Olivia Palermo Visits Kildare Village in Dublin, Ireland

Yesterday international 'It girl' Olivia Palermo swapped her home of New York city for Kildare Village.
Olivia -- who shot to fame on MTV's 'The City' reality show -- has rapidly earned 'style icon' status, for her blend of designer and high street labels, becoming a regular on the front row of every top catwalk show.
The 26-year-old New Yorker travelled to Ireland on Sunday to do a fashion shoot for 'Vanity Fair' magazine and split her time over two days, posing in Dublin's Merrion Hotel and shopping at the designer boutiques at the Kildare Village outlet centre.
Fresh from skiing at the exclusive Courchevel 1850 resort, Olivia came armed with a tan and advice from her model/photographer boyfriend, Johannes Huebl, who went to school down the road at King's Hospital, Palmerstown for two years.
But if the handsome model had warned about wet Irish weather, the fashionista didn't look confused as she found herself posing in 20C Mediterranean sunshine.

"I’m wearing a Monclear jacket- Loro Piana collection, and ski pants by Ralph Lauren."

"He (Johannes) really liked it here for two years and he was very happy for me when he knew I was coming to Dublin," said Olivia, who attracted an endless gaggle of onlookers curious to see what bargains the visiting celebrity had bagged.
"Sunglasses," declared Olivia. "It's never easy to find the right pair."
The latest Rochas signing as the face of their new fragrance, she yesterday displayed a judicious eye for bargains. She honed in on a €140 white blazer from Reiss, down from €205, a Gerard Darel suede jacket in olive green for €320, a raffia bag, designer sunglasses, a tie and scarves from Churches and presents for her boyfriend, who takes photographs for her website, oliviapalermo.com
"It's not all about me," said Olivia who starred with Johannes in the Mango Autumn 2012 campaign. "If I see something that I know he will like, I try to pick it up and Hackett is one of his favourite stores."
Hailed by marketers as a 'taste-maker' she yesterday ruled out any immediate move to introduce her own label like Whitney Port, her former co-star on 'The City' or Lauren Conrad of 'The Hills'.
"Not right now, my focus right now is oliviapalermo.com," she said.
Before leaving for the airport, Olivia ruled out a return to television.
"No, I'm more of a fashion person, I don't have any focus at the moment to go into acting but if it does occur, then I'll think about it at that point."

Click here for more posts on Olivia
credit - irishtimes.com, independent.ie, helpmystyle.ie, oliviapalermo.com
~Kelli at Hills Freak

My "Wish" for you on St. Patrick's Day and forever......

I've never posted a video on my site before. I've never wanted to.

Yet, when I saw this one the other day by chance on U-Tube...
I cried.

It was SO sweet and moving to me. I had so many of you and others on my "heart" as I watched it. This tiny video seemed to have a "Healing Balm" to it and so I knew it would be fitting for me to put on here.

The words are kind and healing and peaceful and the scenery was so.....well, beautiful and green ....typical Ireland.

I mean you HAVE to see it in person one day if you can. Ireland is indescribable.
I felt that this video showed and spoke all that I would wish for any of you and especially for those of you in trails and with sickness.
I hope you watch it and enjoy it.
I wish you all.....great blessings and....
"Slainte Mhath" .....which in Gaelic means "Good health."
Joyce
P.S.
Thanks so much Summer for helping me figure out how to post this video. Doing certain technical/computer things (simple as this was)is not one of my gifts. I had to ask for "tech support." HA!

"The Wretched Ones, The Poor Ones.....Les Misérables"

Nothing discernable to the eye of the spirit is more brilliant or obscure than man; nothing is more formidible, complex, mysterious, and infinite. There is a prospect greater than the sea, and it is the sky; there is a prospect greater than the sky, and it is the human soul.
Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
French dramatist, novelist, & poet (1802 - 1885)

I SO love this story.

It is a tale about nothing but passion and forgiveness.

In fact.....it's purely a story of "forgiveness AND UNFORGIVENESS." "Justice AND INJUSTICE."

You really can't really have one without the other....in either case now can you?

When you have "injustice" many times there will BE "unforgiveness." It's a rare thing when it isn't happening.

Let me assure you though.
It's a GOD thing when it doesn't happen.

We watched the movie last night. We were going to go out to do something but decided to stay home and relax. It had been a busy day for both my husband and myself.

He asked what did I want to watch....it was going to be "It's A Wonderful Life" because I have this entire "stack" of Christmas "MUST WATCH" movies.
And we aren't quite through the stack yet.

Then Don opened the drawer to our TV cabinet and said...."let's watch something else" to which I said....."fine what do you want to watch" and the first thing he called out with a question was "how about Les Misérables."
To which I quickly said......"YES!"

We hadn't viewed it in years so...I was up for it. Plus then Don was "backpedaling" and wanting to watch some gory thing like...."The Gladiator" which he and our boys LOVE. Not happening. They watch it ALL the time on TV. Blah! I can't stand it any longer. Enough of that Maximus guy already.

I settled into my spot on the couch as he popped the movie in and the story unfolded of "Jean Valjean" the man who had accomplished some amazing things in his life despite tragedy and severe injustice during "Pre-Revolution" France began to unfold.

Liam Neeson is AMAZING in this role.

His whole being is into this part. Plus I like Liam Neeson....he's the voice of Aslan in the "Chronicles of Narnia," He's Michael Collins in that story...He plays "Oskar Schlinder" in Schlinder's List.
Plus he's in a host of other great movies and some not so great ones.

I mean the man is excellent at his craft though.
Even though I CAN'T believe that he and Helen Miran used to be an item. Hummm....

Also...small "Joyce" trivia fact here,....Neeson is from a little town in Northern Ireland called "Balleymena" that I've been to.

The most vivid thing I can remember (besides what I was doing there in the first place) was that the town was purely divided.

They had entire what we would call "subdivisions" with "flagging or banners" similar to what our car dealerships put up....over the area where their homes were...of their political preferences. England or Ireland basically. Protestant or Catholic.
It was odd to me. I had never seen something like that at all in Ireland where I had been staying. But then....this was a "hot spot" in the North apparently from what we were told.

So I guess we know where he gets his "inner acting passion" from.

Back to Les Misérables....

It will encourage you to be full of forgiveness when you witness the POWER that forgiveness holds for you and for others.

One man in this story....changed many lives because of his forgiveness....but one man "Javert" changed no one... he only hurt people...could NOT forgive.....and it ruined him as he attempted to ruin others. In the end....he could not even forgive himself.

You will recognize injustices done to people in this movie and feel for them. You will see the "Wretched Ones and the Poor Ones and the Miserable Ones" and you will see how one man who was forgiven in return helps them to feel God's powerful love and forgiveness like he has.

You MUST get this movie and watch it.
It will impact you.

Let me know after you view it what you think and how it affected you.
Because I know it will.

Crazy antics going on in Belfast......

Upon reading the BBC news at 11:01pm tonight......and coming across this VERY "Important" story.....I HAD to post this.
People may need to know this information.
It could be used as a "Travel Advisory" even.

Note the headline and you too will see how deadly "serious" this topic is. Read on and take heed, this IS graphic.

"Leapfrogging mayor bruises tomato."

The first paragraph of this horrendous story reads this way......
"The Lord Mayor of Belfast has apologised to a council worker left with back injuries after he tried to leapfrog her during a photoshoot."

Sorry, but when I read this and saw the photo....
I absolutly laughed my HEAD OFF.

Are these people insane?

What.....There's no other news going on in the whole of Ireland today??
I mean is it "just me" or what?

Plus the Mayor of Belfast looks like Don's Dad, God rest his soul.....without the necklace.

The Mayor's wear those things...I met the Mayor of Londonderry and he had one on too. It's a "Mayoral" thing. It has a name and a reason, I just can't remember it right now.

The Mahan's ARE Irish so it could be a crazy cousin or something.
You never know.

They always have the weirdest headlines on the BBC and some crazy stories to boot.
That's why I love it.
VERY entertaining as you can well tell and informative.

You can check out the entire article here..."Leapfrogging Mayor of Belfast."

I hope the lady (in the tomato costume) will be okay. I think she's had to take a bit of time off of work. I hope they have "Workman's Comp" over there in Ireland.
I guess this will fit under that plan..... sort of????

The Lord Mayor did have this to say about himself....
"He said: "I'm very fit and look after myself, but it was just one of those unfortunate things."

That's good to know.....although he does look to be like about 90 years old possibly and maybe has had a wee, bit too much of the "Guiness"... I'm guessing.

However, I feel WAY better just knowing "he's very fit and looks after himself." Right.

But just in case I go visit Belfast again...and The Lord Mayor even tries to "Leapfrog" me because like I'm from America or something.

I tell you what.....I'm not taking it sitting down like Ms. Tomatoe did.....
I'm RUNNING if he comes flying like a banshee trying to "leapfrog" me.

Let's all hope that our Mayor of Baton Rouge, doesn't take up "Leapfrogging" over our
City Councilman's heads.

Well, that is unless it helps with the traffic problems here.....maybe that
WOULD help something.

Off to bed now.....I've been having way too much fun reading the news tonight.
Cheers!