I won't leave Home without It by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady  It is warm, soft, cuddly and hugs my body. It kept me warm in some of the coldest places I have ever been. It is my newest must-travel item.
It is my pale gray ABIFERRIN hooded sweater. I get a little nervous when I travel to really cold climates. The day before I left for Quebec it was 80 degrees in my hometown of Dallas. People were riding their bikes in shorts while I was packing my boots and all my sweaters to be sure I would be warm enough at the Quebec Ice CARNAVAL. I ran into Abi and she asked me where I was off to next. When I said Quebec she said, you must take one of my hooded sweaters. And she was so right. I wore it every day and blessed Abi each time I put it on. AbiFerren is the right thing to Travel with  The sweater comes in black, oatmeal or gray. I thought that since my whole travel wardrobe is black and red, I should get black. Abi convinced me I should add a little variety with the pale gray sweater. She was so right again. It went with and over everything else I was bringing, yet added a little more visual interest. I guess that is why Abi is a designer and I am not.
 The hooded sweater is really warm, yet not bulky. The fiber in the sweater is luca- an eco-friendly fiber from Brazil which is very comfy while also environmentally conscious. It hugged my body without making me look like a stuffed sausage. I thought I would need a size Large since I was planning to make it the top of many layers. Abi gave me a medium. I thought it was mistake (somehow I think Abi does not make many mistakes). But Abi was right yet again. It slid over all the other sweaters and added a lot of style.
The Sweater gave me a new sense of Confidence  Quebec is the most European, most stylish part of Canada. Not only do they speak French, they look a little French. By that I mean stylish. They do not keep warm by just adding more sweatshirts. In fact, I doubt they even wear sweatshirts.
My warm AbiFerren sweater made me feel like I fit in. I knew how to stay warm. I knew how to layer clothes to stay warm even in the snow. I knew I would even look good in all the pictures journalists tend to take. It passed the Ice Hotel test, the ultimate test of staying warm while you are literally surrounded by ice. I had admired Abi's clothes for a while, even attending one of her fashion shows. She designs fabulous looking clothes that really function. Her themeline is Fashion with Freedom & Purpose. She makes a top that can be worn five different ways. But that will have to wait for summer, as it is silky, slinky design. (not something you wear over or under my new favorite sweater) Another Reason to love ABiFerrin  The Abi Ferrin collection used handcrafted horn and bone buttons and toggles made by women rescued from the sex trade in Nepal this season. The rescue organization Guardian Village Handicrafts provides women alternatives to abusive employment. The efforts have been so successful that some women have started their own micro-businesses, giving back to their own community. At last count, they were responsible for supporting and educating over 600 orphans in the Nepal region
WWW.ABIFERRIN.com Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who has learned how to keep warm. Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.yogayaya.com, www.carladynews.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.teaAtlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.coffeeatlas.com | 
