Otto Titsling

bette2

“Otto Titsling, inventor and kraut,
had nothing to get very worked up about.
His inventions were failures, his future seemed bleak.
He fled to the opera at least twice a week.

One night at the opera he saw an Aida
who’s t-ts were so big they would often impede her.
Bug-eyed he watched her fall into the pit,
done in by the weight of those terrible t-ts.

For Otto Titsling had found his quest:
to lift and mold the female breast;
to point the small ones to the sky;
to keep the big ones high and dry!

Every night he’d sweat and snort
searching for the right support.
He tried some string and paper clips.
Hey! He even tried his own two lips!

Well, he stitched and he slaved
and he slaved and he stitched
until finally one night, in the wee hours of morning,
Otto arose from his workbench triumphant.
Yes! He had invented the world’s first
over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder. Hooray!”

-Bette Midler in Beaches

This song was completely inspiring for a young actress.  The lyrics were dangerously outrageous, but I could get away with singing them for 2 reasons: 1. My mother loved Bette Midler and 2. I used the song to practice both my vocals and my performance techniques.  To sing the word “t-ts” was so liberating and deliciously bad.  I sang it a lot and at the top of my lungs while running around my bedroom, pretending it was the stage.

As you grow older, a titsling becomes increasingly important.  Luckily there is an absolutely fantastic one on the market, the “Bra-llelujah” by Spanx.  A front clasp bra is so dang hard to find these days, and this one is fabulous.  Their claim to fame with this one is that it eliminates the appearance of back fat.  I can assure you this is not an empty claim.  It is also the most comfortable one I have ever worn.  They run a little big, so you may want to go down a back size in them.  Today, gilt.com has them on sale.  They only go on sale in department stores during major sales.  You can get them during Friends and Family at Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom runs a great deal on them during their Anniversary sale.

Let me warn you, however, that they are not sexy no matter what the model looks like.  My husband often complains about this.  My answer, and the one I suggest to you, is that my innate sexiness shines no matter what my over the shoulder bolder holder looks like.

bra

A Movie Moment

Being a little girl in the 80’s was fantastic for watching movies. It was the era of high school movies, which I fervently believed were speaking the truth about teenage life. I was young enough to believe my life would unfold the same way. My beauty and fashion goals were modeled after Cindi Mancini from “Can’t Buy Me Love”. Who can forget the suede fringe outfit for the back to school party?

can't buy me love

Sadly, by the time I made it to high school, it was all about grunge and bobbed haircuts. At least there still were cheerleading uniforms involved…My other favorites were Lucas, Some Kind of Wonderful, Just One of the Guys, Sixteen Candles, and Karate Kid (Pat and I still practice the crow kick now and then). These movies replaced Disney fairy tales with their cool factor. I never wanted to act in the movies, but I wanted to LIVE inside of them; in their world. Every street was quaint and beautiful. Life was visually perfect in the movies. Beauty like that does not seem to exist in day to day life, but there is a restaurant on a certain street that embodies that perfect movie moment; Julienne’s on Mission Street in San Marino, CA.

julienne's 2

Everything about it is picturesque. It is on a charming street with quaint boutiques, and as you come upon the restaurant, you are greeted by cheerful vines and pots of botanical beauty. Twinkling white lights welcome you inside, and it is a hard pressed decision to sit inside or outside because both are interesting. Their breakfast is better than lunch, and starting the morning off in this fashion makes the day more exciting anyhow. I do not fully know what a currant is, but it is fantastic in the house toast.

currant toast

I have yet to have a bad breakfast there! After eating, a trip through the gift shop/bakery is a must. Everything from coffee table fashion books to citrus mint soap is available, and you have to take home a baked treat for later.

cafe

The experience tends to linger throughout the day in my mind, just like a good movie. Julienne’s is a luxury in my life because it allows me to finally step into that perfect movie life.

julienne's

Well Hello Dolly

There are times in the year when there aren’t many auditions for shows.  During these times, I auditioned for shows that I normally would not attend because I had promised myself I would not be lazy.  This particular audition I was preparing for was a musical version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that a village theater was producing.  They wanted rock song auditions.  I should have skipped it.  I did not.  I went to my vocal coach’s apartment to do my final preparations.  She suggested adding simple choreography to my rendition of “It’s Raining Men.”  In my heart I knew it was a bad idea, but I went along with it.  After my rehearsal, I applied my silver glitter eye shadow to rock it out, and went down to the village.  Simply put, the audition was terrible.  I forgot the choreography and stood there swaying with jazz hands.  I cannot sing rock and was uncomfortable the entire time.  At the end of the audition, one of the lovely casting people said, “I like your eye shadow.”  Bless her heart for finding a positive in there.

I have moved on from that moment, but I still love a compliment regarding my makeup.  My favorite category is lip makeup.  I am giddy in Sephora about trying new kinds, yet slightly paranoid about contracting Herpes Simplex 1 by trying everything.  So far, luck has been on my side.  I have received numerous compliments when I wear a certain combination and that is my little luxury for today.  I kiss the tiny one so often that I do not get to wear lip gear very often, but I did this weekend and felt smashing.   My secret combo is MAC whirl lip liner followed by Buxom lip gloss in Dolly.  Dolly is hands down my favorite neutralish lip gloss.   It makes your entire face a little glowy, and it tastes good.  I love the entire Buxom line, but Dolly is my favorite color.  At the end of the day, a compliment is a compliment, but I really prefer the kind that is spontaneous instead of someone trying to find a positive inside a huge disastrous moment.  Muah!

katieteddy

Your Summer Wardrobe Saver

I am regularly convinced when I am in wardrobe crisis mode that I will open my closet and something perfect that I have never seen before will be casually lounging on my closet door, waiting for me. This has yet to happen, but I still fervently believe it will. The closest I have come to this coming true is when I pulled out my skinny clothes that were in storage and found items I had forgotten I owned. While I am waiting for my wardrobe Prince Charming to appear, I can always count on a dress to do the job for me. Women who do not wear dresses are missing out. I believe a great, casual dress is the singularly most important piece you can own for summer. A dress multitasks like your boss on Starbucks. As I write this, I am wearing an animal print jersey dress that is hiding the fact that I am beyond tired due to insomnia not induced by the tiny one. It is allowing me to be dressed for the day, but the jersey fabric feels like the pajamas I wore less than an hour ago.
The perfect dress is a jersey fabrication or extremely soft woven. It is not form fitting, but follows the line of your body. The simple silhouette guarantees years of wear in style. It hits right above your knee, or right below. You should be able to easily dress it up or wear it casually. It should be a second skin for whatever occasion you need it.

Here are some that I recommend:

Peace From Type A

I am not earthy. I am not new age. I am not bohemian, and I am not easy going. I am type A. I am all or nothing. This is great for an employer, but not always so great for home life. Aside from my car keys, I always know where things are and where they belong. I like things to be where they belong. A source of great peace for me from my type A self is my courtyard.

roses-courtyard2

 

Before we had our house, we would jump in the car and drive around neighborhoods, looking for “For Sale” signs and praying the house would be semi-affordable. When we drove by our house and I saw the courtyard, I immediately put it in the unaffordable category. My first thought was to mentally inventory my closet and see if I could sell off my shoes and bags to make money. Not enough… My hair is terrible, so no one was going to want to buy that. I decided to look at the flyer for the price and cry. I was pleasantly surprised. In California, all homes are ridiculously overpriced, but this was a price we could swing! We got the house and started working. I ripped out cabinets and learned that electricity didn’t come from magic boxes in the wall. Every day, we ate lunch in the courtyard and I could envision things of beauty growing there and cool evenings with wine and friends.

The house is finished and even with all the beauty in each new room, the courtyard is still the place that I find magical. Patrick has strung white lights across the top of it and it is my wonderland at night! I’ve introduced T to it too, and I am sure in the near future he will choose to play out there over his room. Each plant that lives there is hand chosen. The jasmine winds up the side of the door because it is the smell that I associate with California. It took years to get it going, and had to be moved around to find its proper home, but it has taken off!

photo2

The gardenia was chosen because when its delicate flowers open, it is the smell of heaven. The azalea made it because of the hot pink color. It had a rough winter and is looking a little ragged these days, but Patrick has been tending it back to health. I battled the Aphids last year on my rose bush, and this type A girl won after much work and googling. I added a succulent pot this weekend and frequently go outside in the beautiful spring afternoon to just look at it.

photo

I dangled Spanish moss over the courtyard windows. A dear friend gave us some and it reminds me of him each day. These plants don’t really go together or create one cohesive look, but each one relaxes me and lets me be earthy for just a bit.

Jo Annette, My Grandmother

pikes peak

I took the train from Scottsbluff, NE to Denver, CO in the summer to see my grandparents.  They lived in Colorado Springs, which continues to be a magical place in my mind.  Sometimes my cousin Kerry Jean met me there.  Sometimes I was by myself.  It was something that I greatly looked forward to doing.  My grandmother, Jo Annette, was a great grandma to a young girl.  She was the first beauty queen I personally knew.  She showed me the picture of herself in her OSU yearbook and she was a stunner.  I remember hoping I looked like that picture when I grew up.  Grandma put me in a light blue room that had big windows and was filled with antiques that I was allowed to touch.  She had jewelry boxes in every bedroom filled with costume jewelry.  Kerry Jean and I used to quiver with excitement waiting to get our hands in those boxes.  I always felt very grown up because Grandma would take us to fancy lunches or teas downtown and we went to all of her favorite antique stores and did lots of shopping in general.  She never talked down to us.  It was perfectly normal to do all of these things just like we were adults.  If shopping is a genetic trait, it certainly came from her side.  Grandma and Grandpa took us high into the mountains to a town called Cripple Creek.  It’s an old mining town and we would pan for gold, certain our financial fortunes were about to change.

cripple creek

These are only a small taste of what Grandma and Grandpa planned for my visits.   It was an important part of my childhood.

Time and aging were not kind to my grandma.  A lot of sadness is attached to her later years, and frustration too.  Even in things you wish did not happen or happened differently, there is an opportunity to learn from them and, hopefully, allow you to pursue your own life differently going forward.  Grandma died in her sleep on Wednesday, and what is interesting, is that all I think about in regards to her now, is how much fun she was when I was little.  One last gift, perhaps.

I’ll have another post again next Wednesday.

Part 2, or the Thrifty Girl’s Guide to a Healthy Tan

In the wise words of my favorite Pi Phi sister, “tan fat looks better than white fat.”  Here, here!  While I am below my pre-baby weight, I’ve got a shake with my fries and a tan body fakes what is not quite back yet.  I have tried most self-tanners available and always have a complaint about them; be it the color, application, or price.  My husband has had a universal complaint about all of them.  See, I like to put it on before I go to bed.  When I wake up, it’s kind of like Christmas.  I run to the light to see if there’s something shiny and new on my legs.  My husband’s complaint is that I come to bed smelling like cat urine after I apply it.  He has a point, but I like a J Lo glow.  Another issue….lotion that is tricky to blend.  I tried a new kind before a trip to Las Vegas and I ended up looking like I had leprosy on my ankles and wrists.   The only reason I even remotely enjoy Vegas is for the pools, and it took a new kind of confidence to waltz around a communal watering hole looking like I had a contagious disease.

Now that you know more than you wanted to know, I get to the exciting part.

I have found the PERFECT self-tanning foam.

tanning foam

It is Rodan + Fields Essentials Foaming Sunless Tan.  It goes on weightless, stays weightless, and blends into your skin better than ANY other kind I have tried.  It has a natural brown and not orange color, and the best part?  IT DOES NOT SMELL.  There is a slight scent to it, but it dries without the terrible cat urine odor.  In theory, you could put this on in the morning before work, and go for cocktails at night with a fantastic glow.  I’m in love.  Because there is a Debbie Downer at every party, the price on this beauty is not wonderful.  It’s $24, which is average for a higher end brand, but with shipping and handling (what even is handling in 2013??), it comes out to $38.  I got in on a flash sale where I got 2 for 1, so it was price friendly.  Even at the higher cost, it is much more economical than airbrushing, and the product is simply the best.  I am finally satisfied.  Why I did not take these pictures standing up is befuddling, but here are before and after pictures.

pale leg leg

If you too would like a J Lo glow with a fool proof application, here are a couple of reps who can get you going  with it and some of their other favorite products!

Ali Buckley:

https://alibuckley.myrandf.com

” Sign up as a PC (preferred customer) and pay a one time $19.95 fee, get free shipping for life and 10% off your regularly scheduled orders (min $80 every 60 days…but it can be ANY products at all.  You don’t have to get the same thing auto shipped every 2 months).  I recommend the micro derm jar (under essentials).  I’ve really never used anything like it.  I also use our Redefine regimen daily and I used Reverse for several months and it got rid of my sun damage. (PS these products are GREAT for men too).”

Monica Higgins (Kingery for any WHS readers):

https://monicahiggins.myrandf.com

Tanning foam is here: https://monicahiggins.myrandf.com/Shop/Product/ESST125

My favorite products are the Redefine Regimen (https://monicahiggins.myrandf.com/Shop/REDEFINE),

  Night Renewing Serum (https://monicahiggins.myrandf.com/Shop/Product/AASR060),

and the Multi Function Eye Cream (https://monicahiggins.myrandf.com/Shop/Product/AAEY015).

“The Redefine Regimen reminds me of getting a facial. I miss facials!  Now I feel like I treat myself to a mini spa-facial every night and morning in just a few minutes. The Night Serum is seriously liquid gold. I’ve never put anything so luxurious on my face. It’s amazing. AND it fights the aging process! The eye cream is really light and smells amazing.”

Airbrush Tanning Etiquette

C and I were given air brush tans from a friend of hers.  Because we lack impulse control, we had to use them NOW NOW NOW.  We jumped in her car and drove, gabbing the entire way about a whole lot of nothing.  True to form, we acted without thinking.  About 2 minutes before we got there, C asked me what the etiquette was for airbrush tanning.  I was the expert because I had done it once before.  I didn’t really know and we went into panic mode.  We had been in the situation before back in our NYC days when we were invited to a party in Connecticut.  We had assumed we would stay up there for the night and brought our overnight bags.  When we were on our way there, we realized we hadn’t had a formal invitation and, again, panicked.  Our bags were clearly overnighters so no faking a big hand bag.  Should we leave the bags on the train?  Should we say they were for just in case we spilled something on our outfit?  Should we get a hotel room (we were poor).  Help!  This time, we did not know what to do when someone is spraying you.  Do you wear undergarments?  Do you engage in conversation?  Do you point out your flabby spots and ask for an opinion?  What do you do??  We ended up with beautiful spray tans.  In case you too have questions, now that bikini season is almost upon us, I called Sunset Tan to ask them about proper etiquette.  They are the experts.  After all, they had a TV show….

Q: What do you wear while airbrush tanning?

A: The client chooses.   The person spraying you is used to both nudity and undergarments.  The most common is nudity so you avoid tan lines, but it is your choice.  (Interestingly, only women can go nude.  They require men to wear something.)  They do provide disposable garments for both men and women, if needed.  (Side note, not all places provide paper undies, so ask ahead of time!)

Q: What is the proper tipping amount?

A: The most common is $5.  Some people do 15-20%, however.  (My thoughts: do not skip tipping a person who comes into close contact with your thighs and is still cheerful.)

Q: How do you make it last, since it is not a cheap endeavor?

A: Skip hot showers.  Take quick, lukewarm showers.  Also, do not exfoliate.

Q: Any other tips to share?

A: Come in with freshly exfoliated skin, but do not have anything on your skin, including deodorant.  Skip wearing a bra home if you can, and do not wear anything tight.  (She mentioned that when clients wear tight jeans, they often will have a tanned seam line once it sets.  Yikes!)  Also, wait 8 hours before showering.

My Friendship with C

Somewhere on the Upper East Side….
C: I need you to come over and alibi me while I pack.
Katie: Sure. I’ll be right there.
(5 minutes later I’m there.)
C: I’m throwing out these scissors and I need you to watch me do it in case they’re later used in a murder and have my finger prints on them.
Katie: I get it.

This is an example of why C is my beloved friend. She is really more of a sister than a friend. Our minds understand each other and I would not be who I am today without her. We became adults together and made each other better people. Before nights out together, I would coach her on how to make small talk in the bars. I would look over an hour later and she would be trying to get some guy to talk to her about religion or politics while I was quoting boy band lines. Over the years, she lightened up while I deepened up. We have shared a bedroom on 2 occasions. The second time, after our other roommate moved out, we still kept the bedroom empty, preferring to be together to talk late into the night. We knew it was going to end and wanted to drag out the inevitable. We had a balcony off the room and would sit for hours, drinking wine, and talking. Half the time it was in gibberish, since we could finish each other’s thoughts, or reference our past stories with only a word or two.
C, her husband, and her darling daughter moved across the country and the loss was profound for me. I usually did not need other friends when I was able to have her. While we are 15 years older and have changed in multitudes of ways, we are still together. She is one of the greatest luxuries in my life. I have been thinking about her a lot because she just got her court date in Africa to go and petition to bring a little boy, who has become her child, home to America. She has already flown to Uganda on her own to visit him in his orphanage, and has been on a quest to get him permanently into her arms. I have no doubt she will be able to conquer this. C has never been one to take no for an answer and I fear for the entire country if they try. I cannot wait to visit and play wild games of hide and seek with him. I will be Auntie Kat who teaches him the slightly inappropriate songs and phrases, because that has always been my role in our ever evolving friendship. Go get him girl!

Can I Conceal This Morning??

This has been my last 12 hours: I couldn’t sleep very well and when I did, I was negotiating visual space in a store to remerchandise their floor.  If you have worked with me, I know you have had this dream.  Teeny woke up at 4:45 a.m. and after feeding him, I walked into a wall.  It has been a while since I have done that.  I couldn’t sleep after that so I got up to make coffee and could not, for the life of me, figure out why I was only pouring water after I had clearly been signaled that the coffee was done.  It turns out, if you do not pour the water from the carafe into the machine, coffee doesn’t happen.  I redid my effort and then put Splenda into my coffee.  With cream in hand, I was confused as to how the top of the Splenda container got on top of my coffee cup.  Yup, it’s that kind of morning.  Teeny is sleeping and I am still awake.  Needless to say, I have circles under my eyes that are terrifying and I should not drive a car today.

When I was little my mom used to tell me how she hated dark circles under her eyes.  I remember being very afraid of this condition, as if it were a disease.  I am so happy that it is not a disease, or painful, because I too suffer from it.  I have found a miracle concealer that I get very excited to use, and even better, it’s a total bargain.  I have tried so many concealers; Lancome, MAC, YSL, Kat Von D (huge fail), and none of them work as well as….Cover Girl.  Yep.  Cover Girl Concealer Balm, with Olay.  It comes in a lipstick shape and goes on incredibly smooth and creamy, but not oily.  My dark circles magically disappear for at least 6 hours.  Now, with the way my day has been going so far, I am hoping I do not confuse this magic balm with real lipstick under my eyes.  Wouldn’t that be pretty?

cover girl concealer