's motd Thurs May 13, 2010

[Guest guest]

MAKEOVER IN MAY

Thursday, 13 May 2010

Did you take a look at yourself in the mirror this morning? Do you have a full-length mirror where you can look at yourself from head-to-toe? Well, if you do, when you take that look at yourself, what'd you think about how you look? Are you happy with what you see? If not, then maybe it's time for a makeover for yourself in the month of May.

Let's begin with your hair. How's your color? What do you think of the cut? Have you been wearing your hair the exact same way for a long time? Well, I say out with the old and in with the new...a new do, that is! Now I don't know too many people who look good with gray hair. Oh sure, some do...but for a lot of people, well, the gray just sorta washes out the color of their faces. So why not add some color? Do you want to be a blonde or maybe even a redhead for a while? Look through some magazines and select a few hairstyles you believe will look good on you.

And for you ladies, how's about a makeup makeover? There's so much out there to make your face look more beautiful. Maybe it's time for some new eye shadow, some spring-themed blush or lipstick. Maybe you need a makeover for your skin. Did you ever take a magnifying glass and look through closely at your forearm. See all of those little creases? They mean your skin is drying out. Some of us are at the age where we lose some of the moisture in our skin. You can revive your skin by using a good moisturizer for your face and all over your body.

You don't have to buy the expensive department store creams, either. There're hundreds of choices at drugstores and supermarkets that will get the job done for a lot less money. Some of these moisturizers contain aloe vera or shea butter and your skin just loves to drink them up. By the way, you should moisturize whenever you get out of the shower and at bedtime. One area of the skin that dries out a lot is your hands. So you should keep a small bottle of moisturizer in the glove compartment of your car or in your purse. Now remember, a little goes a long way so don't overdo it. I don't want you sliding out of your bed in the middle of the night! LOL.Okay, what about your wardrobe? Is it in need of a makeover? Bright colors! (They're what everyone's wearing these days.) Colors like lime green, raspberry or lemon yellow. Wear things that're going to make you feel alive and happy. And if you really want to make your outfits special, you could put some Swarovski Crystals on them, just like the ones I wear on my tanktops!And how's about doing the makeover thing with your shoes, too. By the way, you should be wearing comfortable shoes. Don't be walking around in those tall high heels all the time. (Save them for special occasions.) And oh yeah, when's the last time you replaced your workout shoes? I hope you have a good pair of cross trainers rather than a walking shoe for when you do your workouts. Cross trainers support your side-to-side and heel-to-heel movements and are much better for the health of your feet.So these were just some makeover thoughts I wanted to share with you on this beautiful Thursday. See, when you look in the mirror, you should really love what you see!Love,

[Guest guest]

On Thu, 13 May 2010 04:04:48 -0500, Sue in NJ <sue_in_nj@...> wrote:

MAKEOVER IN MAY

Thursday, 13 May 2010

Did you take a look at yourself in the mirror this morning?  Do you have a full-length mirror where you can look at yourself from head-to-toe?  Well, if you do, when you take that look at yourself, what'd you think about how you look?  Are you happy with what you see?  If not, then maybe it's time for a makeover for yourself in the month of May.Well, I do look each time I am in the shower room.  I can really see the change now.  But I still have trouble seeing it every time.  Some quick glances now and then make me think nothing has changed at all.  I often feel confused.

Let's begin with your hair.  How's your color?  What do you think of the cut?  Have you been wearing your hair the exact same way for a long time?  Well, I say out with the old and in with the new...a new do, that is! I recently cut all my hair off.  From past tailbone length to a bob.  It was getting too hard to care for in the truck.  Even though I wore it up all the time, there were horrible matting knots happening and I had to cut a few off.  My hair grows like a weed.  I want to trim it until another 3-4 inches grow out and then I will let it grow again.  I don't like short hair for myself, but I have to say that I feel younger with it this way.  I look less severe. Now I don't know too many people who look good with gray hair.  Oh sure, some do...but for a lot of people, well, the gray just sorta washes out the color of their faces.  So why not add some color?  Do you want to be a blonde or maybe even a redhead for a while?  Look through some magazines and select a few hairstyles you believe will look good on you.

And for you ladies, how's about a makeup makeover?  There's so much out there to make your face look more beautiful.  Maybe it's time for some new eye shadow, some spring-themed blush or lipstick. Ack.  , men are not the ones to tell women they should wear makeup and dye their hair.  Not in my book!  I am beautiful just as I am and I am not dyeing my hair ever again!  I am 54 and this is how 54 year old women look!  I am not a Barbie doll stuck in perpetual delusions of youth.  Why do we not celebrating ALL stages of life?  That being said, I have worked on improving my overall appearance.  It did not come until I left better.  I am now wearing sheer lipgloss and better fitting clothes.  I have gone back to clear nail polish.  Who knows when more weight comes off how I will feel about my appearance?  But if any man says I could look better by artificial means, I'll slap him! Maybe you need a makeover for your skin.  Did you ever take a magnifying glass and look through closely at your forearm.  See all of those little creases?  They mean your skin is drying out.  Some of us are at the age where we lose some of the moisture in our skin.  You can revive your skin by using a good moisturizer for your face and all over your body.I am working on this too, especially my heels.  My skin just feels better being moisturized.

Okay, what about your wardrobe?  Is it in need of a makeover?  Bright colors!  (They're what everyone's wearing these days.)  Colors like lime green, raspberry or lemon yellow.  Wear things that're going to make you feel alive and happy.  And if you really want to make your outfits special, you could put some Swarovski Crystals on them, just like the ones I wear on my tanktops!No way .  NO bright tropical colours for me, I am not into that.  Clothing colours will always be subdued.  I hate being stared at, thank you very much.  But, yes, I am working on collecting pictures of clothing I do see on the net, making a "style" folder of clothing I would wear if I could both weight-wise and pocketbook-wise.  My one exception is that I have worn a black bathing suit for years.  It is getting too big and won't make it to Hawaii.  I will splurge in July on something more summery and pretty, even if it is more colourful than I am use to.And how's about doing the makeover thing with your shoes, too.  By the way, you should be wearing comfortable shoes.  Don't be walking around in those tall high heels all the time.  (Save them for special occasions.)  And oh yeah, when's the last time you replaced your workout shoes?  I hope you have a good pair of cross trainers rather than a walking shoe for when you do your workouts. Cross trainers support your side-to-side and heel-to-heel movements and are much better for the health of your feet.I am all about comfort.  On the truck, I must have shoes that are easy to slip on and off.  But I have saved a few of my high heels (nothing like they wear today, REGULAR high heels, lol.  I dream about being aboard the Queen 2 in an elegant dress and heels.  I cling to that dream.Nice points to think through.  I keep talking about that wedding gown and trying it on.  I really need to do that.  And I want to fix up my hair and take some decent portraits too.  I feel as though I had morphed into a huge blob and now I am not sure what is emerging from all those protective layers of fat!-- Ann H.

[Guest guest]

Oh, I *hate* this glitch! I have to search to find Ann's reply!

>Well, I do look each time I am in the shower room. I can really see

the change now. But I still have trouble seeing it every time. Some

quick glances now and then make me think nothing has changed at all. I

often feel confused.

I lost 45 pounds and the only noticable difference is saggy, baggy skin

on my arms - the typical " old lady crepey skin " look, and smaller boobs.

Even the technician who did the echo yesterday noticed it and commented

that I must have lost a large amount of weight lately. How embarassing,

hearing this from a guy!

> Let's begin with your hair. How's your color? What do you think of

the cut? Have you been wearing your hair the exact same way for a long

time? Well, I say out with the old and in with the new...a new do, that

is!

Nah! I like it this way and have never colored it in my life, as I try

avoid as many chemicals as I possibly can. As for the cut and style,

well, the lady who does my hair, most recently out of her own kitchen

since she lost her place of business in a power struggle with family

members, recently had a mastectomy and can't lift her arm up, so she

won't be doing any cuts for a while. My husband and son are looking for

another interim barber right now - how hard can a crew cut be? - but

I'll wait until she's back in business. I guess I better find some

scrunchies and covered rubber bands again, as my hair has been really

short, a pixie cut, for many a decade.

>I recently cut all my hair off. From past tailbone length to a bob.

It was getting too hard to care for in the truck.

I could imagine! Short hair is SO much easier - just wash and go.

>My hair grows like a weed.

Mine really doesn't grow all that fast. I can go 3 to 4 months before it

looses its general shape, and it takes over a year before it's long

enough to pull back in a tiny ponytail.

> I don't like short hair for myself, but I have to say that I feel

younger with it this way. I look less severe.

You'll get used to it in no time.

> Now I don't know too many people who look good with gray hair.

Mine is still mousy brown with strands of grey, but nothing

overwhelming.

>the gray just sorta washes out the color of their faces.

With my rosacea, *nothing* can wash out this reddness! Even in the dead

of winter my face glows in the dark. When spring comes and I get outside

more, the freckles join the red blotches.

> And for you ladies, how's about a makeup makeover?

Never touch the stuff. What I *do* have in a ziplock baggie in the back

of the bathroom closet is at least 20 years old, some of the eye shadow

older than that. I really should buy some new lipstick, but no matter

what I get, my lips are so dry it just cakes up and looks weird. If I

need anything I take some of the water-based non-petroleum jelly and rub

some on.

>There's so much out there to make your face look more beautiful. Maybe

it's time for some new eye shadow, some spring-themed blush or lipstick.

You can tell used to hang around his mother at work - she ran

the makeup counter in some department store in New Orleans when he was a

kid. He knows *way* too much about this stuff! ;^)

> I am 54 and this is how 54 year old women look! I am not a Barbie

doll stuck in perpetual delusions of youth.

Haven't you heard - 50 is the new 30 (Or has it dropped down to 25

now?)!

> Why do we not celebrating ALL stages of life?

One can't be too rich, too thin, or too young.

>I am working on this too, especially my heels. My skin just feels

better being moisturized.

I have naturally dry skin *anyway*, but when you add in the thyroid

problem AND the weight loss to the natural aging (Plus the rosacea on my

face) and my skin is a sorry mess. Unfortunately, the rosacea ointments

I really don't want on my face because they're all carcinogenic, and

regular everyday lotions have fragrances that bother my asthma. Even the

non-comodogenic (sp?) ones sometimes bother me. I found 2 Lubriderm

lotions over the years that are OK but one has been discontinued. But it

bothers my rosacea. During a bad flare, and when the sun is out it

flares up worse, I use some aloe vera gel. It helps a bit.

> Okay, what about your wardrobe? Is it in need of a makeover? Bright

colors! (They're what everyone's wearing these days.)

Since my clothing size hasn't changed, and because my budget is really

tight, I only buy something when I absolutely need it, like new

underwear, socks (with all the walking I do they wear out fast), or when

things are totally worn or ill-fitting, like during the winter when I

bought my first pair of jeans in ages.

> Colors like lime green, raspberry or lemon yellow.

Red is the number one color found in my closet. I have t-shirts in a

range of colors, some bright, some dark. My warm weather clothes, the

shirts I made myself, are always of bright prints, many of them novelty

prints, like parrots or grasshoppers. If I could find a source for

well-fitting Hawaiian camp shirts I would be in clothing heaven.

Loose-fitting, colorful and all-cotton for maximum cool? I'm there!

> you could put some Swarovski Crystals on them, just like the ones I

wear on my tanktops!

Sorry, Dickie, but I'm not as um, flaming, as you are. LOL

>No way . NO bright tropical colours for me, I am not into that.

Clothing colours will always be subdued. I hate being stared at, thank

you very much.

I get stared at anyway because of my size, so why not give 'em something

fun to look at?

>My one exception is that I have worn a black bathing suit for years.

I haven't even owned a bathing suit in decades, probably more than 30

years. I have no place to wear one so why buy one? The local pool is so

crowded by 10:10am (They open at 10a), and the indoor pools are rarely

open for public swim - there's a water aerobics class going on now in

one of them - $60 for a 4-week program, one hour a week. Maybe when we

move back to Florida and have access to a pool that comes with the

apartment complex I'll think about getting one, most likely from

Junonia, if I'm still in that size range (And probably will be for

life).

> And how's about doing the makeover thing with your shoes, too.

Don't talk to me about shoes! It takes about a year to find a pair that

fits these size 10+ Triple E feet, and sometimes even then they hurt me

the next morning.

> But I have saved a few of my high heels (nothing like they wear today,

REGULAR high heels, lol.

My husband's 91 year old aunt still has all the high heels she wore when

she worked in the bank in Manhattan. All expensive name brand shoes she

bought in the City. It kills her that she's not allowed to wear them any

more. She's unsteady enough in flats and sneakers.

> I dream about being aboard the Queen 2 in an elegant dress and

heels. I cling to that dream.

You'll never get me into any kind of dress again. I even told my husband

that when I die I want to be buried in elastic waist pants and either a

camp shirt with a loud print or a Disney t-shirt. No gown, fancy dress

or anything frilly. I want to be comfortable, even in the afterlife.

>I feel as though I had morphed into a huge blob and now I am not sure

what is emerging from all those protective layers of fat!

I've always been big, so for me to morph into someone thinner, it's

foreign.

Sue in NJ

NOT a Mighty Morphing Power Ranger

[Guest guest]

On Thu, 13 May 2010 15:25:36 -0500, Sue in NJ <sue_in_nj@...>

wrote:

>I lost 45 pounds and the only noticable difference is saggy, baggy skin

> on my arms - the typical " old lady crepey skin " look, and smaller boobs.

> Even the technician who did the echo yesterday noticed it and commented

> that I must have lost a large amount of weight lately. How embarassing,

> hearing this from a guy!

Sigh. Yes. Saggy and baggy and I never had this problem before. My skin

looks old. It's a whole different issue now.

> > And for you ladies, how's about a makeup makeover?

>

> Never touch the stuff. What I *do* have in a ziplock baggie in the back

> of the bathroom closet is at least 20 years old, some of the eye shadow

> older than that. I really should buy some new lipstick, but no matter

> what I get, my lips are so dry it just cakes up and looks weird. If I

> need anything I take some of the water-based non-petroleum jelly and rub

> some on.

When skin changes, makeup doesn't apply or stay on well. I am almost

amused by this, as it sort of tells us that at a certain point in life

maybe it time to stop trying to look like a vamp. lol. I have noticed

that nothing smoothes on the same, nor does it stay. And funny, it just

doesn't look right. I like a fresh scrubbed face look anyways. I no

longer have raccoon eyes from melting makeup.

>> I dream about being aboard the Queen 2 in an elegant dress and

> heels. I cling to that dream.

>

> You'll never get me into any kind of dress again. I even told my husband

> that when I die I want to be buried in elastic waist pants and either a

> camp shirt with a loud print or a Disney t-shirt. No gown, fancy dress

> or anything frilly. I want to be comfortable, even in the afterlife.

I loved this reply! lol. Yes, I love comfort too and now that I am use

to wearing soft cottons and lots of elastic, I don't know if I can go back

to " regular " clothes. But my dream revolves more around wanting to feel

pretty just one more time, in an elegant way. That was very much a part

of me in the past and just once more I want to feel it. I want to see if

I can capture my husband's eye. I doubt it, but I can dream, can't I? He

keeps talking about the fun of dressing up and going dancing on the ship,

but I shake my head. It'll be beyond me how this ship board thing will

pan out. It's my dream and I will enjoy it for all it's worth. My mother

and I crossed the Atlantic in the early 1960's from France to America and

I'll never forget that trip. The women in their gowns and furs, the

elegance of it all. I read that QE2 has dress up dinner nights, so I am

going to have my moment. Once we are back in Denmark, it'll be a very

scarce and simple life as pensioners.

> I've always been big, so for me to morph into someone thinner, it's

> foreign.

I was thin until my late teens, thin a few more times as an adult, but the

rest was very obese. I feel though, that this time is very different and

that it is foreign to me too. The aging, the changes in skin and body

shape. I am not sure how to handle it. I don't even see " me " in my

face. I never had jowls before. My eyes look small and beady. Just who

is this woman? lol

--

Ann H.

My blogs are on my profile: elisaannh