Aging With Attitude
Women Over Fifty—Dowdy is Dead!
I happened across an article in USA Today that addresses much of the frustration many of us feel when attempting to find a new outfit that flatters our figure and lifts our mood. These days, this feat isn’t so easy to achieve.
Although I tend towards casually conservative clothing, preferring tailored jackets paired with pants, I do want something that’s got some pizzazz and is relatively stylish. It seems that retailers can’t quite hit the mark for many of us boomers. Styles tend to be either frumpy and outdated, or too young and way out. And some of the higher end brands that might fit the bill are so expensive that many of us cringe when we read the price tag. It may well be a sign of age, but I just can’t see spending $600 and upwards on a jacket I might only wear for a very few special occasions.
Plus, often times, the clothes don’t fit my postmenopausal shape. I don’t know about you, but my middle is mounting a substantial presence. My pear shape is morphing into an apple and this transformation is making waistbands a thing of the past.
So what’s a girl to do? Well, it seems that retailers are finally getting the message and realizing that boomer women are a huge economic force. Although recent downturns are hitting many of us hard, we still have more spending clout than other age demographics and we retain our “forever young” spirit. Talbots, Ann Taylor, Bloomingdale’s and other ready-to-wear emporiums are, at long last, seeing the light and shifting their fashion focus to address our needs. Dowdy is dead—or, at the least, it looks like the drab days are numbered. A welcome and long awaited passing, I might add.
In fact, your next outfit might be one that actually flatters, fits, and makes you feel like the sexy, with-it, fabulous, and feisty gal you know you are. We boomers are just getting started on the second season in life and we need a wardrobe to match our indomitable spirit and style. Glory hallelujah—it’s about time!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Women Over Fifty—Hurray for Old Broads!
Okay—our girlish assets might be slipping just a tiny bit and it seems the migration south has settled firmly around our waistlines and our hips. But, despite such physical rites of passage, our spirits are soaring ever higher as we grow into our ripe and robust splendor as women in our wisdom years.
We boomers share a long and glorious history of smashing typical female stereotypes—and we aren’t about to stop that now. So you won’t be finding meek and mild grannies in this generation of females over fifty. We’re just too busy pumping iron, starting businesses, writing books, or being actively involved in community and political affairs.
And we’re clearly more self-possessed, smarter, and more confident than in our earlier years: far less willing to be led around by the demands of others. More than that, we are truly coming into our own and it’s time to celebrate the dynamic and dynamite woman we are.
So make a pledge today that you will live your life to the very fullest, take risks so that you continue to stretch and grow, speak your mind with strength and clarity, and mount your own efforts to put the “grand” back into grandmother. We boomers are just the generation to make grey the new groovy and keep those good vibrations coming our way for many years to come!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 6 so far )Women Over Fifty—Do You Remember Spoolies?
On Thursday, I was the guest on a wonderful Internet radio show called “Trippin’ Down Memory Lane.” Host Pop Art Diva, aka Terri Dennis, really knows her stuff (loads of trivia from the past) and we reminisced about everything from old TV shows, to historical events, to spoolies, press-on nails, and other glamour aids. I invite you to take a listen and see if any of these memory makers rings a bell for you.
In the meantime, what do “Sky King,” “Super Circus,” and “Annie Oakley” have in common? Well, for those of you who were children in the fifties, they were beamed across the airwaves and into your very own living room along with the likes of the even more famous “Superman” and, of course, everyone’s favorite freckle-face, “Howdy Doody.”
What a great time to be a kid! Many of us lived in suburbs, skated around (key in hand) on sidewalks, jumped out of bushes in a burst of cap guns fire, and caught moths, fireflies, and ladybugs in jars with holes poked in the lid. We played hopscotch, jump rope, and tetherball. If you were a girl, you probably had a Ballerina Doll, a Tiny Tears, or the ultimate in chic—the first Barbie doll.
So, take a moment, think back and remember what was your favorite TV show? Who was your favorite hero? (Heroines were pretty scarce back then.) What kind of games did you like to play? Did you own a slinkie or a hula-hoop? Did you have a bucket purse with a rabbit’s foot on a chain around one of the straps?
The weekends are a perfect time to reflect, take a little trip down memory lane, and remember the thrilling days of yesteryear!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 11 so far )For Kids 59.99 and Over
I wanted to share a book that my friend Carol Stanley wrote, “For Kids 59.99 and Over.” It was released on September 1, 2008 and is available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and Powell Books.com
Here’s how she describes it:
What is life like as we get towards or past 60? There are many changes occurring in our lives. Our kids, more than likely have left the nest (some of them may be returning). It is a time to evaluate our health, eating habits, exercising programs and our life direction. It is also a time for new goals and new adventures. A major issue in today’s life is technology and dealing with it. You know that push button exercise on the phone when trying to solve a problem.
Life has changed and we must deal with it with joy, fun, acceptance and patience.
“For Kids 59.99 and Over” shares ideas on feeling good, sleeping better, dealing with our grown kids, friendships and how to get situated in a new environment. It is never too late for a new business, a new adventure or even a new place to live. This is a time of freedom, which in turn means decisions in many areas of our lives. Many of us have difficulty dealing with our changing bodies, a few new wrinkles and shorter lived energy. There are solutions for many of these problems……So join me in my journey to find a more fulfilling and fun life.
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Women Over 50—Grey Power Goes Political
This is not a political blog. I figure, by the time you’ve made it to fifty, you’ve pretty much planted yourself on one side of the aisle or the other, or you’ve decided that you’re an independent and go with your current candidate of choice. In either case, it would be next to impossible to persuade a woman over fifty to throw away her beliefs and convert to the other side—not a lot of wishy-washy types in the menopausal set.
However, I did come across a candidate who is so down to earth, so remarkably fresh in her outlook, so truly inspirational in her vision, and her stance on the issues is one we can all understand. In fact, she’s ONE OF US! Yes, this candidate is a woman who kissed her half-century birthday goodbye a while ago, and I don’t mean Hillary Clinton.
You are undoubtedly already well acquainted with her name and her likeness. In fact, every year when your birthday rolls around, I’m certain you receive several cards containing a personal message from her. With her unambiguous viewpoint and feisty take on life, she’s brightened many a boomer’s day.
Her name is Maxine and she has a blog called Hot Flash Central. You can check out her site to see her message or click here to view her stump speech. Either way, don’t miss the opportunity to view this lady in action—she’s got oodles of grey power and, better yet, she’s a hoot!
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