All Things EARTH... part 2

[Member123]

To give a bit more information and, in doing so, to travel down Memory Lane....

 

Clo,

This thread (well, if you count the beginning which would be actually a thread PRIOR to the thread that got started by Joby, which morphed into a thread started by Laurie)... let's just say that we're talking about a long, long time... going on or maybe even more than 10 YEARS of conversation. As my daughter reminded me the other day, she's moved FIVE TIMES (she will correct me if I'm wrong and there's more moves) since she's been talking with the ladies on this thread.

 

Back some time in 2007 or maybe 2008, there was a gentleman who frequented the Fashion Thread whose cruise critic member name was CJW. You can find a thread in the Lounge area of this board that was started by friends of CJW, but I don't think that it's been active for years. Just because nothing ever seems to die on the internet, I've found a blog that CJW started here: https://fireiceearthandair.wordpress.com

 

Basically, he is very entertaining, caring, and generous person who took a handful of ladies under his wing and helped us with our fashion questions. If I am remembering correctly, Joby (our Kim) had asked an open question about whether anyone on the board had ever been involved with the Color Theory of clothing selection.. and CJW was involved with getting celebrities ready for red carpet appearances (he was heavily involved with the fashion industry and someone who just loved to cruise and talk fashion... to our great benefit!).... 

 

In the course of the years of that initial thread being started, CJW changed from a single man to a husband and, also, to a father. He stopped frequenting the boards as much..... (does anyone wonder why?!?)... and so, Joby started another thread about being a FIRE and how was everyone doing with the effort of dressing and finding our specific colors in stores. Laurie is classified as an EARTH and she decided to start a thread along the same lines... only more for EARTH involvement with colors.

 

As the years have gone on and on, we FIRE ladies have pretty much abandoned our thread.... there are only, really, three of us and we're not as talkative. Mainly because the EARTH thread had great conversationalists, it seems to have taken on a life of its own. So, pretty much, we have a few original ladies from way back when in the CJW days.... and we've picked up some additional friends along the way. We've had some people pop in and stay a short time and move on.... we've had some who enjoy the conversation and contribute more of their life experiences to the thread than their shopping aspirations and packing...

 

So the thread has morphed into a nice cocktail party environment. All are welcome. Come on in and add some enjoyment to our conversation... mention some shopping and don't hesitate to talk about your wardrobe. 

[laurspag]

Thank you, Pam, for your great explanation.  When you read through, you will see we discuss cruising a lot, but since we've known each other for so long, we discuss a lot of different things here.  

 

Just a few posts ago, Sally was discussing the wonderful deal she got on the RCI drink package.  I missed out, darn it.  😞  

 

Then, within one of my last posts, I had a few links for dresses.  These are dresses I would consider bringing on my next cruise, which is in August.  Color theory is where it all started, and I try hard to stick with colors that are good for me.

 

This brings me to the next thing.  Unlike so many of my cruises where I plan out what I am going to bring way in advance, then fine tune the selection, I'm off a lot this time around.  Between all the wedding planning and so forth, I realized yesterday that I have less than a month before we leave.

 

Most of you know how much I enjoy formal night.  I am hearing that the Canada New England cruise is one of the most casual, and someone the other day stated that on the 6 day, there is only one formal night.  I have not been able to confirm that, but there are usually 2.

 

One of the things I have been thinking about is bringing a short cocktail dress that I have that definitely reads into the formal category, if it wasn't knee length.  I think that might be a good compromise.  The one I have is lace with some sequins, but nothing over the top.    I just don't know what to do with the second night.  I have a dinner scheduled at Chops, and my TA has gifted us another one.  I was thinking that maybe my approach should be to bring something such as the dress I wore for the wedding.  I really feel it can be dressed up or down, so if there is no 2nd formal night, I would gladly wear this to Giovanni's Table.  

I'm currently not shopping for anything new, but I am trying those dresses I pointed out to see what I think.  One thing that is a bit different is that I tend to aim towards a tropical, summery feel with my cruise wear, and this time, the locations are not tropical, but they will be warm.  If that brown dress from Macy's is nice and fits me well, I'd love to bring it.  August in places like Halifax or St. John?  I'd wear that floral one from JCP.  But I wouldn't really want to wear them on formal night, so I need to think it out.

 

Any suggestions, keeping in mind that I like to dress up?  In other words, how to bridge the gap between my personal style and what they are wearing onboard?

 

I'm good with shorts and tops.  I can almost guarantee that running around in these ports, my trusty skorts from Eddie Bauer will likely make the trip.  You can't beat them for comfort and style, plus they use the Travex material which dries quick when you get sweaty, and don't wrinkle.

[laurspag]

I tried to find a picture of what I'd wear on the first formal night.  This is the dress on the right.  The one on the left could be worn the second night, but I haven't had it adjusted yet.  

[laurspag]

We have access to all the wedding photos now, so I was trying to find a good picture of my other dress.  Here it is.  I think that if we have a 2nd formal night, no problem, it works.  And if the formal night isn't as formal as one would expect, the high low feature may offset?  But what if they decide on no 2nd formal night?  Then I think it may be too much.  I never care what anyone else is wearing, but I've never worn anything that might be considered a long dress on a non-formal night.  What if I switched the two dresses?

[laurspag]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, but this dress has that little thingy where there is a snap and section that goes across to hold your bra strap to the dress.  It worked awesome - I never had to worry about it!

[Sailor_Sally]

Great pictures ! I love your necklace . The first two dresses are fine . I would add a pair of jeans or capris because New England can be chilly even in August .

[57redbird]

1 hour ago, laurspag said:

Oh, and I forgot to mention, but this dress has that little thingy where there is a snap and section that goes across to hold your bra strap to the dress.  It worked awesome - I never had to worry about it!

I had my local dressmaker add a crocheted string-thing with a snap on the end & a snap on the shoulder seam of a couple of tops to do the same thing....love it!

[purduemom1]

Thanks, Pam, for the history of this thread. I’ve been reading for awhile now and contributing from time to time but I never knew how it all began over a decade ago! 

Sharon

[purduemom1]

Laurie you look lovely as the Mother of the Bride. The Canada New England itinerary is one of my favorites and I know you will enjoy every minute of it. Hope you are feeling better.

Sharon

[laurspag]

Have you sailed on this itinerary with RC? What were your thoughts on formal night? 

[laurspag]

Sally, I was wondering about the weather too.  Maybe I should make sure I have plans for some cropped pants for during the day.  When I Google the weather for some of the ports, they same high of 70 for August.  That might not be shorts weather.

 

[purduemom1]

We were on RC but it was 9 nights, leaving from Quebec and ending in NJ. We had 2 formal nights and If I recall, there were some who really dressed up while the majority just seemed to put a little more effort in their clothing choice but certainly not formal. I recall seeing couples who were formally dressed taking pictures during the evening. However this was in 2012 so I’m not sure how relevant it is. 

 

My opinion, FWIW, is that both of your dresses will be fine since you will most likely see a variety of choices. 

Sharon

 

 

Edited July 8, 2019 by purduemom1

[awhfy]

14 hours ago, laurspag said:

I tried to find a picture of what I'd wear on the first formal night.  This is the dress on the right.  The one on the left could be worn the second night, but I haven't had it adjusted yet.  

Love that lace one Laurie!  The burgundy is stunning also

[awhfy]

13 hours ago, laurspag said:

We have access to all the wedding photos now, so I was trying to find a good picture of my other dress.  Here it is.  I think that if we have a 2nd formal night, no problem, it works.  And if the formal night isn't as formal as one would expect, the high low feature may offset?  But what if they decide on no 2nd formal night?  Then I think it may be too much.  I never care what anyone else is wearing, but I've never worn anything that might be considered a long dress on a non-formal night.  What if I switched the two dresses?

I love that dress & your necklace 

[awhfy]

12 hours ago, purduemom1 said:

Thanks, Pam, for the history of this thread. I’ve been reading for awhile now and contributing from time to time but I never knew how it all began over a decade ago! 

Sharon

Pam, I’ve been a “member” for awhile, thanks for the great explanation of the origin!  Melody

[awhfy]

10 hours ago, laurspag said:

Sally, I was wondering about the weather too.  Maybe I should make sure I have plans for some cropped pants for during the day.  When I Google the weather for some of the ports, they same high of 70 for August.  That might not be shorts weather.

 

Laurie, New England weather can be very fickle. 90 & sunny, 40 & rain...that’s all within a short time span (I’m seriously talking less than an hour). We were in Maine last summer at the end of August, first 2 weeks of September, our weather was perfect. High 70s & only one day of rain. Everyone kept commenting how great the weather was. It had rained for 2 weeks straight prior to our trip, everything was so green. I’d definitely bring a hooded, waterproof (at least water/wind resistant) jacket; maybe one pair of shorts, but mostly capris, your skorts are perfect. I always pack my silk longjohns (double as pjs) & I think I’ve worn them at least once on every cruise (regardless of location). Hope you have a fantastic time!  Melody

[Sailor_Sally]

I was on the New England cruise the first week of September . It was rainy in Halifax then gorgeous weather . We wore jeans the whole trip . I really do not remember much about evening attire but I know I did not pack anything formal just nice . The cruise clothes wise really reminded me of our Alaska cruise .More casual than usual . I did pack a rain jacket .

[pacruise804]

On 7/4/2019 at 1:06 PM, laurspag said:

Hi all!  First, thank you all so much.  I am feeling so much better.  

 

I did as most of you said, and decided I would ease back into things.  I told my boss I would be in on Monday, but only as long as I felt up to it.  I left early.  For Tuesday and Wednesday, I stayed the whole day, but worked at a much slower pace.  When told that I had a few things that "needed" to be done, I replied that I would try, no guarantees.  My health came first, and I had no intention of overdoing it.

 

Boy, was that hard to do in some ways.  However, it was very freeing.  I am really looking at things and thinking about how I've worked hard to eat better, exercise, lose weight.  But I have also taxed myself greatly from a mental standpoint, to the point where it has been effecting me physically.  I love my job, and I'm very grateful for it.  But it is time to bring my life back into balance.  It was interesting to have so many well wishers state to me that I can't "let this job do this to me."  I know banking doesn't cause kidney stones, lol.  I could definitely relate to what they were saying or implying.

 

That being said, I went to my doctor last week for repeat blood work, which was mandatory as part of my hospital release.  This was due to the infection and to monitor kidney function.  My blood work was much, much better.  Overall, I still feel drained but part of that comes from the medicine they gave me relating to the stent.  The stent itself is very uncomfortable, and it tends to worsen as the day progresses.  I think this is because when you sleep you are not drinking water all night or getting up to use the bathroom, but I don't know.  

 

Now, I've gone to the gym three times now.  I'm not working out, just walking leisurely since the gym has a track.  I have found the gentle movement to help with the fluid retention and the ache that set in to my hips from having to be stationery a lot.  So all in all, that has been a good boost for me.   

 

shh....I slept late today.   🙂

 

My urology appointment is not until Thursday.  My docs in Boston would be having a fit. My regular primary is not exactly happy.  I left the hospital with a detailed summary along with a disk of my CT scan, and they wanted full records instead.  I can understand that, but they would not schedule an appointment until they received them directly.  That took a bit.  Then, they said they wanted the proper referral, then the holiday, etc.  But it is what it is.  I've been given very specific instructions that if pain returns or a fever or anything, to head right to the ER.  

 

I am doing well though.  I am hoping on my visit Thursday, they are willing to do the procedure for blasting the stones right then and there.  That might be lofty.  But if they schedule it quickly, that would be great.  The sooner they break them up, the sooner I can pass them and then get the stent out a few weeks later.   I have a vacation to go on.  🙂  I actually have no restrictions.  The main issue was the infection, and that is well under control.   If I have to, I'll go on vacation with the stent.  

 

I too am so happy it didn't happen the weekend of the wedding.  

 

On Monday, when that glitch happened, I saw it on a Facebook post someone made.   I signed in to see if I could add it, but they had already pulled it.  Darn it.  It doesn't pay for us to buy the drink package, but for $18.00 a day, it sure would.  

 

I found this today, and just love it.  I don't know if the gathers would work for me.  I would definitely try I to see if they had my size.  I have a coupon and can get $40.00 off of it, but it is still sort of expensive.  I was thinking that it is pretty versatile.  It can be worn on my cruise or the my niece's wedding late this summer.  

 

Sometimes, I see dresses I like but I fully realize there is a different between loving a dress, and loving a dress on me.  In other words, I can appreciate the beauty even if it isn't a good choice for me.  This is such a wonderful brown, so it gets points for color.  While I am not a fan of polka dots, small ones like this don't bother me.

 

https://www.macys.com/shop/product/adrianna-papell-polka-dot-halter-maxi-dress?ID=9143221&CategoryID=5449#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D342%26ruleId%3D78%26kws%3Dadrianna papell%26lskws%3Dadrianna papell%26searchType%3Dls%26searchPass%3DexactMultiMatch%26slotId%3D14

 

Here is another dress I'm looking at.  It is much cheaper.  It's a print, with some wonderful colors.  I don't know about the light background.  Since I have been trying to be open minded, I would certainly try this one too.  You never know.    With both dresses, I worry about different things but I like trying different things and analyzing the results.

 

Unfortunately, this is currently out of stock in my size as well.

 

https://www.jcpenney.com/p/premier-amour-sleeveless-floral-maxi-dress/ppr5007847598?pTmplType=regular

 

 

I'm glad you are feeling better and still taking it easy 🙂 

 

The brown dress is lovely, but I'd probably need to add a little something under the arms - even the model's bra seemed to show some.  The second dress is really pretty, but I can't imagine where I would wear it.  The first does seem very versatile.

 

[pacruise804]

We did a Saint John/Halifax cruise in Oct 17 on Princess.  It seems to me that it wasn't very formal, but also not super casual - if that makes sense.  I wore a full length, short sleeve velvet dress and felt on the dressier end but not overdressed.

[Member123]

LOL

 

Heard from Miss Anita.

 

#1: She's moved SIX times.

 

#2: Laurie started the original thread asking about Seasonal Colors; i.e., the original Spring, Fall, Summer, Winter season color theory.

 

#3: Kim started the FIRE thread (woot woot, I got one right!)

 

#4: Anita started the EARTH thread (cause she said that we told her she was hogging our conversation on the FIRE thread and discussing her EARTH-self. I do NOT recall this as being the case; LOL)...

 

So, one out of four isn't bad for memory, right? Anyway with me on that?!?

 

The point is... it's all in good fun. 

[awhfy]

1 hour ago, Member123 said:

LOL

 

Heard from Miss Anita.

 

#1: She's moved SIX times.

 

#2: Laurie started the original thread asking about Seasonal Colors; i.e., the original Spring, Fall, Summer, Winter season color theory.

 

#3: Kim started the FIRE thread (woot woot, I got one right!)

 

#4: Anita started the EARTH thread (cause she said that we told her she was hogging our conversation on the FIRE thread and discussing her EARTH-self. I do NOT recall this as being the case; LOL)...

 

So, one out of four isn't bad for memory, right? Anyway with me on that?!?

 

The point is... it's all in good fun. 

Yay Pam!  

[MJC]

I must say I miss the FIRE ladies' chat. I do love that we still have so much to talk about here! Laurie, loved the wedding pics and especially your blue dress. Yum.

 

Laurie, I like that brown dress a lot. The second one is pretty too, but much more vacation-specific for us northern ladies IMO. NYC does have a summer style, but it's not so flowy and tropical. Am wondering what it's like for you, similar or different?

 

Pam, thank you for jumping in with that lovely recap! So nice to think that we have all been CC friends for so long.

 

Thought I'd share again the Pantone colors for fall, the favorite season of us EARTH girls for clothes shopping. I look forward to seeing what's in the stores come September. I'm particularly excited about chili pepper, sugar almond, and evening blue (if it's not too navy).  I think Anita's green is in there as well. I will likely need a new winter coat, so perhaps I'll get lucky and find a color I like. Not wearing black in winter is the easiest way to stand out here. :)

 

 

https://www.pantone.com/color-intelligence/fashion-color-trend-report/fashion-color-trend-report-new-york-autumn-winter-2019-2020

 

The big excitement here was that I got stung by a wasp and I ended up with a big lump on my arm and a quickly spreading rash. I took a couple Benadryl and it seemed to calm down, then a week later after taking a shower it flared up again. It's still itchy once in a while so I'm keeping an eye on it. I told DH that if I get stung again he needs to watch me very carefully because I'm clearly allergic. They say it can be progressively worse with each sting so clearly I have to be more careful in the garden.

 

I finally finished our Mexican Riviera photo book, so when it's ready I'll share the link. I used Mixbook this time because I was so unhappy with my last Shutterfly one. I want to see how Mixbook does before I start our Africa book. A photographer friend recommended Blurb, has anyone tried it?

[purduemom1]

Thanks, Margaret, for sharing the fall Pantone colors. I see several yummy colors. Can’t wait to see what shows up in the stores and on line for fall.

Sharon

[pacruise804]

9 hours ago, MJC said:

 

The big excitement here was that I got stung by a wasp and I ended up with a big lump on my arm and a quickly spreading rash. I took a couple Benadryl and it seemed to calm down, then a week later after taking a shower it flared up again. It's still itchy once in a while so I'm keeping an eye on it. I told DH that if I get stung again he needs to watch me very carefully because I'm clearly allergic. They say it can be progressively worse with each sting so clearly I have to be more careful in the garden.

 

 

I'm glad you were ok!  I have a wasp allergy too (medically listed as bee, but not sure if they are the same).  I have also heard of reactions getting progressively worse.  Do you have an epi-pen for emergencies?  I've only had to use one once, but was glad I had it.

[pacruise804]

Love those colors ❤️ Especially Chilli Pepper, Biking Red, Rocky Road, Dark Cheddar, Orange Tiger, and Eden.  Peach Pink, Fruit Dove, and Galaxy Blue seem like really good accent colors.