Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Leave transgenders alone, give it a rest ::...

Too few role models:  SOURCE

A question was posted on QUORA and I felt compelled to respond:

Why don't transgender people use the restrooms corresponding to their genitals to try and end the needless transgender bathroom controversy?

It is none of our business.

This reminds me of things we have to struggle with growing up::…. what IS our identity? What IS our moral standard? Should others have THE right to determine what is best for US?

Almost ALL of us in the age of inBETWEENers (born 1960 to 1965, neither Baby Boomers, Generation X, nor Millennials) must REMEMBER what the biggest questions of our day were? If others forgot, I can share with you: Do you or don’t you circumcise your newborn son?


SOURCE:  "Boys" by William E. Rochfort 

Remember that? I do. Is it necessary or more to do with mental well being our our son: likeness to daddy. It was something I read avidly read about because sometimes reading becomes “PEACE of MIND”. In this instance, we were RESPONSIBLE for making decisions for our children.

However, this topic should be a NONtopic because it is simply none of our business. If it is not us, nor our child, we don’t belong. I, for uniquely one, could not imagine the struggle this mere question asks ~ it is SO very judgMENTAL on so many fronts. Nor is it a practical questions. Why? Girls bathrooms in elementary school have stalls. Even at swimming pools and gym lockers: there are closed stalls.

If we don’t make a BIG deal out of this question, then the persons it affects are free to chose the best way that puts them at PEACE. To imagine what it is like to be DIFFERENT when the word itself claims: “Freak”! That is so far from the truth and requires each of us to delve deep inside our humanity humanitarianism by avoiding an opinion on what is personal and none of our business.


SOURCE:  Follow Will Rochfort on Twitter 




The worst thing you can do is underscore the misconception that there is something wrong with a transgender. Especially when each one of us have our own skeletons we hide.

SOURCE

On the practical, logical side. If a boy that identifies as a girl, looks and acts like a girl, feels more comfortable with girls, rather than boys, goes into a girls washroom, they can simply go into the bathroom stall. To say that everyone bares down to the birthday suits multiple times a day, more likely a month, or more….. there are girls that are shy and will go into the bathroom stall to change into swimsuit or gym clothes. Which one is different than the next, is for each individual to decide, not anyone else’s claim to identification.


SOURCE: Matheus Pinto

There is a solution. Certainly a priority would be to STOP talking, covering, writing, posting, chatting, murmuring about this topic as though there is something wrong with a transgender person. I repeat:  a person.  It wasn’t for them to decide who they are nor is it mine, or ours, to judge.

This viewpoint was in answer to a question posted on QUORA.com ::.. an escape to learn about what matters or what people are talking about.  Originally, I used as a sales blogging tool, now it stimulates interest on topics that one may not have the opportunity to discuss, rationally, online.  It is monitored, it avoids abuse of any kind.  It is healthy.  Good mental health.  A setting that allows you to take a stand on your viewpoint or nudge others to your point of view.  

Best of all:  a safe place to investigate your own perspective, on your own time.

Images inspire creativity and soul purpose




It occurred to me tonight, as we spring forward, that there are so many images and quotes that can inspire me.  Likely anyone for that matter.

Whether you be an insomniac like I can be so many times, or an early riser in other parts, one can enjoy peaceful solitude or united solidarity with talented people of the world, from around the world.

It should be impossible to feel lonely in this brave new world, where just about anything we do, is centered on a computer or television screens.  Our jobs, our entertainment, our creativity, our memories.

Like so many others, life is in control.  It sometimes leaves gaps on the online world when you become enveloped with warmth from real life events, family, friends.  




More often, you are in survival mode in the outside world:  juggling jobs, finances, commitments, obligations, taxes, crises, pushing dreams and goals to the bottom of the pressure broil of keeping things together, whether mentally exhausted or morale challenged.

So what do you do?  To find a release to avoid the pressure explode with stress, health ailments, energy depletion .... what can help?

Creativity can be an escape. 
Like exercise is optimum for ongoing health invigoration,  so can creativity be a great way to exorcise those demons pressing down on you from real commitments.  




Take a stroll through the universe .... online.  For images that appeal to your senses, make you smile, make you in awe.  Look for quotes that speak to you personally, that can inspire you to move on from just barely getting by to where you belong.

Your sole purpose in life makes your soul sing.  Finding images to escape to and enjoy can go a step further when merged with stimulating verses or quotes.  Be moved to create your own.  That can be creative.  That can be a release.


Be at peace every day.  Be satisfied with what you have.  Don't try to reach too far into the future so that you have lost the gift of enjoyment of today. 





It is in you to be enveloped in a positive enjoyable world.  To discover what it is will guide you to what others find similarly mirrored philosophy and talent unfolds, makes connection.



Saturday, March 4, 2017

UPPER and lower case BATTLES

Upper and lower case battles

Dear Sir or Madam:

I'm going to give you a verbal resume for your consideration as the opportunity post it online presence itself.  (Whew no red over presents but i caught it because I read things over three or four times before i hit PUBLISH anywhere, yet it snuck past Google's blogspot spell checker.   I don't think Chrome can enter through the website internal workings of Blogspot, both wonder childs of Google, the machine that keeps on chugging, and now steaming ahead in the war on Data.  Now, I'm certainly no engineer or computer designer or architect (hey, maybe I've been around one or two or more of the types ... eh?  

I keep watching the competition going on.  And, my friends, it isn't a war on drugs, political arena, money or power.  Well, perhaps it is an arm wrestle over POWER.  It all comes down to this word called "data".  No caps, a noun and strongly overtaking as a verb for what is really driving the world:  it's data.  The problem of ISIS compounded by a hundred.  Because the one thing I learned in the digital equipment business, with HP, XEROX and IKON (now swallowed up by RICOH).  

Think about the biggest most powerful companies who have survived at least 50 years in business, never afraid of evolving their identity to appear as a leader in its field.  They have all CAPS logos and identity!  They share that common denominator.  When did Apple become APPLE?  They snuck it in on us, could be a conspiracy theory?  

The sublimity of becoming an all caps logo from all lower case to one capital letter?  I wonder if anyone has figured this out?  Interesting possibilities and endless learning opportunities unfold.   Thinking of Mashable comes first into my head.  They're at the capital or uppercase M with the rest lowercase. (Thank you to Google for waking up after being asleep at the wheel on the spell checker side, I didn't know that uppercase and lowercase were singular words, I had typed at two separate words.



Imaginary soul
My imagination and creativity is my gift to the world.  I may not be the most eloquent writer or unpublished as an author.  How else could I adopt and self-title myself from optioneerJM to ThePublisher ? Yes there are MEANDERINGSabout and The INbetweeners blogs indeed in between.  Gosh, I'd typed INbetweeners so much I thought they were indeed one word.  Wrong, and wisely pointed out by Google.

Google has the ability to control the data that so many are grasping at getting so desperately.  The fight over data began when I was at HP.  We were building and decommissioning servers (wiping them completely clean) all from scratch all because DATA my friends was playing havoc with INFORMATION.  

Umbrella
Data is the is virtually in the cloud.  It is starting to be the battle on who not only can grab and house the data (have you used the Apple Cloud?  Geese, they have the in front of their name too, maybe I AM an imposter!  Thinking I'm as good or clouds away from information.

https://www.pinterest.com/optioneerjm/faceus/


Battle Ground
You could consider the faceoff or the ball toss, is between Google and Apple.  They've been cleverly gathering data about us for a very long time.  Where Google may have had the head start, Yahoo and AOL were light years ahead.  {What happened to those two pioneers?  As such happens too far frequently, where the real pioneers of a technology or a solution to a problem (because they're not always at the hands on a keyboard)}

I have had the opportunity and through training which drove my ability to launch assistance on a new business, leave behind cool ideas (mostly templates) wherever I've been.  That is one of the things I can almost guarantee.  My name remembered as a different last name, long before I shed it and the husband that went along with it.  I've been fortunate to hone my abilities with the right type of leadership support that brought out the best in me.  Sprinkle in some of the worst, easily defined as horror stories of bosses and companies I've worked for.  Yes, a few gave me a shot of developing leadership skills, when I was truly blossoming in the right role, building my team from the ground up.  Developing and sharpening an ever evolving plan.  That's kinda like me.  

Toastmaster
As they say, distinguished Area Governor, award winning President,taking a club at the bottom with struggling attendance and engagement.  The Area Governor while I was president went on to be the District Governor, or was that a VP before the District Governor.  The District Governor is like the Mayor, Premier, Prime Minister, The President (there's that capital "The" I copied here.  OOPsie, LOL.



That is why I write
The difference between the gifted and truly great orators cannot amount to anything without the write words.  That is what I found by discovery.  I guess in a nutshell I don't settle for the status quo.  There are an infinite number of people, companies, processes, operations, people, characteristics, profiles, principles, philosophy, culture, impediments to trying to accomplish just about anything.

https://www.pinterest.com/optioneerjm/faceus/


The resources
Of a given company, the resources are the thing.  They make or break a company, organization or country.  Really regardless of global location, culture, religions, they share the same obstacles.  There is this really important balance between three separate things:

* people power
* equipment and technology
* intelligence and innovation above all.

If you don't have the resources in place or minimum keeping pace with your growth, you will fail miserably.  Think about all the GREATEST of pioneers who fade into the background, a forgotten innovator.  It has to be the guy who invented SKYPE.  Without skype, people really were unable to communicate in any other way than on the phone OR a webcam but not both.  

Without SKYPE, there would be no FACETIME (Apple eh?) no SNAP CHAT, Periscope or YouTube for heaven's sake.  I may have gone off the deepend a bit here.  I guess you just found out the second most unique thing about me didn't you?  I don't like others stealing credit when it is due someone else.  


The Folklores
When is the last time we had folklores?  I know that a lot of indigenous peoples who pass down stories for generations and then the ones more unbelievable thus called folklores.  With the little brothers and sisters called rumours who don't even have hardly a blip on our radars or importance meter until they implode with cast offs from Yahoo, not realizing it was capitalizing on the lead from AOL that allowed people to type a conversation in real time.  Now we call them texts and they are as well taken for granted on all the smartphones out there along with the telecommunications world, which is another big power struggle of our time ::: which ironically gather the most revenue from being that word again:  DATA.  Well, we do have folklores. In our generation they're called MicroSoft, Apple, GE, HP, Xerox, IBM, Disney.


It all begins with a story
Every folklore has a story.  
For me, as a career I've had the knack to help launch businesses, come up with some creative ideas that solved big problems (which was rewarded because it was in a sales capacity where money talked, results won.)  If I was truthful, I would not expound upon the glories of sales glory at the highest level.  What nobody tells you in sales school, university, or college, that to be truly great in sales, you have to toughen your skin to a shell of steel because the higher you climb the more people think they want to step on you.  Or, kick you from the sidelines.

Once, I was doing some really great things, people become nervous.  I don't think they are nervous because they may be cool ideas, but they could see that I could execute on those ideas.

An Army
Some companies think they should run it like the army.  No, I've never been in the Army, but my father was highly regarded in the Canadian Armed Forces Air Force Command Center in Winnipeg.  It may have moved for all I know, but through osmosis I could see how it ran its operation.  They'd blip at me when I heard "insubordination" or "leadership command"  or "full disclosure, tattle taler society".  

https://www.pinterest.com/optioneerjm/faceus/


The Hierarchy
Some companies have tried to soften the army approach because when business is booming, which usually means economies are booming.  That, usually equates to oodles of opportunity for more sales which trickle down to net profits, executive reasonal salaries with outrageous bonuses.  Some of us do pretty well and even can thrive in a Hierarchal society, it's best to blend in and fade into the background in this climate.  Because the leaders of the top of the chain do not like to be threatened.   Not in a hierarchical society.  There still are a lot of yes sir and no ma'am in this society without the salute (unless it's the third finger salute behind the back of the hierarchical ~ geez, is this a hard word to spell or what??!!) There are clear distinctions between the haves and the have nots in this world.  There are the people that make all the money (around 10%) and then there are those that do all the work to allow the top to keep making more money (90%).  I've worked in this world the most.  It's a comfortable place to be.  It isn't necessarily THE best place to be if you like to be a creative thinker.  Can you imagine the business cases, best practices, powerpoint presentations there are in a Hierarchy company?  Well, the area you can really be creative is within the confines of those arenas:

* Business Cases
* Best Practices
* Powerpoint Presentations

If you're good at any three of those things and become outstanding, you will knock the socks off anyone who merely glimpses at your showmanship, intelligence, innovation and wanting to solve a problem.  

https://www.pinterest.com/optioneerjm/faceus/


The Narrow Path
Imagine being in the confines of processes, procedures, protocol, pretty power points, and I didn't even expound the virtues of being an excel spreadsheet whiz.  You, young man or young lady, will be going places.  Vroom vroom.  I've never been a rule breaker.  Not that I can think of too readily.  Maybe someone else can remember and enlighten me?  In any case, I will admit to being a rule:

* Pusher
* Enveloper
* Evasive
* Determined
* Focused
* Driven
* Chaser
* Dreamer

of ways to do new things in new ways.  Hardly, a spot for someone like that in a Hierarchical surroundings.  It could be almost like a tadpole or goldfish swimming in the ocean surrounded by sharks.  Very teritorial these barracudas and bastards are.  (First official swear word in print, ha! Power of NOW!)

https://www.pinterest.com/optioneerjm/faceus/


Idea Makers
Become stakeholders to their ideas.  They are driven farther and higher than the former two worlds.  Out of this pool of unique creative, techno visionaries come a lot of really great things.  Innovations we try to associate with The Jetsons.  Flying machines, just frequency in space doesn't match yet.  The only unfortunate part of this society is that egos reign supreme.  I know, you thought that attribute would live more comfortably in the Hierarchical domain.  But no, this world revolves usually one very powerful person.  I know, we usually identify with that more as a leader or dictator of a country.  Well, they live in the Idea Makers world.  They me and I one hundred times than we or third place you.  Then again, that only deviates when there is assigning blame.  



Dysfunctional
Now many of us have lived in one form of dysfunction or another.  You are delusional or a liar if you deny this.   Some demonstrate it more privately and at home, or when they're out, or at work.    Most, if not all, have had to deal hands on or hands off with dysfunction.  There are a lot of companies that are dysfunctional while sharing the common ground of The Army or by Hierarchy.   For that reason, can emerge a Dysfunctional work culture.  Or, the lack of balance between life and the way you have a roof over your head.

A few things to ponder.  If they make you think, absolutely great.  Thank you.

Me
IMAGE SOURCES: 
Images for this were taken from my "FACEUS" Board on Pinterest.  My favorite board.  There is so much intrigue captured from an expression. 

 Black and white images can exude a mood that is unique from color.  Sometimes I use a themed collection of images, instead of images or quotes related to the writings, in my blog. 

Monday, January 30, 2017

A very real book review

This was originally written on my YUPPYDOM blog from WordPress.




Good Reads

 it is .... I used to go to Amazon to look up a book that I had read, really enjoyed, and see what recommendations they suggested be explored: a new Author or a new genres.



Seriously, I would never have found my favorite author Michael Connelly if I hadn't gone through this process.  Although I did this review for John Grisham which is self-explanatory as you read it as to the why.  



Without John Grisham I would never have picked up a David Baldacci (which I think I still have a book to the right on my sidebar as a book I recommended).



You'd almost think that I'm a legalese thriller genre fanatic.  Unless you've read Connelly or Lee Child for that matter.  In any of the genres you are rooting for someone, cheering someone on against very large obstacles.  They're not always the little, downtrodden either.  



Victims of Unfairness

Maybe that is the common denominator that all the authors I enjoy share:  writing stories about overcoming failure, sadness, corruption, bad bosses, bad companies ::..... basically, so many of us deal with that every day, it is nice to read about someone else's problems for a change?



I don't think that is the reason.  However pact and simple an explanation it sounds.    It could be turned around as a perception that if you enjoy that sort of thing, you like to help people, you want to be optimistic?  How about trying that on for size?    



Similarly, I did go through a long phase of reading Steven Koontz paranormal physic benders.  Now I cringe when I pass one of his books or a suggestion or review that comes across my vision with his name on it.  Similarly to the memory still fresh of an 8-year-old Kelsey (now 22) cringing and gasping out loud: "no corn" after picking her up from the airport to return home from 2 weeks with Grandad and Grandma and corn on the cob every day.  



But there was a real reason I wrote the review.  I was trying to escape from all the BAD NEWS I've been hearing lately.  How many more people have lost their jobs at an alarming rate in the city and province where I live.  Rarely do my online and real world collide at such ferocious impact!  



If you've read more than one blog, and are not my mother (who may stop reading it AND talking to me after she sees her darling granddaughter's reaction to her visit 14 years ago that I wrote and shared with the world, who could clearly pick her out from a Grandmothers lineup for 1000s of miles around!) ... I have written before about causes I care about besides fashion, beauty, career, social media and writing .. on the milder side ... to more serious meanderings about things that I care about.



I don't believe that people want to read about anyone ranting about anything on social media.  If they are just waiting to pounce on a cause or a trending hashtag to join in with being HIP, that is their business.  That is the disappointing side of social media.



You cannot know, understand or have an opinion about anything based on 140 characters or less people!  OK, oops, that was a bit like a burp, sounding almost like a rant.  It is a very difficult exercise and mindset to stay the course on motivating, uplifting and inspiring stories when there are so many injections of rants.  I am trying VERY very hard NOT to be one of those people.  




Having a gratitude attitude is not as hard as it sounds.  Some days you have to dig deeper to find a seed of optimism.  However, if you hang on and scour everywhere to find something to be thankful about, you can surely find it.



So in a way to escape from what I live in every day, where I live, where the majority of my city earns an income directly or indirectly because of the oil industry, one cannot turn a blind eye or tune everything out when it crosses over into your chillax time.  






Our Canadian Prime Minister announced the approval of a couple of less controversial pipelines this past week.  It was about where I live, about people I care about:  my neighbors and community.  


Sound Bite
The largest, resounding quote or sound bite came from a politician in Vancouver (who I cannot remember the name and don't want to sidetrack writing to go sleuthing to fact check, so I will omit intentionally).  What was said was to the effect that after a lot of careful assessment, scientific input, community say, the pipelines have been carefully evaluated based on the risk, that the environment is very important, but so is putting people to work so that they can put food on their tables, not lose their homes, be able to afford to send their kids to school.  That had an amazing profound impact.  It was so true!



Taking care of our citizens is now.  Taking care of our world is now.  However, with all the protests, fear mongering, and I'm going to say "politic'ing" by Obama, there bodes a question:  what is more important?  Taking care of the future of our world and our indigenous people OR giving our communities back by helping people work who want to work to put food on their table, pay for the roof over their family's heads?  People working for a living can afford to buy Christmas gifts to loved ones.  People who are unemployed or underemployed (working as a security guard when they are educated and experienced as an engineer) deserve to live their lives today.  



So this is more of a squeak.  A sounding board on what others may not be thinking or saying:  what about those people who live in fear of terrorism or losing their jobs, their homes?  Without people working, they cannot buy an appliance from the guy in Canada (I will pull and comment about that at another time) who sponsors and brings 50 Syrian families (not singular, as in persons, but families as in multiples) into Canada through his own philanthropist efforts, out of pocket expense.  It was a moving and inspirational story on CBC this past week.



The guy figured out that he was lucky and helping others was a way of saying thanks and giving back.  



Why don't the rest of us just calm down, relax and sit back and think about it.  I was talking to a client this week who brought up the destruction on the BC coast from the oil spill from the EXXon disaster.  What people are NOT protesting is the fact that it was human error, not the boat, not the ship, and not a pipeline that caused the devastation.



Did you read about the rail car that went off the rails in Quebec carrying oil that exploded, devastated a community and killed too many.  One was too many.  






It makes me think more and more because I do read.  I do try to look from all the points of view.  I think of questions and I look for answers ... until I reach a stalemate where you are damned if you take the stance against the loudest voices.   Those voices only job may be that, lending voice to protest.  They were pretty quiet on behalf of Quebec.  



Then again.  I haven't heard the real reason for why the rail tanker exploded causing so much devastation.  Something tells me that it will be something similar to the person being hungover or drunk.  A grave human error.  That allows the company to have a person to point the finger at.  That allows protesters to protest about.



I'm not going to say it or will I?  How many of the people feel who lose their jobs out of fear mongering and from people joining a cause that is not done in deep rooted knowledge or belief but because they like to fight for a cause.  


 
Yes, the protesters may sleep peacefully tonight at long last.  They won.  That is like it always is.  A contest between winning and losing.  






Unfortunately, the victims in this win are the ones who have been losing all along:  losing their jobs, losing money to buy food, losing the ability to keep their homes, losing income to celebrate the Holidays, unable to afford to contribute this year for great causes like homelessness, joblessness.  Finding themselves among those they helped such a short time ago.



Here is my real book review today on Good Reads: 








I read this book when it first came out, as a devotee of John Grisham's.  His writing resonated with me  by his realistic approach to storytelling:  "believability" in the way that the characters transcend from a character to a person, for that to happen is only possible when the reader is vested in the outcome.  



I apologize for not writing a review for John Grisham until now.  He certainly has earned it and deserves it even more.



Why?  If you have read thus far and care to ask?  I am a fan of John's stories because more often than not, I can relate to them.  They make me wonder who I know that this could happen to?  Would I feel the same if I read it in the news or a friend or associate told this to me as a story, as in realistic, true story!



But I am writing this today is because true to tradition, I have John Grisham's latest novel:  "The Whistler" on my bedside table, anxiously waiting for me, who is binge reading my latest book that I had started to read before buying the Hard Cover over a week ago.  



Even more compelling is the reason for this review. Filtering the noise on Twitter, sorting through the loyal followers from the mutual admiration society, I noticed the Trending Tweet about the kibosh of the Dakota Pipeline Access from protests.  That is why I read:  to escape those crazy tweets that may be shared because it seems like the hip thing to do;  to try to censor and stifle my own reaction and thoughts.



My fingers were twitching .... so I reached deep inside to find something positive to say; which sometimes is difficult to do.  I wanted to rant back and call some "ninkomphoffs" (whatever the right spelling is) as in a tactful way of trying to say, if you have an opinion, at least be informed.



To the haven of John Grisham and Good Reads to see if I'm missing any glorious reads, like "Girl in the Train" not being discovered with out the nice coaxing by Good Reads.  Happy to note that I was on the "train" before the curve catapulted from must read into a must see movie.  That's what sets me apart, perhaps.  I like to find a really undetected, undiscovered gem of an author or book and read it.  Where I am at fault, is not sharing an opinion about it.  I will try to change that.  In fact about 4 months ago I did create a blog, never actually writing yet, even so far as a Twitter handle because I don't want to have a blog name that is not affiliated with a Twitter handle:  big author social media tip::  when you create a title for a book, ensure that you can secure a Twitter HANDLE and create a name first.  Then it will be so much easier to create an online presence.  



So, to cut to the chase, before I dash out to finish this blog on http://ift.tt/2foMtQv as it may be helpful to write to help authors on their social media marketing efforts, then repost it on my The Publisher blog ..... before kickstarting my reading review Blog :: @readingaficionado 



Reading this book called Gray Mountain opened my eyes to the plight of a community impacted by chopping off the tops of mountains to access highly profitable fossil fuels that pad the wallets of greedy corporations (that are run by executives, not real people).  Without reading this book, I would not have the depth to grasp the other side of the story:  when greed surpasses humanity.



That, in a nutshell, is what this book does.  It makes you realize that harm is caused to innocent children who are born in unfortunate surroundings.  No different if you are in the middle of war-torn Syria, or in the vicinity of progress like we saw in Rio to allow Brazil to host the past Summer Olympics, or to those in the community where a pipeline chugs along or where one is trying to be made.  



It sure sounds like a fantastic plot that neither Grisham nor Baldacci can conjure without a piece of real life, real situations and characters imagined.



an epic ZITcom


A makeover of the RED kind

I haven't appealed to my fashionista persona for a while.  Since this is my third day off in a row, I decided to do a radical makeover and share with you the steps I am taking in case it is something you want to do as well.

Today, I am going to transform from my natural "dirty blond" or light brunette hair color to an eye-popping RED.  I sure hope it turns out well.  

I asked a young gal cashier who had flaming red hair whether she thought it would suit me and she said YES!  (well, she said, with my eyes ... blush, aw shucks).  I've had two forms of temporary red color in my cabinet for quite some time.  Somewhere around Halloween, I think.

This is definitely going for the gusto.  Not something anyone timid would attempt, to be sure.  


What I look like on a "normal" day

A spa day
of a new kind.  I haven't treated myself to a self-pampered day for quite a while.  Thank you for joining me, especially if you decide to try it along with me.

The BEFORE before the after
I apologize if I've scared you.  It is necessary to do the "before" like any other makeover.  I've already forewarned my stepdaughter should the Hunkster Hubster show up on her doorstep with suitcase in tow from the shock.  Guys don't like their women reinventing themselves too often or too drastically.  




Cleansing
is a must in any ritual to keep healthy, happy skin.  Unfortunately, I've had this big zit on my cheek since just before my stepdaughter's wedding last August!  I had to pull out a lot of different concealers for the wedding photos.  I've tried to tackle it for 6 months now, in an epic ZITcom. 




A face masque
After I use the OXY pads (sounds like a home cleaning product I should be using to do chores doesn't it?)





A face mask while coloring




Ruby red
I bought Schwarzkopf's ruby red on the darker side, with my blonde, light hair color, I want to avoid it turning pink.  Also, I am keeping in mind that I have the temporary color as a back up to add later if it does go haywire during the color.  I've kept it on for 30 minutes before I shop into the shower.  (I'm nervous now).



 It's all about the base
Before I get started on any foundation or styling hair (I usually go air dry unless sprucing up for a special occasion).  I have mentioned before that I use Oil of Olay for sensitive skin, faithfully after I wash or shower.  I use coconut oil on my hair while wet to help prevent my hair from drying out from home coloring remedies.



I've discovered this RIMMEL BB Cream since my "ZITcom" erupted a month or so ago.  It gives me a smooth finish and does a fantastic job of covering up the imperfections (which are plenty once you hit 50!)

I use a QUO TM to smooth it on.  It does a decent job of it.  Even though the ZIT is still there, it is less noticeable to my eye.


The red hair doesn't look too bad.  In fact, it did turn out to be the color I expected.  My hair is thinning at the front forehead so a side part comb over helps.  You may have noticed the eyebrows are hanging on to my natural color, but I have a fix it for that.  After I use some concealer under the eyes and dotted on the zits to give a better coverage.  I seal it with a powder to avoid shine or smear marks.  It helps to set the foundation for extended coverage.

Eyebrows framed
I have experimented a lot in this area because I have faint eyebrows.  It is more important than anything.  If I were to stop here and just apply lipstick, I'd be free to accept surprise guests or a shopping trip.  (Do you ever notice how much more attentive boutique sales are when you are all made up?  If you want help, don't go shopping in sweats and looking like you're about to tackle housework).



I clip my eyebrows very short with nose hair scissors (that I don't use on nose hairs, gimme a break!).  I find that if they are shorter, they will grab the eyebrow product much better.  I outline my eyebrows in a color that closely matches my own.  If I am just shopping or going to work, that is suffice.  Today, I'm using the darker product to bring out my eyes.

Green eyes and purple eye color
go hand in hand, according to all beauty reports.  I tend to wear eye color scheme according to the tone of my outfit.  For example, if I'm wearing read, I would use nude tones.  For this make up makeover, I am relying on my trusted QUO palette and dual contouring + eye liner.  There is lots of information out there on what color to use to compliment your eyes.  For example, blue works wonders with brown eyes.   Try it out, and if it works, keep it part of your regular routine.  As you get used to it, you'll become faster at doing a quick brush of makeup before you're off and on your way.  Typically, my makeup regime is 10 minutes max.  If I fuss with my hair, add another 20 or 30 minutes, depending on what I do.  I ventured into a short cut lately, which is easily maintained.  I cropped it short because I was constantly tying it back which wasn't necessarily a good look for me if I wasn't curling, moussing and blow-drying to tendrils.


The cheek bone is connected
to where you put a light dusting of blush.  I don't put much on.  Those eyebrows look too dark to me ... hmmmm.



Bat outta eyelash hell
Thick, full eyelashes is something I grapple with.  I wrote about my misadventures in eyelash extensions before.  I use an eyelash foundation/mascara combination, with the best so far being from L'Oreal.  I tried MAC's but haven't found it as great as MAC mascara-like eyebrow definer.  This is probably what takes me the longest.  My own eyelashes are long, but I have to work at it to make them thicker, fuller.  I learned this trick from my stepdaughter (the other two rarely wear makeup, yeah that's lucky for them, that and youth) to use multiple types of mascara.  I have to use waterproof kinds otherwise they weep and I turn into a raccoon.


I've been framed 
To complete the look, you need lipstick.  You'll notice that I have not been blessed with full, luscious lips like my youngest daughter (I'm still trying to figure out where that gene came from because she was blessed with it).  I really like the kind that are lipstick and liner in one with a sealer over top.  

Similar to mascara, lip liner can bleed on my lips and look like I'm a 5-year-old attempting to use her mom's makeup.  



VOILA!
A beauty queen, I'll never be.  Trying to make the most of what gifts I've been given, I max out on my eyes which are my best feature, or so I've been told.  My youngest daughter and sister have asked me aloud why they weren't bestowed with green eyes.  Well, looking at the pictures with no makeup and a horrible zit, demonstrates a trade off because they both have wonderful skin.