Tony Rizzo

Great Ormond Street Childrens Hospital is a world renowned Children’s Hospital and close to my heart as a friends little girl is heading there from Ireland shortly for a very difficult and important operation. A world centre of excellence that takes care of lots of Irish children each year and very worthy of our support.

A brilliant appeal is underway as we speak and it’s one that is a Hare’s breath away from brilliance. With famous names lending a hand from the world of Hairdressing and Celebrity they have just launched a terrific online Art Auction with a difference. The theme is the Hare and each of the original works can be bid for in the online auction at Harestyling.com Some of the contributors are Tracy Emin, NIcky Clarke, Geri Halliwell and lots more. Here are a few that I picked out but there are lots more to choose from.

Justine Picardi

Geri Halliwell

Harry Triggs

Helena Bonham Carter

James Dreyfus

Korky Paul

Sir Alex Ferguson

Ric Sanders

Nicky Clarke-Vanity Hare

$10 ($5 for Japan)

Khaki and Leather Bag $50 ($25 for Japan)

Print $10 all proceeds to Japan

Thousands of people in Japan are homeless all the above can be purchased through Etsy, just click on the links below

Tote Bag

Khaki Bag

Print

The great success of the Buy My Dress Online.ie website has resulted in a shortage of dresses. The website is the main source of funding for the Down Syndrome Centre. I don’t know about you but I am in the middle of having a big wardrobe purge. I’m making space for all the fabulous Spring clothes I ordered for myself from Jaeger (one perk I get for being an Agent) I can’t remember what I ordered so I’m looking forward to the surprises in store. Anyway back to the matter in hand. I have at least one good dress that I’m willing and happy to give to this charity even if I decide to sell the others on Face Book or eBay. The charity makes it very easy to donate and all the information is on their website. Take a look at the video below and then grab something decent that you aren’t going to wear again and donate it. The dress will get a good home and you will feel good. A ‘No Brainer’ in any ones book.

I’m always happy to spread good news and my friend and very talented leather glove designer and expert in small leather goods has been all over the news today. Barry Egan writing in the SINDO today was extolling Paula’s virtues and a certain dinner in the residence in which Paula was having a tete a tete with Ronnie Wood and his girl friend, Brazilian Model Ana. I’m told they left here with several pairs of gloves stuffed into their bags.

Paula Rowan unique in being Ireland’s only glove designer, has introduced a limited edition range of gloves for the Special Olympics 2011. Launched by Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, all proceeds will go to aiding Irish Special Olympics contestants to help them in achieving their goal of competing in Athens in 2011. The limited edition range of gloves designed by Paula come in black, leather and tan for women and black for men and feature an embossed Special Olympics logo on the inner cuff. Paula has a brother Derek, now fifty, who suffers Downs syndrome and has been involved in the Special Olympics for many years.

“I remember going to Special Olympics events with Derek when I was a child and how much it meant to him. I wanted to do something to help other families with special needs kids as much joy and motivation out of it as he did.” Says Paula

This is the Woman's Special Olympics edition glove €60

The Special Olympics gloves plus lots of other fabulous pairs all designed by Paula Rowan, the only leather wear specialist store in Ireland. They are available to buy both in the shop in the Westbury Mall Dublin or from Paula Rowan on-line

VINTAGE MARKET AND ANTIQUES FAIR

Vintage Ireland/ Antiques Fairs Ireland is setting up a pre-Christmas antiques and vintage market in a Dublin city centre location. They rare looking for traders in vintage fashion, antique and retro furniture and decor, memorabilia, collectibles and curios interested in taking space for either all or part of the duration of the market, which will run from the beginning of December to 24th December.

If you are a trader (or a collector who wants to downsize their collection) and would like more information about this opportunity, drop a line to vintageireland@gmail.com or phone 087 2670607.

November Dates for your Diary

14th: Glen View Hotel, Glen of the Downs (in aid of Bray Lakers, supporting people with special needs)

21st: Clontarf Castle Hotel, our biggest fair of the year.

28th : Ardboyne Hotel, Navan

I’ve just come back from Dundrum Shopping Centre and it’s turned into a Christmas wonderland, you would almost think it was next week though come to think of it we are only talking weeks until the turkey needs stuffing and the cranberry sauce is on the table. Santa Claus is heading to Dundrum but it’s the Snow Queen who has decided to visit Kildare and I think that is rather apt given that Kildare Village Outlet Shopping is any princesses value destination shopping venue,( not forgetting her parents and brothers too).

Visitors at Kildare Village Outlet Shopping are in for a special winter treat with The Snow Queen – a theatre trail for children which will be presented over six weekends starting on this weekend as part of the Christmas programme at the Village. The theatre trail is intimate experience for children where they will follow the 10ft high Snow Queen through the Village, stopping at intervals to hear the next part of the icy fantasy tale. Storytellers Gerda & Kay will lead the children through the Village guiding them through this well loved European fable. Children will meet the stunning Snow Queen, dance with snowflakes and sing a new song to stop Kay from turning to ice. This is a winter adventure not to be missed.

The theatre trail is aimed at children aged 4-12 years, places are limited and will be issued on a “first come first served” basis. The trail starts at Starbucks at 1.30pm, 3.00pm and 4.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Please note there is no performances weekend of 3/4th December.

I know only a little about Music Therapy but it’s enough to know how powerful it can be and how it is being used in all sorts of areas. Children and young adults with Learning disability , those of all ages with stress related and other serious illness. In fact the applications where it is being used are very broad. Adults and children with brain injury and stroke. Those undergoing cancer treatments, the list goes on. We all know instinctively that Music has the power to heal and in many countries of the world the Music Therapist works alongside all the other major clinical therapists.

We are lucky in Ireland to have a brilliant Masters programme in the University of Limerick which runs a two year Masters programme to a highly selected group of applicants. Many of them leave Ireland to work abroad as the HSE does not yet fully recognise the discipline (mainly I suspect because they don’t want to have to pay them) The good news though is that there is a wonderful group of Music Therapists working as Music Therapy Ireland in Limerick, Cork, Galway and now Dublin. They are running clinics and providing a first class service. The latest clinic has just opened in Rathgar in Dublin today. For all enquiries go to the Music Therapy Ireland website.

Toni & Guy are hosting a Charity Day in all salons in aid of Barretstown on Sunday 7^th November, all staff are working for free on the day and 100% of the proceeds from appointments on the day will go towards Barretstown, to help rebuild the lives of those affected by childhood cancer.

All Toni & Guy salons and the Metro Spa will be open from 11am to 6pm for appointments as normal on the day, and all customers will receive a €20 giftcard to use towards their next appointment.

There are eight Toni & Guy salons across Dublin as well as in Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Waterford, Kildare and Belfast.

Temple Gate Hotel Ennis, is celebrating Irish Shoe designer Nina Divito’s success and the hotel’s success of being awarded “Best Place to Eat in Clare” by giving away a pair of Nina’s shoes, “The Eddie”, during November. The attention to detail is amazing especially in “The Eddie” shoe which has a has a rose vine detail on the heel that is very simple yet eye-catching

To be in with a chance to win these shoes, worth nearly €1,000 and just in time for Christmas (!), dine in Legends Restaurant in November and enjoy a Nina Divito inspired 3 course dinner for a mere €28.50. In keeping with the Italian theme, dinner enjoy a glass of Prosecco with our compliments! To book contact the Temple Gate Hotel on 065 682 3300

Women go on sale at Tel Aviv shopping center

Window display at Dizengoff Center shows real women with price tags in provocative installation aiming to battle sex trafficking.

By City Mouse Online and Matan Abramovitch Tags: prostitution human trafficking Israel news

Shoppers strolling through Dizengoff Center mall in Tel Aviv on Tuesday were confronted with a shocking widow display of women for sale, with price tags attached to them.

Upon closer inspection, it became obvious that the display was part of an installation by the Working Group Against the Trafficking of Women, part of a widespread campaign.

	Women in a mall window display as part of an installation to provoke passersby to realize the tragedy of trafficking of women.
	Photo by: Eyal Nebo

Seven unkempt young women stood in front of shoppers passing back and forth under a sign that read “Women for sale according to personal taste.” Some of the women were made up to appear as if they had been beaten, and all had price tags that listed details such as age, weight, dimensions, and country of birth.

The stated purpose of the installation is to solicit a large amount of signatures to submit to the Minister of Justice, in order to put forth a private member’s bill by Kadima MK Orit Zuaretz to criminalize johns who solicit sexual services. Members of the Working Group believe that a law like this could eradicate the phenomenon of trafficking in women.

“The victims of trafficking don’t get to rest during the day, so we don’t either,” explained lawyer Uri Keidar, one of the organization’s founders. “Actually, what we see here happens all the time all over the country, and here in the mall you simply cannot ignore the reality in front of your face.”

(This Article was taken from H’aretz Daily newspaper Israel)

There are huge amounts of fashion events happening every week. I know this because of the invitations in my email and Facebook in boxes . I love the really good Charity events, the ones that promise a win win and the Swap Till You Drop event that is penciled into my diary for the 7th November is one that is full of promise and for a very good cause.

SWAP TILL YOU DROP
In aid of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association

The Workman’s Club
Wellington Quay (beside the Clarence Hotel)
Dublin 2

Sunday November 7th, 2010
Doors open to register items for STAR SWAP SHOW at 1.30pm
Swapping starts 3pm
Tickets: €15

Advance Booking: www.ticketmaster.ie www.facebook.com/swaptillyoudrop

[Tickets also available at Queen Hair Salon & Kazumi Hair Salon]

The Down Syndrome Centre went live two days ago with their Buy My Dress Online website. Beautiful dresses lightly worn and in good condition all for sale for between €10-30. So when I checked back today I wasn’t surprised to see that out of a large selection, lots had been sold. I’m sure they underestimated exactly how successful this site would be. In fact the site crashed in the first few hours as people went crazy shopping!!! What a great way to look fabulous for very little money and give to a great cause at the same time.

Ideal if you have a debs or a once off special occasion coming up and where price is a consideration. The Images are good quality and payment is easily made by credit card or laser. There are some fabulous dresses in all sizes for both day and evening with a bridal and children’s offer, so plenty of choice.

If you have any dresses that you will no longer wear, are clean and in good condition and that you would like to give to a great cause then you can send them to this address; ‘Free Post’ Buy My Dress, Down Syndrome Centre, 62-63 Lower Mounttown Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.

I don’t usually blog while under the influence but I have to admit to being a little squiffy as I write this. I’ve only had a couple of glasses of wine but since I haven’t had any alcohol for over a week the effects of those two glasses are taking on mega proportions. Tomorrow I’m on the radio again but this time it’s personal. A little chat with Ryan Tubridy on RTE radio 1 in the morning all about the tragic accident that happened over two years ago. I’m doing it because of my ongoing commitment to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dunlaoire and the work of the Music Therapist who is funded entirely by charitable donations. It’s always hard to talk about tragedy and loss but I hope that I will do it in a way that will give hope to anyone who may be in similar circumstance.

Enough about me, time to cheer myself up with a sneak preview of Sex and The City 2 which is due for release in May. The opening scene featuring Carrie has Sarah Jessica Parker appearing in a white dress by Halston and of course a pair of Christian Lobouton Mules

A few weeks ago I, along with some other Fashion Bloggers, was handed a bib, given a box of bling and some glue and told to go ‘Bling a Bib‘! My living room has been full 0f glitter and beads ever since and glue is stuck to my table and my fingers! Yesterday I handed my blinged (that doesn’t sound correct?) bib over at the ISPCC launch of their recruitment drive for volunteers in order to reach a target of one million euro which they need by Christmas.

The ISPCC is Ireland’s leading Children’s Charity advocating for the rights, well being and protection of children throughout the country. They provide important services including Childline , Leanbh and Teen Focus as well as a host of others. Since they receive only 10% of their funds from government this launch for volunteers to don a bib, shake a tin and help get the money in is crucial especially in these extraordinary times.

Yesterday children, along with stylist Sonya Lennon from RTE’s ‘Off The Rails’ put on the bibs to help with the launch. To register your interest as a volunteer go to ISPCC. If you’re quick you might get one of the blinged bibs. If not bling a bib yourself!

C

A lot of Bling 'On the Rails'

Sonya Lennon dressed to collect

My Bib

To contact the I S P C C call 1850 50 40 50