See this Picture?.............I hate it, not because I have been caught in the act of trying to stab Mr WD or that am pulling an extraordinarily stupid face but because...... OMG how bad do I look.
This and a few other picture taken on the same day have been a real wake up call. I have really let myself go. I have never been a preener but have always tried to look good and have been proud that usually people think I am not as old as I am. I am loving my life and I know money is short since I gave up my full time job, but really there is no excuse. I think it really hit home as I am going to be 50 very shortly. I don't mind getting older and am enjoying my life so much that it shouldn't really matter, but I am realising it does. So I am being pro-active. Here is my plan of action.......... ( big drum roll)
1st on the list was those roots, so down to the chemist and one hair dye later, they are gone....no more white hair for me.
2nd - I joined slimming world, got straight down the local group and started the only diet that has ever worked for me. One week later I am 5 and a half pounds lighter and feeling better for it already. Weigh in is on Wednesday, so hopefully I will have shed another 1 and a half pounds and will have lost my first half a stone.
3rd - Exercise more. Since being in my studio I am not on my feet as much and I just drive there and sit and paint and drive home. So each day I am trying to do a little walk, even if its just to the local shop and back, also hopefully it will save me a bit of petrol money at the same time.
4th - I have yet to tackle, I need a blooming good hair cut. Money has been tight so I have been chopping away myself , I do sort of know what I am doing as in a past life I was a hairdresser, but its not easy to do on yourself. I need to find a good cheap hairdresser, so anyone in the weston area if you have any suggestions let me know.
5th - Clothes, I need to stop wearing granny clothes and get a bit more up to date, this will have to wait a bit, both for money and for me to loose enough weight to be able to buy a few more fashionable clothes, they don't do trendy at Evans!!
Before you say try the charity shops. I'm afraid I have a bit of an issue there. Don't get me wrong I love charity shops, I buy and donate all the time , but I can't wear second hand clothes. I have tried but I never end up putting them on, so its a complete waste. I think its a bit of a hang up from wearing hand me downs a lot as a child.
So watch this space for some improvement, by showing you, me at my worst, hopefully it will help to give me even more incentive to show you the new me before to long and I want to look and feel great for my 50th
Your post hit home with me, a couple of posts ago on my blog I did the same when I took a couple of passport photos, and got the shock of my life! Looks like we are both heading for a big change :)
ReplyDeleteI think you look lovely, but agree that all the strategies for self improvement will make you feel better about yourself . I need to adopt them for me as I'm feeling very frumpy at the moment. Good luck !
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you feel! I'm 47 but feel like a frump - battling the grey hair and I've recently descended into wearing baglady type clothes at home (because they're comfy!)
ReplyDeleteI decided last night I'm going to let the hair dye grow out although I think lowlights may be called for to make it less painful! I'm also going shopping this week to buy some clothes I don't feel ashamed of when I answer the front door to the postman!
It's almost as though I feel I don't deserve to look nice but I do!
I think you look like a very lovely person, but we all hit that moment where we realise "Oh dear why did no-one tell me" Thank goodness it is only superficial. Have fun with your make-over, look forward how you progress. (I am actually doing the same)
ReplyDeleteWell Janice we all get those 'omg tell me I don't really look like that moments' when looking at photos! Mine was a couple of years ago when I saw a photo of my hair. I had been henna-ing it for 20 years, it was a deep dark burgundy red, and my eyebrows had gone very pale, not to mention the light re-growth. Suddenly I realised that whatever the pain, I had to grow it out and get something softer as the colour which used to suit me was now making me look 20 years older. I too trained as a hairdresser years ago, and hack my own hair. Shouldn't do it, but there you go :-) Best of luck with your makeover! Michele x
ReplyDeleteYou look great but I know what you mean about how a pic can shock you into action! It was a picture of me at 16 next to a skinny friend that launched me to improve my looks, lose 2 stone,and it did change my life! (could do with that again 40 years later!) Good luck! xx
ReplyDeleteWell done to you, though I must add I think many of us 40 somethings (especailly creative types) lack the time, I am starting to get the badger hair look too, really must get the dye then find the time to put it on. I keep my hair short (again due to lack of time to do anything else with it). You are right, I would have said get to the charity shop, not that I need any clothes bought loads at a time when I did have money, but if I fancy a treat thats were I head. Luckily all my clothes are bright, very bright. Do you know anyone who embroiders? you could ask them to embroider some of your art onto t-shirts, sweaters and jeans to jazz them up, oh and as an artist, how about some bright scarves?
ReplyDeletebtw, I think you look great too.
I'm shocked when I see photos of myself, I seem to have developed a really weird, self-conscious smile that I never had a few years ago! I have put on a stone v-e-r-y gradually, it's crept on since I landed a desk job four years ago, but I'd no idea some of it had gone to my face, you can really tell. I've cut back on drinking wine and am giving it more down the gym. Well done for your changes Welly, there's no way you look like someone who's almost 50!
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