Another Year - Yippie!

 I love birthdays. I love when you look at the calendar or now your phone and you see your date. It has always made me feel special, like the day was meant for me. I guess it is and well -maybe all the other people with your birthday.

I have been lucky enough to make it for another revolution around the sun. Hello 66. Medicare and Social Security payments all done for a year now. That was a process and a half!

Every now and then you experience one that kind of makes you notice the aging process. 25 was one. I know - you were NOT expecting that one were you? I think 25 kind of hit me that I was not a college kid anymore, but a married woman teaching school. I also agreed to teach 9th grade girls in Sunday School that year and they thought of me as older. 30 did not phase me, but 32 did. I realized I was the same age as my dad when he died and I looked at my children and thought about how hard it must have been for him to lay there with cancer and know he would not be there for me to grow up. 32 was perhaps the age that messed with me most, but what came out of it was to never think of aging as anything other than a blessing!

 Along came 65. Physically, I  think I have felt this one the most. I think it seemed overnight that I had a big change in my energy level. I simply can't do what I once did. I have had to slow my roll and pace the tasks. I also noticed a physical change in my appearance. It seems the wrinkles are just suddenly very noticeable. I have never been on to whine about aging. Aging is a true gift and I think we should set an example for the younger crowd of aging gracefully. Goodness knows the world is full of everyone trying to tuck and cream there way to everlasting beauty.

Now let's talk about beauty. I don't think getting old means you lose your beauty. It just looks different. I think Ali McGraw is perhaps one of the most beautiful older ladies I have ever seen. She hasn't followed the Hollywood way. In my opinion, she has aged gracefully.

I have a whole Pinterest page devoted to cute hairstyles and cuts with gray hair. I let mine go gray at age 41. I had enough of that coloring thing. I think it is especially hard to color your hair when you have black/brown hair. Highlights don't look like they do when you have lighter hair.

I will admit to purchasing some cream this year for my face. I have never ever been good about taking care of my skin. I woke up one morning this year and it was like those wrinkles were screaming at me. But Ali has wrinkles in that picture above and I think they are life lines.

But, I did buy me some Clinque daytime cream and some nighttime cream. Remembering to put it on was an issue at first but I getting there. 

I have worn Clinique since I was in college. In high school, I wore Maybelline mascara in the pink and green container. Most of you girls in your 60's know it. I also wore Cover Girl blush pictured below.

That blush was amazing. 

I started wearing Clinique in college and other than my small stint in the late 80's with Beauty Control after having my colors done I have stuck with it. You can see from my little dish above I have tried several other blushes trying to get one with less harsh chemicals, but for now that Clinque Chubby Stick is my absolute favorite blush. It is most like that old Cover Girl one. On the tray are some A'del and Ilia colors. I like both, but Clinque is still my favorite.

I had my colors done in 1986 and honestly I have stuck to that pretty much my whole life. I can tell those colors work best for me. Below is the page from the book of my colors.

Here are my spring summer tops and you can see many are true to my colors.

When I wear things from the color palette I am brighter in the face. I have a very dark complexion in my face which....

has made wearing foundation my hardest piece of the puzzle. I have had good skin. Other than the wrinkles it is still good skin, but I feel awful in foundation so I have pretty much accepted that and it is a rare occasion that I put it on. I keep a little extra items in the drawer.

Below is the color palette for the face. This is where Clinique comes to my aid as well. 

I have given up their eye shadows (well I do still have some in my drawer). I find they are beautiful but make my eyes itch after the days lingers on.

Way more about aging that you thought you were getting - huh?!

I still think walking is perhaps the best exercise out there. I went out to the beach in the morning after picking up Valerie on my birthday. The water was like a blue green pool. I wanted to stay, so...

I went back later that day for a beach walk.

My favorite place doing what I love to do...strolling in the water's edge.

The family all came over on Sunday to celebrate. Jeff made jambalaya and picked up pastries from the local French bakery that is honestly too good for my good. 

I am so blessed. Lindsay took mine and Jeff's picture.

In accepting that I am always critical of my photos I am going to do better about posting them.

Here's to 66 and being grateful for another year. 

Maybe I need to figure out which foundation Ali McGraw wears and I will be set. All that said, I rarely wear anything on a daily basis. Perks of retirement. I will pop on blush and lipstick for a run to the grocery store.

Gracefully and gratefully aging,

Sandy