The Alders

I love alders in any case, but this group just knocked my socks off. Talk about elegance and presence. These driftwood logs have formed a little dam and made a pond behind them. This is a perfect 'migrant trap' - a spot providing water, food and shelter which attracts birds and insects on the move. These trees are so cool they even have their own groupies!

My third outfit, featuring my new cargo pants. I ripped apart the old pair to use as a pattern, modifying the waist/hi hip to conform more to these capris. I also trimmed down the legs to give a skinnier vibe, inspired by the one and only style underdog. My thighs/aka appetite aren't getting with the 'skinny cargoes' program so much.....but que sera, sera, i suppose. There's just too much 'yum' out there.

For whatever reason, i was just really into the 'gibson girl blouse knotted right under the bust' this trip, so i did it until i got it out of my system! (okay, almost out of my system...) But the three tops i wore could be worn a number of ways and would make a nice capsule for a trip where you'd be going different places and not necessarily seeing the same people. Two button-down-the-front blouses and a long sleeved sweater or tee. Let's see:

Each item can be worn alone.
Each blouse can be worn over the tee with a couple buttons undone.
Each blouse can be worn over the tee or over the other blouse
open and belted (belt or scarf).
Each blouse can be worn over the tee or over the other blouse open and knotted.

That's thirteen different looks right there, without even considering accessories (using different belts, scarves as belts, tying/belting scarves so as to cover much of what's underneath.....). If you choose a thin cardi instead of a tee/sweater, your choices only increase. Thinner pieces will layer better and dry reliably overnite. And if you only wear two pieces each day, the other piece can be drying/in the wash.

You could choose two oxford style shirts and a cashmere crewneck; a dot patterned blouse, a striped blouse and a solid tee; a floral blouse and a lace-trimmed blouse with a waffle long-sleeved tee..... you could have all pieces in the same color; or choose three colors that go together (coral, sap green and navy); or go with three versions of one color (light coral, canteloupe and tangerine). My pieces here are all very similar in color and style, so they are easy to mix but there isn't much variety in the resulting looks. If you want more variety, then choose pieces with different colors or different patterns, or take a lot of accessories. Just make sure that each piece will 'work' with both the others. I stumbled on this formula by accident, but it's a great way to travel super-light.

Here's a couple of pictures to give you a feel for why anyone would want to live at Sea Ranch. It's also possible to rent a house at Sea Ranch. It's really affordable if you go as a group, and a lot more fun than staying at a hotel. (Full disclosure: i can't recommend any of the rental agencies i linked to , i just wanted to give you a feel for how many there are. Only about 10% of the homes are lived in year round by the owners. Also, i don't care for the 'Sea Ranch' style of architecture, though it could be worse.)

Click on the pictures to get a larger view.




And here's a sunset view from Gualala Point park - that gorgeous misty seaside air....