Brain or Brawn

Emma-Louise Johnston decides against a trip to the slopes this year and indulges in a different sweet easter treat. 


Easter seems to be upon us so quickly this year - I know it is an important time in the Christian calendar, so I don’t mean to sound flippant but I always remember as a kid getting a new dress or new outfit for Easter Sunday, so not to break with tradition, I’ve opted for a fabulous pair of Anita Flavin shoes. Anita, who’s based in Garvagh has attracted a huge amount of interest recently and will be a popular guest during Belfast Fashion Week.
Normally, I’d be forking out for ski-wear this time of year but alas, no - not after a traumatic time in Courcheval 1850 last year. Steep icy slope, end of the day and not being as experienced or as skilled as my friends thought, I ended up with tears, snot and a very wet behind, from having to take my skis off and go down on my butt. The humiliation, not to mention being gripped by total and utter fear, was enough to put me off ‘going on the piste’ this year. My husband however, will be grabbing his board and hitting the slopes in Switzerland. He is sickeningly good at snowboarding and makes it look completely effortless. I know I should be proud and yet I feel jealous and slightly bitter and twisted when I watch him jump and twist and skim at high speeds down the mountains, laughing all the while, while I on the other hand, am struggling with my stupid skis and poles, eyes streaming, nose too, with a grimace more than a grin. Even though it’s my choice, not going skiing rather enrages me - I don’t like being one of those women who can’t do things. I’m normally pretty capable. I can bleed a boiler, change a tyre and re-wire a plug! Anyway, to counteract these feelings of utter uselessness, I am going on a bit of a literary tour round Ireland with some acclaimed American women writers - friends of my relatives out there. Maybe I’ll just pretend to be the brain in our house and he can be the brawn!

Speaking of houses, we’re currently building a house in the country. It’s the whole rage in England at the moment, I’ve been informed. An exciting and overwhelming task. So far my input has been limited. “What slates do we want?” “Dunno”, “What fascia and soffetts do we want?”, “Don't care”, “Where do we want our U.S.B. ports?”, “I’m hungry”. I hate to bring those age-old, outdated ‘difference of the sexes’ arguments out, but if you ask most men, “should I wear sheer tights or opaque, kitten heel or block boots, shoes or shoe-boots?” Most are not going to have a clue and will be totally uninterested. Naturally, I am interested in our house. I just don’t think I can contribute in a useful fashion at this stage. Now, when it gets to the interior, I will be in my element. Gosh that will be fun. In fact ‘Gosh’ Belfast is where I’ve spent a lot of time recently, sorting out our ‘tunnel’ fire for the house. I don’t like to boast…ok, maybe just a little, but these fires make you feel like you’re on the set of a James Bond movie - very cool…well, hot actually!
I don’t often treat myself to massages or spa breaks unless I’m on holiday but when I heard that holistic therapist Elizabeth Murray, formerly of Framar on the Ormeau Road, had set up on her own, I wanted to check her out. I’d never had an Indian head massage before, but I’d been experiencing a few stress headaches, possibly from my short lived detox plan and thought this might help. It is absolutely brilliant - a relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable treat and all for the price of a couple of large Easter eggs!

In another effort to slow down the wheels of time in our ‘youth obsessed’ culture, I invested in my first ever expensive eye-cream! I know that healthy diet, exercise, not smoking and staying out of the sun, all help towards reducing the formation of lines round the eyes and those rotten black circles, but as a chronic insomniac, sometimes I need a bit of extra help. I was getting my spray-tan done with the lovely Claire McIntyre in Stranmillis and asked her advice. She recommended Carita, an effective, if fairly expensive line of Parisian beauty products. I invested in their ‘perle de jeunesse yeux’ firming micro-gel and have received quite a few compliments since using it.

Cinemagic’s mega success here, has led Chief Executive Joan Burney-Keating to launch the award winning charity down South. An organisation, with M/S Burney’s contacts, that educates and inspires young people will surely be equally successful in Dublin. 

Congrats to Paddy Kielty on his nomination for best Solo Performer in the What’s On Stage West End theatre awards. He had a triumphant return to the Grand Opera House and was brilliant in Marie Jones’ smash hit comedy, A Night in November. That woman is a national treasure!