BLOOMING MARVELLOUS The Bloom Bar, Sarah Jane Winston's stylish flower shop downstairs in Harvey Nichols, Dundrum, sits comfortably against the backdrop of glamorous designer clothes.
Winston's designs are funky and fresh, with a very modern look. Her current collection is inspired by the Far East, and is structured and elegant. Most arrangements are sold complete with vase or container, ready to display at home. "I wanted to make buying flowers more accessible for customers," she says. "Everything we do is on display, and clearly priced, so people know exactly what they're getting."
Prices range from €35 to €75, with a €10 charge for delivery in the Dublin area. Winston intends to stage regular demonstrations in The Bloom Bar, and places can be booked in the shop. www.thebloombar.com (01-2910421). Marie-Claire Digby
FLOWER POWER Kenneth Turner, originally from Portadown, is something of a legend in modern floristry. He is the author of many books on the subject and is known for the natural, seasonal style of his floral arrangements.
Though his candles, room colognes and other products have been on sale in Brown Thomas for the past four years, a new Kenneth Turner boutique selling fresh flower arrangements and bouquets has just opened in the shop. It's in an ideal location, on the third floor near the pedestrian walkway entrance between the store and the car park.
Laura Lee, head florist at Kenneth Turner, advises customers to snip and slice stems of fresh flowers before putting them in water so they last longer. Turner has a host of celebrity clients worldwide; a recent order in London for a hospitalised Arab princess was for 28 floral arrangements at £1,000 each. Sue Burgess runs the Dublin boutique and can arrange same day deliveries, (01-6171180). Deirdre McQuillan
BOOK IT Even in the dim fluorescent light of the stacks in Trinity College's Early Printed Books library, the latest arrivals are impossible to ignore. They are just some of the 10,000 books donated to Trinity by former college librarian Mary "Paul" Pollard, who died in June.
Pollard began collecting pre-1914 children's books 50 years ago, building up her vast and enchanting collection from country house sales. When big London dealers came to gather the spoils, they tended to ignore the schoolrooms and their contents, allowing Pollard to gather an extraordinary collection of literature for young readers, from 18th-century tracts to the works of E. Nesbit.
Much of Pollard's collection was devoted to books aimed at girls, and she also amassed an important collection of Maria Edgeworth's juvenile writings. The vast bequest may take up to five years to catalogue and become available to scholars, but Dr Lydia Ferguson of the Early Printed Books Department has gathered some of the most beautiful and important books in an exhibition which is now open to the public in Trinity's Old Library. Anna Carey
PLAY DRESS UP The new branch of Topshop on St Stephen's Green in Dublin is offering a service called Topshop-to-go. You, and up to six of your friends, ring up the shop's stylists and tell them the kind of clothes you like. The stylists then turn up on your doorstep, laden down with about 100 different items of clothing, accessories and shoes and show you how to put it all together with style. The misery of the fitting room is banished to the back of the wardrobe. The service is free, but, so far, it is only available within a 15-mile radius of the shop. Topshop-to-go, 085-1312087. Nicoline Greer
HATS OFF When you think of wearing a hat, the first thing that comes to mind at this time of year is probably something sensible and woolly. Would you ever consider wearing a replica of an 18th-century ship on your head? Maybe not, but it's not as far-fetched as it sounds when you inhabit the surreal world of milliner Philip Treacy.
An exhibition which opens at the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7 on Wednesday charts the creative relationship between Treacy and his muse, the eccentric fashion editor Isabella Blow (above). They met while he was still a student at the Royal College of Art in London; he became her protege and she became his best customer. Treacy's spectacular hat creations, alongside photographs of Blow wearing them, will be on display. When Philip Met Isabella continues until February 28th. www.museum.ie. Eimear McKeith
DONGLE DANGLE Gizmo guys, and girls, will have yet another "must-have" to add to their wish lists when Plantronics - the US company that made the device through which astronaut Neil Armstrong broadcast his "One small step" speech from the moon's surface - launches its Pulsar headset on the Irish market in two weeks.
The wireless headset allows users to switch between a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone and an MP3 music player. What marks it out from its competitors is the terrific sound quality the headset offers, as well as the cute travelling case, and desk-top charger.
The idea is to stash your phone and music player away in your bag or pocket, pair your music player with the headset by plugging it into the cutely-named "dongle" and rely on the wire-free headset to switch between making and receiving calls, and listening to music. MP3 phones are already available, but for the thousands of iPod owners already committed to separate devices, the Pulsar is a useful accessory. Plus, if you lose your phone, you won't lose your entire music collection, too. The headsets (€179) will be available from Harvey Norman, 3G and Meteor stores nationwide. Marie-Claire Digby
ONE, TWO TREE Ever felt a bit guilty about the thousands of trees that get chopped down just for Christmas? Now you can give something back to nature by going on a tree planting weekend in Bealkelly Wood, Tuamgraney, Co Clare.
The sustainable living charity CELT is looking for people to join them next Saturday and Sunday to plant about 600 trees - all native Irish varieties such as oak, ash and birch. At the end of each day there'll be a get-together round a campfire, so you're advised to bring along food and musical instruments.
It's free to take part in the weekend; you just have to pay €15 (€10 concessions) to become a member of the organisation. It costs nothing to camp on the grounds, or you can check out the local accommodation list on CELT's website. www.celtnet.org or 061-640765. Eimear McKeith
ONLY NATURAL Helen Mullarkey, a horticulturist and landscape designer, and her long-time friend Saffron Kirwan, a natural therapist, have channelled their respective passions into their new business - Back 2 Nature. It's a web-based company with a focus on organic and ethical products, from baby wear to olive trees.
After only a few weeks in business, they already have a best seller - the organic cocoon baby sleep sack. All of the organic baby clothes are imported from New Zealand and are classic designs rather than the hippy-type organic baby clothes already on the market.
The kitchen garden hampers are a nice idea for Christmas gifts, and the olive trees, bay trees, potted herb plants and seeds come with growing instructions. "We want people to make contact with where their food comes from," says Mullarkey. www.back2nature.ie also sells a range of organic skincare from Provence. Nicoline Greer.
YES, YOU CAN HAVE A PLAYSTATION Most people think that the only exercise you get with a computer game is a workout for your thumbs.
But not anymore - Sony has come up with a new interactive game that will have mothers fighting to get a go on their kid's PlayStation2. Eye Toy: Kinetic is an exercise game that incorporates martial arts, kickboxing, aerobics, yoga, tai chi and dance. A small "Eye Toy" camera placed on top of your TV picks up your movements and creates an image of you on the screen as you work out. There are virtual personal trainers to guide you through a 12-week fitness programme tailored to your age, weight and fitness level.
It's certainly an interesting way to get fit - so long as you don't mind the prominent Nike product placement or the fact that you'll look a bit ridiculous flailing around in front of the TV. www.playstation.ie. Eimear McKeith