The Countdown to Adventure Continues

I’m counting down to my next adventure and fortunately, I don’t have much packing to do! I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to create and maintain a minimalist wardrobe. I say unsuccessfully because I hate doing laundry every weekend! I’ve given this a lot of thought and I think life would be simpler if I can figure out how to have a limited number of outfits that I can mix and match. Obviously, if I don’t want to do laundry and ironing every weekend that presents a problem. The only way I can avoid it is to have 10 weekday outfits for work and at least 2 weekend outfits!

The alternative is to hire someone to do my laundry and ironing every week, so I’ll only need enough outfits for 1 week, right? I’m not sure whether I should do this or abandon the entire idea. Maybe I’m just too lazy to figure it out? In any event, as I mentioned in my last post, I will be overnighting in Miami so I will get what I need for the trip at the Dolphin Mall. My shopping list is short, I need comfortable walking shoes, a few warm sweaters, socks, and some skincare products.

I prefer a more classic style of dressing which means I am more likely to purchase select brands that are sometimes a bit more upscale. The good thing about purchasing those brands (as opposed to trendy brands) is that your stuff is generally of better quality and tend to last longer. The other advantage is that your clothing and accessories never go out of style – (simply because they were never really in style in the first place).

Shoes

For comfortable walking shoes, I’ll be checking out the Aldo sale but that’s not to say I won’t be looking at other brands as well. I’m big and tall so some brands don’t carry my shoe size but, as I’m sure you’ve guessed – the pricier brands do! Sometimes I envy people who are size 6-8 because they easily find gorgeous footwear at reasonable prices. Although I am never envious for too long – I love my model’s height and the extra-long legs I’ve been blessed with!

I’m struggling with an unsightly skin condition called Melasma. Melasma can be a real downer! While I applaud the beauty industry’s recent efforts to normalize hyperpigmentation, I have only shown the world my bare face once in the last 4 years. Yes, I admit it, I’m a coward! but I’m now an expert at applying foundation and concealer. I’ve also learned that it is important to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Even if you don’t have this skin condition, remember to wear sunscreen every day.

The beautiful twin Island state of Antigua and Barbuda is home for me, which means I wear summer clothing all year round. Buying warm clothing for the few days I spend each year in a cooler climate seems ludicrous right? I do it anyway and whenever I stay with friends or family, I leave coats, boots, and sweaters behind. Sometimes they save it for my next visit and sometimes they give it to Goodwill. Either way, I’m good with that, the way I see it – if I have no use for something for more than 6 months I can probably live comfortably without it!

Finding what I need can be a pain in a physical store, this is why I’ve learned to look online before going to the store. Of course, I do buy some stuff online but only brands I know well. Nothing annoys me more than ordering something online only to get a size too small or a colour that is definitely not what I ordered.

I love colour and clean lines, I am not comfortable wearing most floral or other patterned fabrics. It’s interesting that I am most comfortable wearing clean, simple lines, maybe because I’m tall? I do feel odd wearing busy fabric and too much decoration but I haven’t been able to figure out why. My friend seems quite comfortable wearing both – the busy and the clean and simple.

Nautica will be my first stop for sweaters, Calezedonia for socks, and maybe Levis jeans if they have the 36′ length. As promised, here are the Dolphin Mall Sales and offers. If you’re shopping online it pays (literally) to sign up with RetailMeNot, especially now when you need to stay out of crowded stores. Happy shopping! subscribe and stay tuned for photos and videos once the adventure begins on November 21st!