southernness_and_sassafrass: Is It Bikini Weather Yet???

Is It Bikini Weather Yet???

As I shopped my local designer-clad mall in a jacket & scarf, I found myself longing for the days of bikini's, salty tangled hair, and sunscreen (okay, and tanner!!). The bug always hits me around February, when I have been pasty white since November 1 and my legs haven't seen the light of day except for when I head to the gym in shorts (even then, a scary sight!) So, here it is, nearly the end of February & I have begun my rigorous routine for "thigh thinner" and upped the ante on my abdominal workouts, preparing myself for summer... which where I live, begins around mid-March. The cool winds from our 1-week of Spring have subsided and it's on to blazing temperatures until November. BRING IT ON!!! I'm ready to shed my dry skin, mittens, beloved Burberry coat & jeans. I'm going to gleefully pull out the spring colored wardrobe in the next week, as I believe that it will bring good warm weather even sooner :)

So, now that the sundresses & espadrille sandals are coming back out, I'm starting to dread trying on bikini's in stores. Why must they equip dressing rooms with fluorescent lighting?? It's a cruel & rotten ploy to selling swimsuits. But alas, I will go in & believe that my skin hasn't a ripple in it & that I will look fabulous once I get a tan :) Which brings me to my next issue regarding beach weather ... Sunscreen -V- Tanning Lotion. I have (with the guidance of my dear friend "Legs") succumbed to putting SPF 30 on my neck, shoulders, chest & face (keeping a hat on too!), and then using an SPF 15 tanner on the rest of our bodies. We're in our mid-twenties & it is time to say goodbye to baby oil. We'll be thanking ourselves when we don't look like the newest Cole Haan leather goods line in 2020. Please wear sunscreen this year! Skin cancer can affect everyone! My favorite products for summer are below: