Lisa Barlow’s Lilac Fur Denim Jacket in Vail

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 2 Episode 12 Fashion

Although we try not to play favourites here, after seeing Lisa Barlow’s lilac fur denim jacket on this week’s episode of RHOSLC we’re just gunna go ahead and say it: she has THE best jacket collection on Bravo. And if you’re a cult (fashion) follower of hers like us, we’re here to remind you that it’s your religious duty to try and copy it even if you have to mortgage your home for $300 grand. 

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to See Her Natasha Zinko Jacket

Click Here to Shop it With Red Fur

Use code BLONDE10 for 10% off your first full-priced order over $145 at Farfetch

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Originally posted at: Lisa Barlow’s Lilac Fur Denim Jacket

Emily Simpson’s Black One Shoulder Dress at Heather Dubrow’s Party

Real Housewives of Orange County Season 16 Episode 1 Fashion

Okay getting blacked out and forgetting to pay a tab is not the situation most of us want to be in. However getting a black one shoulder dress is a situation most of us want to be in. Which is why we have some aaaamazing Style Stealers of Emily Simpson’s dress below. And I hate to break it to you, but the chance of Heather Dubrow paying for that bill is quite slim. But don’t worry because they are all very wallet-friendly.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here to See Her Re Ona Dress

Originally posted at: Emily Simpson’s Black One Shoulder Dress

I have loved 57-year-old Sandy Bullock for more years than I can remember. When I was online dating, my profile used different character names of hers and I wrote about my choices in my previous blog, calling her my “alternate universe best friend.”

JUST this side of creepy.

Why do I love Sandy so much? Let me count the ways!

I could tell you what everyone else says about her talents, her loving family life and her incredibly generous, done on DL philanthropy… but instead, I’m going to share with you what her characters have taught me.

Bonus: Sandy’s chemistry with every single one of her co-stars in these films is #couplegoals.

Again, is she part celestial being? Asking for a friend.

Speed

“Get your ass behind the yellow line!”

Annie literally saves the day and a busload of some frankly irritating passengers instead of mooning at Jack the whole movie. Now THAT is some kind of will power… I mean, this is Keanu at his most hotness. Come on. Then she tells him to leave her to die alone, handcuffed to the bus pole. Wow. Could you BE any more selfless?

I would like to be as plucky, sarcastic and physically brave in any situation as Annie, let alone with a ticking bomb. I do hate driving and I would immediately launch myself at Keanu like a fired missile butt!

Where would we be without aspirations? And by we, I mean me.

Miss Congeniality

“You think I’m gorgeous… you want to kiss me… you want to hug me… you want to love me…”

I identify with this Gracie Hart FBI ugly duckling into a beauty contest swan on a deeply personal level. While not ever needing to be crowned, my own “teenaged boy from the 70s” style will ensure that I would never even get into the audience to watch the show.

Also still waiting for an airplane hangar’s worth of people to fashionably transform me, fyi.

And while Gracie crushes her job, her incredibly awkward, social interaction aka flirting with the very fit Benjamin Bratt? Check. But also like her, I would want to excel at my work and do what I know is right, regardless of authority stating otherwise.

Hope Floats

“Once upon a time, your mama knew what it meant to shine.”

I love love love Sandy in this completely underrated film. As Birdie Pruitt, humiliated by her husband and best friend on daytime TV, she flees back to her Southern hometown. Former Queen of Corn royalty, she’s now an emotionally absent mother and an ungrateful daughter. #deadinside

How Birdie discovers herself not just as a reflection of how others see her – Stepford wife, popular girl, crazy mother – is a delicately filmed journey. And Harry Connick Jr. does such great work as someone who has known and loved her for a very long time…

I would wish for Birdie’s resilience. And her Southern accent. And definitely Harry aka Justin Matisse, architect and hotty with a heart of gold.

While You Were Sleeping

“The truth was that I fell in love with you… all of you. I went from being all alone to being a fiancée, a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister and a friend.”

I may or may not have fantasized about a handsome guest or two while working at a five-star hotel… because I’ve been single forEVER and invisible to the naked eye since I turned 50. Of course.

I feel Lucy Moderatz’s loneliness to the bone.

I have also been estranged from most of my family for a very long time. Would I die to be adopted and take a side of loving parents and siblings to go with my comatose fiancé?

Yes, please.

And how much are you a fangirl of furniture building, low key amazing Bill Pullman versus flashy, trashy Peter Gallagher? And by you, again I mean me.

I would want Lucy M’s honesty, giving up her dream come true under dodgy circumstances, and for sure, I’d want her happy ending with the man she really falls in love with.

Two Weeks Notice

“Please don’t tell me you called me out of a wedding to pick out a suit.”

As Lucy Kelson, Sandy segues from a crunchy, construction protesting hippy to corporate lawyer/ hand holder of billionaire playboy George Wade, played with irresponsible charm by Hugh Grant.

Watching Lucy wield her principles at George, who is addicted to her organizational skills and ability to make decisions, is so satisfying. She is so crisp! He is so malleable and this side of sleezy! It’s a match made in Slurpy Heaven!

I have real admiration for a life well regimented and that is Lucy K. Wound a tad too tight, even for a twisty bobcat pretzel? I can relate. Making a stand for those same principles that George dodges so well? I would wish to be that firm in my conviction.

Conclusion

I honestly can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched these Sandy standards but every quote brought back a flood of happy viewing memories.

Do I know these are just made up people? Yes.

Do I still love and attribute their every goodness to my otherworldly bestie?

Ummmm, of course.

Are you a Bullock stalwart as well? Did I mention all your faves or did I miss some? Shout out to The Proposal, The Blind Side and The Heat! And what do you think it is about Sandy that encourages long term, lightly obsessed love?

I want to start with a large thank you to the readers of Sixty and Me who, albeit unknowingly, helped hugely with the book I recently published, The Granny Who Stands on Her Head.

My book is about liking being old, which I do, but I posted an article on this site about whether we would, conversely like to be young again. And why? And how young would we like to be?

There was a very large number of responses to this issue, some of which I used in my book, using only first names to retain privacy.

My special thanks to all the women whose first names appear next to the quotations at the end of this article.

One needs to consider the different ages in turn.

Childhood

Some people say that childhood represents the happiest years, when we are completely carefree and responsible for nothing much at all.

Circumstances differ, of course, but for most people it is said to be a time when we simply have to get up in the morning, get ourselves to school, play with our friends and, perhaps, do the odd chore.

Personally, I think childhood is greatly over-rated. For some, it may have been an easy and enjoyable time, but it can also be a time of great stress.

You don’t understand the world, you don’t know where you are going in life, your ‘friends’ can be difficult and sometimes even bullies. Worst of all, you don’t understand yourself – neither your strengths nor your weaknesses.

Some people look back and see only the positive. But I had a fair number of problems myself with childhood and watched as the same arose for my children and grandchildren in turn. I would not go back to childhood for the world.

Adolescence

Moving forward, becoming a teenager is undoubtedly exciting, as you begin to explore the wider world and its possibilities. You become much more aware of other people, as well as yourself and your place among your friends and others. You begin to wonder where you are heading in life and what you need to do to get there.

Perhaps you feel very popular and self-confident, but I suspect this is true for only a minority. Adolescence and its aftermath represent a time of such angst that it is hard to think that many people would want to go back there.

20s and 30s

Once you are past the worst of adolescence, life does become a little easier. You have begun to settle into a profession or job of some kind. You are exploring personal relationships, perhaps choosing a partner and having children.

You may have moved to a new area because of your job or relationships. Yes, it is exciting. A lot of new joys. A new partner or husband. A new baby or two.

Gaining new responsibilities at work. Beginning to get a sense of yourself. Yes, yes, yes. But as I look back, I also see a lot of problems.

The period of one’s 20s is particularly problematic. You are officially declared to be an adult, but frequently don’t feel or act like one. It’s not easy to find a permanent place to live and, indeed, many these days continue to live with their parents.

More difficult still, a lot of people feel the pressures of not really knowing where they are heading in terms of a career or even partner. If they have chosen something to do, they wonder whether they will be good enough.

Some may also question whether their chosen partner is, in fact, the right one. For many, it is again an unsettling time.

It all becomes a bit easier in your 30s. Some issues have clarified themselves for good or ill. But you see yourself approaching the big 40 and wonder whether you have done well enough.

And everyone is absurdly busy and pulled in many directions – the search for promotion, the needs of the partner and kids. Often, people find that even their friends are too busy to talk. Is that so great?

40s and Later

At least by the time people are in their ‘middle years’, they know themselves reasonably well.

They have begun to learn how to pursue their strengths and to live with their limitations. Women have finished having all the children they will ever have, which may be seen as a joy or a relief or the source of considerable unhappiness.

But we do know where we are in this respect.

They may also be coping with menopausal symptoms, which may be no difficulty at all or be the cause of major problems.

And they may be faced with the famous twin pressures of adolescent children and ageing parents, both of whom need their attention. For some, this can be the most stressful period of their lives.

My View

These are all very individual matters, which vary with the trajectory of any one person’s life and that of those around them. But in my own view, the older we become, the better it gets.

The early years are hard, the middle ones somewhat better. The 50s were great, the 60s were just fine and the 70s have not gone downhill or at least not much.

Not everyone will agree. A lot will depend on the luck of good health and good relationships, neither fully under our control.

And, of course, if we could be an earlier age with the confidence and wisdom we have now, the answers would be different. But that would be cheating.

Responses

Altogether, there were roughly 215 readers’ comments to my article. Of these, 122 expressed a clear preference for a particular age, with the following responses:

childhood:            2

teens                    5

twenties:              9

thirties:                20

forties                   27

fifties                    8

sixties & over     51

                                122 responses

In sum, 71 people (58%) indicated that they would prefer to be younger, while 51 (42%) were very happy where they were. Most of the latter were in their 60s but a small number were older, including one or two in their 80s.

This was not a random sample, but I thought it was interesting nonetheless.

Although the majority said they would prefer to be younger, many of the comments were more nuanced than the simple numbers suggest.

Many noted they would like to be younger, but with the knowledge and confidence that they have now, so perhaps they should really be excluded from the count.

Some simply wanted to enjoy their children’s childhoods all over again. And some would like to be younger to enable them to make better decisions about their life. In other words, this was not such a clear vote for being younger per se.

Satisfied Older Women

And there were a great number of satisfied older women, who were keen to explain why. Some just seemed to feel very settled with their lives:

“For me, being 60 is perfect. I realise we all have our stories and our season. I believe my season is 60 and I intend to enjoy it.” (Karen)

“I love, LOVE the age I am now. At almost 65, I’m active, wiser, making better life choices and loving retirement.” (Debra)

“I would not want to look or be younger. My age, grey hair and wrinkles are perfect!” (Barbara)

Some talked of seeing their later years as a natural progression:

“Love being 67. I worked hard to get here happy and healthy – planning to retire in a few months and enjoy the next season of life.” (Carrie)

“I am just fine with the age that I am, 67. I have had a colourful, eventful, heart-breaking, rewarding and amazing life so far. I wouldn’t change a thing.” (Shelly)

“I would like my body to be young, sans the creaking, the loss of strength and perhaps a few wrinkles, but I prefer to be the fine wine aged to perfection that I have become.” (Carmela)

“I quite like myself at age 86. Every year has more to offer and we never know what the future has in store.” (Brenda)

And some welcomed their much greater self-esteem:

“No, I wouldn’t want to be younger. It took me a long time to get where I am mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. I would never go back. Love my life at 66.” (Judi)

“It has taken me 62 years to truly start loving myself and be excited about my plans for the future… It is my time now and it is all good.” (Patricia)

“Good gosh, NO. My younger life was a mess, thanks to me. Older and hopefully wiser. I have no desire to go back.” (Lee)

“I’m finally figuring myself out. Why would I want to go backwards?” (Dianne)

These comments accord with a number of surveys undertaken to examine happiness at different ages.

To list just one, a major study of 300,000 adults across the UK found that life satisfaction, happiness and a general feeling that life was worthwhile peaked among men and women aged 65-79 (Office for National Statistics, Measuring National Well-being in the UK, 2016).

These feelings did drop off among those over the age of 80, however, possibly arising from poorer health and greater loneliness.

Conclusions

So what can we conclude from all these views?

Every life has its own particular course – its peaks and troughs, its joys and tribulations. Whether the total adds up to a happy life or a disappointed one cannot be predicted in advance, arising from so many differing events over the course of our years.

But it does seem that a lot of us do come to the view – taking the bad with the good – that being older has much to recommend it. It is not inevitably a difficult time.

There is much left to sample, roll around our mouths and savour. In the words of one of these women – “a fine wine aged to perfection.”

This is a cause for celebration.

Do you like being an older woman? If not, what age would you like to be? Why?

Just went you thought you shopped all the Bath & Body Works goodies during its massive Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, the company is at it again. The Bath & Body Works candle sale happens around this time every year and includes 60 percent off the fan-favorite 3-wick candles. So, if you stocked up on hand sanitizer, lotion, body gel and lotion, now’s your moment to ensure you have all the candles ready for the holiday season and beyond.

This year, the candle sale starts online on Friday, December 3 at 6 a.m. EST. This is just for a limited time while supplies last. Both Friday and Saturday, December 4, the sale is in-store. If you’re somewhere you feel safe shopping IRL (don’t forget your mask!) head out this weekend. Many stores are opening early (some as early as 7 a.m.!) to give you time and space to shop. Otherwise, plan to grab some of the 150+ candles on Friday.

Here’s the great news: all 3-Wick Candles will be $10.25. That’s almost 60 percent off holiday favorites including The Perfect Christmas and Fresh Balsam, as well as 45 new candles like Pure Wonder. Plus, best-selling fragrances launch in 3-Wick Candles, such as Japanese Cherry Blossom, A Thousand Wishes and In the Stars. You’ll also be able to pick up some spring-ready candles as you dream of warmer days ahead.

Get started with some of our favorites below!

Bath & Body Works.

Cranberry Pear Bellini 3-Wick Candle – $15.25 Off

With pear nectar, red cranberries, apricot and blackcurrant.

Bath & Body Works.

Champagne Toast 3-Wick Candle – $15.25 Off

With champagne, berries and sweet orange.

Bath & Body Works.

Fresh Balsam 3-Wick Candle – $15.25 Off

With woodland balsam, eucalyptus, fir branches and cedarwood.