Clothes

I've always loved fashion, makeup, and all that girly stuff! (even though when I was a kid you'd usually find me in the creek catching frogs and tadpoles and crayfish-or up in the tallest tree I could find!).

I love fashion so much I strongly encouraged my daughter to puruse a fashion design degree-and that she did!! http://www.linques.typepad.com/ this is my daughter, Lindsey's blog-I am positive she got her talent from my Mom (it totally skipped me!)...and I'm so proud of her!

Anyways--back to me!! I love fashion, but more than that-style! Everyone has there own style...some just need a little more help!

I'm older than 26 (since Lindsey's 26 that makes sense) Although I can fit into the smaller sizes, I know there are just things I should not wear at "my age". But that does not mean I'm going to give up on style and fashion--no way!

I can go to Express-and skip the way-above-the-knee fashions and still find cute things for me without looking like I'm trying to look 20! I'm still alive and will be (hopefully) for quite awhile and I'm not going to give up on looking my best!

So I went shopping today (a little retail therapy never hurt anyone). I couldn't believe that Victoria Secret had jeans in their store! I bought the cutest Pink (not the color pink) skinny jeans (and that doesn't me you have to be "skinny" to wear them). I then went on to Express (the best customer service!) and bought to cute cute sweater dresses (one too short to wear as a dress-better w/ skinny jeans for me), and some other cute things-likes sweater vests! I made a little stop at Banana Republic (haven't been as impressed with their selection lately) I did find some great longer vests (great for mixing and matching) and a cute flirty skirt and a black ruffly knit top to go with that (this skirt is short-but still acceptable since I'll wear it with tights).

Check out my pictures and ignore dust and stuff you see. I said I like fashion, I didn't say I liked cleaning.

For us girls over 40- you can take classic pieces, add a little flare of your own! My favorite handbag is one that I call my "popular purse"! It's a bold yellow Jessica Simpson handbag and everywhere I go-women comment on it! Whether I'm at a school function or out shopping, I get comments! So instead of going with a wild color skinny pant (please don't)...make your handbag the bold statement!

I also have my favorite popular boots-I can't remember who makes them-and I know I'll need to break down and get new ones-but wherever I go-these too--get comments! From not only women but men too! I have skinny legs so it's hard to find ones that fit me-and the best ones for me are the ones that slip on!

My fashion rambling must stop-but I could go on-maybe I'll take a breather and ramble more tomorrow--my pictures aren't too great-but you "get the picture" (that was bad).

Be your best-and as my Mom always said (now there was a woman with style)...chin up-chest out-shoulders back!!

Jen

Disturbed

First, I will start by saying, I like Rachael Ray. I am a foodie, so I am watching the food channel, well...obsessively! As far as her show, I only watch it occasionally. But I had seen a commercial for her next show, which was to be about slowing down the little signs of aging. I am all for improving yourself. So I taped it, and tonight, I finally watched the show.

That's where the disturbing part starts.

I workout-everyday except my day off on Thursday. I eat semi-healthy. I believe in moderation, and it's okay to eat some chips no and then! (That's part of the reason I workout!)

I have a 26 yr old daughter, a 17 yr old son, and a 16 yr old daughter. Do the math. Even if I had my 26 yr old daughter at 20, that would make me 46, but that's beside the point of this of this blog, so I won't go there!

This certain Rachael Ray show was disturbing to me. I've wondered, now and then, if maybe I should have a little botox or something, but this show was just crazy! First, there was a women that had some injection in her hands because her hands showed signs of aging! I think the plastic surgeon said it would cost something like $1500/hand and would last about a year. I'm not sure about you, but for me, $3000 to make my hands look more youthful...well, it just aint' gonna cut it! I could just imagine saying to my husband "honey I need $3000 to make my hands look youthful"!

Oh, you say you earlobes are as youthful as you would like them to be!? Don't worry, there's surgery for that also! PLEASE!! I never even thought about earlobe problems! Am I crazy!?

No!! I am not (okay, that is debatable).

Take care of yourself. Workout, eat reasonably...then be happy with who you are. Don't pick at every body part. How long can you keep that up? And at what cost?

That show actually helped me to be happier with where I am right now, what I look like, and forget about any flaws. We all have flaws! We all age! It happens!

Be your best-not someone else's best! YOUR best!

and forget about the rest!

Jen

Beauty Word of the Day!

Okay, I might not have a beauty word of the day everyday, but here's my beauty word for today:

Exfoliate! Whether you're 16 or 50+, exfoliate! Everyday, in the shower. Have your exfoliating wash in the shower so you won't forget to exfoliate!

For the face I recommend the two products shown: Philosophy's Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash, check it out at http://www.philosphy.com/ - I also buy it at http://www.sephora.com/ and http://www.qvc.com/ -

Another great exfoliating product for your face (it's my 16 year old daughter's favorite): Dove's Gentle Exfoliating Foaming Facial Cleanser. This can be purchased at any of your local drug stores!

And yet one more product that can be used with any of your favorite cleansing creams: exfoliating facial cleansing sponges! Inexpensive, and can be found anywhere!

So that's my word for the day-get rid of those darn old skin cells-and renew your face! I swear it helps! Oh--please do not forget your neck and decolete (pronounced dek-lo-tay-it's your chest area that starts showing signs of aging!).

So get out there and exfoliate!

Jen

Coming Out of the Closet

Cleaning out the closet--jenscloset!! Check out just a fraction of the clothes I have! I'm finally going to purge and organize! I started doing this awhile ago. I sold some of my clothes, that still had tags on them, on Ebay. I am constantly donating bags and bags of nice items to the Purple Hearts and a few other organizations.

I've always loved fashion and even to go get the mail, I try to make sure I look my best! Yes...some call me obsessed...even I do! Even though I do not work in an office (since 4/08), I still love to dress up-I don't mean I'm wearing my high heels around the house or to the post office (I'm not that obsessed!). I'm so obsessed that I produced a daughter who would grow up to go to college and get a fashion design degree!

This is going to be a series of blogs, starting with the one where I confess, not only my obsession, but what a mess it is, and how out of control it has gotten!

I spent a couple of hours going through one section of my closet (I'm talking about an entire bedroom that my sweet husband, Bob, turned into an entire walk-in closet for me!). I tried everything on-if it didn't look fabulous, it went into a pile. I will then go through that pile and sell some on Ebay and donate the rest. (If you're a size 4 and you're interested in some of my clothes-just let me know!)

So that's my first step-I'll get back to you soon with how my progress is going. I urge everyone to try on your clothes-check them out-do they really make you feel good? make you feel confident? no?? well..then, what are you waiting for! Join me!

Good luck!

Jen

A Great Beauty Info Site

Sorry it's been awhile! Been busy with summer stuff, including our annual trip to Cocoa Beach, Florida! I used plenty of sunscreen and always wore a hat to get as little sun on my face as possible!

I thought I'd do a quick blog to tell you about a great website full of beauty information, for all ages! http://www.totalbeauty.com/ -I just received their must recent update about ways to prevent and/or slow down that darn aging process that happens to us all!

I jotted down a few notes, such as

1-drinking green tea is good (I think we all know that by now!).

2-Vitamin D3 oil

3-exfoliate (I do that everyday!)

4-less is more as far as makeup as we get a little older

5-RetinaA seems to be a must-so I need to check on that

and there's more! Check out their website, I think you'll find it very interesting and helpful!

Take care!

Jen

Clothes and Bags and Stuff

You heard me right! Clothes, bags and stuff! I love all of it!

My younger daughter, Katherine, just returned home from Europe! I'm so happy she's back! We went shopping at H & M earlier today and just had so much fun! Yes...we bought stuff!!

So-yes I do love H & M, but I try to avoid clothing stores these days! I have enough clothes and since I'm working from home now, I don't need anymore! But that doesn't always stop me! Especially when I'm shopping with Katherine, or my older daughter, Lindsey!

I have a few (okay I have more than a few) fav websites that I have bought from that I just love and I wanted to share a few. I'll share more in another blog!

The first is www.shopsueyboutique.com great bags-and other accessories! I've bought a few of their bags, and right now they're offering me 20% so that might just tempt me to buy another one!

Another site, actually, I haven't bought directly from the site, because we have a cute shop close by, is www.francescascollections.com . I love wearing dresses, casual tshirt dresses, cute knit dress, whatever! They're comfortable and everyone looks good in them! This can be a kind-of-youth-oriented shop, but I have found cute dresses that are "appropriate" for even my age! Their prices are great and everything is just so darn cute!

There you go...a few of my favorites! I have plenty more...so stay in touch!

Jen

It's Thursday!

Thursday has always been my favorite day of the week! Well, at least going back about 5 years! The one reason was because at my previous part time job I worked Monday through Thursday (7 am to 1:00-or something like that-it's been over a year and I can't remember exactly!). So Thursday was like my Friday!

But the best reason of all...it's "treat day"! What is treat day you ask!? You are asking, aren't you!? Treat day is the day my husband Bob brings home some wonderful, perhaps fattening, lunch! It could be those so-bad-for you Big Macs from McDonalds...or from a wonderful deli called Lehmans for a turkey sub..and the list goes on and on! It's always a surprise and I sure look forward to it!

Everyone needs a treat day! It doesn't mean you need to look forward to something fattening like I do! But whatever the treat might be, treat yourself! Perhaps your treat day could be that one day you get to leave the house for an hour and just hang out at your fav book store (if you have young kids you know it's quite a treat to get an hour to yourself!).

Find something to look forward to, and you'll be motivated to keep going on those days that you just wonder what the heck you're doing, and why the heck you're doing it! We all have those days! So look forward to your treat day!

Write down some little things you've been meaning to do; pick one of those each week, and do it! Just do it!

You'll feel refreshed trust me!

My best to everyone! Keep shining!

Jen