Elegant Lifestyle
Three years ago I ran away from home: I moved out of the home that I shared with my husband before he returned from work at 6 p.m. I moved into a one-room industrial loft, the one in the photo here, that I absolutely loved. The apartment felt small and safe. It was the one little place where I could hide from the world while my marriage was crumbling.
Last Saturday I took a giant step in building a happy life for myself again: I moved again. I now own my own condo (well, of course, the bank owns my condo!). I have lots of space and a wonderful view, two stories and the biggest closet I have ever owned (I will post some pictures when the boxes are unpacked)! And, while it is filled to the brim with boxes right now, it represents a new beginning for me; a new, happy chapter filled with hope and success and family and friends. “All that, just from changing your address,” you might ask. Yes! Yes! Yes! When I moved to my loft, I felt that it was important for it to look like home for my adult children. I wanted them to know that no matter where I lived, it would be their home. It might have been just one room, but it was their home. And that’s what it was, their home.
Now, while this is still their home, it is my home, it is me. My new place is not a miniature replica of my married life: it is a home for a single woman over 60 who has a full, exciting life. It is a place where I can entertain, where my children can sleep in separate rooms when they visit (rather than all in one room) and it is a place where I can really start my life over. There is nothing about it that screams, “I am a sad, sad woman who is having to pick up the pieces of her failed marriage and trudge through life.” Instead, I feel like it says, “Paula has overcome a mountain of obstacles and look at her now!”
Join My New Program!
So, I am launching a test program for Starting Over at Sixty followers designed to build community among women who are 50+ and single and want to live the fullest lives possible. I mention it here because the focus of the group will be how to take steps forward in order to live a life on the outside the way you feel on the inside: vibrant, vital and relevant. I want you to live in alignment! I hope you will join other women who support each other through this chapter of life. Please register here. This test group is 100% free and launches August 1, 2018. I can’t wait to get started!
Read MoreI know you are tired of me talking about maxi-dresses, but they are so comfy and honestly, so affordable. And, this past holiday weekend was the perfect setting to get lots of wear out of this one because it was so stinking hot! Not complaining, just fact. I think this olive green color is so flattering but I don’t see it on a lot of women. You can pair it with navy, black or a neutral sandal and you will look like a million bucks, but you don’t have to spend much for this one on Amazon.
Read MoreI bought these “Soda Fountain” glasses at an antique flea market last fall and I have been wanting to use them ever since. Well, it is time! And, I have the perfect adult concoction worthy of these beauties: it’s called the Detroit Hummer, invented by Jerome Adams in 1968, fifty years ago. Mr. Adams, who was inducted into the Bartender Magazine Bartender Hall of Fame in 2017, passed away just this past April. So let’s honor him by making his most famous, and I’m sure his favorite, cocktail. Here is his recipe for the perfect Hummer (I know I know I know).
Ingredients
3-5 ice cubes
1½ ounces of light rum (Adams likes Bacardi or Castillo)
1½ ounces Kahlúa coffee-flavored liqueur
2 scoops of good-quality vanilla ice cream
Directions
Place all ingredients in a blender. Pour, stick a straw in it (I love these metal straws that can be reused) and enjoy. This recipe makes enough for two people.
Happy Summer Hummer!
Read More
Summer means heading up to my rooftop and grilling. But, when I say heading I mean climbing! Two flights. Dragging my heavy dishes up those stairs is no fun and I hate to eat on paper or plastic, so this set of pink melamine dinnerware is perfect for the job. It is super inexpensive so I have two sets and if it is beaten up after the season I can pitch it. Happy Summer!
Read MoreYou can use mirrors to lighten up your home and bring the sunshine into dark areas, it’s true. I have always used lots of mirrors in my homes. I often use a rectangular mirror as a serving tray for charcuterie, and that one I bought at T.J.Maxx,. It was inexpensive so I don’t worry much about breaking it. And I learned a great trick when I moved into my one-room loft: mirrors can bring the light into your space. In my apartment I have floor-to-ceiling windows on the front side, but that’s pretty much it. The walls are mostly brick and the ceiling is exposed beams and ductwork. There is plenty of light, but it is all on the front side, leaving me in the dark the further into the place I go. I have a very large mirror, maybe 3′ x 6′, and when I moved in I stood it up against a wall temporarily. When I went to move it I quickly realized that it was actually providing light. It acts as a window. The reflection the mirror provides lights up that part of the apartment and it is too dark without it.
There are limitless styles of mirrors: currently, I am on a mission to find a round mirror and I have fallen in love with this one on Amazon. The color is called Spruce and looks like a green-gray. Love, love, love. The round shape feels updated and fresh. You can find so many options in all price ranges and they will instantly open up your home. Bring sunlight into a corner that is away from the windows with a morror and see what a difference it makes. I think you will be amazed and how bright and airy your home will feel with the addition.
Let me know if you have a great use for a mirror in your home.
Read More
Search through my blog posts