Here’s another up close and personal interview today; meet Fashion Trends and Friends Blogger, Julie. Julie and I are both original members of Fierce 50, now called Forever Fierce. You may remember the recent meeting of Ireland’s top blogger, Hilda,
What is your profession?
I have a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and special education and a master’s degree in school administration and supervision. I was a self-contained special education teacher for years. Special education is my passion. For the past 13 years, my role in my district has been Prevention Coordinator. This position allows me to work with all students, parents, and teachers in our entire area in various capacities. I love my job!
Where do you currently reside? Were you born there?
I currently live in Sugar Grove, Illinois. I was born in Aurora, Illinois, and have lived in this area for most of my life. My family briefly lived in Florida when I was a sophomore in high school.
Are you married? How long? If yes, are there any children?
I am married to the most fabulous man in the world, married for nearly 31 years. Unfortunately, we never were able to have children. However, I have a beautiful stepdaughter, Tiffany, who is 42 and has been in my life since she was 9. We have an exceptional, close relationship. I’m blessed to have her, my son-in-law, and my 8-year-old granddaughter, Violet!
How long have you been blogging? I see your blog with two other ladies. How does that work?
We have been blogging for a little over two years. I started Fashion Trends and Friends with two lifelong friends that I met in college freshman year. We would talk on the weekends and plan for the upcoming week. We typically blog weekly, so we rotated turns. Recently, Cindy had some medical issues and a very challenging new role at her company, which caused her to discontinue blogging with us. Lori and I completely understood and continued as 2.
Lori’s mom was diagnosed with cancer. She also holds an all-consuming, high-pressure job. As a result, she has decided to discontinue blogging. Although we made some videos on Sunday, I will share them over the next several weeks.
Of course, I understand both of their decisions and support them wholeheartedly. This has caused me to reflect significantly on whether I desire to continue alone or hang up my hat. At this time, I’m going to try to remain alone. It’s not that I don’t think I can do it, but more a matter of not doing it with my friends. I will miss our frequent interactions and work together on FTF. Working together brought me great joy, so I feel sad continuing alone!
How would you describe your fashion sense?
I would describe my sense of fashion as classy, sassy, and sometimes flawed assy! I pretty much wear whatever I like and will shop anywhere. I never let my age dictate where I can buy or consider stores off-limits. I’m most attracted to color and bold statement pieces and love to accessorize.
When I visualize an outfit, I see everything – from my ears to my toes and everything in between. Nothing about me is minimal. I tend to be matchy-matchy even though many feel it ages a person. I consider myself fancy and am more comfortable being fancy. I’m probably overdressed for most events and don’t mind.
How old are you?
I am currently 56 but turn 57 on July 4th. That’s my actual age, but in my mind, I’m still in my 30’s. Luckily, 50 is the new 30!
Has your beauty regimen/products changed over the years?
My beauty regime has slightly changed with age. I’ve always had pretty good skin. When I was younger, I spent much time in the sun. I was a smoker, although I haven’t smoked in 14 years. The residual effects of sun and smoking are what was causing me to search for a “facelift in a bottle”! The wrinkles around my mouth bother me the most.
If I were a candidate for Botox or fillers, I would probably consider it. However, I have a rare autoimmune disease called Scleroderma—overproduction of collagen (not in the right way) causes thickening of the skin and internal organs. Therefore, I’m not a candidate, and the risks for me are not worth it. So, I’m always looking for the cream to minimize and decrease those lines.
How are you maintaining a healthy weight?
In mid-January, my husband and I started Weight Watchers. We are always trying to be healthy and have tried many approaches, none of which were working very well for us. In the past, we were both successful on Weight Watchers. As of last week, I have lost 30 pounds. Now that I’m off for the summer, I hope to get more movement/exercise into my day and rebuild that habit.
I like to walk, ride my bike, am a big fan of yoga, and lift weights. Before my husband’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and then pancreatitis last year, we were in the gym about three times a week. The habit has fallen by the wayside. Before that, I was fit but slightly overweight. Now we’re thinner but need to get back to fit. My summer goal is to make both a habit.
What challenges do you face as a woman over the age of 50?
This question is tricky for me. I’m blessed to report that I don’t feel like I’ve faced many challenges in my 50s. Mid-life is so freeing. I’ve been in my school district for 23 years. I feel as though I’ve proven myself professionally and personally.
I’m blessed to work on my blog, as fashion children, and education are my passions. Many challenges come with blogging, but I don’t necessarily equate those to age. I have friends in all age brackets, both professionally and personally. I have a tribe of women I can’t imagine not having in my life, making my life so much fuller.
Do you have any advice for women over 50 who want to be more fashionable as they age?
I’ve recently had many tell me that they had no idea that I even had 30 pounds to lose when in actuality, I have more to lose. I think this is because I have the determination to look my best, no matter my age or size! I think you can dress regardless of your age, size, or shape to flatter your assets and highlight the best parts of yourself.
Fashion is an attitude. When you’re confident, you can wear anything and look fabulous in anything. Even though I’m optimistic about my sense of style and know what flatters me, I still allow sales staff to pick things out for me. Often, they pick something I would never consider, and I ended up being pleasantly surprised and pushed outside of my box. Bring her along if you have a trusted friend, and allow yourself to try new things! You’re only limited by your thinking!
Julie, thank you for the opportunity to share your style, how you’re aging well and gracefully. Be sure to follow Julie on Fashion Trends, and Friends, her Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Thank you for reading. Have a fabulous week.
