Back when ignorance was bliss….

Yesterday’s 82 degree temperatures made me want to break out a dress. Or even shorts. But then I remembered the pastiness that is the current state of my legs. At this point, I don’t really even want to wear shorts to the gym.

I started thinking about how, from the time I was 15 until I was 26, I cured Winter White Leg Syndrome with lots of lovely visits to the tanning salon. Oh, how I loved those days. Twenty minutes in what was essentially a heated  coffin? Yes, please! I’m sure if you’re claustrophobic, it’s your worst nightmare.

For me, though, it was pure relaxation. Get in there for 20 minutes, zone out, maybe take a little nap, and emerge with a tan. Fabulous. Back when I was in high school, my parents even funded this little hobby. You see, although we knew then that sun was bad for you, we were still thinking it was safer to have a “base” tan than it was to go on the beach with no color at all. No one was wearing SPF 50 back then. My mom’s dermatologist practically recommended the tanning bed. I think he basically told her he didn’t endorse tanning, but said that if she was going to do it, getting a base from the tanning bed was her best bet.

Sometime in my mid twenties, I knew that tanning was dangerous. Not the healthiest thing to be doing. But, I kept doing it. Up until the year I got married. And let me assure you, the day before my wedding, I popped into the tanning bed for one final session. No way was I wearing a white, strapless gown with even a hint of un-bronzed skin showing.

I think that was the last year of tanning for me. From then on, I started worrying about skin cancer, and decided to be a little safer. I’m pretty skilled with self-tanner now. And I always start out the summer with at least SPF 30. I’ll admit, though, that by mid-June, I’ve often scaled back to about an 8. But year after year, I miss the tanning bed so much. Especially this time of year, when my white legs threaten to offend all those who come near them. So, today, I started using this:

I find that it’s a little easier to deal with than actual self-tanner. It smells a little odd, though. Small price to pay for tan(ish) legs, I suppose.

In other spring news, I found an Easter dress:

I also pre-shopped this dress for Belk Charity Days. I get to have it (25% off) in just a couple of weeks.

Obviously, both of these frocks will need some tan.

I can’t even bear to think about bathing suits yet.

 

Carter