Atypical 60

I Did Another Thing. Bought a Vintage Louis Vuitton Bag and Cleaned It Up!

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Catherine

Last year, for my 64^th birthday, I received the second-best birthday gift of my life. The number one greatest birthday gift I received was on my 13^th birthday when my brother, Pete, was born. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us but I have his lifetime of great memories embedded in my heart and mind.

Which brings me to my second-greatest birthday gift ever. Bonaparte surprised me with a Louis Vuitton Neverfull bag. Believe me, it was a total surprise that had me going into complete shock.

Last year’s birthday gift. Just about a year later the leather is starting to get that nice honey shade!

I love that bag. And when I say “love”, I mean it. I. Love. That. Bag. And I have a tendency to treat it like a baby; which is unusual for me simply because I’m very tough on bags.

It’s one of the few bags I have that actually gets placed into the dust cover!

I’m that person who throws a bag into a car. I lug it around with just about as many items as Mary Poppins fits into her magic tote!

Oh yes. I throw those bags around!

And I love a “good” bag. I’m not big on rotating my bags either. I’ll take out a bag and use it for months. Among the brands I carry regularly are Longchamp, J. Crew and a beautiful, no-brand yellow bag I picked up in Paris two years ago.

This yellow leather bag was purchased at Sophie Sacs on Rue de Rennes. It’s one of the greatest bags I own. It holds a ton of stuff and is greeat for travel. And..soft as buttah!

My red Longchamp cuir satchel was a birthday gift from my husband a few years back, and until he gifted me with the Vuitton bag, that red bag was the most high-end bag I’ve ever carried.

Another favorite bag that surprisingly holds more than expected. I’m a huge fan of Longchamp. Four cuir bags are in my closet as well as the Pliage bags.

But there is just something about my Louis Vuitton bag. I love the iconic monogram canvas. I love the Vachetta leather and the way it evolves into a honey-toned patina. I also love that the brand has remained iconic over the years.

This poor bag is the object of snobbery due to the fact many LV lovers deem it “basic”. For me, it’s basically classic!

Yet, the brand remained out of my reach due to the expense. And so, you can imagine my utter joy when I was gifted with that bag. Due to the nature of the tote, I’ve learned to love the brand. It takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’. The heaviness of the stuff I load into the bag validates the strength of both the coated canvas and its sturdy construction.

Because of this, I want more. Yes. I want more Louis Vuitton in my life. But here’s the thing. I’m not wealthy. There is no way I can go about purchasing thousands of dollars on a bag. I can’t see myself spending $700 on a wallet or almost the same on an agenda. If the company I worked for back in 2007, didn’t close its doors to the location I worked, I most likely would be able to do so. Presently, no.

But I’m a determined old broad and I found, through research, that the brand’s bags are attainable for a lower price. It doesn’t mean they are inexpensive—because they aren’t, even for vintage and pre-loved ones. However, for a lower price, and some elbow grease, you can find a vintage one that needs TLC, bring it back to bag use life and have an item with a history.

Such is the story of my Louis Vuitton Bucket GM that is no longer produced by the brand.

My vintage LV Bucket GM. Note that I’m less cautious with the handling of this bag as there is a bottle of Sriracha sauce directly behind it!

I love a big bag because I have a ton of shit to carry around. And when I saw this bucket bag on Mercari, I fell in heavy lust. Mercari had it listed as authentic but ever the Doubting Thomasina, I still had sleuthing to do. The date stamp was valid as was the brand stamp. The bag was authentic and being sold for a lower price. I offered $236 and the offer was accepted.

As soon as I spotted this, I wanted it!

My main concern after the purchase was the look on Ricky Ricardo’s Bonaparte’s face when he got the bill. I would deal with that later. Trust me, I had a lot of ‘splain’ to do.

Just replace Lucy with “Cassssseeeeeeee”! S’il vous plait!

Anyway, the bag arrived in better shape than expected. The coated canvas was in fantastic and that’s the most important aspect. No cracks, no fading, it only needed to be wiped down.

The canvas, in great shape only needed wiping down

The Vachetta leather? It needed cleaning and conditioning. The straps were in great condition with slight staining. The leather trim at the bottom of the bag had water marks but I’m not really fussy about that. In fact, I don’t mind. It means the bag was well-used and well-loved.

The stains really don’t bother me at all. I’m fine with them. They tell a story. The story is that someone very much like me owned this bag!

The brass feet on the bottom were black from tarnish and needed to be cleaned. The leather trim at the top of the bag was definitely well worn and needed some serious attention.

The inside of the bag—that’s where the challenge laid.

The interior of the bag definitely needed a lot of TLC!

Back when this bag was produced, and with a number of Louis Vuitton bags, the bags were lined with a coating of vinyl which the brand named “Vuittonite”. The coating didn’t fare well. Especially in humid climates. The humidity caused the lining to peel, therefore creating quite a mess. The bag was lined with Vuittonite. It was peeling. And the inside of the bag smelled musty.

The musty scent doesn’t bother me too much. I’m that oddball who loves the smell of musty old books but I did place a couple of scented dryer sheets into the bag and the mustiness is dissipating.

Anyway, after researching how to rid the bag of the peeling and sticky lining covering, I went to work. The majority of tutorials stated to use gloves and acetone nail polish remover or Goo-Gone. Since I use Goo-Gone specifically for when Chippy gets into my makeup, eats it, and smashes it into carpeting, I’m not wasting the stuff.

The scent of acetone doesn’t thrill me. And gloves, unless worn in very cold weather, bother me.

I used my bare hands to peel the coating off. It took three nights. After work, I would run upstairs, start peeling then stop when I was frustrated or wanted to give up. But I persevered.

I turned the lining out of the bag, covered the canvas and went to work. Let me tell you, this stuff created a mess! It got all over and the vacuum came out!

I peeled and peeled…

And cleaned and cleaned!

Once the coating was peeled to the best of my ability, I was left with a bit of a rough, flannel-like fabric lining. I took water-based baby wipes and wiped the lining down until what remained was a smooth texture.

Here’s a look at the rough texture of the fabric once the coating was peeled.

After wiping the lining down with water-based baby wipes, the texture of the fabric was smoothed and ready for use!

These are the wipes I used. As you can see, I used quite a lot but I purchased to packs. FYI, Walmart and Target carry this brand of wipes.

And after wiping down the inside of the bag, I hung it over the shower bar in our guest bathroom to allow it to dry.

I hung the bag, with the dampened lining over the shower bar to dry. Luckily the shirt that was drying next to it didn’t get any of the lining residue!

The chain in the bottom left photo was also very sticky from rubbing against the coating. I cleaned it with steel wool and it did the job!

And then came the leather. Louis Vuitton uses Italian Vachetta leather for the handles and trim. This is untreated leather and as its ages, builds a nice patina and the straps turn a honey color. This is one of the things I love as the bags age because the newness of the leather looks too clean for me. And, as a natural slob—well, you get the picture.

Cleaning the leather was the most daunting part for me because I was afraid that I would screw up.

The leather ended up to be a pretty-easy clean and I conditioned it so I felt good!

Needless to, I was extremely cautious and careful as to keep the leather cleaner on the leather and not on the coated canvas.

I used two cleaners and conditioners. Apple brand and Lexol. In all honesty, neither of the cleaners “wowed” me. Both did a great job at conditioning though.

I used this Apple Brand cleaner and conditioner as well as…

I also used these products by Lexol. Both did the job as expected.

As this was my first attempt to “clean” up a vintage Louis Vuitton bag, I did make one error. I was way to rough on the leather trim on the top of the bag and tore the leather in one place. Am I upset about it? Not really. Perhaps down the line, I’ll take it to a professional to have it replaced. I can bring it to my local Louis Vuitton shop to have sent for repair but it’ll cost more money than expected. So essentially, I’ll leave it alone.

I was a bit rough in cleaning the top leather trim. And when I say rough I mean it. I scrubbed way to hard. Lesson learned and the bag is still fine. I might use a touch of Gorilla glue on this piece. I will most likely leave it alone though!

The “feet” on the bottom of the bag were very, very tarnished. Brasso and Q-tips did the job. I was very careful not to get Brasso on the canvas!

Brasso and a ton of Q-tips cleaned the brass feetsies!

In the long run, am I pleased with the result? You bet I am! It comes down to my personal budget. At this point in time, I cannot saunter into my local Louis Vuitton shop and purchase that coveted Speedy bag. Or a brand-new Alma. Or wallet or agenda. It just isn’t feasible.

My two Louies! One new and one old. Both are gorgeous!

However, with my pocket money saved, I can purchase a vintage bag of the brand. It takes research, savoir-faire, and knowledge of knowing how to spot a “real” bag vs. a fake. Lollipuff Easy Louis Vuitton Bag Authentication Guide

Cleaning or refurbishing a vintage bag is actually a decent project for this time of quarantine. You can check out sites such as Mercari and Poshmark. There are a great many sites to purchased pre-loved and vintage bags but in my novice sleuthing, I find that Mercari and Poshmark have the greatest number of budget-friendly bags. I would err on the side of caution with eBay though, I almost got scammed.

I saw a bag for a great price—almost too good to be true. I purchased it. It was never shipped and so I contacted the seller. What ensued was a ridiculous and pathetic exchange. On the seller’s behalf different excuses, abusive language and improper spelling and grammar.

Beware of this eBay seller. What a crock!

I contacted eBay and they did a great job of refunding my money. However, it left a very bad taste in my mouth and I won’t be perusing eBay for bags in the future.

I’m a happy little clam because I think I did a good job for my first time!

How about you? Are you into vintage luxury bags? Have you ever refurbished a bag before? Thoughts? It’ll be fun to hear from you! Here’s a video I did last week!

That Virus. And a Weekend in New York City

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Catherine

So two weeks ago Bonaparte decided to surprise me with a weekend in New York City. Of which I have been meaning to write about.

And then the Corona Virus took precedence over our lives. I don’t necessarily mean Bonaparte and me, but I mean all of us. Our world. And since returning from New York, things have been different.

Everyone at the company I work for is now working virtually with the exception of a tiny skeleton crew. In the area I am in, it was three of us. It is now downto two. Yes! I am one of the lucky ones who is still getting dressed, getting into my car, and driving to work every day.

That’s right. I’m happily going into an office every day. And allow me to say, it’s a very clean environment!

Alas, it isn’t a bad thing because the office has been cleaned down accordingly and there’s nobody to bother me. Thus, the beauty of “social distancing” (a ridiculous term but I get it).

Caveat–I’ve created social distancing ever since I moved to Pennsylvania! I’m a pro at it!

Quite honestly, I could go on and on and on about what has happened to our society with this Corona Virus. But I’ve decided not to. We are all aware of how our lives have changed and so I’ll focus on the positive.

And so, I’ll tell you about our trip to New York!

New York! Still the most beautiful skyline on earth and I always get a kick out of snapping a pic whenever we approach!

Let’s go back a couple of weeks. Shall we?

Bonaparte surprised me with an overnight stay at the Marriott Midtown on Lexington Avenue.

Overnight bag packed and hair at the ready, I was excited to get back to New York!

It’s our regular stay place in the city. The location is great. The staff is greater and the rooms are wonderfully charming.

He also wanted to drive up to Nyack. It’s where his grandfather André Girard is buried. A little backstory here. After WWII, my husband’s grandfather moved to the States. He was working as an artist for various advertising companies and was pretty successful. It was then when Bonaparte moved to Nyack with his mother and sister for a couple of years. He doesn’t remember much because he was very young. But he remembers Nyack and the nice times he spent there.

The weather was on our side and it was one of those spectacular late winter Saturdays. It was still cold, but you could feel the air becoming warmer. As though winter knew it was getting ready to make an exit but kind of wanted to hang around a bit longer. The sun was bright and warmed things up even more.

We thought it was great that there was hardly any traffic on the Jersey Turnpike and we were even more shocked there was no traffic on the Palisades Parkway leading upstate.

And might I add that I’ve never seen the GW this empty–and I crossed this bridge a countess number of times over the years, even when I lived in Manhattan!

And as we approached the tip of the Hudson Valley, I had an immediate whoosh of comfort. I miss New York. I miss Long Island. I miss the City. And I miss the sleepy vibe of the artsy communities north of the city. Nyack is one of those communities.

Streets lined with small shops were literally empty. But we chalked it off with the notion that when the warm weather arrives, throngs of people would be out and about. The Virus never really entered our thoughts.

We drove by beautiful old homes, loaded with character and history.

I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that a half-hour outside of Manhattan, gorgeous Victorian homes can be found–for an expensive price! I’m also fascinated that to me, anything north of NYC is Upstate!

And then we arrived at the cemetery to visit Bonaparte’s grandfather.

Bonaparte’s maternal grandfather, Andre Girard was an incredibly interesting man. He was extremely active in the Resistance during WWII and was a very talented artist. You can read more about him in the blog post I wrote quite a while ago. Holocaust Stories. A Family Torn Apart

It was good for my husband to visit his grandfather. We hadn’t done this in a while. Rest in Peace bon-papa.

When we left, we drove past the house that my husband lived in for a while then headed down to the city.

Here’s the house my husband lived in for a couple of years as a very, very young child before moving back to Paris. He has little but fond memories!

It wasn’t until we arrived in Manhattan that we realized, like Miss Clavel of Madeline, that something was not right. It’s one thing when traffic outside a city is light, but when the city streets in NYC are almost void of cars, cabs, buses, sirens and horns, you know something is going on.

Like Miss Clavel, we knew something was not right. But for us, it was in the middle of the day!

That was the “aha” moment that this virus was “keeping” people away from my hometown.

Madison Avenue. Middle of the afternoon. A Saturday. There’s just a handful of cars. I’ve never seen it like this!

And in the past, Laduree has always had a line outside. This time it was different and no wait. I got to stuff my mouth with macaron!!!

We arrived at the hotel a bit early and were prepared to leave our luggage at the desk while we explored the neighborhood. Instead, we were surprised to learn not only was our room ready, but due to low volume of guests, we were upgraded!

The room was great! A corner room which lent itself so well to multiple views. It was roomy, immaculate, and wonderfully cozy and comfy. Bonaparte was gleeful over the big-screen TV and I was overjoyed at the decent lighting!

Our upgraded room. Corner views. Big screen TV (for a hotel, this is big screen)…

…a wonderfully cozy bed with decent lighting..

And the views! Look at how empty the street below is. That’s Lexington Avenue. It’s always jammed with traffic…..except these days.

You can keep your trendy, streamlined boutique hotels, I prefer the charm and homeliness of old-school..

Grand and with a history!

And as evening approached, a more spectacular view!

The restaurant where we had dinner was just up the street. A walk of a few blocks. Le Relais de Venis L’Entrocôte. I’ll tell you, since our favorite Les Halle closed, this has been our go-to restaurant when we are in NYC. Why? It’s because the food is consistently good. The menu is but one choice. Steak. And Salad. And the steak is done to perfection. And the dessert choices are wonderful.

Since this was at the boundary of “The Virus” and just before “social distancing” became a thing, we were wondering if we would be but a handful of people out to dinner. Our thoughts were wrong about a “handful” of people because the restaurant was mobbed. Which was a great thing for business.

Please enjoy our dinner with us!

Somebody special is mulling over the wine list..

The salad is divine. No heavy vinegar taste and super-simple..

The sauce, a secret recipe that was impossible to decipher, is the best sauce I’ve ever had. Served over the perfectly cooked (blue, in my case) steak and oozing over to the frites, it’s consistently a great dinner!

And the profiterole dessert is so good that it turns me from a human being into an agressive and territorial dog!

Sunday brought about a sunny and clear one. Our plan was to hit MOMA, The Museum of Modern Art. It’s funny because when I was younger, I abhorred Modern Art but as I’ve pro-aged, there are some aspects of it that I enjoy—such as photography and the social messages.

We had a great time and the admission for “seniors” is at quite the discount.

Here’s a little sampling of what we saw.

The day we visited was International Women’s Day which had me snapping all things woman! This is a Leger painting.

Picasso’s Girl Before Mirror

Frida Kahlo Self Portrait with Cropped Hair. I LOVE this one so much! I wonder why? Could it be the fallen hair? Yes! It is!

This photo was my favorite of any displayed works we saw. It was taken in the 1950’s and I don’t recall the photographer. But it has been haunting me ever since I saw it. Look at the young woman’s face. She isn’t hateful nor angry. She’s full of hope. My God, to think we were like this. Let’s hope we never return to those times. I just want to hug this woman!

A view from MOMA. One car. That’s a piece of work!

Always fun to spot a Jacques-Henri Lartigue photo. This, a self-portrait photo taken when he was a boy (he received his first camera as a gift), made Bonaparte very happy!

After a couple of hours, it was time to get the car and drive off. And might I share the parking lot we used while visiting MOMA. The indoor parking spaces offer no discount on the weekends—or rather, the discount they offer isn’t much. However, if you find an outdoor lot, you’ll save money. Another funny thing is that even though streets were void of traffic, parking spots on the street were still impossible to find.

This is Carlos. He works at the parking lot and he was the greatest attendant ever! If you need a parking lot, stop by to see him!!

Here’s more random photos for your entertainment!

Fifth Avenue along Central Park. All the bikes are in place because nobody is around!

This is a bittersweet sight for me. What is now the MetLife building used to be the PanAm building. I attended Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School in that building and sady, the secretary has gone the way of Pan Am. It’s very depressing to me. But change goes on…

A restaurant on the East Side across from where Bonaparte used to live when he came to the States as an adult. Looks good so I’ve referenced it for next time!

You can have your fance lunches but for MY money, Sabrett Dirty Water Dogs are one of the greatest gastronomical delights on the face of the earth. With sauerkraut. And the bun gets mushy. I’m in love!

Ugh. Call me a discerning snob but Times Square is now an exercise in vulgarity. Chain restaurants. Chain stores. Disney. Bleh!! It was so much more refined and characteristic when the “working girls” and drunks were there. Trust me on this. My dad was a NYC cop and always told me Times Square was one of the safest havens in the City due to the amount of undercover cops. Now it’s just cheap and disneyfied!

Another view from the room!

An eerie emptiness on Broadway

Leaving NYC..

En route to the Holland Tunnel. This was the heaviest traffic of the weekend!

Back home after a great little overnight, we had no idea of what the coming week or weeks ahead would offer. We’re not in a good place right now. And due to the nature of my work, in an advocacy company for those who need disability, many of whom are very ill, I’ve been very busy. But I am vowing to try to do more “happy” and positive posts for reading.

Thank you. Stay well. Stay safe. And be careful. I love you all!!! XOXO And I hope you enjoyed this visit to NYC!

Thank you for your patience. Thank you for remaining to support and read and be friends of this blog. We are in this together. And together we will come back stronger!!

Posted in Life Over 60 | Tagged atypical60, Corona Virus, New York City, Weekend in New York | 41 Comments

Florida. The Casino. A Wedding. Family Photos. And Countless Pomegranate Martinis.

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Catherine

Part Three. The Wedding.

Note: It’s been quite the crazy week. Honestly. I come home from work and literally want to veg out. My apologies for my tardiness on this—and awayyyyyyyy we go to Part Three!

Waking up on Saturday morning was a pleasure. Finally—the weather was cooperating with my thought process. It was sunny and bright; It warmed up and felt like I was finally in the warm climate I traveled to.

Finally. A warm day!!!

My sisters and Aunt Terry and I met for breakfast, had a fantastic political argument which ended with Aunt Terry stating that the four of us were a perfect example of how our country was divided.

Our instructions were to show up at the Church at 2:00 PM for the marriage ceremony. But the reception wasn’t until Seven in the evening.

The four of us hopped into the car my sister rented and drove to my brother’s house for a bit before getting ready for the wedding

Oona and Yanela had to get the cake to the reception hall amid all the activity that was going on. It was best that I stay clear out of both their ways.

Coffee and laughs and back to the hotel to get ready.

I had someone come to apply lashes at 11 AM. Yeah. You read it right. I paid a girl $25 to apply strip lashes to my eyes. I didn’t feel like dealing with mascara and I am horrible at applying lashes to my own eyes. Cross-eyed people and false lash application aren’t really a good mix. Anyway, Allison who was a friend of the family showed up on time, did my lashes and we had a good time together! She was so adorable!

Well, I certainly didn’t have to spend money on a hair stylist!

My biggest issue was stressing that my dress would be too tight. You know, I was doing so well on Weight Watchers and then the thing happened with my brother, we went to France, and the holidays zoomed in. I am carrying about 7 extra pounds.

The dress fit thanks to an inexpensive body shaper from Walmart. Screw the Spanx—they roll down and are incredibly uncomfortable. It the cheap stuff from I Walmart that does the job with comfort!

Yayuh! The dress fit!

With my spray tan, lashes being applied, and wearing fake hair, it didn’t take me long to get ready. In fact, while everyone else was going through the ritual of beauty and hair, I was relaxing on my hotel bed playing Candy Crush!

Dress on. Lashes on. Wig on. And I was all set to go!

We arrived at the Church as instructed. The church was adorable. St. Anthony of Padua. It’s the parish my brother and his family belong to and all three boys attended the grammar school.

This church was so stinking cute. And yes. I have a “thing” about churches. They must meet my personal tastes. This church did.

It was very old-school but bright. Not dark and dismal.

So tiny and old-school!

There’s nothing like a good statue of Jesus on the Cross to bring out the Catholic guilt of childhood…

Matt and his best man were waiting.

My sisters arriving. Thankfully, I talked my sister into taking off those horrific black pantyhose. I told her she would get an infection.

The stereotypical “Church Lady” made her appearance by announcing that “This is God’s home and we must be quiet and respectful”

We had our own Church Lady to make sure we behaved!

To which I almost got up and answered “Well, God loves a good party with loud people”. But I was on my best behavior. For now.

I dunno who the priest was but he was from Ireland and had a slick sense of humor. Before the ceremony, he announced that cell phones must be put away. I gasped because it meant I could not start snapping pictures.And why did the priest look straight at me when he made that “no cell phone” announcement anyway?

The ceremony was beautiful and casual. My son, Roman, did a reading. (I was insulted that I was not approached to stand on the pulpit but, it wasn’t my party)

I have to say, next to my daughter Oona’s wedding dress, Bella’s dress came in as my second favorite wedding dress of all time. It was short and simple. I was shaking. She bought it at Neiman Marcus and it made me want to go straight to that store, buy that dress and have Bonaparte and I renew our City Hall vows!

Mr. and Mrs. Wynne. And that dress. Huh?

While others were trying to get pics of the bride and groom, I shoved Matt out of the way and made Bella turn around so I could get a great shot of the back of this dress! It’s stunning!

It’s nice welcoming a new relative into the family. Bella is so sweet and she’s a good woman. She and Matt make a great couple. I am thoroughly happy about my new niece!

Now comes the part where I get all huffy and puffy.

With the ceremony and hanging out a bit outside the church, the time was 3:30. The reception was at 7PM. That’s quite a bit of time.

The church had an outside grotto too. Oh how I could use one of these!

Nobody, or rather, the out-of-towners, really didn’t know where to go. I would have been content to go back to the hotel. But—I had no control over anything because I did not have a car.

Now, you need to know something about me. I don’t like not being in control. When I was a child, I did not like not having my way. I equate the adult version of “having my way” is “being in control”. It gets worse.

Let’s just say I had a lot more in common with Veruca Salt than I did with Pollyanna. It still rings true!

With two choices of places to go and have a late lunch, my sisters, my aunt and I headed to Pancho’s, a local Mexican restaurant and about five more people were to meet us. At 3:30 on a Saturday afternoon, you wouldn’t expect this establishment to be crowded. It was mobbed. It was small but mobbed.

Whoda thunk this joint was absolutely mobbed at 3:30 on a Saturday afternoon? Everyone said it was great. I wouldn’t know that.

And at this point I was becoming hangry. A cross between hungry and angry.

Some family conflict ensued after Oona and Yanela dropped the cake off to meet us and they went to another place.

By the time we got a table, I was beyond any form of being a reasonable human being. I hate not being in control. I cannot stand when I am in unfamiliar territory and cannot be in control. I like everything to go my way.

So, we get the table. And as I go to walk into the restaurant some bitch who was also waiting for a table comes up to me and says “I was first”. This was at the point where I had to turn around, walk across the street and go and sit in the car my sister rented. And it was because I almost punched that woman. I knew if I didn’t walk away, there would have been an altercation. And for some bizarre reason, I didn’t want to get arrested on my nephew’s wedding day.

Quite honestly, I didn’t want to get arrested or embarrass my children. I HAD to be on best behavior!

While in the car, I called my husband and basically vented to him for a good forty minutes. Perhaps more. ItOK. An hour! It’s just annoying to me to not have a car or to be in control of my time and destination.

Bonaparte gave me a goodbye with his sadness that we would not be enjoying aperitifs together that night. I promised him that it would be the same for me and I wouldn’t even be enjoying anything but diet soda at the wedding.

What I really should have done was to get off my fat, lazy ass, get out of the car and walk the two blocks back to the church to go to confession. It would have been the perfect way to while away the time and by the time I would have confessed all my sins and naughty doings and thoughts, it would have been time to head back to the hotel!

That’s right. I SHOULD have made like St. Bernadette and got on my knees rather than sit on my ass in the car whining to my husband!

Okay. Now everyone has had their late lunch and there’s still time to kill. Thankfully, we had time to drive back to the hotel to rest as well as collect my composure.

When it was time to head to the reception, we were all in great spirits.

Luckily, the reception was about two minutes from the hotel.

The reception was held at what could possibly be the cutest building I’ve ever seen. The Women’s Club of Dade City. It was like something out of an old-time movie.

The Women’s Club of Dade City was the perfect venue!

The venue was wonderful. The DJ was fantastic. It was a very danceable crowd. And my family loves to hit the dance floor!

The food was very impressive. My sister-in-law, Mother-of-the-Groom, Beth, did an outstanding job with the Hors d’oeuvres and finger foods.

So many lovely goodies. And I ate ’em all!

I’m watching my weight so I passed on the cupcakes!

And the best thing was that everyone was a bit full from their late lunch when they arrived. I was hungry like an ox so I chowed down on a ton of shrimp and other goodies!

Surprisingly, I ate a good chunk of this shrimp. Even more surprisingly was as I exited the reception after many beverages, I stuffed a bunch in a plastic bag and took it back to the hotel!

After consuming so much food, I was thirsty so I got on the line at the bar. Actually, I had to make my way through the crowd at the bar. In my family, we do open bars at weddings! So, you can imagine how crowded it was.

While on the line, I spotted a sign. It read “Pomegranate Martini” and my sister-in-law’s mother saw my scrunched-up face. After explaining that I thought Martinis were disgusting, she talked me into ordering this Pomegranate beverage and it was life-changing.

Never in my life had I tasted such a wonderful alcoholic delight. It tasted just like Pixie Stix! Remember those straws filled with flavored sugar? Num Nums! This tasted like liquid Pixie Stix. I felt so guilty telling Bonaparte that I would not be drinking. I lied. I didn’t feel guilty.

I got tired of waiting on the line so I had my nephews get me multiples. Yes. There was a steady supply for me!

In fact, this elixir of sorts gave me a great deal of energy that helped in keeping me active on the dance floor.

Me with Roman enjoying a Pomegranate Martini

Me with Roman and my nephew Liam after many Pomegranate Martinis.

Father-of-the-Groom, my brother Tom and me..

My two sisters. I’m sure my sister Theresa is telling my sister Germaine that I look like a damned idiot twerking on the dance floor!

Oona and my niece, Isis!

The martinis also helped my soon-to-be 18-year-old nephew, Logan to keep up with his energy level.

I love the way everyone looks after a few hours of partying!

And it’s always special when the cousins can get together!

We had a blast as Matt and Bella celebrated their new union.

They’re so stinking adorable!

Time to cut the cake!

And Yanela did a great job on the cake!

I’m not going to write about going back to the hotel after the reception because, to tell you the truth, I only remember packing to go home. Then I fell asleep because I woke up with smeared makeup and three-quarters of my lashes intact.

You know it was a great weekend when you get on the plane looking like you did the walk of shameless. Look closely at my right eye and you can see the lashes lifting. I didn’t even care. My eye makeup was smeared from the night before.

And that’s how I went home. My brother and Roman picked me up at the hotel, we drove to the airport, Roman and I bid each other farewell and I, once again, was left to play Candy Crush on my phone for an hour until boarding the plane.

I must’ve frightened Bonaparte when he saw me because as soon as I got into the car he gasped and mentioned I should go straight to bed. It was three in the afternoon.

A great time was had by all. Despite my meltdown and my lack of control. And the fact I was severely hung over even as I boarded the plane, was worth it. It was great to be with family-especially for a good reason!

Isn’t this photo beautiful? I have no idea what those haystacks are for but it is a field around the corner from my brother’s house!

I hope you enjoyed this. Later this evening, I’ll finish packing for our weekend in New York City. Thanks to Bonaparte, he thought it would be a great way to relieve the stress of my job lately.

I’m wondering if I should have a Pomegranate Martini when we go to dinner on Saturday night!

Make mine a triple!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Family, Humor, Weddings | 11 Comments

Florida. The Casino. A Wedding. Family Photos. And Countess Pomegranate Martinis.Part Two__The Casino and Family Pics!

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Catherine

A little backstory before I continue with Part Two.

My mother, Germaine, and her two sisters (the ones who were not nuns) Margie and Tessie, loved to gamble. I use this term somewhat loosely. Their gambling consisted of Bingo games at local Parish and Knights of Columbus Halls. And my Uncle Genie’s home.

The arrows are pointing to my mother, Germaine, my Aunt Margie and my Aunt Tessie. Aunt Tessie is the only surviver of the siblings. From top left to right: Uncle Tommy, Uncle Francis, Uncle Joey, Uncle Genie. Bottom left to right, My mom, Germaine, Sr. Josephine, Sr. Thomas (yes. we respectfully referred to my Ursuline Sr. Aunt’s as their nun names–very old-school Catholic), Aunt Margie and Aunt Tessie.

Uncle Genie, one of my mother’s brothers, acquired a One-Armed Bandit. Aka Slot Machine. Nobody really knows how this machine was acquired or where he got it from. In my family, “Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell” has a different meaning.

This was the main activity between my mother and her sisters when we visited Uncle Genie and Aunt Eileen’s house. In the end, my uncle was the winner!

The three Gorman Sisters, as we were prone to call them, also loved going to Atlantic City. To the Casinos, if you will. It remains a mystery to me as to how these women loved those little penny gambling jaunts—but they did.

Who knew these sweet little angels, Tessie and Germaine would grow up to be penny-ante gambers who loved their Bingo games and Atlantic City!

In addition, my dad loved to play poker on his Friday evenings off from the NYC Police Department. I guess playing cards alleviated the stress of being a cop. And somewhere down the line, my sister, Germaine, and my other sister, Theresa took on the spirits of my mother and Aunt Tessie and their propensity for gambling. As the self-appointed black-sheep of the family, gambling is not my jam. I’m the one who would rather spend an afternoon at a museum or buried in a book.

And so, on Friday morning the three “Wynne” sisters woke up and headed down to breakfast at the hotel. Germaine and Theresa were to head to the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa while I awaited Oona’s arrival.

But plans changed a bit. Oona was delayed and would be arriving later in the morning. Adding to the change, she would be staying at my brother’s house to help my Sister-In-Law, Yanela, with the wedding cake as she offered to bake the dessert. This was a good thing because she is the wife of my brother, Pete, who passed away, and Oona and Yanela are extremely close.

Alas, this meant I would not have my daughter-as-chauffer to drive me around. And without a whip of my own, I was at the disposal of my sister, Theresa.

Guess who went to the Hard Rock Casino?

Yes Siree! The Florida weather was freezing but I knew I would soon be in the warmth of the cigarette smoke at the Hard Rock Casino!

In my lifetime, I have not gambled much. As a teen, I did accompany my mother to a Bingo game and nearly exited with a case of Bronchitis due to the heavy cloud of cigarette smoke.

And as a hypochondriac, even from an early age, I’m not good in smoke-filled rooms

And other than the occasional Lottery card, I had only been to a casino once before. When the local Valley Forge Casino opened. Bonaparte, me and my sons, Jake and Roman went. It was such a harrowing experience for me that I never returned.

Why? You might wonder? I find the casino depressing. Filled with patrons who need to visit a dentist and have their eyeglasses bound together with medical tape. They will gamble away their pay and it’s very uncomfortable for me to watch.

I’m just not comfortable in a Casino. And even more frightening when the signage resembles those found on a major highway!

So off we went to the casino with my bright spot being the fact we would be stopping by my Aunt Terry’s house to pick her up. Then, back at the hotel, my sisters would share a room, whilst Aunt Terry and I shared another.

We arrived a little after ten in the morning. This was a Friday. A weekday, if you will. And the place was mobbed. Mobbed. Thoughts of “Why aren’t these people at work” ran through my numb skull. Then I realized most of them were either not working, were retired or were tourists and visitors—just like us.

Wild Card my ass. This was going to be a traumatic experience for me!

The magnificence of the building was astounding. Rather than a curved staircase on each side of the entrance, were curved escalators. We passed a store that stated it was a Paris shoppe. From the looks of the clothing, I would guess it was not a Parisian import. Across from the shop was a liquor shoppe and next to that a bakery with incredibly delicious looking delights. Cash machines scattered throughout so those who won could cash out their tickets. Blackjack tables. All sorts of gambling machines. The one-armed bandits have all been replaced with one-finger bandits. It was glitzy, tacky and trashy. And I felt sick to my stomach from the stench of stale cigarette smoke and booze.

Yes. The curved escalators were the high point of this casino visit. I could have spent all day going up and down on this contraption!

And suffice it to say, I’ve never seen a shop like this in Paris, France. Perhaps it’s an import from Paris, Texas!

It was impressive, though, at how adept both my sisters were in their cautious and careful choice of machinery. Both like the “Penny” machines. Both had particular preferences. And both were having a ton of fun—which was nice to see. As for me, I played ten dollars and won ten dollars.

It was impressive to note how focused my sisters were on these machines. I’m still chuckling over my sister, Theresa’s (in the back) astute concentration. WTF was she pondering?

Ohh. Looks like somebody won!

Buying a pair of shoes from Poshmark and not knowing what kind of shape they will really be in upon arrival is how I gamble!

We found a non-smoking area of the casino which was secluded well within the bowels of the compound. My sisters didn’t really like the choice of non-smoking gambling machines so back to the smoking area we went. By this time, I was very worried, not so much for my lungs, but for my wig. I don’t wash my wigs often but after this little journey, my Soft & Subtle wig from Gabor wigs would need more than shampoo to get this stink out!

2020 version of the gambling Gorman Sisters! Cathe, Theresa and Germaine!

Happy to leave after a two-hour visit, we headed to Aunt Terry’s house. If you are a regular reader of this blog then you know how important a part of my life Aunt Terry has been. Because of her, I have acquired a great love of art and have a rich cultural background. I love and admire her and it was just like old times to be together again.

A surprise was had at her home too. She went into a closet and took down old family photographs to give to us. Luckily, we were hotel roommates and I was able to get great photos of my family’s history! And I’m sharing some of the pics now!

My grandfather, Thomas Wynne in his WWI Batallion photo. He is why the movie 1917 was so important to me.

My dad, Thomas Wynne as a toddler.

My grandmother, Margaret Crowley, when she arrived in America. 1920. The resemblance to my brother Pete is incredible.

I LOVE this pic. This was taken a year after my grandmother arrived in America and shortly before she married my grandfather to become a Wynne. She’s on the right and is photographed with one of her friends. Look how much she changed since arriving here. Her hair is bobbed, the clothing is more modern and she’s wearing makeup. I love this photo so much! It’s priceless and precious!

My Great-Grandmother Crowley as a young girl. She never immigrated to the States. Wasn’t she pretty?

And Great Grandma into her nineties. I swear I am the freak of the family. Look at that head of hair. She never needed a wig!

My Uncle Patrick (Pat) Crowley when shortly after leaving Ireland for America. I love this photo because I only remember him as an older man. He was incredibly handsome!

Here’s Uncle Pat on his horse in Central Park. He was a NYC Cop and yes–my family is the stereotypical Irish-American family. There’s a lot of Cops and Firemen in the family!

My dad’s Confirmation photo. I love this pic because of the outfit AND the fact his face has that impish smile. This validates all the stories I heard about him as a boy. He was delightfully naughty in a fun way! Hmmmmm…sounds familiar!

Dad’s HS Graduation photo. Brooklyn Automotives. I don’t even know if the school is still there.

Graduation from Grammar School. St. Francis of Assisi in Brooklyn-kids looked more mature in those days–don’t you think?

I had to sneak this one in. It was a Christmas gift to my dad from his favorite teacher when he was in 8th grade! This is getting framed. I have no idea where it’ll be hanged but it is just awesome in the artwork! Jesus always had such great hair!

I think this was my dad’s National Guard photo. What a head of hair! My son Roman looks so much like him!

My dad, when he became a NYC Police Officer and my Aunt Terry. These studio photographs are amazing. Why don’t we do this anymore?

My dad’s First Holy Communion. And please allow me to tell you that I’m tearing up posting these pics. I never saw them until last week and it’s just making me want my dad and my mom and grandparents back. The knickers tho!

Oh. Look what we have here! It’s MY Communion pic. Kudos to Cambridge Studios in Ozone Park, Queens for disguising my crossed eye so well! Could those bangs be any shorter?

I have a framed copy of this but now–I have an original photo of my grandparent’s wedding day. That headpiece is everything! And my son, Jake, is a deadringer for my grandfather Wynne!

This is a pic of a pic. My Aunt Anne on her Communion day. This will go to my cousin AnnMarie. My Aunt Anne was one of the sweetest women on earth. When she and my dad were kids, my dad convinced her to play “barber” with him and he cut all her hair off. Guess who got into serious trouble. But. I was told Anne just shrugged it off!

Another photo of a photo. This is my Aunt Catherine on her Communion day. She was the eldest child. My cousin, Cathy, looks just like her mom and this is one of my favorite pics. The outfit is so stunningly beautiful. The bow. The veil. And those flowers! This is such a beautiful photograph.

Lastly, this pic of me with Aunt Terry. Why do I love this photo so much? I was about 14 and in my very “awkward” phase. I got chubby. I wanted to emmulate my favorite aunt down to the hair style. But, I had a neanderthal hairline which made me look like I was wearing a wig (hmmmm….prolific perhaps?) I had no idea how to wear makeup, but I was just so happy! And I love this photo!

We went back to the hotel, rested a bit then headed out to the Tropical Tundra for a family and friends get together before the big event the next day.

I WAS planning on wearing THIS dress. Unfortunately, due to the freezing weather, I opted for the dress I traveled in and my denim jacket. I should have packed jeans! But I didn’t!

The get together was in the outdoor section of a local restaurant. I felt bad because the weather was definitely not on our side. It was so upsetting that the Florida weather was more akin to the weather in the Northeast.

But not allowing the weather to ruin an evening, the restaurant was equipped with outdoor heating and frankly, after a few glasses of Sangria, the innards were nice and warm.

The sangria proved twofold. It warmed me up and I ate some healthy fruit!

A few hours later back in our hotel room, Aunt Terry and I shared long conversation and happy memories before it was time to enter into a phase of slumber.

Stay tuned for Part III, where I’ll cover the wedding and my hanger over not eating!

Stay tuned for Part Three…

Posted in #Humor, Family | Tagged Family, gambling, Humor, Travel, Weddings | 20 Comments

Florida. The Casino. A Wedding. Family Photos. And Countless Pomegranate Martinis. Part One–The Travel.

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Catherine

NOTE: I had too much to write on last weekend’s trip to Florida so I have to break it down into a couple of parts

Last week at this time, I was getting ready for a trip to Florida. My nephew, Matt got married and we welcomed a wonderful addition to the family—the new Annabelle Wynne. And there’s just so much to tell you.

Yeah baby! I was leaving the cold and damp for the warmth, the heat and the sunshine of Florida!

I’ll start at my prep. You know, it’s been a pretty mild winter as far as temperature goes. There were not many below-freezing days—and that’s a good thing. However, in this Northeast climate, it’s been continuously damp and gray. And rainy.

Well, it’s not snowy but it is cold, gray and damp!

The thing about the dampness is that it cuts through to your bones. Even the warmest outwear just cannot compete with Mother Nature’ slack, moist hissy fits. It’s the lull after the holidays and before the warmer weather. That time when pajamas and cozy sweaters and the fuzziness of lined slippers and the snugness of a blanket is what you desire.

And let’s add a good book and a toasty fire to that visual!

You can just imagine how a trip, as short as it was, could be so welcomed. Leaving the north for the Sunshine State seemed like a dream. Sun and a family wedding—albeit a family wedding on a small scale. And it was going to be bittersweet as it was the to be the first time we were getting together since my brother’s passing.

The husbands stayed home—basically for work and financial reasons. And so, it would be a girl’s weekend of sorts. Me, my sister Germaine, my sister Theresa, my daughter Oona. All toute seule!

In order for me to prepare for this trip in the gifted climate, a spray tan was sorely needed to make my fish-belly white pallor come alive.

My legs were nicely sprayed, as was the rest of my body and this darkened as time went on..

As time was of the essence, being sprayed on Wednesday, the night before I traveled, was the only arrangement to fit my schedule. The challenge with that was I couldn’t shower for 24 hours. That meant waiting till I got to the hotel to rinse my heavenly body off.

And as anyone who spray tans knows, the tan is a bit………. dark before that initial rinse. It also smells. Yeah. It does. I’ll get to that later.

My bag was packed with only clothing conducive to warm weather. Since I pack light, there were no jeans. Just dresses—both casual and a dressier one for the wedding. In fact, the heaviest items in my carryon were shoes and makeup, along with wigs. The heaviest article of clothing was a filthy, dense, cotton dress that has evolved into a nightie of sorts. Too lazy to throw it into the laundry, the dried toothpaste had almost embroidered itself into the thing that is now bed wear.

I fit everything into my carryon. And I brought an old purse that fits just about everything but the kitchen sink!

You think I’m kidding about the filthy nightie? I circled the toothpaste stains so you could see what a slob I truly am!

Also packed were my favorite sleeveless green dress from Old Navy, a Lilly Pulitzer Wynne Maxi dress. The sleeveless and body-hugging dress that I wore to Oona’s wedding rehearsal dinner in July was the dress I packed to wear to the wedding.

Bonaparte balked at my packing this dress because he felt it might not have been warm enough to wear it–even in Florida. We’ll get to that in Part Two! BTW, I’ve had this $10 for four years now and it is still holding up beautifully. Old Navy created a winner with this one! This photo is four years old!

My Wynne Maxi Dress from Lilly Pulitzer was packed for the get-together the night before the wedding. How could I go to Florida and leave Lilly behind?

The dress I wore to Oona’s rehearsal dinner would be worn to Matt and Bella’s wedding. Halleluhyer it stil fits!

The shoes? Gold wedge sandals from Lilly Pulitzer (that remained unworn as did the maxi dress), Rondini Tropezienne sandals and black heels.

The gold jewels from Poshmark would adorn my feet when I wore the Maxi dress!

And summer sandals for “summer” weather…

And the pointy-toed shoes to pair with the dress for the wedding. If you are detail-oriented you will see these are Ivanka Trump shoes. They were purchased PRIOR to those people going into politics. And I don’t throw money away so I’m still wearing them. I know, its the only bi-partisian action I’ll take for now.

No winter coat for me. No siree. It was a light denim jacket!

My outfit of choice for traveling out of the chillier weather was a black, short sleeved dress and over it, my favorite lighter denim jacket. Much to the chagrin of Bonaparte, who insisted that I bring a heavier coat, I paid no attention to his pleading because I was going to where the sun shines and the heat hits my body.

My travel outfit of choice. Another great jersey dress from Old Navy, my Kut From the Kloth denim jacket and comfy ballet flats from J. Crew of years ago. I’m wearing Gabor Wigs Soft and Subtle on my head. It kept me warm while looking great!

This dress. I loved it so much I ordered a backup. It’s so versatile! I wore it to and from Florida and then some!

The other benefit of a spray tan is you need less makeup!

And on my feet, I wore an old pair of J. Crew ballet flats. I also took with me an old J Crew Brompton bag. It was heavy enough to carry a plethora of shit but nice enough to not look as though I was the original bag lady.

J. Crew doesn’t make shoes like this anymore. These are years old and were made in Italy. I think J. Crew needs to revisit their shoes! Seriously comfortable this was the greatest pair of travel shoes!

Now, you must understand that the thought process for my travel wardrobe was twofold. First, I was getting out of the friggin’ dampness of Philly and headed to the warm climate of Florida.

Secondly, clothing made to literally shove into a weekender without wrinkling was key. I needed more room for shoes, and makeup, and fake hair!

My bags were packed and ready to go..

My biggest challenge was what hair to pack? Bonaparte helped me in my choices!

With boarding pass installed on my iPhone, I was ready to head to the office for a few hours (God forbid I could take an entire day off. I can’t even negotiate for extra time off on this job) before Bonaparte picked me up to drive me to the airport.

Are you familiar with Philadelphia International Airport? I am. It is not my favorite by any means. Driving through the very narrow expanse of road that leads you through the terminals is a slalom course that would be safer on skis rather than automobile. And the exterior of the terminals is fugly and trashy looking.

Don’t even get me started on the signage either.

Lucky for me, I have TSA pre-check and going through the checkpoints was a breeze.

My boarding pass on my phone (which makes me love technology so much) and being TSA pre-checked, I was on my merry way.

Mobile Boarding Pass = Best invention ever!

At this point, I was dreaming about devouring a Philly Soft Pretzel. Did you know that Philadelphia is known, not only for the city’s cheesesteaks, but for those marvelously salted and soft-as-a pillow pretzels? And when they are warm, they are heavenly. Note—this is all I wanted.

This is all I wanted. And I went through the terminal in search of one. Just. One. I ended up with a quesadilla and M & M’s instead!

The terminals have been renovated. This means a plethora of new fast-food stands and bars for those who need a few drinks before taking flight. There was not a pretzel vendor to be found. There was no Philadelphia Soft Pretzel Stand. I was not hungry anymore but I was rather hangry—that emotional cross between hungry and angry. I wanted a goddam pretzel and ended up settling for a plain quesadilla and a bag of peanut M & M’s.

I shrugged my disappointment off as best as I could and settled into a seat with an outlet. At the least I could plug my phone in and get connected to my Candy Crush addiction. It was early enough so that I had some space before the crowd of travelers for the flight arrived.

I’m on Level 1275. I should be ashamed but I’m not. This soothes me!

And then it happened. A self-important young woman sat her fat ass down next to mine. And she took her cell phone out and had a VERY LOUD, self-important, narcissistic conversation with a work peer. I had to listen to her speaking about the latest business project. I had to listen to her talk down to another worker. I had to suffer through her being seemingly outstanding in her own field—or private Idaho. Now-please understand something. I despise listening to others’ conversations.

Important only to yourself!

As loud as I am, I do NOT hold phone conversations in public unless it is an absolute emergency. I like my conversations to be private and I feel that others should follow suit. I do not, and allow me to repeat. I do not want to listen to a stranger’s conversation—and I don’t want to listen to the conversations of people I know.

No you are not. Stop being self-important!

My only action of combat was to get my cell phone out, head to my Spotify app and click on James Brown’s “Sex Machine” louder than this one next to me spoke. After five minutes she finally got the hint and huffed off to another seat.

Spotify. James Brown. Sex Machine. Loud. My Revenge and it worked like a charm!

It is a strong suggestion that airports install phone booths. Like the old-school phone booths but without the phones. It would be such a pleasure to free me of all the self-indulgent people who feel their conversations should be broadcast for all to hear.

Bonaparte made the plane reservations because I can’t be bothered and he goes for the frugal seats. I was stuck center seat in between two women. And I found myself apologizing profusely over the stench of my spray tan. It really smelled bad. Add to the fact I hadn’t showered in over 24 hours—I was a Petri dish of bacteria and stench. I felt sorry for them—you would think one of them would have moved and given me more space to stink up row by myself but it was a full flight!

But the great thing is that I was seated in the back of the plane. And in Group 5. This means I was able to get my bag in the overhead before the remaining passengers got on. And there were some ticked off travelers because there was no room.

This is a photo of an overhead on an empty flight. Why does everyone have to travel with a carryon, a packpack, a tote bag AND a plastic bag? It’s because the airlines now charge to check luggage. Greedy bastids.

Upon arrival in Tampa, I had a few minutes before meeting my son, Roman, who was flying in from New York. Timing was perfect as we landed within twenty minutes of each other. A friend of my brother’s family was picking us up and dropping us off at my brother’s house.

From there, my two sisters met up and drove to a hotel near to my brothers. Roman stayed behind at my brother’s house to hang with my nephews and other privileged members. Seriously. My sister-in-law, Beth, had the assistance of my other sister-in-law, Yanela, who was busy making the cake for the wedding.

I figured out the reason they didn’t want me at the house was either due to my liberal politics or my annoying personality.

Back at the hotel, my sisters and I gabbed about very important stuff-like the Royal family and Renee Zellweger’s bizarre Oscar acceptance speech. Whatever the topic of conversation was, we were up gabbing until well after one in the morning.

Nuthin’ like a good night of talkin’ trash and gossip with your sisters! Oh those Royals!

And with that, the lights went out, we fell asleep and for one fleeting moment, I felt as though I entered a time tunnel and was back in the home we grew up in.

Sweet dreams. Stay tuned for Part Two!

See you for Part Two!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Lifestyle, Travel, travel wardrobe | 14 Comments

I Did a Thing. I Purchased from Poshmark!

Posted on February 16, 2020 by Catherine

If you are familiar with this blog, then you know I love a great sale. I love shopping at a discounted rate and rarely do I pay full-price for my clothing.

Yes. I love shopping as long as I can get a great deal!!!

And although I’m not big on consignment shopping and thrift shop shopping, I’ll tell you why. Since I’ve been in the Philadelphia area, I have not found a thrift shop that has measured up the The Red, White and Blue Store in Hamilton/Trenton, NJ. The RWB Store is the Salvation Army thrift store that is, hands down, the greatest thrift shop ever. Nothing can compare.

Hands down, the best thrift store ever. Oh how I miss this place!!

There is a Goodwill store in Phoenixville that’s not bad. I picked up a couple of items for the house and hit paydirt with a pair of J. Crew, Made-In-Italy, suede, pointy-toed flats that I have worn hundreds of times—and I paid $7.95 for them. But truth be told, I just don’t have the patience anymore to rummage through the store.

I truly love these thrifted shoes but they need to be repaired!

I’ve perused a couple of consignment stores in Wayne, PA and throughout the Main Line but the prices charged are ridiculous. I’m better off waiting for an online sale for the brands I love.

Over the past year or so, I’ve been eyeing a pair of Lilly Pulitzer Kristen wedge sandals. They really are nice but at $198, are just way overpriced. Luck was not with me during the Lilly Pulitzer After-Party sale and these shoes slipped by.

The Kristen Wedge. And I love her.

But I really love them. I’ve looked online for a good dupe of these sandals with no luck. Anywhere.

Suffice it to say, whilst perusing, I came across Poshmark. This is a site where people sell their used goods and unused goods. Brand names abound, I decided to check out the site. And ended up making three purchases.

The Poshmark Logo. I took a chance and signed up.

The purchases were a pair of pink floral pants by Gretchen Scott. I’ve become quite the fan of this brand and for the price of $20, and waived shipping, I couldn’t resist. The size, Medium, with three-percent stretch was right up my alley and my size.

The description was transparent and the price was right. And so, it was sold. To me.

In addition, I ordered not one but two pairs of Lilly Pulitzer sandals. As I write this, I am awaiting delivery of the elusive golden beauty of a wedge, Kristen. The shoe was advertised as never-been-worn and I’m assuming that it was purchased on sale for a quick turnaround.

I’m eagerly anticipating the arrival!

The other item is the Abbey Wedge Sandal also by Lilly Pulitzer. Also advertised as never-been worn. And in the box!

This was just one of the many photos the seller posted. She was very detail-oriented!

So how did my initial purchased from Poshmark turn out? I’ll tell you in a minute.

There was a bit of “Oh shit, what did I do”-ness after reading Poshmark reviews.

Yes. After I made the purchased, I read reviews and I will tell you that most were not favorable.

But the good thing for the buyer is you don’t have to accept the delivered purchase. After receiving and inspecting, if the item ordered isn’t as advertised or is in dire condition, you can return the item and not be charged. So, I breathed a sigh of relief after reading that.

Notice was received that two of the items purchased were delivered yesterday. Earlier today, Bonaparte went to our mailbox and picked up the items for me.

It was eager anticipation on my and Chippy’s behalf and here’s how it rolled!

The pants arrived in cute packaging, a package with kitties which drove Chippy crazy.

Upon inspection, they were as advertised. They were worn quite a bit but I liked that because the pants were soft and comfy and stretched out to perfection.

Apparently Chippy liked the pants too!

They are lightweight and the ankle-length is one I love. The shade of pink is a good one. Not pastel and not neon. It falls in between with bright green leaves. Off the bat, these will be worn by me quite a bit.

The pants come just above my ankles and I love the length

I’ll wash them today because I want them to smell like my detergent. Yeah. I’m funny that way.

They are lightweight, comfortable and look great!

I’m very pleased with the purchase. Will I be purchasing from this person again? Most likely if she has any other items that I might like.

I would definitely purchase from this seller again!

The Lilly Pulitzer Abbey Wedges. Arrived in a USPS box and in a Lilly Pulitzer shoe box. This is good for storage in my closet. Upon inspection I did see that these truly were never worn. The sandals are in beautiful shape.

Priority packaging..

Chippy-inspected!

In the box..

In excellent condition!

And they fit my narrow, high-instep feet perfectly.

Just imagine how great they will look after I get my spray tan!

I must say I really do love the way these look

The ankle strap has a good number of holes and I don’t need to take them to the shoe repair to have more added.

I also like that the ankle strap isn’t too thick.

These will be worn a lot during the summer months!

These will be a go-to summer sandal!

Will I repurchase from this seller? Most likely. The price was great and the shoes are just as advertised.

Very, very pleased!

What I have noticed from doing some sleuthing on brands I like is that you have to be very cautious. If a seller is using only stock photos, I would pass. I want to see a photograph of the product in real life. Transparency is key.

In addition, shoe sizing is very important. I noticed quite a bit of Repetto and Roger Vivier shoes for sale with the “American” sizing. These are tricky to purchase if you do not know your European size!

For example, my shoe size is an 8 ½. Translated to the Heyraud and Repetto brands, as well as Rondini sandals that I purchase in France, my exact shoe size is 39 ½. With some of the Repetto shoes I take a 40. It depends on the style.

I love the look of Roger Vivier shoes but I’m not familiar with sizing and would be hesitant to make a purchase on Poshmark until I’ve tried the shoes on when I’m overseas. Only then can I make an assessment of the true size.

The Roger Vivier Gommete suede ballet flat. It retails for $625. I cannot afford to spend that on a pair of shoes.

Out of curiosity because I did see a pair of Vivier flats that I was interested in, I asked the seller what the European size was. She replied that the size is a 38. The shoes would be too small but they were a great price and the fact the seller replied was good on her part as a seller. She even recommended another Poshmark seller that also had great shoes for sale!

My instinct was to ask the European sizing because it’s crucial to know your sizing.

I added my question in the comment section under the photo. Poshmark doesn’t allow for PM’s as inquiries. When the seller replied, she said the shoes were a size 38. Too small for me but this was a great price!

Given the retail price of Vivier shoes, from a reputable Poshmark seller, it would be a good way to acquire a brand that may be out of financial reach otherwise.

However, for now, I’m putting a rest on shopping. I wanted to try Poshmark out to see if it was worth trying.

Was it?

Overall, my first experience with Poshmark was a positive one!!

Yeah. I do believe Poshmark is fine. But you need to be cautious and look for real photographs!

Do you Poshmark? Do you thrift? What’s your views on purchasing used clothing?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Buying used clothing, poshmark | 18 Comments

Oscars 2020. Let’s Have Fun With The Stars! And Fall Asleep!

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Catherine

Okay, so I realize this post is four days post-Oscar, but the company of which I am employed staged a makeover this past summer. As such, the fluorescent lighting is stronger than ever. To add injury to my already horrific eyesight, there are no diffusers on the light fixtures.

Guess who was affected by this? Yes. T’was I. It took a couple of hours to get the display to the right setting and overall, I’m flummoxed as to why a large corporation would not have diffusers on the lighting.

I would love to put those lights where the sun don’t shine!

Go figure.

That being said, I’m still trying to figure out just why I wasted three hours of my life in utter ennui all because I wanted to see the pretty dresses.

And trust me, the pickings were slim.

I started Oscar Sunday by dressing very Oscarly. In my golden brocade slacks. I wanted to be in touch emotionally with the stars. I’m just as self-centered as any one of them so it was only appropriate.

Hello Dahlings! It’s all about moi! Do you like my Oscar outfit? I was inspired by the golden statue..

Ouch! Getting up from these poses becomes increasingly difficult with age. Perhaps that’s why wearing a gown is so much better!

As the late afternoon approached, I watched some of the Red-Carpet specials. WTF? None of these idiots holding a mike can compare to Joan Rivers. They ask the dopiest questions and can’t even bring themselves to vocalize a back-handed compliment. They gush and giggle and act as though they came face to face with Jesus.

I miss her so very much. I can’t even watch the red carpet shows anymore!

It is sickening.

However, before I do a critique of the best-dressed of the evening, which won’t take long because there were no big standouts, I do want to address a few things that made the awards so eye-roll worthy,

The opening number. Perhaps I’m a bit cranky but that opening number with Janelle Monáe would have been more dramatic if it was just her, lighting, and a stage. That’s it. Running down into the audience to showcase the lack of rhythm the white acting community exhibited was painful on my eyes. Keep the talent on stage. She’s got a great voice but it was cracking a bit when she began –and that was quite charming and proof of how a live performance can roll!

Forget the big production for the opening. Gimme just Janelle alone on a stage and dramatic lighting. It’s all we need!

Our non-hosts. Steve Martin and Chris Rock. Individually, I love each of these guys. Especially Rock. Together, they aren’t bad either. But the humor—or rather the attempt at humor was a fail. Look, I have the filthiest, dirtiest gutter mouth on earth. But there was something about them saying the word “vagina” that completely turned me off. That was a low attempt and was better left unsaid. If it were a woman and mentioning “lady parts”—that’s funny. But two men spouting the word “vagina”. No. Just. No.

These two guys paved the way for a very boring evening.

And rather than having one host, we had to go through a very uneven evening of presenters doing schtick.

Please don’t ever let me see Maya Rudolf and Kristen Wiig in those dresses again. Maya Rudolph needs to fire her makeup person. And her hair person. And her stylist. That dress that Wiig wore did nothing for her. It was not flattering for her. There are but two women in the acting community who could have looked spectacular in that dress. Tilda Hinton and Cate Blanchett. They wear clothing and they wear extraordinary fashion very well. That dress? It wore Wiig.

Their rap was cute. And nothing else was remotely cute.–or stylish.

The only thing good about the women’s presentation was the rap they did and that’s not saying much!

Even the greatness of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell couldn’t make a memorable moment. Both looked as though they wanted to get off the stage.

I can tell you that she was thinking “Get me the hell off this stage”. He was thinking “What am I doing here”. Whoever wrote their schtick needs to be fired.

And I’m not even going to mention the Cats.

I can’t even. But Rebel Wilson’s shoes are fabulous!

And speaking of raps…my personal favorite moment of Oscar entertainment was Mr. Marshall Mathers, aka, Eminem, aka, Slim Shady—I’ve been a fan for years, and his performance was the shining star. Who cares that “Lose Yourself ” won the Oscar for Best Song in 2003 (was it that long ago?); all I know is that random musical moment was the highlight of this otherwise boring Oscar presentation.

Highlight of the Oscars! And might I add that Mr. Mathers was also one of the best-dressed men. I love his new look! Very mature!

What the Oscar powers-that-be need to do is to take a look at the archives of Bob Hope and his hosting days. He poked fun in the most delightful way. My choice would be Ricky Gervais to be a permanent host but he hurts the feelings of the self-absorbed. Thusly, I suggest using the Bob Hope tactic.

Can we please find another host like Bob Hope! Let’s find someone who can make fun of themselves as they can of others!

Another thing that really pissed me off was the fact that Parasite won both Best International Film and Best Picture. There’s so much that I need to say. In the first place, what was wrong with the word “foreign”. Is that word now politically incorrect? I need to know this because I’m wondering if I should now refer to my foreign travels as international travels. The word foreign has only two syllables whereas international is composed of five. When time is of the essence—i.e. the three plus Oscar ceremony, perhaps it is wise to use a two-syllable word.

Geez. They can’t even make up their mind about the category. Is it Foreign Language Film or International? Either way, I want to see this movie but I thing films should stay within the confines of one “best” category!

Just sayin’

But here’s the thing I would like to address to The Academy. Pick one fucking category for the films. Either it’s a foreign/international film category or best picture category. It’s called fairness.

Having seen Once Upon a Time….and 1917, both were stellar. My pick would have gone to 1917. It was a visual masterpiece. The camera work was incredible and the movie held a very special place for the millions of us who had grandfathers and great grandfathers and other relatives who fought in The Great War. It was a reminder of our history and how awful war is.

Truth be told. I am pissed that Tarantino did NOT win for best original screenplay. This was a GREAT Story!

But I’m really upset that 1917 didn’t win–or that Sam Mendes didn’t win for best director!

I have absolutely nothing against Bong Joon-ho. Seriously, how could you not love a guy who’s named after a bong? And he had one of the best lines of the evening “I’m ready to drink tonight till next morning”. Now that’s a fun guy.

This guy though. I wanna party with him!!

And that’s why they have categories. Pick a damn category and stick with it.

And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for.

Best dressed.

Hands down, the best dressed of the evening was Laura Dern. She also had the best speech. Her mom. Her dad. Now her. All Oscar winners. That was just really moving.

The dress, an Armani number was gorgeous. And it won her a worst-dressed award of the evening. Don’t ask me how because the cut of the dress was fantastic. A true princess gowns. And the black and pink looked stunning.

Why Laura Dern would be called worst-dressed is beyone my comprehension. I adored how sweet and charming she looked. It was a Sleeping Beauty dress–and she took her mom with her. Two Oscar winners!!

Coming in second for me was Julia Louis-Dreyfus. That blue gown was such a classic and timeless thing of beauty. The fit was fabulous and she looked like a true glamorous star!

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock (10552447tp)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus arrives at the Oscars, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles
92nd Academy Awards – Arrivals, Los Angeles, USA – 09 Feb 2020

She was the epitome of glamour and class. What a classic look!

Charlese Theron’s black gown was sexy as all get out. She’s got the shape for it and she’s got the legs! My only criticism was her hair. Whether she is wearing short hair for a film or whether it is her choice, it was “meh”. In this day and age of wigs and hair extensions, I do believe that entire look of hers would have benefited from a bit of fake hair—she needed volume.

If Theron wore some voluminous hair, her look would have put her over-the-top in best-dressed. the hair fell short. Too short, in fact!

Another favorite was Scarlett Johansson. Now there is a woman who knows what works with her body and what a body! I’ve never seen her look less than stellar during awards season. The gown she wore was no exception. She nails it all the time!

When you know your body. And you know what looks are best, you always win. And Miss Scarlett always nails it!

Keanu Reeves and his mom were the best-dressed couple. His mom rocked that pant ensemble!!

Can you believe Keanu’s mom is 76? What an inspiration to all pro-aging women everywhere. She looks fantastic!!!

Now, the last of my favorites also made the worst dressed on a few lists but I loved it. And there’s a reason why. The long waist. It was different. It was beautiful. I would wear that.

Kelly Marie Tran. Ahhh what a long waist does to me. This gives the illusion of height as well. She’s only 5 feet 2 inches but the long waist makes her look taller. I want this dress!

In all honesty, nothing else really rocked my boat. A lot of people raved about Salma Hayek’s look but it was too matronly and bridal for my taste. The woman is married to the wealthiest guy in France and that’s the best she could do?

Meh. I think she looked slightly matronly. Not her best look!

And Margot Robbie. WTF is with the detached sleeves? A perfect example of horrible styling. She’s so gorgeous. She would have rocked a gown with a Sixties vibe.

She one of the most beautiful women on earth and this look was a complete fail. Stringy hair. The dress? The defined waist is too high and looks cheap. The sleeves? Pleeze?

Mindy Kaling. The dress wasn’t bad. It was the color that was awful. Yellow, especially mustard yellow is not her color. Had this been a bright emerald green, it would have been spectacular!

The color is wrong. So is the makeup–the lips are way too dark. She would look so much better with a bright pink lip, brighter eye makeup and a bright green dress!

Sandra Oh was Sandra Oh No!

The color washes her out. The sleeves are too much. It’s just too much dress for her!!

I can’t even with Maya Rudolph. One of the worst looks of the evening.

If Maya Rudolph has a stylist, she or he needs to get kicked to the curb. If she does not have a stylist, I am applying for the job. Her hair is wrong. A side part with waves would soften the look. The makeup is too severe and that thing she’s wearing. There is a very womanly body under that sack. Make like Scarlett Johansson and show us those curves!

But the all-time, worst dressed of the evening, quite possible of all Oscar history was Billie Eilish. And she actually was thought of as best dressed –Read this!__Girlfriend.com

Sporting a two-piece Chanel number that looked like a cross between a garage mechanic uniform and ill-fitting pajamas, all I could think of was “What would Mr. Karl think?” I was a huge fan of Karl Lagerfeld and just refuse to believe he would approve of that look.

Whatever happened to proper-hemmed pants? The filth that will accumulate and ruin the pants? And the shoes? I’m getting the vapors!

I realize Ms. Eilish is young—18 years young. However, this outfit was just trashy.

THIS? Is Oscar-worthy attire? OMG. Mr. Karl is rolling over in his grave right now.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with making a statement with clothing—but at least have something to say. Remember Lady Gaga’s meat ensemble? At least it was somewhat form-fitting and did have the nuance, albeit miniscule, of style.

At least Gaga’s meat ensemble resembled a dress.

There was nothing stylish about that Chanel number. It was baggy, ill-fitting and totally inappropriate for a glamorous occasion.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 09: Billie Eilish attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 09, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Tacky. Tacky and people think fast fashion is wrong? This is NO fashion!

Her makeup looked great though–and her low updo looked very pretty in a very edgy way–a nice look for a young woman.

US singer-songwriter Billie Eilish arrives for the 92nd Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 9, 2020. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

The hairdo wasn’t bad. Although I think had she gone with a more pinkish or light violet hue to her hair it would have been more flattering!

The nails looked ridiculous. How the hell was she able to wipe her ass or her lady parts when she went to the bathroom? Ugh. Unsanitary.

Those nails. I seriously hope she went poo-poo before she had those talons put on. And I hope to heaven she didn’t have her period!

Those nails are so gross!

Oh wait. I think she realizes how unsanitary those nails are. Hope she wore a Depends!

You know, there was a time when I couldn’t wait for award season. Grammy’s, Tony’s, Emmy’s, Golden Globes, Oscars, whatever else. But these days, I can’t be bothered anymore. Since Joan Rivers passed, the red carpet is a bore.

And the awards get worse and worse with the hosting. We need some bite. Some snark. People need to start laughing at themselves and these days Hollywood is taking themselves too seriously. The fun and the thrill are gone!

Perhaps I could host the Oscars! Oh I’m so surprised that I would even consider the thought!

Your feelings? Do you agree? Disagree? Did you even watch the Oscars? Curious minds want to know!!

Posted in Oscar Awards | Tagged Oscars 2020 | 13 Comments

More Mature-Skin-Friendly, Pro-Aging Makeup For Youse!!

Posted on February 8, 2020 by Catherine

It may sound crazy, but it’s true. There is a brand that’s geared toward Millennials and other young, nubile things. And in reality, the products are so mature-skin friendly.

In fact, in the past I’ve written about a few products in a previous post—and one of the products I’ve grown to like upon revisiting.

The brand? Glossier.

Some of the Glossier products I’m using these days and fanning over!

Why is it mature-skin friendly? Hold on. I’ll explain. In a bit. I want to touch upon a few things first.

Remember when you were young? I’m talking really young. Like…. fourteen to around eight or nineteen years old. Was your skin oily or that crazy combination of dry in spots with that oily T-Zone?

Was Clearasil your best friend? Yeah. It was mine.

The most pathetic thing is that I used Clearasil as foundation. That’s how little I knew about cosmetics!

I had very bizarre acne. On the right size of my chin and on the ends of my forehead. My skin was like an oil slick in those areas but normal in others. I still have scarring from when my father had a bright idea and made me put Ting an ointment on my pimples. Unbeknownst to me, Ting was an anti-fungal cream for athlete’s foot and jock itch. JOCK ITCH. I still have nightmares about using it.

And it is NOT a cure for acne! Let’s make that clear!

And to this day it behooves me as to how my mother didn’t stop my dad because it led to a doctor’s visit as the shit literally burned my skin. In fact, I searched the net and found out that Ting is used for ringworm in the groin and scalp area. There was no mention of acne.

In hindsight, I would have been better off doing this.

Okay, so let us fast-forward to our twenties and thirties. I would say that’s the time when our skin most likely looked our best. We grew out of the gawky zit years and for once, our skin looked so great that many of us didn’t even bother with foundation. I

And then came the forties…. that’s when our skin started to change. Peri-menopause. And for some, early menopause began to dry our skin out. And into our fifties the dryness continued. Our skin started showing the effects of sun damage. We got lines.

In reality, the GOOD thing about menopausal sweat was the dewy glow it gives off!

Basically, we aged. Now, I don’t know about you, but it wasn’t until I was in my early fifties that I got very seriously addicted to cosmetics. When younger, I had lush eyebrows and lashes. My skin had a rosy glow and the tone was even. My lips looked good. And my skin was taut.

These days, my skin tone is uneven. I got the lines. My bee-stung lips morphed into fish lips. The old visage is creased, lined, wrinkled and dry!!

I may be old but I’m NOT wearing old lady makeup. And neither are you!!

And that’s where this brand comes in.

Now, if you have Facebook or follow the fun on Instagram, I’m sure you’ve seen the many ads featuring young women with the most incredible skin. Seriously, I have to give it to these young women and men because they are more in tune with the cosmetics than we ever were. We took the “natural” look seriously. They take the look cosmetically natural.

Anyway, I was intrigued with a some of the products and ordered. You can see in my previous post what I wrote. I love the Boy Brow, the Stretch Concealer but the Cloud Paint proved just alright at the time.

Wearing some Glossier products I purchased some time ago!

But in more recent ads, I was intrigued by the Glossier Skin tint and the Futuredew. And given the fact, I was running very low on my Stretch Concealer, I decided to place another order.

I couldn’t have been happier. So, come along with me as I get ready! Okay?

Here I am with a face void of cosmetics. I went through my skin-prep ritual of moisturizer, oil and primer and am now ready to begin the process of “putting my face on”. (Does anyone even say that anymore?

Bare-faced. Check oout the uneven tone of my skin. Ugh. I just woke up so my eyes are puffy, you can see a blemish on my chin. Basically, I look like shit. But I need and want to be transparent. So let’s get ready!

Anyway, today I’m going for a very natural and “no makeup” look. It’s the weekend and I want to take a break from the number of cosmetics I use for work. No highlighter today. No eyeliner. No contour or bronzer. Just a natural finish.

And so, I start by applying Glossier’s Futuredew. Futuredew is a serum/oil hybrid that adds a really nice glow under makeup. Let me begin by saying this is true. It certainly adds a very nice glow. And for the mature skin, a dewy glow is what we could use. As we pro-age our skin can appear dull and brightening it with a bit of glow is always a good thing. This also smells so great when applied, a bit like tea and a bit green, the scent dissipates within moments. It is a lotion with a flesh-tone that just melts into the skin!

Here’s the link to the product with the ingredients: Futuredew link.

Futuredew comes in a sterile bottle..

….with a pump top. Oh how I love the pump top. Just enough product comes out..

..it pumps out flesh-toned..

…and once blended into the skin, gives off a beautiful glow!

You can see, despite the lighting, that there is a glow on my cheeks with the Futuredew

You can see the luminous glow better in this pic. I have my eyeglasses on so I can see the glow better too!

Glossier Skin Tint. Not a foundation nor a CC or BB cream, it truly is a skin tint. The shade I have is G10. It’s pretty light and I could have gone darker, but to tell you the truth, this blends in so well that you do have a frame within two to three shades that could still work with your skin tone. It’s a liquid that, like Mac Face and Body foundation, is best applied with the fingers. It’s so lightweight that a blending sponge and a brush would prove too absorbent for the product.

Next is the Glossier Skin tint. In a squeezable bottle, I’m a fan of the pragmatic packaging. Nothing fancy. Just straightfoward..

The shade I have is G-10. It’s a great match for my winter skin.

The little nozzle at the end allows for the perfect drop of skin tint to be released. I usually do four drops for my entire face!

This lit-uh-rull-lee blends into a second skin. It’s hard to describe but it doesn’t cover—it evens out the skin tone. And yeah, if you have a bit of redness, it’ll tone that redness down. This skin tint just makes your face look nice. Very nice. Nice and natural. If’n you don’t like foundation; this is a great product for you.

We’re coming along fine now. Got the Skin Tint and Futuredew on and you can see that the skin is starting to look better..and dewier. And nice!

Stretch Concealer. Not just any concealer, Glossier’s Stretch Concealer is ridiculously rich in hydration and incredibly creamy. It’s very friendly, even to the driest of skin. I apply this with the Real Techniques 01413 brush, stippling it on, then blending with a damp, almost dry blending sponge. The shade I have is G11 and I am so glad that I placed that second order because I’m going to hit pan very soon.

One of the best concealers out there for the mature demographic. Note the creamy testure of this. You can actually use this as a substitute for foundation!

This also brightens up the under-eye area and stays put on the mature skin. In reading reviews, there are a good number of younger women who feel it is a bit too creamy for their oily skin. However, our pro-aging skin welcomes the creamy texture of this concealer.

Cloud Paint in Buff. When I first used this, I wasn’t all that fond of the peachy shade. But with a revisit and blending very well, it gives off more of a natural flush. What I did discover is that the color works better for me as a lip color. And with a bit of gloss over it, I’m very happy with the outcome.

Glossier Cloud Paint–I’ll admit that I wasn’t crazy about the shade Puff at first but now I like it if well-blended for a flush and I especially like it on the lips!

Puff is a peachy-pink-coral that is growing on me. I do love the smoothness of this creamy gel though!

What bothers me about this is the packaging. Too much product comes out when you squeeze so you have to be extremely gentle. I’m one of those heavy-handed people so I have to really try my best.

Blending the Cloud Paint in with a Real Techniques 01413 brush. I have about six of these brushes!

The same with the Birthday Balm dot.com. I purchased the shade Birthday, a clear balm with a hint of shimmer. Liken it, if you will, to Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream, it gives a balmy sheen to the lips but can also be used on the face as a blur product or to add a nice bit of light to areas of the face that you don’t feel like highlighting.

This is good but check out the tube. It wasn’t filled to the brim. There’s a lot of empty space. Product is great. Packaging not so.

To set the makeup under my eyes–i.e. the mascara, I used my Subtl Beauty powder. I’ll tell you I’ve never been big on powder but to keep the mascara on the bottom lashes from smearing, I’ve been powdering. This little nugget o’powder is from one of my Subtl Beauty stacks and I love it!

This little nugget of powder does the job for keeping eye makeup from smearing to my cheeks!

The finished face! I used Thrive mascara. I purchased this about a year ago and don’t often use it because I’m such a fan of L’Oréal’s Voluminous Mascara. The Thrive mascara is a good one but I tend to stick to inexpensive mascara.

Hold on! I need to get my wig and clothes on!

The finished Glossier face! The lines and wrinkles are there but the Skin Tint doesn’t cake up or collect into the crevaces of the face. The Cloud Paint looks great as lip color too. Oh. And the hair? Brooklyn by Estetica Designs!

Another look in my kitchen light! Isn’t it a great and natural look?

A surprise!

Check. It. Out! Subtl Beauty used yours truly in a Facebook ad. I’m thrilled. And I’m thrilled because this is a brand that’s generally marketed toward a younger demographic. It makes me so darned happy that the brand is using the term “Pro-aging”. And Subtl Beauty deserves love and kudos for that. In addition, having my pro-aging face makes me happy because our age demographic is getting recognition. I’m very brand-loyal and the fact our demographic is recognized means loyalty from me.

PRO-AGING!!! Subtl Beauty not only used ME, but used the phrase Pro-Aging. I’m so happy and proud of the brand! Subtl Beauty deserves our love!

So that’s it ladies and gents. If you have any great pro-aging makeup brands you love or any products you love, by all means, please share in the comments below. This is how we discover and find out what works for us!!!

And here’s to Glossier for being a Mature Skin Friendly brand!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Glossier, Makeup for Mature Women, Mature Skin Beauty, Pro-aging beauty, Subtl Beauty | 24 Comments

Come Sale Away With Me!

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Catherine

I’ve been sale-ing since the end of November. That’s when they winter sales kick in. On Black Friday, to be exact.

The past few years, we’ve been in Paris for Thanksgiving weekend and 2018 was the first year I noticed that Black Friday left the confines of the USA and took over in other countries. France being one of them.

But lets’ get back to the actual sales and what I’ve purchased and why I purchased.

The Black Friday Sales: This past Black Friday had me perusing Galeries Lafayette for a camel coat. This was on my list since I couldn’t find a decent one here in the States. Either I was completely outpriced or what was available was overpriced garbage.

In my mind, I knew what I wanted. A coat that could be worn to the office every day during the winter. One that would pair well with pants as well as with dresses and skirts. I didn’t want a trendy style but rather a classic cut. And camel because I’m tired of black coats—dirt shows up more readily and with dog hair being part of my life, camel was the more practical choice.

This coat turned out to be the greatest buy. I’ve worn it practically every single day since it was purchased!!!

I found the coat after about a half hour of searching. The first coat I tried on, I loved but at a price tag of over $600, I wasn’t—or rather, the husband wasn’t quite ready. He suggested I look around a bit more. Which I did. And just as I was about to give up, I saw her hanging on a rack.

This camel coat goes with everything I have..

It even goes with my wigs!!!!

A straight cut that falls to the knees, it was just what I was looking for. And at a price of $250 euros, less ten percent discount, she was perfect!

Other than the coat, I hadn’t done any shopping until after the Holidays. As you know, the Holiday Season was a difficult time for my family due to my brother’s passing.

Fast forward to January. That’s when I saled. And to be perfectly honest with you the majority of the items purchased were for the coming summer.

Lilly Pulitzer hosts a great “After Party Sale” in January and if you are a fan of her bright colors and timeless dresses, taking advantage of this event is well-worth it.

Three of the four items purchased at the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale!

What I purchased were four items. Three online and one in-store.

The in-store purchase was a pair of Darci Shorts in a stretch fabric. Why these shorts?

And the length is great. The shorts are shorter than Bermuda shorts but not as short as short-shorts!

Well. The stretch fabric stays close to the lets. If there’s one thing I cannot stand about shorts is the fabric’s uncanny ability to ride up the inside of the thighs. It looks sloppy and is annoying AF when you have to constantly tug the shorts down. And although I don’t wear shorts all that often, for a casual Saturday afternoon or hanging on our deck during the warm weather, the shorts are a welcome change from a dress.

White shirt. I love this long-sleeved stretchy shirt. Again, the price was right and one can never have enough white shorts. The fabric has give and, although unforgiving around the belly, it’ll look great with a skirt or high-waisted pants. I will have to wear a push up bra with this but it really doesn’t matter because the moment I arrive home from where I was the bra, this shirt will come off and be replaced by a loose tee!

I love this shirt! I’ll definitely need a push up bra to make the titties look more lively…and..

it brings back memories of one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes!!!

Shift Dress. Bonaparte doesn’t like this one. At all. But he’s not wearing it. I am. And during the warmer months, I live in dresses. Be they sun dresses, a simple frock or a fitted shift. I love one-stop dressing. This is the dress I can run errands in. Can go to the movies or a casual dinner. It’s comfortable and the length is actually more modest than the usual summer dress. I love the neckline and the front zipper.

This is the Larsen shift which I think is a great day dress

The arm holes aren’t cut so wide so as to show off your underwear…and not cut so small that they cut into your upper arm fat. They are the perfect cut!

: The neckline flattering!

: The length is perfect. Not too short. Not too long.

Overall, this is a great summer dress.

Maxi Dress. I did a video on the clothing I bought and as I stated in my video, this is the money dress! It’s the Lilly Pulitzer Wynne Maxi dress. At $64, this was a fantastic price.

This dress is the money! I wish the vibrancy of the print would show up better because this is just gorgeous!

: Everything about this dress

: is just wonderful!

I purchased a Wynne maxi last year to wear for Oona’s Bridal Brunch and paid $178—full price, which I rarely do. The one I bought last year was one of the most-worn dresses I wore during the late spring throughout the summer. The Boho vibe is spot on and the slits on the side give some air conditioning and extra comfort to the dress. And let me tell you I’m so happy I purchased this because it is now discontinued.

My Wynne maxi from last year. Did you know my maiden name is Wynne?

Yet, another great item that corporate fashion decides will hit the dust.

Are you familiar with Gretchen Scott Designs? The mail-order brand has become a favorite of mine. Especially when I can find sale items that haven’t been grabbed yet.

The Gripeless Cotton Spandex jeans are a mature-woman body’s best friend. I’m not kidding. I purchased a pair a few months back. I took a chance because no stores in my area sell the brand and there were no reviews to be found. This is a very elusive and secretive brand if you ask me!

These pants were purchased a while ago but I love the fun print! I wore these to work yesterday because I was too lazy to shave my legs.

Anyway, I really loved the pants I bought because of the fit. The waist is a higher cut and really hides a plethora of belly sins. And because of the higher waist, the allusion of longer legs is given. But the great thing about the pants are the whimsical prints.

Are these pants stinkin’ adorable or what????!!!

I purchased a pair on sale for $39 that reminded me of a cross between Marimekko and Pucci. Kind of 1960’s psychedelic. And very-much fun! I couldn’t resist. And I found good use for a bright pink Tippi Sweater that I haven’t worn too much!

Dear God. I’m such a class act. Check out the hanger and Chippy’s ball on the floor. I swear I didn’t even realize this was on the floor until I saw the pic. I was making a video. Real class! But–I’ll be wearing these pants a lot!!!

The shoes I bought. No work shoes this season. No boots either. I made do with what I have. But all was not for naught. Mine eyes hath seen the glory of a cute pair of pom-pom flats that Talbots was selling. I was watching these babies like a bird-dawg searching for a duck. There was no way that the full price of $130 was going to come from my pocket—and I’m not a Talbot’s fan. But these shoes…

I love these shoes so much….the memories they bring back to me..

And in January, the price came down. I got them for $53.00 –less than half price. These shoes bring back memories of the Pappagallo and Capezio flats I wore in high school and loved so much. As usual, they were wide, but inner soles took care of that issue.

$Image result for pappagallo shoes from the 1960's\"$

Come on ladies! I KNOW you remember these shoes!! Do you miss them as much as I do?

Another pair of flats I was dreaming about came from J. Crew and at $178, there was no way I would swing the purchase. In the first place, the shoes are covered in fabric. It’s not very practical. But—the shoes are plaid!! Plaid. Pointy-toed. Embellished with a bow. The perfect party shoe when you know you’ll be standing for hours and don’t want to bear the brunt of heels.

Plaid shoes. With bows. They are adorable but worth $178? No.

How these shoes were marked down to $34.99, I’ll never know—or better yet, if I got them for $34.99 were they ever worth $178???

They are worth the $34.99 purchase price though!

On a J. Crew-ish roll, a pair of Gold flats were purchased at J. Crew Factory for a grand total of $11.97. They’re cute. They’re comfortable and will be worn for those casual times.

These have the pricey Chloe vibe but for $11.97 the price is better than Walmart!

Lastly, a dress for the remaining days of winter. Purchased at J. Crew Factory for $15.97. A cotton-flannel, funnel-neck shift. I love this dress because it feels like a nighty. I kid you not. It’s a great work dress and off the bat, I can tell you this will have a heavy rotation between now and spring.

I wore this dress today. And I can guarantee this’ll be carrying me into the late spring! Who can beat the $15.97 price?

January is a great time to make purchases on end-of-season items. But chose wisely. Stick to more classic cuts that you know will be around for a while. Trendy clothing isn’t necessarily a pragmatic choice because you never know what’ll be “it” next year.

Now that I’ve made the purchases, I’ll add a link below to my little video of how some of the clothing looks in real life!

Happy sale-ing!!!!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Fashion for mature women, january sales, Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale 2020, What I'm Wearing | 17 Comments

The Fuckeduptedness of Being “Old”

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Catherine

There! I said it and in doing so made up a new word. “Fuckeduptedness”. There’s no need to explain the word either.

It’s a time of reflection for me because in less than three months I’ll reach my 65^th birthday. It’s a weird age, it is—because it signifies the true entryway to Senior Citizenship. When you are between the ages of 60 through 64, it still sounds a bit young. 65 is that magic age. Smack between the early sixties and…seventy!

I may be getting older but I know how to rock!

And other than the usual neurotic thinking such as in 65 years from now I won’t be around—which kills me because I want to be; and the fact I am a failure in my career because I was never able to re-enter the workforce in the type of job I had in NYC, gives me a never-ending pity party. it really ain’t too bad!

…but not yet! I gotta squeeze a lotta life out first!

We—our generation is a more youthful bunch of old people. We are not our grandmothers or grandfathers either. We be cool! We are fun! We do what we want.

And They hate it!!

Who’s they? I’ll explain. They are the experts (In their own minds) who pontificate about how we are to dress. How to wear our hair. How we are to live. They make up the rules we have to follow.

And therein lies the fuckeduptedness of being old.

I’ll give some examples.

When you are old, or if someone younger feels you are old, oftentimes are spoken down to. It’s almost “old people baby talk”. For some reason people seem to think as you age you no longer hear nor can you comprehend even the simplest sentence such as “Have a pleasant day.” We may have aged but we have become smarter and wiser so stop speaking down to us. For God’s sake, I didn’t even speak that idiotic baby-talk to my children when they were babies! Just stop it!

Ugh. If any adult ever spoke to me in baby talk, he or she would have huge welt across their face!

People also have a tendency to speak LOUDER to you? Why is this? I’m the loudest person I know—please do not try to compete with my loudness or I’ll bust your eardrums! You takin’ to me? I hope not because you don’t sound to bright.

OMG!! There is NO reason to shout at me. I can hear you!!!!!!!!! Stop it!

The “anti-age” factor. This is bullshit. I want to bitch slap the marketing idiot who created that term because he or she needs to be thrown into a jail cell. Age needed to be celebrated! Many don’t make it to their fifties or older. My brother was one so don’t even get me started!

Airbrushed, photoshopped and anti-aged. Ageing is a horrific experience to be ashamed of–isn’t it?

The second you leave mommy’s love canal; you begin to age. Does anti-age mean that we should all stay a few hours old? Because that’s basically what it means? Why not pro-age? We’re happy to have those birthdays. We’ve accomplished great things. Why anti-it? Which brings me to….

The Beauty Industry. This they despise us. This industry views us as cows out to pasture.

True dat! The Beauty Industry treats us lder ladies like cows put to pasture. And these are French cows that I hung out with a few years back while hanging out in the Burgundy countryside. We got along well–we related to each other!

They will use late-teen to twenty-something models in their “anti-aging” campaigns. And worse yet, will advertise foundations, concealers, primers “made” for us and use those same young models. There’s plenty of gorgeous mature women with lines, creases and wrinkles on their faces. How come they aren’t used?

Kendall Jenner featured in Estée Lauder’s 2015 campaigns.

Yes. This is twenty-something Kendall Jenner. Estee Lauder, a cosmetics company that the “Mature” customer could relate to, now has to look at younger models to figure out just how the hell any makeup will look on their older skin. This is the fuckeduptedness of old!

It drives me nuts too because this is an industry that thinks it’s so “forward” by using gay men wearing make up to prove how diverse they are. No. You aren’t diverse. And neither are ads with one obligatory young white girl, one obligatory black girl, one obligatory Asian girl, one obligatory Latina and one said gay guy diverse or inclusive. Show me the seventy-year old woman of all colors and show me that old gay guy and only then will you be truly diverse.

Where the fuck is the old lady–or old man–or the physically disabled person. No. You are NOT diverse until everyone is included. Go find a wrinkled person.

They, the Village Green Fashion Policing Society: How many times? How many magazine articles? How many internet postings do we have to be tortured with when it comes to what we should and shouldn’t wear. I can’t even with this one.

I will wear my skinny jeans, my mini skirts and above-the-knee dresses. Hoop earrings will continuously remain dangling from my ear lobes. Over-the-knee boots will continue to be worn. And nobody will or should dictate how anyone should dress. Especially the older demographic.

I will continue to wear my leather pants with pointy-toed boots..

I will continue to wear my miniskirts with boots..

As an old, shriveled, wrinkled old prune of the pro-age, I’ll keep my ripped jeans thank you!

And I will wear those glittery heels.

And I’ll continue to wear my hair long. Even if it IS fake!

It saddens me to see that women my age, mid 60’s and in their 50’s and even older fall into that misconception that they need to dress like an unstylish, unattractive wallflower. Why? Why can’t a woman who is of the pro-age, boomer generation dress as wonderfully as she feels. Wait. Some women don’t feel wonderful. And it’s because many women have given up. And no wonder. Fashion magazines are splayed with clothing brands that only advertise young, nubile women in clothing that the older woman can wear and wear well. It is an absolute disgrace and one of the reasons I haven’t bought a fashion magazine in over a year. I’ve not renewed any fashion or beauty magazine and have no desire to pick one up. In fact, I’ve allowed my Allure subscription to expire because they never followed up on their promise to stop using the phrase “anti-age”.

The very last Vogue magazine I read was when Wintour placed Kim and Kanye West on the cover. If I want to read about celebrities, I’ll buy Star or People. Fashion magazines have become trash. Bring back the actual models and get rid of the celebrities. Better yet, showcase the magazine’s true demographic of the “over 40” woman!

The Corporate “They”. This is a touchy and personal one. Perhaps for you too, or someone you know. Life events happen. Some are great. Some aren’t. And somewhere along the line, many of us, regardless of the life situation, have to re-enter the workforce.

Sad but true. Due to corporate closures I’ve lost a couple of jobs and I’ve never recovered the earnings that I’m worth. Think about that one–that’s the story of almost every person over 50 who has reentered the workforce and it is shameful and sad!

Corporate America and Small Businesses do not want to hire anyone over a certain age. It’s bad enough to seek employment over 50 but to seek employment over the age of 60 is a near-impossible feat.

three people over age 50 are holding up signs that tell stories about ageism they faced in the workplace

It’s all true.

And it sucks. It sucks because our generation has such a stellar work ethic. We come from backgrounds where we were taught how important values are. Granted, many of us aren’t technically gifted the way younger people are, but we are quick learners. The amount of information and computer skills I’ve learned from each job I’ve had is invaluable. As a whole, we are open to new ideas. We are excellent workers. We don’t call out sick on a Monday due to excessive partying over the weekends. We won’t need a day or seven off when the kids are off from school or if they are ill. We are there 100 percent.

It’s incredible because corporations get tax breaks for hiring the disabled but they don’t get anything for hiring the mature demographic. Perhaps they should, then maybe more of us would have the jobs we deserve!

They think we aren’t cool. Oh yeah. Ever get the eye-roll, side eye or smirk from someone younger? I’m sure you have. Perhaps it’s happened when you listened to the current top 40 music. Or discussing a movie or book or …. basically anything. It’s because they think we aren’t cool.

Wise words. No generation will ever be as cool!

Let me tell you something about “cool”. We are of the coolest generation ever.

That boho look? We started it back in the late 1960’s. We had the Summer of Love. Our demographic got politically involved. The Youth Movement protested. We questioned. We wore clothing that our parents disapproved of.

My favorite Beatle, George Harrison and Patti Boyd, hanging around playing guitar and smoking at the same time. Now THAT’S a feat!

Why—I remember the most beautiful pair of Madras plaid hot pants I purchased with babysitting money. I wore them to go out and my parents made me go back upstairs to change. Those were the days alright. We wore miniskirts and tattered and patched jeans. We had “head shops” where those who did not use bongs and roach clips could buy peasant tops and patchouli or ylang ylang oil.

Show me a modern-day fashion designer as cool as Mary Quant. Her iconic Mod look changed everything. And we had her! And she’s still influencing how women dress!

We had the slick cool of Jimi Hendrix and the raspy cool of Janice Joplin. I do not think there is anyone currently in the music industry as cool or as talented as they were. I’m biased but it’s true.

NEW YORK – JUNE 1970: Blues singer Janis Joplin on the roof garden of the Chelsea Hotel in June 1970 in New York City, New York. (Photo by David Gahr/Getty Images)

The sad thing is that she never got the chance to pro-age..

….and neither did Jimi. That’s anti-aging. They never made it to pro-age.

We danced.

And dance we did!

We partied.

And partied hearty, I might add. Booge. Oogie. Oogie!

We enjoyed life. And we still do those things. It’s just that we do them at a more measured pace!

And at her age, she can light up whenever she wants!

And therein lies the fuckeduptedness of old. It’s not how we perceive ourselves it is how they perceive us. And as pro-agers rather than anti-agers, maybe it’s time to start a new movement!

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Others see me as the figure on the left. An old, grumpy, unstylish old woman who should be thrown to pasture. I see me as I am on the right. Stylish, pro-aging, and only grumpy when I’m in rush-hour traffic!

What say you? Do you feel the same way that I do? Do you find yourself being ignored or shoved aside due to aging? Do you think we aren’t respected the way we should be? I’m really curious to find out! Do you like my new word??????

Posted in Uncategorized | 64 Comments

Atypical 60

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