It’s life is a metaphor that can be a lesson for us women over 50.

You see, after hatching, the young Cicada buries itself in the ground. After several years,
at the right time, they all emerge(quite large)… one by one. In the park this morning, I
couldn’t help but see the holes in the earth, with vacant, crunchy shells along the side.

After all these years in the earth, this large insect emerges, sheds it’s old life and greets
the world as a  youthful, flying bug with bulging, shiny black eyes. AND starts the song:
the mating song.

Well, what have you done to emerge yourself…
from our cultural expectations of aging…
and become the Magnificent Woman that has been buried within?

NOW’S THE TIME TO ANALYZE AND REVISE:

DIETING: perhaps it’s not a diet to lose weight, even though that can be a nice bonus,
but a diet for health. Eating for your skin, hair, eyes, heart, mind, and that healthy
coloring in your face. Treat yourself to fruits, and veggies / pass on the chips.

EXERCISE: not only is exercise good for weight control, but look at the other benefits.
Walking for only 30 minutes per day is equally good for stress and the mind. Don’t fill
your head with negative chatter, use this time for clearing your mind… get in the zone
and just walk and breathe, walk and breathe.

ATTITUDE: a negative attitude trumps hair and skin as the #1 indicator of getting older.
Believe me, I know how easy it is to let all the little, insignificant things become a huge
boulder we’re carrying around our neck. Come on, lighten up a little! Thing before
speaking… learn to smile… and be nice. BE NICE! Works wonders.

So, if you want to restore your passion and desire, then start a renewal.
You’ll notice a little spring in your step, and you’ll start the day with a new outlook.
AND, let in the joy… you’ll be glad you did!

Pls. comment and share what you’re doing for your RENEWAL!

I’ve asked several men and women the following question:
“What factor in a woman’s appearance is the indicator of her true age?”

Several points mentioned:
*Hair / old style, thin, helmet head
*Wrinkles! Trying to cover up with a lot of makeup.
*Poor posture / humped over.
*Matronly figure.

SHOCK!!
Here is the overwhelming answer you all need to know:

ATTITUDE!!

Yes, attitude was mentioned 50% of the time.

The meaning:
*Negative thinking
*Grouchy
*Always right / not giving others an opinion
*Dominating
*Always ‘blasting’ other people

Need I go on?
Now, let’s take a look within and without.
How do we appear to others, and what do we do by our actions
that is the telltale sign that we’re amongst the aging.

Imagine: changing our attitude is better than a facial!

What do you think?

Are you applying the same makeup you’ve used for 20 years?
Same hairstyle… same clothing styles?

Let’s start with makeup: as we age, there’s one thing we should never use…FACE POWDER! Why?
The fine powder may camouflage discoloration in your face, but it also clings to the lines and wrinkles,
especially in the laugh lines around your eyes and mouth.

This makes the finer lines look like crack in the sidewalk. And the deeper lines look like the
Grand Canyon! Using face powder after 50 is the easy way to appear older than you really are.

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

*After applying your face powder, look in the mirror… then smile! What do you see?
*Better yet, move closer to the mirror… suprised? Imagine, this is how you look to anyone who gets
close… a snuggle maybe?
*With all the cosmetic counters available… take some time and let the pros show you alternatives
to face powder. Yes, they will want to sell you something. But when you discuss your concerns, then
they will do their best to make a happy customer, and show you their expertise.  And remember,
you don’t need to buy… at least not in that moment.

My Recommendation:
Make an appointment at a cosmetic counter. Tell them you want a daytime look or an evening look.
THEN… capture the comments from friends and family. And notice how your self-confidence gets
a boost.

And let us know your thoughts by adding a post to this blog.
We can learn from each other!

FYI: this is the first in a series: “A LESSON IN CREATING YOUR LOOK”

Here’s an example of how this works:

‘Seducing Yourself’ is ‘taking yourself away…away from the mundane…away from your
current situation into a sensual fantasy…in your ‘Mind’s Playground.’

*A friend of mine lost her corporate job and is now working at home. She was
depressed, sickly, ate too much junk food…even passed the days calling, connecting
with placement services, worrying and crying. And worse: she didn’t even get out of
her pajamas!

THEN: she decided to get a hold of herself and came up with a plan:

*She started getting up at the same time every morning, showered and dressed as if she
were reporting to a management job. She stopped doing laundry and cleaning house
during the day (in between making calls and working.)

*Since then (it took about 2 weeks)…she’s happier with a whole new attitude,
confident in attending networking functions, and she expects to see some

money flowing in soon.

*AND: she says she even feels more alive and sexy!
Honestly, this is exactly what she said. Which reaffirms that feeling sexy and the
mind are really connected!

SEDUCTION: This woman transported herself from frumpy and hopeless into a
self-confident, independent woman. She thinks this corporate ‘boot out the door’ was a
blessing! Imagine!

HOW DOES THIS WORK: by going into her ‘Mind’s Playground’, she started
living her fantasy, her desire. Now, she is thinking about getting out socially and
even dating again.

SENSUAL BLISS ACTION CHALLENGE:
How can you ’seduce yourself’ today?
It all starts with a desire which morphs into a decision.
Go For It!

Pls. comment and tell us how you ’seduce yourself’.

Imagine that! Beautiful, Sensual Models over 50…

Yes! Fashion models in all ages represent reality and we thank London designer
Joanna Sykes for blazing the trail and shaking the fashion industry to it’s core!
It’s about time…let’s watch to see if other designers follow.

About Joanna Sykes: a young, London designer who has had her own label for about
2 years.

About her label, SYKES: simply said, her line is ‘beautiful basics in beautiful fabrics.’
No wonder she is showing models over 50 wearing her designs. Finally someone is
designing clothes for US!

We all need to keep our eye on Joanna Sykes. I’m looking forward to seeing her ads.

If you know where you can find the SYKES label in your area…
pls. post a comment.

This caught my eye and made me crazy!
The headline on the cover, “ARE YOU DRESSING YOUR AGE?”

(This is refers to a story inside MORE magazine-October 2009 issue.)

And the woman in this story is Barbara Newman, 55, who is transformed by the famous
Tim Gunn from her vibrant, energetic look into an older-looking lady in high heels. And
this is why I must write to you…

As you may know, I’ve been in the fashion industry for over 33yrs. Within this time, I’ve
seen women come to own their own individual fashion space. And I’m proud to say I
helped spearhead this along. You see, in the late seventies I coined the phrase,
‘Dressing for Lifestyle and NOT Age!’

Frankly, I thought Barbara Newman(p.48) looked great in her BEFORE outfit
(except for her bag.) I’m a little jealous because this ‘before look’ is the way I would dress…
if I had the body! I don’t, so I won’t.

I find this article ridiculous. And the fact(p.52) she’s wearing sandals which look to
be minimum 3″ heel height is laughable. And why? Here’s the caption, “A heel that’s
comfortable, fun and stylish”. I disagree, unless you just sit and don’t walk.

Shoes are my expertise and fit for comfort and lifestyle are primary

elements for selecting the right style for you! I personally cannot wear high heels…
so I’m sensitive to this issue.

NOTE: my Mother was a petite, cute, little lady with great legs. The gene pool missed me
in this regard. Mom wore leggings with blazers and/or long sweaters, blouses(with flats)
until she was 88. She looked fantastic, and was ‘fashion-comfortable’…her low-heeled
shoes helped her walk easy and looked good capping off her great legs!

(I wonder if Tim Gunn would put her into a dowdy, granny dress with a shawl.)

Sensual Bliss Action Challenge:
*What is your Lifestyle-Look?
If you don’t have one, then think about how to dress to fit your personality and lifestyle.

*Look at your stockpile of clothes and accessories.
You may need to ‘detox your closet’.

*Take a good look at your shoes / try them on for the following reasons:
If they’re not comfortable…disgard!
Analyze if they work with your lifestyle.

*When you buy new shoes:
if they’re not comfortable in the store, then DON’T BUY!
Don’t get hypnotized by a bargain price, or wishful thinking that your feet will shrink.
It is a fallacy that shoes will loosen after wearing. Don’t waste your money or your feet.

So, do YOU dress for your Age, or Your Lifestyle?
Frankly, I don’t know how to dress for age, unless you’re a newborn.

But this article convinces me to take a long look at my clothes.
I need to do some purging.

PS: Dressing for your age has nothing to do with ANYTHING!
It’s your personality, attitude and genuine passion that makes a woman
GLOW…at any age. Our clothing(decoration) only adds to our persona and makes a
statement on how we live and feel in that moment. Our AGE isn’t even in the equation.
So, Love Your MAGNIFICENCE!

Do you have thoughts to share?
Pls comment…

Our internal monologue is part of our ’self.’ We don’t
even realize we have this continual, negative conversation
going on…chatter…chatter…chatter…

Especially for Women Over 50: Pay attention! Just listen to yourself! Do
you realize what you’re doing? This negative self-talk is ruining your life!

Eliminating this self-talk can actually make you feel sexy and desired again.
You’ll develop new passions and feel in love. Sure, it’s easy to say. But, convincing
yourself this actually works, can be difficult.

The best way is by a negative self-talk example:
*Another crappy day…I’m tired already.
*Got to do 50 curnches or my fat gut will fall to my knees.
Doesn’t do any good…a waste of time.
*I look fat anyway…so who cares?
*I never follow through. No wonder I look hideous!

Here’s an example of positive self-talk:

*Well, it’s another day…got to do my crunches before coffee.
*OH, so coffe’s my reward AND a tighter gut!
*WOW! I have a little color in my cheeks…looks good.
*Doesn’t take much time…I’ll add leg lifts tomorrow.
*And I’ll download some Latin music so I can crunch to the beat!

When you nix the negative self-talk:
You’re on the receiving end of the Grandest Love of ALL:
LOVING YOURSELF!

AND when you love yourself, you’re like a magnet. Flood gates open and you’ll
attract the romance, mystery, dreams and desire that you deserve.

SENSUAL BLISS ACTION CHALLENGE:
*Pay attention to your internal dialogue.
*How often do you catch yourself internalizing negative talk, about yourself?
*Each time, turn your negative self-talk into a positive statement.
*Negative self-talk is like a bad habit. STOP IT!