Maybe It's Just Me, But ...

when I saw these pictures from the recent New York Fashion Week, I thought to myself: "Um. NO."

I mean, if I want to look like this, I'll pet one of the cats or Dug right after I've applied nail polish.

Not that I have EVER been considered a fashion plate ... :-)

Gray Hair

I started getting gray hair in my early forties.  No big deal, since most people I know and have known have gotten gray hair eventually.  At the time, my hair was still naturally a pretty light blonde, so if anything, the gray gave it some highlights.

Then my light blonde hair started to get darker.  Not really any color, just a darker, dirty-hair looking blonde shade.  It made me look sad, frankly.  (The Tim: "I don't understand why your hair always looks dirty, when I know you wash it."  This from a man who *very* seldom says anything about my appearance that is not a compliment.)  As an adult, I've more or less always had short hair, because in spite of my imagination, I do not have thick, lush, wavy hair.  I have always had thin, fine, straight hair that is so soft, it barely holds a part.

So I decided that since I wasn't able to do much style-wise with my hair, I'd be adventurous and try getting it colored.  I wasn't going to try to do it myself, because I am just not good with things like that.  Plus, I wanted someone else to blame if it all went south ...

The hairstylist I'd been going to was willing to experiment with me.  The end result was a) a cute short cut, and b) an amazing color that was a deep red/brown, but looked like my own hair.  As a matter of fact, when I showed up at work that next Monday, a co-worker said, "Oh you went back to your own hair color" and would not believe that I'd always been a blonde!  Anyway, this worked really well for a couple of years, and then much to my dismay, that hairstylist retired because she had a second kid.  (Don't these people realize their professional obligations???)

Over the next few years, I tried different people and places, with varying degrees of success, but never quite the "click" of the original person.  Over the last year, I've tried several places.  One of them was pretty amazing, but I was so grossed out by the stylist's filthy workstation, I just couldn't make myself go back.  The next time, at a different place, I was pretty pleased, because I thought I had finally found a good fit with a new stylist.

Fast forward to last week.  I had made an appt to have my hair cut and colored this past Saturday.  Actually I spent most of last week deciding whether or not to get it colored.  For whatever reason, I was feeling that since my 60th birthday was coming up, I should just see how much gray I really did have, and how it looked.  But then I decided that I would get it colored one last time during my 50s, and work on revealing the gray after that.

The new stylist referenced above?  Turned out to be a real bully.  He refused to listen to what I wanted as far as color.  I should have just said, "Forget the color, just cut it," but in an attack of eejit-ness, I let him talk me into his idea.  Which on the surface, sounded good.  On my head, though - not so much.

Oh well.  Hair grows (mine grows really fast), and I've already made my next appt for a cut someplace else that was highly recommended to me, and is even closer to my house.  And since I'll be the apparently magical 60 when I go, I'm gonna let the color grow out until I see how much/what kind of gray hair I have.  I'm hoping for a head of gray hair like one of my sisters' has, or like The Tim has - lovely, bright, silvery-white gray.

I'm thinking I'll look a lot like this:

'Cause, you know - I look like this all time just sitting around the house ...

But deep down, this will probably be closer to the truth (except shorter):

I'll keep you posted.  :-)

Retro Beauty - Exercise

Hello!  I'm still here, just overwhelmed with things, but I'm talking myself out of it, so hopefully I'll be here more regularly.

Do any of you watch the show "Call the Midwife"?  We've watched it from the beginning, and recently started watching the new season.  One of the main characters has graduated from taking part in a fitness class, to being an instructor.

As the episode progresses, a freelance photographer snaps photos for a newspaper of a few of the characters - one set with them in their uniforms, another where they are wearing leotards:

Take a look - by today's standards, no big deal, right?  Well, part of the episode is the shock the nuns at the Nonnatus House show when they see the photo.

This episode is set in 1961.  It's funny to think that dressing like this for an exercise class would shock anyone ...

Happy New Year!

Hello and Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a good holiday season.  Ours was quiet, but very nice, and we also finally got some winter weather this week, so I'm happy.

Did you get any glamorous Christmas gifts?  I actually got a few.

This is actually one I bought a month or so ago, for myself, and then gave to The Tim to give to me.  Of course, I completely forgot that I bought it, so I was pleasantly surprised!

I bought this after I was talking with a woman at Nordstrom's one day about the lovely lipstick she was wearing.  She said it was this, and shortly after I saw this holiday sample set at Sephora on sale.  So far I have only tried one of the colors, but it is lovely, soft on the lips, and lasts a decent while (at least on me, who is always drinking something ...)

I was trying to find a link if you were interested, but it seems to be sold out online, unless you want to buy it for lots of $$ on Ebay.  Sorry about that!

This set was a gift from my sister Nancy.  These are shots of the outside case and the inside.  To give you an idea of how lame I can be, I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying open this case on Christmas morning, to see what was inside.  I was ready to give up when The Tim said, "Doesn't that little black elastic band on the top move so you can open it?"

Yes.  Yes it does.

Eejit.

Anyway, I have not tried any of these yet, but they sure are pretty, right?  I hope I like them better than the lip glosses I tried a few years ago that were way too sticky for me to be able to stand wearing them.

I see they still have these at Nordstrom.

This one is perhaps one of my most glamorous gifts ever.  The Tim bought this for me, because he "has heard of Chanel, and thought it might be nice.  Plus, the perfume was the best price, so I just got that."  !!!!  Nice, huh?  He said it seemed like it might be a "nice treat."  Oh yes, it is!  This is a scent I like, but would never splurge to buy for myself.  Yay TheTim!

This one is available pretty widely at almost any department store, but also at Sephora and the like.

I guess it was a kissy and fragrant holiday for me!  :-)

Retro Beauty - Happy New Year!

Here's wishing that your New Year's Eve is as glamorous as 

Nick and Nora's,

and that the New Year is full of fun, beauty, and health - 

just like this photo of Rita!

See you in 2016!

Christmas 2015

For today in the town of David a child has been born unto you;

and he is Christ the Lord.

Happy Christmas from our house to yours.

Product Review - Philosophy Purity

Hello!  Sorry for the long silence.  I was busy on my other blog during November (I did manage to post every day - it was actually kinda fun!), and then I got busy with wrapping the gifts we are sending out of town.

Have you finished your holiday shopping?  I have 99% of mine done, so I'm able to enjoy things.  But I thought it would be worth telling you about a product that was part of my Christmas gift last year.

My sister Nancy lives in Southern California.  She is the quintessential California person, and has always been interested in fashion and beauty.  She also considers herself an expert, and is more than happy to give advice - whether or not you ask for it!

Anyway, last year for Christmas, she sent me this:

She'd told me about this product several times, saying that it not only is a great facial cleanser, but removes makeup as well.  I'd never bought it, being very happy with my CVS version of Cetaphil, which worked fine and was extremely inexpensive.  But since she sent it to me, I decided to give it a try.

I am here to tell you that it's great.  It's gentle, and it does remove makeup as well as just daily grime.  My face never feels tight or dry afterwards, and it also is not scented (at least not that I can tell).  But you know what is even better?  This LARGE bottle (32 ounces), that I have used morning and evening every single day since late December 2014, still has approximately 1/4 of the product remaining!  My sister said she bought it on sale (she's also a big sale person), and I have no idea what she paid, but I think it may very well be an even better bargain than my CVS version of Cetaphil!

Needless to say, it's not necessary to purchase this extra large size - there's even a travel size you can buy if you just want to try it without spending a lot.

And, if you know someone who likes to try skincare products, it would be a lovely Christmas gift!

If you decide to try it for yourself, please let me know what you think.  :-)


11 Days until Christmas!!!!