Tamra Judge’s Black Lace Trim Cami on Instagram

Real Housewives of Orange County Instagram Fashion 2021

In the caption of this Instagram post featuring her with Fernanda (remember her?!) and Braunwyn, Tamra Judge asks “Name one thing we all have in common.” And while we’ll leave it up to the fans to answer that, we definitely know what we’ll all be having in common after this blog post…her black lace trim cami. 

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her Lulus Cami in Black or White

Click Here to Shop Her Steve Madden Wedges

Photo: @TamraJudge

Originally posted at: Tamra Judge’s Black Lace Trim Cami

My first car was a 1973 Pontiac Firebird, candy apple red with a white roof and a black interior. My father gave it to me for Christmas in 1972 as a reward for my pending college graduation the following May.

The vehicle became my passport to freedom.

After graduation, I loaded all my worldly possessions into the Firebird: a blue metal trunk full of clothes, a few boxes of books and term papers and my $25 guitar from Sears. I inserted a Carly Simon cartridge into the car’s eight-track tape player and drove away from the University of Idaho with the idealistic enthusiasm of a 21-year-old woman who had no debt, no boyfriend and no job. I felt liberated.

As I drove, I sang along with Carly Simon’s song “Anticipation.” These are the good old days. A few hours later, I switched the tape to Elton John and warbled my best “Rocket Man.” And I think it’s going to be a long, long time. By the time “Your Song” played, I was vocalizing with full projection worthy of a small-town variety show. How wonderful life is while you’re in the world! Singing aloud in my car is a habit I’ve never broken, much to the chagrin of passengers and other drivers.

A Full-Time Job Kind of Car

Reality brought my Firebird freedom days to an end. I started a full-time job, got married and had to part with my car. My husband and I made a total of $1,000 a month so we bought a sensible Mercury Comet and shared it getting to and from work. It was brown. I was blue.

After a year, it was apparent that we needed two cars. A friend sold us a rusted, 1970 Ford F-150 pickup truck, but it was a good deal. I drove it to work and parked in a distant lot and walked so no one could see it. Though it had a gear shift, there was no frantic lovemaking on its frayed, faded bench. It didn’t have a radio or tape player so I sang sad songs, out of tune and out of luck.

As careers and salaries improved, we upgraded our means of transportation and bought a used, maroon Chevy Chevelle that I proudly drove to work and parked in front of my office. Unfortunately, a hit-and-run driver damaged it in the parking lot, so I traded it for a bright yellow Volkswagen Super Beetle that was easier to park. The interior became too small after I got pregnant and could barely wedge my burgeoning body behind the wheel. The next upgrade brought a new white Pontiac Phoenix – with a car seat.

Family Car and a Total Loss

After the second child, it was necessary to purchase a full-sized Ford Bronco because we needed the extra cargo space for family stuff: football uniforms, dance costumes, crates of Girl Scout cookies and assorted baskets of clothing that remained unsorted. I drove the Bronco to work until the cost of gas equaled our family grocery bill. It was time to trade again to a maroon Lincoln Continental. It was used and had numerous mechanical problems, but I had arrived because I was driving a Lincoln.

Near my 40th birthday, I fell in love with a new, white Pontiac Grand Prix touring car with all the latest gadgets, buttons and accessories. I happily drove it for six months until an irresponsible punk ran a stop sign and smashed into me. I woke up in the hospital with a broken collar bone, cracked ribs, bruised legs and a serious whiplash injury to the back of my head. The uninsured loser wasn’t injured and skipped town. The car was a total loss.

Cars for Safety and Security

My next car was a sturdy, safe Jeep, and I drove it with the serious focus of a military officer. Being in a bad car accident tempered the impetuous enthusiasm I once had for driving. Now that the kids are grown and gone my vehicle of choice is a sturdy SUV. I’ve used it hauling boxes through various moves, taking my mother and her wheelchair to doctor’s appointments, peddling my books and chaperoning my grandkids on playdates.

Every now and then, when traffic is light, the roads are clear, and the weather is perfect, I’ll turn on some music from the 70s and take a long drive. I’ll remember that feisty college graduate who was eager for the open highway and didn’t have a care in the world. When the Beatles begin their Let It Be album, I’ll sing along and marvel at the splendid journey. But still they lead me back to the long winding road.

Do you remember your first car? How have your vehicles changed over the years? Do you think you will ever go without a car? Do you remember when you children got their first car? Please share in the comments.

Madison LeCroy’s Tortoise Sunglasses on Instastories

Southern Charm Instagram Fashion 2021

Madison LeCroy’s tortoise sunglasses that we saw her pair with a very businesswoman-special outfit on Instastories (what’s in the binder?!) are super classy and chic. Andddd lucky for us still in stock, so scroll on down below so you too can wear them like a true boss.

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop her Gucci Sunglasses

Click Here to Shop Additional Stock 

Click Here to Shop them in Black

Click Here to Shop Additional Stock in Tortoise or Black

Photo & Info: @Madison.LeCroy

Originally posted at: Madison LeCroy’s Tortoise Sunglasses

I am lucky enough to live with a loved one – nothing to be taken for granted as we age. Additionally, we still share a bed. Problem is, as you get older, comfort during your sleep time seems increasingly vital. As a result, sharing a bed can be both a blessing and a curse.

Perhaps obvious, is the solution to spend many hundreds, or thousands, on a newer adjustable bed allowing for personal comfort calculations on each side (such as Sleep Number beds).

But that is not for everyone’s pocketbook. Further, I’m not comfortable on any type of memory foam. It’s a true gift for many who find it fantastic, but I can’t share their enthusiasm. I find it hot in summer and not the type of support I prefer. How about other solutions?

How Europe Does Bedding Differently

People say travel is a great teacher; I’m living proof. I learned two things about bedding while traveling in Europe; one of interest only to people owning unusual mattresses. We happen to have a European mattress combining box-spring and mattress in one. It’s getting older but I love the firmness and it remains in perfect condition.

Once upon a time, finding sheets for it was a hassle. For years, I used water-bed sheets. As the trend toward water-beds declined (oh, thank you) the sheets became harder to find.

On a visit to Scandinavia, I had one of those “V8-slap-your-head-duh” moments. You were supposed to use a pillow-top mattress on it (your choice thin-to-thick) and tuck your sheets under it. No wonder Ikea sells so many. On a second continental trip, I discovered a more versatile concept. Some hotels in Prague and Germany used queen or king beds but with separate, individual duvets on top. We enjoyed it.

Upon coming home, I arranged a plan – one fitted sheet underneath as usual, but 2 twin sized top sheets. They must be folded a bit due to our queen vs. king size bed, with separate twin blankets. As I wasn’t prepared to shell out for a whole new comforter set, I simply used my current one as top decoration.

What’s the advantage? When I am hot at night, I can push the bedding away. When he is cold, he can burrow tightly into the blanket. When I twist and turn, I feel free from guilt since I’m not bothering someone else’s sleep. Not perfect, but a good improvement for us. It is perhaps a tiny bit harder in the snuggling department, but that’s way less time than the sleep realm.

One day, when I am flush with cash or totally bored of making the bed with fancy duvet and decorative pillows, I might go further. I may opt for the simple hotel room style of separate comforters and a narrow coverlet at the foot bringing the look together.

Firming Up the Mattress vs. Sleep Number Beds

Regarding other comfort, I hate to even whisper one old trick of firming up a mattress. But there will be old-timers out there who immediately think of it, so I do want to acknowledge its practicality. If you like your old, yet perfectly respectable, mattress but would like more firmness, there is the timeworn and trite trick of placing a piece of plywood under it.

This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Still, it’s less costly and sometimes the sheet of plywood under half of the pad is the answer for the couple who is not satisfied with the same mattress. Analogy? As the old cowboy pot used over the fire to brew chicory coffee is to the lovely cappuccino home station; so is the partial plywood to a Sleep Number bed. The quality may be worlds apart, but both work.

Related: Best mattresses for seniors

Dilemmas Can Arise Between Sleeping Partners

The mattress is firm, and one sleeper likes it that way; the other is uncomfortable, losing sleep and developing shoulder or hip pain. But the purchase of an expensive, automated bed is out of the question. That is what happened to Donald and Sylvia, two patients I still remember.

Surprisingly, while you might guess a reversed scenario, Sylvia, the one losing sleep and making complaints of “sleeping on bricks,” was quite heavy, whereas Donald was thin by any standards.

They had purchased their mattress just several months earlier – mostly for Sylvia. Now she was feeling guilty about her complaints, especially considering the mattress’ price.

Most manufacturers provide a “grace” period to decide if the feel is right for you, but it took Sylvia a few months to understand what was “happening to her.” And many people are timid about returning a mattress; too much like returning their underwear. In addition to that, bringing a mattress into your house (or out) is always a bit disruptive and hard work.

I made inquiries about her sleeping positions, and she wasn’t doing anything dreadful. On her next visit complaints persisted. I suggested experimentation – buy a twin size “egg-carton” foam pad for her side of the king bed, as well as a full-size body pillow.

Well, she never bought, or needed, the pillow because the foam pad did the trick. Sylvia’s pain was gone, she was sleeping “better than ever” and her husband got to keep the mattress that he loved. They were both happy together again – at least when they were sleeping.

Getting Creative when Sharing a Bed

Another tip for accommodating varying comfort levels is more expensive. Simply use two twin beds together as a king. This assumes purchasing both new, but it conveniently allows partners to pick their own comfort – a real luxury. For another small expense ($15 at Bed, Bath & Beyond) you can buy a “king-twin bridge,” which does exactly what you would imagine: it brings the beds together.

One warning – some of these seem flimsy, don’t stay in place or sink between the mattresses, but still they do the trick. Wider ones are more helpful. If you have the bedroom space for this king alternative, at least it will keep you both happy and close.

As in the old Turtle’s song (remember them?), I am particularly lucky in the “happy together” department. But even I get cranky if I am uncomfortable or losing sleep. I wonder how many other people could improve their happiness quotient simply by making a few changes to their bed – where they spend a good deal of their life.

Do you sleep well? Do you have a brand of mattress that you love? How have you compromised between two people’s preferences? Please share your experiences in the comments.