Last year, the must-have festive accessory was the stark black Christmas tree. But this year it’s something even more radical. A few months ago, I can remember reading a magazine article which talked about the popularity of upside-down Christmas trees in America. This must be a joke, I thought! Aside from the fact that upside down trees are 
visually strange and somewhat unsettling, the idea just didn’t seem practical. Aren’t you supposed to stand the trunk/roots of a Xmas tree in a bucket of water to prevent the needles dropping prematurely? And most importantly, where does the fairy/star go?? So I dismissed the idea as something gimicky and unlikely to catch on. How wrong I was! Dear old John Lewis (who I have always relied upon for their taste and common sense) have this ludicrous tree – shown left – for sale at £75. And they’re not the only ones. B&Q are also selling them. According to an article in the Daily Mail, shops in Australia have been stocking these trees and ahem…they haven’t exactly been flying off the shelves! I’m open to innovation and modernity in the home, but in my opinion you can’t beat a traditional Christmas (and yes, a tree that stands the right way up!)
Oh Christmas Tree… November 30, 2007
Luxury Xmas Decorations November 25, 2007
If you’re looking to glam up your Christmas tree this year, head over to Wedgwood where they have a range of divine Xmas decorations. Of course, they’re not cheap at around £20 a pop, but these are baubles that you will cherish for years to come. They’d also make a thoughtful family gift. Choose from cameos, fairies, snowflakes, bows, stars, or the quirky sets of 3 miniature Wedgwood teapots! All items are showing In Stock, but if you’re worried about them arriving in time for Christmas I would head for the high street. You can find a list of Wedgwood stockists here.
New from Alessi November 13, 2007
Amazon.co.uk emailed me today with details of the latest tablewares and kitchen accessories from Alessi. I’ve been a big fan of Alessi for some time now, and have collected a few pieces of my own (the “Bunny & Carrot” Kitchen Roll Holder, and a few of the Gianni storage jars) but I am now seriously tempted by the latest additions to the 
collection. Among the new items is the “Mr Chin” kitchen timer (pictured right) for £22 which is the cutest thing I’ve seen for a long time! The Alessi website (www.alessi.com) sells the whole range, including many covetable items – watches, costume jewellery, even bathroom fittings- all of which are sleekly 
Italian in design and unmistakeably Alessi. One of the best things about buying from Alessi is that almost every item is collectable – many products are now regarded as modern classics, including the Phillipe Starck “Juicy Salif” citrus squeezer (now available in 24ct gold plate…how bling!) and the Michael Graves electric kettle. On special offer at the moment are these adorable Christmas porcelain figurines from just £8 per piece (also pictured right). How could anyone resist?!
Andrew Martin Range at John Lewis November 9, 2007
Following on from my earlier post about fashionable union jack prints on homewares, I’ve just been onto the John Lewis website and found these divine mugs and plates f
rom the designer Andrew Martin. Both items are going straight to the top of my Christmas list! I love love love them!! And don’t forget – John Lewis is currently offering free delivery on all orders. The ‘Grand Hotel China’ collection is exclusive to John Lewis and most of the range features his trademark elephant logo. Prices start from £6.50 for a mug or side plate.
ASDA Living November 7, 2007
On my way home last week, I called into a retail park just outside Oldham and was excited to see that a new branch of ASDA Living has opened. I was in there like a shot! I’ve been largely impressed with supermarket homewares of late. I usually shop at Sainsburys and they’ve been selling designer ranges for years, such as Terence Conran kitchenwares, Orlando Hamilton flowers and the superb Orla Kiely range of stationery and accessories. I’ve picked up the odd photo frame and their soft furnishings are bang on-trend, well made and very affordable.Tesco also has some great offers on top names, such as 20% savings on Le Creuset and Prestige kitchen cookware. But you know what? The ASDA Living store just didn’t do it for me. I don’t know whether I was too tired to look around properly on a Friday night, but if I’m honest I felt overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that they’ve managed to cram into the store, and the stack ‘em up, pile ‘em high aesthetics. Whereas Next and Ikea create inspiring roomsets within their stores to help you visualise the furniture in your own home, the ASDA approach seems to be an attempt to blind people with cheapness and bulk buys. I’m sure it’s a great place to pick up all the essentials and I like a bargain as much as the next person, but there’s something depressing about a plastic bin full of 24p Toilet Brush sets. However, the store did have an impressive array of Christmas decorations, so maybe I’ll give it a second chance. If you fancy trying the ASDA Living Experience yourself, there’s 9 around the country – check the store locator for your nearest shop.
Festive Fragrance for the Home November 5, 2007
I spent a happy lunch hour today, trawling round Manchester in search of a Christmas present for my friend. I thought I would spoil her by buying some scent for her house. And boy, was I spoiled for choice! My first port of call was The White Company where they have their usual tempting gift sets of shower gel, hand cream, linen sprays and candles. But 
they also have more unusual and festive gifts in the shape of cinnamon bundles and Winter-scented clove balls, both for under a tenner. A bit further down the street, I popped into L’Occitane where they have gorgeous smelling bath treats, soaps and lotions but alas, the range is a little bit pricey for my liking (Tellingly, the website offers free delivery on orders over £59, which seems a bit mean when all you want is some hand cream for a mate!). My last stop was Heals, which stocks lots of scented goodies for the bathroom including Cowshed, Burt’s Bees and a wide range of lovely Molton Brown products. However, the object which caught my eye was this glamorous and covetable Archipelago candle (pictured right!) There’s a scent for everyone (the K shown in the picture is scented with Keylime and Neroli) and the fact that I can buy one with my friend’s initial on (C – for Cassis and Redcurrant – yum!) makes it even better. SOLD!
Let There Be Light November 4, 2007
Now that the clocks have gone back and the dark days of Winter are fast approaching, it’s a good time to cheer up your surroundings and invest in some new lighting. At the cheaper end of the scale, its easy to pick up a few candles – the shops are full of scented gift candles at the moment which will add both fragrance and light. Try BHS and Marks and Spencer for inexpensive church candles and tealights. Shopping online is a great place to buy inexpensive lighting. One of my favourite online stores is Litecraft,
which has 5 outlet stores across the UK . Litecraft has the endorsement of ‘celebrity’ interior decorators Colin & Justin as they used to be frequent visitors to the store in Glasgow before they made it onto TV. Litecraft has also been appointed as the lighting manufacturers for Royal Doulton and the outlets sell this fabulous crystal chandelier for just £69 (usually £133.65 in the shops) with next day delivery. What a bargain!
The Joy of Christmas Catalogues November 1, 2007
My December issue of Ideal Home magazine arrived today, and I was immediately encouraged by the weight of it. Hooray – lots of Christmas goodies inside! However, the bulk turned out to be not one but 8 homeware catalogues. Normally people hate this kind of junk, but needless to say I couldn’t be happier: browsing through these inserts is 
nearly as much fun as reading the magazine itself….! Among the catalogues was the B&Q Xmas decorations catalogue, The Marks and Spencer (M&S) Christmas at Home catalogue, a brochure from bedroom accessories specialist Feather & Black (formerly The Iron Bed Company), and my favourite – a Christmas Gifts catalogue from Laura Ashley. Every page of every catalogue is filled with irresistible treats, among them the Laura Ashley 2007 teddy bear (pictured right) which is just £18 – how could anyone resist? Best of all, as a little Xmas present, the Laura Ashley catalogue includes 4 separate vouchers, each entitling the bearer to a generous 25% discount on home furnishings which can be redeemed on the high street or online. I’m full of festive cheer!
