Monday Musings- Packing Plans and Outfit Of The Week
Happy Monday, ladies. I can’t believe how fast our cruise has snuck up on me. I am not organized, I have no idea what I will pack, and I almost wish I had another week to prepare. Knowing me, an extra week wouldn’t help anyway, so I’m just going to dig in and start putting things on a rolling rack.
Packing
I’ll probably pack lots of black and several scarves because those are always lifesavers when I travel. I already own plenty of black and lots of scarves, so that should make things easier. Do I want to travel with lots of black, knowing it’s not my best color? I’m totally fine with it. I love knowing the most flattering colors on me but refuse to be a slave to that palette. I think we can limit ourselves to the point that it’s hard to get dressed, and that’s the last thing I want to do to myself. Getting dressed should be easy and fun. Plus, I always feel stylish in black. The way I want to wear black has changed. I’m now paying more attention to the contrast between colors, so I’ll wear it with deeper colors and less white.
You may enjoy- How To Find Your Personal Contrast Level And Why It Matters
I ordered these compression cubes that I’m super excited to try. I’d never understood the value of a packing cube until I found these. They have an extra zipper that you zip to flatten things to save space.
The cruise line requires a negative COVID test before boarding the ship, but to be honest, that isn’t overly reassuring because someone could who caught it the day before could be a carrier. We just plan to be very careful and hope for the best.
I ordered these new low-profile Evolve Together KN95 masks, which are much comfier than my big cumbersome ones. And yes, it did not go unnoticed that my masks match my new bag 🙂 They also come in black, white, navy, olive, gray, pink, and combination packs. Evolve also sells mask decals so you can personalize your mask to say whatever you like. What would you put on your mask?
MORE FROM EVOLVE TOGETHER
This is a great company that focuses on quality everyday essentials that are earth friendly, like this ingenious dissolvable hand soap for travel!
Outfit of the week
I’ve had several requests for outfits in a winter palette, so this OOTW is just that.
I wore Russian Red lipstick in my late 30s and always felt it overwhelmed my face, which it did. Even at that age, I knew when something felt wrong on me, so I encourage you to listen to your instincts.
I clustered the red near the top of the body and chose black shoes intentionally. If I’d put red shoes with this look, the eye would be darting all over the place rather than focusing attention on the face. The outfit would begin to look choppy, and nothing would look special. Even the red sunglasses are a stretch, but they’re so cute.
The jewelry has a decidedly avant-garde slant, so they kick this look up a notch. I love the quality of Brahmin Bags, and this one is pretty amazing. The red with magenta ombre combo is just stunning, and both are both “winter” colors.
This classic look has just enough texture and pattern to be interesting but not overwhelming.
Ladies continue to email me for direction with their 3 style words. I think it could be helpful if we begin to think of antonyms for our style words. For example, this OOTW is not delicate, feminine, or subdued. Nailing down what we don’t want our style to be might make it easier to zero in on what we want it to be.
Reading
I’m looking for a book to bring on my trip. What’s an escape reality type book you recommend? I need one that’s easy to put down and pick up because that’s the kind of reading I’ll be doing.
Have a great day, and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.
Jennifer, I am sure excited to hear how your travels go!
We are going to France to do a river cross in September so I will be looking forward to hearing about your experience
I just finished a trilogy “the Robinswood Story “ by Jean Grainger
Such a great story over several decades. I miss the characters already!
I take black pants on cruises with matching tops, sweaters. I find this easy to mix and match. You will look good in whatever you bring.
The Last Flight is a good book, as others have mentioned. I also liked The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar
Have a great time on your cruise.
The 3 Pines – inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. Also Frieda Klein series by Nikki French. Start at the beginning with both. Love them so much. As my friend said ‘the characters walk beside me’.
I enjoy reading your posts first thing in the morning, something cheerful before daily news.
They do sound fun
I loved Sarah Perry’s The Lost Apothecary! Happy belated birthday Jennifer and have a wonderful trip !!
I love the idea regarding the antonyms! And glad you still embrace black!!!!
Happy travels!
I love everything Art Deco and that bracelet is not exception! I just finished a upper level beach read… The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand. I read it between more serious books we read for book club.
Have a great cruise!
Great book recommendations. “The Last thing he told me”, “The Last Flight” and I would add the “The Locked room” by Elly Griffiths. Have “West with Giraffes” sitting waiting for me. I don’t read hard copy books any more but need to make an exception for this. (true story about Giraffes destined for the San Diego zoo). Happy cruising!
Happy Belated Birthday,Jennifer!
Hope you had a great day! I have been following you for the last couple years and I have learned a lot from your posts! Love the outfit today! Red is one of my favorite colors. Thanks for all you do!
Thanks so much, Denise
I recommend from Barbara Ross the clambake mysteries. Fun, cozy mysteries with a sympathetic main character set in small town Maine.
Those do sound fun
Absolutely love every item in this outfit of the week! I don’t think I can come up with style words, although I can come up with words that my style is not, like not boho. I just read The Latecomers by Jean Hanff Korelitz. It is a nice, long book about the most dysfunctional family known to man that eventually gets it together. Would be a great read for a cruise or plane flight.
I think it’s so much easier to nail down what we are not too!
I always pack black when travelling, except if I’m going to a very warm country, then it is a colourful wardrobe. Black is so easy to dress up with a simple change of shoes and jewellery. It’s also not as memorable as most pieces, so it can be worn again and again. I also think it looks chic.
Don’t forget a rain jacket. One that packs into it’s pocket takes up very little room. Layers are the way to go. Mornings can be cool but lovely by noon.
Bon Voyage!
Great advice! I have a black one and a white one:)
I love the outfit of the week. I’ve always gravitated towards red and black. If you haven’t read anything from Elin Hildebrand I think her books are good for a vacation. Easy to follow. Enjoy your cruise, sounds so fun.
Thumbs up for Erin Hildebrand. I was going to recommend Golden Girl by Erin Hildebrand. It a compelling novel with a unique approach to family and life. Perfect for a cruise.
By the way I love black and think every women can rock her personal look with black.
I need to give Erin’s books a try!
I’ve got to get that one to read.
I just read one of her books “The Island” . It was terrific!
Enjoy your cruise..I love wearing black with a pop of color, I’m sure you’ll look amazing.One of the best books I’ve read this summer is The Change by Kirsten Miller. Women of our age taking charge, lots of humor, I’m currently re-reading it. Any ideas for a Eastern Caribbean cruise wear for late January ’23? I’m already thinking of a wardrobe. Happy cruising….
Happy Birthday for yesterday Jennifer! You and I are now the same age.
I also have a rolling rack out for both my husband and I . We leave at the end of August for a month in Europe, including a river cruise. I cannot take carry on for that length of time and I am relying on black and scarves to pull me through, although it is not my best colour.
I took out the one dress I had planned to take and will make do with dressy wide leg pants and silk kimonos which look dressy enough. I think accessories can make or break an outfit. Can elevate a simple column of colour.
I do plan to pack our suitcases half him, half me in case of lost bags as suggested earlier here.
I always use cubes, so convenient for grouping daytime clothes, evening clothes and workout pieces.
Any Jodi Picault book is wonderful reading.
Have a great cruise holiday!
Have a wonderful trip!!
I am in the middle of Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (author of Gentleman in Moscow), and can recommend his Lincoln Highway, also. I just finished John LeCarre’s last book, Silverview and it was wonderful–maybe my favorite of all of his.
I have tried to use packing cubes multiple times and always do better without them because my things are not the sizes of the cubes. I can get a custom effect with purse and shoe storage bags. These with the multiple zippers might be worth trying.
Loved Rules of Civility as well. I read Lincoln Highway as well!
I just finished Rules of Civility. Liked it so much I’m recommending it to my book club. Not your run of the mill novel.
I read Rules of Civility twice! I loved it!
I too hope you had a terrific birthday! My feeling is that you will pull this packing for a cruise just fine. You seem very organized and if the itinerary is agreeable you should be in great shape. I like to vary my tops and possibly jewelry/scarves to bolster my wardrobe when I’ve traveled. I think you’ll be doing that too.
And i love the winter palatte pieces you’ve created! I’m a cusp Spring-Summer but identify as Spring totally. Yet, deep dark reds are the only red I feel I can wear – similar to the jacket you’ve presented here!
As far as a book you may like that’s not too complicated but interesting (my opinion) I’d suggest The Maid or The Last Thing thing He Told Me.
Wearing what we love is what really counts
I agree with you on wearing black. I wear it often and feel comfortable. I look forward to hearing about your cruise. Wishing you a great time. I loved Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Wonderful book!
That sounds fun!
Thank you so much for not eliminating black! I just can’t get why people are practically slaves to one color palette. Sure it might make it easier to pull things out if your wardrobe, but totally eliminating one color is kind of limiting. Your hair changes, your skin tone changes, your shape changes, and colors change. Since my hair grew back after chemo, none of my warm colors work any more! But black always works, with a jewel contrasting color or a nice scarf. I expect I’ll never not wear it!
I expect to never not wear black either 🙂
We just came back from our Alaska cruise, I found it surprisingly warm but very wet in some ports. Bring a waterproof jacket and shoes. So many ladies only brought sneakers…I brought my ducks as hunters took up too much room. And everyone was very casually dressed, no “formal” wear at all. Nice jeans and sweaters are what ladies were wearing. We had two formals and I brought one black dress and wore a scarf over it one night and a cardigan the other night…no one remembers what you wear.
Have a great trip!
Great point. They don’t remember what you wear 🙂
Try Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes. It was wonderful, empowering and set in Italy, of course!
I just LOVE this book. I’ve read everything Mayes has written, and this may not be her best, but it really speaks to me.