Getting Old(er)

When I was younger I could pull an all nighter at the drop of a hat, continue functioning well into the next day and make it through to bed time, easily staying awake for 38 hrs.  Any time I might mention such things to my mother she would make comments to the effect of 'I just can't handle late nights anymore' and I'd think 'pffft, my God, I will never be THAT old...'

When we would travel as a family my parents would suffer for days with jet lag, I wouldn't, not in tune with daylight or my own circadian rhythm and desperate to explore (this was often helped by the pure excitement I had (and still get) from being somewhere new). These times I would sit patiently (or not) and think 'I will never stop my children from doing fun things because I'm old tired'

Fast forward a few years- Daylight Saving- you kill me, you rude, hour stealing, waking in the dark bitch, you.

I don't want to go to bed, it's not bed time, I don't want to get up, it's dark.

Tonight I will break all my 'not getting old' rules and probably make my dear son do something quiet because I am tired, I will then probably go to bed early, because 'I just can't stay up late like I used to'

Welcome to old(er) age, you will find your slippers and cardi on the rocking chair by the fire Should you need a tissue during your stay, you will find one stuffed up your sleeve, there is also some knitting to do when you've found your glasses, -which are on your head, but you don't remember that, because you are old(er).

Sun Smart Seminar...

Yesterday I attended a seminar hosted and presented by Sun Smart, organised by my work place's Health and Wellbeing Committee.

It wasn't that they used scare tactics, most of the presentation was purely fact about how to look after your skin, how to to check it, what could happen if you didn't and most of all how to prevent sun damage and lessen your chances of getting skin cancer.  It didn't matter.  Because we all left there convinced we were going to die of it, and the fact is, in a room of 20, one of us will most likely suffer from it, even if it does not kill them.
Its probably still going to be me. What makes me be so doom and gloom about this?

I'm an idiot.  Plain, simple, short story is the I have not been Sun Smart, I have been Sun dumb.

I grew up in Scotland, sun burn wasn't common, but it did happen.  I have light (not fair) skin, it's not friends with the sun.

I have been severely burnt to the point that sometimes I can not feel the sun burn and rather than having freckles when this happens, I have what I can only describe as anti-freckles, there the skin is so damaged, it doesn't go red/brown but white.

I had have one pre-cancerous freckle removed when I was 19.

When I lived/studied in The US I was carried away with the 'tan is beautiful' movement... Knowing I have light skin, knowing I had had a pre-cancerous freckle removed, I started using a solarium.  I don't need a lecture, I know how stupid it is, I didn't give it much thought at the time, but with age comes wisdom.

I am considerably more Sun Smart now, or I'd like to think so, but then I spent last Christmas unable to move most of my body because I was so badly burnt from a trip to the beach, in which I was wearing sunscreen, but probably put it on too late.  In that trip, the damage was done early.  I can only hope the same isn't true of my life in general.

I am fastidious about putting sunscreen on my face every day, convinced this is my best fight against the early signs of ageing, for this same reason I wear sunglasses a lot. (crows feet? no thanks).

I am not so habitual with the rest of my exposed skin.  When your 3 yr old says 'we need sun screen' and you hadn't even thought about it.... you know you're doing it wrong.

I can mend my ways, but is is too late anyway?

Art- Richard J Oliver

I might not come across as someone who knows about art, because, I'm not, I know what I like and I like thought provoking beauty.  I'm not a fan of arts created to 'test limits' just because the artist can. 

Richard J Oliver creates art that I like, many of his pieces are thought provoking, yet hauntingly beautiful.  I never look at his paintings the same way twice, I always gain something new.

This piece is my current favourite, its less dark than most of his work, yet it is still deep and haunting, I think its the eyes.

'Gretel, God will not Forsake Us'

Another favourite one of my favourites:

'White is Every colour that exists, combined'

This was created for City of Hope Paediatric Cancer research, to help fund research, treatment and programs for children battling cancer and their families.

You can find out much more about Richard J Oliver on his blog; Richard J Oliver Fine Arts
You can also purchase many limited edition prints from the store Here.

I personally will be buying a few of these beautiful prints as house warming gifts for myself for the new place.  Please check out  this wonderful artist and the work he does, not just for himself but to aid many others.

What about you, do you have a favorite artist you're just ithcing to share with the world? Let me know in the comments.

All images courtesy of Richard J Oliver Fine arts.

Beyond Makeup and Coffee

Welcome to Beyond Makeup and Coffee,

If you know me at all, you might follow Makeup and Smell the Coffee if not, you should, its pretty good! I'm not bias at all. Nup, no way, nuh uh.

Basically, the problem with running a makeup blog is that there is nowhere to put the stuff about a new album I've fallen in love with, a new artist I've discovered, my holiday thoughts, or even my fave hand cream, anything I want to share with the world that isn't makeup.  So from this Beyond Makeup and Coffee was created.  I probably won't blog about makeup, but I might mention coffee.

My twitter is still the same @Makeupandcoffee and you can still contact me on my usual email address
Please stick with me while I get this blog up and running and looking somewhat OK.