All things EARTH...

[laurspag]

Hi Mousey,

 

I think it will just be us for a few days, as Anita will be heading out to her cruise while Margaret comes home.

 

I wouldn't call it so much a rule when it comes to multi prints, but this is how I approach these situations.

 

1) How many different colors are there? If there are only 3-5, I usually only want to see one non-earth color and in moderation.

2) If there are more colors, then it can work to have more than one non-earth color, but you really want to be sure that the overall feel is very warm.

 

Remember my new animal print bathing suit? I was hesitant to order it, because I knew there was black in it. When the suit came in, I saw that there was ivory, gold, brown and black. So 4 colors, one non earth. Did the black take up more than 1/4th of the suit? No. To me, this swimsuit was a keeper.

 

For the most half, it can be pretty hard to find all earth prints. They are out there though. I think the main thing with shopping is patience.

 

I think most of us on this thread have a decent grip on the colors, but we have those times when we aren't certain. One of the things that I have learned a lot recently is that I shouldn't buy something simply because it's the right color. I have to keep in mind that my body shape dictates the style of clothing. I'm very top heavy, so high necklines are not flattering at all. If I find the perfect boat neck shirt in the perfect brown, I have to stop myself from saying " I need to buy that because it's a great brown for me." Yes, it's a great color, but it's not the right style.

 

I just thought I'd throw that in there, not to confuse you, but to help make you selective.

 

We are supposed to get another snowstorm possibly tonight. They aren't sure if we are getting snow, sleet, rain or freezing rain just yet. In any event, there is a good chance I'm not going anywhere tomorrow, so it may be a good time to take some pictures of my new tops.

 

You will find too, that we are all different types of shoppers here. My job requires me to wear suiting separates, for the most half. In banking, clothing is quite conservative. What I wear to work, isn't anything I'd take on a cruise or wear at home. I definitely have a variety of clothing for that reason. We also get 4 distinct weather seasons here. I probably buy more than some of the others on this thread, but I tend to be a bit frugal to make up for it when I can.

 

Oh, and I LOVE necklaces. :D:D

[mousey]

Laurie,

 

Thanks for all the info. I guess I was right to pass on the print I was talking about. because the background was white even though there wasn't much of it. I know about having different wardrobes. I used to work in a law office and I had to have nice buisness clothes I've donated them all to one of my BFF's non-profit organization. It's where I donate most of my things.

 

I hope Margaret had a good time on what little was left of her cruise and that Anita has no problems on hers. I leave for FL this coming Tues. for two weeks and I can't wait.

 

Sorry about your snowstorm. We are having great weather, but we did have a 5.1 earthquake last night. We didn't feel it where we live though.

 

Okay, I'm gonna brave it and go watch the last few seconds of the U of A basketball game. I really want them to win so bad...but it doesn't look at this moment like the will. :(

[MJC]

Hi everyone, I'm back! I've been catching up on the thread, lots of interesting conversation going on here.

 

Anita told you a bit about our cruise woes. As you can imagine I was a tad disappointed to take what turned out to be a seven day cruise (?) with only one day in port, and that one not my favorite of the itinerary (Cozumel). We ultimately sat at the pier for four chilly days so even the pool was not an option. We had a smooth flight, two nice days in Houston, and a super quick boarding process. Within a half hour of boarding there was the accident at the shipping channel and we knew we wouldn't be sailing on Saturday. Turns out we didn't sail on Sunday either.

 

On Monday we heard from the Coast Guard that the channel might be closed anywhere from 72 hours to several weeks. :eek: So, they said we could go ashore if we wanted to, and several people with cars did go off sight-seeing. However, two hours later they got a call on their cell phones to come back as we would be leaving at 4pm and go to Cozumel and Costa Maya. They also announced that if we wanted to leave the ship we could get a full refund plus some future cruise credits. We decided to stay as it would have been an expense and a hassle to change our flights.

 

Well, just before we were to leave they announced that the Coast Guard had found another oil slick and the channel would be closed until further notice and if we could leave at all it would be to cruise the Gulf and come back. :( At this point they told us we would all get a full refund and future cruise credits, which we were very happy to hear.

 

We ended up departing late on Tuesday and the captain pushed hard to get to Cozumel on Thursday. With gale force winds at our back the ship was rocking and rolling, which we kind of like but made for difficulty walking in my heels. :)

 

We didn't get to go to Nachi Cocom, which was disappointing, but we had a nice day on a catamaran snorkel and beach visit. The snorkeling was surprisingly good and the beach had lots of inflatables that we had fun on. So, not too shabby. We had another race back to Houston and that was that.

 

We learn something on every cruise, and on this one it was that I don't know if we could take a transatlantic or other cruise with lots of sea days in a row. I will say, however, that we made the best of it and had a very relaxing week aside from the going/not going/going/not going nature of the first few days. We had a nice big breakfast every day, then Zumba or gym. Some lounging, MDR lunch, afternoon nap. Tea or cocktail hour, get ready for dinner, see the show, wonderful dinner companions, dancing in the nightclub. We had an aft balcony which was sheltered from the wind so we did get to sit out there a couple times, which was absolutely lovely.

 

I did manage to take a few pictures, so when I get myself settled I'll post a bit. I wore just about everything I brought; I had two tank tops that I didn't wear, two bathing suits, my pareo, and a long-sleeved beach coverup which was for when I had too much sun -- HA HA. I've got a quick turnaround because I'm heading to FL to my parents on Tuesday to drive them back to Michigan. I'll spend the weekend in MI and see my brother, then back to school next week. Busy busy.

 

Anita, I hope you have an awesome cruise! Mousey, your discussion of mixing EARTH and non-EARTH colors with Laurie was interesting. I think Laurie and I have similar challenges with that because we need professional wardrobes. Laurie, I went through the same phase of buying for color and not thinking about style, and then ending up with things I just don't wear. I am trying to be more selective now and trying to focus on both color AND silhouette.

 

I have lots of American Idol to catch up on now. :):)

[MollyFlyer]

It's good to know you're back safe and sound!

 

and bleh, I feel like a failure. I tried to go shopping for new pants or a skirt for my trip next week, but I'm too tiny. Even the smallest sizes in the petite section were baggy on me. I ended up going with a taupe/black striped skirt simply because it fit, even though it wasn't very earth-y.

[mousey]

Margaret,

 

Sorry your cruise wasn't all that you hoped for but we knew you would make the best of it. I'm sorry you didn't get to make it to Nachi Cocom..but look on the bright side...now you can take another cruise and go there! LOL!

 

Who's your favorite on Idol! Mine are in this order, Caleb, Gina, and Alex. I love CJ and wish he would get better. The others don't float my boat.

 

It's funny, I'm off to FL tomorrow! :D

 

However, I won't be going light as I had planned to try and do. Word on the street is that the SIL, told my DB, who told my mom that I had better NOT show up with just a carryon! I'm to bring her some of my handbags, scarves, sunglasses, and costume jewelry because as she says, "That heffer has way too much stuff!" Heffer is how my SIL and I fondly refer to each other. We are such great pals and have so much fun when we're together. Anyway, no single roll-aboard for me this trip!:eek: Depending on which definition you choose a "heffer" is slang for either a "young cow" or "big fat cow". The SIL and I both claim to be the "young cow"...LOL! Can't wait to see her.:D

 

I'm enjoying learning about color theory from all the great women on this thread. I'm taking some of my new Earth-colored clothes to FL to see what the SIL and mom think of me in these new colors. I can count on them to be excruciatingly honest! LOL! Love them! Can't wait for tomorrow!

Edited March 31, 2014 by mousey

[laurspag]

Margaret, nice to hear from you! I'm sorry about your cruise. It certainly sounds to me like you made the best of things though. It appears Princess did what they could to address what was out of their control.

 

Wearing most of your outfits considering your reduced itinerary says a lot about what you needed to bring. I'm trying to go a bit lighter this time. I've had a bunch of clothing out, and I have a pretty good idea of what I am bringing.

 

I took pictures and some are better than others. Here is what was funny about it all...I got things out, and closed the curtains because there was some sharp sunlight coming in that was really throwing the colors off. Then my hubby comes in, opens the window, uses a stepstool...and fixes a loose shutter. It was smart thinking, considering what a muddy mess our yard is right now. However, it really messed up my lighting.

 

It's kind of strange being two months away and having most of my outfits planned. I have this orangey shirt and it feels muted, but it may be more fire than earth. I was debating about it quite a bit, an my daughter grabbed a scarf I planned to wear with something else, and told me to put it with this outfit instead. Then she took a second scarf that I would not have dreamed of putting with this particular shirt and shorts, and said, "I like this idea". I think I'm going to go along with it too.

 

I'm still trying to decide on the dresses though. That is usually easier for me but I want to keep this fun.

 

Mollyflyer, I don't know much about your age or overall style, but maybe junior clothes would work for you? I find that my daughters love Forever 21, as it has a lot of smaller sizes. The clothes really cover a lot of different styles there. Hang in there, this is a very tough time of the year to find our colors. Is it common for you to have trouble finding your size?

 

Mousey, enjoy Florida!

 

I'll be right back with some pictures...

[laurspag]

So, here we go! I kept things comfortable and easy care for this cruise. Geesh, I sound like I've already been on the trip, lol.

 

These are a few things I'm bringing along for later evening, when I often get cool. I can re-wear these, as I don't have them on long.

 

 

Here is another shirt I'll bring along to go with the bottoms. These are both ankle pants, by the way.

 

 

 

I have this knit cardigan I got at Eddie Bauer in an oatmeal color. I am thinking I could always put on one of my day time tops if I wanted to, and wear the cardigan over the top.

 

Here are daytime ideas:

 

 

This picture here is coming out a bit too bright. It is a wonderful oatmeal color, and here is an up close of the necklace. I'm pairing this with warm, dark purple shorts. The picture came out awful, so I will have to try again and see if I can get a better picture. I wanted you to get the idea though.

 

 

This is a skort, not a skirt. The necklace was worn on my last cruise also. The burnished gold tones down the orange a bit.

 

[laurspag]

Here are more:

 

This shirt is a bit fire, a bit earth. This is the one outfit I mentioned earlier where my daughter took a scarf from another outfit and paired it with this. The scarf has this exact orangey color in it, small scale. It's almost a yellowy orange, if that makes sense.

 

 

This is my $3.99 clearance shirt from JC Penney paired with my favorite cruising skirt. I welcome having a print! The lighting really took a lot away from this picture. If you go a few pages back on this thread, there is a picture of the skirt with a different top, also a print. It gives you a better idea of the skirt color.

 

 

This here is my daughter's idea. I'm on the fence a little. I thought about wearing the oatmeal top with the brown shorts and this scarf. it's a great look, but predictable and matchy-matchy. I might just try on the scarf and top and get an idea if it works for me.

[laurspag]

Oops, I forgot the picture that goes with that last sentence!

 

 

I'm still deciding a bit, but a few of the outfits I feel pretty sure on. I may move that print scarf back with the carmel shorts and teal shirt. Then, with the skort, I have a number of tops I can wear. If I had brown, that scarf would be just right. I have other scarves in the closet as well, including one that is mostly ivory, with gold and brown in it. I have a gold top.

 

I did the mix and match test, and I liked the potential that I could pair these things up so many ways. Fun! There are only a few things that I wasn't keen on with everything: The purple top actually looks good next to the carmel shorts, denim skort, the brown shorts I paired them with and the oatmeal skort. I prefer it with something darker, more saturated. Then there is that yellowy orange top....

[MollyFlyer]

I actually got the skirt at a junior clothes store -- no Forever 21 in the area; tbh it's the lack of selection that's probably causing most of my problems. But the store I was trying first, the one where nothing fit . . . they had the most gorgeous earth-y pants, lightweight and great for a cruise. Moss green, chocolate brown, khakis -- it was awful to realize none of them fit.

 

*sigh* It's actually worse since I decided to get in shape a little for the cruise. Nothing dramatic, just walking a little more (I tend to spend way too much time on the computer) but it caused my legs to slim down enough that only one pair of my old jeans still fit.

 

I know, it's the opposite of the problem most people have when trying to find pants that fit, but it's still frustrating.

 

And, wow, that's a lovely selection -- the top with the feather pattern is especially nice.

[mousey]

Laurie,

 

I love all your choices. Your daughter has an eye for clothing too!:D

[laurspag]

Thank you. I really have a lot of fun planning out my outfits. In some ways, these outfits are a bit plainer for me than usual. I think necklaces and scarves can be a great way to pull the outfits together, and polish them up a bit. The nice thing is, they are still comfortable and easy care as well.

 

A few of my tops that I was thinking of bringing that were casual, but a step up from basic knits are a bit big. That's a good thing. I am not on a diet or anything, but I'm trying to be careful of what I eat, and boost up the activity level. My feeling is that I want to be healthy and develop a healthy lifestyle, or I will only lose weight and put it back on. The tops were loose to begin with, and I had already taken them in. they just seem to be a bit baggier, and you start to lose the style after a while unless you take the whole thing apart.

 

I was thinking that with my dresses, I should bring a mix. I always wear a dress at dinner and love to accessorize, but I want a thing or two that is fun and a bit more relaxed. I have time to narrow it all down, I guess. I'm just so excited!

 

I can't wait for Margaret to post her pictures. They will be great to see.

[laurspag]

Mollyflyer, have you ever been tested for hyperthyroidism? I have the opposite- hypothyroidism.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[MJC]

Argh. Lost my post.

 

Laurie, it's so fun to see all your outfits. I want to grab that green one right off the screen. I'm realizing now that I had a version of that last summer that went to Goodwill -- something to keep an eye out for.

 

Here are a couple pictures from our time in Houston. In the first one at the Kemah Boardwalk I'm wearing my favorite t-shirt. There's something about the orange, peach, brown that does nice things for my skin, and I always get compliments when I wear it. I'm already a little pink even though we were only in the sun to wait in line. I'm so sun-sensitive now. And, my hair is a little bright since I'd had it done the day before and it takes a day or two to calm down. :)

 

The second one is from our day of sight-seeing at the Houston Space Center. Space shuttle! Rockets! We had so much fun. This is the gold sweater that I wore so much as it was the only cardi I had brought - big mistake. I actually wished I had a fleece a few times! I wore it with the tan/teal tank, which was great because when it was hot I could just wear the tank. My favorite Dansko shoes, and the tote was my Christmas present.

[MollyFlyer]

Don't think it's my thyroid, Anita -- I've always been a bit of a twig, this is just a little worse than usual. Also I suspect the store's been sizing down their clothes to appeal to the types who want to think they're a smaller size than they are. Really wish sizes were standardized somehow, and in a range that'd fit all body types.

[laurspag]

Margaret, I love your photos! I hope you post more! The colors in both look fantastic. I know you must be a bit disappointed overall, but it sounds like you made the best of your whole situation.

 

I love the shirt with the print. I find it difficult to locate prints at times. I do love an print that is muted, not just the colors. It's a softer blend, so that it doesn't dominate or overwhelm you, and that is what I see in that shirt.

 

I am a fan of having some cooler weather items with me. I do my best to find a sweater or cardigan that can go with just about anything. When I bring a few longer bottoms, I'll pair them with the shirts that can go with any of the bottoms, and even some of the warmer weather shirts can be worn with them along with the sweater or cardigan.

 

I always mention that cruise in August where all my clothes were a sweaty mess, but there was also a time a while back, where we went to Niagara Falls for a 3 day weekend. It was summer, and we were having a hot spell of 90s every day. There was a quick change in the weather, and the whole time we were there, it rained and was about 60. We were cold and I didn't have enough clothing for cooler weather.

 

I think you just have to have a personal experience of not having the right clothes with you to start bringing along a few extras. I don't consider myself an over packer - I just make sure I have a few just in case items that I can stretch!

 

I know I already said it, Margaret, but I can't wait to see more pictures.

 

I just looked outside and it was snowing. At least it isn't expected to accumulate, and it will be warmer tomorrow!

 

Mollyflyer, even if you have always been this way, it can still be hyperthyroidism. It's worth mentioning to your doctor the next time you are in for a visit. A quick blood test is all you need to determine if that is the case.

 

Even though your problem is different than mine, I can relate. It's frustrating when we can't find clothes that fit right, or perhaps stores are so caught in trends that they just don't carry the right thing.

 

An interesting fact for me ---I'm a bit of an inverted triangle. I'm chest heavy and then get smaller. I will wear a 16 in a jacket and a 12 in pants! And those tops are always big, I just need to get bigger to fit across the chest. It's a thrill when a top fits right and I don't have to alter them somehow. Keep looking to see what you can find.

[Anita Latte]

Hello Everyone!

 

We are back from our vacation today! We had a lovely time...Mom and Dad stayed on board in a back to back...friends from Connecticut are going them for this second cruise (it is the friends first cruise...so should be a blast). We had a great time.

 

Unfortunately, my photos are really limited. My Dad gave me his camera and when I put my memory card into it, all the stored photos somehow loaded on to my memory card and after too few photos, my card was full...and since I had photos I wanted to save at that point...I really just wanted to wait until I could look at the memory card on a computer to clear it...because clearing it on the camera is a pain. OMG.

 

So I'm sorry that I don't have many photos to share. Dad may have a couple from his camera, but I was feeling camera shy this trip. And also...I didn't wear half my clothes. I had a feeling this would happen... I'm going to have to run my analysis...but seriously...I could have packed SO MUCH LESS. Anyway... it was a shorter cruise...only 5 nights...2 nights in Fort Lauderdale. Whatever. I'm going to do as I did before and analyze the whole thing because we may or may not cruise again over Thanksgiving.

 

The one thing I can say is that I was WARM. Finally. I was warm. And now I'm back. And I'm wearing long pants and a hoodie again. Sigh. Vacation is so nice...

 

LOVE your two photos Margaret.

 

Laurie, I love the scarf pairing your daughter did. I think it is really fun to have the scarf be more of an accent with the shirt. That outfit goods great with the scarf pulling the two solids together.

[MJC]

I'm in Michigan this weekend, and I woke up to snow on the ground, too. Ugh.

 

Anita, I was just thinking that I didn't get to wish you bon voyage, and here you are home again already! I hope you had fun!

 

We didn't take many pictures this trip, for obvious reasons, and I didn't get many casual clothes shots because we weren't carrying our cameras around much. But, here are three. The red and brown shirt is one I like a lot, but it's a bit big, and you can see the difference in my silhouette when you compare it to the next two tops which fit a lot better. I figured it's a good idea to have some looser clothes as the week goes by, and I wore my stretchiest dress on the last night. :) I will be sad to let this shirt go when I lose more weight.

 

Mousey, the second outfit is one of those that is a mix of EARTH, not EARTH. The top has the dreaded white and navy, and the pants have a tiny white polka dot. However, in spite of the bad lighting (don't get me started) the overall effect is ok I think. I like orange, and it's easy to pair orange with navy, so I do have a couple things like that. Mostly I just loved the vibe of this tank top and wanted to make it work.

 

The purple top. OMG, DH must have taken 10 pictures of me and none of them show the proper EARTH purple that this is! I love it with the khaki skort and my gold shoes and gold hoops.

 

I'm really missing my photobucket account right now, but my parents' computer is too old and slow to handle it. Sorry for the tiny pics.

[laurspag]

I just lost a huge post. I need smaller fingers or something!

 

Anita, I am glad you had a great vacation, and I can't wait to see you pictures, no matter how limited they may be. I was thinking last week that I wanted to pick up another card for my camera to take with me. I need to do some cleaning, but you never know if you're going to have the space you hope for so I decided I was going to grab one on sale somewhere to put in the camera case. Your situation has reminded me that I absolutely have to make sure I do this.

 

Margaret, even though your pictures are small, I can see that you had wonderful outfits. I can't wait to see them larger. I know just what you mean about purple. You know that oatmeal shirt with the fun necklace I posted a picture of? It's paired with warm, dark, purple shorts. I could not get those shorts to photograph nice at all. It was awful. I got tired of trying and did a close up of the shirt and necklace instead. I am thinking that the photos my husband takes of my daytime outfits will be done on our balcony, because natural lighting is usually the best way to bring out true colors in a picture.

 

My daughter was a lot of fun to include in the process. I got out a bunch of things, and started with the bottoms. I have more tops than bottoms, and I knew some of them that would definitely go on the trip. I then started pairing different tops with them. My daughter saw some things that I didn't think of, and she offered some really good opinions to me. For example, I have this dark olive green shirt. I told her I wanted to bring it, but was having trouble pairing it with something. She then asked me if it was because I usually don't like dark shirts on a warm cruise, which is absolutely true. She said I could wear it with that same scarf with a bit of a chevron print, because it picks up on the color. Then she asked if I really liked it more than the other outfits, etc. It was a good process.

 

You will recall that there were 3 scarves that I recently got. I knew purchasing them that they may or may not end up on the cruise. I generally don't buy "cruise only" clothes, overall. While we were pairing things up, my daughter (she's a fire) put one of them on. I knew she really liked it, and I asked her if she wanted it. It works, we live in the same house so we can share it. It's kind of a borderline scarf. It's a tad muted for her, and maybe a tad bright for me. For whatever reason, I can't envision it on my other daughter, who is an earth like us. I can't envision it on you, Margaret. Maybe you though, Anita? It's that kind of scarf.

 

I'm rethinking dresses a little bit. No changes for formal night - the red and brown full length dresses are going. The teal lace dress is in, so is the coral dress. I will decide about the rest soon, but I have time. I was thinking about the high low dress, and how I like bringing a few things that seem more relaxed, less formal. I want to adjust it a little because it needs to come up at the shoulders a little bit.

[Anita Latte]

Margaret...you look great. Your progress toward health and fitness is so easy to see. I'm so very happy for you...especially because you look like you FEEL great too.

[MJC]

Thank you for the lovely compliments. Anita, you are right I am feeling better. It's partly psychological but also just general overall better health improving my mood and energy.

 

I just want to pop in quickly today to share my fun Zumba day! I tried to take a class yesterday, but it turned out they moved it from 9am to 8am so I missed it. I was extremely upset because I really needed the boost because being with my parents all week has been really hard for many reasons. I love them dearly but the situation is not good.

 

Anyway, I went back today and it was so fun! It's in the local roller rink and they had the disco lights and blacklights on. This is the land of classic rock so our warmup was to Aerosmith. :) The teacher was really good and now I know when I come here there is a place to go to feel better. Yay!

 

More pictures soon....

[laurspag]

I am hoping to do a bit better before my cruise. I've decided I want to look a little better before I wear the purple dress. If I manage to do that, it will probably go with me. If not, it will be a goal for my next cruise.

 

I just haven't had that great of a winter. Between the awful weather and getting sick a lot, I feel off a bit. I really want to feel confident when I wear that dress, because it is by far the most fitted one I have. There is no hiding my belly!! :eek:

 

It's been so bad, I haven't colored my hair since November. I am now to the point where I want to fight back, and it feels good. I'm planning all my cruise outfits, I got a hair cut, and I'm going to color my hair tonight! My daughter came home from work today, tried on a dress she wants me to alter a bit that she got last year, then showed me a new shirt she picked up that will "be perfect for the cruise." I just feel like I'm coming back to life, and that is a good feeling.

 

I even adjusted my high low dress. Like all of my dresses, it needed to be taken in a bit at the shoulders. those are always too big on me. It fits so nice now.

 

I must be doing something right though, because at my last doctor's appointment two weeks ago, my doctor said my blood pressure is much improved, and my blood work showed that my my triglicerides and cholesterol levels were great, and that has got me really ready to work on things.

 

Margaret, your pictures inspire me too. You really look wonderful. I love that sort of skirt on you. It is very flattering, and your color choices are great.

 

I'm not really focused on a specific weight or size, I want to know that I am taking good care of myself. My diet is good, I eat lots of fruits and veggies and I'm careful with fat and so forth. I just need more activity and to firm up.

[MJC]

Laurie, I think it's hard to shake off the winter funk and get excited for warmer weather and fewer clothes, especially when it's been so hard and spring doesn't ever seem like it's gonna get here. I know what you mean about wanting to feel confident before you wear a certain outfit. I'm happy with the progress I've made so far but certain clothes make me unhappy with myself all over again. I made an effort not to bring anything like that on my cruise because I just wanted to enjoy myself, and enjoy dressing every day.

 

I hope you show us pictures of your hair! I just cannot skip doing my hair every month. I'm so unhappy with my natural color, it's so faded and then there is the white hair right in my part.

 

Snaps to you on the improved blood pressure etc. I am very bad about going to the doctor and I really need to do that. So many moms give so much to their kids but they don't think about the best gift being to have a healthy mom and have her in your life for a long, long time. I'm sure your daughters are very happy that you are working on this.

 

Here is a picture for today. This was supposed to be our beach day, but I wore it anyway on our catamaran trip. This is a giant cheat because the only thing remotely good about it for me is that I love turquoise. :) We've already talked about the EARTH bathing suit issues. The straps are actually my bathing suit because the dress just has a tube-top bodice.

[MJC]

There's no place like home!

 

Here are bigger versions of the photos I posted before. DH is normally a wonderful photographer, but for some reason the color in the interior shots is just not right. Personally I think he was fussing with the camera too much, and using too much flash. I set mine on automatic and I got better pictures than him color-wise (although not of myself, unfortunately). So, except for the red shirt, the other casual photos are really off. You can tell by how pink I look, because my skin tone is not pink at all and those pants are supposed to be gold. It can be very frustrating to have someone else take pictures for you, because they don't always know what it is that you want to capture:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[laurspag]

Margaret, I love being able to see the pictures bigger! I look forward to you posting more. I find that I'm choosing things for this cruise that I think will look nice, but I don't want a lot of fussiness during the day. I'm always happy to throw on a necklace or a scarf, but I want to be comfortable too.

 

I love that skirt, and how smart it looks on you. I'm hoping to have a similar effect with my new skort. My daughter swears by the Travex (I think that is what it is called?) line by Eddie Bauer. Of course she works there, and she is a very good sales person. Seriously though, they travel well, and dry quickly. The skort has such a nice, lightweight feel. I look forward to wearing it.

 

I was never huge on going for regular checkups, but when my mom passed away, I realized it had a lot to do with the fact that she never, ever went to the doctor's. ever. When they found the cancer and asked her when she last had a check up, she said she had never had a physical. I decided then and there to make an effort to take care of myself, but to also go for regular exams.

 

Needlessly to say, I wasn't thrilled when my doctor recommended a colonoscopy early because of family history. Turns out it was nothing like the stories you hear, overall. And nothing beats the peace of mind knowing that you're healthy. It inspires you to keep doing the things you are doing right, and to make an effort to address the things you aren't doing right.

 

Keep those pictures coming! LOVE them.