It’s a sunny Monday and no humidity. I really should wash my hair.  But I’m too lazy. I’ll just wear it in a messy side bun.

My new summer “do” is a hit!   I don’t like when my hair is pulled back too severely. My face looks hard and older. Wearing it a bit messy helps to soften the jawline and soften the square angles that are now jowls.

My messy side bun may look a bit like a goiter, but it is a hit for me. It’ll be a great do for the hot weather.

BTW, another hit for me is the lip combo I’m wearing. Since I’m going “naked” for the summer by eliminating foundation, I thought it would be nice to revisit my “iT” Cosmetics Lip Vitality combo. The stain and the flush stick are almost colorless in the tube with but a hint of pink and when you apply–BAM!  A nice pink and the stain gives a nice plumpness. The staying power is excellent. I’m packing this for my trip!

Vitality Lip Flush on top and Lip Stain on the bottom. I used the color “Je Ne Sais Quoi”. This tag team packs a nice punch of color and shine! It’s a hit for this iT cosmetics duo!

And I have some more hits and misses for you today.

Time management is a miss.  I started this post over two hours ago and ended up wasting over an hour deleting 1229 photos of this chair.

That’s right. 1229 photos of this chair that I had to delete. Have you any idea of how long it took to get rid of the same pic?

I started to use my new toy.  A selfie stick.  When I took the stick out of the box and connected my phone to it,  the little clicker that snaps the photos must’ve stuck. My selfie stick turned into a selfie stuck! The clicker went on auto and snapped away for about five minutes.  A  miss…

But—and now I feel like a complete ass of a hypocrite because I actually purchased one of these very sticks that I cursed last summer due to the bruises I received from being prodded by other tourists’ selfie sticks-as I’m getting myself familiar with this, I think it will be great for taking photos for the blog. And it’ll come in handy when taking photos while touring! For me, even though the stick stuck, the selfie stick is a hit…

Strangely, this selfie stick is being sold in the handbag department where I work. One of the younger girls gave me a tutorial and this is my first selfie.  Obviously she knew what she was doing because the stick didn’t get stuck when she snapped! (Plus I got an employee discount!)

Chippy thinks the selfie stick could possibly be a chew toy…

Don’t even think about it Chippy!

For Bonaparte, it’ll be a huge miss because I know I’ll drive him crazy with it.

Bonaparte (Really annoyed—and speaking in a low voice from the side of his mouth):  “Cassee!” “Put zat zing away now!” “Ou ahr crezzzzeee and zat steek eez merde!”

 Me (Pointing the selfie stick at the both of us and paying no attention to him)  “Smile!” “And say Fromage!”

This pair of sunnies I purchased on Amazon.com is a miss. I learned a lesson. Never purchase sunglasses online.  As usual, whenever I have a bright idea, it ends up being more of a wasted dud!  I gave up on prescription sunglasses years ago because I sat on a very expensive pair and lost another. That’s a lot of money. I decided that “reader” sunglasses were the way to go. Except the only ones that I’ve only seen available are bifocals. I can read in the bifocals but can’t see. So I thought that if I purchased a pair of reading sunglasses without the bifocals, it would work for me.  Are you following?

Cheap sunnies from Amazon…

One side mentions China…..

One side mentions Italy design. I guess an Italian designed them in China!

Well, I ordered 250+ and the lenses are ok for walking around but I can’t read in them. So now I’ll have to take the bifocals, the regular sunnies and wear my normal eyeglasses.

These sunglasses were seventeen bucks—which really isn’t that bad but the quality is a tad flimsy.  The fit is ok but the frames could have been bigger.  If the frames were bigger and sturdier, they would have been more of a hit. Regardless, I’m still going to get my money’s worth out of these but won’t be reordering.

I’m just not feeling the love. But I’m feeling a bit of a like…I just wish the frames were larger and a bit more sturdy.

Now to some more mess vacation clothing.  I picked up a few tops, a skirt and a cover up/shift.  While trying to pack less, I’ve purchased more. Go figure!

Anyway, Jacrew (you know that’s the family code name for J. Crew!) was having a great sale on summer clothing. I picked up another pair of white denim shorts—a complete hit!.  These and my white denim Jacrew Factory shorts will do very well.

I also picked up another striped shirt from Crew. My love/hate relationship continues with the sizing.  This shirt is a Medium but the length should have been longer—it drives me nuts. Are things that bad over corporate that they can’t add an inch or two to the length? Is that how J. Crew cuts corners?  I love the fit of the shirt but that shorter length—arrrrghhhh!

Nah. That’s not me being pissed at Jacrew again. It’s the face I’ve been making while trying to figure out how to best use the selfie stick! I really wish this shirt were a bit longer!

Wait. I saw another patchy striped shirt online and fell in love with it. It ended up in the clearance section and 40% off of the reduced price at the brick and mortar store in King of Prussia. I got it for $16.97.  This time I picked a Large and it’s slightly bigger than I expected, but…both shirts aren’t complete hits and they aren’t complete misses either.

It’s a bit big around the neck and shoulders but that will add for more comfort in extreme heat. You can see that my selfie stick is not helping me in my photos being better focused!

This navy polka dotted skirt was a find in the clearance area of Loft. It is a blend of poly/spandex but feels like chiffon. Light and airy, it’ll be great for walking around in the heat of the Cote d’Azur! Definitely a hit!

OMG. I REALLY have to get my pasty legs sprayed before we leave. A well-needed pedi is also in order!

I’ll wear the skirt with a very fitted sleeveless Tee. This is from Uniqlo–last year’s model!

Two tops from Old Navy are also perfect for those hot days.  Both were half price, coming in at ten bucks each. One white. One black. Cotton/Poly blend. The little pompoms and cut out detailing at the bottom make the shirt unique without looking too cutesy. Very appropriate for we older ladies! Hits!

I know. The white shirt needs ironing. I’ll get around to it! But look at the detailing. I love the pompoms and the little cutouts!

Last is this blue coverup/shift also from Old Navy. The dress is a linen/rayon blend. Wrinkles are a miss. But the comfort of the dress is a hit!

This dress from Old Navy is perfect. I can wear it as a coverup at the beach and from there do some sightseeing. I love that the dress has pockets and the fit is loose without being boxy or frumpy!

This dress is also a great multitasker. I can belt it for a less beachy look.

With a belt it will look a bit less beach! I think I’ll be wearing this a lot. Thankfully I have a washing machine at the apartment!

It just dawned on me that 90 percent of my travel clothing is navy and white. That’s great because I’ll be able to mix and match without thinking. Who wants to think anyway???

Now for the that’s and this’s!

In the “That’s Great!” category–I would like to congratulate Winnie, aka Winntinn for being the winner of my first giveaway in collaboration with SkinActives!  She will receive the Serum Formulation Kit.  I can’t wait to hear from her with news of how she’s enjoying her kit and I hope she enjoys it as much as I enjoy mine!

Winnie will have a blast mixing all these great ingredients together. And the serum will take the place of primer during these summer months!

The serum made from the kit’s ingredients glides on nicely and gives a good protective layer from the elements. It is definitely a part of my regular morning routine!

If you take a closer look you can see that I’ve created my serum a bit on the thinner side. I’m very happy with it and I love my cute little dispenser!!

I like that the dispenser is on the smaller side so there won’t be an overabundance of serum. This will last a while because you only need a small amount!

Vivant SkinCare sent some products to me to try out. I’m especially over-the-moon excited to try the Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash and their Wink Eye Rejuvenation Cream.

Products by VivantSkincare that I’ll be trying and reviewing: Left to Right–Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash; Day Treatment Lotion, SPF 15; 3% Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Toner; Derm-A-Renew, Gentle Peptide and Vitamin A; Spin Trap Antioxidant Serum.

This is wonderful because I’m only really getting into serious skincare at 61! I’ve baked my face to the point of  Mohs surgery to get rid of skin cancer on my face.  Cleansing for me has been Albolene makeup remover and cleanser, and Dove soap. That is what I’ve done in the past and it’s about time I start getting into a more serious routine. I have uneven coloring and I’m getting those brown spots that are not freckles so I’m really looking forward to starting my new skincare regimen.  I’ll definitely be reviewing in a few weeks.  When I return from vacation, in fact! These products will be poured into little travel sized containers!

This is fun.

My Longchamp Le Pliage is becoming rather tattered but I love using it when travelling! It holds a ton of stuff!

Just when I thought it was a safe bet to carry my usual brown Longchamp Le Pliage while on vacay,  Susan of “Une Femme d’un Certain Age” wrote a post about handbags to carry while traveling!  (Click on the link to read the post!)  She talked some sense into me and now I’ll be taking my Nat & Nin Carrie bag which folds over into a crossbody! It’s more stuff to pack, but I’ll sneak this bag into Bonaparte’s suitcase!

My Nat & Nin Carrie bag. I LOVE Nat & Nin bags!

Folded over, Carrie makes a mighty fine crossbody bag! I cannot apologize for the spilled coffee stains on my raggy old tee shirt.  Nor can I apologize for not picking Chippy’s bone up off the floor.  I think he’s munching on the selfie stick! The lipstick is still on–see it???

Thanks Susan!!! She’s so pragmatic–that’s one of the reasons I enjoy reading her blog!

Well, that’s about it on this now Monday afternoon.  I swear if I didn’t have to delete over 1,000 photos, I would have enough energy to iron clothes. Instead, I’ll procrastinate while binging on “The Mothers-In-Law” on Hulu. If you are my age, you will remember this show starring Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard. It was typical late 1960’s sitcom humor. I’m still trying to figure out if it was a hit—or a miss! Either way, it’s fun!

I can’t yet decide whether or not the show is a hit or miss because it is so campy. But Kaye Ballard’s bob is spectacular–and is a great, great cut for an older woman. Ballards bob is a hit.  On the other hand Arden’s helmet hair is a complete miss!

To refresh your memory or to give you a first glance here’s the theme song from The Mothers-in-Law with lyrics. I have no idea who is singing but the montage and lyrics are great. These lyrics were added much later!