Lipstick Lifestyle

Everyone wants to give the perfect present but, we don’t want to break the bank doing it. The gifts outlined below are perfect for your office’s secret Santa exchange or for the hard to buy for people in your life. The best part is that they all come in at or under $25, so they won’t eat up your budget. (more…)

Everyone loves Halloween, what’s not to love? People give you free candy just for dressing up in cute, okay sometimes scary costumes, and singing a little rhyme. But we love being festive and maybe scaring a few of those trick-or-treaters right back, so that’s why we’ve got our eye on Williams Sonoma’s Halloween Spiderweb rubber doormat. (more…)

Remember being at the beach all day and getting just a little too much sun? Remember how good it felt when your mom rubbed you down with Noxzema and wrapped you in a towel? And remember how you thought it was the softest towel in the world while you napped in the backseat during the car ride home?

Well, you were wrong because we recently discovered what happens when the most luxurious towels meet a giant cuddly blanket. You get a Yumi & Laurie BlanQuette. Made from organic cotton and bamboo, these oversized blankets are not only eco-friendly but are so absolutely stunning, works of art you might say, you’ll want one for every room in your house.

Perfect for cuddling on the couch (we should mention that they are big enough for two) or watching the sunset from the boat, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without one.

Who said we’re too old for a blanQuette!

Yumi & Laurie
www.yumiandlaurie.com
Available online at www.yumiandlaurie.com

Red or white? Sometimes it’s just too difficult to choose. Sometimes you want both and that’s why we’re crushing on Built NY’s Two Bottle Tote, now you don’t have to choose. Perfect for picnics, these neoprene - think wetsuit material - totes snugly fit your bottled bevies so they’ll stay hot or cold for up to four hours. Clink-proof, to prevent breakage, the two bottle tote stretches to hold and insulate two 750ml or 1-liter bottles.

Available in a variety of patterns and colours - we love the Soho Stripe in rust - these lightweight, versatile totes are stylish and durable, did we mention machine-washable and the soft-grip handle makes transporting a cinch.

Who doesn’t love a picnic in the park!

Built NY
www.builtny.com
Canadian Tire, Sur La Table, Barnes & Noble and online at www.momastore.org

For the perfect summer day the key recipe is a bit of sun, a bit of shade, icy cold drinks, tasty snacks and comfortable seating. A comfortable chair that looks stylish will make your backyard, patio or deck the spot to survive the heat and humidity. For summer ’08, go trad with teak or trendy with resin.

Teak is a long-lasting wood that can survive any weather. Seat cushions in on trend bright blue and chocolate brown will compliment the warm reddish tones of teak. Since teak can change to gray when it ages, maintain it with a yearly touch up of wood stain. Sourced from islands in the south Pacific, look for teak that is responsibly harvested. For something lighter and modern, consider resin. Weather-resistant and lightweight, resin makes for a contemporary touch to a balcony or backyard patio and is easy to move, keep clean and available in a myriad of colours and shapes.

The NEST resin chair from Dutch designer Tord Boontje is a fun addition to your outdoor living area. Available in several colours (cool kids go for white or chartreuse to create the club look at home) this rounded chair is a comfortable spot for late afternoon lounging and features holes/handles on either side and an embossed floral surface texture, a typical Boontje signature design style.

Tord Boontje
www.tordboontje.com
Available at NEAT Storage Essentials in Toronto and MoMA Design Stores in New York