The Festive Fast Track

Its officially the second half of November, and the truth is we can all
see Christmas approaching on the not-so-distant horizon. Last night, we
had a chance to check out the holiday wonderland of Indigo,
and let us tell you its a great place to cut your entire nice list in
half. Fully set-up in Christmas workshop mode: treats, home décor,
candy-bright accessories and of course great books.

Among the tasteful home décor are dappled metallic candle holders and a
selection of pieces using an owl and deer motif. Think little ceramic
owls and soft grey candles that look like balls of yarn, folksy pillows
adorned with deer silhouettes, and moose bookends. Woodsy birch bark
candles create that cabin feeling we all love when it gets frosty.
Another unique home piece is the ivory, horn-shaped, ceramic iPod
amplifier. Too clever.

A particularly inspired display is Indigos Shades of Grey (a reference
we can all appreciate), an assortment of luxurious faux fur and cable
knit throws and pillows. These same fabrics are also used to make
adorable hats, toques, gloves and slippers.

We also love the entertaining goods for this holiday season. Were
talking regal glass decanters, silver penguin drink shakers and antler
bottle openers. Our favourites are the bubbly gold and silver champagne
flutes, and especially the festive countdown glasses that are available
in sets of four or ten and crush the need for tacky drink tags.

Moving into accessories we were immediately struck by the delicious
colours of Indigos enameled bangles. Mirroring these are bright leather
wallets, totes, and zip pouches of varying sizes. Throw in some macaroon
lipglosses and keychains and youve got a perfectly darling gift. Or a
well-deserved treat for yourself

Not to be forgotten amidst all the textures and sparkle are the books!
Theres got to be something to put between those charming bookends, and
seeing as its the holiday season reading should probably focus on food
and drink. We were delighted to have a chance to meet chef
extraordinaire Rob Feenie and get a taste of his brownies with
bourbon-butterscotch sauce (swoon). His new cookbook is Casual
Classics, Everyday Recipes for Family and Friends just what we
need during a busy season. It is accessible to the at-home chef and
meant to have pages creased with food-covered fingers.

We also sampled some great wines selected by award-winning wine writer
James Nevison who is going to make it a little simpler for us all with
his book Had
a Glass 2013. It contains the 100 top wines under $20, as well
as tips on tasting and food pairing. The most ingenious feature however
is the barcodes attributed to each wine, which allow us to find the
chosen bottle with an interactive liquor store app. Its all too easy.

-Tuesday A. Chutter