Looking for a few last minute presents? Leslie can help you! She has put together 12 holiday gift giving ideas for you. Care to see her finds? Of course you do!

Hello, it is Leslie here with a few favorites I have seen around online that may brighten your day. 1. A DIY snake kit by Banquet to block any door drafts. The colors are fantastic, the paints and everything else you need are included. 2. Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi is a gorgeous and very original cookbook that focuses on vegetables. I love cooking from this book! 3. The Dorm by Ferm Living is a fun piece to hang on your wall and display some of your little treasures. It appears to be out of stock on their website however, there is a store locator where you could see if a shop near you has it. I adore mine and am thinking about personalizing it a little with paint and paper. 4. Fun and very inexpensive tea from Pearl River that comes in some lovely tins. You can imagine some of these tins displayed on an open shelf in your kitchen or as handy containers for pencils or flowers on your desk. 5. A more extravagant but very functional and elegant mug from Royal Copenhagen. The silicone type base wrap protects you from the heat and it comes in an array of colors. 6. Baggu bags have saved me many times, for groceries, the beach, or as a extra shopping bag when I travel. A friend uses them as gift bags, you could get some red ones and add a striped ribbon –half the present would be the wrapping!

7. Geninne’s fresh and very pretty line of stationary for Gallison. There are lots of pretty gifts in the line for you to choose from. 8. Back to basics address file for your desk. A great gift to spruce up any office with some letterpress address cards. 9. Lovely crochet butterflies for a little ones wall. This is the sweetest idea and I like the pale wood frames. 10. Stunning and beautifully crafted earrings by Emma Cassi for Anthropologie. 11. A very useful J. Crew jewelry pouch for travel and safe storage of your pretty things. I received a similar one as a gift and have been using it for years. 12. A “Snow House” print of a watercolor painting by Anna Emilia for someone special.

What have you found this season to give to others? What is on your wish list? Care to share?

(images linked to their sources above.)

My friend Danielle just added some new items to Le Souk, her online shop based in the Netherlands. She only sells what she’d use to decorate her own beautiful home located outside of Amsterdam in the countryside, so her products all work together perfectly since she has a very defined style that is simple, clean, natural with a global feel. Danielle loves to travel, her finds reflect this — she loves Turkish, Moroccan, Dutch and Danish design styles, especially when the more ethnic pieces are on the neutral, modern side. Here are a few of my favorite things from her current collection of pretty things.

A. Large Pinecone Heart, B. Grey Ibiza Pouffe with white embroidery, C. Crocheted Raffia Stool (also available in black with a darker wood base), D. Purple Teasel Pillow by Danish brand By Nord, E. Wool Rose Pillow with insert, F. Grey Suzani Pouffe with white embroidery, G. Handmade Coffee Pot Porto in white porcelain from Spanish brand Sargadelos, H. Bird Ornaments from Ferm Living, set of 5. I. Baldi leather bag by Dutch brand Tadei (available in several colors) and J. Handmade Tea Pot Porto in white porcelain from Spanish brand Sargadelos.

I love seeing the teasel pillow and the rose pillow in-situ, it makes me want them even more!

So tell me, what would you love to bring into your cozy nest this winter? I like them all but especially B, E, H, I and J!

(images: le souk)

I really love online shop Papa Stour based in Scotland because everything looks so warm and cozy — what home should be, Gemütlichkeit. I’ve talked about this sweet spot on the web before but do you know much about the owner, stylist Rosie Brown?

I went exploring on her site this morning and found out that she now has a charming vacation home for rent in Scotland available through Wilderness Cottages, it is located in the North West Highlands of Scotland 8 miles from Applecross with fabulous views over to Skye, Raasay and Rona. Look at these views of it sent to me by Rosie’s office this morning (thanks, Sally!)… This blue bedroom is divine.

Doesn’t this look like the perfect getaway? I’m longing to to go to Scotland and so is my husband so perhaps next year we will stay in Rosie’s postcard-like home. I love the idea of being tucked away in a secluded natural spot with only a few small local pubs or grocers and nothing else… It reminds me of Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire and all of the times that I spent in the mountains or countryside there with little around me, those times were always so relaxing and I would return home feeling quite refreshed.

Over the past several years, I’ve been spending vacations in cities which, honestly, never feel like a real vacation in the sense that there is little to no relaxation involved. It’s just rush, rush, rush from one big attraction to the next. Maybe I need to mix things up. A few city vacations and few near the shore or nestled away in the woods…. but it can’t always be about the hustle bustle (but gosh I love it so!).

Ha! And this is the same girl who is going to teach in Marrakesh this month (though this will be relaxing for the students because they’ll be doing a spa day, eating some amazing meals, dining rooftop, enjoying morning yoga — the works!) and who is flying to Istanbul in November with my friend Esra and then going to Paris in January to meet up with Nichole and Evan. I think the NEXT adventure after that needs to be either to the shore or to the countryside for a long weekend. Then again, my home is my haven and I get plenty of rest and joy at home so perhaps this is why I always select cities for travel destinations… But still, a weekend in Scotland in the middle of nowhere at Rosie’s cottage – sign me up!

Rosie Brown, who is not only a shop owner but a talented Scottish designer and stylist, has a lovely online portfolio for browsing too – lots of her work has appeared in Livingetc magazine so you may recognize some of the tears above. It really puts one in the Autumn mood.

(images: papa stour)

I love the Manolo Blahnik for Liberty accessories collection — it’s a shoe lovers dream, is it not? My favorite from this collection is the Bouton de Rose candle. Check out these beauties…

Fabric, umbrellas, paper products, candles, pillows… ah, yes. Sadly, they do not ship outside of the UK. Boo hoo! I really wanted that candle for my new house but I guess I’ll just have to dream…

This collection will be around for three months so if you are in London anytime soon, stop by Liberty to check it out in person.

(images: liberty)