I did it with my paintings….

…and for a long time, I did it with my clothes. But when I let my hair go grey, my choice in clothes shifted to black and white.

My closet overflowed with black and white. I realized that I was only wearing clothes that would compliment my grey hair and my changing skin color.

I think I made it work. I adore charcoal grey. I always made sure that it was not the same color as my hair.

I feel the same way about whites. My best color is that bright whiter than white, white.

Black? I know it’s great with grey hair but is it too somber? I grew to prefer navy to black and I now revel in pattern, too. I used to think it didn’t work with grey hair, but I love it.

I decided to be even more adventurous and began looking for more pattern and more color. I’ve always looked for outrageous colors in my accessories. My shoemaker loved working on my shoes because they were always so out there. I often bought them in the colors that no one else would buy.

What fun the search has been! Seeking out vibrant accessories, bracelets, purses, and scarves to accent what I was wearing.

These explorations have also led me to wearing bold, bright and adventurous lipsticks. I’m obsessed with orange in my lipstick these days.

Have you tried any of them?

Whether it’s lipstick or clothing, I try not to wear boring.

So what I’ve learned is not to worry about color charts or rules.

Look in the mirror.

Do you like the way you look?

If you like it, if it makes you happy, go for it.

If not now, when?

There’s more delightful color information on CindyHatterslydesign.com and Jennifer’s Awellstyledlife.com blogs today.

Here are some other valuable resources which can help you with your makeup and clothing choices.

Trinny of London How to Build Color on Youtube Love her creativity.

Susan of Unfemme.net gets a color and style reset from Red Leopard. It’s fascinating watching Susan discover what colors work and don’t work on her. Including style tips.

I think I have denim in my blood. It’s not because I am descended from some obscure weaver in the 17th century who produced the textile in the French city of Nîmes under the name “sergé de Nîmes”. No, my link to this sturdy cotton lies nearly 1800 miles to the east, to the Ukraine of Russia.

My mother and my father both escaped from Russia around 1917. They came to America through Galveston, Texas. At the time immigrants were generally not welcome in the U.S. and particularly not on the East Coast. So, if you wanted to come to America, and if you were smart, you went to the West Coast. But my parents’ odyssey is a story for another time.

This is about my uncles –– two brothers from my father’s family and one from my mother’s, who came to San Francisco, hoping to earn enough money to bring twenty-five members of their families to America. And why not, as, they had been assured that the streets were paved in gold.

Unfortunately, upon their arrival they discovered the streets were not precious metal but cobble stones and earning a living was very grueling, complicated by the brothers’ inability to speak English. But, they preserved, working at what ever menial jobs they could find:. selling fruit, newspapers, milk, anything that allowed these teenage boys to earn a few dollars. But , it was taking them a long time to accumulate any significant amount of money, certainly no where near enough to bring their families to the U.S.

Somehow, they heard that there were business opportunities in Hermosillo, Mexico. So, the young brothers adventurously packed up and traveled south of the border.

They soon opened a dry goods store, called, “Las Tres BBB” –– The Three Bs –– which stood for “Bueno, Benito, Barato” –– Good, Pretty, Cheap.

Becoming astute businessmen, it wasn’t long before they noticed that most of the local townsfolk wore overalls and jeans made of denim.

They also learned that the rebel general, Pancho Villa needed denim uniforms for his army. They immediately saw an opportunity to make and sell even more clothing.

But, first they needed to learn how to make patterns and then to select and buy the right machines to cut and sew them. One of my uncles heard about machines that could do this work faster and cheaper. They were made and sold by the Eastern Machine Company in San Francisco. After a discussion at the factory, he was taken to meet Levi Strauss of blue jeans fame.

Mr. Strauss took a liking to my uncle and trained him how to make patterns and to use the machines. A machine was purchased, shipped to Hermosillo and the three B’s was in the clothing manufacturing business. The store did well and soon there was enough money to bring all twenty-five family members from Russia to Mexico.

So, denim and chambray have a long and important history in my family and I have always been attracted to them, almost subconsciously. I even decorated my infant son’s room in denim, including denim comforters. Today, I love wearing denim and chambray with a high-low sensibility.

My chambray shirt from Target at a great price $19.99, worn four ways with bold necklaces, velvet pants, tights, fancy track pants and checkered pants.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Denim may or may not be in my blood, but it sure is in my closet!

But wait. There’s more fun. Cindy Hattersly of CindyHatterslyDesign and Jennifer of AWellstyledLife have their take on Chambray also. There are women with great style and taste. I know you’ll enjoy what they have to say. So just click on the links, grab coffee, tea or wine and enjoy yourselves.

The reality is that you need makeup with your gray hair.

Other wise you can fade into the woodwork. Makeup gurus say, when you get older you should wear less makeup. Really? I disagree. It takes a village to get me out the door.

At a certain age, your features kind of lose definition and you need some makeup help to bring out your features. Less hair in your eyebrows? Eye lashes suddenly gone or shorter? Lips lined? Eyes lined? Cheeks sagging? It’s not the end of the world, because some solutions are waiting for you on YouTube, IGTV, at Target, Ulta, Sephora, and even your local drugstore. There are tons of products and tutorials out there just waiting to be discovered.

I’ve become more interested in what can help perk me up visually. It’s not that I was ever indifferent to my appearance, but…well, let me share a moment of insight.

Recently, during sheltering because of COVID-19, I decided to create some makeup and skincare video recordings. After figuring out what I was going to talk about, I walked into the family room not wearing my pajamas for a change, but with a stylish top, makeup on and ready to record. My husband took one look at me and said. “Boy, you really clean up well!” I hadn’t realized that I had not put on any makeup for weeks, so his comment was a real wake up call.

So, here’s what I figured out: My face shows my years. I have age spots, veins, scars from cancer surgeries and biopsies. Not to mention a whole road map of lumps and bumps from just living my life for 79 years!

Let's start with the hardest thing to get right. I always seem to be searching for the Holy Grail of foundations. You need a good one or a tinted moisturizer, to smooth out the look of your skin and to give you a beautiful canvas to work on,

One of the biggest challenges is to find the right color because it can make all the difference in the world. There are some valuable tips in these articles which will help you tell if your skin is warm, cool or neutral. Before I located this information, I was buying the wrong color and hated the way every foundation looked on me.

So, here are some foundations that work well on me: La Mer in the color Shell, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, in 12 Beige Rose and my latest, Esteé Lauder Futurist Hydra Rescue SPF 45.

I found out about Futurist Rescue when I was doing an Instagram Live with Hannah Martin who was the makeup artist for both Kate Middleton’s and Princess Eugenie’s weddings. She was also Bobbi Brown’s senior makeup artist for Great Britain and Ireland. I love her makeup videos on Youtube. I think my favorite is watching her make up her mother-in-law, a woman of a certain age. Something we can all relate to, can’t we?

You can learn what products she used by clicking on the Show More link under her description of the video.

I asked her what foundation she would recommend for older skin. She gently corrected me and suggested that I call it mature skin and then said, “give Esteé Lauder Futurist a try.”

I discovered I have a cool skin tone, which means I have a lot of pink in it. Most foundations are yellow based. When I wear them I look like I”m wearing a mask. I wanted a foundation that looked like my natural skin but better. It took a lot of trial and error, but eventually I found a few that worked. They’re not the cheapest but I’m very happy with them.

The Esteé Lauder is very natural and has a tiny bit of glow. I put it on with a brush which allows my skin to look more natural. The color, Fresco, works quite well with my cool skin. I have my own way of making sure the color is correct., It’s called the Sitting-in-the-Car-Color-Seal-of-Approval. I sit in the car in shaded light and if it looks good in the car mirror, then it’s a go!

Blush and bronzer are also important to add color and vibrance to your skin. As an artist and a painter, I love collecting colors and I have ton of brushes. My favorite blushes these days are Nars Orgasm and Bobbi Brown Pretty Coral. My bronzer is either Dior’s Soft Sunlight Bronzer, even though I hate its container–– It has broken at least 3 times and they won’t replace it. My other favorite bronzer is Armani Sun Fabric 100. I like them because they can be applied lightly.

My tip for applying bronzer and blush is to use a large, fluffy brush. The one I use is a powder brush by Real Techniques. I put them both on whisper soft and then blend them. I really smush them around with a Sephora brush #55 so that I can’t see any edges. It should look seamless, natural and light.

And of course, eyebrows are important as they are the frame for your face. I go to work on mine after finishing my foundation. I use either Senna’s Ash powder or Sephora’s Retractable Brow Pencil in 05 Neutral Grey Brown, and then comb through the eyebrows with Glossier’s Boy Brow either in Brown or Blond. This way I cover all the little hairs on my brows. I need every one of them.

Next, I use Nars Eyelid Tinted Primer. I love that it removes any discoloration on my lids and makes my eye shadow last longer.

Many years ago, Pablo, the world- famous makeup artist, told me that I should always use lavender on my eyes. I use variations of it.. Here are the palettes I like –– Laura Mericer’s Artist Palette. I just discovered it’s been discontinued but I’’m listing it because you may be able to find it. Tarte’s Tarlette Amazonian Clay Matte Palette, or Dior’s 002 Cool Neutrals.

For the crevices under my eyes, and the dark spots on the side of my nose next to my eyes, I use Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque. I use Judith August’s The Everything Pencil in Pure Beige on the white flat scar on my forehead. It’s a wonder.

Eye liner? Fenty’s Big Truffle Eyeliner and or Sephora’s 03 Purple or Laura Mercier’s Caviar Pencil in Plum.

Mascara? L’Oreal Telescopic in Carbon Black

Concealer? I use Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Away in Fair #2

Lipstick? I go though phases. Right now, I’m using Charlotte Tilbury’s Bitch Perfect and Pillow Talk. I’m also using Dior’s Saint Germain and  Chanel’s Legende lipsticks these days.

So, personally, it’s been a case of live and learn. Figuring out this stuff just takes time and some experimenting, but if you’re like me, it’s worth it. After a certain age, a bit of effort can make all the difference.

If you’d like to see one of the makeup videos I made for Instagram IGTV, click here. Would you believe it has had over 121K views!

What has worked for you?

Any tips to share?

Any surprises?

For your viewing pleasure please visit these delightful, knowledgeable and talented women’s blogs.

Vickie Archer, Beth Djalali and our leader Cindy Hattersly

They have all joined together to bring you their collective wisdom on gray-haired beauty. They should know because they are all beautiful. I can’t wait to read their blogs and their makeup secrets. So simply click the links and you will be taken to a world of gray -haired allure.

We’re not into old newspapers or cats. It has to be something that is beautiful, unique, and catches the eye, something that tickles our individual fancies.

And if 1 is good, 5 is better and 100 is even better than that. I don’t know where this passion for collecting came from, but over time, all 3 of us have become fixated about something, be it Chinese export porcelain, lipsticks, antique jewelry, drawings and even unusual plants. I know it’s crazy but it’s who we are.

Let me give you an example. I was at the Los Angeles Museum of Art gift shop and I spotted these very colorful bracelets. I immediately bought them.

I started with 2. I then dropped one. In fact I dropped the same one a number of times. My husband would glue it together, and then I’d drop it again. But what happens if I shatter it and he can’t glue the bracelet back together again, like Humpty Dumpty? Where would I find a replacement? I didn’t know the name of the artist. I didn’t know where they came from or where they were made.

But a few years later, on a trip to the desert we went to see the latest show at the Palm Springs Museum of Art. We went into the museum store and miracle of miracles, the bracelets I’d been searching for were right in front of me. I quizzed the salesperson. It turns out that the bracelets were made of resin in Brazil by an artist named Sobral. I grabbed them.

As soon as I got home, I plopped myself down in front of my computer and googled, Sobral. Bingo! I found them on eBay. I immediately I bought more.

Then to make sure I would not miss any others, I turned on an eBay alert so that I would be notified the minute more Sobrals became available. Over time, one of the eBay stores had a sale. So I bought even more.

Yes, I know this sounds a little excessive and maybe I feel just a tiny bit guilty, but they do give me great pleasure and I wear them almost everyday.

People stop me in the street, at the market, in doctors’ offices and comment on how beautiful, unusual , and colorful they are. They’ve become such a personal trademark that when I return to some of my usual spots, people ask where me where my bracelets are.

They also want to know where I get them. I don’t mind telling them what my sources are. I don’t keep it a secret. Here’s the scoop. They can be found on the internet at eBay, etsy or Poshmark. You can also find them in free standing stores internationally. Go for it.

They’re fun, pretty and they don’t cost an arm and a leg. Enjoy!

Now, please tell me I’m not alone. You must have at least one obsession. Something you really want more of. Share your secrets in the comments. I can’t wait to hear.

This blog post is one of 9! Yes there are 9 of us woman writing about our collected sense of fashion style. I know you’ll love reading and looking at their dash and panache. It’s more relatable than Vogue magazine. You can find them by clicking on the names below. They are all grown-up woman that I always enjoy reading and perusing their sites.

Here goes:

apart from my art-sandra

classic casual home-mary ann

most lovely things-annie

northern california style-kim

rough luxe lifestyle-cindy

the age of grace-eugenia

the gardeners cottage-janet

the real golden girl-kimberly

the vintage contessa-elizabeth

Oh, and I know they’d love if you decide to follow them on their blogs and follow them on Instagram. These are great fun dames. We’re all over 50.

Let’s hear it for us all! You too.

Then as a teenager, it turned to brunette.

Over the years I wore my hair short, long, curly, straight, and everything in-between.

Somewhere around my 30th birthday, I saw some tell-tale grey strands. In those days, let’s say about 45 years ago, gray was not tolerated. We now had Clairol: Only your hairdresser knows for sure. So I was told by EVERYONE to have streaks put in. That’s how it all started. Streaks, just a few streaks, more streaks, even more streaks, until I had a head full of streaks. There was so much gray, I had to go to the hairdresser every 3 weeks for 3 hours to get my hair dyed. Not only did it take hours out of my life, it took days, it took weeks and in the end I didn’t even like the color!

I hated it. I mean you could tell I was dying my hair. Who was I fooling? There had to be another way.

I was going to go gray. I didn’t care what anyone said. And trust me everyone had an opinion and the opinion was DON’T DO IT!

Strangely enough, my epiphany started on a very snowy Christmas eve up in the mountains of Sun Valley, Idaho.

I walked into our friends’ annual Christmas party, carrying my dessert contribution for our joint dinner. I turned around and saw my dear-formerly-red-headed-friend… with gray hair. I loved it. I mean I really loved it.

Her doctors had asked her to stop dying her hair for medical reasons. I never knew her exact illness, but there she was with grey hair and it was gorgeous. Such a soft color. Her face looked radiant surrounded by the fluff of her gray hair.

That was it! I decided to let my hair go gray.

But first I asked my hairdresser about going natural. Don’t we all ask our hairdresser first? She emphatically said no, you don’t have enough gray and it will just look blah.

I asked my husband (now you must understand that my husband is the most supportive of me in anything I do or want to do) but he thought I was too young. (Yes you did, Honey!) But let it be said, he changed his mind once he realized that’s what I wanted. He was 100 percent in favor of what ever I desired. I told you he was supportive.

Now when I took the plunge, no one was gray in the whole of Los Angeles, probably, the whole West Coast. It would be like becoming a unicorn or a white rhino. I didn’t care. I loved the soft look of gray hair.

The easy part for me was that I already had short hair. But I cut it shorter. Real short, because it takes time for the gray to fully grow out. So I wore a lot of hats.

I don’t have many photos of how I looked in those days because we didn’t have an iPhone and selfies weren’t invented. But here’s a photo from a trip to Hawaii that I just found in one of our photo albums.

Here I am in the early stages of growing my hair out. Not a pretty sight. I think I look terrible, my sweet husband strongly disagrees, but he loves me.

I like my hair long. I like my hair short. But, best of all I like my hair gray.

“It is not by the gray of the hair that one knows the age of the heart.”

• Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

What about you? Are you intrigued by the idea of letting your hair go natural?

Gray hair scary?

Ready for it?

I’m happy to encourage you in whatever you want to do.

The British Spitfire is the most famous fighter plane of World War Two. It is a symbol of victory of the Royal Air Force’s defeat of the German Air Force in the summer and autumn of 1940 in the skies over England –– the Battle of Britain.

So, what in the world was I doing flying a Spitfire?

It all started because flying a Spitfire was at the top of my husband, Bob’s bucket list. His 88th birthday was coming up and that plane had been his very favorite since he had been a little boy in Pittsburgh during World War 2.

Later, whenever we would watch a movie with a Spitfire, he would rave about how beautiful the plane was.

“Isn’t that Spitfire gorgeous, Honey?”

My reply was always, “Yes, dear.”

I really couldn’t see all the finer points of the plane but as long as my husband was happy.

So, with his birthday approaching, we decided to take a trip to Britain so that he could actually fly in a Spitfire. This was going to be his thing and I was going to be very happy watching and waving at him as he flew over. But one night we were watching television and my husband found a brand new documentary about the Spitfire.

I watched it and unbelievably, I got really excited and announced to my husband that I wanted to fly a Spitfire, too. Not only that, but I wanted to fly that Spitifre over the White Cliffs of Dover. An icon of Britain.

This really surprised me because as a little girl, so many things - lock jaw, Kathy Fiscus, boogey men, you name it, scared me. I even wanted the a light on at night in my bedroom and didn’t like sleeping over at friends’ houses.

As I got older I still had anxiety. Maybe not about lock-jaw, but my throat would close up at the idea of traveling away from home. Even as recently as 15 years ago, I was afraid of taking the tram up to Mont Blanc during the summer.

But I look at life differently now. I’ve had enough medical issues at my age to know that I’m not immortal and that I need to grab the day. Carpe Diem. I now keep my hand wide open so that I can grab every adventure that comes my way. And that’s where the Spitfire came in.

So I was feeling pretty confident until that morning at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, a former key Battle of Britain RAF Station . A charming man took me into an equipment room to inform me of the safety rules. He began explaining that I had to wear a parachute and how to bail out of a Spitfire! Are you serious? There is no way I am jumping out of this plane. One of the procedures I learned is when the pilot says JUMP! JUMP! JUMP! you’re actually supposed to JUMP! I was not JUMPIMG! Once I was in that plane I was staying there, no matter how many times I heard JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!

Then, I was introduced to my pilot, a very attractive woman, Anna Luccia Walker. She really looked like a pilot. She had the aviator glasses, the olive-colored jump suit and a very stylish and patterned neck scarf.

I liked her immediately. She had style, grace and a beautiful Brazilian-English accent. I also found out that she had one of those sumptuous English country gardens with tons of roses. I knew she was the woman I wanted to fly with.

Anna suggested I wear a white scarf. I remember watching old movies where the pilots would wear long white silk scarves. Would you believe that many years ago I bought a white silk italian Fortuny scarf in Venice? I rarely wore it. I was saving it for something. But I packed that scarf, especially for this trip.

The next thing I knew it was showtime. I couldn’t believe that I was going to fly in this plane. I was very excited yet strangely relaxed. In some strange way, it was as if this was something I did every day.

Then it was 3,2,1, takeoff.

…and then we were on our way to the White Cliffs of Dover.

Then a big surprise. My pilot, Anna executed a perfect RAF victory roll over the English Channel. That’s a 360-degree turn flying up into the sky! What a hoot. (I was glad I had a very light breakfast.)

She then asked me to fly the plane by myself. REALLY? “Just keep it level,” she told me. Then she said something I didn’t really understand. I found out later that I missed her directions about looking at the dials in front of me to help keep the plane level. But flying by the seat of my pants, I kept the plane straight as an arrow and even banked to the right and the left.

Anna took over and then showed me what is called a “Pilot’s Glory”. That is when the shadow of your plane is reflected on a cloud and encircled by a rainbow. They say if you see a Pilot’s Glory, you have a guardian angel on your shoulder.

You’ve come a long way, Baby!

Do you have any unfulfilled dreams?

Is there a part of you that doesn’t face life with your hand wide open?

Can you step outside your comfort zone?

What other 79-year-old grandmother –– within the span of only 30 days –––has had one of her large paintings included in an important show at MOCA, the prestigious Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles…

…and has flown for an hour in the most famous WW II fighter aircraft, the Spitfire, over the White Cliffs of Dover?

May I please have another month like that?  Soon? Any time?

I think almost every artist dreams about being in a show at MOCA. My dream came true when I was asked to be in the new show, “With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration 1972-1985”  which will be in Los Angeles until May 11, 2020.

Then it travels to the East Coast for its opening at the Hesse Museum of Art at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY from June 27, 2020 - November 29, 2020.

Granted, I’ve had exciting things happen to me over my decades in the art world. I’ve been on the covers of art publications, featured in books and international magazines, had articles written about me and my work and received some great reviews. I’ve been very fortunate, but, somehow in spite of all that, I never expected to be in a major show curated by MOCA. 

It almost didn’t happen and here’s why. I receive a lot of emails. It’s embarrassing to admit I have 5,710 in my IN box at the moment. So, when I received an email from MOCA’s curators, I almost deleted it. I thought it was spam, but luckily, I didn’t trash it. I glanced at it, then reread it and gasped. Anna Katz, the MOCA Curator and her associate, Jessica Lowry  wanted to see my work for a future show.

Initially, Jessica came alone to my home where my studio is located. We talked and nibbled on some goodies while I explained how I created my work, from concept through execution. 

Jessica was also interested in my experience of being in the Los Angeles Pattern and Decoration show at the ARCO Center for Visual Art. ARCO, was funded by the Atlantic Richfield Company and was considered the Whitney Museum of the West Coast at one time. The curator was Fritz Faushiger who had heard about my work from Sandy Ballatore, the editor of Images and Issues, a West Coast art publication of some importance. Sandy was an enthusiastic fan of my work and unbeknownst to me, she suggested that Fritz should see my paintings. He did and that was that.  I was in. 

Here’s an excerpt from just one of the reviews. I wanted to have t-shirts with this printed on it.  Come to think of it, I still may.

Then Sandy Ballatore surprised me by featuring a detail of my painting, Blue Batik, on the cover of Images and Issues and wrote a glowing review.

But, getting back to MOCA, while I had enjoyed a lovely afternoon talking about art with Rebecca Lowry, months went by and I never  heard from her or anyone at the museum. Naturally, I was disappointed and came to the conclusion that they were simply not interested in my work. I reluctantly accepted that rejection is just a part of life in the creative world.

Eight months later, I was wading through a few hundred emails and whoa! there was another message from MOCA and this time, both Anna Katz, the Curator and Rebecca Lowry, the Assistant Curator wanted to look at my work again. To be honest, I was let down that I hadn’t heard from them and didn’t know why they were coming back unless it was for the nibbles I laid out.

But boy, was I wrong. Anna and Rebecca could not have been more appreciative and interested in my work. At the end of their visit, Anna asked if I would like to be in their show. Of course, I accepted but what really put the proverbial icing on the cake was when she quietly studied my painting again, turned to me and said, “You know, this is a masterpiece.” 

Do you enjoy art shows and museum? Have you gone to downtown Los Angeles and seen the exciting new art scene?

I was riding on a bus in Paris, looking over my shoulder for one last glimpse at Les Invalides when I caught sight of a woman peddling a bike in the middle of the street. She was wearing a leopard coat and bright fuchsia lipstick slashed across her lips, so bright that I’ve never forgotten that image.

A month ago, I was returning a very boring lipstick at the Nars store and out of the blue, that Parisian image popped into my mind. It dawned on me that it might be Nars Schiap and I decided to buy it. I asked the sales associate if he knew the story behind the color and the name. He had absolutely no idea. Age and experience paid off and I shared with him the fanciful story about how Schiaparelli Pink came to be. Elsa Sciaparellii had a couture house in Paris. She designed clothes for people such as Garbo, the Duchess of Windsor and Katherine Hepburn. She also became associated with a particular bright shade that came to be known as “Schiaparelli pink. She said that the color came from a Cartier diamond owned by her friend, Daisy Fellowes and used it on the packaging of her first fragrance.

"To me, lipstick is the best cosmetic that exists.”

~ Joan Collins

I wasn’t allowed to wear lipstick until the 9th grade. We had a dress code…full slips every day, socks worn with shoes and no makeup! Do you believe that? I was Girls’ League President, so of course I had to set a stellar example. My first lipstick? Revlon’s Persian Melon. I can’t believe I remember that name.

I’m always on the lookout for a lipstick that will give me a boost and make all the difference in the world. Magically transform me into…what? I don’t even know. I’m still searching for that illusive perfect lipstick color to make my day. I’m 78, you’d think I’d have found it by now. Right?

"There are endless ways to enhance beauty. You never know when you will find your perfect lipstick unless you keep experimenting.”

~ Pat McGrath

Let’s take a minute to also talk about lip care. I wouldn’t dream of going to bed with out putting Eau Termale Avene cold cream on my lips. Oops, they have now chanIged the name of their cold cream. It’s new name is Ccicalfate a Restorative lip cream. It’s a soft unguent cream that I bought after reading rave reviews on Amazon. I also use their Avene cold cream Lip Balm.

After using these products for a few weeks, I was surprised to discover they had actually plumped up the lines in my lips. Who knew that as you aged you’d get lines in your lips? So now I cannot be with out it. I’m not saying my lips look like Angelina Jolie or anyone 20 years younger than I am, but they certainly look…well, better. I also use Fresh Lip Balm not only for the way it feels but also because it has an SPF of 20. I’ll take SPF anyway I can get it.

“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin.

That, or a kick-ass lipstick.”

~ Gwyneth Paltrow

One day I was at Sephora with my granddaughter looking for a special color lipstick to wear to her graduation from Junior High School. I spied a Dior in a gorgeous color.. I put it on and whoa, it felt so soft, moist and colorful. Almost as though it loved my lips. It was like a pillow for my lips. Well, that started my Dior lipstick love affair. Moist, plump, gorgeous color — perfect for an older woman.

"Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together.”

~ Elizabeth Taylor

Our son recently got married. Of course immediately after he announced his pending marriage, my first thought was “What will I wear?” That’s a whole blog unto itself. But once I decided on my outfit,(Bryn Walker by the way) I knew I needed a new lipstick for this wonderful wedding. I took a photo of the jacket I decided to wear to the Dior counter at Nordstrom’s in Century City. I was fortunate to get a creative sales associate who found two perfect colors, Anitica and Bal. I wear Bal almost everyday, and the other bright one I save for weddings, evenings or when I ride a bike down the middle of the street wearing a leopard coat.

"Red lipstick is instant glamour.”

~ Charlotte Tilbury

A Few Lip Tips

• Pencil lipliner all over your lips so that when your lipstick fades there is still color to be seen.

• Enjoy the pleasure of taking a compact out of your purse and elegantly putting on lipstick.

• Ask a friend what they think of your lipstick color?

• Wear a bold color lipstick with dark glasses. Now press two fingers on your lips, then gently tap them on your cheeks and you have matching blush and lipstick. You’ll look younger and brighter for the day. Now you have matching lips and cheeks for the same cost. I got this tip from @whatkatefinds—- a very clever lady I follow on Instagram.

• Do you have cool or warm tones in your face? I have lots of pink which makes me a cool-toned person so I can wear blue-toned reds. But then again I can also wear corals. So experiment and be flexible. If it looks good, wear it.

• Your lipstick bleeds? Do what The Vintage Contessa does. She swears by Bobbie Brown Art Lip pencils. They don’t bleed.

• I tried a lip primer but would always forget to wear it. So buy one if you’re sure you’ll wear it. I used KissKiss by Guerlain, supposedly the best.

• Why do I buy all my lipsticks at department stores? When I go to Target, Ulta and CVS, I am overwhelmed with choices and I can’t try them on. Matte, shiny, satin, long lasting, sheer, or????? I have enough problems choosing my toothpaste let alone a color of lipstick.

• You might be intimated about wearing red lipstick? Check out this video from Revlon and Redbook.

• Going to exercise? Should you wear lipstick? Well, I read in Brenda Kinsel’s blog that she never leaves the house without lipstick. So this morning when I went walking, I put on lipstick, tinted SPF and eyebrows. You never know who might invite you in for a cup of coffee. Thanks, Brenda.

• Women are always asking each other what cosmetic they’d take to a desert island? My choice? Lipstick, lipstick, lipstick. And SPF of course.

  How about you? There you are, all alone on a desert island. Bikini, flip-flops and what? Do you have any lipstick stories?

  Now, to double your fun. Click on over to Cindy Hattersley blog. She came up with the delightful idea for us “women over 50” to write about our lives with lipstick.

  Also can’t wait to read what Mary Ann Pickett has to say about lipstick and the ladies. She’s another talented decorator, blogger, cook and all around talented woman.

  If you’d like to read more about my thoughts, ideas, and life with lipstick, please read my blog I’ll Wear Red Lipstick.

But there was something compelling me to go on this trip and it was the Masada. I’m not sure where this desire came from. I just knew that I had to stand on top of the Masada.

Most Jews who visit Israel want to pray at the Western Wall. I simply wanted to stand on the mountain that was Masada. I wanted to absorb the courage and resilience of my ancient ancestors and imagine, if possible, the strength and tenacity that my forebears exhibited nearly two millennia ago.

This mountain fortress was built by Herod because he feared revolt by the locals and wanted to create a location that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. The fortress had large storage facilities for food, vast cisterns for storing water and massive defensive structures. It could only be accessed by a narrow path, the Snake Path, up the 1300 foot mountain. It once boasted elaborate bedrooms and bath houses covered in mosaic tiles, a synagogue and one of the earliest and most sophisticated water systems of the time, able to collect enough water for 1,000 people to live for up to three years. (Any lessons here, LA?)

But Masada did not enter Israeli history for its design, but because of the events of 73 and 74 AD. It was then that 967 Jewish rebels who had captured the fortress at the beginning of the Roman wars fought a heroic last stand against the Roman invaders. Led by a charismatic leader, Eleazar ben Yair, these rebels and their families were able to stave off the Roman general Flavius Silva and his troops for years. It wasn’t until Flavius, using thousands of slaves, built a siege ramp which enabled his soldiers to breach the Masada walls.

Rather than be taken prisoners, the Jewish fighters drew straws to determine who would kill the members of the community after which they would kill themselves. Two women and five children hid in a cistern and survived to tell the story. They quoted Eleazar, their leader, saying, "Since we, long ago, my generous friends, resolved never to be servants to the Romans, not to any other than to God himself, who alone is the true and just Lord of mankind, the time is now come that obliges us to make that resolution true in practice."

I somehow sensed that placing my feet on this mountain would have a profound effect on me. I didn’t know what it would be. Yet.

On our first day in Jerusalem, we drove in a van to Masada with my cousin and her family. I had no idea that Jerusalem was about 2800 feet above sea level. Suddenly, we began descending from the heights of the city to the Dead Sea which is about 1,300 below sea level. My ears popped as we drove down the highway passing through the West Bank and a checkpoint manned by Israeli soldiers.

As I looked out the window, I passed a Bedouin encampment with camels, sheep, tin-roofed structures in the middle of nowhere. There were even signs alerting drivers to camel crossings.

Further down the highway was the Dead Sea and across it I could see Jordan. I never realized how close it was to Israel.

The Dead Sea was on one side and on the other, huge, barren caves appeared within towering mountains. The mountains seemed so high because we were so far below sea level.

The caves were oddly shaped and I realized they had been formed when this amazing land had once been under the sea for millennia.

These were the Qumran caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered between 1946 and 1956 by Bedouin shepherds. I was so excited that I wanted to leap out of our van and climb up to explore those sanctuaries of history. I have always been fascinated by the mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the conflict of ownership that surrounds them and the battle between warring factions of scholars.

Suddenly, I saw a huge plateau looming ahead of me. I gasped and thought, “OMG!” it really is Masada!. Towering above me was a massive, powerful mesa measuring 18 acres at the top. It took my breath away.

As I stepped out of our air-conditioned van, the blistering heat of the Judean Desert took my breath away. It was 95 degrees at the base of the Masada and it sure wasn’t going to be any cooler at the top!

I quickly made my way into the beautiful Masada Visitors Center. I was so impressed that I asked if Israel’s Cabinet had a Minister of Design!

But, Masada awaited and I happily jumped on board the air-conditioned tram.

While traveling up the mountain, we could actually see the remnants of the Roman encampment from 73 BCE below us.The encampment was preserved for thousands of years because of the extreme dryness and heat of the desert.

Yes, I’ve been to Westminster Abbey, the Coliseum in Rome, toured the Vatican, walked on Michelangelo’s steps in the Laurentian library, but somehow nothing prepared me for the emotions I felt as I approached the top of the eternal Masada.

There were mazes of structures for living, praying and cooking.

It was hard to explore everything because of the intense heat. I had been wrong earlier. It was hotter at the top. In fact, my iPhone got so hot that the screen actually went black!

How was Herod able to construct a palace high on the side of a mountain? How many slaves died creating it for him? Where did the engineering knowledge come from?

Finally, I stood on the Masada with a mixture of emotions: wonder, awe, incredulity, pride, reverence.

When I got home from Israel I became obsessed with its history. I read book after book. One of my favorites was by Alice Hoffman, The Dovekeepers. It is a fictionalized version of the story of Masada and the people who fought and died there. It’s a fascinating book that I highly recommend.

Despite being back in Los Angeles and adjusting to my every day life, I kept thinking of Israel. So I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when a few months later, when the Jewish holidays arrived, I experienced an epiphany.

I had gone to temple with my sister and her husband. At one point in the service, we were asked to stand. And as I stood, I suddenly felt that I was not merely standing in the temple at that moment, but also standing on Masada thousands of years ago. It was a visceral connection between my ancient Masada ancestors and me. I felt that the blood that had run through the veins of my people thousands of years ago was flowing within me today. They were me. I was them. It was Chayei Olam –– Eternal life.

Have you been to Israel?

Have you been to the Masada?

Have you traveled in the Middle East?

Non! I tell you. This is it. The vrais latke!

So let's get started.

We need six potatoes and two onions.

How do you prefer to peel your potatoes? Knife or peeler? I prefer the OXO Swivel Peeler. After peeling the potatoes, place them in a bowl of water so they will not discolor.

Then grate the potatoes by hand, and possibly lose the tip of a finger in the process...

...or use the grater attachment to the Cuisinart. I prefer that.

Slice the potatoes into chunks, then place them into the Cuisinart and begin grating.

After they're grated,  immediately place them in a large bowl of water.

Then drain the water.

This is really important: again place the grated potatoes into a bowl and fill with water. Repeat draining and soaking until the water is clear and there are no pinky or brownie areas of water. I also squeeze the shreds with my hands. Just keep on changing water,  letting the shreds soak and drain again. You're getting rid of all of the starch so that the pancakes will be very crisp. Don't skip this step! You may have to soak and drain three or four or more times. Just do it.

Now take the onions, chop them roughly, and place them into the Cuisinart. This is the only time I chop onions in the Cuisinart. They get too watery for other recipes, but it works for this one. Just don't chop them to mush. You want small pieces, not mush.

Then, beat two eggs together. Add 1/2 cup of flour sifted with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of Kosher Salt. Add pepper to taste. I'm not big on pepper, but maybe you are. Now, drain those potatoes really well, squeezing  as much water out of them as possible. Really get rid of that water! Now, add the egg, onion, flour, salt and pepper mixture to the potatoes and you're ready to go.

Pour about a 1/4  inch of canola oil into a heavy skillet. I mean heavy. I mean iron. Then, take a wooden spoon, place the handle top into the oil and wait for the oil to bubble around the handle. This tells you the oil is the right temperature for frying. Use this method when ever you fry. Aha, it is a trick that I learned in Italy at a cooking class with Guiliano Bugialli! Trust me, it works.

Now, the fun part. Add the potatoes, 1 tablespoon at a time, or as large as you like them, and you're good to go.

When they're brown on one side, turn them over.

Drain the pancakes on paper towels and they're ready to eat.

My husband ate one of these and proclaimed it was "a religious experience!" So enjoy!

Some people serve these with sour cream and applesauce. I eat them plain, just as I do  caviar. I want nothing to detract from the divine taste.

Since you've stuck with me so far, let me give you a little treat.

A few years ago, we shot a video about making potato pancakes as an audition for a Food Channel competition.  We never submitted it though because we discovered that the network wanted to own all rights in perpetuity.

Trust me, this is the way potato latkes (or pancakes) should be made!

We filmed it in 2004!!!!  Here’s the video:

This recipe is an adaptation of Lora Brody's recipe for potato latkes from her book "Cooking With Memories."

Here are the ingredients:

• 6 Idaho potatoes

• 2 medium onions

• 2 extra large eggs

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt

• Freshly ground pepper to taste

• Vegetable oil

Enjoy!

I’ve just slogged through re-designing my blog and web sites with the help of my brilliant, app designer and UX designer son, Matthew. I probably wasn’t his easiest client so hopefully he will consider it another creative rite of passage and a growth experience rather than one which caused him to slap the palm of his hand to his forehead. We’re not done yet. There may be a few glitches, but I wanted to get this out there. So, here we go…

Magicians work their whole lives to fool our eyes and our minds.  And it works. Especially for me. I am absolutely the perfect audience for prestidigitation.  I want to believe with every fiber of my being.

So, I was beside myself with excitement when a few weeks ago a friend of our son’s came to Los Angeles to attend the Emmy’s. He graciously invited us to join him afterwards at the world-renowned  Magic Castle in Hollywood. It’s a private club for magicians and for those who adore the miracles of sorcery and wizardry.

When we arrived at the Castle, there was a notice prohibiting taking any photos inside but thoughtfully, a special backdrop was provided for those, like us, who want to immortalize their visit to this citadel of conjuring. So here I am with my husband and son, all dressed up for an evening of legerdemain.

We entered the Castle by stepping into the foyer which was really a library, every wall filled with shelves of books about magic. 

Peeking out from amongst the hundreds of volumes of books is a miniature owl with brightly lit eyes. 

I stared unflinchingly into its glowing orbs and uttered, “Open Sesame!”  Voila, the door opened and we had gained access to the Inner Sanctum. 

Suddenly we were in a another world, a Victorian mansion with a large bar where magicians were performing. Soon, we were led upstairs to a lovely restaurant where we enjoyed a flavorful meal served by a charming, tuxedo-clad waiter.

Then we were off to explore the mysterious chambers of the Castle and its prestidigenators.

Later, we carefully navigated a narrow stairway down to the basement which contained several bars with magicians performing at each of them or in nooks nearby.

Nestled here and there are mini-theaters for more traditional magic performances. During one of them, the magician asked me to come up onto the stage to assist in his performance. Never one to miss a moment in the spotlight, I eagerly dashed to the stage.

My ulterior motive was to get close enough to try to figure out the secrets of this sorcerer’s tricks. As I stood there, I witnessed bunnies suddenly appearing out of a tiny flat bag and single birds evolving into multiple birds. I watched intently as he guessed numbers and suits of cards I held concealed. But I deduced nothing as he continued to amaze me with his slight of hand. I returned to my seat bewildered but having loved every magical moment.

Magicians at this level of professionalism usually begin studying and practicing the art when they are very young. They are often tutored by more accomplished practitioners and visit magic shops where various tricks and illusions are sold.

Their agility and skill is also the result of amazing dexterity. A glance at any magician’s hands will reveal extraordinarily fine motor skills. I also noticed that their hands are always kept slightly cupped.(I wonder why?) They also have beautiful fingers. It’s as if their fingers regularly attended an LA Fitness gym for digits.

Many famous people have also been intrigued by the magic at the Castle. People like Cary Grant, Orson Welles, Johnny Carson and Neal Patrick Harris were regular visitors. In fact Neil Patrick Harris used to be the club’s President and actually performed magic there. He was called the “Ambassador of Magic.” Katy Perry once rented the entire Castle for an evening to celebrate her birthday. Now, that’s something I would adore.

At the end of our spellbinding evening, when we were among the last guests, Georges Robert, a master of deception famous for his sleight-of-hand agreed to perform his amazing trick of bending spoons and forks in front of our eyes. He’s truly astonishing. Just click on the link Close-up Magic Highlights with George-Robert. See if you can figure it out. We certainly couldn’t!

You can enjoy some of the fun of this unique place by going to YouTube.com, search for The Magic Castle and watch videos of some of the other magicians and their tricks. Here’s one to get you started: Michael O’Brien Live at the Magic Castle

A bit of magical coincidence is that my husband, Bob went to high school with Milt Larsen, who created the Castle. In 1947, Bob and his family moved to Los Angeles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He enrolled in Los Angeles High School to begin his junior year.

Among his earliest friends was a funny and highly creative boy, Milt Larsen. Over the years, Milt became a writer, actor, performer, lyricist, magician, entrepreneur, speaker and the creator of The Magic Castle. Milt’s father, William Larsen, Sr. was a performing magician and Los Angeles defense attorney. Their mother, Geraldine, was an early TV pioneer children's entertainer known as The Magic Lady. Clearly, a lot of now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t going on in that family!

After school, Bob and Milt often walked to Milt’s home which was on a lovely section of Longwood Avenue, not far from Wilshire Boulevard on the Miracle Mile. In 1929, before the Larsens acquired the property, it was the home of magic manufacturer, Floyd Thayer. He named it “Brookledge,” a tribute to a brook that runs through the property. In 1933, he built a showroom, workshop, and theatre adjacent to his home to showcase his high quality props. It was later transformed into a private gathering place for the finest magicians from all over the world. They would often stage shows in the theater, demonstrating their latest and greatest effects to their peers.

Today, it is still a magical place, with the restored theatre, an exotic secret garden and that wonderful bridge-covered brook which still runs through the property. It is currently occupied by Milt’s niece who stages invitation-only evenings for select and fortunate aficianados.

Do you believe in magic? Have you ever been to The Magic Castle? Seen any marvelous magic shows?

The Magic Castle, when sometimes we need a little magic in our lives.

Permalink

]]>Abracadabra! The Magic CastleTravelShowbizsandraFri, 31 Aug 2018 14:00:50 +0000https://www.apartfrommyart.com/apart-from-my-art/i-went-to-israel-my-husband-went-to-our-storage-locker5b96bcab25bf02e0c973cb45:5b96c791e37049a2cc0055d1:5b96cc44e37049a2cc00ddffAristotle once said, “The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.”

That became very clear to me when I decided to take a trip to Israel with our daughter and our two grandsons.

My husband, Bob declined to join me.  He had traveled extensively all over the Middle East and wasn’t fond of the desert in the summer.

So, I suggested, in an insightful burst of Aristotelian logic, that this would be the perfect time for him to sort out our storage locker.

This was going to be quality time with my family in Israel for me.  Storage locker for him.

While I was away, it seemed like the perfect time to clear out the mountain of boxes filled with multiple film prints of the nearly  2,000 commercials he directed when he had his commercial production company.

So, in the spirit of equality, I went to the Western Wall in The Old City and my husband sorted through thousands of feet of film in a dingy cubicle.

I went to Dead Sea and my husband took reels to a company that transfers films to digital files.

I went to the Israel Museum and was mesmerized by the antiquities. My husband unearthed five of the dozens of commercials  in which I had appeared during the 1960’s when we were first married. 

Here are a few of my mini epics that Bob excavated from the depths of our ancient storage locker.

Get your popcorn  and click away.

A different time, a different me.

I had a great fun acting in commercials. I also enjoyed going to our mailbox and retrieving those residual checks!

Read how I got started in the commercial world:  "How to Succeed in Showbiz Without Really Trying - Part 2.