The tin box of the Nature’s Tale Soap Tins collection is so adorable that I would repurpose the tin box for something else. This Portugal soap collection is available at Anthropologie in four scents: Eucalyptus and Aloe, Orange Blossom, Lotus Flower With Sugar and Desert Rose & Pomegranate. They all look tempting. We always need a reserve of generic, gender-neutral presents for last minute gifts. This could be it.

+ Nature’s Tale Soap Tins $12 USD, $14 CAD

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If you are not ready or if you already gave her the Tiffany blue box, here is another signature blue box that will please her this Valentine. I like the drawings on the artisanal chocolates. It is common these days to see design like the chocolates made by Christopher Elbow. The MarieBelle chocolates gain points for being more cheerful and adorable.

You can buy it online from MarieBelle Chocolates or find at a retailer near you that carry the collection. I spotted this gift idea on Parcel Post, the blog of Urbanic Paper, a boutique in Venice, California. I wish to leave a message to my dear husband. I saw on the store listing that it may be available at Indigo.

A must-go in SoHo

I noted on my agenda a visit to the Cacao Bar and Tea Salon that is inside their retail space in SoHo. Their line of hot chocolate seems awesome and many rave about it. Another idea is to sit down for a nice cacao at their Parisian style salon. It is on the pricey side but indulgences are in order on Valentine’s Day.

+ MarieBelle Chocolates

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Pure linen table linens are my favorite. Their simple elegance never go out of style. A set of napkins with a table linen makes a gift that will be appreciated for years to come. Think about it for a birthday, a housewarming party, a wedding or even as a Valentine’s Day gift.

For the napkins, you could opt for her Manner Napkins set which reminds everyone of 6 table manners. And there is a limited edition for Valentine with loving words. Those are made by Missy, a mother of five who sells on Etsy. She named her etsy shop after her the name of her fifth child, Betsy Grace. She also make matching tea towels.

SOURCING:
+ Linen Table Runner Personalized With Your Initial $24 USD
+ Manners Napkins Set of 6 in Linen Willow Color $36 for 6

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Jaden sent me her cookbook a while ago. I always meant to talk about her beautiful family-friendly Asian cookbook but I was waiting to make a few recipes. One thing happened after another and I still have to try one recipe. But I will. The Steamy Kitchen cookbook sits on my kitchen bookcase, next to my favorite cookbooks.

Since I looked in details at what was inside The Steamy Kitchen cookbook, I feel confident to recommend it. Jaden’s writing is approachable. She is fun to read. You get more recipes in her cookbook, you get tips on drink (beer, wine and sake) pairing with Asian cooking. Jaden goes over the tools and the ingredients that you need to make her recipes. Plus, each recipe is illustrated with at least one beautiful picture.

This holiday, show your support to the food bloggers you like by buying their cookbooks as gifts for your friends and family members who like to cook.

SOURCING:
+ The Steamy Kitchen cookbook by Jaden Hair $18.45

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Whenever a colleague or a acquaintance gets a new home, we may be tempted to give  a small housewarming gift. If you know where to look, it is possible to give something that look great on a tight budget.

One brand that delivers years after years fun, modern and well-designed products is Umbra. I selected things for the kitchen or for entertaining that would make simple housewarming gifts.

1. Splat trivet $10.50 CAD
2. Perf trivet $10.50 CAD
3. Splat spoon rest $6.50 CAD
4. Paddle spoon rest $7.50 CAD
5. Grapevine wine rack $23.50 CAD

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You already know that I have a thing for alphabet art prints for a nursery, a kid bedroom or a playroom. The modern style of Jenn Ski drawings are appealing. They are whimsical without looking childish.

The giclée prints are made available on archival quality, 100% cotton rag, acid-free paper, and are printed using UV-stable pigment inks. Each piece is treated as art. The print are and numbered by the artist plus the piece comes with a certificate of authenticity. They are made to fit standard photo frames. New parents will be thrilled to receive any of these at a baby shower.

If you are looking for the most elegant option, order through Jenn Ski web site. She sells her 4″ x 6″ with museum-grade 8″ x 10″ backing and mat for $29 USD. Frames are not included. Otherwise, she sells the prints without the mat on etsy.

Other art pieces created by Jenn Ski to decorate your house or your office.

SOURCING:
+ A to Z giclée prints – 5″ x 7″ without a mat $14 USD on etsy
+ Bird print with museum-grade backing and mat $29 USD

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+ The first idea is city landmark buildings or construction. You can choose between the John Hancock Building in Chicago, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Chrysler Building in New York. City Sculptures $38 USD each at Chiasso

+ Go green with these modern solar powered led house numbers. it makes it easy for visitors to find your home at night without requiring any electrical wiring. $28 USD per number at Chiasso

The second group will enhance his BBQ collection or help him have a better time at the cottage.

For a dad who love grilling

1. Miniature Steak Thermometers set of 4 $22 USD at Smith & Hawken
2. Magnetic Grill Light $25 USD at Smith & Hawken

3. To save his back, get him a Forged Iron Wood Cart $149 USD

For a custom gift

4.  Give him a puzzle with the cover page of The New York Times for any date from 1888 to 2008.  Select the date you are born or the date a big event dear to him has happened. The New York Times Puzzle $45.99 USD at PersonalizationMall.com

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Stacking Small Cups

Using small bowls or cups has the advantage to be multi-purpose in the kitchen and on the table. I would like to own the stacking cups handcrafted by Pigeon Toe ceramics, a seller on Etsy. The 4 Stacking Thimble Cups Set comes inside an unbleached muslin bag to further highlight their organic, raw porcelain nature. Nea of Creativadoration with whom I share a love for handmade tableware spotted them first.

If you stay over for the weekend, you can be more generous. I enjoy the earthy spice colors of the glazed inside of the Zanzi bowls by LSA International. My favorite modern housewares in Boston, Lekker carries them.

Three-Part Server

The modern version of the classic triple-dipping does not look granny. Look for a three-part server with a central loop handle. You could head to Crate and Barrel or CB2 for an affordable version.

SOURCING:
+ Stacking Thimble Cups Set $22 USD for set of 4
+ Pigeon Toe Ceramics
+ Zanzi bowls $52 USD for 4
+ Tokyo 4-part Server, the one with the olives – on sale at $14.95 USD at CB2
+ Three-Part Server $9.95 USD at Crate and Barrel
+ Get directions to Lekker Unique Home Furnishings p (617) 542-6464
1317 Washington St, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02118

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+ The TV series Pushing Daisies on ABC includes the story of an unusual, romantic love. Why not get inspired by this simple Daisies and wheat grass centerpiece? Serve home made pie for dessert. Floral Lifestyle Expert Julie Mulligan of 1800flowers shares her expertise in teaching us how to easily make floral arrangements that add a punch to your table. Her Present floral arrangement would be great for a shower buffet table. Via It’s A Jaime Thing…

+ If you are tired of giving the predictive flowers or chocolate boxes, here are a few gift ideas for you man this Valentine. Nea’s wall art will remind you everyday that you are loved and cherish. I am showing you Puffed Heart Wall Wear and Looove Wall Wear at $60 each. A more affordable option is Teeny Hearties Wall Wear at $40.

+ If you are really into heart shape, you will appreciate the Hearty Tea Pot Set. If you are not ready to commit, you can simply buy a Hearty Cup & Saucer or a Hearty Mug, both available in white or soft pink. Tea set $140, cup & saucer $18, mug $16

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Candle lights are crucial to any table top. Cleverly spreading many holders over the table makes a statement. The possibilities are infinite.

One brand that I like a lot for entertaining is Sagaform of Sweden with their unique modern design.

For a modern look, the colorful GLASS GLOBE tea light holders by Sagaform will not go unnoticed. Available in two sizes (5 inches and 7 inches), I particularly like the two color effect. GLASS GLOBE glass tea light holders exist in a hanging holder version and a candlestick.

Sagaform innovates again with HOLD Designer Tealight Lantern, a donut shape tea light holder. What makes the HOLD unique is its integrated serving tray that doubles as a tea light storage. The removable top can be used the bottom as a serving tray for tapas. This model works best on a coffee table when you sip a cocktail.

Stock a few for you and buy more to bring as a hostess gift.

SOURCING:
+ Glass Tealight Ball L-BT – price: £14.99 for the large
+  HOLD Tealight holder – price: £15.99

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New more efficient food preparation tools pop up constantly. If you are invited by someone that like to cook and you do not know what to bring as a hostess gift, why not take a look at the best of the crop in specialized kitchen tools. My hostess gift ideas are all under 30 dollars.

I select Sur La Table online store because they got a nice selection. You can also stop at a local shop that specialized in fine cooking. I like to support my local independent retailers because these small shop owners are often passionate and they bring us more innovative and well designed products.

Vegetable brushes are often awkward to hold. This one called Chef’n Palm Vegetable Brush let you slip your middle finger so that the head rests in your palm. At $4.95 USD each, you can stock up a few Chef’n Palm Vegetable brushes and get helpers at the food preparation station.

Invented by a surgeon, Van Vacter Avocado Knife is neat. You can do it all with this avocado multiple blades knife. The serrated stainless steel blade cuts through tough peel, the sharp spikes quickly remove pit, the rounded tip quickly slices and dices while the flat side of blade removes the peel. The Van Vacter Avocado Knife is sold for $19.95 USD.

The Avocado Slicer by Progressive is another great tool. It is a must to nicely plate your avocado for a salad. If you make your own guacamole, the avocado speeds up the process because it slices and removes the peel in one movement. This product is widely available in stores for $14.95 USD.

I took the Avocado Slicer picture from Cooking.com, an online store that I recommend because I always got a great service from them. Customers of Cooking.com wrote lots of product reviews to help you make your choice. Sur La Table carries the same Avocado Slicer but their picture was not as nice.

These colorful die cast aluminum squeezers let you neatly press out pure juice and leave behind seeds and pulp out of citrus halves. I do not know about this particular brand but I know that this technique is appreciated by many cooks. There is one for lime, one for lemon and one for orange. These citrus squeezers start at $12.95 USD. Because you need three, I will give these to someone with a large kitchen.

If you are looking for a high-end hostess gift, take a look at David Rocco’s Dolce Vitae Olive wood collection. The Lemon Reamer got my vote of appreciation. There are many wood lemon reamers out there, many that are a lot cheaper but the Dolce Vitae Lemon Reamer has an authentic look and feel that makes it a first-class hostess gift.

The David Rocco’s Dolce Vitae Olive wood Lemon Reamer retail price is $29 CAD. This collection is only available in Canada for the moment. The products are imported from Italy. I located two shops in Montreal and Toronto where you can find the DRDV olive wood collection:

Cuisine Gourmet – 2 locations in Montreal:
- 2005 rue Drummond 514.845.0372
- Centre Rockland 514.344.6190
Junors at Bayview Village Shopping Center , Toronto 416.223.0910

Buy online: Chef’n Palm Vegetable Brushes at Sur La Table
Buy online: Van Vacter Avocado Knife at Sur La Table
Buy online: Citrus Juicers at Sur La Table
Buy online: Avocado Slicer by Progressive at Cooking.com
Get info on: David Rocco’s Dolce Vitae Olive wood Lemon Reamer on David Rocco’s Web site

RELATED POSTS:
+ Blown Glass Kitchen Tools
+ Comfort Food Christmas Gift Ideas

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This board is all about the huge floral black & white trend. I love this style so much that I bought this dinnerware set called Bandana in April. You can find it at any Stokes retail locations in Canada.

Tableware

My Bandana dinner set was the starting point for designing this Mother’s Day dinner party. The great thing with black and white is that you can use a few colorful splashes to add sparkles to your look. Pink is my accent color.

I reuse the aqua and brown table linen that I used on my previous board so you can see in action how flexible this floral tablecloth really is. I strongly felt that it was important to put each place set under a solid neutral napkin linen. The idea is to create layers.

I found these eye-catching pink napkins shopping on my lunch break; they are from Ideal Home Range. Then I got the idea of using a purse as a vase. This is a simple DIY project.

Fashionable Centerpieces

Find a glass bowl that nicely fits into the purse. A kitchen bowl can work since the bowl will be hidden. Then, elegantly assemble various shades of pink flowers to make a one-of-a-kind centerpiece. I was too busy this week to create one myself. So I got the pictures from one of my great floral design sources, The Flower Council of Holland.

Frozen Yogurt Dessert

When Bea from La Tartine Gourmande published her grown up yogurt ice pops, I bookmarked her recipe for my upcoming inspiration boards. Her shooter glass pops look sophisticated and whimsical at the same time. Like always, a glimpse at her photo sold you on her recipe.

Gift Idea for the Stylish Mom

Aprons are in demand right now. The man in mom’s life can get the embroidered Yummy Mummy Pink Mocha apron by domistyle as a little present. Finally, I am showing you the letterpress card from papered together that I bought for my mom.

This design symbolizes a girlie mom. I create the Girlie Mother’s Day Dinner Theme board to emphasize both feminine fashion and glamour. This concluded my Mother’s Day inspiration boards. I wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms.

Link: Web site of Stokes – the inventory is not up-to-date
Link: Rhubarb and Raspberry Yogurt Ice Pops – Sucettes au yaourt glacé rhubarbe et framboise on La Tartine Gourmande
Link: Mother’s Day design ideas by The Flower Council of Holland
Link: domistyle web site
Link: papered together store on etsy

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