Savvy Thinker » Style

Not-so-invisible older women

Karin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:00:18 +0000

I was surprised to learn that in the last 10 years, the Oscar for Best Actress hasn't been awarded to any woman over 39. For the past 9 years, it was even lower, around age 35. If Judi Dench, Helen Mirren or Meryl Streep wins, she will be the most mature recipient since 1990 when Jessica Tandy, at age 80, won for Driving Miss Daisy.

A weird thing happens to male actors, especially movie stars, in my experience. Which is, they become grumpy old men. I think a young male actor feels great. All the girls want him. He's a star. As they get older, that sense of not being in control of their own destiny sort of grates on them, and they get grumpy. And they move into direction to try and feel they're in control of their own destiny...I don't feel psychologically challenged, because I'm in a collaboative situation on a set with a director...

One of the great advantages of getting older is that you can walk into a world which is more truthful and less to do with other people's fantasies. Helen Mirren

Well, who's it gonna be? Likely the decision is already made; we just don't know who it is yet.

I often think life is hardly fair. Tremendous performances can be turned in by several, but because of the thoughts-of-the-year it's a shoo in for one who might not in other years be the choice. But that's life! On to the next project! Talent wins out, Oscar or no Oscar.

When asked if they still had to audition for roles, Dame Judi said:

I think sometimes we might be without knowing it. If you're having a kind of friendly [there's that word again!] meal with somebody and you suddenly see those very beady, gimlet eyes looking at you, you might be auditioning then.

I like to see power going to older women. It makes me feel more secure.

No, seriously, I was just seeing if you were reading. I don't feel more secure, but it may move us away from the 60's kind of veneration of youth.

A well-known George Bernard Shaw quote is:

Youth is wasted on the young.

I hardly think so. But I'd like to see age like Dylan Thomas did:

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Let's go on and out with a few sparks and some Oscars.

Karin

Originally posted 2007-02-24 07:23:49.

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Hair fashions by Soho

Karin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:22:15 +0000

If you are lucky enough to have a Soho kiosk near you, then you have seen some of the lovely hair accessories that they have. They are not inexpensive. But they are very elegant, though they can be worn with jeans.

You can search to see if there is a location near you. I also have a business card they gave me that lists their locations.

The good thing is that they will show you how to use them and let you try every color or color combination or style until you find what works for you.

They also have hair extensions that really are amazingly good matches for people's hair. I've seen them sell one or two every time I'm at their kiosk. (I have a couple that I'm not wearing that are not from them, so I haven't yet decided to buy one. And my hair is plenty long on it's own. The question is whether I want a fast way to put it up. And then, of course, if I would ever do it. Shades of the 70s revisited, but updated. I wore plenty of them then.)

I first saw them in Las Vegas, but since have seen them in a couple of other malls.

Don't be put off by the styles necessarily showing on their website. Some are over the top.

Many are beautiful in clear rhinestone.

The stick styles are pretty sprinkled in the hair along the sides. They are even nice when used in multiple colors, either in rows of separate colors or alternating. On blond hair, I liked amber or clear. The amber is more subtle.

You can see other ways to use them at the website. Using the half rounds with little stars or flowers is very nice too.

One style I bought in LV was difficult to get out of my hair because it snapped so tightly. They made an exchange for ones of the same style that opened more easily. Using these (they are crystal circles that snap together) makes it look like my hair is braided without braiding. I haven't tried the looser ones yet. The tight ones necessitated by daughter helping me remove them so as not to break my hair. The above styles do not do that. But I thought their service was excellent!

Karin

Originally posted 2007-10-27 11:34:42.

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How many X hundred dollar creams can a woman use?

Karin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:19:44 +0000

What's a woman to do when the newest high tech face creams are running several hundred dollars each? And how is one to choose one over another, if one is staving off the knife?

Honestly, are they all worth that kind of money? Chanel, La Prairie, Shiseido, Clea de Peau all have their moving-up-to-$500-each creams. Some need to be layered just to have enough moisture -- what's the use of that. And how does one compare an expensive cream by Chanel with a more expensive cream by Chanel sold only in a few select stores? or a Clea de Peau cream with another Clea de Peau cream? Do you think the SAs really know?

Are they old enough to have really given them a run for their money?

Well, the only fair way would be to use one on one side of one's face and the other on the other. Then you could tell folks why you appear only half-rested.

Surely some of this is hype and some is reality and some is making you feel the more expensive, the better it works. But is it true?

Perhaps there are equally good things from other much less expensive drug store lines, all of which say they use their own labs to come up with new things. And maybe if the truth were known, the differences are in the packaging as the labs may be supplying to several lines owned by a parent company.

Believe it or not, it was Avon that changed some of the creams many years ago when they first brought in alpha-hydroxy. And theirs is still one of the best. They have one of the best facilities for research and development of any company.

So, what's your favorite face cream? Do you think it works? Would you spend that kind of money on a face cream? or do you reserve that for shoes or handbags or perfumes or airline tickets? How many mega creams do you own and use? (or owned and used up)?

What's your favorite recommendations?

How much of beauty is from within and how much from taking care of ourselves? (I have a couple of friends who are proud that they do nothing, and it shows. How much of that is laziness or frugality? Or not being able to see without one's glasses?)

If I didn't use something on my skin, it would hurt in a couple of days from dryness. That's not a bad thing, when it has caused me to continue to take care of my face. But I sure don't want to spend money for the proverbial Emperor's new clothes. They ought to sell mini-jars so you could test them at home.

Karin

Originally posted 2007-10-19 12:57:14.

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Oscar jewels

Karin — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 04:02:36 +0000

I don't know about you, but I like looking at the clothes and jewels of Oscar night.

I don't hanker after any of the jewels as they are way out of my reach, so I can look without angst. And I remind myself that most of them are on loan from the jewelers, they are not owned by the wearer. But the craftsmanship (artsmanship) of some of the pieces are worth looking at, if nothing else. I really admire some of the work of (especially) antique jewelry. Much of it cannot be duplicated today. An artist is an artist.

Karin

Here's a rundown:

Cuffs sparkle at Oscars 2008

2008 was a blingin' year on the Oscars red carpet.
Conservative gowns and understated hair meant that the fashion drama
of the evening was concentrated in the jewels, with many actresses
opting for large, diamond-encrusted cuffs...the kind even Mr. T would
have approved of.

Tilda Swinton's huge Damiani Diamond Sahara Cuff,
featuring 1865 Diamonds, was a show-stealer, with Renée Zellweger's Cartier 1930's Art Deco diamond bracelet ($563,000) and 1926 priceless diamond strap bracelet also adding some major sparkle to the red carpet.

Heidi Klum sported a ruby and pink diamond wrist
cuff from her "Heidi Klum Collection for Mouawad"
collection. Set in 18k rose gold, the cuff alone was worth a quarter of a million dollars.

Other cuffers included Amy Ryan, Olivia Thirlby,
Tia Carrere, Lisa Rinna, Hilary Swank, and Jennifer Garner.
Sassy, wearable, and glamorous, this is one red carpet trend that might actually stick.

Oscar accessories rundown:

Nicole Kidman: diamond Sautoir necklace by L'Wren Scott

Marion Cotillard: Chopard's 64-carat champagne-diamond necklace

Julie Christie: custom pink scarab necklace by Neil Lane

Jennifer Garner: Van Cleef and Arpels 1928 Art Deco diamond necklace

Penelope Cruz: Chopard's ruby and diamond drop earrings

Jessica Alba: "Creole" hoop earrings by Cartier

Originally posted 2008-02-29 09:05:31.

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Vanishing nail polish

Karin — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:21:42 +0000

This article was posted at another list I'm on, but it is worth passing along for the folks not on that list.

I think it is a really great idea! A polish that turns color in the sun, but is nearly colorless inside, for those who are not allowed to wear polish at school or wherever.

Karin

Originally posted 2008-03-24 21:48:12.

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Living in the land of opportunity or the land of penguins

Karin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:19:23 +0000

This short movie from Simple Truths has richness in it.

I enjoyed the illustrations immensely. They captured the nuances of emotions and made me laugh.

This is really apropos for today's times.

Karin

Originally posted 2008-09-30 08:21:51.

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Fashion accessories

Karin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:31:24 +0000

I got SAKs Spring 2007 Accessories catalog today, chock full of shoes and purses.

I like it when you are offered so many choices that what you've kept is still wearable. Remember I said, I'm not a minimalist? I can recycle my closet quite nicely. And just about the time I was thinking of clearing it out. At one time I had matching items that I found in different places. Now I'm lucky if I get out the door and remember my wallet. I tend to mix and match now, very ecclectically, before it was fashionable.

Several pairs of shoes in the catalog have impossibly high stacked heels, because the toe is also stacked. I have always liked this style of shoe, because it is comfortable having all that padding under the balls of your feet. Many years ago I had a pair of shoes I really loved, made just like this in green leather with open toes. I also bought a sort of cherry color in the same shoe. I've kept them as I loved them, even when I no longer wore them as styles changed. I figured my first daughter could play dress up in them as they were sturdy and she wouldn't turn her ankle. As it turns out, she never really wore them either.

Now they are back in style.

Meantime, I got a laugh out of Moshino Cheap and Chic -- shoes for over $500. Not so cheap in my book. But if they'd stay in style...and if they are comfortable...

Dolce and Gabbana had a pair of shoes with open toes and stiletto heels. They looked out of place among the others, for the die-hards who don't want to give up that kind of shoe. Maybe for the price they'd be comfortable, you think?

They had many beautiful purses, but since I don't really carry purses, what I have will last me a life time. I found really good prices on purses at TJ Maxx. They carry designer purses marked way down. Our local stores have a huge selection of Michael Kors and Cole Haan if you stop in every so often and look. They also go fast.

I like to wear a purse, not carry one. It leaves my hands (and shoulder) free. It's hard to find anything that doesn't look like it's made for running or going to a theme park. Once in a while I've found something at one of the outlet mall leather stores. Meantime, with all the other gear I carry: cell phone, MP3, PDA, I either have to have a belt bag big enough to carry it all or wear them on the strap. I look like a bag lady, but I'm comfortable!

And don't forget the water bottle -- a necessity here.

As much as I like the look of the mega-expensive huge bags that I see in fashion shoots of famous people, no way could I lift them or carry them if they were truly full.

Karin

Originally posted 2007-02-22 17:05:47.

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An amazing laundry hint

Karin — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 13:15:17 +0000

I saw this on AOL the other day and decided to give it a try.

They said to get perspiration out of white clothes, put white vinegar on the stain, then wash.

I thought, hey, why not try. Both of my older girls have had these stains under the arms.

I figured, it likely wouldn't work, especially since the stain was old, and when I realized I had washed it without remembering to try it, while it was still wet, I put the vinegar on the stain, and it didn't appear to do anything, so I put a little soap with it, and maybe it erased it a little. (I had already tried bleach on another occasion.) When it dried, I could hardly see it! So before she wore it again, in the next light load, I put white vinegar on the stain, threw it in the wash, and it came out completely.

Who knew! Did you?

Karin

Originally posted 2008-02-09 22:35:38.

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Seeing the beauty around

Karin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 10:56:47 +0000

Every area has its own unique beauties.

This morning as we drove around, the trees and flowers in the gardens called to me.

We turned a corner and there was a lovely water fall fountain, maybe 5 feet cubed in size. It was built similar to a pyramid with each increasing size a step. The water flowed across and down and in the flowing were splashes of light, like diamonds. The time of day was perfect to see this. And if I'd been looking the other way or blinked, I would have missed it.

It was nice that someone thought enough of the passersby to make this little spot so lovely. I appreciated it!

What about your area do you appreciate? What would you show me if I came to visit?

Karin

Originally posted 2007-05-06 12:43:10.

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Hand feeding hummingbirds (and finances)

Karin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:10:57 +0000

Just when it seems like a bit of good news would be exceedingly welcomed, comes this true story (I've checked it with Snopes) about a woman hand feeding hummingbirds.

Isn't it great that with the Internet we have a way to easily share these experiences that we might never hear about otherwise?!

Thanks to Cathy for sharing with me in the first place!

It's a reminder to me that "God's in his heaven; all's right with the world."

from "Pippa Passes"

The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hill-side's dew-pearled
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in his Heaven -
All's right with the world!

Robert Browning (1812-1889)

Is it possible that in these difficult times we could trust more deeply that God will feed and clothe us, as he does the birds and the lilies? Whether we are literally in need of food, shelter, clothing, water, health, employment or any of a myriad of other needs, the most basic need is for the ideas that will lead us in the right direction and out of limitation.

Ideas are always limitless! (This goes along with the short movie I posted earlier.)

Not too long ago while pondering how I should schedule my day, though my first inclination the night before had been to get on down the road and back home, I felt it was all right to meander a bit. In doing so, I had a number of interesting conversations with strangers, some welcome time with a friend, and a bit of fashion enjoyment, including some time with perfumes.

After I'd been back on the highway for a while, an electronic sign informed me of an accident 26 miles down the road. One lane was closed. (I learned later that it had only cleared about an hour before I got there.) If I had hurried my way home, I would have been stuck for hours while they cleared the road. I was able to get past it without any lost time.

Sometimes we do not know what we or others are protected from, but this time it was apparent. And it could have been far worse, but thankfully wasn't. On this busy stretch of road, many more could have been involved in this accident but were not.

That's just a small example of how ideas will clear our day for us. Expect ideas today and always that will help you!

Karin

Originally posted 2008-09-26 09:26:43.

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