Conversation – 16

@sheba2011

Every drink looks refreshing – I want them all!🍹 Tired today and stomach a little upset so took it easy. Gave the old bones a day off. Back at it tomorrow. Warm again but we did have a nice downpour this afternoon.🌧

Always nice to see a fresh coat of paint. I’m sure your house will be sparkling.✨

@sheba2011

We went to Aldi’s this afternoon (early around noon). Temps were already up in the 90s and humidity was 100%. Not good when some of us were born in a blizzard. Aldi’s was nice and cool and I was able to shop and be done within 20 minutes. This included checkout. Got out the door and the hot, humid air greeted me. Could not wait to unload at home.

We will make our hotel/reservations tonight. Not really sure if hubby is ready to return North, and, of course I am in the same boat. We have changed our minds several times. We have not ventured out except to market. So, now we are looking at outdoor places near us. We will likely try a salad or sandwich and will go to a place that we know is OK. I didn’t think this would be scary. But it is, even with the vaccine. You would also think this would come naturally. But it doesn’t. The only take-outs have been from Costco and our Farmer’s Market. Oh, and speaking of Costco. The one we have been using, is either renovating the take out area or closing it down. There were wooden and plastic flats surrounding the area. Couldn’t go anywhere near the area. The signs were still up in one area, but the others were down.

Well, tomorrow is Trivia. We still have a couple of weeks before we are really up and running. I am hoping that the Arcade Team/Tech Unit will post something soon. Still many having problems. Hope we have a huge launch.

No rain yet. Maybe a sea breeze tomorrow. Still won’t hold my breath. Hope your house comes out looking real pretty. Also hope and pray that your BIL will find himself in remission when everything is said and done. I’m also hoping that they caught it in time. There are many new products on the market now that one or more may do the miraculous.

Stay well, stay safe.

You Are Enough

Just being here, being ourselves, is enough.

Most of us have the feeling that we are here to accomplish something big in our lives, and if we haven’t done something that fits the bill we may feel as if we are waiting. We may feel incomplete, or empty, as if our lives don’t yet make sense to us, because they don’t line up with our idea of major accomplishment. In some cases, this may be because we really are meant to do something that we haven’t yet done. But in most cases, we can let ourselves off the hook with the realization that just being here, being ourselves, is enough.

As we live our lives in this world, we share our energy and our spirit with the people around us in numerous ways. Our influence touches their lives and, through them, touches the lives of many more people. When we strive to live our lives to the fullest and to become our true selves, we are doing something big on an inner level, and that is more than enough to make sense of our being here on this planet at this time. There is no need to hold ourselves to an old idea in the back of our minds that we need to make headlines or single-handedly save the world in order to validate our existence.

We can each look within our hearts to discover what is true for us, what gives our lives meaning, and what excites us. We can release ourselves from any pressure to perform that comes from outside of our inner sense of purpose. Staying in tune with our own values and living our lives in tune with our own vision is all we need in order to fulfill our time here. Our lives are a process of becoming so that we cannot help but cocreate; being who we are, responding to each moment as it comes, we can trust that this is enough. 😘😎🌹

@kittengirl,

Good Morning in California stay nice and cool. I do hope you can spend time with
your grandson. 😎

Enjoy!

Cherie,

Good Morning in S. Cali wishing you and the children a safe summer. 😘🌹

Enjoy when you can.

@shoelady60,

Hang in there in the ‘burgh. 😘😎I know just how you feel about all the projects.
I hope you enjoyed the the Hockey Game with hubby. I see your projects we are having
the exterior of the house painted and it is more than I thought the house really needed that
fresh coat of paint. 😘😎The painters should be finished by the weekend. 🤣😎

We are hot and then some in OZ no worries the A/C is is on and will be until maybe
the beginning of September. Shizzle! 😜

Keep Jake cool I cannot walk Poppy as far as I would like but we will take another
walk this evening.

Here enjoy this to cool you off a bit. 😘😎

@71flowerchild,

Howdy in Texas make it a great day. 😎Very hot in OZ today and the rest of the week.

@taci,

Good Morning in S. Cali and I hope you enjoy the trails. 😘😎 Hey Poppy will take a very
short walk on a leash with me far enough to take care of business. 🤣We are sizzling in
OZ. I have painters doing the exterior of the house so a lot is going on none of this
affects Poppy unless they are knocking at the door for some instructions.

This will all be done by the weekend. 😎 I would love to be on a beach right about now.

Happy Trails. 😘🌹

@oodiebom,

Good day on the Gulf Coast. 😎I know your hands are very busy. I wanted you and Shoelady60
to know I am having my two story English Tudor House painted on the exterior so I have
painters everywhere and it will look beautiful when finished very busy day. 😎😘

Hubby planned this and the painters were waiting until the rain stopped so when we got a
break they were here quick. I took Poppy for a walk early before hubby left for work and before
the painters got here. Things are going pretty fast. 😘😎 The house really needed a fresh coat
of paint.

Oodie take it easy as I know you are warm too there on the Coast. I am hoping you are feeling
much better than yesterday. Take your time on everything. 🌹

Here is some tea no sugar with Manuka Honey. 😎 I hope hubby is doing well too.

@ddshoppy,

Good Morning in S. California we are warm all over the States. 😎Have a cool day with
your family. 😎

@defg,

All I can say is have a safe day and stay cool. 😎

@loaf,

Good day in Ohio well the dog days of summer are here already. 🤣 Let’s just say the
heat is on and so is the A/C. 😎

I think everyone in every state is hot today. 😘😎

OZ is sizzling hot today. Enjoy some Ice Tea. 😘😎🌹

Bethenny Frankel’s Latest Gig: Bethenny Swimwear for HSN

Bethenny Frankel, the entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, lifestyle influencer and New York Times bestselling author, is broadening her offerings on HSN. Frankel will introduce swimwear today under the Bethenny label, as well as launching new items under Skinnygirl Eats on June 18.

Over the years, Frankel has sold multiple products on HSN, ranging from sweaters, jackets, denim and tops under the Skinnygirl label to eyewear under the Bethenny label.

Frankel said she likes having two different labels to manufacture different product lines and has always been a fan of the home shopping concept.

“Years ago, when I was selling my book and later selling a blender, I was able to sell QVC. And even years before that, when I was a natural food chef, I was begging to get on QVC and HSN. It just seemed just the pinnacle of success because of the volume they do. Over the years, it’s always been a great, coveted spot to have real estate there. Not just to be there for six minutes, but actually to be someone who has a home there,” Frankel said.

In the past few years, Frankel’s offerings on HSN have grown significantly.

“HSN really wanted to invest in me, and I wanted to invest back in them. It’s been a really circular relationship. There’s a lot goes on behind the scenes in how they invest in a talent, and the talent has to invest back in them,” she said. She recalled that she used to go to HSN headquarters in St. Petersburg, Fla., and was in awe of “the volume you can do in such a short period and the trust you can establish with the customer.”

Rachel Ungaro, vice president, apparel for HSN and QVC at Qurate Retail Group, said of Frankel, whose Skinnygirl line has been sold on HSN since the fall of 2018, “The minute you talk to her you get swept up in the world of Bethenny, which is one of the reasons we love her so much. Not only does she have that personality on air, but she has that same level of enthusiasm and passion when we’re working on her Skinnygirl brand. She’s passionate about her category, in general, and she’s passionate about denim, and passionate about fit, and how things look on all shapes and sizes.”

Ungaro continued that Frankel’s move into swimwear was a natural: “She’s a big swim wearer on her own. Launching her swimwear really seemed like the next step. It’s totally different than anything we’ve ever done. We don’t carry a lot of swim at HSN. We love launching it with somebody that our customer really relates to and loves.”

Frankel is also known for her denim, Ungaro noted, which is one of her hero categories. Novelty knit tops have been very strong, and she has a subbrand called Mouji, a cozy sweater line, which has done very well. “She’s all about the great tops that go with amazing jeans,” Ungaro said. 😎

Frankel said her two labels reflect different parts of her life, and the swimwear will be featured on the HSN Web site under Bethenny Swimwear.

“I was in my 30s when I created Skinnygirl, and I was 50 when I created Bethenny. It’s a business from a mom, philanthropist, business woman, problem solver and it’s more elevated,” said the 50-year-old entrepreneur. She said the Bethenny line isn’t necessarily for an older customer, but it’s a more sophisticated product.

There are three swimwear styles at the launch — a high-waisted bikini bottom ($49.90), a scoop-neck bikini top ($49.90) and a one-piece with removable straps and belt ($99.90). Colors include black, ruby red, midnight blue and cocoa and sizes range from XS to 3X. “I personally miss the classics,” said Frankel, adding there are no prints or gimmicks. “Let a woman’s body speak for itself,” she said. Eventually, the line will be expanded and cover-ups will be added.

The swimwear, which is manufactured by Burch Creative Capital (whose founder is J. Christopher Burch), is solution-based using compression swim fabric. Frankel described it as “slimming and smoothing, and very classic and elegant.”

Frankel said she was personally involved in the creative process. “I’m very, very involved. Sometimes I’ve had partners who have shown me something the day before I had to sell it. You can’t go on television and sell something that you don’t personally love. Things I love really sell really well,” she said.

Frankel will appear on HSN on Thursday during the 7 a.m. hour for the “Obsessed with Style” program and again from 6 to 7 p.m. for a Skinnygirl branded hour. She will also be on during the 8 p.m. hour with “Summer Style Checklist.” Frankel will be remote from her own studio, while the HSN hosts and models are in the St. Petersburg studio.

For Skinnygirl Eats on June 18, she’ll introduce a five-pack of cauliflower gluten-free flatbread cheese or pepperoni pizzas ($69.95), four-pack Sugar-Free Flavored Syrups ($32.95) and 12-pack, 12-oz. Cherry Juice Multi-Flavor Set ($49.95).

In August, she will also add readers to her Bethenny eyewear line, which includes nine designs ranging from aviators ($28.99) to oversized cat-eye sunglasses ($28.99), along with five new sunglass silhouettes.

Frankel made a name for herself appearing on such TV shows as “Shark Tank,” “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart” and “The Real Housewives of New York City.” She’s also very passionate about philanthropy. Her B Strong disaster relief initiative distributed more than $19 million in aid and personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 crisis.