Month: June 2010

writers in common

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Being a graduate of San Francisco State University I automatically get the Alumni quarterly magazine. I usually put the magazine aside and read it when I get a chance. This month for some strange reason I decided to read it from beginning to end because I was intrigued by the articles about the number of well-known authors/writers, who have attended the university in the past, being recognized for their recent publications.  I must say I am impressed and even more motivated to continue writing my novels. Anyway, based on the article, SFSU has made a summer reading suggestion list, which I would like to share with all of you.  So here it goes: 1. Every Day In Tuscany by Frances Mayes (M.A. 75) and one of my favorite authors. 2 Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (71-76 attendee) 3. Supergirls by Mike Madrid (B.A. 84) 4. Maid as Muse by Aife Murray (M.A. 94) my graduating class 5. Naked Drunk by Adair Lara (B.A. 76) – for sure my read this summer 6. Guest House by Barbara …

itchin for paris

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Every year around April I get the travel bug and the desire to take a trip to paris (mostly) or anywhere in Europe for that matter.  I plan it and I check airfares and hotels and train schedules and then after checking my other obligations in life, I set it aside and move on. This year, I am doing the same thing it seems even though I told myself I was going to take the trip no matter what. But once again things got in the way and here we are almost July and I haven’t planned the trip for the summer. Going to Europe is like a rehab program for me, but organizing a grown up vacation for this women over 40 is sometimes very difficult due to family and financial obligations. One thing I do want to state here is that I highly recommend it if it can be worked into one’s family life, not just a trip to Europe but a time to get away from it all for any woman with obligations. So …

how do we choose our role model?

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When blogging, the author has the option to view stats which tell her (in this case) what articles or topics are the most popular and since I have been blogging, I noticed every time I write about Jennifer Aniston, people listen. This doesn’t really shock me much, because I like Ms.Aniston myself, even though I poke fun of her alot, but I am amazed that out of most celebrities over 40, the usual choice is Jenny – not from the block. So, I guess my question to my readers is, how do you choose your role model? Better yet, who is your favorite women over 40 to follow and want to be like?  I know this may sound like a childish game but in all reality women over 40 like to play games also. No matter how silly or trivial. Besides it takes the edge off raising their kids and dealing with their day-to-day life.

shoe fashion for fall 2010

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I was looking through fall 2010 shoe trends and I came across photos of shoes they plan to sell this coming season. I don’t know about you but I am not sure what the message is or what the thought process is in regard to sho fashion. The thing is that bizarre clothing fashion trends come and go and then come back again and then go back and ok we can live with that, but shoes in my opinion are a different thing.  They can either harm you or put you in a hospital as a result of designer’s craze.  Do the designers realize how damaging these so-called trends are to any woman old enough and sometimes not old enough interested in owning a pair or two for the sake of being in fashion?  The other question I have is, when these types of shoes are marketed and sold in stores, does the fashion industry understand the impact these designs have on the women over 40, who craves to feel young and sensual but cannot physically handle the contraption …

cougar town

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I have heard alot about the show Cougar Town and for some strange reason kept missing it every week. So two nights ago I watched it and I just could not stop laughing. The show starring Courtney Cox is about women over 40 feeling the effects of middle age and getting older with a funny twist. I think what I liked the most about the show is that I actually was able to relate to most of it. It was funny, very realistic and the fact most of the characters didn’t look like models helped alot. I guess what I am trying to say is that, even when women over 40 cannot find humor in their own lives as they deal with family, work and all that jazz that goes hand in hand with being the woman over 40, it is great to step back for 30 minutes a week and watch Cougar Town and take on a few laughs. The show airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 9:30 p.m. in California, not sure about …

jennifer aniston and lolavie fashion

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Now here is a woman you hate to love, Jennifer Aniston. In my opinion Aniston is a true symbol and an icon of “physical” beauty. Although how she got there is questionable since being a celebrity require a nip tuck here and there, a botox or two, lipo and more nip tuck. But I guess it’s ok if the end result looks like Jennifer Aniston. She is a woman over 40 now and I think with time, she has blossomed into an “old school” classy individual. This is why I love her so much. She makes no effort to dress in fashion, nor do things with her hair that is too obnoxious. Her shoes are always safe and one dimentional and that works. I could care less what the fashion police may say about her “stuck in the 80s look” because for some reason or another it works just fine. She knows what works and she sticks to it. Sometimes it is not the extremities of fashion that put you on a list, it is …

breakfast of champions for the over 40 years olds

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You know we read here and there and listen to news about what “we” need to eat in order to stay healthy and maintain our weight. Whatever that means. I mean this topic annoys me to no end. I want to understand how it is that people can maintain a healthy lifestyle while coping with life’s pressures, breathing in the pollution day in and day out and consuming processed foods? No, but seriously, aside from the b.s., it is difficult to do our part and as a result we sometimes tend to eat a quick muffin for breakfast, or chomp on frozen waffles while we drive the kids to school, maybe even just settle on a cup of coffee if we are watching our weight just to pretend we got something in our stomachs before tackling the day. Well, here is my take on this. I am a firm believer of eating a good breakfast and taking the time to do so in order to have the most positive day possible. I understand most women …

getting ready for two weddings

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Maggy London Illusion Back Pleated Matte Jersey Dress (Nordstrom)$148.00 – This is my best black dress choice for an evening wedding in Sausalito, California this June. I prefer wearing black for most evening occasions, it is the fall back dress for me when I feel self conscious about anything physically or just plain self conscious. Be careful however, with a dress like this one, you want to make sure your curves and bulges are in the right location of your body otherwise your attempt will be disastrous. Alex Evenings Portrait Collar Mesh Dress (Nordstrom)For a more full figured and bustier than myself woman, I suggested going with the following choices. Eliza J Ruffle Print Wrap Dress (Nordstrom) $158.00 – This is the dress I decided on for a daytime outdoor wedding in Santa Barbara July 2010. Again this style works for my body type but may not do justice for the full figured woman over 40. Instead, for daytime or outdoor events, I suggest sticking to neutrals and whites with some sort of sheer wrap …

thank you gwyneth paltrow

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I couldn’t resist including this photo in my blog, because although gwyneth paltrow is not yet 40, her beautiful gown is one that a woman over 40 can surely support. I love it when celebrity dress down to earth even when they do dress up because their particular style “at the moment” gives the average woman the hope that she doesn’t need to go overboard to look good. The dress she is wearing is from BCBGMAXAZARIA gown available at Nordstrom, so it is pretty obtainable around $298.00. Thank you Gwyneth for your gorgeous choice of gown.

sex in which city, i ask?

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As you know or can already tell, I have an opinion on  just about anything and everything. I can’t help it and as I always say, I am entitled to voicing it not because of my right as an American but because I am a woman over 40.  (We have special privileges you know) With that said, I have to take a moment and comment on the film Sex and The City 2 and attempt at impacting women over 40. I remember when the show first aired on HBO, I was probably one of the first (in my circle) to take a peak and recommend it to all my friends and by the time season 2 aired, all of my acquaintances were glued to their television sets when the show came on and I was busy doing other things. Truly it was a craze and when the show ended, probably only a handful of woman including myself, didn’t give a damn one way or another – after all I had better things to do with my time… Well, when the …