All things EARTH...

[Sailor_Sally]

She did the most AMAZING thing! She gave me the price adjustment! She gave me a $300 price adjustment for loyalty status! She said, "oh... wait a minute... I can offer you a promo price for your second person!"... She gave me 50% off on the booking for the second person... and this was before a BOGOHO sale had even started! Long story, but I can't believe the pricing I have for this sailing! I'm sailing in a Central Park balcony stateroom, on a 12-night TA, for $859 for me and $579 for DH!.... isn't that unbelievable?!? I haven't seen any price adjustments that can beat that price... anytime... even now after final payment.

 

Anyway, we only have one port of call.. which is Malaga, Spain. We sail on 1st September and arrive in Barcelona on 13th September. We are staying in Barcelona for a week, leaving on 20th September for Paris. We stay in Paris for 10 days, leaving on 30th September. I have done so much planning! We'll see how all this planning pans out; I'll let you ladies know. I intend to do a better job of keeping a daily journal this time because I think that I might try to put together a travel book when I return... so maybe I'll have some interesting stories to share.

 

 

What a fabulous cruise at a unbelievable price ! Enjoy & report back please !

[mousey]

Member123,

 

I hope you and the DH have a safe and amazingly wonderful vacation. I'm so envious of your trip as it sounds like a dream vacation. :D Do let us know how it all went when you return.

 

Everyone,

 

I'm busy getting the DS ready to go back to school. I'm really busy so won't be posting much this week but I'll be peeking end so I can keep up with what's going on.

[laurspag]

Have a wonderful, fabulous, amazing cruise, Pam!!!

 

I've been working overtime this week so it have only been able to read some posts here and there.

 

I'm so glad you ended up with a good deal, Pam. I actually check rates daily for price drops. Gotta save those pennies!

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[MJC]

I'm finally home, and boy does it feel good! In the past month, I was only home for two days. I missed my big man and my kitty so much. Late at night it was fun to keep up on what was going here and on the FIRE board on my puny 7" tablet.

 

Here is my trip diary, or How I Spent My Summer:

 

Hospitalize my mother (who had gone off her meds) against her will (which necessitated a court order), pack and move my father in four days to assisted living so she could eventually come home, send off about 40 boxes of keepsakes, photos, and art to my siblings and relatives, have a truly MAMMOTH garage sale in which I actually sold a jetski lift and not one but two lawnmowers, arrange the charity pickup, clean a three bed/two bath house + garage, and walk them through the closing on their house.

 

I literally had one hour after the closing to pack myself up and leave for the airport. I had the same duffel bag of clothes for the whole month. I had two pairs of shoes, one of which broke, so all I had was a pair of flip flops for the last three days. :) I lost five pounds, broke all my nails, ran into a glass door and almost broke my nose, and I have cuts and scratches everywhere.

 

Every awful bit of it was totally worth it, since my mom is doing much better and my dad is way less stressed from not having the whole burden of caring for her. They seem really happy with the change and we are all so relieved after months of constant worry about their declining situation. Mark and I are going to take off the last week in August and rusticate at the lake.

 

Here is miss kitty with the beautiful sculpture my sister made years ago, and gave to me last week:

[laurspag]

Margaret, it is so good to hear from you! You have had one rough summer. Even your cruise gave you issues. But, all these things with your parents must be so difficult. You have indicated that it was worth it, and I'm glad to hear you say that. With your parents in Michigan and you near NYC, you need the peace of mind that comes with them being somewhere safe.

 

You really deserve a break and some time with your husband!

 

I'll bet Miss Kitty was very happy to see you. My dog is so darned funny. We did some errands today, stopped at the mall quickly, and so forth. When I got home, it was as if I was gone weeks or something. Harvey was so excited to see me. It sure feels good when our pets welcome us home.

 

And one of my errands today makes me think about your parents a bit, and some of the things I went through with mine. At our bank yesterday, a customer called and asked if there was a notary who would be able to go to the hospital and notarize some papers for her. I thought it would be a quick in and out thing, but it wasn't. She isn't doing so well, and she felt so nervous about everything. Her mind is sharp and all, but the seriousness of the situation was really hitting home for her. I felt bad. It made me think about the importance of being prepared and having certain things done ahead of time, such as POAs, wills, etc. My husband and I have done that, and I was surprised how it almost felt overwhelming for me despite the fact that I'm still young (well, sort of...) and in good health.

 

While at the mall, we stopped into the I-Comfort store. We really need to get a new bed. We have a lot of trouble sleeping. Is it just me, or is it really difficult to figure out just how well you will sleep when you are trying a mattress in the store? We both get up with a lot of aches and toss and turn quite a bit. A few people have told us they swear by memory foam.

 

Anita, you are under a month away from your cruise! I've got 79 days, I think. I'm excited, and really looking forward to it. We are looking to change our cruise for next year. We may do something a bit less common, and sail from San Diego on a Pacific Coastal cruise that goes to Catalina Island, then San Francisco for two days, then Victoria, BC. We will disembark in Vancouver. The rates right now are giving me conniptions, but this cruise and a few others were my debate when trying to decide what to do, any my husband is really wanting to try this cruise. I got to thinking that sailing on Adventure out of San Juan is a steady running cruise I can do anytime, so may switching things around a bit would be a good thing. Wouldn't you know it, my travel agent is on vacation and there is a sale. I guess I need to use one of the other agents. I can book on my own, our use one of these internet sites, but....I feel very loyal to my travel agent and the agency. He is so good to us. Sometimes, loyalty is a good thing.

[Sailor_Sally]

MJC , It is hard to move our parents into Assisted Living but it is so good for them plus you will finally get to breathe a sigh of relief . Hopefully the fall is better !You deserve a long break ! My Mom is in independent living with the option of assisted living and after the first few months she loves it & is well taken care of .

[Anita Latte]

Wow Margaret. Just Wow. I admire you for being the one that seems to have taken charge of the situation...because it sounds like you were alone and your siblings weren't actively participating. Dealing with siblings-in-law, I can imagine that in some respects...that could be a blessing...and frustrating all at the same time. Like Laurie, I'm so glad to hear the positive outcome for having made it through the trial...cuts and bruises and all, OMG...

 

It will be a well deserved break at the lake. I hope you have a relaxing and restorative time there!

[laurspag]

I really do admire your strength. Losing a few pounds is great, but not when it is due to all that stress!

 

I've made a change to one of my cruises. We are still going on Enchantment in November as planned. However, we changed the birthday cruise. I was very excited about sailing on Adventure out of San Juan, but we had a few other contenders. There was one other cruise that I kept going back to, and I realized that my husband like the other cruise way more. It may be a birthday cruise for me, but since it was a close tie for me and he had a preference, I decided to make the change.

 

We are sailing out of San Diego and going to Catalina Island, San Francisco and Victoria , BC. We return to Vancouver. We are on San Francisco for two days.

 

This cruise doesn't come up that often. We are excited, but I wasn't as excited about prices being up. I will take advantage of any price drops that come along. You never know!!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...the California cruise sounds like a great cruise. I would love to go back to San Francisco! You know that I was born and raised in the Bay Area? I haven't been back there since the big Y2K New Years. I've been thinking about a trip back there...not sure when...or how...but just thinking about spending time in Monterey and Carmel...and SFO, too, of course. When is that cruise?

 

We are sailing out of San Juan for Spring Break! Going on the Celebrity Summit to the Southern Caribbean. I'm very excited for this. It's almost becoming something of a tradition to go on a cruise with my parents for Spring Break! DS is going to get his first taste of a truly beautiful beach in the Bahamas. But the beaches that we will see on that cruise will be amazing.

 

I know that, come April, we are all really ready for some warmer weather here. The Atlanta winter is very different from the Houston winter...I'm so happy to have this to look forward to.

 

Not that I'm not still super excited for our cruise in just a few short weeks!

 

I did order the pettipants from the Vermont Country Store. I love the concept of them, and I think that they will work fine. For me to really love them, I need to tweak them a little bit. I had to order up so much because of my thick waist...the rise is too long, so the crotch hangs much lower than I want it to. If I raise up the crotch to where I would want it more...the legs aren't as long as I would prefer them to be? I don't know if I can shorten the rise from the bottom...I think I will try to sew some of these myself.

 

Anyway...they are very comfortable, extremely lightweight. Very airy. The body part is semi fitted, so it isn't bulky and the legs are more loose, not quite as baggy as the cu-lots of yesteryear.

[mousey]

Back home from moving the DS back to the University of Arizona. He loves his room in the fraternity house that his roommate's mom and I set up for them. They have a 32" TV just for cable and a 40" TV just to play games on. They also have a "kickass" as he and his roommate refer to it..stereo system that has six speakers and can be heard as far as the moon it is so loud. The DH set it up for them on Sat. Between the roommate's mom and me we decorated the room in grey, black, and white with pops of red. They have full-sized, bunk beds with lots of pillows and nice comforters, a leather futon, a freezer/fridge combo, a microwave, a full length mirror for each of them. I could go on and on about how "cool" this room is. Kids kept walking by asking us were we got the futon, the bedding, etc. We were even asked to go to some of the other guy's rooms and give them decorating tips. It was so funny. The guys think that my DS and his roommate have the most "awesome kickass" room in the frat house. LOL

 

I'm home now and feel so lost and sad. I miss the DS so terribly much. His smile, his humor, just his essence around the house is missing. The DH has planned a private screening for the new James Brown movie for us to see tonight. I'll go but I'd rather just not do anything. Nothing seems interesting to me right now. I'll snap out of it soon, just miss that kid so much. I can't hug or kiss him everyday now like I got to do all summer. And knowing that I would see him again until Oct when we go back for parents' weekend is making me cry right now. So I'll be back later.:(

Edited August 19, 2014 by mousey

[Anita Latte]

Aw mousey. It's rough business. I can relate...Mom and I are close and yet, too far away. It never gets easier. You just learn to appreciate the times that you have to be together and find a way to make it through the times in between.

 

I can tell you from personal experience that it's important to find your coping mechanism...figure out your "routine" or your ritual for how you deal with the initial separation. If you can figure that out, it will help you in the long run to make that transition from times together to times apart.

[smitty34877]

Hello to everyone here. I have been reading this thread for over a year but felt quite shy about posting. It is always so interesting and I have learned so much from all of you-my wardrobe is slowly evolving to much better color choices, thank you very much.

I just had to say to mousey that it will get better and you will find your routine again which helps. It was a long time ago for me when my son went to college in TN(we are in NY). The distance was good for all of us in a way as we are a close family but quite an adjustment on my part. I remember just saying over and over'"you raised him to be independent and make his own way in the world" . I always worked full time with a second job at times so I guess being busy helped. Hang in there! I think my point is that he needed the distance in order to transition to his own life. It was painful but seems to have worked out well overall.

Anyway, I think all of you are especially considerate and kind and I would love to finally enter the discussion!

[Anita Latte]

Hello Smitty, and WELCOME to the conversation! :)

 

I know it can be hard to jump onto these long term threads and somehow join in...but we are a very welcoming bunch! And a fresh voice is always welcome. So please tell us a little about you...it will be a good distraction for those of us that are going through rough times, which I am sure you have read about recently.

 

Are you an EARTH? Did you figure this out on your own, or did you consult with Curt? Or do some other color analysis system? When did you figure it out?

 

How did you dress before? What kinds of wardrobe changes have you been making/trying to make as a result of learning your colors?

 

It looks like you have gone on some fun cruises! In a part of the world that I have yet to explore...though I do hope to in the future... Do you have a cruise planned?

 

I am just over 3 weeks away from our cruise. It will be so interesting to go on this cruise, only 5 months after the last. With that cruise so fresh in my mind...I should be able to make a good comparison between Celebrity and Carnival. Laurie...comparing to Royal may be a bit more difficult as that was over 2 years ago. Also...I think that the more you do a vacation, the better at doing that vacation you get...so it's a bit harder to compare your very first cruise to subsequent ones because experience and increased knowledge tend to add to the experience...

 

We had thought to cruise Royal again for Spring Break 2015...but it turns out that the itinerary and the pricing of the Summit out of San Juan was just too good to pass up when comparing...so again...our attempts to sail on the brilliance class for Royal has been postponed. But one of these days...

 

It's good to have these things to look forward to...

 

It's about time for me to do some wardrobe planning. I was hoping that I would have more clothing options because of greater progress with my health and fitness effort...but...I'm having some hormone issues that are somewhat sabotaging my efforts. I have a plan to deal...but I doubt that I will be able to make too much of a change between now and sailing...so I think I'll start my planning now.

 

We are driving to the port, so I don't have to deal with luggage restrictions. The cruise is a short 5 nights, so I know that I don't want to deal with a lot of clothing, simply because I don't want to...more vacationing, less dealing. Because we are driving...about 5 hours...I want a very comfortable travel outfit. Most do, right? But my outfit won't need to deal with security (shoes) or fluctuating temperatures (planes, airports, etc.) and in fact, I imagine that I'll have to deal more with humidity and warmth than overpowering air conditioning. And early morning temperatures (5 am) going into embarkation and the heat of the day.

 

So, for the purposes of wardrobe planning...I have

 

2 travel days - 5-hour+ car driving

2 sea days

2 port days - 1 walking all around port; 1 beach day port

 

I think I'll start with shoes...I need to figure out the best shoes for walking all around Nassau and then go from there. I WILL remember my sun hat for this cruise! It was sorely missed on the last one.

[Member123]

Anita, You might want to think about whether the ideal car travel outfit is also the outfit you'd want to wear for SailAway and into the dining room on embarkation day. My point is: you might want to consider an additional day for outfit planning... just sayin'.

 

And you are so right! Practice! Practice! Practice! Must take vacations to practice for taking vacations! Yeah! I keep getting better (although this is the first vacation I've had to weigh my clothes).

 

Actually, weighing my clothes was an eye-opening exercise. I learned so much about wardrobe planning... just by weighing my clothes! I know that sounds weird and I'll try to explain. I've always had a tentative grasp on the concept of mix/match coordinating outfits and, for example, tops that go with several bottoms and vice versa. But, I've always had difficulty trying to pack a suitcase that would provide a sense of variety to my choices. So, I have a pair of capris that I'll call my "Woodprint Pants" and I have a selection of 4 tops and 2 outer layer tops to go with them. From those items, I can actually achieve 8 different "looks." In suitcase-speak, this "costs" me 4 lbs 6.6 oz. By adding one neutral bottom and keeping the tops, I have achieved 16 outfits! And, it only cost me a lb to do that! Except that... of course... there's not THAT much difference between the neutral bottom and the Woodprint Pants bottom. So, what (basically) I feel like I achieved is the ability to postpone laundry because I still feel like I need to have more choices. But, it was interesting to see the concept of mix/match and lighter packing a little more clearly. I don't know if this explanation is making sense; like I said, a tentative grasp (for me).

 

But, basically, I COULD do the post cruise portion of our trip, for that 5 lbs 6.6 oz of packing space... and doing laundry once or twice. Except that I don't want to do laundry that much... so what I'm going to do is the same type of wardrobe planning for 2 other bottoms (a neutral and a more non-neutral print) and have a split-suitcase concept (sharing with DH) and be OK if one suitcase goes awry (don't even THINK about it! LOL) and have a bunch of variety.

 

But, I did get a more significant learning to my packing dilemmas. Practice! Practice! Practice!

 

Here I am, planning for an extended vacation... but really concentrating on 17 days of outfits without having to do laundry. I've planned to do laundry just once on this trip; I don't like the ship's laundry (for various reasons). Anyway, I'm doing quite well (I think); I will report back any success/misses that I may have on the trip.

 

Anita, do you also have a formal night on this cruise? It's more than just the type of days that you have... travel, port, sea... it's more the activities within those days that are up for consideration and planning.

 

Smitty! It's always fun to have a new voice and an addition to the conversation. I love these EARTH ladies as much as I do my FIRE friends. Do you ever come over and hang out with us? As the conversation has progressed, I pretty much just think of these two threads as one. Just like having a party where people have gotten comfortable in different rooms and I have to keep walking back and forth to keep up with everyone's conversations. FUN! Don't be shy! :D

[smitty34877]

Thank you Anita and Member 123 for the welcome. Of course I also check out the conversation on the FIRE board! It IS like being at a party and going from room to room. I am glad I got over myself and joined in.

I think I was drawn to these discussions first because of loving to cruise but also the talk of choices involved in colors/styles etc. I finally ordered the Style book this am. I was struck by the intense and honest analysis going on as you each described yourselves.

A little about me. I grew up in a very masculine household and had very little assistance with dressing,hair,makeup. I also went to catholic school(uniform) for 12 years and chose a career in healthcare where I have to wear a lab coat,sensible shoes and very washable ,practical clothing. As my children were growing up I didn't pay much attention to what I was wearing but I have always loved shoes,dresses and all of those wonderful(to me) girly things. I just did not know how to wear them.

I am very fair with reddish hair and have struggled with color choices in clothing for myself for years. I never felt that I got it right! I was actually relieved for my daughters' sake when she got to the stage when she could pick her own styles and colors!

I tried brown and just the right shade of red and saw a new woman in the mirror! I am progressing towards deep greens-who knew. It is liberating.

The work I do at this time is with an older population. I am a grandmother myself but let me tell you the patients are very frank about clothing choices,hair styles.They have noticed the difference .

That is a long winded way of thanking all of you. I think I am an earth but am not totally sure-what else is new! Smitty

[Anita Latte]

smitty...I hope you have fun with that style book. There were times when it felt like WORK and not fun for me...it makes you think a lot...this can be a positive or a negative experience depending on where your thoughts take you. Regardless...once you get to the end...it is so worth all the effort.

 

If you are unsure about whether or not you are more EARTH or FIRE...I would recommend that you take some photographs of yourself. It's very enlightening to study photographs of yourself. We always recommend that you pull your hair back away from your face, don't wear cosmetics of any kind, and try to stand in front of a more neutral background and in natural light, if possible. Try to take the photographs one after the other, in the same session so that conditions are as similar as possible across the photos.

 

If you are trying to nail down EARTH vs. FIRE...raid your house for the following colors, if you can find them...use anyone else's clothing (assuming you can get it on, even if it doesn't fit well), use sheets, tablecloths, blankets, curtains, towels...really, anything that is fabric that you can wear or drape across your upper body "senior portrait style".

 

For EARTH:

 

Mustard yellow.

Rust.

Army green.

Most dull orange colors.

Most greens and browns that remind you of baby poop.:p

 

For FIRE:

 

Sunshine yellow.

Coral.

Aqua.

Candy apple green.

Many blues that remind you of the Caribbean.

 

What will generally happen in the photos is...

 

If you are EARTH...then you will look surprisingly good in all those muted and potentially awful colors. Your eyes will pop and your skin tone will look like a skin tone. In the bright colors...your skin tone will disappear. You may look a very weird "tan" kind of monotone kind of color. Your eyes will not pop...the color will wear you; instead of seeing your face when you first look at the photo...you will see the shirt or color that you are wearing.

 

If you are FIRE...then you will look like death in those muted and potentially awful colors. Seriously. Your skin will have a grayish cast to it, lacking that skin tone kind of coloring. In the bright colors...your eyes will pop. And amazingly enough...even in that bright, grab your sunglasses, I'm blinded color...YOU will stand out. Your face will be the first thing you see when you look at the photo.

 

You will be able to see one scenario or the other in the photographs by a process of comparison. It may not be the easiest thing to see for any one color when you view an individual photograph, but by comparing how you look in the family of colors compared to the others...you will begin to recognize how your skin tone is influenced by the colors you are wearing. Once you see it...you can see it in photos ever after. It is very hard to train your eye to see these things IRL...there's something about seeing the photographs that really helps. Maybe it's because you can actually make comparisons side by side with a photograph...and it is always hard to look at something in a stand alone scenario and recognize the effect.

 

You don't have to share your photos with us...but you are welcome to, if you'd like some second...third...fifth...seventh opinions. LOL!!

 

I do have a formal night on the cruise. I think it is the first sea day...which is the day after embarkation. We didn't really do formal night on our last cruise, did we? We dressed up, but went to the Tuscan Grille. I'll have to try my dresses on and see what I am most comfortable wearing.

 

I do know that I will likely have more than one outfit for each day...:rolleyes: I was just listing the days...

[smitty34877]

Hello earth ladies...I tried the color comparison with my daughter assisting and will try to post a photo this weekend. The candy apple green was a particularly awful color for me ! My eyes can be either green or blue and were so much more obvious even with glasses-especially wearing brown and forest green. I was amazed. Anita, I did look "deathly" in those colors.

[laurspag]

Wow! Lots going on here!

 

Anita, I know I tend to pack too much, but I've scaled back a lot for the past couple of cruises. I think it would be good to have an extra outfit or two.

 

I am finding that I like having variety in my wardrobe. I don't want to bring all formal, or all casual. I never go without jewelry....I saw on another thread where someone was talking about formal nights, and going casual. They mentioned not want to wear "all that jewelry". I never thought of that...I love to wear jewelry, you know?

 

It's interesting to try and put yourself in someone else's shoes. For example, I was thinking what it would be like to be ice. All that black! So much to choose from! Then I got to thinking about what else to wear besides black. I think an ice would get the best selection in formal wear as to black, royal blue and red, but for day to day, it's black and gray.

 

I mentioned before that I tend to migrate to the brightest of earth colors. I love it all, but sometimes I find it so hard to find what I'm looking for. I think we all have that issue, regardless of what category we fall in. I think my biggest issue sometimes are those murkier browns that have a cool cast. I see it and say "brown!" and then when I get it home, it will work with many of my earth tones (we're generally talking about murky work pants, lol) as long as they aren't brown. If it's brown, then you see just how cool the tone really is.

 

That leads me to this: even within our groups, there can be varying levels of muted and brightness. That is where trying on a lot of different colors matters. who cares if the top you try on (for color purposes) is flattering? Just go outside, if possible, and have someone take a picture so that you can really see the color next to your face. Without makeup is the best, too!

 

I will be posting more tomorrow, hopefully. My daughter and I are off to the state fair today. It's not exactly my thing, but a day with my daughter is always fun so I know I will enjoy it. I will try not to eat too many bad things. I've lost 6 pounds and I don't want them back.

 

I need to tell you about a phone app call my net diary. It isn't some sort of fad diet, but it is a great to track your intake of food, by calorie, vitamins, fat, cholesterol, you name it! It really makes you think about what you are eating, and how to cut back to lose weight. In just the first few days, I realized so much about my diet. There is a a section to track your exercise too, to see what you are burning off. My brother is using this app, since his doctor recommended it to him. He has been chronically overweight for many years, and the doctor told him that if he didn't do something now, he was going to be in trouble. He's lost 40 pounds, and can't believe how easy it is. He goes over his recommended calories at times, and has bad days like the rest of us. But he is loving this, and loving how much better he feels.

 

More later!!!!

[Anita Latte]

smitty...have fun taking the photos. That experience will really be an eye opener for you...the way our skin reacts to color...it makes sense, but until you see it and can really make comparisons, you just don't realize how much.

 

I've spent the time in the stores...debating colors...especially purples and teals...trying to determine if they were warm or cool colors...and I have literally watched what feels like a slow motion computerized morphing of the colors on my face. When I wear a cool and muted color...what we call AIR here...the difference between the more yellow skin and more red/pink skin gets remarkably pronounced. Under my eyes, yellow...cheeks, red...the line from the sides of my nose to the outside of my mouth, yellow...chin, red...tip of nose, red...outside of forehead, yellow...center forehead, red. OMG. SO unattractive.

 

Take away that obviously NOT EARTH teal/purple...reveal the lovely rust colored shirt that I wearing...and watch the magic...it's like make-up or excellent BB cream just covered my face...my skin tone evens out...I get that overall healthy appearance...eyes sparkle and pop. Sometimes, my lips even look more like lips...more contrast to my skin tone.

 

I have to say that when you know your colors...it can help manipulate your mood and how you are feeling on any given day. It's a major tool in your personal arsenal for those days that you might be feeling a bit blah...grab that one shirt that you KNOW makes you look amazing...knowing fully WHY...and know you are looking your best...because you can see it. Instant mood enhancer.

 

I guess I'm not so big on variety in the wardrobe. I don't know if that is a function of operating with such a limited wardrobe for so long...but I find that I am definitely one of those people that just wears the same thing over and over. The same outfits...the same combinations...and to a certain extent...I feel a bit of comfort in just being able to grab a familiar set of clothes, and I appreciate that.

 

My biggest concern with getting dressed...and this is probably a big overshare...but oh well...never seems to stop me...is SMELL. I know that the hardest thing you can do to your clothing is wash it. You just don't put clothes through the wear and tear that any washing machine does...there may be stress points...and these will show wear...but, in general, it's best to wash your clothing as little as possible for longevity. There's lots of techniques for refreshing clothing between wears...but the hardest to deal with is smell...

 

I have yet to ever wear all the clothes I pack on a vacation. It's actually something that I almost WANT to do...that is, run out of clothes and wish that I had packed more. Again...I'm challenging myself with this trip...thinking of it as a trial for the next cruise, which will require air travel on an airline that charges for checking baggage. I'm going to be very picky about what makes the cut this time around. Very picky.

 

We have anytime dining...so I will feel more comfortable repeating dresses, I think...it should be a very efficient pack.

 

I go back and forth on jewelry...I can relate to wanting to wear it and not wanting to wear it. In general, when I am more active, I don't like the extra baggage on my person...rings and bracelets get in the way. I feel like necklaces look a bit ridiculous unless they are dainty with some of my day to day outfits...same with earrings. But I do think jewelry adds that polish when you are wanting to look nicer. I usually enjoy the effect of earrings on my eyes...IDK why but something about gems or even semi-precious stones just adds that lil' somethin somethin for eyes to sparkle. You'd think it's be the opposite and detract...but I think this comes from wearing the right color in the earrings that it enhances. :)

[aoknkentucky]

Anita, I agree that less clothes is probably the way I'll pack for my February cruise. I tend to pack so that the outfit I wear for dinner one night can be worn the next day or used for dinner another night. Since we are cruising NCL and don't have an official dress-up night, I'll probably take a few maxis and scarves. My jewelry and scarves change up my outfits so that I don't mind re-using my mix-and-match wardrobe. I'm leaning toward lime and blues this time. I've accumulated quite a few items of those colors lately and can easily manage 15 or so pieces. That's usually enough for any possible activity. If I have enough for a week, I have enough. But I don't mind washing out a piece or two if needed. The best thing I've ever done, is a daily spreadsheet. One less thing to stress about. Just enjoy the vaca. AND, I really enjoy the vaca planning. I've already started the February spreadsheet. That way I'll have those items handy and they won't be in the back of some closet where I'll forget.

 

So many of us pack similar and yet different, don't we? I love that the FIRE and EARTH ladies can move back and forth between the different rooms. I have learned so much from everyone. Thanks y'all!

[MJC]

You all are so great! I really enjoy reading everyone’s posts and spending time here with you. I’m also really enjoying reading Kim’s Africa journal on the FIRE thread. You all know that’s on my bucket list.

Sally, you are so right that AL is perfect for them and has given me great peace of mind. I don’t jump now every time the phone rings, thinking it’s going to be bad. Mom & Dad are still adjusting, but in the long run it is really the best situation for them at this time. However, this will be the first Christmas in 20 years that we haven’t spent in Sarasota, which is a little sad. I will have to choose between Michigan with my parents, or Seattle with my sister and her new baby. A very hard choice.

Smitty, welcome to the EARTH thread! I hope you have as much fun and learn as much as I have. This is a great time to jump aboard because with autumn coming we will have lots of fun shopping and sharing to do. I spent some time in Lord & Taylor looking at the amazing sales, but with all the AIR colors for spring and summer I walked out empty handed. I do have my eye on a Free People top but I will wait until a sale day or coupon because I hate paying full price at the beginning of the season, unless it’s something I dearly love. We are in the same neck of the woods! I’m in NYC.

Mousey, I feel for you and your empty nest. My goddaughter (an only child) just went away to college for the first time and her mother is bereft. My parents lost the four of us in a trickle and I think that was a little easier to deal with. Plus we weren’t so far away so it was a more gradual loss. When my mother would complain that we were so far away we would just say “well, you raised us to be independent, and we are!” I hope you are finding some interesting things to do to distract yourself. Sometimes that is the only solution.

Pam, I’m sure it isn’t fun for you but thank you for sharing your packing dilemmas. For myself I know that, no matter how many trips and how much I think I have a handle on the packing thing, I can always learn something new… and I still make mistakes. Working with the restrictions you have really does require a different level of thinking. One understands why so many resort to the black and white option for its simplicity. My last cruise didn’t teach me anything about packing, since we didn’t go where we thought we would, but I have had those trips where I didn’t pack enough and that is a total pain.

I have to say I’m with Laurie on the jewelry, I just don’t feel dressed without at least some earrings and a watch. In summer I tend to shy away from big necklaces because of the whole hot flash thing, but I do like to wear them to work for the extra polish they give an outfit. I’m noticing that as I lose weight I need to adjust my sense of proportion and some of my larger pieces seem to be too much now.

Anita is the goddess of color. Just sayin’.

Remind me, everyone, who is going where and when? I think Pam is first, then Anita, then Laurie? I’m very excited for you all! We want pictures, please!

Our happy news is that I think, because we will forgo our annual trip to Florida in December, we will get to take a spring break cruise AND a December 2015 cruise. Our current thinking is Windstar Panama Canal in March, and Emerald Princess Western Caribbean in December. I’m going to get to Roatan by hook or by crook!

[MJC]

Sorry that came out so small. I'm still learning the cut and paste thing from Word.

[MJC]

Since Laurie gave us The Great Wedding Dress Challenge, I will put forth our next one which is... what is your perfect skirt?

[laurspag]

It's hard for me to re-wear clothing on a cruise. Since I began going through menopause and hot flashes, I just don't feel clean. I'm always thinking that my clothes smell. On a cruise, with all that hot weather, I am certain that my clothes are dirty. I have to say I am fortunate, in that besides this feeling like I need a shower, the rest of the symptoms have not been bad for me at all.

 

I do try not to bring too many clothes, and I've been okay with the luggage weight limit so far. One daytime outfit for each day, plus one extra outfit and an additional top. I've been known to wear it all!

 

Smitty, we would love to see photos. As Margaret has said, Anita really knows colors! I can easily see warm versus cool, for the most half. I'm not as good with the muted part. One thing that really helps me is that I have a daughter who is a fire, which is our warm bright counterpart. Pam (member123) is a fir, and so is aoknkentucky. If I think that there is a possibility that a color I like is more fire than earth, I put it next to my daughter. If it looks a bit dull next to her, then I know it is muted. There are a few overlaps, but not a lot. We can both wear chocolate brown, and there is this darker coral color that I will call adobe that is on both of our color cards.

 

Margaret, your skirt challenge is a good one. I just bought two maxi skirts and I am having the hardest time figuring out what to wear with them. I actually have a skirt that I have had for years, that I just love and bring on every cruise.

 

 

 

I figure I can find something similar online to show you, but since I actually own a skirt I love a lot, I wanted to post this one. I feel like I can wear so much with it.

 

To describe the ideal skirt in general, it is straight, and above the knee, without being fitted. My denim skort also has this sort of fit as well. I will have to find a picture of that one!

 

Margaret, I'm happy for you that you will be able to get some cruising in for next year! I completely love the planning process. I too have used spread sheets to plan, but once I get it all figured out, I don't seem to need to bring it along with me. I love planning and trying on the outfits so much, that it's very embedded in my head. The only thing that may not be set is exactly which outfit on which day. I do choose my embarkment outfit ahead of time though.

 

Pam, I admire what you are doing with the packing. Can you imagine me packing for a longer trip? I think I'd have some serious problems!

[laurspag]

I forgot to mention that one reason I love variety in clothing is that my job determines my work attire, a lot like Smitty said about herself. Banking is pretty much wearing a suit, and since I hardly ever find a suit to fit, I end up with a coordinating jacket and pants. I express myself a bit with some jewelry.

 

With a cruise, I can change things up with scarves and the like, but my last cruise was way too hot for a scarf. I did wear one when we boarded, but I ended up taking it off. For dinner, I don't often wear the kind of dress that works with a scarf...it's a necklace for me.

 

I am trying to bring in some work clothing that isn't a suit of sorts that still makes the cut. Many of the others in our office don't wear suits, but as the head of the department, I feel compelled to as all upper management does. I tend to ease up once a week, as long as what I'm wearing fits into the dress code.

 

I did good at the fair. I ate half a chicken gyro. I got a deep fried Snickers bar, took one bite, and threw it out. Long story there - had to do with me saying every year that I should get one. I was told this year to stop talking about it and just do it. Overall, I behaved! And hopefully, my walking around a lot offset any extra calories.