Friday, October 19, 2012

one more bedspread, garland tassel, exercising, plastic surgery

Somehow I missed Serena and Lily when I was bedspread shopping.  Lets add this one to the list, shall we?


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I am also thinking about what sort of art I could hang over the bed in Princess's room.  I saw this tassel garland on 6th St Design School today, and oh! Isn't that pretty! Hmmm.....

via Everly Lane Design
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I had this feeling when I signed all my kids up for school that I would have ALL THIS TIME to do stuff.  I have an extra five hours in the day, right?

No. I don't.  I am still doing all the same stuff I was doing before, except its quieter and I get stuff done in less time.  But on the whole, I do not have a ton of extra free time.

However, now that I don't have to arrange for childcare, I do have time to exercise.  For years I have walked on the treadmill every morning at 6:30 before taking everyone to school. I still do this, but now after I drop everyone off, I go to a Pure Barre class.  I am in no way being recompensed by Pure Barre (please feel free to recompense me!), but I am really enjoying this class.

I have never ever been one to enjoy organized exercising. I do not like to go to the gym.  I am incredibly uncoordinated and my inability to follow basic dance moves has kept me out of any aerobic or Zumba type class (or any other organized sport) for years.  In fact, I still fumble the moves in the Pure Barre class, but for the most part, they are simple and straightforward and I can follow them.

Its not an aerobic class, but I leave hot and sweaty, feeling like I've just gotten an intense workout.  I don't feel like I am straining my neck working out.  It is very pilates-based and tones your core.  I did not take pictures or measurements before starting, which I regret, because I can already see a difference in my stomach after a month of going 3 times a week.  Now in week five I can do exercises I couldn't do the first week.

The cons: it is not cheap.  It is also full of very fit, athletic, skinny women, which is kind of depressing if you are not fit, skinny and athletic. There are many yoga moves and I look at these women with their long, lean lines in yoga poses, and I feel...not long and lean, that's for sure.  Regardless, my mirrors at home tell me I am getting smaller, so I will keep going.

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I was sitting at the doctor's office the other day reading a magazine that had a number of articles on plastic surgery.  I wish I had at least taken down the name of the magazine, it seemed like a local-to-LA kind of magazine.  In any event, one of the articles made the humorous point that "teeth are the gateway drug to plastic surgery."  I find this fascinating.

I was born without two of my adult front teeth, so I have already had extensive cosmetic dentistry performed.  In my teens, implants were just starting to become popular, and instead I had maryland bridges installed.  These fake teeth had a projected life span of 15 years.  They've been in for 23 years now.

Although my fake teeth were the appropriate size for my mouth when they were installed, your gums recede as you get older, and now my fake teeth are too small.  Its not terribly noticeable, but I would prefer to have teeth that fit.  I've looked into getting them replaced, but since its not covered by insurance it won't be anytime soon unless one breaks (the horror).

I feel I should also admit that I want lasik surgery.  I would be way hotter without my glasses, yo. And so the slippery slope begins, right?  First the teeth, then the eyes, and we'll work our way down from there, just like the article said.

I have always thought that I would never get plastic surgery done.  For one, it seems like the sort of expensive thing movie stars do, and I am not a rich movie star.   I plan to grow old gracefully and appreciate all the memories my wrinkles represent blah blah blah holy crap I HAVE WRINKLES NOW perhaps its not such a bad idea, hmm.

For some reason, although in New Jersey I would never have dreamt of seriously getting plastic surgery, here it seems....possible.  Sure! Why not! Everyone here does it! I don't think I'd ever touch my face, but the thought of lipo-ing my lower half beckons.

To recap, before you flame me and tell me how vain I am, I'm just saying that in my unwrinkled youth and living in an area where people don't get plastic surgery frequently I would not have gotten plastic surgery, but now here where its common and now I'm old it seems like "probably not but never say never."

Would you ever get plastic surgery if you had the means?



12 comments:

  1. Flame you? I embrace you! I agree that living in a place like SoCal opens the possibilities, and if it makes you feel better, why not? I'm not sure I'd ever mess with my face, but would I like to revamp The Girls? YES. And I too would have lasik done in a heartbeat. In the end, those are personal decisions, not to be taken lightly. But if you have the means and the desire, go for it!

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  2. i m loving all those tassels- gorgeous!
    and i think of teeth as cosmetic, yes, but we also need them to function properly- i don't need my saddlebags lifted to function properly....
    when we lived in louisiana boob jobs were a regular things..... i actually thought i would get one. we moved and then i realized that was CRAZY talk. i don't need perkier bigger boobs to be a more beautiful or better woman- that comes from how i act and love.

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  3. I've already had plastic surgery - a breast reduction, at age 22. Insurance paid for it because let's just say I needed it badly. So yes, I support folks going under the knife. Just like I think every kid who needs braces and a trip to the dermatologist to clear up serious acne ought to be able to get them.

    I think botox and a tummy tuck could be in my future. But until then, TEETH WHITENING, SUNSCREEN, RETINOLS, and EXERCISE are my go-to's for looking and feeling great. No shame in using the tools that are available, I just think we have to examine our motives.

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  4. Love the bedspread and tassels :)

    I would totally try that barre class - it looks really fun. Good job!!

    I have heard that the beauty pressure in SoCal is pretty intense... Personally I would LOVE to get my teeth whitened (my coffee addiction is taking its toll), but I am terrified of going under the knife. Why? Because I'l convinced that I would be that 0.0001% that DIES on the table. And I'd be all over the news as "the mom who DIED and left three kids for boobs".

    True story. I have issues.

    PS, I am working for a skin care line that has some great results - my friend's mom has been accused of having a face lift ;) If you're interested there's a link on my blog.

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  5. HMmmmm- good question!

    I think the teeth and eyes are two things that don't really fall into the "plastics" category- at least to me- they are more nessecary. When you start doing the botox, injections, lipo etc.- that's where i would draw the line, but I am also pretty much a purist- like, no hair dye, etc.- heck I once went a whole year not even washing my hair with anything but baking soda a few times a month. So my opionion is probably not the "norm".
    But I will admit that lately I have been feeling sluggish and somewhat chunky and wishing their was a one time magic pill I could take to make me thin like high school again;)

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  6. I covet Serena & Lily as I hide my wallet and try to convince myself I don't need their gorgeous, gorgeous stuff.

    Growing up in Southern California, plastic surgery seemed completely normal to me. Friends started having things done in high school, though that was a non-starter in my family.

    I say do whatever makes you feel best. I still toy with the idea, and I definitely haven't ruled out eventual dermatological trickery, but I suspect going under the knife is out if I wish to remain married to the same very anti-plastic-surgery husband :-). It's also very much not done here in Austin, so I definitely don't feel the pressure here I once did to look a certain way.

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  7. I had lasik at 35. After wearing glasses ever since Kindergarten, perfect vision was a dream come true. The problem is that the day I turned 40 I started needing reading glasses, and now at 45 I once more wear glasses full time. I also lost a lot of weight and had abdominoplasty and excess skin removal. Then I had lipo on my back fat and double chin. Hmmm, maybe you should leave your eyes and teeth alone :)

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  8. HA! I love this post. I think I would do plastic surgery one day if I didn't live in WI, where no one gets it.

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  9. Well I called you porny earlier this week and now I'm the porny one. There is a specific plastic surgery I'd get but couldn't think of the name so my googling involved the word "boobs" and wound up looking at tons of scary stuff I didn't mean to. But! If they fell down from old age I would totally sign up for a boob lift. No implants because that's be weird, but hiking them up to where they are now would be good.

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  10. I totally get the desire for Lasik surgery. Now that I am in my mid 40s I feel completely hindered by my declining eye sight. I can't say I would really consider that plastic surgery, to me it almost feels like a safety issue. :)

    I grew up in So. Ca. and felt I needed a breast augmentation (at 30) after a divorce, and I thought I I was done having kids. Two years later got remarried and had my son and had to have a reduction. I regret ever doing anything in the first place. Like you, many people in this area feel the pressure to look a certain way. It is one of the reasons we are trying to relocate to a different part of the country. I want to live where people are real and no one judges you based on your looks. It was not easy raising three daughters here when their friends were getting plastic surgery as graduation gifts. Thankfully my girls went away to college to see there are places where that just doesn't happen. Keep up your Bar class, hold your head high and remember you're not alone!

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  11. I don't think Lasik counts as plastic surgery. Lasik was THE BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT. I thanked God and the Lasik doctor every single time I didn't have to fumble for my glasses in the middle of the night when the infant woke up screaming. Being able to just peek one eye open and see the time on the nightstand clock before drifting back to sleep? Going swimming without worrying about contacts? Not getting headaches from my enormously heavy glasses? PRICELESS.

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  12. I too don't count Lasik as plastic surgery. I think I'm probably too old now, as I have both a pretty bad astigmatism AND I now need readers. It sucks and makes me feel old!

    Good for you re the barre class. It sounds intimidating, on many levels.

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