Lovingetc: December 2010

I’m Vanessa’s guest blogger today for her “Work in progress Wednesday” blog series. If you want to see my perpetual work-in-progress dining room, click here to check it out!

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Due to the Bake-N-Blog party on December 1st, and my Mé-bijoux jewelry giveaway on December 2nd (don’t forget to enter!), and Part 2 of The Engraved house tour on Monday, and yesterday’s impromptu trip to a desert island, this month’s Lovingetc installment is a bit late. But worth the wait, because the December 2010 issue of Livingetc has some really cool Christmas ideas, as well as some great must-have decor items. Here’s what caught my eye…

{Some items may only be available in the UK, but I think being inspired by them is just as important as being able to buy them.}

1. I love the outdoorsy look of this Pine Forest cushion cover from By Nord in Copenhagen, Denmark. Cushion cover is 60cm x 60cm and costs £77.00 at Skandivis. I’m thinking you could probably create a similar cushion cover with a photograph and iron-on transfer paper.

2. This cushion is for the person who has everything and more money than they know what to do with! The Hummingbird cushion by Alexander McQueen is handmade using traditional tapestry & needlepoint techniques, and incorporates wool & metallic thread. 22” x 22”, and you don’t want to know the price {OK, if you insist – about $1,000.00}. Available from The Rug Company in Toronto (416-548-7788).

3. Louis XV Upholstered Chair from Heals (£1,250.00). This chair is handcrafted in Northern Italy and can be made with any fabric – I LOVE this beautiful blue & white silk. To quote the Black Eyed Peas, I got a feeling that navy blue is going to be a hot colour in 2011. I’m sure you could find a similar chair on Kijiji or Craigslist that you could make over to look like this one.

4. The Vulcan Fire bio-fireplace from Indian Ocean (£995.00). It’s electro-zinc plated steel and then painted either black, white, or green. It uses bio-ethanol fuel, no installation or chimney is required, and burn time is six hours. It’s like your own little personal forest fire! ;-)

5. River pebble cupboard pulls from Chloe Alberry are a fun take on traditional cabinet hardware. Maybe a bit kitschy, but wouldn’t they be perfect in a beach-themed kitchen or bathroom?

6. I couldn’t find these marbleized chocolates from Paul A. Young online… …but I did come across these similar marbleized chocolates from Patrick Roger on Luxist. What girl doesn’t want to receive a Christmas gift in a little blue box? ;-) The two very exotic flavours are Amazone {green – caramel and acidulous lime from Brazil} and  Savage {blue – caramel scented with vervain and yuzu}. Patrick Roger’s web site is like a piece of chocolate art – be sure to check it out!

7. And now for some Christmas inspiration… this isn’t particularly practical, but wouldn’t you love to have this pretty winter wonderland in your living room? {Custom wallpaper from 55 Max}

8. Love this look with the grouping of hanging stars…

9. What could be more perfect to hang above your dinner table than festive Christmas cookies!? A fun spin on hanging ornaments or snowflakes from a chandelier – as long as you don’t mind your decorations being eaten ;-)

10. I love this festive hallway – it looks like it’s raining stars :-) And how cute are the two little reindeer? :-)

11. This project would be better-suited to a home with trees or a pretty landscape view outside the window. Although it could be interesting with a more industrial vibe if you live in the city with a view of an apartment building or skyscraper. Frost the window around some circles, stick ribbon and a tiny bow to the top of the circle, and voila, Christmas ornaments!

12. And finally, here’s a recipe you might want to try out – White Chocolate and Vanilla Fudge Cakes. OK, this is a recipe I might want to try out!

Hope you found some inspiration here for both your home and your Christmas decorating. Next installment of Lovingetc will be early January – be sure to check it out!