Graham and Hilda 1994

Love is not only for Valentine’s Day

THE BEGINNING Graham and I started our journey in love on Valentine’s Day 40 years ago. It all began on a hockey tour with our club Lorraine H.C. which was based in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. Both of us were single since the previous December and we had already been flirting a bit in the clubhouse
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How to stay healthy…drink Gin!

Gin has had very bad press for years because it was considered to be a drink that made you sad or depressed, or maudlin. Now there’s a word that has gone out of use! I never found it so and, in fact, when I started drinking Gin in my early twenties, I found that it
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‘Style Not Age’ in Loungewear at home

Loungewear has obviously become much more popular since the pandemic. Why? Because we are spending more time in our houses. Many are working from home and so the more formal work dressing has gone by the wayside. CASUAL WEAR It is true that casual dressing had been creeping into the workplace anyway. It started with
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Staged

Binge Watch these Television Series

We have watched a lot of telly recently. Yes, we did binge watch much of what I recommend. My memory is not what it used to be and I prefer not having to wait a year to watch the next series.  And there is some seriously good viewing out there. I know many of you
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Gothic Romance for Halloween Week with ‘Style Not Age’

GOTHIC ROMANCE Emma’s theme of Gothic Romance is perfect for Halloween Week. I am more of a Romantic than a Goth in my style but I did enjoy the challenge. It certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone. I chose a local graveyard for my backdrop, within my 5k radius in a really beautiful
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Malahide Castle

Malahide Castle and Gardens is one of North County Dublin’s Top Attractions

I feel blessed to live in Malahide with its abundance of natural amenities, one of the most outstanding being Malahide Castle and Gardens. I tend to walk along the coast most days or around Paddy’s Hill if I want a climb. But I always head to the ‘Castle’ when the coast is too raw and
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 Ella & Jo Cosmetics – Affordable and Effective Irish Products

ELLA & JO ‘LIMITED EDITION’ ORANGE BLOSSOM HYALURONIC  SKIN MIST Do you use a facial mist? It has been a necessary addition to my beauty routine for years, particularly so as my skin ages.  I use it to prep before make-up and to refresh my skin.  When I was sent a bottle of Ella &
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‘Style Not Age’ roar Welcome to The Jungle

Our Style Not Age ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ prompt for May comes from Emma (Style Splash) and gave us plenty of scope. If you have been following my blog for a while, you will know that I am addicted to animal print. The leopard, cheetah, tiger and even zebra prints are prominent in my wardrobe.
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Hilda upstyled Zara combo

Upstyling or Revamping your Wardrobe With The Zip Yard

Upstyling is the buzz word of the moment, as is sustainable fashion. They go hand in hand, I suppose. Some people are very good at upstyling. I was not one of them, but I have been converted. The stylist daughter Courtney (you can follow her on Instagram @courtneysmithstyle) is an avid upstyler. From a young
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Comfy Casuals for Staying Home with ‘Style Not Age’

Since I retired from teaching, I have more comfy casuals in my wardrobe than ever before. In winter, it means jeans and a top/jumper worn with boots. In summer, it is more likely to be a top and light trousers or skirt. VERY CASUAL EVERYDAY LOOK DURING LOCKDOWN For the first few weeks of lockdown,
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Ultherapy – Wonderful Alternative to Surgery

No, I have not had a facelift…Yes, I have had Ultherapy. It is a micro lift but without the surgery. Have you heard of Ultherapy? I knew very little about the actual process. But I did know that Jennifer Aniston is a fan and that Christie Brinkley is the face of it. And how wonderful
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‘Style Not Age’ channels Winter Opulence

My last post of the year features my ‘Style Not Age’ gang and Winter Opulence is December’s theme, chosen by Emma. I took my inspiration from ‘Dr Zhivago’.  Mention winter opulence to me and I imagine being whisked away in a horse-drawn carriage or over the snow in a sleigh. So yes, I went all
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Happy Christmas and Review of 2019

Happy Christmas my friends.  Is it really nearly the end of 2019?  And what’s more, another decade over and two since the millennium. I always move into each year with more than a little trepidation as to what it might bring. But my motto is to live each day, week, month and year to the
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Nordgreen Infinity Watch Review for Discerning Purchasers

Review of Nordgreen Infinity Watch I used to wear a watch.  In fact, Graham gave me a watch 38 years ago on our first Christmas as boyfriend and girlfriend. My friends teased me that this was a sure sign that he would propose. He did: two months later, on St Valentine’s Day!  I still have
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Searching my attic

‘Style Not Age’ go Back in Fashion

We go back in fashion this month. Let me explain a little more. Sustainable fashion is very much in vogue at present and we are all tying to buy less and buy with longevity in mind. Our recent challenges reflect this. A few months ago, Anna challenged us to scour second-hand/charity shops and mix our
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October Highlights and Christmas is on the Way

Where has October gone? The older I get, the faster time goes. It is not a myth. I can’t believe that it is November and that now Halloween is over, we are officially into Christmas countdown time! October went by in a blur. We had our usual Mondays with Logan that included his first trip
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Ireland’s First Menopause Summit is a Huge Successs

‘The M Word Dublin’, Ireland’s first Menopause Summit which I attended 10 days ago, was an outstanding success. Hosted by Aisling Grimley (below right) of My Second Spring and Catherine O’Keeffe (below left) of The Wellness Warrior, (pictured with Dr Mary Ryan below), the energy generated by over 350 women and one man gathered in
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Procession in Khajuraho

Tips on what to bring when travelling to India and other Asian countries

A year ago, GG and I and four good friends had the most incredible holiday (well it wasn’t really a holiday; it was more of an adventure) in India with TDActive (the adventure wing of Travel Department). You can read about our amazing  trip in my previous posts – part 1 and part 2. And
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Stylish Mondays Showcase Green

It is Stylish Monday time again and I am joining with my fellow bloggers in showcasing green. Green is one of my favourite colours and yet I have so little of it in my wardrobe. I am featuring one of my kimonos on the blog today. Actually, it is my daughter’s and I used to
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Water Filtration is Vital for Better Health

“Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink”, Coleridge wrote in ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’. We all know that water is essential for good health.  In fact, it is the single most important substance in relation to our health. Sixty percent of the human body is made up of water, depending on how hydrated
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group Stylish Mondays

Maxi Madness with my ‘Stylish Mondays’ friends

I join with some stylish sisters in showcasing our love of the maxi. Those of you who know me well, or who have followed my blog for some time, know that there is one item of clothing that I wear more than any other and that is the maxi dress. I have about a dozen
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Pretty woman dress

”Steal her Style” with ‘Style Not Age’ Collaboration

Stealing someone else’s style is actually far more difficult than it sounds or looks. I chose this theme for this month’s ‘Style Not Age’ challenge because I thought it would be easy. Having dithered about whose style I was going to copy, I eventually settled on Julia Roberts’ ‘Race Look’ in the movie ‘Pretty Woman’.
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Where to stay and what to do in Portaferry, Co. Down

It seems as if we have been in Northern Ireland quite a lot over the past year. First was a wonderful stay at the Galgorm Resort & Spa near Ballymena and a tour of the north Antrim coast. Then last April, I wrote about our stay in The Cairn Bay Lodge in Bangor and a
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Bewley’s Cafe Tour – a trip down Memory Lane

Bewley’s was the place where I spent quite a lot of time in my student days back in the ’70s. I studied English in TCD, which meant only a few hours of lectures and lots of time for reading. Of course, I could have studied in the College Library, but my friends and I preferred
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