summer 2020

Elizabeth Arden Red Door Red lipstick review

 in Beauty  tagged elizabeth arden / lipstick / summer 2020 by

elizabeth arden red door red lipstick review

wearing: lipstick c/o Elizabeth Arden in Red Door Red #2 / white and silver earrings (similar here) / black top (currently on major sale!) / blue nail polish /

How fun is this classic red hue from Elizabeth Arden?! It’s a bright and chic shade of classic red; which is a lipstick color we all need in our beauty bag. This one in particular has a special history and mission.

In 1912, Elizabeth Arden marched as a Suffragette down Fifth Avenue in New York. As a symbol of solidarity with her fellow Suffragettes, she handed out red lipstick to all the ladies. In order to celebrate Elizabeth Arden’s history of advocating for voter rights, I have partnered with Elizabeth Arden to feature this fabulous red lipstick! Loving red!

Red Door Red #2 is a classic red hue from her Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick collection; which includes several fabulous hues. The lipstick itself has strong staying power, and doesn’t smudge easily. It stays put! Love that!

In addition to staying power, Elizabeth Arden’s Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick doesn’t dry out lips, it does what it’s name implies; it keeps lips moisturized. Love that too! I definitely need to add a few colors from this collection to my fall beauty bag.

Shop my waist-up look online; perfect for video conference calls!

Don’t forget to vote! I don’t care if you vote red or blue, just vote! Americans have fought hard for the right to vote, so please, exercise your right as an American citizen and vote. Not everyone has the privilege to vote, so don’t take it for granted. Just vote.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

elizabeth arden red lipstick 2

History San Jose

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged family / outfits / san jose / staycation / summer 2020 by

One of San Jose’s best kept secrets is History San Jose park. This mini, historical town features buildings which were saved from demolition, and brought here to recreate San Jose’s early days as an American town.

The buildings all have some sort of special meaning to local history. They were lived in by people who helped settle the area, or they were businesses which were a first in the area. Such as the first candy shop owned by the O’Brien Family pictured below. (apologies for the reflection, I took this photo through the window since the building was closed.)

The park is often used for events, picnics, and corporate parties. Some of the buildings are normally open to the public, and serve as mini-museums which tell their story, and how it fits into local history.

Of course right now, since we are partly shut-down due to the pandemic, only the outdoor areas are open. We will have to go back when things open back up in order to show the kids the inside exhibitions.

History San Jose is a beautiful park to spend some time walking around, and learning about local history. If you are local to the Bay Area, I highly recommend checking it out. There is free parking right in front-but it is limited. So arrive early. Otherwise, there is a fee lot a few feet away from the entrance. If you are traveling to the area, be sure to check it out, and learn about our early days!

Shop my fitness look:

Have you visited History San Jose? What did you think? You can learn more on their website here.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Trying for a fall look

 in General Fashion  tagged fall 2020 / outfits / summer 2020 by

wearing: turquoise and gold earrings / mask / black puff sleeve top / black belt / handbag / summer nail polish / gold chain cuff / gold and blue cuff / jeans / booties /

I’m trying to get used to seeing myself in a mask. I wear a mask everywhere I go, not just because it’s a California State ordinance which requires everyone to wear a mask while outside their home, but because I want to stay safe while helping keep others safe too. While I wear one all the time outside, it’s weird to see a picture of me in one on the Internet. I posted this photo, to try and spread the word about the importance of wearing a mask, while normalizing what it looks like.

As we move from summer into fall, masks are not going anywhere; at least until we have our vaccines. So it is important for people to get used to them; and hey, let’s try and make them fashion!

I paired my watermelon printed mask with my favorite black, puff sleeve top and jeans. I wanted a touch of fall, so I threw on my fall snakeskin booties. This is definitely my favorite go-to look of the moment. It feels really good to wear high heel booties; especially since most of what we all do these days involves lounging around the house in slippers, hiking in hiking boots, or working out in athletic shoes. It’s a rare occasion  these days to wear heels! I cannot even begin to tell you how good they feel after all this time. This was the first pair of shoes with a heel I walked around in since March. Crazy right? I used to wear some sort of heel all the time!

Talking about heels, I do plan on picking up a couple pairs this upcoming fall season. It feels normal to buy heels. I am looking forward to the fall season, not just for cooler weather, but because it feels like a new season filled with hope. The vaccine should start rolling out to our medical professionals this fall. I am hopeful more businesses will begin to reopen in the fall, and I am also hopeful that less people are unemployed. While my kids will all attend school online during the fall season, I am hopeful the vaccine has enough doses to start rolling out to the public in the winter so that in spring, our school district will start to allow sports again, as well as in person school.

It’s been hard for me to digest my kids going to school online. I home-schooled for five years, and last year was the first year my two youngest children returned to public school; only to go back to online school last March. They are both hungry to return to school and see their friends in person, as well as their teachers; and the entire experience that goes along with regular school. I’ll keep praying the vaccine goes smoothly, works well, and gets us back on our feet in the spring. This is why I am looking forward to the fall. I see it as the season of repair, and the season of moving towards getting back to our normal lives in 2021.

Are you excited for the fall season? How are you feeling about it all?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy