Animal nightlights

I remember I always had a nightlight on when I was a child. Just a comforting small light burning in the hallway. These ones from Heico Design are definitely taken to the next level. Bunnies, ducks, deer's... They are all as lovely. Even though it's meant for children, I might consider starting to use a nightlight again. They are for sale at web shop Loulechien.

Owl ring

Be sure to dazzle your audience with this stunning cream owl ring by Topshop. It looks very chic and it's spot on trend, because owls seem to be the it-bird at the moment. Not only for interior decoration, but also on your clothing and as accessories. Can't get enough? There's also pendants and earrings of these mystical night creatures to choose from.

About a girl in the woods...

The rough Yorkshire landscape works well for the imagination of this British Etsy-artist. The fairytale like drawings portray a girl with a red cape walking in the woods, a child sleeping on top of a wolf and 'envious deer's' tearing a dress apart. Prints, stickers and art pendants can be bought in her shop.

Walk on velvet flowers...

...and warm your feet on this beautiful rug. I love the depth in the pattern of this hand knotted rug. It's by a design of designer Massimo Gardone for Milan based up market company Nodus. The 'dark flowers' carpet is customized the way you like it and will be hand knotted in Nepal. Fabrics that are used are silk and wool. Start saving up though, because these beauties don't come cheap.

Tweet it through the mail

With all the e-mailing and tweeting, it's nice to get an old fashioned card in the letter box delivered by the mailman. Or old fashioned? Maybe I should rephrase that. These bird cards from Dutch design brand 'Kids on Roof' are something special. It is packaged in a way you can write on the back and it fits through the letter box. All the receiver has to do is fold it together. There's owls, butterflies, sparrows and more.

Wish upon the water

Trust your wishes to the water with these 'wishing boats'. I found them in Dutch online shop 'Feel Goodies'. Their collection never disappoints me and I can always find considerate gifts for my friends there with a little bit of 'depth' or extra support if they are going through tough times. The wishing boats are designed by Jurianne Matter. You can fold eight boats out of them. Make sure to write your name and wish on it before you let it drift. As rivers carry water to the ocean, as will your wish be brought into the world. Just be careful what you wish for, they might come true...

All the pretty flowers

This light I first saw hanging from a high ceiling in the hallway of a 19th century house in my home town in an upscale neighborhood. The combination of the lamp and the grand hallway looked very impressive and I thought it must be pretty expensive design. Until I went to Ikea and found out it was for sale there for seventy euro's. Even though I try not to buy much from Ikea I make an exception for this lightning named PS Maskros. On the second picture you see the smaller version, named just 'Maskros'. Either way, it's a steal.

Balance your home with Feng Shui

I've been busy cleaning out the clutter for the last couple of days. It started while reading the bestselling book of Karen Kingston 'Clear your clutter' and I've been throwing out old paper work and donated clothes and (perfectly fine, but unused) stuff to a charity. It feels great! What also helps, is that I know a great Feng Shui consultant from 'Fijn Wonen*Fijn Leven' in Amsterdam. I asked her some questions about my bathroom, which just didn't feel right. It is a challenging area, because it's tiny and has no windows. I tried everything, painted it in different colours three times, but it still wasn't a room I liked to be in. The advice I've been given, is to use green & wood to bind the different elements (please note: this doesn't work for everyone, but is based upon the map of my house). I placed some green candles, green towels, wooden boxes, and...it does really feel a lot better. For more information on decluttering and Feng Shui, please visit Karen Kingston's website or Fijn Wonen * Fijn Leven.

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

Mirrors are fascinating. They always get used in fairytales to enter different world. And in the past warnings would go out: "Look in one and you might lose a part of your soul". Or at least, that was one of the myths going around. These lasercut mirrors by Domestic have that magical feel and will put instant mystery to your home. Who knows what other world lies behind it, maybe you will go 'through the looking glass' like Alice. Or maybe they'll just look plain fabulous in the hallway. Click here to go to the website of Domestic.

Reindeer socks

Too early to start thinking about reindeers and other Christmas related items? Perhaps, but these socks get a high rating on my 'cute'-ranking list. They look lovely and warm and seem the perfect house wear during those cold months of the years. Maybe not an aphrodisiac for your man, but great for warm feet. And when Christmas comes you can hang them next to the fireplace. They are for sale at Topshop. To have a closer look, click here.

Snoozing with hummingbirds

What a luxury is must be to sleep under this beautiful bed linen by NightBird . All of the bedding is hand sewn, embroidered and screen printed with photography images inspired by nature.

Wild child, full of grace

As seen on the runway by Marc Jacobs, flowers in the hair. And those pretty petals in the hair always give an instant romantic and nostalgic look. However I'm convinced you shouldn't try this when you've reached a certain age unless you have a gypsy look going for you or are busy dancing the flamenco. Steal the style for much less at Accessorize.

Fine needlework

Still spot on the trend, this do it yourself (DIY) embroidery set. Imagine sitting in front of a fireplace, working away with needle and thread while it's harsh and cold outside. A too romantic image? Perhaps. But I do love the coarseness of the needlework which reminds me of that old fashioned coziness and it looks fab in any interior. It's for sale at Dutch web shop Juffrouw zonder zorgen. A shop with not only a great collection for DIY-ers, but also lot of 'I need to have that' items for sale, like nostalgic poetry images, notebooks and quirky stuff like mushroom shaped keycaps.

Kitchen gems

Aren't they great, these block print bird tea towels by Lisa Price from Artgoodies? This print artist loves nature and gets inspiration from drawings in old biology, plant and bird books. And it shows. I love the bright colours she uses and the bold, but detailed lining. There are many more prints to choose from, like kitchen towels with squirrels, moose's and deer's. All handprinted on 100% cotton.

More than a towel...

Finland is the land of the sauna. Well there's much more to the country of course, but de-stressing and detoxing in the steam room during those winter nights is part of the culture. No wonder Finnish company Lapuan Kankurit came up with this great collection of towels and bathing goodies. For each pattern they have created matching goods, like sauna pillows, bags and even matches. I myself I'm quite curious about the 'scented dried birch leaves', for a complete sauna experience. Now all I need is that sauna in my house...

Wet affairs

No preventing getting wet during those scattered autumn rains ouside. Luckily in the bathroom that's the whole idea. To make sure the space doesn't turn into a complete wet affair, Marimekko designed these great shower curtains. The first one reminding me of the last leaves on the trees in autumn. Already in winter mode? Opt for the black and white one, portraying winter trees. To order, click here.

Dreamy paintings

One of my favourite art galleries is situated in Amsterdam. Gallery Artacasa makes art accessible to everyone. They sell affordable, colourful artworks and there's no sign of stiffness as you sometimes find in museums. The work of one of their assigned artists, Kai Savelsberg, is my favourite. His work is a bit estranging and he seems to operate in the world of feelings, creating dreamlike images, mostly of women. He also processes pieces of paper and wood among other things in his paintings, which makes it extra fascinating.

Message on a bottle

I'm not a great fan of cleaning. Even though mopping the floor and doing the dishes do 'clean' my head when I'm stuck for writing inspiration. So I decided to make it as pleasurable as possible using the B.E.E-products. The messages on the bottles put an instant smile on my face, they are eco-friendly and smell great on top of it. It's a true win-win situation.