A little break in the routine, just because.
First, Happy 40th Birthday, Heather! I hope you’re having a wonderful day.
Next, a few links left in the comments yesterday. The links left in the comments are always good. The links and posts to my wall on Facebook are always good. I welcome both. They’re inspiring, so don’t be shy.
Sometimes the links are so good I plan to go back and organize them in a post for myself (and others) to refer back to as needed. In the spirit of my year of no procrastinating, I’m actually going to do it. Now. Today. This is it. A post about posts or people you have found inspiring on the subject of aging.
- The Gardener’s Cottage is a blog about simplicity, vegan cooking, gardening, and style. Janet is over 50 and kicks ass in a multitude of ways: garden, house, fashion. I’m going to add the fact she lives in Redlands to that list, even though it makes me sound completely biased. I am, of course.
- Privilege is another style blog for the 50+ set, though Lisa writes about more than style. This post on Ryan Gosling was spot on.
- Susannah Conway wrote the best post yesterday on The (Delicious) Truth About Getting Older. We’re both 41, which I did not know. Also, she links to several posts on aging. It’s on my agenda to take time to read those posts today.
- Jeanine has had great luck with oil cleansing and mentioned Andrea Dekker as a good source for more information. I’ve done oil cleansing in the past and didn’t have luck removing my mascara without my eyes stinging, but I want to try it again.
If I missed something or someone, it was by accident. Please let me know and I will amend the list! I know someone, somewhere, mentioned having a Pinterest Board of women over 30. I think that’s a great idea. So great, in fact, I’m going to copy the idea and make mine about women over 40.
I went to the library yesterday to pick up a book for Nico’s teacher. While there, I decided to pick up a book on beauty for women over 45 that I read about on Goodreads/Amazon/The All-knowing Internet during one of my bouts of panic last week. Well. I found the book on a shelf with All The Over 40 Books. I left the library with one book for Nico’s teacher and 31 books on aging gracefully for me. I’ll be 65 by the time I finish reading them.
Re oil cleansing, I’m a huuuuge fan of Nude’s Cleansing Oil. (Yes it’s pricey but that bottle has last me for over a year now, so actually not THAT pricey). It removes all kinds of liner, mascara and concealer combo and you don’t get the stingey, blurry oily eyes feeling.
Love these links, Jules!
As a 47 year old, I feel as though I am outgrowing the typical ” mom blogs” even though I have a 7 year old. One of the reasons why I enjoy your blog so much. I needed a boost about graceful aging right about now!
Thanks for the links! See – that last part about the books? That’s why I don’t go to the library anymore. I’m bad enough when I have to pay for books, but free? I immediately forget things like a full-time job, eating, sleeping, and think I have completely free time 24 hours every day just to read! My
Thank you very kindly! You were right — last night was awful but today is a bit better. I am doing everything I can to keep it together, to take it all in, to live this first day of my 40s.
I can’t thank you enough for the inclusion. And Janet’s blog, The Gardener’s Cottage, IS wonderful. I will say that my 40s were the hardest decade – the 50s are much easier and more fun. I look forward to reading the other two blogs here that are new to me.
Great links! I also wanted to add this post that I read this week. It is from a beauty blog, but I loved the images in this particular post on aging & beauty.
http://www.maskcara.com/2014/02/03/aging/
Also, I use coconut oil on a cotton pad to take off my mascara.
i’m so glad you checked out the gardener’s cottage! how cool is janet??
I have to apologize in advance for this rant. And this is NOT directed at anyone here or any of the bloggers you listed. I need to talk about the aging thing, but waited a day because I didn’t want to just rain on everyone’s parade. I have looked at the over-50 pinterest board. All it does is depress me and make me angry. Those women are gorgeous. There is one beautiful model with beautiful grey hair who is always pictured. I get that it is harder for women in their 50s, even when they are gorgeous. And I respect them for not trying to look 30. But come on – those women were beautiful at 25 and 40 and now at 55. I can’t relate to them any more now than when I – and they – were all 20. So sure, I can (grudgingly) give them some credit for letting the grey shine through, but I’m pretty sure that’s a lot easier to do when you are BEAUTIFUL than when you are ordinary. One of these days I will stop coloring my hair. It was very dark and for years I had the grey covered. Finally a couple of years ago I had to go to all highlights and lowlights and be blonde (ish). I miss my dark hair, but unless/until I feel better about the rest of myself, going grey is not – for me – an expression of beauty or liberation.
Sorry – I realize this sounds bitter And I so appreciate the bloggers out there who are sharing their over 50, beautiful in real and wonderfully ordinary ways, selves. But looking at Helen Miren and being told how great I should feel about being close to her age is like telling my 40-year-old self to look at Angelina Jolie and relate in some way to her.
Ugh. I know i’m going to regret posting this and being such a scrooge, but I hope if others feel this way now they know they are not alone.
And I promise I’m usually a more positive and happy person! :)
Hah! Well, of course. I feel the same, which is why I mentioned in the other post that I wasn’t looking for a role model who “is still smokin’ hot” after 40.
I started my pinterest board yesterday, and so far have two pictures of Juliette Binoche. That’s it! I would have filled it with more, but every picture I found of a woman over 40 featured a Hollywood actor trying desperately to look “smokin’ hot.” Or, it was a magazine spread that was ridiculously airbrushed. Not a wrinkle in sight, which is preposterous.
What I really want for my board is, like the title says, a *natural* beauty. I should probably change the title to natural women, because physical beauty isn’t even what I’m looking for, but it’s intentional. I have hopes of finding women confident in their age, with wrinkles and normal hair and makeup. That body and age acceptance is what makes them beautiful.
But right now, all I have are two pictures. Making this board is going to be harder than I thought. :/
Exactly what I meant to say without sounding like such a crotchety (old) lady, lol!
A friend of mine started this pinterest board, and I love it:
http://www.pinterest.com/randibuckley/women-of-a-rockin-age/
And Susan, you have a great point – there are some beautiful people on it – but lots that aren’t – none of my contributions to it have been of those conventionally beautiful.
I know this is not totally kosher – but I’m doing it anyway – here is a post I wrote about one of them: http://lianneraymond.com/weblog/2012/2/22/women-of-wild-wisdom.html
Thank you! And Jules – thank you for pinning to your Natural Beauties board. Love the picture of Jane Goodall! I did not repin Jamie Lee Curtis because I intensely (and irrationally) dislike her. Don’t have any idea why! :)
hello! i was just looking at my google stats (which i never do, ever) and there were a few links that led me here. how wonderful to be included in your list of links. do you live in redlands? we must meet for tea or coffee if you do. and susan g, i totally get your gripe. :)
again thanks for the mention!
xo
janet