About Tuesday Last Night…And Some More Makeup—Is it Mature-Skin Friendly?

Posted on October 19, 2019 by Catherine

So, as life turns out, I was unable to make it to the WW Studio on Tuesday evening.

And NO—I’m not bailing out.  There’s a reason I didn’t go.

I may have missed the meeting, but I’m diligent with the tracking.

I took all the winter clothing out from storage and put the summer stuff into storage.

Two of four binsful of summer clothing.  And yes. I had to put some summer footwear away!

And it took a while to do.  The storage bins had to be lugged up the stairs.   Summer clothing had to be taken off hangers and out of drawers.

Then the winter stuff had to be separated for the dry cleaner and the remainder hung.

And when I took my sweaters out of the bins, they all needed to be steamed.

Steaming these sweaters was actually a Zen experience. Like Ironing. The wrinkles just smoothed out in no time!

Might I add that this $19.99 steamer I purchased at Walmart last year did an excellent job.  Not only does it steam my wigs but it steams my clothing too!  What a little multi-tasker!

Originally, this was purchased to steam my wigs–okay?  But..it’s great for the sweaters too!  What a bargain!

 

My beloved French Hen sweater from J. Crew–and quite a few years back, is looking brand spanking new!

But back to the weight loss journey.

This morning I weighed myself.  147/148.  I’m thrilled with that number.

I’m thrilled with this number. Let’s hope next Tuesday evening the number at least remains the same!

I’ve been very good in tracking everything I’ve been eating.

And with this comes a realization that I don’t want to sit around all day stuffing food in my mouth.  The choices I’m making are wiser.

Lower-point foods and just being more cautious in general is doing the trick.

One point for four to five of these little cilantro and chicken wontons by CJ Foods that I picked up at Costco are a far better choice than a slab of cheese or a cookie!

But for more news….

The Wig Company, an online wig shop and Hairdo hosted an event downtown NYC on Thursday evening and I was an invited guest!  I’ll be writing more about this on my next post!

It was such a Cinderella moment for me!  I’m still excited about it!

And in my attempt to try out different makeup that could prove to be mature skin friendly, I purchased three items from the company Glossier.  I’ve seen the brand’s ads all over social media and until I saw a couple of YouTube beauty reviews from women I follow, I decided to order!

Glossier Boy Brow.  This is definitely a great brow product.  My go-to-brow gel is Benefit’s Gimme Brow.  It’s a wonderful gel that keeps the brows in place but I have to tell you,  Glossier’s Boy Brow does a better job of making the individual brows stand up a bit more which is something I like.  A lot.    At $16 for 0.11 oz, it isn’t cheap.  Gimme Brow is $24.00 for .1 oz.  Gimme Brow’s travel size is $12 for 0.5 oz.  I suck at math but I think the best value for the dollar here is Gimme Brow’s travel size.  It’s just a feeling.  If you are a math wiz, please let us know!

Glossier boy brow.  This little gel packs a punch to get the brows looking great. But the price for the amount of product?

I was thinking that perhaps I would replace Gimme Brow with the boy brow but there is definitely a different price point.  Both are great brow products though!

Regardless of the price, I rate Glossier’s Boy Brow an A.  Same with Gimme Brow.  A’s all the way around.  The weight is what keeps it from being an A +.  You would think there would be a bit more product!

Boy brow almost became “Dog Brow”. You-know-who got a hold of this. Luckily I rescued it just in time!

Cloud Paint has been intriguing to me for a while.  And I bought it.  $18 for .33 oz. It comes in a little tube.  Tubes can be temperamental at times and this is no exception. You squeeze too hard and too much product comes out.  Too light a squeeze and nothing comes out.  Catch my drift here?

Glossier Cloud Paint cheek color comes in a tiny tube.  And if you have a heavy hand, more product than needed will ooze out.  I’m not a fan of the packaging.

The color I chose was “Puff”, a light pink.  The dot of product that comes out of the tube looks opaque but when you blend it in, it is sheer.  Sheer is good but I just wasn’t wowed by this blush.  It’s a gel/cream and I love a good cream blush but this didn’t do it for me. It’s ok. Not the best and not the worst.   I rate it a B.

It’s the Brylcreem of blushes. A little dab’ll do ya! 

Next is Glossier’s Stretch Concealer.  Ding. Ding. Ding. We have a winner!  $18 for .17 oz.  A little goes a long way with this stuff.  The shade I chose is G11. Light Neutral.  The thing is, it isn’t so much that I need to conceal, I just love this because of the dewy finish it gives off.  And I think that is an excellent thing for mature skin.  A tiny bit is all you need and it doesn’t cake up.  There’s no fragrance either.

Glossier Stretch Concealer.  This was the best of the lot. It’s a bit on the very dewy side and absolutely great for pro-aging skin that needs a bit of hydration!

I give this a solid A.

Overall, the Glossier products that I bought are decent.  They are, in fact, mature-skin friendly because there’s nothing drying about the products. I think I’ll be getting the most out of the Stretch Concealer but the brand won’t be a Holy Grail for me.

I’m wearing all three Glossier products here. As you can see, there’s just a hint of cheek color so if you like that–it’s a go for you!

More Jouer.  I ordered two more Jouer products that were on sale for $5 each.  The Mineral Powder in “perle d’Ivoire” a pearlized ivory powder.  I happen to like this because it’s incredibly lightweight.  A touch of a big fluffy brush is all it takes to set your makeup and it isn’t drying nor does it cake up.

Each of these compacts were $5.00 each on sale at Jouer’s website.  They snap together to make one palette.  This is such a great thing!

I also ordered another bronzer, this in Suntan. It is a more cool-toned shade than the Sunshine that I purchased but continue to use due to the warm glow it gives off. And I also ordered a powder which is so incredibly lightweight! Perfect for setting the bottom lid makeup!

From left to right:  “perle d’ivoire” a nice and slightly pearlized powder; “suntan” bronzer which is a more cool-toned bronzer and more of a matte finish; and on the right is “sunshine” a warmer bronzer with a slightly satin finish.

All three snap together to form one compact and I’m just loving this. It’s a portable tan for the face.  This brand is really doing it for me.  And yes. I rate my little threesome an A+. The price per compact was fantastic.  And…the shades can multitask as eyeshadow!  What’s not to love?

OTOH, the majority of the pants I unloaded for winter still fit.  The camel pants, that are on the way to the dry cleaners can’t be worn until I drop at least five pounds.  But some are a bit tight in the belly but for all intents and purposes—they fit!

My favorite plaid pants from J. Crew fit. I’m thrilled..

All of my brushed velvet pants from Old Navy fit as well!  I have these in burgundy, teal and black..

Chippy is welcoming the winter clothing–either that or he’s looking for more boy brow!

As I write this, I’m filled with memories of the past few days and I’m so happy on quite a few points that I’ll be sharing with you shortly!!!

I’ll be back!!!!!

Stay tuned….

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The Refined Slob Style. And I Created It!

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Catherine

With so many “styles” of dressing, I thought to touch base on one that I created just this weekend.  I call it “The Refined Slob” style of dressing.

Now hear me out on this one.  I’m not speaking of the pigs who travel in pajama bottoms and bare feet.  Lord knows, how and why the airlines allow this sort of slovenly mode of underdressing to be acceptable on flights.  I don’t care if it’s domestic or transatlantic.  I don’t want to see the bottom of your pjs, with skid marks passing me by as I sit in the air, nor do I want to see your fungus-laden feet anywhere near my person.

I don’t care if you are Snooky, or a fellow traveler or Britney Spears–if you are out in public dressed like this you are not a refined slob. You are a disgusting slob.  There IS a difference.

 

Shakira–honey, I’m usually barefoot as well.  But my feet are clean. Unfortunately, I am the airline passenger who is seated either next to or across from the traveler with unwashed and fungus laden feet.

And we are all aware of that next level of “office casual” style and how it’s been thrown down the toilet.  I, as well as many others, still dress up for work.

 

And even with Office Casual, I manage to dress appropriately!

No.  I’m talking about home style.  And I don’t mean homestyle cooking or home décor.  I’m opining on how I, and perhaps you dress within the confines of your dwelling.

Image result for atypical60 sunroom

This is not about my home decor!

 

Inasmuch as I love dressing when I exit my home, the second I arrive from where I’ve been, I transform into a slob.

It’s true.  The bra comes off as I close the front door. And as I run up the stairs, the hair comes off. And as I run of the second flight of stairs the wig cap comes off. And finally, as I enter into our bedroom, the drawers come off—which, I might add is far easier when I’m wearing a skirt or dress!

Look closely. It’s inside out!

And in the place of the clothing I stripped, on goes, as of the present, a dirty, loose and out-of-shape, old midi dress that I purchased some years ago at Gap.  Bonaparte, by accident, put it in the dryer and it shrunk in length.

Hair and undies come off and the slob attire is donned!

The dress is a navy frock with thin white stripes and short sleeves.  It is stained with everything from toothpaste to last week’s dinner.  There are makeup smears on it too.

And I usually wear it inside out because I’m too damned lazy to turn it to its rightful side.  That’s the way I am.

Spilled upon, stained, out-of-shape, shrunken in length and inside-out. My favorite “at home” frock!

On one hand, I’m fastidious about the way my tee-shirts are ironed and folded and on the other hand, my at-home mode of dress should be condemned!

I’ve had this “Fold Away” for over 20 years. It helps me to fold shirts perfectly….

….and look how perfectly folded they are–and yet, I’m a slob!

But that’s changed.  And I have now invented a new style of dressing:  The Refined Slob

Yes. It’s casual and super-comfy and inexpensive.  But yet, it isn’t the modern slob look of filthy pajama bottoms worn out in public.  There are no bodily fluids on display to thoroughly disgust spectators.

danny devito popcorn GIF

No spit that’s traveled across the room and unto my clothing!  I’m a refined slob!

It’s all good!

While at Walmart last week, I had an epiphany of sorts.  It happened when I spotted a pair of plaid leggings for the price of $4.44.  Yes. Under five bucks.  PLAID!!  Plaid leggings that I could not resist.

$4.44 at Walmart!  Can you believe it?

And hanging on display next to the plaid gorgeousness, a pair of leggings in an oversized black and white houndstooth print.  I was shook!

And these classy leggings were the same price!

I purchased both pairs for a grand total of $8.88 (Thank you, Walmart for pricing your products so well that those of us not gifted in math can figure out the price of multiples in our heads)

The Refined Slob can be barefoot at home–as long as she’s clean and looks lovely enough to cook messy foods in!

Now, I realize that many would look down upon me for giving into the fast fashion notion. However, this is not about fashion. Rather, this is about how I dress—or undress, in the comfort of my own home.

Seriously.  I dig my Refined Slob look!  I would even venture outside of my home in this getup!

This is for me when I’m cooking or cleaning or relaxing.  I’m certainly not going to wear my leopard Number Two Pencil Skirt from J. Crew whilst baking with flour, butter and sugar.

This is for the office. Not for home attire!

Nor am I going to put a good dress on to whip up a liquid sauce.  I spill.  A lot.

June Cleaver, Harriet Nelson and Donna Reed may have worn this to cook and clean but Cathe Lartigue does not!  This was my Birthday suit!

These are outfits I can mess up, wash and wear again around my home until they fall apart at the seams.

I made Weight Watcher–OOPS–I mean, WW 2-Ingredient bagels while dressed like this today!

These are outfits I can sit comfortably on the loveseat in my sunroom while reading a book.

And there ain’t nuthin’ wrong with buying the cheap goods to mess around your house in.

This Refined Slob look can also be brought up a notch to wear while out and about to run errands.

This Refined Slob is a headed out!

If you are like me, you might like to keep an outfit in the family of similar hues or color.  I don’t like too much color going on when I’m out.  I like my denim jeans paired with a navy blazer.  I usually wear olive green with camel.  I stick to what’s safe and what makes a leaner line.

This fabulous Scout Jacket from Old Navy. It was $15 on Friday. On Saturday it was $34.99 and no matter which price, it’s a great casual running-around jacket!

Anyway, I spotted a jacket in an Old Navy ad that I received.  Old Navy named this jacket the “Scout” Jacket. It’s a basic utility jacket and comes in an assortment of colors.  I was drawn to the Olive green one.  Simply because I have olive green pants and a pair of Camo jeans that I picked up at Old Navy last year.  I figured it would give both the camo and olive-green pants a bit more of a uniform color look when I am out and about.

This is a wonderfully pulled-together ensemble for the Refined Slob style!

And in this ad, the jacket was advertised for $15 during a one-day sale.  I high-tailed it to Old Navy and made the purchase.

I tried on the Medium and the Large and ended up going with the large.  Old Navy has inconsistent sizing and this jacket was true to the brand’s sizing.  The Medium had an overall more flattering fit but was tight in the arms. The large was a better choice—especially if wearing a heavier top underneath.

I sized up to a Large and am glad I did!

See what I mean about Refined Slob style?  You can still be a natural slob but can look refined at the same time!

This may very well be my new “uniform”!

To see these outfits in action, have a look at the fun YouTube video I did earlier today!!  What say you?  Do you have a bit of the Refind Slob inside you?

 

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It’s An Ahh-n”Ounce”ment on the Weight Loss Journey

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Catherine

My apologies for the pun—and it is intended.  I weighed in on Tuesday and lost a half a pound.  I’m not complaining either because the WW Freestyle Program is the most challenging I’ve been on.

And trust me, I’ve been on a few Weight Watchers programs.

But first let’s get to the good news.  WW keeps your past records and so, I was very surprised to learn I was receiving an award!  A Twenty-Five-pound weight loss award.

One small ounce for woman……

…is a giant step in motivation!

Let me backtrack for you.

My highest non-pregnancy weight was 180 pounds.  That was back in…oh…1998—when things were getting a little stressful in the marriage.  Luckily, I lost quite a few of those pounds on my own and got down to around 160.

This is me. I blew up like a Pufferfish to 180 pounds!

At 160, I joined Weight Watchers with one of my friends, I lost quite a bit of weight but bailed out early in the program.

I would say that my weight continued to teeter between 150 and 175 for quite some time during and after my divorce.  I like to stress-eat!

The REAL funny thing about this is that I HAVE done exactly this with the chocolate syrup. Stress eating does that!

And when I met Bonaparte, I was weighing in at around 176 pounds.  I am quite the fortunate woman because the Frenchman likes a well-rounded woman.  My guess is he was way too used to skinny Frenchwoman who smoked rather than eat.

Anyway, I really wanted to lose weight.  So, I rejoined Weight Watchers 1t 175 pounds.  And I lost twenty pounds to bring me down to the high goal of 155.  Are you following me?

That’s when I earned my Lifetime Status.  And I stopped going to meetings and I lost more weight on my own, but then I went through a company closure, was home and unemployed and food was my comfort.  My weight climbed to 165.  Still not my high weight but I wasn’t feeling good about myself.

I decided to join Weight Watchers online.  I went down to about 143.  Then my weight crept up again to about 167.  I joined Weight Watchers again.  I believe this was when I wrote about my first weight loss journey on the blog.

Suffice it to say my weight went back down to the low 140’s and that’s where I feel my best.  But I gained a few pounds and wanted to lose what was gained and so, I went back to Weight Watchers.  This was when the Weight Watchers Freestyle program was introduced.  I was also a few pounds above my low goal of 155.  Therefore, I had to pay each week until I reached my low goal of 155.  At this point, I had my Lifetime Membership card so it was all good.  Within a month I reached that point but I’ll tell you, I couldn’t stand the Freestyle program.

thanks I hate it

True dat. I HATED Freestyle.  It’s still a challenge but I’m beginning to understand it much better!

I loved points. I loved Smart Points. I love structure and rules and boundaries.  And it just seemed there were no rules or structure with the Freestyle.

So, I bailed after reaching my low goal and with some determination, I lost another ten pounds.

At 140 I felt great and looked very good.  And then with the wedding of my daughter, there was some stress eating until I gained a total of 15 pounds.  Now, these 15 pounds brought me to my low goal of 155 but I still felt like shit. Especially after realizing that 15 pounds was distributed mostly in my belly with some overflow to the thighs and my face.

Oh momma!  This is how I stress-ate before Oona’s wedding.  Like for seven months before her wedding!

That’s where I am today. Presently, I’m now 150 with ten pounds to go.

But since I always bailed on Weight Watchers, WW saved my information.

Bitmoji Image

…and bye Weight Watchers.  But HELLO WW!!

And that’s where the award came in.  Simply because the weight loss from the past three weeks equaled a five-pound loss, allowing me to receive an award for a 25-pound loss.

The Prodigal Daughter returned and was rewarded.  And you have no idea how great it felt and the motivation it gave me.  It wasn’t the half-pound loss I was focusing on. It was the fact that I lost 25 pounds in forever!

It’s funny because with a five-pound loss, my clothing is beginning to feel more comfortable.

The pants are fitting better in the gut!

These ten pounds I need to lose now will come off very slowly.  Like the tortoise rather than the hare.

I’ll be like the tortoise but depending on how many points the hare is, I may cook him!

I’m not starving myself.  Bonaparte takes his Saturday evening dinners very seriously and we eat the French way.  A lot of courses.  However, I’m passing on desserts!

This past Saturday I cooked Chicken with a Middle Eastern/Persian/Moroccan flair and it was delicious.  My portion was smaller and I made sure that I started out with a Fatoush—Greek salad.

Fatoush. It’s not a zero-point dish because of the oil, olives and feta but I don’t care. I ate a sensible portion!

The Roast Chicken Thighs I made for Saturday night are called Mussakhan

Rubbed with Sumac and oil and spices and a touch of preserved lemon and toasted pine nuts!  It was so good!

And I was very proud of myself today because it was “Snack Day” at the office.

Did I mention I’m on the committee who plans these events?

I opted for the apples. And let me tell you, I was so stinking proud of myself..

And it was crunchy.  And Sweet. And I ate it all at Zero Points!

And now that the Fall is in full-swing, I’m dressing for it.  There are a couple of items that are still a bit too tight but for the most part, the clothing still fits.

Here are some looks from this past week!

My winter dresses and skirts are still packed away so my transitional autumn pants are what I’m wearing.  The blazer is new–J. Crew had a sale and I treated myself to a black Regent blazer!

Dear Lord I feel like a J. Crew ad.  My elephant pants were the greatest sale item a couple of years back as was this cashmere sweater. The shoes are almost ten years old!

It looks black but the ensemble is navy!  And yes.  It’s all J. Crew–LOL!!  Do you like my hair?  It’s Finn by Estetica Designs!

And today I went with the Equestrian look!  Surprise!  The blazer is about ten years old and from………Banana Republic!

And for a final word, today my oldest son, Jake, is 36 years old.  My God, I’ve been thinking about it all day.  Yeah. Of course, I wished him a Happy Birthday—he lives in L.A. But I couldn’t help but make it about me in the sense that I was 28 when he was born and now….I’m not 28 anymore!  Time flies by so quickly. I swear I had him just yesterday!!

This guy changed my life and is the reason I became Mom!  The best thing that ever happened to me!

What are your thoughts on your grown kids birthdays?  Do you feel kind of like I do?

I also want to thank you all for being patient with me for not writing as much as I should.  My job has me spent by the end of the day, but I’m trying to write more and so..I thank you all so very much for not bailing on me the way I bailed on Weight Watchers in the past! I love you guys!

thank you

Thank you so much!  XOXOXOXO

 

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And Jouer We Go—More Makeup for the Mature Woman

Posted on October 5, 2019 by Catherine

This is a review of products that I’ve purchased on my own. I am not an affiliate nor do I receive PR.  I just think these products are wonderful and wanted to share them with you!

I’m just an average 64-year-old woman who wants to look nice.  Is there anything wrong with that?

I didn’t think so.

My morning face after the makeup is applied and the hair and clothing isn’t on yet!  T’was a time when it took me less than five minutes to get the face done.  Now…it takes a lot longer!  That’s proaging!  It’s my “me” time!

Let’s face it (pun intended).  As we age not only do our bodies and hair change but the biggest visible change is in our face.

And if we DON’T smoke our lines won’t be as bad!  And our voices won’t sound like tires over gravel1  But still, the most visible signs of aging are in our face!

Once upon a time our skin was smooth and free from lines.  We had brows—brows that we tweezed too thin.  Our chin was well-defined and we did not have jowls.

Ahhhh 29 years ago!  My chin was so well-defined. I had no wrinkles.  My skin was luninous and I had all my hair!  Times have changed…

There was no “eleven” at the forehead.  There were no sags, bags or deep wrinkles.

And at an even younger age, my skin was plumped up and I still had that glow…and that smug look!

And that peaches and cream complexion?  Well, it’s kind of dried cranberry and curdled milk so to speak.  We have redness. Not peachiness.

But it’s normal.  It’s part of the aging process.  Shit happens.  Wrinkles happen.  It’s time to pro-age!

That’s where the power of makeup comes in.  It enhances what we once had that may have faded a bit.  We can add shade and light and contour and give ourselves a natural glow.

Anyway, I’m rambling.  Let’s get to the meat of the subject.  (Why is my mind constantly on food?).

Always on the sleuthing trail for makeup that’ll be friendly to our mature skin, I’ve been finding some very decent stuff as of late. And I found another brand that is pretty darned friendly to the mature face.

The brand is Jouer.  And was started back in 2008 by Christina Zilber. You can read about her here from the Jouer website.

What intrigued me about the brand was her personal Instagram feed.  She’s very “natural makeup” in appearance and makeup concepts.  And after checking out her makeup line I decided to pick up a few of the products.  Out of all the products, the one that I found the most challenging is the foundation, but I’ll get to that later.

Ms. Zilber. She’s not just pretty and smart, but she has that perfect “no makeup makeup” look.  I like that!

So, come along with me while I show you what I bought and have been using.  I’m giving you the low-down.  Grab a coffee, tea, wine or bourbon and Jouer we go!

Jouer Rose Gold Blush Duo:  This duo is available in two sizes.  The regular size retails for $30 and the smaller, travel-friendly size retails for $18.  I picked up the smaller size and I can honestly say that this is a nice pair of fraternal twin blushes!  The Marigold shade looks dark but, on the skin, gives a nice warm flush.  The Rose Petal blush is gorgeous and gives such a natural hint of color.  They are powders that don’t come off as ashy or chalky.  If you have dry skin, a light swipe will give just the right amount of color to give that healthy and youthful cheek color of the youthful days.

 

I’ve put a dent in the Rose Petal. It’s such a flattering pink and oh-so-subtle!  Surprisingly, the Marigold doesn’t apply as dark as it looks.  It gives a bit of depth and can also be used as a bronzer!

Overall, I rate this an A.

Lucky & Luminous Crème Highlighter Palette:  Holy Mother of God!  Every woman over the age of 50 should have this palette in her collection. Yeah. I know that highlighter gets that bad rap because it’s overdone and many say the trend is on its way out. And many say that the highlighters aren’t friendly to mature skin but I call bullshit on that.  We need luminosity. A satin finish or a dewy finish is more attractive than a matte one and when highlighter is done correctly, it looks fabulous.  And glowing.  The highlighters are creams!  Creams! 

The cover of the palette is just so girly and feminine.  But–what’s inside is the greatest of all time!

And, as you can see, I’ve already dented the lilac!  Regardless, this is one crazy good highlighting palette.  The creams are insanely mature-skin friendly. I love these!

They are hydrating.  They are da bomb!  You can go subtle and light or a bit extra.  The shades are gorgeous.  Camellia white, but goes on as sheer glow. It’s so incredibly creamy that I was tempted to whip it and serve it over strawberries! Tiare and Hydrangea have a hint of more color when the light hits it and lilac has the slightest hint of pink.  I’m freaking in love with this.  My only concern is that I purchased this on Jouer’s “Kiss ‘em Goodbye” sale for $24. The product normally runs for $40 and is worth every dollar!  I’m wondering if this is going to be discontinued.  I certainly hope not!

From bottom to top:  Camellia, Tiare, Hydrangea, Lilac. Hands down, these four highlighters are fantastic!

Overall, I rate this an A +!!!

Essential Jet-Set Matte Eyeshadow Palette: Another item purchased at the Kiss ‘em Goodbye sale.  And at $12, this is another winner.  Allow me to ‘splain, Lucy!  It’s difficult to find a really good matte eyeshadow.  Oftentimes they can be chalky and apply patchy.  This isn’t the case. It’s a small and compact palette which makes it great for travel.  The shadow choices are warm and cool neutrals with one black shadow which I’ve been using as a liner.  The black shadows give a softer look than a harsh liquid liner does.  The choices of neutrals here are excellent and this is that palette you can keep in your desk draw at the office.  Even the mirror is good quality!  It comes with a double-ended brush. The pointed tip on the smaller brush is quite good for lining the eyes!  Overall, another A!

The smaller, compact size of this palette makes it a great addition to a travel makeup kit..

….having the shades named on the back is also a great touch.  I’ve been using “black card” as an eyeliner.  It’s much softer than liquid..

If you love the neutrals…this is a great little palette!

And, BTW, I’ve been using the smaller, pointed end of this brush to line the eyes.

Mineral Powder Bronzer: This was also purchased on the Jouer site’s Kiss ‘em Goodbye sale. I got it for $5!!  And I think I know why.  Jouer started out as a brand known for connecting items together and from the looking at the case, it looks like it could have been a connecting piece.  It doesn’t matter because the bronzer, in the shade Sunshine is pretty dang sweet!  It looks darker in the case than it does on the face!  And that’s just fine!

Now, if you are fair-skinned and want a soft glow as though you were out in the sun, this is great.  It is pigmented just enough for a natural bronze.  It’s not “dirty” looking like some bronzers can sometimes be. It isn’t orange either.  I’ve been applying with a large soft brush and the finished look is very flattering and not makeupish!

This bronzer IS a little bit of Sunshine!  I love the warm glow it gives off. In fact I like it so much that I ordered another in the shade Suntan. My fair skin needs it in the winter!  

I’m giving this another A.

Crème Eyeshadow Crayon: There’s so much I have to say about these eyeshadow sticks.  First of all, I’ve been a huge fan of Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks.  But…I am now going on record to say…I like these better!  These are actually creamier.  In other words, they glide on smoother and blending these out is easy peasy lemon squeezy! They blend out beautifully!  And I would like to address the price.  At $18 each, the price is well-worth it.  I’ll tell you why.  The Caviar Sticks retail for $29 each, which is quite pricey.  And other high-end brands are even pricier. These sticks are a great value!

Holy Mother of God this are incredible!  I’m absolutely in love with these cream eyeshadow sticks.  The formula is insanely creamy but they stay put all day.  And at $18 each, they are an excellent buy!

Left to Right:  Rose Gold, Venetian and Rococo. And let me tell you–Venetian is a gorgeous green!

Rococo and Venetian were purchased from the Jouer website and the Rose Gold was purchased at Sephora.  The dark green Venetian, and what a beautiful green it is was purchased on Jouer’s website as was the vanilla Rococo!  Overall, these babies are A + Squared!  They are that good.

I’m wearing a full face of Jouer here.  The Venetian eyeshadow is a standout.  Caveat–I mixed the foundation with my Wet ‘n Wild Photo Finish foundation for a darker shade. I’m also wearing Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter UNDER the foundations.

Jouer Essential High Coverage Crème Foundation: This is where it gets weird.  Foundation is one of the greatest cosmetics to even out our skin tone, cover age spots tones down ruddiness. And, depending what kind of finish we are looking for, can give us a luminous glow, a dewiness or even a matte finish.  But…sometimes a matte finish isn’t the best finish for mature skin.

With the addition of Hyaluronic Acid, I thought this would be moisturizing.

This is matte.  Very matte.  The matte finish can be remedied with a luminous product such as Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter or a luminous primer under this foundation.

But there’s more.  You need to really choose the correct shade for your skin tone. I purchased and it’s just too light.  There’s definitely a learning curve here in using this foundation.

The first day I wore the foundation.  It’s VERY light. I want to try this again but want to buy a darker shade.  In the meantime, I’m blending it with a darker foundation.  It’s super matte and shows texture of the mature face so I also want to play around with this.

In addition, my skin, just as is normal for aging skin is textured.  I’ve got large pores on my chin.

Wait. There’s more. This is full-coverage. Holy Cannoli it is incredibly full-coverage! And as full-coverage as it is, it isn’t thick!  It’s an amazing thing.  It’s a very liquid foundation, runny compared to thicker full-coverage foundations.

You literally only need a pump to cover the entire face.  I wore this foundation for three days in a row because I wanted to work with it.  At first it looked like a mask but after a few moments the mask-like appearance dissipated and oxidized to a slightly darker color. It was still a bit on the light side but I was able to remedy that with bronzer, blush and highlighter.  The second and third days I applied the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter under the foundation for a more luminous look.

 

I’m wearing it today. I primed with Embroylisse cream and applied Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter underneath. I have the Jouer cream highlighter over my Jouer Mineral Bronzer and used Subtl Beauty lip and cheek color on my cheeks for a more dewy finish!  I’m wearing all three Jouer cream eyeshadows I purchased and lined the top lid with the Black Card shadow from the little Jet-Set palette. Overall, I’m loving the look.  The hair?  It’s Head Turner by The Wig Company in the shade Number 10.

You also have to work quickly to blend it in—but that’s nothing new because there are plenty of foundations out there that need to be blended quickly.

Now, if Jouer can come out with a satin or dewy version of this foundation, it would be a spectacular event in cosmetics.  Because if this was not a matte finish it would be mature-skin friendly.

But I honestly think the matte finish of this makes it a far better choice for our younger peers.

I don’t even know how to rate this because as far as full-coverage goes, it’s an A.  The lightweight of it is another A.  But the matte finish is just not conducive to a dry, lined, and textured mature skin.  I really hope the brand creates a more mature-skin friendly foundation because the other products I’ve purchased are stellar.

That’s the thing about cosmetics though.  You can love a brand for 90 percent of their items and maybe ten percent don’t work.  Then there’s the brands that you love only ten percent of their items!

Two more points I want to address with Jouer.  The samples.  They give great foundation samples and concealer samples.  I ordered a few more items and also ordered darker foundation samples so we’ll see how it goes with the darker foundation.

You get a good amount of sample foundation.  I just ordered darker samples with my last order.  One pack is more than enough for an application.  Jouer delivers on the samples!

And, the brand’s packaging.  I’m a sucker for great packaging but an even bigger sucker for pragmatic packaging.  The boxes for the items are a bit on the larger side but there’s a reason, they are packed so that nothing will break.  And that’s a great thing!

Plenty of bubble wrap, larger boxes for product with cardboard “buffers” inside to prevent against damage while traveling…

And look how nicely the products are wrapped!  It’s like getting a gift!  

So that’s it ladies!  Overall, this brand is one to keep in mind.  I’m very happy with my purchases!  If there are but two items I think you should have in your collection they are, hands down, the eyeshadow crayons and the cream highlighter!

I am off to cook dinner!  Have a great evening!

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The Second Full WW Week and A Lesson Learned

Posted on October 2, 2019 by Catherine

Well, this certainly was an interesting week.  Autumn arrived and it’s still the middle of summer here in the Philly ‘burbs.  Glad I didn’t pack my summer clothing away!

It wa so stinking hot that I ended up wearing this on Sunday!

This lightweight maxi is perfect for those days when I don’t shave my legs. And the sleevelessness of it is summer-in-fall perfect!

Today’s high reached 93. 93 on October 2nd –think about that!

Yesterday was Tuesday.  My weigh-in day and the usual evening that I attend the meeting workshop at the local Weight Watchers place WW studio.

It was a rough week for me. Ain’t gonna lie. I was fine until Saturday.

Friday evening, I dined on Monkfish and asparagus.

That isn’t dirt on the plate, it’s a ton of pepper that I sprinkled instead of my usual salt. And atop the asparagus is greek yoghurt and sriracha sauce! This monkfish and asparagus was a healthy start to the weekend. But things changed!

And whilst Bonaparte snacks on Gougères with his aperitif, I take nine of my Trader Joe’s Mini Savory Crackers and divide one Laughing Cow Cheese wedge atop the nine.  It’s a two-pointer that satisfies.

These are life-savers.  Honestly they are!

What happened was this.  Since it was the first weekend of the Fall season, I thought it would be a good idea to make a nice French Dinner.  The kind that Bonaparte loves during the cooler months into winter.

france paris GIF

Oui. I do my best to make my husband feel as though he is back in Paris enjoying a great meal!

It was decided I would make Cornish Game Hen. Not a bad choice. But I made it with my Cherry Cognac Crème Sauce.  There are also tons of dried cherries both in the sauce and atop the hens.

Oven-ready with lots of Rosemary, dried cherries, red onion and butter UNDER the skin!

Now, ordinarily it would not be too bad.  I nixed on the sauce during dinner, but while the sauce was cooking, I must have sampled about a cup. So that would be heavy cream, cognac, dried cherries and a bit of cherry preserves to give a tad of sweetness.  Oh yeah.  And butter is in the sauce too.

My sauce would also be a great soup.  I practically wolfed it down as though it WAS soup. Hey!  I had to taste it!

My vegetable of choice was baby asparagus.

Not to mention the two Kir Royals consumed but they were added into my daily points.

And, I also only like the dark meat of the hen—or basically any poultry that I eat.  I’m a leg and thigh girl!

miss fine fried chicken GIF

Yeah. That would be me!

On Sunday, I basically sabotaged myself.

Sunday ended up to be busier than I expected. In the kitchen.

But first, I decided to do something with the sofas in our living room.  Because we have our little rascal, Chippy, who we love and adore, we have allowed him to use our white sofas as his thrones.  The solution is to cover them with ugly blankets and when family and guests come over, we take the ugly blankets off.

How disgusting is this?  Welcome to the life of being dog parents!

It’s HIS furniture. Not ours!

Oona saw an Instagram photo where a home décor Instagrammer solved the challenge of keeping the white sofas looking neat and tidy and thusly, my loving daughter sent the photo to me.  I’m thinking this was a serious hint.  And so, I went to Joann Fabrics, purchased muslin and for less than ten bucks was able to drape the fabric over the sofas. It’s been five days now and this is working like a charm.

See how nicely the muslin is draped over the sofas?

This, along with ironing, was my big WW activity for the week to keep me fit.

We also went to Costco to get me some low-point foods. And by walking the aisles of Costco I was able to squeeze even more activity in!

My girlfriend Marybeth got me hooked on these.  One point for four of them. These are epic!

I found these zero-point Egg Thins which are akin to small crepes!

And smoked salmon at zero-points per serving. This satisfies my craving for salty goodness!

So back to my sabotage.

Bonaparte was running low on gougères and let me know with a typical French hint.

“Cassie.” “Eeez time fohr ou to mek more gougères.”  “Zahr eez nut enuff so pliz mek some”

The French don’t mince words. They eat instead!

And eat. And eat. And eat and they stay thin!

He also hinted around that he missed his favorite Grand Marnier Pound cake that I bake.

Sunday was spent in the kitchen.

One of the ingredients in the Gougères is cheese.  Alain Ducasse’s recipe calls for Gruyere.  I use Jarlsberg.  And I’ve made quite a few gougères and I’ve got quite a bit of Jarlesberg cheese at home.

The cheese does not stand alone in this recipe. It almost didn’t stand at all  because I almost ate it all!

In the bowels of the cheese drawer in the fridge, I came across a good chunk of this deliciously mild cheese that I forgot about. In the meantime, I also had a brand new and nice sized wedge of the same.

No. It’s more like 100 Gougeres. Not Patates!

The old chunk of Jarlsberg spoke to me.  He told me to take a little piece.  But I did worse, I put the good-sized chunk in the microwave to melt it. And then I slathered it atop a piece of Rye bread.

Points be damned.  I was in another zone.

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I was floating on a cloud of melted cheese!

And then I felt really bad for eating the melted cheese and the bread.

I moved on to the pound cake.  It’s a wonderful recipe:  Barefoot Contessa Perfect Pound cake.  I alter the recipe by using a half cup of heavy cream rather than a cupful and in place, I add a half cup of Grand Marnier.

You may be getting the picture on why I had a “bad” weekend!

The recipe will yield two cakes.

One is in the freezer!

Baked and cooled, I pondered if they turned out alright (which I already knew the answer) but wanting validation under the guise of seeing if the crumb and texture were good, I cut a tiny slice off. The Frenchman was upstairs watching a soccer match and so, I ate the piece. And it was good.

Behold the beautiful texture and crumb. And my excuse for eating this!

I tried to redeem myself of the slab of cheese, beautifully melted over a thick slice of rye and not one, but two pieces of the cake by sticking to vegetables and smoked salmon for dinner.  And I knew I was on the road to failure.

 

In fact, later on, some time after dinner, my biological clock remembered there were oatmeal raisin cookies I baked and froze.  I ate two.

Yes.  I was on the road to failure. But it tasted so delicious!

And when Monday rolled around, I felt awful. I felt awful because while baking and cooking for my husband and loved ones always makes me happy.  So why couldn’t I just be content to bake.  Why did I have to gorge?

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I’m having a “foodover”!  I feel awful!

Monday turned into Tuesday. When I woke up Tuesday morning, I thought of every excuse in the book as to why I could stay home from the WW Workshop.  I thought about the barometric pressure causing my sinuses to be too painful to weigh in.  I was hoping for a good bout of lady-cramps until I realized I hadn’t had them in almost 12 years.  I could be too tired and stressed from work.  Any excuse would do.

But then I had an “Aha” moment.  I needed to be responsible for my actions.  I’ve failed and not followed through too many times and I wasn’t going to do it again.  My plan was to go to the workshop and not weigh in.

Then I had another “Aha” moment.  It was time to face the music.  If I gained a pound, it was my own fault.  My actions were regrettable.  I sabotaged the success I had the week before.

And so, I headed to the WW studio to get a reality check.  I need those workshops.  I need a leader.  I need to be around people who are in the same boat as me.  And as I stepped on the scale, I prayed to God and The Blessed Mother that at the least, to not have gained weight.

The result?  I lost 1.2 pounds.

I couldn’t stop but think if I hadn’t been “bad”, I could have made it to 149 pounds.  But that’s for another weigh-in!

And I learned a valuable lesson.  Don’t sabotage yourself.  Find a distraction.  Dust some furniture.  Leave the kitchen.  Walk away.  Get a glass of water.  Read a book.

Failure is something I’m all too familiar with.  I’ve failed to be the perfect mother.  I’ve failed at a successful career.   I’ve failed in so many ways but this time I just won’t allow myself to fail.  I gotta do this!

If you’ve failed during your weight loss journey or in any other way, please know that you are not alone!

Truer words have never been spoken. It’s true and I did!

So, how was your week?  I’ got a lot of new makeup to share with you in my next blog post that I’ll have up this weekend!  XOXOXOXO

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A Saga: The Dishwasher. Bonaparte. Best Buy. Cookies. Chippy. My Clumsiness.

Posted on September 29, 2019 by Catherine

Before I get into the meat of the subject, I want to touch upon a few things.  First of all,  Bonaparte is partially writing this. It is his account of our Dishwasher saga.

That’s right, my Frenchman has a voice in this blog and this saga!

But first let us take a stroll down memory lane.

Chances are if you read this blog you were a child of the 50’s and 60’s.  Although too young to remember the 1950’s with the exception of Brookyn’s treasured best cake of all time,  Ebinger’s Blackout Cake and my first Barbie in 1959, the 1960’s are more familiar to me.

Sadly, this is what’s left of Ebinger’s bakery…

And many have tried in vain to duplicate the best treasure of Brooklyn, NY, but none have succeeded!  None!

And I remember the day I got my first Barbie. I was four years old. It was an epic moment that founded my love for all things girly and my fascination with Barbie’s breasts without nipples!

And with those days came chores for the kids.  And among those chores were washing and drying the dishes manually because not every family owned a dishwasher.  If my memory serves me correctly, we didn’t get a dishwasher until around 1968 or 1969.

Luckily for my horrific eyesight, I was exempt from washing dishes, but it didn’t stop my mother from making me dry them upon being released from the suds of the kitchen sink.

This scene from one of my favorite movies ever, “The Trouble With Angels” was not far removed from the scene in a house growing up with seven people.  I dried the dishes!

Over the years dishwashers became a mainstay.  An integral kitchen appliance.  And yet, another item to break and replace.  And thus, is the saga of our Kitchen Aid dishwasher.

We’ve been in our home for six years now.  And our home was built seven years prior.  The dishwasher is 13 years old. Now in my opinion, a dishwasher should last at least twenty years.  But they just don’t make ‘em like they used to.

Our dishwasher stopped working.  Dead.  Nada.  And it stopped working…Just. Like. That.

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At the very least, a cell-phone will let you know when it’s battery is ready to die.  Not a dishwasher though!

This had Bonaparte researching every dishwasher known to man and woman and he would not stop.  He finally decided on a Bosch.

Here is his account of the purchasing experience, in his own words:

Pay attention now…the Frenchman speaketh….or rather, writith!!!

APPLIANCE BUYERS AT BEST BUY BE AWARE!!!

 Let me relate a saga concerning buying a dishwasher from Best Buy. Here is the story.

Oh Bosch, I hardly knew ye!

One evening, on September 19, I went to Best Buy in King of Prussia, Pa and purchase a top of the line Bosch dishwasher.  After spending a good 45min with a nice salesman, I went ahead and purchased the item.  We both scheduled a delivery, installation and haul away of the old machine to be done on Monday Sept 30.  I then realized later day that the delivery date was not good. I called Best Buy, waited 30 minutes to talk to someone who said their computer would not let them change the date now, I had to call the next day.

The next day I called again, wasted another hour or so and changed the date to October 7, Monday afternoon.  Perfect day for me…. Great, despite all the time wasted on hold. MY MACHINE WAS COMING….

A few days later, I received about 4 or 5 text messages giving me different dates, one for delivery, one for installation, another for haul-away and so on.  There were actually 3different delivery for the dishwasher.  Was I getting 3 dishwashers now?  Something did smell good.

So I called again. I was on hold again for a good 45 minutes.  I finally talked to a “person”.  He asked me about those texts and put me on hold for another 20 minutes.  He confirmed that the texts were about scheduling for delivery, installation and haul-away.  I said: “what?  You mean three different companies are going to be at my door, at different times and different days for me finally get a machine that cost a thousand dollars?” The reply was: “Yes sir, we at Best Buy use contractors to deliver and install large appliances and they all have their own schedule.” I was furious.  I demanded that everything be done on one day, by one team, at one time, like it normally is done.  He put on hold again and I waited for another 20 minutes before going to a meeting I had to attend.  I hung up.

The next day, today, Thursday September 29, 10 days after initially purchasing the item, I was still trying to make sure of the delivery, installation and so on.  I called again the same number, the Geek Squad it is called, and waited another 20 minutes.  A rude man answered, I explained what had happened, and must admit I became somewhat agitated by his smugness.  “What, you have 3 different companies handling the delivery, installation and haul-away for a single dishwasher.  This absurd. I want this and that, blah, blah”, and he hung up on me.

So I am cancelling this order.  Went to the store and got my money back, less $50 for special cords that the store said are delivered. Called to the credit card company and am disputing that charge too.  Wasted another 45 minutes.

I’m amazed the store is still operating! And why would The Geek Squad be assisting with appliances?  I though they were computer-specific?

Suggestion:  DO NOT BUY ANY APPLIANCE AT BEST BUY.  IT’S THE WORST BUY.

Yes. My Frenchman has finally realized the difficulty of trying to purchase an appliance American Style in the day of subcontractors.  A few friends told him to go to a store known for selling appliances because everything will be done in one day.

Bonaparte is now doing battle with Best Buy!

Wait. It gets better.

This past Wednesday evening, I started preparations to bake cookies for a coworker who was leaving to pursue other opportunities.  His cookie of choice was oatmeal raisin.  And so, I proceeded to make the cookie dough.

I also started to bake a couple of batches too!  Damn WW, too many points for me to indulge at this time!

Now, whenever I bake or cook or spend any length of time in the kitchen, our little Chippy loves to get underfoot.  He waits with bated breath and hopes that I’ll drop a morsel of goodness on the floor for him to lap up.  I usually do drop a few tidbits and he laps ‘em right up.

Chippy doing his best Oliver Twist imitation.  Please sir, I want some more. Only with him its “Please mom, drop the food”

During this time, Bonaparte had a late meeting with a client and Chippy and I were home alone.

Chippy got underfoot, as he usually does, and I fell.  Oh, I fell good.  Not good enough to injure myself and get a day off from work.  I’m not that lucky.

Yeah, and I fell so hard that my wig shifted!

But I fell into the door of the closed dishwasher that died.

And then something happened. It was like a miracle.  The dishwasher turned on.  I saw it with my own crossed eyes.  The little blue light shined like a star.  And the water started running into it.  I turned it off. And turned it back on.  Lo and behold a miracle took place in our very kitchen.

 

Will you look at that?  It lives!  It lives. And I forgot to wipe down the stainless steel door!

And when Bonaparte arrived home and saw what happened the usually stern visage of the Frenchman turned into a face filled with glee.  I swear he did the happy dance, French style!

Trust me. This IS the happy dance French Style.  These three are beside themselves with uproariously glee and rhythm!

Gone are the plastic plates and utensils and the dish drying rack is relegated to the garage—basically now an oversized junk drawer!

This stuff?  Firmly nestled between Christmas decorations and old furniture and electronics in our junk drawer known as the garage!

Did I mention when we went to Costco today, the husband couldn’t venture forward to the food items before taking a look-see at the dishwashers?

My guess is Bonaparte is still looking…….

What will the next chapter bring? Another death of the dishwasher?  What other appliances can I fall into and bring back to life?  Will Chippy never stop being Oliver Twist? Will Bonaparte decide to buy a Bosch someplace else? Will Ebinger’s ever reopen?….the saga continues!

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So, How Did I Do on My First Week of the New “WW”?

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Catherine

It is rather difficult for me to refer to Weight Watchers as WW. For some ungodly reason, saying the words “weight watchers” rolls of the tongue much easier than reciting “Double-U, Double-U”.  And so, I shall continue to be in error and continue to use “Weight Watchers” when speaking.

Image result for ww logo

Looks like Weight Watchers went on their own loss program.  Lost letters!

The meetings are now workshops. This is a ridiculous rename.  Envision a workshop, if you will.  It’s most likely a metal, wood or auto workshop and workshops are messy.

Now THIS is a workshop. It is very difficult to wrap my head around the new WW Workshop concept! 

Now envision a meeting. You have a leader and members of the group who are all connecting and sharing.

Oh look!  It’s a MEETING!  See how organized it is and see how engaging the attendees seem to be?  I like meetings.  I’m old-school!

I rest my case on that.

Alas, this isn’t meant to be a vent on rebranding, those are merely my thoughts.

But back to how I did.

Well, to be honest with you, it was easy.  It wasn’t insanely difficult but it just wasn’t easy.  I’m so wrought with work that during the 9 to 5 hours, I only have time for my cup of tea, without cream and sugar in the afternoon.  Otherwise, I’ve been bringing a few Mandarin oranges to keep up the energy level.

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I took my Barry’s tea into the office.  Perhaps it’s an Irish thing but I’ve been sippin, the cuppa since I was a child and now it’s suppressing my appetite!

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And my grandma, Margaret Crowley Wynne was drinking the stuff until she reached 98 years!

But I am managing to move around more in an effort to be activity.

I exercise my legs while ironing and exercise my arms to fold the shirts just so!  

I’ve been doing leg exercises while ironing.  I lift up on the balls of my feet and slowly inch down.

In addition, this weekend, I started cleaning the baseboards and vents in the house.  Three flights of stairs were dusted and cleaned. And I’ll tell you that it should be shameful at how filthy those stairs were. But you know what?  This summer’s weekend weather was so incredibly beautiful that we went to the beach practically every weekend.  I think the only times we missed were for Oona’s wedding and one gray day.

All the bannisters and railings and trim was completely cleaned. Do NOT get me started on the carpeting. Carpeting = the bane of my existence!  But HEY, cleaning this was definitely a workout!

The worst cravings are not for chocolate, nor ice cream nor are they for pastry.  The hardest part is not reaching for food when I’m stressed.  Any food will do, thank you!

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Ahhhh. Stress is bad. But Stress eating is good–for a moment. But NOT stress-eating is even better!

More veggies are being incorporated into the diet.

The thin asparagus is what I prefer. It’s not as stringy and hardly needs any cooking! Zero Points!

And as I’m making an effort to cut down on my salt intake, fresh herbs are in the house!

Salt move over. The Herbs are taking over!

My Mandarin oranges are my friends.

Naval Oranges have never been high on my list but these little Mandarin oranges from Trader Joe’s hit that sweet spot. I LOVE these!

And Avocado is always good any time!

MMMM. This will have to be devoured shortly or it’ll become overripe!  And the avacodo is such a healthy fruit!

Since I have to have carbs, and I’m not chowing down on baguettes, other bread or the puffy gougères that Bonaparte loves, I’m on a 1-Smart Point tortilla/wrap binge.

If you see these, buy them!!!  They are fantastic!  Walmart carries them but more often than not, it’s a sellout.  Thankfully Wegmans carries them for twice the Walmart price!  Oh well!  I’ve stocked up and some are in the freezer. 

I’m also enjoying these mini Savory crackers from Trader Joe’s topped with Laughing Cow cheese. Yes. I count out nine of these crackers and stretch the one wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese for an appetizer of two Smart Points whilst we enjoy our weekend aperitifs.

Nine of these crackers are one point! And with the one point wedge of Laughing Cow, it makes a very satisfying appetizer or snack..

The little Petit Toast are also very WW-Friendly! 

And I did not give up the Kir Royal.  I refuse to deprive myself.

Saturday’s dinner was more on the healthy side than the unhealthy side!

The Sprouts of Brussels.  Sauteed with a bit of spray, some shallots and a few dried cranberries. I can’t get enough of these.  Bonaparte can though. He hates vegetables!

Actually, one of the few vegetables he likes is celery root or celeriac . Made with a remoulade sauce  (a LIGHT one) it is refreshing and has an incredibly unique flavor–a bit like parsnip!

I made chicken breasts with tomato and black olives. Overall a healthy Saturday evening meal!

The other thing is making that extra effort to look good.

Fortunately, most of my clothing fits with the exception of a couple of pairs of pants. But I’m working on that.

I took out the schoolboy blazer today.  And luckily my navy Cameron pants from J. Crew still fit but are a bit snug in the tummy. I wore my favorite summer shirt under the blazer and let me tell you something.  I have to send the blazer to the dry cleaner tomorrow because my deodorant failed. It’s still summer in the middle of the day folks if you know what I mean!

This lightweight cotton T-shirt dress was purchased at J. Crew Factory back in the spring of 2018.  It was one of those forgotten pieces of clothing until it was rediscovered when sleuthing for clothing, I could wear to Weight Watchers WW meetings workshops! Oops!

This will be my WW uniform!   The light T-shirt dress, light wig and…well, any shoe will come off!

Not gonna lie.  I did cheat a bit with Mozzarella Cheese so it was with a heavy heart and trepidation that my feet stepped upon the scale last night.

There was no reaction from the woman who weighted me and her face remained expressionless as she handed me the results of the week.

I lost 3.4 pounds.  That was enough to give me motivation to keep at it. Moving forward, there will be weeks of perhaps getting rid of half a pound or less.  Some weeks where the scale will remain the same and other weeks with a gain.

Getting rid of 3.4 pounds was all I needed!

But the control and the willpower have returned.

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I am a bit proud this week so I’m patting myself on the back. And NOT rewarding myself with food!

And that’s how it rolled!  How was your week?  If you are on the same journey, please share. And if you aren’t please give some tips that you have for staying on point!

Chippy has moved on in his wellness journey too. He’s gone from eating my beauty sponges to chowing down on my wig comes.

Chippy has gone from sponges to combs.  Maybe the plastic is less points!

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I Did A Thing. I Rejoined Weight Watchers Last Night

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Catherine

Yes. I did.  The sad fact is that after being honest with myself, I admitted defeat. Defeat in the fact I cannot do it alone.  I’ve tried. God knows I’ve tried.

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My battery ran out.  I’m defeated!  I’m out of energy! I need to plug myself in!

And the wake-up call was when I saw a side-view photo of me at Oona’s wedding.  I sunk into an all-time low.  I wanted so badly to lose a few pounds before her wedding but the stress kept calling my name.  As did the carbs.

Mmmmmm.  Mmmmm.  Carb heaven. Don’t forget the butter!

And the sweets.

Momofuku Milk Bar Birthday Cake in progress. And there’s no birthday to celebrate! It’s a Pity Party Cake!

And anything else I could stuff into my mouth to make me momentarily calmer.

Share Size my ass. This is just for me and only for me!

And in the long run, I didn’t lose weight but lost willpower.

I'm lost

Yeah. I’m emotionally lost. I need to find myself–I’ll start at the thighs!

Now, a few weeks back I was contacted by NOOM, a strategic weight-loss, healthy eating company.  I filled out the application the marketing people sent me and I was rejected!  REJECTED!  This. After they contacted me.

When I posted this news on Instagram, the marketing people got back to me to inform me an error may have been made and to reapply.

Sorry NOOM, you lost me.  Forever.

But I knew that something had to be done.  I wasn’t feeling right.  I was feeling sluggish and being at a desk job where “sitting is the new smoking” has me all freaked out that I’m going to get very sick because I sit all day.

mothers day smoking GIF

WTF??? Sitting is the equivalent to THIS??? I shoulda been a Park Ranger.

My Lifetime Membership at Weight Watchers does come in handy.  If you aren’t aware, back when I was going through my divorce, my weight hit a high of 180.  I joined Weight Watchers lost over 40 pounds.  Slowly weight kept creeping up and I would lose it and two years ago I ended up at 162 only to bring it back down to 140-ish.

My weight AFTER Christmas of 2016.  And I was freaking out!  HA!

I stayed there for quite some time but over this year I figured I had gained around 15 to 20 pounds.  It’s in my thighs and gut and now my chin.

So, I figured I would go back to Weight Watchers.  My big dilemma was figuring out what day of the week to go.  Monday was out due to weekend bingeing.  Thursday would seem like a great day because it’s at the end of the week right before the weekend when I most like would weigh less than Monday.

They spelled my name wrong but I don’t care. Call me what you want but don’t call me late to dinner!

Instead, yesterday, I figured “screw it” and I drove back.  I was ready.   I was emotionally ready.

Hello old friend!  I’ll be marking you up all week with the old adage:  If you bite it, write it!

It was time to get on the scale and come to grips.  And what I found out was that it wasn’t all that bad.  My weight as of yesterday was 155 pounds.  Exactly 15 pounds as predicted.  But the good thing was that I was at my old goal.   My goal is to lose the 15 pounds gained but my newer goal is to lose 10 of those pounds before we return to Paris at the end of November.

Got my new Shopping guide that’s in my bag already…..

…like Double Mint gum, it’s two books in one–the Dining Out guide is on the flip side. 

I’m not going to beat myself up over it and I’m taking things sensibly.

The Mini Zero-Points food guide is also in my bag!

My clothing still fits, albeit very tightly.  It’s all good.

My outfit today.  The pants were purchased exactly a year ago.  They were loose. Now they are tight. They JUST fit. Thank God for stretch!  The oversized tee with the tuck hides the overlapping gut! It’s a great weight-loss ensemble!

What surprised me is that Weight Watchers has rebranded into WW.  Now, I’ve heard a couple of different stories.  One being the focus is on health and wellness and the other is that it is more politically correct to omit the word “Weight” due to insensitivity and shaming.

Note the change.  WW–no longer Weight Watchers but “Wellness that Works” 

I’m gonna go with the first story of wellness and health.  I have issues with the second story simply because there is nothing offensive about “Weight”.  I gained weight.  I wanna lose weight. That’s why I’m back.

Another great dress to wear during weight loss–a loose fitting shift by Lilly Pulitzer.  I forgot. This is a summer dress.  I remembered.  I’ll wear this in a snow storm to a meeting just to weigh lighter!

I am not a lean (I won’t use the word “skinny” so as not to offend those who are) woman by nature.  My bones are not slight.  They are not small.  My frame is large and therefore I can carry more weight.  But at the weight I am, it is not comfortable.  The thighs are starting to jiggle and my gut is overlapping like the way batter overlaps in a cake pan when filled too much.

My pre-meeting booty!  

Regardless, the meeting was great. And that’s my motivation. Going back to the meetings.

Tracking everything I eat is also helpful.

My dinner this evening was a two-egg omelet stuffed with tomato, chives, a bit of mozzerella chees and half an avacado on the side. I used 15 points today total.  Excuse the paper plate please. Our dishwasher died and Monday the new one will be delivered!

Knowing my free points is a tremendous asset as well.  Why?

From  Zero Points…..

To a two-point dinner (I am so making this on Friday).  I’m saving myself for our aperitifs!

Well, I feel like a lush but during the weekends, I want my aperitifs. And there’s 10 points in each drink when measured out properly.  That’s two each on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A total of 60 points.  So, I gotta play a bit with Math.  28 extra points are allotted each week and I can carry over a total of 12 unused points from Monday through Thursday.  That’s 40 extra points.  So, I still have to figure out where those other 20 points are coming from!

Nope!  Not giving this up!  

But one thing that stuck out in my mind was this little Weekly card I received last night.  It’s about making room for happiness.  It was a great message because no matter how hard we can be on ourselves, if we feel defeated, if we feel not up to par, there’s always room for happy!

Sometimes the message hits you when you least expect it!  Right???

Wanna do this with me?  I’ve decided to make a weekly progress and it would be great if some of us could do this together!  Who’s in?

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Transitioning the Wardrobe and Face from Summer to Fall

Posted on September 12, 2019 by Catherine

It’s that time of year.  The end of summer.  And while the temperature is still hovering in the high 80’s to the low 90’s with muggy humidity, it doesn’t stop the masses, nor the retailers to believe they are in the midst of autumn.

Yesterday’s high was in the 80’s.  But the trees are beginning to turn.  It makes me sad.

The mornings are slightly cooler as are the evenings once the sun goes down.  However—please keep your Pumpkin Spice Lattes, donuts, coffee, pasta and anything and everything else pumpkin spice away from me.  If I do pumpkin anything it’ll be pumpkin pie during the holidays.

 

I love Starbucks but get that Pumpkin Spice $hit away from me!  Please!

And I also don’t want to see anyone wearing riding boots or a heavily textured scarf or a thick nubby sweater yet.  It’s not even mid-September.

I’m talking to you–me!  Seriously, this won’t be worn until November–or later!

But it’ll be time to transition into the clothing that we don as the air achieves that blend of crispness and clarity.    Same with makeup.  The tan has begun to fade and the cooler weather brings back my fish-belly white face!

That’s right. The tan is fading and soon I will look like Casper the Ghost’s mother.

So how am I doing it?  And just what am I doing to transition.  I’ll tell you.

Not much.  Not much at all.

I have no capsule wardrobe but, in my closet, and within the confines of my dressers I keep a stash of “year ‘round clothing”.  These are items that can be worn all year and I usually wear them in the winter’s end and summer’s end.

A couple of skirts that have been worn on both the hottest days and the coldest days.

One of my “year-round” skirts is this lepoard pencil skirt from J. Crew  and I pair it with a lightweight jersey pullover from Target.  I wore this a few times over the summer and it’ll be in regular rotation in the coming weeks….

Another “year-rounder” is this pencil skirt from J. Crew Factory. It’s pretty old and I’ve thrown it in the trash only to rethink and take it out.  I wore it last week on a gray, cool morning.  I even took the closed shoes out!

And yet another “year rounder”.  A skirt I picked up years ago on the clearance rack at Old Navy for $6.00.  I’ve washed this many times and it’s never faded. This is one amazing skirt!

Pants that I shy away from in June, July and August, but make their appearance again in September.

My J. Crew elephant pants.  I wore once over the summer but these will be coming in handy beginning September’s end! When it gets cooler my choices are a blazer or denim jacket!!!!

Another transitional outfit.  Some suiting.  I keep my blazers out all year–just in case and last week another cool day had me in black Pixie Pants (discontinued) and a black schoolboy blazer from J. Crew and my new favorite Tee by ThreadTank   And if you love this Feminist tee, you can get a discount of  Ten percent by using my code:  TYPICAL10

We went out to dinner last Saturday night. I wore this.  A fantastic transitional ensemble.  The evening was cool enough for booties!

And I’m not big on cardigan sweaters but I do have a couple that pair well with my sleeveless dresses.

Today’s outfit is a perfect example. It was hot and muggy this morning so I wore one of my Lilly Pulitzer shifts I picked up at the After Party Sale. I WAS going to save this for next summer.  Anyway, the HVAC at work gets wonky and cold in the afternoon.  I threw a pink cashmere cardigan by J. Crew over it.  Transitioned!  

A black bolero cardigan turns this sleeveless ten-dollar LBD from Old Navy into a dressy fall frock!

The two denim jackets that I own will be worn if it gets unseasonably chilly but for the most part, will be hanging around in the closet till mid-October before making a regular appearance.

 

One of my denim jackets. Surprisingly, this photo was taken last October and this entire outfit has never been stored away.  The pants and jacket are in my closet and the tee is in my drawer.  

The sandals and open shoes will stay out as long as possible—until the first frost.  And with that first frost, the sweaters, wool skirts and scarfs will be taken out of storage.

I can still get a few weeks outta you …..

 

 

My “ladies in waiting” until the temperatures really go down.  These boots are one of two purchases I made for this coming Fall/Winter season.  There’s really nothing else I need.  Or want.

And that’s how I transition.

I also transition by hitting the end-of-season sales.  Example:  I love me those Lilly Pulitzer dresses. There’s something about the bright colors, the breezy look the casualness that evokes all things endless summer to me.  And the clothing is pricey.  But the brand always has a great “After Party” sale of which I partook in.  I got three frocks for next summer which will be packed away.

These two dresses came home with me after last week’s Lilly Pulitzer sale.  I’ve already worn one but I’ll most likely not wear the other one until nex summer.

There are plenty of shoes and boots in my closet and after assessing the situation, there is nothing needed.  Although I did add a pair of Bass Weejuns to my loafer collection.  For the sale price of $51.00 there was no way I could resist.

I couldn’t resist these loafers.  The bows.  The bows.  And loafers are always in style (at least in my opinion they are)!

Now for the face. One thing I learned and realized this summer is that less is definitely more when it comes to my pro-aging visage!  Given the fact that Summer 2019 was filled with stellar weekends, I had a real tan!  And that meant, on most days, no foundation.

Makeup free in Cincinnati!  And this was BEFORE the spray tan!  Trust me, it’s quickly fading!

And when I did wear it, as I have begun to go back to every-day wearing, I revisited cushion foundation.  I realized that the cushion foundation is more of a CC cream in cushion form and I love it.  Applied with a light touch, it glides on the skin giving it an even finish.

And I didn’t spend a fortune either.  The Wet’nWild Cushion foundation is a steal at Walmart for $5.99 and the Lumi Cusihion foundation cost me about the same at TJ Maxx!  It’s light and mature skin friendly!

There will be no further purchases of foundation for the coming fall/winter. I have enough in my stash and to tell you the truth, like a lighter coverage than a heavier one.

I tell you these cushions pack a wallop!

I discovered stackable makeup which I’m loving and I also discovered cream eyeshadow.

This stackable by Subtl Beauty is my new “go-to”.  If you haven’t seen, here’s my blog post that explains more about these stacks:  The Only Makeup Kit You’ll Need….

Quite honestly, there’s nothing I need to buy.  After giving my makeup a big clean and organization, there are enough palettes, contours, blushes, highlighters, liners, lipsticks and brow products.

.These are the palettes I kept out but there are more in drawers.  Proof that I don’t need any more palettes.  For a long time!

And the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks have become a great cream shadow.  Why do I have all those palettes anyway?

Same with the brushes.  I’ve got enough.

So yeah, that’s how I transition.  How do you transition?  I would love to know, but please don’t tell me you took out the pumpkin spice!

Oh yeah, I’ll also be transitioning into darker wigs!!!!

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I Ended the Summer With a Colonoscopy

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Catherine

And it ended with quite a bang.  From my hindquarters, that is!

 

But before I go on, I want to explain my absence for a good part of this summer.

Work is stressful and with being short-staffed, it will continue to be until vacancies are filled.

super stressed

Yeah.  That’s me.  With darker hair.  And stressed!

Oona’s wedding was also a point of stress.  But not necessarily in a bad way. It was more stressful in a worrisome way.  As in will it all go on without a hitch.  Will everything fall into place.  How will the travel go?  And it’s over and I can breathe a bit better.

My baby girl is now a married woman and she’s incredibly happy!  No more stress!

The stress of seeing myself in her wedding photos from a side view. Holy God.  I put on some serious weight and I’m so upset about that.  I stress-ate for about six months and starting now. Not tomorrow or next week but now I’m once, again, being diligent in healthier eating (which I’ll get to later on in this post).

Allow me to share what is most likely one of the more “Kind” photos of me because I looked like a tank!

And then there was the stress of having my colonoscopy.

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Why not?  Panic is what I do best!

I made the appointment back in June.  I’ve had polyps in the past making a colonoscopy routine every five years for me.

And don’t think it isn’t stressful to think about it.

What goes on in my mind?  This time it could be worse.  And knowing that, my only “satisfaction” if you will, is eating.  It’s a vicious cycle, it is.

Anyway, I had this procedure done last week.  Tuesday, to be exact.  And here’s how it went down.

Because there is extensive preparation to empty out the colon, I had to take half a “sick” day. Add to the “sick” day for the procedure that totaled 1 and a half sick days.  I will remain silent on my feelings.

Well…..I didn’t come in for 1 1/2 days because I wasn’t in this state. It was quite the opposite!

My doctor’s office called in a subscription to my pharmacy for a prescription that would assist in my prep.  I received a phone call that my health insurance, Independence, did not cover the prescription.   BTW, the cost of health insurance keeps rising and we, as consumers, receive less coverage—especially in the prescription area.

With no prescription, the doctor’s office gave me a recipe for another option.

A delicious cocktail made with Gatorade and MiraLAX.  And instructions to take four Dulcolax pills before drinking.

Think of the Dulcolax as the olives in the martini…

 

And the MiraLax as Dry Vermouth…

….and shall we consider the Gatorade akin to a good Vodka?

Bonaparte went to the store, picked up two bottles of Gatorade, the green color and a lovely shade of green it was, the MiraLAX and the Dulcolax.

At approximately, 4 PM, I took the pills to kind of loosen things up a bit.

At 6 PM I started the first 32 ounces of the delightfully fruity-fresh Gatorade/MiraLAX cocktail

Yummy, Yummy!  Now THIS is a cocktail!

And let me tell you that it didn’t taste at all bad.

I was to finish the second of the cocktails around midnight.

By Ten PM, nothing was happening with the exception of a few gurgles within the confines of my stomach.  It occurred to me that nothing may have been happening due to a blockage.  Yes.  I think that way.

There was some movement but now quite to my bowels!

At a little after 11 PM, the gurgles became stronger, making their way down the intestinal track and I had an urge that was not unlike the urges to push when I was in labor.

Oh boy. I ain’t feelin’ so well….

Suffice it to say.  The stuff worked.

And worked.  And continued to work the remainder of the evening into early morning.

I would love to but my bottom is like an unhinged tap at this point!

I did not sleep for I was feeling rather “flushed”.  Literally.

As early morning arrived and I was still sitting upon the Queen’s throne, my concern was that I would still be sitting and $hitting rather than on my way to the procedure.

Yeah. I was pretty-much this guy.  Thank you Giphy for such a wonderful visual!

But as 5 AM approached, it was safe to get ready.  Sort of.

My appointment was at 6:30 AM in Bala Cynwyd.  This meant having to take the Schuylkill Expressway.  Which, is not an expressway due to the amount of traffic you will find at any time of day or night.

My choice of clothing was a black dress from Old Navy that is very simple, comfortable and falls loosely over my bottom half.  I also wore my favorite wig—Jamison.  I figured a nice bob length would be the perfect choice of fake hair.

And why wouldn’t my favorite wig come with me to have a colonoscopy?  At least the top of me looked good!

And as I was leaving my little room where I put my makeup on (Oh yes.  I went in there with a no-makeup, makeup face), I felt, yet, another urge albeit not as strong as a couple of hours earlier.

I felt as though I had no control over a certain little muscle in my body that shall, for this post, go unnamed.

My only solution was to grab the nearest towel from the rack on the wall in the bathroom and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.

And I made sure the towel was color coordinated to my dress!

And that is how I traveled to the Main Line Endoscopy Center in Bala Cynwyd from Phoenixville.  Sitting on a towel because if I hadn’t, the passenger seat in my husband’s car would have gotten “soiled”. And that would not be a good thing.

And that is how I entered, not only the building, but the area in which I had to enter to check in.

At this point I felt like a bottomless tap of recycled Gatorade. And my only thought was somewhere there was a Pee Wee Football league who could have made use of this recycled Gatorade and run faster to reach the goal post!

Hey buddy. I’LL help you win the game.  Just allow me to bend over and give you some nutritious and recycled Gatorade. You’ll win that game in record time!

Once changed, my body had no more liquid to dispose of and I was wheeled into the waiting area.  I was thrilled that I was able to keep my wig on and the staff was incredibly chipper –especially for 6:30 in the morning!

Mike explained the anesthesia process and Dr. Kaufman greeted me and went over the procedure and the next thing I knew; it was over and done with.

All is as well as it ever will be!

The results?  I had two polyps cut out of me.  I have Diverticulitis.  I’m fine.  And presently researching foods that won’t cause any flareups.

The colonization starts now.  I’ll be researching more colon-friendly foods!

So, I’m ready to lose weight but in a very healthy way.

And I’ll be back for another colonoscopy in five years.

Do yourself a favor—if you haven’t done so already, make an appointment for a colonoscopy.  I know it is a literal pain-in-the-ass because of the prep but treat yourself to the delightful concoction of Gatorade and laxatives.  Get a few trashy magazines to read in the bathroom and by all means, get an old towel and shove it up your………………………………………

And that’s it.  I’ve been stressed.  I’ve been a bit not myself and I needed a short break from writing.

I’m back now and rarin’ to go!

Take care of yourself.  You are your own gift to yourself and others!

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