Virginia Seashore

I really wanted to share these photos from Virginia and I figured I better get them out now while I have a speedy connection!

This was definitely my favorite day in lovely VA.  Some friends (old and new!) and I went for hike along the seashore.

What do I want to remember most?

Spanish moss dripping from the trees, osprey nests, luxury homes with personal helicopters, pelican tracks in the sand, rope swings and crazy rope swingers, cedar trees and sunshine, marshy grass galore, streams jumped...and splashed when jumps fell short, sandy toes, random chit chat, guppies and spandex covered bums in the air.

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Remember the NextGen Gallery?  You can view the photos as a slideshow allowing them to revolve on their own or, you can click on one photo to enlarge it and then click through until you've seen what you wish, reclick and it will return to its smaller size!  Enjoy!

Holiday Cheer

I try not to get to cheerful around the holidays when I know I'll be on the ship for Christmas. I keep the music, the decorations, the gift buying and the overall giddiness to an absolute minimum. This weekend I broke my unwritten rule. I let a little Christmas in.

My lovely Father sent some holiday inspired roses! Too sweet!  I think this may have been a defining moment in my Holiday Cheer!

Then I found myself at a Holiday Party in all it's glory. Rum and egg nog, kids running through the kitchen pulling down their tights, dogs sprawled on rugs, old friends and great food. I was just starting to think things were winding down when Santa and Mrs. Claus showed up! Strangely exciting!

Yesterday, I spent the day snuggling a cute baby and finding the perfect Christmas tree.

Let's just hope I have an off button so I don't cry myself to sleep on the ship! (just kidding, I'm an old hand at this)

The Holidays are in full swing - enjoy them!!!!

Hosiery History

A few days ago I posted Hosiery Hatred.  I got some of the best comments ever! I got to thinking about the history of hosiery - especially since Historiauntie asked, 'were they invented by a man?'.  Why yes, yes they were.

My first stop on my hosiery history hunting was of course Wikipedia.  Read up!  What really shocked me when I read this were the health risks and concerns.  As if I needed ammunition to go bare legged!

After getting over the fact that pantyhose were patented by men and may lead to a urinary tract infection I realized that the blame can be placed squarely on the shoulders of Twiggy.  Had she not donned a mini skirt in the 1960s she never would have needed a replacement for her stalkings which weren't long enough!

After my fact hunt I felt a little better - they are on the decline on in the United States!  Wikipedia says, "From 1995 a steady decline began, leveling off in 2006 with American sales less than half of what they had once been. This decline has been attributed to bare legs in fashion, changes in workplace dress code, and the increased popularity of trousers."

After thinking about this for a bit I wondered how these bare legged women made it back and forth to work in the winter with bare legs.  I might consider ditching the hose in the summer however; a walk from the house to the car (or house to train) in the winter would be distinctly uncomfortable if bare legged.

I also have to admit...call me old fashioned but, the hosiery does add a bit of polish to an outfit.

If Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Michelle Obama can learn to love them then so can I!

A few links:

I got a total kick out of this slideshow of pantyhose advertisements.

Should invest in this?  I found this over at amazon - The History of Panty Hose in America.  It looks funny!

Purse Love

One of my besties asked me yesterday, 'why was the picture in Hosiery Hatred a shot of just your purse?'. To which I responded, 'because I came in and dumped my purse and purchase on my bed and then just took a picture of it'. It got me thinking....I actually take pictures of my purse fairly often. I LOVE purses! They can make life easy or frustrating. They go everywhere I go. Most times they garnish more compliments than my outfit.

I have had this favorite purse for a little over a year (it's the one I refer to as my Mary Poppins bag). I decided to retire the bag and only take it out for special occasions because it's starting to get a little worn. I replaced it with the purse in yesterdays photo.

Which leads me to my conclusion - I really just wanted you all to see my new purse!!!!

Here they are side by side. Let's give it up to red purses and all they hold! Hot pink peep toes, gold ballet flats, water bottles, make up, and head phones galore!

Hosiery Hatred

Do you want to know why I haven't had time to post? I'm too busy running to the pharmacy at 0530 to buy new panty hose. You heard me.

I've decided that tights and panty hose are my least favorite thing ever. Since I've been here I've ruined four pairs. These puppies aren't cheap!!!! A good pair of tights can easily go for eighteen bucks. Obscene, I tell you!

I don't think I've worn tights since I was visiting family in B.C. when I was FIVE!

I can almost guarantee that every woman reading this has had some sort of epic wardrobe failure where hosiery was to blame!

Ladies, don't you love it when you sit down and the top rolls down because of your belly. Or how about when you snag them and get a run before you leave the house - or better yet when you think the snag is tiny and you go to work anyways and soon you have a run the length of your leg? How about when the crotch doesn't actually reach your crotch and you have to coax all the extra material up your legs to make them long enough?!

Please tell me I'm not alone in hosiery hatred!

Loveliness.

Just a simple post today....I've got some fires to put out. Last night Norfolk had a beautiful skyline so of course I took some photos with my phone!