Gray Lady Down

One issue I am SOOOOO grateful I don't have to deal with is having my hair colored.  I decided, the year I turned 40, to stop dumping smelly, chemically laden lava on my head every three weeks in order to keep up with the auburn color I'd been using ever since I started greying, in my 20s.  The year it took to grow out was a long one.  And fears of looking like a crazed, Miss Havisham, scary-lady-in-the-neighborhood type played through my mind.  But I couldn't be happier with the results.  My hair receives at least one compliment per day on its color.  Though, a few weeks ago, a 92 year old man came into the library and was chatting us up at the circ desk.  After a whole lot of small talk, he offered to help me dye my hair - "you'll look twenny years younger as a blonde".  I politely declined. But I was more focused on declining because I like my hair than declining because I was creeped out. And, while I think  natural color is almost always more attractive on people, it's not the color as much as it is what is done with it...keep it healthy, don't style it severely (why do so many women get men's hairstyles at a certain age?  Is it REALLY that much easier?) and it will look beautiful and vibrant.  Just check out the grey ladies below:

                                                                                

OK, so Kate Winslet isn't actually grey...but this pic is too stunning to not include.

Daphne Guinness

              

Kristen McMenamy

...and me! Wearing the grey proudly!

Minimalist Living...Am I Capable?

Loving the new "trend" of minimalism...I KNOW I have an issue with getting rid of material things.  But now, it seems there is a very large movement based upon living more simply.  I'm ready to take the next step...which I suppose is unloading all unnecessary "stuff".  The two main offending areas are my bedroom (clothes and shoes and assorted junk) and our basement (where Christmas goes to die). 

I've been changing my diet around (see Snow White pic, below) and trying to only eat "whole" foods...no pre packaged "diet" meals, highly processed foods, etc.  I also have a most unfortunate soda habit which I've got to stop.  Clearly I've got a LOT of room for improvement so here's to good health and uncluttered homes!







http://minimalistlifestyle.wordpress.com/  for inspiration!

Snow White drifted...

Twisted as this picture is, I couldn't help but be amused by it.  Well, be amused by it and use it as a cautionary tale!!!   I put on a few (10!) pounds over the past 6 months or so and now have to work at getting rid of them.  The one thing which seems to always save me is that I like my wardrobe AND refuse to buy anything over a certain size...so if things feel a little snug there's only one solution.  The clothes don't get any bigger, therefore the waist/butt/hips must be  reduced.
Took a look at the book "Are You Tired And Wired?" yesterday...it seems like a promising read in order to boost energy and maintain a healthy weight. I'm on a quest to improve my flagging energy so perhaps this will help.
In all honesty instead of chunky Snow White I almost put up the latest pics of Lady GaGa...it seems the Lady has gotten a little zaftig lately.  That didn't seem to be in the spirit of sisterhood, though.  Let's all stick together and fight the good fight against time and heft.  Here's to fighting the good fight...battling the bulge.

September 2012 Birchbox Bandwagon

LOVE Dr. Jart!  I typically use his "Renewalist" BB. Good stuff.

I was looking for the perfect Grey.  This is IT!

Cynthia Rowley Band-Aids...Everyone else seems disappointed by these, but I think they're adorable.

Received one in lt. lavender.  Gave it to my daughter...made her happy!

Lovely, fairly light floral/summer fruit/hint of musk scent.

$25. off $75. purchase at Madewell.

Benefit foaming cleanser and polish sample (one use).

Cute "LookBook".  I'm very happy with this month's selections.  If you're interested in checking it out for yourself, feel free to use this link (there are rewards to recommending people): https://www.birchbox.com?raf=4t77k 
For 10 dollars a month it's a little way to treat yourself and have a bit of fun.

Words of Wisdom

Have A Seat...

These old metal chairs are my weak spot...they're such throw-backs and look (in my opinion) so charming on a front porch.  Alas I have too many and will be getting rid of some soon, so if you're in the Jersey Shore area and have any interest, let me know! 

Evil Never Looked So Good...

Haven't seen this collection in person yet, but I kind of can't wait to get my hands on it.  I love my makeup, and this is just perfect for a September pick-me-up.  Judging by the boxes, I'm going to guess "Cruella" is the one which would suit me best...at least hair-color wise.  Makeup should be fun, and this fits the bill.  Thanks to fairest-of-all.blogspot.com for the pic!

Slow and Steady...

The Mister and I both ran the Pier House 5K in Long Branch this past Monday (Labor Day).  He is as fast as I am slow...his time was under 22 minutes (!!) while mine was more than 30.  I look absolutely pained in the photo.  A natural athlete I'm not!  We high-fived after he hit the turnaround and started back on the course while I was still slogging toward the 1/2 way mark.  Then, after he crossed the finish, he circled back to keep me company till I made it to the end.  It's a great allegory for marriage/partnership in general...make the effort to circle back and show your commitment to your "team".  Thank you, Mister, for circling back. During the race and life in general.  xoxo