{My Old House}

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 February 26

“The house where I was raised from the age of 6 was a special place. It was on three acres; it was a large two story stucco. We moved in in 1948 and my mother stayed there until 1988… just a few shy of 50 years. There was nothing really special about the house itself but it had four bedrooms and two baths, one up and one down, which was unusual for that time. What my sisters and I loved were the woods and all the little critters that lived there.

I learned to identify about all the trees of East Tennessee by leaf and bark, learned to identify all the birds by sight and sound.

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{FOF Woman of The Week} Mary Barra

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 February 7

Appointed CEO of General Motors just a few weeks ago, Mary Barra, 52, was in the news again yesterday, when she was named the Most Powerful Woman in Business by Fortune magazine.

Not only the first female CEO of any major global automobile maker, Mary was the first woman in her family to go to college. She earned her MBA from Stanford in 1990, and worked her way up the corporate ladder at GM. Prior to her current position, she was in global product development, purchasing and supply, responsible for the design, engineering, program management and quality of GM vehicles worldwide. She will use her engineering and business-savvy to cut costs and develop GM’s global presence, especially in China.

Known for her no-nonsense attitude, Mary was responsible for the demise of GM’s 10-page dress code while she managed the GM Human resource department, replacing it with two words: “Dress appropriately.” She credits her parents, who both grew up in the Depression era, for her strong work ethic and belief in the importance of teamwork. Mary says that she has never asked for a promotion or raise. Instead, she worked hard at every position she held and the job offers came in on their own.

Mary is married to Tony Barra, a consultant, with whom she has two children. She should be proud of her accomplishments.

{FOF Woman of The Week} Col. Jamila Bayaz

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 January 24

Why would a 50-year-old mother of five want to hold a dangerous job, in a country that isn’t exactly Nirvana, no less? When you’re Jamila Bayaz, a colonel in the Afghan National Police Force, risk taking is part of your DNA. The daughter of a police officer, she quit her university studies over 30 years ago to join the Police Academy, lured by the excitement that a police career would offer. It’s been a job she loves more than her “own breath,” she told a newspaper reporter. One of only 1,500 women police officers in Afghanistan, Jamila recently became the country’s first female officer to command her own district—the 1st district of Kabul—which includes the nation’s main money exchange and central bank.

Jamila’s appointment is being seen as a way to show the West that Afghanistan is committed to respecting women’s rights, although discrimination still runs rampant in the country. Women in political positions or in the police force are at increased risk of attack, with several deadly assaults in recent months. Men under Jamila’s authority have been known to run to the bathroom to avoid saluting her. Although women represent about 1 percent of Afghanistan’s police force, the number is expected to increase to over 5 percent by year end.

The new FOF female police chief has worked as a criminal investigator and counter drug specialist in the city of 4.5 million. She considers drugs second only to terrorism among the top threats that face her nation. Determined to help her country return to peace and prosperity following three decades of war and terrorism, Jamila is a courageous woman with a heart. That’s why she is FOF Woman of the Week.

10 First Ladies At 50

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 January 17

In honor of Michelle Obama’s 50th birthday, here’s a trip to the present with First Ladies at 50—enjoy!

Grace Coolidge (1929)

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{FOF Woman of the Week} Janet Yellen

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 January 16

When Dr. Janet Yellen, 67, is sworn in on February 1st as the next Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, she will become the first woman to hold that position as well as one of the most powerful women in the world.

A long-time, esteemed economics professor at Harvard, London School of Economics, and Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Janet later served as the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She currently is Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors.

In her new post, Janet will lead the Board in setting monetary policy and will oversee the country’s 12 regional reserve banks. She also will work with Congress and the Treasury Secretary. This puts her in a position to exert tremendous influence on economic strategy in the US, and subsequently, the world.

Janet earned her PhD in economics from Yale, which further puts her at an exalted level, since women account for only 34 percent of all economics PhDs. Besides her, only one other woman sits on the seven-member Federal Reserve Board.

Janet is married to George Akerlof, a Nobel prize-winning economist. Their son teaches Economics.

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{FOF Woman of The Week} Carmen Farina

LEAVE A COMMENT 2014 January 3

She’s 70 years old and was about to move with her husband from New York to Florida, now that they’re both retired. But when Carmen Farina got the offer to become Chancellor of New York City’s public schools, she stopped packing.

A former education advisor to Bill de Blasio, the city’s new mayor, Carmen has spent four decades in the school system, as a teacher, a principal, a superintendent and deputy chancellor for teaching and learning under long-time Mayor Michael Bloomberg. After two years in the last position, she stepped down to spend more time with her grandchildren.

Permanent retirement and grand parenting apparently weren’t in the cards for Carmen. While her husband still plans to settle down in warmer climes, she’ll have to settle for tackling some pretty heated education issues up north, including standardized testing, autonomy for principals, and school co-location (where two schools share one building). She’ll also be responsible for executing Mayor de Blasio’s promise to create universal pre-K seats for every four-year-old and expanded after-school programs for middle school students.

It’s thrilling to see a woman like Carmen recognized for her intelligence, passion, dedication and breadth of experience with New York’s public school system. She’s walking into a tough job, but she’s got the stuff to make it a success.

That’s why she’s FOF Woman of the Week.

Cary Grant, Meet “Judy, Judy, Judy!”

LEAVE A COMMENT 2013 December 16

Meet the 3 Judys, authors of Getting Older Never Looked So Good: A Head to Heels Guide To Ageless Beauty.

Judith Taylor, aka Southern Judy (pictured on right), is married to a short, bald businessman who is the “love of her life.” They have a daughter who is an RN and a son who teaches computer science at Vanderbilt University and is finishing his doctorate. They reside in Nashville.

Judith Graham, aka Sassy Judy (left), is married to a stockbroker and lives in New York. They have no children.

Judith Herbert, aka Spikey Judy (center), is married to an engineer. They have four dogs and two horses (which Spikey jumps) and live in Simi Valley, California. She also is a facilities construction manager, drives a motorcycle and makes wire and beaded jewelry and art pieces.

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Are American Women Un-Chic?

LEAVE A COMMENT 2013 December 16

If our generation spent the time that would be needed to read the collection of beauty, fashion, health, relationship and other advice books that are being written for us, we’d be dead by the time we finished. So if we’re going to read—and heed—any of these books, we should make our choices pretty darn carefully.

A (American) woman (who lives in France) recently wrote a book on how French women stay Forever Chic, for all of us (presumably) un-chic American women. I could start following every tip in that book (never wear sweat pants, adorn my neck with scarves and wash my hair once a week), learn to speak French fluently, and perhaps even move to Paris, but none of it is going to magically turn me into a French woman. Besides, I like sweats!

But a book called Getting Older Never Looked Good: A Head to Heels Guide To Ageless Beauty, written by three FOFs who live right here in the United States, intrigued me by its unpretentiousness, lack of glossy photos and illustrations and no-nonsense advice.

To wit:

  • “When it comes to getting older, pretending does not work, trying too hard does not work, trying to dress like your teenager does not work. The right bra works, the right underwear works, the right makeup works, the right hairstyle for your face works, and so does knowing when your clothing is too short or too tight or too low cut! Learning to accept what we have to work with works big time. Being you, only better, works every time.”
  • “Thickening waistlines make us look a little like SpongeBob SquarePants. Wearing boxy tops is not the solution to square. Select tops that give the illusion of a waist; just don’t cut straight across the stomach. Ruched tops are always a good choice. Ruching is a miracle; it adds soft gathering or pleats without adding bulk!”
  • “Beware that Crocs croak! If you can hose off your shoes along with your patio furniture, they don’t belong on your feet. Save the Birkenstocks, loafers, sneakers and Doc Martins for the farm or the gym.”

The trio of FOF authors, each named Judy, knows that “getting older” isn’t always fun, but the goal of their book is to help us all get “over the bumps” without going into a tailspin. I applaud them for approaching the subject with honesty, heart and humor. While other authors pompously preach, the 3 Judys are a joy to read and even a bigger joy to meet. Click over to my interview with them to see what I mean.

10 Ways To Get A Man After 50

LEAVE A COMMENT 2013 December 10

1. Project confidence
Often as we age we start to lose our confidence, but if anything, age should boost your confidence—you’ve had years of experience!

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How To Look Good In Layers

LEAVE A COMMENT 2013 December 4

Time was you’d be considered sloppy if your shirt wasn’t tucked into your pants or skirt and it hung below your sweater or jacket.

And who in her right mind would pair a dressy jacket with a tailored shirt? Do either now and you’re right on trend! Layering pieces that work together perfectly, however, takes a little bit of style savvy. Heed these tips from Monica Escamilla, Ming Wang Product Specialist, and your layers will take the cake!

Buy one Ming Wang jacket, use your newfound style tips and create a collection of great looks. Here, Ming Wang’s stunning garnet zip-front jacket, embellished with smooth black nail heads, is the centerpiece of my three layered looks. Its part of Ming Wang’s Sapphire collection and is available at Nordstrom.

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