Black, White and Shades of Gray - Relocation Abroad

Travel Wardrobe Capsule – Black and white and shades of gray

Been really busy working to narrow down the clothes for my upcoming trip. Been Mixing and matching outfits to wear for 15 glorious days in the tropics. 

Each of us has agreed to travel with only ONE carry on. So gotta make everything fit! That's the plan.

As we were fine tuning our itinerary I also attempted to fine tune my wardrobe selections. However, so far, no wardrobe plan has worked to meet all of my specifications. 

　

With time running out, I'm posting my most recent and hopefully my final attempt. 

I chose these pieces based on several factors and with a focus on total comfort dressing. No tight, clinging, digging pants. I'm not even taking a pair of jean (they are heavy and can also be very hot) We have a long flight and once we arrive we will be spending a great deal of time riding long distances on hot buses, which I also assume will probably a bit cramped. 

I don't anticipate that we will attend any dressy functions but I bought along 1 dress that can pass for dressy and I have a pair of trusty black pants. 

Four dresses

Six tops

All tops are inter changeable

five pairs of pants

 navy, black and gray pants are all made of tencel

Batik long dress from Molly b

 2 swim suits

1 swim suit cover ups

1 Net King Tunic (also comes in black)

the tunic is not an "official" swim suit cover up. I'm just using it as one. 

It is very versatile. I have a million things I can wear under it. 

Also packing: 2 pairs of knee length shorts (khaki and pink) and 3 linen Tshirts (navy, black and olive green) 1 wrap, 1 pj, undies (I love the ExOfficio Quick-Dry Full Brief $20 /pr) 2 pairs of Toms (black and ?? (a pair not  purchased yet)

So far everything fits. We'll see how many "must haves" I will have to add to the bag.

I'll take a photo each day of the outfit I wear once we get to Costa Rica

This is how we do it - Day 2 - Relocation Costa Rica

It's day 2 and Ashlea, Tommy and Wanda head out for a full day of exploring.

They start the day with a meal of fresh fruit which they purchased from one of the local carts - the fresh fruit is wonderful. It can be cut for you and you are welcome to taste test fruits you might be unfamiliar with.  They buy Rambutan, Star Fruit, mini bananas and some sort of green orange. You can actually buy quite A LOT of fruit for $10!

Next they head off to rent bikes from one of the many bike shops. Bikes are a normal mode of transportation for tourists and locals alike. They rental rate is $7/ea for 24 hrs. They then head south  to explore the area south of Puerto Viejo. 

It's a scenic ride and they past by the Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel where we are going to stay and Ashlea remarks that "it looks awesome" (whew!). On the way they stop in Cocles at La Isla Inn located across from the ocean and booked their next two nights. The inn is owned by a very nice German lady. There are many different cultures in this part of Costa Rica. Ashlea is in love with melting pot of people who live in the area.  

As they continued their journey there were boutiques, restaurants, quaint hotels and grocery stores which dotted the entire ride. Ashlea and I had been a bit worried that there would be no cool clothing places but to our surprise there were many! She will send us some pics which I will include in a later post.

"Aqua de pipa" as it is called in Costa Rica is not to be confused with coconut milk. Drinking young coconut water provides a quick and easy source of nutrition without taxing the enzyme systems of the body. It improves the absorption of minerals, B vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins, as well as some amino acids.
Costs about $2.00 and can be found just about everywhere!

Along the ride they came upon a man on a bike...yelling "pahhhhty patty patty" so they decided to stop him and ask what he was selling. Homemade empanadas from a recipe originating in Jamaica...and fresh juice. He also instructed them that is they continued on their path, once they reached the town of Punta Uva (where a lot of the expats live), cross bridge and turn left they would find beach. After following the long road through the jungle and they arrived at a truly breathtaking beach. They swam...lounged about and then headed home.

Total miles on the bike....18
Now THAT is some riding!

Stay tuned for day 3 and it's all about the dogs!

Boomer Retirement Abroad - I will not be retiring in Saudi Arabia

Since I've been making my plans  to escape  from the U.S, oops I mean relocate, I've been following a lot of expat blogs.  I have even contacted some of the bloggers.

One of the blogs I follow is Black Chick on Tour. I have not contacted her (yet) but find her posts and her videos to be very funny and always informative.

Now, under NO circumstances do I plan to move to Saudi Arabia, but I thought it was very interesting to hear about her experiences as an expat in Saudi Arabia and I especially enjoyed her change of attitude regarding the abaya.

You know, I never really gave it much thought that there was any diversity in choosing one of these garnents. (c'mon and you didn't either) I figured they were just black garments that the women wrapped up in.

Right?

Wrong!

Just goes to show you - women are women, everywhere!

Here are a couple of things you might want to know if you plan to go to Saudi Arabia

What is an abaya anyway?

The abaya sometimes also called an aba, is a simple, loose over-garment, essentially a robe-like dress, worn by some women in parts of the Muslim world including in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

 Traditional abayat are black and may be either a large square of fabric draped from the shoulders or head or a long caftan. The abaya covers the whole body except the face, feet, and hands. It can be worn with the niqāb, a face veil covering all but the eyes. Some women choose to wear long black gloves, so their hands are covered as well.

Abayat are known by various names but serve the same purpose, which is to cover. Contemporary models are usually caftans, cut from light, flowing fabrics like crepe, georgette, and chiffon. Other known abaya styles are front open and front closed abaya. Styles differ from region to region: some abayat have embroidery on black fabric while others are brightly coloured and have different forms of artwork across them.

What is the difference between an abaya and a burka?

A burka and abaya are different. Both are undergarments worn by Muslim women to maintain modesty in public.

A burka is a head to toe covering worn by women. Their face is concealed by fabric that you can not see into but they can see out of. This style of Islamic dress is common in Afghanistan. They can come in different colors but black and blue (afgani) are the most common.

An Abaya is a body cover, often black in color (especially in the Gulf Region), that covers a women from neck to toe. There are many different styles of abayas, and they usually are paired with a matching shayla (oblong) style hijabs.

Check out Terri as she chooses her new abaya

LDFA Photo Shoot Pics pt2

Here are some photos of the girls having fun in the Little Dresses.

I;m Just Sayin!

Little Dresses for Africa - Photo Shoot

Here's a little sneak preview of Saturday's pictures. These are the ones we took, not the ones taken by the  "official photographer". Those pics will follow.
In the meantime
Enjoy!

Little Dresses for Africa Photo Shoot - IMPORTANT- Location Change

After all it is the rainy season!

Due to rain prediction for Saturday we have changed to inside venue. This location is actually easier to get to as it is in downtown Lafayette.


Location changed to:
Lafayette Health Club
85 Lafayette Circle
Lafayette, CA

It will all be great. Room is upstairs in the health club. You can ask at the front desk where the upstairs class room is. Call me if you have any questions.
See you all tomorrow at 1:00

LDFA Presidents Day Updates

Today I’m posting some photos from my friend and colleague, Colleen. She is the person responsible for my involvement in the LDFA project and she has been a tremendous supporter.

Here they are

I also bought a rolling wardrobe rack this weekend for use during the photo shoot on March 19th. I think this will make it much easier for the girls and their moms to select the dresses they want to wear for the shoot. I'm super excited.

I have 60 dresses on the rack right now. If we add Colleen's 3 dresses and Stu contacted me yesterday to say he has FIFTEEN more (geeez what a "sewing" machine he is - no pun intended)....That makes 78 !!

    

I have more dresses on the way from about 4 other people. We are going to make our goal. For sure!!

              Thank You Everyone!!

I'm Just Sayin!

Little Dresses for Africa - (Wisconsin style)

Today we have a "Guest Blogger" who happens to be my dear friend Toni.  She is a fellow artist and we have been friends for a number of years.  We used to ride the ferry into San Francisco each day to work before she moved out of state (I miss those conversations). She was also one of the first people I told about my idea to do the Little Dresses and she was immediately on-board. Toni has been a great source of inspiration and support as this project unfolds. 

Her group will host their Little Dresses for Africa party at the same time that we host ours here in CA.

Check out her story below and the beautiful flyer she created

I knew I wanted to spend time during the winter months doing some sewing, relearning the skills I had from years of sewing my own clothes, being creative in use of fabrics, and just enjoying the construction process. I didn’t have an idea of what I would do, just something. That night, my dear friend Devon, emailed me a story about a project called “Little Dresses”  where pillowcases are turned into cotton sundresses for children in Africa. Tai Chi has taught us that when we send intentions out into the world, that they are felt by those we have thought of, but I couldn’t believe that my intention was answered that quickly!

I formulated a plan to host a sewing party, and created a flyer to pass out, hoping to get some material donations. I was astonished at the reception! I spoke in front of my Tai Chi class, and was amazed at how quickly people agreed to participate. Even both of the men in class said that they would like the opportunity to do something like this for these girls. I assured everyone I can put them to use, sewing skills or not. So far, I have one woman awaiting her adoption process, one woman with superior sewing skills, one woman and her 93 year old mother coming to sew, one who will donate pillowcases, and Joseph who says he can sew a button on, and perhaps a family of 3. And a promise of another sewing date in February at the spa where the Tai Chi classes are held!

As I told Devon, people want the opportunity to do good, and thanked me for the chance to participate in this project.  And I thank Devon for seeking out this opportunity and allowing us to participate with her. World Sewing Day coming up on January 23!

Thank you Toni

I'm Just Sayin!