Closet full of hopes and dreams

The Pursuit of Happyness

2011-09-01T21:45:00.000+02:00

So, maybe everything doesn't have to be so damn perfect all the time and maybe I don't have to please everybody. Maybe everybody doesn't have to think I'm fantastic. And I KNOW I misspelled the word happiness and you know what, I happen to be referring to the movie. How about that, suddenly it is not a misspelling but ARTISTIC FREEDOM. Niiiiceee......

It is funny how you sometimes think that you need to be perfect. Look at everybody around you! Do you admire them for their perfection? Usually it's the imperfections that I find intriguing about somebody.

And yes, I know that I have been a terrible blogger. You know why? Because I spent some time reconstructing my life. It is strange how disease can make you reevalute your life. I put my whole life on stand by. At first because I didn't have a choice. My body made the choices for me. But as I slowly got better I decided to also start slowly. I rebuilt bit by bit, carefully judging each bits value and importance before putting it back. Or choosing not to put it back.

I have now come to a point where I feel I also want to put the blog back. Fashion never left me. I have been reading every fashion magazine I could get my hands on, checked every fashion show and kept the shopping pace steady. My husband says it is an addiction. I would rather use the word passion.

And now it is my favorite season. AUTUMN/FALL. I like it because:

1. You don't need a beach body.

2. Nobody will nag you for staying in all night reading a thick fantasy novel, watching old episodes of Mythbusters or just flipping through a great magazine.

3. I have GIANT teacups which are perfect for hours of conversations with a good friend.

4. The colours are beautiful.

5. The food is good.

6. Halloween.

7. It has a melancholic streak which is SO beautiful.

And I would love to wear this:

Chris Benz RTW A/W 2011

Alexis Mabille RTW A/W 2011

Chanel RTW A/W 2011

A Détacher RTW A/W 2011

I really don't have the budget for any of these clothes, but inspiration costs nothing!

So here are some of the things I have added to my closet:

Three pairs of shoes from Forever 21.

And this cute vintage dress.

I hope I win 40 pairs of shoes!

2011-05-16T22:03:00.002+02:00

This is a swedish contest, so if you live in Sweden go to: http://www.tlcsverige.se/tavling and you can also compete for 40 pairs of shoes!

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth?

2011-03-16T21:19:00.000+01:00

Sorry about the non-existing promised photos. We fell ill again.... Nothing serious this time though. So I am not camera ready yet. But my mind is still sharp. So I thought I would invite you in to share some of my thoughts! And I am so happy to see that some of you still remember me!

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth?

Today when you need information what do you do? You Google it. So did I, and according to the all-knowing Google the most dangerous place seems to be a place plagued by war or violence and crime. I guess that's one way of looking at it....

But if by dangerous we mean a place that cannot be even seen by anyone, a place so dangerous it has to be hidden and sometimes even pretended not to exist at all. Now THAT is a truly dangerous place. So where is it? News networks are sending war, crime and violence right into our homes every day. But what place is so dangerous it would do harm even on a TV screen? Is there such a place?

I believe there is. It is the body of a curvaceous grown woman. It has been feared for centuries. Hidden away. Suppressed. There has been countless myths surrounding a cuvaceous female body. Fertility, frivolity, absence of intelligence and shallowness to name a few. A body like Kate Moss's seem to be able to get away with a lot more when it comes to showing some flesh and wearing body hugging outfits. But Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian or JLo, pour them into something skintight and bellybaring and you can count on a storm in media. Maybe that is why most runway models are waifs. Designer clothes are often daring and this season even see through. Small, barely there breasts doesn't seem to make anyone choke on their latte these days (at least not in Europe). But what if Christina Hendricks where to strut her stuff in the same ensemble?

The porn industry has embraces the curvaceous woman and even seem to encourage getting there artificially if you weren't born that way. I think this only adds to the image of the dangerous body. Why is the body of the man not as dangerous? The last time the world heard about a dangerous male body might be Elvis, and unfortunately The King has left the building permanently. Today I cannot think of one male body considered a danger to society....

If you are a skinny woman with not many curves you are more likely to be seen as serious, intelligent, disciplined and trust worthy. Just look at the power women of the world! How many of them are curvaceous? And if one of them happen to be, you can be sure she tries to play it down with manlike suits and very little make up. (Or she is probably not a very successful politician....) To get back to The King the curvaceous woman is The Devil in Disguise. And her body is the most dangerous place on earth.

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth?

So of course these are my personal opinions and thoughts, and they are absolutely subjective as it is written by a curvaceous, professional, fashion interested and serious woman. Please beautiful women of all shapes and sizes share your perspective on this issue!

The Girl is Back in Town!

2011-03-07T11:07:00.000+01:00

Hi, finally I am back! No I haven't moved, so really the title is a lie. I still live in the country side... :) But it is ages since my last entry and lots has happened. (Which is also partly the reason why it's been so long...)

So here's some of the stuff that's happened:

Christmas has passed, it's a new year (Happy New One to all of you!!!),

My son at last managed to break my beloved silver Gucci frames prompting me to buy new glasses (gold MaxMara),

The new job is great! unfortunately I've been having a fever, nausea and vertigo for the last two months, so for a month now I've been on sick leave and having doctors poking everywhere and taking my blood countless times. BORING!!!,

My kids have since christmas collected probably every virus that frequents daycares,

We bought a new camera, so look forward to more and BETTER pictures!

Of course it has not all been work, germs and disease. I need some style!!! I will not torture you with a picture of me now as I look quite dreadful after months of fever and my everyday uniform is my wonderful Paul Frank PJ that I got for my birthday. Not very inspiring. I am preparing for better days though, and warmer, summer!!! This winter has been long and cold and still not over. We've had temperatures down to 40 degrees celsius below zero! (About minus 104 fahrenheit) Brr!

But as usual I continue to hope and dream! So my closet has been growing this winter, first filling up with some work essentials: some cute dresses, leather boots, patterned tights, cardigans, black jeans and some basic tops. But lately the summer has been creeping in. I know I won't be wearing these for at least two to three months, but I couldnt resist...

From H&M

And having spent a lot of time in bed and on the couch Vogue, In Style, Elle and Harper's Bazaar only lasted so long... To my great joy I found the best style guide ever!!!!!!

Written by Amanda Brooks who was just appointed Fashion Director at Barneys. She is a woman who has lived a life of fashion and this book is just the best guide to find your own style. So many books and magazines just teach you a formula that might not be YOU, but this book aims at giving you the tools to find your own style. And it has lots and lots and lots of gorgeous and inspiring pictures! Amanda blogs at Barneys Homepage here!

Now I just hope that I will soon be back at work and I will try to shape up so I can show off some of my new purchases (and gifts! Got a great silk dress from hubby and kids for christmas.) to you!

These are a few of my favorite things!

2010-10-01T19:20:00.000+02:00

Sorry about the long MIA. I AM HIRED. Yep, I am now the employee of a real company. I am a working woman. The preparation and path leading up to this joyous event has taken a lot of my time leaving little time for blogging and daydreaming. I am so happy!

Monday next week I will start my new job for real. It is scary, exciting and absolutely wonderful!

Here comes a few random current favorite things:

The Esprit Collection shirt I found at a thrift store a few weeks ago.

Black pencil skirts, this one is from H&M.

Tulle.

Gorgeous headpieces.

Women in motion. This picture makes me think of Sonia Rykiel.

What are your favorite things?

Why don't you....

2010-09-17T19:07:00.000+02:00

Last week I bought British edition of Harper's Bazaar September. A wonderful issue, lots of fashion, inspiration and lovely stories. On the last page there was the "Why don't you?" by Victoria Beckham. Back in the jazz era this column used to be written by Diana Vreeland. I must say Mrs Beckham's suggestions are nowhere near as surreal as Mrs Vreeland's!

But still I thought maybe I should offer you an even more down to earth and affodable version of the "Why don't you...?".

Why don't you...?

...shop around in the men's department (or the kid's). Autumn 2010 is filled with clothes inspired from the guy's closets. But still I had trouble finding some things. Like that perfectly oversized wool sweater to drown in on an autumn night. The one's in the women's department where either too short or had narrow sleeves. Voilà, found this one in the men's department at H&M.

And this perfect cap I found in the sales bin in the boy's departement.

If you are rather small feeted like myself you can also find great deals at kid's shoe departments. If you are petite you might even find dresses or shirts in kid's sizes that fit you.

...borrow coffee table books from the library. Because frankly, they are quite expensive and it's fun to switch reading material sometimes. Our library has a beautiful selection of books on fashion, art, architecture, photo, food and travel.

Like this seventies book on fashion photograpy's history featuring this photo by George Platt Lynes.

...wear socks in your heels. I was not a fan of this idea at first. It reminded me of preschool girls and I could not see myself in it. But one of the fashion spreads in Harper's Bazaar changed my mind.

Have a great weekend ladies!

Autumn is upon us

2010-09-03T21:10:00.000+02:00

So, long time no read.I haven't been blogging for a while. Autumn is a busy time.
It is time to harvest what the garden and the forest has given us,

time to turn that harvest into jam, marmalades, bread, muffins, pies,

marmalades from left: peach with menthe, plum with cinnamon and black currant

time to pick also the non-edibles from the woods and make decorations,

time to sew curtains for the kitchen from grandmother's old hand-embroidered sheets that I coloured grey,

time to pick up some "new" reads from the thrift store for those long autumn eves,

time to raid the after-summer-sales and thrift store for some new loves

like this thrifted dress and tights bought at sale that goes perfectly with some of my old loves

my grandmother's brooch

and these gorgeous vintage leather shoes

and then, the love you thought lost because of a price too high suddenly appears on the sale rack for a fifth of the price! Thank heaven and all the angels! The dream dress now resides in my closet. Til it falls apart. ♥

Autumn is also the time for a new season and I will soon be back with some of my favorites from the runway!

The RL Gang

2010-08-23T21:31:00.000+02:00

The fashion industry has been in love with videos these past seasons. This fall Ralph Lauren is presenting their fall fashion kids line with a video AND a book. I'm kind of torn in this matter. I looooove Ralph Lauren's style and these kids are just too darned cute in their little outfits. But is it really ok to sell clothes with a video apparently made for children? Do we really want our kids to be so "branded"? You know that process when a brand is put into your head as "affordable" as Old Navy, "sporty" like Nike or "classic" as Chanel. Do we really want to teach our kids that if you are a nice, wellbehaved, welldressed kid your wear Ralph Lauren??! I think in terms of values in this video is kind of cute, even though it presents a very stereotype view of gender. At the same time I think that this is really a beautiful way to present clothes. And if you buy the book 15% will go to the Ellis Marsalis Center of Music in New Orleans. Well that's nice too. Torn is the word.

Watch it here:

The RL Gang

So what do you guys think?

Another day, another castle!

2010-08-16T20:31:00.000+02:00

I have been lost in cyberspace for a while due to a lightning strike to our modem. We are very vulnerable to lightning strikes in the rural valley where we live. And this summer has seen some of the worse thunderstorms in years. We've been able to use the internet but it has been painfully slow and updating my blog was waaaay to time consuming.

Anyway, thunderstorms aside, I had another castle I wanted to show you! You MAY have noticed I have a huge weakness for castles, mansions and anything historical. THIS is my favorite castle and we visited it again during our vacation.

I present to you, Läckö Castle. A true fairy tale castle.

This castle boasts it's own chapel.

Bye, bye vacation! Now it's back to reality.

Sweet Memories (and lots of pictures)

2010-08-07T21:30:00.000+02:00

Hi! I'm back home again and I brought some sweet memories and photos.

Vasa, a Swedish 17th century warship. She was built by appointment of king Gustav II Adolf of Sweden. He was a protestant king waging war against the catholic king Sigismund of Poland who had claims on the swedish throne. Poland had a large fleet and Gustav II Adolf wanted to match that fleet. Vasa was supposed to have been crown jewel in that fleet. It took three years to finish the ship. In August the 10th 1628 Vasa takes her maiden journey. The journey only lasts for about 20 minutes. A strong wind catches the ship, because of her high center of gravity she tilts. All of the canon holes are open to show the ship's full power. When Vasa tilts water rushes in under deck. The ballast consist of round rocks that all roll with the ships movement causing her to tilt even more. Vasa goes down. Luckily almost all crew is rescued since large crowds and lots of boats have gathered along the stream of Stockholm to watch Vasa in all her splendor. Somewhere between 25 and 50 people perished. Vasa rested on the floodbed until 1961 and since 1990 resides in a museum especially built for her.

The royal castle in Stockholm, residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.

Clothes worn by members of the royal family of Sweden at the wedding of princess Margaretha (a sister of the king) in 1964.

Dress worn by princess Sibylla, mother of our king Carl XVI Gustaf, to festivites surrounding the wedding her daughter princess Desirée also in 1964.

Wedding dresses worn by swedish princesses.

The royal castle in pouring rain. That black thing in the upper right corner is my umbrella.

Luckily, the rain let up and allowed for a cloudy but dry wedding!

I wore: dress from Sister's Point, shoes Donna Girl, cardigan MQ, headband H&M, earrings Judith Ripka and an old bag that I bought about 14 years ago.

Some Mouthwatering Pictures Before I Leave!

2010-07-25T18:08:00.000+02:00

I am currently living in crazy town. Packing for a family road trip. We will be away a week and a half but I feel like I'm packing enough for a year on the road. Plus my one-year-old is constantly unpacking the things I just packed. We are leaving tomorrow and we will have the best time!!! We are going to my cousins wedding, museums, castles, visit family and friends and just enjoy each other's company!

There will be no blog posts while I'm away, but I will have some pretty pictures for you when I come home. And a lot of your lovely blog posts waiting for me!

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary. My parents were babysitting and me and hubby stayed in making a three course meal and watching "Valentine's Day".

Entrée: Mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil in balsamico vinegar vinaigreitte.

Main course: grilled peppered filet mignon topped with fresh thyme, butter and garlic fried mushroom, oven fried potato wedges with bell pepper, egg plant and red onion, oven baked tomato and red wine sauce.

We forgot to take a picture of the dessert, we had panna cotta with mixed berry sauce. The food was great and we had a great time hanging out just the two of us. After we had watched the movie and stuffed our faces with fresh strawberries and chocolate we went up to a nearby mountain to watch the sunset. (It finally DOES set again! The time of midnight sun is over!)

I wish you all a great week!

Midnight Sun

2010-07-23T10:26:00.000+02:00

I'm having a hard time going to bed in resonable time. Since I have kids, I don't have the luxury of choosing when to wake up even when we are on summer break. But the midnight sun is keeping me up. And ok, I have to admit. Sometimes it's more due to a movie or a book. I just started reading the Twilight series and I am in serious doubt..... Team Jacob or Team Edward?

So one night I decided to take some pictures using only the light flowing in from our hallway windows. No flash, no electrical lights. The pictures where taken around midnight.

The nights are bright but not very warm. My kitchen garden doesn't seem to mind though and we are harvesting the fruits (or rather vegetables) of our (not so hard) labor.

Yesterday was the first dark evening since spring due to a thunderstorm. I really enjoyed it curled up on the couch with the hubby watching Avatar.

Sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare?

2010-07-17T22:14:00.000+02:00

When I got married I got a lovely vintage slip/nightie from one of my best friends. It was accompanied by a sweet note. I have always cherished this "gown" but it has been hanging hidden away in my wardrobe. I just thought it was too beautiful to wear to bed or being hidden under another dress but I never figured out a good way to show it off. So what do you think about this? Could it pass for a dress or do I look like I just forgot to dress?

I tried wearing it over a slip that belongs to a dress I have and dress it up a bit with a necklace and some heels. The cardigan keeps it from looking too bare and "lingerie" like.

Vintage slip/nightie, slip belonging to an old dress I have, cardigan United Colors of Benetton, shoes Donna Girl and necklace some silver charms and a chain from my childhood.

Sky High

2010-07-14T20:44:00.000+02:00

I bought new shoes.

That is kind of a magical phrase to me. New shoes makes me happy. Shoes are great, they don't highlight my love handles. They don't have skimpy shoulder straps that won't cover my bra. (And I need a bra after two children.) They will still fit me even if I gained a few pounds. They can make you taller. Help your posture. And they can change an outfit (and your attitude) completely!

I've had my eye on these shoes from Monki for a while. Today they were 75 % off! So now they live in my closet. Wiiihooo!

Heritage for the World

2010-07-12T23:18:00.000+02:00

So, finally I give you the pictures I promised you this Saturday.

This is the church I sang at last Friday. The church of Oldtown was built in 1492. The church tower was built in 1851.

There are three ways to enter the church grounds, here's one.

The church ceiling and inside walls were originally covered in medieval paintings, but sometime in the 1700s they were plastered white. In 1909 the original murals were rediscovered and around the altar the plastering has been removed.

As I was sitting in the sacristy waiting for the funeral to begin I noticed the soot coming from hundreds of years of candles burning. It kind of makes you think about who might have sat in that room one hundred years ago, two hundred years ago....

Blue bells at the foot of the church.

Surrounding the church is the church town.

In old times, from around the time the church was built to around year 1900, people living far away from the town came to live in these little houses during holidays. They met to sell and buy merchandise and produce, to get married, baptized and buried and to celebrate christian holidays. People came by horse and wagon in the summer and sled in the winter. The churchtown was a common meeting place for the people in the region. Most of these little houses are still privatly owned. There are many rules how you may use your "church house". The church town and the church holds UNESCO World Heritage status and a lot of tourists visit every year.

Let's Twist Again!

2010-07-10T23:01:00.001+02:00

Yesterday I was booked to sing at a funeral in town on the way there I rocked this sixties album that I have.

These songs just make me want to look like this:

And ride in this:

And WHY does nobody sing like this anymore????

Tomorrow I'm gonna show you the beautiful church where I sang. It is a UNESCO World Heritage.

Be-Bop-A-Lula for now!

Scarf, ear clips and shoes vintage, sunglasses old H&M, random white tank, skirt was a gift from mom and cardigan Åhléns.

From the office to the beach

2010-07-07T17:41:00.001+02:00

Yesterday I was working at my parent's funeral home because one of their employees had lost her voice. It is kind of hard answering the phone when you cannot speak... So I spent the whole day in the office answering phone calls, taking care of customers and tapping at the keyboard.

Summer has finally arrived and the office was HOT!!!! Luckily I was seated behind a large desk that goes all the way to the floor...

...so I kicked off my shoes.

Later in the evening I kicked off another pair of shoes...

...on the beach!

Girls Night!!!!

2010-07-04T20:30:00.000+02:00

I loooove girls night! I always have, but since I became a mom I appreciate it even more. This week me and two of my girlfriends had girls night, or actually it was more like half a day. We had a great day with a Sex and the City theme. A few months ago we took this online test to see which character from we were most like. It was so spot on! My friends are Carrie and Samantha, of course! And I am Charlotte. Ha, ha! Makes sense....

So we decided to go together and watch Sex and the City 2 dressed up as the characters! That's exactly what we did, but before we went to a large thrift store and to some stores in town for some shopping, we went home to Camilla (aka Carrie) and got ready for the movies! After the film (which was a real treat! So much eye candy!) we went to a local sports bar (there isn't that much to choose from in our small town on a week night!) for some drinks and food!

I bought this fabulous seventies dress,

these beautiful suede shoes

and these cute clips!

We tried on some hats in town, I kind of regret I didn't get this one...

Camilla's apartement got a little messy as three girls where trying to get ready in half an hour...

...while eating. This is me in character as Charlotte!

Here we are, three chicks at the sports bar! From left me (aka Charlotte), Marica (aka Samantha) and Camilla (aka Carrie).

And there is my vintage clutch on the menu.

I loved the movie, talked a lot of girl talk, made some great shopping finds and ate some great food! Thanks girls for a wonderful time!

"Charlotte" ready to go!
Pearl necklace H&M, dress clothes swap, cardigan Lindex, umbrella thrifted and shoes my wedding shoes!

I hope you all had a great weekend!!!

My love for vintage and fashion moments that changed my life, Part II

2010-06-30T22:33:00.000+02:00

So, at last here comes part two! So get ready for a long read! In case you missed pt I you can read it here!

Yesterday I had a reunion with my old classmates from "high school" (the term does not really apply in Sweden). It has been ten years since we graduated, we were eighteen years old. We were ninteen in our class, all girls. It was a great group and all have grown into fantastic women. Only six of could make it to the reunion since we are scattered all over the globe. We had a great time!

Not unexpected it got me thinking about old times. What is it about reunions that make you evaluate your whole life? Yesterday in the car on my way there, I started thinking. How would I describe my life? What happened the past ten years? What am I gonna tell them? Somehow you just want to be someone, just like in all those silly comic movies about reunions where the characters lie about their achievements. But what is an achievement? Really? Is it money? Is it a fantastic career? Fame?

Isn't it strange that the first question often is, "So what do you do?"? Meaning, so what do you do for a living? Maybe it should be, "Are you happy with life?"?

I just finished reading "For One More Day" by Mitch Albom. A fantastic book about life, death, motherhood, love and everything else human. There was one part that really stuck with me when Chick's (the main character) mom tells him she worked as a cleaning lady to get him through college. His reaction is a feeling of shame. And he tells her: Is that what you always wished to be, a cleaning lady? And her calm response is: I was what I always wished to be, a mother.

In the ten years since we left school and our parental homes behind I have found the love of my life, married him, gotten a master degree, lost both my grand mothers, found new friends, lost friends, worked, given birth to two kids and started to raise them, become a house owner, run my own business, become an aunt, been hospitalized for two weeks and coming to accept that I will probably die here before they figure it out, had surgery, recovered both mentally and physically and my style has evolved and I think it is just becoming more ME every day.

People often refer to style as something superficial, something elaborate we present to the world to create an image of ourselves. I think style could AND should be the exact opposite. Style should come from your core. Style should be an extension of your personality.

When I was in "high school" my family moved from a big town to a small town in another part of the country. We moved a lot when I was a kid because of my dad's job. The town we were moving from was (at least by Swedish standards) rather large and with a lot of diversity. The town we were moving to was a small town. And dare I say, not very accepting...

I have always loved vintage clothes and experimenting with my style. At the school I left different was rule. No one lifted one eyebrow if you turned up one day in pyjama pants and your dad's shirt. I used to dress in long flowing black skirts, jeans, thirties coats, berets and everything I found in a closet at home or at a thrift store. I just wore what I liked and didn't think twice about it. Then we moved. I was stared at. It was like they where all wearing uniform by choice. And I bent. And twisted. And tried to conform. I learned to shut up. I am a major chatterbox. And when I moved two years later to go to university I realized, I had lost myself.

The way back was sometimes painful. I started by throwing away all horrible, boring clothes I had bought even though I didn't even like them. And so the journey began.

So never say style is superficial. It is an artform and tells a story about who you are, who you'd like to be, where you've been and where you're going. And whether you are a person who care about fashion or not your style signals something to the world. I would like to signal hope, dreams and a whole lotta love!

Food, Fun and Great Rides

2010-06-26T19:43:00.000+02:00

So, you wish for some recipes? Well, your wish is my command! I will throw in some recipes now and then. I enjoy cooking and baking and often come up with my own recipes.

My Own Custard

2,5 dl milk

1,5 dl cream

2 tablespoon corn starch

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon raw sugar

Whisk together in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, let it boil til it thickens. Don't let the sauce overcook or it will separate. Pull the pan from the heat and add 3 teaspoons vanilla sugar. Pour it over pie or use it to fill a cake.

This is me yesterday on my way to Midsummer celebration! I wore the thrifted dress I bought last weekend, my Judith Ripka heart earrings, sandals from H&M and DIY hairpins made from metal string and pearls.

This picture was taken on the way home, when my shoulder was sunburnt. The weather was fantastic!

My nailpolish, "Lacy not racy" by Essie.

The celebration took place in a rural area by the sea. So beautiful!

There were a lot of different activites like: guess the size of the log, dancing, horses and wagon, boat rides, shooting hoops, darts and also there was a car show! We had so much fun.

My Prada "inspired" glasses are from Forever 21.

This is the real thing, they cost a bit more than the six dollars I paid for mine.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

2010-06-24T20:53:00.000+02:00

Yes, I loooove Shakespeare. And I own a copy of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and read it now and then. It is a very readable play. And also tomorrow is Midsommarafton, "Midsummer's Eve". So I have been preparing by baking bread, making Swedish cream and strawberry cakes, strawberry jam, homemade custard and a raspberry-blueberry pie. I still have to do tuna sandwiches. Midsommarafton is an ancient Swedish holiday. In old times people were celebrating the longest day of the year and performed fertility rituals and dances. Today it is a celebration of summer.

This is a traditional midsummer pole. It is dressed in leaves and flowers. Many people also wear a flower wreath in their hair. After the pole is raised the dancing starts. Today this old tradition is mainly for the children, but there are some dance groups still performing traditional dances in traditional clothes.

Our garden and the ditches surrounding it is filled with flowers in bloom!

And look at our kitchen garden now! I have already pulled up the first harvest of radish.

And this is what I was wearing today. At least until I was making pork chops in tomato sauce and spilled all over myself...

A tank from Aeropostale and khaki shorts that was a "hand-me-down" from my sister-in-law. The khaki did not mingle well with tomato sauce... I love the pink lining of the shorts!

Tomorrow we will be celebrating with friends and family. I will wear my "new" thrifted dress and have a great time! And you will read about it soon! :) Happy Midsummer Weekend to all you lovelies!

Royal Wedding

2010-06-21T21:07:00.001+02:00

We have been visiting my sister and her family this weekend. We had a great time, even though the rain was pouring down the whole time. Most of Saturday was spent in front of the TV anyway because our Crown Princess was getting married.

The seven year long love story between Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling from a small Swedish town is every bit a fairy tale. And so was their wedding, it was soooo beautiful! They broadcasted the whole ceremony, their tour afterwards through Stockholm in a horse carriage and then in the royal boat, the speeches, the cake cutting and the dance. The speech Daniel (he now holds the title Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland and Knight of the Serafim order) held to his bride was so touching and there were huge crowds outside the church and the royal castle cheering and waving.

The Crown Princess was wearing a dress by Swedish haute couture designer Pär Engsheden. Her train was 5 meters, about 16,4 feet. The veil and the cameo tiara was worn by her mother, Queen Silvia on her wedding day. The veil was first worn by Queen Sofia when she was wed to King Oscar II 1858. The cameo tiara, that she wore as a crown, is believed to be a gift from Emperor Napoleon to his wife Josephine 1809. It has been inherited for centuries and now belongs to the Swedish King Carl IX Gustaf. If you wish to learn more about cameos check out Vested Bee Vintage's great post on the subject!

The wedding cake was eleven stories, about 3,3 meters and weighed 250 kilos which is about 550 pounds!

Here are some of the dresses I loved on the red carpet! Which was actually light blue.

This is Princess Madeleine, the Crown Princess' sister and their mother Queen Silvia. I love that blue colour!

This is the sister of the groom Anna Westling Blom and her husband. She is not used to these kinds of events, but I think she outdid a lot of royalties and socialites in this dress! She is also a mother of two!

Queen Rania of Jordan. I didn't really love the dress, but hey, she's Queen Rania! She is so beautiful I wouldn't notice if she was wearing rags. Also she is a great role model for any woman!

The Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and his wife Filippa who is also a politician.

And my absolute favorite..

The Australien-born Crown Princess Mary with her husband Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. I looooved her dress! The fabric was amazing and the lace detailing was perfect!

All of Sweden has gone wedding crazy and you can buy all kinds of products with the Crown Princess couple and a pattern made especially for this event.

Like Wedding Chocolate.

We also found time for some thrifting and I found a cute floral dress.

We just enjoyed each other's company and a lot of great food!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend too!

Summer Checklist

2010-06-17T20:17:00.012+02:00

This summer I want to...

...hang out on the beach...

Vogue Italia June 2010

Vogue Germany July 2010

...spend time in my garden and in nature...

Vogue Nippon February 2007

...be with my family and take care of them and our home...

Vogue Italia June 2010

Vogue US July 2010

...take some great pictures...

Vogue US July 2010

...get dressed up for some great parties...

Vogue US May 2010

...eat great food, hold hands with my man, hug my kids, read fabulous books, listen to the rain, light a candle and play classic board games as the sun sets, wake up to birdsong, take long walks, spend time with friends, find something fabulous at a vintage store (I dream about it when I sleep, for real!), walk slowly through museums, be madly in love (even after eight years!) and hopefully find that perfect job!

Cold Weather and Creativity

2010-06-15T19:44:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I cleaned up in my "creative corner".

My mother's aunt got this desk probably around the 1930's from a family she was working for.

In my little creative corner I have trinkets, treasures, ribbons, scrapmaterial, inspiration, books, magazines, pearls, wool, thread, glue, paint, pretty papers, tools, scissors, pencils and a lot, lot more!

And when I get a moment by my desk, this might be the result.

A bit of decoupage,

cards

or some jewellry.

Today we went to pick up a dear friend at the airport and have lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant. It has been a cold and windy day, but with the evening came the sun. I really hope we will enjoy real summer temperatures soon!

Jeans and necklace Forever 21, Cardigan Gina Tricot, Tank American Eagle, Earrings was a gift from mom and dad (one is black and one blue and they are REAL pencils!) and the shoes are thrifted.

And I got this cute award from the lovely Silver Strands! Check out her inspiring and empowering blog!

This really is an honor! So I will share ten things that make me happy.

1. My family!

2. Sharing laughter and tears with real friends

3. Great food

4. A sunset at the beach

5. Being creative

6. A feel good movie with some popcorn

7. Laying on the sofa reading a fashion magazine

8. Watching things grow in my garden

9. Finding the perfect item at the thrift store

10. Watching my kids learn

Here are the two bloggers I would like to pass this award on to!

The Looking Glass Vintage
and
Hey Gorgeous

These are two fabulous women whose blog posts are always lovely and inspiring! Check them out!

The Cat in the Hat

2010-06-11T22:24:00.001+02:00

I finally got around to pick up that package! And it was my hat!

It is so comfortable and airy, the perfect summer hat! And look at the cute bug print inside!

Hat H&M, Tunic Forever 21, Tank Aeropostale, Jean Leggins H&M, Flip-Flops H&M and necklace by me (silverplated chains and Swarovskis.

Yesterday we celebrated that our daughter graduated from kindergarthen. She will be attending preschool this fall.

I made pancake cake. Then we played outside all afternoon.

When my husband came home from work we had a picknick in the backyard. We ate pasta salad with apple, ham, scallions, squash and apple cider vinegar and honey dressing and egg sandwiches. We played some more outside and our daughter got to go on a treasure hunt. In one of our trees, which I had adorned with balloons, she found a bag filled with a watergun, soap bubbles and two books. When evening fell we put little brother to bed.

Then we sat down by the fireplace, ate some S'mores and read one of the books. When the wind picked up we went inside, ate popcorn and chocolate cake and watched Alvin and the Chipmunks.

It was a perfect day!

Even our crabapple tree was celebrating!

A Major Bookworm and a Whole Lotta Lovely!

2010-06-09T12:33:00.000+02:00

♥ My little boy's room ♥

The framed angel was a gift from my parents on his namegiving/blessing day and the hamster is from my mom's childhood. She got it as a gift from a German boy they had living at their house during the summers. A lot of German kids spent their summers in Sweden in the decades following World War Two. The shells I have picked on various vacations.

The porcelain dog comes from my mother's family, I really don't know who used to own it. I loooooove these books! "Guess How Much I Love You" The drawings are so pretty and the stories are so lovable. These four are themed after the seasons. Cute!

My kids play a lot with these Duplos. And of course more books!

♥ My daughter's room. ♥

She also got an angel on her namegiving/blessing day, but she got it from our lovely neighbours.

This plate is from my childhood. My grandfather worked at one of Sweden's finest porcelain factories, I have a lot of pretty porcelain!

My daughter's bookshelf, she loves books!

♥ My books ♥

See what my husband made for me!

When we moved into this house four and a half year ago, I gave away a LOT of books. But still I have quite a few left. My husband made me a wall of books! It is like my mini library. It sits in our study/crafts room. Actually I gave away so much, now I have room for some new ones!

That picture of me and hubby kissing was taken atop of the Empire State Building, even though some think it looks like we are in prison. The picture behind it is four generations, the baby is me, then it's my mom, my grandma and my great grandma.

And one of my favourite books!

It is called Hattliv (Hatlife). Ylva Elzén has taken pictures of elderly women in Stockholm wearing hats and interviewed them about their lives. Lovely!

My four year old daughter loves this book too. She will go get it and say, "Mommy, can you please read to me about one of the ladies?"

Today I am wearing my "brave" skirt. It is a lot deeper orange than these pictures show. I cannot get my little camera to capture the colour. It is really bright!

I am not wearing it because I am brave today, but because I need to be! Keep your fingers crossed for me and send a little prayer!

Skirt was a gift from mom, random cutoff tights, tank Tommy Hilfiger, cardigan H&M kids, necklace KappAhl.

(also, I just have to brag a little more about the hubby, can you believe he built that bed behind me!?)

Dinner at the neighbours!

2010-06-08T16:02:00.000+02:00

Today I am having a day at home, I would really like to go to the store and pick up my package from H&M. I hope it's my new hat! But the store is 20 kilometers away. And I don't have a car. I do have two kids. So I guess I won't be picking up any package today....

Tonight however we are invited over to have dinner with some very dear friends! Looking forward to it! Hat or no hat! ;)

Tee from Aeropostale (I accidentally customized it with tea the first time I used it...), tank Aero also, the world's most comfy stretch jean skirt from KappAhl, random cutoff tights, sandals H&M, necklaces Asos, mom's and grandma's, bracelet KappAhl and the chapped hands of a gardener/mom/baker/cook.

Getting crafty!

2010-06-08T11:33:00.001+02:00

Yesterday I finally pulled out my sewing machine again!

It used to be my grandmother's. It runs like clockwork!

I pulled out the pretty bunny print fabric that I got from my mother-in-law. She works at a store that sells fabric, curtains and sewing supplies.

And I made a curtain for my son's bedroom.

Started in a fantasy world...

2010-06-06T19:44:00.001+02:00

...but ended up back in reality. Saturday morning looked like a sunny summer day, and I was feeling a totally americana vibe. So I decided to go pinup!

Top Esprit from clothes swap, skirt H&M, random fishnets, necklace Forever 21 and shoes from a local department store.

And then, while I was taking these pictures a storm came in. The temperature dropped, the wind picked up and it started raining cats and dogs... Back to reality.

The fishnets and the open neck sweater had to go. But I was still in an americana vibe! So I opted for a flag tank, blue jeans, fake wayfarers and Keds!

Sweater from clothes swap, flag tank Old Navy 2009, shoes Keds Eleanor, sunglasses and jeans Forever 21.

The weather has not been pleasing me lately, but it is doing wonders for my garden.

See how much my herbs have grown? See the herb box a few weeks ago here

My kitchen garden is flourishing. These are peas.

Our crabapple tree is in bloom...

...so is our rhubarb...

...and all of our spirea bushes.

And SOON I will be enjoying peonies!!!

And that's where I'll be! I got this sign and two others that read "Tea Time" and "At the Beach" for Mother's Day. Aren't they sweet?

Muses - an inspiring lesson in mythology, history and fashion

2010-06-02T13:50:00.001+02:00

Muse is an ancient greek mythological creature. They were in some myths said to be (some of the many) daughters of Zeus, the King of the Gods. Some myths refer to them as three, but traditionally they are considered to be nine. The muses inspired mankind in writing, art, music, history, astronomy, dance and theatre. Each muse had her "area". Today we sometimes refer to a person, mostly a woman, as a "muse". Many famous artists, filmmakers, photographers, musicians and fashion designers have their own muse.

Today I have choosen some muses that inspire me right now. In some cases it is their over all style, in some just a specific look.

Classic

I love this shot of Catherine Deneuve. It is so classic, timeless and beautiful.

Tutus and a Look Back

I love tutus! Well anything featuring tulle will do. And I love vintage and classic looks.

Marilyn. Is'nt she just one of the quintessential muses? Her whole presence is awe inspiring.

So, you see. The tutu was nothing new discovered by Patricia Field. Carrie inspires me so much and Sarah Jessica Parker too. I find it harder and harder stylewise to draw a line between the two.

And here is Marilyn - oh, no I'm sorry it's Madonna. Can a woman change her style more times during a life time? I don't think so. The woman's got guts! And apparentely some knowledge of fashion and history.

Haute Hippies and Angels

Heart, you know the one's with "Barracuda". The Looking Glass Vintage had that song playing on her blog. That song just makes me think of Lucy Liu in her tight leather suit in Charlie's Angels 2. Anyway, I love this cover. I want their hair and I want their outfits! And the gypsy inspired backround is amazing!

Rule Breakers

Sometimes you need someone to shake things up a bit. Trust Lady Gaga to do it. She will make you question your every opinion on fashion.

And perhaps one of Gaga's inspirations. The grand lady of hats Isabella Blow. When she was a style editor at british magazine Tatler she discovered and pushed one of the world's greatest milliners Philip Treacy. She is a huge style icon and inspiration to the fashion world.

Let's Paint the Town Red!

And now some beautiful and inspirational redheads! Because I'm a redhead too, pale and freckled.

One of my constant muses, Karen Elson.

She has just released her debut album. What do you think of this?

Lily Cole. Model and also an actress, she made a good job in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

The original screen siren redhead Ritha Hayworth.

Do you have a muse? Who?

In Living Colour

2010-05-31T08:12:00.000+02:00

I hope you had a great weekend! Here's what I wore this Saturday. Another pair of colourful tights and another little black dress. And my new shoes!

Blazer thrifted Strenesse, scarf H&M, tights H&M, shoes Donna Girl from DNA Shoes, dress H&M, lace top worn underneath from clothes swap, earrings Swarowski.

Also, welcome all new followers!

Happy Birthday Sister!

2010-05-29T21:03:00.000+02:00

Today is my sisters birthday. She is turning 20. I am nine years older than her. (So if you are curious to know my age, just do the math.... ) Despite the age difference we have shared a lot. Last year I had a son (my second child) in March, she had a son (her first child) in September. We both love clothes, especially dresses and shoes and well everything pretty! We are also best friends. At least I think so, or what do you say sis? ;) Anyone in doubt can just ask her man about the phone bill. My sister and I don't live in the same town. And we NEED to talk.

Anyhow, today is her day and we have spent most of our day celebrating her. So this blogpost is for you Babysister! I love you!

Here's the gift we gave her. When we had the girls weekend (see the post Weekend Getaway) she bought a fab skull ring so I made her these rocking earrings to go with it. We also gave her a gift card and her own herb box.

It is filled with thyme, mint and basil. On the back of the labels I wrote a recipe for every herb. Mojito for mint, pesto for basil and fried parsnip for thyme.

Isn't she a beauty?

I will give you some photos of my outfit tomorrow. Stay tuned. Thank you for all of your sweet comments! Hope you are having a great weekend! Now I am gonna go sit with my hubby in the new hammock he got for his birtday yesterday!

Country living

2010-05-27T11:39:00.000+02:00

It probably does not come as a surprise to most of you that have been following my blog that I live in the countryside. Waaay out in the countryside! I live in a village though so I am surrounded by lovely neighbours!

I looove the British editions of Country Living and Country Homes and Interiors. If you cannot get your hands on these you can get inspired here.

I do not call myself a gardener. But I have a garden and for the years we have been living in this house I have been trying to figure out how to take care of it. I love working in my garden and I am in love with peonies. I have a few, but plans are to get some more. My love for peonies go way back to my childhood. My maternal grandmother had lots in her garden and I was always enchanted by them.

This is Martha Stewart's peony garden. It is my dream. Of course I don't have the space for it. But dreams don't need space.

This is the bouquet I carried for my wedding. More pictures from my wedding in the post Dream Wedding.

My sense of style has also been influenced by this love of British farmhouse/country/manor. I am crazy about hats and well all types of fashion you wear on your head. Caps, berets, fascinators, headbands, veils. You name it!

Here's what I wore today. It is a sunny but windy spring day.

Cap was a gift from my sister-in-law, Cardigan H&M, Tank Gina Tricot(another gift from my lovely mom!), old cut-off Levi's, tights Åhléns, flats H&M Kids

My kids were also donning some seriously cute headwear today!

This cap is from H&M.

I wish this came in my size!!!! Old Navy

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

2010-05-25T10:50:00.000+02:00

Today is a rainy one.

The down side is that I'm getting wet and the weeds are spreading faster than I can get rid of them.

The upside is...

... I get to break out the cute rain gear...

... and things are starting to sprout in my kitchen garden. These are radishes.

Still today I will huddle up inside with a cup of hot green tea with honey...

... dreaming away with this amazing Vogue feature.

(All of the pictures above were shot by me inside and around our house.)

To see all the gorgeous pictures from "Two if by the sea" go to Vogue US. It is shot by Mikael Jansson (Swedish!!!) featuring Raquel Zimmermann and Matthew Morrison. Had no idea who the man was, apparently he's an actor starring in Glee. Zimmermann and Jansson I knew of. Maybe I should start watching more television.

Weekend Getaway

2010-05-23T19:47:00.000+02:00

Had a great time with my mom and sis!

Friday we had dinner at the hotel, precourse: tapas, main course: pepper steak, pepper sauce, bell peppers and potato wedges and dessert: milk chocolate panna cotta with lime and vanilla marinated raspberrys. Mmmmmm....

View from our hotel room. These three last pictures were taken by my sister.

Saturday we had breakfast at the hotel, went shopping and had tea at my favorite café. I bought these sandals from H&M.

Back home again!

Dress Gina Tricot, earrings clothes swap, sandals H&M and jean jacket from la Redoute bought almost ten years ago.

Ooooh! I almost forgot to tell you. I found THEM. THE SHOES. Remember my post "Ruby Red Heels" back in April? I was looking for red shoes for my cousins wedding this summer, but if you don't keep an open mind you might miss out on something. I found these purple babies!

Do I need to say I loooove them??! To refresh your memory here's the dress that will befriend these cute heels.

Peace, love and weekend

2010-05-21T14:02:00.000+02:00

White sweater from the clothes swap (see yesterdays post), blue tank Aeropostale, jean leggins H&M, earrings Gina Tricot, blazer thrifted Strenesse, scarf Old Navy and suede ballerinas Gap.

I am leaving home til tomorrow for a kid free hotel stay with my mother and my sister (mother of a six month old). We are gonna eat out and just enjoy each others company. I hope you all have a great weekend!!!

And remember, with our actions we can change the world. While staying fashionable of course! ;) Dream on! Peace out!

Everything old is new again...

2010-05-20T14:08:00.000+02:00

Today I am blogging from my sundrenched deck.

I cannot believe we still have this fab summer weather in May! I even had a cute little visitor.

Yesterday I had girls night with two of my dearest friends. We had a clothes swap and then we ate fruit salad, candy and popcorn and watched Sex and the City the Movie. A recipe for a great night! If you have not done a clothes swap with your friends you really should!!! It is so much fun. You get to try on clothes in somebody's living room instead of a dressing room with horrible lightning, you can have a laugh at yourself and others as you try on things that are not really "you" plus the clothes are all free! Here are two of my finds from yesterday. I got a lot more though, maybe you will get to see it later!

A cute sundress and earrings, I really need to grow longer arms. Or find a photographer.

Also we took this test to see which of the Sex and the City women you are most like. Apparently I am hanging out with Samantha and Carrie. I was not surprised. A bit to my disappointment, but again not surprising, I am Charlotte. She's cute and all... But isn't she a bit of a bore? I guess deep down I sort of wanted to be Carrie. She is so adventurous and brave. Talked to my sister this morning, and she did not agree. She thinks Carrie is childish and in her opinion I should be totally happy to be Charlotte. I guess that's the way it's supposed to be, you are supposed to have different personalities so you can inspire and complement each other. That's what friends are for!

I see another great girls night coming up!

I am an award winning blogger!

2010-05-18T22:15:00.000+02:00

I got my first award! Yay! Thanks The Looking Glass! Check out her inspiring page!

Ok, being a baby blogger, I really hope I am doing this right. :) So here are the three blogs I would like to pass this award on to:

Glamour och Fläskpannkaka - one lovely swedish lady with a great vintage look

The Punctuation Mark - this woman is an endless source of inspiration, and her Friday links are the best!

Tokyo and Seoul Dreams - because she is beautiful, Kawaii, inventive and stylish.

Also, I am supposed to show my narcissistic side and tell you ten things about me.

1. I used to run my own jewellry business designing and crafting jewellry and bridal head pieces.

2. I am a snow globe collector. And YES I prefer the goofy, overly touristy ones.

3. I am a major geek. I watch Mythbusters and read fantasy.

4. I never get a tan, ever. My skin just wasn't built for it. I get red skin and then freckles.

5. Fish freaks me out. Only live ones though. I like to eat fish.

6. My favourite movie is Beauty and the Beast. I love all things Disney.

7. I am married to the love of my life.

8. I have studied latin.

9. I am addicted to anything containing chocolate.

10. I make a mean Italian Lasagna.

Click on the picture to get to my Polyvore page!

Summer dress

2010-05-17T17:55:00.001+02:00

There is a lot of floral going on right now. And yes, I am a fan. This dress my mum gave to me two weeks ago. I looove the back of it!

I planted some herbs this weekend. I just looove this herb box!

Here comes the sun!

2010-05-13T23:25:00.000+02:00

Thank you for your kind comments! Things are looking up now, so just continue keeping your fingers crossed. Today it is spring. FOR REAL!!!! It has been a whopping 17 degrees Celsius today. That might be winter temperatures for some of you, but please remember I live very close to the Polar Circle.

To get to my Polyvore page click on the collage.

So in celebration of the "hot" weather the whole family went to town to buy some flowers, herbs, seeds, a lilac and a rhubarb plant. The flowers and the herbs are in the hallway awaiting kinder night temperatures, the seeds might find their way into soil tomorrow. I am for the first time ever going to grow some vegetables. At least I hope they will grow. My husband planted the lilac and the rhubarb tonight. I hope to get a good harvest of the rhubarb so I can make pies and "juice". There is no good word in english, at least not one I know of, for the swedish word "saft". "Saft" is sort of like lemonade but it can be made from any fruit or berry. Is there a good word for it?

Today I wore my new blouse from H&M.

Wow, I really need to clean that mirror. It's got my kids fingerprints all over it. Anyway, I also wore an old pair of Levi's that I cut off yesterday, some black tights and black suede ballerinas from Gap.

Had to show you these babies..... My Judith Ripka earrings. They were a gift from my husband on our fifth wedding anniversary last year. Did I tell you I have the greatest hubby? ;)

In need of a luxury injection

2010-05-10T13:25:00.000+02:00

This weekend has been full of emotion (both positive and negative), work and fun. I've been singing at a funeral and a big wedding taking place in the middle of the Spring Fair, my husband found out the company where he's working has filed for bankruptcy, I've been to a recruit meeting for a job I REALLY want and we've also been hanging out with family and friends. It's been both a rough and a good weekend. And now I need a luxury injection.

Here's my choice, Max Azria's fabulous and creative home:

See all pictures and read the story at Harper's Bazaar

I wish you all a great week!

Double therapy

2010-05-05T20:16:00.000+02:00

Baking while doing some window shopping via internet.

Here's some stuff I could definitely click home right now, not because I need it but because I WANT it. But I think I'm just gonna end up chewing on one of those breads instead. Still that's the great thing about window shopping. It's free!

Bangles from H&M

Clutch from H&M

Wallet from Forever 21

CUTE necklace from Forever 21

Ok, these ones I really, really, really WANT. Maybe I'll click. Maybe.

Cutout Oxfords from Forever 21

Dream wedding

2010-05-04T13:02:00.002+02:00

Hi! I'm so sorry 'bout the slow updates. Busy, busy, busy. I still take time to read blogs though, and I so much enjoy seeing pictures from beautiful weddings! Spring is a time of love and right now I am thinking a lot about weddings. I am already married to the love of my life, so there is no wedding planning for me. But I am (among other things) a singer and this saturday I will be singing at a wedding taking place at the Spring Fair in town. It's gonna be so much fun, but my stomach has been taken hostage by fluttering butterflies. There's gonna be a lot of people! My cousin is getting married this summer and my sister is planning her wedding. So of course I got all nostalgic.

Pictures from my dream wedding (my own!) the 24:th of july 2004.

Isn't he handsome? The cute little girls are my husbands nieces. My mother-in-law made all the dresses including mine. The veil is my mother's.

Our wedding was a wonderful, funfilled and heartfelt affair. There were over a hundred guests but it still felt very intimate to me. Our families made all the food except the cake that was made by a local baker. The entree was a heart shaped sandwich with tuna topping. The main course was a HUGE buffet. The photograpers were one of my girlfriends and my husbands cousin. My oldest sister-in-law's husband sang at the ceremony and my parents read a poem. Thinking of this day still makes me all warm inside!

Pretty in Pink

2010-05-02T19:49:00.000+02:00

I am a real LDB person, you know little black dress. I wear a LOT of black, but I mix it up now and then with navy, blue jeans and grey. BLAH! I KNOW! I am TRYING to mix in more colour. The upside is, black goes with anything! To play it safe I still mainly use colours for accessories. Like today in pink tights and pink studs.

I looove this headband. I feel a wardrobe favorite coming up!

Tee, headband, shoes, tights from H&M, skirt from KappAhl, studs from Gina Tricot and cardigan United Colors of Benetton.

And YES! We still have snow :( , as you can see. This last picture was taken in our backyard today.

Bye Bye Birdie!

2010-04-28T11:15:00.001+02:00

Yesterday when I was playing with my kids in our sunny backyard my daughter found a dead bird. My parents own and run a funeral home so my kids are no strangers to death and the rituals surrounding it. So last night we had a funeral orchestrated by my four year old. I sang a bit from a traditional hymn.

Birds are such beautiful creatures and they inspire mankind so much. This collage is in honour of the Bird that died.. The poem is by 1913 years winner of Nobel Prize in literature Rabindranath Tagore.

Click on the collage for details.

Got blues?

2010-04-27T12:19:00.000+02:00

I don't know if you noticed but I tend to wear a lot of blue and black. I have been in love with blue since childhood. Blue is the colour of sky and sea.

And also the colour of:

My denim drapes that keep the midnight sun from disrupting my sleep during bright summer nights.

My sheets.

My favorite nail polish, Essie "Starry, Starry Night"

My eyepencil today.

My earrings.

My sweater.

My jeans.

And places I would like to go, like NOW!

Desperate Housewife

2010-04-26T12:20:00.002+02:00

No, I am not desperate, at least not yet! ;) Today I'm having a day at home with the kids. I'm going to look for jobs, make a few calls and I should bake some bread. We'll see where the day takes me.

Cardigan, United Colors of Benetton. Tee, Freeze bought at Ross. Jeans, Forever 21. Slippers, Shepherd.

The cute pencil earrings were a gift from my parents.

These earrings and headband I bought this saturday. I like!

Here's the inside of my wardrobe door. The very colourful plastic bead necklaces are made by my daughter.

Oooh, I got this catalog in the mail from my favorite jewellery store. I really like the necklaces with the bird and angel. The other ones are cute too. They are made by Aagaard. Maybe I should make a wish for Mother's Day!

Click on the pictures to enlarge them!

Snow, Sun and Sunday!

2010-04-25T18:21:00.000+02:00

The snow, I wish it would go away now. I want spring, REAL spring! But at least it was sunny today and my hubbie was home. We had a family day, went for a walk and did some barbecue in our garden.

The scarf I got yesterday at H&M and the hat and mittens (fingerless) are knitted by my mom, the jacket is from BikBok.

And this is what I wore underneath. I long for when I don't have to bundle up every time I leave the house!!! The cardigan and tank I also bought yesterday, both from Gina Tricot. The necklace is from Forever 21 and the jeanleggins are my favorite pair from H&M that I also wore yesterday.

Psst, click on the pictures if you want to see a larger image!

Shopping Saturday

2010-04-24T22:12:00.000+02:00

Today I went shopping with my sister-in-law. WITHOUT kids! If you don't have kids, you probably will not understand how grand this is. I have two kids and my in-law-sis has three. We were out all day and lunched at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants.

So here are some not so great pictures from a great day. (Most of them were taken with my phone.)

This is me, just before I left home.

Dress, Forever 21. Tank, Aeropostale. Cardigan, H&M Kids. Necklace, KappAhl. Jeanleggins, H&M. Bangle, H&M. Shoes, Gabor.

It's still so cold I had to go inside and put on my inherited leather jacket from the seventies and my Atlas scarf. I hardly ever go anywhere without a bag. This is one of my favorites from Lindex.

I fell in love with these shoes! They where above my budget though so I had to restrain myself! I hope they will be on sale!!!!

I hope your saturday is great!

Scent of a Woman

2010-04-23T11:23:00.004+02:00

Yesterday as I was sitting on the kitchen floor chatting away with my sister on the phone my four year old daughter climbed into my lap. "Mom" she said. "You smell like flowers...and soap!"

Click on the picture to get to my Polyvore page!

I just want to say a big welcome to new blog followers!

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T21:13:00.000+02:00

Just wanted to say Happy Earth Day! In a fashion way.

These photographs were part of "Garden of Delights" shot by Steven Meisel for Vogue US December 2006.

See details and all pictures here!

Take time this day and consider what you can do for the environment!

Remember Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

If you think this environment activist stuff sounds really unglamorous, read this feature about "Earth Mother" Gisele Bündchen from Vogue US April 2010.

Ps. THANKS for reading and commenting my blog! And THANKS for all the inspiration you give me in your blogs! I read and appreciate all comments, even though I sometimes answer and sometimes don't. I also always, sooner or later ;), check out your blogs, because I'm a curious person and I like to see who's behind the comment. If I really like you I will follow you!

More Earth Day
FlowerChildStyle's Earth Day post featuring recycled fashion!
Punctuation Mark also has a great Earth Day post featuring some great ways to make the world a better place!

Ruby Red Heels!

2010-04-22T11:26:00.001+02:00

I am looking for some red heels to go with this dress.

I am wearing it to my cousin's wedding this summer. Since the dress is nude with a black belt I would like some red shoes to spice it up. I don't want to wear closed pumps, they don't feel that "summer" to me. Here are some shoes I like.

Click on the picture for details!

Classic Gwyneth

2010-04-21T13:58:00.000+02:00

I just HAD to show you this, which is part of Harper's Bazaar US cover story for May 2010. First of all Gwyneth is always lovely. Like Grace Kelly she just has this sophisticated air surrounding her person. This shoot just draws from that. And remember I totally embraced the Dior Haute Couture collection in my post from January 27:th? This first picture, guess what she's wearing?

All hail Lady Gwyneth!

For the story and more gorgeous pictures go to Harper's Bazaar

An Apple A Day!

2010-04-20T22:10:00.000+02:00

Apples are such wholesome fruits. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. An apple for the teacher. But on the other hand according to Bible-tradition the apple also is part responsible for the original sin. I guess we just like apples us humans. At least I do.

So today I decided to make apple pie. I looked through a whole bunch of recipes and then decided to concoct my own. I put apple slices in a buttered pie dish. Then I wisked together two eggs, some sugar, a little bit of vanilla and milk which I poured onto the apples. After that I mixed oats, some butter, raw sugar, syrup, flour and a little bit of baking soda. I put this on top of the apples and the egg mixture. I sprinkled some cinnamon on top. Then I baked it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.

Et voilà!

It was really good! This is all that was left after our family of four had stuffed ourselves!

I also like the way apples look. Here's some tasty fashion from my jewelry box.

From American Eagle about three years ago

From KappAhl about two years ago

Lady of the Manor

2010-04-20T11:06:00.005+02:00

Oh, to have your own English estate to escape to once in a while. This is Gela Nash-Taylor's little "cottage". These pictures were published in American Vogue's September issue 2009. Nash-Taylor is a co-creative director and co-founder of Juicy Couture. I find so much inspiration in these pictures, even though it is very over the top. Or maybe that is why! And yes, the beautiful woman in the jacket and skirt is Yasmin Le Bon. For the story and all the pictures go to Vogue's homepage

Why, of course that is a REAL peacock in the tree! Don't you have one in your garden? ;)

Fashion Vintage Barbie Style!

2010-04-19T09:44:00.003+02:00

Yesterday we were invited for dinner at my parent's place. My daughter was playing with my moms old Barbies. Wow! Barbie had some serious fashion back then! I had to take some pictures with my phone just to show you.

That floral dress should have been part of HM:s Garden Collection, right? I would have bought it right away!

Sunday outfit

2010-04-18T12:32:00.001+02:00

Today I am wearing the skirt and tights I bought yesterday at HM. Shoes from Gabor, Wrap cardigan from La Redoute, tank Tommy Hilfiger and the necklace is the ASOS Short Cluster Pendant.

Outfit of the day! And other rules I broke......

2010-04-17T22:18:00.002+02:00

Yep, that's right. Outfit of the day. This blogging thing is an interesting journey. It seems to me like it is a lot like raising your children. You start out with a lot of principles, ideals and rules. Along the way, well something just happens. :) I think it might be called "life". So, I was totally NOT going to post outfit of the day pictures. I have abandoned that idea. And in my early teens I claimed I was totally NOT a skirt and dress type of girl. Yeah, right! So here comes the outfit I wore today!

(Psst, you can click on the images to make them larger)

Blazer thrifted Strenesse, wool sweater Mango, dress HM, scarf used to be my moms in the seventies, tights Åhléns and cuff Forever 21.

Thrifted shoes. It was actually spring this morning when I got dressed, can you imagine?! Then I went shopping with one of my girlfriends, helped my little brother move into his new place and went to my sister-in-laws birthday party and BOOM! It started snowing and suddenly it's winter all over again.

No, I am NOT in desperate need of a visit to the ladies room. My husband wanted me to hunch so he could get all of me in the picture. This was taken on our front porch and he didn't want to step into the snow. Maybe we need to practice this photography thing...

I just wanted to show you the earrings I wore. The double C:s come from a pair of thrifted clips. They broke and I added a pearl and some earring hooks.

And here's the skirt I bought at today's shopping trip.

For details click on the picture

Gone shopping!

2010-04-16T09:29:00.001+02:00

Well actually I wasn't gone I was sitting on my couch ordering from the hm home page.

Here's what I got.

Click on the picture for details!

Be a pinup this summer!

2010-04-10T23:48:00.001+02:00

Thank you all lovelies for reading my blog! And thanks for all your inspiring comments! Don't be shy, be a follower! :) I hope I can inspire you too!

Here's some inspiration if you're, like me, in the mood to channel the classic pinup.

Click on the picture for details!

And THIS is how a pool party is supposed to be! And remember girls! Don't be "flippy". Go for a pretty dress instead.

And the most iconic pinup ever!

A better state of mind!

2010-04-10T23:06:00.000+02:00

Ok, I like Alicia's own version better. And also more true.....

Spring in New York, New York!

2010-04-09T10:24:00.002+02:00

I love New York! Old school and modern!

Here's what I would wear for a spring weekend in the Big Apple!

Click on the image for details!

Best of Asos sale!

2010-04-08T21:31:00.001+02:00

Here are some cute stuff I found at the Asos sale! And no, I have not bought a thing. But a girl can dream, right? And hope! And give a great tip to some other girls!

Click on the picture for details!

My wardrobe in bloom!

2010-04-07T11:41:00.004+02:00

This is me in the car on easter eve/holy saturday. We were going to my parents place to eat a traditional swedish easter dinner. The jacket is my mother-in-law's from the seventies (see also in an earlier post), the scarf is from Atlas design (also seen in an earlier post), what I really wanted to show you are these cute earrings! I got them maybe six years ago at a thrift store in Umeå. They are made from plastic with a metal clip. They have been hibernating in my closet all winter. But I think easter is the start of spring season. (I don't care what the weather tells me.)

And spring means flowers!

Here are some more florals from my wardrobe!

My blooming sneakers bought at swedish KappAhl a few years ago.

This has been a well used piece. Even through my pregnancies. At the beach and for dressing up. It's from Indiska.

My mom bought this and then didn't feel comfortable in it. I do!

This is from Jackpot. It has been in my closet for more than eight years.

This is a thrift store find made by Muriel Céalac.

This I bought a few years ago at a store in Örebro.

This strapless dress was a gift from my parents.

I fell instantly in love with this bag. Even though my husband would gladly tell you that another bag is the last thing I need. It is a Tommy Hilfiger.

And then some flowers from my home!

My grandmother's parfume bottle.

This used to be my mother's.

My nightstand. I am OBSESSED with magazines! And YES that is a working phone.

Old school recycling! My grandmother had one of these in a kitchen cabinet. It says: Paper, bags (as in paper and plastic), cork and string. She saved all gift wrappings and bags she bought groceries in and used the again.

And my calender for 2010. Isn't it pretty?!

English rose, fashion for sunny days!

2010-04-06T20:43:00.001+02:00

Or days you wish were sunny.......

I love flowers! Don't you?

Vive la France! (Again)

2010-04-02T14:44:00.001+02:00

Je suis Parisienne! Or at least Francaise. At least in my daydreams today, again. Don't you just looove the last episodes of Sex and the City when Carrie is in Paris???

For details, click on the image.

Say hi to your inner child!

2010-04-01T22:07:00.002+02:00

Oh, the way I have been playing around with Polyvore I feel like a child in a candystore. Or maybe it's the preparations for easter..... Anyway, I got all childish!
So, say hi to your inner child!

Click on the picture to see the details!

Let's go biking!

2010-03-31T13:38:00.003+02:00

Ok, so the reality check didn't last for that long. I'm back to dreaming!

Let's go for a bike ride!

So, this is kind of an experiment for me. I just started using Polyvore, thank you Betty Darling! And how fun is it? Well, it will steal a great deal of my easter, and probably the rest of the year too.....

I am just working on how to get a direct link from the picture to my page on Polyvore. So far.... no success..... The romper and the hat is from Forever 21, the wedges are from Piperlime and the earrings from Kyssjohanna.se

Outdoor wardrobe staples!

2010-03-31T12:07:00.000+02:00

Well, I DREAM of summer. But maybe I should get back to reality for a while....... It is still very much winter where I live. Very much..... So while I dream of summer dresses, oxfords, ballet flats, shorts and bathing suits. That is not what I am wearing. This is what I am wearing.

My trusty, toasty Shepherd boots that once had the colour honey, nowadays they are more greyish...

My green boots from Lacoste.

My wonderfully soft, huge (!) scarf from Atlas Design. It has a beautiful paisley pattern that doesn't really come out in this picture.

This hat that my mum knitted.

Here's an outfit I have found myself in often lately. The cloche hat I bought years ago when I was a student. The scarf is made by a women's project in Kenya, it was a gift from a friend that grew up in Nairobi. The leather jacket is my mother in law's that she bought in the seventies.

I think I am gonna have to ask my man to take some pictures.... It is hard taking pictures of yourself. My arm is only so long!

Getting ready for easter!

2010-03-30T16:19:00.001+02:00

I am busy preparing for easter. Here's some of the stuff I've been doing: