by | May 4, 2011 | Fashion |
This dress was perfect for the cruise. It was comfortable, colorful and carefree. I could ball this dress up and it would not have one wrinkle in it. I bought this dress on sale at Macy’s about a year ago and it has been such a asset to my spring and summer wardrobe.
My hubby took this picture and it’s one of my favorites because I love the surfboard bench. So cool! When I sat down on it, I felt like I was riding on the wave. The brown and blue beadwork around the neckline gives the dress a very ethnic chic. The color of this dress works with any skin tone.
The beads are lightweight so there is no heavy feeling at all. It’s a perfect dress for an 85 degree day. The lightweight shirt was a shirt I have had for a long time and just so happen to match this dress perfectly. I love when that happens.
It was warm, but windy, and my hair was not cooperating, so up it went.
I hear often that the majority of women like wearing black. On the cruise I saw so much color. The colors of the sea and the vibrant patterns of the cruise guests made me smile.
So add some color! If you do not like to experiment with a colorful wardrobe, try a vibrant scarf for starters. See how it will make your outfit pop.
by | May 4, 2011 | Travels |
Everglades Holiday Park
When I was on vacation my hubby and I saw this gentlemen and we still say wow this is something. At the Everglades Holiday Park this gentlemen talked about how he rescues alligators, they cannot go back into the wild if they are over four feet long. Their instinct is to go back where they came from when they were captured so that may be someone’s home.
He is very courageous to rescue alligators for a living and to stick his head in their mouth as well.
This is Wordless Wednesday which is now called Wordless Weekly.
by | May 3, 2011 | Travels |
I had such a wonderful time on the cruise that I had to share the next stop, St. Thomas.
JTwisdom and hubby
We arrived at St. Thomas on Tuesday morning after spending Monday at sea. Instead of exploring St. Thomas, my hubby and I planned a different adventure. We rode on a ferry boat to the island of Tortola to play with the dolphins. St. Thomas is a part of the US Virgin Islands, while Tortola is a part of the British Virgin Islands. We traveled on the boat for about an hour and a half before we reaching our destination. Since Tortola is a British territory, we had to present our passport and Declarations paperwork at the Customs and Immigration Office before entering the country. After being cleared by the office, we boarded a van and headed to the beach where the dolphins live.
After getting our instructions for the trainers, we had an opportunity to get in the water with Ezmeralda, our dolphin. Ezmeralda and the other dolphins are such sweet animals, very playful and happy. It was so relaxing being in the water with them. They are so intelligent and carefree.We gave Ezmeralda a kiss and she returned the gesture. We could also dance with the her. It was truly a remarkable and unforgettable experience for us. I always remember seeing the dolphins on TV, but never imagined being that close to one.
JT and Ezmeralda
After leaving the dolphins, we spent some time at the beach and taking in the beautiful sites: the palm trees, the exotic birds and clear-blue ocean water. I was enjoying every moment of it. When boarded the van and returned back to the Customs and Immigration Office where we had to once again had to show Declaration paperwork and go through a security check point, just to leave the country. We stepped on the the ferry boat and headed back to St. Thomas. It is such a beautiful day and we saw some lovely views.
Views of houses from the Ferry in St. Thomas
Once arriving back in St. Thomas, we disembarked the boat and had to go back through the Customs and Immigration Office. Since we were now going back into the United States, we had to show our passport and submit yet another Declaration paperwork to get clearance to enter into the country. Each time, in Tortola and now back in St. Thomas, we spent about 30 minutes in line, waiting for everyone to their clearance. After getting the okay, we got back on the boat and rode back to the port where our ship was docked.
While waiting in line to get on the ship, we saw a couple iguanas coming out of the ocean and walking along the edges of the sidewalk. I sensed they were used to people because they never came too close to us. This iguana doesn’t look all that friendly but looks can be deceiving.
We returned to our room exhausted from a full day on the ferry boat and with the dolphins. It was time to get a little rest before dinner, the night’s show and to prepare for tomorrow’s adventure – St. Maarten / St. Martin.
by | Apr 29, 2011 | Fashion |
Fitness and Fashion
This week we are focusing on one of my passions, Fitness! I love to work out and I love the results.
1. Do you keep some kind of fitness routine? Why?
No, I do not keep a work out routine of what I do because keeping different parts of my body active on different days keeps every part toned. I like to have fun and enjoy my workouts so I do a combination of things. I love spicing up my workouts. I exercise four to five times a week and for longer periods of time on the weekends. I recently purchased a Zumba workout package from QVC. It is so much fun. I am also exercising with Stephanie Huckabee, Bollywood, Power90, Kettlenetics and Brazilian Body. I also have the Pilates, Wii, Yoga, HipHop Abs, Belly Dancing, Latin Dancing and the Firm in my fitness library. So I am never bored with my routines. But the hardest thing is deciding what to do for that day. Decisions! Decisions!
2. Has working out, maybe training for a marathon or something of that
nature, helped with your own perception of body image?
Working out makes me feel so good after I am finished. Feeling good about my body had to come from within. When I lost the extra pounds that I wanted to loose, I still felt I had to loose more. The person I saw in the mirror was not the person who lost the weight, but the overweight person from before. Mental change had to take place and that is where the positive affirmations about myself came in. I saw God didn’t make junk, and that I am special. I may have worked all day and feel totally wiped out; but when I put in the DVD, I am energized and ready to go.
3. When you are hitting the gym or just going out for a long walk what
do you wear? Is it about functionality or fashion?
When I am working out, I wear my workout tops and shorts with fabric that is breathable. This breathable fabric is such an asset because if I am sweating a lot during the workout, it removes the sweat from my body. It’s so great when I work out hard.
I love to hike with my husband and I usually wear jeans, T-shirt and tennis shoes. I don’t wear shorts because I don’t know what I may brush up against or if there are biting bugs out. I can’t forget my trusty walking stick.
4. Do you feel there is a cultural perception of what you ‘should’ be
doing for your own physical fitness?
There are so many different exercise regimes that I have to know what works best for me. I have bought a lot my workout videos and equipment from QVC. I like QVC because it has a great return policy. If I didn’t like a workout routine or piece of equipment, I could send it back knowing that I would get my money back – No matter if I used the product or not.
5. Dream big… what would be your ultimate fitness goal.
I want to maintain my current fitness level and muscle tone. I would love to climb more mountains.
J&T in Santa Fe, New Mexico
I have worked hard to loose the extra weight, and thank the Lord, I have checked that off my list. I don’t want to go back to the old me.
Due to some medication I was taking for something medical, I gained weight. In this picture I was about 205 at the peak of the weight gain. Talking about feeling defeated when this weight gain was not due to overeating. Well I got off of the medication and took a hard look at myself and realized I didn’t want to continue to look like this. I talked with my hubby who loves me no matter what I looked like and with his support, I began my weight loss journey. My main exercise was Walk Away The Pounds with Leslie Sansone and THE FIRM and watching what I ate. So within two years I lost about 55-60 pounds. God is good because I couldn’t of lost the weight without Him and my hubby. I have kept off the weight going on 5 plus years now. Hallelujah!!!
To see how other bloggers feel about fitness and fashion please check out Katy Rose at Modlychic.
by | Apr 27, 2011 | Fashion |
Spring 2011 temperatures in Missouri have been very irregular. One day it maybe 70 degrees and the next day is 48 degrees. With these varying temps, one must be prepared. Make sure when you are putting your winter clothes away that you keep a few pieces out because you may have to put on a sweater or wear a coat.
This pink sweater came in handy on a day that was chilly, but not cold enough to wear a coat. If you know me by now, I really love pink or variations of that color. It brightens every complexion and brings a smile to my face.
Layering is a key word because if I got a little warm during the day I could take the sweater off and maybe put it around my neck for a preppy look.
I bought my headwrap in St. Maarten from a lovely French vendor. It actually has thin wire in it so it’s shapeable and machine washable. There were so many great designs to choose from, I could decide; so I had to get two.
The necklace was a gift and it is so versatile and a good go-to necklace to spice up an outfit.
I love my 5 inch mules. I am an amazingly 6 ft tall in them; and they are so comfortable.
My raspberry handbag is a cool find from my recent cruise. I am really enjoying pairing it with so many different outfits. It is an early birthday present from my hubby. This bag is patent leather so all I have to do is wipe with a slightly damp rag to keep clean.
The key with dressing for Spring is to dress in vibrant colors and to layer key pieces. When I dress in layers, my outfit does not look like a winter outfit because of the use of vibrant color.
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