A fresh cut tree?

For me, Christmas just wouldn't seem right without traipsing through the woods – slipping in either mud or snow depending on the year – to choose the "perfect tree" with my family. We debate every tree we pass at the local tree farm, dismissing some as too tall or too fat, others as too short, too skinny or too sparse, before finally choosing one, cutting it down and lugging it home to decorate. (Check out our festive guide for tips on finding your own perfect tree)

This, apparently, is not a popular tradition – or at least not according to last week's poll. More than half of voters, at 56 per cent, said they weren't planning on buying a tree at all this year. And of those who did plan to make the purchase, only 17 per cent planned on trekking through a tree farm.

An equal amount said they'd be hitting up a local tree lot while four per cent planned to make their purchase at a big box store. The remaining voters said they planned to source their tree another way.

Keeping up with the festive theme, the new poll asks whether you try to incorporate trends in your seasonal decor. Again, you can get the skinny on the holiday's hottest hues in our festive guide.

Fried egg candle

Some things are just too weird not to share. This Fried Egg Candle, by designer Jaehyung Hong, is one of those products.

Designed for Designersblock London 2008, the yellow candle perched atop a glass saucer looks just like the popular breakfast dish.

Light it and the egg yolk dribbles.

I can't decide whether it's cool or gross, but I think we can all agree that it's certainly quirky!

Found via 2Modern Design Talk.

Flameless 'candle'

The stickler in me says that Japanese designer Chiaki Murata's Hono electric candle LED light shouldn't really be called a candle.

It has no flame, no wick, no wax - none of the features I normally associate with a candle.

But, the LED light in these 'candles' (or light sticks, or whatever one should call them) flicker in the wind. Just like a real flame! And, you "light" them with a sensor match and blow on them to extinguish them - also very candle-like.

You get the beauty and motion of a real candle without the fire risk. So, regardless of the dictionary definition, these "candles" are just plain cool - if not affordable, at US$158 each.

Found via Dwell.

Economic gloom affects holiday goodies and gifts

Lately, it seems like I can't go a day without seeing headlines warning of further economic doom. House prices falling, banks failing and credit crunches have become regular front-page fodder. And all this gloominess is also trickling into our holiday spending.

Last week's poll asked Yourhome readers if the current economic climate would affect their holiday spending.

An overwhelming majority - 80 per cent - answered yes. Thirteen per cent said their habits would be unchanged, while seven per cent said they didn't know.

I'm taking a cue from Santa and making my list (and checking it twice) before I hit the shops, rather than throwing whatever suits my fancy into my cart this holiday.

For more info on celebrating the festive season on a budget, including great decor and money saving tips, check out our festive guide. And get a bunch of great ideas for everyone on your list in the Star's Holiday gift guide.

Holiday entertaining tips

I had the pleasure of being invited to a luncheon yesterday at the gorgeously remodeled KiWe Kitchen – so named for its King West location, not a New Zealand influence.

Hosted by restaurant co-owners Steve Cicekian, chef Chris Straker, Vito Tomasicchio and Ralf Madi and interior decorator Lisa Canning, it was an afternoon designed to offer great holiday entertaining tips and menu inspiration.

Straker offered up a totally scrumptious festive feast. A grilled shrimp with pineapple chutney appetizer was totally delish, as was the goat cheese salad and main of tuna and spicy spring rolls. It was a great alternative to the traditionally heavy holiday fare served at most parties.

The dessert was a totally decadent chocolate cake and spiced hot chocolate – an excellent remedy to the afternoon’s snow, and a great idea that I’ll likely mimic for holiday parties. (It takes the already great idea of a hot chocolate dessert bar to a whole new – and luxurious - level!)

While chowing down on this delicious menu, Canning (from HGTV’s Marriage Under Construction) also shared her tips for holiday decorating on a budget, showcasing a table done for $25.

She used glass vases and martini glasses that she already owned, some newly purchased ornaments in silver and white and a liberal sprinkling of candles to create a winter wonderland-esque setting that I believe even I could try at home.

And, in a very neat trick, she used several lengths of ribbon (which she says could later be used in gift wrapping) to create a sparkly table runner. Canning says it should always glitter during the holidays!

Her other tips include bringing in nature, using a white palette with pops of colour, re-purposing objects you already own (silver and glass can be used year round) and personalizing elements.

For yesterday’s event, she made us each a personalized place setting/ornament using scraps of leftover material from decorating projects cut into festive shapes (mine’s a star). She says it's eco-friendly and easy.

(Canning and Straker will also be showcasing their holiday looks and menus on Dec. 2 on Breakfast Television.)

Festive guide launches!

Just in time for the first real Toronto snowfall of the season, Yourhome's festive guide is up and running! From great gadgets for kitchen gurus (the apron is super cute) and eco-friendly gifts to recipes for bite-sized aps, decorations on a budget, tips for picking the perfect tree and so much more, we've got your holiday covered. There's lots more to come too, so check back for our upcoming features on how to green your holiday, this season's trends and tips for holiday cleaning.

Easy centrepiece ideas

I think snow is the ultimate in holiday decor. The city never looks prettier - or more festive - than after a fresh snowfall. And, after fighting my way through the freezing cold, wind and smattering of flurries the past two days, I felt it was time to bring a bit of holiday cheer into my home.

So, using a dish from one of my wedding arrangements, a pillar candle and some newly purchased miniature ornaments - which pick up on this season's trends of whites, tone-on-tone and metallics - I put together this centrepiece.

Super easy! And cheap. The new ornaments cost me $18 after tax, and I'll use them again next year.

And, as I've proved, you don't have to be crafty to do it either.

Grab a dish or vase you already have lying around the house - I'm a fan of clear glass, but you could really do any colour, size or shape - and fill it with festive objects. Some suggestions:

• Ornaments in a similar size or colour
• Cranberries
• Dried fruit
• Glass 'pebbles' or jewels
• Pinecones
• Twigs
• Holly
• Beads

Cap it off with a pillar candle, tea lights or LED lights, if you'd like, and voila, a bit of seasonal cheer in minutes.

When to decorate? Now I know!

In my last post, I asked when the "right" time is to decorate for the holidays. Last week's poll tackled the same question.

For me, the festive season is all about going full throttle on the last few days before Christmas. It's a family tradition, and I think it makes the holiday - and all the trappings - seem more special.

But for Yourhome readers, the beginning of December seems to be the magic time to dust off the ornaments. Nearly half - 49 per cent - of the voters said they start decorating then.

Mid-December was the second most popular time, with 14 per cent, while 10 per cent start in mid to late November. Eight per cent of the voters are holiday enthusiasts, starting before the second week of November!

And a final one per cent of decorators wait until the end of December or later to deck the halls. The remaining 19 per cent said they don't decorate.

This week's poll question asks whether the gloomy economic climate will affect your holiday spending. (Read the full story).

I know I will be thinking a little bit more carefully about my purchases and sticking more closely to my budget than last year.

When to decorate?

I love Christmas. I'm one of those people so filled with holiday cheer that I start shopping in July and planning out festivities in detail by September. So people are often surprised when my house isn't "decked with boughs of holly" come Nov. 1.

Now, I must admit, I have been tempted to pull out the reindeer ornaments and set the hot apple cider simmering upon seeing some horrifically early in-store displays, but I always stop myself.

Part of the charm of the holiday for me is that the decorations are around for a limited period of time (and, as my mother has always said, the last thing you want to do is find yourself dusting your Christmas tree!).

Growing up, our tree - at the earliest - went in two or three days before Christmas Eve. And it wasn't due to a last minute rush, it was just tradition. It also meant that decorating the tree was a special event that the whole family was around to share.

Keeping with this tradition, I'll normally pop up the first decoration in my home at the first snowfall or the end of November - whichever comes first, as both make me feel festive - and then slowly build from there.

So, with Christmas still over a month away, you won't find any candy canes or snowmen in my house. But, I'm no grinch, there is a carton of eggnog in the fridge.

The nesting project continues

So far, in my efforts to make my new apartment into a home rather than just a place to chuck my stuff, I've admitted that I have a problem, changed my cleaning habits and bought a new sofa. I think that's a pretty good start!

In light of the sofa delivery, we've finally tackled the living room using the method suggested by Domino: The Book of Decorating (a review is coming soon). First, I cleaned up, removing all the clutter that tends to fall in the living room — wayward mugs, books, paperwork and magazines — and breaking out the swiffer on our DVD collection and electronics. With a thorough cleaning, it already started to feel better!

The next step was to make a list of the things I like in the room — our new sofa, our electronics, some of my pictures, the TV stand and a silver vase — and the things that we already owned that I would like to see in the room — a comfy chair and ottoman for more seating and a floor lamp for better reading.

Then, with some help from my husband — OK, really, I supervised while he did the heavy work — we moved around the furniture, aiming for a more efficient use of our space and more seating.

Where we previously had only a TV, coffee table, futon and a couple of shelves, we were able to add a place for keys and mail and a reading corner by the window. And it feels a thousand times bigger!

With furniture in place, and a relocated and happier bunny, it was time to look into what else we could do to take the room to the next level.

In the short term, picking up some more throw pillows and framing and hanging some wedding photos would help add our personal stamp.

In the longer term, I'd like to add a small table beside the reading chair as a space for a mug of tea and potentially replace our rather deep shelves for DVD and CD storage (there are three of them) to free up even more space. I'd also like to repaint the two blue walls, which are the perfect shade to complement sailboat trim and buoys.

But, even without these changes, our space is now way more comfortable and ready for holiday decorating!