: : this makes a lot of sense. big eye needle by .woo moon-hyung.{discovered via .notcot.}
magic
: : HAPPY NEW YEAR! : : absolutely amazing paperwork art by .yulia brodskaya. {discovered via one of my very favorite blogs .oh joy.}
Snowed in
: : my family just arrived from Sweden. they were lucky to be the last plane to land in Boston today. The snow's been falling since Friday afternoon and we're completely snowed in. So, today we'll spend keeping warm inside, watching the snow fall outside. Feels like Christmas is here!God Jul!
our couch: : before & after
before. in progress & after photos: : Iz and I spent thanksgiving weekend re-upholstering our couch that we bought for $50 on craigslist. It was custom made in the 70's for the family that we bought it from. we thought it had nice modern, clean lines and decided to re-upholster it ourselves. With no previous experience I thought it would take us weeks. We did it in pretty much 3 days, there were a few final touch ups that had to be made the weekend after, but we are both VERY happy with the result. a little proud even..... we think it came out really nice. *smile*. it used to be in a green/gold tweed fabric, it is now in a natural/off white canvas fabric. it used to be smelly, it now feels clean and fresh!
Small Touches for the Holidays
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You don't have to break the bank or take 2 weeks to decorate for the holidays. I think I would rather have a few things in each of my rooms (even the bathroom!) Then one or two rooms over done. Thats me tho, how about you? Do you go all out? I love these pictures because they all have a festive feeling without being over the top.
pattern inspiration
: : when I'm looking for graphic inspiration I always browse through .print & pattern. This week I'm feeling particularly inspired by these patterns. all can be found on.print & pattern. they've all got elements of traditional folkart, and lots of great details. I am particularly fond of the plate with the curvy, bold pattern.
Something Different for Christmas
Traditions are what the holidays are all about but sometimes its fun to think outside the box. How about a herb tree or a twig card holder? A door decoration not in the usual round shape. Just a note, I will be blogging more next week. I was out of town for the Thanksgivng holiday so look for more post next week!
thanksgiving recap
: : the weekend is almost here again, and I never got a chance to post some photos from our thanksgiving weekend. it was absolutely glorious to have a few days off, with no commitments, no times to keep, just taking the day as it came (maybe that is only a Swedish expression).
we had a delicious dinner on thanksgiving. master chef .iz. cooked up delicious chicken breasts, served over Israeli couscous on a bacon, date puree complimented by a red wine reduction. heavenly. way better than turkey dinner!
A butternut squash, pomegranate, walnut salad was served on the side, together with delicious pumpkin cranberry bread [lena corwin's recipe].
H&M home
: : Swedish fashion giant H&M is releasing a line of home accessories, H&M Home!! I was so excited to hear the news! Apparently it's been in the works for a while, I must have been out of the loop because I didn't know anything about it until my friend .erica. emailed me this weekend and told me that .frida. at .husmusen. had posted the news. Read more about it on .husmusen's blog.
I have no idea what to expect from an H&M home line. Will it be similar to IKEA? and will they sell in the US too?
happy thanksgiving
: : Thanksgiving weekend has officially started. For .Iz. and I it means 4 days off together, nothing big planned, no big family gatherings, just time together at home. We'll attempt to re-upholster our couch [I'll share before and after pics], relax, hike, watch movies....but what we're most excited about is doing a lot of cooking. Thanksgiving is the holiday for enjoying food, but that doesn't mean turkey to us. We've got a lot of recipes on our list, I'd like to make Lena Corwin's delicious pumpkin cranberry bread again, and maybe some new recipes from the Jamie Oliver cookbook I got for my birthday. And the pumpkin gnocchi by .delicious days. sounds original and still appropriate for the season. We will also be testing some new drinks with our meals; caipirinha's are a family favorite, and the christmas caipirinha version in one of Bon Appetite's. latest issues sounds like an delicious variation. Happy eating!!
apoteket's mustard
: : every time I step into the Swedish pharmacy [apoteket] when I'm home, I'm impressed by their organization, layout and packaging graphics. No clutter, everything is simple, clean, easy to understand which creates a sense of calm.I was not aware that in addition to selling ibuprofen and deodorant they also sell Christmas mustard presented in a package that is in line with the rest of their product offerings. The .apotek. experience is so much the very opposite of the CVS experience in America.
[via .below the clouds.]
{+} my sister got me the mustard for Christmas! Tack söta syster! It tasted delicious with the Christmas ham.
Swedish dancebands
: : Everyone seems to think these photos of .Swedish Dancebands. are hilarious. They came up in our lunch discussion at work and I had a friend email the link to me. Please don't let these photos influence your impression of Swedes! but hopefully they will make you laugh.view more photos here (via .notcot.)
a new member of our household
: : a dining table to me is the heart of a home. this is where we enjoy meals together, do our work, entertain with our friends, go through the day's events over tea & coffee....it's the central piece of our home. for months we lived with my old desk as our dining table, searching and searching for the perfect table to replace it. now, finally we have found it. we'll we didn't find it, we found .jon. at .rochdale table company. and he made it for us. custom made to fit our space and personal preferences, we couldn't be more happy with our choice.
.jon. makes tables and benches using wood from old New England barns. the wood for our table comes from a barn in Orange, MA. the barn was built in 1850, and .jon. told me he can tell that the trees must have been 100 years old. that means that the trees were standing when George Washington was alive. it's so wonderful to have a piece of furniture with a story and so much character.
the mustard yellow eames chairs we found on craigslist in philly.
the .silicone table cloth. was a birthday present from my brother and sister, comes from Swedish .wisdesign.
the prints on the wall are my own design. customized color combinations based on kurbits patterns I have shared in .earlier posts.
the breadbasket and teak tray were my grandmothers.
Home Offices
One of my favorite rooms to really put a lot of thought into is my home office. With spaces being scarce, it takes some thought. Mine is in my main living area, taking up one small wall. I think the main thing you have to consider is what you actual use your home office for, and then go from there. Sometimes keeping the laptop by your bedside is all you will really need. Do you have a dedicated space for a home office? Mine is used primarily to pay bills, keep all the "papers" organized and surf the net.
Göteborg apartment
: : I was emailing back and forth with my cousin in Göteborg, Sweden. He mentioned that he and his fiance are selling their apartment hoping to move into a bigger place. He included some photos of their current space.I was so impressed by what they've done with the space, I had to share. Their view of .skansen kronan. through the windows is probably one of the best in the city. And I love all the use of wood, the flooring, but especially the wood sidings on the balcony. I look forward to see what they'll do in their new place.
Word Number Play
I love a whimsical touch in decor. Try a lighthearted fun touch. I have lots of "words" all over my house. Just took a huge wall by my front door and turned it into a giant chalkboard. Have fun when you decorated. Your kids will love it too..
: : change has come to america : :
"Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope." Barack Obama 11.04.08photo available by. risamay. on etsy
: : Vote tomorrow, Nov 4th : :
: : I encourage everyone who can to PLEASE VOTE TOMORROW. I wish I could : :
guest bedroom inspiration
: : there's something about rooms with dark walls....having been inspired by the most recent domino issue [see post below] I am seriously considering painting our guest bedroom dark blue. I love the .soot. color by benjamin moore in the kitchen photo above. I like the contrast of dark walls and crisp white trims. and I'd love to add a bohemian feel with a mix of different patterns, gold and silver. I like the rug in the domino pic above. maybe I can even convince .iz. to let me put an open clothes rack in the room to hang my dresses, scarfs and hats on. .iz. could fit some of his suits too *smile*.
darks, lights & jcrew
: : i really enjoyed .domino's. featured article [this month] on the home of j.crew creative director .jenna lyons' home. I particularly enjoy the high contrast between dark and light colors in almost every room. and it really shows that they were selective and chose pieces with care. pieces that feel as if they are part of the apartment.I was also interested to learn more about j.crew as a brand and company. they have come a long way in recent years. I apparently wasn't the only one who found their clothes "boring and plain" a few years back. whereas now, I can't even look through one of their catalogs without finding a few 'must-have' items [like the pink ruffled shirt in the top corner].
Good Light
No matter how big or small, if a room has large windows, it will probably look great. Nothing beats LOTS of natural light. I'm not a huge fan of the color gray but the gray in the first picture is very pretty with all the light coming in the window.
new england fall
: : October in Boston this year has been one of the best months of the year. we've had warm weather, sun, crisp air and all the beautiful colors that come with fall. I know this is the favorite season for many. For me, nothing will ever beat summers in Sweden, but fall in New England is in second place and getting better and better for every year.
we spent this past weekend with friends at a house on a river in New Hampshire. and had a lot of fun playing around in the leaves.
spice up a regular bouquet of roses with maple leaves and some greens.
Chalk Again
I know I've probably written about chalkboards before but I found some more pictures of them and these are some of my favorites. I love these shots a lot. I have used chalkboard paint in a few places in my house and use them all the time. They are great space savers for sure (not to mention paper savers). Chalkboard paint is easy and cheap to do!
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