Mary Louise Eklund

Tag: work

Back To Work

Well that was a rough patch the last few weeks. Things have returned to their normal level of chaos so I’m back blogging. I’m sorry that it was interrupted but I’d used my back stock of posts to cover my week in Norfolk. So there you go the best laid plans…

Any way I’m back just as I recently returned to the world of the employed. I quick working when Aaron was in the 2nd grade to be a stay at home mom. It worked out well for us and I developed a small writing career on the side. Now it’s been 12 years out of the job market. Aaron is out of the house. The publishing industry is in a big turnover with the onset of e-books. I’ve not had the energy to be aggressive enough to get what few contracts are out there (partly health issues the past year). So I was ready to get a part-time job. Get out of the house and do something.

It so happened during my post-surgery recovery I was shopping at a store I enjoyed when I saw that they were looking for permanent part-time workers. So I applied and got the job. I now work at store I always made a point to stop & shop when I was over that way. So I enjoy my work. I work about 20 hours a week which is perfect for what I was wanting. Life is good!

However my life had become casual. My wardrobe was casual. I’d even given up wearing make-up for the most part. When you work alone at a keyboard most of the day, old jeans, sweatshirts, and no make-up are office attire. Now where I work allows ‘nice’ jeans so that’s good I had some good jeans but had to freshen up my slacks and tops.

The next step was the face in the mirror – it had aged, looking back was a woman closer to 50 than 30. Never mind the fashion styles had changed in the past decade my make-up canvas had changed too! So it was time to do a bit of recent research on what women over 40 were doing for work faces.

I learned lots. First off frosts are out – those fine lines we’re developing are highlighted by frost eye shadow or lipstick. Now I’d given up frosted lipstick years ago but my aged collection of eye shadows had LOTS of frosts. Chunked them. Next – I’ve started wearing glasses since I last wore make-up, so that added a twist to my research. Seems I can play up my eyes more with glasses. Which is good because they have always been my best feature. If I left off eyeliner back in the day people thought I was becoming ill – ‘your eyes aren’t as bright are you feel well?’ So after watching several you-tube make over 40 videos I learned how to line my eyes with a dark matte eye shadow. It is not as harsh as the liners I once used but still gives it that widening and brightness. Heck even the shape of the lining is subtly different, very thin at the edges and slightly thicker in the center. I had to fine this wonderfully thin, stiff, angled brush to do it but once I masted it I LOVED the effect. I looked better not so outdated and worn out. I was pleased with the various matte palettes I’d selected. They were Nice matte muted colors to give some flair but not scream HERE I AM! Eyes looking so much better and fresher I considered it a check off the list. New techniques mastered and appearance improved! However I did have a moment of silence for my former eyelashes – now it takes two layers of mascara because they’ve aged and faded too.

Base and cream blush

Next was foundation, see eyes were always my favorite so I started there. I’ve always had very extremely oily skin. To this day I still have oil fields on my face that could be declared national energy deposits. However I’ve also got arid dry spots that are awful and turn an angry red when aggravated by the cold winter wind. I’d found that Oil of Olay Pro-X Clear for adult skin helped with keeping things in balance. Also some Vitamin E cream on the really dry spots when they appeared was good. However I’d always used a water based foundation with powder overlay. Except now the powder made the fine lines look like crevasses in my face. So research was needed and I’ve found a great foundation for me that matches my tone and doesn’t need powder as well as doesn’t clog the pores of my oil reserves! I’m very fair, so getting a shade that doesn’t look fake or vampiric white is very hard. CoverGirl TruBlend is great for matching without trying to orange or pink me up or pale me down to talc. Now I could check off foundation.

Something I’d always struggled to get right in make-up – BLUSH. I’d gotten the notion that generally speaking powders were out. My dry areas are my cheeks so I’d noticed that powder made them look like cracked parched mud. I’d forgone blush for years since they were naturally red from wind irritation during dog walks. I was scared of cream blush aka rouge in my grandmother’s time. It brought back images of old blue haired women at church with red/pink streaks or circles on their cheeks. So it took lots of watching and reading and peering at images of this cream blush the experts were advocating for over 40 faces. First off it wasn’t red or pink but followed what were now becoming common guidelines – muted neutral tones. Sure some leaned toward pink or coral but still fell in the neutral palette. Most were muted by containing more skin tones in the mix. These creams were swiped on the cheeks when smiling like I was taught. One great video illustrated why – gravity has done a number on our cheeks ladies. Smile – draw a dot on the apple then unsmile and watch that dot drop below your cheekbone then curse gravity. I learned that now the goal wasn’t to rosy up the apple but to contour the face. The cream was to play down areas like in the neck to hide that V that’s developing, on the sides of the head to make it the grey highlighted temples recede a bit, and under the cheek to make the apple come out more. Thus the very muted tones were to contour. This took lots of practice and face washing. I had to master a contour sponge and shading. However in the end I was very pleased with the result.

Lip liners and neutral lip colors

I moved on to lips. I’ve not had issues with feathering yet. I can see that it will be coming in the future years. I’m not a fan of bright colors. Which I learned is very good because neutrals are the go to colors for over 40. Especially if you are going to play up your eyes. Don’t have bright eyes and bright lips on a mature woman it’s garish. Also I’ve always found that bright lips on an old woman are bad it highlights a feature that has sunk and aged or one that is unnaturally plump and frozen from injections. So I accepted the neutral palate willingly. The hard thing is lip liner. I’ve struggled with adopting that. However the experts were right outlining the lips and coloring in the corner to leave the center of them a slightly lighter color does. Lip liner is dryer and keeps the lipstick from fading or bleeding which is great. Glosses are out, I bowed my head in another moment of silence and bid them farewell. It was true I looked better for the liner and dropping the gloss. We gain new tools and say good-bye to old friends as we age.

What is the result? A better me instead of a painted woman. To me the best make-up is one that isn’t noticed but makes the wearer look like a better version of themselves. Their eyes are bright, their skin tone is even, their cheeks are perky, their lips are full. I want people to notice the face not the make-up. I think I’ve achieved that with my new work face. Yes I’ll have Mike take a picture as I go to work one day and make it my new photo but generally he’s gone or in bed when I leave (he does get to sleep in on the weekends and I go to work after him on weekdays).

Now I’m ready to go to work. I’m all up to date and comfortable in my over 40 (soon to be over 50 in a few years) skin. Honestly, I feel I’m starting out on the best part of my life. I’ve got achievements under my belt. I know who I am and am comfortable with that. I’m secure in a relationship and finances. I’ve got a great adult son – life is good!

Until next time!

February 1, 2013
I Prefer A Slow Start

Now that I’m back to the working world, well working on a clock for others that is. I’m rediscovering my preferred morning routine – a slow wake. I don’t like the up, shower, eat, and dash. It’s not me. Back when I worked full time and Aaron was little I’d get up early to do aerobics and journal a few pages before showering and getting into the morning rush. It was a nice quiet time when everyone else in the house was safe at home sleeping.

Mike is up and out in 30 minutes flat – includes shower. Sure he’s a man, he doesn’t do the swish/swipe cleaning of the bathroom as he goes, he doesn’t have hair to style and no make-up to put on. He doesn’t moisturize or do jewelry coordination. So he’s faster. If I followed his model with my getting ready routine additions – I’d need an hour.

Still I’d like at least two hours before departure if not three. I’ll definitely get up and sacrifice sleep to get an hour of coffee and internet reading (e-mail, doing a blog post, answering G+ & Twitter, possibly checking in with Facebook) before I start the day. I like to take my time easing into the day before I dash out to work.

Heck nowadays I consider my writing more my work and my job more my hobby. LOL! Then again I enjoy both equally so that’s the secret to life isn’t it get paid for what you enjoy doing. Still I don’t want to jump out of bed rush through getting ready and dash out the door. I want to savor life which includes the mornings. Sure I can do the rush thing if I have to do it. But honestly I feel stressed and pushed and judged all day long when I do it that way. I’m not a happy camper when I don’t get my me time before dealing with the day.

Just know if you travel with me I’ll probably get up first and go out of the room to have coffee. Don’t feel you have to follow me, don’t feel you are running late. I’m getting up to get my ‘me time’ so I can face the world. I’ll be much better after that and a shower. Thanks.

Until next time!

January 8, 2013
I Love My Dog, I Love My Dog

Deskunked by OakleyOriginals on Flickr. Poor Moose here was getting a deskunk bath.
Used under the granted Creative Commons License 2.0 Generic Attribution license

A special thanks to Diatribe and Ovations blog for reminding me of this skunk story. It always makes me cringe and laugh.

First let me set the scene, it was in my early days of working for this company. I was in one of three cubes in a large room that was once a waiting room like area for 4 offices. We were administration support for the production team leaders in the offices. Office doors never closed, we all got along and liked each other. It was like a big processing family with shouting and laughing back and forth. The radio played in the background as keys clicked and copiers whirled with the sounds of great people doing a good job. You know a good work environment like that couldn’t last and with layoffs it was decimated leaving those of us that remained over worked and separated. However in this golden era of enough work for everyone and camaraderie too boot is where the skunk story sets.

So in walks the young and newest production team leader. He’s not his usual self but quiet and withdrawn. He hangs up his coat in his office and gets to work. Everyone has a bad morning and we all figure it’s his. We leave him to his coffee and morning e-mails for an attitude adjustment what ever is needed.

It’s not long before people start asking one another “Do you smell a SKUNK?” Now this is odd because we are all in the center of a large shielded building. We processed radioactive waste and the office area has no windows or outside walls. Add to it that it is in an accessed controlled area that is fenced in and wild life is kept out. I know I walked the fence line regularly as part of my job. So needless to say it was odd to smell a wild animal.

Sheepishly from the unusually quiet office came the answer. “It’s my coat. I’ll take it outside.” He quietly walks the aisle between the cubicles holding out the offending barn coat. Yep, we all got a good strong whiff it was the coat. I’m sure every office from our quad to the door got a good whiff of that coat! As it warmed up it got more pungent.

Now we are all curious – how did his coat come to smell like a skunk? Needless to say all 6 of us were waiting for his return. Once he came back, clothes changed to scrubs (we wore scrubs under the canaries yellow protective gear and respirator to keep from risking contamination on street clothes) we all stuck our heads out to hear the answer. It was up to Oscar, the senior team leader, to ask the embarrassed young man what happened.

It all started with his new hunting dog. He’d been working with the dog and had gotten very close to it. So much so the dog went wild when it was about time for him to get home. So his wife, who was home with the new baby, had taken to letting the dog out about half hour before he got home so the excitement of doggie anticipation didn’t wake the napping infant. (The production shift changed at 3pm). Usually when he got home the dog would run circles about the yard in joy and greet him once he was out of the truck, having mastered the rules of stay back from the auto gate and running truck. Only that previous afternoon was different. As he drove down the road to his house the dog didn’t greet him at the fence and run the length of it barking welcome to the truck. As he pulled into the driveway, no dog in view. He was worried. He loved that new dog. Then suddenly from around the back of the house there came the dog tearing toward the truck with all he’s got. “Oh he was off doing doggie stuff at the woods and missed hearing me. Now he’s making up for it!” the young man thought. Well, before he could get out of the stopped truck, the dog jumped into his lap through the open door. “Aww it’s okay boy! You don’t have to run the fence welcoming me!” Then it hit him. The dog had just been sprayed by a skunk. Now it was all over him and the dog was rubbing his burning eyes on the truck passenger seat!

That was when he began the mantra of “I love my dog, I love my dog.” His eyes started watering from the smell! He got out and got sick as the stench was too great. Seems that the dog wasn’t the only one getting the tomato juice bath that night. The coat was washed and dried so many times and the truck sat with door wide open and fans blowing on the wet upholstery from a good vinegar and baking soda scrub. The dog was at the vet being shaved and treated for its eyes were chemically burned from the spray. This poor guy rode to work in snowy weather with his windows down sitting on garbage bags placed over the wet drivers seat. He’d parked his truck in the far lot and left it open to air out more. Now the offending coat hung on the open driver door and the clothes aired out in the bed of the vehicle. All told the infamous “skunk dog welcome” as it came to be known in the office cost the guy a bundle in vet bills, truck cleaning bills, and new winter coat. Yes at times his new mantra of “I love my dog, I LOVE MY DOG” became audible as he dealt with the incident.

Now whenever I hear a skunk story I remember the skunk dog welcome and how it took some time for our enclosed office to shed the smell. Until next time peeps.

December 6, 2012