taken. I just got out of my pictodiary mode; I blame it on the fact that there were so many, many sea days that I just set aside the pictures as being less important since it was one sea day after another after another. I'm sorry. I'll do the best I can to post some pictures of the cruise experience. We had a great, great time.

Also, in that spirit, let's get everyone's plans here so we can look forward to our vacations and our virtual vacations this year! I know that I'm going to Texas with Margaret and back on Safari (!) with Kim! Fun! Here is what I'll be contributing this year: late in March we are sailing with family (Anita!) on a short Spring Break cruise and DH and I will stay onboard for a B2B on the Celebrity Constellation. In September, we are taking the Oasis of the Seas on a transatlantic to deliver her to Barcelona from Ft Lauderdale. We'll be staying in Barcelona and then going to Paris for a bit after the cruise!!!! Then, in December, we will be going back to the Caribbean so that my DH can celebrate his birthday; his only request was to be onboard a ship on his birthday (since family schedules, like school and work, won't allow them to cruise with us on his exact birthday, we'll be heading to Anita after we get off ship). So, that's our 2014 as it is currently scheduled. Lots of fun to look forward to.

Which means... that we have the ability to meet for a long camping weekend in June. Hopefully, we can make those plans come together.

I will post more of the Hawaii / Australia cruise in bits and pieces in the coming days. One of my Thoughts For the Year (don't really like the word "resolution") is to be better at taking pictures, both in front of and behind the camera lens.

Kim, hmmmm...... healthy? Feeling pretty good! uh, wealthy? WISE?!? :eek:

[Member123]

Our flight was scheduled to leave at 8:00am, Hawaiian Airlines. We were to arrive in Honolulu at 11:45am. The flight was 6 hrs, 35 minutes and we were on a Boeing 767-300 aircraft, which meant that we were in a configuration of 2-4-2. I really love this type of configuration because it means that DH and I have a row to ourselves... and I really, really like that a lot.

Even though we were on a domestic flight... and even though we are participants of the Trusted Traveler program... we still had to have our driver pick us up at 5:30am for the drive to Phoenix Sky Harbor. When it comes to transportation, I just really don't have a spontaneous attitude; I really like to be thoroughly prepared. So I reserved a shuttle to take us to the Outrigger Reef at the Beach in Honolulu because I was just nervous about getting into a taxi. It seems like we don't have good taxi mojo; I know without a doubt that if we ever ran in the Amazing Race, we would definitely lose because of a really, really bad taxi choice.

Anyway, the flight was smooth. Absolutely no problems whatsoever. Enjoyed Starbucks at the airport. People were jockeying for overhead bin space and I managed to get our carry-ons into an overhead bin with MAJOR difficulty and quite some effort. My DH had done something to his back and we had a few days of touch-and-go and worrisome pain... so I wouldn't let him touch the carry-ons. I knew he was in pain when he didn't argue with me about lifting the suitcases! Anyway, that was really the only "bump" that we experienced on this travel day.

The Outrigger Reef at the Beach is a beautiful hotel. We were there so early! Check in time was 3:00pm and we were at the receptionist by 12:30pm. People were begging to be put into rooms; I told them that we had no problems waiting for a room and would prefer to wait to get into a room with a better view. So, we were given a really beautiful room but had to wait until about 3:30pm for it. No problem.

We just went to the bar! Now, Hawaii is 3 hrs earlier than Mountain Standard Time. So, even though the clock said 12:30pm... well, we were quite ready for a bit of adult libation. After all, it's vacation!

The look on my face is quite easily translated.... hurry up with the darn picture! Those half-price Mai Tais look pretty darn tasty!

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And, here's the balcony reward for all of our patient waiting!

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BUT, when you wait for your room... and when 50% Mai Tais are being offered... and they are tasty... well, sometimes you can't account for your actions later....

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Ok. Whatever. I'm. A. Tree. Hugger.

Anyway. I love the nail polish that I chose for the first few days of the cruise. It is Spring Ball by Dior. It's a really good polish and lasted quite a while without showing signs of wear. I foolishly brought a few bottles of nail polish with me; what a chore! Truthfully, I will never do that again. We were gone for so many days that I knew I'd have to refresh my polish and I thought that I'd appreciate having choices. Not really. I didn't want to spend the time changing my polish, anyway. And, having more choices wasn't nearly as much FUN as I thought it would be. In the future, I'm going to try to figure out a more neutral, but still FUN, color to wear and only take the one bottle... plus the base coat... plus the top coat... it still is a bit of a chore; let's be real.

And, I really like this purple color on me. But it definitely is NOT in my color cards. I think that it evens out my skin tone, especially on my chest where I do have a tendency to become blotchy. Opinions? I don't mind differences of opinion. It's a Chico's top that I got on an outrageous sale, seasons ago. I don't remember the color name. My pants are from Cache.. in sand. I've completely gotten over the whole idea that white pants will still "work" for me.

We had such a nice day in Oahu; we walked and walked and walked... on the beach and through some shops. We had dinner (yes, more drinks) at Duke's which is at the "other" Outrigger Hotel. And...

Well, as you can imagine... I slept like a rock that night. BUT, that 3-hr time difference did haunt me for a few days on board ship. Wow, I couldn't stay awake in the evening and I was up SUPER EARLY for me! But, more on that later... tomorrow is embarkation day, followed by our first port... Maui.

[Anita Latte]

Yay!!!

 

I'm so excited that you are finally doing a trip report/pictodiary!! It's fun to read and (having seen all the photos), I think you are picking out great photos.

 

I love that purple on you. It looks great! It reminds me of a purple that Curt bought from Express. Does anyone else remember the shirts he bought? He said he bought two of each one because it was so rare to find these colors, especially in men's ware, and since they were button down, long-sleeved shirts...he bought 2 each of 4 colors, IIRC. One was a purple, one was a red-violet, a blue, and an aqua...and, IIRC. And the purple was odd...very grape and unexpected...and this purple of yours reminds me of that purple. It does look good on you.

 

It does even out the red that can happen on your chest.

 

Seeing the progression of your photos is interesting. It's especially interesting to see you wearing the capris (first purple shirt photo) and jeans (second purple shirt photo) that you gave to me because you shrank out of them. And to see the difference in the way that shirt fits you in the photos...and how you've changed since Zumba. Zumba looks good on you! :D

[Member123]

OK. The very important embarkation outfit! So, I'm being a bit indulgent in these pictures, but I hope you ladies find it as "entertaining" as I do! Actually, I think it's an interesting exercise for me to do because I certainly feel that I'm learning so much about color, makeup, accessories... if I have any bit of a <gulp> it's that I wish that I had gotten started with this self-improvement so much earlier in life! Anita, are you listening to me? When I see the changes in my appearance, in EIGHT YEARS for the BETTER... that just shows me the reward that is achieved when you research, learn, pay attention... experiment... and keep on loving life!

 

So, here comes a look at embarkation days from the Ghost of Embarkations Past! Still in the Christmas Spirit so this title seems appropriate!

 

First cruise, the Transatlantic in 2006. I want everyone to know that I really struggled with this outfit! First of all, I hadn't traveled in so long and we were really doing it right; we went to Boston, flew to London for a few days, took the Eurostar to Paris for a few days, came back to London for the night before the cruise and got the transfer to Harwich from the cruise line. Now that I've done a few more trips (!), I would certainly structure my suitcase and my time differently. Here goes:

 

 

OMG! This is a Chico's outfit that did me no favors. Hey, out of all the people on board, how did the lady Who. Was. Wearing. My. Exact. Same. Outfit find me! But, she did, obviously.

 

Now, we move to 2007, in Bayonne, New Jersey as we gone on an anniversary cruise in June. Well, it is what it is.... my favorite red... cool, cool red that, again, was doing me no favors. Still camera shy; really didn't like my picture taken.

 

 

Yeah! I found CJW! Fast forward to 2010. Again with the timeline: CJW helped me in July, 2009. This embarkation day is April, 2010 so I've only had a few months with my new colors (and new hair). I'm on the phone to Anita, saying our bon voyage. I'm wearing a warm, chocolate brown cardigan with a sequin, gold sparkle necklace top. This is my replacement outfit for the first picture! Way better! Still not quite right as the top is fairly muted, but it's still a warm color! So... better.

 

 

I've gotten BRAVE. I'm wearing bright, clear colors. And it SHOWS! Here is embarkation day, April, 2011, a year later. This is, again, my celebratory cruise for my 60th birthday.

 

 

October, 2013 Fits of giggles. For some reason, this particular cruise... I was just happy! I have several pictures where I'm not standing still (very blurred) and just laughing. out. loud. Everyone has seen this outfit before; it's a Tommy Bahamas coral dress. I love it... but I think it's getting a bit tired and a little weary on the hangar. So, it may have to be retired soon (especially as an embarkation day possibility. Maybe it can "hang around" as a port day outfit).

Anyway...

 

 

and, again, I apologize for the quality of the picture! Drat. Can't tell the effect of the color on skin tone, but everyone knows that this is a good one!

 

No Ghosts of Port Days Past! I think I'm done with that. Although... I might resurrect some formal nights... just as a possibility. I haven't looked at those pictures yet.

 

Isn't this progression too funny?!? But also educational?!?

[aoknkentucky]

Pam, I. Love. It.

 

I don't think I have pictures of my embarkation days over the years like you do, but my colors definitely have improved how I look. I think it's amazing that we can look younger than we did eight years ago just by wearing colors that are right for us. Now if I could get the same level hairstyle help, I'd be all set.

 

Happy New Year, Everyone.

 

No cruise plans in the foreseeable future, but may take a last minute cruise if conditions are right. This weekend is calling for record cold temperatures with rain, freezing rain and snow. Wind is expected to be 20-30 mph. Oh. Boy. I. Can't. Wait.

[Member123]

I agree, Debbie. Hair style help is such a problem! Oftentimes I will spend hours and hours looking on the internet or looking through magazines, trying to find what I would consider a "perfect" hair style. And, I go to my stylist and he says "no, that won't work for you." Why? Because my hair is so thick and very textured that it tends to get "bird nesty" and clumpy looking and hang just-the-way-it-wants-to-hang. I do love the fact that I HAVE hair, kwim? Like, I'd be sad if I didn't... LOL... but, it has driven me mad over the years.

 

When I look at my earlier pictures, I do realize that I need a bit of length to my hair. I have often thought that I do better with shorter hair, and now I realize that isn't the case. So, I can forget all those styles that I wish would work for me; you know the ones that Meg Ryan often has where she has shorter hair that looks very, very messy.... but in a perfect way? That's how I wish my hair looked... messy in a perfect way. What I don't want is a matronly hair style. I know that there will come a day when it will look matronly and "dated" to color my hair red. At least, I feel that day will approach. Do you know what I'm feeling? Like you see those women who are coloring their hair... in their more advanced years... and it just looks odd. Now, I don't know if it looks odd because they don't have the RIGHT color or the fact that they are coloring?

 

I told Ryan (stylist) that I thought the red was getting too "red" and not quite enough "blonde" and he tweaked the formula on this last go round. I like it better. I have some formal pictures coming up where I'm posting one that highlights (no pun intended!) the hair color. Opinions are welcome! When Curt gave me my perfect formula, it was for a dye brand that my salon no longer uses; so I'm having to now do an experiment with the color rather than relying on Curt's knowledge.

 

Off to Zumba today! And the Christmas tree is speaking very loudly to me and telling me that ... well... it doesn't feel right to be hanging around in the living room so far past Christmas, itself. So, I do have things-to-do-today which might mean the formal pictures are... Coming to a Screen Near You in the Not Too Distant Future!

 

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

[Member123]

This was an interesting exercise for me to do. At first, it was depressing. Then, Anita spoke with me and wondered why I was sounding so distressed when I was discussing these formal events. i realized that I wasn't so much depressed as just incredibly grateful... that CJW took the time with me and that I took the path of learning about the effect of color on my skin and face and hair, etc. AND that Anita pursued Zumba and I stumbled into it. It isn't that I was a couch potato or that I didn't care about my appearance. It's just that on the one hand I didn't know exactly what to do (remember that I had been analyzed as being a person who should wear cool, muted tones and we ALL know what that does to me!), and that sent me into really depressing areas... my hair stylist put cool, blonde tones into my hair which made my skin look absolutely terrible! I didn't know that was the reason, though; I thought that I was just experiencing what a low thyroid can do for the skin... create unevenness, rough texture, large pores, underground zits, etc.

 

And, I was also on an incredibly rough path with my exercise regimen. I didn't know that cardio was such an important component of my body's ability to lose weight. From the research that I had done, I thought that strength training was essentially where I needed to focus my energy. And, focus I did! Hours and hours and hours each week; and I felt miserable because my muscles were always either in spasm or uncomfortable. I'm not saying that I shouldn't do strength training, but that I was doing it to excess... for my body. And I wasn't losing an ounce, simply maintaining the weight plateau.

 

So, the bottom line is that I wasn't feeling particularly attractive. I have ONE picture of a formal night on the Transatlantic Cruise of 2006! ONE. I have loads of pictures of my table mates on the cruise on formal night. And, if I go to look at cruises in 2007... NO pictures... 2008... NO pictures... well, you get the idea.

 

I know that I was all about the LBD. And trying to figure out ways to accessorize. I think that I had one LBD that I just put different wraps and/or jewelry accessories to try to CHANGE the look, just enough, to wear on all the formal nights onboard. I do remember a conversation I had with a precious, young lady that was a table mate. On that particular cruise, there was an unexpected EXTRA formal night. She wasn't going to attend dinner in the MDR because she "quote" didn't have anything to wear "end quote." I told her that she should attend the formal dinner because (a) that was usually the best food selections available during the cruise and (b) we didn't want to miss out on her fantastic companionship and conversation and bubbly personality and © NO ONE would CARE what she was wearing! When she arrived at dinner that night, I remember asking her if she had found another dress to wear and she looked at me like I had three heads and told me it was the SAME DRESS that she had worn before! I told her that I'm a very observant person (aren't I though?) and that I had just proved my own point that no one remembers what another person is wearing. I didn't really believe it until I experienced that moment with her! I have to admit.

 

So memories aside, here's the ONE formal picture that I have prior to the CJW transformation journey.

 

 

Like I said, my LBD. But, now we get to have some FUN. Because CJW has been in the house! And, it shows! First picture with the famous apple green dress. The year is 2010, and I've been doing Zumba for 8 months and really trying to find FIRE colors. Still a bit camera shy; I don't have really great pictures from which to choose. I really stood out on formal night amidst a sea of black.

 

 

2011. Another TransAtlantic. I'm struggling with the formal nights because I just can't seem to find anything appropriate. In 2006, I had found what I thought of as a fantastic Joseph Ribkoff dress. I loved the fit of this dress, but obviously the color isn't right for me. I mean... it's BLACK with SILVER accents. But, I have had the most difficult time getting rid of this dress; well, actually, it's a one-piece, palazzo type pant. Anyway, I've had it altered twice because I've lost weight in my torso and it makes the pant length way, way too long. I think Anita has this dress; I think I had a miserable time wearing it the last time because the hem of the pants kept getting caught in my heels, if I recall correctly. Anyway, here we go with an attempt at formal...

 

 

This one is much better. You can't really tell clearly in the photo, but the sequin top is actually on a deep chocolate brown layer. Yes, the skirt is still black. Yes, I am still wearing my Helle black strappy sandals.

 

 

March. 2012. Isn't she beautiful... my EARTH daughter? OK. Still struggling with the whole formal night, for me. Moving on....

 

 

June, 2012. I just can't get it into my head that those black shoes are RUINING my outfit "look." OK. I've got it now; they have been retired. But, here we are in a Cache dress... formal night.

 

[Member123]

I'm going to post two pictures of the same dress, mainly because the lighting of these pictures is so unflattering. But, I want you to see that I am wearing a bronze, metallic strap heel! (yeah for me!). My nails are that beautiful color by Dior, Spring Ball.

 

 

And, I want you to see the change that I made to the tone of my hair color. We added a bit more blonde to the red; I think I like it better. I think it's much closer to the original red of CJW's formula; maybe it could even be a bit more blonde? I think that the formula has given me a deeper, red (darker) look that I'm trying to lighten. The "struggle" (experiment?) continues...

 

 

Fits and Giggles. The lighting in the Sky Lounge is just weird for pictures! What happens is that there are these lighted console tables that change colors; they have interior lights within that change from blue to pink to red to purple to white. Of course, the <ahem> photographer can NEVER, EVER snap a picture in the lounge when the color is white! Oh well. This picture pretty much sums up the entire cruise in one word.... FUN.

 

 

I have one additional dress for formal night, but we're going to have to wait to see it. The one picture that I have is just awful; bad lighting; blurry focus. I didn't even take my Helle black strappy heels on this cruise! Yeah for me!

 

We have been cruising Celebrity quite a bit in the past years. And, we've been dining in Blu. To sum this up, Blu doesn't observe formal nights. It's a specialty restaurant for Aqua Class staterooms and they have a separate dress code from the MDR in that they are always Smart Casual. If you want to, you can observe formal night along with the rest of the ship... but, it's not "official" that you do so. There are quite a few men who wear tux into Blu. I've never seen a woman in an evening gown, there. Most men are in suit and tie; most women are in cocktail. I would love to upgrade my formal night look and be, actually, more formal. The struggle has been finding a dress that is a FIRE color that FITS and that is a bit more FORMAL. Cocktail dresses are much, much easier to find. Most formal dresses tone down the brightness factor; for example, the dress can be found in a beautiful wine, burgundy, maybe chocolate... but just not in coral. Aqua seems to be easier, but they tend to put silver accents onto it. I think my easiest dress to find will be in the chocolate category so I'm on a grand hunt to find it.. with bright, gold accents thank you very much!

 

I think my formal nights need some attention. Moving on. Because if you think formal nights need attention.... wow, port days are quite challenging as well! :D

[Anita Latte]

WOW Mom. That first formal photo isn't the way that I think of you AT ALL. You are dressed so covered up, baggy, and loose. Curt had a good way of describing your hair...not so much the gray alone, but I recall him saying that your hair was faded... The current color is nice. I love the additional blonde highlights in the red.

 

I recently read about how hair changes from color to gray and it literally DOES fade. Something to do with the lack of a chemical to deal with the NATURAL hydrogen peroxide that occurs in the hair follicle. With the lack of ability to break down the natural bleaching agent in our own system...our hair gradually and continuously fades into gray.

 

I do have the Joseph Ribkoff outfit. I don't recall if we marked the pants to be hemmed? I've studied this outfit. I've been trying to figure out to recreate the idea of the overlay over the jumper and unfortunately, it would be so hard to reproduce. That lovely overlay is crocheted, with the sparkles being bead-like so that they are a part of the threads used in the pattern...the result is that the overlay has stretch and movement to it that normal fabrics (or laces) can't replicate. And I don't have the crochet skills to do something like that outfit.

 

Thumbs up on the bronze shoes!

 

Looking at these...are you thinking about our March/April cruise and what you might take?

[Member123]

Anita, looking at your countdown clock and OMG! Not a lot of time! Yeah! So, I have a beautiful maxi dress that is with my favorite seamstress, but she's very, very busy and might not get around to hemming it for me. If she does, then I would consider that dress for formal night. You know, being only 5 days and in the Caribbean, I'm thinking that formal night will swing one of two ways: either ladies will go out of their way to really, really dress up OR ladies will NOT go out of their way to really, really dress up. KWIM? It's going to be a wait and see.

 

But, as far as what we want to do? What do you want to do? I know you have various levels of formal that you could consider. I think that I will, more than likely, wear the new Joseph Ribkoff dress that I purchased in St. Maarten. I think that dress will pair nicely with your Cache, maxi dress... don't know about the red one, though. That red dress is the bomb!

 

Well, I am going to continue on with my postings through memory lane. I am thinking that Kim is really involved with planning her safari, right about now. If memory serves, isn't the safari in February? Or, am I not remembering correctly? And, I know that Linda is dealing with a LOT right now and doesn't have the time to engage in a lot of back/forth conversation. Debbie? Wherefore arst though, Debbie? Laura, you came to visit but didn't say anything! Margaret, what do you think? Is this fun or just self indulgent?

 

Anyway, off I go.... even though I said that I probably wouldn't do port days... well, this is kind of like the color parties; it's taken on a life of it's own. Plus! Wow, the port days are kind of funny! I'm just saying.......

 

On to Paris.....

[aoknkentucky]

Glad you are walking down memory lane, Pam. It's helpful.

 

I'll comment later when I have more time to collect my thoughts. For now, my big news is that the lottery drawing for our camping spot for 2014 takes place on Saturday. I'll let y'all know the results when I have them. For now, we are hunkered in trying to stay warm while determining our list of possible campsites.

 

For me, this exceeds cruise anticipation a hundred-fold. I'm really distracted this week and it's extremely hard to concentrate the day of the drawing because your heart is almost beating out of your chest with anticipation and dread that your number won't be called.I must find my blue folder. I've taken it to every drawing. I'm not generally superstitious, but this is different. I MuST take that folder to the drawing.

 

Off to look for my blue folder. Y'all think of me Saturday at 1:00 pm. I'll be the one with my fingers and toes crossed and praying to the heavens!

 

Debbie

[Member123]

So, as I have mentioned numerous times, the TransAtlantic on the Jewel of the Seas was the first crossing that we had ever done. Lots of firsts on that trip; it was the first time to Europe for my DH. First time in Boston. First time in Paris. The itinerary was super, super fabulous. Traveling West... from Harwich, England to Boston. The ports were Harwich, Plymouth (England), Cork (Ireland), Dublin (Ireland), St John's (Newfoundland), Halifax (Nova Scotia).

 

We were nervous about a number of things. The flight. Super nervous. So, we decided to shorten the flight by going to Boston, getting into at least the Eastern Time Zone, and then having about a 6 hour flight to Heathrow. We spent 3 days in Boston. Then, we found out about the EuroStar from London to Paris. How could we NOT go?!? So, we spent 4 days in London; 4 days in Paris;

back to London for the night before embarkation; ship's transfer to Harwich. For anyone reading, it was absolutely unnecessary to go back to London for the night! It would have been much better to take the Eurostar to the Waterloo Station and then just catch a train to Harwich for the ship.

 

Anyway, several real issues with wardrobe planning. #1: bags. OMG. Bags and trains are not compatible! Not to mention the agony of walking with your bags through train stations, European cobblestone "sidewalks" and escalators. We were all situated with our luggage and THEN, literally a few days before our flight, the air lines instituted the toiletries ban on carry ons. Wow, the scrambling that we did because of that! What is second nature now was a big problem then. Oh well.

 

No excuses, really, for my wardrobe. I didn't read cruise critic back then; frankly, I'll tell you that I was "put off" by the "critic" within the name; there are still times today when I think posters take the "critic" to incredibly high levels, but that's another story for another day. I did get one memo: wear black in Europe! I did NOT get the memo that says: don't wear white sneakers in Europe!

 

So, scouring through my photos and through all the horror of my wardrobe that I witnessed, I've come up with a few photos that, quite literally, were my European look! :o

 

I can title this photo: Do I look American standing in front of the Arc de Triomphe?

 

 

OK? I'm having such fun at my own expense! The title of this photo: Do Europeans Wear All Black as a Fashion Statement? Works for ME?!?

 

 

The above photo was taken in Plymouth, England at the site of the Plymouth steps! You'd think these would have been easy to find, especially with the American flag flying overhead and the memorial wreaths, but I can say that it took us quite a few "trips" to locate. We finally went into a shop that was, literally, across the street and asked for directions. The man pointed out the window. Really quite funny, but the day was bittersweet. The lovely people of Plymouth have memorialized the steps which are, well... steps... from the dock into the water where the Plymouth Pilgrims embarked for their voyage. The wreaths are there for our September 11th tragedy, as we were in Plymouth in September.

 

And, not to be outdone, this photo can be titled: Were There Three Americans with Me at Trinity University? ...

 

 

... cause if you look closely, you can observe that 2 out of 3 of the bench seaters are, in fact, wearing WHITE SNEAKERS! Anyway, it's a look....

 

Here's the good news! I'm going back to Paris this September! And I have loads of time to get my European wardrobe together and to leave my white sneakers at home! Loads of time... I'm thrilled to be returning.

 

I have ONE photo that I think is kind of amazing. Really. Because I fancy that I look quite Parisian in this photo. And, I think I know why. The women of Paris have trained the restauranteurs quite well and there is PERFECT LIGHTING in these restaurants in the evening. I mean... PERFECT... warm, golden lighting that makes a woman's skin absolutely glow.

 

 

Everything is wrong with this picture in terms of FIRE. I have a weakness for certain tops; that weakness is for those Chico's Chat Tees that have the cute scenarios. This particular top spoke to my heart and my imagination. The front scene is a woman sitting on a balcony in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the background, writing a letter to her friend in New York. "Miss You, I've got so much to tell you! Paris is beau-ti-ful right now and all the new styles are just GORGEOUS! Remember the cafe that you discovered last trip? Well, it's fully booked and I can't get in for a month! I know how much you love New York, but I wish you were here with me right now. Love you, Miss You." And the scene on the back is a woman sitting on a balcony in New York, with the Sears Tower in the background, reading the letter. Now, I ask you... how could I NOT buy this top?!? As I said... a weakness.

 

And... the lipstick is the wrong color! But, you know what?!? I LOVE this PICTURE! I think it's because I can remember that I was in Paris when this picture was taken. And, as I mentioned, I do think the lighting of the restaurant is really, really helping me out here.

 

Final thought. Title of this picture: PARIS.

 

[Member123]

Debbie! Anita and I have our fingers crossed and hope you have your blue folder well in hand. We are so excited at the anticipation of having a long weekend together; I know that'll be a "blast from the past" for me because it's been ages and ages since I've been camping, let alone camping with DD. We are definitely planning a trip from this end... well, let's say that we've left open the availability... so we really, really hope it comes together as well! :D

[Member123]

You know, our European "vacation" was so interesting for us because we had been self-employed for years and years and years. When you're self-employed (contrary to the belief of people who WANT to be self-employed and say that they want their time to be their own), it's extraordinarily difficult to actually leave work. Basically, the real truth is that you NEVER leave work; work is always with you. Work wakes with you in the morning and eats lunch with you. Work is ... all encompassing... work.

 

So, when we ever did get the least bit of time off, it was always to RELAX. Relaxation, de-stressing... whatever you wanted to call it... vegetating... we were all about slowing down and trying to recuperate. So, we didn't know if we would even LIKE a "sight seeing" vacation, and we found out that we LOVED it. In point of fact, it turns out that we are more travelers than vacationers. We love to DO STUFF, SEE STUFF, EXPERIENCE STUFF. Getting out there! And doing things! This is our retirement plan!

 

So, of course Alaska, right? Well, the reason that we booked the cruise to Alaska was because of a couple that we met on the TransAtlantic. We were freshly-minted travelers and really didn't have a clue about prioritizing our travel wish list. We were ready, willing, let's go... to anywhere that someone thought was a good idea.

 

we were nervous about going to Alaska because of the COLD. Because we live in the SouthWest, believe me when I tell you that we are COLD just about everywhere we go. So, the thought of Alaska was a bit daunting. Mainly because I don't have what you would consider to be winter clothing. I mean, to put this into perspective, we are COLD today and the temperature is 39F with an expected high of 63F today. So you can imagine that I don't really have warm, winter clothing as a necessity in my wardrobe.

 

So, unfortunately, the black continues. I won't bore you with the port pictures because they are all the same! The cruise left from Vancouver (Canada) and went to Icy Strait Point, Inside Passage Cruising, Hubbard Glacier cruising, Skagway, and Juneau.

 

Here's a picture at the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau.

 

 

and ready for a whale watching excursion at Icy Strait Point.

 

 

Talk about layering! It's an outer jacket layered on top of a green polar fleece vest layered on top of a black long-sleeved cardigan sweater layered on top of a silk cami layered on top of a bra! As I remember, the bottom layer was a pair of dark denim jeans layered on top of silk leggings. Ask me if I was ever OVER WARM in ALASKA and I will tell you YES! LOL.

 

And, I do hate to admit it, but I believe this picture proves that my foot wear was.... well... white....

 

 

Good grief.

 

As I look through the cruise pictures following this cruise, I see very little difference in the wardrobe. Basic black. Punches of white. Sometimes another color punch might be added, perhaps red, perhaps blue. So, we'll be moving on from here and exploring the learning curve that I began when I became a FIRE lady!

 

Final thought: Here's what I think of when you mention ALASKA.

 

 

Next up.... Mexico. 2010

[aoknkentucky]

Pam, we will definitely be camping this year and the long weekend is a done-deal from my perspective. I'll be there! It's just a matter of whether we have a single site for the entire March-November season or whether we must move from one site to another every 21 days. We have a tendency to bring lots of 'stuff' like grills, extra camp chairs for visitors, extra campfire wood, etc. If you move every 21 days to another site, it makes the extras much more precious. Do we really need X amount of firewood if we must move it all in three weeks? Little things like that.

 

But we ARE camping this summer. Once I know more, I'll post on the pictodiary thread that we started.

[Joby]

Hi girls,

 

I am enjoying the pictodiary, Pam, AND the progression of color change. Black is not your friend, is it? I look like death warmed over in black and especially white! I used to wear AIR colors---gasp. So lots of muted blue undertones. Could it have been any worse????

 

Our Tanzania trip is July 18-August 4. So I could go to the meet and greet any time other than that :) I am really looking forward to it and hope it materializes.

 

We have been freezing here--temps --HIGH of minus 18 Monday (wind chill of minus 45) and we have about 16" of snow on the ground. Warmth is on the way though, it is 16 F today and projected to be high of 30 by the weekend. Debbie and Linda I'm guessing you have had similarly bad weather too?

 

[snuggles]

OMG PAM!!! What a treat this am to finally get on this thread and see you have posted!!!!! I'm loving it!!!! (white tennies and all) as I sit hovering in my cold office! Thank goodness the temps are on the rise and above 0 today ~ Whoopeee ~break out the sunscreen and shorts!!!!:D So, please keep up with the pics as you are making my day so much sunnier!!!!

 

 

This is reminding me of clothing I still can't seem to part with-but I'm trying to get better. I don't have the pictodiary you have as I never like my photos so I tend to shoot pics of everyone and everything else instead. I need to go through all my photos and purge. So many duplicates it isn't funny!:eek: That is on my to-do list for this year. I began to do that last year, but got sidetracked with life! But I digress....

 

 

Didn't have a wonderful Thanksgiving,Christmas or New Year due to not feeling well, but am doing so much better this week. Anyway...I'm on the mend..have lost 25 pounds since I started my "adventure for finding myself" in October and some of my clothes are hanging on me. I am scrambling to find clothes for my Bahamas cruise next month!:eek: :cool:

 

 

I began the packing process last night for my Bahama cruise and realized I need to get some alterations done. I called my friend to see if she can do a rush job for me, so I'll get a brand new, tags still on, never worn maxi dress to her tomorrow to alter. Bought this dress clear back in May and never had the chance to wear it. This frustrates me as I can no longer see to do fine work and I so loved to sew. I'm not sure it's our color, but I'm gonna have to wear it for formal night anyway. Unless I come up with something else.

 

 

Note about the white tennies~ I too have noticed that only "Americans" wear white tennis shoes on our travels and stick out like sore thumbs so I bought a pair of grey (can't remember brand right now) ones and a pair of brown patent leather(Daniel Spade) ones this past year and love them. I only wear my white ones at home or to the store. I will try to post pics when I do my cruise clothes next week.

 

Debbie ~ Keeping my fingers crossed for you also, even though I won't be able to see you all in June. ( Alaska is calling my name! ) I know I'll be missing a great time and so wish I could be there. I know how trying it is to keep moving your campsite. Just when you get it set up the way it's comfortable to you, ya gotta move to another site and do the whole thing over again. Been there ~ had to do it and with 2 small children in tow!

[snuggles]

Hi girls,

 

I am enjoying the pictodiary, Pam, AND the progression of color change. Black is not your friend, is it? I look like death warmed over in black and especially white! I used to wear AIR colors---gasp. So lots of muted blue undertones. Could it have been any worse????

 

Our Tanzania trip is July 18-August 4. So I could go to the meet and greet any time other than that :) I am really looking forward to it and hope it materializes.

 

We have been freezing here--temps --HIGH of minus 18 Monday (wind chill of minus 45) and we have about 16" of snow on the ground. Warmth is on the way though, it is 16 F today and projected to be high of 30 by the weekend. Debbie and Linda I'm guessing you have had similarly bad weather too?

 

Yep, except we didn't get all the snow! Only about 2" where I am and high winds, bitter cold. It was minus 18 here yesterday also when I went to work.I felt so sorry for the mail and ups guy! And am so glad DH no longer has to go out and work in this kind of weather. It's actualy supposed to reach 40-50 here by Saturday..but we'll wait and see.. they have yet to get the weather right around here!

[Member123]

Kim, I know that all that ice and snow is just miserable to deal with, but....

 

wow.... that picture is so beautiful. It's like a picture postcard perfect snow scene. Do you know the first thing I thought of when I saw it. You might laugh... SNOW ICE CREAM! Wow; it's been years and years since I've even thought of snow ice cream, much less eaten it. I remember it as being extra, extra special. Course, I remember that I was in West Texas... the Panhandle of Texas is where all my peeps originated... and snow ice cream was a tradition for the first real, honest to goodness, pack it deep snow fall. And, maybe I was 10, or so? Maybe snow ice cream isn't, in reality, the incredible taste of memory! Anyone?!?

 

Linda, congratulations on the weight loss and so happy to hear that you are feeling better. Glad that the pictures are giving you a chuckle... although Alaska pictures aren't necessarily warmth envoking. Or, are you thinking of how warm and snuggly I must have been in all my multiple layers upon layers? Alaska is beautiful; I'm glad that you're still going. Bahamas!! Yeah! I've never been so will be a real treat to see them along with you. As Kim would say: hint, hint for pictures.

 

Debbie, yeah. I didn't realize that the camping was going to happen, one way or another. Of course, fingers still crossed that you get the superb arrangement and that Anita and I won't have to help you move firewood! Just kidding about the last part (I think!).

 

Christmas is packed and boxes are sealed. With our plans for 2014, I realize that I've packed everything away for 2 years, actually! I don't think I'll be decorating for Christmas this year as we'll be invading Anita and Family for Christmas and maybe a bit beyond this year. Interesting thoughts to realize that as I was taping boxes.....

[Member123]

The cruise to Mexico was fabulous! We were so lucky to be able to go when it was "relatively" safe to do so. Our ports were: San Diego, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, Manzanillo. Our shore excursions were so wonderful; I really love the warmth of Mexico in both its climate and its people. I am looking forward to the day when the cruise ships are able to sail there again, because I really love visiting Mexico.

 

So! Here is the start of the FIRE wardrobe journey. When I first got my cards, it was all about trying to educate my "eye" to figure out what was warm vs cool. It has taken ages to educate to what is clear and bright. I'm not sure that I have that one perfectly down because a lot of times when I feel that the color is as bright as I think it should be, then I start to question its temperature and whether it becomes more ICE than FIRE. I have learned that the smartest thing to do, in that situation, is to take a picture. A picture just reveals volumes and volumes about color choices... <ahem> as well as posture, fit of the clothes, and appropriateness of accessories. I can tell you that this Mexico trip was just about the COLOR. It was the first time that color came into the wardrobe; fit of the clothes is something that will happen much, much later. And (I feel for what you're going through, Linda) the fit of the clothes has been an ongoing (not really) struggle (I can't think of a better word... it doesn't reach the height of "struggle" but it really is something of an "issue"... ). I wish that I could say that it's FUN, but it's not really fun. It's very frustrating, if I'm going to be totally honest. I'll talk more about this as we go along.

 

Here's Mexico!

 

 

I cannot remember what this outfit is! I know that it's not a bathing suit; at least, I don't think it is. I know that the blue bit is a cover up skirt. I am sailing on a yacht called The Rissalena in Cabo. What a fabulous day! Met so many people who have become friends, from this awesome shore excursion. It was the first shore excursion that I arranged, privately. And, it was the first time that I got involved with a Cruise Critic Roll Call. I think that I'm retiring my efforts at putting together shore excursions because, at the end of the day, I don't think that I have the right personality for it... way too much stress and I have a very strong worry gene. But, this particular sailing I would bend that (potential) rule and definitely book again because it was.... FABULOUS.

 

What was that top? Good grief. It is gone from my closet which is a good thing because it definitely isn't very flattering. I admit that the blue cover up skirt is still hanging around because I'm having all sorts of grief coming up with a proper cover up... and it works. So.....

 

 

This outfit is all about, again, the color... and the lightness of the skirt fabric because Mexico is warm, warm, and warm with high humidity that I'm not used to. This skirt fabric is perfect for feeling comfortable in the heat. OK. If we talk about the footwear, the issue that I have is one of a peculiar loathing to have any kind of strap between my toes! I basically CAN NOT STAND the feeling! So I have major issues when trying to buy comfortable sandals that I also can do with a bit of walking. Hence, the Skechers. OK. Not a good choice, from a fashion sense; I do admit that. But, if you remember from the formal pictures, I did have a problem seeing that black shoes were ruining the outfit. So, my mental "picture" of this outfit and the actual reality.... we could say that it took an actual picture to erase my mental picture and send me on the search for better foot wear. Still searching, by the way...

 

Check out those cobblestones! This is in the quaint town of Mazatlan, and my feet are actually quite happy! Oh, and I have to add that the skirts have been analyzed and they are getting hemmed to a more flattering length. When these skirts arrived in my closet, they were a real blessing (and a beautiful gift from a caring daughter) because they were absolutely perfect for our SouthWest summers: perfect weight and fun to wear. At that time, I was struggling so much with my thyroid that the skirts are now needing to be taken in on their circumference as well as their length, because I think my thyroid is much more capable to help with my metabolism. Yes, Zumba has helped with that a whole, whole lot, in my opinion.

 

 

One of the cute cliff divers of Acapulco. I told him that doing the diving was "mucho loco" and, yes, I knew what that meant! He laughed.

 

So, maybe the best thing that can be said about this outfit: it isn't black! Right? I know that the fit needs improvement. Moving on....

 

 

OK. The sun is at a high zenith and is really strong, so the lighting of the picture is not at all flattering. But, the capris are a chocolate brown and the top is aqua. I'm standing in front of a recently discovered ruin in Manzanillo. Seeing such a structure just makes me want to visit Tulum, that much more! It was truly amazing; absolutely no information on the structure... just the beginning of architectural exploration. They were beginning the construction of a shopping mall when they "discovered" the site. Wonder what it's like today? Wonder what my shoes were? Probably the Skechers.

 

But, I'm improving! First travel wardrobe without black and white outfits! Beginning of the learning curve. Steep inclines ahead!

 

When I think of Mexico....

 

 

next.... TransAtlantic. Rome, Venice, .... October, 2010. 6 more months of experimentation and the wardrobe results for a lot of hard work and diligent planning.... Spoiler Alert. For the first time, I actually LIKE some of the pictures coming up....

Edited January 8, 2014 by Member123

[aoknkentucky]

We were told to expect 6-8" of snow, but the ground was just dusted. We had black ice though. The picture that I failed to take was the flash-freezing we got when the cold air dumped on us so quickly. Our crepe myrtle and dogwood trees were hanging loaded with raindrops that froze in place just before dropping from their branches. It was gorgeous and I could shoot myself in the foot for not grabbing my phone or camera. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot!!!

 

We did have 2 days of zero degree weather and windchills in the minus 25-30 range. BRRRRR. DH is replacing a waterline that froze and busted yesterday. Good news is that he is highly capable and I expect to return home after work with working water. It felt like we were camping last night.

 

Linda, I sure hope you are on the road to recovery. It's nice that a good take-away is smaller clothes, but I wish you hadn't been ill to accomplish it. I wish I needed smaller clothes, but we all know that wishing doesn't make it so. I'm snuggled in so tight that wishing is about all I'm willing to do these days.

 

I WAS the mailman for 20 years until I retired out disabled. One of the first things my husband and I agreed on was that we were both glad I wasn't out in the freezing cold rain and then the two days of bitter cold weather. Can you imagine how wet your right arm can get leaning out of a car window opening and closing 560+ mailboxes a day? Yuck. Old beat-up cars don't like to run in that weather either. I am so glad my job is indoors now.

 

Pam, such good color. If you scroll the page quickly, it shows such lovely color! I know what you mean about the skirt length. Why did we ever think mid-calf was an attractive length. I really like the color pattern and light-weight material though.

 

Pam, this may not be what you are looking for, but I wear a elbow length zip-up rash guard top/cardi top with a skirt over my bathing suit. Bought both at LandsEnd a couple of years ago, but it works pretty well. The skirt is fairly short, but if I let it rest on my hips, it's about the right length. The material is ok to wear in the water if you want too.

 

More pictures, please.

[Anita Latte]

So KIM!!!

 

If it wasn't perfectly clear...the skirt that is being reworked is one that I made in the first place. hint hint. You could have one too...made to order out of any of your lovely souvenir fabrics...

 

If you look closer...it is a simple elastic waistband. There are slits in the side seams of the old style skirts because they were so long...it helped for easier movement...but the new design is a more flattering knee length and will not have any slits. At this point, you could bring the fabric to our camping weekend. I couldn't sew it then but I could take only what I needed...and then shipping would just be back to you.

 

I love the photo of the snow. I was telling Mom how I love the quiet that accompanies that kind of snow fall. That was my fab in Colorado and Kansas.

 

Debbie...I'll be thinking of you Saturday! I'll be driving from the academic team tournament to the All State Band audition. Ugh...I'll be doing too much driving that day. About 8-9 hours by the end of it. Gasp.

 

Linda...I'm glad to hear you're feeling better. :) Congrats on the weight loss. It can be frustrating dealing with the wardrobe issues that go along with significant weight loss but there are worse problems. I didn't realize you were going on a cruise so soon! Fun! More incentive to get the job done.

 

So fun Mom! You know I'm loving this exercise you are doing. It makes me want to take pictures of my outfits for our cruise! But I don't fit into those clothes yet!:mad:

 

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