If your aesthetic is Hollace Cluny but your budget is Ikea, why not spruce up the Ektorp with some colourful hand-crafted cushions from Australian designer Megan Park?

The pillows (from $47) are made from silks, linen and cashmere and are embellished with embroidery, beading and fringing. Mix in as many prints as possible for a look that is playful, bold and entirely your own.

At Hollace Cluny, 1070 Yonge St., Toronto, 416-968-7894, www.hollacecluny.ca

Some websites take invite-only shopping way too seriously. Since when did we need to apply (with a personal essay) to buy a blouse?

Sites like ReFashioner peak our interest a whole lot more. Branded as a ‘swap heaven’ this is the place to go to trade in your Margiela ankle booties for Balenciaga pumps that actually fit.

“Your mistakes and one-wear-wonders become valuable assets. Refresh your wardrobe without spending the earth.”

You’ll find all sorts of designer duds from Lanvin, Prada and Rick Owens, plus a smattering of vintage offerings.

Point, click and swap.

$5 fee is charged per swap; www.refashioner.com

If your skin is winter worn, try a homemade scrub before splurging on expensive salts and lousy loofahs:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup grapeseed or olive oil
A splash of vanilla extract (or your favourite essential oil)
Stir and slough away.

Step aside Nigella, there’s a new goddess in the kitchen whipping up wholesome treats like cauliflower cheese, pear and ginger muffins and grilled bananas with Greek yogurt and agave.

Model turned writer, Sophie Dahl brings a sweet, nostalgic voice to the subject of food in her first cookbook, Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights ($36.99). “A welcome dream was a cloud made of trifle, a slick spring bubbling with chocolate or a fountain bursting with forbidden Sprite or Cherry Coke, ” she writes in her intro.

Herewith, a recipe for Clover Dahl's (Sophie’s younger sister) Carnation milk jelly:

1 packet strawberry jelly

125ml cup hot water

1 can evaporated milk

Slices of strawberry, swirls of cream and curls of chocolate to decorate (optional)

Dissolve the jelly in the hot water. When the mixture is cool, whisk in the evaporated milk until the mixture is thick and frothy. Leave it to set for at least two hours. Cover the jelly with strawberry slices, swirls of cream and curls of grated chocolate, if you wish - the camper the better, really.

At Good Egg, 267 Augusta Ave.,Toronto, 416-593-4663, www.goodegg.ca

If an apple of day keeps the doctor away, we've got an MD in Triple Jim's Crispy Organic Apple Chips.

Grown and manufactured in B.C., these tasty apple chips  are completely natural—and addictive. They make a perfect afternoon snack or post-dinner sweet treat.

Apples for dessert? Aren't you clever now.

Triple Jim's Crispy Organic Apple Chips, $3.99 (or 2 bags/$5 on sale now) at Whole Foods, www.wholefoods.com