When our jewelry comes packaged with a certificate that says “Wear this small yet powerful Love Medal to maintain an incorruptible kinship of spirit and truth,” we follow orders, sir!

You can expect a certificate with every piece from Love Medals, a jewelry collection by Emily Carr graduate Talia Tanaka. Featuring military-style pins, necklaces, and bracelets cast in bronze, gold, or silver, with luxurious ribbon trim and the option to add Canadian diamonds, her statement jewelry is allowing us to decorate ourselves.

So after the Valentine’s Day battle to secure a date and good reservations, give yourself a medal for bravery, honour and strength. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Beloved Medal, $183, from Love Medals, www.lovemedals.com

Our favourite home décor oxymoron of the moment? Refined rustic.

It captures the aesthetic of Much & Little, a quaint new Main Street shop filled with beautiful, humble homeware. Like traditional blue-and-white Turkish bath towels ($68.00) that can be used as anything from table cloths to beach towels, Pendleton fabric eye masks ($35.00) to match our Navajo throws, and some of the coolest DIY supplies we’ve ever spotted — Merchant & Mills Oilskin Bag Kits ($110).

It’s proof that less is more. —Kelsey Dundon

Much & Little, 2541 Main St., Vancouver, 604-709-9034, www.muchandlittle.com

One of the best ways to beat the winter blues is to book a holiday as far away as possible from the cold. Of course you’ll need some new threads to go with that holiday. Here are some of the best resort 2012 dresses, depending on your holiday budget.

Hut on a private dock in the Maldives
A dream holiday deserves a gorgeous dress, and this Jason Wu number fits the bill. $1785 from The Room at The Bay, 674 Granville St., Vancouver, 604-754-4672, www.thebay.com

Villa in Bali
This candy pink Sachin + Baby dress has discreet woven pleats and will be perfect for dinners overlooking the sunset. $532 from Violet Boutique, 3012 Granville St., Vancouver, 604-569-1514, www.violetboutique.ca

Hotel in Hawaii
Allison Wonderland’s belted pink dress can be worn barefoot on the beach, or with flat sandals whilst sipping Blue Hawaiis. $184 from www.allisonwonderland.ca

Timeshare in Mexico
This dress’ loose back leaves lots of room for a cooling breeze, and we love the abstract painted print. $69.95 from H&M Pacific Centre, 609 Granville St., Vancouver, 604-692-0308, www.hm.ca —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Forget Blair Waldorf’s flowers and bows, we’re looking to the roaring '20s for our new headband inspirations and it looks like we are not the only ones:

1) Marc Jacobs channeled the '20s for both his and Louis Vuitton’s S/S 2012 collections.

2) We don’t think it’s a coincidence that this year also marks the release of The Great Gatsby in which Daisy Buchanan sports an array of chic Art Deco-inspired headbands.

3) Actress Michelle Williams got an early start on Jazz Age flare with her vintage Art Deco band from Fred Leighton.

4) We can’t help but to see double with this crystal dazzler by New York-based milliner Jennifer Behr.

Now if can only get our hands on a flapper dress or two.

—Anya Georgijevic

$299 at Sophie’s Closet, www.shopatsophiescloset.com

So we are halfway through January, and our fitness resolutions are either boring us to death, or out the door.

The best way to re-invigorate your exercise routine? Some new activewear (and we aren’t talking the same old yoga pants.) Check out Michi, a collection of fashion forward workout gear inspired by lingerie. Designed by a Canadian (we know our sportswear!) the collection features leggings, tank tops, and sports bras that will keep us looking good from the gym to the coffee shop and finally, to the bedroom (wink, wink.) That’s the REAL reason we are working out, isn’t it? —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

From $80 and free shipping, at Michi, www.michiny.com

We all brag about how fantastic our local mountains are, so let’s put our money where our mouth is, and start supporting our local mountain’s brands too.

Nibz is a Whistler-based ski and snowboard bandana brand founded by a professional female snowboard athlete, Sara Niblock. She started making the bandanas when she broke her back, and her triple layer construction works brilliantly to wick moisture and keep your face warm when you are out on the slopes.

With a huge variety of prints and solid colours, it will be easy to choose a pattern. Less easy to board as well as her. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

$29.99 from Nibz.ca, www.nibz.bigcartel.com

We may not be in Rio to bring in the New Year, but there’s no reason we can’t celebrate like the Brazilians.

Their New Years celebrations involve dressing all in white, flocking to the beach after midnight, jumping seven waves, and throwing flowers into the sea. Ok, this might be tough for our Calgary readers, the Montreal and Toronto folk won’t want to be anywhere near a beach in this weather, and Vancouverites wait until New Years day to jump into the ocean (nope, you won’t be seeing this editor at the Polar Bear swim.) But there’s no reason why you can’t wear a white dress.

We love this Ann Demeul.Blanche dress from Luisa Via Roma. It is a bit pricey, but fits in great with the spring summer 2012 white dress trends, and this lovely drapy shape will get you through spring parties and summer weddings. Our tip: tanned skin (fake or real) looks great with a white dress. And then you can imagine you got some sun in Brazil. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

$864.81 at www.luisaviaroma.com

We know, we know, this time of year we should be shopping for other people.

But espace d., Yaletown’s brand new home accessories destination, is filled with such stunningly beautiful objets, we can’t help but add to our own wish list. Colourful glass boxes from littalia ($47) are begging for a spot on our desk. Textured pewter pillows from Britain’s Mumo ($130) would be the ideal finishing touch to our living room. And the inventively wrapped soaps from Paris’s cousu de fil blanc ($16 each) would look dapper beside our sink.

Sometimes it’s better to receive than to give. —Kelsey Dundon

espace d. 1108 Richards Street, Vancouver, 604-662-3008, www.espacedonline.com

Presents are wrapped, turkey is ordered, and most importantly, the wine rack is stocked. But you need a few more bits to fill up the stockings!

For the tots…
Santoy’s wooden foods are non-toxic and made from renewable rubber wood trees, plus they look super cute. Stick a boiled egg, a piece of toast, a banana, or a bunch of grapes into your little one’s stockings. From $2.25 to $5.99 each at Dilly Dally Kids, 1161 Commercial Dr., Vancouver, 604-252-9727, www.dillydallykids.ca

For the lover of stuff…
Tools: Real Stuff for Future Classics is a limited edition publication by HUGE magazine’s new book label. It is a catalogue of stuff, featuring “tools” we use in our everyday life, outside and inside. $35 from Inventory Stockroom, 45 Powell St., Vancouver, 604-568-5889 www.stockroom.inventorymagazine.com

For the gourmande…
Ayala Moriel perfumes and Cocoanymph chocolates have teamed up to make these fragrant chocolate bars. Put a White Potion bar into a foodie’s stocking, it is made of tuberose, roasted almonds, and coconut and will be a feast for the senses. $12 from CocoaNymph Chocolates & Confections, 3739 W. 10th Ave., Vancouver, 604-222-4477, www.cocoanymph.com

For the fairest of them all…
You can never go wrong with beauty products in a stocking. For her, throw in a Too Faced Glamour To Go palette (with 8 shadows, blush, lip gloss, and bronzer), for him, Crown Shaving Company’s soothing after shave. Too Faced palette, $29 from Sephora, Pacific Centre, 701 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, 778-331-3942, www.sephora.com Aftershave, $18 from BeautyMark, 1268 Pacific Ave., Vancouver, 604-642-2294, www.beautymark.ca

For everyone…
A mandarin orange at the bottom of the stocking is a tradition at our house, and let’s face it, it may be the only piece of fruit you eat over the next few days. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Like us, you probably like to buy local, but are always tempted by online shopping; it is so much easier to drag yourself to your laptop, than downtown.

LYNNSteven, one of our favourite Gastown boutiques, will let us do both. They’ve just launched an online store, and we could suggest buying some Christmas presents, but we think it might be time to treat ourselves. How about the McGinn Sara knit dress ($220), the Ela Lady bag ($480) or Granted’s Three Horse vest ($242,) perfect garb for hitting the shops and buying gifts.

After all, the best presents are always from me to me. You get exactly what you want. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

LYNNsteven Boutique, 225 Carrall St., Vancouver, 604-899-0808, www.lynnsteven.com