Our feature on pink appliances for your kitchen is one of our most popular posts - people just love that colour! And of course, as I am here only to serve our lovely readers, I just had to show you a few fabulous pink colanders that have caught my eye...
Clockwise from bottom left: Maxwell & Williams light pink colander
Related: Lovely Things: Vintage Style | Pink kitchen appliances | Ingenious chopping board
Indulge your inner little girl with this very sweet embellished tin jewellery box from Anusha. It would make a lovely gift for Christmas, or keep it for your own jewellery - I don't know if I could part with it if I bought one intended for someone else! It measures 14 x 9 x 4.5 cms and costs £25.
[via The Bag Lady]
I never seem to have enough candle holders (yes, I even surprise myself there). Let me rephrase that, I have candle holders, but it seems like each time I want to light a new candle, the holder is too small, or the wrong colour, or an awkward shape that works with only one particular sort of candle. To the rescue are these inexpensive 'Aysel' metallic candle plates from the Pier. On sale at just £1 for the small ones (14cm) and £3 for the larger ones (21cm), you can buy a load so you're ready for those candle emergencies. Perfect for your Christmas table, they come in copper, silver, gold and red.
Related: Skeem Candles from Heal's | Blue Christmas Decorations | Frosted Leaf Candle from M&S
As much as I hate the expression 'stocking filler', these pillowcases would make fabulous small gifts for friends or family. Designed by Kate Storer, the whimsical designs are sure to bring a smile at bedtime - I mean, who can resist teeny tiny sheep?! Each style is £15 for one pillowcase and £25 for two.
Homewares aren't what I first think of when I think ASOS as they're much better known for their celeb-inspired clothes, but the online-only store currently carries a lovely range of flocked home accessories. Being from ASOS, they're also pretty inexpensive, so a great way to try out the current enthusiasm for all things flocked without breaking your budget. The set of four coasters is just £5, the candlestick and cushion are both £10 each and the photo frame is £12.
The Skeem range of candles are so utterly gorgeous that I'm having a hard time deciding which ones I want for myself, let alone choosing some for gifts. The patterned holders are inspired by paper lanterns, Chinese tea packaging and silk fabrics for the 'Ichiban' oriental-style collection, and henna tattoos, black prints, and Indian street signs for the 'Masala' collection. The candles are available at £20 from Heal's in papaya, chai tea and blackcurrant in the Masala range (above), and mountain peach, happy orchard and fortune cookie in the Ichiban range (below).
Thanks very much to my lovely friend Sandra who alerted me to these baroque-style flocked storage boxes. As I've mentioned before on this site, flocking is everywhere on paper-based goods, fabrics and tableware and gives a great textured effect. These boxes come with either black, red or green velour flocking on a white background and are available from BoConcept from £11.
Not a fan of the traditional red, green, gold and silver for your holiday decorations? Why not try blue this year. As elsewhere in the homewares and fashion worlds this season, blue is a really popular colour choice with lots of items available in gorgeous shades of teal and turquoise. Here's a few of my top picks...
Habitat is always a goldmine when looking for non-traditional decorations and this year they have a distinctly glamorous feel. Left to right: 'Dew' chandelier drop £2, 'Lux' sequinned bauble £3, 'Palace' onion-shaped bauble £2 (for the small size).
This week I popped into Habitat to have a brief nose around the new range in their Habitat Art on Demand collection. As well as a range of posters I didn't have the chance to fully explore, they have some great painted ready-to-hang canvases in a variety of styles.
View more via the link below.
Ever been in that embarrassing social situation where you've had friends over for champagne and...shock...you realise it's too fizzy?! For the person who has everything, why not give the Torrini Champagne Stirrer this Christmas. Ostensibly to 'eliminate excess gas' from champagne (I always thought the point of bubbly is, well, being bubbly), I think it'd make a lovely cocktail stirrer, or, as they suggest, magic wand. It's sterling silver, hence the price - a touch over £70.
