Although no particular gown stood out at the Oscar 2011 red carpet last night, I must point out the fact how disappointed I am with some of the celebrity women over 40 and their choice in gown and overall appearance for such an elegant event. See for yourself.
After a long week, I needed some inspirational photos to help escape “mentally” at least from the every day norms. My favorite place to hang out – Cafe De Flore in Paris (of course), France. I have a strange appreciation for cafe photos and here are some of my favorites Cafe de Flore to share with you. Have a great weekend and remember think happy thoughts no matter how hard life can be. 🙂 {photos: courtesy google search cafe de flore – various artists}
Who doesn’t love a great piece of steak, except the non-meat eaters of course. I love steak and if it were up to me, I could eat one every day. But in trying to keep a balance with my healthy eating and cooking goal, I only eat steak once a month and it has to be a filet mignon. I am however, particular about the cut and often times would go to a specialty meat and poultry shop to purchase just the right cut and size. With that said, I have found a great filet mignon recipe (not that I really ever need a recipe to prepare the steak) here and have actually served it up by itself – without a side dish on occasion and then with the spinach sautéed with lemon and garlic and a wonderful french Cabernet Sauvignon. I am not going to recommend the wine because to each his/her own on that one. Anyway, enjoy the recipe and let me know how it turned out for you. Ingredients U.S. Metric Conversion …
I have always appreciated bangs and have supported one myself for years. Believe me I tried without one and it didn’t work on me. So, I am glad to see them back again for 2011 because now I can actually say I am current on a fashion trend. Since I gear most of my fashion topics to the women over 40, I decided to research the do’s and don’ts of supporting a bang and I found out from here what works and doesn’t. By the way the feature photo of Jill Zarin (top) is my favorite pick of hairstyle and color I want to see on myself in 2011.
As I said before, women over 40 should stay away from mini skirts no matter how sexy their legs are and opt for pencil skirts instead to bring out their sex appeal. Believe me when I say this, a pencil skirt, with an appropriate blouse or top, can be the staple for most any outfit, from business attire to a semi formal evening get together and I am glad to see a large selection of them here to choose from. Here are some of my favorite suggestions:
I just realized I haven’t paid homage to an inspirational celebrity in a long while and for that I have decided to add Elle McPherson to my list of celebrity women over 40, who I have grown to admire over the years. In her case, not only because of her ability to maintain an amazing body at 48, but also because of her drive to become a successful businesswoman, designing lingerie for the woman of any age. Macpherson is a European Ambassador for RED, an initiative set up by Bono and Bobby Shriver to raise money and awareness for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and to help eradicate AIDS for women and children in Africa. She is also an ambassador for UNICEF. In her native Australia, she is an ambassador for the Smile Foundation, which helps the families of children with rare diseases and organizes government research grants She has also modelled for charitable causes including fundraising for 2007 British flood victims, wounded veterans, and child welfare group Absolute Return for Kids. (per Wiki) For more on Elle McPherson please click here and …
Everyone needs a bit of inspiration, mental therapy I call it, to keep going, Being stuck in a rut is sometimes depressing and no matter how much you think you have it under control, life dictates otherwise. So for those challenging moments and agravating days I have decided to include (on a weekly basis) some inspirational photos which help me feel good when I am having a bad day. Mind you this doens’t replace my daily walks and medidation, it is just a quick pick me up when I feel ****. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the photos and no matter what find time for yourself every weekend and do whatever it takes to make you feel good about yourself. Have a great weekend!
I found this amazing chili recipe here and wanted to share it with my readers. Most busy women appreciate making food in bulk in order to feed their family and have a little bit left over for lunch the next day. But even if that isn’t the case in your household, you will appreciate the chili with lentil recipe below. Just in case you are curious about the health benefits of lentil: It is a member of the legume family, which is highly recommended in healthy eating. Not only do lentils lower cholesterol, they also manage blood-sugar disorders due to its high fiber content. Lentils also contain six important minerals, two B-vitamins, protein with virtually no fat. So, next time you are in the mood for chili, consider my favorite legume, lentil instead of the usual beans chili is made with. Serves 8 This simple vegetarian chili recipe uses lentils instead of beans. Brown lentils work best as they will hold their shape even when tender after cooking. Serve with our Health Starts Here hearth …
I love walking into a Kate Spade boutique. It is a happy place in my opinion, one filled with color, beauty, order and just pure elegance. What I also love about it the designer’s consideration of fashion appropriate for most woman at any age. In light of my excitement over Kate Spade’s Spring 2011 collection, I have included some of my favorite pieces from here. Enjoy: 1. CobbleHill Leslie $425 2. Nera $298 3. The Journal Medium Flat Pouch $65 4. Karolina $298.00 5. The Journal Bon Shopper $145 6. Black Eyed Susan Necklace $195 7. CobbleHill Small Cynthia $345 8. Year of Color January Ring $75 9. Dot to Dot Necklace $95 10. English Tweeded Jacket $475 11. Solid Grace Top $195
One of my weaknesses is handbags, the other are shoes but handbags I tend to shop for every chance I get more so than shoes or maybe equal, can’t keep up anymore. That doesn’t mean I own a hundred of them, I just like shopping for them. But this year, it seems the bags are even more “dreamer” (for lack of a better word) than the years past. Or maybe the color red is enticing me, again I can’t keep up. Can you sense the excitement in my tone? Anyway, I have included below my top ten picks for Spring/Summer 2011 (believe me there are more but I had to stop somewhere). Let me know what you think?
rawsilkandsaffron.com 