Lovely Things

Peacock wreath and ornaments at La Redoute

I've been seeing a lot of bird, and particularly peacock-themed Christmas decorations this year - it seems our love affair with these glorious birds and their dazzling colours is nowhere near over. My favourites so far are these beautiful peacock tree decorations from La Redoute. They're made with velvet and embellished with beads and real peacock feathers and are two for £9.

You can start your peacock theme right at your door with this unusual wreath also from La Redoute. It's velvet-backed and detailed with beads, sequins and real feathers, finished with blue ribbon and costs £17. Both items are included in the current 'buy three, get cheapest free' offer.

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...

Zara Home Autumn/Winter 2008/2009

We wanted to show you some of the great looks from the Zara Home Autumn/Winter 2008/09 catalogue as I know Lovely Things readers are always keen to see what's new and to get some great decorating ideas for your own homes.

There's a fresher feeling this season than you'd often expect for A/W looks which is really modern and autumnal, in opposition to the 'cuddly' feel we often see for winter. The setting in a huge warehouse space is luscious (makes me want to live without walls!), with an open, airy feel for some shots, and a tucked-away secret delight with others.

As always, Zara gives us a variety of options in their look book, from eclectic colour and retro-modern to a touch of chinoiserie and traditional romance. As is my favourite thing about this time of year, we see delicious colours with deep jewel tones, plus some fresher palettes such as light blue with tan and neutrals.

Continue reading below for more images from the gorgeous Zara Home A/W catalogue...

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.

Retro breeze: fans from John Lewis

Even on not particularly hot days, sometimes you need to get the air moving a little bit for comfort. This retro-style desk fan in cream has caught my eye and offers three speed settings for your perfect cooling breeze. It's 36 x 25cms, comes with a three-year guarantee and is also available in red, chrome and black. £45 from John Lewis.

Splashes of bright colour: Indian parasols for the garden

The colours of these beautiful 'Raj' jewel-toned parasols are so vibrant, they'd really make a splash in the garden this summer. Shown here are 'Haveil Blue' and 'Marigold' and there's also a 'Royal Purple' available too. Each parasol is 120cm in diameter and they have contrasting undersides and metal cutwork embellishments that would flutter and tinkle prettily in a breeze. They're handmade in India by the Indian Garden Company and are available from Gardeners-Word.net for £97.20 each including free UK mainland delivery.

Coveting a doormat: Orla Kiely at Heal's

I came across this doormat while writing the piece on the Heal's clearance sale last week and just have to share it. I'm a big fan of Orla Kiely's colourful leaves print and think it works really well with a coir doormat. It'll set you back £30, but just think how it'll cheer you up when you're coming in from the cold and rain next season.

Gorgeous blankets from Atlantic Blanket Company & a special Lovely Things discount code

When we live in a country with summers as unpredictable and un-sunny as England's it's criminal to write what I'm about to write: I can't wait til autumn! Okay, well maybe that's overdoing it a bit, but you see, I've been so inspired by the beautiful blankets and throws at the Atlantic Blanket Company's website, that the thought of snuggling up against the chill suddenly doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

As well as a lovely array of woolly cosiness, I'm impressed with the clean, simple look of the site, the beautiful photography and customer-friendly design. Read below for a very special discount code for Lovely Things readers.

Now comes the difficult part - trying to decide which products are my favourites that I just have to show you. Here goes...

Father's Day gifts for Garden Dad

Father's Day is just around the corner, this year falling on Sunday 17th June. Last year we featured Father's Day gifts for BBQ Dad, and this year I'm going with gifts for those dads who like to get out there into nature, get their hands dirty, chop stuff down, pull stuff up...yes I'm talking about Garden Dad...

Zara Home Spring/Summer 2007

Our posts on Zara Home are some of the most popular of this blog, and the one showing images from the Zara Home catalogue for Autumn/Winter is still going strong. But as we've been enjoying quite a bit of sunshine lately, it's about time we take a look at the Spring/Summer 2007 pictures.

This season is all about white, though still retaining the shabby chic/crumbling opulence influence that we saw last season. Some of the images look a little more 'Winter white' than summery, but the overall effect is very glamorous and looks like it would keep you very cool on a hot summer's day.

There were so many lovely pages in the catalogue that I had real trouble choosing just a few to show you, so click on the link below to feast your eyes on quite a handful of drool-eliciting rooms...