I stumbled upon an interesting site this morning: coffeeonthepatio.com. I liked it, but I’m in denial that it’s the place for me since they bill themselves as a place for “over-40 ladies”/Baby Boomers.
I’m young, darn it! I’m young, vital, relevant and in no way biologically useless! *pant, pant, pant*
I’ll forgive them because the have a book section–catnip for Nota. Also, they are running quite an excellent giveaway worth $225.
In September, Cynthia Louden posted a review of How Not To Act Old by Pamela Redmond Satran.
There is a website to go with the book.
It has lists and I love lists. Well, other people’s lists. My own lists overwhelm me.
- Clean up cat vomit.
- Bleach table.
- Bleach cat.
- Bleach upper lip.
Look at that cover. The Granny Panties of Righteousness and the Devil’s Panties side by side.
Can I have a third choice?
I wish there were a happy medium between Maiden and Crone. It seems like these days a woman has to act young and sexy as long as possible, until she can’t even fake it anymore. What if I’m not a Barbie doll or a Mrs. Beasley?
Why do I have to pick between being Velma or Daphne, Ginger or Mary Ann?
Notice Mrs. Howell is so irrelevant she doesn’t even get a mention even though she was the only one on the island who had a man.
Ladies, we need a third choice. I want to make the most of what I have and still have my modesty and dignity. I want to wear cute boots and lipstick, but not feel like I have to cut my body or shoot plastic into my lips to even be worth looking at.
I’m trying to focus on not Letting Myself Go without having the pendulum swing too far in the other direction into “Real” Housewife territory.
One book I like that makes me feel like I can be both mature and still attractive is Charla Krupp‘s How Not to Look Old. They really should sell these two books as a boxed set, except the authors seem to have a feud going on.
As with Satran’s book, I’ll take some of Charla’s advice. I have changed to a pink lipstick and away from anything too dark or shimmery, but I’m *not* going blonde.
Blonde would look as natural on me as Angelina Jolie’s wig in Girl, Interrupted. That wig should have got the Oscar.
What do you to to Not Look Old or Not Act Old?
I’d like to be the naturally beautiful woman with a silver mane who’s comfortable in her slightly wrinkled skin, but I’m not there yet.
And you do *not* want me to let my eyebrows go native.
Remember my own Starbucks/Amazon giveaway is still going on. Leave a comment under the contest post for a chance to win.
Hey, I’m about to top 10,000 page views soon! Thank you so much! I don’t know what I’m doing here, so thanks for coming by to read this stuff anyway.
My secret is to hang out with younger women, because being around them makes me feel young.
And then, my OTHER secret is to hang out with older women, because then I really do look younger.
So, my very best secret is that it really doesn't matter WHO you hang out with, as long as you show them love. Because loving people makes you feel good, and when you feel good, you look good.
Ha! Great advice. Friends to keep you young (by breathing in their estrogen fumes) and friends to make you look young by comparison.:)
Love is always the answer, isn't it?
On the facebook, Toni said wrinkles might as well be from smiling. Fabulous advice!
I can vouch for Susan making me feel good. And making me look younger. 😉 LOL
Ooh, Susan is going to kill you, Amy!
That's Susan's real secret to youth–the blood of sassy women! 😉
Hi Nota. Confession I am a 35yrold SAHM of 2 and already am having trouble with this…I had to make a conscious decision a few weeks ago to–get this–buy fashion boots and skinny jeans! Oh, and I had to make make a conscious decision that I do not have to be skinny to wear skinny jeans. How that keeps me young, I don't know but I after 2 years of resistance and gawking (at others) I finally decided my only options were to bite the bullet or "be old" and quite frankly, I'm way too young to be old. Thought about this way too much I know but anyway…thanks for sharing–I like it! I need it!
Simone, I'm so impressed!
Wear those skinny jeans!
The most important thing is knowing you are worth taking care of and deserve to look nice.
That's going to be different for every woman.
I color my hair, but that's not going to be important for other ladies, and that's fine.
I love the way you write, Nota, and I enjoy the comments people leave. As for me, I think I actually am old, but mostly I don't give it much thought. Um, I do color my hair, pluck my chin (hate that!), and wear makeup daily. Having kids still at home helps keep me young, I think. Maybe not. I don't know.
Thank you, JJ. I love it when you post photos of Mexico on your blog.
I find for me weight is my biggest stumbling block for how I feel about myself. I'm fat, I'm thin, I'm fat.
And I let it control how I feel about myself, as if it were the only thing that mattered about me.
LOL you reminded me that I need to tame my currently "native" eyebrows.
I dye my hair, I have been doing it since I was 13, It used to be for fun, now its to cover the white hairs!
I also pluck those annoying little chin hairs, noone informs you as a teen these things will happen.
I was at a beauty supply place recently and a lady came into the same aisle and was checking out the Tweezermans.
I said "Those are the last tweezers you'll ever need!"
I can't believe I care so much, but when you get results…
Hi Nota. This is my first comment here. I found you via Knittin' Peace and can see why she loves you! I do, too because I can relate! Red lipstick. High heels. VS bras. That's how I feel younger, even though I never wore red lipstick, high heels or VS bras when I was young. Oh.. and it's kinda fun letting the make-up girls make you up at your local dept. store… after you tweezed your chin hairs.
Hi, Shirin! And it's funny how feeling young is different for everyone.
Heels are my idea of torture, but I love that other ladies can wear them.
There is a beautiful spectrum of things to do to feel young and vital!