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Beauty and Fashion Randoms of an Over 40 Blogger

I needed something to wear to an event and got excited.  See...I'm not fashion or beauty obsessed although I tend to keep up with what is necessary for me to know in both departments.  I tend to buck trends and pretty much wear exactly what I want to wear.  The good thing about being over 40, is that I can pretty much get whatever I want to get.  You know...if I want it.

The older I get, the more I'm into comfortable shoes.  I own lovely heels, of course, but they are never my first choice anymore and I tend to plan an outfit around the shoes I want to wear.  I'll never get too old for a funky pair of Chucks and I will never pass up the opportunity to buy something others might consider outrageous if it makes me smile.  LOL!

I just recently bought some leather and glitter sneakers that make me smile.   People look down at them in surprise and then back up to my face quickly.  LOL!  I SEE YOU!!!!!!!!

I'm not into homely clothes and love to rock figure flattering pieces that aren't hoochie.  I don't like too tight pants so all my skinny pants have a good amount of "GIVE" in the material.  I have a crazy knack for picking out a funky and fun top and I have a wall filled with funky tops that I pair with jeans, shorts, sandals, ballet flats and sneakers.

I think I have skinny legs so I don't wear shorty shorts but I do wear fitted shorts if that makes sense.  (Odd I know.)  I still stick to the principle that if you only BUY things that look cute on you, you will only OWN things that look cute on you.  I don't like matchy matchy and I adore mixing super cheap pieces with pricey pieces.  My normal every day shorts are cargo shorts from the boy's department cuz you can't find cargo shorts for women with a good length for women anymore it seems.

My day-to-day wear would probably be considered tomboy chic or sporty luxe and, even though I feel I could wear some of the latest trends the younger people wear...I don't. And I don't consider jeans, t-shirts and Chucks to be young people clothes.  These things are ageless.  LOL!  And yes...I will probably be 80 rocking some fly glasses and some fresh to death glitter Chucks.

I pay attention to my "More" magazine and I check out the new stuff regarding makeup etc.  I'm not really there yet regarding makeup and am just now starting to play with different stuff when I do wear makeup which is still...HARDLY EVER.  In lieu of makeup...I will rock a pair of hot sunglasses or a hat.  LOL!  And my lips stay fresh with some good old Aquaphor which I pretty much use all over.

The only thing I have really started focusing on as I age is exposure to the sun.  Especially on my face and neck.  I'm not trying to hide from the sun but I also don't want to have to get to the point where I HAVE to wear makeup in order to have good looking skin and I have been known to have odd breakouts when in the sun at random times.  UGH.

I don't like my hair these days as the grey is something I guess I'll have to take action on eventually because it's getting more and more grey and, insultingly, all around my hairline waving and ish.  I can't find a stylist that I love locally so weekly appointments to make my life lovelier is out of the question and the drive to the one who makes it look right is too far for weekly maintenance.  

My dentist keeps asking if I want to whiten my teeth and I keep telling them that I think it's creepy when folks' teeth are whiter than their eyes and that I would spook myself in the middle of the night during a bathroom run in the dark.

I still do my level of workouts which maintain what I'm working with and well...I'm unwilling to do much more if I don't have to.  I don't want to be the fittest looking girl in the room...I just want a flat tummy and a nice butt.  I was working out with a guy who was really kinda harsh with it and well...I thought it best if I didn't continue going over there.  You know...getting yelled at and whatnot.  I have to figure out something, however, because for the past two days it has been too hot during my normal 30 minute morning walk and sprint session to get a good workout in without saying...um...no.  Too hot.  I hate germy gyms but I'm going to have to do something and have access to a treadmill soon cuz this heat is going to kill me and the way my heart murmur is set up...

When I'm looking to wear something special, I tend to visit a few of my favorite beauty and fashion blogs for and by women of a certain age.  See...they get me cuz they ARE me.  They are fly but no longer 20 and each one of my FAVES has the type of style that shows they know THEIR style THEIR way.  They aren't trying too hard to be sexy and they generally have smiles that reach their eyes which makes me smile.  I know...clearly I have simple criteria but it's so true.

 

Extra Petite - She's the youngest on this list.  I like her style though.  She does tomboy to girly girl right.

Style Pantry - This should be a DUH as she is probably on all of our lists.  I mean...she is like the Diana Ross of fashion to me.

Lady of Style - I get a lot of good ideas from her on how to mix up things I already own.

Erica B. - Another DUH...I mean hey...it's our girl.

J'Adore Couture - I get diva brunch outfit ideas from her.  

Fortyfied Beauty - She doesn't just stick to clothes and I like that.  She's pretty simple too.  Enjoying cute comfort.

Style of a London Tall Girl - Tall girls have problems other girls don't.  She owns her tall girl style. 

Forever Amber - Super cutesy clothes.  Ideas for weddings, nice parties, etc.

The Coveteur - I just look over here.  LOL!  I can't afford NOTHING June Ambrose deems rock worthy but I love pretty pictures of pretty clothes.  Oh...and her blog is more about lifestyle too.  She has a great cocktail series going on over there.

What about you?  Where do you get your inspiration from when you're looking for something special to wear?  Who are your goto fashion and beauty bloggers?  Do you generally like fashion blogs by women of a certain age too?  How would you describe your style?  

Is fashion a THING for you?  Or do you just like to look nice?

Me Make $25 Accent Table from Ross Purdy!

I was in Ross and ran across this table:

It was blah.

Then I stopped at Lowe's and bought some paint:  Rust-Oleum Bright Coat Metallic Finish, Gold  

Then I took the top off the base and spray painted it.

And then I put the top back on it.

And then I like it.  :)  

GO ME!

I seriously miss having projects and home improvement stuff going on.  

FIFTY PERCENT OFF DAWG!!!!! GO ME!

I was in Target the other day doing what we all do in Target...roam around looking for ish to buy with that red sale dot that we don't need to buy but it's super cute and it's on sale and well...it's really, really cute and really, really cheap.

Yall know how Target sets us up for failure.  Humph.

Well...I rounded a corner and saw this:

Patio umbrellas?  Rugs?  50% off?  I AM SO HERE FOR THAT!!!!!  I snapped a quick pic and sent it to Robby and then to my sister because I knew she'd been looking for one.  Then I sent it to a few girlfriends in the event they were too.  I mean...I NEVER find umbrellas for 50% off.  The most I ever see is 30% off.  I AM HERE FOR A SALE!  I'd been saying we needed to get one but then I was like...do I need to add to the stuff we have to move soon but again...for 50% off...NO.BRAINER.

So I made my decision wisely.  Picked a nice neutral color, rustproof, etc. Basically...I got the most expensive one they had.  Why?  FIFTY PERCENT OFF DAWG!  OH YEAH!

I'm damn near skipping to the register.  The  young lady scans it and I note the price didn't reflect FIFTY PERCENT OFF DAWG!!!!!  OH YEAH! Me...the signs say 50% off.  Her...um...  So, I show her the picture.  She makes her light flash.  Manager comes over.  Manager leaves.  Manager comes back, hits a few buttons and makes the umbrella price FIFTY PERCENT OFF DAWG!  OH YEAH!

Manager:  It's supposed to only be the rugs but it's not your fault.

Me:  *BLINK*  So...it's NOT fifty percent off (no caps)?

Manager:  *sigh*  No.  They were supposed to separate the rugs from the umbrellas and only put the signs on the rugs.  

Me:  Damn.  Sorry.  So...

Manager:  Enjoy your umbrella.

And I drove my cart out slowly, hesitantly.  Dragging my feet.  Called Robby.  Told him.

Him:  FIFTY PERCENT OFF DAWG!

Me:  (getting excited again)  Yup!

Him:  AWESOME!

So I came home, put up my new patio umbrella, made me a good lunch and sat outside to enjoy it under the lovely new shade created by my umbrella which was FIFTY PERCENT OFF DAWG!

And then the flies came.  

It was hot as hell.  

I dropped my damn big piece of chicken swatting away flies cuz know what else likes damn shade outside in the damn heat?  YOU GUESSED IT!  FLIES!  DAMN FLIES!

I had to change clothes cuz it was really humid as hell outside and the big piece of chicken was barbeque and now I had a damn stain on my t-shirt AND my shorts where the damn chicken rolled down and then I had to go out and get a damn fly trap cuz seriously???????  I HATE FLIES!  I HATE FLIES!  DIE!  JUST DIE!!!!!

So I picked a cute one. (THIS ONE) That could hang from my new umbrella.  And then maybe I could enjoy the damn thing.

Now that I think about it...it just might be jinxed.  You know...cuz it wasn't FIFTY PERCENT OFF DAWG!

*sigh*

go.me. (no caps)

Has this ever happened to you?  Did you feel guilty?

Breville Customer Service - TOP NOTCH!

A few years ago, I gave The Robinator a Breville YouBrew coffee maker.  It was instrumental in keeping down the arguments in our home because has been known to drink an entire pot of coffee before I get up to get my one.  There is nothing worse to the person who set up the coffee the night before than to get up to NO coffee the next morning.  Especially when they only drink one cup.  With this machine...I can push a button and make just one cup of coffee from beans.

And we LURVE our coffee straight from fresh ground beans.

Exactly 10 days ago, we were dismayed to find that something terrible was going wrong with our precious.  Steam was rising up and messing up the display and something was going on where the water wasn't going through it's usual process.  Our sweet baby was broken.

LAWD NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

In a fit of desperation after asking Mr. Google, I called the number on the machine for Breville's customer service.  I told them what was going on and asked if there was a fix for it.  The young man asked me to read to him the numbers stamped on the underside of the machine and then he told me that...VOILA...we'll send you a brand new one.

Wait...what?

Him:  What's your email address?  I'll send you a FedEx shipping label.  Just box it up and either drop it off and have it picked up.

Me:  *BLINK*  Um...okay...

Him:  As soon as we receive it, we'll send you a new one.  The entire process takes about 10 days.

Me:  *BLINK*

I got off the phone in a straight up daze and told Robby.

Robby:  *BLINK*

Me:  Yeah.

So...we boxed that sucker up and FedEx made it do what it do.

Turns out filling out those warranty cards or online registration really makes a difference.  LOL!  GO ME!

We had to use this 5 cup "extra" coffee maker that Robby's mom had for TEN.DAYS.

The day after FedEx received it we got an email saying the new one was on it's way.  That told me that they didn't even WAIT to receive the old one.  Their system probably logged the size and weight of the box once FedEx put it in their system and they immediately shipped out a new one. 

To say I'm impressed doesn't even do justice to what I feel.  I'm like...A BREVILLE FAN FOR LIFE!  We loved our coffee maker before and now?  WE REALLY LOVE IT!  When this baby is laid to rest, we will be replacing it with a Breville.  Always and forever...each moment with you...just like a dream to me...that somehow came true...

Our new baby arrived today and it was such a touching moment.  We just kept smiling like the proud Breville owners we are.  *Sniff...sniff*  Whenever I pass it by I lovingly touch it.  I can't wait for my first cup of coffee tomorrow morning since I'm now up to two cups.

*NEXT DAY UPDATE*  Mmmmmmmmmmmm...COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  GO ME!

Do you fill out the warranty cards or register your products online? Did you ever get service like this with a product?  

 

Moisture Wicking Thongs

When I work out hard I like to wear moisture wicking underwear (I like them to be seamless too).  It just makes things more um...comfortable.  I've needed new ones for a minute and ran across some recently.  While searching for my size and different colors, I found that there were moisture wicking thongs too.

And I was confucious.  

Now...admittedly, I don't wear thongs so I don't know if they are comfy or not but I've never tried them because they don't come across as comfortable looking to me so I can't imagine working out or running in some.  I mean...that's just...um...well...

SIP:  And are they REALLY one size fit all tho?

So...yall tell me...do you wear thongs when working out and running?  Do you wear moisture wicking underwear when working out or running?