The New Office Casual and Some Inspiration from Adam Ant

Posted on March 4, 2018 by Catherine

There’s so much for me to say today that I almost don’t know where to begin.  I’ll start here—back in September, I was a bit shocked to be let go from a job that I had for just over a year. In hindsight, I’m glad because it led to a better position with a very well-established company.

And  remember that I was giving myself the six-months of receiving unemployment benefits to concentrate on the “branding” of my blog and Instagram? What it came down to was this: I have absolutely no business acumen.  I despise networking.  I’m not full of myself although I am the center of my universe—but there’s a difference.  I  like to keep things real.  Anything I write about in a review, you know that I use and approve. If I don’t approve, you’ll know it!! During that six months of trial and error I also realized that I want to just keep my blog as it is.  I don’t want it to change.  I don’t want to become one giant advertisement.

Yeah..I got some new stuff to tell you!

However, some good did come my way.  I’m now an Amazon influencer (but still trying to figure out the process) and I have become an influencer for Wigs.com.  Every so often I’ll receive a product from a company or small business to review and that keeps me happy.  If I do make any monetary rewards from my Amazon influencer program, it’ll go in the bank saving for that day when any one of my kids gets married! So, when you see a link for an item that I recommend, it’ll direct you to  my page at Amazon.com:  My Amazon Atypical60 Page

Now that that’s out of the way, I have to say that I enjoy going to work in the morning and I’m very focused on what I do.  My little cubicle is my little corner of the working world and I love it that way.  I’m also thankful that I was hired, at 62 years old, by a corporation that is certainly not ageist!

My little corner of the world. A private cubicle where I can focus on the work at hand!  I love being part of a team and…J’aime travailler toute seule–I love working all alone. This is so perfect!! My new happy place!

It seems, though, that “office casual” or “business casual” is here to stay.  I get that.  Some of the staff  works from home two or three days a week and I’m sure nobody is getting dressed to the nines.  There is something very comfortable about dressing down for work.  You don’t have to worry about shirttails hanging out or a run in your pantyhose (if you wear hose, I don’t).

But—I have a closet full of skirts and as the Spring enters, I’ll be choosing to dress up a bit more.  The weather has been absolutely horrific this past week and I was happy to be dressing casually. Especially Friday!  A surprise snowstorm blew the power out at the office and we were let out early.  That was a good thing because traffic was atrocious on the commute home.

Have a look at what I wore this week to work. Then I’ll continue…

Monday had me dressing “casually” in a kilt skirt, tights and a J. Crew turtleneck sweater! I think a kilt skirt offers ease and comfort. It isn’t a too-snug fit and there’s ease in movement.  Tights are a great alternative for those of us who hate pantyhose and haven’t fake tanned the legs in a while. Keeping the tights/shoes the same color gives a nice long line for the legs!

Tuesday brought the kilt-comfort to a new level.  While I realize that keeping the tight/shoes one color. I make an exception for loafers!  My beloved Bass Weejuns add to that office casual environment–especially when I’m up and running to the printer!  (mine needs to be installed!).  A hunter green turtleneck sweater (I freaking love those sweaters from J. Crew!) blends well with the plaid kilt and I matched my bag with my tights!  Oh. I forgot.  I’m wearing my Justine wig from It’s a Wig. I can’t tell you how happy I am that my fellow co-workers are so accepting of my wigs!!!

Wednesday morning we overslept. I blame it on Tuesday night’s full moon. I didn’t sleep well.  I literally threw this ensemble of casualness on without a thought.  My ten dollar burgundy pants that were purchased at Old Navy.  I paired it with a hunter green Tippi sweater from J. Crew–I love the combo of green and burgundy.  I wore a neutral pair of Tory Burch Reva flats. (I have an upcoming blog post about the latest installment of the TB boots from hell saga coming up…)

Even though I overslept, there was still time to hang with Chippy before leaving for work!

Thursday brought about another fun casual look.  The weather has been so awful and I wore the faux suede mini skirt from J. Crew.  I love this skirt because of it’s simplicity.  Tights and boots gave it a 1960’s vibe and a leopard scarf from Dollar Tree (yes–a buck) gave it a fun and toasty look!

The black and tan combo is another favorite of mine!

I’m also enjoying my “getting ready” time to put my makeup on!

FRIDAY!  Oh what a disaster!  I’m so glad that I really dressed down.  We had a snow storm that turned out to be quite the surprise.  High winds and trees knocked down. The snow was heavy and wet. The power went out at work and it’s a huge office so we were let out early.  Anyhoo, yours truly wore shoes with no socks and I was sliding around the parking lot till I got to my car.

Then when I did get to my car, I couldn’t find the scraper so I scraped the snow off with my hands, then a gust of wind blew the snow all over me.  I had to laugh because it was so funny.  The commute home was awful but I didn’t care because I had my music on!

Friday’s snowy day outfit!  I had no idea it was going to snow!  I must have been out of the weather loop!  I took Friday Casual to a new level with my AG torn jeans!  Not a good choice when the weather is cold and snowy!  Every time I wear this striped sweater from J. Crew, Bonaparte tells me how much he loves it.  It is a great little sweater.  I also opted for ruined shoes.  OK. I knew it was going to rain but not snow–so I decided to wear these old, worn out TB Reva flats.  They are falling apart. I’m not kidding!

What say you?  Would YOU throw these shoes out?  I wouldn’t–because they are great in bad weather. I don’t want to ruin a good pair of shoes but I’ll wear ruined shoes when conditions call for it….

I brought the snow into my car. On second thought perhaps I should not have opted to wear those ballet flats. My feet got cold!

Ok. Anyway, you know how I love to listen to music in my car and I have a ton of CD’s.  The other day, I was looking through my selection and was feeling nostalgic as I slipped Adam Ant’s greatest hits into the player.  After really giving his songs a good listening to, I realized that Adam Ant truly was and is an inspirational man.  “Goody Two Shoes” was an homage to not drinking or smoking but not in a preachy way. He did it with sauciness and humor.

Adam Ant. Then and now.  Although “now” I don’t like his nails.  But he definitely has a Johnny Depp twinning thing going on!  

But—to me, the most inspirational of his songs is “Prince Charming”–the lyrics are so inspirational and we can all learn a lesson from them.  Overall, it’s a feel-good song about respect!

Don’t you ever. Don’t you ever.

Stop being dandy showing me you’re handsome.

Prince Charming. Prince Charming.

Ridicule is nothing to be scared of….

Don’t you ever. Don’t you ever

Lower yourself, forgetting all your standards.

Prince Charming. Prince Charming.

Ridicule is nothing to be scared of….

Silk or leather, or a feather

Respect yourself and all of those around you.

 New Wave music, punk rock—whatever you want to call his music, the lyrics are prolific, profound and perfect.  His words are inspirational.  Respect yourself and everyone else and don’t be afraid of ridicule.

Mr. Ant was also inspirational in my love for military jackets.  Hey.  The man’s outfits were greatness!

Ladies–this man is one of my fashion inspirations.  I don’t need no runway. I don’t need no Anna Wintour. I don’t need no fashun bloggers because I got Adam Ant!

And this hat.  I’ve always yearned for a bicorn hat–it’s so Napoleonic.  I think an upcoming project will be to try to make one! Why isn’t this hat sold in stores?

I’ve always wanted that perfect military jacket and I finally found one that would be great for office and errands.  Gap.  I called three stores and they don’t carry it.  I went to King of Prussia mall today, stopped at Gap and they sold out but never restocked.  This is just my luck.  I’m hoping that I can order the jacket online.  Bonaparte has me on a no-buy so we’ll see.  Maybe if I bake his favorite pound cake I’ll be able to swing it.

I want this jacket.  Bonaparte gave me a solid “NON”–even after I made the best Bearnaise sauce he’s ever had!  I swear my life is the Franco-American version of “I Love Lucy”!!

I hope your week was a great one!!  And speaking of “Prince Charming”—here it is for you!  I now have to get back to my laptop from Hell to undo the effing updates that HP put into place. I hate HP!!  Just sayin’!!! I hope to have this issue resolved before the Oscars tonight!  What will Frances McDormand wear????

Adam Ant’s Prince Charming outfit is to die for!!!! I want his boots. And his jacket. And his shirt….

 

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Getting Cheeky With Mature Skin

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Catherine

The only powders I will put on my face are “Well Rested” by Bare Minerals and my powdered eyeshadows.  In the summer when my face gets a bit dewy (which is fancy talk for sweaty), I’ll add a powdered bronzer—very, very lightly.  That’s it.

Wait. That’s not it.  I make exception for Laura Geller’s Baked products. In case you hadn’t read what I wrote about her products here’s a revisit:  Laura Geller Are You Effing Kidding Me?  You Made a Foundation that’s amazing AF!!

My warm-weather foundation. It’s amazeballs!

I’ve written a gazillion times of my love for Well-Rested. It’s a product I automatically purchase when I’m running low because it is a great eye brightener and even though it’s a powder, the wrinkles don’t show up.

My beloved Well-Rested. Which reminds me–I need to buy more!

Everything else is a cream-based product.  Especially my blush.  And let me tell you something. It isn’t easy to find a decent cream blush.  Some are too sparkly. Some don’t glide on that great.  Some aren’t pigmented.  And some fade after an hour or so.

When I was younger—even back into my early to mid-fifties, I was able to get away with a powder blush but once I hit my late fifties—nope!   My skin just got too dry and the powder blushes just didn’t look right.

I’ve written about this in past blog posts and the blushes I now use are creams but I’m reaching the bottom of the barrel with my Nars Multiples Stick and my Charlotte Tilbury Las Salinas.

Nars Multiple in Riviera on the left.  Charlotte Tilbury Beach Stick in Las Salinas on the right.  I love both of these and they apply wonderfully for the mature skin!

I’ve also hit pan on my Stila cream blush Sweet Pea which is my favorite and I’ll not be repurchasing because it’s been discontinued.  It isn’t even available on the Stila website.

I know–it’s a mess but I’ll continue to use this until I can’t use no more!!!!

So off I went in search of another cream blush.  And I found a great one that I’m gonna tell you about.

MAC Cosmetics.  You know that I’ve been obsessed with the eye shadow palettes that you can “create”.  Well, the same can be done with blush.

I can’t say enough about these great eye shadow palettes that I’ve created.  They are getting a lot of use from me!

I went back to the MAC store at the King of Prussia Mall and checked out the cream blushes.  I created a little palette of a blush and a contour.  Trust me, I don’t need another contour, but I figured this could be decent for travel.

Yet, another palette I’ve created.  This is my cheek palette!  On top, Dusk Taupe that I’m using for a contour. On the bottom, Pink Shock, a shockingly beautiful cream blush!

The blush, Pink Shock, certainly does look shockingly pink when you first look at it.  But it goes on to add a pretty flush.

Another plus is that the product stays put in the palette. It does’t move around. Notice the nick in the contour.  My nails.  I swear I can’t keep anything looking nice!

To apply, I gently pat, in a stippling motion, actually my eco blush brush and then very lightly pat on my upper cheekbone.  This blush has a great texture because it isn’t overly creamy.  And—it stays put. All day.

I think I paid under five bucks for the brush by Eco. It’s a great brush for applying blush!

The color lends itself well for a nice bit of brightness.  And blends in beautifully.

The contour—I used it today and applied with my finger then blended with a spoon brush. I like it a lot and think it’ll serve me well.  The color is a very cool taupe, which works well with my fair coloring.

But back to the blush.  The price was $14 each for the blush and the contour.  The palette, with the inserts to hold the blushes was $10.  So, for the price of $38, the duo cost less than the Charlotte Tilbury Las Salinas Beach Stick which costs $45 and the Nars Multiple which costs $39.  The Stila Cream blushes are $25 each and you get around the same amount of product as the MAC refill.

I think for the cost; the MAC cream blush refill is a great price and you have many shades to choose from.

Here’s what the blush looks like on me and in different lighting.

I’ve got the blush on!  See–it isn’t as bright as you would think!

Another look

And in car lighting!  I’m happy to be going to work!!!

So that’s it for today!  Let me know what you think if you are a user of blush.  Honestly, the cream blushes are incredibly mature skin friendly.  I highly recommend the MAC products and I’m telling you, I can’t wear MAC foundation because none of their shades work for me, but the other products are great!

I highly recommend this MAC cream blush. It’s really great for mature skin!

Today was a lovely day.  I got a great deal of work done and I’m just enjoying my job!  I was listening to Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” on my ride home and it made me think about the fact that all our days are quite lovely. Don’t you agree?

 

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Fashion Week vs. Fashion Weak vs. Fashion Strong!

Posted on February 25, 2018 by Catherine

Every now and then I’ll be inspired to write a blog based on another blogger’s post.  Yesterday I received the latest blog post from Catherine of “Not Dressed As Lamb”.  Her post,  Why I Don’t Go To London Fashion Week , touched on a subject that hit home with me.

Fashion Week.

Lately for me it’s just Fashion Weak.

From Milan Fashion Week.  Take that NY off the blazer, make the pants more fitted, wear with a different shirt and a smile, and a pair of pointy-toed kitten heels and this is a winner.  The second photo looks like Grandma from The Little Rascals (below)  I can’t even with the other two photos.  Very fashion weak.

Image result for the little rascals grandma

i.e. that second photo on top of this. That had to be inspired by Grandma!

As I’ve become older, and, I like to believe, more sage in my thinking, I’ve realized that fashion is something I don’t look at the same way I did when I was younger.

*Flashback to around 1966*

I remember spreading out on the living room floor on Sunday afternoons.  We attended Mass early in the morning, had our Sunday Roast dinner at exactly noon.  A bit of studying for school and then the enjoyment of taking the New York Times magazine and carefully reading about all the latest fashions of the times.  These articles would focus completely on the clothing and the designers. Mary Quant and André Courreges were my designer idols at the time. I was eleven years old, and at 62, both still remain my favorites.

I love this stock photo from alamy.  Mary Quant fitting a model. I would wear both of these dresses today!

And my favorite–Courreges!  This photo is from 1968 and I would be gloriously gleeful to have every one of these dresses in my closet now…

They speak to my style of simplicity!

Luckily for me, I have my revered Couregges hand-me-down that Bonaparte’s aunt, Daniele gave me..

….and here’s how I wear the bolero!  

There was a time when fashion designers were revered because of their talent for constructing beautiful ensembles and their know-how with fabrics and draping.

Vintage Dior.  This timeless look is so feminine and beautiful and the draping is just gorgeous!

Then—in the 1980’s fashions started to change.  Slowly, it wasn’t just about the designer’s talent anymore but it was about designer-as-celebrity.  Fashion started to be about who was wearing the designs.  Enter the celebrities.  And this is where my interest started to wane.

Don’t get me wrong, designers were coming into their own in a different way. Designers were now becoming celebrities in their own right.  The focus was less about their talent and more about their social lives.  Halston was everywhere.  I remember being at a huge fashion event dinner—an event where Halston was attending and he had a circle of models around him the entire time.  The only time they weren’t at his side was when they were in the ladies’ room.

Halston–he’s the first true “celebrity” designer of the 1980’s that I remember but his clothing was so beautifully simplistic and not complicated! Damn. I would wear every single one of those outfits and the shoes and the belts!

Anna Wintour turned Vogue into a rag when she started putting celebrities on the magazine’s cover—which put celebrity in the foreground and fashion a step back.  And my girl Grace Coddington, despised celebrities on the cover—she wanted models (so did I)

And this all trickled down to fashion week.  No longer are the old-school socialites the important ones sitting in the front rows.  Now, you have the Kardashians, other Z-list celebrities, bloggers and influencers.  And yeah, I know, I’m a blogger.  But I, along with most bloggers, can’t even afford the high price of the fashions at fashion week.

Calvin Klein was fashion strong when he started the designer jean craze. Now he’s fashion weak with having the Kardashian sisters campaigning his underwear line.  Sorry Calvin, nothing is still coming between me and my jeans. And, when I buy drawers, I’m not buying designer drawers to ride up the crack in my ass!  The cheapies will suffice just fine!

Those tighty whitey panties remind me of when I was pregnant and ended up wearing my ex-husbands underwear because mine no longer fit.  Every day I prayed as I entered the subway that I would not get into an accident because the rescue workers would think I was a cross-dresser!  

Or has fashion week been dumbed down to fashion weak?  I think it has.  What’s happened to Haute Couture?  Where is it hiding?  Mr. Karl—are you reading this?  Fashion has been dumbed down because there is no more elegance in fashion.  The sophistication level has hit rock bottom. The beauty of Haute Couture was that it could be easily inspired by mass-marketed clothing manufacturers and women in all age ranges could find a way to style those simple designs.

There is nothing beautiful or creative about this look.  It’s sloppy and pretentious and ridiculous. Fashion weak. Period.

I also wonder if true fashion has taken a turn for the worse due to the casual vibe of society.  Office casual (of which I am guilty of following), sloppy, slovenly attire at airports and en route in the air, pajamas at hotel restaurants.  I fear elegance is becoming extinct.

Runway fashions today are extra, overdone and just aren’t beautiful.  Although I have to admit, I do like a certain ensemble from Redemption.  In fact, I love it.

Generated by IJG JPEG Library

This ensemble from Redemption is gorgeous.  The only change I would make is the shoes.  This is fashion strong!

These days, I’m finding myself in love with smaller clothing companies like Sofistafunk The Skirt Company.  This company is a throwback to chic elegance with an edge and me and my style love that so much. Its as though the spirit of Dior returned with a very very modern vibe. I discovered this company on Instagram and immediately fell in love.

Wait–DIOR……

….SOFISTAFUNK!!   I’m so in love that I am ready to cry because this skirt makes me want to be back in NYC for good!

Look at that freaking skirt!!!  If I had a formal event to attend, I’m telling you, I would not think twice about one of these looks!

That middle pic, I would wear tight sateen ankle length pants with it for a 1950’s vibe.  Ms. McIntosh is great because she is designing for “everywoman” and not just a choice few!

Arlinda McIntosh is the creative director and founder of the Sofistafunk label and I’m almost jealous of her because –well, if I was a designer, I would design just the way she does.  In fact, I already have it in my delusional mind that when the time comes for me to be the mother of the bride or the mother of the groom, I’m wearing one of her  skirts and not the floor length either because I wanna move on the dance floor and shake moneymaker!

One of these skirts will be my “mother of…….” when any of my kids get married!  FASHION STRONG.  FASHION STRONGEST!!

The styles are simple and not complicated and absolutely gorgeous and every woman from 18 to 98 can slay these items! That’s the beauty of McIntosh’s clothing. Man I hope her company is around for a long, long time! And no–I’m not being sponsored–I just love her stuff!

And that being said, my new runway is the carpeted aisle that separates the cubicles at the office.  I shall saunter and strut my stuff up and down that aisle in my very office casual way.

Here’s a look at some of my casual office looks from this past week.  The weather put a big damper on my desire to wear heels simply due to my clumsiness so I ended up wearing lots of flats!

I wore this dress with boots on Monday.  The weather started to get really bad…

I went plaid and wore these suede j. crew flats in the rain. Luckily they weren’t ruined!

My favorite long bob, Swami from Freetress gave me a great head of hair in the rain. I wore old clothes a years-old pair of Campbell pants from J. Crew and Repetto ballet flats. My nat et nin bag came out of hiding!

Another extremely casual look–hopefully next week I’ll dress up more!!!

My personal favorite look of the week.  White Uniqlo jeans, blue suede Via Spiga flats, an L.A. tee from J. Crew–I HAD to have it because of my son Jake’s move to Los Angeles from NYC!  I wore my beloved navy Schoolboy blazer from J. Crew and one of my favorite wigs–April from Bobbi Boss.  I dunno–I just loved this look!

Let me know what you ladies and gents think of Sofistafunk.  I swear to God, I haven’t been this knocked over by clothing in a long time.  Too bad Bonaparte has me on a no-buy for now because I need to rock one of those skirts!!  You can check out more beauties on her Instagram feed @Sofistafunktheskirtco

Oh…and this camo skirt!  I would love it even more in a shorter version but this is amazing!!!

Anyway, I gotta go.  I’m in serious need of a mani-pedi and face wax!  Those chin hairs have got to be taken off!!!!!

The great and ever-fashionable David Bowie.  Fashion!

 

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M”eye” New Obsession!

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Catherine

Alright. So maybe it isn’t qu”eye”te an obsession.  But—I do have a new “thing” that I’m loving.  And it has to do with the eyes in case you haven’t figured it out!

In fact, it’s eye shadow.  My new thing is creating palettes just for me and only for me.  I’ll explain.

Now that I’m back in the office mode, I like waking up a bit earlier in the morning.

I wake up rarin’ to go!!

Taking my time applying my makeup is very enjoyable and Zen for me.  Bonaparte brings my cawfee, I savor it and get ready.

I love the message in my mug!!  It’s nice to start the day with!

But, while getting ready, I also like  having less of a choice in what eye shadows to wear. I have palettes with many colors to chose from and even though most of the palettes are neutrals, there’s an awful lot to chose from with the non-color colors!

Don’t get me wrong. I love this Morphe palette. But when getting ready for work, I don’t want o spend time mulling over what shade to wear!

And while perusing the internet I found out about the MAC palettes that you can create yourself. I touched on these vaguely in another blog post but didn’t go into detail.  Anyway, I ordered one palette and liked it so much that I went to the MAC store at King of Prussia mall and purchased another.

Here’s the  first palette I ordered online from the MAC site!

This is the palette I purchased online from MAC’s site.

What I love about creating your own palette is that you can shop for specific shadows that you know will look good on you and that you will continuously wear.  The price is right.  Six dollars for each shadow and the empty palette is eight bucks.

So, get this.  When we left for DC last weekend, I figured that I would do a video in the car about the shadows.  I did and haven’t uploaded it to my YouTube channel yet.  Anyway, you know how I’m always writing about not bringing good makeup with me while I’m traveling in fear I may leave it behind?

Well—guess what?  When we arrived home on Sunday, I couldn’t find the two palettes from MAC that I used making the video.  I was freaking out that I left them in the hotel.  I chalked it up to a personal “I told you so” and ordered a third palette from MAC.

It wasn’t until I placed my order that I realized the other two shadows might have been left in the car—and they were.  They fell under my seat.  I was so thrilled and happy to know that a third shadow would be coming my way.

On Tuesday the third palette was delivered and it is a beauty!

The shadows came very securely packaged in this black envelope..

..wrapped in black MAC tissue paper…

I purchased five refill shadows. One–just in case..

Here’s the empty palette. You place the refills into the little circular areas and …

..Voila!  Here’s your instant palette!  In the palette top left, Tempting. Top right, Vanilla. Bottom left, Satin Taupe. Bottom right, Quarry.

The shadows on skin.  From left, Tempting; Vanilla; Satin Taupe; Quarry. 

I’m telling you these MAC shadows are very mature-eye friendly.   They aren’t chalky and the pigmentation is just enough that the shadows are buildable.

MAC sent me a tiny sample of mascara. I think this will be perfect for lower lashes!

I’ll use this Upward Lash on my lower lashes! It’s a nice sample!

Some looks:

The shadows I have on my eyes today are from the new palette above.  They are very subtle!

This was from the first palette with the peachy pink shadow..

And this from the palette I purchased at the MAC store in KOP mall!

I would say I’m all set for now!  I think three of these MAC palettes will suffice for many looks!

Hey. I also mentioned in passing a great tip for applying foundation.  Ohhhh…this one is life changing!

I saw it on Wayne Goss’s channel.  And it is so simple that it’s insane!

The thing is–Wet n Wild’s Photofocus foundation is great on it’s own but with the Argan Oil–it is brought to another level of greatness!

Add a drop of oil to your foundation before applying.  I’ll put some foundation on the back of my hand then add a drop of oil.  I have both Argan and Marula oil.  Doesn’t matter.  One drop is all it takes.

The Ordinary sells Marula oil that is perfect for dropping into your foundation!

The oil blends in so well and the foundation literally glides on your face and doesn’t settle in the lines and wrinkles at all.

In all the photos of me in this post–I am wearing foundation that I’ve dropped oil into and the difference is very visible–or rather invisible!!

And it makes sense.  Do any of you remember years and years ago when cosmetics companies actually made oil-based foundations? I do.  And then these oil-based foundations just disappeared!  I guess it happened when the cosmetics companies decided to toss the older, mature woman out to pasture.

I remember the days of oily foundation. When the foundation was left unused for a while the oil would separate from the foundation and it would have to be shaken to blend–like salad dressing!

Adding the drop of oil brings the old-school, oil-based foundations back to fruition.  I’m not talking about moisturizing foundation—I’m talking oil!!! This has been life-changing for me and every foundation I have whether the cheapest or priciest is better with the oil!

Honestly. Try it and you really will thank either me or Wayne Goss!!! Let me know–please!

On another note, I’m being very good with not overeating.  It’s tough.  I’m not ready to weigh myself yet. I’ll give it till the end of March to step on a scale.  But I’m trying.

I was listening to an old Fleetwood Mac CD on the way home from work today and I forgot how much I loved this group.  FM always made me feel happy and I ended up driving the entire commute with a huge smile on my face!  Do you remember “Monday Morning”?

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Why Working is a Good Thing as I Age!

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Catherine

Back in the day, I gave up a promising career on Wall Street.  I did not sacrifice my career when I decided to leave.  It was simply a decision that was made by me.  I left to raise my children.

I swear to God.  I had the same exact suit as the woman in the illustration. I have a photo somewhere and when I find it I’ll post it!  I even wore one of those little bowed ties!!  And the Sony Walkman. And I had that same Coach bag (which was better than the Coach bags now).  And the Bean boots!!!!

It also helped that some 31 years ago, a two-income household was not a necessity.  I was lucky that my husband had a career that allowed me to be home to raise our children.  We gave up fancy vacations but really, not more than that.

And during my gig as a SAHM, I worked harder than I ever have in my life.  It was fun. I loved being home because my life was centered around the kids, the two dogs and our home.

Yes.  That is true!!  Nap time was when ALL the housework was done!

Keeping busy is always a great thing.

Some days did seem like this but my home was always immaculate!

The kids got older and with life changes such as a divorce, I re-entered the workforce.  It wasn’t easy but it was doable.

And when I moved to Pennsylvania, I started a job that I loved.  But the economic downfall led to financial disaster and I lost my job five years later.  The job market was never the same.

Add to that another job that ended up with a closure and, at 59 years old, I found myself in a position that I never imagined.  Unemployed. Unemployed and not able to find a job as good as the ones I had in the past.

Nobody wants to hire an older person.  It’s a rare occasion when they do.  And in the two stints of unemployment I found out that it is much better to be employed than to be unemployed.  And it’s worse when you are an unemployed, empty-nester with a mortgage and car payments and other bills to pay.

And trust me on this–there are TONS of older folks out there looking for jobs. I’ve met a great deal of them through support groups. It’s sad that the job market is faltering for the elders!

Don’t get me wrong.  If I was in the glorious one percent, it wouldn’t be that bad to be without a job because I would be able to 1.  Go to an expensive gym every day and work out 2.  Go shopping all day for the expensive stuff 3.  Go away on many trips and vacations.

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Believe me. Life could be pretty darn cool if I were a princess!! I could get into the life of jet-setting leisure and perhaps own a kingdom!

Besides, the greatest thing about being home was that I could write posts for my blog—which I thoroughly enjoy and it has become my baby!

But—staying home without a job left me no sense of purpose.  I’ll be the first to admit it.  I miss having the kids around.  Then the stress of looking for a job has an awful effect on me.  I eat.  And I eat some more. And I eat some more.

And I wasn’t eating the healthy stuff either.  I made this for dinner after WORK last Friday!  I’m improving!

And I become lazy—which is a very, very bad thing.  And being lazy as you age is an even worse thing!

The lazier I get, the lazier I become!

The past few months, with a break at Christmas time, were a whirlwind of job interviews, a bad job that I stayed with for a couple of days, more interviews, having to be “on” during those phone interviews, and more face-to-face interviews.  It’s taxing.  One interviewer told me—and she was very nice about it that they had someone “in mind” who would be with their company for a long time.  Shades of Grace and Frankie when they applied for a bank loan and were denied because of their age!

My girls Grace and Frankie–after they were rejected for a bank loan due to their age. Look at them–they look fabulous!!!!

Thank God I have Bonaparte.  He’s always supportive and encouraging!

In all honesty, the day I came home  after interviewing the job that I now have, I was discouraged.  I told my husband that I didn’t have much hope because I’m sure I was too “old”.  And a strange thing happened. A week later, I received an offer.

And here’s why I enjoy working while many of us are thinking about retirement.

Working keeps me busy.  It makes me think.  I’m using my brain to resolve issues and to learn new computer programs.

Hmmmm.  I’m thinking.  And it’s fun!

Working keeps me from eating.  Yeah. I said it.  I bring my little yogurt and fruit and sit at my desk during lunch time so that I can leave a bit earlier!

I ran out of blueberries so I’m bringing lemon curd to mix in with my yogurt for tomorrow’s lunch!  

Work gives me the opportunity to meet new people.  I’m not by any means a water cooler gal nor am I at work to make best friends.  But—it’s always fun to work with nice people and to be a part of a team.

I’m social enough but not too much. Gotta get back to work!

Working keeps me young. And I don’t mean a throwback to my wild twenties. It keeps me mentally young!

Working gives me a new bit of self-respect. I get to spend time applying my makeup in the morning so that I look good.

Did I tell you about the makeup tip from Wayne Goss?  Add a drop of oil to your foundation.  It is life changing!!!  See?  I love doing my makeup!!!!

And I’m using more subtle eye looks too!  

I also get to wear all my fun clothes all day. Yeah. I mean all day.  When I was unemployed, I would get dressed to go to the store and to run errands. Once I came back home I changed into my sloppy clothing of either yoga pants or pj bottoms (but never out—especially to a restaurant) and a tee shirt.  And when you become very comfortable in those clothes, it’s easy to become a slob!

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This was my unemployment uniform. Funny thing is I’m wearing the same outfit now!!

Working gives me a routine.  Some of us need a routine. I’m one of those who thrive on routines.  It helps to keep my life organized.  I’m writing a blog tonight.  I’ll write another one on Thursday.  I’ll film a couple of YouTube videos over the weekend and another blog post on Sunday.  I’m very much into this time management!

I’m happiest when things are running like clockwork. I love a routine!

I foresee myself working well into my eighties if I’m lucky.  And I’ll be a very youthful 80 some day!

The scary thing is twenty years ago I was 43 and twenty years from now I’ll be 83!  I need to save up for a facelift! I better stay working!

In the meantime, have a look at what I wore last week to work.  It’s fun to be back in the outfit planning and the office is very casual but I’ll still dress up a bit!

Last Tuesday was my first day at work. I wore my favorite leopard skirt.  And lighter hair. And, BTW, my wigs are also very popular at the office!

Wednesday was gray day. I wore my Banana Republic blazer from many years back and Pixie pants.  I wore my Carrie wig from Uniwigs LaVivid Collection!

On Thursday, I was mad for plaid in my favorite plaid blazer.  Another pair of Pixie pants and old Tory Burch Reva flats added to the casual uniform.  I wore my Justine  wig and a red Tippi Sweater.

And on Friday, we are allowed to wear jeans.  I ended up taking the sneakers off and wearing loafers because it rained and I didn’t want to get my sneakers dirty!

And I look forward to each day so that I can work to my best ability!

That would be me!

Anyone out there in the job market? Interviewing? Newly hired? Ready for retirement?  Let’s tawk about it!!!! Comments please!

Here’s some Elvis Costello “Welcome to the Working Week” from the My Aim is True Album!  A perfect Yuppie song!

 

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Back to DC. Back to Work. And The Slobbing of America!

Posted on February 18, 2018 by Catherine

Bonaparte just left to get Chippy from his overnight stay at PetSmart’s Pet Hotel and we arrived home a little while ago from DC.

Our overnight getaway was a combination of a Valentine’s Day gift and a celebration for my new job.  I’ll write about the job this week.  I’m very happy to be back into the swing of the work force and right now, I’m feeling like a stuffed sausage so I will be embarking upon a new weight loss journey because I gained weight during my unemployment stint.

Our trip to DC was a combo of Valentine’s Day and a celebration of my new job!

But for now, I’m concentrating on our weekend.

As is Bonaparte’s way, he loves me in dark hair.  Lately though, I’ve become quite fond of the lighter locks and we reached a very pragmatic compromise.  When we are together on date nights or out someplace special, I’ll wear a dark wig for him.

This was the look I was aiming for when we went out to dinner.  Outre’s Perm Yaki 14″ is one of Bonaparte’s faves on me!

At work, and when I’m out and about, I’m transitioning into the lighter hair.

 

This is the look I wore on our way to DC.  Lighter hair–April by Bobbi Boss, my J. Crew Dover blazer, a white shirt, jeans, a scarf and loafers. I also brought along a dressy black wool coat for the evening!

Saturday’s weather started out somewhat on the sunny side but cold.  After all, it is still winter and will be for another four weeks!  Snow was in the forecast but it didn’t stop us from driving from Philly to DC. We’ve done the drive many, many times.  When Oona was at University of Maryland, we would always stop by to see her.  Now we just drive straight through.

It started to snow just as we hit Maryland.  And it got worse.  And worse.  By the time we reached our hotel, the weather turned into a true “Wintry Mix” of snow and sleet.  But it still didn’t deter us in any way.

I started playing around with filters on the way down.  Honestly–I didn’t see much of a difference.  My original photo is on the top left.  The subtle changes?  I wish I could afford to look like the photo on the bottom left. Me–but a better version! I’m so shallow. Forgive me Lord!

We usually arrive at the hotel early enough to relax for a couple of hours but due to the slippery roads and low visibility from the falling snow, we had to dress for dinner a few minutes after we arrived to the Marriott.

No big deal though.  It didn’t take long to get ready.  I applied my makeup before we left home and I’m not that girl who reapplies makeup during the day.  No touch up was needed. Just a change of hair, lipstick and clothing.

My hips just keep getting wider but I love this stretchy black tee and my J. Crew Pixie pants. I can eat and the pants stretch with my expanding belly!  I also wore my $7.00 thrifted suede J. Crew shoes. And Bonaparte’s favorite wig! 

We dressed very appropriately for the weather, which, was really bad when we left for Georgetown.

Our dinner was at La Chaumiere, a French restaurant on Georgetown’s busy M Street.  We started going there after our favorite little place, Bistro Français, closed.  And, although it was sad to see a well-established place no longer around, La Chaumiere easily won us over!

La Chaumiere!  What a lovely restaurant and by the time we left, the line was out to the street!

It’s a cozy, warm, very homey and extremely busy restaurant with many old-school French favorites.  Bonaparte and our server were communicating in French and my man was so happy.  He really does become so comfortable when he is speaking in his native tongue!

View from our table!  It’s a homey place and the food is excellent!

We started out with our Kirs while fresh, warm bread was brought to the table. And Bonaparte was in heaven because the baguette slices were just to his liking.

I don’t even remember taking this photo.  I drank a lot of wine!

I began my meal with a terrine of duck foie gras in a berry sauce and toast.  I have no idea why, but my Frenchman started with a salad.  This—from someone who hates vegetables!  He regretted his choice as soon as he saw what I had.  And I realized this so, me, being the giver that I am, allowed him a few tastes!

This terrine and everything else was the bomb!  I’m ordering it next time we return!

For our main plates, I had a veal chop which was great and he had medallions of beef.  Both our entrees were fantastic!

Veal Chop, mushrooms, a cute potato patty wedge–it was delicious!

Bonaparte’s beef medallions. I ate the vegetables!

Dessert was a flourless chocolate cake! I sucked this in like a Hoover vacuum cleaner!

Dessert. And the sauce is caramel. I really need to start fasting!

The walk back to the car was a good one because by the time we left the restaurant the weather cleared up.  We took a nice drive around the city and headed back to the hotel.

Here’s where the fun starts.

When was the last time you stayed at a hotel?  I’ll be honest.  We rarely stay at hotels these days.  Our Paris visits were always at Daniele’s apartment.  Our choice of hotel while in the City of Lights is the Hotel Prince de Conti. It’s in the same neighborhood as the apartment and we’re very comfortable in this hotel—it’s become like home.  In the South of France, we stay at the apartment in Theoule.

When we do go to a hotel we try to find Marriott Hotels.  Throughout  Oona’s Irish dance competing days, we stayed at many Marriotts and we have always been pleased.

And when we go to DC, we stay at the Marriott in Falls Church.

A bit has changed since our last visit which was about a year ago.

The hotel no longer has the credit card type of “key” which you insert at the door.  You now use a credit card “key” that you swipe over the doorknob area.  A little bar at the top of the door knob area lights up green when the door is opened.

Bonaparte holding the “key”…..

You swipe the “key” over the doorknob area and that little white strip turns green and opens the door. It doesn’t–at least not all the time!

Sounds simple. Right?  Not after a bottle of wine.

I would say we spent a good ten minutes swiping and no green light.  It wasn’t until I started using naughty language that my proper husband went in search of assistance.  And just as he came back with a staff member at his side, I swiped once more in anger and the door opened!

Call me old-fashioned, but I like those cards that you insert into a slot at the doorknob to open the door.

I’m not done.  There’s another gripe.  Lighting.

Since when did hotels stop using high-wattage lightbulbs in their light fixtures and lamps?

Who is this lighting for?  And why is the lighting so low?

Now—mine eyes have never seen the glory because I’m half blind. OK? In fact, I can barely see two feet in front of me and at home, I need to apply my makeup in full on 200-watt lighting from two lamps and an overhead light fixture.  I won’t even mention the magnified mirror I use.

This is where I applied my morning makeup–and I had a very hard time because of the lighting!

I swear I’m going to have to invest in a head lamp for the next time we travel. I can have better lighting when I apply my makeup!

While I realize that hotels may try to set the romantic mood during the evening, some of us need to see in order to get to that romantic place.  For the amount of money people are spending to stay at a hotel, why is Marriott skimping on the lighting?

We got a great deal on the junior suite and paid nowhere near the $750 charge. But for $750 Marriott can’t provide decent lighting?

But I can’t complain about the bed. It was so comfortable that we ended up sleeping till almost nine o’clock this morning.

And one thing we love is the breakfast that this hotel has to offer in the overnight package (I sound like such an old person right now—but it’s true!).

Compete buffet with a great selection.  I went with my usual egg white omelet with spinach, mushroom and cheese.  And the asparagus and sweet potato hash on the side.  Believe me, it’s the only healthy thing I’ve eaten since October!

The egg white omelet was delicious–but the asparagus and sweet potato hash was divine!!!!!!

And here’s where I have another complaint.  This is big folks. Oh—this griped complaint is huge!

Whatever happened to dress codes? 

Hotel guests arrived for breakfast dressed in pajamas.  Yes.  PJ’s.  And flip-flops and those slides.

This is an exaggeration–or is it?  But I’m telling you guests at the Marriott arrived for breakfast in pajamas. That is vulgar and vile!

A good number of the men arrived dressed as if they were auto mechanics getting ready to slide under their cars to fix or assess an issue.  Filthy, baggy jeans, old tee shirts, baseball caps.  What is going on here?

I’m telling you, not much offends me.  But sitting across from a woman wearing pj bottoms, with her filthy feet in flip flops turns my stomach. To make matters worse, random children were wandering around while their parents paid no attention to them. And yes.  The kids were in pajamas!

And let’s add flip flops to that as well!

Look. I don’t consider myself to be a snob—because I’m not.  But there’s this thing called respect. And there’s this other thing called consideration. Respect for yourself and respect for others.  And consideration for others is seemingly an intangible item that has gone to extinction along with the Woolly Mammoth.

Consideration, respect and dress codes are about as extinct as my Woolly Mammoth buddy–and he’s better dressed!

I can be crass, uncouth and loud. However, when out in public, I put my manners on and save the crass for the confines of my chateau! I grew up with the instruction from my parents to be considerate and respectful.

Unless I’m at the beach at a snack bar or at my blanket, I’m not wearing flip-flops to a restaurant. Nor am I wearing pajamas.  I make the effort to get dressed.  And you don’t need to get dressed to the nines.  A good-fitting pair of jeans and a nice shirt will do. Since when is bedroom attire acceptable to wear in public?

Bonaparte was even more shocked at the way the guests were dressed.  He mentioned that Americans are becoming more and more sloppy in appearance and I sadly, had to agree.  Remember when people actually dressed to travel?  Remember when people took pride in the way they looked?

Anyway, our plan was to go to the Holocaust Museum—we hadn’t been in a while and thought it was time to revisit.  That plan went out the window when we saw the massive line out into the street.

We didn’t make it to the Holocaust museum or the National Gallery but I got a few nice pics!

We forgot it was President’s Weekend!! Tons of people were visiting DC this weekend—we headed over to The National Gallery but the line to get in was just a bad.

I’m always intrigued by the Washington Monument–it is a beautiful structure!

I love everything about this shot–the sun was hiding at just the right moment!

And so, we simply had a good chuckle and decided that next time, we should make sure we return on a quieter weekend.  It’s so funny but I find as I age, I’m just not into crowds the way I was when I was younger.  I don’t mind crowds at all, but when I go to a museum, I want to savor every exhibit and be there when the crowds aren’t.  That’s all!

Our Nation’s Capital!!

So—tell me, what’s you take on the way too casual attire?  Does it bother you?  Do you think I’m nuts?

Let’s hear it!  Have a great evening and for those of you who are off from work tomorrow have a lovely day!!!

Bonaparte likes to listen to Classical music and that’s what we were listening to in the car.  Here’s one of my favorites by Chopin.  Nocturne op.9 No. 2!

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HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!!

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Catherine

It’s the annual day of  love!  St. Valentine’s Day!

There are so many interpretations on this subject.  I’m kind of liking Pompeo Batoni’s rendition of Diana and Cupid.

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Diana and Cupid by Pompeo Batoni.  1761.  Cupid’s been around for a long time!

Anyway, I just wanted to wish you all a very happy Valentine’s Day!

I love you!  And I thank you for continuing to read this blog!

So here’s how my Valentine’s Day rolled.  While I was getting ready for work today, Bonaparte slipped an envelope into my hand.  Inside was a Valentine’s Day card (and I’m sorry that I didn’t take a photo because it’s hanging in my work cubicle!

In the card was a piece of paper with a message that read “I AM TAKING YOU TO WASHINGTON, DC FOR THE WEEKEND!”

I’m telling you, I was thrilled!  I was so happy because we hadn’t been to DC in ages and we always have a great time.  We chill at the hotel, then go out to dinner, then on Sunday we hit the National Gallery and come home.  Just a nice little getaway!

Trust me, this was a great surprise because thinking about it took my mind off of the traffic issues on 422 this morning.  My second day of work.  I left early to print out some documents for the day and what normally takes 20 minutes took over an hour-and-a-half.

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And many people in the Philly area have this 422 Sucks sticker on their cars. I want one too!

There was a ten-car pile up,  and six other accidents along this horrific road this morning.  Sadly there was a fatality.  And everyone arrived at the office late today!

Anyway,  we are taking it easy for the evening.  I’m going upstairs to watch the Olympics and the coverage hasn’t been that great so far.

I’ll be reporting on my week on Saturday morning before we leave for DC.  I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!!

Here’s a very pretty song that is very appropriate for today!  Love Makes The World Go Round!

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What’s New With Me? Ohhhhh—Have Some Fun and Find Out!

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Catherine

It was a  fun weekend . Roman  was here for the weekend and we went to the movies.  The Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville has viewings of old films and we saw“In The Heat of The Night” starring Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier!  Neither of us had ever seen it and I’ll tell you, after seeing this film, we have regressed since we’ve progressed!

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Two powerful performances and an Oscar for the movie as Best Picture of 1967 and Rod Stieger as Best Actor.  This was one great film!

I’ve got some new stuff to share with you—so please allow me to take a moment here.  Recently I was accepted into Amazon’s Influencer program but I’m really confused as to how it works.  Here’s a link to my influencer thingy.  I’m still trying to make good on this:  Influencer – atypical60
Link:  https://www.amazon.com/shop/atypical60

God only knows if I’ve done this right so have a look see if you dare!! I’ll be adding more items  as I figure it all out!

Anyway,  I registered for the beauty site “Beautylish” last week.  I’ve been intrigued by the site because they sell The Ordinary products and everyone I know who buys from this site loves it.  I have to say, the way Beautylish packages the items is just so great. It’s like receiving a gift!!  Here are my purchases and the total came to less than $35.00!  Free shipping too!

Opening the box is like Christmas!  And that little velvet pouch contained samples!

look how cute the wrapping is…

And it gets better!

Here’s the products I ordered.  I can’t wait to use them…

And look–The Ordinary adds stickers that you can place on the products tubes, bottles, etc. so that you know when to use them!!

A sampling of Oribe shampoo and conditioner was included.  Too bad I don’t have enough hair to use the shampoo on!!! LOL!!

Now—while I realize that I have enough bags and don’t need any more, I will tell you that trying to hunt down a decent and affordable cross-body bag has been in the back of my mind for quite a while.  Seriously—what I have been looking for is a bag that looks a lot more expensive than it is.  I’m also looking for a bag that’ll hold my stuffed wallet, my overstuffed lipstick pouch, my phone, a pen and pad.  I need this in a compacted fashion. And price.  I don’ want to spend a fortune on a bag that’ll be used to literally (not “lich-ruh-lee) will be thrown into my car, then worn on my body and used for grocery and mall shopping—and when we go into NYC to mope around!

And so, before I picked Roman up at the Paoli station on Friday, I stopped at TJ Maxx.  I normally don’t bother perusing the handbag section because there are always a ton of Michael Kors and Calvin Klein bags which are hideous to me.  But—I took a look at the offerings anyway.  Just as I was ready to leave the section, I spotted a bag –and from my bad eye no less!  It looked really expensive but I was drawn to the color and to the simple design.  When I saw the price tag, I threw it in the cart!  $16.99!  Perfect!

Here’s a look:

Here’s the front of the bag.  Very simple design. No logos or anything. I like that..

Another frontal view.

Back view –has a zippered compartment

…the front flap folds over and also has a zippered compartment–you can also see how long the strap is and it can be adjusted

….this front zippered flap is great for hiding stuff..

this bag holds the important items in a very streamlined way.  I’m very happy with this $16.99 price!

I also stopped at the mall because I had to pick up my engagement ring.  Did I mention it needed to be repaired?  When I got mad at my computer and the whole printer debacle:  Here’s THAT post, I had a tantrum and started throwing things.  Well, I hit my hand against the banister and not only bruised it, but I loosened a prong that was holding the diamond in place.  Luckily it was repaired and I feel so much better now.  Let’s hope I don’t have any more temper tantrums in the near future!

Let me TRY to not lose my temper at my laptop anymore!

OK..so I stopped at Sephora and made a lip gloss purchase.  I’ve heard all about Buxom lip products and how great they are and I picked up this lippie.  The color is “Dolly”—it is a very nice neutral but I’m not crazy about this gloss.  Why?  Because it does nothing to plump up my lips—that’s why!!!  It feels very tingly—and that doesn’t bother me.  But I foolishly spent $20 on a product that clearly did nothing for me.  I learned another lesson.  Geez. I spent less money on a great handbag!

The color, Dolly, is a beautiful neutral but I’m just not impressed with this Buxom full-on lip cream.  It didn’t make my lips plumper!

Also, lately, I’ve been playing around with eyeshadow palettes.  I’m loving the Morphe palettes I’ve gotten—no doubt about it.  But, I wanted to get a smaller palette to use for a different purpose.  Ohhhh I may as well tell you…

I’m going back to work.  And I’m very happy because it will be in a corporate setting.  I’m not sharing the company’s name because I don’t know how they would feel about having a blogger on board.  I start on Tuesday and I’m really excited.  First of all, I’ll lose the weight that I gained from being home since September. Fifteen pounds of excess.  Am I upset?  Yes and no.  I’m upset that I had no self-discipline.  No because it was stress eating and stress eating is better than smoking.  Regardless, being in an office setting and focusing on the tasks at hand will keep me busy and back into a routine of eating meals at a set time.

But, I’ll also be thrilled to be back into nice clothing and sharing what I wore for the week with you. It’s been a very daunting roller-coaster ride because of the many interviews I had.  Hipster Jesus has been good to me!

I’ll be happy to share OFFICE clothing that will, once again, be worn.  This garb will be left for the weekends!

And that’s why I’ve been messing around with eyeshadows.  Since neutrals are my faves, I wanted to find a mix of the prettiest ones I could find.  Then I found out that MAC cosmetics has refillable palettes you can create yourself.  I like this idea.  Makeup Geek, an online company, also has palettes you can create as well.  The shadows, both from MUG and MAC, are $6.00 each.  The empty palette to hold four shadows from MAC is $8.00.  Not a bad deal.

I ended up creating two palettes—both neutrals with a bit of a kick. They’ll be great for work— if I’m running a bit late and don’t want to mull over a palette with 35 choices!

This is one of the MAC palettes I’ve created.  I’m wearing these shadows today.  

Here’s the other MAC palette I created.

Overall, I’m happy with the MAC shadows.  The are not as pigmented as I thought they would be; however, the less pigmented shadows are good for a subtle office look!

So that’s it.  Today’s look is with one of the MAC palettes and a blonde wig!  Hope you like!

I’m wearing the first Mac palette that is pictured.  My foundation today is The Ordinary Serum foundation.  On my lips is the Covergirl Outlast lipstick–a coral red.  Very simple.

Today’s eyes.  More subtle–a nice look!

Oh..I’ve been listening to nothing but funk for the past few days.  I created a funk station on my iPhone’s Pandora radio station and it’s great to listen to songs from the 1970’s!  Here’s Average White Band.  Pick up the Pieces!

 

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I’m Wearing Expired Makeup Today. And Like Jimmy Cracked Corn—I Don’t Care!

Posted on February 9, 2018 by Catherine

Because Roman is going to be using the upstairs guest room, and that’s also where I put my makeup on every morning, I decided to tidy up a bit.

This is the “hidden” dirt that came off my vanity. It’s painted black so it’s difficult to sometimes see where the dirt is!  This is all from eyeshadow and powders!

Then one thing led to another and I decided to go through drawers and clean—really clean.

I found Euros!!  But—they’ll be saved for our next visit overseas-I can’t spend them here.

This is a sampling of the euros I found!  I need to take a flight to France so I can spend this.  CityPharma please!

Also found—or rather, rediscovered, was a stash of old Trish McEvoy makeup.  I’m telling you, there is a reason that I’ve never trashed this.

In this case, is a bunch of overpriced stuff….read on…

I’ll tell you the story.

Oh…. about 12 years ago—possibly 13 years ago, I wasn’t feeling too great about myself.  My longest-divorce-in-the-State-of-New-Jersey hadn’t yet been finalized. Bonaparte and I were dating.  Oona was still in high school—her senior year.   I was living in a small apartment which was awful.  I was stressed and…well, if you’ve been through this stuff—you know what I’m talking about.

It was one of those weekends that I was visiting Bonaparte in PA and I decided to stop at Nordstrom.  I thought it would be a great idea to purchase a bit of makeup. My spirits needed lifting.

Now—understand, I had no money and was in serious debt at the time—but it didn’t stop me from doing what I’m about to tell you.

I stopped by the Trish McEvoy counter and a sales assistant must have sensed my vulnerability. She grabbed me and went into one of those “you-need-this-to-make-your-life-better” spiels.  I fell for it hook, line and sinker and before you know it, I purchased $400 worth of product and an overpriced case to house everything.

Some of the makeup is no longer with me—but the leftovers are in this case.  And it was hidden in the back of a drawer.  I took it out and decided to wear some of the eyeshadows and blush powders today.  All are expired—I mean, it’s been over ten years.

The best thing about this case is that it can store all my little samples. I forgot about this!

Powder blush and bronzer is no longer my friend but I managed to use it today.

I used the highlighter?  or is it blush?  whatever, I used that as an additional eye shadow.

How did it go?

I’ve been spoiled by other brushes because these ones are nothing to rave about–and they aren’t inexpensive either!

It went alright.  And I mean a solid alright.  Not great. Not bad.  Just average.

I have six shadows and eyeliners in here.  The shadows are not very pigmented!

The purple shadows, although everyone says are universally flattering—I’m not crazy about them.  Neutrals are still my thing.

I’m glad for the lack of pigment because I really don’t like “colored” eye shadow. I’ll stick to my neutrals!

Surprisingly, the bronzer and blush weren’t that bad.  I had to throw away the concealer because it was way too dark.

Truth?  I’ll keep the blush and bronzer for the summer when my skin is a bit sweaty.  

And I used some of the bronzer on my eyes.  I also used an eyebrow pencil.

Overall.  “Meh”–I do like the eyebrow pencil though!

Oh–and the reason that I kept this Trish McEvoy case and makeup was to teach me a serious lesson.  No makeup like that is worth $400. Not now. Not ever. Never.

And never ever purchase makeup when you feel bad about yourself.  Aggressive sales people will sniff you out the way a dog sniffs out a buried bone!  I’m not saying that all cosmetic sales assistants are aggressive—because they aren’t!!  But Trish McEvoy’s sales people are aggressive as all get out.  Even when I worked at Nordstrom, they were shameless.

I’m off to run errands now and pick up Roman.  Bread is baked and smells mighty fine!!!

What say you ladies?  Have you had experiences like this?  Let’s talk.

I’m listening to funk on Pandora Radio today.  Here’s some Atomic Dog—remember this?

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What Did I Do Today? What. Did. I. Do. Today? I’ll Tell You What I Did!

Posted on February 8, 2018 by Catherine

My loving husband came home from work a little while ago.  He wasn’t in the best of moods because he made a remark about the state of our stove—and I cleaned it.  His adoring tone seemed to be questioning if I did anything all day.

No. I did nothing except to lay around —what do you think I did?

So I’m gonna tell you what I did—because I don’t want to act the way I did when I was angry at my computer—remember that???

Now–tomorrow I pick Roman up at the train station.  He’s visiting for a few days and I’m giving him the King’s treatment.  He was at the Super Bowl.  Jimmy Fallon had a special show after the “This Is Us” episode that aired after the Super Bowl.  Then he had to catch a Six AM flight back to New York.

My son had to work into the wee hours after Super Bowl–and he had a blast.  He was telling me it was so much fun!

He had a great time and was thrilled that The Eagles won.  And he’s been working non-stop.  So, I’m making everything nice for him!

Saturday night, my step-daughter, her husband and their daughter will be coming over for dinner so it’ll be a nice little family gathering.

That means there will be a lot of food at Chateau Bonaparte!

I’ll get to that in a bit.

But first, here’s how the day rolled.

Got up at 6:30, enjoyed my morning cup of cawfee in bed like the princess I am.  Bonaparte makes the best coffee.  And while I enjoyed my morning drug, medication, caffeine fix, beverage, I made a list of what needed to be done.  Now—this was at 6:30 in the morning.

Funny how I’m not a coffee drinker at work or during the day but I NEED my morning cup to wake up!!!

At Seven O’clock, I was in the little guest room makeshift beauty room.  My makeup had to be looking good today because my passport needs to be renewed which means I have to have a new passport photo taken.  Naturally, while making myself presentable, I decided to swatch some samples of my newest Morphe eyeshadow palette.  I’ll be doing a blog post on this sometime soon.  Not this weekend though.

Procrastination at its best.  I was supposed to be applying these shadows to my eyes but played beauty blogger instead and applied them to the inside of my arm!

I had to make a decision on what hair to wear.  I wish you could have “various” or “it depends” next to Hair Color: ______.  Because I wear wigs, I have a varied assortment of fake hair color.  I decided to go with my Justine wig from “It’s A Wig” because this particular wig has strands of just about every hair color I own.  I even pulled a little of my *cough* “natural” black hair out in the front!

Why couldn’t THIS be my passport photo?  Seriously.  Wait till you see how the photos turned out.  Ugh. Leeeeeeeee!!!!

Next—the saga of the Boots from Hell continues.  BTW, thank you to everyone who suggested I get in touch with the Tory Burch company.  I sent them a nice email explaining what happened.  Gerardo, from Customer Service called me!  Can you believe it??  I was shocked.  Thank God I didn’t throw the boots in the trash. Instead, I threw them in the closet in the hallway downstairs.

The boots from hell are finally on their way back to their maker!!

Gerardo sent me an email with a label to send the boots back to Tory Burch in exchange for a gift card.  Works for me!  And—just my luck, my stinking laptop has no printer. I had to email the information to Bonaparte, he couldn’t print the label but printed a receipt. I had a scan to show the people at UPS so that was good enough. BTW, Gerardo is an exceptional customer service rep.  I’m writing a letter to let TB Corporate know how good he is!

Off I went. My wig in place and not shifting. My lipstick looks good. My boots from hell are in the box.  Chippy has been taken out and I stuffed a Kong with a ton of treats and peanut butter for him.

I got to the Rite-Aid to have my photo taken.  The woman was very nice in an authoritative kind of way.  She told me to take my glasses off.  I balked.  I explained to her that my glasses are my personality. Just like Alfalfa from the Little Rascal’s cowlick is his personality.

Image result for alfalfa's personality

Alfalfa’s personality is his cowlick.  My personality is my eyeglasses!

I took them off.

She had me stand in front of a white screen and trying to look my best, even though I couldn’t see a thing, I smiled.

She told me I couldn’t smile.  I explained that I look hideous in photos if I don’t smile.  She said the passport people want us to look hideous.

It was a true mug shot—but nonetheless, I didn’t care.  I was thinking of the letter I was going to write to the head of the passport department explaining that I should be able to use a selfie as my passport photo because I know my good angles.

I have to laugh at this photo.  I’m so cross-eyed that it’s quite sad.  Then there’s the jowls.  Please God. Please let me win the lottery so I can go to Hospital for Special Surgery to have my face lifted.  I’m special!

Next stop was Costco.  Bonaparte gave me very specific instructions that I was to buy the best beef tenderloin they sold. Not the $18.99 a pound one but the $22.99 a pound filet.  I was also instructed to get coffee.

I think this will be enough meat for five adults and one child.  I’ll take mine blue!

Now—I thought it very odd and eerie that there was no traffic this morning. It was as though I was driving through a ghost town.  Then I realized that today was the parade in Philly for The Eagles.  This lack of traffic has given me a new appreciation for Eagles fans.  They were all either lined up in Center City waiting for the parade to start or they were home getting ready to watch the parade on TV.

It was the very first time I’ve ever gotten parking space twenty feet from Costco’s entrance.  And when I made my purchases, I didn’t even have to wait on a line!

Next stop was Wegmans to load up on weekend food!   Again, I had to stop and give thanks to The Eagles.  The parking lot was empty and I buzzed through that supermarket in less than an hour. And I got a lot of food!

And more meat!!  This for the Gyros!!

I’m not done yet!!!!!  And even MORE meat!!

For tomorrow night, Roman has requested my Broccoli Rabe, Sausage and pasta.  When I arrived home, I cooked up the broccoli Rabe and the sausage, put it in a plastic container so that tomorrow evening all I have to do is cook the pasta, reheat the Rabe and sausage, mix and serve!

Chopped up the Broccoli Rabe, par boiled it and…

…took the sausage out of the casing, and cooked it with the veg.  It’s now in the fridge.  I’m making my dinner time-friendly tomorrow!

While the sausage/rabe was cooking, I made mushrooms in Cognac for Saturday night!

I bought the makings for Salmon Rillettes but forgot the white wine and surprisingly there was none at home.  Tomorrow morning I’ll head out to get the wine.

I’ll make the Rillettes tomorrow.  Ewww. I just noticed that the salmon is color enhanced.  WTF????

Pound cake is in the freezer for Saturday evening’s dessert but I made an orange-caramel sauce to drizzle over the slices.

Orange-caramel sauce.  I’ll slice oranges and drizzle this sauce over the sliced pound cake–it’ll look fancy!

Not one to be satisfied with one dessert, I also made a Nougatine.  This is a no-cook, put in the freezer and wait to serve.  We’ll have that on Sunday.

Pistachio brittle for the Nougatine.  It was fun pounding this into small, dusty pieces!

And not wanting to waste any part of the egg, because the nougatine is made with egg whites,  I made lemon curd.

I am a sucker for lemon curd..

All ready for the fridge. It kills me because lemon curd is so overpriced in the stores. It’s the cheapest thing to make at home. Got yolks?  Make lemon curd!

Speaking of Sunday—Roman has also requested the Gyros that we had over Christmas.  I picked up the meat, cooked it and now it is in the fridge taking in the garlic and herbs that will make it more flavorful when we are ready to eat it.

The worst part of making the gyros is pulsing the onions. After the onions are pulsed you have to place them in a kitchen towel and wring out the juice.  I was crying for fifteen minutes after that!

Remember the Rosemary bush I bought before Christmas?  Well, it dried out because I neglected it.  But the needles came off so easy and I was able to bag them. Now I have freshly dried Rosemary and I pounded this for the gyro meat.

Gyro meat ready to be cooked…

Sliced and into the fridge.  The flavors will all absorb and by Sunday–BAM!!!  This will be delicious!

I also made Tzatziki for Sunday.

Best Tzatziki is the stuff you make at home!

Now I am left to make the Rillettes, bake the bread, bake the Pita, peel and cook the potatoes and thinking of what veg to make for Saturday evening.

And that was my day.  It is now 5:00 PM.  I’m thrilled because it isn’t dark yet.  In fact, it isn’t even twilight!  And I never got to watch the Eagles parading through Center City.

Yes. I did all that in one afternoon!  I’m pooped now!

  And how was your day ladies and gents? Ever have one of those days where you’re doing a million things and then someone thinks you did nothing?  Fun times!

On the way home, I was listening to the radio and a song I absolutely used to love was played.  I started seat dancing and singing in my car.  Wild Cherry “Play That Funky Music”. The Seventies—such great funk music!  I miss funk!!

 

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