Midsummer madness

Oh, I lead a rather odd life. Over the past couple of days I've been checking out a flurry of previews for what retailers will be carrying over the Holidays. And last week, in the midst of an extra hot and sticky July day, I actually dressed my first Christmas tree of the year. So, to help you all cool off from this heat, I thought I'd share a quick take on what to expect to hit the stores as we plunge headlong into fall and winter. PC Home has some lovely cabin and craft influences, as well as tons of affordable sparkle. The Drake General Store has a lock on just about the coolest gear you'd want to gift or receive, including a standout gold-hatted gnome cookie jar (really). Indigo is all about charming chunky knit accessories (love those extra long reading socks!), as well as a fantastic selection of toys and specialty candies. Holt Renfrew has glittery gold covered, in everything from nailpolish by Deborah Lippmann to heels by Christian Louboutin. Sears has a covetable selection of countertop appliances, not to mention a swish washer and drier duo in a deep royal purple, plus they've completely re-vamped their Whole Home furniture and upholstery collection. It's now all made in Canada (yay!) and is uber-customizable, and did you know they also do a great line of Quebec made kitchen cabinetry? Me neither!

This all adds up to the fact that I've been kinda busy, so, with that in mind, I've stolen the extra-pretty shot below from my sister's fashion and style blog, Blink London, from her interview with talented floral designer Victoria Brotherson of Scarlet & Violet. Click here to check out the interview, and to see more gorgeous floral arrangements.

Unexpectedly lovely

While I do love discovering cool things in very unexpected places, some places are more unexpected than others, so, you can imagine my slight surprise when I actually found the rug for our living room online at Sears. It was well-priced, all wool, and I loved the cut pile and loop pattern, so in a couple of clicks and a couple of days it made its debut. I plunked for the Dynasty rug in Natural Grey and, as you can see below, it looks quite smashing. That vintage Tulip Side Table was another unexpected find, discovered in Quebec in the midst of a friend's Mum's annual fancy dress party. Dorothy had snagged it at a yard sale, and after much cajoling and whining on my part kindly agreed to let us drive home with it. In other words, keep your eyes peeled; you never know what you might stumble across...