Our checklist for a gorgeous June Bank Holiday weekend…
EMBRACE APERITIVO HOUR
Kickstart the long weekend with aperitivo hour on Friday! A late-afternoon drink has to be accompanied by a snack, says food writer Amber Guinness – aperitivo hour is a time to combine maximum flavours, minimal effort and memorable moments. “I adore aperitivo hour and have included these recipes in my new book Italian Coastal. Aside from the fact that it reminds me of happy evenings in Italy, aperitivo time is also an easy way to feed a crowd as you can usually pre-prepare a selection of snacks, leaving you free to chat to friends over drinks.” She has provided selected recipes for entertaining your guests at happy hour – crostini with ricotta, lemon and crunchy sage, peaches in white wine and a prosecco, limoncello and basil cocktail. See recipes here.
DINE OUT SOMEWHERE SPECIAL
Ciara McQuillan has found some great places to dine out over the long weekend. With some new openings, her choices span from Dublin to Belfast, to Cork and Galway. They include the gorgeous terrace at Osteria Lucio at Grand Canal, the Old Brennan’s new wine bar in Cork for some small plates and charcuterie, and Forest Avenue for a very special meal. If you’re nearby this weekend, try and get a last minute booking!
SORT YOUR SUMMER SUITCASE
Jetting off to the sun this month? Chances are when you were booking your flights, you breezily opted for just a 10kg bag, adopting an ‘it’ll be fine’ mentality. How naive we all can be when holiday planning! Let me assuage your fears: packing for a holiday with a 10kg bag can be done. In fact, Sarah Macken has done just that for a ten day break in the sun, and has shared her recommendations, tips and advice for you. See here.
SET A SUMMER TABLE
American interior designer Bunny Williams is a pro at hosting a summer garden party. “Entertaining is very easy when you are prepared. I confess that, after many years of collecting, I have three pantries filled with china, glasses, napkins, tablecloths, and silverware. What is amazing to me is that if you are enthusiastic shoppers like John and I are, you can find such interesting things in secondhand shops and at auctions.” See how she does it to perfection, from her floral arragements, to table setting and more. Read it here.
SWIM AND SAUNA
What’s your ideal Sunday? As far as long weekend plans go, taking yourself out for a swim and then heading to the sauna sounds like a pretty idyllic thing to do. Saunas are popping up all over Ireland and they are the perfect compliment to an invigorating swim at the Forty Foot or Bray seafront. Here is our list of saunas to visit this weekend and read about the benefits you can reap from them.
BAKE – FAMILY STYLE
Kitty Coles has made this shortbread recipe for years, in fact, it started when she was a very little girl working in her family restaurant. “My mum is exceptionally good at making desserts and was famous in the family restaurant for her mounding pavlovas, treacle tarts and chocolate puddings, but of course by Sunday she was never in the mood to make anything so I’d step in. At eight years old, I learned to make shortbread. From about twelve, I made batches of shortbread for the restaurant. To this day, it is my family’s favourite.” This shortbread recipe is a great one to whip up with the little ones this weekend – with few ingredients and easy steps, you can spend time together and get some creative satisfaction when you get to enjoy the teatime treat you’ve made from scratch. See recipe here.
HOST A LONG LUNCH WITH FRIENDS
Kitty Coles celebrates the Spanish tradition of sobremesa – relaxing at the table after a meal, “the longer we linger at the table, the better we know eachother,” says Kitty. As a result of this love and appreciation for ‘the long lunch,’ she has created a vibrant and fresh early summer menu which is perfect for lunch at home with friends over the bank holiday weekend. These recipes look gorgeous and taste even better. Recipes include mozzarella, french bean and pea salad with warm spiced oil and breadcrumbs, a one pot tomato roast chicken with roast garlic salsa verde and for dessert; a sticky honey sponge with lemon poached apricots and cream – delicious. Save the recipes here. @kittycoles
PLAN YOUR GARDEN
At a recent unique event at Amo & Pax (see more details here) Diarmuid Gavin gave an inspiring talk and presentation on how to create a garden that displays colour all summer long, taking into account borders, ground cover and climbers. He urges all gardeners of all levels to do their own thing, to not be too influenced by trends, and to plant what they love to look at, and of course consider what will suit their garden conditions. If you’re looking at the garden this weekend and thinking you want to do make some changes – read Diarmuid’s expert advice here.
PICK UP A GOOD BOOK
Edel Coffey selects ten new and seriously anticipated books to read this month. One such book is Reality Check a debut novel from a bold new Irish voice and former glossy magazine editor Vicki Notaro. Portia Daniels has an apparently perfect life – gorgeous boyfriend, Manhattan apartment and a job she loves writing for TV. Her mother is the star of a hit reality TV show, Ladies of Los Angeles, while her sisters are celebrities of the model and influencer variety. Portia prefers a life of anonymity but as Jason surprises her with an unexpected revelation and her family becomes embroiled in gossip and scandal, Portia has to face up to her own reality. This is pure escapism, from its sequined cover to its celebrity characters. Glamorous, witty and full of heart and humour, it also addresses lots of modern female concerns, from motherhood to marriage and body image. A smart, fun debut. Reality Check, (Penguin Sandycove, €14.99). See more of Edel’s recommendations here.
WATCH – GEEK GIRL ON NETFLIX
How do you represent fashion accurately as the daughter of one of Ireland’s biggest designers? Geek Girl, a new ten-part series on Netflix that’s creatively produced by Zoë Rocha (daughter of John Rocha), does just that. Rocha took some time to explain to us the detail that went into building an authentic world of style on the new show which landed on Netflix this week. Read more here.
The series is based on Holly Smale’s best-selling young adult books of the same name. It follows the life of Harriet Manners, an awkward 16-year-old whose life is turned upside down when she is scouted by a model agent at London Fashion Week and is suddenly catapulted into the world of fittings, runway shows and learning the elusive ‘model’s walk’. Guarenteed to be stylish, fast moving and exciting with a lot of heart, watch it this weekend and read more about it here.
READ MORE ABOUT COCO MELLERS
Rejected by 30 publishers, Coco Mellors was a relative unknown when her debut novel Cleopatra and Frankenstein, released in 2022, exploded on the literary scene and became the It book of the summer. Now, her new novel Blue Sisters delves into the theme of familial addiction. She speaks to us openly about her journey to getting published, her emotional highs and lows of her success, addictions, fashion, her writing process, her book recommendations for the summer and so much more. Read all about it here. Image Zoe Potkin.
PLAN YOUR NEXT TRIP
Thinking about getting some sun? How about a gorgeous island trip that won’t break the bank? That sounds tempting. Plan a trip to Capri. Known as the Pearl of the Mediterranean, and a magnet for A-listers and tourists during the summer, Penny McCormick recommends her favourite spots to stay and things to do that won’t blow the budget but will still grant you the charms of the beautiful island. Exquisite food, shopping, views, swimming and more – expert advice incoming.
SORT YOUR BEAUTY BAG
The long weekend is a great time to finally take a look into your beauty bag and sort out what’s actually going on in there. Summer is a time to replace the old reliables but also take on the newness of affordable beauty. Sarah Halliwell has spotted thrifty beauty buys both online and in store, so if you’re looking for a replenishment – treat yourself to these beauty buys this week.
As the sun is set to shine this weekend, here are some great tinted SPFs to get you protected, looking good and feeling good.