We are SO excited to announce the upcoming launch of “Between the Sheets”, our brand new Au Lit Fine Linens blog. We’ll be combining our efforts to bring you the best information, inspiration and tips all in one place.

We appreciate all of the support you’ve giving us on the LIV blog over the past couple of years, and we hope that you will continue to follow us on “Between the Sheets”. Stay tuned for the official launch date!

Thanks to Emily of Cupcakesandcashmere.com for featuring us on her blog today! She mentioned her new beautiful scalloped & monogrammed Au Lit sheets in her Five Things post…

We can monogram anything – your initials, your full name or even a cute slogan (I LOVE MOM!) We offer a HUGE range of colours. Monogramming starts at $25.00 for the first 3 letters and $6 for every additional letter. (Custom designs are priced on an individual basis.)

As for the sheets, (the most important part) all of our linens are woven in Italy and sewn in Canada. We have lots of different thread-counts to choose from. (If you’ve never slept in Egyptian cotton/Italian-woven sheets, you will experience an incredible difference. It’s worth the investment, trust me!)

We take customer feedback very seriously and are constantly striving to improve our products and services.

Recently we noticed that our Au Lit pillow wasn’t getting the positive reaction we’ve come to expect, so we decided to try it out for ourselves.  Our customers were right: we found it to be slightly too firm. Although everyone liked the price of the Au Lit pillow ($120 Standard), they were willing to pay more for that perfect fit. As you know, good value is really important to us, so we wanted to continue to offer a reasonably priced, 100% goose down pillow that our customers would adore.

Over the past few months, we’ve been working with our down manufacturer to find a solution. We started experimenting by adjusting the amounts of down in each pillow and trying different shells with different thread-counts. After multiple samples and several restless nights of testing, we finally achieved success! Decreasing the amount of down by a couple of ounces for a softer loft and upgrading the thread-count on the shell has completely transformed this pillow. The Au Lit pillow is now new and improved,  providing a perfect mix of soft to medium support and best of all, at exactly the same price!

The feedback has been fantastic so far and it’s become my new favourite pillow to recommend to all my friends and family. It’s perfectly squishy, but still supportive.

Considering the quality of this pillow, you will have a hard time finding better value elsewhere. If you see down pillows at a box store or discount store at a so called “bargain prices” you can bet it’s not the real thing. With down products, as with anything that is an investment, you get what you pay for.

You may have heard about http://sixitemsorless.com/
It challenges people to wear only six items or less for 30 days and blog about their experiences while doing it. (the six items do not include shoes, accessories, undergarments or outerwear) This inspired us to come up with some tips on how to do this at LIV.

For our six items we chose a pair of black leggings, dark wash skinny jeans, a black blazer, a long sweater, a dress and a long sleeve top to mix and match for the 30 days. We were able to come up with 10 different outfits using these pieces. It was important to choose items which were solids and didn’t have much pattern, so they would be less memorable when worn over again. We also tried to pick pieces that could be layered so that we weren’t just matching 3 tops to 3 bottoms. Of course, we used different accessories to create visual interest and diversity for day to day wear (which is allowed) and shoes would help achieve this as well.

Here’s what we came up with:

Overall, it’s a great little experiment to try out in your own closet. It forces you to get creative with what you have and helps to determine what you might need to complete some awesome new looks. With our sale still going on, the total cost of the six items selected for our experiment was $552! For 10 new outfits thats a great deal! Who’s up for the challenge?

We are often asked at Liv the best way to care for our beautiful Au Lit linens. Since the white sale is in full swing, what better time to let you know the best way to care for your linens. Here is what we recommend:

Machine wash your linens in cold or lukewarm water using a mild detergent. Avoid detergents that contain bleach, ammonia or enzymes as they may cause discolouration. Cotton satin linens should be washed in cold water before use to set the fibres and prevent pilling.

Hang to dry. Do not use the dryer as the heat destroys the natural fibres and will considerably shorten the life of your linens. Press, if necessary, while damp. Be aware that skin creams and beauty products may stain or discolour your linens.

Follow this and you will be enjoying your Au Lit linens for years to come!

LIKE A FINE BOTTLE OF WINE, A CLASSIC CROCODILE SKIN CLUTCH AGES BEAUTIFULLY AND NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE

I saw this post on jak&jil.com quite some time ago… It’s a reminder that when you invest in quality items, they usually age beautifully and stand the test of time. Like a great pair of leather boots or a well-made clutch, our Au Lit Fine Linens sheets will get better and softer over time.

So few companies are producing quality materials these days, it can be challenging to know exactly what you’re purchasing,or  how and where it was manufactured. My advice: do your research and find a company you can trust. We’ve stayed true to who we are for the past 30 years. We continue to change the way people sleep, using some of the best Europeen fabrics and producing our linens here in Canada.

In case you missed Au Lit (our sister store) on Cityline yesterday, view the entire episode by clicking on the image above. All of the towels featured are available at Au Lit Fine Linens.

I’d like to believe that our beds at LIV are the most luxurious and not to mention cozy beds that can be found in the Greater Toronto Area.

Bella Notte bedding is gorgeous looking. It’s available in many colours and fabrics. Bedding that your heart desires.

Our very own Lavato line mixed in with Chelsea Stripe. Casual, livable luxury.

For a natural color and comfort go with natural linen.

“Nobody minds having what is too good for them” Jane Austin knew what she was talking about. And when it comes to bedding, so do we!
Oh and last but not least, our summer sale is in full swing. Our bedding is now at 20% off!

We wanted to share some of our top Gift Ideas for your mom this Mother’s Day.

1-”Mother & Child Companion” Book
Excellent choice for a new mom. It’s a great resource for stories, fun projects and recipes. Love the retro cover!

2-Dogeared Necklace
You can’t go wrong with Dogeared. Not only is the jewelry beautiful, but each piece also comes with a special message which makes it perfect for gift giving.

3-Lollia Bath Products
Most moms could use a little pampering! We have a wide variety of Lollia products to choose from. Soaps, handcreams, bubble baths, candles… she won’t be able to get enough of these pretty packages and sensational scents.

4-Luxury Bath Robe
Another great way to pamper her is with this luxurious hotel-style waffle bath robe. Crisp, clean and very cozy!

5-LIV by Au Lit Gift Card
And last but not least, let Mom pick out exactly what she wants with a LIV gift card!

I don’t know about you, but I’m always trying to find ways to get that natural, fresh face look especially during the warmer months. So, I thought this was a great little “how-to” video on some simple make-up tips for Spring and Summer.

The most important item in my makeup bag is probably my “Mr.Frosty” by Benefit. I use it on my upper cheek bones and around my eyes to get that soft glow. What’s your “must-have” makeup item for the season?