Atypical 60

CAVEAT: If you are offended by my snarky tone then might I suggest you do not read this blog post and go read something about finding Talbots clothing.

And Talbots target consumer being the “over 50 woman”, ponder why a younger woman with no visible wrinkles is in the ad.

If you haven’t heard the news by now, please allow me to inform you.  Martha Stewart is the Cover Girl (Or rather, cover mature Woman of the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. In addition, her photos are also displayed among the infamous Swimsuit editorial.

Making history with a photoshopped, filtered, edited 81 year-old Martha Steward on Sports Illustrated.  I will say that her titties look great because they left the natural sagginess of the girls. That’s about the only thing that doesn’t scream “Quiet Ageism”

At 81 years old, she is the oldest woman to grace both the cover and pages of SI—and the swimsuit edition.

Megan Fox is also celebrated in the SI Swimsuit Issue. She, too, has had a ton of stuff done to her. But seriously folks, check out the Martha on the right. That’s more what she looks like.

Older women, for the most part that I’ve seen or read, are thrilled with this. And comments regarding the use of photoshop and editing are being called out from these same older women that humbly adore what SI has done, as the negative commenters being deemed “haters”.

“Haters”–the new word for “You don’t agree with me and you are mean for not agreeing with me”.  Sing it Snow!

If an 81-year old man had been splayed in a swimsuit in any publication, without editing and showcasing his beer belly and his hairy body, he would be applauded—but a woman apparently has to be photoshopped. It’s a disgusting and misogynistic double standard.

Old men are acceptable. Even with their ripples and wrinkles. Old women are not acceptable unless they are photoshopped!

Now, while I think it’s great that an older woman is included in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, I’m also disgusted, disappointed and angry.

Any phase of aging has been erased from the images. Truth be told, Martha looks like an AI image of herself. And that’s wrong.  If the editors of SI had any balls or any sense of respect for the senior community, they would have left her image alone.  Had we been subjected to what Martha really looks like at her present season in life, it would have been a landmark and it would have showcased the true beauty of the aging process.

Quiet Photoshopping. Keep the softened crow’s feet but get rid of the textured skin. Erase the lines. Add a glow…

Middle pic of me is no filters or Facetune. I have freckles on my body and many wrinkles (thanks to baby oil and iodine and sun damage. I take full responsibility).  The pic on the far right is also me but with smoothed out skin and some lines erased. I tried making my mouth bigger but Facetune couldn’t do it because my mouth is already big.

I’m gonna skip around here before I come back to Martha.

It’s the “Quiet Ageism” that is daunting.  Yes. Sports Illustrated did showcase an 81-year-old woman.  However, it was done with photoshopping, filtering and the best damned lighting you could ever imagine.  On one hand she’s old. On the other, she’s been erased of all signs indicating she’s old.

Those titties again! You can tell the outline at her arms that even those were slimmed down a bit and the hands have been edited. For crissakes, Stewart has been blessed with great genes–showcase her in her unedited state and she would still look good.

Quiet Ageism is that ad for skincare where the vulgar term “anti-aging” is printed on the ads and the model is a 20-year-old who has been filtered to the point of no skin texture.

Hey Aveeno, show a NORMAL, AVERAGE 55 to 65 year old after using this for a few months. I guarantee the wrinkles will still be there.  And stop using young models and Jennifer Aniston. We know you photoshop Jennifer!

Quiet Ageism is the ad from clothing companies that are “mature” women brands yet their models are nowhere near 50 or over.

Talbots.  The model on the far right, I believe IS older–but she’s been photoshopped to look younger. Even with conservative clothing brands quiet ageism is worse than quiet luxury.

Society looks down upon racism, antisemitism, sexism, and all the other “isms” but yet, ageism is the only ism to be swept under the carpet.  Society also looks down on ageing.   Ads for Juvéderm, Botox and other fillers will halt the process of ageing. Stop wrinkles before they appear.

Trust me, racism IS a public health crisis and so is ageism. But ageism is the “acceptable” ism.

The fact is, wrinkles are part of the process.  Age spots are too. Crepe-paper skin is as are drooping eyelids and thinning lips and hair.  And instead of trying to hide the fact this happens; we should be working with this—and enhancing the great features that have remained our personal greatness.

This is how we age. This is what the ageing process does. And quite frankly, this woman is looking pretty darn good!

How many senior citizens have the same job opportunities as young people?

This illustration is for an article regarding jobs for seniors. And the illustration is ageist. It showcases old people with white hair, bad haircuts and bad clothing.

How many older women are included on a regular basis in clothing ads, cosmetic ads and luxury brand advertisements?  Not many. And our demographic should be included in every ad where a group of women from all cultural and racial backgrounds are showcased.

Ad for CTZN Cosmetics celebrating diversity. WTF is the old woman? And all these young people are photoshopped. It’s BS all the way!

I’ve read comments on social media discussing how “boomers” thankfully will be gone soon. Yes. I’ve actually read shit like this.  There’s plenty of Boomer Bullying out there so open your eyes.

Pretty much the welcome Boomers receive on social media and in real life.

In all honesty, I can’t really place the blame on Martha, she had an opportunity and went with it. And I’m pretty sure she’s had surgery—if I had her money, I would have that saggy chin lifted—but I would own it.

I honestly can’t place the blame on Martha. But for someone who pontificates baking from scratch and being organic–these photos aren’t very organic!

I couldn’t get The Frenchman to pour water over my head. But you can see from my top photo that I’m full of wrinkles and on the bottom one I erased them!!

And she does look great. When I see a “regular” picture of her she looks wonderful—old and wonderful.  Trust me, it isn’t Christmas in our home unless I start preparing my Martha Stewart Eggnog the day after Thanksgiving and I don’t make Pain aux Raisins without her pastry cream recipe.  So, if you’re reading this and think I’m a “hater”—think again.

Regular Martha from a few years back. HEY! She looks older there than now. And don’t scrimp on the booze in the Martha Stewart Eggnog!

Here’s a photo from one of my old blog posts in which I make Martha Stewart Eggnog.  After three cups of this, EVERYONE begins to look younger!!

For those who refuse to believe that photo editing of any kind was used on Ms. Stewart, I would say to get to your ophthalmologist and check for cataracts or go into therapy for your delusional thoughts because girlfriend’s been edited—and heavily!

Yeah. Keep looking at Martha through an eye patch and get yer eyes checked!

My favorite comeback to this whole Martha thing is an Instagram post from @isthattomhearn who portrays my beloved Ina Garten in the funniest and most loving way. It’s his rendition of Ina on the cover. Tom gets it.

Tom’s Ina is filtered!  But I swear you HAVE to follow him on Instagram. His impersonations of Ina are fabulous..and he does Martha too!

So, what are your thoughts on this? I’m really interested to know…

And let me know which ME you prefer. Real me or fake me!

CAVEAT:  I’m no doctor. I’m no nurse.  I am however a hypochondriac.  I’m no dietician or nutritionist.  Therefore, this blog post is purely about how I am losing weight—at a snail’s pace.

Trust me. The medical profession thanks me for not being a nurse..or doctor….

Since January of this year, I’ve managed to lose 12 pounds. That’s not great considering we are entering the 5^th month of 2023.  However, it isn’t that bad either.

Yeah. It’s kind of a “meh” moment. If I were more disciplined I could have lost more.

A bit of backstory:  The pandemic had me with a 30-pound weight gain. Pre-Covid I was 140 pounds. At 5 feet 6 inches, it’s a healthy weight—especially since I’m older and do not want to be skin and bones.  With my brother’s passing just before the lockdown, I was depressed and food helped to temporary fix the depression—for a few moments. And those few moments lasted about two years.

Yup! I’m everything on this.

Then it was eating from boredom. It was eating from stress.  It was just eating too much.  I’m sure you know what that’s like.

Me.  Me. Me.

This past Thanksgiving, the family was here and it was great, I baked, cooked and ate and didn’t even worry about my weight. I was having too much fun with my kids and grandsons.  Christmas was another feast even though we had Covid—it didn’t stop me from eating.

And the work was worth it!!

New Year’s Eve, I got on the scale to a whopping 170 pounds.  My Ob/Gyn Appointment was mid-January and with the holidays over, my body managed to come down five pounds.  At 165, my doctor told me to lose 25 pounds—which would bring me back to 140.

The first thing I did was to return to Weight Watchers. It worked for me in the past but would it work now?

Not really.  You see, Weight Watchers closed the majority of their “in-person” meetings.  In my area the only meeting I could possibly attend was on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 PM.  That time didn’t work for me.  My only solution was to revive my lifetime status and revisit the App.

I’m REALLY pissed off at Weight Watchers for paring down on the physical meetings. For me, those meetings mean accountability and the opportunity to connect with those going through what I experience with weight. It’s now the “APP” and internet meetings. Sorry not sorry. It doesn’t work for me!

Now—the app apparently works for many people; it doesn’t move my needle but I do find the tracking valuable because I’m able to track my meals. Still, given the gazillion “Zero-Point” foods the brand has listed, many are foods I am “meh” about.

 

My exercise routine is running up and down the stairs. And mostly running up so that I can exercise my hands by…

…taking selfies of myself. At least my fingers are getting a workout!

What I have done is make a conscience effort to cut down on processed foods, carbs and sweets. That doesn’t mean I’m depriving myself. It means I’m more aware of what I’m putting into my mouth and gut.

As of April 28, two days ago from posting this—my weight is 156.7. I’m okay with that.

TBH, this number is better then what it would have been had I gained additional weight!

I had visions of being my target weight in six weeks, when we head back to France. Being at the pool and the beaches, I was hoping to get to that number where I am comfortable.

Ain’t gonna happen. I won’t be down to my goal weight, but I’m still wearing a bathing suit!

It’s not going to happen, yet, I refuse to beat myself up over it.   “With age comes wisdom” is a saying that, at times, I’m unsure of—I’m not that wise. However, I’m adding it to my healthier weight journey.  Wisdom is that thing one needs to apply when achieving a healthier weight or even life style.   I’m not going to deprive myself—especially being that I’m married to the Gallic Gastronomic King—Vincent Premier.  But I will say, he’s very supportive even though he likes my body rounded.

So basically, here’s what I’m doing.  And I do fall off the wagon from time to time but I catch myself.

So last weekend, I flew out to Cincinnati to see my daughter, Oona, son-in-law Sam, and my precious little ishkabibbles—Owen and Bennett.  It was a Birthday surprise from my husband and it was the greatest time.

In flight snack–American Airlines is so generous. There was NO way I would pass up Biscoff cookies on the flight!

And I ate.  Saturday morning, Oona took me to a fantastic French-style bakery, Sebastian Bakehouse.  And I left no pastry that she bought unturned.  My favorite was a savory one “Pig and Fig” and it was the best thing I ever ate in my life. YES!  You read it correctly.  Better than any pastry I’ve had in France.

The croissants were as good as mine!

THIS!! Hands down, THE best thing I’ve ever eaten in my 68 years!

If I lived in Cincy, I would badger Sebastian until he hired me!

Oona and I also had a “girls’ night out” which began at Emery restaurant and ended at Graeter’s Ice Cream.

This dish from Emery was lemony, cheesy and full of shrimp! The healthiest thing I ate all weekend!

I am shameless in my love for Graeter’s Ice cream.  A scoop of Midnight snack and a scoop of Brown Butter Bourbon Pecan made me and my hips and thighs happy!

There was a lot of activity previously in the day when we went to the Cincinnati Museum at the old Union Station.  And through it all, even a lunch of wings, I didn’t gain an ounce.

An afternoon with the grandboys kept me active!

What’s on my usual plate these days?

Well, as I stated, I’m not depriving myself. Last night we had escargot for starters. I follow Chef Ludo’s recipe and trust me, there is no skimping on the butter.

We also had a good (i.e., over $100) bottle of wine that did not keep me up with GERD nor did I throw up.  Everything stayed down.  My innards were very happy and satisfied!

During the workweek, I pare down.  As I work part-time, Monday through Thursday, I skip on lunch and drink so much water that I feel, I could swallow a few fish whole and they would thrive swimming around in my gut.  I eat lighter during those four days.

I drink so much water that my stomach can possibly be turned into an aquarium

Friday and Saturdays are my days to indulge.  This Friday I met my girlfriend Grace at “Couch Tomato”, an adorable little place in Conshohocken.  I had a great salad and skipped on the dressing.

I had no idea Couch Tomato was a chain–that’s how much I go out to eat!

Actually, that’s the way I prefer salad—without dressing. It’s weird—I realize that but I can’t stand salad drenched in wet or creamy dressing.  Actually, I’m not a big salad maker—for some bizarre reason, making salad is a chore for me.  That’s right—I’ll spend three days making croissants but making a salad is a chore!

I like my salad naked–without dressing!

Hummus?  I make my own, using Chef Jay Hajj’s recipe. Homemade hummus is so much better than store-bought and lasts, for me at least, around two weeks.  I also, for that “extra” touch, add a few slices of Preserved Lemons.

Almost gone. I swear this hummus is the best ever.  My grandson Owen LOVES it!

Preserved lemons. They add that little extra zing to all dishes!

Speaking of preserved lemon…. the syrupy liquid that sits in the jar after a few weeks is a great addition to sauces and…………….yes, salad dressing!

Oatmeal is another item I love. I don’t buy the processed, ready-made envelopes. I buy the rolled oats and cook them with raisins or dates and add a touch of fig jam. It satisfies on all levels—I don’t eat it for breakfast either. It’s dinner for me. In fact, as I write this, I have to send my husband out to the store to buy more. I’m out!

Yes. The Old Fashioned Oats are what I dig. Raisins or chopped dates with a bit of…

..this fig jam make for a very appetizing light and quick weekday dinner.

My bestie, MaryBeth, got me hooked on these little chicken and cilantro mini dumplings.  Eight of them in a bowl of chicken broth is all that is needed for a sated appetite. (One of the few processed items I eat.)

And these are low in WW points. Every time we go to Costco I make sure I come home with a bag!

Eggs. Hey. I just had bloodwork done after ten (yes TEN) years of being afraid to go to the doctor and my cholesterol is fine.  Eggs are the most versatile food I know. While the Frenchman is addicted to my egg salad (Simple. Nothing more than hard cooked eggs, mayo, salt and pepper) and it is a staple for him, I love my eggs wet-scrambled, poached, sunny-side up, soft boiled or any way possible.

Ahh…the incredible edible and most versatile egg! From cooking to baking–and easter egg decorating, they are amazing nuggets of everything good!

I’m adding a little warning regarding eggs though.  I made wet scrambled eggs during the week (if you are unfamiliar with “wet” scrambled eggs—they are cooked underdone), and the eggs I used were “farm” eggs—i.e., not purchased in the grocery store and not pasteurized.  I got violently ill. The stomach cramps had me bowled over.  At the office, I spent most of the day in the bathroom—and thank God my work area is steps away from the ladies’ room or I would have had to go home to change! It was so bad that my husband wanted to take me to the ER.   By the next day I was fine.

Yes. I did it. All day in the ladies room!

Laughing Cow Light.  Okay, so perhaps I do have a few items in my repertoire that are processed, but these little cheese wedges are an item I cannot do without.  Being a cheese lover, I need to take a step back for the time being from devouring half a wheel of brie or camembert.  Cream cheese?  Best thing to come from Philly but I am also taking a step back from enjoying a cream cheese and jelly sandwich these days.

These little wedges are life-savers and take the craving for other cheese away!

I put Laughing Cow on Bagel thins, I enjoy it on Trader Joe’s rice cakes. I put it on little crackers. It is a staple for me. And I have to keep it away from my husband.

I also spread hummus on these..

…and on these!  Separately from the Laughing Cow though!

Pasta.  Contrary to popular belief, pasta on its own is not going to mar weight loss. It’s all the sh.., stuff one loads upon it. Alfredo sauce, vodka sauce, meatballs, sausage and other things is what adds the calories and fat.  Luckily, I cannot stand tomato sauce. I can’t eat it. The GERD appears. I’ve never liked tomato sauce and never will.  Don’t get me wrong- I love a good tomato with salt or in a salad but as sauce or gravy. Nope!

The Walmart brand of Great Value pasta is just as good as the other brands and almost half the price!

I’ll take my pasta with a bit of pasta water and salt and pepper.

Vegetables.  Not gonna lie. Peas—whether frozen or the canned baby peas are my favorite vegetable.  And I often add them to my pasta.  The canned ones are not safe with me because I’ll eat them right from the can.  I’m also a fan of brussels sprouts but more so in winter than summer. Spinach—at any time.  Fresh asparagus? Always.  And in winter I love turnips, rutabaga and parsnips.  But it isn’t winter now.

Presently these frozen peas are on the counter because later this evening I’ll have them on my pasta!

Spinach ..or is it chard, and beans is also a good meal.

Fruit.  I’m weird with fruit. I’ll eat apples only in autumn and they have to be Gala apples or I can’t eat them. In addition, they have to be fresh and not old. Old apples taste grainy and I can’t stand that.  Bananas? All year?  Berries?  I can’t eat those Driscoll brand strawberries with the white middle. Ugh. They are completely tasteless.  For me, strawberry season is only during the two weeks we are on the Côte d’Azur.  The Collobrieres strawberries are tiny (like French people) and completely red and so sweet. I have them practically every night.  Blueberries? I love them. All year.

These are the strawberries I live for. No white middle. Sweet and tiny. 

Figs?  My favorite!  Other than that, I’m not crazy about fruit.

During Fig season, just call me this!

Being of the “lazy” nature, given the choice of the gym or reading a book, I’ll opt for the novel. I’m exercising my brain. And not everyone enjoys exercising. I’ve yet to see a runner passing by with a smile on their face—they look miserable.

One of my favorite books of all time. And to this day, I am flummoxed as to why it wasn’t made for the cinema!

Walking?  This is tough for me. When I lived in NYC I walked everywhere and was in the best shape of my life.  Especially when I had the three kids with me, two in a stroller and one in a Snugli. And I adored walking in the city because you never see the same thing twice.

I loved walking my dogs when we lived in New Jersey, as a SAHM, I would do so in the early afternoon before the kids arrived home, it was “me” time with Ruby and Dorothy.

My girls Dorothy (a rescue) and Ruby (not a rescue) I still cry sometimes about Ruby. I loved her more than many people!

Now? In the suburbs?  I’m petrified that if I look at someone cross-eyed (which I happen to be naturally, I have amblyopia and strabismus) I’ll get shot. Trust me, the suburbs are more dangerous than a city.

That’s how I was born.  I’m petrified to look at strangers due to what they could do to me.

Basically, it just comes down to making better choices.

How about you?  Are you super-disciplined (the opposite of me), or do you take a more laid-back approach?

 

Okay. Before I begin this blog post, let me clue you in on my holding back on posts for a while.

I wanted to write a post about Gun Control and why it is needed—but I’m still very angry over the fact that the republicans refuse to do anything about it—especially since they falsely claim to be “pro-life”.

This is Kid Rock. He is a “has been” sort-of musician but mostly a moron.  He got angry at Bud Light for supporting trans/gay/gender neutral persons. He got his special arms and shot the beer cans. I’m guessing that big gun takes the place of his teeny pee-pee.  And he is one of the reasons that guns need to be controlled!

Then I was mulling over a post regarding women’s rights being taken away. However, I’m still angry over the fact that republicans—especially overweight, unattractive white men and a few women, refuse to recognize women’s rights—especially since they falsely claim to be “pro-life” when they are merely pro-fetus. Once the baby makes the grand entrance into earth, they want nothing to do with the child.

This is a photo from AP.  Women are voicing their opinions and marching for the rights of all us women.   Why would some overweight, balding, fake Christian man try to take our rights away?  TBH, I’ll bet their mothers are wishing they aborted those filthy old fat white men.

Then I was mulling over a post regarding banned books. This is atrocious along with the other posts I was thinking of writing.  The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank? What the heck???  The Giver?  Bridge to Terabithia?  Dr. Effing Seuss?  Madeline and the Gypsies?  Let us not even think about the naked statue of David that even the Pope realizes is art. I’m very angry over this.  Reading is a pleasure. It is educational and informative. I can’t even on this….

The reason for this ban is “supposedly” due to the fact there’s a passage in the book regarding young people comparing their bodies. I read this book. I’m not buying into that reason. I truly believe that these fake Christian, Conservatives and right wingers hate Jews and don’t believe in the Holocaust. Please buy this book if you have not read it. It is astounding and incredibly sad.

Seriously.  I’m still too angry to collect cohesive thoughts on these subjects. And as an aside, if you don’t agree with me, please stop following my blog.  Or…write your own blog.

Yes darling. If you don’t like my thoughts than take YOUR thoughts and prayers elsewhere. Don’t let the door hit you in the backside!

Now that that’s out of the way, I present to you today’s blog post.  I got the idea from an email I received.

The email was from Repetto Paris.  If you are a regular or irregular reader of my thoughts and opinions, you are well-aware of my love and adoration of Repetto ballet flats.  I’ve been purchasing for about 16 years now and often treat myself to a pair when in Paris.

A few pairs of my old Repetto ballet flats. The black ones are the first ones I ever purchased.

The last pair purchased was on our November 2021 visit and I purchased an adorable metallic pair which I wear regularly.  I (*cough* I mean my husband) paid about $270 USD for them. At the time, I thought the price increase was a bit much as I’ve gotten them for less money quite some time ago.

My most recent pair purchased in 2021. Who knew these basic ballet flats are now a luxury, overpriced brand.

However, I almost dropped my cell phone when I saw the new price of the Repetto Ballet flats.  They are now $410 per pair.  Oh yeah. The vegan i.e. plastic version is $390.  I have now put a stop to my feet’s relationship with the brand.

And now, my shoes are $410.  I didn’t showcase the white leather ones that are now $440 USD.

Even at $270-ish, that was bringing my boiling point up but the shoes are well-constructed, I still have the first pair I’ve ever bought and I love the way they look on my feet.  At $410 though—it’s time to put a stop to this.

Yup. I almost didn’t buy these shoes due to the price.  I guess I’m a frontrunner of luxury shoes!

Don’t get me wrong.  I love good quality—but at a price that I can afford.

These wedge shoes were purchased in 2008 at DSW.  They are nowhere near luxury shoes. I had them repaired last week for a total price of $15.00 I love these shoes and will wear them forever!

And this is where the term “luxury”  has basically destroyed retail.  Once again, I blame the idiotic influencers splayed across social media from YouTube to Instagram to Facebook and the horrific TikTok.

They, with their ridiculously over-excitedness of word usage, and usually incorrectly  whilst exclaiming breathlessly and loudly “OH. MY. GOD!!!!”   “LITCH-RUH-LEE” (which only British can pronounce the word this way—otherwise it should be pronounced “lit-uh-ruhl-lee”) “THE GREATEST” “SO CHIC”  “THIS IS THE BEST”!!  And they say all this as they are unboxing product for the VERY FIRST TIME EVER!!!  HTF can you say that after looking at a product for two seconds?

“OMG!! This  (insert luxury brand here) mascara/foundation/blush/bronzer is the BEST EVER! LITCHRUHLLY THE BEST! OMG!”

Anyway, I’m veering off course.  I get the distinct feeling that the Repetto brand is now in the process of narcissistically rebranding as “luxury”.  And the brand isn’t luxury. It’s a brand that originally made ballet shoes for ballerinas and still does.  But the other side of the brand is the infamous ballet flats, tote and handbags and clothing.  And while they company turns out excellent quality, I wouldn’t call them a luxury brand.

Repetto split sole ballet shoes. The irony? These are inexpensive. But the ballet flat “shoe” is now luxury-priced” Go figure.

Luxury is overused.  Charlotte Tilbury pontificates being a luxury brand, yet the brand collaborates with, quite possibly, the most vulgar and over-filtered influencer of all time, Mikayla Nogueira  This influencer trash talks, curses regularly, talks about intimacy with her fiancé and yet, this so-called luxury brand pays this person.

This is Mikayla, the influencer with millions of followers. That is not her real face. She uses facetune and photoshop to change her face. The photo on the right?  She photoshopped her entire head to look shrunken. Every other word out of her mouth begins with “f”, ends in “k” and the two middle letters are “u” “c”.  And luxury brands pay this foul-mouthed woman. Those luxury brands are trashier than she is.

Charlotte—you lost credibility with me—your brand is akin to drug store and I shan’t be making future purchases.

Oops! Mikayla filtered her face again. Here she is with Charlotte. To be honest, if someone filters their face after using your makeup–that isn’t saying much about the product. Charlotte Tilbury. Your products are worse than drug-store brands.

Ralph Lauren as a luxury brand?  No. Although he has a very impressive shop/restaurant on Blvd. St. Germain, his clothing comes across as too much of a costume—as though someone is trying too hard to look “wealthy” and it isn’t making the cut. Other than his button-down shirts for men, I’m not impressed with the quality of the clothing—and the prices are ridiculous. These clothes are mass-produced.  Why so expensive?

Ralph Lauren (and it isn’t Law-REN. It’s Lauren) luxury. I’ll give him credit for being somewhat diverse–where’s an old man? Like you Ralph. But honestly, if I ran across a group of men dressed like this I would side eye and realize they ARE trying too hard. This is way too costumesque. But–it’s luxury and people feel the need to buy into it!

Head to Nordstrom or Neiman’s where you’ll find Tory Burch. This is another “luxury” labeled brand and product are wayyyyyyyy overpriced.  When I worked at Nordstrom, Burch was more of a bridge brand—on the fence of luxury but not quite there. Now the brand has basically graduated to luxury prices and just not worth it.

On the left, the Tory Burch KNOCK OFF of the Hermes Kelly bag. And suburban women think Tory Burch is luxury. It isn’t.  Why does she get a pass for a knock off when others don’t?  Hermes is a TRUE luxury brand that basically none of us can afford.  Tory Burch is a FAKE luxury brand. Don’t forget that!

The handbags are cheaply constructed. The shoes as well. And trust me, I have a few pair that I purchased on my deep Nordstrom discount and regret buying.  The Miller Sandals feel like plastic and stretch out to kingdom come.  Real luxury brands shouldn’t do that.

I think the most horrific price increases are from the brand Louis Vuitton.  And here’s where I can come off as a tad hypocritical.  I happen to love the monogram bags. I love the aesthetic of the canvas and vachetta leather. I love the designs of the bags. I love that the monogram bags are, for me, neutral so they will go with any outfit.  The larger bags travel well and surprisingly even the medium sized bags hold a plethora of items.

My first LV bag on the left. The Neverfull MM. Gifted to me by my husband in 2018 for my birthday.  It has since almost doubled in price in five years. Next to it is a vintage LV Bucket GM I got pre-owned for $200.

My first “new” LV bag was given to me five years ago on my birthday from my husband.  My second new bag was purchased the year the metallic Repetto ballet flats were bought. November ’21.  All others have been purchased pre-loved and pre-owned.

My Petit Noe purchased in Paris 2021.  I can no longer afford these bags. LV has become as unattainable for me as Hermes.  That’s why I love vintage. 

There is no way I’m paying upwards of $2,000 for a purse/pocketbook/bag/tote/whatever-you-want-to-call-it.    I just got my third bag back from LV repair. A Saumur 30 that was purchased for $240.  All Vachetta and hardware were replaced and they cleaned the bag for me.  Overall, with the cost of repair and the original cost, it was less than any new bag the brand has to offer.

My Saumur 30. It’s a 30-year old bag that I purchased from a seller in Japan for $240.  Even with the price of Vachetta replacement, the total is still less costly than any bag the brand now sells.  

Louis Vuitton has always been known as a luxury brand   but always maintained a few items that were within affordable range for the working person; and presently, all the brand’s offerings are officially out of my affordably bubble.  The same with Chanel, Dior and others.

Pictured is the Chanel small bag. It retails for $9,600 and is currently sold out. Sorry, even if I won Mega Millions tomorrow, I wouldn’t spend that kind of money on a bag. I would buy a vintage LV bag from my favorite seller in Japan!

And about 15 years ago, I could have purchased a pair of Chanel ballet flats for about $500 but back then the price was ridiculously high for me.  Today a pair of lambskin Chanel Ballet flats cost $925 and upwards.   It’s insanity.

Do I regret not purchasing these when they were “only” $500?  No! I don’t. Presently selling for $925 and upwards, I’m wondering just who has that kind of money to spend on such a simple pair of shoes.

Coach a luxury brand?  Well—influencers are calling the brand luxury. While I refer to the brand as “great quality” but not “luxury”.  I have a few vintage Coach bags and all of them cost less than $75.  When Oona was in high school through college, she worked at Coach and loved working there.  I still have a bag that was deeply discounted with her employee status and I love it. It’s a patent tote that I still use and has never failed me.

This Coach tote has been with me since Oona gifted it for me when she was working there.  I LOVE this but consider Coach more of a pragmatic and useful brand rather than luxury. Methinks the word “luxury” is overused.

I don’t know when this “luxury” business will stop increasing their prices.  My take is they have become wise to the influencers and the average consumer and want to elevate their consumer from “customer” to “client”.  But at some point, I think it’ll backfire because ultimately the clients will be “new” money (however they get that money is sometimes questionable) and lottery winners. I just can’t picture old monied WASPS running to spend $5,000 on a Dior tote bag.

I’m sure Jackie was gifted a ton of Dior and luxury stuff. But this photo is a study of how a luxury outfit can be purchased for a less expensive price. Seek and ye shall find. It’s a basic two-piece ensemble and I love it. 

For me, I have enough LV vintage pre-owned bags. I have one more that I would like to have sent to LV repair for Vachetta replacement and I had better do so before there’s yet another price increase. Yeah. The repair for the brand increased their prices too.

Morally and ethically, I can’t throw money out the window anymore. 

I’m just happy my favorite brand of sandals, Rondini, hasn’t gone down the road of luxury.  Less expensive than any luxury or luxury wannabe brand, the sandals are custom-made to fit each customer and the quality is stellar.

These. I cleaned and conditioned all my Rondini sandals this weekend. Every pair of these cost less than Tory Burch sandals, Coach Sandals or any other “luxury” brand. I’ll love this brand until I can’t walk anymore!

What are your thoughts?  Do you have any brands that aren’t luxury but are excellent in quality and price?  Please share!

Okay.  Three weeks ago, we entered into an early, pre-seasonal existence of Daylight Savings Time.

Daylight Savings. I’m not dancing about it this year!

This is the time of year when, presently, and up until June 21^st, the days get longer. Depending on where you are on June 21^st, it will get dark for us in the USA around 9:30 PM. When we are in France, it stays lighter until around 10:15 PM.  And when I say this, I mean twilight hits at that time when the day falls into night.

It’s also that time when clocks that weren’t set to the correct time six months ago are now set correctly. I opened a drawer full of watches that were now, correctly set!

And after June 21^st, the days become shorter until November, when the clocks are turned back and we say “hello darkness my old friend” once again.

One of my favorite songs during the shorter days: Simon and Garfunkels Sounds of Silence. It starts with “Hello darkness my old friend…..”

Not gonna lie. I used to live for daylight savings.  Gleefully giddy, when the clocks were moved forward for an hour—during APRIL, usually around Easter, life was easier. Especially since I was a much younger mother and my children participated in sports and other extracurricular activities.

Being at a Little League/Pony League/Varsity/Jr. Varsity/Babe Ruth/American Legion ball games oftentimes went well after the 6:00 PM hour and during the longer days were a pleasure!

During Jake’s Babe Ruth days the sun would set later and it wasn’t annoying to have a game end after 9:00 PM when it got dark. 

Driving to Oona’s Irish Dance lessons or picking her up from Field Hockey games were also a delight when the days were longer; living in Pennington, NJ meant you had better visibility of the deer that would be making a target of your vehicle.

From eight years old to a college senior at 20, I enjoyed driving her to dance classes while still light outside!

Running errands such as replacing the items that ran out for school lunches or eleventh-hour notebooks or items needed for school projects was no big deal during the longer days either.

Overall, as a mom, daylight savings time, for me, was a convenience and made mom’s taxi life much easier.

Add to that, being at the beach well after 5:00 PM was great because you got more beach time during the longer days!

It really was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the longer days back then!

Then the kids grew up. They went away to college.  Relocated for jobs and my purpose ended.

My life is different now.

And might I add I’m pretty-much off -the- charts happy that I’m working!

Instead of being a stay-at-home-mom, I am a working woman.  I’ve worked, until recently full-time—meaning that my working day could run from 7:00 AM until after 7:00 PM—depending on the workload.  These days, luckily, my position with a different company is as a receptionist and facilities assistant working from Monday through Thursday until 3:30 in the afternoon. I love my job now. It’s fun and I get to interact with people.

And, my position allows me the pleasure of getting dressed!

But I’m starting to ramble, and I apologize.  Back to the subject of Daylight Savings.

I don’t like this business of daylight savings beginning before Spring. And by that I mean, I do not like it before mid-or-end of April.  It serves no purpose.   Instilling the longer daylight hours should go hand-in-hand with warmer weather. It should be a segue into birds chirping, grass that needs to be mowed for the first time of the year, Mr. Sun shining down on you with such vitality that all heavy outerwear has been placed in storage, and daydreaming of the invigorating feeling of sitting at Ocean’s front, being lightly splashed with salt water as the waves break at your feet.

Yeah. I prefer my daylight savings time when I can go to the beach..

…or run around in sandals!

What Daylight savings shouldn’t be is the feeling of remorse and guilt for arriving home  from work or anywhere else before 5:00 PM and wanting to take your clothing off to change into pajamas or any form of loungewear that is stained from cooking or has rips or just makes you look deliciously sloppy. After all, you are in the comfort of your own home!

My at-home uniform when I arrive back from work. Yes. I LOVE the comfort of old clothes–and I feel slightly guilty for wearing this ensemble whilst the sun is shining. There’s something very wrong with Daylight Savings this early in the year!

In being completely transparent with you, Daylight Savings time—this early in the year, wreaks havoc with my mental and physical body clock.  The fact is, for the past three weeks I’ve been tired.  Not the kind of tired where you can fall asleep at your work station nor is it the type of tired where you are emotionally exhausted. It’s that tired feeling you get after 6:00 PM in the evening. You’re not quite ready for a full-night’s slumber but you slowly inch your way into your bed giving yourself the excuse that it’s okay to be in bed whilst the sun is still shining because you have your books, journals, magazines and phone (to play Candy Crush) to while away time until that magic hour of darkness arrives.

True dat. I’m in bed way too early. But I’m being productive by playing Candy Crush!

And speaking of what Daylight Savings does to my mental frame of mind, is somewhat similar to what it does to my physical state. I’m just not ready for longer days yet.

This has been my prayer for the last few weeks. Early Daylight Savings wreaks havoc on me!

Look-I adore summer.  It means less clothing to throw on. It means no outerwear. It’s more reasonable to walk around barefoot.  And….it means less time spending on applying makeup because a natural (or fake) tan means less cosmetics time.

I do love summer.  I love my tan–whether natural or fake. And I love the longer days–IN THE SUMMER!!!!

And it’s true. I’m not mentally ready for more daylight yet. I prefer my autumns (after turning the clocks back) and winters to have shorter days and not one day before.

I think cities are spectacularly gorgeous when the sun goes down–especially when it sets earlier. More time to enjoy the night!

When days are shorter there’s more of a sense of time. When the sun begins it’s slow descent, the shadows are deeper. The sky takes on a deep blue, gray, purple hue with a touch of orange illumination.  You become aware that evening is approaching.  Your body clock is knowledgeable that you need to start dinner at a certain time.  During longer days, the time of day becomes something you often forget about.

That approaching twilight time close to 5:00 PM during the winter just makes me feel cozy!

When days are shorter, they comply with the weather.  There is a coziness that comes with darkening of days.  Akin to a big hug, there is nothing more comfortable as being in your pajamas at 5:00, sitting on the cushioned loveseat, with a toasty blanket over your body and reading a good book accompanied by a soothing cup of tea—all while dinner is cooking.  A hearty soup? A comfort-food bowl of pasta? A beefy stew? It all warms my soul and gives me a better mental outlook.

My favorite spot during shorter days–whether reading a novel or perusing through an old Dr. Seuss book or enjoying a cuppa. It’s such a great feeling of comfort.

It’s funny because during the shorter days, I enjoy my afternoon tea. During the summer, I just want iced tea.

And I’m more into desserts and cooking and baking in general when the days are shorter. I made Crepes Suzette the other night just after it got dark. Luckily I did NOT burn the house down with the flambe!

Like a rainy day. Some people despise rainy days. I happen to love them.  As a child and well into my teens, rainy days meant I could complete a book in one read. Heading to my bedroom, getting under the covers or actually, never getting out of them, reaching for a classic novel and immersing myself into pages and pages of words to enhance my imagination, it was what I loved most—and reading now banned books makes me look back even more fondly!

From my youth up until now, I dig a seriously rainy day for reading–OMG and when it gets dark out earlier. I’m in heaven!

Shorter days bring me to my favorite time of year—Christmas!!!  Who wants to listen to Christmas and Holiday music when it’s daylight at 7:00 PM?  I want my Holiday music to blast as the sun sets in late afternoon! It’s more festive.

My favorite Holiday House of all time. Martell’s Winter Wonderland in Hamilton, New Jersey.  In late afternoon, during Christmas season, around 4:45 Roman, Oona and I (Jake was too busy studying) would take the 15-minute drive from Pennington to see this delightful house. It was a happy place..

I don’t even think Oona was in middle school yet in this pic..

Maybe Roman was a freshman.  Always taking movies with his camera. God, I miss those days!

Especially Halloween!  Kids start trick-or-treating at the end of daylight savings—just a week or so before turning the clocks back. And the beauty of that is the sun is ready to set earlier. It’s tired of shining extended hours. Give the sun a freaking rest why dontja?  Halloween is spookier when the sun goes into slumber.

Seriously. Who wants a Halloween evening in the daylight?

It’s more delightful in the dark!

I realize that I really should have written this blog post a few weeks ago but the fact is, I was pissed off with Daylight Savings being so early. And as I sit here on this early Saturday afternoon, it’s raining out. The sky is gray. It’s been raining on and off since Thursday. And I’m okay with that.

A truly gray day. I snapped this while in the car (my husband was driving) through Valley Forge Park. In a few weeks that tree will be sporting Crayola Crayon Spring Green colored leaves!

Earlier we went out shopping for tonight’s dinner. And I wore jeans, and a nice sweater and looked decent.

I made it a point to look decent enough as to not scare other people!

And I even wore Saturday makeup!

As I write this, I’m in Valentine’s Day pajama bottoms, an old Cincinnati hoodie sweatshirt , Christmas-themed slipper socks that are ripped on the soles but comfortable as all get out , but at least I have my hair and lipstick on. And that’s how I’ll be dressed for dinner!

Here I am, working on the blog on a gray, rainy day. I only wish the day was shorter!

And a rare moment of sharing these worn out slipper socks with you.

What’s your take? Are you a fan of shorter days or longer ones?

Or…have you switched as I have into enjoying the shorter days more as you’ve gotten older?

 

Okay, although Spring is less than three weeks away, in reflecting upon the Winter wardrobe, it dawned on me that I really didn’t wear a lot of the winter/cold weather clothes that I was so gung-ho on retrieving from storage.

Actually, Spring is 15 days away!

I pride myself for taking a day, both in Autumn and in mid-Spring, to take my clothing out of the plastic bins that are kept in the garage, lug them up three flights of stairs, carefully take the “old season” clothing from dresser drawers and closets and replace with the upcoming season.

I should have kept some of these summer clothes in the closet instead of switching them out!

This winter, I could have done with leaving at least half  of the clothes in the bins.Although I’m a big believer in climate change, I’m not going to make this post political. I’m making it all about me and clothing that I didn’t wear or what I didn’t  have to do during this winter (but it isn’t over…..yet!)

Hint–I didn’t wear a lot of outfits like this!

It’s funny because even though summer is my favorite season, largely because I don’t have to deal with outerwear or shoes, I happen to enjoy both winter and summer immensely. Spring –I like it because the trees’ regrowth of greenery, the green grass and flowers beginning to bloom make me happy. Otherwise, spring, as well as autumn are lost seasons.  And the only things I like about autumn is the changing foliage and that first day when the air is crisp and cool.

I’m a four-season kind of gal–even though these days it’s technically TWO-Winter and Summer. Forget Spring and Fall–they got lost!

Presently, we go from winter into summer with nary a true spring or autumn. Very different than when I was a child.  With spring, you lived for that day when the heavy winter coat was replaced with a sweater and autumn meant the start of a new school year.  The wool uniforms we wore were appropriate for those Septembers when the weather actually got cooler immediately following Labor Day.

Our “Old” school uniforms. 5th through 8th grade girls got to wear skirts instead of the jumpers!

So, let’s get on with it—shall we?

This winter, I rarely wore my winter coats.  Since I abhor driving with a ton of outwear, and spent most of my outdoor time going from our home to the car, from car to office, and vise versa.  I opted for blazers instead.   The good thing about this is saving money on end-of-season dry cleaning. I can just keep the coats in the closet until next winter-ish.

My favorite Camel coat.  Purchased in Paris, I wore it a handful of times this winter. I won’t have to dry clean it because it never got dirty!

My “fancy” coat. I wore it twice. Once to work the day we had our Christmas party and last month when The Frenchman and I went to our Valentine’s Day dinner. 

I did not wear gloves. My winter gloves are kept, during the season, in the glove compartment of the car.  They came out once.  I think it was in December before I got Covid—we had a cold, very cold day. Other than that, I should have worn them more often after I ripped my acrylic nails off to get my fingernails back into healthy condition.  *Note: It’s been two months and my nails still look like crap.

TBH, I should have worn gloves more often because my nails are looking mighty bad  but it wasn’t cold enough. I swear the gloves have dust on them!

I didn’t wear my kilt skirts as often as usual.  I love my plaid kilts. They keep my ample behind nice and toasty during frigid winter days. Worn with tights is my favorite way—I don’t have to shave my legs.  This winter?  I wore a kilt maybe three or four times—which is just about unheard of for me. And it was so warm that the tights bothered me. Let me tell you— “fashion climate change” is a thing!

I love this kilt so much but wore it only once. It’s upsetting to me because I love my kilts but it just wasn’t cold enough.

I did manage to wear my “all-season” skirts though. Perhaps I need more clothing for all seasons moving forward!

This skirt has been showcased on this blog more than any other item of clothing but I wore it a LOT this winter. I also tanned the legs a lot because we all know how I feel about panty hose!

This little tulle number had a winter share of wear. It’s lightweight and in the last pic, I’m wearing booties–not full-on boots!

I did wear pants more than usual this winter. Not for warmth but because I remain sockless as much as possible and the winter was just the right temperature for the me that loves to remain sockless.  Caveat:  I did wear my pants in a very professional and polished way!

I can’t give up plaid and these Jamie pants from J. Crew Factory were a favorite this winter–I might wear them tomorrow.  They were very pre-Christmas festive!

Another winter outfit. Old Navy Pixie Pants and a J. Crew Blazer. Notice that there are no socks on my feet!

I wore this outfit last week.  I must say, the Orsay Dulci pumps from J. Crew are incredibly comfortable. The cashmere Tee was perfect for the office!

I think these J. Crew Pixie Pants were the most-worn pants this entire winter. Another work look!

I wore this to fly to Florida in January. It was a great travel outfit because it was warmer in Philly and cooler in Florida. Go figure!

I did not wear boots. This is a biggie. I love boots. I love the way boots look with a short skirt—especially tall boots.  I wore boots once….actually, twice.  One pair I was gifted by Vivaia, which I was quite upset about. I wasn’t even able to review the boots because I didn’t have the opportunity to wear them and I refuse to review a one-up item. You all know that I love to review after multiple wears. Hopefully, next winter will be colder.

It was painful to not be able to wear these boots this winter but they just were not needed. I’m hoping next winter is very cold so I can review these cuties!

I didn’t even get to wear my Hunter boots because it never snowed. IT NEVER SNOWED! We had a flake fall last Saturday. The big “snow” was about fifteen minutes of random snowflakes falling from the sky—or someone’s dandruff.

My poor Hunter boots. I love them and they are wonderful in snow and ice. But I didn’t need them. At least they have each other to cuddle with while in the garage!

I didn’t get to showcase all the sweaters I own. This pissed me off. I have a lot of sweaters—bulky, thin, oversized; some I can layer and some to be worn alone due to the bulk, texture and material. Instead, I ended up wearing thinner jersey pullovers which showcased every ounce of fat in my body!

My iconic French Hen sweater from J. Crew is over 11 years old. It’s thin enough to be one of the sweaters I have been wearing this winter!

Thankfully, I was still able to keep my head relatively warm with my wigs because there was no need for a hat!

Yup! My wigs have sufficed well this winter!

On the flip side, there was no need to shovel snow. The cars were able to leave their parked state and roll right out to the road without any trouble due to packed snow and ice. I didn’t have to worry about my husband throwing out his rotator cuff by shoveling—or worse.  I didn’t have to help shovel—which isn’t really that great because I could use the exercise.  And due to this, there was no time to sit back and enjoy a delightful cup of hot chocolate after braving the icy, frozen tundra of a driveway.

Throwback to my snowy days in Pennington!  The big snow of one of the winters. Roman and I were shoveling snow and having a blast!

Perhaps there was no hot chocolate but I did enjoy the tea!

Those damn blankets on the sofas that are used for protection against Chippy’s doggie paws and shedding fur, weren’t used to wrap myself in whilst reading a book or watching Netflix.  Actually the  bout with Covid during Christmas had me laying on one sofa wrapped in a blanket  while my son Roman was wrapped in his Covid Blanket.

Christmas season, 2023. Covid arrives with Santa!

Yeah. Christmas was ruined by Covid but it could have been better had we experienced a Christmas snowfall!

There were no children building snowmen in our neighborhood this year. No parents dragging the kids on sleds. No red, frozen faces and no snow angels this winter.

I also miss kids alarmingly over stuffed in outerwear! It builds character!

Yup! No snowmen or snow people or snow they. Just dead grass and dirt.

And the killer is I can bet that some time in April, we will get hit with a pounding snow that’ll leave flooding rather than ice.  And a week later, the temperature will hit a humid 85 degrees!

Yeah Mommy Nature. Start working for the seasons. OK?

So a message to Mother Nature:

Dear Mother Nature,

Can you please make it snow and be colder next winter?  First of all, I live and love to complain—especially about the weather. I was not able to do so this year. I had to complain about it not being cold—or snowy.

Please do your job. I have no patience for laziness. You were lazy this winter when it came to the snowfall throughout the States. Philly didn’t get snow but California did? What are you drinking?

Perhaps you are struggling right now, and that’s okay. I still respect you. Just bring back all four seasons. Make Vivaldi’s spirit happy.

Sincerely,

Cathe

How has your winter been so far? Thoughts?

It’s a thing people. A thing. And we have HGTV, Instagram and other forms of social media and all those sneaky ads that pop up on our phone or Facebook or whatever.

My home will never look like this–first of all, I can’t afford custom design. Secondly, I can’t afford custom design.

Let’s have a little backstory first.

I grew up, before moving to Long Island in a duplex in Ozone Park, NY.  My immediate family lived on the bottom floor, and my grandparents and aunt lived on the top. That house, to me, still remains close to perfection.

This was actually the house next door but you get the gist.

The living room was in the very front of the house—and being in a borough, one could look out the window and see all the goings on of neighborhood families and friends.  So much that when a stranger was spotted skeptical eyes stared at the image—even from inside the house.

I don’t have photos of the interior of the old house but the living room walls looked just like this with a beige-ish wall color.

My mother had this room decorated beautifully. Not extravagantly—but incredibly tasteful. She had curtains hung with care, a big fluffy sofa that was dressed in slipcovers—in very 1950’s prints during three seasons and in the summer, the sofa, along with two club chairs that were formerly dressed in the same slipcovered fabric, were all naked. As it should be during those hot months.

Enjoy this photograph of my Aunt Tessie and my mother (right) in front of our house in Ozone park. You can see in the background my mom had a thing for window coverings.

The next room, another large room, served as a dining room—a rather formal one at that. And one that was rarely used.  The walls of these rooms were thick. No sheetrock. No drywall. You could say the building was as strong as a brick shithouse.

Me, on the far right in the coat and beret with the neighborhood girls on the stoop! We all had a stoop!

Next was the kitchen—and it was large enough to have a table, chairs, and incredible space for the appliances and my mother to cook the daily meals.  Next to the kitchen was a pantry and stairs that led to the “cellar”. We didn’t have a basement. There was no fancy furniture. No area for a “she shed” or a “man cave”. We all dwelled together as one family unit.  So back to the cellar. There was a little area where my father installed Popeye the Sailorman linoleum. It was the area that I, along with my sister, played while my mother did the laundry—the machine being in that same cellar. Also in the cellar was an area of utter mystery and intrigue. The coal bin. Back then our home was heated with coal. I remember the coal deliveries and I remember my dad, shoveling coal into the furnace that would bring heat to the radiators. Simple. No technology needed. And the heat in the home was outstanding.

Look at that glistening coal! It’s so funny because I remember the coal bin so well!

The design of the house was also a sort-of shotgun style where the front rooms, to the kitchen were walk-through.  The floors were all hard wood that my obsessive mother would wax and buff once a month and they were absolutely beautiful. There were no decorators. The TV stations showcased Jack La Lane teaching stay-at-home wives and mothers how they could stay in shape and in the afternoon, I remember my mother watching a plethora of cooking shows. But TV didn’t run our lives.  We were more active and our homes were more pragmatic back then. An abode for families to enjoy each other and as long as the house was clean and tidy—that’s what mattered.

And over the years, I’ve lived in studio apartments as a young twenty-something in NYC, in larger NYC apartments, and in larger homes.   All decorated to my taste but nothing elaborate.

The Chattilion aka 214 Riverside Drive. Living in this building was like living in a dorm. It was so much fun!  And the rent was only $275 a month for a one-bedroom!

Fast forward to the home The Frenchman and I currently own.  As I sit here writing this post, I am looking at the two long and narrow windows that are in the living room. Blinds are drawn in the evening for privacy and during the day, the light flows in from the opened slots.

Our townhome. I love it because it’s a corner unit! 

LOL. Almost every day I ponder window treatments then I get stressed out because of drywall!

So, this is where I started to establish low home-esteem.  My windows, other than the blinds, are naked. There are no window treatments.  But before I move on, please allow me to explain this low-home esteem. Then I’ll show you what I mean.

HGTV. Remember the old-school House Hunters?  Back maybe ten years ago? People were actually in search of homes that worked for them and within their budget.

House Hunters–the show where one half of a couple doesn’t work and the other one is an influencer and has either two million to spend on a home or….they want a custom mansion for $450K

Now—you have couples, many of them looking for a home way outside their budget of affordability. They want all the bells and whistles. Updated kitchen, spa bathroom, pool, land far away from neighbors.  Basically, they want a custom-built home for, on the average of $450K.  Uma. Then they end up buying a fixer-upper.  Proof that House Hunters is scripted and further proof that, unless couples are looking for future foreclosure, their grandiose plans are lowered a notch.

When the budget is $450 K but you want a custom mansion!

Then we have Chip and Johanna—the infamous curators of Shiplap. Granted, I do like her taste in home furnishings but let us take a small step back. The couples are paying to have the homes they are purchasing to be fixed up.  They are also paying for all that staged furniture, if they chose to do so. This would lend itself for a substantial amount of money for all new items.

Possibly one of the nicest Fixer Upper interiors I’ve ever seen, but the home owners have to pay extra for this–and can they even afford it?

I used to like them but honestly, now their brand Magnolia is nothing but overpriced crap sold at Target.

I do find the shiplap inviting though. I’m getting ideas…..

Don’t get me started on The Property Brothers. I used to really love them. I mean, twice the amount of adorableness—but even they jumped the shark with the furnishings.

I can’t watch these two cuties anymore. Why? Because Vincent and I are NOT Property Handypeople!

Actually, the only home decorator I enjoy is Nicole Curtis. She of the restorations to old homes in the Detroit area. I love watching how she takes a torn down, abandoned home and restores it. Rather than knock down walls to make a “living space”, she reconstructs rooms.

 

Now Nicole has a show where she restores old lake houses. I freaking adore her!

She restores old, Detroit homes and turns them into visions of beauty.

It’s amazing and her taste is impeccable!

And to be honest, I am a room person. I love those designated, separate spaces.

So yeah, I definitely experience low home-esteem. And I shouldn’t.

We have a townhouse. Both my husband and I had single-family homes when we were younger adults raising our children (child in his case).  Now, as empty-nesters it’s a more practical choice to live in a townhome. We purchased nine years ago and have hardly made updates.

The walls can be painted but we’re just not sure as to what colors we want.  It’s an expensive undertaking and at my husband’s age, he certainly doesn’t need to be getting on a ladder and risking a fall.

Don’t even broach the verticals in the sun room. I hate them. And while I realize that “hate” is a strong and offensive word these days, I have no shame nor do I apologize for using that word to describe these vile window coverings. They make me cringe.  But I love our sunroom so much that I’ve dealt with this for almost ten years. And they, although outdated, don’t make the house look trashy.

The verticals. I can’t stand them. For almost ten years, I’ve been complaining and still–they hang!

Carpeting.  Shhhh!  I’m secretly waiting for the Frenchman to go to France by himself on family business so I can literally rip the carpeting off the stairways, sand the wood that lies underneath, and paint each step with a shiny enamel then add an oriental runner.  Carpeting is the bane of my existence.  It is a petri dish for germs and microscopic bugs and other nasty beings. No matter how many times these disgusting lays of fabric are vacuumed or cleaned, they bother me.

I want to do this to our stairs. Two stairways. Yes. I do. See how much prettier the stairway without the filthy carpeting looks? Now I have low stair esteem!

We did have crown molding added to the upstairs bedrooms.

Crown molding was added to all upstairs bedrooms.

And, last week, my husband paid a small fortune to have the toilet seat in my little bathroom replaced.

This was a big deal to my husband. It bothered him that the original toilet seat was the wrong size. Here’s the thing–he doesn’t even USE this bathroom. I do. And I never noticed the seat was the wrong size. I thought it was just my fat ass.

Our home, when we don’t have visitors, has blankets strewn on the sofas in the living room due to Chippy’s love for being a couch potato canine.

The normal state of our living room sofas. And you wonder why I have low house esteem..

Obviously, Chippy has a different point of view!

However, THIS is the way I want to view our sofas!

Is that so much to ask?

Our dining room table is my work space—a delightful mélange of  laptop, journals, pens, paper, and whatever I can pile upon it to create an artistic mess.  When guests arrive, the table is properly cleared and then set for meals.

I’m beginning to think that dining rooms are just another word for workspace! When the kids were in school, the dining room table was project city. Nowadays my blogging and journaling stuff rests on it!

But it cleans up nicely…

…and looks even nicer when dinner guests arrive!

The downstairs family living space? It hasn’t changed since we moved in. That’s because the only time it’s used is when the kids visit or when I’m ironing and want to watch TV. There is a bedroom down there and my husband decided to purchase a cabinet to store extra bed linens.

The downstairs guest bedroom is clean and comfy. And that’s all that matters–it doesn’t need to be like a hotel room.

And when the kids visit, they can always relax here and even watch..

….the tv!

Sadly, this small cabinet didn’t fit in the bedroom and is now standing flush against the door leading to the common space outside. A door!  It drives me crazy to look at it but then I think—well, if someone tries to break in, they won’t get too far because the cabinet is protecting the entrance.

This thing. I can’t stand looking at it flush against the door. WTF? I would rather paint it and bring it upstairs.

The kitchen area. Okay. This is a large area and even though  it’s looking nice and airy, there’s a lot of wasted space and my workspace for cooking and baking allows only for one person. Since I don’t want anyone in my cooking space, I’m fine with this.

The work area in the kitchen is small..

A major lack of “good” working space but still, I’m able to bake and cook –I just need to work with the space I have.

The small table and chairs are part of the kitchen space..

..and this vintage cupboard is also a part of the kitchen space..

 

But when I see these magnificent kitchens with all the latest and greatest in appliances and aesthetics, it makes me feel that there’s something wrong with me in the fact I’m not going into debt to make my kitchen more “guest” friendly.

Now, THIS kitchen has a ton of work space. However, I will not go into debt to remodel our kitchen.

But..the kitchen space also leads to my favorite nook in the house–the sunroom. And if I was going to do ANY updates it would be to add french doors  so the sunroom would be shut off from the rest of the house into it’s little designated space of a separate room!

My favorite space in the house. I love to cuddle up with a book or cup of tea in here!

The little room where I apply my makeup in the morning that doubles as a guest bedroom?  During the week, it accumulates into an untidy mess—I waste so much time drinking coffee and getting ready that if I take the time to tidy up, I’ll be late to work.

Yeah. The mess accumulates daily..

But on the weekends or when guests arrive, it’s all tidy!

And then it gets cleaned up again on the weekends or when the cleaning people arrive.

It’s a nice little room!

Our bedroom.  It’s large. Very large.  And I’ve been meaning to purchase an area rug to warm the room up a bit, but just haven’t gotten around to it. Other than that, the furniture fits the purpose.

The bed?  The Frenchman loves any bed coverings with blue. I do not. If it was up to me, I would have bed linens with no color or pattern at all. But one must pick and choose their battles.

Not my choice for bed linens. It’s too fussy!

The Frenchman’s favorite item in our home. The huge TV in the bedroom!

I love this oriential cabinet in the corner!

And when push comes to shove, yeah, there are updates that we can make but then we would have to give up travel. And while we are physically able to travel, making life memories comes first.

Whether domestically or internationally, for now, the money is better spent on traveling and the memories that travel brings.

The window treatments, the painting, ripping out the remaining carpeting, updating the kitchen—that can all wait.  And it is simply because I love my home the way it is. It is comfortable and inviting.

Yeah. From the welcoming hallway as you enter to the rest of our home–all you need is what makes your house a comfortable and inviting home!

Hmmmmmmmmmm. Maybe I don’t have low house esteem after all!

 

Part of me is writing this because I’m disgusted at the way companies and (Ugh) influencers are using social media to shill, grift, sell.

Ohhh. I ALWAYS use what I …..am grifted. Every day. Look. No Wrinkles!

\I’m tired of looking at reels on Instagram (forget TikTok—I can’t even deal with that site anymore), where cosmetics and skincare companies post filtered videos, stories and pics on their regular feeds of women—both young and old to show you the miracles their products will work on you. They don’t. These women—especially the old ones are filtered up the wazoo.

This photo was taken from HuffPost: Read!

And I realize that I’ve blogged about this in the recent past but it is really getting on my last nerve. Lately it seems that Instagram is nothing more than ads—it’s very disturbing.

In addition, given the fact I’m not that comfortable getting into the car, driving to the mall, and being surrounded with people who may or may not have Covid have changed my thoughts on being in large public enclosed spaces. Covid changed me. The consumers  who aren’t wearing a mask but coughing up a keg o’ phlegm, just isn’t moving my needle.

 

Crowd at the local King of Prussia Mall (photo taken off the internet), I don’t see anyone wearing a mask.  Covid changed my shopping methods.

Instead, I’m letting my fingers do the walking.  And that means makeup and other items . Before I add any products that I am sharing or writing about with you,  I give full disclosure that links added on what I purchased are from Amazon and I do receive a small monetary commission—trust me it’s very small but, I wanted to throw it out there to you. These are products I buy and use. I have a gifted product in this post as well, and I have been using it regularly. And, there are items I have not purchased through Amazon but through various websites.

Okay. For the makeup.  I see tons of foundation ads—all pontificating the same thing. All with women—especially the older ones, swiping and swiping and swiping the product on their faces for what seems like hours.  Then with a quick edit, wrinkles are gone—all due to the foundation. Please do not believe this BS for one second.

A ton of product does not make an older face look younger. It makes you look like Bette Davis in Baby Jane.  Less is more and products that I’ve been using lately are cushion foundations and BB cream cushions.

Bette Davis was 54 when she filmed Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. And I can tell you that without all the filters older influencers use, IRL they probably look like this!

This cushion from Catkin is my latest purchase from Amazon.  It came with two refills for a total of $23.99. Divided by three that’s approximately $7.99 per cushion loaded with product.  This comes to less money than what drugstore brands are charging and this brand from China is worth purchasing from.

I highly recommend this cushion foundation/cc cream by Catkin. Less pricy than department store makeup and the two refills make the price point better than drug store makeup!

The product arrived well-packaged.  The two refills securely and air-tight wrapped.

Compactly (pun intended) boxed–no wasted space. I like that!

Two refills come with this.  Honestly, this is a great buy and I use this a lot lately.  I highly Recommend this Catkin BB Cushion!

The compact, itself is beautiful.  I do have a very old compact that I purchased a few years back and refilled it with sunscreen so I don’t have to carry a big messy tube around.

TIP: When the foundation runs out, you can clean out the refill and fill it with sunscreen. This way you have sunscreen you can travel with and the sponge allows for a better application–especially if you have sensitive eyes!

I used the Catkin makeup to achieve this look. It really is great for mature skin.

In addition, I “found” another cushion foundation from the Korean brand Missha Magic Cushion.  When I say I found it, I mean it was deep in the bowels of one of my makeup drawers. I must have forgotten about it.  I’m wearing it as I write this and am extremely pleased with the way my face looks.

The shade range runs more to the lighter side, but the sunscreen component is great and as a winter makeup–this is wonderful for those months when you aren’t out in the sun!

Here’s a side by side:

The side I’m point to has no makeup. See the redness? See how the Missha Magic Cushion covers the red? 

And, again, this was less than the price of drugstore makeup.  With prices running from about $15 to $20, it is still better than department store foundations and with the rising prices of drug store makeup–it’s worth it! Granted, the shade range isn’t extensive by any means but the foundation works nicely if your skin tone is medium to light.

My love for K dramas had me intrigued by a stick that has been used in many of the series I watch. Kahi Seoul Multi Balm .  This clear balm-in-a-stick is great for the winter when our skin gets dry.  In my purse, it’s a quick fix during office hours to hydrate my face. It isn’t oily and it glides on nicely. I swipe it all over and it keeps my skin hydrated and moisturized.  I won’t need it in the summer because I sweat…and sweat gives that hydrating glow but for the colder seasons, this is a good purchase.  At $24.99 it’s a bit pricey but one stick will last well after winter ends!

Surprisingly, this IS a multi-use balm. I use it on my face at the office when I can feel the HVAC making my skin dry and I use it on my cuticles. I use it as a lip balm too.  It’s worth the $24.99

The next product is so great that I ended up signing up for a once-a-month subscription: Peripera Ink Glasting Lipgloss in Clear.  I’ll be spending $8.91 per tube and for me, it’s worth it.  Here’s why- my lips are very pigmented naturally. Because of this, dark glosses and lipsticks look even darker on me and oxidize. The only lip color I can wear is pink—and the pink can’t be too nude or have any nuance of warmth. It has to be pink.

Hands Down. THE perfect shiny and clear lip gloss.

I’m also a lip gloss fanatic. I love me a good lipgloss—like a 1980’s type with a ton of shine to make my full lips look fuller than they are!  I ordered this clear gloss blindly.  I took a chance. You have no idea how much money I’ve spent wasted over the years in search of that perfect clear gloss. The gloss is too sticky or isn’t sticky enough. It tastes like over-sugared fruit. It has the worst applicator. There’s no product on the applicator. It doesn’t feel glossy.  Trust me, I’ve gone through every excuse.

My apologies for the crappy lighting but I took this photo when I was in a hurry. See how shiny my lips are?  Granted, the gloss doesn’t have all-day staying power but it stays put for a while and doesn’t feel gooey or sticky! I’m glad that I subscribed to this. My new one arrives this week!

So, when I ordered this gloss, my expectations were low. Then I opened the small, wider tube and applied. First of all, the doe-foot applicator has a little indentation in the middle which holds more gloss—that’s a plus.  The applicator is also wide—another plus for my big mouth.  Then there’s the gloss. It’s wonderful.  Glossy and glassy. It’s shiny!  Granted no lip gloss lasts all day but as the gloss wears down, my lips remain soft and hydrated.  I was so happy with this that I had to subscribe. Name brand and luxury glosses cost a small fortune these days—and drugstore glosses are nothing spectacular—but this gloss is everything!   A very good purchase.

This gloss also comes in two other shades. I ordered the shade to the far right but it’s wayyyyyyyyyy too dark for me. If you are looking for a darker shade, check this out!

In inspecting my face before the holiday season—actually when I went to the dermatologist, I was somewhat sad—not concerned mind you, but sad.  I felt that way because my aging skin was looking mighty neglected.  I’ll admit—I have a plethora of skincare products but I get lazy at night when it’s time for a proper skincare routine. I don’t want to spend an hour or seven applying serums and creams and this and that. I want something simple—like me!

I remembered how much I loved Mizon products that I purchased maybe two or three years ago when I was on a snail kick. Snails both for beauty and escargot—how can you go wrong?

I remembered how happy I was with this Mizon Skincare set and how good my skin looked. I can’t remember why I stopped using this–laziness, I’m sure but I’m glad I found it again!

Anyway, I headed back to Amazon to see if this Korean brand was still selling the products, the eye pads, the moisturizer and serum I was once happy with.  They did and I signed up for a subscription to be delivered every three months.

For the subscription price of $40.86 USD every three months, this is worth the money. 

The eye pads are very soothing.  My eyes don’t get that puffy under normal circumstances but when I eat too much salt or drink too much wine, the next day my eyes puff up.  Applying these pads bring the puffiness down on those days but I mostly enjoy applying these at night before bed. I’ll watch TV while wearing them and it’s calming.

Again, packaging is secure. Each item is individually boxed within the box.

The serum—even though I’m not a serum person, I prefer this to any other I’ve tried because the product isn’t gloppy or oily. It has a nice feel and texture. Again, I use this at night.  A little goes a long way and it dries quickly so I can apply the moisturizer in no time!

The moisturizer. I love this moisturizer.  It’s freaking hydrating as all get out. It isn’t heavy—in fact it’s very lightweight—feels very “whipped”.  It’s great at night and great during the day. It melts nicely into the skin so you don’t feel like you are wearing any cream underneath your makeup. And it’s the one product I use both morning and night.

Other Stuff:

Okay. So after my cataract surgery almost 2 ½ years ago, It was discovered that I didn’t need the strong prescription I used to have. In fact, readers would suffice. Who knew?   And there’s such a vast selection of readers and decorative eyeglasses out there ranging from downright cheap to rather pricey.

Although I do need the readers, I also like the blue light glasses with plain lenses. It’s because I’ve been wearing glasses since I was two years old—I don’t feel comfortable without a pair on my face. I feel naked. It’s weird. The thing is I love the way glasses look on me.

After my surgery, I ordered a pair of Warby Parkers. It was during lockdown. I headed to the King of Prussia Mall, waited on a line to gain entrance then went in to try on and order a pair.  I can’t stand them and never wear them.  The fit is awful and I’ve had them adjusted. They were a huge waste of money at over $100.  I’ll never again buy from that brand.  While I realize Warby Parker has a huge fan base—they brand isn’t for me.

I found decent readers at Walmart at ten bucks a pair. But the thing is, they have a tendency to break quickly and I’m constantly making purchases.

My sister mentions she buys her readers on Amazon so I let my fingers, once again, do the walking and found this five-pack for $15.99. I’m wearing one of the pair now and they are comfortable, they fit well, they look good and I can see.  That’s slightly over five bucks a pair. I’ll take it.

These inexpensive readers are from a brand called NORPERWIS. Five pair for $15.99 isn’t bad. I have a pair in the car, a backup in my everyday purse and I’ll adding a backup to my travel bag. 

As these are great for backups, they are more akin to the Walmart readers with being flimsy. Still, for the price, you can’t go wrong.

They look fine, do the job and are less expensive than even the Walmart brand.

And, I feel that if you do wear readers, a good pair is always key. I found that “good” pair.  Izipizi Paris is a French brand that sells incredibly stylish readers up to progressive readers.  I paid 40 USD for these glasses and love them. In fact, when we head back to France this summer, I plan on visiting the boutique in Nice, or if possible, closer to where we are staying in Theoule.

I love the quality of these frames by Izipizi and the thickness of the frames as well. It’s important to me to have at least one “good” pair of readers–something strong that I can rely on. And at $40 USD, these are FAR superior to Warby Parker. Sorry not sorry!

If you live in the Philadelphia area, the stationery store Omoi Zakka sells the glasses!

I love Omoi Zakka. It’s the cutest stationery store ever. And if I lived in Center City I would walk over and buy the readers here. However, I despise parking in Philly. 

Little fruit and veggie package cutters.  I don’t know about <