Easy entertaining

I love, love, love to bake (and have the waistline to prove it). But I understand that some people find it a bore and a snore. Hey, it's all about choice. This, however, is the time of year when even the most inept cook is often expected to bring something along to a family gathering. For you folks, here's a little tip. Pick up a package of pre-mixed cookie dough at the supermarket. Yes, yes, yes, I know it's probably filled with hyrodextromorphinaalihieosulfate, but never mind about that now. Do you want to impress your friends TODAY or live to be 150? I thought so.  Dash to the candy aisle, and pick up a box of peanut butter cups or Hershey Kisses (the caramel ones are good). When you get home, squash bits of the cookie dough into little non-stick muffin pans. Bake according to the directions (10 minutes or so). While the cookies are still warm, place a chunk of the peanut butter cup or the Hershey Kiss in the middle. Let them cool and them remove them from the pan. They taste terrific and look they came from a very complicated recipe. These babies will be the smash hit of the sweet table, and you'll have a new-found reputation as "he/she who can do it all".

Delft designs

I’ve always loved timeless Delft pottery, in part because it seems so comfortably traditional, and in part because the combination of blue and white always seems fresh. So it’s interesting to see two new takes on the classic plate ware. U.S. designers Nicholas Lovegrove and Demian Repucci riffed on Dutch Delft craftsmanship and came up with graffiti-inspired collections of fine porcelain plate ware, which sells for US $100 for a five-piece setting. And whimsical Dutch designer Marcel Wanders (I love the wallpaper he does for Graham and Brown) has a collection of Delftware, which you can see at the Royal Delft website.

Hunting good design

After studying studied industrial design at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Tristan Zimmermann got a serious job as a senior product designer with a bio-medical device company. The gig must not have been making sufficient use of his creative juices, because in 2005, he launched Science and Sons to showcase his unusual take on consumer goods. At least we think that’s what he means when he writes on his site that Science and Sons is where “his eccentric miscellany of his creative acumen is codified into a palatable format.”

What’s crystal clear is that Zimmerman has a sharp wit, and an eye for the beautiful, as evidenced by his Plastidermy pieces, a series of laser-smithed, life-size, slot- assembled animal trophies. They sell for US $490.

And because I think credit should always go where it’s due, I should add that I hadn’t heard of Zimmerman until I saw his stuff on a design website/virtual store called Charles and Marie. If you love great design, you MUST check it out.

I was wrong already!!

I’m back, speaking to you from the “when I first got this thing I didn’t really get it and couldn’t really see that I’d use it, but then I tried it and found that I love it and now I actually use it all the time” Department. Still with me? I’m talking about a new oil dispenser from Trudeau, the makers of cool kitchen gear I’ve recently discovered (remember the tagine?) Push the pump on the side of the dispenser and the oil goes up a glass pipe to an upper compartment that’s marked with measurements in teaspoons, tablespoons and millilitres. Mine now lives full-time on the counter beside the stove. Not only does it take up less room than a bottle of oil, it’s so much prettier. And there’s no more guessing about exactly what a tablespoon of oil looks like. My daughter Emma, who never met a salad she didn’t love, insisted that we get a second one and fill it with her fave balsamic vinegar (yes to that, no to the Prada handbag). Fortunately, I’m self-actualized enough to admit when I’ve been wrong, so the “I didn’t think I’d use it” gadget has now been officially moved to the “OMG - I love this thing and think everyone should get one right away” Department. The oil/vinegar dispenser costs about $20. For retailers, go to Trudeau call 1-800-TRUDEAU.

Hotel at Home

Hotel Le Germain, the trendy boutique hotel on Mercer Street in Toronto, has launched two lines of luxe home decor products that bring a bit of weekend getaway to your pied a terre.

 

The offering runs from what you'd expect a hotel to offer; bathrobes, toweling, and linens, including 300-thread count bedding, made in Spain of 100 per cent Egyptian cotton ($325) to the extraordinary: a chair that transforms into a chaise by folding down the arms ($2,500). To see both lines, go to www.collectiongermain.com.

 

 

One picture is worth a thousand words

I’m obsessed with words and pictures, so I love the work of Alphabet Photography. Photographer Jennifer Blakeley’s four by six-inch sepia photographs of architectural elements that resemble letters of the alphabet can be used to form  words that work well at this time of year — peace, joy, faith. But they can also stand as art throughout the rest of the year. Blakeley’s business partner Miriam Landry says the photographic prints have been selling like hotcakes year-round at home shows and the nine mall carts they now have throughout southern Ontario.

That's Sir Paul to you

Talk about a co-inky-dink. I’m here in Toronto, ogling what I think are some wonderful china pieces created by legendary British fashion designer Paul Smith, (or SIR Paul Smith, if you want to get all Anglo about it) when I get a Facebook message from my long-lost Vancouverite writer pal, the dangerously handsome Guy Babineau. Seems like the Guy-ster has just snagged an interview with the 62 year old design icon, whom he describes as “hyper, happy and hip.” It’s worth a quick look at Guy's chat with Smith, who has described himself as the “John Cleese of fashion”. Whatever he calls himeslf, you've got to love a man who understands tailoring the way he does. And I love the china!

Steven and Chris NEVER told me!

Very, very, VERY occasionally, when I'm ignoring a deadline doing some vital research, I steal away from my desk in my home office and watch the decor segment on the Steven and Chris Show on CBC TV. So while I've never met them, I feel like we're friends and that I know them both intimately. What I did not know about my best buddies is that they have their own line of decorative accessories, which are sold through Canfloyd Trading (1-800-263-309) It includes including wall decor, lamps, glassware, decorative storage, pillows, candles and candle holders. They even have Christmas decorations (I love the sweet little pine cone with an antique silver finish that sells for about $10).

Don’t get hung up

Hanging a picture isn’t rocket science, but it can be a tiresome chore, especially if you don’t want to end up with a big old hole in the wall. A clever new product that came across my desk the other day may help. Deco Nails have a spiral shank that lets them hold like anchor without leaving a crater behind. And they don’t need to be hammered into a stud, so you can put your picture whenever you want. DecoNails are available at Home Hardware and Canadian Tire, where a pack of six goes for $4 and twelve sell for $7.50. Made from the same folks who invented the Hang & Level, another clever hanging tool.

Great sofa for bonding

Not only can this country produce a very exciting parliamentary crisis — which I think is sexy in a Canadian sort of a way we also make some darn fine furniture. Design company UpCountry has launched a green upholstery line that’s made in the GTA!

The first piece, called the Bond Sofa, is a blend of natural cotton fibre and bamboo. Dyes used are certified by the Organic Materials Institute. The fabric contains no petroleum-based fibre and uses certified organic bleaching methods, without chemicals. The frame is made from a combination of Canadian hardwood and engineered wood.

Plus, it’s got great retro styling, making it a comfy, chic spot to sit and chat.

Maybe the PMO’s office should order one (as part of an economic stimulus package, of course), and invite Stephane, Jack and Gilles over to sit on it and share thoughts and feelings. Bring in some martinis (shaken, not stirred) and it could turn into a party!