Caroline Stanbury’s Leopard Swimsuit on Instastories

Caroline Stanbury Instagram Fashion 2020

Although the Tiger King glory days of quarantine are very much long gone, big cat prints are apparently here to stay according to Caroline Stanbury who we recently spotted wearing this wildly chic leopard swimsuit on Instastories. Which between the super flattering one-piece style and Joe exotic print, is definitely the perfect choice this summer for Baskin’ in the sun.

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her Melissa Odabash Swimsuit

Click Here For Additional Stock on Sale

And Here For Even More Stock

Photo & Info: @CarolineStanbury

Originally posted at: Caroline Stanbury’s Leopard Swimsuit

It may be true that you don’t need to know how to do your shopping online to be happy. And it’s safe to say that brick and mortar stores won’t all have disappeared in our lifetime. But as an older woman who has trouble finding the right fitting clothing at times, I do think that online shopping can be beneficial.

I like to use the analogy of the automobile when it first came out many, many years ago. I’m sure most people of that time considered cars one of those “passing fads.”

They probably felt they were getting along in life just fine, sticking to their horse & buggy, along with walking. But look at how far the automobiles have taken us now that they are a normal part of life.

I feel that online shopping can be helpful to all of us at some time or another. Trust me when I say that the more you use it, the more comfortable you feel doing it!

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love my local shops around town, and I love supporting small businesses. But there are times when it’s been easier to shop online.

I know when I was growing up, many of us shopped from catalogs. Well, now that the Internet has exploded, you really don’t see many catalogs anymore. Online shopping is no different than when we bought things from the Avon catalog or the Sears catalog, right?

My Personal Experience with Online Shopping

And let me give you a perfect example of how a recent conversation went with my stepmom (the 60+ model on my blog). Nancy was commenting that she couldn’t find a blush pair of shoes anywhere!

I asked her where she had gone, and she listed off at least four stores that she had visited. When I arrived home, I searched online and found her at least five pairs of blush shoes that were under $50 and fit into her preference of heel height!

I emailed her the links to the shoes within the span of 10 minutes without having to drive from store to store. She ended up purchasing one of the pairs, and loves them!

Granted, I have the advantage of a shopping affiliate site since I am a fashion blogger. My blog does make it easier to search for specific items. Yet Google can do the same kind of item searching to a degree.

I realize that as a fashion blogger my focus is on clothing and wearables. However, I do think many of the concepts that I point out can apply to many products! For instance, my husband and I have bought bathroom sinks, rugs and technology from online sources in the past.

Sizing Up the Size Problem

I know many women will argue that they can’t be sure about the size when ordering online, or they can’t see the color. These are valid points. But honestly, shopping is shopping. There are times that purchases don’t work out even when you buy the item in a brick and mortar store.

However, I always like to look at both the pros and cons when contemplating any issue, so – if we consider the above the cons – let’s talk about the positives.

The Positive Side of Shopping Online

If your clothing size happens to fall into some of the categories like petites, plus, or even tall, then online shopping can give you so many more options than shopping in stores.

In Nancy’s case I mentioned above, if you can’t find what you are looking for around town, you might have better luck online. This can be especially true if the item you want is seasonal.

Has anybody else ever had issues with buying a swimsuit at the stores in August? It’s practically impossible in my town!

As we age, shopping can become physically difficult. Especially if your knee or hip happens to be aching. Thus, sitting at the computer in this situation can be less stressful!

8 Steps to Online Shopping Success

If you are already an online shopper and feel comfortable doing so – good for you! If you haven’t had much luck in that area, then let me walk you through the steps I prepared to make it easier for you.

Identify the Website

Find what you like by looking up the item on Google, or if you found the item on a blog, click on the corresponding link. Now that you are on that store’s website, the fun begins.

Check the Return Policy

This is the absolute next step that I take. There is no use getting all excited about the item if returning it is next to impossible. Because the fact of the matter is, there are always going to be times that your choices don’t work.

In fact, many times I order more than one of an item (more details below), so being able to easily return one or more things is an absolute.

Most site return policies are located at the bottom of the home page. There should be a clickable link for shipping, handling and returns.

You want to make sure that it’s easy to return or bring back any items to the brick & mortar store. Many sites have free returns, but many don’t. How you choose to proceed is a personal preference, but I prefer to take them back to the brick and mortar store – unless the company has free shipping for returns.

I will warn you to watch out for many overseas companies. Not that you shouldn’t purchase from them, but you may need to analyze your decision in more detail (see below). This is only because many of their return policies are not always economical or easy.

Check Product Reviews

It is invaluable to know what other customers think about the same product. Of course, I always like to remember that reviews are subjective. However, if everyone thought the shoes ran big, then believe them and order accordingly.

It’s no different than reading online reviews for a hotel. To me, it’s suspicious if there aren’t any complaints or dislikes, but reviews do give some great feedback.

Measurements

This is especially important if you are ordering from an overseas company!! Let me explain the difference to help you in the future!

Many overseas companies provide the exact measurements for the item. There is no added leeway, like there is from the companies you may be used to deal with. For example, if your chest measurement is 37 inches, then normally that’s what size blouse you would order.

However, for the overseas companies, the blouse would be too tight because there is no extra room. You would need to order a bigger size so that your 37-inch chest would have space inside the blouse.

If you are unsure whether you should order bigger or not, remember that it is much easier to have items altered to be smaller. However, it is not always manageable to have items made bigger.

This is where it is important to really analyze the clothing piece you are considering. Most of us really need to have items altered to make them fit us perfectly.

So, look at the piece and think about your body. If your arms are short and you tend to need most sleeves shortened, then ¾-length sleeves could be the best detail.

It’s also good to consider the size and height of the model. Just because it looks like a mini dress on the 5’10” model, it doesn’t mean it can’t be the perfect length if you are only 5’0″!

Multiple Sizes

Now that you know about the return policy of the site, then the absolute best practice is to order a couple of sizes of that item. You usually take a couple of sizes into the fitting room, so why not have a couple different sizes to try on at home, too?

Think About Colors

You should know that color is one aspect of online shopping that you will never be sure about until the item is in your home. This is another reason you need to know the return policy. It may be described as blue, yet it looks greener on your computer monitor. And then when it’s in your closet, it’s teal!

It so happens that this is the aspect of online shopping that works out nicely, too! Once you have an item in your closet, you can check it with all your other clothing to see if it will match and work.

If it doesn’t, then back it goes. When you are shopping in the stores, you can’t check the new item against your entire closet until you get home!

Free Shipping

Many sites will have free shipping if you purchase a certain dollar amount. This can be frustrating if you only wanted one item which doesn’t reach that amount.

One idea to counteract this is to purchase more. You could add in a couple of gifts for other people, essentials like undies, or even find something you weren’t looking for in the first place.

The other possibility is to order just enough pieces to get to this free shipping amount, and then return those extra items. But beware, there are times you may love those extra items!

Universal Shopping Carts

I recently wrote a post about a new concept called universal shopping cart. It’s one way to try to make your online shopping experience easier and hassle-free. This concept isn’t much different than how Amazon runs their site, and I have a feeling, it’ll be widely used soon enough!

Honestly, I think online shopping will be in all our lives at some time. Being able to navigate through this new wave of shopping may certainly make your life easier!

Are you a fan of online shopping? Or do you still prefer to go to the stores? Are you a fan and what have you purchased? Have you had any good or bad experiences? Please share your thoughts below!

The past few months have been hard on everyone but especially when you’re single. Being in self-isolation meant dealing with every issue that came up on your own whether it was financial, emotional, or even just working at overcoming sheer boredom.

And if you’re being honest with yourself, you are probably thinking it would be really nice to have a good man in your life to take some of this burden off your shoulders. But then you start thinking, the timing just isn’t right and may not be for quite a while.

I disagree.

Time to Prepare

I believe this is the perfect time to get yourself ready to attract the Quality Man you want to share your life and heart with. Most women skip this step and that’s part of why they can’t find the right man.

Here’s what I mean. Remember the movie Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner and the famous line he heard one night as he stood in the cornfields: “If you build it, he will come”?

Many women use this very mantra when they go out and date. They believe that simply putting a profile up on a dating site will attract a good man.

But what usually ends up happening is the men you want to meet don’t pay attention to your profile, whereas the men you’re so NOT interested in flood your email box with letters saying, “Hey Beautiful.” Right?

And when this happens over and over again it can lead you to think there are no good men out there or all the good ones are taken. The good news is there are good men out there but, your vibration needs to match theirs.

I can hear you saying, “What are you talking about, Lisa?”

Create the Right Vibration

Well, let’s say you’re not feeling very confident about who you are as a woman dating after 50, but you decide to try your luck on a dating site.

Guess who shows up? Men who also don’t feel good about themselves and often end up projecting this onto you by criticizing everything you do. Or, maybe you’re afraid of being alone. Guess who you’ll attract? Men who will ghost you and disappear.

You may not even be aware that these unintentional thoughts are running in your brain, but they are, and they push away the men you really want.

When the wrong men show up over and over again, it leads to frustration, and you can start doubting yourself and end up giving up on your dream of finding love after 50.

You might even justify giving up on your dream by thinking, “My kids and grandkids will keep me busy.” Newsflash: Kids and grandkids grow up and marry partners of their own while you find yourself 18 years older and still alone.

The Good News

In truth, we are all amazing creators. You just have to choose what you want to create.

When you’re able to shift your mindset from the negative thoughts you’ve been running to “ I am The Prize, who wouldn’t want me,” you light up because you know who you are and what you have to offer a man and a relationship. More importantly, YOU BELIEVE IT!

And, when you believe it, that’s when you’ll see big changes in your life and love life happening.

Why Now Such a Good Time to Start Dating Again

The first thing you want to do is to get clear on your safety boundaries. I have clients who’ve found boyfriends during this time of Covid, and here’s how they’ve done it:

Digital Conversation

Use Zoom, FaceTime, or Google Duo versus the phone because a video call allows you to see a person’s mannerisms. On the phone, you are basing everything on their voice which doesn’t always match a person’s character.

Meeting 6 Feet Apart

If you decide you’d like to meet, use social distancing and take walks where you can be six feet apart. Maybe a picnic where you social distance or a restaurant that has social distancing protocols.

You’ll want to base this on your safety comfort zone and the regulations that apply to where you live. And don’t let someone pressure you. If you aren’t comfortable and he doesn’t honor this, then you’ll want to move on.

The Bubble Theory

If each of you has spent these past few months in-bound, you can include him in your bubble but not before discussing the contact you’ve both had with other people – whether it’s in the grocery store, hairdresser, or just seeing friends. You want to be on the same page about this.

There Is a Positive Side

Dating during this pandemic has its plusses. You have an opportunity to get to know someone by building a friendship first versus making decisions based on instant attraction and chemistry.

And you can take it at a slower pace while having someone to share the interesting aspects of life right through Video Dating. And it may give you something to really look forward to at the end of the day.

Have fun and stay safe.

Have you ignored dating since the pandemic took over the globe? Are you willing to wait until restrictions lift or do you find yourself ready to start dating again? Do you think you can meet a man in the present situation? Please share your thoughts with our community, and let’s have a conversation.

There is something about finding ourselves in our 60s that makes our heads turn to the past, in general, and, more specifically, to our ancestry. I have no idea why this fascination comes so forcefully at this time.

Perhaps as we age, our perception of time changes. The decades before we were born seem less long ago. Our ancestors therefore seem more real and present.

Searching Your Family History Seriously

There are some people who take genealogy very seriously. They sign up to all sorts of websites and check records going well into the past. This is a great pastime.

Depending on the size of your family, it can keep you busy for months and even years. You will doubtless learn a lot of interesting things.

The Accidental Route

Some of us learn about our ancestry by somewhat more accidental – or, indeed, lazy – means. Perhaps someone else in your family is pursuing such information, so that you can benefit without all the work. It is worth asking older members of your extended family to see what they might have found.

In my case, it turned out that a surprising number of my forbearers were keen on memoir-writing. So, various documents have turned up within the family from different periods, even in different languages.

To add to the fun, these are not always consistent in their description of the same events. The truth, as any historian would confirm, is difficult to establish.

You have to wonder what you would like to find. Someone famous? A connection to royalty? A murderer? We are all different in our wishes and in the ways in which we would respond.

Odd Pieces of Information

My parents were highly respectable, so my ancestors might be expected to be respectable, too – and many of them were. The problem is that they are invariably the least interesting to read about.

I have nonetheless come upon some relatives of more doubtful qualities. One distant ancestor was an explorer in the South Seas in the late nineteenth century. He was evidently selling tobacco on the side.

When he came upon one group of islanders who didn’t know what to do with this product, he set up smoking classes, thereby securing a demand for his regular return.

I should not be proud of this ancestor, but I must admit that I admire his ingenuity. And he wasn’t to know about the link with cancer, after all.

Family Ups and Downs

A much closer relative (my great-grandfather) was involved as a young man in import-export dealings on the Mexican-US border. From family memoirs and other sources, it is clear that this was not genteel territory.

Evidently, there were some careful judgements about the declaration of silver at the border. As the proceeds of import taxes were said to end up in the pockets of those collecting them, the moral issue could be said to be unclear. In any case, he ended up a very rich man.

As history often shows, the money was completely lost by his son, my grandfather, in a series of ill-judged enterprises – to his permanent shame. He ended up as a door-to-door salesman in the 1920s and ’30s.

The Significance of It All

Once you have considered your ancestors, you wonder what to do with the information. Does it help you to understand yourself better? I am not so sure. But you do end up feeling like one link in an inexorable chain – and wonder even harder where your grandchildren and their descendants will take it.

When my son was a small child of just five or six, he heard about the concept of infinity. Like many children, he was fascinated by it. He also began to realise that there were generations within families, with some coming before, like his grandparents, and some after.

One morning, he put the two thoughts together. “You know, Mum,” he said, “the people coming before us were not infinity, but the people coming after us are infinity.” His English wasn’t up to the task of expressing his thought, but the thought itself was profound, indeed.

Have you looked into your family history? Have you found any really interesting people there? Please share your experiences and stories below!