No! I’m Not a Stripper! I’m A “Striper”!!!

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Catherine

Just because my wigs have names like “Storm”, “Texana”, “Shiny” and “Windy” doesn’t mean I’m a stripper!

 

 

My hair’s name may be “Storm”–but she’s a good girl, she is! She ain’t no stripper!

I’ll leave the stripping to my youthful days of skinny dipping at the beach during the evening.

I’m no Gypsy Rose Lee either. She was the ultimate stripper!

Gypsy Rose Lee also gave us a new way to look at dots!

Or was she?  See—she’s wearing stripes!  It appears that perhaps Gypsy Rose Lee was a striper as well as a stripper!

I’ll be honest–this adorable striped corset ensemble would have looked MUCH better if Gypsy was wearing a padded bra. I guess she figured what the hell since the top would be coming off!

I’m a striper.  I love stripes.  I’ve been wearing them since I discovered that, contrary to what mother said, horizontal stripes do not make me, or anyone else, look fat!

I can’t help it. I freakin’ love stripes!

And the fashion experts are at it again.  Shouting about how stripes are “in” this year. I do believe we go through this every year.

 FashionMagazine.com is telling us how to wear stripes this year. Um. No. I’m NOT wearing stripes this way. I don’t care WHAT you say.  I wouldn’t be smiling either if I had to wear that getup!

The fact is, stripes were never “out” of style!

Check out any one of the thousands of “How to Dress Like a French Woman” articles on the net and you’ll see stripes.

Here’s a Gallic photo from Fashion Gum’s article on Parisian Chic Street Style.  Dress like a French Woman.  (Here’s a secret.  Most Parisian women don’t dress like the ones in the pics. I know. I’ve been there enough times)

I don’t wanna dress like a French woman unless it’s Bardot.

Wait a minute. I DO dress like Bardot!

MY iconic striped model is none other than Bonaparte’s dad, Dany Lartigue.

Dany is an artist who lives in St. Tropez.  He’s been wearing striped shirts for years.  Years!

His “uniform” consists of khaki cropped pants, sandals, a Breton striped shirt and a hat.

I have never seen him wear anything but.

Bonaparte and dad in St. Tropez. Dany even has a striped cross-body bag!  Those Frenchmen! 

He changed into a DIFFERENT striped shirt for lunch. This is his dress striped shirt!

 

A year later and he’s still in the same uniform with the same striped bag.  This is greatness!

Oops!  How did I end up in Dany’s shirt?  ONLY KIDDING!  We were twinning!  I wore my striped shirt too!

I also dig his red striped shirt!  I hope he wears the red when we visit him in June!

Just how much do I love stripes?

Let’s have a look-see, shall we?

Rugby striped maxi dress from a few years ago. I have to go back down to the garage to find this!

A striped maxi skirt! I was prompted to go back down to the garage and dig this out. I may even launder it!

Behind the red skirt. My six dollar steal from Old Navy. I love that striped skirt. Hmmm. Perhaps I will wear it tomorrow if it is cool outside!

Look!  More stripes!  I’m emulating Dany’s little striped bag! I love dressing like a Frenchman…

Look!  From 1965!  Proof that stripes are timeless and nothing new!

It’s difficult to see the stripes in this tunic–but they are there!  

And year after year, the stripes are going strong!

This is probably my favorite striped shirt. I couldn’t wear it last year or the year before because it didn’t look that great due to the weight gain. I can wear this again and it is incredibly flattering. I love the loosey-goosey neckline. 

Here’s another view.  This really is an oldie but goodie!

I KNOW it’s so lame to post these pics from my last post–I’m sorry, but it’s bringing attention to the stripes!

There’s more–striped button down shirts. Striped shift dresses.  I cannot believe I do not own striped shoes!

Stripes are nothing new–they are fun to wear. Stripes can turn a drab outfit into a very happy one.  Did you ever notice that?  I mean, stripes really do add a bit of happiness to an outfit.  Dots and pom-poms have the same effect. Happy dressing!

I think we all need a bit of happy dressing–don’t you?  Get the stripes out ladies. Wear them well and know that someone will be smiling at you when you are striped!

I can’t seem to get Gypsy Rose Lee out of my mind. Did you ever see the movie “Gypsy”?  Natalie Wood played Gypsy Rose Lee and it remains one of my favorite musicals of all time (along with Flower Drum Song).  “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from Gypsy (too bad it wasn’t “Everything’s Coming Up Stripes”)

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Back to Basics–and Some Clothes Talk!

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Catherine

I INTERRUPT THIS BLOG POST TO THANK ALL MY ATYPICAL60 FRIENDS FOR THE OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF BIRTHDAY GREETINGS AND WISHES!!

I AM THE LUCKIEST BLOGGER IN THE WORLD BECAUSE I HAVE THE GREATEST FRIENDS!  THANK YOU FRIENDS!!!

And Hugs and Kisses!!  Thank you for being a part of my Birthday!!

 

And now, let us resume with today’s post:

Bonaparte and I had a great date night for my pre-Birthday dinner on Saturday evening. We returned to Ma Maison in Ardmore for another enjoyable meal.

One great thing about the Philly area is the overabundance of BYOB restaurants.  I wish this was the norm everywhere!

Bonaparte poured…

..while I enjoyed a starter of duck rillettes..

..and he had a salad. But the food pics stop here. Bonaparte asked me to refrain from taking photos and just enjoy the meal.  He was right. And I did. And I really did!

My date night outfit.  My bio hair!  I also wore my plaid Lady Jacket, new jeans I purchased at Marshall’s, an old–very old cotton shell from Talbots that I wish was still sold and a pair of red, pointy-toed heels from Vince Camuto.  YES. This is how the OVER-60 woman dresses!!  

Wearing that plaid jacket got me to thinking about my favorite madras shorts and the fact that I needed to find them because the warm weather is finally here!  I went to sleep dreaming about them.

I woke up this Birthday Morning to a very nice gift card to my favorite store!  Bonaparte knows what I like!

And Bonaparte does not want me using any store credit cards either.  I can’t wait to use this card!!

I  also woke up on this Easter Morning and thanked my buddy, Hipster Jesus, for gifting me with another year.  Then I went on to ask him to please return to Earth so that he could remind people the true meaning of Christian behavior.

Yes, you did. And I was one of them and, like the song that Little Peggy March sang back in the early 1960’s, I will always follow you!

You know, things like compassion, empathy, love for all humanity, equality, kindness, non-judgemental behavior.  The Basics. They have gone into hiding and need to resurface.

Then I asked Him for help.  I know—this is just so awful, but He knows me.

I asked him to help me find my favorite shorts. The madras Bermuda shorts I got last summer at J. Crew. I love those shorts.  And I want to see how much tailoring needs to be done on them since my weight loss.

My favorite shorts of all time.  I needed to find them. And I asked Hipster Jesus to help me. They fit me last year!

And off I went into the garage in search of my all-time favorite pair of shorts.

In my search, I discovered quite a few dresses that I had forgotten about. I also found other shorts that I wore last year but my madras shorts alluded me.

Not quite in a panic, I shrugged and figured that eventually—meaning at some point today, I would find them.  Even if it meant taking every closet apart as though I was a police officer with a search warrant, I would find those shorts.

In the meantime, I rummaged through the clothing that I did find and came across some gems from a few years back that became too tight. But–the good thing was that all the dresses were pretty much basic–nothing trendy and they could still be worn!  I laundered, ironed the clothing because after sniffing and carefully inspecting for stains, I only needed to put one skirt in the wash.  I’ll wash it later on in the week.

So I ironed and tried stuff on.  To my surprise, the shorts from last year were very loose. Way too loose, in fact, to wear.

I really like these striped nautical shorts but the waist was incredibly big..

I was shocked at how much room was in the waist. They fell down to my hips when I walked down the stairs.  I can’t wear them this year.

I did throw on the neon yellow eyelet shorts and wore them with a belt. Monsieur Bonaparte, Fashion Expert, informed me that the shorts were, in fact, too loose to wear even with a belt. They will be placed back in storage with the other shorts that were too loose.

They don’t look bad at all from the front, but in the back they were just sagging too much. The GOOD thing is that Bonaparte said he would take me shopping and buy more shorts for me. 

But, I will share with you the clothing that made the cut–and they are all basics:

This is a dress that I purchased at J. Crew Factory some years back. It’s a bit on the shorter side and I never got around to wearing it. At all.  The weight gain made it impossible to get over my thighs.  It fits now. And yes. It is still on the short side. I wouldn’t wear it to work, but it is a nice summer dress to wear after a day at the beach or if we go out in the evening.  I wore my Rondini “Bikini” sandals in the pics because I plan on getting a lot of wear out of them this coming summer. They are comfy as all get out. Back to the dress. I love the way this yellow statement necklace looks against the navy.

and with hair pulled in an updo, it is a nice warmer-weather look!

Same basic dress only this time with a scarf–which is great to wear in air-conditioned movie theaters.

and what better way to hide Turkey Neck?

This is a dress that I absolutely love and haven’t worn in over two years. It is by “Cos” and I picked it up in Paris many years ago–when I was lean enough to buy clothes. in the City of Lights!  The dress is high waisted but I still like it. The top is knit and the bottom cotton and it has pockets!  Honestly–what is not to love. It is also a very basic dress. There is nothing trendy about it and it is about eight years old.

The length is office friendly and I can dress it up a bit with heels.  In all honesty, I should have changed my bra before trying this on. A less padded one makes the dress look even better!

Another J. Crew Factory purchase from a few years back. To tell you the truth, I’m not crazy about the dress because I wish the waist line was lower.  The Cos dress has a purposely high waist line–so it’s almost an empire waist. But this dress is made for women who don’t have a long waistline.  I like stripes though. And I can wear this to work so it’s a keeper…

…and I happen to like the way it looks with this lightweight dotted scarf!

A great shirtwaist dress is difficult to find. Many of them have a tendency to look a bit frumpy. This dress–is just great. I cannot even remember how long ago I made the purchase. I can’t remember if it is GAP or GAP Factory. I do remember that when I made the purchase the arms were way too tight and I wore it maybe once. I am so happy I held on to this dress. It is basic as all get-out, but I love it. 

I can belt it if need be, but I would rather keep it more like a shift.  I can wear ballet flats to give it a more polished look for work. I’m telling you, this is a great, great dress that has managed to keep classic over the years!

OK. I gotta tell you a story about this dress and the next dress I’m photographed in. Bonaparte took a photo of me in this last summer. I literally started crying because I had gained so much weight that I looked like a white whale in it.  I was shocked. And I was sad because this has been one of my favorite summer dresses. It is loose to begin with so I’ve been able to wear it through thick and less thick times.  I’m happy that I can wear it again this year.  It’s also very airy and lightweight. This is another GAP dress.

This is me last summer in Theoule.  This dress was tight!  VERY tight…

This is the dress this year. Yeah. I’ll be giving it a lot of love!

Basically, it comes down to this—don’t buy anything new before you check to see what you already have.  Everything old is new. I found a couple of striped dresses. Guess what?  Stripes  are in mode now (I refuse to say “on trend”. I cannot stand that phrase).  I have another post-in-progress about stripes. Stay tuned!

Take that older item and make it new with a scarf, or shoes or accessories. If it is basic, you can work with it.

And this scarf?  I can wear it with the navy shift dress or even the white dress. It’ll look completely different!

Oh..and I did manage to talk some more to my Hipster Jesus. He told me that what I was looking for may not be what it used to be.

Darned if He wasn’t right!!!  After another trip down to the garage and another rummage, this time in an old chest of drawers. I found my beloved shorts. And I tried them on. And they don’t fit. They are way too loose.

Look at how ill-fitting my madras shorts are. The crotch area is not where it should be..

That is NOT the crack of my ass. It is the small of my back and the shorts fell down to my hips and not in a flattering way.  Do I get them tailored?  I said yes, but looking at this pic, I’m not so sure…

The one pair of shorts I managed to salvage. Stretch denim. J. Crew. They were tight as a vise last summer.  Now they are a normal fit.  I’ll probably wear these to the threads this summer.

Lesson learned?  I’m glad I’m a “Basic”.  If you stick to basics you will be able to hang on to clothing for years. In the blogosphere of fashion, my thinking may be a bit…well, basic but I don’t care.

That’s the beauty of wisdom with age. It isn’t about following trends anymore. It’s about what lasts and what you like and what you know looks and feels great for you.  We old ladies got it going on!!

Oh! And guess what else I found?  Remember the gray Old Navy $15 T-shirt dress that I raved about. The one I put on last week and discovered not one, not two, but three stains all in the course of about a minute?  I discovered another one of the dresses that is still in the plastic!  Oh yes!  Now I have an older, brand new, never-worn dress to stain!

Why I buy multiples!! 

And today’s song–let’s have some fun!  Little Peggy March “I Will Follow Him”!  You know who I’m talkin’ ’bout!

 

 

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Saturday Randomlings

Posted on April 15, 2017 by Catherine

It’s the day before Easter and the day before my 62nd birthday.  I have had a busy day so far.  And I’ve got a couple of hours to kill before getting ready to go out to dinner.

Some of my hair is up in rollers.  Adam gave me a spectacular blow-out today and I want the bigness for this evening. I am going to wear my bio hair tonight!

I want my hair big and bouncy this evening and don’t want to mess up a wig as I sloppily gorge down my meal! The things we do for beauty!

Adam gave me an excellent wig-friendly blow out this morning!  

The flowers the kids sent are now in full bloom and are on the table next to me. I am enjoying glancing over at them. And while the kids aren’t here this weekend, I have a reminder of them.

Arent they beautiful?  They are in bloom now and I love looking at them!

This was a great surprise to come home to yesterday!  The card–I’m misty-eyed!

It is the first time, since I became a mom, in 1983, that I am not dying eggs for Easter nor am I filling baskets up to the brim with candy.

There is a fork in my emotional road.

I could take the side that is sad because nobody is here for my Easter/birthday weekend or I could veer off to the happy side and realize they are not here because, as adults, they have their own lives.

I have decided to take the happy road!

That’s right man!  I’m taking the happy road!  No Easter baskets mean no chocolate that I can sneak into my big mouth. That means no added and empty calories!

Oona is off to her boyfriend’s family for Easter festivities.  Jake is working on the news and, is most likely with the new girl he is seeing and Roman is working at Saturday Night Live tonight.  The boys will be relaxing tomorrow.

The boys came to visit two weeks ago and Oona was here last week.  I am a lucky woman because I’ve had three weekends of celebrations.

Still, it was a very pleasurable surprise to come home to a delivery of flowers from the kids.

I also came home to a most lovely surprise from my favorite aunt—my Aunt Terry.  She sent a photo of me as a baby. In the photo, I am with my parents. I had never seen this photo before and it had been at another aunt’s home.  It was passed on to Aunt Terry and she sent it to me.  I cannot stop looking at it.

I’m grateful to my Aunt Terry for sending me this wonderful gift of a photo!  I’m like a baby version of  Mona Lisa–what the hell am I looking at?  What kind of smile is that?  This is also THE most amazing pic of me because I don’t look cross-eyed!  I am very much digging my mother’s sweater! I’ll bet I’m eyeing food on a table!

The simple, thoughtful gifts are the most touching.

Anyway, I did manage to do some baking.  On Monday, we welcome a new co-worker and it is a month of birthdays at the office so I made a cake!

I made the Momofuku “Milk Bar” Cookbook Birthday Cake. I love the method of baking the cake in a sheet pan and cutting the layers with a cake round…

The cake is assembled with an acetate sheet inserted into the cake round, it helps to keep the shape of the cake while setting in the freezer.  I made cake truffles out of the remaining cake scraps and leftover frosting. I’ll dip them in white chocolate tomorrow!

If you want to read more about this cake, click on this link to my second-ever blog post when I went to the Milk Bar Cooking Class!  My Second Blog Post:  A Weekend in Brooklyn.

Yesterday we got out of work early and I ran some errands. Naturally, with a bit of “afternoon” time, I checked into the Marshalls in Norristown.  I used to shop here quite often when I worked in the area and always found great deals.  I tried a couple of fails on before trying on the hidden gem.  A pair of skinny jeans for $19.99!  I love them!

Dressing Room Fail Number 1: I wanted to love this off-the-shoulder top so much but it was a pain to keep the shoulders down and it was uncomfortable. Not good.

Dressing Room Fail Number Two:  The fit was awful. The construction was shoddy. No on all levels!

Dressing Room Fail Number 3:  I love a good pair of tattered jeans but these just did not work. I didn’t like the hem and the fit was not flattering.  Note the stain on my blouse–I will get to that later in the post!

Dressing Room Win:  At $19.99 these jeans by 1822 Denim was a treasure.  The fit is wonderful. In fact, I’ve had them on all day with no stretching out. I may dress these up for dinner this evening!  

I also realized that I have not been keeping you posted on my weight loss for the past three weeks.  Well, since each weekend was a celebration of food and fun, I decided “screw it”—then my scale broke. Literally into two pieces.

The good news is, Bonaparte went out and purchased an old-school scale for me.  I gained three pounds.  And so, on Monday I’ll go back to my semi-Weight Watchers routine of eating healthier.

And speaking of clothing, here’s a bit of a look-see at what I wore this past week:

As I recall, last Monday’s weather was pretty bad–so I went ultra casual in old City Pants, Repetto’s a bright Lilly Pultizer for Target scarf, a knit shirt with POM-POM trim and a denim jacket! I also wore a new head of fake hair–Storm by Model Model!

Tuesday was a beautiful day. Warm and sunny–so I went with a Lilly Pultizer shift that was very tight on me last year!  I even wore the Rondini sandals I picked up in France last summer and my little pineapple necklace!

Wednesday I was a bit ladylike with my linen blend skirt from last year’s purchase at J. Crew Factory.  I didn’t realize it, but when I got home I noticed a tiny stain in the front of the skirt and I can’t figure out how I got it. I can’t stand that….

…and speaking of stains, Thursday was a beaut.  I have NO IDEA how this dress ended up with THREE stains within moments of putting this dress on.  Being the natural born slob that I am, I wore the dress anyway.  Bonaparte noticed the stains and was mortified that I would wear the dress like that in the first place.  It is now on his dresser waiting to be taken to the dry cleaners.  My $15 dress is now becoming more expensive.  My hair is my crowning glory–it’s the Perm Yaki 18″ by Outre!  OMG. It literally IS the hair I had before I lost most of it!

OK. So here’s yesterday’s outfit. We now have a pattern here. It’s STAIN week!  I kid you not,  this is the shirt I purchased last Sunday. The first time I wore it. While putting it on, I hit the inside of the shirt with my mouth and the lipstick I applied.  It stained.  I’m amazed at how lipstick won’t stay on your lips but it’ll stain the hell out of a shirt.  I tried taking the stain out with Shout AND Dawn. It is still there. The shirt is now on top of the stained dress that Bonaparte is taking to the dry cleaners…

Lesson learned.  Apply lipstick/gloss/lip color AFTER getting dressed!  Looking on the bright side, this Essence lip gloss DOES stay on the lips for a long, long time. At $2.50 it is a longer-lasting lip color than the pricey ones. It also leaves a mean stain!

That’s it for my Saturday. I have to get ready now for date night!!  See you tomorrow–and if I don’t get around to posting tomorrow:  Have a great and happy Easter!

Celebrating Easter or not celebrating–have a wonderful day!

Hey. I was listening to The Best of The Byrds earlier today while driving.  The best and most iconic opening riff to any song, ever, was the opening to “Mr. Tambourine Man”. What do you think?

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The Old Reliable

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Catherine

It struck me this morning. As, once again, I really didn’t prepare what I was going to wear to work. And I was running a bit—late so to speak.

I was on all fours, on the floor in my closet, in my underwear.  Flabby bits and jelly belly flapping around as I tried to find the shoes I wanted to wear.

And then I came across my old reliable:  My Nike Air Ballet Flats.  These shoes have been in my possession for many years now.  The pair was purchased at the outlet mall close to where I live.  I paid about $80 for them, which at the time wasn’t much of an outlet price. But they have become my “Old Reliable” when I’m traveling. They have walked the city streets of Paris and New York umpteen times. They have trekked the dry and rough terrain of Provence and all stops along the Cote d’Azur.

And, as usual, Nike has discontinued this fabulous shoe. It had something to do with their partnership with Nike.

And they don’t wear out. They are comfy as all get-out and I love them.

But today, I wanted to wear a different shoe. I was Hell-bent on wearing my black Repetto’s. This is another “Old Reliable”. I’ve had them for years. Years!  They were purchased in Paris and once they were properly broken in, they became one of my old reliables because I know that I can wear these shoes from office to dinner. I can dress ‘em up or down. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that my Repettos (all three pair) have managed to retain their brand-new shape and not stretch out.

These iconic ballet flats always look good!

Resting in their home town of Paris. They fit my narrow feet so well! Old reliables in an old reliable city!

Then I got to thinking about my other “Old Reliables”.  I’m sure you know by now how much I love my comfortable old Bass Weejuns.  They have been an old reliable for decades. They are my errand shoe and more.  Over the years they have formed to the shape of my feet and my toes have comfortable little leather cubicles to snuggle into as the insole has worn down in spots.

They’ve been repaired and resoled many times but these decades-old loafers are my favorites!

Another “Old Reliable” is the trench coat I purchased at J. Crew Factory in March of 2016.  Originally purchased as a “rain” coat, it has surpassed even the harshest precipitation.  It is the one article of clothing I’ve worn this winter more than anything else. It never got really cold this past winter and with my penchant for blazers and lady jackets, it made sense to wear a lighter coat.  The more I wear it, the more I love it and realize what a great deal this purchase was.

This photo was taken in January. JANUARY!! Notice I’m not wearing socks either. This trench was my most-worn coat this past winter!

I love this coat so much I wrote an entire blog post about it:  Drenched and Entrenched

Getting my spy on!

I have a pair of white shorts that are also “Old Reliables”. They are denim. There is a bit of the stretch in them. I’ve worn them through fat times and leaner times.  They are a bit lose this year but I love them that way!  Now that the weather is warmer, these are the shorts I throw on when I arrive home from work.  And they look fine if I must run out to the store in an emergency. I can throw a shirt and my old reliable Weejuns on and my ensemble is complete.

The white shorts–and I LOVE the denim ones because they don’t creep up my thighs! The shorts stay put! VERY reliable!

My navy Schoolboy blazer is another “Old Reliable” because it goes with everything.  It is heavy enough and warm enough to wear in the winter and light enough to wear throughout the spring.  That navy blazer is so reliable that I have three of them. Just in case!

Case Number One

Case Number Two

I rest my case with the navy blazer being an old reliable!

The Brie wig by Vivica Fox, has, surprisingly turned into an “old reliable” for me.  Yes. I was going to trash this wig because it got natty and tangled. And after watching a YouTube video on washing wigs and conditioning them with fabric softener, I have given her new life.

She is reliable because she always looks good. I don’t have to fuss with her and she looks great pulled back as she does down.

Who know that an inexpensive head of hair would end up to be…

..and old reliable?  See how good it looks pulled back too?  If you are interested it is $24.99 on Divatress’ site!

My big hoop earrings are “old reliables” too. They are inexpensive. $2.88 a pair!  And, quite honestly, if someone comes up that close to me to inspect my jewelry they are going to be shoved the way Elaine Bennis shoved the Seinfeld crew!

Best $2.88 of all time. Check out the photo of me above this. I’m wearing these el-cheapos!

That’s right. Get too close to inspect my cheap baubles and this is what I shall do to you!

Same with my fake pearls.  Those simple strands of white always finish off the neckline of a sweater that may not look too swift against my bare turkey neck.

I don’t get the chance to thank my old reliables but these are items that I know will never fail me. They always contribute to helping me in my quest to look better and to be comfortable and to feel good!

Hey!  Do you think that my old reliables think of me as an old reliable?  They should—after all, I’m also old. And very reliable!

I’m a very reliable old reliable!!

How about you. Do you have any old reliables that you couldn’t live without?

I wanna know!

Here’s a very old reliable song: “Ol’55” by the Eagles.  I was born in that year!!

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Out and About On a Sunday Bargain Hunt!

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Catherine

The weather was so nice on this Sunday that I had to take a break from being indoors.  The temperature was rising and so was my interest in finding a bargain!

Summer vacation is seven weeks away, and since the only two pleasurable events I actually plan for are Christmas and vacation, I thought I would get a head start and see what’s out there for me!

My outfit of choice today was a bit of a mix-and-match.  It’s still a bit on the cool side so I wore my Lady Jacket because I’m ever the lady!  I also wore my “Patsy Stone for President” T-shirt because, quite frankly, we need Patsy in the White House. She would make everything Absolutely Fabulous!

As a contrast to the ladylike jacket and ladylike handbag, I thought it would be fun to wear my sneakers. These new Converse sneaks are among the comfiest footwear I presently own. They are gonna get a lot of wear and love this summer!

This was my outfit today!  Part ladylike, part “I-don’t-know-what”–but it was a fun look!

Since I’m lazy AF, and couldn’t be bothered styling the diminishing amount of hair I have, I plopped my “Storm” wig upon my head. NOTE TO SELF—Change the name of this wig from “Storm” to Mary Catherine. It is less hooker.

Geez. The more I wear Storm, the more I love her! I think I’ll have to order another one, Perhaps in a lighter color?

My mission was twofold. To go to Ulta and get an answer to a question from one of the blog followers.  Liz McGarry asked me about a foundation that could work for super-dry skin because her present one wasn’t working. You think I’m gonna let one of our Atypical60 friends down? Nuh unh!

I also had to pick up a replacement for my Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil. It’s the only one that doesn’t fade when you apply to the waterline!

I also had to pick up a night guard for my teeth grinding habit. But Liz’s question was more important.

I DID pick up the night guard at Walmart. But I also picked up..

Two pair of large hoop earrings. These went right into my suitcase when I arrived home, at $2.88 a pair, I can go swimming in these and basically put them through so much abuse without a care. It’s the way I travel! If I lose cheap jewelry I don’t care!

I also came across the great Outlast lipstick by CoverGirl. This stuff really DOES last a long, long time. I am surprised it doesn’t receive more love! And at $7.54 this is the cheapest price I’ve ever seen it…

Hmmmm. Look at this. An Orange Red for light pale skin tones!  I did.

Surprisingly–I like this color! It isn’t a harsh red and is more on the coral side. A nice summer color! I freakin’ love Walmart! I realize their politics are different than mine but my wallet is not that of the one percent!

 

Ulta was empty when I arrived. Such is the greatness of going shopping early.

When the sales assistant approached me, I told her about Liz’s issue with foundation and Kayla, the most adorable sales assistant that Ulta has ever hired, was a tremendous help.

This is Kayla from Ulta. Look at that face!  It’s flawless. I swear I wanted to touch her face but it would have been inappropriate. Kayla was a great sport for listening to me rant about the beauty industry ignoring we older women!

She led me to—get this, iT cosmetics. I almost died. Two readers commented on how much they loved the iT foundation!

I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical because I was thinking more that a super liquid foundation might be the better choice. But Kayla explained that the new iT foundation had a tremendous amount of moisturizer built in and was very “mature” friendly.

One think Kayla DID say was that preparation of your skin is really important before applying makeup. You have to moisturize and hydrate!  I’m still on the lookout for an oil-based foundation for our Liz!

She applied a bit to my hand and I have to admit that it did not feel dry nor did it feel cakey. The coverage is supposed to be spectacular.

Do I see another foundation purchase for both Liz and me?

After a successful visit to Ulta, I decided to leave my parked car in the lot and walk around the outdoor shopping center.

My next stop was Charming Charlie. It’s hard to describe this shop. It has clothing and shoes, but it is mostly affordable accessories, like costume jewelry, handbags, scarfs.

For what it’s worth. Charming Charlie is a great place for purchasing travel accessories and trendy summer items.

Here are some offerings:

Look at this hot air balloon pendant!  I loved it but I swear to you, this was out of my comfort zone. Honestly–it was some of the colors…

So many fake pearls!  I was thrilled to see that if I need more fakes I can drive to Charming Charlie and he will take care of me!

Look at all those reds!

These tassled scarfs are adorable!

A nice evening bag–which I might add, there was a huge selection of. Why spend a huge amount of money  at a department store for an event bag when you can go to a place like Charming Charlie?

How cute are these leopard bags anyway?

I ended up purchasing a great tote. It was hidden on a bottom shelf. The bag is coated canvas and is perfect for the beach or using as a shopping bag while on vacation. And it was a steal at $5.99.

I love the pattern and am a sucker for navy and pink!  Coated Canvas. This is a great tote….

The little “feet” on the bottom of the tote lends itself well for pool time. The bag will have a bit of  “lift off” from the wet concrete and tile!

….and plenty of room on the inside with a zippered compartment and built-in pouches. This was a great buy!

Next up—this adorable pineapple necklace!  I couldn’t resist. And it came in at less than ten bucks!  It’s just so summery and cute!

How cute is this pineapple?  Another great inexpensive buy!

I hadn’t been in Loft in quite some time and made my way to the 50% off clearance rack. Look what I got for $15.00!

This blouse will look great with white jeans!  I can’t wait to wear it.  J. Crew has similar shirts for a steeper price point. I’m shocked that this was on the clearance rack! NOTE!  I have hips and those hips do not stop me from wearing skinny jeans! Just sayin’!

Next was a walk over to DSW.  I was explaining to Oona that I was looking for shoes with a bit of a trendy look. My footwear choice is basically the same. Pointy-toed heels. But I’m liking the peep toed look these days.

These shoes were so unbelievably comfortable and looked great. But my foot is just too narrow   The straps, even when the cord was pulled at its tightest,  were still too loose! What a shame too!

Same with this shoe. I loved it buy my instep is also very high and makes it difficult to wear a wedge shoe.  Oh well, can’t win ’em all!

My issue is that my foot is very narrow. Why couldn’t God make the rest of my body as narrow as my feet? Seriously. Thanks God!  But with narrow feet comes an almost impossible fit. Many of the shoes were just too wide.

Better luck next time!

And that was my Sunday. After my little expedition, it was back home to hang with Chippy and Bonaparte and enjoy the rest of the day before writing this and getting ready for the work week!

Isn’t it great to have the sun shining down on you? Isn’t it even better when you can go outdoors without that heavy winter coat and just enjoy the moment?

It was a great end to the weekend as I made some birthday cake crumb for a birthday cake that I’ll be making for next weekend!  Preparation is key!

Birthday cake crumb. No wonder I gained four pounds in two weeks. Tomorrow it is back to disciplined eating!

Today was just delighful. Like my favorite Kinks song– “Sunny Afternoon”! Just for you and only for you!

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The Best Solution for Giving Back That Luster to Aging Hair!

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Catherine

It’s bad enough that we end up with turkey neck, wrinkles, and saggy bits as we age. I understand that. I don’t necessarily like it, but I can sort-of accept it.

But worse than turkey neck, in my most humble opinion is the fact that our hair ages and nothing is ever done by the beauty industry to address this.

Ohhhh. It gets me so angry that there is no known cure for aging hair–or is there?

Oh yes.  We color our hair in an attempt to make our tresses look the way they did when we were younger. And there are those women who are lucky enough to have hair that has aged gracefully.  The women who can go gray because their gray is lustrous and shiny and thick and dense.  Unlike my gray that doesn’t know which direction or hue to go into.

The majority of us do not have hair that has aged as gracefully or as beautifully as Emmy Lou Harris has! Now that I’m looking at that hair–maybe she’s wearing a wig–after all, it’s perfect!

If you are a regular reader of this blog then you know about my battle with thinning hair and loss.

The hair on my head has traveled to my chin and my toes. Yeah! My toes!!

How friggin’ depressing is it that I now have to shave my toes while the hair on my head keeps falling out!

And even though I still go to see Adam to have my hair trimmed on a regular basis, the days of a weekly blow out are over.  It just isn’t worth the $50 ($40 plus tip) anymore. I simply do not have enough hair. (Although I am getting a blow out next weekend because it is my birthday weekend!). He’ll just sprinkle Toppik on the bald spots and clip one of my toppers atop my head!

So, I started thinking.  And I realized something. The more my hair ages, the more wiry and porous it becomes. It is coarse. It has lost its luster. It has lost 75% of its density. Hell, I’ve lost 75% of my hair!!!

FullSizeRender

 

That’s me at a family wedding.  Circa 1994. That head of hair–it’s mine. I liked the auburn color too. That was my  reddish hair stage. I swear I could cry when I look at how thick my hair was!

There is only one solution for this aging hair!

Here’s my hair now.  Receding hairline…

My part is now wider than the Red Sea that Moses parted!

It isn’t big anymore. And I LOVE Bigly hair!!!

View from the back. I sprinkled Toppik a few days back so some of the baldness is covered. It’s disgusting!

Wear a wig!

Not all wigs are fake hair. You can get a human blend or human hair or synthetic. I’m a fan of Yaki texture. It resembles my natural hair!

Why not?  Women get fake titties.  Women get fillers in their faces and Botox the wrinkles away.  Men and women now have surgery to give them the appearance of a six-pack of abs.

This look isn’t me-I’m a bit fond of the paunchy belly I have. I’ve made a game of squeezing my belly fat into my jeans.  Having abs like the ones pictured would make dressing no fun. Where’s the fat gonna go?

So why not wear a head of fake hair?

Where’s the wig love?

Think about it.  For the cost of a professional dye job and cut and blow out, you can buy yourself a head of fake hair.

You don’t have to fuss with it.  Oh, initially, you may have to give the part a tweeze or run thinning shears through the hair if it is too thick for you, but other than that, you just plop it on your head and go!

I picked this beauty up at a local beauty supply shop in Norristown, PA for $19.99…

I spent HOURS blow drying my natural hair for years to get it this smooth..

Fake hair makes you look younger!

My $19.99 head of Yaki Hair. So Thick. So Dense. Windy. I love you!  

You can’t tell it’s a wig.  Although Bonaparte is now Monsieur Bonaparte, Hair Consultant.  He wants me to get a more wavy wig. He doesn’t like the straight hair.  We’re not even going there! Why do Frenchmen have to be so…so…so..FRENCH!

Fake hair gives you the hair you never, ever had.  You’ve never had silky hair?  Well, now you can!

Here’s another beauty I picked up. Her name is “Storm”. Why do wigs have hooker names?  Why aren’t they named Mary, or Margaret, or Margaret Mary?

Lived a life of frizzy hair in the humidity?  A lightweight wig will take care of that one!

I wore Storm today while out and about.  She’s a lace front wig with a more realistic hairline. I cut the lace and didn’t even need to tweeze the part at all. Storm looks different on the package then on me. But I’m liking Storm a lot.  I think I’ll change her name to Mary Catherine.

Going to an event and can’t get a hair appointment—run to your local beauty supply place and purchase an inexpensive wig or ponytail.

Quite honestly, I’ve given up on trying to find solutions for the hair that I don’t have any more and it’s gotten worse.

That’s right! I may be a wrinkled Sack o’ Sh…..But my hair is young, vibrant and youthful. That’s because somebody made this hair!

My hair has aged and I’m making it young again with wigs!

In fact, I’m awaiting three wigs from Divatress to be delivered to my door! I think they will enjoy being a part of me!!

 

Yessirree!  I want to feel like a Diva–even with names like Windy and Storm!

 

We are aging.  No shampoo is going to give us our youthful hair back. No conditioner is going to work enough magic to give us baby soft tresses. And no topical product will grow your hair back.

Buy a wig!  It’s fun!

Here’s Nina Simone singing about her true love’s hair.  This is a beautiful performance. She was an enormous talent with a very unique and rich voice..

 

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The Only Foundations The Woman Over 60 Will Need!

Posted on April 8, 2017 by Catherine

You can thank me later ladies–I’m a giver and I give you the two best foundations for mature skin!

You know I’ll do anything for you–even if it means years of research for the right foundation!

I cannot begin to tell you about my struggle for a great foundation. I swear it is a struggle that starts when you are a teenager trying to hide pimples when Clearasil just didn’t cut it.

 

OMG. I can still feel the drying effects of this on my chin. And forehead. And cheeks.

Am I right??

Ah…that squeeze tube with the plastic coating that would peel off in my purse.  But the fact is the nude colored Clearasil did hide the small blemishes. And then I graduated to…

Cover Girl Foundation!  Hey. Raise your hand if CG was your first foundation!

I’ll do one better. I actually remember this ad with Cybill Shepherd. I wanted to look like her! I can still smell this foundation!

Oh—and because my nubile skin had a greasy and oily “T” zone, I used Angel Face powder.

It’s hard for me to come to terms that my skin was oily enough to use powder. Powder hasn’t touched my face for years!

I’m not kidding when I tell you that I can still smell both those products and the scents were lovely.

Then I went through a period of not using foundation at all.  My skin cleared up, I was in my twenties and working and stuck to eye makeup, a bit of blush and lipstick.

Then I had kids and my cosmetics routine diminished down to Chapstick, which I still use every day, mascara and a bit of blush.  My eyebrows were still thick and so were my lashes.  I didn’t even need eyeliner.

Then I suddenly found myself in my forties—like it happened overnight!  And my eyebrows started gradually thinning.  My skin started to change—it was getting a bit dry and red and I was acquiring fine lines!

And then the great search for foundation had begun!  I was still young enough that I could get by with a drugstore brand. And for a long time, it was L’Oréal’s True Match. In C-3.   And as my skin aged, it started getting drier and the True Match was no longer a true match for me.

Inexpensive and a ton of shades to choose from. It worked for many years!

I used many foundations during these years of searching and the one foundation that I did purchase for quite some time was the Makeup Forever HD Foundation. I really really liked this.  But something happened and either the formula changed or my aging skin was working against me.  The foundation didn’t work for me anymore.  It became cakey. And if I used too much, my face looked arid.

This foundation worked for a long time! And suddenly–it stopped!

It was not my best look!

Picture my skin looking like this. Dry and Cakey. With a few unplucked hairs sticking outta the cracks!

And so, the search continued.  I tried various foundations from many well-known brands.  Monsieur Bonaparte, my personal beauty consultant, and beauty critique, was never at a loss of words—French or English to say to me “Whah do ou ‘av on yeour fhaaaaaahhhzzzz?” “Izz terrible!” “Vous avez l’air de Merde!” “Tek zhat off maintenant!”

Frenchmen.  They tell it like it is!

This is NOT a photo of Bonaparte on the terrace looking out at the Mediterranean Sea. He is actually inspecting my face for cracks in the foundation!

Oh, the money I wasted!  Shameful!

And through trial and error and more money wasted, I finally found two great foundations that work on my wrinkled, lined, saggy, over-60 face!

Becca and Marc Jacobs.

Here they are. The two foundations that really work for the “over 60 face”.  I wrote about both in the past but after much thought, I realized these ARE the two best foundations!

(CAVEAT—my go-to inexpensive foundation is by e.l.f. I use it for travel but I’m not talking drug-store brands today. I’m writing about the non-drug store foundations)

I’ve been using the Marc Jacobs, Super-Charged Genius Gel Foundation for well over a year now.  My color is Number 26, Medium Bisque. The foundation comes in a range of 16 shades.  My only hope is that it doesn’t go the route of discontinuation as so many of the things I rely on go! And at $48 a bottle, it’s pricey but I’ve had this same bottle for over a year!  It lasts a long time!

It’s oil-free but isn’t drying.  I’m not going to say that it is a hydrating foundation because it isn’t. The finish is nice. It’s more on the sheer side but with building the coverage improves.

It is easy to apply—and by that, I mean it doesn’t clump or run.  I use a damp beauty blender and then brush with my large spoon brush to finish it off.

Next is the Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation. My shade is “Fair” and unlike the selection of the Jacobs foundation, this foundation offers a selection of nine shades. At $44 a bottle it’s not much different in price than the Jacobs.

The texture is a bit thicker than the Jacobs foundation but it goes on very lightly. During the few weeks of this past winter, when my skin was incredibly dry, the foundation wasn’t working for me.  However, now that my skin is in better shape, I’m back to using this.

I also find that I do not need as much of the Becca foundation as with the Jacobs.

On the left is the Marc Jacobs Foundation. On the right is the Becca. The Becca is slightly darker–but you can’t tell the difference once applied!

Each foundation has different qualities, but both of these are absolute gems for the over 60 face!

I’m also not going to lie to you. These foundations are not miracle workers. Neither will get rid of the lines and wrinkles.  Neither will make us look younger either.  But both will enhance our skin and give a healthier glow and appearance. Both will assist in reducing the redness and uneven skin tone.  And at this stage, that is a great thing!

Here’s how I applied:  NOTE–I applied the Jacobs to one side and the Becca to the other side and I forgot which side is which. Sorry but that only proves they are very similar foundations.

First step. After moisturizing, I applied SkinActives Collagen Serum. I’ve been using this as a primer these days too.  I’m about to order my third bottle. I freakin’ LOVE this stuff! It is inexpensive and it WORKS!!! The price went up to $15.50 but it is better than any of the expensive serums. I don’t alternative fact ladies!

OK. I think maybe I applied the Becca on the right side of my face. I use a beauty blending sponge and then a smaller one in the cracks and buff with my spoon brush.

After the foundation is applied. No smoke and mirrors here gals. I purposely took photos in non-friendly light that shows all my wrinkles, lines and crevices! 

This is 60 Plus and I ain’t gonna hide it!  But I’ll even it out!

Here we have the almost finished look. I used eyeshadow as liner. I need lipstick. See the wrinkles in my lips?

Now I just need to get dressed and fix my hair!

All done!  Like my hair?  It’s a wig.  I’m working on another post about….you guessed it–hair!

Remember, we aren’t getting younger but we should never give up on trying to look our best! It isn’t vanity. It is an appreciation of self!

Never give up!!  Don’t give up on yourself or your looks!  There’s a lot of livin’ in those 60+ years and plenty to celebrate!  Look your best YOU!!

I realize that finding the right foundation can be like pulling mussels from a shell but once you find that special one—or two, life is sweet.  Hmmmm. Did I mention “Pulling Mussels?”  It must be because I was listening to Squeeze in the car yesterday!

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Where I Shop and How I Do It!

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Catherine

A few posts back, our friend Nancy made a comment.  She wanted to know where I shop. It was funny because I also received a couple of emails asking me the same question.

So, here goes–95 percent of my wardrobe comes from J. Crew.  I’m very brand loyal to this company.  Think back in retail history ladies.  Way back. Before online shopping.  Back to the days of mail order.  Remember those days?

I would eagerly wait for the mailman to deliver my favorite catalogs. Chadwick’s of Boston, Tweeds, and the mother of all catalogs—the J. Crew catalog!

This is from the Spring 1987 J. Crew Catalog. Some things never change.  The clothing is pretty much the same. And that is why I love J. Crew!

I’ve been a customer since 1983.  There have been years where the pickings were slim and years when I wanted everything and anything I could get my crossed-eyes upon.

And Jenna Lyon’s vision of the edgy catalogs of the present day gets on my last nerve. But I still love the clothing that J. Crew and J. Crew Factory have to offer.

Yes. Jenna Lyons drives me up a wall. I’m sorry but those pants are ridiculous looking.  The news of her deciding to leave J. Crew did not make me sad. At all.

Crew’s clothing is my style.  It’s my comfort zone.  It’s what I feel good in.  And, for the most part, the quality is good.

One of my favorite looks from J. Crew–head to toe!  A black Tippi Sweater, Stewart plaid pants–and one of the few J. Crew pairs of shoes I have. Dulci kitten heels. 

I stick to the basics. Nothing outlandish. I love the Pixie and Marti pants. I am not a fan of J. Crew’s jeans however.  I love the sweaters although there have been seasons of lesser-quality goods.

Some of my Pixie, Marti and City Pants from J. Crew. There’s a lot more too!

I love the cuts of the blazers from Crew.  I’m a fan of the button-down shirts and the turtlenecks—except the flimsy cotton ones that stretch out

Some of the blazers I have collected from J. Crew over the years...

…and more–Lady Jackets and plaid. What’s not to love??

I’m also a fan of the striped fabric when the cuffs are turned up. It’s little things like that that I love!

Three guesses as to where my costume jewelry is purchased!

But I know and am familiar with J. Crew’s clothing.  The J. Crew Pencil skirts fit my body well.

See what I mean?  Scarf from J. Crew, sweater and pencil skirt from J. Crew. The Number 2 Pencil skirt is one of my faves!

I’m not one for fussy dressing. I like my solids. They are easier to mix and match.  I’ll do stripes. And we all know that I will do plaids on any occasion. But I tend to stick to a more classic look.

With shoes, I’ll stick to shops other than J. Crew.  My foot is too narrow for most of the brand’s shoes.

Here’s a bit of what I have from J. Crew.

An sampling of button-down shirts–the striped tunic is Tory Burch–how did it sneak in there?

One of two draws full of sweaters. All from J. Crew.

No. It isn’t sheets. It’s the white dress shirts I have from J. Crew.

Printed Campbell pants and a roll-neck sweater 

My other favorite plaid pants and green Tippi Turtleneck..

OK–this is the last one.  I love this leopard skirt too.

Nordstrom is another store that I shop.  Surprisingly, I don’t buy many clothes there. I’ll stick to shoes and boots and bags.   I make my good boot purchases during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

 

If you have the time, a couple of hours spent purusing Nordstrom Rack can produce great buys!

I have better luck at Nordstrom Rack. Especially with jeans. The variety of jeans at Nordstrom Rack is terrific.  I purchased quite a few of my beloved AG jeans at Rack.  And quite a few pairs of shoes too!

This leather Longchamp bag was my deal of the century at Nordstrom Rack a few years back. I saw it and ran up to the checkout. It was about $100. I wear this a lot!!

Two more Nordstrom deals. The bag is from Nordstrom. Rebecca Minkoff. Someone returned it and it went over to the sale table. I grabbed it!  The shoes are from Nordstrom Rack and were the second deal of the century. I actually fell in love with these shoes when Susan from Une Femme d’un Certain Age posted them on her blog. They are Paul Green and at $350 were out of my price line.  I happened to be at Nordstrom Rack one day and the shoes were there. In my size.  I think they were $107. and I had a $50 gift card. Great day in the mornin’!!

In all honesty, as much as I enjoy shopping, I love to make my purchases during sales. I don’t buy at retail prices.

I don’t buy luxury brands either. I am very much aware of my budget and what I cannot afford.

Leather Longchamp bags are the closest to luxury that I will buy.

OK. Bonaparte may have given me the red Longchamp bag for my birthday last year, but he made the purchase at Nordstrom!

And when we travel to France, I’ll keep my purchases purely to bags, shoes and my beloved Rondini sandals.  My body is just way too curvy for a European fit—so I avoid clothing for the most part.

Two examples of shopping during traveling. Rondini sandals and Repetto ballet flats. Every trip to France during the summer months means another pair of sandals. The price is great because the sandals are custom made and last forever.  BTW, the shirt is J. Crew and the jeans are AG! But look–this is an outfit that I can wear till I’m 85!

When it comes to buying clothing, it really helps to really know your body type and what works for you.  Boyfriend jeans and cargo pants look horrific on me.  Skinny and legging jeans work better for my body.

Old Navy is great–great for basics like plain tee shirts and lets hope their iconic t-shirt dresses are never disontinued..

Best $15 I’ve ever spent. This t-shirt dress from Old Navy can be worn all year.  I have five of them–just in case it is discontinued!

I’m not having a good Gap year. I purchased a pair of jeans but the offerings were better in the past.

And then there’s Lilly for the bright summer dresses. But I think I’m going to check out the consignment shops for a bit of her brightness this year. I don’t want to pay full price!

Surprisingly, the outfit I wore today —I loved!!  And I didn’t wear one item from J. Crew. My skirt was about four years old from GAP, the sweater was a cardigan I wore backwards because I liked it better that way.  The scarf was one I stole from Oona—she purchased it at Target a couple of years ago and the denim jacket was from Kut From The Kloth. I purchased this jacket when I was heavier. It’s a size Large. But it fits great due to the amount of stretch.

Today’s OOTD. And not one item from J. Crew!  The skirt, from GAP, is a great fit–it’s a stretch fabric and fits the curves beautifully.  I don’t have a white crew neck sweater so I wore this cardigan backwards. I don’t know what it is that makes me love this outfit so much. Yes I do. It looks great on me. And ladies! Admit when you know an outfit looks great! Don’t be shy!

And that is also why I try everything on. In multiple sizes. One brand’s size 6 could be another’s size 8 or 10.  I don’t pay much attention to the numbers on the tags these days.

I don’t get rid of a lot of clothing simply because what I do have really isn’t trendy—the styles last for quite a few years.

Online shopping for me?  Sometimes.  I shop J. Crew online when I am absolutely sure of the sizing of the item—such as Pixie Pants and blazers.  I’ve taken my chances once ordering on Zulily and was lucky.

My one-time online purchase from Zulily. $29.99 and I was very pleased with this tunic. I don’t wear it often –although I should wear it mor!

I took a chance recently with “6PM“—I purchased a pair of AG Jeans and they were fine—I know my size in AG.

A coupla pair of AG Jeans. These are GREAT jeans–but shop around for the best price!

However, I’m better taking the time early on a Saturday morning, wearing comfy clothing and good underwear and spending the time in stores. It can take me four hours to find the right shirt. And that’s ok because when I take the time, I know that I’ll make a purchase I’ll have for a long time.

Going shopping? It’s serious business so dress for comfort!  Wear comfortable shoes too!

Shopping for clothing should be treated seriously.  After all, when you are dressed in clothing that you love and that you feel great in, it makes your day a lot better.

Don’t you think?  How do you shop?  Where do you shop?  Malls, small boutiques.  Share your tips in the comments—it’ll be fun!

Sometimes shopping can be challenging if there is a really great sale going on. People pushing and shoving–it’s a real jungle and the song that plays in my mind is by CCR “Run Through The Jungle”!!

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The Greatest Clutch Bag for Summer 2017. And a Great Mommy and Meekend!

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Catherine

I’ll get to the greatest clutch in a little bit. Trust me, this little bag is greatness!

But first, let me tap into the weekend. You know how when things go wrong sometimes it’s just a domino effect? So, let me start.

You know how when things go wrong sometimes it’s just a domino effect that piles up?  A coupla things happened.

Something happened to my tooth. I woke up Thursday with a throbbing pain on the right side of my face that went from my ear to my jaw.   And naturally, me, thinking I’m a dental school graduate, decided to poke around in my mouth.

When I touched one of my back molars I just about jumped through the roof of the Chateau!  My self-diagnosis was that I cracked my tooth whilst grinding my teeth during my slumber.

I can safely say that Curly and I have the same reaction!

And it didn’t get better.  So from Thursday on I’ve been living on Advil, Anbesol and some no-name numbing lotion for my teeth.  This is not the best way to live when one of your grown children is coming to visit. Especially when you have been looking forward to your daughter’s visit for a long, long time!

The plan on Friday was for Oona to fly into LaGuardia.  She was going to grab a quick dinner with her dad and then head onto the train for Philly.  Bonaparte and I were to pick her up at 10:30 Friday evening.

Are you still with me?

It rained Friday. Actually, it was an all-day downpour. No. It was more like the monsoon. And Oona’s flight to LaGuardia was cancelled.

But….she was lucky enough to get rerouted on a direct flight to Philly and we were able to pick her up at the airport earlier than anticipated!

A lesson in how bad things that happen can turn out to be very good things.

Who knew that a monsoon of a rainy day and a cancelled flight would make the day turn around to a much better one!!

Saturday was a very “Mommy and Me” day. We both had haircuts (and I had my roots done) by Adam and then it was manicure time at the nail salon.

We both had haircuts.  I was able to wear my bio hair all by itself.  Oona had a few inches taken off. She has a great head of hair!

It was all very good because we were going out to a local French restaurant that evening.  I really, really wanted to enjoy my dinner so I was popping Advil like those little dot candies on the long strips of paper. The throbbing, pulsating pain in my mouth would not go away!

In reality, it would be far better if Advil came on strips like this, I could just carry them in my purse and bite them off the paper every ten minutes!

We had dinner at Sips. We’ve gone to this restaurant a few times. And each time we went, we had a great meal. The kids love the place. I love the place. Bonaparte likes the place.

Thank God the wine was good! Because everything else was a disappointment. And I feel awful about that because this restaurant was always so wonderful.

I dunno what happened by the meal turned out to be horrible.  I’m not kidding. The only part of the meal that was great was the company. The appetizers were fine. Both Bonaparte and Oona ordered steak that was too well done.  One of the reasons I rarely order steak at a restaurant. I like it blue!  I had crab cakes that were way, way over seasoned. Dessert—well the cake tasted like a cake that you would buy at a discount grocery store.

Escargot.  I don’t know why these little buggers aren’t served in shells anymore..

My appetizer of Baby Octopus over Hummus. I wish I had ordered a huge portion of this for my dinner.  This was very good despite the remainder of the dinner!

We couldn’t figure out what was worse. The food or the fact that when Oona very politely-bordering-on-timidly mentioned to the waiter that she ordered her steak medium rare and it was well done.  He told her to cut into the center of the steak. Who says that???  He took the steak back.

You said WHAT to my daughter?  It’s a good thing the waiter took that overcooked steak back.

It was a sad moment because we always liked Sips but the quality of the meal was so sub-par that I think it’ll be a long time until our return. I don’t like when good restaurants turn bad.

But the good thing is that we were able to spend time together and have some good wine and great conversation. So, the evening was not a total loss!

Yesterday was fun day.  Oona and I went to the movies. We saw…

Our OOTD from yesterday.  I love Oona’s taste in clothing. She’s a bit more edgy than I am and she has a great sense of style.  Skinny jeans with a loose Boho Tee, a Moto jacket and a tassel necklace.  Her shoes are flats from J. Crew. I went with a casual mom look. Skinny jeans, sneakers, a loose sweater and plaid shirt. 

Beauty and the Beast!

The music, the visuals, the special effects, the story, the costumes, the actors–it all made for a great escape!  I want to see this movie again. And again. And again. And I’m not a huge Disney fan either but this was amazing!

It was GREAT!!! Emma Watson was fantastic as Belle and the best surprise was Kevin Kline as Maurice, her father. It was much better than the animated version and there was a bit of darkness to it.  Although not as dark as the Jean Cocteau version.

Jean Cocteau’s version of  La Belle a La Bete was the darkest version of this tale but it was also the most dramatic.  Jean Marias’ Beast performance as Beast was very moving.

After the movie, Oona and I took a trip to the mall

And that is where I found it.  In the mall. At Francesca’s.

Although I don’t frequent this store, the accessories and trendy jewely are perfect for summer!

The greatest, summertime, adorable, lightweight, roomy, cutest, most wonderful bag for women from 20 to 90 years old!

Have you ever been to Francesca’s?  I’ll admit. I haven’t. It doesn’t seem to be my type of shop.  The clothing is a bit too Boho for me. But …

The costume jewelry and tote bags for the summer were just so darned happy and bright and fun!!!

Inexpensive, colorful and fun jewelry for the summer.

I can’t tell you how much I love this little clutch bag. Francesca’s was having a “buy-one-get-one-for-60%-off” sale.  I ended up buying one for me and one for Oona!

This bag is so stinking adorable that I  cannot hold my glee inside.  DO you have any idea how difficult it is to find a navy bag–let alone a fun clutch for the summer? At $22, this is a great bargain. And those pom-poms!

Whaddya think? Is this bag great or what?? This is the summer bag. It can go to the beach, out to dinner for a bit of a dress up, the movies–anywhere! 

It snaps shut and the snap is sewn in very sturdy.

There’s enough room for my over-stuffed wallet, a phone, a comb and lipstick.

And with those little pom-poms, it’ll match any outfit! I’m dying here!

It’s a nice size too. Not too big, not too small. It’s just right!

The bag almost made me forget about my pained tooth.

The time together was way too short.  We really had a wonderful time talking about Oona’s life in Cincinnati, her job, her boyfriend and we binge-watched TV on our down time.

She left this morning for meetings in NYC.  I’m proud of my daughter. She’s a very independent woman and I’m glad she is her own person and a strong woman.  She’s a good girl! We had the best “Mommy and Meekend” (get it? Mommy and me–weekend?)

See our earrings?  Bauble Bar now has a jewelry line that is being sold at Target.  Aren’t they adorable?

The earrings match the pom-poms on the clutch bag!

As for me, I went to the dentist this afternoon.  My self-diagnosis was incorrect. I did not crack my tooth.

The pain is because I’ve got some gum issues.  I also have to stop grinding my teeth.  I have three teeny cavities that need to be filled.  I’ll be visiting a periodontist first—if my medical insurance allows. And I’ll get the little cavities filled.

Mother’s little helpers better get rid of this throbbing!

But for now, I’ll enjoy the antibiotics and the pain relievers that the dentist prescribed. But I do take my medications seriously and cautiously. I asked the pharmacist if it was OK for me to take my medication before wine. And not wanting to sound like a lush, I did mention that I only drink wine on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.   She said it was better for me to not indulge. We’ll see about that one.

There is no worse pain than a toothache–or the pain when your kids leave the homestead.

Do  you remember the Dave Clark Five? Do you remember this song “Having a Wild Weekend”?  had quite the wild weekend too. In a wildly wonderful way!

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The Ragin’ Agein’

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Catherine

Once again, I’ve started a post and my thoughts managed to go into a different direction.

I’m procrastinating my shopping post—but my brain was interrupted when I started to think about my upcoming birthday.

I’ll be working on my shopping post for a long time, I fear!

I won’t be 61 anymore. I’ll be 62. And my body is doing weird things to me against my will.

The way others look at aging makes me upset too.

And today, I’m thinking about these changes…

Yeah. It’s one of THOSE “Meh” moments. Just one step above a pity party!

The Ragin’ Agein’

My head of hair was once so thick and lustrous and silky

My mother said she’d  use it to mop the floor t’was filthy

And now with age the hair is sparse and dry and oh so thin

The hairs from atop my head have been replaced upon my chin

My face was smooth and luminous a dewy clear visage

Now I have to prime and paste the makeup to mirage

The wrinkles and the fine lines that the aging process left as signs.

The pricey boar’s hair brush that worked it’s magic and its luck

Has been replaced by tweezers to assist my daily pluck!

But rather than bemoan this loss that’s had me feeling sad,

I found the greatness of the wig and ne’er a hair day bad!

My pasty legs so paper white with popped out veins of blue

Have made me love my fake tan for that glowing sun-kissed hue

And now when I look down where once were pretty shapely ankles

I see two thick’ning little stubs. Oh shit! I’m getting cankles!

When in my younger days, I didn’t need a bra at all,

My titties have expanded and they’ve started their grand fall.

My neck—it used to be a place of quite erotic feelings

And now it’s just a sagging tube of a turkey necked railing

My ass was cute and firm and smooth and oh so nicely round

These days it sags and drags while making unavoidable sound

My tummy lost its muscle and loosely jiggles too.

Perhaps I’m the first woman who could house a kangaroo!

My memory plays mean games on me, it lapses in a flash

But yet I can remember all the words of Crosby Stills and Nash

So, it really isn’t awful and it isn’t much to dread

Because it’s better that I live than that I end up dead!

Nope!  I’m like Jacque Brel. Alive and well but not living in New York.

Yeah. It is.  I think we all get in those “ragin agein’” moods every now and then, but in the end. It’s all good because we are here to experience ageing!

That’s right! I’ll be the cheerleader for the Ragin’ Agein’–saggy titties and all!!!

And how could I not play this great song by Crosby Stills and Nash? Suite Judy Blue Eyes. (I remember every single word!)

 

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