My backyard!
Cuckoo!
It seems that Queen Summer finally decided to stay.
My frozen heart and soul are not only thawing, they are melting...
But at least we have a perfect spot for a "meltdown" in our backyard.
Our backyard is good for only peeking out from the air conditioned kitchen, to throw your self among the pillows in the seating area, to do homework, to melt in the sun or to just have a snack in. ( at the moment Bella has an obsession with tomatoes)
You can find shade, leeward, peace, beauty, entertainment and inspiration out there.
Im so grateful to have this oasis just outside our door.
In the winter it turns into a magical wonderland, in the fall a colorful painting and in the spring a beautiful proof of how strong nature and its life cycle is.
But it is in the summer everything comes together and creates this embracing environment for body and soul.
I so like my backyard!
And the summer:)
Tjingeling
Marimekko in my house
Cuckoo!
Remember I wrote about Marimekko launching a collection at Target?
So Sunday was the premiere but me and my friend did not get there until the day after thinking the full collection would still be available.
We were so wrong!
In one day some of the items were already sold out and left the shelves naked and empty.
Good for them!
I managed to grab a few things though.
It is definitely not my style at all with all the different patterns they offered but what I chose was more of the traditional and classical styles ( apart from the lounge mats though we're I went a little wild and crazy)
A tray, glasses and pitcher for outdoor use, garden tools and those wild beach mats.
Beautiful, fun and a little bit cocky:)
And as it said on the tag:
"A Finnish art and design that never goes out of style".
Yup, what don't I do for the support of true and spirited nordic design!
Tjingeling
Friday feng shui
Cuckoo!
To sort and arrange books in colors gives a calm and balanced look to the room and is a very easy way to change the energyflow in a positive direction.
We have a few room in our house that never seem to be finished no matter how long time has passed since we moved in.
Our office is one of them...
But by doing something the eyes will percieve as harmoniously is a step in the right direction:)
Ok, wires and piles of paper also need to be organised but one has to start somewhere :)
Before, i kept the books in alphabetical order so it would be easy to find what I was looking for.
Now the authors are completely scattered all of over which makes it slightly harder to find a specific book ( unless you know the color of the book spine) but who needs to be practical when the purpose was to please the eye?!
I'm actually very happy with the result and feel that I have provided a good start of my weekend...
Almost the same kick I get from my Friday bouquet of flower :)
A simple tip in true feng shui spirit!
Hippy happy weekeend!
Tjingeling
Marimekko at Target
Cuckoo!
I love when the world ( in this case USA ) brings in a little slice of the scandinavian cake for everyone to taste.
Now Target has teamed up with the Finnish design house Marimekko and will be selling more than 200 playful and ,for Marimekko, typical printed pieces spanning from swimsuits, outdoor decor and furniture to beachwear, paddle boards and entertaining essentials.
So Marinekko fan, this is your chance to indulge for not so much money:)
( pictures from Marimekko-Target)
The Marimekko brand was created to bring happiness and color into people's everyday lives and only those words will make me go the nearest Target and look for some happy printed items:)
And the good thing is I can do that already from April 17!
Maybe I will see you there:)
Tjingeling
Candleholder need
Cuckoo!
Here in this little town where my summer house is located we have a wonderful store ( Ohlsson's bazaar) that sells everything from napkins and candles to toys, candy and sandals to very attractive prices.
I love to go into that store, walk the aisles slowly so I don't miss anything, and then compare my need to what I find in that shop.
So far I have never managed to walk out from that store empty handed...
This time two sets of candle holders found their way to my heart.
Instant love!
Fun, harmonique and very versatile candleholders in my eyes.
Easy to place and will bring either a little twist or just pure serenity to the room.
Thats one of my little tricks to add a touch of ambience to my home.
Candles.
But next time I go into that store I'm sure I will have created another need that I just can't get too many of.
I saw some vases actually...
Tjingeling
Wallpaper dreams...
Cuckoo!
Today i have been freezing the whole day.
Its been that kind of cold that goes through your bones and actually stays there...
To warm myself up I continued planning for my summer house trip.
I do know it's not anywhere close to warm there but it's the thought of that place that plants a warm and soft feeling starting from the heart:)
Before we moved in we decided to go neutral on the walls and then let time determine if we wanted to stay neutral or if we wanted to change something.
And now all this has sort of grew into me and I'm ready for a change.
I'm talking about wallpaper.
Beautiful, warm and embracing wallpaper that seem to speak the language of the house.
These are the ones I'm considering for one wall in my kitchen.
They are all from William Morris and has been in the back of my mind ever since I visited his summerhouse outside London.
Love love love all of them ( which does not really help) and think they will really contribute to that embracing feeling in my house.
There you can see which wall in the kitchen I'm talking about.
Then we have the boys room...
Here im thinking one wall covered in dancing cranes from a Swedish designer, Emma von Brömssen.
Will go perfect with the wooden plank floor...
We also have a guest room.
There im thinking of dressing one wall in another one from Morris...
This one or...
All three of them in a blue colour becsuse I think that room needs blue...
What all the wallpapers have in common is that despite the richness in pattern they still bring calmness, harmony and peace for your eyes.
They are timeless, age appropriate for the house and absolutely wonderful.
The only question now is which one to choose...
Not direct a life changing decision but still one that gives me goosebumps of excitement.
Yup, some need rollercoasters , I need wallpaper:)
Tjingeling
( wallpaper pictures from Pinterest)
Dreaming...
Cuckoo!
I knew it!
This whole beautiful flood of sunlight we were experiencing yesterday triggered my summer house nerv.
Made me longing, dreaming and wishing for a visit in the very near future:)
The atmosphere, the relaxed feeling and all the wonderful memories that are associated with this place makes my heart beat faster.
Still an ongoing process regarding "making a home from a house" but that is a journey I love to be on:)
I think just the word "summer house" lit a small fire inside my body.
It means bare feet, picking flowers, family, no routines, strawberries and wellbeing.
I just love being there.
Yup, a visit very soon is a must.
Tjingeling
Sunshine in my kitchen
Cuckoo!
Yup, today I'm taking a break from everything and everyone.
I have between one filled laundry machine after another only been enjoying the sun.
The life giving, energizing and beautifying sun.
My mind absorbs every little beam, distributing them out to all those small sun starved cells and It just feels so good!
My kitchen also benefits from the flood of sunlight.
Its like everything is shaking off that dull costume that belongs to the winter and just starts to glow.
I love it.
The light, the playful shades and that injection of wellbeing that comes with the sunlight.
Yup, can't do anything but feeling good!
I read somewhere that:
"To live is not enough! We also need sunshine, freedom and a little flower"!
I so agree!
Maybe I would add chocolate to that quote too though...
But a sunny kitchen is definitely good enough!
Tjingeling
Candles and zebras...
Cuckoo!
I can not get enough of candles, candle holders and all these "flora" of scented candles.
I also have a big hit on animalprinted interior decorations.
So guess my level of excitement when I found a box outside my front door?!
A box with a cool and scented candle and a zebra printed small stacking dish.
I am if course to blame for that box but still...
Everything is from Jonathan Adler and I'm in love with that brand.
They have fun and cool stuff which makes wonder with every space you want to give a little spark.
Most of it is very classic but with a welcoming twist to it.
Its unbelievable how sometimes "dead" and superficial things can make me feel so happy...
Tjingeling
My photogenic kitchen:)
Cuckoo!
We had another photo shoot in our kitchen the other day.
This was for the cabinet maker and their catalogue and for advertisements in magazines.
So they came, removed all our life from the kitchen and started to build up their own "picture perfect" scen.
Very meticulously they thoroughly moved something, moved it back, added something or removed it again, all through the lens of the camera.
It is not a very efficient or fast moving job so to speak but the most important was of course that they were happy with the pictures.
The photographer said I have a very photogeinc kitchen...
The in styling mandatory lemons were used, so were the bread loaf, the pumpkins and the fresh flowers.
It is so funny to see how the kitchen can change character only by its decorations.
And how easily my kitchen turns into someone else's kitchen...
Not even the light in my kitchen stayed the same.
They had to put a black curtain in front of one part of the window and instead use spotlights.
The good thing though is that I see my kitchen from a different view and with different eyes.
Definitiely made me realize ( when I saw all my things they put on the dinner table) that I might have a "few" extra things in the kitchen that might not be necessary to keep there:)
Thats what happens when the kitchen is used as a living room I guess...
Nine hours later all photos were taken, my kitchen was back to its normal look and I was a flower bouquet and three beautiful pumpkins richer.
Tjingeling
Under my coffe table...
Cuckoo!
Im a real sucker for animal prints!
We don't have a dog ( unfortunately) so maybe this craving of filling my home with artificial animal is instead of.😜
The floors in our home in the US is covered in cow hides and sofas are filled with different wild animal printed pillows.
Here in our summerhouse I have slowly integrated sheepskin and animal printed lampshades into my summer style but apparently that was not enough!
A "zebra" had to move in under my coffetable too!
I just love the twist it gives the room!
It is such a mixture of different things in that room but i believe as long as you love what you pick ( no matter what style) it all comes together in a beautiful way.
A few different pillows in the sofa and I think I can consider my living room being almost done.
Just in time for us to leave to go back to the states:)
Tjingeling
A visit to Alma & Artur.
Cuckoo!
In my search of a small cabinet to our bathroom we stumbled upon Alma & Artur!
A barn just outside Ystad filled with goodies from India.
Its ran by a couple who yearly spends half the year in India running a school for girls.
The girls get to learn how to read and write but they are also taught karate for self defence, they get lunch and health checkups.
All the profit from the store goes back into this school.
I could not help but strolling around looking at all the beautiful things with a slightly different view.
First of all I felt so proud of the owners doing so much good.
Also hope was a feeling that popped up.
Hope for a better world.
The cabinets were too big for my bathroom though so I ended up not buying anything although I tried hard to create another need to buy something just to be a part of all the "good-doing".
When the owners are back again in the spring with full containers I will be "hanging on the lock" to their door with a list:)
Amazing that an old barn could pass on all that positive energy.
A barn with a soul.
Beautiful!
Tjingeling
Picture walls!
Cuckoo!
I never showed you my new picture walls!
Remember I was collecting old paintings from flea markets and antique stores and finally I had enough to create a little group of pictures on some of our walls.
I'm so happy with my paintings!
I think it gave the rooms some life, colours and personality.
My new sideboard only got company of one picture but the rest of the walls will never feel lonely again:)
So slowly slowly our summer house is turning into a home.
Just in time for me to leave! ( only about two weeks left)
Tjing tjong
A wooden pearl dream!
Cuckoo!
When it's dark, rainy and very unpleasant to be outside it is the more nicer to stay inside.
Especially when you have a new chandelier!
A beautiful, romantic and according to Bella glamorous lightgiver made of wooden pearls.
Its been in a box in the living room for almost a year waiting to be suspended and finally it happened!
It is a crooked, slanting and awry piece of a dream but that goes well with how life is.
It us still so charming and fits like a hand in a glove into our living room.
Its just hanging there in the ceiling waiting for the darkness to set in so it can can lighten up our being with its soft and friendly light.
At first I put in the wrong lightbulb that created a wild pattern (to Bella's joy) on the wall and ceiling but made the rest of the family nausea...
With my coming picture wall it would have been far to much of disturbances anyway.
But after I changed the bulb the wild and crazy impression was replaced with harmony and coziness.
Im so ridiculous happy for this chandelier so I'm secretly longing for the sun to set everyday so I can switch on that artificial sun...
Bring on the darker season, we are ready!!!
Now it's time to wake up two sleeping beauties and let them find out what a rainy and windy day like this will have to offer to them:)
Tjingeling!
My kitchen being immortalised
Cuckoo!
A while ago I had a very distinguished visitor!
The swedish photographer Paul Brissman, active here at this side of the world, decided to take a look at our kitchen through his camera lens.
But unfortunately it is nothing to be too excited about though because he had a specific reason to be there...
It was only our architect Simon Stigsby who wanted to get some professional photos of my kitchen for his website:)
It was very interesting though to see the kitchen from his view and his camera lens.
There are so many different angles to look at the room from and I almost looked at my new kitchen with new eyes.
What also was funny was the amount of time he needed to take one photo.
It had to be the right light, the right angle and the right motif.
Considering all that time spent in my kitchen ( almost three hours for two pictures) one can wonder if he had difficulties finding those ingredients in my room:)
Every photo was carefully looked at on the computer and then edited to finally become the final product.
I so enjoyed watching him crawling on the floor, clinging on to the walls or in a corner.
Everything to get the perfect shot!
Like a true artist ,using my kitchen as a canvas, his camera as the brush and the actual photo the final piece of art.
Me like!!!
And somehow our kitchen looked as nice through his lens as it does through my eyes:)
tjingeling
Girl room makeover plans!
Cuckoo!
I really don't like my youngest daughter's room!
In her room we have put everything that don't fit anywhere else, left behind or inherited.
Its such a mess in there and does not really provide her with the right conditions either to help her keep her room tidy.
On the other hand she has never complained or shown unhappiness...
But when I asked her if we shouldn't make her room into a fairytale she bounced up and down in excitement.
So on the schedule now is a Big Makeover!!!
I want her to have a room that matches her imagination.
A room that will embrace her mind.
A room that feels like Bella!
She decided she wanted to go for flowers but in and old fashion way and with flowers big enough to absorb and be a part of her play.
So these three are our favourites.
Two from Designers Guild and the last one from Mr Perswall.
We have not yet decided if only one wall will be decorated this way or we will go for the whole room.
I don't want her to feel she is drowning...
Only encouraged to step in her dreamy world and from there just being able to reach for the magic!!!
Tjingeling
The mattress of my dream!!!
Cuckoo!
I love to sleep!!!
And if I sleep well it's even better!
For everyone in my proximity:)
So we bought a new mattress!!!
A Tempur Pedic!
And Oh My do I sleep well?!!
( ha ha i notice my lampshade looks sleepy too...)
I really used to sleep well even before but now it's beyond wonderful!
Im looking forward to every night and nervously ogle at the time when it's getting dark hoping it's time for bed:)
For the first time I feel that both body and soul get to rest the way they should and I wake up feeling even more energized and ready to meet a new day.
Even my neck pain has discretely been taken care off by the mattress and is now buried deep down in the foam.
A good night's sleep embedded in foam and dreams...
To my big luck it's getting dark outside now and I get that bubbly feeling in my heart knowing that I soon will be embraced by the comfort of that bed!
A wonderful way of finishing a day!!!
tjingeling
Painted ceiling!
Cuckoo!
In my search of inspiration for making my youngest daughter's room to a true Bella room I came across this swedish apartment where they have turned the concepts up side down.
Instead of putting colours on the walls they painted the ceilings and kept the walls neutral.
Beautiful in my opinion but that also requires high ceiling to begin with in order to avoid a suppressing feeling...
What I also love is when nature has been brought in and in this case it's not only the big plants but also branches in a vase that I think add something extra to the rooms. It's both fun and decorative...
To the list of things I like I would also add the BIG dining table surrounded by my favorite Danish chairs :)
Wonderful inspiration and a beautiful apartment!
Although I think I will keep Bella's ceiling white it feels refreshing when people dare to break the conventions...
That's me!
Rebellic from a distance:)
Tjingeling
( pictures from Wrede)
Sparkle and glitter!
Cuckoo!
I think that I in a previous life have been a magpie!
Everything that sparkles and glitters catches my eye and I want to bring it home and add it to my existent pile...
So when I stumbled over these crystal glass bowls and plates in an antique store I just could not resist but to buy them. The sun was shining straight on them so I was completely dazzled by all the sparkles and my heart skipped a beat in excitement...
Not only do they talk glitter to me!
They are also willing to carry all sorts of stuff in them.
I put hair bands, jam, rings, nuts, sliced cucumber or keys in them.
The possibilities are endless!!!
How great is not that? An ordinary thing being embraced by all that beauty...?!
I know that everything that glitters is not gold but this is definitely good enough!
Beautiful, heavy and with a history from the passed from different homes, they have now ended up in my house with the only purpose of spreading a sparkling edge to my everyday life!
I can not complain at all!!!
tjingeling
Bar stools
Cuckoo!
After being "pregnant" with a kitchen for so long and then finally gave birth to that big heart of our house I suddenly got so tired.
I sort of lost all my energy, inspiration and desire to do anything more in that room ( it still has some things not done yet) for a while.
It feels good to let it rest now and just wait for the inspiration to hit me when I have got used to be in there and got a feeling for how I want to decorate.
But today I kind of felt a little sparkle when our bar stools arrived!
So beautiful, extremely comfortably and there are four of them...
Now the kids do not need to take turns eating their breakfasts before school:)
Think of how much history these chairs will listen to.
So many emotions, silence and joy they will experience...
Since they are so "buttfriendly" there will most likely be long sittings.
I had my tea sitting on one of those chairs and I can tell you it put my tea drinking into another level:))
Now I will try to find as many excuses as possible to sit on those stools...
Im glad they are in the kitchen where I happen to spend quite some time.
You are welcome to join me!
Shared joy is double the joy!!!
tjingeling
