Beyond Words

“Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to shop.”

It will be here in a matter of days and I don’t mean Thanksgiving Day.  I’m talkin Black Friday.

Surprisingly, according the National Retail Federation, Thanksgiving Day may now be the biggest bargain-shopping day of the year.  Of the 247 million Americans who shopped for deals over Thanksgiving last year, 30 percent shopped on Turkey Day itself…more than on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or any other day of the year.  Now that is downright flawed!

Although I have never gone shopping on the infamous day after Thanksgiving and never plan to,  I think the quote at the beginning of this blog is true, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to shop at expensive stores.  I remember reading somewhere that if you shop at flea markets and resale stores, you know no one else will be wearing the same thing you do.

Great tip, right?  Here are just a few more valuable shopping tips for those of you brave (or crazy?!) enough to head out to the malls, boutiques, and clothing stores of any kind anytime between Thursday and Saturday.

1.  I am a big believer in spending more on bags and shoes then on clothes.  You will probably keep and wear those classic pumps or riding boots and designer bag way longer then you will wear those moto boots and animal print leggings.  For clothing, shop at less expensive stores, especially for the season’s trendier items.  As Karl Lagerfeld says, “Trendy is the last stage before tacky.”
2. When considering purchasing something, think of three things you already own that you can wear with it.
3. Also, ask yourself if you can live without the item, if you’ll wear it only once or twice, and if you already own something very similar to it.  Only if the answer is “no” to all three should you buy it.
4. Limit your shopping venture to two hours, after which experts say your productivity starts to fall and you’ll be more apt to make hasty purchases you may later regret.  (Due to crowds and number of bargains, this may be difficult to do on Black Friday, but it’s something to always keep in mind.)
5. Always, always, always check the store’s return policy.  This is especially true around the holidays, when retailers often change their return policies.
6. Speaking of return policies, a good idea is to return anything you’ve purchased but haven’t worn within the return date.
7. Consider downloading the Coupon Sherpa app (free on iTunes) for coupons that can be scanned on your smartphone at retailers nationwide.
8. Sign up to receive emails from your favorite retailers and websites so you can be among the first to receive sale notices and coupons.
9. When shopping on-line, always click on the “sale” page, where great bargains can be found.
10. If you’re looking for a one-time special event outfit, consider sites like Rent the Runway where you can rent a dress and save money doing so.

I also like what “The Classy Woman” blog recently posted abut shopping:

“One notable difference between Europeans and Americans is that they live in a less ‘throw away’ society and tend to buy quality over quantity.  They’ll save up and buy one really great well-made dress, bed sheets, set of dishes, or pair of shoes vs. several of inferior quality.  In the end, they buy less and avoid filling their homes with meaningless junk.  The pieces also last over the long run.  Less is truly more.”

I couldn’t agree more, even though I do tend to “collect” things.

So, happy shopping my friends.   Let me know if you come across any great bargains.  Me?  I’ll be watching football and maybe catching the new Princess Di movie starring Naomi Watts.  Now she was a lady who knew how to shop and shop well!

When it comes to Thanksgiving, nothing comes between me and my pumpkin pie!  I LOVE pumpkin pie.  It’s my favorite pie in all the universe and I can eat it anytime of the year.  My daughter Kristen, on the other hand loves pecan pie.  Me, not so much.  My husband isn’t a big sweet eater at all, but will have a little of everything.  What is your favorite?

A new survey reveals that I am not alone in my pumpkin pie obsession.  Here are the most popular go-to Thanksgiving pies ranked according to how many people said they were their faves:

Pumpkin – 50 percent

Pecan – 27 percent

Apple – 20 percent

So what do these choices say about you, the voters?  According to “The Tasteful Life,” a lot!

If pumpkin pie is your favorite, you are nostalgic and a traditionalist.  (yep, that’s me!)

Pecan pie lovers like the simple things in life and are seekers of love.

Apple?  You’re all-American and predictable.  You are probably also the healthier one of the pie bunch.

This got me thinking.  What about the rest of the food at the Thanksgiving table?  Do they also say something about us?  Yeppers.  “The Gloss” found that your favorite Turkey Day dish is also revealing!

If the bird on the plate is your favorite Thanksgiving food, you are probably strong, honest, and reliable.  You are also probably a traditionalist and a true friend.

Those who dive right into the stuffing (or dressing as some call it) love to laugh and are fun and lively.  They are most likely the life of a Thanksgiving Day party.  (this one’s my fave!)

Mashed potato lovers tend to be a bit sophisticated and reserved, but if the mood strikes them, they loosen up and tend to enjoy life to the fullest.

Crazy over cranberries?  Then you are more than likely nostalgic and are the one adult who doesn’t mind sitting at the kids table.

If the green beans get you, you are hands down the health nut of the bunch.  Who would pick something healthy on the one day everyone is allowed not to?!

So what are you?   Do your choices match the personality described?

Whatever your liking, as we all do our shopping, plan our Thanksgiving meals, and cook ‘til we’re turkeyed-out, let’s also focus on what ingredients are really important in the recipe for life.

“Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work, hope, fidelity, kindness, rest, prayer, and one well-selected solution.  Add one teaspoon of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkle of play, and a heaping cup of good humor.”  Author Unknown

Photo courtesy Susie Davis

How to Observe Thanksgiving

Count your blessings instead of your crosses

Count your gains instead of your losses

Count your joys instead of your woes

Count your friends instead of your foes

Count your smiles instead of your tears

Count your courage instead of your fears

Count your full years instead of your lean

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean

Count your health instead of your wealth

Count on God instead of yourself

“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.”  Eric Hoffer

“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude.  Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness.  Thankfulness may consist merely of words.  Gratitude is shown in acts.”  Henri Frederic Amiel

Okay I’ve had it.  I’ve had it with Christmas taking over Thanksgiving’s important November role:  that of holiday to be treasured not trumped.

I LOVE Thanksgiving.  I love the food, I love the football, I love the family and friends, and I love fall.  I hate that people are already putting up Christmas trees and Christmas lights.  Don’t get me wrong, I also love Christmas, but there’s a time and a place for everything.  And a month.

October is for Halloween.

November is for Thanksgiving.

December is for Christmas.

The holidays shouldn’t mix and match.  It’s just wrong to be serving your turkey and dressing as you turn on the lights of your Christmas tree.  I know many of you disagree with me and countless of you have maybe already begun your Christmas decoration deluge.  It’s bad enough that retail America starts with the Christmas stuff in October, but it’s not the Christmas season yet!

Thanksgiving is very important.  Giving thanks and being grateful always is, so devoting an entire day to doing so should not be overshadowed by any other holiday or event…including the dreaded Black Friday.

For those of you who don’t know or have forgotten its origins, the very first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims in answer to their prayers for an end to the drought so they would have food.   Those same pilgrims worked side-by-side with their new neighbors, Native American Indians, in a show of ultimate acceptance and teamwork.  These are important moments in our nation’s history and deserve to be saluted…all by themselves.

So please, do us all a favor and put away your lights and ornaments for just one more week.  Let’s all give Thanksgiving the holiday and the honor it deserves.

Agree or disagree?  Please let me know your thoughts on this.

Happy Friday everyone!

Everywhere you look it seems like there’s some new anti-aging product or system. Debbie Boone sings about the “Lifestyle Lift” and star after star appears tighter and stranger by the minute. What gives?

Artist Nickolay Lamm recently created a true-to-real-life Barbie mock-up that looks like this:

I’ve seen other examples of what Barbie would look like today if she aged appropriately.  I think she looks great!

I will admit I was born with good skin. Some people are born with smarts, pretty legs, or gorgeous eyes. I got good skin. My mom has better skin then women half her age and so do both of my sisters. None of us, however, have ever spent loads of money on expensive skin care products. To this day, my mom still uses plain ole cold cream and until recently I used Avon eye cream and night cream. I now use a fabulous product called Nerium (let me know if you want more info on how you can purchase it) once a day (at night) and I really don’t use sunblock except when at the beach, on a boat, or out in the sun for a prolonged amount of time. I do live by the rule of washing my face before bedtime, but I also occasionally slip up. What do I use for that? Neutrogena make-up remover wipes. Seriously.

Two new products on the market that you may have heard or read about are “CC Creams” and “BB Creams.” Every brand – from Clinique to Cover Girl – offers them, but what in the world are they? CC Cream is basically skin care and make-up in one product and BB Cream, or “beauty balms,” combines moisturizer, foundation, and sunscreen in one. That’s it! Pretty simple, right? Then why all the fuss about them? To get you to buy them!

I’m not one to look to Hollywood for skin and aging advice, but I recently saw an interview with actress Olivia Wilde (who is gore-gee-us!) and was not only impressed by how smart and level-headed she is, but that she gets it. Don’t take my word for it, take hers.  In a recent article she wrote for “Glamour” magazine, Wilde admitted being baffled by women who chose to “cut their faces.” Ouch, that sounds callous, but when you think about it, that’s really what so many are literally doing.

“I am saddened and grossed out by women who look like creepy, old aliens because of their new Barbie noses and lips,” writes Wilde. “A better approach: take care of yourself, drink water, sleep eight hours, and don’t go within 400 feet of a tanning booth.”

Wilde is right. We’ve all seen them and you don’t need to look far for examples of cosmetic surgeries gone wrong or gone too far. For every Demi Moore, Angelina Jolie, Blake Lively or Jennifer Aniston there is a Tara Reid, Madonna, and Nancy Pelosi.

I submit Exhibit A, B, C,  and D:

What’s so frustrating to me is that all of these women were good looking to begin with…some stunning.  Why do they CHOOSE to do this?  I often wonder, don’t they have friends who can and should tell them, “enough!” What doctor on earth would agree to do this to a person? What ever happened to aging gracefully? Why can’t one accept who they are and how they look?  The questions are endless.

It doesn’t have to be as drastic as those above to look unnatural. Huge giant fake teeth (veneers or otherwise) are a dead give-way, as are the ever-present “shine” and puffiness that often accompany injections. Rarely do you see someone who’s had “work done” and think they look that way naturally. As Sheryl Crow once said, “I can always tell when people have had plastic surgery.” Call me crazy, but I don’t think that’s the intent.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m aware that many a cosmetic surgery can be considered medically necessary, such as breast reductions and eye lid lifting, but come on, the eyes of a 20-year-old on a 50-year-old? No one is buying it honey and no one is saying, “Wow, she looks great for her age!” Nope, they are saying, “Wow, she’s had work done.”

I know there are many who disagree with me and many of them are friends and family who I adore and love.  As I’ve always said, I’d rather take a trip then go under the knife.  I guess we’ll all  just have to agree to disagree.  But, I think we can all agree with classic beauty Audrey Hepburn who said, “For attractive lips, speak kind words. For lovely eyes, see the good in people.”

It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Thank you veterans.

The popular play “Les Miserables” recently ended a month-long run in Austin. I didn’t see it this time around but I have seen it before. I also just last week DVR’d the recent movie that earned three Oscars. Many of you have probably seen both, but how many of you know that the age-old story is actually deeply rooted in Catholicism?

A recent article by Christian Gonzalez describes how the book, musical and movie all have a great deal of Catholic symbolism, which is amazing considering the fact that author Victor Hugo didn’t always agree with the Catholic Church.

Still, at the central core of the story are the concepts of love, charity, forgiveness, redemption, salvation, and hope. Kinda sounds like the Beatitudes to me. As all of us who have faith believe, as miserable and wretched as life can be at times, there is always hope. Such is the plot of “Les Mis.”

In his “Catholic Spirit” article, Gonzalez notes that the book version of “Les Mis” is said to be the second-most read book after the bible and that everything from pro-life to the Catholic altar can be found in its pages.

In the musical depiction, the Bishop of Digne is a minor character but in the book, Hugo took 100 pages to tell us about the good bishop who is pro-life and against the death penalty. In fact, as the bishop spends a night counseling a condemned man, he accompanies him to the guillotine and says, “Death belongs to God alone. By what right do men touch that unknown thing?”

Later in the story, Jean Valjean is paroled from prison and ends up at the bishop’s house, who invites him in by saying, “There is wine here to revive you. There is bread to make you strong,” an obvious reference to the Eucharist.

As the story unfolds, we learn that Valjean steals the bishop’s silver but in an act of true forgiveness, the bishop, instead of condemning the man, gives him two silver candlesticks. Throughout the rest of the film, the candlesticks are never far from Valjean and symbolically pull him out of darkness. These are reminders of candles on the altar during mass and that Jesus is the light that brings us all out of darkness.

Ultimately the bishop leads Valjean to conversion who then reinvents himself by running a glass bead making factory. In the movie, the beads are assembled into rosaries. You don’t get much more Catholic then a rosary!

Other symbolic moments include when Valjean chooses against killing Javert and instead ultimately forgives him, much like Christ forgave His executioners. In addition, if you listen closely to Javert and Valjeans’ two big solos, “Stars” and “Bring Him Home,” you will discover that both are actually prayers.

Prayer is also a central focus of the show’s grand finale, as Valjean prays for his newlywed daughter, “Take these children my Lord to thy embrace and show them grace,” and for himself, “God on high, hear my prayer. Take me now to thy care. Where you are let me be.” In his last breath, he prays, “Forgive me all my trespasses and take me to glory.”

I too want to live a life filled with hope despite the many obstacles and disappointments I face and I too ask for forgiveness and pray I am taken to glory.

Happy Friday!