Wish List: Eight awesome ideas for your life and your living space
If you're thinking about a special gift for the mother figure in your life, you might take Tralee jeweller Heather O’Sullivan's advice. "I am a huge devotee of semi-precious jewels as they are usually vibrant and wonderfully coloured,' says Heather, whose great-grandfather, John Ross, founded the business in 1899.
"We use our hands so much so if you have to invest in a standout piece, make it a ring. Think of beautiful cocktail rings in topaz, amethyst, morganite, aquamarine, garnet, onyx, citrine; magnificent gems that are wonderful to have and wear." Find out more at Johnrossjewellers.com.
Get the popcorn ready! Artist Cora Murphy features in 'The Great House Revival' on Sunday, March 2, as Hugh Wallace and team follow her journey renovating a Victorian townhouse (once a little sweetshop) into her dream studio, storefront, and home.
You can pop into 42 Douglas Street, Cork, to see her collection of pieces or just for a chat! See Coramurphy.com.
Another lovely gift would be a piece from a local maker. Charlie Mahon creates handmade and hand-painted ceramic pottery — think of it as an original piece of practical art.
Each piece is signed by Charlie and made in Cork City. He has a shop in the English market or you can buy on Charliemahonceramicspottery.com. Charlie is also a member of the Design and Crafts Council Ireland. See Dcci.ie.
Carmel Smyth has these gorgeous cards for sale, one might make a thoughtful addition to postboxes around Mother's Day. Carmel tells us that her work is mostly nature-orientated. "Living at the entrance to Cork harbour, there is plenty of inspiration from the ever-changing land and seascape," says the artist.
These cards are prints from her original Batik pieces. "The batiks are on 100% linen or cotton on which melted wax is applied and then submerged in dye,' she says. "The process is repeated for each colour and the wax is finally removed by ironing using newsprint or brown paper to soak it up."
They retail at €3.50 and can be purchased from Cork Craft and Design in Douglas Woolen Mills or Passage West Creates. See Corkcraftanddesign.ie.
Mother dearest might like something from the latest collection in the Lennon Courtney & Kilkenny Design collaboration. Just landed — a striking 42-piece capsule collection and an inspiring home accessories range.
We are vibing on the vibrant colours. Prices start at €10 to €55. See kilkennydesign.com.
I'm already on the lookout for cute pieces to easily Easter-ise the house.
I spotted these adorable flocked bunny rabbits online at Very Ireland, Very.ie — they are €21.99 for a set of two.
If you'd like to express your grá with cúpla focal on Mother's Day, Moonpig has some lovely bilingual options and cards by Irish designers. I love this one: 'Don mháthair is fearr an domhan'. Nach álainn é sin?
All cards are printed and dispatched from the Dublin warehouse and they have a wide range of gifts, including chocolates and flowers, to pair with your card. A standard card is €4.49, and a large card is €6.98. See Moonpig.com/ie.
Tried and tested this week is Nak Hair's Nourish Hair Oil. Our tester reports it's very lightweight and leaves no greasy residue, which is always a fear with an oil-based hair product. It seals fragile ends and adds shine — and they loved that you could apply it to damp or dry hair.
Pro tip? Concentrate on the hair from mid-length to the ends, no need to put it on near the scalp. It's got coconut oil and sea buckthorn oil which work to improve the overall condition, softness, and lustre of the hair. The oil has a light, floral fragrance which our tester also loved.
It's €29.90, available from salons and online on sites like Beautyfeatures.ie.
