The Danes Nailed It My lovely friend Julia gifted me the gorgeous “Little Book of Hygge”, saying “You’re already Hygge Anna, so you will love it!” She was right, and so I have to share my key takeaways from the Meik Wiking book. What is Hygge ?(pronounced Hoe-Gah) The Danes position […]
Rose Geranium, Healing and Skincare Miracles
Rose Geranium in Bloom Rose Geranium and Small Miracles On a recent visit home to Durban, I met Bruce Taylor, a Missionary and Farmer based in Haniville outside Pietermaritzburg in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Bruce is as passionate about the healing qualities of essential oils as I am. I completely believe that Nature provides us with […]
How to Attempt “KonMari” Painlessly
Who is Marie Condo? This petite and pretty Japanese lady has taken the world by storm with her organising consultancy and her bestselling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”. I watched her YouTube videos with interest and decided to embrace her methods in stages! I completely believe that as we are all wired differently, […]
Ten Steps to Ageless Style
Ageless style can easily be achieved with some forethought and wardrobe planning. Here’s how…. 1. The Fit is The Thing Stand in front of a mirror in your underwear and take a long look at where your assets are…believe me we all have them. Then work out what you need to cover and what you […]
The Hungry Bookworm
The Hungry Bookworm Loughrea This quirky venue with delicious menu offerings and eclectic decor has long been a favourite of mine so I am really keen to share it with anyone who hasn’t yet stumbled upon it. If you’re visiting the West, head to Loughrea, only a half an hour from Galway city and enjoy […]
Upcycling Pallets to Create Unique Pieces.
Upcycling Pallets I love the current trend in upcycling materials to create beautiful pieces of furniture and having browsed through gorgeous ideas in magazines and online, was inspired to try my hand at creating a coffee table for a friend’s sun room. I was delighted that my burst of creativity resulted in this coffee table […]
Wild Flower Walks and Wandering Ways
Wild Flower Walks Its that time of the year again. The wild flowers are blooming and countryside is bursting into colour, it is a treat to drink in the beauty of the landscape. Walking and now, interspersing the walks with intervals of running to increase cardio-vascular rates is my exercise of choice. If swimming without […]
Into The West Bloggers Event
The G Hotel in Galway played host to a fabulous Bloggers Event on Sunday. Writing, in general is a solitary pursuit and it is so welcome to be part of a sociable gathering of like-minded people who either for fun or professionally, spend time blogging or creating content of some sort. It is always a […]
More Fabulous African Style
Heavenly Haven in Constantia I love beautiful spaces and have been delighted with the response to my post on coastal style on Kwa-Zulu Natal’s North Coast a little over a week ago. Part of the fun of any time spent back in South Africa is enjoying the eclectic decor and original ideas in so many […]
Life Changing Gluten-Free, Delicious Bread
This Bread is Beyond Delicious and So Good For You I first found this bread online and thought the term” Life-Changing” a tad dramatic. But the bread is every bit as tasty as it is reputed to be so dramatic, life-changing or not, I thought it would be fun to share on the blog. This […]
Coastal Style
During a recent visit to my home town Durban in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa I was totally inspired by the gorgeous coastal style in the home of a family member. The owners are a sociable, welcoming couple whose hospitality is legendary. Their parties are always hugely successful with the emphasis firmly on the outdoors, with […]
Foodie Queen
Maria McNeela, Foodie-Queen and Rustic Grub The fabulous Maria McNeela is making her mark on the foodie scene in the West. Chairperson of Slowfood Galway and owner of Rustic Grub in Clarinbridge, Maria hails from Mayo where she and her five siblings grew up. Her parents were successful vegetable farmers who had stalls at four […]
Rosewood Cottage
Adding Kerb Appeal to Rosewood Cottage I have long dreamed of decorating a little cottage in the countryside. Luckily my man bought into this dream and we spent months looking online and going to visit places that had potential. His criteria were more practical than mine,which speaks volumes about both of us of course. The […]
Country Style
Country Style and a Farewell to the Coach House It has been six years since I left my beloved South Africa to connect with my roots and have an Irish adventure. As a child whose life experience had only been an African one, I had the romantic notions of Ireland that children of expatriates often […]
Style
Style that unquestionable sense that remains memorable whether it is a room, a way of decorating, a look, a sense of flair. It’s all about how you experience the world and what you in some particular way stays with you Clearly it’s the individual touches that make a house a home or create a welcoming […]