Christmas shopping sparkles, N1, E1

So here starts the Christmas shopping adventure (terribly late I know - let's keep this from my family, eh?) with the extra obstacle of heaps of snow it was pretty quiet...but looked pretty too...which made it all worthwhile.

But sadly no one knows when I will *actually* buy my Christmas presents and stop looking at this bunch of lovely interiors shops...

Smug is already one of favourite reasons to visit Angel, N1. You'll find the best collection of cute quirky homewares, furniture and accessories including Donna Wilson cosies (this scarf is wild) and perfectly chosen vintage accessories. As Smug are extra nice they have even spoiled us with a whole extra floor for Christmas.

Aria is always worth a stop to get a modern furniture fix and the coolest gadgets you'll ever need for the kitchen.

Loving this vintage look in Oliver Bonas...

Spitalfield's look very well suited to the snow...the market was packed I'm pleased to say. I also managed to sneak a look at the new branch of The Lollipop Shoppe, one of my Brighton faves that has now made it to London too.

A special extended Sunday Up Market on Brick Lane offered a cool collection of vintage clothes, one-off accessories and perhaps the biggest Christmas decoration I have even laid my eyes on.

But this bathroom shop in Crystal Palace won the festive decoration competition by a country mile...tinsel sink anyone??

Brick Lane, E1

I headed EAST this weekend and found a few new gems while checking up on some of my old favourites...

First stop...Labour and Wait my fail safe shop for kitchenware, it never lets me down with the most stylish utilitarian simplicity that can't go wrong in my kitchen (or anyone else's really - you're guaranteed to see me laden down here on Christmas Eve).

This time the purpose for my visit was to check out the new store on Redchurch Street just off Brick Lane. Where you can now find your beautiful paired-down pots, pans, linens and even clothing in the signature 50s style in this new shop Mon-Sat.

While the original Cheshire Street store will be open on Sunday, for the super busy Brick Lane Sunday shopper I presume. The new addition is still as perfectly simple inside as the first store, the outside is another treat as the building itself is a reclaimed Truman Brewery pub, as you can see from the fabulous green tiles.

I also stumbled across Speedie's Retro Kitsch Furniture shop a couple of doors down. Any shop with deck chairs outside gets my vote...There is a great collection inside including full vintage kitchens (hobs, cabinets, you name it), tonnes of record players (amazingly still working I hear) and plenty of cool one-off pieces of furniture at really good prices for this central location.

I'm coveting this stool currently...

And am keen on these coffee tables too - typical of Speedie's 60s style. They also offer most pleasing London-flat-friendly-sized pieces, which is always good to hear.

Just around the corner (past the fixie polo players usually) is Unto this Last which deserves a proper post of its on one day when I have the chance to fully explore the contemporary hand crafted furniture workshop. In short: cool, original, hand-crafted, stacked wood pieces that they can adapt to fit any room I'm sure.

Brick Lane's markets as usual held a few gems and some over-pricing. I did rather like the cool Art Deco lines of this old gramophone though.

The Brick Lane area always throws up some new surprises. I love how this simple shop front design has escaped onto the building of a new store on the corner of Bethnal Green Road. Always something new round the corner...always worth a visit.