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February 27, 2006

Jeans Over 40--Is Low-rise Too Low?

jeans


My teenage daughter keeps trying to get me to wear low-rise jeans. Okay, I understand that the waist-almost-up-to-my-boobs jeans are not flattering. And I'm completely over the need to wear pleated pants. (Thank you, What Not to Wear, for saving me from my bad style choices.) But I still can't go with the whole, super-low rise thing. I just think I look silly in them. I am, however, completely hooked on mid-rise (just-below-the-belly-button) jeans, mostly in dark washes, with a slight flare leg. Try them, they look good on anyone. Trust me. They do.

If you're over 40 and looking for some fashion tips, check out this About.com article: Fashion Over 40, by Cynthia Nellis, with Style Expert Kim Johnson Gross.

Posted by L.C. at 06:11 PM | | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Filed under: Beauty/Fashion

February 25, 2006

My Online Shopping A-List

I started shopping online one Christmas, about six years ago. It was when eToys was all the rage, and they used to send those red baseball caps free with your order. (Do they still do that?)

Online shopping is great for people who love getting new stuff but don’t like shopping. Sure, you have to pay shipping costs sometimes, but driving to the mall isn’t free (especially with current gas prices). And I like to think my time is worth something too. I don’t want to spend it driving all over town looking for the new Carlos Santana shoes I want, when I can just go to Zappos and get them much more easily.

So I’ve compiled my list of favorite online shopping experiences for you:

1. Amazon—C’mon, who doesn’t love Amazon? Wishlists, pre-sales, free shipping on large orders.

2. Apple—Instead of battling the crowds at Circuit City this Christmas, I ordered my daughter’s iPod directly from the Apple Store. It arrived in two days, and I even had her name engraved on the back. And the site’s Support area is awesome.

3. Chadwicks of Boston—For classics like wool blazers and ribbed cotton sweaters, no one beats Chadwick’s prices. Although their shipping isn’t exactly speedy at times, they make up for it in selection, good customer service, and low prices.

4. K-5 Boardshop -- Yeah, you read it correctly. My son and nephew dress in skate/surf/snowboarding apparel, ONLY. This online store has a good selection, and they ship quickly. Jay’s Board Shop is a good one too.

5. Itunes –I can’t remember the last time I bought an actual CD released by one artist at a store. There’s really no need to do that anymore. I just jot down the songs I like, download from iTunes, and load them onto my iPod or create a CD. No more skipping through the bad songs on CDs you buy, either.

6. Harry & David’s – My dad loves fruit and chocolate, so he gets a basket for nearly every gift-giving holiday.

7. Blooming Cookies-- If you need a unique, or just really, really cute gift basket, this is the site to hit. And when the recipient opens the door to a bouquet of cookies, let’s just say you’ll be their new favorite person.

8. eBay—I’ve bought everything from cowboy boots to scented candle tarts to Kate Spade sandals on eBay. I’ve also sold clothing, books, and a few antiques there. If you need something, you’ll probably find it here. Just make sure the seller has a good rating before you bid.

9. Artbeads—unless you’re a beader, you’ve probably never heard of Artbeads. But their selection is fantastic, their customer service even better, and their shipping is fast and FREE.

10. iStockphoto—I recently signed up for a membership on this site because I had some clipart needs that my Microsoft Clip Art Gallery just couldn’t fill. Now, I’m addicted. Fabulous illustrations, photos, backgrounds, and more can be found here, and locating what you need is quick and easy.

Posted by L.C. at 11:00 AM | | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed under: Shopping

February 21, 2006

A Community Mourns

My community has been mourning for a week now, for the same reason that communities across the country have mourned at one time or another. A story that reads almost same, over and over again, year after year. A perfectly normal Monday. High school students riding in a car after a team practice. A curvy road, excessive speed, a hill, trees. Impact. A moment. A single, sad, moment in time that changed everything.

Four boys alive, but one didn’t make it. At school, teenagers sat in the halls and cried. They drew pictures and typed bible verses and walked around in a daze. Some were angry, some felt guilty, and some didn’t feel at all.

Signs in front of neighborhood stores spell out the grief. “R.I.P”. And they ask us: “Pray for the families”.

We pray. And we weep.

Posted by L.C. at 10:35 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed under: Parenting

February 15, 2006

What I Learned About Teens This Weekend

On Super Bowl Sunday, my home was invaded by eight teenagers. Well, actually it was invaded by seven. One of them lives here (my daughter) so I guess I can't accuse her of invading her own home.

Anyway...I learned a few things that night about these hormonal, loud, soda-drinking, pizza-loving creatures that night:

1. Teenage boys can really scarf down pizza. And they don't need a plate, a napkin, or anything. They just stand over the pizza box and shove it into their mouths.

2. Teenagers do not know street names, even in their own towns. Whenever I try to give directions to my house to a teen, I have to give landmarks ("pass the drugstore, and turn right at the shopping center that has that really good rib place..."). And asking them to write the directions down as you tell them is futile. They aren't going to do it.

3. Most breakups are now done strictly through technology. When your boyfriend or girfriend is breaking up with you, you will receive a text message/AIM message/e-mail from them stating that the relationship is over. It's good for people who are not good at breaking up with someone, and it allows the recipient of the breakup message to save face by crying in private.

4. With their friends, they have few (if any) physical boundaries. Four or five of them will cram onto my small-to-average size couch, and they're all smashed up against each other. Yet when my daughter's little brother is next to her in the car or on the couch, I often hear the complaint "Mooooooooooooooooom! His foot is touching me! Make him stop!"

5. And last but not least, the couples leap apart when I walk into the room, because they think I really don't know what they are doing when I'm not around. Yeah, like I was never a teenager. I'm not going to scream if I see you give your boyfriend a smooch. But have some dignity and don't make out in your friend's house when her parents are home. (Or anywhere else. Ever. If you're one of my kids, that is.)

Posted by L.C. at 05:30 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed under: Parenting

February 10, 2006

I'm Just Not Feelin' the Love

During my last two years of college, I worked for my university's information and publications department. The pay was crappy, but they treated the student writers (five of us) pretty well. They gave us lots of freedom to come and go as we pleased, as long as we followed two rules: turn in a well-researched article each Friday, and keep the university in the news. (For positive reasons, of course.) Our articles were sent to newspapers all over the region, as well as to the AP and UPI wire services.

I needed to build up my portfolio of published articles, so I was always looking for great story ideas. One February, my roommates and I were lamenting the fact that Valentine's Day was coming and none of us had a decent guy to share it with. So I started wondering if people got more depressed on this day. I'd heard that depression around the holidays is often higher than usual in the U.S., but I thought this referred to the holidays in November and December. I wondered if Valentine's Day could be more than just a little annoying if you didn't have a sweetheart. I wondered if it was actually bad for your mental health.

I visited a few psychology professors, a clinic, and some counselors, and their overriding message was clear: Valentine's Day can contribute to depression and anxiety. Most of the people I interviewed for this story were quick to say that if a person was stable and happy with their life, not having a romantic interest on Valentine's Day wasn't going to make them suddenly depressed. The real problem seemed to be that Valentine's Day could reinforce pain and loneliness in a person who was already feeling lonely and sad. Basically, it could make a bad situation a worse.

I interviewed one professor who has said something that I still remember, although almost 20 years have past. He suggested it would be much better for our collective mental health if adults treated Valentine's Day like small children treat it. Remember kindergarten, when you shared Valentine's Day cards and candy with everyone in the class? He suggested that if we adults could make the day not just about romance but about friendship as well, we might all be better off. And I just love that idea.

Posted by L.C. at 05:27 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed under: General 40ish

February 04, 2006

My Closet Update

I've been very anxious about my closet lately. Not just because it's too small and oddly designed, which on most days, drives me absolutely nuts. But my latest closet anxiety is because I've had too many I-have-nothing-to-wear days. And you know what that means, don't you? Oh yeah. It's time for a little wardrobe updating. So that's what I did last month.

First, I found the most fabulous winter vest of all time. I'd been looking for a faux fur, black vest for months. I'd fallen in love with one at White House Black Market, but it was winter white, not black. I considered getting it anyway, but I have two black dogs that shed 10 pounds of hair per day. Each. So I tried to focus and not get distracted. I knew it was out there--I could just feel it. Then I finally found this one on HSN.com. I'd never bought anything from HSN before, and I must say, I was quite pleased. It's a perfect fit, and the faux fur feels like absolute heaven.

I also needed a good pair of flat loafers, and for some reason, I started pining for a pair of Bass weejuns. (The kind I worn back in high school.) I ordered this pair of patent leather penny loafers from Bass Shoes, and I've have hardly worn any other shoe since.

I picked up this wool pencil skirt (in black and white houndstooth) from Chadwicks of Boston for a steal, and I'm pairing it up with this a simple, 3/4 sleeve, black turtleneck from Ann Taylor Loft and high-heeled, black boots for a dinner and auction I'm attending next weekend. I also got this ribbed knit turtleneck in cream on sale at OldNavy.com, and I wear it with new faux fur vest and jeans.

Speaking of jeans--I finally found a pair of jeans (from Ann Taylor Loft) that I'm really happy with, after trying on about 357 pairs over the past few months. They're the perfect length for my highest heals, and they have a very cool texture.

For accessories, I didn't have to go very far. My mother-in-law knitted me a few fun-an-funky scarves for Christmas (with matching handbags!), and I created some new beaded jewelry myself. I like to get my jewelry-making supplies at Artbeads.

That's it for my wardrobe update. I'm still on the lookout for more jeans (dark wash, mid-rise, boot-cut), some peep-toe pumps, the perfect black handbag, and a good blazer that fits my extra-small frame yet isn't too short or too long. I'll let you know what I find.

Posted by L.C. at 05:22 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed under: Beauty/Fashion

February 02, 2006

The Big 4-0

On a hot, humid August morning in 2004, at exactly 11:10 a.m., I turned 40. It was one of the worst days of my life. Not because anything really terrible happened to me that day. No one was mean to me, I didn't get stuck in traffic, and I wasn't even having a bad hair day. I just didn't want to be 40--but I was, and there was nothing I could do about it. I sulked most of the day, and snarled at anyone unfortunate enough to cross my path.

On an equally hot, humid August morning in 2005, I turned 41. I sprang out of bed, and woke up my the kids yelling, "It's my birthday! Let's go do something fun!" My son served me breakfast in bed, and we planned out my birthday itinerary. The rest of my day was filled with some of the things I love most: shopping, eating out, and people giving me presents. That night, my family took me to my favorite restaurant for dinner, then my daughter and her boyfriend made me two-dozen vanilla cupcakes with butter cream frosting, and they sprinkled tiny chocolate chips on top. I proceeded to eat those cupcakes at almost every meal (even in place of a few meals) for the week that followed. I gained a couple of pounds and didn't care a bit. It was totally worth it.

What a difference a year made, huh? You may be expecting to hear some incredible story of what happened during that year between 40 and 41. But I don't have one to tell you. I didn't have a near-death experience that left such a profound affect on me that I let go of my silly, worldly hang-ups. No one close to me died that year and I didn't get a divorce. I wasn't even PMSing on my 40th, so my mood wasn't just caused by my hormones whipping me into an ultra-bitchy frenzy. So what happened?

Basically, I lived through my 40th year, and nothing terrible happened. In fact, not only did nothing terrible happen, but I learned that being in my 40s was, well, pretty damn fun. (I know it sounds corny. But what the heck.) I like the fact that my kids are now taller than I am, because it makes me feel like I'll have someone to take care of me if I ever need it. I don't care that my skin is a little dry and that my hair is a little gray around my forehead. (Between hair-coloring appointments, that is.) I like going to bed early sometimes and waking up feeling truly, utterly, rested, and still not feeling that I missed anything by turning in at 9 p.m. And I really like not giving a damn about what people think of me. To be perfectly blunt, being over 40 pretty much kicks ass, so far.

Now I'm halfway to 42. I'll let you know how the rest of it goes.

Posted by L.C. at 05:17 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed under: General 40ish