On holidays

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Hi friends, My family is in town (hooray!) and I'm going to take a little blogging break to spend time with them, eat fruitcake and just enjoy the Christmas spirit. I'll be back in the New Year - hope your days are bright and merry in the meantime!

Lamp crush

After not liking tons of lamps online, I have finally found my lamp crush. The Signal Zig-Zag floor lamp by Jielde is a French industrial lamp, which not only comes in heaps of colours (I love the black the best) but oozes personality and charm. It's happened. It has my heart. And for a cool $600, it could be mine. Over a long period of time when I decide $600 is a reasonable lamp price. Which may take some time.

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My bed tried to kill me.

Well, that's probably a bit overdramatic. Turns out, I have had a pretty bad allergic reaction to the new bed base I bought from Crate and Barrel. While I'm not asthmatic or otherwise super allergy-inclined, I do have bizarre chemical sensitivities to things like strong household cleaners, fresh house paint, new carpet etc. So when we bought a new bed, likely drenched in flame retardants and other nasties, and I slept on it for 7 or so hours each night, I began waking up with horrible headaches, body aches and general badness. And hey presto, when I began sleeping on the airbed in another room, I was fine.

Flash forward and we've sold the bed (yay and boo - it was beautiful, but lethal) and I'm looking for another base. I'm wondering about a wooden one, untreated (this one is beautiful and untreated) or perhaps a metal one? Anything without fabric. Any suggestions, dear readers? It's not especially heartening to see the metal and wood options out there, so thought I'd ask around...

Gold. Everywhere gold.

I don't quite understand what you'd do with these, but gee they're attractive. Packing a lunch? Keeping some things in a bag on a shelf? Quite alluring.

Crayon Vases

Thought these looked especially fetching when lined up all in a row like this. I'm not sure what flowers would look good in them, but I like the colours.

Perfect flower pot

This flower pot has a built-in squirrel who disappears when the water level is low. Genius.

Nighttime caraffe set

What a charming set - a little jug and glass to keep beside your bed. This would be a perfect Christmas present for my Grandma (who is really the only one I can show off presents for, as she doesn't read my blog!)

Socks Ahoy

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I have been noticing more and more terribly cute sock designs popping up online. As an inveterate cute-sock-buyer, these are incredibly appealing. 

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Foxy

I bought this sweater recently (it has since sold out) and I can't tell how you much I am enjoying it. Give me a deer, owl, fox or squirrel and I am pretty content. Woodland animals a-gogo.

Christmas Night Inspiration

These are such charming little decorations - made out of black and white images of old castles and scenery. Such a lovely idea.

Honey pots

Best. Honey. Design. Ever. Feel like I need to buy this immediately even though it's made in Armenia and not at all close by. What a brilliant idea and so beautifully executed.

Daiso Love

Awesome plastic apple-shaped bowls in white and hot pink. These didn't come home with me, but they're pretty amazing.

There is a magical shop called Daiso. In Japan, it is a 100 Yen store, which means that everything is 100 Yen (about $1.20) and there are outlets all around the world - many of which, ahem, I have visited. It's basically a dollar store (although everything is about $1.50 in the US) but the quality is really high and the merchanise is very cute.

It's been super helpful for us as we get set up in a new country/house. Screwdrivers, tea towels, tea mugs, a can opener, coat hangers, drawer organisers, food storage containers, trays, shelf liners, cotton balls, wrapping paper, ribbon, stationery, stickers, dental floss, craft supplies, - basically things you don't want to spend a lot of money on, but want them to be cute and cheap. (Am I alone in wanting cute dental floss? Perhaps. And I'm ok with that.)

There's one in San Francisco, too. Oh, and it's walkable from my house...which is incredibly dangerous. I love visiting and thought I'd show you some of the things that make me giggle and /or purchase.

Teddy bear-shaped jars? And crazy amounts of baking supplies? I may have bought some gingerbread cutters for Christmas and a rolling pin.

I loved LOVED these plates, but decided that they may be slightly too effeminate for The Pal. But aren't they the best? There are also polka-dotted ones you can just make out on the lower shelf. Amazing. I still may go back and get them. A set of 6 would only set me back $9...

And perhaps the  cutest section of  all, the weird household sponges. Microfibre never looked better than as a pink or green apple, and looks at those ridic rabbit dust gloves. Amazing.Anyone else have a weird dollar store stalking obsession? I love seeing what you can get and there can be surprisingly useful trinkets there. Come on, de-lurk and tell me your secrets!

Perfect colourful tray

Why hello geometric, colourful tray! It's made from coated steel, so not suitable for food serving, which is a shame. But it would make such a lovely jewelry organiser or just a feature on a plainer table. 

Side Table

A surprisingly cute side table for quite a reasonable price. I am enjoying its small little feet, especially.