DECADE OF JOY

Are you one of those people who thinks writing in a journal is really important and yet your journal entries look like:

ENTRY 1 - Jan 1, 1989 - New Journal...so motivated....pledge to be better.... the world's best journal writer.... detailed description of my day...
ENTRY 2 - Jan 3, 1989 - Rats!, was so committed and missed a day, but.....I'll be better.... less detailed description of my day...but still a success...
ENTRY 3 - Jan 4, 1989 - Yay, me! Two days in a row....feel so happy....what a great day...

ENTRY 4 - Jan 1, 2001 - Shame!!!!!.....look at how long it has been...where do I even start and what events are gone forever because I didn't capture them when they happened...five hours later and 12 years of events..., I'm almost caught up...

And it starts again.

Yeah - that's me. I totally believe in journal writing and keeping a record, but to my utter shame, like my annual resolution to budget, journaling too, lasts but a few days.

So, what follows is Entry 4; and it took me a ridiculous amount of time.

The theme for the decade of 40s is JOY. And, while there certainly have been struggles this year, I have also had a lot of fun:

Parties
Valentines/Bugsy Malone party with the kids

Hat/Tea Party with the girlies(We missed you girls who weren't with us... next year!)

Pig party for the April 1st Celebration - with Pigs in a Blanket, pig toys and books, and licorice ice cream. We're thankful for pig valves in our family.


The Australians

Trips
Mesa to see Henry and Paul and Kami and baby girl niece :) - where we ate at fun places, shopped, fed ducks and played at the park, went to Spring Training, and got me addicted to Lost.



St. Louis to see Tiana, Bror, Inj & Melanie, where we went to a Cardinals game - complete with an airport-devastating tornado, saw Abraham Lincoln's home, toured the Anheuser Busch facility, celebrated Easter (in style thanks to a very thoughtful Chris - my brother's father-in-law, who bought me and Mellie hats to keep up my Dad's tradition); and I also caught a three-month cold/cough.
Hawaii for a "Its ok that you're 40 now" relaxing vacation.


I did some "radical" things with my appearance
PINK extensions (the purple from the chocolate party turned hot pink....and had to come out).

And then, I started going shorter...

And shorter...

Until....look what happened....

Yep. I'm "that age." Glasses. So - of course, I took advantage of that opportunity and got black and whites (above) and Kate Spade's (below). Had to. (And I'm about to get some Fendi sunglasses.... its an illness, I know.... but, remember how this is the decade of JOY.)

Most importantly, I've been having a great time with my sweet family...

And, of course, I have continued to eat chocolate to my heart's content.

So - now you and my journal are all up to date.

56 – Move over bacon/Pantene...

Did you ever see the Connie Sellecca commercial for Pantene Pro-V Shampoo? (Yes, Joe – too busy…)

Well, I must confess, I coveted that “hair so healthy it shines” of her’s and thought that if Pantene was the ticket, then by golly, I was going to buy it too. So I did - for years.

I’ve since realized that having hair so healthy it shines is more to do with good genes and taking care of your hair than it is about expensive hair products. (Did I just say that? I almost believe it.)

There are some products that truly are worth the extra couple of nickles and dimes+. Moroccan Oil is one of those products. It is just the best product for healthy, shiny hair. (Sorry, Connie & Pantene.)

Try it…your hair will love it.

#56 on my list of Favorite Things is MOROCCAN OIL.

Friday Favorites - Hair of Many Colors

A few days ago, a co-worker reminded me of a Baz Luhrmann song, "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)," released in 1998 as advice to the graduating class of 99. This song is full of pretty great advice. But, other than, "be nice to your siblings," sadly, I have heeded almost none of it (lucky I graduated a few short years before 1998 and therefore cannot be held accountable for my lack of following).

For example:
-wear sunscreen (nope, almost never do)
-don't worry about the future (nope - I am a serious worrier)
-don't put up with people who are reckless with your heart (not even close)
-throw away bank statements (nope - just found some that were about 20 years old - thankfully, my sister-in-law shredded them for me)
-and... don't mess too much with your hair...

Yikes. During the last five to six years, I've changed my hair color a lot. What's important about this is not what it says about me, but which color(s) is(are) best.

Light: Medium: Or Dark: So - what say ye??

On a side note - Baz says, "Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85." Well, I am almost 40 and I do have a lot more grey hair than I did a few years ago, but, flip - 85??