Q&A Plus 24 Hours With Me

A feature in Harper's Bazaar magazine that I always enjoy reading is "24 Hours With ______". (Fill in the blank with a famous fashion personality or actor.) There are certain questions I get asked all the time, so I thought answering them all here using that format might be fun.

Miss Elaine brush back satin pajamas from Belk are my all-time favorites!

My typical day starts at about 4:00 AM. That's when I naturally wake up. I rarely use an alarm. I make a cup of coffee and go back to bed, where I slowly sip the coffee and think about all the things in my life I am grateful for. Every day is Thanksgiving for me!

4:15 AM. I don't touch my phone or my computer until I have enjoyed the ritual above. Answering emails and resolving issues take about two hours every morning. I read the New York Times online and some of my favorite blogs, as well as scrolling through my Facebook feed.

7:00 AM. I fix breakfast and listen to NPR on the BOSE in the kitchen. After those first two cups of coffee, I switch to hot tea. I drink a lot of filtered water with lemon (no ice) during the day and normally with each meal. I also enjoy adding Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar and cinnamon to my water at least once each day. 

When the weather is nice, I will go for a long brisk walk around the neighborhood after breakfast. Otherwise, I am very active all day and work as much movement into my day as possible. Take the stairs many times a day. Park far away from the building and walk. Walk around that big box store several times at a good pace before you pick up what you came for.

8:00 AM. After cleaning up the kitchen, I make the bed and take a shower. My hair is naturally wavy, so I don't wash it every day, but I will rinse it and then comb it out with a pick or wide tooth comb and just let it air dry while I put on some makeup.

My makeup routine varies, but I always put on eyeliner. I use black liquid eyeliner at the moment. The liner goes into the base of my lashes and on the waterline underneath my top lashes since that upper waterline becomes more prominent as we age. I never put even mascara on the bottom lashes because any darkness there looks too harsh on me. 

I fill in my eyebrows with a gray brow sculpting pencil. I always do my eyes first because that saves me from correcting any flakes or smudges from eye makeup. I use a darker shadow color in the outside corners of my crease and blend well. Never use shimmer on the brow bone as we did in high school. That is really not a good look for us now!

I wear bright (not dark) red lipstick and lip pencil every day. The tone of red will be determined by the color of the top I wear. I line my lips and fill in the full lip with the pencil before applying the lip color with a brush. I blot the color well and apply a bit more in just the middle of my lips and blot again. Staining my lips rather than having color sliding around on them is my goal. If your lips are often chapped and dry, it is because you need to drink more water.

I always blend all the colors really well and use a light touch. I strongly suggest that you go to the makeup counter and ask for your foundation to be correctly matched to your skin tone in natural light. That is the only way I know of to get the right color.

9:00 AM. I get dressed for the day. What I wear depends upon the weather, my appointments, and my mood. I normally start each look with shoes and then build from there. I have been wearing high heels for most of my adult life, so I wear them almost every day. Getting dressed takes ten minutes tops. My hair is usually dehydrated by now, so I comb it out one last time and forget it for the rest of the day.

My day may include a photoshoot, business meeting, or other appointments, errands, or a visit to my warehouse to meet with my team of superwomen. I have the greatest staff ever! 

2:00 PM. I normally eat only two meals a day. I eat very nutritious foods that keep me from feeling hungry in a couple of hours. Lunch will include several types of dark leafy greens, beans, mushrooms, and any other in-season steamed or baked vegetables I have on hand. For dessert, I have one small taste of gourmet dark chocolate almost every day. I sit down to a properly set the table and nice music in the background while I take my time and thoroughly enjoy each meal. Think of food as fuel for your body, not entertainment for your mouth. A few years ago, I read the book "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman to learn more about nutrition. In the process of getting healthy and building my immune system, I lost more than forty pounds. I have kept it off for about five years with no dieting.

If we go out to dinner, I will order a salad or other vegetarian entree and a wine glass. Being with friends and enjoying getting dressed to go out is my focus. Not the food.

It is normal for me to work until 7:00 PM because, in addition to this blog, I own a company that I am still very much in control of. There may be orders to place, ad materials to write, new shipments to photograph, and website content that needs to be updated.

I start to unwind and relax after turning off the computer and plug my phone into the charger in the kitchen. There are always household chores that need to be done. I wash my face with a good cleanser every night without fail. My skin behaves best when I add moisturizer only in the morning. I do some stretches or balance exercises before dressing for bed. 

By 9:00 PM, I have settled into bed with something I want to read. I like to sleep in a cool dark room with no electronic gadgets or TVs.