Mummy might think fancy frocks and cashmere booties are a waste, but what are aunties and godmothers good for, if not to spoil the little one rotten?

At Advice from a Caterpillar, you’ll find the most irresistible gifts, from delicate antique christening gowns ($90-$250) to the Baby Barolo organic cotton and down duvet papoose (pictured right, $320).


Owner Emily Dyer suggests the pleated coat from Le Vestiaire de Jeanne ($390) or the lovely wool joggers from L'Esprit de Luna ($75). Her favourite godchild gift is the illuminating animal globe ($135) or the ride on leather hippo ($220).

Now, if only our fairy godmother were as generous.

Advice from a Caterpillar, 8 Price St., Toronto, 416-960-2223, www.advicefromacaterpillar.ca

A new consignment store in the heart of Rosedale is like shopping in your wealthy girlfriend’s closet.

Haute Classics touts designer frocks, shoes, bags and baubles handpicked by fashion-savvy friends, Stella Kim and Jina Han.

Our last visit left us lusting after a pair of pink suede diamante studded Diors ($550), an adorable black leather Betsey Johnson bag with bow buckle ($75) and an embroidered vintage Valentino skirt ($120).

Now, how do we go about making Kim and Han our BFFs?

Haute Classics, 946 Yonge St., Toronto, 416-922-7900, http://hauteclassics.com/

“Toronto is beige on beige on beige,” jokes interior designer, Christopher Caterer. “I’m not about beige, I’m about colour.”

Step into Caterer’s Rosedale boutique and find Cartier red leather armchairs, multi-hued cashmere throws and rugs fashioned from recycled silk ties.

A gorgeous set of 300 thread count linen napkins ($79) in coral or blue caught our eye, and the bamboo/cashmere blend loungewear ($125-$375) is hard to resist. For our bedroom, we’re harking after a Moroccan ottoman ($1,295) and stunning Venetian mirror ($5,800).

A girl can dream, as long as it’s in colour.

Artifacts, 1170 Yonge St., Toronto, 416-961-1058.

Fashion people know the power of a signature accessory. For Coco Chanel, it was strands of pearls—for Iris Apfel it’s her round, oversized glasses.

Make a statement this winter with a single, standout accessory. At new bauble boutique Coco & Jules you’ll find lots to inspire you.

Owner Diana Dowson has assembled a delightful mix of pieces from ornate deco-style chandelier earrings ($100-$500) to playful Alice bands and feathered berets ($18-$50) to striking cuffs, rings and necklaces by Myka ($40-$300).

Our signature accessory is a memorable scarf, and between the Peruvian alpaca wool shawls ($100-$200) and gorgeous cashmere Tilo scarves ($50-$250), there are plenty to choose from.

Not yet got yours? Let Coco & Jules help you decide.

Coco & Jules, 1013 Yonge St., Toronto, 416-921-8222.

Whether you take it strong and sweet or light and lemony, tea is the perfect feel-good bevy for those blistery winter days ahead.

With tea shops sprouting up all over town, getting a good cuppa is easier than ever. But true connoisseurs know to head to the House of Tea, where even the pickiest drinker can find the perfect blend among the hundreds of green tins that line the shop walls. Owner Marisha Golla’s credentials as a tea taster in her native Sri Lanka mean you are in good hands.

We leave armed with a classic Earl Grey, a lemony herbal brew and a delightful Rooibos Chocolate Truffle for those special Sunday afternoons by the fire.

House of Tea, 1017 Yonge St., Toronto, 416-922-1226, www.houseoftea.ca

Off to the cottage this weekend but fallen behind on your summer prep? At-home DIY jobs may suffice for pedis and bronzing but ladies, please leave bikini waxing to the professionals.

Thankfully the Civello experience (recommended to us by a savvy reader) is 100 per cent anxiety-free. The ambiance is soothing, the aestheticians are perfectionists and, since they only use Aveda’s natural plant wax, it’s as gentle as a Brazilian ($50) can be.

Be warned, appointments at Rosedale can get booked out quickly so put down the Nair and dial now.

Civello Rosedale, 887 Yonge St., Toronto, 416-924-9244, http://civello.com

Living the life we dream of, Cathy Belzberg travels the globe in search of unique baubles, caftans and cashmeres to bring home to her style-savvy Toronto clientele.

And after years of selling bijoux out of her Forest Hill home Belzberg has finally set up shop with a little studio space on MacPherson.

Anyone who’s traveled to Turkey, Greece or Israel will be familiar with the ubiquitous evil eye, and at Cathy B the selection is vast, with charms ($395) in every colour.

From Indian brass bangles to Moroccan silver, every drawer of this jewellery box is stuffed with unusual finds, making it hard to leave empty handed.

We’ve got our eye on a braided knot gold cuff ($135, picutred) that looks like it came from a boutique in Mykonos.

At least, that’s the story we’ll be telling.

Cathy B, 225A Macpherson Ave., Toronto, 416-916-7826, www.cathybjewelry.com

Freshly baked bread is one way to entice prospective homebuyers, but if you’re really in a bind, we say wow them with a scent that is totally unique.

Cire Trudon, founded in Paris in 1643, is the oldest candle-maker in the world and was official supplier of candles to the court at Versailles (supplying Louis XIV, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette).

Perfumes include the wonderfully smoky “Ernesto” and “Spiritus Sancti,” which conjures the rich scent of church incense. Our choice is the fresh minty scent of Abd el Kader.

The wick is made from organic cotton and the deep green glass casing is made by hand in an old glassworks at Vinci in Tuscany. Even the gold labels are made by an ancient champagne house.

No other flame holds a candle to it.

$89 at Putti, 1104 Yonge St.,Toronto, 416-972-7652, www.putti.ca

Ever wonder how American Vogue editrix Anna Wintour gets her bob so impeccably sleek? Rumour has it that a pro hairstylist swings by every morning to tend to her tresses before the magazine maven even steps outside.

While a personal coiffeur may be a tall order for most, an occasional visit to Rosedale’s Blow Dry Lounge (from $35) will breathe new life into limp locks.

Veteran stylist Beni Sicilia is a master with a roller brush: “You should never tug or use force. It’s a slow, gentle movement.”

The salon opens at 7 a.m., to get the pre-work set ready, and stays open as late as 9 p.m. for party gals in need of that finishing touch.

Now that our mane is as perfectly styled as Ms. Wintour's, all we need is her wardrobe.

Blow Dry Lounge, 1343 Yonge St., Toronto, 416-847-2569, www.blowdrylounge.ca