all-in-one printer

I’m all about multi-functional these days. I mean, why invest in three things to perform three different tasks when you can rely on one thing to perform three tasks? Yes, I am of the BlackBerry generation – one device for phone, email, music, calendar … I’m hooked! So when I discovered Kodak’s ESP-5 all-in-one printer, I knew I’d love it. It’s sleek and sexy and so easy to use. So what does this wonder printer do? It prints (duh), copies and scans but what I love most is the three-inch LCD screen for viewing and editing. And, it features memory card and USB slots so that you can view, edit and print your materials, even if you don’t have a computer hooked up to it. When did something as practical as a printer get so exciting? It’s both Mac- and PC-compatible and has space for two cartridges; black and a five-colour cartridge. Perfect for your home office as long as you actually work and don’t spend your day playing with your new gadget!

Available at: Staples Business Depot and London Drugs or online at kodak.ca.
Price: $169.99

Psst! We’re going to be giving one of these fab printers away soon on styleathome.com so keep checking back for our contest!

If you really want to stay on top of cool new tech toys, you should definitely check out our Tech Style blog by Style at Home’s senior editor Corinna VanGerwen.

Read Full Post »

beautiful iittala bowls

OK, yesterday, I had striped bowls on the brain. Strange, I know. But I was checking out this story on styleathome.com (Bargain beauty: Decorating for less) and I couldn’t stop admiring the striped bowls that caught my eye in the story’s photo. So, I started looking for stylish striped bowls to include in my blog. Alas, I couldn’t find the exact ones featured in the story but I did find another set of dishware that I quite liked. (You can check out that blog post here.)

But, thanks to the help of my colleague (Helen Racanelli, editor of canadianliving.com, who insisted I credit her for the elusive find) I was directed to the designer/manufacturer of the exact bowls I was marveling at. Alors, voila!

These cheerful and bold bowls by Scandinavian design company iittala can be found online at dinnerplates.com and the full product line ranges in price from $10 to $42. P.S. dinnerplates.com ships to Canada!

Read Full Post »

striped bowls

Love these striped cereal bowls and matching milk pitcher! This is certainly one way to start your day off in style. Available in ink or khaki, these oversized bowls are perfect for a hearty breakfast. They’ll also look great on display on your kitchen table or counter – why hide pretty things behind closed cupboard doors? Leave them out to be admired.

Available at: Chefs
Price: bowls, $9.99; pitcher, $9.99

Read Full Post »

lovely lamp by designer Tord Boontje

I love this wide cylindrical pendant lamp by Dutch-born, London-based designer Tord Boontje. Known for intricate and intriguing graphic patterns, this colourful modern lamp is a combination of picture and pattern that’s delightful to look at. But what I love most is that when lit, this lamp jauntily projects the outer multi-coloured images onto the wall, creating a dancing display of shadows. A pretty addition to your home and a conversation piece, too — perfect!

Looking for more? Check out this story on achieving the perfect lighting in your home.

Price: $359 US, free shipping to Canada
Available at: Generate

Read Full Post »

mighty leaf teas

Nothing says rest and relaxation more to me than cozying up with a hot cup of tea and as the weekend approaches, I welcome the chance to sit down and unwind. Wrapping my hands around a hot cuppa and inhaling the fresh aroma of a perfectly brewed cup of tea seems to melt my stress away. This tea set from Mighty Leaf is a sweet treat for the tea lover and comes with an assortment of tasty teas to try: Breakfast Americana, Organic Earl Grey, Bombay Chai, Orange Dulce and Vanilla Bean. Mmm! I can just feel myself starting relax! Once you’ve got your mug in hand, start a new tradition with styleathome.com’s guide to teatime etiquette, plus find tips for brewing the perfect cup of tea.

Available online at: mightyleaf.ca

Read Full Post »

felix doolittle stationery

These nifty notecards from Felix Doolittle make me think of the Beatrix Potter books I used to pore over as a child. Not only is the artwork reminiscent of Beatrix’s style but the size and shape of the notecards is just like her books … perfect for small hands. (Does that matter or am I just rambling?) If you’re as fanatical about pretty paper as I am, you’ll surely want to add this find to your list of must-shop stationery stores. The designs come in themed collections, notecards, invitations, memo papers, even baker’s labels. Even though these pretty delights are born and raised in West Newton, Massachusetts, you can shop online and have them shipped to Canada via UPS. We LOVE the Internet!

Available online at: Felix Doolittle

Read Full Post »

flora and flight stationery

More stationery I love. Shocking, I know. These adorable designs have a bit of a French country charm to them and portray pretty botanical images that make me think of spring, even though winter is showing no signs of releasing its stranglehold. That’s not very optimistic, is it? Anyways, the Flora and Flight collection features pocket pads, note cards and gift enclosures that are not only impossibly sweet but so handy to have at home for emergencies … OK, not EMERGENCIES, exactly. They’re no good for putting out fires in the kitchen or anything. But you know … emergencies like forgotten birthdays and last-minute dinner parties (you know you never like to show up empty-handed).

All available for purchase online at randomhouse.ca.

Flora & Flight Pocket Pads, $11.95

Flora & Flight Note Cards, $15

Flora & Flight Gift Enclosures, $15.95

Read Full Post »

office accessories

Everything’s better in crystal, don’t you think? If you thought Swarovski was all about cute but utterly pointless crystal dust-collectors … I mean figurines, collectibles, whatever you want to call them … think again! The crystal retailer offers up a killer collection of all kinds of blinged-out treats, from jewelry and accessories to home decor goodies like picture frames and stemware. But my faves are these office accessories that are totally extravagant but so pretty to look at. Talk about taking something ordinary and making it special! The Amazone Headphones (pictured left) are made of polished stainless steel with fully faceted drop-cut crystals on the ear buds. The Lock Out USB Key (pictured right) is a memory stick, masquerading as a lock. This 1GB memory stick is also made with polished stainless steel and Silver Shade crystals. You’re going to want to take good care of these!

Prices:
Amazone Headphones: $175
Lock Out USB Key: $210
Available at Swarovski stores across Canada; for more, visit swarovski.com

PLUS: Check out 10 home office must-haves on styleathome.com.

Read Full Post »

enter to win!

I love the sleek design of this fab Hamilton Beach Liquid Blu blender. Not only will it whip up amazing treats (smoothies are my favourite!), it’ll look stunning perched on your kitchen counter.

Click here for your chance to win one of two of these great blenders!

Read Full Post »

hermes teacups

Bold, brilliant, beautiful. These Hermes teacups and saucers are gorgeous, featuring painted scroll patterns inspired by the intricate ironwork found on Spanish balconies …. who would have thought? I just love the boldness of the red on the delicate porcelain of these cups and saucers.

Available at: bluefly.com
Price: $198 for set of 2 teacups and saucers (left), $252 for set of 2 teacups and saucers (right)

Afternoon tea, anyone? Start a new tradition with our guide to teatime etiquette.

Read Full Post »

message on a candle

How pretty? This set of 12 candles from redenvelope.com is absolutely delightful. Burn one candle every month for a year and focus on the candle’s message for the month. Each candle features a “wish” written down the side, wishes like Love, Joy, Adventure, Balance and Comfort. What a lovely idea. The candles are lightly scented with a floral aroma and each one burns for about 36 hours.

Available at: redenvelope.com
Price: $75 for set of 12

Plus, check out styleathome.com’s slideshow of 14 tested candles and fragrances for your home.

Read Full Post »

fab file folders

If these colourful and stylish file folders don’t motivate you to organize the heaps of junk on your desk into neat, orderly piles, perfectly protected in pretty file folders, there’s just no help for you. Sorry.

Available at: crane.com
Price: $11.95 for package of 6 (left), $12.95 for package of 12 (right)

Are you a piler or a filer? Take the quiz to find out!

Read Full Post »

jeweled pencils

A few weeks ago, I bemoaned the fact that rarely do we handwrite personal letters or cards and send them out via postal service. And if pretty paper (like the kind I blogged about here) isn’t enough to inspire you to put your computer away and communicate the old-fashioned way, maybe these jeweled pencils will do the trick. This simply but stylishly packaged slide box of five pencils is the perfect gift for yourself … or … fine, for someone else. With a Swarovski lead crystal at the head, these jeweled pencils are more than just writing tools. In the middle of the day, they might just come in handy as chopsticks to hold your hair up. They are jeweled, after all.

Available at: violet.com
Price: $15 for a box set of five

Check out some of my favourite stationery.

Read Full Post »

pretty pottery

Worn and rustic-looking, these wheel thrown pottery bowls are just beautiful! I love the earthtone colours of this pottery. Use them for everyday food (rice seems right, but use them for everything from cereal to ice cream) or simply use them as pretty display pieces on the kitchen table.

Available at: etsy.com
Price: $15 each

Read Full Post »

how to be a good houseguest

Houseguests often get a bad rap. It’s not easy being one. While visiting friends and family can be wonderful and oftentimes, these visits are long overdue … staying over one or two nights might just remind you why you don’t do it more often. It can just be plain difficult to adapt to someone else’s life at home. But if you are going to be a houseguest for a night or two, start things off right from the moment you step foot inside the house you’ll be calling home for a little while. Show up bearing gifts. Bribe your host or hostess with something that’s sure to delight. Pictured left to right: Happy Hour Carafe and Glasses ($32), Towering Espresso Set ($32) and Weighted Sphere Vase ($72), all from violet.com.

Find out how to welcome guests in style and how to create gorgeous guest rooms.

Read Full Post »