Daffodil Day

Today is Daffodil Day in Ireland.  The Irish Cancer Society sells daffodils, badges and products to raise money.

Last year was a complete washout - there was fierce rain storms and so earnings were right down.  The daffodils are sold outside shops.

This year they are selling a range of products including tea towels, teddies and note cards.

Look what I bought!

The Irish Cancer Society has had an increase in donations this year.  A large amount of money was raised by Daniel O'Donnell's wife Majella who bravely shaved her head live on the Late Late Show when she was diagnosed with breast cancer recently.

And now the No Makeup Selfie that is taking Facebook by storm has raised over 1 million euro to date!!!

Have you taken part in the No Makeup Selfie Initiative?  The concept is that you put a picture of yourself wearing no make up on Facebook and also make a donation to the cancer society.  Of course if you don't want to do that you can just make the donation!

Digital Marketing

I started a part time Diploma in Digital Marketing on Monday evening. The course is held in a Lecture Hall in Dublin City only 5 mins from my house - how convenient. The first lecture focused on social media and I found it so interesting.

I learnt so much including:

*  Google Alerts! Set them up - they are essential to monitor web traffic about you, your company or your competitors.  Know what people are saying about you online!  (Use inverted comma's to include your full name in the alert - or your businesses name)

* Optimize Linkedin - Use keywords that describe the industry you are in

* Use different tones for different platforms and be friendly but not familiar 

* Always respond when contact is made - this gives you the opportunity to convert a member of the public in to a customer.  Thank people for following you:  Make a connection

* Write for your reader but only put up what interests you.  If a piece of info bores you, it will bore your readers too.

* Prepare for a crisis - have a Social Media Policy

* Make a digital marketing strategy.  What are your goals?  Who are your audience?  What platforms do they use?

And finally if you are a business with a dated social media account that you never post to and it just has a load of old stuff on it, it is best to shut it down.  No online presence is better than a dated one.

Hope all of the above is of interest and if it is watch out for my post after next weeks lecture!

Helen Cody: Re-wearing your wedding dress!

Today in the Sunday Independent magazine there was a feature about designer Helen Cody and her new wedding dress collection. She reckons that wedding dresses shouldn't be left in wardrobes after the big day and should be so beautiful that you will wear it again and again!  I heartily agree with her.....

If I had worn this dress when I got married I would wear it at every opportunity!

All of these dresses were featured in the Life Magazine in the Sunday Independent and that is where I got the pictures.

Speaking of wedding dresses getting a few wears, check out my twin sister in her wedding dress.  She had a 1950's style wedding dress for her wedding in the Little Church of the West in Las Vegas.   It's hard to see but she is wearing a vintage head piece that I bought for her on eBay - it was a great find!!

Amy has reworn her wedding dress to a Christmas Party and a few other events.  How great is that???

Have you ever reworn your wedding dress?  If not, what did you do with it? Is it still hanging in your wardrobe?

 It used to be fashionable in Ireland to get your dress altered and turned in to a Christening gown for your first born.  I know in the States "Trash the dress" photography sessions are very popular.  Personally I would not like them to gain popularity over here,  I really find them distasteful.  I think it is shameful to ruin something that generally is so costly and has taken a lot of man hours to create.  

Unfortunately I have never got to wear my dress again.  It is a more traditional dress than my sisters so there is just no event that it would be appropriate for!

I should mention that my sisters wedding dress cost nowhere near the cost of some of the wedding dresses by Helen Cody pictured above.  As far as I remember she spent about €150 on her wedding dress in Debenhams.  It looks great for that price!

Retro glass coke bottles

Drinking coke from a glass bottle - tastes like the real thing!!!

I was watching a film the other night and saw a character drinking coke from a glass bottle.  I turned to my husband and said that there is nothing better than drinking coke from a glass bottle.

He agreed but also said that you never see glass bottles for sale anymore (except in pubs as mixers).

Well what do you know!  We were in the Blanchardstown Centre today and what did we see???  Coke Zero and Diet Cokes in glass bottles!!

I bought a bunch for my bar - I think they look quite adorable!

Can you buy coke in a glass bottle in your area? 

When you drink from a glass bottle does it transport you back to your childhood?!

Click here to see my all time favourite coke ad!

Ranelagh House is up for an award!

Last chance to vote for our house in the Architizer + Awards

****Public Vote ends on the 21st of March****

Apologies for repeating this post but voting ends tomorrow so hopefully everyone who wishes to vote will get a chance to do so!

The Architizer Awards are a global architecture awards programme that receives entrants from over 100 countries.  Our house is up against residential buildings from countries such as Norway, Germany and Japan!

There is both a jury vote and also a public vote.  To vote for us you can click this link which will bring you to the category our house is in - as you hover over the picture of "Ranelagh House" it should let you vote through Facebook (quickest way).  Unfortunately it is not the easiest to vote as they do make you sign up, I presume in order to prevent voting fraud??

If you have a minute to spare I'd love you to vote for "Ranelagh House" and even more importantly please ask your friends to vote too!!  Thank you so much in advance!  ;-)

Although it would be a long shot for us to win the public vote (I'm sure we must be up against some very large architectural practises) - how amazing would it be for a house from Ireland to win. I will be on a campaign from now until the 21st of March to get all the votes I can for "Ranelagh House".  I look forward to the results on the 1st of April!

Early to bed, early to rise...

Normally I work shift and have two late starts a week.  For the past few weeks I have been working straight days and I have to say I miss my two lie ins!

I've been noticeably tireder getting up to go to work and when I get home I look forward to nothing more than kicking off my shoes and getting in to my cosy moccasin slippers - small pleasures in life and all that!!

What do you look forward to in the evening?

A great St. Patrick's Day!

We didn't go in to the City to see the parade live but here are scenes of it on television just before it started.  How great does the Liffey look from O'Connell Street.

On to the way to my twin sister's we had to pick my younger sister from Heuston Train Station.  It was tough to get to the station as so many streets were closed off to traffic. It was great to see so many people dressed in green walking in to the city to catch sight of the parade.

Our President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabine being interviewed before the parade started.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin arrives in a carriage from the 1700's.

A 200 strong Marching Band from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Wow!

We went for dinner in my sister's house - she does great roasted veg!


Bones gets tired at these types of events as so many people are paying attention to him, giving him treats and petting him.


A great end to a Bank Holiday weekend but back to work tomorrow!