Month: February 2026

Photo: @salleycarson

Style Stealers

!function(d,s,id){
var e, p = /^http:/.test(d.location) ? ‘http’ : ‘https’;
if(!d.getElementById(id)) {
e = d.createElement(s);
e.id = id;
e.src = p + ‘://widgets.rewardstyle.com/js/shopthepost.js’;
d.body.appendChild(e);
}
if(typeof window.__stp === ‘object’) if(d.readyState === ‘complete’) {
window.__stp.init();
}
}(document, ‘script’, ‘shopthepost-script’);

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Originally posted at: Salley Carson’s Sneakers and Black Puffer Coat

As I write this, I am looking at nine of my past vision boards displayed on my office wall. As a financial planner, I know that I can’t control all of what comes in life, so I try to plan for the “what ifs” to at least hope to be less stressed when some of them come my way. And I also believe the saying, “Man plans and God laughs.” So there’s that. So because of my planning nature, you may be surprised by the theme for my personal vision board this year: Go with the flow!

Vision Board Process

How do you go about making your vision board? Right or wrong, I don’t start compiling it with anything in mind. I let my subconscious mind get attracted to words, phrases, and pictures in the magazines that I am thumbing through as I visit with other women who are also working on their vision board. Some theme phrases I have on past vision boards include:

“Plan on your best year yet!”

“Enjoy time at home.”

“Celebrate everything.”

“Living the dream, one mistake at a time.”

And this year I found “Go with the flow!”

I remember creating my vision board on Zoom one year during COVID. I found it to be just as much fun. We visited and laughed and shared our boards at the end. To me the process is relaxing and full of anticipation. I let my fingers stop on pages that catch my eye, a picture that speaks to me right now or a word or a phrase. I never really know what I will end up with until I am done. So maybe I have been going with the flow more than I realized in the past.

Vision Board Science

I was curious about the science behind vision boards so I dug into it a little bit with one of my new friends, ChatGPT. The information really reinforces the value of creating vision boards. Did you know that our brains process visual information 60,000 times faster than text? Or that visualization activates the same neural pathways as real experiences, reinforcing motivation and follow-through? Wow, no wonder I have strong feelings around my vision board wall display!

I knew the research part about how goals are more likely to be achieved (33-42% more likely) when they are written and visualized. And I do consider my vision board as a goal activity, just way more fun than making a list. Plus the collage format actually reduces cognitive overload by layering several goals into one visual, according to the research.

My Year of Going with the Flow

This might sound a little unexpected coming from me, since I talk a lot about the importance of focusing on a plan and the tools for getting your financial house organized. But I have learned over time that focus and flow can actually work really well together!

My single wellness focus this year, for example, is making sure I exercise every day. Going with the flow makes it easier to adapt when my schedule shifts. So even when my usual morning walk or going to the YMCA morning ritual doesn’t happen because I have to schedule an early morning appointment, I can go with the flow and choose a different way to move my body later that day.

Sometimes that means going to the Y in the evening or taking a walk at night. Lately, when mornings are too cold, I use an exercise app at home like Down Dog yoga or Body Groove dance right in my living room whenever I can fit it into the day instead. My focus stays the same, I just go with the flow, yay!

Small Pivots

This is the same approach I use with money and organization. When you know your focus, whether that’s preparing for retirement, managing your budget, or keeping systems simple, you can make small pivots without losing momentum. If you’re thinking about choosing your own theme for the year, start with one clear statement. “My year of ___.”

• My year of getting organized.
• My year of paying attention to my money.
• My year of simplifying.
• My year of consistency.

Vision Board Bundle

Do you catch yourself saying “Who am I now? And who do I want to become next?” Perhaps a vision board is just what you need to help your mind find the answers to those questions. To help with that, and throw in a little planning in formats that let you go with the flow, I have bundled a few of my favorite tools. Check out my Women’s Wealth and Wellness Toolkit for a vision board template, money makeover checklist, and some financial planning checklists.

This year, I’m leaning into Mind and Motion by staying focused on what matters while giving myself room to adjust when life changes. That’s what going with the flow looks like in practice! How about you?

Let’s Chat:

What vision board experiences have you had? Planning or going with the flow, which do you prefer? Anything you have learned over the years to share with others? Let’s have a discussion.

Let’s start with a simple question – one most of us have never actually said out loud: 

When Did You Stop Wearing Red Lipstick?

Was it gradual? One day it just felt like “too much”? Did someone make a comment – well-meaning or otherwise – that lodged itself quietly in your mind? Or did life simply get busy, practical, serious… and red felt frivolous?

For many women 60 and over, red lipstick didn’t disappear with drama. It slipped away politely. And yet, when we see it in a store, or on another woman our age, something stirs. Curiosity. Longing. Recognition.

As a Seasonal Professional Makeup Artist with over 27 years of experience, representing Global Beauty Brands such as Estee Launder, La’ Bella Donna, L’Oréal Consumer USA “True Match,” I see things firsthand, and I can tell you for a fact: Many of my mature clients still enjoy wearing red lipstick and, when applied properly, it looks amazing. 

So if being “sexy” isn’t the goal anymore, why does red lipstick still matter?

When Sexy Stops Being the Point

Perhaps by the time we reach 60, we have (mostly) made peace with not performing. We’ve lived through the decades of being evaluated – by partners, bosses, strangers, even ourselves. At this stage of the game, we know the difference between confidence and approval.

“Sexy” can feel like a word from another era. Not wrong – just no longer central.

And yet, we still want to feel authentic. Awake. Engaged. Intentional and looking beautiful as we age. My mother just turned 80 last year and red lipstick still lights up her smile, and it’s always been her favorite lipstick color. 

Red lipstick has a way of reminding us of that.

Not in a “look at me” way, but in an “I’m still here way” and making a Bold Play! 

Who Told Us to Tone It Down?

Somewhere along the line, many women were handed a rulebook they never agreed to write.

Red is too bold.

Red draws attention.

Red is for younger women.

Red is trying too hard.

Funny how those rules rarely apply to men – or even to women under 40.

As we age, we’re often encouraged to soften, neutralize, and fade quietly into the background. Beige clothing. Subtle makeup. Low expectations. Don’t stand out. Don’t take up space.

Red lipstick breaks that unspoken contract.

It doesn’t blend. It doesn’t whisper. It doesn’t apologize for being seen. It just is as it stands out boldly in a crowd. 

The Power of Being Seen Again

One of the most surprising parts of aging isn’t the wrinkles – it’s the invisibility.

We notice it in conversations that skim past us. In stores where we’re overlooked. In the assumption that our stories are finished.

Red lipstick, in its own small but potent way, pushes back. It says, I’m right here! Not going anywhere! Not anytime soon. 

It anchors the face. It draws the eye. It says: Pay attention.

Not because we need validation – but because visibility matters. Because being present matters. Because we’re not done yet at any age. 

Red Isn’t About Youth – It’s About Aliveness

Let’s be clear: red lipstick at 60 is not about trying to look younger.

It doesn’t erase lines. It doesn’t pretend time hasn’t passed.

What it does is bring contrast, energy, and intention to the face. It says, I care how I show up in the world. 

There’s something deeply attractive about that – not in a sexual sense, but in a human one. It signals curiosity. Engagement. Vitality and life.

You don’t look younger.

You look more alive.

Wearing Red for Yourself

Here’s where the conversation gets interesting.

Ask a group of women over 60 why they wear – or don’t wear – red lipstick, and the answers are never shallow. They’re layered with memory.

“I stopped after, I retired.”

“Honestly, I never felt brave enough when I was younger.”

“I wear it now because I finally don’t care what anyone thinks.”

“My mother always told me it was vulgar.”

Red lipstick carries history. For some, wearing it again is reclamation. For others, it’s a first-time freedom.

At this age, red isn’t worn for approval. It’s worn for alignment. It feels like you or like a version of yourself you’re finally ready to meet.

A Different Kind of Sexy

Maybe sexy just needs a new definition.

At 60-plus, sexy isn’t about being desired. It’s about being self-possessed. Comfortable. Sharp. Unapologetically yourself.

It’s laughter lines and lived-in confidence. It’s knowing when to say no and when to say yes without explanation.

Red lipstick fits this version of sexy perfectly. Not flirtatious. Not performative. Just assured.

The Quiet Rebellion

In a culture that prefers older women to be discreet, red lipstick is a gentle rebellion. As a professional makeup artist, I personally love to put red lipstick, on my clients who are looking to make a statement about their self and own it. 

It doesn’t shout or seek permission. It simply exists – bold, classic, unapologetic.

Every time a woman over 60 chooses red, she’s making a small but meaningful statement: I will not disappear quietly.

And maybe that’s why it still matters.

Not because sexy is the goal – but because authenticity is. Because self-expression doesn’t expire. Because confidence doesn’t require an audience.

And because sometimes, a swipe of red is just a reminder – to yourself – that you’re still very much in the picture and the world wants to see more of you. 

Because it was never just lipstick.

It was always about the woman wearing it.  

Let’s Have a Conversation:

When was the last time you wore red lipstick? How did it make you feel? What social constructs does red lipstick break?

Click Here for Additional Stock

Photo: @lindshubbs

Style Stealers

!function(d,s,id){
var e, p = /^http:/.test(d.location) ? ‘http’ : ‘https’;
if(!d.getElementById(id)) {
e = d.createElement(s);
e.id = id;
e.src = p + ‘://widgets.rewardstyle.com/js/shopthepost.js’;
d.body.appendChild(e);
}
if(typeof window.__stp === ‘object’) if(d.readyState === ‘complete’) {
window.__stp.init();
}
}(document, ‘script’, ‘shopthepost-script’);

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Originally posted at: Lindsay Hubbard’s White Faux Fur Belted Coat

I wrote an article for Sixty and Me in 2020 entitled Don’t Be Afraid to Do Something Badly… At First. It was inspired by the boredom associated with the pandemic restrictions, resulting in having far too much idle time. A friend, also struggling with boredom, suggested the topic for the article, having encountered some resistance to trying something new at this point in her life, when we can be so complacent in our capacity and abilities. We ended up trying watercolors together and discovered, although we didn’t create a masterpiece, we did enjoy the novelty.

Discovering Answers

I haven’t thought much about that article until I came upon an interesting piece explaining that our brains record less details as we age because it disregards old patterns and familiar experiences. With less memories being recorded and stored, life can feel a little empty and mundane, with time seemingly moving along faster than ever before.

The Research on How We Engrain Memories

Adrian Bejan, scientist, researcher, renowned professor at Duke University, and author of 34 books, including Why Time Flies and Beauty Never Dies, in which he explains that part of the reason we perceive a quickening of the passage of time involves changes to the pathways through our eyes into the various parts of our brain.

As our bodies age, our receptors slow down and less of what we see is recorded. He also hypothesizes that the neuro processing centers in our brain predict experiences if they seem familiar, rather than recording them as a new memory. This results in less images being held in the memory and more of our day being labeled as already recorded. It would be like reading a normal newspaper, compared to one with 50% blank pages. We would speed past the empty pages and therefore the activity would go by more quickly.

Creating Experiences Worthy of Remembering

So, what does this mean? How do we mindfully experience our remaining life and retain memories? One way is to expand our experiences, visit new places, try new activities, learn new skills. The more we give our mind to perceive and analyze, the longer it will take to process. The more we engage, the more unique the experience, the more we explore the unknown, the fuller we fill our lives, and the deeper the engagement, the slower the time will pass.

This does not require exotic trips to far off places, it can be as simple as taking a new route to a destination without relying on our GPS, walking in a different park rather than our usual place, taking up a new hobby or enrolling in a class on an unfamiliar topic.

Single Tasking Rather Than Multi-Tasking

Our generation coined the phrase and the practice of multi-tasking, believing we could optimize our time by increasing production. The term was originally used by IBM in the mid-‘60s to describe a computer’s ability to process more than one task at a time. It was never meant to be a human function.

And the irony is we didn’t really accomplish that much more. Conversely, it resulted in more stress and less satisfaction, as we lived our lives at a pace that left us with nothing more than a blur of a memory. In order, to relish our time, we need to single-task, focusing on what is in front of us at the moment, doing it with focus and intention.

This requires being fully in the moment rather than fracturing our attention among many thoughts, tasks and distractions. This calms the mind, reduces stress and allows our brain the capacity to deeply experience where we are and what we are doing, resulting in a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction, and experiences that are more likely to be recorded as memories.

Reflecting for Retention and Including the Emotion

Another technique that can help us deepen the memories of our everyday life, is mindful reflection. It is recommended that we take a few minutes just before falling asleep to recall the highlights of our day, including acknowledging the emotions associated with what happened, as well as the details. This engrains the experience as a long-term memory while our brain slips into REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.

Our remarkable brains assign our memories into the various regions. Emotional memories are stored within the limbic system, the Amygdala and the Hippocampus, while the Cortex handles conscious experience. The Amygdala tags experiences with emotion, making emotional moments more memorable while the Hippocampus links them to context and the Prefrontal Cortex helps regulate them. By focusing on individual moments of our day, we give them more depth, diversity and a better chance of being recalled later, resulting in a richer, substantial memory that will be retained.

We can’t slow time, but we can fill it differently, make it more enriching and interesting as we live it more fully. It just takes some creativity and dedication, and to me, having a life worth remembering seems worth the effort.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What’s the most interesting thing that happened to you yesterday? What do you remember about your daily life? Do you think it’s too boring and unworthy of remembering?