Lovely Things

Vintage Hovis tins from Pedlars back in stock

They've been really popular and keep selling out, but Pedlars announced on friday that they've just had another, final shipment of original Hovis bread tins. The tins were taken from the Hovis factory around the 1960s and are now available to you vintage fans to recycle for use in your own bread making, as planters, storage or whatever you like. Small tins are 18cm x 9cm x 12cm and you can grab yourself a slice (ho ho) of history at £19.50.

Pure silk floral print cushion 40% off at M&S

Well the countdown to Christmas has really begun, and it's time to grab those credit crunch bargains as presents for friends and fmaily, or perhaps just a gift for yourself. This lovely pure silk cushion from Marks and Spencer was £25, but is currently discounted by 40% so is just £15 at the checkout, which is a really fab price for 100% silk. It's available in blue and in the honey colour shown here.

Mid-season sale at Laura Ashley

There are so many sale seasons these days that I feel like it's rare to see anything at full price (except the things you've been eyeing up for ages of course, those things never seem to get reduced).

Laura Ashley's mid-season sale runs until 2nd November, with reductions of 20-50% on a range of homeware products so you still have a bit more time to grab some bargains from the emporium of shabby chic and vintage style.

Shown above (clockwise from top left): red striped ceramic biscuit jar £10.80 (was £15), medium pink etched storage jar £9.36 (was £13), 'Windsor' mantel clock £15.75 (was £35), set of two flocked storage boxes £18 (was £25), art deco style mirrored jewellery box £14.40 (was £20), red champagne glass £3.50 (was £7).

Marks & Spencer 3 for 2 on Christmas gift wrap

Marks & Spencer have some pretty wrapping paper and tags for Christmas, and they're currently part of a 3 for 2 offer, so you can stock up early in anticipation of all those late nights sat up wrapping gifts (what? You mean you don't love that part?).

Shown here is gold damask wrap which has a lovely traditional look with a pretty feather design. I also really like the vintagey 'brown paper' style background. For more, continue reading by clicking below...

Coloured and metallic tea light candle holders

I'm often asked where one can buy the pretty coloured metallic tea light candle holders we featured back in 2006, as they're no longer available from Heal's. Sadly I've not been able to find exactly the same set again, but I've done some digging and come up with a range of alternatives for those of you who love the look.

Pictured here are coloured 'cupcake' tea light holders from lovely store Rockett St George. They come in a set of four and cost £9.99. You can also buy a very similar set of six for £12.95 from Amazon or blendboutique.

Continue reading below for more brightly-coloured metallic candle holders...

Flock cushion bargains at Dwell

If you're a fan of flock on a budget, look no further than these cushions that are on sale at Dwell. Pictured is the flock damask cushion in sapphire blue with black flock at £5.95 for the small (a not so teeny 43cm x 43cm), and £9.95 for the large (56cm x 56cm). Also available is the taupe version with the small for £7.95 and large for £9.95. Happy flocking!

Kenzo homewares sale at Brand Alley

Oh dear, this is dangerous! There's some lovely Kenzo porcelain tableware and glassware with great discounts at Brand Alley today until the 25th (all Brand Alley sales are limited time only, so you've got to get in quickly). Shown here are plates from the Tao Garden (left) and Azyade collections, reduced to 19.50 and 16.50 respectively for two plates, down from £47, which I'm sure you'll agree is a pretty big price cut.

I was going to include more images here, but everything's so pretty that I'll end up showing you every single piece, so just get over there and check it out for yourself. Make sure you take a look at the coloured stemware (especially the romantic Bangalore cocktail glasses at £20 for two) and there's some lovely colourful floral plates for you shabby chic fans.

Lovely Things reader poll: When should we start covering Christmas?

It's always a tricky one where Christmas and the holiday season is concerned. I don't like to start writing about it too early, but I know some of you get organised months in advance, especially when it comes to decorating and securing the best tree ornaments. Given that we're already starting to see readers visiting Lovely Things via search terms that bring up our previous Christmas articles (like the ever-popular blue Christmas decorations feature from two years ago), I thought it best to ask you for your opinions using a simple reader poll. So please give us your honest opinions, and feel free to leave additional comments too.

John Lewis launches Eco Products page

Knowing that many shoppers these days want to improve their product choices to benefit the environment, John Lewis has launched an 'Eco Products' section of their website.

Here, green consumers can find all the energy efficient, fairly-traded, organic, recycled, sustainable or otherwise eco-friendly products stocked on the John Lewis website. The wide range of products include appliances and lighting, clothes, flowers, textiles, food and drink, garden items, baby products and nappies, knitting yarn, tableware and a load of other household items.

Shown here is the Fairtrade 'Rosy Glow' flower bouquet (£33 incl free delivery), recycled newspaper storage basket (medium £10), Rustic Collection recycled glass tumbler (set of six £12). 

Drama, texture, metallic: Autumn at Zara Home

Zara Home's Autumn/Winter 2008 collection has come over all dramatic - there's loads of architectural shapes, dark gold and glossy black. Continue reading below for details of the items featured here...