Carnival Dream 2019 – Precruise#7: Evening Attire

First, let me apologize for this blog being late. Sunday we celebrated my mother’s birthday and I had my daughter take some pictures of my husband and I in our evening attire. While the pictures came out okay, I wasn’t happy with the way some of the clothes made me look so I had to re-think a couple of outfits. Which meant I had to retake photos. I will post the ones my daughter took but please be kind. It was hot, the clothes still need to be ironed, and there was a party going on inside my mothers very small apartment. Now, on with the post!!!!

We are 6 weeks away from sail-away!!!! The next 42 days will go by very fast and I feel like I still have a lot to do!!! Clothes need to be ironed. Others need to go to the cleaners. And of course, there is still the stop at Spec’s for our champagne and wine we will be carrying on board!!!!

There is something you should know about me before I continue. I love to get dressed for dinner. Not necessarily over-the-top dressed up, but something I would not consider wearing after dinner. So, after dinner I change into something more comfortable for any situation such as mini golf, movies under the stars, piano bar cocktails, or giving money to the casino. Most nights, with the exception of the first night, I will have 2 evening outfits. I’m old and set in my ways so please bear with me.

Dinner the first night usually means the photography staff will come to each table and take your picture with a pirate!!!! Since we are celebrating the 17th anniversary of our honeymoon cruise, we will not be wearing the clothes we wear when we take our embarkation photo. Instead, we will wearing something casual and comfy. This is our choice… okay, it’s my choice and it is what we WILL be doing, LOL! Tonight I will be wearing an asymmetrical top in shades of blue, turquoise, and white with a pair of white capris, white sandals, and a necklace and earrings in a shade of turquoise. Jim will be wearing khaki’s and a light green golf shirt. My top and capris are from Steinmart, sandals are from Amazon, and the necklace and earrings are from BaubleBar. Jims shirt is from Amazon. He’s had his pants for so long, I do not know where they are from. Could be Dillards, could be Ross, and it could be Burlington’s. I just do not know about any of his pants or shorts. I can only account for this golf shirts!!!!

Cruise Elegant Night!!!!! I love this night!!! I like to be able to get dressed up since I rarely do it at home and I definitely do not do it for work. Tonight I will be wearing a white one shoulder jumpsuit and a pair of black heels, both from Venus.com. The jewelry I will be wearing is a black and gold braided necklace I found on Amazon and some black earrings I picked up at Charming Charlie. Jim will be wearing a blue and white shirt and navy slacks or maybe his khaki slacks. We will be dressy but not formal by any stretch of the imagination.

After dinner I will be wearing a tan colored halter with some bling to it and black capris I purchased at Venus.com. The earrings I will be wearing were purchased at one of those jewelry home show things, but I do not remember which one. I will also be wearing black flip-flops. I will need some comfy shoes after wearing heals for a few hours!!!! Jim will be changing into a red golf shirt and shorts.

Recovering from a day in Cozumel means light, comfy clothes that is something we would wear out to dinner if we were at home. I will be wearing a cream colored top from StitchFix that I am pairing with a tan and white very narrow stripe capris that I purchased at Steinmart. Tan sandals are from Amazon. Earrings from BaubleBar and necklace from Amazon. Jim will be wearing a gray golf shirt from Amazon with a pair of slacks.

After dinner I will be changing into my white capris and a blue and white stripe top with pink flamingos. Of course I will be wearing white flip flops I bought at DSW. And lets not forget the pink flamingo earrings from BaubleBar and the pink flamingo necklace from Charming Charlie. Jim will switch his slacks for a pair of shorts!

Since we have no plans for Progreso, I have chosen this night for a dinner in the steakhouse. This will be our first time to go to the steakhouse that Carnival Cruise Line has. I am beyond excited to do it on this cruise!!! I will be wearing a navy floral maxi dress from StitchFix, with pink wedges from Payless Shoe Source, a necklace with a pink drop that I think I purchased from Charming Charlie online, and pink earrings from BaubleBar. Jim will be wearing either a teal golf shirt from Amazon or a short sleeve button down shirt and slacks. Maybe you can help us decide which one he should wear.

After dinner I will be changing into a blue, black, and white halter and black capris along with black drop earrings and black flip flops. Jim will be changing into shorts and depending on which shirt he wears to dinner, he might be changing into a golf shirt as well.

Our last dinner on the ship is always so sad for me. But that doesn’t mean I will not dress comfortably. Tonight I am planning on wearing a white and blue stripe jumpsuit I purchased at Steinmart with white sandals from Amazon. The jewelry I will be wearing is also from Steinmart. Jim will be wearing a blue and white stripe golf shirt from Amazon and slacks.

No doubt, after dinner we will be changing one last time. I will be changing into a pair of blue capris from Steinmart and a tropical print halter from Venus.com, White flip flops and blue earrings will round out my after dinner outfit. Jim will obviously change into a pair of shorts.

For my own peace of mind, I am also taking a couple of dresses should I decide I do not want to wear the dinner outfits I have selected. Both dresses were purchased at Steinmart. At least I will have an option for the drive home after the cruise and the force us off the ship.

The first dress is a navy tank top dress with a gold anchor on it that come just below my knees. If you know me, you know I love anchors!!!! I will be wearing it with navy canvas shoes from Target, gold earrings, and white bracelet with an anchor on it and another bracelet with a blue and white anchor all from Charming Charlie.

The other dress is a bit over the knees and very flows beautifully. It is a precious tropical type print and I will be wearing it with gold earrings and my white sandals.

On the drive home, Jim will be wearing a blue golf shirt and shorts. Please note that this is the last golf shirt I have packed for him!!!

As you can see, I am definitely an over-packer. But this time, if I have planned everything correctly, I should only be coming home with one outfit that I did not wear.

Next week, precruise blog #8 will be what we have in our first aid kit.

Carnival Dream 2019 – Precruise #6: Daytime attire.

We are down to 7 weeks precruise!!! I have a very specific way to selecting my clothing for a cruise. This includes writing down every day and dividing it by day and evening. I do this in hopes of not over-packing, but I still do. So this blog post will concentrate on what I will be wearing during the day beginning with the first sea day.

On the first sea day, which is sometimes referred to the first full cruise day, I know my hubby and I will be going to the Sea Day Brunch so I will definitely be dressed casually knowing that after brunch, I will be running to our stateroom to change in to my swimsuit so I can soak up some sun. Today I will be wearing a white t-shirt with VACATION across the front. It is a v-neck with a criss-cross design, some pinkish shorts, a rose-gold with pink and crystals necklace and earring set and flip flops. The shirt was in a Stitch Fix box from last year, the shorts are a recent purchase from Steinmart, the jewelry is from Amazon, and the flip flops are from DSW I made last year.

On our second full cruise day, we will be docking in Cozumel. We have been there so many times and we know exactly what we want to do. Today I will be wearing a pink t-shirt that says FIESTA THEN SIESTA, some denim shorts, flamingo earrings and necklace, and black blingy flip flops. The shirt was purchased last year from Old Navy, denim shorts were in a Stitch Fix box from last year, flamingo earrings are from BaubleBar, flamingo necklace is from Charming Charlie, and flip flops were purchased years ago from Academy.

The third full cruise day will find us in Progreso. This will be our fifth time here (I think). The only thing we are planning on doing is shopping around the pier then returning to the ship to explore and take pictures. And also to spend time in the sun and on the water slides. Today I will be wearing a green t-shirt, floral patterned shorts, a palm leaf necklace with gold earrings, and the blingy black flip flops. The shirts and shorts were purchased from Old Navy, the necklace and earrings are from Charming Charlie.

On our last day on the ship, a sea day, I will be wearing a navy shirt with criss cross v-neck, navy shorts with white anchors, a white beaded necklace with white earrings, and white flip flops. The shirt is from Amazon, the shorts are from Steinmart, the necklace was in a Stitch Fix box last year, and the earrings are from Charming Charlie.

As for my husband, he will be wearing a selection of shirts I have chosen for the daytime and shorts. I do not know where the shirts or shorts are from.

There is a good chance this could change as I am currently looking at options on Amazon!!! I guess I was giving myself false hope of having finished my Amazon shopping!

The next blog, precruise #8 will have our evening attire which includes what I will be wearing for dinner and what I may or may not change into after dinner. That all depends on our plans!!!

StitchFix #3

It seems like a long wait since the last one in June but at last, I finally received my latest StitchFix box #3!!!

I must admit, when I received the email notification that it was on it’s way, I peaked to see what it was. With this diet I’m on, I decided I really wasn’t mentally prepared for any surprises. I knew before the box arrived that I would probably only be keeping a couple of items but I would keep an open mind while I awaited the arrival.

The box arrived one day after the email notification which caught me totally off-guard! I opened the box and there was a surprise gift inside from my stylist, Erin. I really like her and I feel like she is pretty much on track with items I would like.

Box#3 included:

Bujibaja – Crysti Straw Tote in the color tan (item 59995961) $96.00.

ZSupply – Derick Scoop Neck Knit Top in the color teal green (item 69283466) $34.00

Studio Blue – Kadence Distressed Denim Short in the color white (item 700005579) $38.00

French Grey – Evalynn Brushed Knit Dress in the color red (item 72380051) $48.00

FORTUNE + IVY – Tayler Tie Front Knit Top in the color blue (item 72613753) $38.00

About Box #3… Items being returned.

The tote is $96.00! Seriously… $96.00 for a tote to take to the beach? In all honesty I have several totes that I use for beach time so this is not a necessary item for me. And besides, just because it costs more doesn’t mean it is better. The tote is being returned.

Also being returned is the dress. It isn’t that I didn’t like it or that it didn’t fit. That is not it. I’m returning it because when I tried it on, it just didn’t feel right. So, the dress is in the return bag. I’m a little sad about that, but I’m sure I will get over it.

But I am keeping the 3 remaining items! They are perfect for our upcoming cruise as well as everyday wear in this Texas heat!

The final cost for the 3 items after the addition of sales tax and the credit for the styling fee was $99.09. I’m not complaining about the cost since the quality of the items I’m keeping is excellent. I wonder what my hubby will have to say about it if and when he reads this blog!

I have plans to wear the blue top with my Kut From the Kloth boyfriend jeans I received in my very first StitchFix box on our drive to the port when we go on our cruise. Now I just need to figure out what shoes and other accessories I will need for it. I have not made a definite decision as to whether the shorts and teal shirt will also be going on the cruise or not. But I still have a little bit of time to make that final decision!!!

I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of StitchFix Box #4 scheduled to arrive on September 29!!!