Taylor Ann Green’s Pink One Shoulder Top and Maxi Skirt at Venita and Madison’s Birthday Party

Southern Charm Season 8 Episode 5 Fashion

Taylor Ann Green looked very pretty in pink at Venita and Madison’s birthday party on Southern Charm in her pink one shoulder top and maxi skirt. And while she may no longer be part of a set IRL, at least she still has this one that’s the perfect match.

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her SWF Top on Sale

Click Here to See Her SWF Skirt (She removed the drawstring)

Originally posted at: Taylor Ann Green’s Pink One Shoulder Top and Maxi Skirt

Venita Aspen’s Pink Ruffle Confessional Dress on Southern Charm

Southern Charm Season 8 Fashion

Venita Aspen totally understood the assignment with the pink ruffle dress she wears in her Southern Charm confessionals this season. And while we unfortunately only get to see her in half of the lewk, fortunately we did manage to find it for you guys for almost half off. 

Fashionably,

Faryn

Also Seen on Emily Simpson in Turquoise:

Click Here to Shop Her PatBo Dress on Sale

Click Here For Additional Stock

Originally posted at: Venita Aspen’s Pink Ruffle Confessional Dress

It all starts with a baby. A sweet helpless and very loved bundle of not-yet-known-but-absolutely-expected joy. You held that baby and felt the excitement of a new human presence in your life. A grandchild!

Perhaps this feels not that long ago.

And then that baby began to develop. He or she began to crawl and then stand up and toddle (if that is the word for what a toddler does).

And talk. And become a person with a personality, interests, a strength of will – and all the time bringing even more love into your life.

That adorable child grew some more, and, with luck, you had a lot of fun in the park or just talking and teaching him or her all sorts of things about the world.

It was delightful. You re-lived the pleasures of having small children in the house. Each week – or even each day – you heard about what they were doing, their ups and downs, their development.

I found this stage so interesting that I wrote a whole book about it.

Well, you know the rest.

There was more growing – and before you could say “sweet-sixteen-and-never-been-kissed,” you found yourself with a teenager.

Perhaps more than one.

The Teenage Years

Teenagers can be adorable. They can be easy-going, cooperative, easy to please and always polite.

But they aren’t usually any of these things.

It happens slowly. You first learn about the problems from one of their parents ­– your son or daughter.

They tell you about the grumpiness, the talking back, the contrariness, the confusions. Ah yes, you think, I remember it well. Only the last time, it was your own child, perhaps the very person telling you about it all. Or a sibling.

You are much more sympathetic now. You reassure them that it is just a stage – an annoying one, of course, but it won’t last.

And then the grandchild in question visits you. That eager nine- or 10-year-old is suddenly taller than you, scruffily dressed and altogether awkward.

If it is a boy, there are signs of a growing moustache. If it is a girl, there is probably some make-up.

It feels like another person altogether, albeit with some familiarity. You know this person, but you don’t know him or her so well. There are definitely changes.

You need to find new ways of relating to them.

The Good News

Well, you may remember dealing with teenage offspring with less than positive thoughts, but in fact it is entirely different with grandchildren.

Their need to expand, to argue, to find themselves through a constant contrariness does not extend to you. These attitudes are primarily directed to their parents – and sometimes their teachers.

You are the good guy, the port in the storm – and they have no wish to lose your favour. They come to you to display their new achievements with pride, while being cossetted at the same time.

In other words, your home is the place to relax from all the pressures elsewhere.

And, therefore, relating to them is not so hard at all. You may not like their hair. Or the nose stud or worse.

Or the sloppy way of talking – perhaps too quiet, perhaps too loud. Or the words you don’t have a clue what they mean.

But if you can overlook these matters as a temporary aberration, you will find the same loving children underneath. They may even become more polite to you.

And Even Better News

And unless you are very unlucky, you may see the growing signs of the adults they are to become. Their personalities are becoming clearer, emerging from the slightly blurry images from their childhood into much more delineated pictures.

Such personalities may be of any type, of course. Perhaps he or she is funny. Perhaps they are athletic. Or musical. Or academic. Or withdrawn, which is always difficult.

They may be becoming interested in some issues, and you can talk about them. Perhaps they like movies and you can talk about that. Or politics. Or something else altogether.

It can be really interesting to see these different personalities and interests at their formative stage. You may even be able to help them somehow.

Perhaps he likes to cook – you could show him a new recipe. Or she likes to sew – you can show her a new stitch. Or they have some fascination or other. You might know someone who could talk to them about it.

That is the beginning of a long-term friendship with a growing adult. And it is that adult that they have been building up to all the time.

A real pleasure.

Do you have teenage grandchildren? Do you talk to them? What interests them the most? What do you find fascinating about them?

Naomie Olindo’s Black Square Sunglasses at Venita and Madison’s Birthday Party

Southern Charm Season 8 Episode 5 Fashion

We are happy to report that Naomie Olindo’s black square sunglasses that she’s been wearing this season on Southern Charm have been finally found. And have of course been linked down below for all of us birds of a feather to flock shop together. 

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her Chimi Sunglasses in Black or Tortoise

Click Here For Additional Stock

Click Here For Info on Her Dress

Originally posted at: Naomie Olindo’s Black Square Sunglasses

One question that many people ask themselves as they get a little older is, “Who will care for me when I’m old?” People with children do not want to be a burden – and they didn’t have a family for the sake of being taken care of later in life. But, in a sense, children still are a good insurance policy.

Recently, in a LinkedIn group, this concern was shared, “I am not a caregiver, but I am a senior citizen and wonder who would care for me if I took critically ill?” Some of us chose not to have children, while for others it just didn’t happen. Our work or pets take their place. But, unfortunately, our jobs or cats cannot help us out in case of an emergency or if we become ill.

Do We Need a New Way of Looking at Elderly Care?

Family caregivers are the mainstay of elderly care and long-term care services in America today. Both my parents relied on me – and, their parents depended on them.

In fact, a recent study by AARP found that 11.6% of women aged 80 to 84 were childless as of 2010. At the same time, the caregiver support fraction was about seven potential caregivers for every person over the age of 80. But by 2030, that fraction will decline to four to one. By 2050, it’s expected to fall to three to one.

Simply put, the supply of adult children caregivers will not keep up with the growing demand for elderly assistance.

What Can We Do If We Don’t Have Children to Step Up?

Single people living alone have more to worry about than just growing frail. What happens if we develop a form of dementia, have knee or hip surgery, or break a limb? My sisters and I face this dilemma and so do many of our friends and family. Many of us fall into one of the following categories:

• Never married
• Never remarried
• Widowed
• Children live far away or none at all

If This Describes You, Here Are Some Suggestions

• Adopt a (trusted) family that lives nearby and assign part of your will to them (get advice from an elder law attorney first).
• Negotiate long-term care with your nieces and nephews.
• Live in a joint household of trusted “extended” family members and friends and share the care.
• Find an elder law attorney who specializes in chronic care advocacy.
• Get a will, a living will, or other advance directive, a health care proxy, power of attorney and consider long-term care insurance.
• Set up your social connectedness with transportation, have a purpose, get a hobby, eat healthy, make friends, attend church, join a support group, and join a senior center.
• Get prepared and learn the long-term care costs in your area.

The Following Support Groups and Organizations May Also be Able to Help

• Family Caregiver Alliance, caregiver.org, (800) 445-8106
• National Family Caregivers Association, nfcacares.org, (800) 896-3650
• Share, sharecancersupport.org, (866) 891-2392
• CancerCare, cancercare.org, (800) 813-4673

These suggestions require due diligence and the advice of an attorney. That said, I encourage you to make preparations now for your later years and communicate your wishes to your family or support team. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to get everything organized. The good news is that proper planning can help you live many more years with dignity and in relative safety.

Are you or someone you know the primary caretaker for a loved one? What has your experience been? What advice would you give to someone who is taking on a caretaker role for the first time? Please join in the discussion!