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Fresh, contemporary and fun, these colourful ceramic bowls are the perfect thing to put you in the holiday spirit. The multi-sized bowls will dress up any table with a burst of Christmas colour and are not only practical but left out on the table, make a lovely decoration for the season. The bowls are dishwasher safe and stack neatly when it’s time to put them away until next year.
Available at: patinastores.com
Price: 19.95 for the set

I’m sure I’ve bemoaned this fact before but it really distresses me. OK, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration – there are dozens of things that distress me more than this. But what I’m talking about right now is the lost art of handwritten letters. In this age of technology, how often do you sit down to write a thoughtful letter to a friend? If you’re like me, you tend to communicate via email and Facebook or send quick text messages from your cell phone when you’re on the go, go, go. These methods have certainly helped me to increase the quantity of my communications with friends and family but I can’t say they’ve increased the quality of that communication. There’s something about sitting down and carefully thinking about what it is you want to say (there’s no delete button when you’re handwriting a letter) and on the flipside, there’s something special about receiving a letter or card in the mail. I don’t know about you but my mailbox is chock full of flyers and bills, neither of which I have much interest in. But as soon as I see something personal sitting there, with my name written by the hand of a friend, I toss everything aside and tear the envelope open.

Need some motivation? Beautiful stationery always works for me. Pretty papers and patterned envelopes seem to do the trick! New stationery makes me want to sit down and tell a friend I’m thinking about them. These designs (pictured above) from Chronicle Books are fun and whimsical and someone you know will be thrilled to see a note from you sitting in their mailbox. I guarantee it. Oh, and they make a great gift for someone on your Christmas shopping list.

For more information, visit chroniclebooks.com.

Are you getting excited for Christmas? I am! If you’re expecting guests and want to impress, adorn your holiday table with the festive colour of red. I love this centerpiece idea.

Available at: Restoration Hardware
Price: $62.99

Delight your guests with a table that looks perfectly pulled together. It’s really not that hard. Pretty placemats, tablecloths and table runners instantly dress up a table and at trendexhome.com, you’ll find a huge assortment of styles, colours and patterns to choose from. The simple gesture of dressing your table will let your guests know that you care enough to go to a bit of trouble for them (though it’s really no trouble at all!).  Or if you’re dining solo, it’s nice to do something special for yourself and set a pretty table before you sit down to eat. Boldly patterned pieces, like the ones pictured here, are a whimsical way to liven up stark white dishware. If your crockery is bold enough on its own, choose from simple but elegant solid colours – trendexhome.com has a wide assortment; you’re sure to find something that’ll suit your table just right!

These products also make a great Christmas present. Order by December 1 for delivery by December 22 in Canada and the United States.

For more information, visit trendexhome.com. For inspiring ideas for dressing your table in style, check out Style at Home’s tabletop section.

Especially as the weather turns cooler (um, it was snowing here this morning), I find solace in retreating to the calm and cozy sanctuary, better known as my bedroom. Styleathome.com has lots of ideas to help you turn your bedroom into a space that helps quiet your mind after a stressful day and ensures sweet dreams night after night. For easy decorating ideas to update your room, check out our simple and stylish tips that are easy on the eyes and the bank account. Check out our shopping guides; we’ve got beautiful bedding suggestions plus a mattress buying guide that’ll help you invest in the one that’s right for you. Kimberley Seldon offers her tips on where to splurge and where to save on bedroom decor. And, from carefully placing sheets and blankets to choosing the right duvets and pillows, get some easy pointers on how to beautifully make a bed. Seriously, we’ve got everything you need to turn your bedroom into a peaceful retreat you’ll never want to leave. Except that you’ll have to because, you know, you’ve got stuff to do.

For a full list of great decorating ideas for your bedroom, click here.

Sweet dreams!

When it comes to both fashion and decor, the fall and winter months are often a time for going dark. We tend to cast aside our bright, white, spring- and summer-coloured accessories and trade them in for warm, dark, cozy coloured ones. Light cottons make way for heavy wools and pastels step aside for charcoals and rusts. But when you think about it, what says winter more than white? These pure ceramic vases from West Elm are bright and inviting, and summon a feeling of crisp brisk winter days. There’s a real textural appeal to these and I love the contrast a cluster produces against a coloured wall.

Prices:
Woodland whites set: $59; Honeycomb cylinder vase: $29 each; Honeycomb bud vase: $9 each; Wood-grain planter: $29 each

Available at: West Elm, visit westelm.com for more information

I love the simplicity of Bodum’s designs. The YOHKI storage jar with chrome lid (featured left), is perfect for storing flour, sugar and pasta and is perfect for blending into any countertop. The CHAMBORD French press coffee maker with metal lid (pictured right) is so elegant. I can just smell the aroma in the air and it makes me think of sipping coffee at a patisserie in Paris. Except that I don’t drink coffee.

Bodum products can be found at Home Outfitters and select The Bay stores across Canada. Or at Bodum stores in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, China, Japan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Australia … you know … if you’re going.

You just can’t go wrong with the gift of food. Well … okay, maybe that’s not true. I mean, I wouldn’t exactly be thrilled if someone showed up at my house with a cabbage casserole. They say it’s the thought that counts but I’d just be thinking, Wow. This person really doesn’t like me. So let me rephrase. You just can’t go wrong with the gift of baked goodies. And if you don’t have time to whip up some tasty treats yourself, then just leave it to the professionals. Frostineedibles.com is an online Canadian bakery that makes a vast assortment of cookies and other baked treats and offers overnight shipping to anywhere in Canada and the United States. So next time you’re looking for a hostess gift or housewarming present, a birthday gift or just something to satisfy your own sweet tooth, then consider Frostines Edibles. My favourite part is how they’re packaged – beautiful, re-useable boxes that come in a variety of colours and truly look like something special. Here at my office, we sampled the cookies and here’s what my colleagues had to say:

“Soft and crumbly. It dissolves in your mouth - delicious!”
Alaina Chapman

“These yummy cookies were truly delightful, melting away in my mouth. The butterscotch ripple was my fave — a simply sweet treat to cap off my lunch. If this is the way the cookie crumbles, I want more!”
Lauren McPhillips

“I had the chocolate brownie cookie … very chocolate brownie like! It was really rich and quite tasty, but somewhat dry. Would be perfect with a cold glass of milk. I imagine a serious chocolate lover would be very grateful to receive some of these to feed their craving.”
Daniela Payne

“This cookie makes a valiant effort to be all things to all people - it’s got shortbread, it has a modest filling, it has cranberries and who knows what else. That said, the holiday hubris pays off: In several sweetly satisfying bites, you get an essential taste of Christmases past, updated for the present. The verdict:  A-. The minus is for leaving out the chocolate. Now, can I have another one?”
John Kuipers

Good to know: All flavours of Frostines Edibles cookies are nut- and peanut-free.

For more information, visit: frostinesedibles.com

I’m not a fan of the cooler temperatures that have been steadily creeping up on us (although it’s supposed to be unseasonably mild tomorrow where I live). But at the same time, the changing seasons are wonderful and if I have to bundle up to enjoy them … well, I’ve gotten used to it. But what I’ve come to appreciate more and more as time goes by is the beauty of our seasons; the pure, natural beauty that can be found in the changing hues of the leaves on the trees, the innumerable shades of blue, white, grey and silver that can be found in an autumn sky. It’s easy to grumble about threatening clouds and evenings that get darker earlier. But sometimes, it’s at just those moments that we can find unexpected colours surrounding us, colours that simply can’t be found anywhere else. I love this photo above. In it, I can pick out just the shade of green paint I used in my living room and the same grey that graces the walls of my foyer. Where do you find your colour inspiration? I’d love to know!

For more great advice on decorating with colour, check out styleathome.com’s colour section!

At every turn, there’s no doubt that it’s Halloween today. Although, as a colleague of mine astutely pointed out, traveling on Toronto’s subways, it’s not always entirely possible to distinguish the once a year costumes from the every day streetwear of some. But I digress. Since Halloween conveniently falls on a Friday this year, I’m sure many of you are attending Halloween parties or perhaps hosting one yourself. If you’re looking for some last-minute decorating ideas, that are more chic than cheap, check out these seven ideas. They’re inexpensive but will look good around the house, year after year. I love these (pictured above): Twig Hurricanes, starting at $39 US (right), Glitter Skull, $19 US, Pottery Barn (left).