With so many brilliant blogs out there, it’s hard to decide where to spend our time. But Jane Flanagan’s delightful portal of hidden gems always gets a click from us. Herewith, what this Irish ex-pat loves about our city.

1. Linda Penwarden’s jewellery oozes originality and style. A custom piece is a true indulgence.

2. The Rebel House is one of the most vegetarian-friendly non-vegetarian restaurants I've found. Mac 'n' cheese, cornbread and kettle fries are my essential comfort foods for surviving grim winter days. 

3. L'Atelier (416-966-0200) is a wonderland of design inspiration. If you want to learn the fine art of creating an eclectic vignette, this store is the best field trip you can take. 

4. Augustina & Auggie Boutiques are a pair of treasure troves with products from Temple St Clair, Gryson, Loeffler Randall and a scarf selection to die for.

5. Zig Zag Mod Furnishings is my go-to spot for quality mid-century designs in fine condition. Owner Joe Graafmans keeps his website up-to-date so you can easily stalk online until your perfect piece shows up! 

6. Cat Tilt is a great source for alternatives to the same-old, same-old yoga gear. The owner, Alison, is one of the nicest retailers around and has a discerning eye for wearable and distinct studio-to-street styles. 

7. D&E Lake is the best destination for new and used art and design books, with a covetable collection of first and signed editions. The charismatic owner, Don Lake, has an encyclopedic knowledge of art history and Canadian art. 

8. Robber is a charming boutique with a hand-picked assortment of delectable clothing and accessories from the likes of Mociun, A.P.C., Permanent Vacation, Steven Alan and Erin Templeton handbags. 

9. Made is home to a phenomenal range of Canadian talent, from Ceramik B., Jennifer Graham and Heyday Designs. If you need to inject your home with some original inspiration, this is the store to hit.

10. Chocolate doesn't get any tastier than in the hands of David Castellan of Soma Chocolate. In the name or rigorous empirical testing, I advocate trying both the Mayan Hot Chocolate and Fleur de Sel caramels!

You dream of owning a Degas but your budget won’t get you further than tickets to the ballet.

Put your small budget to big use at EYE BUY ART, a new online gallery showcasing emerging photographers from Canada, the UK and the US. You can search for art by size, artist, keyword or price and as little as $25 will get you started.

Toronto photographer Mark Kasumovic is featured, as is Robyn McCallum. Take a peek at the stunning aerial shots from Eamon Mac Mahon as well.

We’ve got our heart set on the confections of Amy Stevens – proof that we can have our cake, and eat it too.

www.eyebuyart.com

Grab a glass of wine and a spot by the fireplace—these are winter reads worth staying in for.

Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelseaby Chelsea Handler
Comedian Chelsea Handler’s star has risen this year, and her hilarious and outrageous collection of personal essays has her deadpan delivery of intelligence, wit and bawdiness—it’s a perfect dose of Chelsea for those who can’t stay up late enough to watch her talk show. At Amazon.ca.
Maria Tallarico, managing editor

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
It sounds like the ultimate Slacker’s Handbook, but it’s a great, practical guide for the self-employed (or would-be self-employed) on how to run a more efficient and profitable business while you work hard-on your tan! At Chapters.ca
Sarah Bancroft, editor-in-chief

Foam on the Daze by Boris Vian
A moving tale of unrequited love—simply sublime! Published in 1947, one of the Parisian author's only translated books. At Amazon.ca. Elsa Vecchi, Montreal editor, French edition

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Set aside a weekend for this book. From celebrated Swedish crime writer Stieg Larsson, it is so gripping you won’t be able to put it down. At Chapters.ca
Athena Tsaviliris, Toronto editor

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Niffenegger’s spooky sophomore novel is a meaty ghost story about sisters, twinship, love and loss. Perfect for tucking up under the duvet on a cold winter’s night. At Amazon.ca.
Marianne Wisenthal, Montreal editor

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
In this literary mash-up, Austen’s beloved cast of characters is faced with an outbreak of undead (politely referred to as “unmentionables”) in addition to the usual courtship and classism. Natalie Portman just signed on to produce and star in the film adaption. At Chapters.ca.
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
by Rebecca Miller
Stuck between her former self and the woman she created, the protagonist is forced to examine her life and decide how to move forward. Miller, the daughter of the famed playwright and wife of our favourite butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis) adapted the novel into a star-studded movie this year but it’s a case of read-the-book-before-you-see-the-movie. At Amazon.ca.
Malwina Gudowska, Calgary editor

Sometimes reel life is stranger than fiction. Herewith, our top doc picks.

American Teen
Like The Breakfast Club brought to life, the film follows five teens in their final year of high school. All the usual suspects—jock, nerd, princess, rebel and heartthrob—are present to reminisce about in this spirited Sundance winner. www.americanteenthemovie.com
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Back in the '80s, the Canadian heavy metal band Anvil was set for stardom but came up short. They never gave up on the dream though, and this funny and heartfelt movie picks up where their fame left off. www.anvilthemovie.com
Joy Pecknold,Vancouver editor

Enlighten Up!
A story of one man’s skeptical and hilarious journey to find the true meaning of yoga. The film includes interviews with renowned gurus and stunning shots of Northern India. http://enlightenupthefilm.com/
Malwina Gudowska, Calgary editor

Paper Heart
Part documentary, part scripted film (which part is up to you to figure out), this road trip film chronicles the quirky Charlyne Yi’s quest to discover if true love really exists (Yi herself is skeptical). Along the way she begins a relationship with aw-shucks Canadian actor Michael Cera, but The Notebook this ain't. www.paperheart-movie.com
Maria Tallarico, managing editor

Surfwise
Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter produced this profile of America’s “First Family of Surfing,” the Paskowitzs: 8 brothers and a sister who grew up in a 28-foot camper with their sex-obsessed parents, teaching surfing and never going to school. A fascinating study in bohemianism, megalomania, and crazy family dynamics (makes the Royal Tenenbaums look like the Cunninghams).
www.surfwisefilm.com
Sarah Bancroft, editor-in-chief

The Cove
On the Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary Feature, this story of a group of filmmakers who employ rogue methods to bring to light a covert dolphin hunt on the shores of Taiji, Japan unfolds like a suspenseful thriller. www.thecovemovie.com
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

Tyson
A heartening look at the life and career of one-time champ Mike Tyson, from his formative relationship with his boxing mentor to his self-destructive and decadent tendencies. Tyson's insight and angst is disarming. www.sonyclassics.com/tyson
Maria Tallarico, managing editor

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
With the infamous director back in the headlines for a crime he was charged with decades ago and consequently fled the country from, this Emmy-winning doc is a provoking view into the past. A follow-up film is in the works. www.romanpolanskiwantedanddesired.com
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

Once we’ve gobbled up every last crumb of Christmas pud, there’s little left to do but kick back and watch a flick.

With its star-studded cast from Penélope Cruz and Nicole Kidman to Judi Dench and Sophia Loren, there’s no way we are missing Nine on the big screen.

Based on Federico Fellini’s 1963 classic autobiographical film 8½, Rob Marshall’s version focuses on Italian film director Guido Contini (Day-Lewis) as he struggles to mount his ninth film while juggling the seven women in his life: his wife (Cotillard), his mistress (Cruz), his star (Kidman), his costume designer and confidante (Dench), his mother (Loren), an American journalist (Hudson) and a prostitute (Fergie).

How better to spend Christmas night than watching a bevy of big screen stars singing and dancing their hearts out? Don’t mind us if we jump up on our chair and join in.

Happy Christmas!

Nine is released on December 25, 2009, www.nine-movie.com

In our dreams we’re unwrapping a '50s Hermès scarf on Christmas morning, (maybe one that belonged to Grace Kelly, but we’re not picky).

The next best thing is a newly released book about the Carré Hermès. With beautiful images of over 150 coveted scarves, plus plenty of bedtime reading on the history and mystique behind the brand, this book will take pride of place among our fashion tomes.

And if it’s wrapped in a silk twill (Hermès) scarf, well, that’s just dreamy.

Hermès, 131 Bloor W., Toronto, 416-968-8626, www.hermes.com

Call us shallow, (actually, please don’t) but we often pick books on the merit of their cover.

What can we say, we’re suckers for pretty things.

I Know How to Cook ($49.95) by Ginette Mathiot practically leaps off the shelf it’s so charming. Similarly, the images inside (by French illustrator Blexbolex) are simply gorgeous.

From a simple omelet to a coq au vin and a crepe suzette, the recipes in this translated French classic are délicieux and easy-to-follow.

In one cake recipe, the instructions even finish with the useful note: "turn off the oven."

Handy advice for kitchen clumsies like us.

I Know How to Cook is available at Good Egg, 267 Augusta Ave., Toronto, 416-593-4663, www.goodegg.ca

Some say the Seventies was the decade that style forgot—what with all those shag rugs, avocado bathroom suites and psychedelic pattern explosions.

A new coffee table book '70s Style and Design steers clear of clichés, and instead spotlights the impact of eco and high-tech architecture, minimalism, androgyny and the rise of postmodernism.

Educational, and masses of fun, it's a salute to the fashion, music, literature and groovy vibe of the time.

Yeah, baby!

Available at Amazon.ca.

Whether it’s stitching, baking, fixing, creating, knitting, building or making, Doing It Yourself is all the rage,” says Chloe Fox in this month’s British Vogue. “What shopping was to the Nineties, crafting is to the Noughties.”

There’s a new craft venue in town that’ll help you master your way to a thriftier, happier and more creative you. Bluebird Handmade is a lovely, creative space where children and adults can gather to knit, felt, weave and spin.

Turn up to your next baby shower with handmade cashmere booties, monogram your man’s socks or reinvent on old blazer with shiny, new buttons.

Before you know it, you’ll be hosting knitting parties, crocheting tea cozies and baking cupcakes for the local bazaar.

Bluebird Handmade, 986 Bathurst St., Toronto, 416-535-3232, www.bluebirdhandmade.com

Hip tots drool over his wooden toys—adults marvel at his mobiles.

A delightful exhibition of Alexander Calder’s work comes to the Art Gallery of Ontario this fall. With a focus on his Paris years (1926-1933) the exhibit spotlights 80 works ranging from Calder’s early sketches of circus folk in New York and the small wire sculptures he created in Paris to early examples of his famous mobiles.

A mini moveable 3D circus including a tuxedo wearing ringmaster, a trapeze artist and a roaring lion is the pièce de résistance.

Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St. W., Toronto, 416-979-6648, http://www.ago.net