Since the pandemic forced us to stay at home for 2 years to work and play people are dressing ultra casually when they leave the house. Although I see people wearing questionable sweats, loungewear, and what resembles houseshoes even in Midtown Manhattan, overall casual attire is more good than bad. In fact, I'm a huge fan of a casual smart appearance. When we match colors, stick to neutrals and complementary colors, we can dress in comfort and still look like we care ... like we've made an effort before leaving home.
The following are 5 wardrobe pieces people on Amazon and elsewhere overwhelmingly love. Based on many 5-star reviews each piece is super comfortable to wear at home; to the gym; or to run errands around town including all the way to Midtown Manhattan:
Casual Smart Comfort for Home, Gym, or Running Around Town:
1) Hoka Ora Recovery 3 Slides - Runners began wearing these after long or tough races to support and help their feet recover. They cushion and let your feet breathe.
2) Colorfulkoala leggings and yoga pants - I'm always bookmarking leggings and yoga pants that get rave reviews at a fair price. Colorfulkoalas come in several styles, lengths, and colors, including shorts. With 48,000 Amazon reviews, customers say they are dupes for some of the higher-end more expensive activewear. Personally, I lean towards cotton with a small percentage of spandex leggings, but these are praised as buttery soft with 4-way stretch and sweat-wicking technology. I'd compare them to Uniquo's Airism technology and their cost is far below Lululemon, Athleta, and GAP. For casual work meetings, I'll pair black yoga pants and a cotton t-shirt under a well-fitted wool blazer with ballet flats and nobody is the wiser. The trick is not to dress casually from head to toe but to mix casual pieces with fitted pieces and classic shoes.
3) Filoto Running Belt Fanny Pack - I have never liked the look of fanny packs, but this one is stylish and still holds your phone, cardholder, keys, and cash. So you really can leave your bag at home. The fanny pack is unisex to fit the waists of men or women. IMHO it looks more like a sleek accessory than a fanny pack.
4) Uniqlo Airism tops - for men and women - Wisks away sweat, there are several styles and a wide assortment of colors. Some have built-in bras, and others have a dominant percentage of cotton fibers.
5) Hoka One Sneakers - For running, walking, and playing. They're as popular as Nikes on the streets of Manhattan. Everybody seems to be wearing them.
If you pair the right neutrals and complementary colors you can dress in comfort without needing to change your clothes if you stay home; exercise; or roam away from home.
In winter the local news in Manhattan sometimes airs stories warning the public of the harm salt used to melt snow on sidewalks can do to their dog's paws, so it is not unusual to see a few dogs wearing boots. But now I see it also in August and September. Shoes on dogs have definitely caught on with pet owners this summer, and it's understandable.
As great as New York City is, the sidewalks and subways can be very, very dirty. In response, I'm one of those annoying people who ask guests to remove their shoes in my apartment. I buy extra houseshoes to offer visitors who'd prefer not to walk around in their socks, but few folks let on that they mind the "sockhop." when entering my place. My guests who accept my houseshoes get to take them home as a gift after their visit. I think if you're forward enough to ask people to remove their shoes in your home, giving them footwear is a thoughtful gesture. You won't catch them off-guard with holes in their socks, plus you want your guests to feel taken care of and comfortable in your house. You can buy inexpensive hospital booties at the dollar stores to have a supply on hand.
If [still] a pet owner, I suppose I'd extend these findings to my dog's paws in cold and warm weather. More and more, it seems like a good idea in a high-traffic city for several reasons!
Think of it this way: When popcorn drops on your rug while watching a movie, you don't have to worry about picking it up to eat it! Moreover, Fido is in the habit of licking his paws. Yes, it's true he also licks his own butt -- but IMHO spreading germs is a numbers game, so let's limit him right there to spreading his own bacteria throughout your home! For sure, think about keeping the other bacteria from God-knows-where-and-God-knows-what out of your living space. The idea is not to avoid common household germs but all the foreign germs we don't want to know about!😳
Sidewalks also get hot and at times there's broken glass or sharp objects to potentially cut paws.
In Homer's epic poems, the Illiad and the Odyssey, the gods are always eating Ambrosia and drinking The Nectar of the Gods although in early editions they may be one and the same, so indistinguishable. In Homer's work, the divine food is consumed on top of Mount Olympus and thereby tied to immortality, magical powers, and godliness.
I can't be the only person on earth ever to wonder what precisely Ambrosia and The Nectar of the Gods are. Scholars think both could be honey ... or if one is a drink, Nectar is likely mead while only Ambrosia is honey. Like the brains who study these questions in depth, I also guessed they are honey and an alcoholic beverage. (Hey academics, perhaps my blog can save you years of research. Read on.😊)
As I have another guess for Ambrosia if we accept it is separate from the Nectar of the Gods. I think ambrosia is likely ice cream since once you let yourself eat ice cream you can't get enough. In your mouth, it has magical powers!
Because in my family we have no desire to weigh 300 pounds, I don't buy ice cream for the freezer until the end of June. The weather in early June can still be nippy, so we try to hold off until the real summer with steamy hot weather arrives. We buy ice cream throughout July and August, then try to stop once fall is upon us. I also buy wafer cones because it slows us down and we tend to eat less ice cream if we lick it on a cone. You have no idea how much ice cream you can scoop out to fit into a bowl in our house! It's our magical power.😛
So, readers, we ate our last ice cream cone on Thursday, August 31st and the question is, will I buy one more carton of ice cream (or 2, or 3) as summer is not officially over this year until Saturday, September 23rd? Also, we have 2 rows of wafer cones left in a box. They shouldn't go to waste, right?
I decided yes, buy another carton if temperatures soar again and no,we've eaten plenty already if they don't.
Ice cream is a dessert I buy readymade since I can't make it better, healthier, easier, or cheaper at home.
By the way, we do eat ice cream throughout the year to celebrate birthdays and as dessert if we host a dinner or are invited to dinner, or if we treat ourselves with a trip to an ice cream shop. I just don't keep it in the freezer outside of the summer months. Unlike the ancient Greek gods (image ↖credit) we must leave home to eat it during the fall, winter, or spring seasons in the interest of health and not adding another 50 pounds to our frames! We don't have the discipline to skip ice cream if it's in the house because ice cream really is the Ambrosia of the gods! It's soooo good you can't stop eating it!!
India's famed Koh-i-Noor (meaning "Mountain of Light") Diamond is one of the most extraordinary diamonds in the world. First mentioned in history in the 14th century, it was owned by the ruling maharajahs of India, but after bloody battles, the diamond became a spoil of war to various Sikh, Mogul, and Persian rulers.
It was given as a gift to Queen Victoria during the colonial era when the powerful British East India Tea Company annexed Punjab (then in India, today also in Pakistan) in 1849 forcing its 11-year-old ruler, Prince Sir Duleep Singh, into abdicating and surrendering his lands and prized diamond via the Treaty of Lahore. The legendary diamond was singled out as a symbol of conquest.* The British authorities also separated the boy from his mother, refusing to let him see her for 13 years. They brought him to England where he was educated, given estates, a palace, and the privileges that reflected his rank as a Prince and Maharaja, plus a yearly pension (of $3,145,248 in today's value) as long as he pledged obedience to the Crown and British government, which is the rub of colonialism. Except for 2 controlled visits to India, Maharaja Duleep Singh spent the rest of his life in exile. (His ... is a fascinating life and family. His daughter Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was a prominent Indian British suffragette who was instrumental in helping women win the right to vote in Great Britain. It's admirable how the family balanced retaining their Indian heritage with assimilating into high English society. The Maharaja longed to return to his throne and wrestled with a measure of regret in adulthood; still, he remained respectful and a close friend of Queen Victoria.)
Replica of Kohinoor Diamond before recut
The earliest recorded weight of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond is 186 carats. Cut in the style of Mughal-era diamonds, it resembled the diamonds in the modern Iranian Crown Jewels. This was disappointing to Western eyes, so Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, had it recut by a leading mineralogist, James Tennant, (removing some discovered internal flaws) into a more dazzling brilliant cut stone. The colorless D-grade diamond was cut into a cushion shape with excellent clarity. Unfortunately, it also reduced the size of the diamond from 186 carats (or 191 modern carats) down to 105.6 carats. Diamond experts all agree it enhanced the beauty of the diamond and yet, at the loss of its size and history.
Queen Victoria (and Prince Albert) were quite taken with and became lifelong friends of Maharaja Duleep Singh (and later on with hisdaughters). The British Queen showed Prince Duleep Singh his lost diamond. Reportedly the 16-year-old Maharaja grew silent with emotion while holding and twirling it for 1/4 hour in his hands ... surely recalling how it belonged to his family and was later seized from him at a tender age.
After Queen Victoria's death, the Koh-i-Noor was added to the Crown Jewels. It was mounted in the crown of Queen Alexandra, the wife of Edward VII to use during her coronation in 1902. Queen Mary (wife of George V) and Queen Elizabeth (wife of George VI) also used the Koh-i-Noor Diamond in their coronation crowns. Due to its enduring controversy, the diamond was removed from the crown for Queen Camilia's coronation in 2023.
Ever since India gained its independence in 1947, there have been cries to return the Koh-i-Noor Diamond to India. Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan also claim ownership resulting from the diamond exchanging hands as a spoil of war by the victors of those countries over the years.
Photo: Baunat - how the Kohinoor compares in size to other well-known gems
I realize how hair-splittingly difficult it is to determine what is the right thing to do after centuries of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond's complex history, however IMHO, India has the strongest argument for ownership. As a Westerner, I'm biased towards wanting the diamond to stay in the Tower of London, but there's no doubt the diamond was acquired as the spoil of war under the strongarm of colonialism coupled with the coercion of a powerless 11-year-old boy ruler to sign it away. In the 21st century, an 11-year-old cannot sign legally binding contracts or treaties.
3rd daughter Sophia Duleep Singh with her mother, Bamba Muller and with her elder sisters, Catherine and Bamba
I also recognize the fear of opening a Pandora's Box by returning the Koh-i-Noor Diamond to India. Granted, not everything in history can be made right because time makes it convoluted and impossible to correct every wrong. I think we must go on a case-by-case basis. Just because righting a wrong is challenging doesn't mean it should not be attempted.
Click here for this photo credit: Duleep is seated, left of the future King Edward VII, at the time of the photo, still Prince of Wales.
Today there are no living Duleep Singh direct descendants, but India understandably still feels the sting of how the Koh-i-Noor Diamond was taken from its country. What a magnanimous diplomatic gesture it would be for the British royal family to return the diamond to India. They would likely not even miss it (having so many other jewels), and it would loudly honor India and the last owner of the diamond, Maharaja Sir Duleep Singh.
Yikes, now Pakistan will dislike me for thinking that India has the strongest suit ... as it also has a logical claim. In modern times before 1947, there was only India, a colony of the Britain Empire. In 1947 the British colony became two independent states of India and Pakistan. Punjab was divided by religion, with the western portion becoming Pakistan, and the rest of Punjab becoming part of IndiaSo it's a judgment call. Perhaps all 3 countries with the royal family could sit down at the table to decide.
So what do you think? Great Britain has it, but who should own the Koh-i-Noor Diamond? A difficult and problematic question for sure!
*The timing of the East India Tea Company was not by chance. Whenever a boy ruler comes to the throne, other powers who want control of a country's land or treasures use the country's weakness as the time to strike. The head of the mighty East Indian Tea Company, Lord Dalhousie, said he targeted the Koh-i-noor Diamond with the aim of giving it to Queen Victoria to be added to the Crown Jewels as a symbol of conquest. An elaborate ceremony occurred for the 11-year-old Maharaja to hand over the jewel as a sign of his submission to the Crown. After recutting it, Queen Victoria wore the Koh-i-Noor Diamond as a brooch. It became part of the Crown Jewels soon after her son Edward VII became King.
Duleep Singh's mother was exiled to Napal and her son was adopted and raised by British diplomat John Spencer Login and his wife whom the boy grew close to, and it was a warm, trusting relationship. They took him on tours of Europe.
A splurge doesn't always have to cost an arm and a leg. At times finding a small item that serves a purpose, one that does a job well on the cheap can be as thrilling as acquiring expensive things. Scoring a cheap beauty item gives you a shot of endorphins without the pain of blowing your budget, or having a debt to pay off when charges are posted to your credit card. The following are 5 fabulous cheap beauty thrills and steals -- priced under $7, with certain colors within each product selling for under $5!:
2) International Women's Travel Kit - a 10-piece oral, skin, and hair grooming kit. Contains: Herbal Essences Shampoo 1.4 oz., Herbal Essences Conditioner 1.4 oz., Styling Comb, Eucerin Lotion 1 oz., Secret A/P Deodorant .5 oz, Crest 3D Toothpaste .85 oz., Toothbrush, Dental Flossers 3 ct., Quart Sized Zip Top Bag in Reusable Zippered Cosmetic Travel Bag. It's worth paying for the convenience and compactness of fitting the toiletries we need into an overnight bag. (I'd have to add a sample packet of face wash and a hair tie inside to hold my hair back for wishing my face.)
4) Covergirl Clean Matte Pressed Powder - Nobody needs to be walking around with a shiny face, a forehead, nose, or chin. It's unbecoming! Good, clean, pressed matte powder to the rescue! Perfume-free, it comes with a powder pad and mirror and slides into a handbag.
5)NYX Professional Makeup Mechanical Eyeliner Pencil - These $4.99 eyeliner pencils are a marvel. Highly pigmented, soft, durable, plus available in a slew of flattering colors. Shows us how overpriced many other cosmetic lines are! With NYX, you get the same excellent quality for much less!
During my birthday, sometimes I celebrate all month long with a few big but mostly small splurges. Monetary cost is often irrelevant for articles to make us -- i.e. our lives happier, easier, or better. Blueberries can make you happy if you love blueberries, or $5 buttery, nonsticky lip gloss!
Do you need to treat yourself with a small yet worthy splurge today? One of these 5 cheap beauty thrills and steals should do the trick!
These 3 photos have a watermark, but the copyright is likely The Royal Collection. Who else has access to remove and hold the gems up? I volunteer next time.😁
The Cullinan Diamond is the biggest gem-quality rough diamond ever found. Some geologists think the largest clear diamonds such as the Cullinan Diamond (and Hope Diamond) were formed 100s of miles deeper within the earth's mantle than 99% of other gem diamonds, which are also smaller. At one time, the land might also have been ocean floor. Uncut the Cullinan Diamond named after Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the Premier mine in South Africa, weighs 3,106 carats.Discovered in 1905, clickherefor a short history and herefor the longer history and controversy of the diamond.
On THE SAVVY SHOPPER, I hope we can Ooh and Ahh over the majestic diamond plus appreciate how diamonds are nothing more than pure carbon rocks that billions of years and human hands turn into spectacular sparklers, i.e., the jewels they become.
An expert diamond cutter studies a rough diamond's structure to determine how it should best be cut, usually aiming to keep as much of the gemstone as possible. After cutting, another expert polishes the diamond.
The 3,106 carat Cullinan Diamond(↖that's it on the left) was cut into 105 stones by Joseph Asscher & Company in Amsterdam with the 9 biggest stones eventually ending up in the possession of the British Royal Family. Reportedly some were gifts and others bought.
Let's take a closer look at the 9 largest Cullinan Diamond stones now with the British monarchy, along with a helpful cheatsheet. I needed to refer back to it, focusing on the shapes, to get the remainder of the blog right!:👀
The two biggest of the cut diamonds, Cullinan I and Cullinan II are sometimes called The Great Star of Africa and the Second Star of Africa, respectively ... as if keeping the cut diamonds straight isn't challenging enough!
Here's where those 9 large cut diamonds ended up ...
The Cullinan I, a pendeloque cut (which is an ornament-like round brilliant-cut pear) weighs 530.2 carats. It was placed on top of The Sovereign's Scepter in 1910 by Garrard & Company on the instruction of George V. On the right is how it looks standing alone. The Cullinan I is the largest colorless diamond in the world!
The Cullinan II is the 317.40 cushion cut center diamond in the Imperial State Crown, its placement also decided by George V. The Cullinan II is the 2nd largest colorless diamond in the world.
The Cullinan III is a pear shaped 94.4 carat diamond. Along with the Cullinan IV,a square cut 63.6 carat diamond it became a brooch often worn by Queen Elizabeth II.
The Cullinan V is considered a one-of-a-kind heart-shaped diamond, weighing 18.8 carats. It's set surrounded by even more diamonds and platinum into another brooch. Bling, bling, bling!🙂
The Cullinan VI is set into a 3rd brooch and to the right as it appears loose. It is an 11.5 carat marquise cut diamond. TheCullinan VIII, an emerald cut 6.8 carat diamond, is mounted on the top of the 3rd brooch.
The Cullinan VII, a smaller marquise cut 8.8 carat diamond, is dangling from the gorgeous emerald and diamond Delhi Durbar Necklace. Like many of the standout gemstones owned by the British royals, the Cullinan VII diamond is detectable.
The Cullinan IX is a pear shape diamond weighing 4.39 carats that is made into a ring.
So the cut Cullinan Diamond is numbered from biggestI to smallestIXstones in descending carat weight! The Cullinan Diamond stones I and II, which are part of the Crown Jewels, are on view at the Tower of London. Stones III - IX are not part of the Crown Jewels but are pieces in Charles III's personal jewelry.
Estimates for the value of the Cullinan suite of diamonds can be found, but none of the jewels are insured, and given their history, they are irreplaceable and priceless. When I was in London on a group tour in college, it was decided (not by me😁) that the lines were too long to see them.💂
