Forehead Bands, Catcalls and Savoring Silence

WHAT:
Hello, dears! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend–I know I did. Last night, I made the rare trek up to Harlem for a close friend’s “taco party/game night.” When I exited the train I realized, with great dismay, that I was wearing a pair of denim cutoffs and I had five long blocks to walk. Now if you’ve ever walked the streets in Harlem, you know that just carrying the XX chromosome set will get you catcalled by every grimy old man, pimple-faced boy, and be-diapered toddler with working vocal chords. Sigh. Already late, I attempted to wriggle another inch of covering out of my shorts, put on my best “bitch face,” and stealthily dodged the “pssssssst’s” and “hey ma’s” from the ubiquitous loiterers. Alas! I arrived unscathed, and let me say, ladies, I was glad to go through the fire in end. Why? If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have spotted today’s marvelous trend on a fabulous fellow party guest: the hippie forehead band.

Ohh la-la! The perfect ’70s hair highlight for a drab hair day-and you don’t have to smoke a doobie or know how to boogie down to sport one. Just tie it on, strut your stuff, and wait for the compliments to roll in.

WHERE:

HOW:
Obviously, you can wear an accessory like this with any outfit under the sun. The variations lie in how you wear you hair. For a classier look, wear it with a side-swept part and low chignon at the base of your neck. For full hippy effect, loose, un-flat ironed locks are the perfect compliment. When wearing such a bold coif accessory, however, I would keep the earrings small so they don’t compete for attention and play up the makeup, since the focus will be on your head/face.

EASY-LIVING TIP:
Have you ever felt creatively drained? Often, our best ideas our born during moments of silence. As you know, in modern times, these moments are few and far between. If we’re not listening to an iPod or cranking music through computer speakers, we’re talking on the telephone, watching TV, gabbing over drinks with friends…we live virtually every second of our waking lives immersed in noise. I challenge you to try one of the following steps to make a daily space of peace in your life, then sit back and watch the brilliance flow:

1. Ditch the iPod/TV headset during your next workout. Have you ever noticed that you get great ideas when doing household chores like washing the dishes or folding clothes? We tap into our subconscious creativity when we perform repetitive acts–this goes for running, lifting weights, pilates, etc.

2. Get a massage. Yes, it’s indulgent, but the benefits are more than just physical. A good, silent rub-down can give you true mental clarity through pure relaxation.

3. Take a solitary walk, early in the morning or at night. Just strolling and appreciating our surroundings with no destination is something we rarely do.

4. Take a long, relaxing bath. I can’t remember the last time I had one of these, but my, are they wonderful! Leave the radio in the other room, sink into the suds, and savor the sound of silence.

5. Go to the park. Last week, I went bike riding in the park and I couldn’t believe how therapeutic it was to just be out in wide, open space, taking in nature and clean, fresh air. Even better if you go in the morning, or right before closing hours, when it’s less busy.

6. Read. Curl up with a good book in a quiet space and enjoy getting lost in a fantasy world. You might even want to consider a good pair of foam earplugs. I couldn’t live without mine.

7. Turn off that radio when you’re driving. Back before the subway was my sole mode of transportation, I would often take a long, silent drive when contemplating a serious issue.

8. Meditate. Maybe you’re skeptical of this one. But even if you just take 5 min to close your eyes and focus on deep breathing, you are doing yourself a huge favor. Try not to let your mind wander to issues–it’s much harder than it seems. It might help if you focus on visualizing one object in your mind, like a red rose or an orange triangle, and hold it in front of you, without letting your thoughts drift.