Desire Lines: Light an Avoca candle for The Gavin Glynn Foundation
Some of the big ideas and beautiful things we're loving this weekend
AVOCA is a one-stop shop for Christmas gifts with a wide range of fashionable and fabulous, colourful and cosy options — from their trademark woollens and to the best of Irish and international clothing, skincare, jewellery and homewares.
Their Christmas food offering is no less than sumptuous with luscious table-ready delights all made by hand in Wicklow including their perfect maple roasted carrots and parsnips, duck fat roasties and festive nut loaf.
However, if you buy just one thing from AVOCA this season make it their beautifully presented, double-wick sandalwood candle in aid of The Gavin Glynn Foundation who do incredible work helping families of children with cancer travel overseas for treatment not available in Ireland.
€29.95.
- Available at all Avoca stores and at avoca.com.
Anyone who has been to Amari in Cork will be hot-footing it to owner Richard Jordan’s slick new sister store, Thursdays Child, just opened in Douglas Village Shopping Centre.
Known for his excellent curation of good-looking, comfortable shoes, Richard’s new shop stocks international brands Hogl, Nero Giardini and DATE as well as HOFF and Viguera.
Prices start at around €110. There’s a great range of accessories too, not least Aleo — the handbag brand co-owned by Richard’s brother Jonathan and his wife Tara.
With such fabulous statement pieces, it’s hard to pick favourites, however we do love the puffy Darlo (from €159), the woven Matchbox (from €129) and the curved Laluna (from €219) styles. Instagram @amaricork.
Gifted, the Contemporary Craft and Design Fair, opens this week at Dublin’s RDS with over 400 designers, makers and food producers on show.
A brilliant place to shop for Christmas gifts, the show also features the Spectacular Christmas Food Emporium with over 100 artisan food brands selling tasty treats.
Discover unique pieces cross jewellery, ceramics, knitwear and even vintage clothing and books.
Support small, independent businesses while sourcing thoughtful, handmade gifts and get 10% off all purchases on opening day Wednesday December 6.
The wonderful Winterval in Waterford runs until Christmas Eve with festive fun events with some highlights running right into the new year.
Discover the festive fairground and Winterval on Ice, a Narnia Christmas show and beautiful lights on display.
Delve into the city’s past with the Viking Yule Settlement or hop on the Mini Express Train.
How about a visit to Santa at the gingerbread house, a virtual ride in his sleigh or a stop at the gigantic talking post box at The Apple Market?
With a rich programme of musical and theatrical events, as well as live performances on the main stage, over half of the 40 events on the Winterval programme are free.
Not only does Barbara Bennett design awesome hand-painted footwear collections for the likes of Brown Thomas CREATE but she also hosts sneaker customisation workshops teaching people how to create fun and funky footwear designs.
‘SNEAKART’ her brilliant customisation kit is perfect for sneaker freaks and footwear fanatics alike. The kit contains everything you need to revamp an old pair of trainers or add flair to a new pair.
With a step-by-step guide to get you started, the kit contains brushes, acrylic leather paints, a pair of laces, acrylic finisher and everything else you’d need. A great gift for difficult-to-buy for teens perhaps? €30.
If you’re a lover of contemporary art then get yourself to IMMA for the 2023 RDS Visual Art Awards Exhibition.
Artist Elaine Hoey leads 15 of the country’s best emerging artists including Àjàó Babátúndé Lawal, Emily Waszak and Oisín Tozer as they embark on this historic collaborative exhibition of the RDS Visual Art Awards with a three-month show.
With a significant impact on the careers of both the artists themselves and on Ireland’s cultural heritage, these awards are an important platform for art graduates offering a significant prize fund of over €35,000 and vital exposure for young artists as they embark on their professional careers.
The exhibition runs at IMMA from December 8, 2023 to March 3, 2024.
Who wouldn’t love to find this perfect sparkling present under the tree on Christmas morning?
This stunning pendant is from the Mobius collection designed and made in the Designworks Studio in Cork city.
Made from 9ct yellow gold with scattered gypsy set diamonds, totalling 0.09ct, the design is also available in rose gold.
- For companion pieces in this collection or to view the other exquisite collections by Designworks Studio visit designworksstudio.ie.
