I wonder if I should even be telling this...

As a woman, I feel the need to present a "put together" image when I leave the house to be seen in public. If you see me out, just know that I have made a little effort (usually) to fix my hair, match my clothes and be generally well-groomed. If you were to stop by my house on a random day, you may not be as lucky. This morning for example, I sat on the front deck with my laptop and my coffee, perusing Facebook updates and reading my e-mail, in my nightgown, until a little after 10 a.m. Not a good look for receiving visitors.

I don't have expensive tastes when it comes to clothes or accessories. To be honest, I have gotten the most compliments on things I have bought second hand at yard sales, or from friends getting rid of things they no longer wanted. (Thanks for the purses, Kim! Everyone loves the striped one!) I like to find unusual items that you can't find in stores any longer. Sometimes they are BACK in style, or VINTAGE, if you prefer. Sometimes they remind me of favorite things I used to have or wear. Sometimes they just feed one of my random moods for variety.

I love yard sale or clearance rack finds! I suppose I am just a cheapskate in a lot of ways. But I do understand when it is necessary to pay a little more for quality. I can shell out good money for shoes or for jeans that fit just right. But for the most part, my money is not spent on name-brand clothes, accessories, or the various other things that are necessary for a woman to make herself presentable. I use inexpensive hair-care and make-up items. I have costume jewelry and watches that I wear because I like them, or they match a certain outfit. (And I LOVE LOVE LOVE watches! BF, (read-before the fire) I could wear a different watch almost every day of the month. I had all colors of straps: tan, chocolate, white, black, silver, gold, two-tone, and all colors of faces, some Mickey, Minnie, Pooh, Angels, Santa, etc.) And most of them were just the inexpensive type from Wal-Mart or where ever, that I bought because they "jumped out at me" or looked neat. I probably spent more buying watch batteries and replacing bands than I ever did on a particular watch!

But, back to my original thought-looking presentable in public...I have to admit to a particularly worrisome recent purchase for my personal hygiene care. I recently purchase the Smooth Away Personal Hair Removal System. GLORIFIED SAND PAPER for your body! And even more worrisome, I have USED it...TWICE!!! I scraped a sanding sheet across my body for the sake of ...well, not BEAUTY probably, but VANITY definitely! SAND PAPER!!! I kid you not! It's a little black section of rough material that wouldn't look out of place on Rob's wood-shop workbench!

In my defense, let me tell you that I have an aunt who literally has almost a moustache, sideburns and goatee of dark hair on her face and I do not want to look like the bearded lady at the fair as I age! (I love her, but heredity is not a kind beautician on that side of the fam!) So, yeah, I have sand-papered my face for the sake of my vanity. And I'm only a little ashamed to admit it!

And it WORKS! My face is as smooth as a baby's bottom, as they say. And I get to smile a bit at THAT thought any time I get a kiss on the cheek!!! :-)

dw