Much too lovely for laundry, we first spied industrial-style canvas storage baskets displaying French baguette at an East Vancouver bakery. Next we discovered one in a photography studio bathroom in Toronto holding artfully arranged toilet paper rolls.

Now, we’ve found a local source in new-to-Vancouver design outpost Style Garage which stocks the original 1921 version. Sturdy enough for firewood, handy for kids toys, all we know the only place they won’t be hiding is the laundry room. —Sarah Bancroft

From $95 at Style Garage, 125 W Hastings St., Vancouver, 604-558-4343 and 938 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-534-4343, www.stylegarage.com

The title quote is probably one of Yves Saint Laurent’s most recognizable sayings, and now we can mount his words on our wall.

Fashionotes.com has just launched a series of posters called Fashionable Faces, featuring the illustrated face of some of the world’s most recognizable fashion designers, paired with one of their quotes. Some of them are very positive, like Diane Von Furstenberg’s saying about being happy with yourself, others a bit crazy, like Valentino’s rant against short evening gowns. And some sum up the designer very, very well, like this one from Karl Lagerfeld: “I’m very down to earth. I’m just not from this earth.” —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Fashionable Faces posters, $30 plus shipping, at Fashionotes, www.fashionotes.com

Six-thousand-square-foot loft. Features brick walls, exposed beams and tons of natural light.

No, it’s not our place. It’s Montauk Sofa’s brand new Gastown digs. The Canadian company (each piece is made in Montreal) is much lauded for its aesthetic, which manages to be sleek and inviting at the same time. It’s that warm, modern look that makes the new space so open and airy. And it’s outfitted with impeccably designed furniture, to boot.

So, ahh… when can we move in? —Kelsey Dundon

Montauk Sofa, 228 Abbott St., Vancouver, 604-331-2363, www.montauksofa.com

Creamy, classic and made from materials you already have, ceramic dipped silk flowers are an easy art project with big impact.

The project is the brainchild of uber crafter Danny Seo whose book, Upcycling, digs into your junk drawers and storage closets for dozens of projects that take what you already have and turn it into something you want to put on display.

Supplies
Plaster of Paris, silk flowers, a basket and a chunk of Styrofoam, all of which can be purchased at Michael’s.

Method
1. First, mix plaster of Paris according to the instructions making sure there are no lumps.
2. Next, dip silk flowers one at a time into the plaster, shaking it off to remove excess plaster.
3. Place the plaster-covered flowers in a Styrofoam block to dry.
4. Dip the flowers in the plaster again until there is no colour peeking through and let them dry again.
5. Use the excess plaster to paint a basket or bowl.
6. Arrange the plaster-covered flowers in that plaster-covered basket.

Voila. Like magic, or old-fashioned craftiness, you have created a centrepiece your friends will covet.

—Jaelyn Molyneux

Somehow you’ve been finagled into throwing a baby shower for your university BFF. Oh did we say finagled? We mean joyously volunteered, of course.

But between work and life, finding the time to cut the crust off cucumber sandwiches and make baby shower bingo cards has been majorly stressful. Save your sanity with delicate macarons by Kitchening With Carly. The delicious 12-piece assorted boxes include flavours like pistachio, espresso and chai; set them out with some tea and sit back as everyone oohs and ahhhs over footie pajamas.

You might get away with serving the Merlot in red plastic cups after all. —Maria Tallarico

12 for $24 (free delivery for a limited time), www.kitcheningwithcarly.com

Here at Vitamin Daily we try and avoid writing about gimmicky products, so when we first heard about Shape Your Bootie, we thought it wasn’t really our thing.

But after testing the product, we realized it is very much our thing. Shape Your Bootie are boot shapers, flat plastic discs that are rolled up and placed inside the leg of your boots to hold them upright while being stored. Not only is this product great for keeping out the creases in our expensive leather boots, easy to store when not in use (they are flat!) but also so much more practical than rolled up magazines (which we’ve used in the past.)

And at $6 each, they are very cheap compared to the price of our boots. Very. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

$6 each including tax, buy three get one free, Shape Your Bootie,  www.bootshapers.ca

Frankincense and Myrrh are fragrant and festive, but the scent of maple syrup best suits our Canuck sniffer.

Inside a classic maple syrup can from Quebec, Roots’ maple candle is made from organic soy wax with a natural wood wick that actually crackles when lit.

It would make a great stocking stuffer, that is, if we hadn’t already used it to trick the significant other into walking up early Saturday morning to help with Christmas shopping.

$14 at Roots, www.canada.roots.com

If your kitchen counters look like Best Buy on Boxing Day, with a tangle of cords, rechargers and miscellaneous electronics, The Sanctuary is your safe haven.

A universal charging dock compatible with 1,500 devices from iPods to cell phones to digital cameras, it’s a sleek black or white square where everything has its place.

That is, until your stiletto goes through your BlackBerry and your iPhone becomes the property of Yellow Cab.

$129.95 at http://www.bluelounge.com

If hockey is our national sport, then cabining is our national leisure.

And if ever there were an official supplier of cool cabin décor, The Souvenir Shop could stake claim. The site, which features all kinds of clever Canadiana from young red-and-white-blooded designers, is brimming with mod little masterpieces and tongue-in-cheek collectibles to spruce up your abode outside city limits.

Brighten up your bunk: vintage scarf bedspread ($525).

Animalize the mantle: bad beaver vase ($100).

A surreal lifesaver: fur lifejacket ($500).

A real lifesaver: tent peg bottle opener ($30).

Most pieces are limited run or one-of-kind, so chop chop! Canoes, you lose!

www.thesouvenirshop.ca

From a quickie in the bedroom to a fine Finnish boutique,here are your top 10 favourite daily doses of 2007, based on the percentage of you who clicked through to the website for more.

1. Canada’s first Marimekko store in Yaletown had us seeing stripes for days.

2. You were sold on the fashion-forward lines at 212, and the fashion model owner didn’t hurt, either.

3. Everybody needed a guilty pleasure, and our five favourite celebrity gossip blogs definitely did the trick.

4. You picked up last-minute holiday gifts (and a little something for yourself, we hope) at sweet online boutique Lavish and Lime.

5. We couldn’t wait for fall to slip on sweaters from local line Kersh.

6. The line-up outside Holts said it all: this eco-chic “it” bag by Anya Hindmarch was a hit.

7. Fashionistas flocked to Vancouver’s hottest fashion secret: Erin Templeton’s Chinatown boutique.

8. It seems everyone wanted a little something extra in the bedroom, hence the popularity of One + Only stretched canvass headboards.

9. Cheerful totes from local Ellis Designs were a spring hit: we predict the same in 2008.

10. Sprucing up the sheets was as easy as EQ3.