Tea cups are no longer used just for sipping on yummy tea. These beautiful cups can be used in many ways and they shouldn’t be hidden behind cupboards.

Martha Stewart  re-uses her tea cups and makes them into candles. Great has gifts and also fun for home DIY group projects.

You can also use them as planters for small sized succulents and set them along your windowsill or on a book shelf.

I like using them to organize my jewelry. The pink one up top was a MOR Cosmetics candle and the one of the bottom was a vintage tea cup candle that was given to me for my birthday by my dear friend, www.rebeccatay.com. I used boiling water to clean out the cups and now display them on my dresser … more …

When traveling do you just grab all your jewelry, toss them in a pouch of some sort and hope for the best? This is not the way you should be traveling. I have spent too many nights and frustrating mornings trying to untangle my necklaces and I had to find a better way of transporting my jewelry.

The gorjana “Thompson Jewelry Wallet” is the essential travel buddy for toting your jewelry around and it will help you organize and protect your favorite jewelry.  The wallet features a ring bar, two zippered pockets for earrings or bracelets, and six divided necklace tabs.

This little handy little jewelry wallet is going to be your best travel companion. Get yours at www.lynnsteven.com, $98.

Sunny Shum, Footwear Buyer for Sterling Shoes Inc, Blogger & Your Industry Insider … more …

Wood - This single natural resource has been re-worked and transformed into many things that we use day to day. As we continue to live in this fast paced world, surrounding ourselves with technology and man-made materials, I find myself gravitating more to the simplicity of our natural resource.

Design company Secto Designs based out of Finland is a good example of this, creating modern lighting pieces out of wood. Locally you can find the Secto collection at Light Form. (Main Image)

Pat Kim is a doubled-dyed craftsman; he lives and makes in Brooklyn, NY. His “Knock Knock Ring” is a hit with me. It even come in it’s own special crate box. ($75, Image 2)

Vancouver designer Alex Henderson of Henderson Dry Goods, works with wood beautifully. I am particularly fond … more …

You can still tighten your money belt this holiday season without sacrificing quality gifts. Here are just a few ideas to help get you in the holiday mood:

(Main photo) I simply adore this line of eco-friendly wooden organic handmade line of toys and teethers for infants by “littlealouette“. Most items are under $28. My favourite being the “teething wooden owls” ($15) . You can purchase them on www.etsy.com

For the busy parent, avid traveler, office hustler and hard working student, www.myfaceworks.com sheet masks are here to rescue you from your skin. Convenient and airport friendly, one of my favourites is the “i need to open my eyes” sheet masks for $40.

Let cashmere be your best friend during the cold winter months. I think anyone would appreciate these little stocking … more …

I love delicate charms and styles that can withstand the test of time when it come to my jewelry. My two favourite pieces this season are from Lisbeth Jewelry. I am wearing either one or the other around my neck and sometimes both at the same time.

The “Ave” necklace ($86) is a lustre of textured vermeil circle pendants that hang delicately from a 23″ gold fill chain. I liked this one so much I also bought it in sterling silver ($82). What I love about this piece is that it works so nicely with a dress blouse as well as with my basic v-neck tee-shirt. The length of the necklace sits just perfectly across my collarbone.

The “Tanya” necklace ($89) is a collection of unique hand carved rings in … more …