Atypical 60

He Wants Me!! Macron Really Wants Me!!????

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Catherine

Since January, I’ve been trying to whip up schemes that would get me across the Atlantic and living in France for the next four years. I begged Bonaparte to call our real estate agent, put our Chateau on the market and buy a small farm in the French countryside. Paris is too expensive. The Cote d’Azur is too dangerous for my pasty white “already-had-skin-cancer” epidermis. What could be better than to own a farm and grow cows and raise semolina? I’m a natural!!

I can grow cows. This is a group I made friends with a few years back while driving through Burgundy!

Bonaparte’s views on becoming farmers are somewhere between not now, not ever, and “jamais”!!

There was no Plan “B” until now.

The new President of France, Emmanuel Macron (not to be confused with “macaron”) has made a video reaching out to Americans.

Please do not call President Macron, President Macaron. I made these and I think it is high time I whip up another batch soon in honor of Macron!

He is inviting Americans to work in France! The only problem is that he is seeking out scientists. I don’t exactly qualify for the position.

However, I would make a great ambassador of sorts. A new position could be created just for moi. My job would be connecting incoming American scientists into French culture.

Why would I be a great candidate for this newly created position? Here are a few reasons!

I respect the flour. Did you see the news videos of François Fillon getting pelted with a sack of flour during his campaign? What self-respecting Frenchman or woman would do that?

What self-respecting Frenchman or woman would waste good flour like this?

I respect the flour. I use it to bake brioche and other bread, pain aux raisin and other delights. I would never waste good baking ingredients.

Pain aux raisins….

…my annual Buche de Noel–just a couple of ways I respect the flour!

My ability to make a superior sauce is a talent the French would love and appreciate and would make them welcome me with halfway open arms. I can teach the new American hires that a real sauce isn’t poured from a can or a jar.

It takes a good two hours to make a silky sauce like this!

I hang my laundry all over the house to dry. Just like the French. I never use my dryer.

And THIS is how I dry our clothes when we are in the South of France! The washing machine is in the BATHROOM!!!

This practically makes me French. I could explain to the new ex-pats that nobody has a laundry room like in America. In many cases, the washing machine is also the dryer and most clothing is air dried. I can also teach the Americans not to behave like the bozos on House Hunters International!

Don’t cry because the washing machine is in the kitchen. Look on the bright side–you can wash your dishes in it too! That’s ’cause there’s no dishwasher!

Somebody needs to explain that the French can’t dance. They save their rhythm for L’Amour!

The French may not be the greatest dancers, but..

Ohhhhh! So THAT’S why the French smoke so much!! Oh lalalalala!

I can teach the Americans not to try too hard to have French style. Either you got it or you don’t. Be yourself. Dress with your own style—that’s more French.

Um..nobody wears a beret that way. A tie is not a scarf. France is not a British Day School.

I know where to go shopping for the goods.

City Pharma. The only store the newly transplanted American will ever need. You are quite welcome!

I know how to work the big events!

Yours truly was invited to the Paris premiere of Hugo Gelin’s “Demain tout Commence”. OK. So I went as Bonaparte’s guest–but I’m still self-important!

You want to learn how to really be French my fellow Americans? Just shrug.

I can teach how to have an entire conversation without knowing how to speak French. Just shrug through every question!! It’s very Gallic!

Macron needs someone like me to show Americans how to perfect the fine art of cutting ahead in line!

My special talent kept Bonaparte and me from missing a flight from Dublin to Paris. I can teach the fine art of cutting ahead better than any French man or woman can!

Let’s get our potatoes straight. It’s frites. Not fries. OK?

..and worse never, ever call them freedom fries!

You need someone to explain to Americans that religion is no big deal to the French. All those churches and cathedrals are merely beautiful old buildings.

The French are so cool about religion that even Rabbis give the sign of the cross! (Shameless plug. Bonaparte’s cousin was in this film “The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob”–it’s one of the funniest movies ever!

It would help if I took Americans on little off-the-beaten-track tours on weekends!

Every American moving to France needs to take a weekend trip to pay their respects to American troops who died for them. Never forget. I will take you there.

I may not know the words to La Marseillaise, but I do pretend to know all the words to “Pour un Flirt”! Lalalalalalalalalalala…

I can teach Americans about all the great pop songs of the 60’s and 70’s!! I know them all. It’s a great way to learn the language!

It would also help if I could explain to the Americans that jumping into bed with a relative of your better half is no big deal!

As you can see, Dany, Bonaparte’s father was having the time of his life with me! This is very French–even for the French!

Somebody needs to explain that foods like frog’s legs are old-school home-style and not disgusting!

It’s ok. You will not be hopping around after digesting these delicious little limbs!

And that Chocolate is sacred.

That pretty much sums it up!

And cheese, baguette and wine are the French equivalent of eggs, bread and milk. Think about that one!

Cheese…

Baguette…

And wine will get you through any storm better ‘n eggs, bread and milk!

Please hire me Monsieur President, so that I explain the importance of good manners upon entering and leaving an establishment!

Remember. ALWAYS say “Bonjour” when entering an establishment…and

“Au Revior” when leaving. I love Omar Sy!

And at the end of the day, we can all admire the world’s most iconic symbol of France!

Such a beautiful sight!

Whaddya think? Ya think I would do a great job??

The President of France extended his invitation and I would like to leave you with a beautiful song that is a love letter to France–Michel Polnareff’s “Lettre a France”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged #Humor, Emmanuel Macron, France | 34 Comments

The Transformation of the Mature Woman. Into The Dolce Vita!!!

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Catherine

Sometimes we can get into a cosmetics rut. I’m not necessarily talking about going out and purchasing a ton of new cosmetics. No. Not at all. I’m talking about a rut with how we approach cosmetics.

Perhaps some of us are too light-handed and conservative in our application. Some of us may be too heavy handed (Guilty!!). And some of us may just simply be afraid to experiment!

Remember the last time I went very heavy-handed and tried to turn myself into a Kardashian? (Click the underlined to find out)

For me, I know what I like—dark eyes and a light lip.

The rest is up for grabs. It’s always fun to learn a new way to apply foundation or new makeup tricks to enhance our features. And as we age, it’s always good to change things up a bit.

Trust me, I’ve had horrific experiences with some in-store makeovers because it sometimes seems that the sales assistant isn’t listening to you and only wants to make a sale or they insist on making you up to look like either a jack-o-lantern or a twenty-year-old.

Yes. I HAVE come home crying from in-store makeovers because nobody listened to me!

It’s daunting!

When I worked in the Handbag department at Nordstrom, the Cosmetics department was close by. There always seemed to be a crowd where one particular young man was working. He wasn’t only a sales assistant but he was a young makeup artist. His name was Jochy and he was incredibly talented. When I got bored (which was often), I would walk over to the counter where he worked and would watch and study him. I had never seen any woman leave his chair without looking spectacular.

This guy. Jay. The Master Jay. Makeup Artist Supreme! Look at the lipcolor he’s wearing! I want it! And those brows!!!!

But the other thing is—Jochy was just such a nice and sweet guy. He was never in a foul mood (like me), he was always kind and always helpful. I wished Jochy, or “Jay” as he is called, had done my makeup. But I just never had the time.

Until now. I ran into him a couple of times and ran it by him that it would be great if we could get together and do a blog post about a transformation on me, the “older” woman. Would he be up for the challenge? He was all about it!!

And on Sunday I had the pleasure. I was very afraid that I would scare people as I exited my car without a stitch of makeup on. I didn’t even have Chapstick on! My brows—well, let’s just say the hair on my upper lip was probably darker and thicker—ok?

Not a stitch of makeup. Just wait till you see the photo of me like this in department store lighting. I was scared of me!!!

Jay is working at Charlotte Tilbury these days and has been for quite some time. Tilbury started out as a makeup artist and worked her way up to being a successful, very successful businesswoman with her cosmetics empire.

But this is about the transformation. What I love about Jay is that, even though he’s young, he absolutely adores working with women of all ages. His motto is “I want to make women of all ages beautiful”. And I will vouch for that. When he was making me over, I was his main focus. He wasn’t looking around the counter for prospective customers. He was attentive, patient and worked his magic while educating me.

Here’s Jay with co-worker Allison. Is she adorable or what? I was surrounded by beauty, I was!

Here’s how I went from ghastly to beautiful:

I came in naked—which was a pretty profound step for me—but it’s important to be real and to show you what I really look like when I’m not posing for one of my at-home or car selfies. This is hard-core, unforgiving department store lighting. And it is the ugly truth!

I swear to God, I have NEVER seen a worse photo of myself than the one of the left. OK, this could be the second worst. The first worst was my eighth-grade graduation photo. I looked like boy. I’m not kidding. My mustache gave me that handsome look! But look at the photo on the right! Yeah. Same person! Can you believe it? And my eyes don’t even look crossed! How did Jay do that?

First, Jay made sure that my face was cleansed from any residue (like how did he know all I did to wash my face was to splash cool water on it?)

Then he massaged Charlotte’s (I’m not being sponsored. I’m mentioning all the products that Jay used on me. It’s cool.) Multi-Miracle Glow into my face. I’m telling you, it was so soothing that I almost fell asleep! It was having a mini facial. J massaged “Angel Wings” style. Down and out and up, and kept massaging and massaging the cream in until my skin felt hydrated and supple.

I smelled rose and when I asked, he said that rose hip oil was one of the ingredients. I have to admit that my skin felt really nice after this was applied. At $60 for 100 ml, it was a pretty generous sized jar. I was going to make the purchase but Nordstrom ran out of stock. I’m going to say that it must be a pretty decent product for Nordie’s to run out. I need to do more research on this.

Next step was the Clay Mask. Ok. Not gonna lie. This is pricey! $70 for a tube. However, a little goes a long way. He applied what looked like a very small amount but darned if it didn’t cover my entire pasty face! Surprisingly the mask didn’t dry to the point my skin looked like the arid desert.

What a sight! The clay mask was a huge treat. Relaxing and hydrating.

I relaxed while Jay took care of a phone call from a customer and ten minutes later it was time for him to take the mask off.

I asked when he started to become interested in makeup and cosmetics. He told me that as a child he was fascinated with the makeup his mom used and he would gravitate towards the makeup whenever they went shopping.

I’m having a hard time believing Jay ever had issues with his skin. It’s in great shape now!

As a teen, he had bad skin (who didn’t—right?) and when he “discovered” foundation, it was his “aha” moment. He went on to explain that his first foundation was one by Maybelline and he practiced, practiced and worked it until his skin looked much better. Foundation was his defining moment!

From there on, he played around with cosmetics and took them seriously. He’s completely self-taught. I have an incredible amount of admiration for him because, let’s face it—how long have we all tried but couldn’t perfect?

He works hard and earnest. And his goal is to become a makeup artist for celebrities one day. Let me tell you, if I was a celebrity, Jay would be doing my face on a regular basis!

Is Jay re-thinking about the transformation? No. He is deep in thought about how to work magic on me!

Ok. Back to the canvas known as me!

After the mask, Charlotte’s Magic Cream was applied. Again, the floral scent of rose was so mesmerizing and pleasant. This is another product that is not inexpensive. $100 for 50 ML. I was also informed that Tilbury’s company was founded upon the success of this cream. It plumps and hydrates and feels good on the skin.

He explained that if you are going to spend money, spend it on skin care products before you spend it on the cosmetics. You can’t get a great look without preparation first. He’s right about that. And I loved his honest approach as well. Point well taken!

The point is that, as we age, or since we already have aged, we need to take care of our skin more importantly. And, we can find a plethora of skin creams that run the gamut from inexpensive to pricey. It all depends on your budget.

Up next Jay applied Wonderglow, it’s a primer, but it is a bit more. It gives the skin a bit of a glow and can be worn alone. I have this and don’t use it every day. It costs $55 so I save it for special occasions. And in all honesty, I use it more for a glowy look than a primer.

I purchased this from Jay back in November and wrote about it–and how I use it as more of an illuminator rather than a primer. It’s good stuff!

And speaking of primer, he believes that in many cases, moisturizer works as well as a primer and can be used as a primer.

Now it was time to move on to the transformation of a browless, pasty-skinned, 62-year-old woman into a beauty queen!

Tilbury is a marketing genius. She sells different looks and specific products to achieve that look. The look we went with was “The Dolce Vita”. I decided on this look because I loved the dark and smoky eyes. It’s a great look for going to an event or a wedding or big gala. And yours truly never gets invited anywhere—I have no friends. So I decided to make my own event! Look. That’s what makeup is for. It’s the stuff experiments are made of. Let’s do this!

This is the look we went with. No. I did NOT end up looking like HER. I still looked like me, but a more va-va-voom version! Tilbury is a marketing genius. She has various “look” and cards that show you the end result. On the back of the card are the products used and she sells the coordinating kits. Oh if only I was an heiress!–the stuff I could buy!

He started with the brows. I’m lucky he could manage to find the remnants of the brows that once were. Here’s where it gets good. He used brow pencil. I always use a powder because I’m too heavy-handed. His touch was so light and feathery. He gave me the brows I had when I was younger.

He’s a huge fan of brows. My God. I wish I had Jay’s brows. They’re perfect!

They may have been thick, but they looked so natural! These were the brows I had in my ’20’s and ’30’s. Now I’m used to no brows so It took me a while but I loved them! There’s no way I would be able to dupe this brow look!

He’s also a fan of “eyes first” because there is always the chance of the elusive fallout from shadow or a smudge from liner or mascara. You don’t want to wipe good foundation and concealer off after applying. Best to leave that for the end.

A bit of Smashbox primer for eyes to keep the shadow in place and then Tilbury’s “Bette” cream eye shadow. This shadow has a nice golden sheen. It looked great and I’m going to say that it would look fantastic for an après beach dinner or event.

Next up was the shadows from the Dolce Vita palette, which I ended up purchasing. At $53, it’s a pricey little quad, but the colors are wonderful and heavily pigmented. Plus, it’ll travel well (another item for my travel bag—right?).

I’m looking at this now and am still amazed at how well-blended this is. I LOVE the liner and the shadows…and the brows!

I asked how to apply shadow or liner to the bottom lid without looking hard or harsh. He did it!! He ever-so-lightly, barely touched my bottom lids with shadow giving me a defined look that was softer. I learned something!!!

When the eyes were done, foundation was next. Magic Foundation in Number 4, Fair was used. He applied with a brush. I asked him if he liked the spoon brushes (that I adore) and he wasn’t a fan. He’s very particular about his brushes and he had some good ones. He’s also a fan of Sigma Brushes. I gotta check this out.

He stippled, stippled and blended, blended, blended. I think he got a bigger workout blending the foundation on my wrinkly skin than he would have by going to a gym! Same with the concealer. He applied and blended up and out. Up and out lifts the skin a bit. You know I’ll remember that!

I’m starting to look like very hot stuff rather than a hot mess!

Bronzer was next, and he used it as contour. O.M.G!!!! What a difference when a professional sculpts your face!!! I was in a state of shock. It looked like a natural shadow and unlike anything I do when contouring! *Please God. Please let me win the lottery so I can hire Jay to do my makeup every day. Amen*

Look how sculpted and glowing my face is! I’m stressed just thinking about how I could do this by myself. Jay–can you come over????

When he approached me with the face powder I balked? I can’t wear ANY powder because it makes my face cakey.

Um. He used such a light touch I didn’t even realize the powder was there! And it wasn’t cakey!

Ugh. My camera sucks. This is the bronzer Jay used. Filmstar Bronze and Glow in Light to Medium.

A little bit more bronzing with the Beach Stick in Ibiza. I looked very dark but went on a lot lighter. I wanted to purchase but I’ll have to wait to do so because, just my luck, they ran out of stock.

A few of the products Jay used on me. The Ibiza Beach Stick is on the far right. I wanted this so badly. I was bummed that they ran out!!

Lip liner and one of the most beautiful lipsticks I’ve ever seen. Penelope Pink (I bought it. As if I need another lipstick). A satin lippie that, surprisingly, is very long-lasting!

Penelope Pink. This is a beautiful lipstick. Beautiful!!!

This is the Penelope Pink in natural light and not department store light. It’s even more beautiful!

Mascara, setting spray, and J had not only met the challenge, he freakin’ mastered it!

More before and after. Look at how large my eyes look! My skin was absolutely glowing and is so dewy and hydrated! I honestly felt gorgeous. And confident. Some women may pooh-pooh cosmetics as we get older but you cannot deny that the use of cosmetics ENHANCES what you already have–or once had.

Poor Jay. I just about attacked him I was so happy!

There’s no love like selfie love–now is there?

I was so happy I didn’t want to take my makeup off when I went to sleep.

Another pic in natural light. Jay knows his stuff. The cosmetics not only looked fantastic in store lighting but looked so naturally pretty in natural lighting. I can’t say that’s ever happened before! I really love this look!

I may have taken my synthetic hair off my head, but I just could not part with the makeup that Jay did for me. I slept with it on! I KNOW, I’m disgusting!

Here’s the disgusting thing. I didn’t take it off. I slept with the full face. I couldn’t help it. I wanted to go to work with my face on! And I did! I slept on my back. In the morning, all I had to do was wipe a bit of smudge from under my eyes and then reapply some of the shadow.

And it looked great the day after!

Was The Dolce Vita a look that I would wear every day? No. It would take forever for me to duplicate the magic that Jochy performed on my face. But I will remember the “up and out” way to brush my foundation. And I will apply foundation after my eye makeup. And I will spend a bit more on skincare. I realized that after looking at my skin naked. It looks awful. I’ll also practice with the brow pencil!

I also learned from Jay that I can still have my dark eyes with a lighter hand. I use liquid liner and I learned that I can “soften” it by going over with a smudgy pencil and tightlining in between the lashes to create a more wide-eyed look.

Thanks to Jay, I received a lot of compliments on my skin (which I never do), and my eyes (which looked less crossed) and my makeup.

Thank you Jay!!! I give you another kiss!

All it takes is the magic of a great makeup artist. Nordstrom and Charlotte Tilbury are very fortunate to have the Jochy Rodriguez working for them. Something tells me that one day, he will be a celebrity make-up artist. And I’ll have bragging rights!

Thank you so much Jay for turning me into a more mature version of Cinderella!

One of the perks from my days at Nordstrom was meeting Jay! I’m truly happy I had the opportunity to have been transformed by him! If you are ever at Nordstrom King of Prussia, stop by to see him!!

Sometimes, we all need that transformation. Are you up for the challenge? Get your fierce on and go get that makeover! Show the world that we older women are beautiful and we love learning about what makes us feel good and look great! Because sometimes you just need to do something special for yourself!

Joe Cocker. You Are So Beautiful. Because YOU are!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beauty, Cosmetics, Makeovers, Transformation | 43 Comments

For Mature Couples Only: Dinner For Two–A Saturday Evening Feast!

Posted on May 7, 2017 by Catherine

On this Saturday morning in May, the weather is pretty crummy. It is cloudy and way too cool. We can’t take a drive to the beach yet. And I fear purchasing Geraniums for the deck because we could still get a frost.

Last year’s flowers were already “decked” out at this time!

And at some point, the hot weather will arrive in earnest. In a few weeks, our Saturdays will be filled with outdoor activities. We will be beaching it and doing day trips.

And today, I will spend a good part of the day doing what I normally do on a Saturday during cold and cool weather times.

Preparing our Saturday Evening Feast.

OK. So it isn’t Thanksgiving. But I enjoy whipping up a feast for any ocassion. Even if just for two!

It’s funny because as I age, I find that I enjoy this “routine” more and more.

When the house was filled with kids and their friends, and the hustle-bustle of every activity under the sun, there wasn’t much room for dining routines. It seemed that we were eating on the run and when we did manage to have dinner as a family, it was rushed because a game or practice would be starting within moments of that final bite.

This was a typical saying at the Atypical60 household when I was in my atypical30’s, 40’s and 50’s! “Hurry up and eat–gotta go!”

Don’t get me wrong. I actually miss those busy days. I miss the enormous amount of fun that I had when the kids were younger. I miss being a stay-at-home mom. But, I have great, great memories that I can play over and over in the theater of my mind!

And with age comes a certain appreciation that you have when you do get the time to spend with your better half.

Our Saturday evening dinners together are now a ritual. It is the time when Bonaparte and I can just unwind and enjoy each other’s company! During summer months, we will dine on quick meals served on the deck.

Summer dinners are out on the deck and extremely casual. I don’t like to turn the oven on in the heat..but I do like the aperitif!

Tonight, we will dine indoors at the dining room table.

As I write, the dining room table is my office, but toward evening it will be transformed into a lovely setting for mature audiences only. No. I won’t be performing a lap dance. Nor will I serve myself to Bonaparte on a plate.

Ahhh. The dining room table as office. When the kids were younger the dining room table was the homework area, the project area, the sewing area…but only for dining durinig holidays! Am I the only one???

Instead, this table will be set with good china (well, as good as it gets), table linens and we will enjoy the setting and partake in mature conversation—that is until I go into a rant about the current healthcare vote. But Bonaparte will calm me down by pouring wine in my glass!

Still casual but with a touch of chic and Provence! Empty nesters–treat yourself to a beautifully set table and you will feel as though the evening is special!

This is one of the perks of being an empty-nester. There is no time for baby-talk or having to clean up spilled milk (although I am prone to spilling wine). It is merely two older, wiser and mature people enjoying an aperitif, a starter, the main plate and because I’m trying to drop a few pounds, no dessert.

No cheese either. After consuming two cheese quesadillas this week, I’m on the wagon until we get to France!

It’s a lazy-day routine that lends itself to working leisurely to achieve a delicious result!

How did I do it? Here you go:

First of all, I wore a new wig to run errands! But–had to take her off when I started cooking because…

Synthetic hair will melt and I certainly did not want melted fake hair all over me or our food! I’m clumsy enough!

We loaded up on the fresh flowers while running our errands. We always have fresh flowers in the house–it’s an inexpensive way to add color and beauty!

On the menu this evening was: Fresh Baked Bread and Country Pate, Tomato & Hard Cooked Eggs with Parsley and Basil, Cornish Game Hen, Spatchcocked with herbal butter, cherries and Rosemary, Cognac Cherry Sauce , Cubed Potatoes sauteed in Duck Fat and Wilted Spinach. Bonaparte policed my bread intake which meant I had one small piece so he could eat the rest!

First things first. Making the bread. While the yeast (above) is blooming, I gather the dry ingredients. Bonaparte loves home made bread. I bake a Pullman loaf every weekend: The recipe I use is from an article in the Chicago Tribune. Check out the link-but be warned there’s a ton of ads before you get to the recipe–it’s worth it though: Pullman Bread Recipe

And I must say, the bread was a great batch!

Next step is the preparation of the potatoes. Trust me. Preparing well in advance makes it easier when the time to cook the dinner comes around. I call it preventative dining stress.

I’ve written about these potatoes before but they are so freakin’ good! They are inspired by the potatoes at restaurant Chez Paul on Place Dauphine in Paris. Bonaparte assists me. He peels the potatoes because I hate doing that chore! I use butter potatoes because they are nice and creamy. I cube the peeled potatoes and par boil them for 9 minutes. Then I drain, cover in paper towels and place in the fridge until I’m ready to cook them. When ready to cook, I saute in duck fat-about 20 minutes until the outside is browned and crispy!

Next step: Preparing the hen.

I use a blend of Rosemary that I’ve ground with mortar and pestle, and stalks of Rosemary and a bit cut up with a scissor. I can’t get enough of this stuff!

I grind Herbes de Provence into softened butter. Hey. Anyone going to Paris anytime soon? If you do, drop by E. Dehillerin –it’s a treasure chest of cooking supplies! I purchased this little grinder for next to nothing and it has become an invaluable tool in my kitchen. It grinds very well!

The skin of the hen is lifted and the herbed butter smeared under the skin and atop the skin. Covered with stalks of Rosemary. Cherries soaked in Cognac come later. Into the fridge with these two until it’s time to cook!

Sauce prep comes next. Dried cherries are soaked in Remy Martin Champagne Cognac (top right). Shallots are sweated in butter then chicken broth is added and reduced to less than half. Then more cognac is added. Then reduced. Then the cherries are added with Rosemary. It all cooks down. Then heavy cream is added. Notice the photo on the bottom right. The sauce hasn’t emulsified yet. This is brought to a boil and stirred and babysat and simmered. It takes a while but I’m telling you a great sauce doesn’t need flour. In the end, I add a bit of frozen butter to make the sauce silky.

And the end result:

And tonight–for your dining pleasure I bring you..

Fresh-baked bread and country pate..

…a few toasted slices..

Tomato and egg –very healthy…

Cornish Game Hen, roasted to perfection...

A silky Cognac and Cherry creme sauce…

Some good red wine….

…and let’s not forget the spinach!

Here’s the thing. I really have to watch what I eat. I didn’t have sauce. I ate only a portion of my hen. I didn’t have potatoes. I did have a half slice of bread.

And even though it was cooking for two, the leftovers will be used for Bonaparte during the week. The potatoes reheat very well and can be saved for up to five days. The leftover hen can be transformed into salad. The bread can be frozen or slices can be cut up into thick chunks and made into croutons. The sauce will last over a week–the Cognac is a natural preservative.

It’s all good!

After dinner, we watched one of our favorite movies. (Click on the link for some serious Cathe/Bonaparte entertainment): This was the first m0vie we saw together and it has something for everyone. It takes place during WW1 in France but it one of the greatest love stories ever and is a lesson in never giving up hope.

If you see this in a store, by all means grab it and run home to watch it!

A Very Long Engagement. Watch the trailer closely. You will see a fleeting moment of Marion Cotillard who has now become an Oscar-winning actress. The film is a visual beauty—but what else could you expect from the man who brought us Amelie? Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a great filmmaker and story teller. I was fortunate enough to see it on the big screen 14 years ago!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Cooking at home, Empty Nesters, French Film., The French Dinner | 16 Comments

What’s In My Travel Beauty Bag?

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Catherine

I’ll tell ya—not much! I haven’t assessed all the travel beauty items in a long time and many of them have been used up. It’s time to refill or at least make an attempt at organizing. ( I hate my effing laptop so much. I need to to go back and edit all the errors due to this friggin’ keyboard)

And since it’s all of six weeks until we leave for (click on shameless link to my post) our annual summer trip to Theoule-sur-Mer, I need to start packing stuff now. OK—maybe not clothing yet, but I need to get the important stuff out of the way. The items that help to make me look human especially since everyone along the Mediterranean has a tan, olive skin, is incredibly thin from all the tomatoes they eat and the cigarettes they smoke and they all have hair!

Smoking keeps the French thin and the nicotine gives their skin a permanent tan. I need to try a bit harder.

But now, let me concentrate on what’s in my travel beauty bag and what isn’t.

I have two travel cosmetics bags. One is really old and filthy. Actually, I’m ashamed to let you see just how disgusting the black and white one is.

This is the black and white travel cosmetic bag from Thirty One. It looks really pretty from this side….

But from this side it is a filthy mess. I’m a disgrace to all bloggers everywhere! Who saves old paper towels??? Who puts old, used paper towels in their travel kits?? I do.

No, I’m not. It’s from Thirty-One, a company that has all sorts of cute totes and boxes and all things to make you think you are organized–when in reality the only time you are organized is when you first make the purchase and bring the items home with you and look at them and within two weeks, you are back to being completely disorganized!

When I was working at Healthways, one of the nurses was selling this Thirty-One stuff. I felt obliged to buy something because of my constant ability to annoy her with hypochondriac questions. I settled upon a large tote that is now in the garage and a hanging organizer that I use as a travel beauty bag.

We will return to THIS bag later..

But let’s take a look at my red oriental themed cosmetic case and what I have in here.

We all know I have a “thing” for red. But in all honesty, this travel organizer or whatever it is, is my favorite for lugging cosmetics around when traveling.

This is what I really need to assess. As you can see it looks pretty much empty

That’s because everything is crammed into this one zippered compartment!

I’m pretty bad with trying to organize. It’s been a complete Pinterest and blogger fail for me. But–I still manage to try. Look what I have. Do I keep or throw away?

Urban Decay Basics Palette. This is a great travel palette because it is compact and the choices are matte and neutral. I purchased this back when it was $27. as opposed to the now $29.00. The little “spots” you see aren’t glittering drops of water. It is where Chippy decided to snack upon the palette…

Note the lower right-hand corner. I dropped this and the mirror broke. Luckily shards did not get into the shadow. I’m keeping it. Damaged and all. It’s staying.

The hot mess on the left is some sort of highlighter/concealer from Benefit cosmetics. I have no idea how old it is. But–it is still pretty creamy. It’s a keeper. On the right is a travel-sized Yogourt face sunscreen by Korres. This is a multi-tasker. If I get hungry on the plane I can eat this. It’s yogourt after all–it’s just spelled in a fancier way!

Will ya look at this? iT cosmetics has outdone themselves in being “World” friendly! A French spelling for “cream”, made in China and distributed in Jersey City, NJ. Why did I buy this.

This is the “creme”. Does my pasty white face REALLY need this? No. It does not. But just in case this is the year that I get that natural tan and need a glow, I’ll throw it into the makeup case!

Thank God I decided to do some assessment. After all the years of travel, I am at the bottom of the barrel. Back to the bareMinerals shop for yet, more, Well Rested this weekend!

I have NO idea what this is but it looked like salted caramel frosting and I was tempted to eat it.

It didn’t match my skin tone and didn’t taste that great either. Yes. I did. It’s a toss! I still have no idea what this is!

A perfect little example why samples are great. I forgot about this. Lancome gave this out as a promo and it’s a great little gift-with-purhase. I’ve used it to give my evening eye a little “oomph”. It stays!

Now that wigs are a staple for me, I can use this powder SAMPLE as a way to make the parts in my wig more realistic. The things you learn on YouTube! Keeper!

Only two Q-tips? I need to get more–actually I do not. I found a bunch of them as I started to edit this post. The Toppik—I’ll keep the travel sizes just in case I feel like wearing my bio hair in a bun. I doubt it though.

I can’t believe I had GOOD concealer in my travel stash. No. This stays home. I got this in Paris for a “deal”. Daniele’s maid’s cousin was working for Chanel and I loaded up on the good stuff for next to nothing. I know people. Are you impressed yet that I know people in France no less? I have no American friends except Marybeth. The French love me! Actually they probably just think I’m a silly American,

Mascara, eyeliner, brow pencil, eye shadow, bronzer. I’m good to go.

I’m pretty much set with the exception of cleaning my brushes and packing Chapstick. It’s funny because I really don’t war that much makeup when I’m on vacation. I let mother nature take over, but I still need my stuff.

Back to the filthy Thirty One organizer. I ended up washing it in the kitchen sink..

This was the best I could do. But, I can store the skincare and toiletries in it.

…such as more fake tanner, sunscreen and more lip product!

Who am I kidding???? I’ll just buy more makeup and skin care products when I get to France!!!

It’s true. I’ll run around Chateau Bonaparte “gathering” more beauty products, shoving them into both travel bags because I have to have!! Then we’ll take a trip to my favorite store of all time–Geant Casino Hypermarche in Mandelieu La Napoule to load up on the groceries and when Bonaparte is over in his favorite area–the wine aisles, I’ll be in my favorite area–skincare and beauty! And I’ll be “sneaking” every product that I can get my grubby manicured hands on into the shopping cart!

Bonaparte’s favorite aisle at Geant!

THIS, is my favorite haunt. I”m obsessed with this hypermarche and will be loading my travel bag with necessities and unnecessities!

And so the preparations begin. Tell me. When do you start thinking about packing for a trip or your vacation? Are you like me? Are you a last-minute packer? Do tell!

Anyway, I am not ready to weigh myself. This week was bad for me. I’m really stressed–especially over the healthcare situation. But that means really reassessing what I’ve been eating because moving forward I’ll have to eat to live. I’m thinking of becoming vegan–but only maybe two or three days a week. I need more kale in my life. In the meantime, here’s what I wore this week.

On Monday I wore this little number that I found in the garage. Remember? I paired it with a very lightweight dotted scarf because the top of the dress is a bit on the low-cut side and I bend down a lot at work–from picking up things I clumsily drop! Notice the hair, I’n wearing wigs every day now and I LOVE IT! I don’t have to bother with how dry and craggy and thin my bio hair is anymore!

Tuesday’s ensemble was an homage to menopausal dressing. I wore a sleeveless shirt. Note the pom-pom trim. This is from last year. I’m fashion forward, I am! J. Crew pants from the year of the flood, the ruffled chambray Regent blazer from J. Crew (one of the very few purchases made this season) and an old lightweight striped scarf. My messy bun is made with the assistance of a Tony of Beverly topper (ok. I lied. I didn’t wear a full-on wig every day). Red ballet flats add a bit of oomph!

Wednesday’s outfit!!! I was so ‘eppee to wear this dress again! It was in the garage and I’m thrilled that I never trashed it. This dress is by Cos. I purchased it at Galeries Lafayette in Paris on my thinnest trip. That was many moons ago. It fits again and I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this dress. The top is knit. The botton is cotton and has pockets and I just love this so much. The length is perfect for the office and it is comfortable as all get out. Bonaparte just took it to the dry cleaners because I didn’t have a tissue handy so I used my dress to….clean my eyeglasses and got makeup on the dress. What can I say??? There are no words! I felt very French as I wore my Repetto ballet flats and carried my nat et nin bag!

Thursday’s outfit was my favorite this week–I couldn’t believe the compliments I received! Dayum!! I felt good! The dress? From Loft and it is so old I cannot even remember buying it. Which means it hasn’t been worn in years! The higher neckline is perfect for a mature neck if you know what I mean!! The length is so lady like. I could bend down all day in this getup! To make the outfit a bit happier, I wore red heels and carried my red Longchamp bag. Hahahaha. One of the clients said he couldn’t stop looking at me because I looked so nice!! Zowee! What a compliment. My boss even complimented my look! (Wait–does that mean I look like crap every other day?)

Friday’s ensemble. What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than with a French-language tee? I’m wordly–I mean WORLDLY! This was a fun Jeans Friday Look. The blazer was lightweight to wear in the cool morning, but by the time I left the office, I didn’t need it. I love that plaid blazer. It was purchased sometime last year or the year before during a huge sale at J. Crew.

And that rounds up my week! Not too exciting but nonetheless, it was fun!

Seems like I’m on a bit of a Frenchie kick this week with the preparations and the clothing.

Here’s a pretty song by Les Innocents “Colore”. I have this on a CD and always press “repeat”!

Have a great weekend! XOXOXOXO!!!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beauty, Fashion, fashion over 50, France, Travel | 9 Comments

More Greatness of Makeup Samples, Some Lip Cents and More Stuff for the Mature Ladies!

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Catherine

It started out simply enough. I ran out of Well-Rested. If you’ve been following my misadventures, you know that bareMinerals Well Rested is a Holy Grail cosmetic product for me. As soon as I get to the bottom of the barrel, I make a beeline to the mall to replace it. I won’t even dare take the Well Rested that I have in my travel bag out to use as a replacement out of fear I will forget to place it back in its secure little travel home.

My beloved Well Rested. I’m very territorial with this stuff. Even Chippy knows better. Note the face cloth I have under the product. I protect my little vanity! Note the tweezers for the chin hairs!

I also had to run to J. Crew. Last month I ordered a cute off-the-shoulder dress. Vacation is coming and it looked like a great little frock to wear after pool and beach time. The dress, in a Medium, was just too big. I wasn’t wearing the dress—the dress was wearing me. The dilemma was exchanging for a smaller size or just returning the dress.

The dress. I love it but it was wearing ME!

Naturally, Bonaparte had to accompany me because he is my spending police—or rather my non-spending police. He lives in a fog of stress worrying that I have secret credit cards stashed into the C-cups of my bra or tucked into a secret compartment of my wallet.

So off we went.

I stopped at J. Crew first and ended up trying on a few things before deciding to size down in the dress. And with some left-over money from a gift card, purchased a cute tee.

I ended up purchasing the “Salut” tee–it’s going in my suitcase for vacation. I tried on the white pants with the tiny stars and they were too transparent for my taste and looked a bit like pajamas. I LOVED the orange dress but the fabric is just too heavy for this time of year. I sized down in the off-the-shoulder dress. I really like it!

Next stop. bareMinerals Boutique. I could have gone into Sephora, but I happen to like the service of this brick and mortar bareMinerals shop. And while making the transaction for my beloved Well-Rested, I glanced at a display for liquid gel foundation.

As much as I love Well Rested, I’ve never been able to wear the brand’s mineral foundation. My skin is very dry and the fine powder just never worked for me. My crossed eyes almost uncrossed at the surprise that BM was now selling a non-powder foundation.

The BareSkin foundation costs $29.50. Not bad considering what I usually pay for a good foundation. The spectrum of shades was impressive. But not taking any foundation for granted, or having it be a complete fail which translates into a waste of money, I asked if samples were available.

The sales assistant told me she could prepare a sample and chose the shade Bare Natural 07 for me. She also made it a point to tell me that I should not apply the product with a blending sponge. A brush is needed to apply. It was a humorous moment as I told her that my dog, just a couple of days earlier, dined upon the fourth beauty blending sponge that I had.

My little goodie bag. I’m telling you, I’ve been wearing Well Rested for over five years now. I love this stuff! LOVE it!

She also gave me a couple of samples of other products and off I went.

Who doesn’t love a mask? Even better when it’s a sample you never expected! I haven’t used these yet–but I will use them real soon!

I tried the foundation when I returned home from work last night. I wanted to write about it but I also wanted to try the foundation in its “bare” state. Without a primer on my face.

The sample really had enough for two full applications. Chelsie was very specific in her instructions too! I appreciate that!

As instructed, I shook the small sample very well. When I squeezed it onto my hand, the foundation felt more liquid than an actual gel. It didn’t feel too thick but the color seemed very dark and more yellow than what I’m used to.

Yikes! It doesn’t match my skin tone at all!

The application process with the brush was fine. The foundation didn’t feel cakey or heavy, but certainly was not full-coverage as I was told.

When I looked in the mirror, the color looked uneven. But more disappointing was that it made my skin appear dry and every single line in my face was more visible than ever.

I KNOW, my lips are chapped. I was biting them while working on a project. But the color is “off”..

It gave a very matte look, not dewy and, in my case, not moisturizing.

See how dry my skin looks? I’m wondering how much or how little a primer WOULD work? I really like a foundation with a more dewy, luminous finish.

If you inspect closely, you can see the makeup falls into little lines and the color really is uneven. It also could have been because the color was just so “off” for me.

All is not lost though. I’m going to go back for another sample. This time for a much lighter foundation and I’ll apply primer first. I will make my final assessment with the next sample.

But that’s the important thing. Ask for a sample before you purchase a good cosmetic. Oddly enough the $6.00 elf Flawless Finish Foundation I have gives better coverage. But the point is that samples are priceless. Having a sample will allow you to really try the product on your own terms. And don’t ever be afraid to ask for a sample—you are thinking about an investment for your face!!!!

The bareMinerals shop was very generous with the samples. Sephora is very generous with samples—always has been. Nordstrom is also excellent in their generosity with giving samples. I try to purchase cosmetics in sample-friendly establishments!

Foundations need to be chosen wisely. Some have a great tendency to oxidize. Others end up drying your skin and others can feel like a ball of grease. Samples will save you money and aggravation.

Hey. Have you heard of LipSense? This long-wearing lip product achieved a cult status! There’s a lot of hype about it. And supposedly can only be purchased from a distributor but I saw it on Amazon. It’s friggin’ expensive! And I am not one who likes to spend money on lip products because none of them wear too long.

$25 for this tube! It promises to keep your lips moist. Look–I can use all the goop, grease, oil and whatnot on my lips and they STILL chap. I think if you have a tendency toward chapped lips on a continuous basis, nothing will help. I’ll pass on spending this kind of money on a lip color. But that’s just me….

If you want a long-lasting lipstick that isn’t as expensive. Might I recommend Cover Girl Outlast lipstick?.

I’ve purchased Number 550 three times and am very happy with it. I wrote about this lip product twice before because I think it is an excellent product. And a less expensive price than the expensive long-lasting lip products!

I wanted to see just how long this product would last. I started this experiment earlier in the week when I wore the orangey-red from the All-Day Custom Red collection.

This peachy-redish-coral color is Number 800. I wore it in the photo above and the color lasted through most of the day. It was applied at 6:45 in the morning and Lasted well into the afternoon. I took this photo around 2 PM–almost 8 hours. I cannot complain.

On Sunday, while after doing my roots and giving myself a roller set, I decided to see how long this color would last…It’s another mauve, which I like a lot..

Because my lips are so naturally pigmented, I added a bit of concealer. Mind you, I had NO other make up on at all. I gave my face a rest!

Here we go–about 10 in the mornin’!

Around noon. Moments before my green shake!

About 1:30. This stuff ain’t goin’ nowhere!

3PM and the color is still where it should be. You like the toilet paper covering my rollers? I’m a class act. The paper absorbs the moisture from my hair and gives more volume when I take the rollers out. It’s kind of a joke these days because I just plop a wig or topper over the just-set hair. Oy vey!

4 o’clock and it wasn’t off yet. I would say it wore off after my second aperitif! But the point is–this lipstick really DOES last!

This is $7.49 at Walmart and worth every cent! And this stuff has been around for at least 12 years but doesn’t seem to get the love it deserves. Oona wore it to Irish Dance competitions when she danced because the stuff didn’t transfer onto the very expensive dance dresses she wore. It really does stay put. I my not have had the most active day on Sunday but I did finish a green shake, a banana and chewed some gum and the color stayed on.

OK I’m also late to the show here. I worked long and hard on that wig post from Sunday. But-I have some good news for the ladies who are thinking of a wig purchase. Divatress sent me the news that they ship internationally. You can get an estimate when you place items into your cart. In addition, I received some coupon codes for this month. For new customers use NEWDIVA10 –it’ll get you ten percent off your purchase. The other coupons are SPRING5 off an order for $70 or more and SPRING10 for orders of $100 or more. I think I’ll use one of these coupons.

Anyway, here’s a “sampling” of the clothing choices that I wore last week. I’ve had these clothes for years so they are as “long lasting” as the lipstick I just wrote about!

This was last Monday’s outfit. The weather was crummy. I didn’t feel like dressing up much and I decided to wear this dress that hadn’t fit me in years. Gap. On sale. Very simple look..

I wore this last Tuesday. Another bad weather day. I love the Tory Burch tunic. I got it during a huge internet sale. 75% off. This is a size 10 and didn’t fit me for a long long time. Her tunics run very small and I’m happy to say this fits very nicely now. Some tunics can be a bit loosey-goosey but the fit on this one is very flattering!

Wednesday (on second thought it may have been Thursday) was my “homage to Air France “flight attendants day. The navy dress. The scarf. The fake hair pulled back. Another simple look and very professional!

Hands down, this was my favorite outfit last week. Navy pants. Navy blazer, orange Repettos, the orange and blue scarf I stole from my daughter and an orange Longchamp bag. I really LOVE this look.

Casual Friday. I dressed up a torn jeans and sneakers look with a lady jacket. I paid twenty bucks for this jacket about three years ago at Nordstrom Rack. It FINALLY fits. All in all, every item I wore last week was years old with the exception of the jeans, which I purchased last November and the sneakers which I purchased in March (or was it the beginning of April). That lipstick I’m wearing–I applied it Thursday morning–ONLY KIDDIN”!!!

Speaking of long wearing and long lasting, here’s a “sample” of one of my favorite songs that has been long lasting in my world. James Brown’s “Hot Pants” Uh!!!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beauty, Fashion, fashion over 50 | 29 Comments

Who Can Resist A Haironista? Hairresistable Solutions for Hair Loss and The Mature Woman!

Posted on April 30, 2017 by Catherine

Before you do the roll-eye at me and go “Oh no, not another hair post, please—“hair” me out. OK? I realize I covered this topic a bit only a couple of weeks ago. But today, I want to do a more in-depth post so read on mature ladies. Read on!

No! Don’t yawn. This is informative! And fun. I posted bad pics of me!!

First, I’m becoming increasingly annoyed at the amount of advertising I see for products and potions that promise to grow hair. In 99 percent of the cases, hair will not grow back. I am also very wary of taking any product internally—you do not know the long-term results on your organs.

I have tried topical lotions that promised my balding scalp locks of luster and regrowth. They were messy to deal with, took the time to apply and did NOT grow so much as the beginnings of a fuzzy strand.

Be honest. Be real. For reals,man. For reals!

Truth in advertising counts. Read the fine print. Many products carry a microscopic little caveat that state the product won’t work for everyone. They should reword it to doesn’t work in most cases.

The only product I’ve ever used that worked to grow any sort of hair was Latisse. It not only made my lashes longer but I was very messy in my application and it spilled a bit on my skin. And where it spilled, I grew little fine hairs that needed to be plucked. When I lost my corporate healthcare, I also lost the affordable price of Latisse.

Besides, I didn’t need extra eyelashes on my cheeks.

In addition, I once went for a “free” consultation at a salon in Wayne, PA that “specialized’ in hair loss. The cost? A couple of thousand bucks for months of treatments. And false promises of hair regrowth.

And once that fuzz appears, it is a continuous process to keep up with it.

At 62 years of age, I have not the time, nor the money or the patience to deal with this. And I don’t like the idea of businesses taking advantage of women with hair loss. It’s wrong!

So, what is the solution? I’ve spent too much time in my life blow drying the hair that I once had. I spent too many hours in needless worry of what others think of me with my thinning hair and even more time worrying about what people would think if they could tell I was wearing helper hair, alternative hair, fake hair or a wig.

Trust me, this has been a journey. Come along on the trip with me…

At first, I used Toppik, which I’ve written about many, many times. And if you notice that your hair is beginning to thin in spots, this product, as well as others like it, is excellent. It can be a bit messy for the beginner, but after repeated applications gets easier and easier. To this day, I use it when Adam cuts my hair. And I don’t get the chance to go 100 percent bio hair these days!

Over ten years use and still using–although much less these days!

When the loss became more apparent, it was time for toppers. Toppers are, well, I guess you could call them clip-in toupees for women! They clip into the top of your hair, covering the areas of hair loss. If you need further information on toppers, please see the videos of June Penny. She is a riot and makes no bones or BS about hair loss. She works together with Uniwigs. I’ve ordered a few toppers from Uniwigs, thanks to June, and have been very happy with the product, the customer service, and the quality. Only once was I disappointed in the topper and it was a wavy-haired one that was my error in ordering.

June Penny is no BS. That’s one of the reasons I love her so much! She’s an expert on toppers and will answer any questions you may have!

The toppers work more for me these days when I wear a messy bun or updo.

The two messy bun looks photographed here were done with my Tony of Beverly topper. The density is great and lends itself perfectly for that messy bun look! PLEASE NOTE: I ironed the blouses that are hanging up. I ironed them this morning!

Last year I was also very lucky to be gifted with a very dense set of hair extensions by the generosity of Irresistible Me Hair Extensions. I wore these extensions a lot last summer. Almost a year later, my hair loss has gotten severe enough that the extensions no longer work for me. I saved them though because I’m trying to figure out how to turn them into ponytail extensions.

When my loss wasn’t as severe, these hair extensions were great!!!!

These days I’m wearing wigs more and more. I no longer care if others can tell I’m wearing a wig. I no longer care what others think.

And it isn’t just about hair loss either. The hair that I do have just hasn’t aged well! In its natural state, without the aid of a roller set or blow dry, my hair is damaged from the years of blow-drying, dying, hairspray, bad haircuts, sun damage. It is dry. It is brittle. It is a freakin’ mess! You name it, I’ve done it. Some of us are blessed in many ways. I was not blessed with gracefully aging hair. I was blessed in the fact I don’t have a lot of wrinkles. I’ll take what I got!

I took this photo earlier in the morning after I did my roots. Hey. It is what it is. Or in THIS case, what it isn’t! The loss has gotten worse on the top of my crown! Oh well.

Anyway, my first wig was Scorpio, by Revlon. I ordered it from Wigs.com when I started losing hair but I hardly wore it. I felt “funny” and “odd”. And when I wore it to my sister’s house one weekend, my nieces started laughing so badly at me that I felt awful and more self-conscience than ever. The wig was put into a box where it still sits. In hindsight, I should have just worn the damn wig. My bio hair was cut into a short bob at the time and took me a good two hours of blow drying to achieve that sleek look. I woulda been better off plopping the wig on my head!

I still have this wig in a box. And I still like it. If I want to go back to a short bob–I can! Scorpio still remains one of Revlon’s best selling wigs–especially with the older, mature woman. It’s a great wig for the older gals because it remains modern!

When my hair got longer, I ordered a couple of longer wigs. Among them “Brie” by Vivica Fox wigs. I happen to be a fan of her wigs. And Brie has remained a “go to” for me. I have two Brie’s and they have held up very well over the four years I’ve had them. Yes. This under-thirty dollar wig is remarkable in her long-lasting ability.

I’m wearing Brie in this photo. In fact, it is the most used wig I’ve worn into the office. Bonaparte loves this wig on me due to the waves.

I was ready to trash one of the Brie wigs because she was starting to look a bit raggy, but I went onto YouTube and found a very informative and educational video by Tiffany Hudson of Tiffanys TempTresses. Where June Penny is the Queen of Toppers, Tiffany is the Queen of Wig care. She has a very sweet and soothing way of explaining things.

If you already do wear wigs, this video is priceless in its education of washing synthetic wigs. If you are thinking of wearing a wig, watch this video. It is educational! I went out and purchased fabric softener to use as conditioner for my synthetic hair thanks to Tiffany!

And if you are going through hair loss and are thinking of purchasing a wig, please look at reviews before making a purchase. There are a great many reviews both online and on YouTube. One of our own WordPress bloggers has a fantastic blog (I think she should be a professional photographer because her photographs are wonderful but that’s another story but look at her photos and tell me they are not fabulous!) in which she reviews many wigs. MareyMercy.

Cynthia has a TON of great wig reviews but I wasn’t able to upload any from her site. Trust me, go to her blog, MareyMercy wig reviews and check them out! Oh. And she took these pics. I wish I lived next door to her because I would have her snap a few of me–I would pester her so much that she would move away!

Wig reviews are a tremendous help because it gives a better picture of how a wig really will appear in real life. You can also see for yourself that many affordable wigs look terrific and you don’t need to spend a fortune!

For my happiness, the Divatress site is my favorite place to shop for wigs. The customer service is stellar and quick delivery. Free shipping over $49. And—I love their selection of lace front wigs! Wigs are shipped in boxes like this—they don’t scrimp on their shipping.

Two wigs came securely packaged in this huge box. Divatress knows how precious our hair cargo is!

Some of my recent purchases have been made because of YouTube reviews. Here’s a look at some of my new hair and the reviews that have sold me on the wigs:

Outre Perm Yaki 18. I love this so much that I ordered two more as backups. And would never have ordered if it were not for the two video reviews below. See how natural she looks?

Manda Panda’s review sold me on the wig because she put the front up and it looked so natural. In addition, she is so adorable and those glasses of hers!!!!

Kiara Cymone’s review of the same wig finalized my decision to repurchase. And I’m thankful to these young ladies for helping this older lady!

Front and back of stock card for this wig. I like to keep these filed because of the descriptions and care for the units.

Another favorite of mine is Storm by ModelModel. I love everything about this wig..

See how well the lace front blends in well with my natural hairline–even when I hadn’t done my roots it still looks great!

Thanks to Dee Dee Woods, I made the purchase I will never regret. I have two Storms and will need to order another backup as soon as Divatress gets my color back in! Dee Dee has a great YouTube channel on hair, beauty–she’s a doll. Look at her eyes too. She has very kind eyes and you know how much I love kind eyes!

I was on the fence about ordering this wig. Texana by Freetress Equal. The review below was helpful in my deciding to go for it. I like it a bit messier and it is the only wig that I recently purchased where I had to pin my bio hair up because it didn’t blend well with my bio hair. Doesn’t matter though because I really enjoy the shorter length. This is a PERFECT wig for the mature woman!

Lovely Lasean’s review was the decision-maker with this purchase. She got hers from Sistawigs.com. I ordered mine from Divatress.

I sometimes miss having bangs. This wig, Soft Volume by Freetress Equal Premium Delux is a monofilament top. The part is basically non-existant. I liked the wig but was unsure about purchasing until I saw this review by BodiedBykeira..

She cut bangs into the wig!!! She cut bangs! I followed her advice and am happy I did!

This is Sage. I should have looked at a few reviews before making the purchase. I was looking for a long wig that I could put into a braid or pony. Unfortunately, I lack the know-how and the wig is way to dense for me to pull back…..but…

I cut (and rather unevenly, I admit) about three inches off the bottom and pulled my bio hair back for a very Catherine Deneuve look. I love this 1960’s look and personally, any mature woman can rock this wig.

This wig was purchased at a local wig outlet in Norristown. I paid $19.99 for it. It’s a Vivica Fox wig and I’m sorry that I didn’t save the stock card. I went back to buy another one and found out the wig had been on final clearance because it was discontinued. I wish I knew what wig this is because I DIG THIS WIG!

It reminds me a LOT of Storm but is longer and the part is so natural looking! The Yaki texture is another plus. Oh. I wish I had another one of these wigs. Why did Vivica discontinue this beauty? Whatsamatter with her?

It’s a nice length and from the back looks nice and thick and like my bio hair!

Some wigs need tweaking in the form of tweezing the part to give it a more realistic look. Don’t be afraid to tweeze because you can’t mess it up!

And because I don’t wear a wig cap and just plop the wigs over my bio hair, I usually sew in a few extra combs for extra security.

I think I paid all of three bucks for this bag of sew-in wig combs. I’ve been procrastinating because I need to do some sewing!

Oh—and this is important. I still color my roots regularly so the color blends in better when I’m wearing my natural hair off my face and pulled back.

I also don’t wash my bio hair often. The more hair I lose, the less I wash. I can go two weeks these days. Don’t cringe!! My hair doesn’t smell. It doesn’t look greasy because it is as dry as the Sahara dessert. And I roller set because it is less damaging than blow-drying!

I did my roots this morning and washed and set my bio hair so it looks better when I pull the front out when wearing wigs and toppers. BTW, the only makeup I’m wearing is a long-lasting lipstick that has been on since 9:00 AM. It is now 4:18 PM. I’ll be writing a post about it when I finish up with this post!

Just took the rollers out. No makeup today. Boy do I look like sh..I have Toppik in my hair and I also have…..

…this Oil Free wig shine for Human and Synthetic Hair sprayed on my bio hair. It works great for taming frizz and keeping hair smooth and shiny. I found it on the Divatress site! Only $1.95!

Look. I realize that hair loss can be painful. It can be embarrassing. It is also an incredibly private topic that many don’t want to be open about. But we need to address it. As we age, we still want to look great—am I right? And why spend hours worrying about our hair when it is easy just to plop a wig or topper on?

Mature us can rock every look—even when it comes to hair that isn’t our own! So let’s do this! Bring out your inner Haironista!!!!Let’s make a purchased head of hair as regular and normal as our skincare routine or getting dressed!

Ain’t nothing’ like a great head of hair–that you can buy!

There are all types of wigs out there. There is also a huge price range. Some women prefer human hair. I like synthetic because it is affordable and inexpensive. Regardless of your choice, the solutions are out there. You just need to research. Or just ask me!!

We may not have perfect hair, or skin, or weight or whatever. But–we gotta be ok with our imperfections. I’m giving Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be” a revisit. Do you remember this song? It’s so inspirational and Oona and I used to listen to it together all the time. I love when songs have meaning–and remind me of time with my daughter and my sons.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Aging, Beauty, Hair Loss, Wigs, Women Over 50 | 37 Comments

The One TV Show Every Woman Over 50 Must Watch!

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Catherine

I, as well as most women of my age, spent a lifetime watching reruns of “I Love Lucy”. Lucy and Ethel are the most iconic team in comedy.

I’m still enjoying these two!

Haven’t we all seen every episode at least twenty times over the decades? Haven’t we all aspired to work in a candy factory or sell Vitameatavegamin?

One of the funniest buddy scenes of all time!

Then, in the early to mid-sixties, when most of us were nearing the pre-teen years, we had another team to look up to. Patty and Cathy Lane. Who didn’t want to be one of Patty Duke’s twin cousins? Did we not learn how to speak with a British accent from imitating Cathy? I remember wanted to be just like Patty when I entered my teen years. This one-woman set of twins was a talented team to look up to.

I LIVED for this show. Sometimes I wanted to be Patty and other times I wanted to be Cathy. Oh wait. I’m Cathe!!

The 1970’s brought Mary and Rhoda. Two women in their thirties. The stereotype of the meek and mild and obedient woman was broken. Mary and Rhoda were their own women. Feminism brought on a new genre of TV character. It was A-OK to be single, career-minded, and independent. And the women had a great and strong friendship.

Empowering Mary and self-effacing Rhoda. They made a great team. And really, don’t we have a little of both these women in us?

The 1980’s into the early 90’s brought not a team, but a quintuplet of women living together. The Golden Girls. This show focused on a group of older women. Truth be told, I never cared for the show. I know. I know. I’m in the minority here.

But here’s the thing. Every episode I’ve ended up watching was dopey. I realize The Golden Girls was a comedy and was groundbreaking in the fact it was about older women, but it showed older women in every moronic stereotype known to man—from the top of their gray hair to the unstylish clothing they wore. I’m not kidding. I can’t even watch the reruns. It’s as though Hollywood was patronizing the older women.

Individually, I loved all of these women as actors. Together on this show, I couldn’t stand it. I really did not like this show. Let me know what you think? Did you like it?

Fear not, the early nineties into 2012 had us all laughing with guilt because we were able to relate in some way to Absolutely Fabulous’ Patsy and Eddie. Oh yes. The remarkable thing about Ab Fab was that it showcased the incredibly deliciously naughty behavior of two rather self-absorbed women of a certain age. They drank. The smoked. They took drugs. They were not nice–but I loved them! I will admit, Pasty Stone is my shoe icon! Patsy and Eddie were the bad girls in us!

Patsy and Eddie. Delightfully bad. I cannot get through an episode without laughing to the point where I need a Depends!

But there really hasn’t been a show about older women and their struggles both emotional and otherwise while adding a touch of humor.

Until now.

The show is “Grace and Frankie”. The new female tag team is Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

Tomlin and Fonda are “absolutely fabulous” as Grace and Frankie!

Now in Season 3 on Netflix, I’m loving this show more and more. It’s been renewed for Season 4 and I am telling you that this is the one show every woman over 50 should—no, make that must be watching.

In case you are not familiar with this show, here’s a brief rundown.

Grace (Jane Fonda), was married to Robert (Martin Sheen). Frankie (Lily Tomlin), was married to Sol (Sam Waterston). Robert and Sol worked together as successful divorce attorneys. They worked together for many years.

The couples that work together…sometimes end up married to each other!

Robert and Sol fell in love, divorced themselves from Grace and Frankie, moved in together and got married.

Now—Grace and Frankie were not the best of friends. They are opposites. But because the women would not compromise on selling a jointly-owned beach house, both women found themselves as unlikely roommates.

Not only did Grace and Frankie marry well–but they divorced even better. What. A. House!

And the show is about their life together.

It’s funny. It is witty. It is charming. It is touching, and at times, a bit sad. It has a great cast. And it is not without fault.

But first, the greatness of it all.

The women are old. Not fake old—both women are in their seventies. It was mentioned in one episode that their combined age is 146. They have aged and they are well-aware of it.

Things didn’t turn out the way they thought things would turn out. Neither thought she would end up divorced, let alone have their husbands become husbands to each other!

They raised their kids. They are over that. Grace has grandchildren and she is not portrayed as the sweet, homespun, rocking chair granny who lives to dote on them.

And although Jane Fonda’s Grace may look perfect (Let’s face it, she still has a Barbarella body) she is not without fault. She is bossy. She is arrogant. She drinks too much. She is bitter and must be in control. She is stubborn.

She may drink too much, but her wardrobe is pretty darned chic. Jane Fonda is such an ice princess as Grace–but she’s so damned comedic too! In a classy way, of course!

Lily Tomlin’s Frankie is the old hippie. She hasn’t given up her liberal flower power ways. She smokes pot. She’s an artist. She is naïve. She is flaky. She’s a bit immature. She can’t focus at times. She is sweet and kind. She is stubborn.

…and Tomlin’s Frankie curses up a storm! You know I love that!

Their grown children are not without fault or issues. They are a dysfunctional group.

Left to Right. Brianna, Sol, Mallory, Bud and Coyote. A loveable and dysfunctional group!

Grace’s daughters, Brianna and Mallory are in dire need of therapy. Brianna, a successful business woman cannot commit to a relationship and acts out in slutty ways. Mallory is unhappily married with children and has a husband who is never around. He’s constantly working.

Frankie’s sons are not much better off. Coyote, an ex-druggie, is a man-child with no real ambition other than playing his guitar. But—he is sweet and a genuinely good guy. Nwabudike, Bud, Frankie’s adopted African son, is the more conservative of the family. He’s an attorney who is taking over Sol and Robert’s law practice. And his girlfriend is crazy AF.

But that’s the notable thing about the women’s grown children. They are far from perfect. They have issues. They are pretty much normal! They argue but there is a definite closeness and fondness for each other. Especially between Coyote and Mallory. They were together at some point.

Caressing the prototypes of their vibrators. The vibrators are arthritis friendly. It’s a hilarious subplot!

As two aging women who are looking for career moves in their lives, they form a company called “Vibrant”. Vibrant makes vibrators for “women of a certain age”. The idea of two women in their 70’s with a vibrator business as a start-up may seem far-fetched, but the approach is humorous without being patronizing or ridiculing the woman of a certain age. It brings to light that old women can be sexual. We aren’t a bunch of dried up raisins.

And look! Ernie Hudson, my favorite Ghostbuster, plays Jacob, Frankie’s boyfriend!! They are so adorable together!

And it is also sad and frustrating. The women go to see a banker to acquire a loan for the business. They are turned down. Not because of the nature of the business, but because of their ages. The fact each woman is 73 years old is too risky. And that’s the reality. Ageism hurts. And it is out there.

After leaving the bank without a loan, Frankie questioned why they didn’t get it. Grace turned to her and said “Because we’re OLD”–it was a sad moment. Sad but realistically true.

In another episode, Vibrant is almost acquired by an existing company. In the promo ads that have been created, Grace and Frankie have at least three decades airbrushed off their faces. Frankie is mortified about this. But in a fleeting moment, Grace looks at her photograph with an expression of complete melancholy. She loves the photograph and finds it tempting. But in the end—common sense and reality win out.

They were more airbrushed than this. And this is pretty much airbrushed!

Ahhh–the trials and tribulations of electronics when you reach a certain age!

I could go on and on but you get the gist. It’s a great show about aging and friendship and life in general.

We need more shows that stress friendships between women–especially as we age.

And that is what I absolutely love about this show.

What I’m not too fond of is an issue with many shows. Why do the women have to be in the one percent? It would have been a nice and more realistic touch if, instead of a shared beach house on a prime slice of real estate, the women were forced to live together in a home that could have been an investment property meant to flip. Perhaps in a more urban area?

Nuthin’ like having the beach as your backyard. This isn’t a reality for 99 percent of us!

And, at times, I feel Frankie’s flower child personality is a bit over-the-top, but it isn’t a deal breaker. I love Lily Tomlin and I find myself laughing out loud at her ability for physical comedy!

You know, there aren’t any shows about aging. There are no films out there. The fashion industry ignores us. The cosmetics industry focuses on “anti” aging when in fact, we age with every second.

Why not embrace the aging, older woman? Thank you, Netflix, for allowing us to see ourselves in a positive light!

Thank you Netflix! Thank you Jane! Thank you Lily! Thank you writers! Thank you for reading!

Let’s end this post with a song about Friendship—Carole King, you’ve got a friend!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Aging, Friendship, grace and frankie, women | 48 Comments

Day-Into-Night Dressing For The Older, Wiser Woman!

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Catherine

OK, so I may be a girly-girl. And I love being feminine. And I love pretty things.

Yes. This would be Me in all my girly glory!

But I’m not a fussy dresser.

This could be because I wore uniforms to school for many years.

I pretty much still dress like this–except I go bare-legged with a mighty fake tan!

Or it could be from the words of my mother who always said that it was far better to be under dressed for the occasion rather than to be over dressed.

And I get that!

It means dressing appropriately but not over-the-top. It also means not dressing like you just rolled out of bed.

This is not what is meant by Day-Into-Night. This is purely Sleepy Time Ensemble! Nobody should be wearing a get up like this outside of their home. Not now. Not ever. Never!

And, with age, I’ve become a bit more relaxed about my day-into-evening dressing.

Back when I was younger, I would literally spend hours mulling over what I would wear to attend an event or special occasion. It would be worse when an event was directly after office hours.

I’m not lying to you when I tell you that there were times when I took a change of clothing to the office.

Over the years, I’ve become more chill.

When Bonaparte and I have a date night, it is on the weekend. It is the very rare weeknight evening if we must attend an event.

So, when we do go out in the evening, it is after a busy day of being out and about running errands, shopping and whatever else pops up.

And during those weekend days, I’ll wear jeans. I love jeans—and I swear to you, I love them now more than when I was younger. They are no fuss, they are simple and can change from casual to elegant in a matter of minutes!

My daytime look can be as simple as a white tee, very casual skinny jeans and sneakers. Hair up and bit of makeup.

Classic weekend look–white tee. Skinny Jeans. Sneakers.

My bio hair piled up on top of my head.

..or a plaid shirt layered with a sweater. It’s all good for daytime.

My nighttime look is also simple with the addition of a Chanel-inspired Lady Jacket, a touch of darker eye makeup, a simple clutch and heels.

Quick change artist, I am. Less than five minutes to change shoes, add a jacket..

...plop on a head of fake hair, freshen makeup and add a clutch to match the heels…

Ba-da-boom. The look is complete.

Another great day-into-night look. During the day loafers or sneakers. At night. Red heels. Fake pearls. Mo’ makeup and this time, my bio hair!

For the most part, it’s as simple as a change of shoes.

If I do wear a dress while out for an event, you can rest assured it will be simple and comfortable with plenty of allowance for dancing all night and running back and forth to the open bar!

Lots of big fake hair, a simple black dress and a very inexpensive skinny necklace purchased during a major J. Crew Factory sale are the beginnings of another day-into-night look during the work week.

This dress? It’s by Tiana B. This dress is so old that I cannot remember if it was purchased from QVC or TJ Maxx. I think I paid twenty bucks for it and it is over ten years old and still going strong!

I really, really like the look of a thin chain or two with this dress. It’s very delicate. Something of which I am not!

You know, I’m not much of an accessory person. I have my scarfs which I wear mostly to hide turkey neck.

Probably my most important accessory. The scarf. It does a stellar job hiding my turkey neck!

And it occurred to me while writing this post that even though I have quite a bit of costume jewelry, I don’t wear a lot of it –with the exception of the fake pearls.

My good jewelry consists of my diamond engagement ring, my diamond band, the pearl ring Bonaparte gave me when we started dating and pearl drop earrings from Bonaparte.

The lighting was horrific yesterday! Or perhaps the pearls were so lusturous that they didn’t photograph well. But other than my diamond ring and band, this is the extend of my “good” jewelry!

I realized that I could need a simple gold bracelet, or earrings or a necklace.

But the fact is, I’m pretty picky when it comes to good jewelry.

I noticed of those ads that WordPress provides at the bottom of a recent post—it was from a jewelry company. AUrate. So, I clicked.

The photograph was pretty intriguing. The simple bracelet. The simple ring. Very nice.

And this is what I found: The company was founded by two women who were besties at Princeton. OK. Now I feel a six-degrees-of New Jersey here. I lived in the next town over—Pennington and spent a lot of time in Princeton. I wonder if they ever went to Hoagie Haven on Nassau Street?

Sophie Kahn and Bouchra Ezzahraoui, the two young founders of Aurate. It’s wonderful to see a company started by two young women. It’s very empowering.

All the jewelry is crafted in New York City. Now I’m getting misty-eyed and my mascara is starting to run. To think these two women started a company in my old home town.

They give back. For every piece of jewelry that is sold, a book for an underprivileged child is purchased. That, to me, is a very kind gesture and I hope these two women keep up the kindness.

AUrate’s jewelry is not budget-priced. However, there are a few people in my family to whom I will be dropping hints at for an item or two when next Christmas rolls around.

This open flower necklace, at $250, is not only beautiful and different, but it’s very reasonably priced for gold jewelry. I have never seen an “open” necklace but I love it! It’s simplicity with an edge! Take a look at the necklace offerings!

The photo is really small, but here’s how the necklace looks on. Is this the perfect day-into-night piece or what?

Seriously—this stuff is nice!!! It’s right up my alley of simple and classic. And the jewelry is very appealing to women of all ages.

I’m also really quite fond of this Black Stones bracelet. At $150 it is affordable for gold!

But back to the point. The items AUrate has to offer are the perfect jewelry for day-into-night. Or night-into-day.

This Asymmetric Pearl Ring is another item that I really, REALLY like. I’m loving this open concept in jewelry. This is a new classic with a bit of a modern touch! It’s fabulous!

Remember. We are at an age where fussing isn’t conducive anymore. We’re over that. It’s time to concentrate more on the great times we are having rather than spending hours over what we are going to wear. We can look great in minutes—no matter what time of day or night it is or where we’re going! It’s all in our attitude!

Here’s my favorite song to get me in the mood for a great night out! “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas. This song always makes me happy!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Fashion, fashion over 50, jewelry | 26 Comments

No Expiration Date Needed (Unless the FDA and Cosmetics Companies Tell You So!)

Posted on April 23, 2017 by Catherine

It started with a cuppa tea. While I was preparing dinner last night, I wanted to ward off snacking so I put the kettle on. Now, I realize that not everyone takes milk in their tea. I do. And when I went to the fridge to take out the small amount of milk that was in the carton, I noticed the expiration date was three weeks ago.

Who woulda thunk that a cuppa tea was the inspiration for a blog post–not about tea!! Like my grandmother and mother before me, I keep the kettle on the stove at all times. It is never put away. I think my daughter Oona does the same thing!

That didn’t stop me. But the disagreeable odor that emanated as I opened the bottle did.

Then I realized I had a carton of Almond Milk in the fridge. Back I went. And I checked the expiration date. With an expiration date of June 24, 2017, it came to me that Almond Milk is now my best friend. This carton will be here waiting for me when I get back from France in July! OK?

Almond Milk sure has a long shelf life! I’m lovin’ this more by the expiration date!

I checked the yeast in the fridge. I bake a lot of bread. The last tthingI need is for the bread I bake for Bonaparte to fall flat. It is a Frenchmen’s crime and I could, quite possibly, be jailed like Marie Antoinette. Thank God, the guillotine is no longer used!

I’m safe with the bread baking for now too. Besides, there isn’t much left. I bake a lot of bread!

Then another thought popped into my head. My cosmetics. I knew there were charts somewhere out in cyberland to warn me when to trash my makeup.

Thank you Makeup.com–but I’m very naughty and pay no attention to this chart!

Here’s the thing. I have a lot of makeup. There is the makeup that I use on a regular basis. Those items will never expire.

A sampling of the cosmetics hanging in a jewelry holder over a closet door. I’ll bet half of this stuff is expired!

Then there’s the stuff that I hardly wear. There is also the stuff I purchased that was a mistake—but since I spent money, I refuse to trash the stuff. Then there’s all the backup makeup I have. The stuff I have forgotten about.

Two of my favorite palettes. The top is Urban Decay’s Naked 2. The bottom is Stila’s In The Know. If I was in the know about the fact Stila discontinued this palette I would have purchased a second to use past the expiration date. Both palettes are expired. It isn’t stopping me from using them. Look how much I hit pan on both of these!

I’m sure that all the cosmetics and skin care products that I have stashed away expired a long time ago. And I’m holding on to them.

This inexpensive bronzer, Ticket to Brazil by Wet n Wild, is the best powdered bronzer of all time. It expired in September. So did my unopened backup. I don’t care. I’m still gonna use it!

How can bacteria get into a package that literally takes a knife, a scissor and a ton of elbow grease and some very naughty language meant for the cosmetics companies that package this stuff?

This is the packaging from the elf Lemonade Pink blush stick that is now discontinued. I purchased it over a year ago. It is also expired. Doesn’t matter because I couldn’t even get the packaging opened with a nuclear weapon!

Better yet, how ironic is it that my cosmetics expire and the Easter candy is on display the day after Valentine’s Day. And I can bet the candy companies recycle that shit on a regular basis without nary a thought of an expiration date!

Candy Conspiracy: I’ll bet the candy companies collect all the unsold holiday chocolate, melt it down and recycle it for the next holiday! Their way of getting around the expiration dates!

Am I right or what?

Mascara usually lasts me three weeks per tube because I love thick, clumpy lashes. Yes! I said it. I love when mascara clumps. It makes my eyelashes look lush. I pack that glop on my lashes like spackle. And when I near the end of a tube, I spit into it to keep the product moist. Hey. It’s my spit and I’m pretty much germ-free!

The back of one of the MANY tubes of Maybelline The Falsies mascara that are unopened. This one could go unopened until 2020!

Eyeliner—I’ve had some liquids for over a year. I’ve had some that were so awful I’ve thrown them out after three applications. And that hurts because I hate wasting money. Luckily, I buy inexpensive eyeliner. And trust me, some of the eyeliners I’ve had to trash were over ten bucks!

Eye pencils. The one eye pencil I cannot live without is the Urban Decay 24/7. I would say perhaps I purchase two a year—around every six months.

Blush. I hold onto this for years. Although I do have an elf stick that has expired. No big deal to me. It was discontinued. The blush stick is ensconced in the original packaging. Therefore, in my world, there is no expiration date!

To the left is the Lemonade Pink blush stick that is long expired. In the middle is the Stila blush that I purchased over two years ago. It expired six months after I purchased it. Wait! What if I purchased that same blush today? See–the expiration dates don’t mean anything!

My next epiphany clicked when I reviewed what I wore this past week. My clothes have no expiration date. Really. They don’t. If something isn’t in style, I’ll wear it anyway. I stick to the plain and simple.

Here’s what I wore this week tha, style-wise, didn’t expire.

On Monday I wore a linen blend skirt with a simple white shell, a denim jacket and ballet flats. None of which have gone out of style or expired!

Plaid shirts never expire–neither does a basic black pencil skirt or pointy-toed black heels!

Wednesday had me wearing a striped skirt from Old Navy that is years old. YEARS old! In a rare fashion moment, Bonaparte modeled his striped socks for my stripes theme!

Stripes continued on Thursday. Although I will admit. Lilly Pulitzer did expire the wonderful Travel Pants I wore. I guess the Preppy Princesses couldn’t deal with the fact Lilly Pulitzer actually had a black item within the bright colors. That’s fabric racist! Well, I won’t expire these great pants! Alas, my refill of Fleur d’Oranger DID expire and turned into pure alcohol. Can’t win ’em all. At least I had a backup that wasn’t expired!

Friday was jeans, ballet flats and a Lobster sweater from J. Crew Factory. Critter clothing never expires!

Yesterday was a blend of old and new–the flattering striped shirt I wrote about the other day, a new ruffled blazer from J. Crew, jeans and Converse sneakers. Converse sneakers will NEVER expire!

OK –I’m sticking this in here for good measure. I went to J. Crew Factory yesterday to return a pair of shorts that I was on the fence about. I saw this dress on a hanger and thought “Meh”–but I tried it on anyway. I LOVE IT and bought it. Why? It reminds me of the old-school house dresses that my mother wore in the 1960’s. Yes. Sentimental value NEVER expires! This dress is comfortable AF and brings back nice memories!

Hold on. This is for the menz! I got Bonaparte to pose in his new jeans. His first pair of jeans from J. Crew Factory and the fit is incredible–that nice slim European fit. Jeans have no expiration date!

Last of all, the dress I’m wearing today! This is about five years old, I think. Banana Republic. I’ve worn this through heavier years and leaner years. Look at the difference between now and last summer!

I had to exhibit some serious tummy sucking-in last year. Thankfully the dress has some stretch. But the dress hasn’t expired!

What say you? ( I know. That expression drives many people crazy–but it is an expression

that hasn’t expired!) Do you throw your cosmetics out after the expiration date? What about your food items? And lastly—do your clothes expire?

In honor of Phase One of the French elections, I’m playing a song with, in my opinion, has no expiration date. Jacques Dutronc “Mini, Mini, Mini”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beauty, expiration dates, Fashion | 21 Comments

I’m A Bit On The Kinky Side Today!

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Catherine

Get your mind outta the gutter—ok? I’m Kinky because of my never-ending love for The Kinks. I have also had a 52 -year crush on Ray Davies, the King of Kink!

He was my first-ever crush. The first time I saw a photo of him all I could think of was “You Really Got Me”!

That crooked smile drove my pubescent hormonal pre-teen emotional state crazy with desire!

All through my school years I’ve loved The Kinks. Through my young adulthood, I loved The Kinks. My three children were raised, not on songs like “Puff the Magic Dragon” or Rafi, but they were raised on songs like “Lola”, “Waterloo Sunset”, “Apeman”, and “Well Respected Man”. I remain a Kinks fan. My children all remain Kinks fans.

That beautiful head of hair…

OMG! Now wonder I love this wig. It’s like the hair Ray Davies used to have. I’ll rename my wig to Raymonda!

I got to see them in concert many times—through their very unruly behavior on stage and naughty antics until Ray Davies went on tour solo a few years ago.

This morning as I got into my car to enter the battlefield known as 422, and to curse out the idiot drivers — because we all know that I am the best driver in the world, I perused through my CD collection and decided to revisit The Kink’s “Muswell Hillbilllies” CD. In vinyl, I played this on my turntable in my room countless times. I was 16 years old when the album was released.

I had the original album. I need to head to Amazon to order this deluxe edition with bonus tracks!

As a 16-year-old, I thought the songs were cool. I never gave the lyrics to the songs much thought—even though I had them memorized. It was the tunes, the beats, Ray Davies singing and my love for the band that was more important.

In the meantime, I’ll take this…

And so, as I was caught between the damned trucks and moving at a snail’s pace on the horrific road to work, I had the chance to really, really, listen to the lyrics of the songs.

I’m a product of this era. I still think young men look better with long hair! Dave Davies looks extra fetching in this pic with his Hipster Jesus look! I still love Ray more!

I was blown away at how the songs mirrored my own life as well as modern life. Really. They did! I’ll explain

20^th Century Man: …”The wonderful world of technology,
Napalm hydrogen bombs biological warfare…”

Those lyrics—what do they remind you of, huh? I’m not going to get political, but. Look what’s going on in the world. OK?

Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues: …”Well the milkman’s a spy, and the grocer keeps on following me, And the woman next door’s an undercover for the K.G.B.”

Miss Microwave herself. She’s the epitome of this song!

Kelly Ann Conway and the microwave? Need I say any more? I know what she’s got!

Holiday: …”Oh holiday, oh what a lovely day today, I think I’ll get down on my little knees and pray, thank you Lord. Thank heaven for this holiday, holiday. I’m leaving insecurity behind me.
The environmental pressures got me down. I don’t need no sedatives to pull me round” …
The Pool in Theoule is MY sedative!

Holiday is basically about me when I’m on summer vacation on the Cote d’Azur. I do thank God, I pinch myself for being so lucky and I don’t need no happy pills!!

Skin and Bone: “Don’t eat no mashed potatoes. Don’t eat no buttered scones.”

Rest assured, I’m up a good 5 pounds since this pic last month. I need to get back on track! Glad I listened to this song today!

Stay away from carbohydrates. Gonna look like skin and bones”.

I do. But I don’t look like skin and bone! But Ray Davies has a great and fun outlook on what happens to young ladies if they try to lose too much weight!

Alcohol: …” Oh demon alcohol, Sad memories I can’t recall” …

I can recall. I was married to an alcoholic. But, the thing about this song is that it’s so good that any bitterness I could have flies out the window as a merrily sing along with Ray!

Complicated Life: …”Well I woke this morning with a pain in my neck, A pain in my heart and a pain in my chest” …

Time for Breakfast!!!!

A hypochondriac’s anthem. Seriously. I wake up like this every morning. I do believe Sir Raymond Davies knows me well!

Here Come The People in Gray: …”I got a letter this morning with serious news that’s gone and ruined my day. The borough surveyor’s used compulsory purchase to acquire my domain,
They’re gonna pull up the floors, they’re gonna knock down the walls, they’re gonna dig up the drains.”

I can’t help it. This song reminds me of the evil developers that ruined the island of Manhattan for the middle class and we all had to leave. The construction men in their gray uniforms demolished buildings to make monstrous buildings like Trump Tower—another reason I hate that man.

On the other hand, I get a bit bittersweet when I listen to the tone of Davies’ voice when he sings this song. His voice reminds me so much of Marc Bolan of T-Rex. Marc was another one of my all-time Rock favorites. I miss his music.

Marc Bolan–another rock musician I loved. I’m telling you, that slight vibrato of Davies in this song really reminds me of Marc Bolan. I need to listen to “Ride A White Swan” again. And again.

Have a Cuppa Tea: …” If you feel a bit under the weather, if you feel a little bit peeved, Take granny’s stand-by potion” …

Margaret Crowley Wynne–the greatest grandma on earth and the greatest brewer of the best cuppa tea ever!

I listen to this song and am brought back to the kettle that was constantly on my grandmother’s stove. We drank tea in the morning, afternoon and evening. I love tea. I miss my grandmother’s tea. Tea is comforting.

Holloway Jail: “They took my baby, to Holloway jail, they took my baby, down Holloway jail,”

So, I can’t really relate to this song on an actual level—but there were times when I did feel imprisoned! I still love the song!

Oklahoma USA: …”All life we work but work is bore, If life’s for livin’ what’s livin’ for,”

This is relatable in the now. Work hours have gotten longer. Corporations want staff to be at the ready on their cell phones during the weekend. People are afraid to take vacations—so what’s living for?

Corny photo–perhaps. But when you listen to this song, you will be moved.

But there is a very sad sweetness to this song. It’s about a woman who lives in a decaying home and dreams of the life of the film “Oklahoma” with Shirley Jones and Gordon McRae.

Uncle Son:” Liberals dream of equal rights, Conservatives live in a world gone by, Socialists preach of a promised land, but old uncle son, was an ordinary man.

Keep crying Ben Franklin. You and every founding father of our country are rolling over in their graves at how horrific the political parties in America have become!

How prolific are these lyrics? How incredibly ironic that these lyrics were written in 1971 and are relative to today?

You know what? We all have a bit of Uncle Son in us! And he’s a great guy!

Muswell Hillbilly: …” They’ll try and make me study elocution. Because they say my accent isn’t right.

My favorite line from this song about people trying to change you. And yes, I’ve spent a lifetime with people commenting on my—um, rather unique “New Yawk” accent.

I wawk dis fas so I tawk dis fas!

And these are just some of the reasons that I love this little collection of songs so much. I love the lyrics that Davies writes. He has this gift of bringing words together that are touching and funny at the same time—and even for the most depressing of situations, he still brings the brightness in.

I love that. And I love Sir Raymond! (Shhhh..Don’t tell Bonaparte!)

Sir Raymond Davis still has that most adorable crooked smile! Be still my heart! NO–don’t be still my heart. Keep beating!

Do you still listen to the music you grew up on? Does it bring a new meaning to you now in your life?

Go. And listen to music. And enjoy it. And sing along. And find new meaning! And get Kinky!

Because I love the pulsing beat and the slight vibrato that reminds me of Marc Bolan I have to play “Here Come The People In Grey”—enjoy!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ray Davies, The Kinks | 16 Comments

Atypical 60

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