Home Store + More Ikea always seems like the most straight-forwards option when furnishing a home, until the requisite house-warming where four separate “friends” will claim your edgy Vittsjö shelving unit as their own. Avoid this discomfiture altogether by opting for pieces from Industry, a home and lifestyle store in Temple Bar and now operating from a pop-up store on Drury Street. Items are hand-chosen by owner Vanessa MacInnes, ranging from new to ‘upcycled’ and are always guaranteed to be unique. Industry, 5 Essex Street West, Temple Bar and 41a/b Drury Street. www.industrydesign.ie Check out our interview with Vanessa McInnes of Industry over here. 
Makers & Brothers & Others From now until Christmas Eve, the “tiny department store,” Makers & Brothers & Others will be snuggled into Dame Lane. This pop-up, focusing on “simple, natural and beautiful” craftworks, showcases the best of Irish and international design in a lovely little space. Makers & Brothers is an online retail venture run by brothers Jonathan and Mark Legge, selling stunningly-crafted furniture, knitwear, pottery, crockery and much more; this is one of a series of pop-ups dedicated to designs by the Brothers, their regular Makers, and once-off displays from selected Others. Pop round to do a spot of Christmas shopping, enjoy a cup of 3FE coffee, or simply gaze at the exquisite pieces on offer. Makers & Brothers & Others, 5 Dame Lane, Dublin 2. www.makersandbrothers.com Read our interview with M&B here and check out our yummy breakfast at Makers & Brother’s pop-up shop opening on our instagram over here. 
Typecast We find it so easy today to slip from Calibri to Helvetica to the ludicrous Comic Sans that we forget the painstaking efforts implicit in the creation of fonts. Sign Painters is a documentary reminding us of a simpler time, when shop fronts, billboards and street signs were individually hand-lettered with brush and paint. Premiering in the Sugar Club, Thursday December 5th at 8pm. Tickets are available at www.signpaintermoviedublin.eventbrite.com. 
Light Up for Simon For over forty years the Simon Community has been a consistent presence on the streets of Dublin, offering its services to the city’s homeless. This Christmas the organisation will play host to a festive light projection at the front of Powerscourt Townhouse as part of the Simon House of Light. With customised contributions from Pauline McLynn, Róisín Ingle and Louis Copeland, members of the public are invited to wear their own glowing knitwear to synchronize with the great switch-on at 5pm on Thursday the 12th of December. From 12th – 14th of December, Powerscourt Townhouse, South William Street. www.simonhouseofcards.ie 
Dublin Flea & Block T Christmas Cracker For their yuletide flea market the habitual Newmarket square co-op will relocate their wares to Block B on Smithfield Square promising jolly afternoons replete with falafel and festivities. Impress those hard to please siblings with the rare unparallelled Super Mario Bros. Gameboy Original or reduce your mum to tears by way of vintage royal Grafton china. With a focus on Irish craft and design this flea will guarantee a unique gift giving experience.December 13th – 15th, Block B off Haymarket Smithfield Square, Dublin. www.dublinflea.com / www.blockt.com. – Niamh McNeela 
Sex Siopa Vegan Johnnies
Sex Siopa – Ireland’s first health and design conscious sex shop – has been on the up and up since Shawna talked to TD about getting the Irish interested in what they put in their bodies. Having recently been awarded Ireland’s best eCommerce/Services website at the Realex Fire Web Awards, Shawna is now bringing the first organic, ethical and vegan certified condom range to the emerald isle. Sir Richard’s is a far cry from the condoms thrown at your during freshers week: for every condom you buy, Sir Richard’s donates another to the developing world. Give back in preparation for your next night on the pull and grab a box from sexsiopa.com – Emily Carson
Jameson Film Festival Volunteer Drive
The 12th Jameson Dublin International Film Festival is just around the corner, and this month sees the start of their search for the budding volunteers who help make the whole event happen. From showing people to their seats to schmoozing with the stars, the role of volunteering at the festival is an exciting one. The festival takes place from the 13th to the 23rd of February, and applications to become a volunteer are open from now until January 10th. Go towww.jdiff.com for details. – Julia O’Mahony
MS Paint Bureau
Archetypal messer, founding member of the International League of Harriers and genuine YouTube sensation Hugh Cooney is turning his hand to framed, wall-hangable art. His MS Paint Bureau (“a subsidiary of CITI BANK” – LOL) is taking commissions for printed versions of his lovingly crafted MS Paint nightmares. Now something of a modern-day Hieronymus Bosch, Cooney’s dystopian absurdities truly are maps of the artist’s mental landscape and the perfect gift for the that total buzzer in your life. http://hughcooney.wordpress.
De La Punc Birthday Night Super-hip gals boutique De La Punc, loved here for both their retro kitsch and cool contemporary styles are celebrating their first year in existence with the best kind of party – one with free booze and decent tunes – in their shop at 49 South William St. on December 5th at 7pm. The celebrations are also to welcome the arrival of menswear streetwear shop This Greedy Pig to the premises. You can check out our chat with Greg from TGP in the Garb section. www.facebook.com/DeLaPunc 
Radiomade Xmas Party The Radiomade.ie Christmas Party returns with an outing on Monday December 23rd in the Sugar Club, offering a host of local DJs who feature on the station year-round, including Aaron Dempsey and Deep Side Cuts. In addition there’s a nice birra live music from Miss Kate and the Higher State continuing what seems to be a growing trend in the city for live funk and soul bands before none other than Billy Scurry will guide the crowd home – or to whatever house of disrepute they find themselves in afterwards! All proceeds from the show go running the station next year.
Check out our Bitesize Christmas Spesh for more foodie stocking fillers.
