Some friends have said that this was a trip of a lifetime. We have had some excellent adventures before this one and I plan on having many more trips!!

This one was much longer than any we have taken so far. We were gone for 5 weeks. We combined two cruises.

The first leg of our trip was a transatlantic crossing on Oceania. We left from New York on 4/5 and ended in Southampton UK 15 days later. The weather when we left NYC was 43 degrees with on and off showers. We love cruising with Oceania. The ship we were on was the Marina with a passenger capacity of 1250. It is a perfect size. Cruising with Oceania is a great experience. The service is outstanding and the restaurants are fabulous. We immediately got into the swing of things and checked out the ship after the drill. We had champagne in our suite and then headed to the Martini Bar before dinner in the Grand Dining Room. Throughout the rest of the trip we had made reservations for each of the specialty restaurants. They are Jacques (Jacques Pepin’s French cuisine), Red Ginger (Asian fusion), Polo Grill (steak, lobster etc) and Toscana (Italian). Each of the restaurants is amazing. There is staged entertainment on the ship every night but it is more low key than on the large ships. There is also a piano player in the martini bar and classical music every day at the Grand Bar. Afternoon tea is served daily. Everyday there are enrichment lectures or games, cards or movies and art classes of some sort and, of course there is the casino. There is something for everyone. My favorites were the enrichment lectures given by Peter La Sorsa who spoke several times about Traveling Safely, How to protect Your Valuable Asset when Traveling, Email Security, The Future is Here, and the best one, Talking With Your Mouth Closed! What an education in how to read body language. The cooking demos were also excellent. I could go on and on, but I should get to the places we saw.

On 4/7 we docked at Saint John NB, Canada. The temperature was 25-49 degrees that day. When we arrived at the pier there was ice on the water. The excursion we chose was to see the Reversing Falls Rapids at Fallsview Park. This phenomenon is caused by the Bay of Fundy’s tide, which rises 28 feet in the day. When the tide is low the river empties into the bay. The water churns and causes rapids and whirlpools and the river actually flows backwards. We also went to the Carlton Martello Tower. It was built for the War of 1812 but was not completed until 1815.

On 4/8 we docked in Halifax, NS, Canada. The temperature was 27-34 degrees that day. Thank goodness we were prepared. I brought a puffer jacket and I wished I had gloves. The excursion we picked was Peggy’s Cove. It is a very quaint fishing village and is famous for it’s lighthouse. The town, even in a cold, gray state was beautiful. I felt like it could be a backdrop for a romance novel…”She saw him pull up in his car and thought what is this stranger doing here at this time of the year?” You can make up the rest of the story…

We had heard in town that there was a forecast for 8-15″ of snow approaching. When we got back to the ship the Captain had decided we needed to skip or next stop at Newfoundland and get a little bit south for the crossing to avoid the storm.

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Although we did not experience problems with too much rocking, on 4/9 we woke to about 18″ of snow on the decks. What a surprise! I guess I just never gave any thought to where snow goes when it falls in the ocean, but when there is a surface it accumulates. The staff was having a great time clearing the snow off of the deck with trays. Many on the staff are from Indonesia and the Philippines and had never seen snow. Snowball fights ensued and snow angels were made on the decks before it was all cleared. It was fun watching them enjoy this.

We were at sea until 4/14. We kept ourselves busy with activities and making friends with our bartenders at our favorite bar-The Martini Bar. Our bartender had a great policy, no glass shall be empty at her bar! It was always fun meeting different people at the bar. One afternoon we met a really nice couple from Kalamazoo Michigan (Kathy and Ken).

The weather was becoming more and more rainy as we entered the Celtic Sea and the seas started kicking up. Thank goodness we don’t have problems with seasickness. One night we had a table at the window and you could see the waves crashing on the side of the ship. Good thing we had an excellent bottle of Pouilly Fume to accompany our dinner at Jacques.

On 4/14 we arrived at Cork (Cobh) Ireland. The weather was rainy and chilly but it only made Cork more green and beautiful. The weather has certainly been wild. Here I was envisioning a romantic transatlantic crossing being all cozy under blanket on the chairs on our veranda particularly today since it was our wedding anniversary. But that wasn’t getting us down because we had an excursion to the Jameson Distillery in Midleton. Very interesting to see the whole operation and of course have a tasting there too. After that we went into their pub and tried a Jameson and Ginger and lime. For our anniversary dinner we had a delicious Italian dinner at Toscana.

The rain and rough Celtic Sea made it necessary for the Captain to make the decision to stay another day in Cork which meant we would be skipping Dublin. So glad that we have been to Dublin previously or we would have been disappointed. But the extra day in Cork was very enjoyable even in the pouring rain because we ventured out and found a great shop where we found lots of treasures and beautiful Irish sweaters and caps that my husband looks so good in. Tonight (4/15) we left Cork and at dinner in the Polo Grill we experienced some more rough seas. We must have dropped after a wave crested and you could really feel the drop. My husband said we went into a huge pothole. Everything in the room shook, my glass jumped up from the table and we heard a crash from the kitchen. There was also a very sad news bulletin that there had been a fire at Notre Dame in Paris. My heart hurt just thinking about this magnificent cathedral having a fire. It is one of the most beautiful places I have been to. I had hoped we would see it when we went to Paris on the 18th, which was Holy Thursday.

On 4/17 we anchored at Saint-Malo, France. Temperatures were 51-66 degrees. It was like we entered another world. For this stop we opted to get ourselves around the beautiful walled city. It was a gorgeous day and perfect weather to explore. We stopped at Aux Epis D’Or a creperie Grill for a ham and melted cheese crepe and a glass of wine. We stopped in a beautiful church and a few shops. We then headed back to the tender to get us to our ship. The tide was out and we saw a very strange site. There were boats just sitting on the sand. I guess if you have a boat your schedule revolves around the tide.

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4/18 Paris. I have been to Paris twice, but on my bucket list was “April In Paris”. The weather was incredible. It was in the high 60’s. A perfect day to see one of the world’s most beautiful cities. We viewed all of the “must sees”. We saw the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees, Le Louvre and of course the Eiffel Tower. We had lunch with Kathy and Ken at Matignon. It felt very Parisian. A great day for sure.

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This was our last night on the ship. We told our new friends that we would meet again.

4/19- disembark in Southampton UK. Head to the airport to fly to Rome to continue our adventure.

What a fabulous trip and we have so much more to come.

I always recommend that you shop your own closet before deciding what to buy for a new season. This season the designers are showing several things that I am very excited about.

Here are some ideas to give you instant style.

Tie Dye/Hombre/Dip Dye. I am so excited that this is having a “moment” this season. Back-in-the-day I even did my own in the sink. I am very fond of all things Boho chic. There are tees, sweaters, skirts and pants to choose from in this look.

Pleating. LOVE everything I have seen that is pleated. I bought a pair of wide leg pleated pants in golden yellow at Zara. I can’t wait to wear them. There are beautiful pleated skirts available in solids and prints. There are also some great looking tops with pleated backs and/or sleeves. Some of what I’ve seen has some shimmer and shine, some are in chiffon.

Dresses. Dresses continue to trend and there is a great assortment to choose from. There are bohemian midi length dresses in prints with soft lines and maybe some soft ruffles. There are also knit dresses and fit and flare styles.

Wide Leg Pants. There are lots of great pants this season that have lots of movement. There are full length pants and cropped pants. Some have front or side slits to give even more movement.

Trench Coats. If you need a coat this spring, make it a trench coat. But, make it interesting and not the usual beige! Go for red or gingham check or plaid.

Blazers and Dusters. Blazers are trending again. Most fall to the top of the thigh. Dusters continue in importance. Most fall to the knee.

Prints. Lots and lots of prints. There are florals in all-over prints as well as placement prints. Standout Stripes, camouflage, and animal prints continue.

Denim. Denim is never to be forgotten. You will see the usual tailored styles as well as some styles with flounces in denim this season. Shades of denim are also being mixed.

Embellishment and Embroidery. Very big this spring. Pant legs, blouses, jackets with all kinds of embroidered designs.

Color. The reports old us that “THE” color of the year is Living Coral, but I have to say that there is more in yellow, deep pink and red out there rather than coral for now.

Accessories. You MUST get at least one pair of dramatic hoops. Frontal Hoops are on trend. Headbands are trending. Straw handbags in every size are a must-have.

That’s all for now. Have fun!! I’ve photographed the print of one of my personal favorite tie dye tops. So glad I keep my favorites.

Retailing at the “brick and mortar” locations has certainly taken a lot of hits in recent years with all that is available for online shopping. Retailers are constantly trying to come up with something to grab the attention of the shopper and regain some of the dollars she has to spend.

Well, a new concept has come along. A store has been opened at Westfield’s Garden State Plaza in Paramus. It is called The Gathering Shops. What is so exciting about this store is that it is a space that will feature emerging designers selling boutique type clothing, jewelry, home goods, kids clothes, beauty products and I guess just about anything that they choose to showcase. This is a new market experience in an open space. It is inspiring and many handmade products are gathered for your shopping experience. The designers will switch out every 2-3 months. As the designers are rotated there will be exclusive events. It is such a welcoming space. The concept will encourage the shopper to make The Gathering Shops a regular stop to see what is new.

I could not leave without making a purchase. I chose the 4Way Bag in luminous. Whatever light you catch changes the color of the bag. It is made by junell5 (retail $65.00) The bag reminds me of origami! There are 4 ways to snap the bag into shape and the straps can be made long or short. Nothing like having fun with a new purchase. The following are 3 of the four shapes. Tote, tote with flat bottom, diamond, and there is a cube shape too. Make a point of stopping by The Gathering Shops. Maybe one will open soon in a mall near you.

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2019 has stared off with a bang. Not only have temperatures been freezing but I had absolutely the worst case of strep throat. I was in bed for a good portion of the month and could not put any fashionable thoughts together. For me, that is saying a lot! We did not even have a dinner out until the 17th. Everyone was teasing that all the local restaurants were organizing a search party.

Now that I am feeling better I thought I would give you a look at the colors for spring summer 2019.

My source for this is Pantone. The palette is quite glorious! The “mindset” for the season continues to give us colors that are empowering. They communicate confidence and lift our spirits. The colorful hues are allowing us to be creative in how we each will combine the colors. Bringing together high fashion and looks from the street, Pantone has given us the following top 12 “stand out” colors and 4 classic neutrals (Soybean 13-0919, Eclipse 19-3810, Sweet Corn 11-0106, Brown Granite 19-0805)

That’s how the color palette shapes up for spring and summer 2019. Anything goes for color combinations. Be confident and creative with your choices.

Next blog will be about what you need to have in your wardrobe for the upcoming season.

Another year is finishing up. Hard to believe. The years just keep going faster and faster. As we move into a new year, it is a perfect time to reflect on what has happened and what you expect and want for the next year. Do you feel that in this year you achieved something that was important to you?

Hoda Kotb had a terrific interview with Maria Shriver in the fall. Maria Shriva was talking about “manifesting your life forward”. This made an impression on me. In order to manifest your life forward you have to envision your life in the future. What do you think will be there for you and who do you want with you. You have to envision it to achieve it. The possibilities are endless. Just allow yourself to see it.

Somewhere along the way this year I read something that I think is perfect when thinking about resolutions for the new year. “Those who understand don’t judge. Those who judge don’t understand”. There is no reason that we should judge each other. We need to support each other and learn to live harmoniously. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone felt this way? Let’s all try to make that happen.

I hope that each day surprises you this year. Be Happy.

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We spent a lot of time on the road in September and October of this year.

The destination for the BIG road trip for the year was Orlando Florida to go to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World. We love going to Disney and we love to make it a road trip. This year was complicated by Hurricane Florence which was going to be right in our path. But, nothing stops us! So we headed in west and then went south. This just added to our adventure. Our first planned stop was Johnson City Tennessee.

We left NJ and went into Pennsylvania. We made a stop at a Cracker Barrel for breakfast. Walking in to their store was a Holiday Trifecta! They had Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas merchandise. Something for everyone!! After breakfast we continued the drive. Loved some of the billboards along Interstate 81. There was a large sign directing you to an “adult store”. A minute later was a sign telling you that “Lust Leads to Hell”.

We continued into Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia. In Virginia we started seeing a lot of power service trucks heading to the Carolinas to be ready to help. The plates on the trucks were NY and Massachusetts. The sky went from beautiful blue to black clouds. The sky was reflecting the changes to come. We were in Bristol Virginia for Rush Hour. We were doing 78 mph. Not like the rush hour traffic we are accustomed to at home. Next we entered Tennessee and hit Johnson City 30 minutes later. We were ready to stop for the night. It was Happy Hour and we were hungry for dinner. We stayed at the Doubletree Hilton. Hiltons are always my first choice. We settled in and went to the bar for dinner. We love having dinner at the bar especially when we travel. I think the bartender was looking for a good tip when she asked for proof before serving our drinks. We all had a good laugh! Met interesting people at the bar as we always do.

The next day the weather was beautiful. Sunny and 83 degrees. Perfect. Our next stop was Warner Robbins Georgia. The route we took was so scenic. We drove into North Carolina and passed through The Cherokee National Forest heading toward Ashville. This stretch of the drive was so mountainous that there was a long period that Tom didn’t have his foot on the accelerator. We passed a field of wild poppies and sunflowers in Weaverville North Carolina. Soon we entered South Carolina. Another fabulous billboard read “Don’t Wait. Communicate”. Hope everyone passing reads that one.

We arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn in Warner Robbins Georgia (outside of Macon) just in time for Happy Hour. We checked in and headed to the bar for dinner. We got happy hour drinks and a delicious dinner. The bar was hopping. Totally full. We met 3 men who were pilots waiting to be deployed after the hurricane comes on land. They then do searches for people, ships, aircraft. We also met some other business travelers who stay there frequently. Very lively conversation. Did I mention how much fun it is to have your dinner at the bar when you are on the road?

The next day we headed to Ponte Vedra Florida to spend the weekend with our friend Maria. We had a terrific weekend of food and wine and great conversation with Maria’s friends. We also took a ride to Amelia Island for lunch one day.

Then it was on to Disney World. We always stay at the Boardwalk. What is so good about staying on property is that once you get out of the car you don’t get back in it until you leave. Disney always says “welcome home” and you know what, they really make you feel like that.

Our friends Carol and Tony joined us for a couple of days to go to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. We enjoyed the wine lecture and tasting we attended. It was given by Ana Balbo from the Susana Balbo vineyard in Argentina. Very interesting presentation and the wine tasting was good. There were food kiosks all around with small plate tastings from all over the world. But, I have to say, it was so hot that we had to keep going in and out of air conditioning because I thought I would vaporize! Epcot also had a concert series for the event called “Eat to the Beat”. We saw Sheila E and she was fabulous. Very high energy! All in all it was a great week. We spent time at the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs. We had amazing dinners at many restaurants at Epcot (my favorites are France and Morocco) as well as on the Boardwalk (Trattoria and Flying Fish) and Disney Springs (The Boathouse). We did lots of shopping for Christmas at a variety of shops at Disney Springs.

By the time we were leaving Interstate 95 had reopened after the hurricane. We made a stop the first night at a favorite place. Clark’s Inn in Santee South Carolina is a perfect stop on your drive. They have a really nice restaurant and bar and with your night’s stay there is a full breakfast included. There is also a beautiful gift shop. Is there anywhere that I can’t find a place to shop?

The second night we stopped in Manassas Virginia. Originally we thought we would drive straight home but there was traffic and we decided to make a stop. We stayed at a nondescript Best Western that was the only place available. Won’t do that again. The next day we rolled into the driveway at our home. It was a great road trip.

Usually when I travel there is something that peaks my interest and I come home with a flurry of photos. This trip it was clouds. All of the changes going on in the atmosphere made for some spectacular clouds to look at. It also reminded me of when I was a kid and how my mother and I would sit out on our front lawn and look up at the clouds and tell each other what we thought we saw. It made me smile to think about this . I think that is why my head is always in the clouds!! Here is a sampling of the photos I took.

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No more than a week later we got back in the car to go to a suburb of Chicago to see my friend Susan who had recently moved there. She moved to be near her mom who is 100 years old. She is just the best daughter. On the way we stopped in Cleveland. We stayed at The Cleveland Hilton Garden Inn. We had made a date with Mel and Merle for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Lola Bistro. How great is it to be able to meet a friend from high school and have a fabulous dinner in Cleveland? The next morning we drove on to Chicago. This road trip was geared to just having a visit with Susan and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

We really had a good time on both of these road trips. I am trying to decide what our song should be for the trips. Choices are “On the Road Again” or “Get Off my Cloud”. What do you think?

THE color for 2019 has been selected. Coral, and all variations,  has always been a favorite of mine. It is so warm and inviting. “Coral Sands” brings to mind beautiful beach resorts. It is sociable, optimistic and full of joy. Coral is a color found in nature. It is a sunset color.

I’m thrilled that this color will permeate all areas in 2019.  My personal choices for color are in the Sunset Palette. According to Leatrice Eiseman in her book More Alive With Color, the elements of fire and earth underscore the Sunset palette. These are the colors that make me happy.  There is so much to the psychology of color.  I think everyone should take the time to analyze how they feel when they are wearing certain colors or look at colors. It is very telling!

Living Coral will warm up our visual field this year. I hope that we see it in home décor.  It is a natural for apparel because it is such a cosmetic  color. Who wouldn’t want to be warmed up with coral?

Of course, this is no surprise. It is, after all, almost Thanksgiving. The weather is finally changing. The leaves have changed colors and the temperatures are dropping, but my sweaters are not all unpacked yet. We have been busy taking road trips (blogs on that will be coming soon), but let’s first take a look at what you need to think about, add or pull out of your closet for fall.

Bold color is a major statement this fall. The magazines have been loving Hot Pink and bold gold (Wall Street Journal market report referred to it as the “gold standard”).  The neutrals for the season are charged with bolts of color.

Suiting is a big statement. The blazer is “having a moment” again. Oversize blazers are having a major moment. Suit jackets for 2018 give us a variety of lengths. There are knee length jackets, double breasted jackets and single or two button closures. The best looking ones are in soft gray Glen plaids, houndstooth checks and you’ll even see gangster stripe black and white. These suit jackets are often paired with loose cut trousers.

Dresses continue to hold their position for a Must Have. Midi lengths are strong. Prints are the big story. Strong boots give these very floating feminine styles and prints an edge.

As far as prints go, select anything leopard and you will be all set. Stripes are very happy and popular this season is a rainbow stripe. These are shown in dresses tops and sweaters.

Midi skirts in plaids or solids with knee boots give you instant style as does an oversize cardigan with a skinny belt.

Coats for 2018- trench coats are prevalent as are faux furs and cuddly coats.

As I always say, shop your closet, then add pieces to update your look.