I’ve been keeping my eye out for sometime for a new centerpiece. We don’t have anything on our table like a vase or candelabra and I think it would be nice to have something there. Having something interesting on there could be a great conversation maker when we have guests round – and to be honest our dining table looks a bit sparse.

Up until now though I’ve been struggling to find anything that I think would work. Then over the weekend I was searching for a birthday gift for one of my girlfriends. I was looking on the MoMA store, (if you haven’t checked it out before make sure you do). There are some wonderful gift ideas, ranging from the quirky novelty items to iconic design classics.

What grabbed my attention however (or distracted me from what I should’ve been doing) was a beautiful candelabra. It’s called Ghost Candelabra and is designed by Jon Russell, a well-known British designer whose work has been exhibited in many European galleries. The design is beautiful, it’s made from clear flat Perspex panels that slot together and the silhouette of a 19th century candelabra routed into the plastic. It houses four candles.

What I love most about this candelabra is how it combines the old with the new. A traditional profile (the silhouette) is combined with a newer material and modern production techniques to create a product that represents the current – but references the past. It looks so light as well, very easy on the eye – almost as if it is floating in the space. The candelabra retails for $65, which seems very reasonable. I think I may just have found the centerpiece that our dining table has been craving! In fact I may have to get two of these, they’re just too beautiful…

I don’t know about you girls but I just can’t stop buying bags!? I’m also developing a bit of a problem with suitcases. When you travel as often as I do (mainly because of my job), you view your luggage in a slightly different way. I used to have a suitcase that I used for every trip I went on. But now I’ve become such a frequent traveler I look at my luggage in a different light and it’s become an integral part of my style. I guess it’s not that crazy though, after all we have a wardrobe full of handbags for different occasions and situations. I’m forever looking at people and what luggage they’re carrying. I used to gauge a person’s style by the shoes they wear. Now – if I’m flying somewhere I’m looking to see what case they’re rolling through the airport!

When it comes to luggage, like anything else – I’m all for luxury. I want to make my trips as easy as possible and love well designed luggage. Not only do I need my luggage to stand up to a large amount of use, I need it to look fabulous in doing so. I like to think of my suitcase as being a chariot, helping me to get my belongings to my destination!

Some of my favorite luxury luggage comes from Louis Vuitton. The most recent purchase I made was the Eole 60 Monogram, a rolling bag. And I’m absolutely loving it so far! These things are really hard to get hold of. I had to buy this second hand online and it cost me a small fortune – but it was definitely worth it. Be careful if you shop online for these as there are loads of Lousi Vuitton fakes knocking about:

I’m certainly going to be careful with this bag though. It’s made from canvas so is soft, we tend to associate rolling luggage with having a hard shell. This means that I can’t really use it in bad winter conditions and to be honest I don’t really want to take it places where I’ll need to roll it long distances. For those winter trips and more difficult terrain I’ll take my small (20”) Rome suitcase, from Traveler’s Choice. It’s nowhere near as glamorous but it’s certainly more durable and robust – and the pink color is quite cute, I suppose.

Another piece that I invested in recently is a stunning trunk from Globe-Trotter. These are hand made in England and they still use the same production process as they did 100 years ago. Globe-Trotter even uses the same original Victorian machinery to make the trunks with! I love hand-crafted artisan products, it adds so much value to an object and there’s a beautiful story behind the piece too. I haven’t even used this trunk yet, I daren’t… it looks like it should be in a museum! I’m not one for buying products like this to have on display because I believe that they’ve been made to use – and should be used. I think I’ll save this one for a special trip, perhaps a weekend away with my hubby to mark our next anniversary. If you are ever in London I would recommend a trip to the Globe-Trotter Flagship store, it’s heaven – a luxury luggage shrine. Quite possibly my favorite store… ever.

I can’t seem to stop myself at the moment and I’ve been doing some (online) window shopping recently, I really shouldn’t! I was researching other luxury brands that produce luggage and came across some awesome suitcases. It’s not usually my thing but I’m loving the Victorinox case on here http://www.bestcarryonluggageguide.net/luxury-luggage-four-favorite-brands I’ve been drooling over that case! It’s a practical design and looks efficient, almost like a wardrobe or medicine cabinet, with all the pockets and compartments. Maybe this is something I’ll look into later in the year. It looks like a useful case to take away on a business trip. For now though I need to refrain from any more purchases.

This weekend I’m going to be hosting an informal cocktail party for a group of friends. Whenever I have people round I like to do something a bit different and this weekend I’ll be doing just that. With it being cocktails I’m wanting to get a bit creative with the drinks. After some thinking and browsing I thought that it could be fun to do something with the ice. There are plenty of novelty ice cube makers out on the market but I’d like something a bit more sophisticated. That’s when I thought about jewels! And wouldn’t you know it, Fred & Friends have come up with a quite exquisite product, called  “Cool Jewels Ice Tray” http://fredandfriends.com/products/view/category/party/cool-jewels-ice-tray Look at these dazzling diamonds!

I’ll be ordering a few of these trays for my party! My girls are going to impressed, for sure. These little touches can make such a big difference, when you’re hosting an event – whether it be a small social gathering or a large corporate event for an important client. People remember these things. Now I just need to work out which drinks I’ll be serving!