Monday Musings-On The Road Again
Here’s what I wore for a long day of shopping over the weekend. It was fun to be back in my favorite stores checking out what’s new. I was somewhat surprised that I got no less than four people commenting on how much they loved my shoes! Since leopard print is such a big trend this fall, people are all of a sudden noticing it again.
My shoes are as old as the Hills from Rothy’s and are no longer available. They do have a new style here that looks very similar. I’ve ordered this animal print mule for a change of pace. They’re selling out fast at most places, so a lot of people seem to be getting on the leopard print train this fall. My jeans are several years old from J. Jill (similar here). My purse is from a small boutique in Helsinki (unavailable), and my cropped fleece jacket is here. BTW, Frank & Eileen is having their first 30% off sale on all travel sets, Aug 25-26.
Currently Reading
My daughter bought me this book for my birthday, and it’s amazing! It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and it grabbed me from the first page. The premise is unique, to say the very least, and it’s really gripped me. Have you read it?
Dry Eyes On The Go
I’ve shared many times that I have serious dry eyes caused by ocular rosacea, which is either exacerbated or caused by meibomian gland dysfunction. Those glands are the little oil glands in our upper and lower eyelids that excrete oil, which helps our watery tears do their job. My eye doctors suggested using this Bruder heated eye compress daily, which I’ve been using with great success.
The problem is I don’t always have access to a microwave when we travel. So, for our trip to the Arctic earlier this summer, I bought this plug-in heated eye compress, and I LOVE it!
I spray a clean tissue with this Tower 20 hypochlorous acid, and lay it across my eyes, then put the mask on for 30 minutes. The tissue keeps the mask clean, and the hypochlorous acid has antiseptic properties that help keep everything fresh and sanitized. It’s a super compact mask, easy to travel with, and plugs into a regular outlet. BTW, the Tower 28 spray is great for sensitive skin and I often spray my face with it.
Outfit of the Week
I’ve been in a lot of stores lately, and what’s catching my eye is leopard print. Everywhere. I own a few leopard print accessories, but this has me thinking of less subtle ways of wearing it, like a duffle bag for travel.
Are you a fan of leopard print?
Back in the 70’s, my mother had a very stylish faux leopard convertible coat – the bottom portion detached to make it jacket-length. I was in love with that coat for years! I still love leopard print and coats and jackets (and shoes, and cardigans, and….)!!
That coat sounds fabulous!
My eye doctor recently tested my eyes for dry eye. She has recommended a prescription for dry eyes that is $799.00 a bottle and insurance will not cover it. Have you tried any of the prescription meds for dry eye. I have been supposed to but hot compresses on my eyes for several years but I have not. I just ordered the one you recommended. I will probably remember to use that. Thanks for sharing.
I do use xxidra RX which my Ins refuses to pay for too. To be honest, I do so many things for my dry eyes, I’m never sure which is helping. I am psoitive the fish oil and compresses work though because if I skip a few days, they get very irritated.
When I went on Amazon to order the book it says it comes out in 2025. Is there a different book by the same name as it sounds like many have already read it.
Thanks
It’s out now. What you saw is the rerelease to coincide with it being turned into a move.
https://bit.ly/3YWFMfL
Add my voice to the chorus dinhing the praises for Remarkably Bright Creatures! I listened to it on audio and the narrator was phenomenal!! Highly recommend!
If you love learning about the intelligence of octopi, watch the movie, “My Octopus Teacher”. You’ll be crying at the end! It is wonderful!
Thanks for the recommendation!
Sigh. Leopard print. Again. I don’t like it, never have, prefer to see the print on the living animal. Oh well, I’ll just keep avoiding it, I guess.
Nothing wrong with sitting a trend out!
I also loved that book. My husband uses the Bruner microwave one, recommended by his eye doctor. He says its good.
Leopard prints (warm and coool tones) in fabulously comfortable footwear: SASshoes.
I have the BLISS stretch low wedge in the black leopard and solid red. These shoes are SO comfortable. Arch support, comfort heel, etc. True to size for me. Only the actual SAS shoes site (not NOLa) have all the colors available. Not your usual go to for fashionable feet but in this case, try it!
Thanks, I will check it out
LOVE Remarkably Bright Creatures! Watch the 2020 documentary The Octopus Teacher! also on You Tube Inky The Octopus, and another you tube about a diver with octopus in Alaska (sorry no direct links) and on WGN news the story behind the octopus escape at the Seattle aquarium. (retired librarian, book club leader who has loved discussing this book!) 🙂
Awesome, thanks Nancy!
Please put me in the column of loving “Remarkably Bright Creatures.” I hated to finish it and I never knew that I would be cheering/rooting for an octopus character!
I will have to wear my leopard print Talbots sheath from about 5 years ago with the leopard resurgence. I am thrilled some of my other pieces I have in leopard are “on trend” again! Yay!
Thanks for all of your hard work, Jennifer, for our benefit! You bring me much joy reading your posts!
You were smart to save those!!
Drat! I donated my leopard flats and now they’re back! The hunt for a replacement pair begins!
Lol, the classics always come back.
Thanks for book recommendation. Was looking for a “beach read”.
As far as the Class A motorhome…..resist, resist, resist! Ed and I have owned 5 of them since 2005. Started small with an 18 ft Pleasureway wide body. Then gradually increased size to 34 feet. Can’t park downtown, have to really have a tow car (extra work and $$). Like a boat, a motorhome is the “never ending pit into which you just toss money”. The older we got, the less fun it was to have to hook up to sewer, water, etc. The last one was another 18 foot Pleasureway….but by then we had discovered cruising….and we sold it.
Unless you are going to really use every weekend, or take at least a week a month….its really not worth the extra expense for gas and insurance. We’re 75 (me) and 78 (Ed) now,and despite being in excellent shape…..give me a veranda cabin on a smaller ship…..and those lovely B&Bs and Inns.
Oh…..and I have a pair of leopard Rothy’s too…the round toe. It goes on almost every cruise….really jazzes up a capsule outfit!! Love, love ALL Amy Rothys!
Thanks for that dose of reality. I know you’re right Laurie. It looks easier than it really is. xo
I loved that book too
Enjoy along with your next trip
I can take leopard in tiny doses…I do have a pair of leopard flats I bought years ago, and wear them occasionally. I so seldom wear them they look new. I don’t think I’d go any further than the shoes. But when you show how to style, leopard does make a nice statement
I have chronic blepharitis as well as dry eye. I need to get some Tower 28 toner spray! Thank you!
What a great book! I never thought I would love a book about an octopus.
I loved that book! It’s so well written – but I especially loved that the fictional aquarium is right near where I live in real life.
I like leopard in small doses. I have a belt and a scarf. A travel bag would be a nice way to follow the current trend that is also a classic.
After reading your blog post and the comments, I’m going to buy Remarkably Bright Creatures for my upcoming flight. Thank you for the recommendation.
You’ll love it, I am.
I loved Remarkably Bright Creatures! I just read that they made a movie starring Sally Fields!! Can’t wait for it to come out!
Amazing. I love her
I love what you have on! Great outfit. I just had a neighbor recommend that I read that book. And she ended the sentence with TODAY!
I agree 🙂 Great book
Regarding the outfit of the week … it’s quite impressive how marketers managed to rejuvenate good old-fashioned sweatsuits just by re-branding them as travel sets! It’s not that long ago that with-it women wouldn’t be caught dead in them.
Agreed, me included
We took a river tour on the Danube in late October-early November a couple of years ago and I wore a leopard-print shawl over a black waterproof LL Bean raincoat. When I look back at what I wore in photos from that trip, the Leopard print shawl really stands out. My leopard wardrobe is a heavy shawl, a lighter-weight silky scarf, a long sweater-jacket, a belt, and Skechers flats. I usually am not brave enough to wear more than one item at a time but I ALWAYS get compliments on the items. Love the accents!
I love the accents too!
Jennifer,
I loved the book “Remarkable Bright Creatures”.
What a wonderful book. I know I will read it again in the future.
Another good one is “A Walk in the Park”. It’s about two friends who decide to hike the Grand Canyon . Funny, informative, is a tad bit long, but worth it.
Thanks, Lin. I’ll put it on my list!
I use Resasis which is a prescription from my eye doctor. Twice a day. The only downsize is the cost.
Enjoy your day.
Hi, Jennifer, I’m a new subscriber to your blog and find your fashion tips and other musings really “on point”. Love your blog! Anyway, my opthamalogist recommended I simply wash my eyelashes frequently with mild (“baby”) soap or shampoo. I wash them at night before bed or in the morning upon arising with a lovely mild avocado soap and my eyes feel refreshed and non-dry or “sticky” all day.
That’s a great tip! That is usualy for demodex, which we all have. So glad you’ve joined us Eileen, welcome!
Loved that book from page one to the end!
I have heard leopard is everywhere this season.
I could use a few new pieces.
I’m so tempted by the Rothy’s- I have an old pair & although I love the material, I don’t find them comfortable. Have they changed the insoles? My old pair had no cushioning or arch support.
I’m not sure if the new ones have changed but I size up and add an insole.
I use the Bruder eye mask too. I love the plug in one. We sometimes miss pulling our little home on wheels also. I think the ship may have sailed for us to get an RV but we really wanted to. I love leopard print. I have some leopard Clark shoes that I might start wearing again. Forgot to say my eye Doctor recommended Muro ointment at night and it really helps. Take care of your eyes!
I am now as meticulous with my eye care as I am with my flossing and dental care. Sheesh! It’s a process!
This was a wonderful book and the ending is glorious. BTW there is a feature series on octopus either on BBC or Nat geo. Octopus are so wonderfully unique and smart.
I’ll have to find and watch those. I never thought much about Octopus until this book!
Beautiful day for visiting the San Juan’s.
Our Book Club read Remarkably Bright Creatures as well, and we all LOVED it! Such a creative, well written book. Enjoy!!
Have you tried flaxseed oil capsules to go along with your other treatments? It seems to be recommended a lot by ophthalmologists. I had PRK surgery in March (tweaking results from a cataract surgery five years ago), which leaves one with very dry eyes for a while, although I had dry eyes also prior. I started on two 1000-mg capsules a day and they were magical. I have tried to stop but can really tell the difference, so I will likely take them for the rest of my life.
My Dr recommneded the Omega’s too so I take 1,000 mg morning and night.
I also have very dry eyes. I have tried the Bruder eye mask, but what really works for me is Lotemax ointment. My eye doctor wrote a prescription for it.
I haven’t heard of that one. I will ask
I have severe allergies and very dry eyes and I live in the Arizona desert … yikes! I’ve used every kind of eye drops, including RX ones, over the years and recently tried Retaine by Occusoft and I am one happy happy camper and so are my eyes! Worth giving it a try … comes in individual flasks and is so very soothing as soon as it touches your eyes. Available on Amazon and well worth giving it a try.
Thanks for the tip Ann!
I read “Remarkably Bright Creatures”. Absolutely loved the book – it is amazing how the writer created so many different characters and story lines in one book and how they surprisingly all came together at the end. Hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!!
I believe this was the author’s first book and was written during our Covid shutdown!
I agree. Remarkably Bright Creatures is one of my best reads of the past year.
Yes! My book club read Remarkably Bright Creatures. We all loved it. I think it would make a good series with other creatures being narrators, but it seems the author has not published any more books.
I loved that book! Very creative and beautiful story.
Hi Jennifer! Right now I’m having eye sensitivity issues -either from air quality or changes in something growing or decaying around our property. I’m a garden putterer so maybe in the soil? I’m using a prescription drop plus Zyrtek. Fingers crossed.
I do like animal prints, but like you in accessories, mainly. I own belts, a small handbag and a neck warmer. I’m looking into a blouse from Talbots – maybe.
I’m so sorry to hear about your eyes! I hope you get some relief soon.
I also have dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction. I use the Bruder eye mask and have had good luck with it. I may give the heated one you showed a try. I’m going to look into the ointment as well. Fashion , books, and health tips all in one place! Thanks for bringing so much to all of us .
Thanks for being here with us Nancy
I LOVED Remarkably Bright Creatures!!! I read it last winter and chose it for book group this summer – everyone loved it and it inspired a pretty happy discussion. I’m glad it found you! 🙂
I recently had to donate my favorite pair of leopard print shoes that were clearly for my feet in another time. Over the years I find I can no longer wear flats, nor can I wear anything higher than a 2″ heel and the shoe must have good arch support. I’m happy to see it’s in the stores again – the search begins!
I’m hunting too so I’ll round up what I find!
I loved Remarkably Bright Creatures. My book club voted it “book of the year” last year.
I like the look of the Frank and Eileen mini Belfast you are wearing and have thought about ordering it. Just wondering about the sizing? I’ve ordered a S in shirts but wear an XS in the Rory dress and the Daphne dress.
I’d suggest the XS in the jacket for you.It runs large and has lots of stretch.
I’ve used the Bruner microwavable one. My eye doctor sold it to me at the office.
It works really well, but I need to use one everyday and I don’t always have a microwave available.
I like animal print in accessories. Thanks for the info on the micro mask for dry eyes.