Lovely Things

Cute, colourful tea towels from Kitty & Polly & a special Lovely Things discount code

Regular readers will be used to my tea towel obsession by now (new readers, you have SO much to look forward to!), and it's been a while since I've featured some dishcloth lovelies, so take a look at the latest to catch my eye.

'Nelly' the elephant, 'Milky' in yellow polka dot and 'Milk & Two Sugars' all £7.50 each. The lovely Paula of Kitty and Polly sent us a 'Milky' one to try and it's just gorgeous. They're made of a rather lightweight cotton, so probably better for cleaning glasses or for decoration rather than mopping up your dishes.

Paula has also been very generous to Lovely Things readers and is offering an exclusive discount code for 20% off everything across the store! What's more, it will last right until the end of the year (31/12/08). Perfect for Christmas shopping or just buying  gift for yourself. Just visit the Kitty & Polly site and enter LOVELY at the checkout.

Reader question: I Love Toast retro toaster

Lovely Things reader Evelien from Holland wants the retro I Love Toast toaster we featured near Christmas in 2006. I don't blame her, it's very cute! Unfortunately it's no longer stocked at ASOS or available in blue, but we've found it in other colours and you can still buy online. Continue reading below to find out which colours and where...

Tea stick & book ends: quirky gifts at Amode & a special Lovely Things discount code

These two great products from Amode would make great gifts (particularly good housewarming pressies I reckon), but I have to say, I'm more of a mind to buy them as treats for myself...

I love the idea of this 'Tea Stick' from Utilo (£12.95). If you're a traditionalist who can't abide the words 'tea' and 'bag' in the same sentence, it's perfect for making just one cup without the fuss of a teapot. It won't be available until mid-August but you can pre-order now.

Looking for modern book ends? This pair are certainly self-explanatory! They're £16.99 and available now.

Thanks to the very generous Helen at Amode, they're currently offering a 10% discount on all products just for Lovely Things readers for the entire month of August. The coupon code is LOVELY08 and is valid when you visit the Amode.co.uk site until 31/08/08.

Still bargains to be had: 50-70% off in Heal's clearance

Most of the sales are over and you'd be forgiven for thinking all that's left are a few dregs that nobody wants. Okay, well that is true on many counts, but if you have a little rummage, there are still some bargains to be nabbed as stores clear out the last of their old season's stock.

Here's a few picks from the Heal's clearance section at 50 to 70 percent off...

Kitchen, dining & home sale at Liberty

Lovely Liberty has just announced a sale of up to 30% off selected kitchen and dining items, and 25% off some of their Liberty of London home ranges. Unfortunately despite the new Liberty of London online shop offering a selection of their gorgeous bags and accessories, there's no online shopping options for homewares at the moment. Pictured is one of the kitchen/dining sale items, a rather pretty blue-glazed cake stand on sale at £13.12, down from £18.75, but you'll have to pop into the store in Great Marlborough St, London to purchase.

Discount codes for Wallace Sacks mirrors & gifts

Wallace Sacks, being the generous souls that they are, are offering special discount codes for 25% off mirrors and gifts.

Just enter MR2 for 25% discount on their full range of classic and contemporary mirrors, like the lovely deco-style 'Greta' mirror (right, £275), or if your taste runs to shabby chic, a vintage French style like the 'Versailles' (below, £150) might suit you. All orders over £20 qualify for free delivery too.

They're also offering a 25% discount on gift items, enter GF2 at the checkout. Be quick, the offer codes only work until the end of March!

Vitamin's funky urban gnomes at Onedeko

Looking for a garden ornament that's a bit outside the norm? How about a gnome? Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. Forget your kitschy (and faintly creepy - you know they're watching you) jolly-red-hat brigade and check out these funky urban gnomes by Vitamin. The bone china gnomes stand at 21cm high and come with a variety of patterns from a cute-yet-menacing skull to something more gardeny like a pretty dandelion print or 'undergrowth' (pictured). Available from Onedeko for £48.50 each.

Cute camper van tea-towels from Kitty & Polly

Regular readers will know that I do have a bit of a thing for nice tea-towels (blame my mother, she's more obsessed than I and clearly passed on the gene). They're an inexpensive way to brighten up your kitchen, and make, let's face it, a rather boring chore that little bit more interesting. This summery duo from newly-opened online gifts and accessories store Kitty & Polly combines the iconic, charmingly hippy VW Kombi van with a traditional beach scene of beach huts (that very sought-after summer commodity, now out of the price range of mere mortals). Available in baby blue and pink, the towels are 100% cotton, designed and produced right here in Blighty and cost just £4.50 each. As opening specials, Kitty & Polly is offering free shipping on orders over £40, and 10% off your next order when you register for their newsletter.

Hanging lanterns & tealight holders

When the sun starts to shine, our thoughts turn to outdoor entertaining (even if it is still rather chilly of an evening). Hanging candles and tealights twinkling away give a magical quality to any garden party or BBQ, so here's a few you can pick up in High St stores...

First up is this very pretty Moroccan style hanging lantern from Monsoon. It has crackle glass and hand made brass detailing. It's £15, available only in green and takes a standard tealight candle.

Green and white cup and saucer from Mit Hus

Oh dear, I think I'm in love. I'm sure you're thinking that this is no bad thing, but the problem is, it's tableware I'm in love with, and I just don't know if I have the room for any more. The current object of my affection is this beautiful chartreuse green and white cup and saucer. I love cups with the decoration on the inside, and this subtle green crackle glaze is the perfect foil to the creamy matt white on the outside. It's just £4.50 from fab Scandanavian-stocked UK store Mit Hus.