Saturday, July 28, 2012

Just wanted to say hello.


I haven't been blogging too much lately.  I have a lot going on in my life, one of which is that we are moving.  After having lived in our home for 23 years, needless to say,  there is much packing to do.  We are donating a lot of clothes.  My daughter and I never throw out clothes.  She says we have to spread the love around.
I love blogging and appreciate my readers from all over the world.  I will post from time to time but not as much as usual for the month of August.  I hope to resume regular posting in September.  Have a great weekend and enjoy the rest of the summer!   xoxo elyse

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Love this photo.

via Stumbleupon and HepburnTribute.com

Chocolate shoes...yum!

There is a local store in Hewlett called Dolce Confections.  It is awesome.  You must visit it to see all that they sell.  When I was recently there having the best peanut butter yogurt ever I took some photos of beautiful chocolate shoes.   Here is a link to their site (Baskets by Expressions.)













Tuesday, July 17, 2012

How to make friends by telephone

It is so funny to look at this booklet.  Back in 1940 it was probably taken very seriously!
You may have trouble viewing the fine print.  If you do then click on the image and it should zoom in.   If you still can't view it then click here.  You will at least have a good laugh!



















Scott Steffens via Retronaut

Monday, July 16, 2012

Bunny Deana

In March I told you a little secret of mine.  My secret was that when I was younger I wanted to be a Playboy Bunny.  It was a dream of mine.  So one day I went to the Playboy Club in NYC with one of my friends who also wanted to be a Bunny.  It was amazing inside.  And there were the Bunnies walking around with the poofy tail that I wanted to proudly wear.  I never followed through with my dream because mostly I thought my father would kill me.  I regret that I didn't go ahead with it because I know how exciting that experience could  have been.

Bunny Deana

Bunny Deana

 A few months after I posted some wonderful photos of Hugh Hefner and the Bunnies I was contacted by email by a former Bunny.  How exciting!  She told me that her name is Deana so she was Bunny Deana.  Deana told me that till this day such tremendous interest exists in regard to the "Playboy Bunny."  Deana was a Playboy Bunny at the London Club from 1969 to 1972.  Deana told me that it was more exciting than I could imagine!  Deana became a Bunny in March of 1969.  Just a few months later she won the annual London "Bunny of the Year" competition.  Deana won a trip to the United States to compete in the  "International Bunny of the Year" competition.  What followed for Deana was more than exciting.  Please click on Bunny Deana's website  to read about  her incredible experience as a Playboy Bunny.
p.s. Well I never got to be a Bunny but now I can say I am friends with a former Bunny!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

In my mind I'm going to California

Tomorrow I was supposed to go on a vacation to California and it was cancelled.  Bummer!  So I started singing to myself the James Taylor song but changed the State.
In my mind I'm going to California
Can't you see the sunshine,
can't you just feel the moonshine.
And ain't it just like a friend of mine to
hit me from behind.
Yes, I'm going to California in my mind.

And here's James Taylor.......

Monday, July 9, 2012

A cute story!


Yesterday I was at the beach and I met my friend in the ladies' room.  It was extremely hot and she seemed kind of annoyed at something.  She then started telling me the funniest thing that had happened to her.  I have to share it with you.
My friend said that she started to put on her bathing suit in the morning.  It was a tankini.  She had just wore it a couple of days ago.  But when she put it on it was soooo tight.  She couldn't understand it.  Her boobs were overflowing and she was really puzzled.  Even though it felt so tight she wore it anyway.
She went to the beach with her husband.  So she was not alone.  They were sitting on the beach and she was really uncomfortable in her bathing suit.  She went to scratch her back and felt a bump.  It was the cups to her bathing suit.  She put it on backwards!!!  She was walking around on the beach with boobs in front and boobs in back and her husband didn't notice.  Maybe her husband didn't tell her because men like boobs wherever they are! Doesn't matter front or back (typical man).
When I met her she had just finished turning her top around.  She really made me laugh.  I asked her if I could post her little story.  She said "yes, but please don't use my name!"

Friday, July 6, 2012

Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye

I posted this poem last year when I found it in an issue of the "Oprah" magazine.  It had such a strong impact on me.  Right now I am going through a difficult time and I read this poem which I haven't looked at in a while and once again it had such an impact.

Kindness
Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and
     purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
it is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you every where
like a shadow or a friend.

How often do you wash your face?

Hi lovely ladies,
Thought that you might like this info that my friend sent to me.  Please tell me what you think and what your routine is for facial cleansing.  xoxo






By Harvard Health Letter


Q. I wash my face very little because I have heard soaps, no matter
how mild, dry out the skin. What do you think — what should I wash my
face with?
A. Most facial skin is quite sturdy and stands up to repetitive trauma
very well. It has many pores and heals quickly and well after injury.
But as time passes, the effects of chronic exposure to the environment
become evident. The skin thins and becomes less elastic and a bit more
porous. Other effects of chronologic aging and cumulative photodamage
include freckling, subtle changes in the lines of expression, and fine
lines and wrinkles. We get concerned about the appearance of "aging,"
so the question arises about what is the best way to clean the face.
Excessive cleansing of the skin with soap and water or solvents can
interfere with the barrier function of the skin, leading to redness
and dryness. However, it's a problem that usually affects the hands,
not the face, and people who are exposed to water frequently or who
wash their hands often for work, such as surgeons and nurses and
bartenders — as well as the occasional person who is obsessed with
cleanliness. Washing your face, even if you do it fairly often,
shouldn't cause a problem unless you have an underlying disorder, such
as eczema (atopic dermatitis).

Still, it's a good idea to be a little more careful about what you
wash your face with. Washing with just water is usually not sufficient
because dirt sticks to the skin. Besides, many people need a cleanser
of some kind because they have oily skin resulting from active
sebaceous glands.
Using regular soap is fine in many cases. Chemically, soap is either a
sodium or potassium salt (salt in the sense of being a compound
consisting of an acid and a base), and the two most common varieties
these days are sodium tallowate and sodium cocoate. Soap is alkaline
(it has a pH of 9 to 10), so it can be irritating even to normal skin,
which tends to be slightly acidic (with a pH of 5.6 to 5.8). Synthetic
soaps — often identified on the package as being "soap-free" — are a
better choice for some because the pH is closer to that of normal
skin. The synthetic products are definitely worth a try if your skin
is reacting badly to regular soap.
Facial scrubs that clean and remove the outer layer of skin
(exfoliate) are okay, but I've seen many patients who use them too
enthusiastically, so their skin gets irritated. The same is true of
rough washcloths and loofahs. And regardless of the type of soap you
use, or how you use it, it's best to use warm, not hot, water.
Some people do go through life without using soap on their faces. My
mother-in-law would break a vitamin E capsule into a jar of Pond's
Cold Cream and clean her face with that mixture, never soap, and she
had wonderful looking skin well into her 90s. Of course, some people
are blessed with great skin. How they take care of it may have little
to do with its appearance.
There's no end to the myths, folktales, and marketing ploys about
proper skin care, especially as it concerns the face. It's good, hard
facts that are in short supply.
— Kenneth Arndt, M.D.
SkinCare Physicians, Chestnut Hill, MA


© 2012, PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLGE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.


p.s. Thank you Andee Leeds for sending me this great article.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

A safe and inexpensive tan

 Hi lovely ladies,
When I was younger I would love to be tan.  I would slather baby oil and Ban de Soleil (the orange gel one) all over my body and bake for hours.  I loved the smell of Coppertone suntan lotion.  It meant summer and the beach.  I couldn't wait to see my tan lines.  I loved it!  We did not know how damaging the sun could be.  I wish that we did know because then today I (we) would have younger looking skin.  I would put oil on the back of my hands and lay with my arms straight so my hands would get dark.  Well, you know now that I am regretting that.
I love the feeling of the warm sun on my body but know that I must not bake anymore.  I still see people my age at the beach with their faces pointed up to the sun for hours.  Well I won't do that anymore but I do like to look like I have a little color, especially on my legs.  The best product that I have found is Tan Towels .  The only problem is that they are costly.  You only get five applications in a box that costs $24.  A while back I was browsing the web and found this home-made recipe for self-tanning.   I haven't tried it yet but it sounds easy, cost effective and it is supposed to work.  See below...........


                     

This technique is so easy, you won’t be-leaf it.

Required time: About 30-40 minutes Skill level: Goof-proof


Ingredients: 4 black tea bags 2 cups boiling water Sponge or spray bottle


Optional: Body lotion Pure cocoa powder


Instructions: When water has boiled, add the tea bags to steep. Leave in for 10-15 minutes, or until tea is dark and cool enough to touch.


In the meantime, take a shower to ensure your skin is oil- and sweat-free. Afterwards, make sure skin is completely dry.


Stand on something you don’t mind getting dirty. If using a sponge, drench it in the tea and wipe all over your body. If using a spray bottle, fill it with tea and spray evenly. Let skin air-dry and apply another coat for a deeper shade.



Tea will stain clothes if wet, so make sure you’re all dry before dressing. The “tan” should last 3-4 days.


Optional: For bonus color, mix cocoa powder into body lotion until you reach desired color and apply for an all-over bronzing boost.

Ladies,  would you try this?  I think that I will.  The price is right!



Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy 4th!!!

These are some pics that I took over the past few weeks.  Have a great July 4th!  
















This pic I did not take.  I don't know where I found it.  Maybe Pinterest.



Clothing pics taken at Singer 22 .
Cookies and tins taken at Kitchen Kabaret .
Flag taken at Peter's Clam Bar.