my christmas shopping

Today my friend Tina at The Enchanted Home is featuring bloggers with stores.  She asked us to choose items from our own store that we would love to gift. 

I'm sure you know Tina,  she is über talented and so wonderfully down to earth.  Just the sort of girl I like to lunch with!  She delighted us with the tale of her stunning home being built and decorated and has since opened a hugely successful on line store where she carries many of the items we admire in her home.

Tina has reminded me how  hopelessly behind I am on my real shopping,.  Today I thought I'd follow her  lead and procrastinate a little longer and do some virtual preparation for Christmas  ....

what if I managed to cover al of my christmas list buying only from blogging friends

let's see how this would work ....

Of course I' begin in Tina's store, where I know my girlfriend Jane loves to window shop.   Jane has just re-decorated her powder room, and some of Tina's pretty monogrammed soaps,engraved with Jane's initials,  would be a perfect gift

For my Aunt Rose who adores her little dog Jack, I think I would ask the most talented, and highly amusing,  David Terry to paint Jack's portrait

My sister has a lovely comfortable country house, and in the family room I know she is looking for some new cushions for the sofa.  For these I would turn to Jess at Atelier Be, who makes a divine range of cusions from old grain sacks

For my other sister who loves to read, I would ask Pamela Edward to dispatch a copy of her beautiful book, From the House of Edward,  released in November.    I hardly miss any of Pamela's posts on her blog, her writing whisks me away to a comforting and magical world, I know her book would be a very special gift

I have a girlfriend, Sylvie,  who will be moving house next year.  I know that she is slightly sad to leave her beautiful home which is now to big for her and her husband.  I think that a lovely gift for her would be a commissioned watercolour of her house, that she could take with her.  For this I would turn to the French artist and blogger Céline Chollet .  If I send her a picture of Sylive's home, I know she'll produce something beautiful

I have a friend who is looking to move to France, and who dreams of finding  a beautiful property in the South of France.  For her I could find no better gift that Vicki Archer's book, French Essence, packed full with breathtaking photos of her home - truly inspirational.

For my brother , in his smart town house, I would choose a pair of these 'sculptures' made from vintage barrel straps, stocked by my friend Terri at La Dolfina.  I have admired these for a while, they would make quite a statement on either side of the front door.

And finally for my mum, who I know takes the occasional peek at my store, I would wrap up a beautiful old French quilt, like this one, It is so warm and inviting, and in the summer when quilt's aren't required, it still looks quite wonderful folded in a cupboard.

I hope I have inspired you with some of these ideas - happy shopping!