This was a pet peeve of both of my mothers'. When I was at the awkward teenage years,when the 'rosebuds' where starting to bud I would curl my shoulders forward to hide the upcoming flowering.
My mom- whichever one was handy- would push me against the wall, push my shoulders back and press in on my stomach-" stand tall- shoulders back- tummy in!"
It certainly annoyed me at the time, but I see so many folks young and old who do not walk with a presence, confidence. Often I see well dressed, groomed people who schuffle, slouch and generally do not give off the impression they are happy, confident and enjoying life.
It is easy to every day stand tall, walk with presence and pride. As one of my grandmothers' used to say- "You are not dressed if you have not put on your smile" the same goes for good posture, a smile and standing tall are the two least expensive- actually free- items that you can put on everyday!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Personalized Stationery
In this day of instant communication it seems the only items we get in our mailboxes are bills and flyers.
Try the lux life and invest in some lovely personalized stationery, every little town has a shop where you can custom order your own embossed notes and envelopes.
A hint from Oprah- who was herself advised on this tip- get small note size then if someone fabulous gets your handwritten note, they can frame it and place your little personal note somewhere we they- or their famous friends can see it!
Even if you do not have famous friends to show off your personal note from a 'fancy friend' you can make one of your special friends smile with a note in thier mailbox and make them feel special!
Try the lux life and invest in some lovely personalized stationery, every little town has a shop where you can custom order your own embossed notes and envelopes.
A hint from Oprah- who was herself advised on this tip- get small note size then if someone fabulous gets your handwritten note, they can frame it and place your little personal note somewhere we they- or their famous friends can see it!
Even if you do not have famous friends to show off your personal note from a 'fancy friend' you can make one of your special friends smile with a note in thier mailbox and make them feel special!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
The battle with menopause and weight
Auggh! The sheer pain of this......Years ago I had the great little body, worked out 1 1/2 -2 hours a day and watched what I ate. Then 'it' happened! Menopause!
I could not sleep so was too tired to get up and work out, was lazy, exhausted all the time, then those fabulous sweats---. I would go to bed in my jammies, over the night take off the top, then the bottoms, then I would soak that side of the bed-- (thankfully I am single) then slide over to the other side of the bed.
Slowly and surely the weight came on- the baggy clothes came out and I got more and more depressed.
I had been so proud thinking I could go through this 'change of life' by using homeopathic remedies-- but without the sleep I finally started taking sleeping pills-- the St. Johns Wart was no longer strong enough to let me have a good solid sleep.
Then after awhile the lack of energy, the sweats that were now hitting me during the day and in a moments notice where also too much- so I marched over to my doctor- who does like prescribing drugs for anything- and demanded he put me on hormones. Within days I felt better, the sweats under control, sleep came and I spent a few months regaining my energy and 'disposition'.... along with keeping the extra 10-15 pounds which I swear jumped on me the day after my 45 birthday!
For the next few months I am going to try to get rid of this weight and you are invited to join me on this quest, suggestions are welcome.
To start with I am now going to go for 1 1/2 hour walk/ run twice a day- and add 1/2 hour of ab exercises in the morning-- I will keep you posted.
Weight today is 133!
Tomorrow and as we go I will add the diet concept to this- green tea will become my friend again- and wine is my thief and major enemy.
I must tell you this next few weeks is not going to be a 'diet' that any doctor would want you to go on- so please ignore the bad nutrition- I simply have to get back into some of my clothes, feel more energetic and happy..... the reason alot of us want to lose weight.
I could not sleep so was too tired to get up and work out, was lazy, exhausted all the time, then those fabulous sweats---. I would go to bed in my jammies, over the night take off the top, then the bottoms, then I would soak that side of the bed-- (thankfully I am single) then slide over to the other side of the bed.
Slowly and surely the weight came on- the baggy clothes came out and I got more and more depressed.
I had been so proud thinking I could go through this 'change of life' by using homeopathic remedies-- but without the sleep I finally started taking sleeping pills-- the St. Johns Wart was no longer strong enough to let me have a good solid sleep.
Then after awhile the lack of energy, the sweats that were now hitting me during the day and in a moments notice where also too much- so I marched over to my doctor- who does like prescribing drugs for anything- and demanded he put me on hormones. Within days I felt better, the sweats under control, sleep came and I spent a few months regaining my energy and 'disposition'.... along with keeping the extra 10-15 pounds which I swear jumped on me the day after my 45 birthday!
For the next few months I am going to try to get rid of this weight and you are invited to join me on this quest, suggestions are welcome.
To start with I am now going to go for 1 1/2 hour walk/ run twice a day- and add 1/2 hour of ab exercises in the morning-- I will keep you posted.
Weight today is 133!
Tomorrow and as we go I will add the diet concept to this- green tea will become my friend again- and wine is my thief and major enemy.
I must tell you this next few weeks is not going to be a 'diet' that any doctor would want you to go on- so please ignore the bad nutrition- I simply have to get back into some of my clothes, feel more energetic and happy..... the reason alot of us want to lose weight.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Cheap and luxurious bathing
We all enjoy lovely long warm bubble baths- but sometimes the cost of luxury can make us feel more like paupers then princesses!
Another great hint from one of my grandmothers- (I had no idea how much I have learned from the great women in my family- and with no daughter to pass these tricks onto I must share with other women)
We all get those great little sample perfumes- but not much can be done with them- well of course other then trying them on, leaving them open to evaporate in your linen drawers, scattering the scent on your front entrance area rugs, pouring the perfume over old rose petals in a lovely container in your closet, linen closet, shoe closet or drawers-- okay other than those ideas- this is the one my rather simple farm grandmother used.
We have all used dish soap for bubbles I think- okay I have as I LOVE bubbles- but only IVORY dish soap- so you can add the Ivory for bubbles or not.
Take some simple baby oil in a cup pour in the sample perfume-mix it then pour the mixture into the tub- with or without the 'bubbles'.
Voila- instant luxury!
Another great hint from one of my grandmothers- (I had no idea how much I have learned from the great women in my family- and with no daughter to pass these tricks onto I must share with other women)
We all get those great little sample perfumes- but not much can be done with them- well of course other then trying them on, leaving them open to evaporate in your linen drawers, scattering the scent on your front entrance area rugs, pouring the perfume over old rose petals in a lovely container in your closet, linen closet, shoe closet or drawers-- okay other than those ideas- this is the one my rather simple farm grandmother used.
We have all used dish soap for bubbles I think- okay I have as I LOVE bubbles- but only IVORY dish soap- so you can add the Ivory for bubbles or not.
Take some simple baby oil in a cup pour in the sample perfume-mix it then pour the mixture into the tub- with or without the 'bubbles'.
Voila- instant luxury!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
A lady in public, a cook in the kitchen and a ‘shhhh’
A lady in public, a cook in the kitchen and a ‘shhhh’
(and how not to get it backwards!)
You know her - she is one of THOSE girls - dresses impeccably, complete with a host of adoring men swarming over her at all times. She is married or maybe she isn't - she is the woman you hate, the woman you are jealous of, she is the woman YOU wish you were.
Please let me explain. I have watched women very closely for the last 4 years. I have conducted surveys with men, had the privilege of in-depth conversations with men - married, single, divorced, rich and poor, young and old - and they all tell me the same things.
I have learned from them what they are truly looking for in a woman.
Many women have not had the time resources or the opportunity to learn some of the fine arts of being a woman. In our society the game of making money –and more then your nieghbour- has become priority and the you miss out on the true luxury of being a fabulous woman and the ‘goodies that go with that.
To sum it up ladies, I have seen many women behaving like self- indulgent ‘princess brats’ — in a word, rude. This "Princess" " Diva" thing has simply gone too far. Please read the definition of a Diva—not nice! (Hint Webster’s Dictionary defines a ‘diva’ as a prima donna. Prima donna = "an extremely sensitive, vain or undisciplined person".) I doubt that is the label these women are coveting!. If you would rather learn how to be a modern day lady - with a flirty side - adored by your husband, lover(s), boyfriend, co-workers and family, read on!
Who am I to tell you? I am the granddaughter of an elegant Grande Dame - married and divorced by 23, excommunicated from the Catholic Church (after being raised in a convent) then a mistress for 23 years!
"Be a lady in public – a cook in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom
and don’t get it backwards
………………….like most women do!"
(Lesson number one from my grandmother ---- who truly believes that is the mistake most women make)
Being a rebellious teenager, my mother married at 18 was divorced by 25, with two children. Mom became the muse of the Harper Valley PTA; her skirts were so short she needed matching underwear, not to mention the go-go boots. Her first ‘after children career’ was as a coat-check girl at the first strip club in town!
I was packed off to the suburbs with my father. My stepmother? School bake sales – I toted trays of perfect one-inch by one-inch little pink and white petite-fours. China dessert sets do exist and they are used at my stepmother's. She has never uttered a rude word, which I know of. She gets up first thing in the morning and does her make-up, works out daily, has an adoring younger husband (not my father, though he was younger too) and a long-term happy marriage. She is a true lady. She does not even gossip!
That is the quick story of my strange and marvelous life. The privilege of growing up with these three remarkable and utterly completely different women has given me a unique outlook on women, men, and women and men. Oy- what you can learn from them!
I will share with you what I have learned - how to flirt correctly, without looking like a tramp. Men love ladies who flirt, yet this is becoming a lost art. Simple social graces - how many women do you know have them any more? Etiquette - I know you think that is old fashioned, but you need to know it the basic rules before you can choose what to use and what to discard
We will also delve into details of fashion, flirting and please ladies clean the toilets before male guests arrive! Then we will explore some to the secrets of the secrets from famous courtesans for a touch of spice!
If you want a blog that tells you how wonderful you are, pick another one. If you want a private secret hideaway to share your hints and faux-pas sometimes frank, sometimes humorous, sometimes "salty" Mae West style. Grab a glass of champagne, (or from time to time a scotch and cigar—not really ladylike however it does add some spice to an otherwise perfect lady) or tea in a china cup. Settle down and get ready to learn how to be a ‘Lady in public, a cook in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom’
(and how not to get it backwards!)
You know her - she is one of THOSE girls - dresses impeccably, complete with a host of adoring men swarming over her at all times. She is married or maybe she isn't - she is the woman you hate, the woman you are jealous of, she is the woman YOU wish you were.
Please let me explain. I have watched women very closely for the last 4 years. I have conducted surveys with men, had the privilege of in-depth conversations with men - married, single, divorced, rich and poor, young and old - and they all tell me the same things.
I have learned from them what they are truly looking for in a woman.
Many women have not had the time resources or the opportunity to learn some of the fine arts of being a woman. In our society the game of making money –and more then your nieghbour- has become priority and the you miss out on the true luxury of being a fabulous woman and the ‘goodies that go with that.
To sum it up ladies, I have seen many women behaving like self- indulgent ‘princess brats’ — in a word, rude. This "Princess" " Diva" thing has simply gone too far. Please read the definition of a Diva—not nice! (Hint Webster’s Dictionary defines a ‘diva’ as a prima donna. Prima donna = "an extremely sensitive, vain or undisciplined person".) I doubt that is the label these women are coveting!. If you would rather learn how to be a modern day lady - with a flirty side - adored by your husband, lover(s), boyfriend, co-workers and family, read on!
Who am I to tell you? I am the granddaughter of an elegant Grande Dame - married and divorced by 23, excommunicated from the Catholic Church (after being raised in a convent) then a mistress for 23 years!
"Be a lady in public – a cook in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom
and don’t get it backwards
………………….like most women do!"
(Lesson number one from my grandmother ---- who truly believes that is the mistake most women make)
Being a rebellious teenager, my mother married at 18 was divorced by 25, with two children. Mom became the muse of the Harper Valley PTA; her skirts were so short she needed matching underwear, not to mention the go-go boots. Her first ‘after children career’ was as a coat-check girl at the first strip club in town!
I was packed off to the suburbs with my father. My stepmother? School bake sales – I toted trays of perfect one-inch by one-inch little pink and white petite-fours. China dessert sets do exist and they are used at my stepmother's. She has never uttered a rude word, which I know of. She gets up first thing in the morning and does her make-up, works out daily, has an adoring younger husband (not my father, though he was younger too) and a long-term happy marriage. She is a true lady. She does not even gossip!
That is the quick story of my strange and marvelous life. The privilege of growing up with these three remarkable and utterly completely different women has given me a unique outlook on women, men, and women and men. Oy- what you can learn from them!
I will share with you what I have learned - how to flirt correctly, without looking like a tramp. Men love ladies who flirt, yet this is becoming a lost art. Simple social graces - how many women do you know have them any more? Etiquette - I know you think that is old fashioned, but you need to know it the basic rules before you can choose what to use and what to discard
We will also delve into details of fashion, flirting and please ladies clean the toilets before male guests arrive! Then we will explore some to the secrets of the secrets from famous courtesans for a touch of spice!
If you want a blog that tells you how wonderful you are, pick another one. If you want a private secret hideaway to share your hints and faux-pas sometimes frank, sometimes humorous, sometimes "salty" Mae West style. Grab a glass of champagne, (or from time to time a scotch and cigar—not really ladylike however it does add some spice to an otherwise perfect lady) or tea in a china cup. Settle down and get ready to learn how to be a ‘Lady in public, a cook in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom’
Friday, May 16, 2008
Pimples and wrinkles
Oh my- what a sense of humour mother nature has! After struggling with pimples since my very early teenage years, now I have wrinkles and still get pimples. Being a tad out of date with the newest and best pimple solutions, and having a teenage son, I took to finding the best solutions for him- and then tried them on myself.
Here are a few of the products we discovered that work- with varying degrees of success ( some worked find for my son but were too drying for my dry, sensitive, wrinkle forming more mature face).
Proactive- we tried this product line with very good results- it worked well for me as well- but not as well as I would of liked. However the one all star product they have that works very well on my pimples and my sons' larger, deeper more serious 'spots'....Proactive Refining Mask should be one everyone's shelf for those unexpected little blemishes. They miraculously seem to disappear while you sleep!
While this line worked well I wanted to try out a new line by one of my favorite skin care companies ( we will discuss those products in a separate blog) Obagihas come out with a wonderful new line for acne called clenziderm M.D., This three step system has almost completely cleared up my son's skin (I don't use the system as I just need help for some individual spots) his skin looks great (granted I was finally able to get him to go on a oral antibiotic).This new Obagi line- in my opinion is better then Proactive, not as drying, and very easy to use- and it works.
For back problems, due to cost and ease we have found something very simple works- hand sanitizer! An idea from my mom and works very well on large areas that are not as sensitive as the face.
I absolutely love this product PeterThomasRoth- AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel- this is terrific, a little rub on your spot areas, is clear (unlike the proactive white mask) and voila- pimple be gone! It does not seem to extra drying and is good for my sensitive, mature skin.
That seems to be it for the control of those pesky little blemishes we still get (thanks son for letting me sample your products).... next I will chat about some of the fine skin care products for mature, sensitive, thin skin.
Have a great day, and enjoy the wonderful stage of life you are now in!
Here are a few of the products we discovered that work- with varying degrees of success ( some worked find for my son but were too drying for my dry, sensitive, wrinkle forming more mature face).
Proactive- we tried this product line with very good results- it worked well for me as well- but not as well as I would of liked. However the one all star product they have that works very well on my pimples and my sons' larger, deeper more serious 'spots'....Proactive Refining Mask should be one everyone's shelf for those unexpected little blemishes. They miraculously seem to disappear while you sleep!
While this line worked well I wanted to try out a new line by one of my favorite skin care companies ( we will discuss those products in a separate blog) Obagihas come out with a wonderful new line for acne called clenziderm M.D., This three step system has almost completely cleared up my son's skin (I don't use the system as I just need help for some individual spots) his skin looks great (granted I was finally able to get him to go on a oral antibiotic).This new Obagi line- in my opinion is better then Proactive, not as drying, and very easy to use- and it works.
For back problems, due to cost and ease we have found something very simple works- hand sanitizer! An idea from my mom and works very well on large areas that are not as sensitive as the face.
I absolutely love this product PeterThomasRoth- AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel- this is terrific, a little rub on your spot areas, is clear (unlike the proactive white mask) and voila- pimple be gone! It does not seem to extra drying and is good for my sensitive, mature skin.
That seems to be it for the control of those pesky little blemishes we still get (thanks son for letting me sample your products).... next I will chat about some of the fine skin care products for mature, sensitive, thin skin.
Have a great day, and enjoy the wonderful stage of life you are now in!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Bags for Bras!
Ladies, you know those lovely expensive bras we buy, then take them on a wonderful (romantic) trip only to open our suitcases to find the bar completely ruined- creased, crumpled and well ruined!
Now, you can safely pack those lovely bits of feminine intrigue in delightful 'cases' of their own- and they come in a variety of looks to appease the lady in you- or the - well more adventurous 'whore' in you! Delightful- a bra case for each of your wonderful and wicked secret personalities!
I had one delivered to my hotel a few years ago and plan on adding more to my collection. Gosh for what we pay for these bras- we should take care of them, we dry them on the top of the dryer, hand wash and do NOT fold them in our drawers- now take them on a holiday and ensure they will also 'enhance' your holiday plans and come home rested and unrumpled!
Now, they also carry matching panty cases- seperate compartments for your clean and not so clean- nifty and oh so lady-like!
Check it out! log on to---http://www.bra-g.com/
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