ME AND YOU DONALD, ME AND YOU

Architects and interior designers are in agreement: regardless of the size of a client's home or size of a project, the one thing everyone wants is more storage. I suppose that's the only thing Donald Trump and I have in common regarding real estate. This solution from GRANIT is more of a show-off than hide-away, but it looks good. 

IMAGE: GRANIT

WINTER'S OPENING ACT

While we're trodding on ice and plowing through snow already here in the very North as usual, the rest of the country is mesmerized (agonized?) by the early show of snow. This is a photo from Steinsöya in Romsdal.
 IMAGE BY EGIL. G O VIA FLICKR

LADY MARMALADE

One of my passions in life is... making jam and marmalades. It's a peculiar thing, I know, but I can't help it. This year I'm considering making a few jars as neighbour gifts with string, a simple tag and a sprig for embellishment. Pair with cheese and bread and merry christmas to all! Too bad I don't live even remotely close to an IKEA, where this perfectly sized and perfectly priced jar Korken is to be found. 

IMAGE: PRODUCT IMAGE IKEA.COM

DOWNSIZING

I have been wanting to try my hands at creating a Finnish himmeli this fall. So here I am, pacing around the apartment, trying to find a good spot for one. Can't say that it's going particularly well. I might have to settle for a bunch of small stars. Instructions from Slöjd i Väst HERE. 

IMAGE: SLÖJD I VÄST VIA 365SLÖJD.SE

WHITE AND BRIGHT

Speaking of glögg... Every year polls show that a great number of children in Scandinavia, and I bet it's the same all over the world, dread the holiday season. Since party season commences in November, consider this an early reminder. If your festivities include children, please adjust drinking plans accordingly.
IMAGE: PRESS IMAGE VIT JUL, PHOTOGRAPHER PERNILLA FÖRNES

PIXIE CUPS

Katarina Brieditis expertly combines modern and folklore influences, in this whimsical pattern for

Swedish porcelain producer Rörstrand. Rather charming. Because of the intense sweetness, spices, and strong alcohol, glögg servings are traditionally diminuitive. These cups hold 12 cl. 

IMAGE: PRESS IMAGE RÖRSTRAND

WINTER

Tromsö ca 1930.
IMAGE: PERSPEKTIVET MUSEUM

NEVER TOO LATE TO START ANEW?

Not one, but two macbooks committed suicide in our home, erasing all the hundreds of photos, images and interviews in store for this blog. I must admit it's quite a sordine on my enthusiasm.

After a few days on and off, our winter is finally ready for a serious commitment, blanketing the landscape and erasing the distiction between mountaintops and sky. I'll follow suit and fire up the engines again. By november, this blog should be back in full swing!

BUMP IN THE ROAD

Aaargh. Anyone who's been in my shoes will understand the frustration of complete hard disk melt down and the famous WSOD (white screen of death).

We'll be back soon, but not today. Sigh.

SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT?

SHINE A LIGHT

Yesterday at the Nobel museum, one laureate communicated even to our three year old the concept of the field of work for which she was awarded. Mother Theresa was quoted saying: "Peace begins with a smile." 

Designed by jewish designer Josef Frank in 1938, this brass or silverplated candelabra was named the "knot of friendship" as a symbol for peace and friendship. Available at Svenskt Tenn.  

IMAGE: SVENSKT TENN

UNDERNEATH A CHESTNUT TREE

If there is one thing I miss in the North during fall, it is chestnut trees. Today, this old knuckly tree is where we're heading after a stroll through the old town in Stockholm and visiting the Nobel museum.
IMAGE: JAF-PHOTO VIA FLICKR

PSSST...

The Spanish edition of IKEA's christmas catalogue has leaked... read it here.
VIA VÅR VITA JUL

WHO WHOO THERE?

Not exactly a bird lover, I still adore the silhouettes from Wildlife Garden. Perhaps an owl would keep other guests away from our balcony. Scrubbing off purple bird poop stains during blueberry season is not a favourite activity of mine. A nice porch addition for those that are Halloweenishly inclined as well. 

IMAGE: WILDLIFE GARDEN WEBSHOP

HOMEWARD BOUND

After a nice visit in Stockholm, it's time to plan for a return to the fjords and the mountains. Two different, but immensely beautiful, places. J'ai deux amours.

MY BUNS, MY BUNS, MY LOVELY...

It's cinnamon bun day in Sweden. What a country.

ORDINARY EXTRAORDINARY

The shape and the production is the same today as it was 150 years ago, and the raw material is local clay from Gränsfors. Gränsfors Krukmakeri is a small family business now in the hands of its fourth generation, and one of two remaining potteries in Sweden. That in itself is remarkable.
IMAGE: NORRGAVEL:SE

DRAG QUEENS

Furniture on wheels. The unsung heroes of compact living. Since the industrial trend caught on, these helpers don't have to be tucked away in closets any longer. I'm trying to locate the measuring tape and see if one of them can be upgraded into art supply cart.  The nice carts and baskets shown here come from GRANIT, the Swedish storage solutions company.
IMAGES: PRODUCT IMAGES GRANIT 

NEW HANG UPS

That heavy handbag that sits on the floor by the entrance at the end of the day door needs a space of its own. Regular hooks give the handles an ugly shape, and if it sits on the floor it loses it's structure and shape. This might be the perfect solution. Originally intended for metal baskets from Korbo, but considering the size of my handbags the difference might only be one of opinion. 
IMAGE: LÄNNA MÖBLER WEBSHOP

I LOVE MY HOME TOWN

Stockholm City, this afternoon.
PHOTO BY AUGUST LINNMAN

KARL ANDERSSON & SÖNER

In 1898 cabinet maker Karl Andersson began making furniture for friends and family. Four generations later there is nothing nostalgic about their designs, but a genuine love for craftmanship and quality remains. If you're tired of the ubiquitous Aalto and Jacobsen, browse around Karl Andersson & Söner to more contemporary favourites. I am in love with their tables.
IMAGE: PRESS IMAGE KARL ANDERSSON & SÖNER; USED WITH PERMISSION

JAG VILL GÅ I BARNDOM

My first pair of shoes were from Kavat, the Swedish shoe company founded in 1945. They premiered their first collection for adults in 2011 and I am trying to hunt down a pair of Amanda this week.

Kavat in Swedish means bold, brave, or plucky, and I think I might need that in my stride as the fierce storms of fall are approaching the Norwegian coastline.  

IMAGE: KAVAT ONLINE SHOP

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!

Fiftyseven days until the Polar night falls. We enjoy every single ray of sun mirrored in nature's bright colours.

FAREWELL, MIDNIGHT SUN

It's been a cold, rainy summer, but we're rewarded for our patience with sunny fall afternoons. Shadows are growing longer with every day. The sun is setting an hour earlier, and rises an hour later with every week that passes. Heavy fog, thick as cream, embraces the island every morning. Fall in these mountains has a spellbinding beauty, but the cold mornings remind us that winter is already preparing its journey to our corner of the earth.

See you in October.
IMAGE: PHOTOGRAPHER MARK LEDINGHAM

END OF SEASON

Easter has come and gone, and Christmas season 2011-2012 is officially over regardless of which degree of christian "orthodoxicity" one may adher to. It was fun to try out the waters this year, and we look forward to kickstarting in October again. Thank you for visiting us!

SUN AND SNOW

What a great combination it is.
IMAGE: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF NORWAY

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

As much as I adore the clear Aalto vases we have, they are too wide for just a small bouqet of flowers. After searching high and low I might have found the perfect complement. Olympia is made in crystal glass, in three sizes, and is designed by none other than Ingegerd Råman for Skruf. How did they not show up on my radar until now?
IMAGE: NORRGAVEL

THE GREAT DANES

Great great great design. Bonbonnieres in my favourite colour spectrum from Danish Uh la la Ceramics. The only problem is that I can't choose one, as they come in both glossy and matte, pastels and rustic. It'd be great to have one with salt and one with pepper on the dinner table.  But it's so boring to choose black and white when there's such a lovely range of alternatives. 

IMAGE: UH LA LA CERAMICS

RISKY BUSINESS

Husband is skiing today despite the avalanche warnings. I wonder if I should've used my veto today. Then again, what kind of wife would I be to stand between my husband and skiing experiences like these? This photo is from Skervassbuen.
IMAGE: DAVE HANLON

FLITTER FLUTTER

Educational and pretty. What a good combination. I'll hand out a pop quiz every friday. My poor family. Butterfly poster from Liljebergs via Inreda.com.

IMAGE: INREDA.COM

PINTERESTING

Desperate enough to consider baking my own knäckebröd (crisp bread).  Trying to find a good rolling pin for the purpose, or more precisely a kruskavel. Anyone who knows the accurate name in English? This one from the Swedish Cordon Bleu webshop.
IMAGE: CORDON BLEU SWEDEN

FOR NON BELIEVERS

I detected some skepticism to the claimed amounts of snow. My husband snapped this picture a few minutes ago on his phone.  I was not kidding, nor lying, nor exaggerating the facts. This is our kind of spring at the moment. 

KEEPING SCORE

My sister was very occupied with assigning me vuxenpoäng (adult points) during her late teens. For example:  points would be awarded to anyone who answers yes to the following:

Have you left a concert or show a little too soon, just to avoid the crowds or long lines?
Do you worry that there's been an accident if the phone rings after 10 PM?
Have you, during the past two years, asked for the recipe for the dish you've been served?
Do you use phrases such as "value for money", "a nice leg stretch"?

She still hasn't gotten over the fact that I once brought a banana to the cinema for a snack... Well, here's what I would put in my sister's easter egg this year. The game Vuxenpoäng with a bunch of questions to keep her busy calculating her own points nowadays. Revenge is sweet.
IMAGE: VUXENOPANGSPELET.SE

SHAKE YOUR TAIL FEATHERS

In the early 90's designduo Bengt och Lotta made a name for themselves with a stylized cow-candlestick (!) that became an it-object in Swedish homes alongside Starcks lemon squeezer, and Tricia Guild fabrics. This rooster candlestick shows their signature style that mixes graphic minimalism and folkloristic charm. A fun easter decoration.
IMAGE: DESIGNONLINE

GREEN GREEN GREEN

I have a colour crush on deep emerald greens. Could it be related to the lack of green in my surroundings? When it comes to green glass in Scandinavia Finnish design company Iittala reigns supreme. Shown here is Vitriini.  

IMAGE: IITTALA.COM

NO BULBS IN BLOOM HERE...

We've gotten another 50 cm of snow today. I'm still trying to get used to this latitude´s definition of spring.
IMAGE: SLOTTSTRÄDGÅRDEN ULRIKSDAL, USED WITH PERMISSION

THE TAKE OUT GARDEN

Another option for my "moveable garden"-plans: Agda from Swedish department store Åhléns. Just plop a few potted plants in there, and carry in or out as needed. Low maintenance. My kind of gardening.
IMAGE: ÅHLÈNS

WE ARE TAKING REQUESTS

It's been previously concluded that christmas lasts until easter. In other words, the end is drawing near and it's time to charge our batteries for a return in October. In the meantime we'd love to hear from you! Let us know who you are, or how we're doing, what you want to see more (or less) of. Get in touch through e-mail, facebook, leave a comment on the page, or tell us in person.

SUNNY SIDE UP

Amazing day, amazing sunset. What a way to initiate easter week. 

MARCH

MORE ELIAS

Last week we realized that fourteen free episodes of Elias are still available via TV4Play here. Enjoy!

ONE EGGSTRA

What a great boho/budget alternative to the Georg Jensen egg! Perfect as an easter hostess gift, filled with dried fruits, nuts, and dark chocolate (with all the LCHF dieting everywhere, I don't dare to bring sweets). Made from aluminium and available at Indiska. 

IMAGE: INDISKA

LONGING FOR GREEN

More snow today.
IMAGE: SLOTTSTRÄDGÅRDEN ULRIKSDAL, USED WITH PERMISSION

ACCESSORIZING LAUNDRY LABORS

Speaking of summer dreams, these fabric baskets from H&M Home are welcome to move in with us to hold clothespins. Drying laundry outdoors, what a lovely thing it is. 

IMAGE: HM.COM

FEJK

This is genius. A battery operated pillar candle that looks and glows like a real candle. Perfect for homes with little children! I first saw it a few months ago together with my mother-in-law in a fancy interior decorating store. We both wanted a bunch immidiately, but the price was outrageous. The same product at less than 1/3 of their price tag is now available in many hardware and home depot type stores. This one from Clas Ohlson.
IMAGE: CLAS OHLSON

SIGNS OF SPRING

The season for breathtaking sunsets has begun. 

SOUNDS LIKE EASTER

         

Händel, Bach and Haydn has reigned over easter repertoires for centuries, but these are Scandinavian complements to the classical fare. Hymn contains beautiful jazz piano renditions of traditional Swedish psalms suitable for easter. Sorgen og Gleden are Norwegian psalms in softspoken versions. For the days we celebrate the spirit of easter but don't want to be in solemn mode: No.3. Click on the covers to preview.
IMAGES: ITUNES

LUCKY LIQUORICE LOVERS

Not quite the icecream lover my family wishes that I was (since I do the bulk of the grocery shopping), the frosty treats in this house are few and far in between. But this spring my one and only ice cream love has returned: Lakritspuck. It's enough to make me plan a trip over the border.
IMAGE: GB GLACE

THE KITSCHEN DEPT.

I do love the illustrations of Björn Berg and how he's brought to life the rambunctious but sweet Emil of Lönneberga by Astrid Lindgren. Åry trays has licensed a collection of illustrations that make me long for bare feet in green grass, kanelbullar and saft (cinnamon rolls and lemonade). 

IMAGE: ÅRY TRAYS, USED WITH PERMISSION

NO MORE CRACKPOTS

I haven't yet given up the idea of attempting some sort of green thumb initiative despite the challenges the region presents. These pots for are frost-proof which could be a good starting point, considering my failed attempts last year. Cheap and hence justifiable despite previous failures. Cubes and cylinders available at JULA.

IMAGES: JULA