Things are back to normal. And I have a confession. I’ve been a naughty girl. Since arriving home over three weeks ago, I’ve been petrified to get on the scale. I knew I gained weight over vacation, and then some. But it wasn’t until I arrived home from work Thursday evening and was getting changed that I saw something I did not like.
It was the vision of me in my panties. They were a bit tight. So, I tried on my favorite jeans, which I haven’t worn in a while because I don’t wear jeans in the summer heat. They were tight. I mean tight!
Yeah. I was naughty, and I’m pissed off at myself but, I gotta turn it around!
And so, I thought about it. Not getting on a scale means I refuse to face reality. So, I took the scale out. I gingerly stepped upon it and saw an 8-pound gain. 150 pounds.
Time to focus on getting that 8 pounds off and back to eating healthy. I asked Bonaparte to stop by the market to pick up a 6-ounce slice of salmon for me for tomorrow and fresh spinach.
I will have my weekend aperitif because I refuse to deny myself.
There are just some things you do not deny yourself. Mine is the aperitif on the weekends. WEEKENDS ONLY!!!!
And on Saturday we headed into Manhattan to meet my sons for lunch. Jake, the oldest, is moving to L.A. on Tuesday. The company he will be working for is relocating him, but he needed a bit of help with some packing because of his broken wrist. I baked cookies for him. ( I am working on a blog post about this)
Now that I’m back on track and have that out of the way, I’ll be going back to a weekly report on the weight.
In the meantime, let’s talk about the summer face. Between the spray tan and the sunscreen I applied to my face, I had a major breakout when we were away. My face is darker and the freckles are out in force. I like that. But it means a different and less intense makeup routine.
My summer face..the only thing fake is my hair!
I’m forgoing foundation and wearing a bit of the Charlotte Tilbury primer instead for a bit of a glow.
Although I’ve had this since November, I’ve been using it a lot during this summer. If you recall my Tilbury Makeover...
Mally’s Nude Attitude Eyeshadow Palette has become my summer “go-to”. I like the neutrals and the bit of shimmer is quite nice—it’s not too shiny at all.
I’ve had THIS palette over a year. Thanks to Adrian from Mally, this is one of my favorite palettes ever–as you can see. My Mally Makeover was the greatest and taught me some great everyday looks!
But—the greatest buy of the summer has been e.l.f. Intense Ink Eyeliner. Holy Cannoli—the best $3.00 I’ve ever spent on a liner. It beats any high-end liner I’ve ever used. The felt tip is long and comes to a very sharp point—perfect for drawing that line! The product itself is dark and does not fade. I can’t say enough about this. I’ve already purchased backups!
You know me–I refuse to travel with high-end cosmetics–especially given my track record of losing things and leaving things behind. I purchased one of these liners before our trip to France and this–is…..epic! And let me put this out there. e.l.f. is NOT a mature woman friendly cosmetics company. They are obsessed with younger bloggers. I’ve reached out to them and was rejected and I STILL use and love this…
I love the end result of this eyeliner pen from e.l.f. It’s a cinch to use and lasts all day! Best three bucks ever!
Do you ever go shopping at Sally Beauty Supply? I often find fun buys on lip gloss. And the gloss is often on sale. Two that I have are from Femme Couture. They are XXL Plumping gloss and I’m a fan. The gloss isn’t long-lasting and I don’t think it really plumps, but the color and shine are beautiful.
Two of my favorite summer look glosses. Staying power isn’t that great but who cares? I apply a few times over the course of the day–there’s plenty in the tube!
I keep it very simple during the hot weather!
Now for what I’m wearing. Here’s a look at this week’s outfits and then some. I don’t know about you, but during the very hot days, I like wearing loose dresses. Old Navy came up with a gem of a dress this season. A jersey swing dress. The price ranges from $10.00 to around $15.00 depending on the sale. I ended up purchasing five of these. They are the greatest summer frock! Have a look.
You’ve seen how many times I’ve worn this $10 Old Navy Swing dress while on vacation. I can’t stop wearing it. BTW, it’s also a great dress to wear during a bit of a weight gain. It hides “ma belly” very well!
Yes–it’s another one of the swing dresses from Old Navy. I paid $15.00 for this one!
My black jeans from Primark, remarkably still fit thanks to the stretch. These jeans are also not heavy so they are good to wear for rainy summer days!
This gauzy J. Crew Factory dress is light and airy for hot summer days. The Fleur d’Oranger Intense is beautiful and lasts all day. The Rondini Bikini sandals I got last year have been my most-worn sandals this summer!
Nothing beats the heat like white. This is a dress I purchased last year, packed last year AND this year to France and never wore it–until last week–and I ended up wearing it twice since I returned. I’m digging the new Rondini sandals with it…
..on repeat. This time with different hair and my new Longchamp bag that I got at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. You know–I don’t buy clothing at the Nordies Anniversary sale because everything eventually ends up on sale, but I always make it a point to either make a bag or boot purchase. I have enough boots but I needed a navy bag and had been looking for one for a long time. You know that I’m very brand-loyal and was thrilled to see this Navy Longchamp as a part of the sale. I dressed it up with an Hermes scarf! Whatdya think?
Another Old Navy dress–this one from last year. A loose poly-cotton-linen blend. It’s paired with a 5-euro scarf I picked up at Geant hypermarche. Groceries and a scarf–almost as great as groceries and the bathing suits! I’m wearing my almost ten-year old Rondini Tropezienne sandals with this. This happens to be one of my favorite summer looks!
Maxi time! OMG–yet ANOTHER purchase from Old Navy!! A simple maxi from last year and worn with a paisly scarf from J. Crew that I can’t even remember how old it is. Cheap dollar earrings from Walmart and Rondini sandals and I’m good to go!
Another maxi look. The skirt–yeah. Old Navy. From a few years back. The tee–from Gap from years back. My new Rondini’s and Red Longchamp give this an Americana Red-white-blue fun summer look. I also want to add. I may spend money on my bags and shoes–but I’ll go low end for summer clothing!
Poly-linen skirt from J. Crew factory and a cute jersey shell from Ann Taylor–I have no idea when the shirt was purchased because it was that long ago! I’m completely into wearing sandals during the summer. My feet need to breathe and sandals are the next best thing to barefootin’ it!
Same J. Crew factory skirt with a white Old Navy Tee this time. THIS JUST IN!! Bonaparte laundered the skirt–he put it in the drier and I think it shrunk in length. I need to iron it later but I don’t know if I’ll be able to wear it anymore. Lesson learned. Do not put any clothing of mine in the drier!!!! I’m not mad though–he’s a good man!
Last weekend we went to Stone Harbor. I wore one of my 11-euro bikinis and used this Fragonard tote as a beach bag. But I have to tell you something. See that photo of me in the top right? I was wearing my Tony of Beverly topper and had my hair in a messy topknot. OK? Well, I was in the ocean about knee-deep. I stepped on a shell and bent over to check my foot. I fell head first into the ocean and my topper never fell off. I figured “what the hell” and dove into the ocean. I can now swim with a topper and it will stay secure. I’m thrilled that I can go back to swimming and the thinning and bald spots will be covered!!
As an aside, I’m reaching out to you to ask a question—since you know I’m awful at networking!! Does anyone know a book editor? I’m writing a book and am researching how to find an editor—and marketing myself is not my forte. Any information you can offer would make me a happy camper.
I had to sneak this photo of my Chippy. Is he not adorable or what? I can’t figure out if he wanted his photo taken or if he was protecting the goods in the bag? I am pretty sure he was just posing!
Thanks for reading and I hope the remainder of your weekend is a wonderful one!!
On the drive back from NYC yesterday, I took out a CD I hadn’t listened to in a while. Reve Orange by Liane Foly. She’s got a beautiful voice and is just a wonderful jazz singer. I love her! This song, Reve Orange gives you a sampling of her vocal talent!
