All things EARTH...

[laurspag]

Super quick post here - thank you!!!

 

 

An upclose of the necklace from the Etsy website. Handmade, and just $19.50. It just called to me...

Edited June 27, 2012 by laurspag

[JaneStarr]

Super quick post here - thank you!!!

 

 

An upclose of the necklace from the Etsy website. Handmade, and just $19.50. It just called to me...

 

Gorgeous necklace, Laurie!

Good luck, Anita!

 

Will post pics soon (I hope). Can't do from my iPad & I'm really feeling too icky to sit at computer. Seems my allergy/sinus attack and bronchitis were not going away. Doc gave me cortisone shot and started me on prednisone and cough syrup with codeine. Hoping it kicks in by tomorrow. Laying low today. At least I got groceries and the big bags are unpacked. Last load of laundry made it into dryer and drying rack. Unfortunately, I last steam and never pulled the clothes out of dryer yesterday. Going to be very wrinkled...thinking I'll use the "tumble press" mode and then pull out the clothes right away.

Jane

[laurspag]

Now that I have 5 minutes to catch my breath, I just wanted to say thank you. I feel so incredibly good about that dress. Sometimes when I shop, it seems like formal dresses fall into three categories: prom, mother of the bride, and clubby. I want to feel in style, yet classic. This dress just checked all the boxes.

 

Jane, my weight loss is slow, and not a lot. However, those few pounds were just what I needed to be able to zip the dress. Next up is zipping the dress up easily. At that stage, I will get it hemmed because it will lay differently than it does now.

 

The necklace, as I said this morning, is from Etsy. I love jewelry, especially when it is different. I decided to order the dress and the necklace separately, then suddenly realized that they would work perfect together. I knew I wanted something that would drop down a bit to accent the v-neck of the dress.

 

Anita, are you just about ready for your move? It sounds like everything is falling into place for you. I hope your son is handling it well.

 

I look forward to seeing our pictures, Jane!

Edited June 28, 2012 by laurspag

[JaneStarr]

Here are some photos of my Celebrity Silhouette Cruise outfits for the Eastern Med and Greek Isles. I don't think I have pictures of myself from some of the days or evenings. It'll have to work on this over time. Still sick and behind on things.

 

Here's what I wore on the overnight flight and for our short (2 hr) driving tour of Rome. (We were trying to kill time and stay awake until our 3 pm check-in time.) Bottoms were Chico's olive-khaki, light-weight, colored roll-up capris which unsnap to full length pants (from our trip to Egypt Dec 2010). On top, I had layered Coral no-iron Chicos 3/4 length blouse over slightly darker tee shirt. Wore brown low-cut peds with my brown Merrill clogs for travel. Just wore simple gold jewelry for travel: Teeny cross necklace and hollow gold hoop earrings. Just noticed that I was still wearing my "cheater" reading glasses on "necklace" chain. At least they are a warm Blue LOL. Photo was taken in front of St. Paul's Bascilica:

 

This one offers a "bird's eye view" of Rome highlights:

No idea what I wore to dinner, walking distance from the hotel, that night.

Edited June 28, 2012 by JaneStarr

[JaneStarr]

First Pic is sitting (exhausted) in the hotel lobby awaiting shuttle to ship. I had my "old faithful" lightweight hoodie over Brown tee shirt (with gold button trim) and a NYDJ pencil skirt in a khaki color. Think I was wearing brown/bronze Orthaheel (orthotic) flip-flops with babbles on the straps.

Once we boarded ship to explore, I ditched the hoodie. Giant Chairs were fun photo Opp!

For dinner, I changed into a nicer blouse and shoes, but kept the skirt.

[jubie]

 

 

Julie...rice milk, in particular, is really sweet. I don't care for it. I can't recall almond milk's taste...what our family has settled on lately with our oatmeal is hemp milk. Unsweetened Hemp Milk. Largely because of the good oils to be found in it...and because it seems to have just a bit more substance to it that the rice or almond milks. It has a distinctive flavor though...not like soy's flavor, but similar to how soy has a distinctive flavor...and you either acquire a taste for it or you don't.

 

Tried the rice milk and didn't like that it was so sweet. On to the next trial!

[jubie]

Laurie

 

Va Va Va Voom!!

Wow do you look amazing in your green dress,

and even more important is that you feel so good

in it!

[jubie]

Anita I hope things are calming down around

home now that packing is either finished or winding down.

Good news that DH found a place and you'll be able to

start setting up home as soon as you get there instead

of having to look for a place.

How's DS taking with the move??

 

Are you ready for your big date??

Can't wait to hear all about it! Have fun!!

[Member123]

Now that I have 5 minutes to catch my breath, I just wanted to say thank you. I feel so incredibly good about that dress. Sometimes when I shop, it seems like formal dresses fall into three categories: prom, mother of the bride, and clubby. I want to feel in style, yet classic. This dress just checked all the boxes.

 

Jane, my weight loss is slow, and not a lot. However, those few pounds were just what I needed to be able to zip the dress. Next up is zipping the dress up easily. At that stage, I will get it hemmed because it will lay differently than it does now.

 

The necklace, as I said this morning, is from Etsy. I love jewelry, especially when it is different. I decided to order the dress and the necklace separately, then suddenly realized that they would work perfect together. I knew I wanted something that would drop down a bit to accent the v-neck of the dress.

 

Anita, are you just about ready for your move? It sounds like everything is falling into place for you. I hope your son is handling it well.

 

I look forward to seeing our pictures, Jane!

 

Laurie, as everyone has said, you look stunning in the dress. :D And your necklace is a perfect accent, as Anita told you :eek: very sexy. Overall, a beautiful presentation. (watching too much Gordon Ramsay!)....

 

You are smart to wait to hem the dress. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly about weight loss and how it can affect the length of a dress but you know the dress magically gets longer as you get slimmer! I tripped on a dress all night long because I foolishly didn't try it on after losing some weight and had to have Anita explain the phenomenon to me!

 

I just wanted to add my echo to everyone's compliments. What other accessories are you considering? Let me tell you the words of wisdom I received from a sales person at a jewelry store in St Thomas: she told me that I needed to consider the weight (meaning importance) of pieces that are close together; i.e., necklaces vs earrings and bracelets vs rings. She said one piece needs to dominate and the other needs to complement. She said that both should be neither dainty nor significant. So, because the necklace is making such a statement, in HER opinion, you should have less significant earrings. And, in my mind's eye, I can see a fabulous cocktail ring on your hand and a dainty bracelet vs the other way round. Just thoughts.

 

Also, you have a beauitufl EARTH-y kitchen!

 

And I think that sums up all my thoughts about your picture! ;)

[Member123]

Jane!

Oh, this is so much fun taking this trip with you! I haven't sailed the Silhouette, but I did sail the Equinox from Rome to Ft Lauderdale.

 

Girl, did you take a NAP on boarding day?!? What a tremendous recovery from jet lag. You look fabulous at dinner. Or, did the Cosmopolitans help? ;)

 

Looking forward to all the installments. So sorry that you're feeling a bit ill. I've had that happen to me and attributed it to the letdown and physical stress of all the ship's activities, shore excursions, sleep deprivation, excitement, and air flights. So, just give yourself time and pay attention to your body's demands. AND, sit in front of your computer, very leisurely, and POST PICTURES! LOL.

[MJC]

Laurie, love love love that dress! And the necklace! Amazing combo, and you look radiant. That green is just lovely. Love your kitchen too, the colors are beautiful.

 

Are you going to keep the train, just maybe a little bit? It makes for some beautiful draping around your feet, and lovely movement when you walk. A train can be little enough that they're not a bother, even when dancing. (Can you tell I like trains?)

 

Jane, I'm really enjoying your pictures. We should all look so good on jet-lag day. :) Can't wait to see more!

 

I passed my skin cancer checkup on Tuesday with flying colors, so I made a pilgrimage to Coldwater Creek, my favorite store. Here is my take on the colors from the catalog I posted a bit ago. The purple called "beet" is awesome. The "red brick" is also awesome, I bought a pair of capri pants because I wanted something other than khaki and army green and I love them. The color called "green citrine" makes me think of Anita -- baby poop green! However, I don't think the deep turquoise is Earth. I'm not an expert, but I think it's more a rich jewel tone and not muted enough. I was really disappointed because I love that color, but I walked out without any of the several items I tried on. Hmmm.

 

I did get the perfect dress, and on sale too:

 

http://www.coldwatercreek.com/Products/ProductSearch.aspx?provider=productSearch&cmd=czsearch&question=linear check

 

It drapes so nicely and is great for summer, plus I can wear it with a sweater and pearls to dinner, or with a jacket and boots for fall. After cleaning out my dress closet this winter, I only had three summer dresses left (and one of them is, ugh, black), so this is a welcome addition.

 

Other things I liked were:

 

http://www.coldwatercreek.com/Products/ProductSearch.aspx?provider=productSearch&cmd=czsearch&question=garden stroll

 

http://www.coldwatercreek.com/product-detail/61550/68211/ombr-embroidery-top.aspx?colorid=G03&refLink=search.aspx

 

 

This in beet is really nice:

 

http://www.coldwatercreek.com/product-detail/61561/68222/ruffle-cascade-tank.aspx?colorid=A65&refLink=search.aspx

 

and this looks white online but it's not, it's a really pretty cream color:

 

http://www.coldwatercreek.com/product-detail/61559/68220/ombr-vista-burnout-tee.aspx?colorid=994&refLink=search.aspx

 

I cleaned out my handbag shelf and I have a shopping bag full for Goodwill. Next up: the shoes :eek:

[JaneStarr]

This day, we rented a van with driver through Celebrity with another couple. We drove from Naples to Sorrento, spent a lovely time walking around, shopping (and eating gelato) before heading along the Amalfi coast to Positano. AMAZING views everywhere. Our driver took us to a family restaurant with spectacular views on a cliff overlooking Positano for lunch....yummm!

 

Here's my outfit along a scenic outlook along the Amalfi coast. The capris are very lightweight Lee brand that I found at JC Penney. Very happy with them. The extra pockets on the leg were very convenient. One even held my water bottle -- not exactly a fashion statement LOL! I had on my brown Naot (suede) walking sandals. These capris were worn on at least 2 days...good thing for the "elite" coupon for a bag of free laundry! These capris are definitely on the Fire edge of my Earth palate, but they seemed to work well with my brown top and Chico's coral/orange/gold necklace, earrings, peachy coral hat, and gold sunglasses.

Here's a close-up with a better view of the scenery:

 

This next photo is with my "old faithful" Chico's hoodie and our excellent Driver, Gaetano, from YourDriverInItaly dot com. You can see my favorite brick-red Longchamps travel bag. It's great because it unzips from a medium purse into a good size tote bag.

Here's a bonus pic of the view (right out the open window from my lunch seat) of Positano:

This was a great family-style restaurant. Gaetano brought us into the kitchen, where Mama was cooking & uncle was making pizza. Papa came to our table to see if we wanted any fresh herbs. He reached out the window opening next to me to harvest some basil from the window box!

Here's a pic of my handsome Ice hubby with our delicious Margarita pizza.

I can't resist including this bonus photo looking up towards the restaurant from Positano.

Unfortunately, I have NO IDEA what I wore to dinner that night. Guessing slacks and a nice blouse with brown evening cardi.

Jane

[JaneStarr]

This day we had a van with driver again. We drove to the scenic town of Castelmola to look down on our 2nd destination of Taormina. Just amazing views everywhere, including of mount Etna volcano -- with (safe) white smoke pouring out the top. Bought some delicious Almond Wine, which is a local specialty. (Tastes similar to Amaretto, but smoother.)

First picture is of our continental breakfast in Tuscan Grille (for Celebrity elite members). I was wearing a new print 100% cotton tee shirt from Kohl's with my Chico's no-iron blouse as a jacket and a short khaki skirt and brown Naot walking sandals. Jewelry is: Tiny gold cross and gold-toned earrings with small coral ball embellishment

In the following pic, I'm standing on a restaurant balcony in Castelmola, towering over Taormina.

Close-up with hat effect:

Mount Etna spewing white smoke, as seen from Castelmola:

 

Here is a photo that caught what I was doing most of the day in lovely Taomina. Notice my new hat sovenir:

 

This is my first Formal Night ensemble: I recycled my MOB gold lace shell and jacket by wearing with a gold-toned linen knee-length skirt from Talbots. (The ball gown skirt was too much to transport or wear)This was taken at the Martini bar, one of my favorite spots on Solstice class Celebrity ship:

 

I'm running out of steam. That's probably it for tonight.

Jane

Edited June 29, 2012 by JaneStarr

[Anita Latte]

Jane...I'm absolutely LOVING the pictodiary.

 

Just a quick note to everyone...DH comes back to town Friday evening. We pick up the truck on Saturday. We plan to pack and leave on Saturday. The drive is such that if we can get just 4 hours down the road, we can have a decent day's drive on Sunday and arrive before dinner. DH is taking all of next week off...we will be unpacking at my SIL's house...basically treating her finished basement as a storage unit...and only keeping the two bedrooms more livable. DH found a house for us...and I am very excited about what he found. The rental market in the specific area we were looking is rather fierce. Through a series of events, DH was able to see a rental that would be coming on the market before it was actually on the market...the current tenants are being transferred to Ohio...they are traveling there on Tuesday to find a place for themselves...their lease is through the end of July.

 

I'm not as packed as I wished to be at this moment...but it isn't too bad. I still need to pack DS's clothing...finish mine and what DH left...and pack the few non-clothing items that are still in the room...as well as all the bathroom itmes in the house. Deal with the essential kitchen. And also pack the TV. This past week has been very stressful, as I suffer from horrible insomnia when stressed...I'm averaging about 4 hours of sleep...I've been up late and waking early and unable to get back to sleep. I'll be so glad when this weekend is in my past.

 

I have several errands to run tomorrow...DS is going to a birthday party...and I have three loads of laundry to do. It will be a full day tomorrow, but should be doable. I know it all has been doable...I just don't know why I have issues with sleep until a deadline like this passes.

 

Meanwhile...on the clothing front...since we will have this one month stay in the basement...I packed all my winter clothing (pants, long sleeves, jackets)...my formals...and all my t-shirts. I have a HUGE suitcase and I have been able to put all my Zumbawear, other exercise clothing, my dresses, my shirts, capris, shorts, etc...in this suitcase. I plan on taking advantage of this time of not teaching Zumba to actually wear normal clothing. I plan on having fun with that, as I have worn virtually nothing but exercise clothing for the past couple months.

 

I may not post again until we land in GA...I'll probably read though...I'm loving all the latest conversation between the two Season threads.

[Joby]

Jane,

 

I am so enjoying your PICTODIARY. You look great. I especially love the way you look in your MOB top. I remember seeing that way back when. CJW helped you pick it out, am I remembering correctly????

 

The Mediterranean looks beautiful. It's among the many places that are on my bucket list. I envy you getting to go there!

[Joby]

Jane...I'm absolutely LOVING the pictodiary.

 

Just a quick note to everyone...DH comes back to town Friday evening. We pick up the truck on Saturday. We plan to pack and leave on Saturday. The drive is such that if we can get just 4 hours down the road, we can have a decent day's drive on Sunday and arrive before dinner. DH is taking all of next week off...we will be unpacking at my SIL's house...basically treating her finished basement as a storage unit...and only keeping the two bedrooms more livable. DH found a house for us...and I am very excited about what he found. The rental market in the specific area we were looking is rather fierce. Through a series of events, DH was able to see a rental that would be coming on the market before it was actually on the market...the current tenants are being transferred to Ohio...they are traveling there on Tuesday to find a place for themselves...their lease is through the end of July.B

 

I'm not as packed as I wished to be at this moment...but it isn't too bad. I still need to pack DS's clothing...finish mine and what DH left...and pack the few non-clothing items that are still in the room...as well as all the bathroom itmes in the house. Deal with the essential kitchen. And also pack the TV. This past week has been very stressful, as I suffer from horrible insomnia when stressed...I'm averaging about 4 hours of sleep...I've been up late and waking early and unable to get back to sleep. I'll be so glad when this weekend is in my past.

 

I have several errands to run tomorrow...DS is going to a birthday party...and I have three loads of laundry to do. It will be a full day tomorrow, but should be doable. I know it all has been doable...I just don't know why I have issues with sleep until a deadline like this passes.

 

Meanwhile...on the clothing front...since we will have this one month stay in the basement...I packed all my winter clothing (pants, long sleeves, jackets)...my formals...and all my t-shirts. I have a HUGE suitcase and I have been able to put all my Zumbawear, other exercise clothing, my dresses, my shirts, capris, shorts, etc...in this suitcase. I plan on taking advantage of this time of not teaching Zumba to actually wear normal clothing. I plan on having fun with that, as I have worn virtually nothing but exercise clothing for the past couple months.

 

I may not post again until we land in GA...I'll probably read though...I'm loving all the latest conversation between the two Season threads.

 

I know I'm late on this but, safe travels, Anita! It is great to hear that DH has a house for you already.

 

We have been without power for the last 30 hours. We had storms and high winds come through yesterday. Much of the central Midwest got hit and quite a few are without power. It's not nearly so bad in the summer without power as it is in the winter! We will survive, it's much like camping, only our tent is our house:D

[JaneStarr]

Interrupting Trip Pictodiary with Shoe pics. Don't have access to my trip pics right now because I don't have my laptop. My hard drive started failing while away...got it into the Apple store just in a nick of time Friday to replace the Hard Drive (for free). They were nice enough to help me back up my photo library & My docs, since I wasn't confident that they were backed up properly.

 

Casual SHOES:

Here are some of the shoes I wore on the trip.

Orthaheel Women's Tide Thong Sandals in bronze (look more "brown" to me) These are expensive (for "flip-flps") but have built-in Orthotics/arch support. There are only a few shoe brands that help my plantar fasciitis. I also wear these with my swimwear.

Here are the "blinged out" style in this brand that I can only wear for less walking-intense events:Orthaheel 'Karla' thong sandal in Bronze Mettallic:

Excuse the 3+ week old pedicure. Lovely Earth color toenail polish really grew on me. It's "Carpe Diem" by SpaRitual. I don't usually choose polishes with shimmer in them, but this one just "works" for me on the toes. It actually held up very well, considering all the wear & tear from the trip. The 2nd picture more accurately reflects the color. I feel comfortable wearing these with slacks, capris or a casual skirt to "Smart Casual" dinners.

 

Here are the Merrell Encore Breeze2 clog-style shoes that I often choose to wear for flying. This trip, I wore the Brown (Mocha??) ones on the overnight flight from JFK to FCO and for the 2 hour driving tour around Rome. They are very comfortable, & I like that I can slip them easily on and off for airport security and for bathroom trip. Even if my feet expand/swell, they are still wearable. The last on Merrell's is really ideal for my foot. These shoes only slip off when I want them to. They are very secure & supportive. I wore low-cut brown "peds" with them and switched to slipper-socks on the plane. They also make these in a non-mesh style, but I find them very hot during the warmer seasons:

These are my favorite walking sandals for hot climates. They are by Naot and are at least 2 years old. The cork footbed gets a bit "ugly" with use, but really conforms to the foot.

Here is a photo of some classic Keds Stone Canvas sneakers that I wear when needing a closed shoe for long excursions with peds:

Think I'm at my photo limit. Need to get some work done around here before posting more. Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

(Hope this part of report isn't too boring. I just have to be really selective about footwear and bring a variety, or I end up very uncomfortable.)

[laurspag]

While I finally have a few minutes to post more than a sentence or two...

 

Jane, I am loving your vacation photos! Your outfits are great. I find it so much help to see what other earthy people are wearing, and to see how they solve their color dilemmas. I'm still struggling with blue and purple, but I'm getting there.

 

One of the things I recently did was to go through my shirts in the closet. I organized them by sleeve length, and then by color. I found it helped me in many ways. For one thing, nothing got left behind - I saw each and every shirt, to refresh my memory. Second, by sorthing by sleeve leghth, it can be helpful in the morning while getting ready for work. I can see what the weather is, and go from there. The big advantage was to see what I was keeping that doesn't belong. It also showed me the colors that I was building on, those that I wasn't purchasing. Needlessly to say, blue and purple were absent from the group. I was a bit surprised to see green under represented as well. It can even help you decide on those "iffy" colors that you aren't sure are right.

 

Anita's mom, I hae been giving a lot of thought to jewelry as of late. My work clothes can be a bit blah. A pretty necklace can really add the right touch, especially if I give thought to a matching bracelet or maybe pairing a scarf and shoes. In other words, I need to pull it all together without being overbearing.

 

I felt like the green dress stood well on it's own, but the necklace really just made it into an outfit. I have been debating what to do with it. I know that shoe wise, I plan to wear a strappy gold sandal with the dress. I posted a picture of them a few pages back. They are by Anne Klein. I plan to wear these sandals with both of my formal dresses, plus some other dresses at dinnertime. The shoes won't be competing with anything, I don't think. I am wearing classic pearl stud earrings, I am pretty sure. They are the same brown that occurs in the necklace. I am thinking I shouldn't overdo the earrings. A really nice cocktail ring, as you suggested, may be just the thing.

 

Margaret, my daughters suggested that when I have the dress hemmed, that I leave one of those little trains. I am thinking I will give it a try. In a worse case scenario, I can get rid of it before the next cruise, right? I too, would like that nice drape you get from doing that.

 

Isn't it funny that I have an earth colored kitchen? Should I say an earth colored house? My living room/dining room is gold, and my family room is this deep orangey-red color. I am going to paint the mud room sage green fairly soon. The rooms that I just described were all done prior to me getting interested in colors, so I must have known in my heart. :D

[MJC]

This is my first Formal Night ensemble: I recycled my MOB gold lace shell and jacket by wearing with a gold-toned linen knee-length skirt from Talbots. (The ball gown skirt was too much to transport or wear)This was taken at the Martini bar, one of my favorite spots on Solstice class Celebrity ship:

 

 

Jane, you look so beautiful in this picture. I'm hoping that blond on the left isn't a friend - because I have to say that though she is a lovely woman, that black and silver dress is doing nothing for her. It is especially apparent because the gold looks so divine on you in comparison. I hope you have a chance to wear this beautiful outfit yet again, it really is special.

[MJC]

Since I've been buying some new summer things, and purging old things pretty ruthlessly, I decided to take stock of my t-shirt drawer and see exactly what I have now color-wise. So, minus my gym things, here are my shirts! I'm pretty happy with the colors, and with the mix of solids and prints. I realized after I took the photo that my butter yellow one is in the closet with my brown and yellow jacket.

 

The first four in the bottom row aren't EARTH. The light blue one goes with a teal and blue jacket I have that looks great with jeans so it's going to stay for now. And I have a plain black and a plain white one -- can't figure out yet whether those are necessary or just an old idea of "wardrobe staples" that I haven't outgrown quite yet. :)

 

The first two orange ones in the top row are the ones I dyed. I have to wear them and see if I'm happy with the fit before I decide to keep them. The second from the right is a red that I got for my birthday, and I can't decide whether it's EARTH or not. It still has the tag on it so I'm toying with taking it back for something else. The last one on the right is the new "brick red" from Coldwater Creek, which I want to wear but it clashes -a lot! - with my purple toenail polish, so it has to wait until next week.

 

One thing I would like to have, now that I see them in a row, is a plain brown T. I had one that my cat ruined, and I guess I forgot to replace it.

[MaidMirawyn]

I'm still struggling with blue and purple, but I'm getting there.

You know how periodically it seems like everything in your wardrobe either wears out or just doesn't look right anymore? This is that summer for me.

 

My favorite color is red, but I love purple, too. Right now, though, I have a lot of purple in my wardrobe, and not a single red top (except one red polo shirt that's showing its age). I live in the northeast Atlanta suburbs, and apparently the chains I like (Ross and Burlington, mainly*) aren't sending earthy reds our way! They're bright, or cool, or both! However, we've had some gorgeous warm purples, so I have a cute purple sundress ($16), a drapey-front purple shirt ($16?), and a purple lace-trimmed tee ($10; it's just like this one)! (I have one more, but it's escaping my memory!)

 

Of course, if you visited, everything would probably have shifted to COOL purples!

 

 

*It's that silly "budget" thing…

[Anita Latte]

Hello Everyone...

 

I'm up to date on the posts but don't feel awake enough to articulate a response...LOL...except...MaidMirawyn...I JUST relocated to NW Atlanta suburb...like...two days ago...my DH has a job in Marietta and we are in West Cobb. And I love the rainbow photo...

 

Today...I replaced my teal fingernails with gold...my pedi is still strong enough...so I still have blue toes...but with the red dress planned for my anniversary dinner...I went with gold fingers. I haven't yet decided between my new green or gold shirt...but I have access to all my jewelry, so I'm excited about that...I'll decide tomorrow I suppose. I'll take pictures!

 

I posted briefly about moving on the Zumba thread...

 

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Independence Day celebration! I'll be back after my anniversary!

[Anita Latte]

Hello Everyone!

 

I am back from an absolutely OUTSTANDING overnight trip with DH to celebrate our 15th anniversary. HERE is where DH picked for our romantic getaway.

 

 

One thing that I am sure my fellow EARTH sisters can relate to is the idea of wearing our lovely EARTH colors but not looking like you are dressed for Autumn...I've been on the search for Spring/Summer feeling EARTH colors for a while and with my most recent purchases, I feel like I have succeeded.

 

I settled on my new yellow flutter sleeve shirt (Macy's) with MY animal print skirt. I was wearing my gold T-strap sandals (Gianni Bini) and my jewelry are my rings, a rust colored beaded bracelet from Mom and Dad from an Italy trip, and dangle earrings with various EARTH colored stones. So here is the EARTH version of Mom's outfit:

 

 

This area is like an interior courtyard. In the distance, below, you can see restaurant tables...this is the Versailles restaurant where breakfast is served.

 

We arrived around 1:00 ish...we checked in and had time for lunch before the winery tour at 3:00 pm. We ate at the spa restaurant called Fleur-de-lis and ate the most tasty fish tacos. Here I am during the wine tour...you can see my gold nails:

 

 

Here we are at the end of the wine tasting following the tour. In our glasses is what they call American Port...I'm not sure how that is different than any other port, except that it was produced on-site...and VERY tasty...DH is dressed in coordinating, but not matching, EARTH rust...he's wearing linen shorts (not pictured...LOL):

 

 

We had time to head back to the room...leave our jewelry in the room safe and head over to the spa for a couple's massage.

 

Dinner outfit to come...

[Anita Latte]

Dinner was back at the winery building in the restaurant there called Cafe Elan. I LOVE my red Cache dress...and feel confident that it is EARTH red...like red...not rust and not brick. I wore my new Rockport sandals with the Adidas insole (highly recommend...I walked from the Inn to the Winery with no problems...I would like to get something to keep my foot from sliding too far forward though)...for jewelry...I'm wearing a pearl/rhinestone bracelet inherited from my Grandmother and diamond studs that DH gifted me with several years ago).

 

I did not try for fancy hair or makeup...I was very relaxed after the massage. ;) I showered at the spa...uses their fabulous products...and was SO HAPPY that I had made all my decisions early...I only wore a bit of eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss. Here I am in the setting sun:

 

 

You can catch a bit of the ambiance of the restaurant in this photo...the color is a bit off though...you can see that my skin tone in general is not too golden when you compare it to the following photo of DH and myself. OH...we had the local Merlot with dinner. We had tasted it earlier and knew it was yummy.

 

 

 

Here you can the vine fields in the distance...and see why I said this dress looked like it was made to go dancing. I seriously look like I should go salsa dancing:

 

 

We spent the rest of the evening in our room enjoying champagne...

[Anita Latte]

Departure Day...

 

I wore my new green flutter sleeve from Kohls...neutral Bermuda shorts which are more AIR than EARTH...my gold T-strap sandals...you can see my necklace...you can't see the amber earrings...the bracelet isn't one (it's a brown hair elastic...lol).

 

Here we are at one of the trail heads. You can get a feel for the grounds all around the Inn and Spa buildings:

 

 

This is a great representation of the color of the shirt:

 

 

Here's the whole outfit. The fountain statue is a lady stomping on grapes...the winery building is in the background:

 

 

Hope everyone has had a wonderful Independence Day!