Seven Things I Learned at the Belmont Stakes (In No Particular Order)

Although I grew up minutes away from the Belmont Racetrack, I’d never been inside until yesterday. I joined Oldest Niece, her friends and my daughter as we celebrated my niece’s birthday, at her request, at the Belmont Stakes horse race.

It was quite the education:

Our History as Seen Through a Mall

The silly season is fast approaching, in spite of current events and stagnant wages. One nearby shopping center is a testament to resilience.

Mindful Shopping This Holiday Season

I recently read that Recreational Equipment Inc. is encouraging their customers to go play outside on Black Friday. They’re not even opening their stores, but rather paying their employees to go out in the fresh air. What a great idea: after the day to celebrate the bountiful harvest by eating ourselves into a stupor, we work some of it off. Of course it would be REI who leads the charge; they are one of a handful of chain stores devoted to outdoor pursuits.

A Weekend of Treats

Ah Sunday night after a weekend of treats!

Age versus Purging: Enjoying the Collections of Pretty Stuff

Aging is slow and fast and each change hits like a ton of bricks.

In my head I’m around 35, maybe forty. But at 35  and 40 I was supporting a family, commuting to the City from leafier suburbs. Like many mothers, I was always “on,” constantly addressing responsibilities and warding off exhaustion.

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The wedding was beautiful and heartfelt and I know that this couple will make it.

It’s sad that in the weeks preceding, I thought frequently of the people who would be most critical of me. That’s been life; anything I did was cause for gossip. I knew that attending alone, sans escort, would mean (to them) that I couldn’t get a date. That wearing stylish clothes would make me look stupid and frumpy clothes would make me look, well, frumpy. And heaven forbid I use big words!

My Style: Trim Nails as a Show of Strength

I was a nail biter.

You wouldn’t know it to look at me, with trim, tidy nails in a usually understated color. But I was a skittish, nailbiting kid who kept up the habit through adulthood. When my teenaged daughter wanted nice nails for events like proms and sweet sixteens, I gladly paid. It occurred to me that I deserved just as nice but rarely spent the time or money on my own extravagances.

In 2006 I made the decision to no longer be that nervous kid and start treating myself as I wanted to be treated. After wearing tips for about a year I pretty much broke the habit and stopped wearing the fake nails. I learned how to do them myself, although not nearly as professionally as they do in the nail salons. It’s like I made up for lost time, buying more nail polish than I could ever use.

Stylish You!

It was a record-breaking four degrees Fahrenheit when I left for work on Tuesday. How do you dress appropriately and dodge hypothermia at the same time?

Sometimes, you don’t. I wore enough layers for my quarter-mile walk to the subway, and covered everything with a brown down-filled coat. The office was chilly; I suppose it’s impossible to keep a building toasty in that weather. Thank goodness for my cute old, chunky long white sweater!

So what is style? It’s partially dressing appropriately for the occasion, in this case, really cold weather. It’s having enough self-respect to wear the clothes that work best for you and fit you well. It’s the confidence to wear what you find attractive and comfortable. Like a cozy cardigan!