If you like the book/movie Crazy Rich Asians then you are going to LOVE this week’s Book Club choice….Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan. I am told that this is Kwan’s most decadent book yet..
The iconic author of the bestselling phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians returns with the glittering tale of a young woman who finds herself torn between two men: the WASPY fiancé of her family’s dreams and George Zao, the man she is desperately trying to avoid falling in love with.
On her very first morning on the jewel-like island of Capri, Lucie Churchill sets eyes on George Zao and she instantly can’t stand him. She can’t stand it when he gallantly offers to trade hotel rooms with her so that she can have a view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, she can’t stand that he knows more about Casa Malaparte than she does, and she really can’t stand it when he kisses her in the darkness of the ancient ruins of a Roman villa and they are caught by her snobbish, disapproving cousin Charlotte. “Your mother is Chinese so it’s no surprise you’d be attracted to someone like him,” Charlotte teases. The daughter of an American-born Chinese mother and a blue-blooded New York father, Lucie has always sublimated the Asian side of herself in favor of the white side, and she adamantly denies having feelings for George. But several years later, when George unexpectedly appears in East Hampton, where Lucie is weekending with her new fiancé, Lucie finds herself drawn to George again. Soon, Lucie is spinning a web of deceit that involves her family, her fiancé, the co-op board of her Fifth Avenue apartment building, and ultimately herself as she tries mightily to deny George entry into her world–and her heart. Moving between summer playgrounds of privilege, peppered with decadent food and extravagant fashion, Sex and Vanity is a truly modern love story, a daring homage to A Room with a View, and a brilliantly funny comedy of manners set between two cultures. – Amazon.com
For more information or to order this book, click HERE..
You know I love Anthropologie and I LOVE when they have Anthro day because most of the items are on sale. All weekend Anthropologie is offering 20% off clothing, shoes and accessories and FREE shipping…It a great time to stock up on a new summer dress or blouse. I did not love the shoe selection but I only glanced quickly but there were some great jewelry pieces for a great deal. Check out the Anthropologie site for more information!! Bon Weekend
I love this purple embroidered top.
The have a large selection of masks…
This multi-color embroidered blouse would look great with white jeans..
I have this tunic dress in my cart..I cannot decide on which color to get!!
Another really cute dress that I added to my cart…
This sweater is so perfect..you can wear it all year round..
I also have my eye on this really cute swing blouse..
If you feel like you’re not really in control of your mental health and you’re not sure how to improve things, your feelings of insecurity are understandable. We all feel like things are overwhelming us from time to time. But there are plenty of ways to improve and work on your mental health if that’s something you’re really serious about doing. Here are some ways to better your mental health today.
Aim to Get a Good Night’s Sleep Each Night
One of the best things you do for your mental health is try to get a good night’s sleep each and every night. You’ll face the day in better shape and be less irritable when you have a full night of sleep behind you. If your sleep patterns are irregular and you get less than 7 hours a night, this is something you need to work on for the sake of your mental health.
Take Time to Laugh and Love
For the good of your long-term and short-term health, you should always find the time to laugh and love. Yoru days can’t be filled with work and tasks you don’t want to be dealing with. If you want to achieve positive outcomes in your mental health, you also need to foster positive relationships with others and find time to laugh and feel good about things. That’s what makes us happy as human beings.
Harness the Power of Creative Expression
Unleashing your creative side and making something out of can be hugely satisfying. All kinds of studies have found that creative expression can help to create more positive mental health outcomes. So if you don’t often give yourself the chance to be creative, that’s something you should look to change. And the great thing about it is that creativity can take any form.
Find Healthy Ways to Relieve Your Feelings of Stress and Anxiety
It’s important to be able to overcome those feelings of stress and anxiety. Otherwise, those feelings will simply overwhelm you and your mental health will suffer as a result. You can use things like CBD from ghost bubba to calm and relax yourself. You can also try things like meditation, breathing exercises and things like that when you need to relax yourself and calm your anxiety.
Take Regular Digital Detoxes
These days, we’re all addicted to our devices. But from time to time, it pays off to digitally detox. Take some time away from technology and gadgets and do something old-fashioned. Talk to friends, walk through the woods or take a bike ride. Being away from technology from extended periods really can benefit our mental health.
We all owe it to ourselves to work on our mental health and to continually improve things. With the help of the tips above, there’s no reason why you can’t take your mental health in the right direction. And every aspect of your life will improve when you take the time to work on your mental health in this way.
I thought it would be a good time to share another Weight Watcher’s dessert. These banana puddings are great served in individual dishes/cups and the perfect summer treat for these humid days. Each serving has about 4 points and if you do not follow the Weight Watchers plan, that means you can have 2!!! Bon Appetit!!!
adapted from midlife healthy living
- 2 Boxes (small), 3 oz Fat Free Vanilla Pudding Cook and Serve (Sugar free boxes are less than an ounce but the 4 serving size)
- 4 Cups Low Fat Milk
- 3 Cups Fat Free Cool Whip, Divided
- 10 Large Bananas, Ripe, Chopped
- 16 Reduced Fat Vanilla Wafers, Crushed
- Prepare pudding according to box directions using low-fat milk. Chill until set then fold in 2 cups of Cool Whip.
- Makes 16 9 oz parfaits. Layer in 9 oz cups or parfait glasses.
- Use 1/3 Cup banana and 1 1/2 Tbsp pudding in alternating layers (2 sets of each)
- Chill until ready to serve. (Don’t wait too long or your bananas will start to brown.)
- Top with 1 Tbsp whipped topping and 1 crushed wafer before serving.
It can be all too easy to get yourself wrapped up in habits that are very hard to manage and control. Many people find themselves going from simply enjoying something to having it become a normal part of their daily life, and this can cause some big problems if you’ve chosen the wrong habits. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the work that can go into managing a runaway habit, giving you the chance to start to control this element of your life.
Finding Alternatives
Finding alternatives to your habits can be a challenge, but it can also be a good way to take your mind off these things when you want to have better control over them. For example, if you’ve gotten hooked on cigarettes, using something like an e-cigarette would give you an opportunity to sate your addiction without using unhealthy methods. This sort of approach can be taken with just about any type of habit, but you need to find something that you will enjoy as an alternative if it’s going to work.
Take Away The Ritual
Many habits are built on layers of different types of behavior. The ritual you embark on before you start enjoying your habit can be a big part of the whole thing, making it worth looking for ways to take this out of the equation. For example, if you’re using a substance like cannabis, you’ll probably know exactly how to clean your glass pipe or bong, and this will make it all too easy to get sucked into a routine. Breaking away from the ritual and routine that comes with your habit will always be a good way to overcome it.
Family & Friends Support
Getting help from those closest to you is one of the best ways to tackle a habit. It’s likely that these people have seen how the whole thing has influenced you, and they will want to help you to make positive changes in your life. You can simply as people like this to help you when you have a habit that you can’t control. They will be able to provide emotional support through this process, but you will still need to work extremely hard to shake off the habits that you’re struggling with.
Rehabilitation Support
Going to rehab can seem like an extreme step to take when you’re dealing with a habit. In reality, though, this sort of work can often be essential when someone falls into the wrong habits. There are loads of options on the market, from online rehab schemes that enable you to work towards a better life from your computer to specialized clinics that will be able to guide you through every step of a process like this.
Getting over a habit isn’t as easy as you might expect. Of course, though, with people to help and support you, you should find the whole thing much easier. As time goes on, you will get more and more opportunities to improve your lifestyle without old habits.
Today I am going to take you on a virtual vacation to one of my favorite places, The Beverly Hills Hotel. You all know how much I love Gray Malin and his incredible photography. Well, he has teamed up with the BHH to bring his brand to life at the icon hotel by decorating one of their fabulous pool cabanas. Gray also included many of the elements from his own Beverly Hills Hotel photographs, in the cabana decor, so you can have your own Gray Malin photo moment right there poolside. I love that he chose the hotel’s signature Martinique wallpaper, and the custom pink and white awing (also a signature design of the hotel). All of the wicker elements are fabulous, as are the embroidered and pink pineapple throw pillows. My favorite might be the elegant push for champagne button. The cabana will remain up until the end of the year and is available for daily rentals by hotel guests. Hope to meet you at LAX soon!!!!!
