Well. If this isn't like stepping into a Judy Garland movie!…read more Trinkets everywhere, prints from the 50s, skirts from the 70s, and jewelry from the naughties. There are lampshades, cocktail rings, architectural chairs, and prom dresses. There are wild psychedelic prints, muted classic colours and 8-bit designs. Honestly it's been a long time since I've been so excited about a shop in Dublin. It's one of those places that hits you with so many emotions that it's difficult to stay contained. Sheer, unbridled jealousy that someone has created my dream shop, that I should have thought of myself. Mixed with ridiculous hyperactive joy that I've found this place. Coupled with resounding fear and premonition of my future bank balance slipping away before my very eyes... Some interesting points to note about this place: - They have pop up 'shops within shops' in every month or so, so the stock and content is constantly changing - The have vintage and new, homeware and clothing - There is also Locks & Lashes - a vintage styling lady who does hair from the 20s to 60s - You can host events here - perfect for a hen do I did think! If I was you, I'd make a Sunday out of it. If it's the last Sunday of the month, you can wander up along Francis St, taking in all the cute little antique & charity shops, skip into Cat's Meow on the way (saving your money for here of course!), then ending up in the Flea Market for more perusing and food. Grand little Sunday!

Lovers of vintage hairdos, be happy!…read more The Cat's Meow on Francis Street of Dublin's famed Liberties area is a fitting addition to a street that specialises in things old. But this vintage shop is not for the lovers of fine antiques but of a more affordable kind of pleasure - clothes, bric a brac, homeware, pictures. And fabulous hairdos! Not to mention vintage make up. I was there for the hair bit, but had a good rummage around the shop during curler warming. Some lovely dresses and accessories including a stunning silk kimono style top that was a tad too small otherwise I would have snatched it up (size 38 if you're interested). Run by the artistic Maureen, a famed hairdresser on film sets across Ireland, this lady seriously knows her finger wave from her victory roll. And, as she says herself, she likes to give things an individual touch, too. Perhaps not unusually for me, I wasn't entirely sure exactly what I wanted. And how helpful is 'old-fashioned' to a hairdresser, really? Plus I'd forgotten my dress, which was my plan for inspiring her with a vintage look for a non-vintage head. Anyways, fair play to her, she remained undaunted as she set about placing all kinds of rollers in my hair followed by stuff I don't recall the name for but which thickens it all out a bit in the subtle deceit of a 'natural-looking' up-style (honestly, it took me five minutes, I just threw it up any old way). Followed by approximately four thousand gently inserted hairpins that would have set off more than one alarm at airport security but strangely didn't make my head feel tight at any point during the day that followed. In fact, as I walked in the breeze later, I was amazed at how this strange immovable mass that was my hair, now a single unit as opposed to thousands of free-moving follicles, could remain so comfortable and not budge as much as an inch. A great find! Well worth a treat, and I'm pretty sure this lady can do whatever it is you want, strange, rare or unusual, for your hair. There's a pop up section of the shop and a general all round feeling of much creative energy by all involved, and a love of the arts too - so yes, quite a find and next time I'm going to treat myself to the make up bit too, which by all accounts is great. Vintage hair and make up is a different thing altogether than what you get in the regular hairdresser - I speak from experience - plus at €45 this was reasonable value (cost me €60 I'm pretty sure at Peter Mark and lovely and all as they were, it didn't hold for long). So book in advance as I've a feeling word is going to spread and fast. Locks and Lashes is the hair and make up part of Cat's Meow, by the way.