the sunday brief | spring essentials
spring essentials
good morning, ladies! the sun is shining and blue skies prevail today – two very important spring essentials. who doesn’t love this time of year when the earth renews and florals abound. even if you’re not fond of patterns when it comes to your clothes add a pair of floral earrings instead. or a floral bracelet. jewelry is an easy way to update your wardrobe and add personality.
today, we’re taking a look at the blog posts that resonated with you in April. this blog is dedicated to aging with grace, strength, and beauty. while outfits of the day will always be featured there are so many topics to discuss. health and wellness and self-care are a favorite of mine. in the past i’ve written on the importance of sleep, sharing healthy recipes, or how to stay fit after 50. entertaining has always been a passion of mine as well as books – don’t forget we’re discussing The Midnight Library at book club with Style on Monday, April 26th 7pm. and, since i am a widow i understand first hand how to deal with the loss of a spouse. there are several posts i’ve written that address grief.
now that i’m single i’ll share more content on how to travel alone or dining alone at restaurants. nope, i’m not gonna sit on my thumbs and miss out on life. of course, i love to go out with friends and family but that’s not always an option and i have to figure out how to go it alone. so stay tuned! in the meantime drop a note in the comments on the topics that interest YOU my lovely readers. enquiring minds want to know!
shopping on a budget
this mini-series was a rousing success! y’all love a bargain as much as i do. an entire week was devoted to the Scoop line from Walmart. yes, i will do my best to feature other brands. in the past, i’ve shopped at JCPenney and Target so we’ll see what i come up with!
shopping on a budget black blazer
shopping on a budget midi dress
shopping on a budget boyfriend blazer
accessories
if i’ve said it once i’ve said it a thousand times accessories make or break your outfit. and, they add personality and pizazz. last week i shared how to accessorize 1 outfit 3 ways.
spring makeup and skincare
if you are like me you’ve been obsessed with makeup and skincare since a teenager. but if you’ve never thought twice about your skincare routine it’s never too late to start taking care of your skin. so many advances have been made just in the last ten years! it’s a privilege to represent our age group especially when our demographic has long been overlooked! but i’ve have had the distinct pleasure to partner with beauty powerhouses Estée Lauder and L’Oreal the past year. and y’all love Hair Biology as much as i do. praise the Lord, brands are slowly but surely taking note of women of a certain age. who remembers the Helen Reddy song “i am woman hear me roar.” well, over fifty women are not invisible and we’re making our voices heard. am i right?!
spring makeup and skincare roundup for mature women
meet Marlene
since i love entertaining and love a stylish home as much as a stylish outfit i was thrilled to introduce Marlene known as MMK to the blog. Marlene is now a weekly contributor to add grace and style to our lives. if you haven’t had the chance stop by and say hello!
resort wear
rounding out your favorite blog posts in April was all about resort wear! yes, we’re getting vaccinated and on the move once again. my mini-vacay at the Ritz Carlton Reynolds at Lake Oconee was just what i needed. next month i head to Tybee for a week at the beach! can’t wait.
first call for spring resort wear
top ten reader favorites
Scoop Double Breasted Black Blazer
Scoop Faux Leather Moto Jacket
Age Perfect Blurring Face Primer
Im so thrilled to hear about traveling solo. I too am a widow of 7 years and have taken 2 trips to Alaska alone. I look forward to reading your advice. I need a vacation!!
Alaska is on my bucket list! i think we all deserve a year-long vacation thanks to Covid… but I’ll take a freshly styled ‘do’
and visiting my local nail salon.
Sure I’m not the only 1 that LOVES the way you style clothes! BUT I need some help from you since I have a LOT of tops,bottoms & jackets & I want to just ‘shop my closet’ instead of buying new items so should I start with a jacket to assemble an outfit? What do you do?
well, i always start with where i’m going. what’s the occasion? lunch with the girls? workday? then i focus
on the weather. my Mom and i loved shopping our closets whether for our home or our outfits.
thanks for the suggestion.
So glad I found your blog about a month ago – maybe this woman of a “certain age” can finally acquire some style!! Thank you so much for all your knowledge, style and fun you add to my life!
i so appreciate you being here! it’s never too late or too early to focus on every aspect of style.
welcome!
Hi Beth! I love your blog. The fashions and lifestyle have hit a cord with me. I lost my husband a few months before the Pandemic. During lock down, we were all in the same boat, but as things open up I need to navigate life solo and I can’t wait for your take on it all. You have been a tremendous support during this time for me and for that I am very grateful. God Bless you!
we can do this, Sangita! maybe this isn’t the life we once had it’s up to us to write the next chapter. thanks so much for being here.
I love your blog!!!
All of your topics are interesting to me!!
Thanks for sharing!!!
😊
I appreciate your honesty about being a single person and needing to sometimes dine out or travel alone. I became single at 40 and didn’t remarry for 15 years. Along the way I became a very content single person, but it definitely took some figuring out. Something that I will always remember is visiting a single friend and seeing a framed quote in her house that said, “I AM living happily every after.” That really helped me! Love your website!
thanks for sharing! the single life does take some figuring out especially when you were part of a team for so long. life throws curveballs any chance it
gets but it’s always about getting up to bat again. and I’ll keep slugging away. thanks for being here!
Topic idea:
1. Transition from work to retirement wardrobe
2. Transition from office wear to work from home wear.
3. Weekly feature of lower price point garment.
Thanks for your consideration!
thanks for the suggestions.
I’m going to Florida in early May and have noticed that you are wearing white – pants etc. Growing up in the Northeast, I learned that white was not to be worn until after Memorial Day and only until Labor Day. What are the rules down South?
well, those old rules have been forgotten especially in Florida so feel free to wear white!
Beth, I love all your topics. Fashion and otherwise. You are an interesting person and express yourself well. Personally, I am very interested in hearing about traveling solo. Although I’m married over 30 years, I sometimes travel and sightsee on my own. I’m not bothered by it but would enjoy any tips you may offer a woman traveling and sightseeing solo. Thank you!
thanks for the suggestion. and thanks for being here.
Beth, I would appreciate any tips on dining alone and traveling alone.
I have been a widow for eight years and sadly I’m not comfortable with either of those.
Other aspects of my life are just fine.
Thank you. I so enjoy your posts.
thanks for the suggestion, Jan! it isn’t easy going out alone so i’ll see what i come up with. stay tuned!
I too became a widow a year and a half ago after 54 years of marriage. I have traveled and dined with my sister but would love ideas about traveling/dining alone. Love the idea of shopping from my closet. Ester Lauder is my “go to” face makeup. “Oribe” for my hair. Keep up the good work.
thanks so much, june! i will definitely follow up with a post on traveling and dining solo. stay tuned!
I’m 42, married for almost 17 years, and have an 8 year old, but since my teens I’ve often (in my early – mid 20’s) or occasionally (when m y daughter was very little) eaten alone. While it’s not what I’d want to do every time – yay girlfriends! – I’ve always really enjoyed it.
My tip is to go to a nice restaurant but sit at the bar, and always have a book or magazine with you. Magazines are actually perfect because you don’t need to use one of your hands to keep it open to the right page. So a book if you’re just having a drink, magazine if having food. Order a drink, appetizer and dessert, or a full meal, chat with the bartender a little (if it is not packed, the bartenders have more time for a little chit-chat than the wait staff do, plus that is more of the bar vibe too I’ve found), maybe strike up a conversation with the person closest to you too. But I’m generally grateful for the opportunity to enjoy a cocktail and read in peace!
i love to eat at the bar! and that’s an easy way to dine alone and enjoy a cocktail! thanks for sharing.
Please do a post showing an outfit that DOESN’T work and tell us why. Thanks!!!