Inspiration, Conversation, and Hell Yeah!

Because the Third-Third is a giant space where we can explore the unique experiences and issues of women in this exciting and vastly interesting decade.

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Watching Myself From the Other Side of the Bed

I had a small, scheduled surgery a few months ago. It was my first surgery, ever, in sixty-some years of showing up for my family’s medical dramas but never starring in my own. And what I did not expect, going in, was that the most surprising part of the whole ordeal would be watching my two daughters rise to mom-level patient advocacy. They talked with the doctors and nurses and asked plenty of questions both before and after. One of them, who works in biotech and has spent

Patty Lowell

Sep 63 min read

Galentine's Day: Sixty-something Edition

Report after report tells us that women living in the third-third of life are joyfully embracing the single life . Recent data from Pew...

Patty Lowell

Sep 44 min read

The Magazine I Keep Waiting For

What I miss most, though, isn't just print. It's the magazines that looked past youth-cult fashion and paid attention to women in midlife and beyond. Magazines like Mirabella and More assumed a woman over fifty had style, opinions, and money to spend, and treated her accordingly.

Patty Lowell

Aug 312 min read

At This Age, I've Stopped Cheaping Out on the Things That Matter

At our age, we’ve learned that life is about discernment. We get to choose which things genuinely make life better, and we refuse to spend money, time, or energy anywhere else.

Patty Lowell

Aug 214 min read

Why Being a Regular is One of Life's Greatest Luxuries

When we think about community, we often picture large groups of friends gathering around a dinner table or lifelong relationships that have weathered decades together. While those relationships are precious, it’s important to remember that community is also built through something much smaller and far more accessible: repeated, everyday encounters.

Patty Lowell

Aug 73 min read

Patty
Lowell
Want to know something about me?

The Brilliant Age is the culmination of six decades of writing, interviewing, and storytelling shaped by meaningful conversations with accomplished, insightful people. I began my career as a fashion journalist, transitioned into branding, marketing, and communications, raised two remarkable daughters as a single parent, and earned a master’s degree in creative writing at 50. This blog is dedicated to women navigating midlife and beyond—those stepping into The Brilliant Age with experience, curiosity, style, and a desire to break a few rules.

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Why The Brilliant Age?

“Unthinkably good things can happen, even late in the game,” Frances Mayes in Under the Tuscan Sun.

Something happened when I put a 6 in front of my age. Suddenly, I wanted to slam my foot on the gas and really begin creating and curating an extraordinary life for myself.

As I went searching for inspiration, I found that I kept walking headfirst into information about women "50 and older." But as any woman who reaches her sixth decade knows, the issues and interests of a 67-year-old facing retirement decisions are far different from the 52-year-old woman struggling to separate from children heading off to college.

I felt overlooked in the giant swath of 50+ content, so I set out to create a beautiful, thoughtful, engaging space for women to have important and inspiring conversations about this incredibly fertile and fruitful decade of life.

The Brilliant Age is about just that—finding, creating, evolving, and enjoying our vibrant selves.

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Happy Birthday, Trisha Yearwood! Three Grammys, millions of albums sold, bestselling cookbooks, television success, and somehow you still come across as the woman you’d want sitting next to you at dinner. You’ve built a life that makes room for music, food, love, creativity and whatever comes next. Consider this our reminder that there’s no rule saying a woman has to choose just one thing to be brilliant at. #TrishaYearwood #womenincountrymusic #WomenOver60 #TheBrilliantAge

Happy Birthday, Molly Shannon! Your wonderfully unpredictable career has given us so much to celebrate; comedy, drama, television, film and a deeply moving memoir. At an age when women were once expected to become less visible, you seem to be getting more interesting, more versatile, and even funnier. Honestly, there’s only one word for it: SUPERSTAR! #mollyshannon #womenincomedy #TheBrilliantAge

"I guess I raised two good ones." That's the line I keep coming back to after my first surgery this year, watching my daughters take over my care with a level of competence that genuinely surprised me. New post on the blog today, all about what happens when the roles flip, even for a week. Link in bio.

#TheBrilliantAge #HerPeople #MidlifeWomen

That unmistakable voice, that Brooklyn attitude, that enormous talent—there has never been anyone quite like you. Actor, Emmy-nominated choreographer, activist, author and perennial scene-stealer, you’ve built a decades-long career without sanding down the very things that make you Rosie. Now that is how you age brilliantly. #RosiePerez #womenover60 #TheBrilliantAge

Happy Birthday, Salma Hayek! You’re an Oscar-nominated actress, powerhouse producer, advocate for women, and still one of the most glamorous women on any red carpet. You’ve spent decades challenging Hollywood’s ideas about who gets to lead, who gets to be sexy, and how long a woman gets to matter. Turns out, the answer to that last one is: as long as she pleases. #salmahayek #womenover60rock #TheBrilliantAge

My September tradition: a canvas bag full of fashion magazines and a Sunday afternoon with nothing on the calendar.

This year it made me sad. The magazines are thin, most of the creative energy moved online, and I don't love a digital magazine. I want to flip real pages, see photography with actual drama, and tear out the perfume cards I use as bookmarks.

What I miss most are the magazines that used to pay attention to women my age instead of just chasing youth. New post is up, link in bio.

One of the beautiful things about life is that it keeps handing us fresh starts.

Every Monday is an invitation to try again, dream again, reach out again, laugh again, or finally begin something you've been putting off. You don't need a new year or a milestone birthday. You just need today.

#MondayMood #NewBeginnings #TheBrilliantAge #MondayMotivation

Happy Birthday, Shania Twain! You changed country music with chart-topping songs, bold style, and a confidence that invited women everywhere to take up a little more space. Decades later, you’re still performing, evolving, and reminding us that feeling like a woman only gets better with age.

#thebrilliantage #shaniatwain #womenover60rock

One of my favorite things about Monday is that it arrives completely unwritten.

Seven fresh days.
Countless conversations waiting to happen.
Unexpected opportunities you can't yet imagine.
Little adventures hiding in ordinary moments.

Instead of thinking about everything you have to do this week, think about everything that could happen.

Now that's an exciting way to begin.

#MondayMood #TheBrilliantAge #WomenOver60 #MondayMotivation #NewWeek

I'm not in Spain. I just have a really good candle.

At 60, I've gotten pickier about where my money goes: direct flights over layovers, valet parking over circling the block for twenty minutes, a landscaper over bug bites, and a delicious candle that makes my home office smell like a five-star hotel.
None of it is about spending more. It's about spending on purpose.

Check out a new essay on the splurges that are actually worth it, and the ones that definitely aren't. Link in bio.

#TheBrilliantAge #Over60 #LifeAfter60 #WomenOver60 #Spark60 #StyleAfter60 #SplurgesWorthIt

There are only so many summer evenings left.

This week, don't rush indoors. Stay outside a little longer, watch the sunset, meet a friend for ice cream, or listen to music on the porch. Let the day end slowly instead of checking one more thing off your list.

Some of the sweetest memories happen after the sun goes down.

#MondayMood #SummerNights #TheBrilliantAge #WomenOver60

As a philanthropist, author, and global advocate for women and girls, you’ve used your influence to challenge inequality and expand opportunity. You show us that real power is not simply having a voice. It’s using it to help other women find theirs.

#thebrilliantage #melindafrenchgates #womenover60rock

If there's a coffee date, a walk, or a standing Tuesday lunch you've been meaning to suggest to someone, this is your nudge. Someone has to send the first text, and it might as well be you.

I wrote a new blog post about the math of showing up and how a weekly habit turned into one of my favorite parts of the week. Link in bio.

Tell me in the comments: what's your version of the Sunday coffee shop?

#thebrilliantage #CoffeeTime #women60plus

Whether you're unpacking from a big trip or simply returning to everyday routines, don't leave all the joy behind with your suitcase.

Bring home the slower mornings, the extra laughter, the willingness to explore, and the reminder that life doesn't have to be saved for vacation. The best souvenirs are often new habits.

This week, let vacation follow you home.

#MondayMood #TheBrilliantAge #WomenOver60 #SummerLiving

Happy Birthday, Hoda Kotb! Your career proves that success can keep expanding when we trust ourselves enough to embrace a new chapter.

Missing your daily dose of Hoda happiness? Check out her Joy 101 wellness app for inspirational hits, interviews with best-life experts, and plenty of longevity tips--all with Hoda's signature smile!

#thebrilliantage #hodakotb #womentover60

Three cheers for Michelle Yeoh!
She's an Academy Award–winning actress who has built a groundbreaking career on talent, discipline, and fearless reinvention. You remind us that experience, effort, and dedication to craft combine to make a woman unstoppable.

If summer has taught us anything, it's that every day doesn't have to be lived at full speed.

Take a cue from the season. Slow your pace just enough to notice the flowers blooming on your morning walk, linger over that first cup of coffee, or say yes to dinner on the patio. Productivity has its place, but so does presence.

Here's to a week that's productive without feeling rushed.

#MondayMood #TheBrilliantAge #SummerMindset #WomenOver60 #MondayInspiration

Happy Birthday to Vivica A. Fox!
For more than three decades, you’ve commanded the screen with confidence, charisma, and unapologetic ambition. From action films and dramas to producing and mentoring the next generation, you continue to prove that reinvention is a lifelong superpower. Bold, glamorous, and always evolving—you make every decade look even better than the last.

Happy Birthday to Lisa Kudrow!
You may have introduced the world to one of television’s most lovable eccentrics in Friends, but your career has always been anything but predictable. As an actress, writer, and producer, you’ve continued to surprise us with intelligence, heart, and impeccable comedic timing. Aging with creativity, confidence, and your signature wit never goes out of style.

The start of a new week is the perfect time to notice what's already going right.

Be grateful for the people who make you laugh, the wisdom you've earned, the mornings that begin with possibility, and the freedom to keep becoming who you're meant to be.

#MondayMood #Gratitude #TheBrilliantAge #WomenOver60

Happy Birthday to Sandra Bullock!
For decades, you’ve made us laugh, cry, cheer, and quote your movies long after the credits rolled. From blockbuster comedies to award-winning dramas, you’ve built a career defined by versatility, resilience, and undeniable star power. You remind us that confidence, humor, and authenticity only become more magnetic with age.

Not every week needs to begin at full speed.

There's something refreshing about moving through life with calm confidence instead of constant urgency. Breathe a little deeper and notice the beauty that's been there all along.

This week, let your calm become your strength.

#MondayMood #CalmEnergy #TheBrilliantAge #WomenOver60

A bucket list can feel like a boss. It sets deadlines, tracks your progress, and expects you to meet or beat expectations, a lot like an annual performance review. I spent four decades reporting to bosses, and I was elated to leave that pressure behind.
I'm still dreaming big. Barcelona is on the calendar for next summer, to celebrate paying off my 30-year mortgage. But the big trips no longer get to decide whether I'm doing this stage of life correctly.
I demoted my bucket list this week. The whole story is on the blog. Link in bio.

Happy Birthday to Elizabeth McGovern!
Whether captivating us as Cora Crawley in Downton Abbey or balancing an accomplished career in film, television, and music, you’ve shown that elegance only deepens with time. Your performances are thoughtful, timeless, and effortlessly compelling. Here's to a life that proves grace and reinvention never go out of style.

I hear that it's World Emoji Day, so I thought I'd share my favorite.
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

Now it's your turn. Share your favorite, most used, the one that best describes your mood today, or one you simply don't understand.

You’ve proven that success doesn’t have an expiration date—it often gets funnier. From unforgettable turns in Glee to hosting, acting, and making audiences laugh on every stage, you’ve built a career on talent, wit, and fearless authenticity. Aging with confidence, humor, and zero interest in fitting the mold looks fantastic on you.

Summer has a way of slipping by while we're busy making plans instead of memories.

This week, create one moment you'll remember long after the season is over. Watch the sunset with a friend. Buy the ice cream. Sit on the porch until the stars come out. Visit a farmers market. Take the scenic route home. The best summer memories are rarely expensive.

Make this the week you collect one more story worth telling.

#MondayMood #SummerMemories #TheBrilliantAge #WomenOver60

A new week is waiting, and so are fresh opportunities to surprise yourself. You don't have to sprint into Monday with a perfect plan. Just bring your best energy to whatever is in front of you.

This week, protect your energy, spend it on what matters, and remember that enthusiasm is contagious.

Here's to a week filled with momentum, possibility, and a little summer magic.

#MondayMood #TheBrilliantAge #WomenOver60 #SummerMindset #LiveBrilliantly

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Inspiration, Conversation, and Hell Yeah!

Watching Myself From the Other Side of the Bed

Galentine's Day: Sixty-something Edition

The Magazine I Keep Waiting For

At This Age, I've Stopped Cheaping Out on the Things That Matter

Why Being a Regular is One of Life's Greatest Luxuries

Patty Lowell Want to know something about me?

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Why The Brilliant Age?

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Patty
Lowell
Want to know something about me?