Ba dun ba dun ... time for tea!

Pop some tea into this infuser and have a Jaws-themed cuppa!

In honour of the Interior Design Show (read more here), which starts tonight and runs through Sunday, I thought I'd share this clever and functional design.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter have already been sent this link, but I thought it was just too cute/gory not to post a photo! (Don't worry, it's just red tea!)

The Sharky infuser, by Argentinian designer Pable Matteoda, won third place in designboom's Beyond Silver competition, which aimed to find designs for functional and prestigious silverware with a twist.

On the competition page, Matteoda says, "INFUSION means to extract certain properties from an soluble ingredient such as tea leaves , herbs or fruit by soaking in liquid (water) until it gets saturated. So we can say that a infuser is the in charged of make this happen. This is a ludic point of view about the color given off from the phenomenon, which makes more interesting the waiting of the whole process."

Would you let Sharky take a swim in your mug?

I totally would. And would hum the Jaws theme the entire time! Ba dun ba dun ....

Found via 2modern. Check out more quirky products in the Conversation Piece column and stay tuned for all the latest from the Interior Design Show in our decor section!

Interior Design Show time!

There are lots of reasons for me to be excited about the Interior Design Show, which starts tomorrow night at Exhibition Place. (Check out the video for a quick look at the set-up from day one.)

I'll be attending the media sneak peak and aMuse, the opening gala, so I'll have lots to report come Friday.

In the meantime, I thought I'd make use of the hours spent poring over press releases and images and share some of the reasons I'm excited. 

As a bit of a geek, I'm really keen to check out the new feature, "Innovative Design + Technology", which promises to share products —  like coffee grinders, home entertainment systems and power tools! —  that showcase stylized technology and functional design.

Perhaps it's time for a pretty new speaker system, like the award-winning Zeppelin iPod system (shown below)?

I'm also stoked to scope out the cool new products at the Prototype exhibit, which is a juried design competition for products not yet in production, such as the worm chair by bObles that I blogged about last month.

I love all things sparkly, so the Crystalclear exhibit, which showcases installations created using Swarovski crystals by six Canadian firms (including the Brothers Dressler, who were recently featured in Vicky Sanderson's Conversation Piece column), will be a big, glittery draw.

I'll also hit up:

- LuxeHome, which shows off the latest and slickest designs from the most luxurious design ateliers

- The 5x5 exhibit, which showcases living spaces designed by 64th and Queen, Castor, Dee Dee Taylor Hannah, Tomas Pearce Interior Design Consulting, Inc. and Earth, Inc.

- Studio North, where 25 of the top Canadian designers will exhibit their latest products.

All in all, I think I'll come away from the event with design inspiration to last me through this long cold winter, and probably a few new projects to tackle in my own home!

What would be your hits and misses for the show?

(Read more about IDS here and here)

Crushing on the slow cooker

So, as those who frequent my blog and my Facebook page are already aware, I've been growing pretty fond of my slow cooker. In the last two weeks, I've used it to make beef and broccoli, Philly cheesesteaks and pineapple chicken, all to rave reviews from my husband.

Fellow Yourhome blogger Vicky Sanderson has also admitted a "culinary crush" on the slow cooker, recently writing a round-up of a few different models and sharing recipes on her blog.

And, if last week's poll is in any way accurate, we're not the only ones having a bit of a love affair with the slow cooker.

Just over half — 51 per cent — said the slow cooker would be among their kitchen crushes for 2009, while just over a third said they weren't interested in the slow cooking trend.

The remaining 15 per cent said they didn't know (but I'm guessing some of them might be swayed before year's end!)

Vote in this week's poll, on whether Is a builder obligated to disclose to a purchaser that a suicide occurred in the house just before the sale closes (learn more in Bob Aaron's column), on the front page.

Slow cookers hot for '09?

While anchoring may be the premiere trend expectation for 2009, this is really a catch-all term for the many things people will do to nest in the coming months — from purchasing cable knit blankets and gourmet hot chocolate to kitting out home bars and theatre sets.

One fascinating facet is the prophesied rise of the slow cooker. One such prediction comes from the CBC's Food Bytes team, which writes that as people stay in more, they will turn to the slow cooker, "the perfect vessel for comfort food, and turning inexpensive cuts of meat into nourishing meals."

As a new-ish slow cooker owner, I'm still learning to branch out from the chili and pasta sauce standbys, but certainly enjoy coming home to a warm, cooked meal after a day of work.

And, I recently learned there's lots of room to grow — props to Food Bytes for sharing the link — with the "A Year of Crockpotting" blog.

Blogger Stephanie was a little ahead of the curve, spending 2008 trying a different recipe every day. From a solid beef and broccoli recipe (which I tried yesterday) to candles and even a full turkey, she reviews each effort — including some failures — for a full 366 days (it was a leap year).

What do you think? Will you dust off your slow cooker and/or try some new recipes this winter?

My New Year's resolutions

While asking (and patiently waiting) for readers' New Year's resolutions for their home (share yours below, on the story, or by email), I've had time to think up some of my own. They're not all that different from goals I started working on earlier in the year with my newlywed nesting project, but, in order to actually see completion in 2009, I've realized I'm also going to need to set some deadlines. (After all, don't we media-types thrive on that kind of pressure?)

To recap on my progress so far, I've rearranged my living room into a more habitable space, adopted green cleaners to improve my indoor air quality (and save those brain cells) and bought a new sofa.

So, to move forward in 2009, I hope to complete the following three tasks:

1. Unpack the remaining boxes from my move last summer. I know it's shameful that I have yet to do so, but the longer I wait, the more daunting it becomes. Plus, I can shut the door when entertaining to hide the mess. My goal? To have the boxes unpacked, the clutter chucked and the space re-organized by the end of the month.

It will be very nice to have a functional second bedroom when friends and family come to visit (apologies to those who already spent their visits on a futon in the living room) and office space the rest of the time.

2. Make a few key purchases to make my life easier. You know how when you move into a new home you always discover a few items that you didn't realize you'd need? Well, those realizations started coming in August, yet I still am struggling to work around them.

For example, in the living room, I could really use a small side table for resting mugs, wine glasses and books while reading and hanging out. Without it, these things end up on the floor, where they are just out of reach from my cozy perch on the chair, and where, left forgotten, they tend to get stepped on. Other such items include a knife block (my new knives don't fit into my existing one, so instead they lie in a sharp, menacing heap) and another dresser to store linens and hold the bedroom television.

It's harder to set a deadline for this one, because it contains multiple and varied items, all of which will require research and multiple scouting trips. However, I should really have started the purchases by February and have them done sometime this summer.

3. And finally, I need to have more fun with my home. Renting often comes with a sense of impermanence, but that's no reason not to slap some paint on the walls (with the landlord's OK), hang some more photos and art and really embrace this space as my current home - even if it is only temporary. This will be an ongoing project, but could very well have the biggest impact in making my rental feel like a home.

Wish me luck!

(Image from Shutterstock)

POLL: Hosting duties

The holiday season, and all its parties, are now pretty much behind us. The treats have been eaten, the drinks drunk and a steady dent put in the piles of inevitable leftovers. (Check out healthzone's fitness guide to help get your waistline back on track).

During this time, just over a third Yourhome readers (37 per cent) hosted a holiday party, according to our latest poll (though I'm thinking that many of us were too busy with hosting and party-going duties to cast a ballot!)

Sixty-one per cent opted to skip the hosting duties and two per cent said they didn't know if they'd be holding their own party.

Now, with much of the entertaining behind us, it's time to box up the decorations, clean up the messes and get started on 2009 - complete with some home-related resolutions.

I know we're already three days into the New Year, but I'm still setting mine, though I'm certain they will include unpacking my "box room" and better organizing my office space.

Vote in this week's poll (on the lower left of the front page) on whether you set New Year's resolutions for your home, and share them by commenting on the story, this post or by emailing me.

Happy New Year!

If trend-watchers are right, 2009 will see us working with our existing spaces to create happier, cozier homes in which we will spend more time eating, hanging out and entertaining - a trend that has been dubbed "anchoring."

As we look forward, it's also customary to think about what we'd like to change in the New Year, so we've compiled a list of 10 resolutions for your home. From making an effort to be more green to taking a chance on colour, 2009 will be a great time to focus on making your home more about you! And, we'd love to hear your own home-related resolutions! Email me, or leave a comment below.

And, before the New Year gets into full swing (many lucky readers may still be on holidays), we should also take a moment to reflect on 2008. Home values sunk as the economy slid (for the full picture, read Yourhome.ca's most read stories of 2008), but the year also brought us a greater focus on eco-friendly living and building, a renewed interest in graphic, colourful wallpaper and splashes of sunny colours, such as citrus and purple (with more to come!)

So, let's welcome in a new year filled with colour, patterns and cozy homes! All the best in '09!

Happy New Year's parties

As I prepare to ring in the New Year tonight, I'm more than a little thankful that I'm not hosting! After a whirlwind trip to visit my family in Nova Scotia and then two days visiting my husband's family in Ontario, I only got back to Toronto on Sunday evening, and then I was back to work. That does not leave much time for party planning.

But, that doesn't mean last minute preparations are impossible - even if you're only starting now! A fab bash requires only a few essential elements: good friends (get out that cell phone and start texting), snacks (if you're feeling like making a meal, check out our roundup of lucky foods) and a few cocktails (learn the gradations of drunk, tipsy, hammered and sloshed).

You're on your own for the guest list, but we've   got lots of resources for the rest! Check out the Star's Gord Stimmel's column on bubbly that won't blow your budget and idrink.com's festive cocktail recipes.

Learn to set a fab table with Savoir Faire's Nik Manojlovich and check out Toronto designer and cocktail party aficionado William MacDonald's tips for throwing a very smart cocktail party. Yourhome's Vicky Sanderson also dishes on the goods to get your party rolling. And, as always, thestar.com's food section offers up lots of great dishes for meals, sweets and snacks.

And, if you are playing host, check out quick cheats for making your home seem clean without leaving you harried.

And however you're ringing in the New Year, all the best in 2009!

(Toronto Star file photo)

Dreaming of a green Christmas?

While Christmas in Toronto will most likely be white — thanks to yesterday's doozy of a storm and two more forecasted to hit before the big day — nearly half (47 per cent) of Yourhome.ca readers who voted in last week's poll say they're taking steps to have a more eco-friendly holiday. (Read the full story.)

Just over a third (31 per cent) said they weren't planning on greening their celebrations, six per cent said they were thinking about it, and 16 per cent said they didn't know.

If you are thinking about an Earth-friendly holiday, here are a few quick tips as we enter the home stretch:

• Make your own ornaments by bringing in nature and repurposing existing decor items, such as martini glasses and vases.
• Reuse gift bags and get creative when wrapping. A scarf makes a great wrapper for a CD or DVD, and it's a bonus present!
• As you're rounding out those purchases, consider giving loved ones an experience in lieu of traditional gifts — it's a unique present, and odds are they won't have two of them to return come Boxing Day.
• Reuse last year's stylish holiday cards in your decor. Cards can be framed for an extra little touch of festivity or repurposed as gift tags.

Our next poll looks forward to the festivities once the gifts are all purchased and the home is dressed to the nines — the parties. We want to know how many of you are welcoming — and entertaining — family and friends over the holidays.

And, of course, we have a little advice to offer, including tips for hosting a smart cocktail party (along with the best products to help you on your way), personalization ideas and much more in our festive guide.

Cheat on your holiday cleaning!

I only wish I would have read this article before company came to visit.

Rather than frantically washing dishes, stowing laundry and working myself into a tizzy over all the cleaning work that simply could not be done before my guests arrived, I could have just stowed dirty dishes in large pots, stashed toiletries in the tub and lit lemon-scented candles for that just-dusted feel!

Martha would most certainly not approve. But these cleaning "cheats" — while perhaps not hygienic —  are most certainly handy, especially at this time of year!

(Get more holiday tips in our festive guide.)