Last Minute Valentines Day Gift Guide – For Her

It’s Valentines Day on Saturday and if you’re anything like me you will wait until… maybe tomorrow? to pick up something for your main squeeze. I’m habitually bad at buying gifts (I know I have said this before, but the point is so true it is worth reiterating) so I thought why not help out my fellow procrastinators with a gift edition part deux aimed at the ladies in your lives.

Gifts don’t have to be just for your significant other, or just for valentines day, these are items your Mom, bestie, sister, roommate, the list goes on.. is sure to love! I will be spending this Saturday, like women all over the city, with my boyfriend, his name is ‘my career’ and we will be crushing grape and crawling into bed early as I have a 7am flight the next morning heading to a conference for work. #truelove

This Jo Malone cologne in ‘Red Roses’ is the perfect Valentines day scent and the prettiest hue of blush pink. I am a huge fan of Jo Malone and wear the Lime Basil + Mandarin scent religiously.

There is nothing better than crisp cotton pyjamas, and this shorts set floral print pair from Plum Pretty Sugar is the perfect set as we creep closer to spring.

Chapters always has cute home stuff, specifically this gold painted stripe cushion, which hits two major wins on my current lust list, gold + stripes.

I love a good Essie polish and recently they have come out with a new Cashmere Matte line; I can’t wait to get my paws on this pale pink color, cleverly titled ‘just stitched.’

This Olive Oil was actually an idea from a girlfriend, she got this for her Mom for Christmas and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. It’s a company called ‘Nudo Italia‘ and the way it works is you adopt a tree in Italy and the company regularly delivers to you the olive oil it produces! How cool is that?! You can also adopt a tea garden in India or receive honey when adopting a beehive in the UK. I love it.

Lastly I have pulled this adorable Flamingo Print available locally at The Cross in Vancouver, one of my favorite decor stores. I have a Flamingo obsession and I think this print would look so chic mounted in a gold frame in a white wash apartment.

Hopefully you’ve found some inspiration here! And when all else fails wine, chocolate and flowers. (But mostly wine.)

xo

Wendy

Autumn at the Empire

Fall posts have been coming out the wazoo this week and I thought I would add my two-cents. I am OBSESSED with fall. It is bar-none my favorite season ergo I have some pretty strong opinions on how to do it right. Over the course of the next week I will share my fav decor, food, fashion and fun-things-to-do fall musts.

DAY ONE – BUILDING YOUR ENVIRONMENT

In the words of Colin Nissan: IT’S DECORATIVE GOURD SEASON, MOTHERFUCKERS. (Thank you, Whitney, for this essay. It is perfect.) There is nothing that drums up the nostalgic feeling of cozy autumns past more than the scents + colors + music of fall (and tastes but that’s for another post).

This Votivo Aromatic Candle in Smoke on the Water is the perfect fall scent. I have this burning from Sept 1st – Dec 1st without fail.

Next, Japanese Lanterns Physalis. These come on long sparse branches and last FOREVER (literally they dry out and you can save them for a second, even third, season) they are cheap and add the perfect orange hit of fall to your home. I have my apothecary jars half way filled with pine cones and topped with dried japenese lanterns from autumns past.

Lastly music. I have pictured here an old National Album. The acoustic haunting sounds of the National, Bon Iver, City and Color and many of the like are the perfect fall pairing for me. You can listen to my full autumn playlist on songza here. You’ll also find some Metric, Anya Maria, Lana Del Rey and Amy Winehouse on there. You’ll hear this in the background of ritualistic games nights with my girlfriends at The Empire (which is how we have referred to our apartment for the last 3 years) where we will be drinking (too much) red wine, eating vegan chili and playing board games on dark and rainy westcoast autumn evenings. Nothing better.

So what are your favorite fall things for the home?