Lovely Things

Minimalist Black Vase from Tesco

We've been featuring a lot of retro and cute stuff lately, so I wanted to break from that with something sleek and minimalist. Enter this square ceramic floor vase from Tesco Direct. At just a shade under £13 it's great value for a vase of 45 cms tall and is available in black only.

Store Discovery: Retro Decades

Into all things retro? Check out vintage-loving store Retro Decades. They stock a range of items from furniture and lighting, to clocks and art, and have a section labelled 'everything else' containing anything from a fabulously-shaped 'toot-a-loop' radio, to seriously vintage hand-held video games. Some of my favourite picks include the Arco style floor lamp (£175) which would look gorgeous on my landing, and the fab polished aluminium 1950s Launderette sign (£1745), which I think I'd struggle to get into my flat at all, given its seven-and-a-half foot length. 

Related: Fabulous chairs by Aiveen Daly | Pink kitchen appliances | Ceramic hanging tealight holder

Retro Toaster - I Love Toast

When I first saw this fabulously retro toaster, all I noticed was the great colours and styling. It wasn't until I had a proper look at all the details that I realised it also toasts 'I love you' on all your slices. Very kitsch! While I'm not too sure how I feel about sentimental breakfast foods, I do love the toaster itself. It would go very nicely with your vintage style colander and 50s-inspired appliances. It's available in turquoise as shown and is £20.

Related: Fabulous chairs by Aiveen Daly | Pink kitchen appliances | Ceramic hanging tealight holder

Roco Verre Leather Coasters

These substantial leather coasters from Roco Verre come in four colours: tan, chocolate brown, cherry red and black, so you can complement your decor or tableware. I really like the simple plain silver-coloured band and quality leather in a chunky but elegant design. They have a non-slip rubber base and they're ordered singly, so you can mix and match rather than having to go for a matched-colour set. They're £4.50 each from Contemporary Heaven.

Gift Guide: £10 and under

Still Christmas shopping and need a few ideas for inexpensive gifts? Here's our gift guide to presents £10 and under...

Who can resist snuggling up with a hot water bottle on a chilly night? Especially when your bottle has its own woolly jumper! This rainbow-coloured, roll-neck hot water bottle cover comes with a standard size 750ml hot water bottle inside and costs just £9.

Gift Guide: £20 and under

Ah Christmas shopping. It can be tricky finding an interesting gift without having to spend a lot of money, or a lot of time trawling websites and shops. And if you have a lot of people to buy for, the whole thing can really take it out of you. To give you a hand is our gift guide to lovely things for home and living, for £20 or less...

Art Canvas from ASOS

ASOS call this canvas print 'retro' but I think 'vintage style' would be more appropriate. In a gorgeous fuchsia pink and gold, it's mounted on a chunky wooden frame and measures 30 x 30 cms. It's just £15, so if your walls are already bright enough for your taste, it would make a lovely gift.

Alternative Christmas Decorations

Not a sparkly, tinselly type? If you'd like to inject a bit of retro personality into your festive decor, these recycled vintage vinyl decorations might be just the ticket. Made by New York artist Jeff Davis, the records come ready to hang as a set of three for $18. Given that Christmas is looming large in the calendar, UK readers might need to buy with an eye to next year's decorative scheme. If you're in the US, take advantage of express shipping to have these in your hot little hands this week.

[via Retro to Go]

Gift Ideas: Laura Ashley Tableware

Laura Ashley has a range of offers on at the moment including up to 30% off on homewares, and three-for-two on a range of gifts and accessories. I love their casual dining tableware like this pretty lace-detailed tumbler at £4, available in pink and blue. The pink is currently sold out on the website, so if you think it's the perfect gift for someone (even if that someone is you!), pop into a store.

Pink Kitchen Colanders

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 (£11.95), shocking pink colander from Typhoon (large £10), Typhoon pale pink colander (£10), fuchsia pink colander from Matalan (£5).

Related: Lovely Things: Vintage Style | Pink kitchen appliances | Ingenious chopping board