It’s a choice

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advancedstylebookTwo things happened this week that have had a great impact on me – a friend sent me a link to a blog that she thought I’d enjoy, a blog that is related, in a way,  to this one.  It is the perfect photographic example of  what I know in my heart, what I am exploring,  and hoping to achieve.  Thank you Sheri Lynn Parr, you hit the nail on the head!

The blog is: www.AdvancedStyle.blogspot.com  

I hope you will all check it out. A young man named Ari Seth Cohen has been photographing amazing older women, for their sense of style. Let his blog tell you how it all came about.  But his attraction to their sense of themselves, and how they create stylish lives has evolved from his blog into a book, a film and now advertisements for Coach bags.

When I first saw this blog, I was stunned!  It was like seeing a unicorn, or an angel, or Santa Claus….you want to believe, but up until now you’ve had no evidence of their existence.  Here were stunning, radiant, stylish women. They do exist, and they are in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s!  What this means to me, is that now I have role models. And I have permission to be myself, to quit trying to “fit in” in a “what’s-in-style” sort of way, and be stylish and chic in my very own way. Even more so than I have given myself permission to do so far! 

The second thing that happened was that I received an email from another friend.  It was of stereotypical old women; c0ntrastinstyle“we’re-in-this-together, declining-with-age, ain’t-it-awful?”  that most people chuckle over and forward.  Or chuckle over and delete.  But, I didn’t find it funny, didn’t chuckle…and I realize it’s because I don’t choose to get old like that (see lower right).  Old is an attitude. And it can be an excuse.  “Older” is an accumulation of years and experiences on this planet.  And it can be done beautifully! (see upper right. Yes, the women are all around the same age).

Yesterday I spoke to a woman for a while at the salon. She’s my age, 61. She told me about some  female friends of hers in their 70’s, that ski all winter on advanced slopes, in deep powder, in and out of trees! She said that living like that was what kept them young. I tend to think that being  in touch with your sensuality, open to adventure, doing what it takes, and continuing to take an interest in everything around you is what allows you to ski those Black Diamond runs in life!

It’s really a choice. And it’s your to make!

XO Donna

Third time’s the charm

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When something shows up three times, I figure that I’m supposed to pay attention!  These two things, totally unrelated, and as different from one another as they could be, are what got my attention this week:

tirepressurephotoTIRES – Who likes to mess with them?  They’re dirty, you have to get down to their level, and it’s hard to read my tire guage accurately.

  1. If your tires are not inflated to their proper PSI (pounds per square inch) rating, they’re “less round” than they should be and require more energy to begin moving and to maintain speed, contributing to pollution and increasing your fuel consumption.
  2. If your tires are underinflated by just 5 lbs. you are lowering your gas mileage by 20%. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but think of it this way: if you are an average driver who drives 12,000 miles yearly on underinflated tires, you use about 144 extra gallons of gas, costing you about $400-600.00 a year at current gas prices!  Think of what you could do with that money! A spa day, a plane ticket, the sexy shoes you could buy!
  3. And worst of all….each gallon of gas burned contributes more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. We don’t want to add any extra by driving with underinflated tires!
  4. Besides saving gas, saving you money, and minimizing emissions, properly inflated tires are safer and less likelay to fail at high speeds…keeping you, and your friends and loved ones safe!

Check tire pressure monthly. If you don’t have an owner’s manual, it’s usually stamped on the sidewall of your tires. Look for the PSI rating. If you can’t find it/don’t want to do it/can’t do it yourself, all of the tires shops will check and fill your tires for free hoping to gain your loyalty when you need a new set of tires. (I like to take care of the folks who take care of me.)  Do it this week, be safe!

(for more on this, check out: http://about.com/greenlivingdesign)

gb_wrangler_light_denim02_130_v2rgb-3_4_r536_c534JEANS – Did you know that the European branch of Wrangler makes a trio of  “cosmetotextile” – jeans that are infused with aloe vera or olive extract to add moisture to dry skin, and rose hip oil, retinol, shea butter and caffeine to diminish cellulite?

Indeed, they are! The jeans are treated with these nutrients, then dried in an oven. The treatment is supposed to last 6-8 washings, and the anti-cellulite can be re-spritzed for longer wear. They are available online from www.ASOS.com  for around $149.00.  The “face” (or derriere) of this advertizing campaign for Wrangler’s new skinny jeans, is Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall’s willowy, 28 year old daughter, Lizzie.  Time flies, even for rock stars! 

To learn more, I “went” to England:  http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk.  They tested both the aloe, and olive extract jeans. The anti-cellulite jeans weren’t available for them to test.  Their verdict?  The jeans were comfortable, soft,  flattering and well-made. They suggest that you buy them for that, not their purported benefits…and I’m inclined to agree and continue moisturizing daily with a top-quality, natural product. Which ones do I like?

  1. The Body Shop – SHEA BODY BUTTER  my winter fave, and my summer fave, MANGO BODY BUTTER
  2. AVOCADO OIL – We have it at BELLA SALON, and I found it at WHOLE FOODS MARKET
  3. ORGANIC COCONUT OIL – liquifies at body temperature, great right after a warm shower. Let soak in for a few minutes before dressing with this one especially.

Nothing like good tires to keep us moving forward, and moist skin to make us feel sexy!

XO Donna

One step forward…

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Framed bathroom…and two steps back.  My closet still looks like a bomb went off in it.  However, our bathroom is finished, and beautiful!  So sexy-assed beautiful that I keep walking in and admiring it. Feeling the cool surface of the marble. I’ve cleared everything except the essentials off of my counters, and even created an arrangement with a Raku vase, dried roses, and a heart-shaped pottery jar in one corner. I love the counters and faucets polished, and I (almost) hate to brush my teeth in the sink because it makes a mess which I then feel compelled to clean and polish immediately.  (Oh, come on….like you don’t do this with a new toy, too??)

Am I obsessing a little? You betcha!  It’s my way of not dealing with the messy closet that was created in order to create the new bathroom. I made a half-assed attempt to wrangle it back into shape with a trip to Target for new hangers, a jewelry organizer, and some attractive storage boxes. I came home with two out of three;  but not finding  storage boxes kind of left me hanging (no pun intended!). Truth be told….I finally realized that the mess in the closet is a reflection of how I am feeling right now…but, I’m sure any of you could have told me that.   I’m confused, a little bit chaotic.  Simultaneously chomping at the bit, and yet holding back.  Those boxes of stuff, and piles of clothes,  represent parts of me that have hung on a hanger or been in a box for too long, and need to be brought out, and either “added to the rotation,” or released, let go of.  Things that are still useful, but  just aren’t useful for the ‘me’ that I am now.  I know they’ve served their purpose, yet I haven’t found the courage to let go.  Oh, yes, I’m still talking about the clothes. Maybe.

Let me tell you one thing I know about myself  –  at 61 I am still growing and evolving!  This isn’t the first time I’ve felt this upheaval, and I doubt it will be the last.  And that’s okay…it’s just uncomfortable.  (I had an image of a cocoon this morning, and the stress that occurs before the butterfly emerges!)  I’ve always gotten through it, and things have always been better than before!

I have been very lucky to have had many inspirational people in my life.  Two online presences that I rely on right now are:  #1) the always powerful, Danielle LaPorte (www.daniellelaporte.com). This woman is the definition of living large. I mean large in bold print, all caps. LARGE!  And  #2) Marie Forleo (www.marieforleo.com).  A sassyFramed tableau young woman who has a Q & A on Tuesdays that always addresses a relevant issue in a wise, and wise-cracking way!  Today’s topic:  The feeling of something missing in your life.  And having the courage to go for your dreams, take risks, and be willing to look stupid.  (Oh, that…I hate that.)

But her pearls of wisdom were exactly what I needed to hear in order to let go of the past, (make sense out of my closet...) and to be willing to “feel the fear, yet do it anyway! ”

XO Donna

It’s (not that) easy being green

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Kermitthe Frog“…but green’s the color of Spring and green can be cool and friendly-like.”   Kermit the Frog

I have to say that I was really excited when PANTONE, the global authority on color and color standards for the design industry, chose 17-5641 EMERALD as Color of the Year forPantone Swatch 2013.  “This powerful and universally appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors,” say Leatrice Eisman, executive directior of Pantone Color Institute.  It doesn’t stop with fashion and home though, SEPHORA+PANTONE have partnered to create their 2nd annual limited edition Color of the Year Beauty  Collection.  Emerald adds drama to all eye colors and compliments peach, rose, pink, red and even eggplant. It’s a color a woman of any age can wear well, and this vibrant green can be the finishing touch on your fingernails, not to mention polishing off a pedicure Kermit would be proud of!  PantoneSephora

Pantone said that jewel-toned Emerald promotes balance, insight and harmony. How right they are!  I always wondered how the color of the year was chosen, and found that in order to arrive at their selection, they comb the world looking for color influences that can include the entertainmanet industry, travelling art collections, hot new artists, popular travel destinations, technology, even sports events that capture worldwide attention!

But…none of that is the reason that I was excited about emerald green.  I was happy because green is the color of the heart chakra. The fourth of our seven chakras, and the one that deals with social identity, trust, forgiveness, unconditional love and compassion.  I see it as a good thing that there will be more of this color out there in the worldchakraimage surrounding us with it’s energetic vibration – vibe, if you will!  The heart chakra is a transition point between our lower three chackras, and our upper three.  Betwen the instinct to survive and the desire for enlightment.  This is the meeting place for both. I think we’ve seen what unchecked “instinct to survive” looks like: greed, war, violence, selfishness, corruption. I think a heartier dose (pun intended) of the desire for enlightment would be a very welcomed change.  I am fortunate to see it around me all the time; generousity, compassion, service, inclusive-community, spirituality and creativity.  I want to believe that a new focus on green signals a trend in that direction on a larger scale!

What are some ways you can “green up” your life?  You can try some sexy new eyeshadow, eyeliner, or mascara. You can ask your nail stylist for a pedicure with a new shade of green FreshFrog by OPI(this is Fresh Frog, by OPI!).  You can buy a beautiful new blouse in emerald, it goes with so many colors –  there is even an article online from the fashion industry on how to wear the Color of the Year. (They love it because it works well in men’s fashion, too). St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, so it’s a great excuse to buy green. There are bath towels in Pantone Emerald available at JCPenney…what a delicious color to wrap yourself in after you’ve bathed!  Both lavendar and jasmine oils are Lavendar bundle supposed to stimulate your heart chakra (might explain my recent fascination with all things lavendar) and you could easily buy a large, luscious bar of soap in either scent. And last, but not least, yoga.  Yoga opens the heart center. I recently bought a yoga CD by Rodney Yee (thank you, Ron Maddox).  It’s easy, beginning yoga that only takes 20 minutes, and I do it when I come home from work. Makes my whole evening mellower. I know a glass of wine would be faster, of course, but I will appreciate it even more with an open heart!

XO Donna