Image Matters!

Women's Expo

2008-10-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

This afternoon my husband and I went to the Women's Expo in Sylvania. There were booths selling a varity of things with an emphasis on cosmetics, jewelry, purses and various wrinkle creams. We can get that stuff anywhere. Where were the booths related to the important things women are concerned with - - caring for family, jobs, juggling family and jobs, cutting costs, raising children, stress relief .....

Walking to our car I said that it was kind of creepy. My husband said, "the only thing missing was the live liposuction."

Did anyone else go, and what was your take on it?

Skinny Legs

2008-09-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

I had coffee this morning with a friend and we were talking about body image. The negative kind, of course. You know, how we focus on the bits we don't like and never mind how good all the rest is.

My friend thinks she has skinny legs and won't wear capri pants because of it.

"Oh my god, girl, will you look at those skinny legs!"

Unfortunately, when she was young, she was teased about her legs. She spent her high school years at a school where she had to wear a uniform and for girls, it was a skirt and shirt. She told me she would wear layers of knee socks to make her legs look bigger and of course had to have a larger pair of shoes to accomodate. I'm guessing she didn't worry about big feet.

I wonder if she would think she had skinny legs if those kids hadn't teased her.

My best friend won't wear capris, either (skinny legs) although she has no problem wearing shorts. I don't get that, but she seems to think her skinny ankles look unsightly sticking out from the capris.

All that angst about legs when, you know what? They both have such pretty faces I'm pretty sure no one is looking at their legs!

10 Things That Age A Woman

2008-09-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth's House

2008-09-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I went to the one year anniversary celebration of Elizabeth's House. Elizabeth's House came from the dream of life coach, Beth Collins. She had long wanted a place where women could gather to uplift and nurture each other. One year ago that dream became a reality when she opened EH on the campus of Notre Dame Academy. I was luckly enough to have been one of the first women to have been "gifted" a membership.

I can't say enough about what Beth has done for me in the past year.

I am coming up on the 3 year anniversary of my business and have now figured out what my business is! For some time, I tried to be what other people said an image consultant should be. I thought I had to fit a mold to prove that I really was an image consultant. In the process, I lost "me". I now know that I don't have to do all these things. I don't have to prove anything. I just have to do what I love doing, what I am good at, be who I am and everything will fall into place!

Today at Elizabeth's House, I stood up and said that I used to wear suits at meetings when I was representing myself as an image consultant because I thought that was what I had to look like. Today, I wore tight jeans and I AM AN IMAGE CONSULTANT - the kind of image consultant that is authentic and represents all aspects of a woman.!

If you want to find some direction in your life or life work, drop in to see Beth during "You time" at Elizabeth's House, from 10:00 to 2:00 on Tues. and Thurs. You won't be sorry you took the time.

Elizabeth's House is on the campus of Notre Dame Academy. It is the first building on the Secor Rd. entrance.

A Fun Evening

2008-09-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

I attended a fun event yesterday evening, a fund raiser for the YWCA, http://www.ywcatoledo.org/, called Bagnificent.

It was held at the Loft and Home with bags both inside and in a tent outside. There was wine and delicious food from Manhatten's and lots of women. The bags were new or gently used (they all looked new to me), some were well known brands, some lesser known and some homemade. They were all fabulous.

In the far end of the tent were the less expensive bags, and I bid on three. The bidding closed at 7:00 for this table and I "won" all three! I got a small beaded bag, a midsize "martini" bag and a black and white tote that included two bottles of wine and four black bamboo placemats. All of this was a bargain at $75!

After that I left since the high end bags were not in my budget and I had time to stop at the Toledo Woman's Club where I had been invited to a wine and cheese party with a fashion show by CAbi. I reconnected with some people I hadn't seen in a while, got a speaking engagement for January and got a great pair of black pants for 50% off.

That is what I call a great evening!

Fear of Aging

2008-08-29T12:05:00.001-07:00

This summer I have listened to two doctors talk about cosmetic surgury as though it was a perfectly natural thing to do. They played to the fears and insecurities of women. One even said that he and his wife both get Botox injections and he couldn't have been more than 35, even accounting for the smooth skin.

I was listening to 101.5 The River while driving my car this morning and the DJs were calling women who applied and had been selected to attend a Botox party at the station. Maybe I shouldn't have been, but I was quite surprised they were doing this. While I listened, they contacted three women. One of them had a good reason for wanting this - she had the scowl lines that didn't go away even when her face was relaxed. The other two had reasons that were quite superficial, in my opinion. One said, "I work out and I'm a mother of two and I just think this would be an incentive to keep working out and eating right." Does she realize that it's going to wear off in a few months? The other's reason was that she was going to a class reunion. Well, I guess she'll show the rest of the old hags!

Somebody's getting rich off our fear of looking old and it's not the women who are having the procedures.

Blooming in Mid-life

2008-08-28T12:18:00.001-07:00

I am a Late Bloomer. After 34 years in banking, I found my true passion by accident and I am having the time of my life!

I started my own business when I was 55. I didn't know the first thing about image consulting, I just knew I could do whatever it took to do it. I have been trained by an image consultant with 30 years experience, I have trained myself and gone way beyond what she could teach me in just 10 days and, most importantly, I love doing it! I have brought more into it than I could ever have imagined in the beginning (probably a good thing or I would have chickened out) and the best is yet to come!

Are you a late bloomer, could you be a late bloomer or do you think you probably couldn't make a huge change?

Summertime and Shopping

2008-08-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

I guess it's time to get back to blogging. Summertime has been taking me away and I make no apologies for that!

I have been working also, although I find it very difficult to call what I do work. I have so much fun! And isn't that the ideal job?

A few weeks ago a client had a closet party and one of the guests hired me to take her shopping. She sells a product with a direct sales company and recently attended a conference and said she was the worst dressed one there. Another conference is coming up at the end of this month and she needed some different things to wear. I assumed she was in her early twenties. In an hour and a half we found black slacks, brown slacks, a black jacket and four tops she could wear with both pairs of slacks. Since we had not used all of the time she had set aside, we had lunch and I discovered some surprising things about this young lady. She not only sells her product, she also grooms dogs and horses and trains and shows horses and she is only 18 years old!

Here is the e-mail I recieved from her this week:

"I have been getting ready for the convention in Utah and I feel really confident. In fact I went to Dillard's yesterday to take another look around and I found a suit for $80 that was originally $300. I would never have bought it if you had not come with me and shown me what to look for ........... thank you so much! I will have to send you a picture of me wearing it at the convention."

I knew I could dress middle-aged women, now I know I can take an 18 year old dressed in a denim mini-skirt and high heels and put in her some professional-looking clothes and have her love it!

Don't miss this!

2008-07-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Most of us will be touched with having to deal with aging parents or grandparents. Read my blog posting at www.boomersresourses.blogsplot.com to learn about the new concept in nursing homes. It's here and it is amazing! My in-laws live in this fabulous place!

What do your boobs say about you?

2008-07-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday I was flashed at my hairdresser's.

I was just waiting while Sheila cut my husband's hair.

Cathy, another stylist, asked me if I wanted to see something really cool and I said, of course. Her client, who was waiting for her hair highlighting to take, followed us into the back room. Cathy explained that Michelle was a breast cancer survivor and had reconstructive surgery. That was when Michelle lifted her T-shirt and showed me her breasts.

She had the pink breast cancer ribbons tatooed where her nipples used to be!

Don't you love it?

Scary Drivers

2008-07-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

This holiday weekend I witnessed two scary incidents involving an older person behind the wheel of a car.

Saturday we went to The Anderson's and as we were moving into the left turn lane on Talmadge there was an old Cadillac with his left turn signal in the lane for going straight. He was back a ways from the car in front of him so Mike approached carefully, thinking he might move over in front of us. He didn't, so I watched out my side mirror to see if he was waiting to pull over behind us. He didn't and I assumed he didn't realize his blinker was on. Lucky for the people in the two turn lanes, our light stayed red while the two straight lanes turned green. Unbelievably, the Cadillac turned left right in front of all the cars waiting to turn.

He turned into Anderson's just in front of us and pulled in a handicap spot. By the time Mike parked our car several spots away and we walked by his car he was just getting out of the car with difficulty, using his cane. Mike walked up and asked him if he knew that he had turned left from the straight lane and could have caused an accident if all the lights had been green. He had no idea he had done that. His excuse was that he was not from around here. I told him that even so, it was pretty hard to miss the big arrows painted on the road.

The second incident happened at Kenwood and Cheltenham in the Old Orchard neighborhood.

This intersection is a four-way stop, with a flashing red light and stop signs. Mike and I had just pulled up to the stop on Cheltenham when a car went sailing right in front of us without even slowing down. Mike laid on his horn and the car's brake lights came on. The really scary part was that there were two little girls playing on the grass between the street and the sidewalk.We pulled out and watched the car drive slowly, but somewhat erratically up to the light at Secor. We pulled up right beside the car waiting for the light to turn. An old lady sat in the drivers seat with her window down and I asked her if she knew she ran the red light. She said she did and was sorry. Mike said, "You could have killed those kids!" and again she said she was sorry.

Sometimes sorry just ain't enought.

When is it time to take away the car??

Got Boobs?

2008-06-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

Does your bra fit? I tell my clients that the most important piece of clothing you put on your body is your bra. It must fit! What I didn't know, until last week, is that I was not wearing the right size!

80% of women are wearing the wrong size bra.

A few years ago, I was measured by one of the fitters at J.C. Penny. I was wearing a size with just one letter and she told me I should be in a smaller number and a double letter. Last year I was measured again by a fitter at Dillard's and discovered that I had "graduated" to the triple number!

My best friend, Paula, just spent a few days with me, and on the first day she was here she was telling me about this bra store in Rhode Island she had been too. She then told me I wasn't wearing the right size. I had to admit that when I first put it on in the morning it was fine, but all day long I was tightening the straps, then loosening the straps, tugging on the back and trying to get the girls where I wanted them. A bra just shouldn't be that hard, but I just thought it was my cross to bear. In that size, I didn't have many options, or so I thought.

Paula and I looked on the net and found Sunny J's, http://www.sunnyjs.com/, in Plymouth, MI and the next day we were there. I stood in the dressing room in my bra and told the fitter the size and she said that it wasn't the right size. My excitement was building!

She very quickly wrapped the tape around me one time (she didn't even measure around my rib cage) and disappeared. She came back with one that fit like a dream. I bought three! The shocking part was the size: I went down one number and back to a single letter but three letters above what I had been wearing! Not in a million years would I have imagined such a thing! They don't even sell that size in "regular" stores.

Without your bra on you may not look like you did when you were twenty, but when you are wearing one that is the correct size and shape, you should. It's worth driving a few miles to Plymouth.

Aging gracefully?

2008-06-13T05:55:00.000-07:00

"Between 1997 and 2007, the number of Botox treatments in the US rose by 4,159%."

Yesterday I attended a luncheon where the featured speaker was a doctor who helps people look younger with the use of Botox and Restylane. He had a power-point presentation and we got to look at pictures of wrinkled faces while learning the names of all the wrinkles. Did you know that those squinchy wrinkles between your eyes are called bunny wrinkles? He talked about crevices on the face (caused by loss of fat under the skin) and even talked about one woman having one like the "Grand Canyon".

What I used to think were my unique facial features, making me look like me, are now horrible flaws! I am suffering the ravaging effects of aging!

Seriously, I respect anyone's decision to have cosmetic surgery. I will never say that I would not do it myself at some point in time. However, this guy played on every woman's insecurities to the max! I learned more about my face than I ever wanted to know, and I'm pretty sure that when I removed my makeup last night, there were some wrinkles there that hadn't been there in the morning!

Now I'm going to start looking for sinkholes!

Jack 1990 - 2008

2008-06-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

It is with a heavy heart, tight chest and teary eyes that I write this post. In one hour I will be taking my beloved cat, Mr. Jacky, to the vet's where I will have to say goodbye. Jack was diagnosed with heart failure a few weeks ago and we have been watching him go downhill since. It is time to let him go.

We got Jack, and his side-kick Tony, in 1992 when we moved to Toledo. Tony died about 3 years ago. Mike and I have always had cats and have made up stories about them, but none more so than Jack and Tony.

The boys were well known in NW Ohio and anywhere they showed up a crowd was sure to follow. They were big rum drinkers and when they walked into a bar the red carpet was rolled out. They knew how to entertain a crowd! But I have to admit, they were not welcome everywhere. They were banned from the Whippy Dip in Woodville after doing their rendition of the humpty dance. Some folks just don't know how to have a good time!

They loved heavy equipment. There were no constuction sites in the Toledo area that were safe from Jack and Tony. After the work was done for the day, the boys would borrow bulldozers, cranes and anything they could get there paws on and take them for a spin. I don't know what all the fuss was about, most of the time they returned everything!

I know Mr. Tony is waiting with a CATerpillar and a cup of rum.

Thanks for listening. I am going to sit with Jack until it's time to leave.

Reading Books

2008-06-10T05:29:00.000-07:00

In this morning's Blade there is an article that says debt stress takes a toll on ones body. Well, duh! Any kind of stress will do that. But stress, or debt, is not what I want to talk about this morning.

Another article in the Blade, by Homer Brickey, is titled: Even before information age, many found real books too slow a slog. He recently contacted some local business people to get comments on books. The result: people don't have time to read anymore.

I know I haven't read a novel, except on vacations, in several years and boy, do I miss it! I have been a reader since I could read my mother's Nancy Drew books. She also had many from the Hardy Boys, and Judy Bolton (a lesser known girl detective) series. I read them over and over. I also got books from the book mobile that came to my rural school.

I have read one book after another until a few years ago and it is the biggest stress relief that I know of. I can lose myself in other peoples adventures and troubles for hours. E-books and books on cd are just not the same, although I am listening to The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle in my car. For me there is nothing like sitting in a comfortable chair and holding a good book in my lap.

I need to start reading for fun again!

I'm going to do it, too - - - as soon as I have more time.

Tieing one on

2008-06-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

In today's Toledo Blade, there is an article from the Wall Street Journal about the demise of the tie. You remember, those long things worn around the neck?

Men just aren't wearing them any more; at least not like they used to.

Here is a quote from the article:

Ian and Shep Murray, the founders of Vineyard Vines tie makers, don't feel any need to wear a tie to the office. "We make ties for other people so we don't have to wear them," said co-CEO Ian Murray, 33, who on a recent afternoon in his Stamford, Conn. office was wearing shorts, flip-flops, and a polo shirt.

Mr. Murray said he and his brother, who is 37, quit their white-collar jobs in advertising and public relations in New York in 1998 partly because they hated the rigidity of wearing suits and ties to the office every day. They claim that Vineyard Vines ties, featuring whimsical illustrations of whales, martini glasses, and beach chairs, inject some fun into an otherwise dreary article of clothing.

"It seems like if people had the choice, they would not wear a tie," Ian Murray sad. "So if you are wearing a tie, you might as well make it fun."

I am pretty sure that if you are required to wear a tie to the office and you show up in one with martini glasses on it, you wouldn't be taken too seriously in some professions. Even on casual Friday.

Wouldn't that be kind of like wearing flip-flops with a suit?

Dated Clothing

2008-06-04T11:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had lunch with Sandy Pirwitz. She owns Sandy's Stuff for Women, a resale shop on Sylvania Ave. in Toledo.

Sandy only takes clothing that is in style and she was talking about how many things women bring in that are dated. This is even after she has told them on the phone that they must be in style. When she tells women she can't take these things because they won't sell, they seem surprised or angry.

Women hire me to go throuh their wardrobe with them, helping them to get rid of the things that are dated or don't fit in their lifestyle anymore. After we have eliminated the baggage, we "play" with the clothes that are left, finding new outfits by mixing pieces up and showing how jewelry or scarves can be worn them. I find that most women have quite a few things that are dated and they either don't realize it or they wear them anyway because they have mileage left in them.

I think this is why Sandy finds many of these things being brought into her shop. We (and I say we because I have been here) tend to think that if the piece is still in good condition, someone else will probably like it. Especially if we paid a good chunk of money for it and we haven't worn it enough to get our investment back. And I am not putting a price on that because as far as I am concerned, any "chunk of money" is good!

Sandy is a smart business woman and she is not going to have things in her store that won't sell. And, from the perspective of someone who likes to shop resale, I am not going to spend much time in a store if I have to rifle through a lot of old, dated things - - no matter how good a shape they're in!

What interesting garment do you have hanging in your closet?

Closet Party Feedback

2008-06-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

My first Closet Party client sent me an sent the following e-mail:

"I got rid of the clothes the next day! I did not go through them again! I have bought one dress and one pair of capris, that is it! Oh yea, a pair of cool red shoes! I totally feel better. It is way more fun to shop now and I am not so concerned about the size as much."

She feels great and so do I!

Next time I do one, I will bring my camera!

Taking The Time

2008-06-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

I didn't take a shower yesterday.

You see, I'm on a retreat this weekend. My husband is out of town and I am staying home all weekend and doing whatever I want to do. Friday, after a hair cut, I stopped and bought a bag of chips and Moose Track ice cream.

I got up yesterday, threw on some clothes that I would never leave the house in, and didn't put on any makeup. I did wash my hair though because it was cut very short and I didn't like how it looked. I put the same products in it that I did when it was longer and every time I looked in the mirror yesterday I was sorry it was cut so short! I was bummed out about it all day.

My intention for the day was to do a lot of writing on my book and I didn't get much done. It wasn't all bad, though. I took a nap in the afternoon (totally uncharacteristic of me) with the breeze blowing in the window and a cat curled up beside me.

Today, I showered, put on makeup and took some time with my hair and now it is really looking cute! Kind of pixieish. I feel very energetic and have already (it's not yet noon) got more done on my book than I did yesterday. In fact, I feel so good, I am going out and trying on some bathing suits!

I am convinced that I feel better about myself, and everything else, because I "took the time" to fix myself up!

It's Official: Tanning Is Over

2008-05-31T17:53:00.001-07:00

The skin Cancer Foundation, http://www.skincancer.org/, recently polled sevral beauty editors for their take on this dangerous (and finally fading) fad, and, according to Lois Johnson of More magazine, "Tanning as a life priority is over."

Instead, beauty editors like Johnson are urging women to "go with your own glow" by celebrating their natural skin tones and avoiding taning.

Some people still thin it is fairly safte to use tanning beds. Unfortunately, ultraviolet radiation, which causes skin to tan and burn, is a proven human carcinogen, and high pressure sunlamps used at tanning salons can emit doses of UVR up to 12 times that of the sun.

People who use tanning beds before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75 percent. Tanning bed users are also 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma. Both of these skin cancers can be disfiguring and, in rare cases, fatal if untreated.

The tanning industry is launching a new campaign to try to convince people that it is safe. Show them that you know better and stay away!

If that isn't scary enough, here's something to think about: sun damage is the #1 cause of aging skin.

"None of us know how to dress"

2008-05-31T05:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago someone called me and asked if I was still doing that "what not to wear thing". She is a business owner and is starting to do some seminars and said the people in her office don't dress very well, including her.

Last week she closed her office one day and had her entire staff come to her home while I went through her wardrobe. "Betty" found she needs to go shopping even though it is not her favorie thing to do. She said she used to like to shop, before her body changed. I told her she had a great body and she was not honoring it by dressing in old, dowdy clothes!

When I talked to "Betty" a few days later, she said everyone said they really enjoyed it. And, we have a date for shopping!

I am looking forward to getting into more women's closets. The first two have given me the self-assurance that I am on the right track with this. I am really helping women!

Do you know someone who needs an update. No names, please!

Coming Out Of The Closet

2008-05-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night I did my first "Closet Party".

The hostess had a few friends over to watch while I took every piece of clothing that was on a hanger out of her closet and went through them one by one. Everything was evaluated as to whether it was worthy of being on her body or whether it had to go. When we were finished there was a pile on the floor about four feet round and three feet high. The next step was to take all of the clothes that were keepers and mix and match them. She found she had "new" outfits to wear and didn't mind getting rid of so much. Goodwill also gets a good deal!

Now her closet isn't jam-packed with clothes she hardly ever wore.

We laughed and had fun while learning about "what not to wear".

The great part: The hostess was thrilled and everyone said how much they enjoyed it!

What's in your closet?

The Beauty Brains

2008-05-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Are you confused about skin care and makeup products?

I think it is safe to say there are very few products on the market that work for everyone. Skin care and makeup contain so many ingredients that there might be just a tiny bit of something in one that could cause a reaction. In addition, women ant to use products that won't damage our health or skin over the long run.

We hear so many different things about products, much of which is little more than scare tactics, we are confused and often spend a lot of money on something that is no better than a less expensive brand.

I have found a website, http://www.thebeautybrains.com/, that will tell you anything you want to know about any brand or product. Two scientists, the Left Brain and the Right Brain, do the research and will tell you the truth.

It is a very interesting site and you can leave postings and read other's postings.

Let me know what you think.

"Grays Have More Fun"

2008-05-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was out shopping when a woman passing by said she liked my hair. I told her that I was amazed to find out how pretty my natural color was. As she walked away, she said, "gray is the new blonde, you know."

Here is what Ray Lesser, editor of The Funny Times in Cleveland Heights, has to say about that:

Grey Is The New Blond
by Ray Lesser
Some women are willing to do anything to attract a man, even if it means letting their hair turn gray.
For ages women have been trying new things to become more appealing to men. In ancient times they rubbed themselves with flowers and herbs to mask the ever-present odor that comes from dressing in dead animal skins, and only taking a ritual bath once a year. They tried painting their faces different colors using mud, blood, and soot, which I'm sure also did wonders for their complexions. Women even fastened bones, feathers, and small live animals in their hair to impress the opposite sex of their worth and elegant sense of style.
Much of their efforts were probably wasted on the men of that time, who mainly noticed women who brought them a sizzling piece of meat to eat, preferably with a coconut shell full of fermented jungle brew and the sports section of the newspaper.
But in addition to women's best efforts, natural sexual selection was also at work. Men seemed to be more attracted to women with blonde or red hair, perhaps because it was rare and seemed exotic, or perhaps because it was easier for them to spot at a distance, even if they weren't wearing their glasses, which weren't going to be invented for another several thousand years. It wasn't long before many members of "the fair sex" were artificially making themselves even fairer. Classical Greek women dyed their hair red with henna and sprinkled it with gold powder. During the Renaissance, upper class ladies of Italy sat for many hours in the heat of the sun in an attempt to bleach their hair blonde using onion skins. This beauty treatment worked best in attracting men wearing necklaces of garlic and carrying strings of dried anchovies.
By the mid-20th century, the cult of the blonde reached its apex. Thanks to constantly improving hair dyes, ever-darker women could follow the advice of the famous 1960s Clairol commercial: "If I have only one life to live, let me live it as a blonde bombshell like Marilyn Monroe, only not so crazy and suicidal!" One recent study found that five out of every six blonde American women had some chemical help, spending over $100 million annually to help support the dumb-blonde joke industry. (Q: What does a postcard from a blonde's vacation say? A: Having a wonderful time. Where am I?) Though, as Dolly Parton says, speaking for many of her stereotype, "Blonde jokes don't bother me because I know I'm not dumb, and I know I'm not blonde."
Today, the popularity of blondes remains high, sometimes bordering on bizarre, as evidenced by ads for some egg and sperm donors that offer bonuses for blondes. As Rita Rudner noted, "Blondes must have more fun. How many brunettes do you see walking down the street with blonde roots?"
But the newest, attention-grabbing hair color seen on big city streets and in salons, is gray - or more appealingly called white, silver, pewter, platinum, or ice. Older women are tired of constantly dying their hair, and are beginning to realize that their new natural color makes them stand-out just as much as any bleach blonde.
Personally, I love this trend. Even guys want to remain in style, and now I realize that my hair, what little of it I have, is getting more stylish every day. Also it makes it much easier for me, as one of the silverbacks of my urban jungle, to comprehend the signals that the fair sex is sending my way. When I encounter a blonde of any sort, whether she be covered with tattoos and piercings or wearing heavy makeup over her wrinkles, I know for certain - these women are not trying to impress or engage the likes of me.
Instead I find myself drawn to the stylish new silver goddesses, looking as natural and carefree as when they were teenagers, except for the limps. Their snow-white locks speak of innocence, mixed with the kind of experience that can only come from having lived with seven different guys. Unlike their light-haired, ditzy counterparts, I find them to be knowledgeable, wise, thoughtful, and, best of all, willing to laugh at the same jokes I've been telling for 25 years.
I know we all like to play the game called "looking good," although everyone has their own interpretation of the rules. Some of us think we look our best in perfectly tailored Italian suits, while others want skintight pre-ripped jeans. Fashion and beauty are a shallow business, but we live in a shallow culture, and anyway, as someone once said, "If truth is beauty, how come nobody has their hair done in a library?"
Still, if the current beauty trend is that you look your best when you look like yourself, then I'm going to try to enjoy being in style for as long as I can.

Thin skin and great fitting jeans

2008-05-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

I think we always see signs of aging in those we love before we ever notice them in ourselves. At least that is the way it happens with me. Years ago I kissed my mother's cheek when I hadn't seen her for awhile. Her cheek felt different against my lips. It was softer, or more acurately, looser. It was a little unsettling. And there was the time in my mid-thirties when I looked into a mirror with my face parallel to the floor and for an instant I saw her face.

Then, there's my husband's thick, dark hair. There it is in pictures, anyway. I knew it wouldn't always be dark but I thought it would always be thick. Actually, I probably never thought much about it at all. It came as somewhat of a surprise when I noticed it had started to thin. I was wise enough not to mention it.

Awareness of my own aging body usually comes to me in startling bits. One wall in my living room is a floor to ceiling mirror. Yesterday, I was rounding the corner to go into the next room when I stopped short. Someone elses arm had somehow become attached to my body! And to make matters worse, it was an older woman's arm! After moving it around a bit, the arm that I knew was mine came back. Woo, that was scary!

Just to show that everything is relative, this morning I found a great pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans at Costco for $16.99 and, if you looked at me from the waist down when I had them on, it would be hard to guess my age!