20 Below: Tunell Tissue Box

Malko Takagaki’s Tunell tissue box is functional and simply sleek.

Tunell tissue box, $14.95 (on sale), MOMA


Tea for (f)all

I drink tea all year and I actually like a hot cuppa even during the summer months. As a coffee-in-the-morning kind of gal, I find that making an herbal tea after lunch is a great alternative to caffeinating my thoughts all day long.

With the rise of tea`s popularity in recent years, there is far more variety and easy access to unique blends from far-away places than ever before.

Today I`m showcasing a few mugs that make tea time that much more quaint. These are also really easy to get your hands on (!) since they`re widely available at Chapers-Indigo and make a perfect, random, `thinking about you`gift for a friend, colleague or parent. They make a really sweet add-on to an online book order for curling up on quiet weekends this season.

Stoneware mug made in Portugal, $12

Scrabble mug, $12

Forest stoneware mug, $8

Owl mug, $16.50

Textured zen mug, $8

Aegean mug, $8

Monogram mug, $8

And now this is fantastic- the mug with a perfect-fit filter for loose tea (below). The lid doubles as a filter holder for when steeping is done. I have one of these and I love using it at the office.

Mug with lid and filter, $20


20 Below: Clear Tape Dispenser

This would certainly add more pretty to my desk, don’t you think? And it would match the pencil and card holders I already own from Mackenzie Horan’s online boutique Design Darling.

acrylic tape dispenser, $12


Technology: Hip iPhone Case

I think I might want this…

glasses iPhone cover, $14, 2020 Ave

but will it fit an iPhone 5?


Marketplace: Popsicle Paperweight

This one won’t melt…

marble and chromed brass paperweight, 40 Euro, Greece is for Lovers


20 Below: The Egg Slicer

To ease the work of slicing a hard boiled egg…

OXO Egg Slicer, $19.99


20 Below: Bath Mats

Aren’t these great Frenchie bath mats?

 Madame/Monsieur bath mats, $17.99 (small), Ballard Designs


20 Below: Le Savon de Marcel

No, no, I didn’t make a spelling error. Stumbling upon this soap at Droog made me laugh. The play on words with the famous Le Savon de Marseille is funny, right?

Le Savon de Marcel, 7.56 Euro

Interestingly enough, Le Savon de Marcel cube is also made in Marseille.


Marketplace: West Elm + South Africa

If you can’t make it to South Africa…

photos by Mathilde

photos by Corie & Jeff

but crave a South African vibe in your living space…

via

then West Elm’s recent collaboration with South African designers and artisans might be just for you! The collection of ceramics, textiles, furniture and home accessories has been growing in popularity since it hit the marketplace just a little while ago. Some of my favourite pieces are white (duh!) and they are simple, structural and functional.

Mick Haigh oversize serving bowl, $63.09

Potter’s Workshop napkin set – black shields, $21.39

Ceramic Matters candleholder, $63.09

Anthony Shapiro pillar candleholders, $84.48-$105.87

Source dining chair, $212.81

Pedersen + Lennard hooks, $12.81

Note: All prices are in Canadian dollars. Some items are not available for international shipping.

Many thanks to Mathilde, Corie and Jeff for allowing me to use their photos from their trips to South Africa.


20 Below: Pillows

What kind of pillows do sleep on? How much do you spend on pillows? I’m asking because it seems that I buy a new set of pillows every other month. I don’t have problems sleeping yet I haven’t really found a pillow that I find truly comfortable. I usually buy my pillows at Home Sense (I seem to be drawn to Ralph Lauren or Laura Ashley pillows) but is this really the go-to pillow place for people? IKEA carries a variety of pillows at different price points (and several below the $20 mark). Perhaps I should give one of them a try. What do you recommend?

Gosa Pinje pillow, $17.99, IKEA


20 Below: Swim Goggles

I almost forgot that today was Tuesday. Oops. I guess I was still in long weekend mode!

Yesterday I learned that there’s a 50m outdoor pool just a 15 minute walk from where I live. Yeah – how did I miss that one, right? (I mean, I knew it was there but I assumed it was a regular 25m pool.) So last night I ventured out and I’m so glad I did because I had a great swim!

One of the things I love about the sport of swimming is that it is quite an affordable sport – all you need is a swimsuit and goggles. These are lightweight and require minimal storage which is an added bonus in my opinion. These look like my goggles except mine are navy (gasp!).

Speedo Hydrospex swim goggles, $19.99, Sport Chek

Another thing I learned – there’s an entrance fee for the public outdoor pools in London, Ontario. I wasn’t expecting this because I’ve always taken advantage of Toronto’s free access outdoor pools. How about in your neighbourhood? Are outdoor pools free of charge?


The Friday Five: Mugs

Do you have set criteria for the mugs you use? Do they all match? Or are they random? Does size matter? Colour? Shape? My mugs have one thing in common – they’re white (or mostly white). Surprised?

white and black J mug from Anthropologie

white and black J mug from Chapters Indigo (thanks Shannon!)

white mug from GlucksteinHome (thanks GH Team!)

black and white mug from Gstaad (featuring a scherenschnitte design)

black and white mug from Beauty’s in Montreal

I hope you all enjoy a cup of coffee (or tea!) in the summer sunshine this weekend. Enjoy!

Note: You can see I’ve been enjoying many meals and tea breaks on my balcony except for one day when it was raining.

Photos by me.


Celebration: Father’s Day at Urban Barn

Although Urban Barn is advertising their Belvedere recliner as the perfect Father’s Day gift, I’d say that more than just dads would like lounging in something like this.

Belvedere recliner, $1199, Urban Barn

If you’re interested in a chance to win a recliner (or an Urban Barn chair of your choice), go ahead and “like” Urban Barn’s Facebook page and share your story about why your dad is number one.


Photography: Patterning at IKEA

On Mondays I love to head over to Jacquelyn’s blog because through her Scenes from My Weekend series, she shares interesting photos from her weekend activities. It is not as though she does something grand every weekend but the subjects and composition of her photos are so lovely. She has a great eye for detail and her honesty comes through in her posts. I encourage you to click on over and check out what Jacquelyn has been up to.

Today I thought I would try out a super mini scene-from-my-weekend à la Jacquelyn. I was in Toronto on the weekend doing an assortment of things, one of which was a trip to IKEA (I needed to stock up on crackers). I took some photos of the interesting patterns I saw. I wonder – can you name the four products in the photos below?

I’m such a fan of repetitive forms.

Photo by me using iPhone + Instagram + Pic Stitch.


The Friday Five: Knobs

Okay. Does anyone else go into Anthropologie, browse through all the knobs, fall in love with half of them, want to buy a bunch, then wonder what the heck to use them for, and walk out of the store empty handed? This is what happens to me. Every. Single. Time.

black & white stripe knob, $8

deco block knob, $10

squirrel knob, $10

linen flower knob, $12

molten spectrum knob, $8

The knobs are so pretty but I really have no use for them. Do you?

Images via Anthropologie.