All things EARTH...

[Joby]

Margaret,

 

You have hit the ball out of the park! You look fabulous.

[Member123]

Margaret,

Of course I'm reading along! OMG. I love the picture of you on the London Eye; if I were you, I'd have that picture framed and put on display. It's everything: you're beautiful and you look radiantly happy and the background could NOT be better! I'm familiar with the type of top that you're wearing; it's the kind that I have always been extremely fond of, with its detailing and punch of bling. You look wonderful.

 

And thank you for mentioning the hotel. It's nerve wracking when you recommend a place because... well, you just never know if the experience you had was a one-off or could be duplicated. I'm so glad that the hotel worked out; I think that particular hotel group is one that I would definitely stay in again.

 

Just adding my voice to the chorus.

 

This summer had been a struggle for me so far; I don't really know why. I'm so discombobulated. It's so much fun to see you ladies out and about. I'm not doing anything that is worthy of documenting, at the moment. Hmmm, I'm forgetting what thread I'm on. I think I need to go to the other thread to talk with Kim; hey, maybe someone needs to start a more combined thread that isn't specific to our color seasons. We need to make everyone feel welcome to post pictures! ICE is welcome to post pictures! I'm just sayin', :D

[MJC]

Thank you for all the lovely compliments, such a nice treat at the end of a long day.

 

Anita, I think DH used a flash for the bus photo, which is why the colors pop. But, I also think the combo of the orange coat and blue seats really set each other off nicely. I am wearing lip color -- my favorite and daily standby called Berry Freeze by Clinique. My second favorite color, which is a little more muted and neutral, is Rose Spectrum. I also like Burt's Bees lip balm in Raisin, for those less made-up moments (yes, I have them too).

 

I think the color of my coat in the London Eye shot is more true to life. I love that coat so much, I hunted for and found it on eBay in a size 10 and bought it. It's sitting in a drawer, waiting for fall when hopefully I'll fit in it!

 

Pam, I'm sorry you're having a rough summer. I agree with you, I'd love to see some ICE photos, and AIR too. I think AIR is a really hard one, I would love to see a successful AIR poster around here. :)

 

I've been a big fan of Smash, and I love to see what Debra Messing wears. Whoever styles her for that show does a great job with color. IRL I think she wears too much black.

 

Laurie, when do you think your dress will arrive, so we can start bugging you for pics? :)

[laurspag]

Hello, everyone! I'm just getting back on here after a few hectic days.

 

I have to say Margaret, I just love your pictures. Boy, what a difference the right color does! Every picture is just amazing. I don't know about you, but when I'm wearing the right color, I feel so much more confident about how I look, and I think it comes through in pictures.

 

London had to be gorgeous to see, and full of memories. My daughter has been sharing a great deal of photos on Facebook from her Euro trip. I think she is in Berlin today. I find the architecture so stunning, and you are absolutely right about the mix of eras that you see. What is interesting is that she was supposed to be in London last year for a summer session, but they cancelled it.

 

I tell her all the time that no only is what she doing a learning lesson and a sight seeing one, it's an eye opener to heritage, as she is part Polish. She is always telling me about the new foods she has been trying!

 

Now, my dress came in. I don't have pictures yet, as I'm home by myself tonight. I should have some over the next couple of days.

 

I will fill you in on it though, starting with the good: I ordered a custom size, hoping that I wouldn't have to make all these adjustments. It was exactly the right thing to do. It fits like a dream, and I feel the style choice was good. That will be confirmed by pictures though. I always see so much more in a picture than I do in the mirror!

 

Now for the bad: I think I mentioned that I changed from ruby to burgundy at the last moment. My reason was that the burgundy taffeta online seemed a bit earthier. In retrospect, the I knew after I ordered it that it was probably a mistake. Now that I have it, it is quite cool in tone. I don't think the color looks bad, but it could have looked even better if I had chosen an earth tone. And really, I don't know for sure if the ruby would have been right either. It's just that I have a brown dress and a gold dress and the olivey green dress...I didn't want to order the same color. I was afraid of the champagne color, even though the taffeta appears very warm in champagne. I love adding ivory and other light colors, but more as an accent, not from head to toe. I agree with one of Anita's previous comments that saturated colors are better for me. Besides, I always worry that white or ivory in a long dress will seem bridal like!

 

So, on a scale of 1 to 10, I'm at about 7 1/2 right now. I know that will change once I see it in a picture. I look forward to getting insight from all of you.

[laurspag]

By the way, Margaret, I think your style of dressing has some similarities to mine. My jeans are dressier, and if something is plain, I love to dress it up with a scarf or jewelry.

 

By the way, I think one thing to really help my new dress will be a necklace that adds warmth, along with my Anne Klein gold sandals! I have a vision on my head for a necklace, I just need to get out and look for it.

 

Did I tell you I found an end of season metallic like gold sweater at dressbarn, but that it was a wonderful mid-tone, that was very muted? I love wearing it with a scarf and jeans. It looks so pulled together!

 

Anita's Mom - it is always good to see you over here! I agree that having different seasons chiming in is a good thing. It helps us all see what the right color can do.

[MJC]

http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/05/summer-swimsuits-slideshow.html#

 

 

I don't know how long this link will be good, so check it out: 125 Swimsuits for Summer. This was a three-page spread in NewYork Magazine this week, all of them laid out in a rainbow. There are some awesome colors here! Click on "view slideshow" to see them all.

[laurspag]

So....here's the dress! I'm a bit tired tonight, so I didn't put on my sandals with it or anything like that. The fit is really perfect, except I have to take it in at the top of the shoulders. I have to take in all my dresses there!

 

I really do like the dress, but I know I didn't get the best color for me.

 

Here's is the first picture. It comes off looking sort of rust like, doesn't it? In certain lights, it does almost seem earth like.

 

 

Here's another picture, and here it looks definitely cooler:

 

 

I have a necklace picked out. I wanted to make sure I chose something that was by all means warm, and I found multi strand pearls (they are twisted gently) in wonderful golden shades. I think it will help a lot.

 

What are your thoughts? I always appreciate everyone's honestly.

 

By the way, I just assumed that if it was mermaid style, it would be very fitted through the thigh area. I could actually take it in a few inches on each side, and still have it fit loosely.

[laurspag]

And my dog...he's got to get into every picture, lol.

[Anita Latte]

And my dog...he's got to get into every picture, lol.

 

I love seeing our four-legged family members in our photos! One of these days...I'll get Toby into a photo and everyone can marvel at his size. I think he's bigger than your dog...LOL! Wouldn't you say Mom?

 

The dress is beautiful.

 

Here's what I think about the color. I think that the underlying color leans toward the cooler side...but there's an overlaying kind of shimmer color that leans toward the warmer side. So...where the light hits the fabric in a certain way...it will show warmer...and where there is shadow...it will show cooler. I've had nail polish that confuses me in this same way...where it has a golden shimmer but it feels like the main color part is cooler. I'm getting a similar vibe from this fabric.

 

It's really pretty though!

 

Mom and I usually have to have shoulder straps shortened too. Very annoying. I can see the excess fabric under your watch bound arm/hand. Judging from the fold that is there...I'd say you easily have 6+ inches of extra fabric at that point. I know you don't want that part to be too tight...how could you walk? But if you can have this dress taken in...I would. You don't want it too be too tight and looking too small as a result...but mermaid should be really fitted.

 

In my mind's eye, I see the jewelry, the makeup, the hair...and I think it's very elegant.

 

You have such formal formals! It's very fun to see.

[MJC]

Laurie, how beautiful! Love the dress. Love it. It makes for a great companion to your others, it's really different.

 

I too have to fix the straps on a lot of my clothes, we are all in the same boat! Oh, boat... I want to go on a cruise :(

[laurspag]

Thank you! Anita, I do agree on taking in the bottom of the dress to maintain the mermaid affect. I held it in the back for my daughter to see, and she really felt I should take it in. I will make sure I keep it comfortable though.

 

My dog is so funny. He is a daschund chihuahua mix that I fell in love with at a chance trip through the pet store picking up something for my cats. I put him back, but came back the next day. He is such an important part of our family. He is so sweet and loyal.

 

 

It has been fun taking my time to pick my dresses. I didn't want them all to look alike, yes, I need a certain neckline. I really took a chance on this one because of the mermaid styling, and I am so happy I did.

[cruzisme]

Love your new dress!

Gorgeous color and the style looks good too-- you earth ladies have super dresses!

[MJC]

Here are a few of my favorite fashion photos from last month.

 

Still loving this beautiful scarf from Coldwater Creek:

 

 

and also this nice spread of turquoise jewelry:

 

 

Cute handbag from Dolce & Gabbana:

 

 

Love the color of this leather skirt:

 

 

I've always shied away from twinsets, I think because I don't like the girl-next-door lunching at the country club look they give me. I think this is a nice modern update, though:

 

 

Love this blouse, and this is exactly the kind of thing that gets me into trouble because I know it's too white, but I love the turquoise color and the pattern:

 

[MJC]

The navy color is wrong, but I can't help but think this style would look awesome on Anita's body type, and the leg drape is so sexy:

 

 

This beautiful golden dress is actually a costume from the new Broadway play about, of all people, Imelda Marcos:

 

 

 

Still looking for a red swimsuit. Tried on this one, awesome color but the top didn't fit me quite right. The color is perfect, though:

 

http://www.target.com/p/merona-women-s-halter-1-piece-swimsuit-red/-/A-14501249#prodSlot=medium_1_9

[Anita Latte]

Love the scarf! Looks like a nice spring/summer scarf.

 

I'm lovin' that the turquoise jewelry is set in golden metal. It's so typically set in silver from what I have seen. I'd love to get some of that. I'd have to be very careful in what I actually got though, because it turns out that I don't wear jewelry on a regular basis. I think of turquoise as a casual stone? I think you can dress it up...but the opaque stones seem more appropriate to wear with casual clothing while the more translucent jewels seem too dressy for what I typically wear?

 

I love the style of that navy dress. It kind of reminds me of my red dress. That sheer panel in the skirt IS very sexy. :cool:

[laurspag]

It is so much fun to see what you post, Margaret. I love the turquoise jewelry with the gold too. I wear jewelry all the time so I know I would wear it. I am just thinking about where to find it. I really love the one on the bottom right, especially. Since I have trouble finding that dusty aqua color, as curt calls it, I would probably wear it with something brown, to add a punch of color.

 

I agree, that style dress looks like it would work for Anita.

 

We had nice weather today for a change. It was my niece's graduation, and it was a lot of fun. It was interesting to see how people dress. I would say that 1/2 of the women were wearing casual dresses, and it was nice to see. Another 1/4 was dressed a bit dressier, and the other 1/4 was very casual. I didn't know what to expect, so I dressed a bit more casually than I normally would. Plus, it was breezy and I was concerned about the wind . :eek: This is what I ended up wearing. The skirt is a very warm ivory color.

 

[laurspag]

Just an update for you: My jewelry came in for my dresses. Here is the necklace and earring set I purchased for the new burgundy dress. I think it will add even more warmth to the outfit. What is interesting is that I saw this ring and ordered it, but wasn't planning for it to go with the jewelry I picked, but it looks perfect with it.

 

 

I will try to post a picture of the jewelry next to the dress.

[laurspag]

Here is the jewelry for the gold dress:

 

 

I think it is much better in real life than what you see here. It's really pretty, and looks nice with the dress.

 

I really do like jewelry that looks different, more one of a kind. But, I try to be very careful with my money as well. All of this will get further use too, it's not just for the cruise dresses. The best part is that I spent under $20.00 for all of it with tax included. They had free shipping the weekend I ordered.

[MJC]

Laurie that ring is superb! And I want to steal your orange top, that is just the kind of thing I like to wear in the summer.

 

I paged through Vogue last week and didn't find a single EARTH thing that I wanted to post. Actually, I didn't see much in any other color that I liked either. But, I'm hopeful for fall given the Pantone colors that are coming. I'm especially excited about Samba, I hope it's EARTH:

 

http://www.pantone.com/pages/fcr.aspx?pg=21058&ca=4

[JaneStarr]

I just found this online color test from Pantone's Facebook page:

Pantone

HOW WELL DO YOU SEE COLOR?

Take this online color test and find out. It’s fast, fun and free. The lower your score, the better – and anything under 30 is considered very good: http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge

I got a 20. Better than I expected.

Jane

[Anita Latte]

I think your monitor can also have an effect on your score...that and how systematic you are in the exercise. I got a 0. Perfect color vision. Probably from all the graphic design work.

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...I think your jewelry is beautiful. A part of me is still attracted to that, but I realize that as much as I admire the fun necklaces...I don't wear them. I seem to prefer something more simple in a necklace. I think you have a good eye for pairing jewelry with your dresses...you will be stunning!

 

Also...that orange jewelry neck top you have...I have one like that in a tribal print...and I love it. It is one of my go to tops for trying to dress nice but not too nice. ;)

 

We leave tomorrow AM for Disney!! I'm so excited. I can't believe how prepared we are to leave tomorrow! It's a first! The bags have been packed and are in the car...everything is except the last minute toiletries and the coolers. We will be gone for 3 nights...we're trying to leave early tomorrow to beat the traffic that seems to always be in Atlanta heading south...especially for vacation travel. I'm hoping that I can actually sleep tonight...I usually have troubles the night before any big event...

 

I do have some good EARTH clothes in the suitcases. We are expecting rain every day. We don't let this stop us, we just wear quick dry clothing and deal. We've learned from living in Houston that you just can't put an entire day on hold because of a little rain. You get wet. You deal with it. You prepare for it. So we have way too many clothes packed for 3 nights...BUT...there's a good reason for it. A fortunately we are driving, so it isn't a big deal at all.

 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

[JaneStarr]

Laurie...I think your jewelry is beautiful.

[snip]

I think you have a good eye for pairing jewelry with your dresses...you will be stunning!

 

[snip]

We leave tomorrow AM for Disney!! I'm so excited. I can't believe how prepared we are to leave tomorrow! It's a first! The bags have been packed and are in the car...

[snip]

We've learned from living in Houston that you just can't put an entire day on hold because of a little rain. You get wet. You deal with it. You prepare for it.

[snip]

I totally agree with you about Laurie's jewelry pairings. Love them!

 

Have a great time in Disney! Love your attitide. Hope the weather holds some pleasant surprises for you :)

Jane

[laurspag]

Thank you, Anita and Jane. I very much enjoy the whole process of choosing jewelry. Sometimes, I try to envision in my mind the look I am going for. There are times I see a necklace and I know right away that it is exactly what I had in mind, and other times, I have to search a while.

 

Part of this I think goes to the weight I gained a while back. Although I lose a pound here and there, I'm no where near what I was before. I find that I really have to put in more effort to my clothing choices. I often choose solid colors with interesting elements, but I need to keep them somewhat fitted. The jewelry is what shows my personality.

 

Anita, your Disney trip sounds like it will be fun. Unfortunately for me, rain really changes my plans in that I cannot get my hearing aid wet. They are quite expensive to fix and replace. I do try though to get out anyway and use an umbrella or hooded jacket. Now, can we get wipers for my glasses?;)

[Anita Latte]

Anita, your Disney trip sounds like it will be fun. Unfortunately for me, rain really changes my plans in that I cannot get my hearing aid wet. They are quite expensive to fix and replace. I do try though to get out anyway and use an umbrella or hooded jacket. Now, can we get wipers for my glasses?;)

 

Disney was great. And rainy. Everyday. DH thought he heard something about Monsoon season. I've heard of that in AZ? But never FL? Anyway...it's rain that doesn't pass through. We didn't ever really see the sun...the clouds were constant and it was always a matter of just waiting for the rain to begin. For the parks on our agenda, we were able to deal with walking through the rain, and especially lulls in the rain, between attractions that were mostly indoors.

 

I didn't want to deal with a camera in the rain...so I have no pictures. But I do have some tips for dealing with rainy weather...if ever anyone needs to travel in the rain.

 

1. Take emergency ponchos.

 

I bought ours at Academy, but they are sold in a variety of places. The beauty of emergency ponchos is that they are small and cheap, and therefore disposable. At the end of the day, you don't have to worry about trying to refold the wet thing to reuse. You can buy them for under $1 each. I bring one for each of us for each day of our trips. I bought them 6 years ago...and fortunately, we didn't need to use them all and so I just keep taking from that stash. Anyway...they are a major blessing when you want to be able to keep going with your day and not get stuck in a gift shop waiting in vain for the rain to let up. They do have a hood.

 

2. Wear quick dry clothing.

 

When we were in the Animal Kingdom, I kept noticing another woman who was also wearing Athleta brand clothing. They have so many skirts and dresses that are fabulous. They look like normal clothing (not exercise clothes) and they dry quickly. And for whatever reason...because they are "sporty," you can wear sneaker style shoes and not look ridiculous.

 

3. Find your own favorite wet/dry sandals.

 

My family likes Tevas. I also saw Keens and Chacos, as well as some Merrell styles. And, crazy enough, flip flops, granted, some looked more supportive than others...

 

4. And specifically for Disney! I have a specific handbag that I seem to only ever use at Disney. It's small with a ton of pockets and organization. I have a system for dealing with the specifics of Disney with this bag...And here's the big part...if possible...have your bag fit inside a gallon-sized ziploc bag for riding wet rides. I keep all the things that shouldn't get wet in my bag. DH takes the things that can get wet...the lunch pack, the water bottles, the sunscreen bottles, sun glasses...in a string backpack style bag that is water resistant.

 

Not sure how our Independence Day is going to go. It's raining here at home. It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow. I hope there is a lull in the evening. We stopped at "Florida's largest Fireworks" store and got some serious booming fireworks. The whole neighborhood should be able to see our fireworks if we can set them off tomorrow!

 

Hope everyone has a great Independence Day!