Happy anniversary to my blog!

I started this blog just over a year ago, when I decided to participate in the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I do have another blog, Spain Uncovered, which was set up with the help of my publisher as a way to promote my book, "Retiring the Olé Way". However on impulse I decided to start a new blog, where I could indulge myself talking about fashion, beauty, travel, life in Spain and whatever else I fancied - all of it aimed at other women over 60. Thus "Over 60 and Over Here" was born, and I posted my first thoughts in the Ultimate Blog Challenge in July 2012. I started the challenge late and only managed 22 posts, but I enjoyed my new blog and continued writing posts for it over the next eleven months.

Fast forward to July this year and I received an invitation to participate in the Ultimate Blog Challenge again. This time - once this post has been published - I have succeeded in writing 31 posts and I have to admit that I am feeling a teeny bit smug!

It's amazing how many other blogger are out there in the great blogosphere. When posting on the facebook page set up for the Ultimate Blog Challenge, we are asked to comment on the two blogs above us on the comment list. This proved to be an interesting exercise as some of the blogs were, if I'm being completely honest, of absolutely no interest to me. I tried to wait until I saw a couple that I thought I might enjoy reading but, if I was too slow in posting the link to my own blog, I would see to my horror that other people had also posted and I was stuck with a really boring post to comment on.  I am guessing that some of the people who commented on here thought exactly the same as me!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the other participants for a fascinating month's reading. There are some brilliant bloggers out there and others who are - dare I say it? - definitely average. I would like to think that maybe I come somewhere in between, but that of course is the ego of the blogger. After all we are all writinh our blogs in the belief that somebody, somewhere out there, might find our meandering thoughts of interest.

In particular I would like to thank everybody who visited my blog and was kind enough to comment. I'm not just talking about visitors from the Ultimate Blog Challenge here - in particular I am talking about my regular readers who leave their comments on my posts and reassure me that I'm not just talking to myself! You know who you are and you constantly make my day.

Children: a blessing or a curse?

There will be many over 60s who are parents, some will also be grandparents and there will be others who are childless. I come into the first category and, before I say anything else, I would like to make it clear that I consider my three children to be a blessing (just in case one of them decides to read their mother's blog!) So today's question is: are children a blessing or a curse?

What got me thinking about this topic was a conversation at our weekly Spanish-British intercambio. María wanted to practise her English because she is going to work as a volunteer in Nepal for three months. How exciting is that? However she commented on the fact that she is in her late thirties, single and is wondering if she will ever have children. Her friend Ana has two daughters aged 17 and 21 and agreed with me that children are a constant worry. My own children are all in their forties and I still worry about them at times! María has been to many different countries and leads a very fulfilling life. She realises that she wouldn't have been able to do half of these things if she had had children. Both women seem happy with their lives, even though they are going in different directions.

My generation was fortunate, as many of us had our children at a young age. I never really thought about whether I wanted children or could afford to raise a family: the norm was to marry and then start your family. By the time I was twenty-five I had three children and I have absolutely no regrets about this. My children were already adults when I was in my mid forties and I was lucky to be in a good job, so I was able to travel around the world (even though I have never visited Nepal!) I guess that I have had the best of both worlds in having children like Ana and also travelling like María.
 
On the whole young people nowadays marry (or start living together) at a later age than we did and if they decide to have children they've usually thought it through. So far so good. However nothing can prepare you for the joy of holding your child for the first time. You look down on that tiny baby with a mixture of love and fear. You (and your partner) are totally responsible for the welfare of this child and seeing him or her safely to adulthood. That's what you think in the early days - you assume that your role will cease once your son or daughter leaves home. I'm sorry to disappoint any young parents who may be reading this, but your children will be constantly in your thoughts and you will never cease worrying about them until the day you die. That is the joy of being a parent!

My Summer 33 revised

The cold winter and cool, wet spring fooled me into thinking that our Spanish summer wouldn't be too hot this year. Granted we haven't had the high temperatures of last year, but it's still well over 30 degrees centigrade in the day-time and pleasantly warm at night. Over the last six weeks we have been enjoying a series of concerts in local bodegas, most of which have finished well past midnight, and guess what? I haven't needed to wear a cardigan or jacket at all, even late at night. I'm slowly building up to an admission that I got my summer 33 totally wrong!

For the benefit of any new readers, I'm taking part in Project 333, where you have a wardrobe of 33 clothes to last you for 3 months. The really dedicated participants include shoes and accessories, but at the moment I'm allowing myself 33 items of clothing for each season. My summer 33 included - wait for it! - three cardigans and three jackets. Whatever was I thinking of?!

This is the link to my original summer wardrobe: summer 33. I have now removed all the cardigans and jackets, plus a long-sleeved top that also hadn't been worn, and replaced them with a short dress, a pair of shorts and four sleeveless tops.

I have found this a really enlightening exercise. In previous years my wardrobe would have been stuffed full of clothes for the summer and I wouldn't have realised that I wasn't wearing half of them. Now there is a lot more room, I am more aware of  what I'm wearing and, as a bonus, I am having fun creating new outfits with the clothes that are there.  What about you? Do you wear all the clothes that are hanging up in your wardrobe?

August is one long party

One of the joys of living in Spain is the number of fiestas that you can enjoy throughout the year. The month of August is the busiest fiesta time in Jumilla, with the Feria y Fiestas de Agosto taking place between 9 and 18 August this year. I will be posting full details of the festivities on my other blog: Spain Uncovered, but I thought I would share some of the highlights here.

The opening events on Friday 9 August will start outside the Town Hall, where a rocket will be fired from the balcony at 21.00, accompanied by lively music and cheers. Following this will be the inauguration of the Fuente del Vino (yes, that does mean fountain of wine!) in the Jardín del Rey D. Pedro at 22.00. The final event of the day will be a folk evening starting at 24.00. No, that's not a typing error - this is Spain and evening events start very late!

The good news is that there will be another folk evening on Saturday 10 August, this time starting at the more civilised hour of 22.00. The even better news is that both performances are free. Earlier on Saturday, the popular mini wine fair will take place between 12.00 and 15.00. Last year we paid 3€ for a wine glass then we wandered around the stands of over a dozen bodegas, tasting some of the best Jumilla wines, with a few nibbles to stave off any hunger pangs.

The highlight on Sunday 11 August will be the grand parade of the Moors and Christians. Music, dance, drama and amazing costumes are just some of the ingredients of this spectacular event. In the past they held two separate parades, but because of the financial crisis they have had to combine the two.

Monday is children's day, with 2 x 1 on the fairground rides, a children's procession at 20.30 and free entry to the festival of youth bands, starting at 22.30. I am looking forward to the drama at 22.45 when the Moors and Christians have their annual skirmish on the Paseo. When their swords clash, sparks literally fly and young children beat a hasty retreat. Last year they even had a horse charging down the Paseo, so I can't wait to see what they will do to entertain us this year.

The procession on Tuesday 13 August is one of my favourites. The peñas (local associations) walk along the main streets of Jumilla wearing traditional costumes and carrying baskets of grapes. At 21.00 they will offer the grapes to the Nino de las Uvas, which will be followed by the customary treading of the grapes as part of the Fiesta de la Vendimia.

The Cabalgata Tradicional del Vino starts at the reasonably early time of 20.30, however it takes a long while for the floats to make their way around town as the participants hand out wine and sangria to the eager spectators. The peñas compete to create the most original float every year: I particularly liked this one.

Thursday 15 August is dedicated to the celebrations for Jumilla's patron saint, Nuestra Señora La Virgen de la Asunción. There will be a mass in Our Lady's honour in the morning, with a solemn procession at 20.00, where her statue is carried through the streets.

It looks as if we will be having a fairly late night on Friday. I always love watching the horses and carriages, which will be parading around town at 20.00, so that is a must. I have also noticed that the horseriders' peña is having a Fiesta Flamenca on the Paseo starting at 22.30, which is very tempting - especially as it's another free event!

However we will probably leave Saturday night's festivities to the youngsters, plus the young at heart with plenty of stamina. The notorious Gran Cabalgata del Vino is due to start at 19.00 and rumour has it that it continues into the early hours of the morning. The floats are piled high with red wine, which is thrown or poured over the participants, who dance through the streets all night. They do get to drink some wine too, but judging by the state of their clothes more goes over them than into them! I suspect that we will watch the procession set off then retreat to the safety of our own home, where we can drink a glass of wine in comfort.

Don't wear your best clothes!

We have decided to start the celebrations early by hosting our own fiesta this Saturday, however I'm sorry to disappoint you: it's by invitation only!

Crowning glory or another story?

One of the best ways to update your look is to get a new hair style, and one of the easiest ways to look way older than your years is to have an unflattering style. This is true at any age, but even more so when you are over 60. Before I continue with a few of the common faux pas, I would like to make it clear that there are always exceptions to any rules and if you can get away with breaking the rules, go ahead and do so!

1.  Wearing your hair too long

You think having long hair will make you look more youthful, but that is rarely the case. If you have any facial lines that are drooping in a downwards direction, long hair will drag them down even more. Long straight hair can be particularly unflattering, even on the gorgeous Nicole Kidman! Imagine what that hairstyle would do to a less than beautiful over 60s woman.

2. Dyeing your hair the wrong colour

One of the most common mistakes is to dye your hair too dark. Stark almost black hair next to an ageing skin is never going to be a good look. If the colour flattered you in your 20s and 30s, the chances of it still looking good in your 50s or 60s are probably nil.

However, as you can see in the above photo, this is one rule that I habitually break! My hair is naturally very dark and I still think I look better with darker hair. Living in Spain, I have found that the sun bleaches my hair after a couple of weeks even though I don't sit  out in the sun, however when I go to the hairdressers every six to eight weeks I insist on her using a darker tint to restore my "natural" look.

Some older women go the other way and become blonde, assuming that will automatically make them look younger, but even going blonde can be hazardous if you pick the wrong shade. The most flattering look is to choose a shade that suits your natural colouring and  have highlights. Be guided by your hairdresser on this one.

3. Using too many hair products

One of the problems for many over 60s is thinning hair, so the temptation is to use as many products as possible to add some volume. My hair has always been fine, though luckily it was thicker when I was younger so it's still not too thin, but I do use volumizing products to add some body to my hair. The danger though is, if you use too many products, the sheer weight of them will drag your hair down. A better solution may be to have layers in your hair - again, this is something to discuss with your hairdresser.

4. Permed hair and the helmet effect

Nothing is more ageing on an over 60 woman than stiff, permed hair. I'm talking about the sort of hair style that doesn't move, even in a gale force wind. A natural style, with plenty of movement, is so much more flattering. British readers may recall the character Bet Lynch, played by actress Julie Goodyear in the soap series "Coronation Street".  This is one hair style that over 60s should definitely avoid!

Summer in the city

It's hot here in Spain, and it will be even hotter in the city, so I am sitting indoors where it is cool and I have no plans to venture into the nearest city of Murcia to do any shopping, even though the Sales (Rebajas) have started!  Instead, I have been playing with Polyvore again, as Fabulous after 40 are running another Pinterest competition: What to wear on a European vacation.

I have created two outfits this time.  The first outfit is for sight-seeing in the city, featuring a cool blue linen blouse over cropped lightweight trousers and flat shoes. If you are visiting Paris and want to blend in with the Parisians, you might want to wear Converse trainers instead of these sandals! I have deliberately chosen a top that isn't too revealing in case you want to visit any churches, though quite honestly nowadays anything seems to go.

The second outfit is for shopping in the city and, if I owned any of these items, I would be happy to wear this for a shopping trip to Murcia. This dress is ideal for slipping on and off when trying on clothes. I chose ballerinas as I prefer flat shoes for traipsing round the shops, however it would also look good with wedges. The linen jacket wouldn't be needed for shopping in most Spanish cities, as they are so hot that you welcome  the icy air conditioning, but you might appreciate it in other cities, especially when eating your lunch in an air conditioned restaurant. 

The floppy sun hat might be enough to keep the sun out of your eyes, but I would ditch the hat and wear my shades instead. What do you like to wear for visiting cities in the summer time? Do you have any tips for keeping cool in the city?

Belle of the Ball

Having discussed wrinkles last weekend - or "lines of distinction" as reader Penny called them - I thought it would be timely to talk about covering them up with make-up.  My advice is to take care when "putting on the slap". Nothing ages you more quickly than a thick layer of make-up, which tends to highlight your wrinkles rather than concealing them. Add dark lipstick, even darker eyebrows and over use of a powder puff, and what do you get?  Baby Jane! Take a look at the photo below and be warned: Over 60 ladies, this is NOT what we are aiming for.

This seems a good moment to dip into "Parisian Chic", to see what advice Inès has to give us. She is of course a glamorous French model so she obviously doesn't need as much help as the rest of us, however I suspect that you will trust her advice more than mine!

Inès' tips: choose a liquid foundation that is slightly lighter than your skin tone and apply sparingly; apply mascara to the top lashes only: choose a flattering lipstick or gloss, but don't line your lips unless you do it subtly; use natural matte eye shadows; avoid glittery eye shadows and harsh black eye-liner.

I would add that you should highlight your eyes or your lips but not both - look at Baby Jane again if you're not convinced. The aim is to look as if you're hardly wearing any make-up - leave the bright blue eye shadows and dark orange lips to the youngsters.

I have become a great fan of BB creams that contain SPF protection, which are ideal for a natural day-time look. I only use foundation now when I am going out at night. Although I don't try and match eye shadow or lipstick colours to my clothes, I tend to use warmer shades when wearing clothes in warmer colours and cooler tones if the colours of the clothes I am wearing are cool. Having said that, if I'm in a rush it's whatever comes to hand!

My best beauty tip (which is one I share with Inès) is always to wear a smile. Even if it doesn't hide your wrinkles it still makes you look years younger - and you will definitely be the belle of the ball!