Not the Vicar's Wife

What to choose...

So many projects half-started that need re-uphostering to finish.  A mattress cover for a daybed upstairs (my grandfathers baby crib which is now daybed adapted = true love), a cushion for the window seat in the kitchen and a myriad of other projects.   

Fabric is maybe even HARDER than wallpaper in that there are so many absolutely wonderful choices available (ok, not in Sweden which has a far too limited selection if you ask moi) which makes it hard to settle on one two three.  The thing is, that sometimes, if you're lucky, you'll take one look at one of them and think "THAT'S IT". 

That's the way I felt when I saw both of these.  

(above: Pie in the Sky Linen Union)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(above: Dwell Studio Dotscape)

Then again, I'm fickle so now to see if I feel this way after a week or so and then - find someone who can whip me up a box cushion and upholster a mattress.  

Shedding some light...

One thing that I have always appreciated so much about the Swedish interior aesthetic is that they are so so good at mixing old and new, antique and ultra modern.  It's never been my strong suit (I always seem to like the old stuff much better than the new) but I have been trying to test the boundaries a little.  

One thing that I have always had a bit of a guilty crush on is this lamp:

I say "guilty" crush because I do think it is a bit over the top.  But the idea that they take a very old-fashioned (baroque?) shape and toootally modernize it has always appealed to me and when it comes right down to it, gaudy or not, I LIKE this lamp. 

I'm looking for a lamp for a side table that is sporting a lamp that is lovely but too small for it's space. Picture it here:  

A Cautionary Tail

so.  i was invited to a halloween party which took place last night.  a longtime Halloween Hater (stemming from "The Cat in the Hat Debacle of 1974" but that's another story for another day), i decided that i didn't want to miss going to a party with my friends just because i was a stick in the mud.  besides - this is my chance to turn things around!  all i had to do was figure out a cute and easy costume to make!  i had a week to put it together which, let's face it, is like a year on Project Runway.  

i decided to be an owl. i found a darling photo which would be my inspiration.  i would skip a mask and wear big round black glasses instead.  this was going to be fun!  

but guess what!  

it actually became a totally different costume!  sure, i thought i was going as an owl - i mean, i certainly intended to go as an owl - but it turned out i wasn't an owl at all!  

let me tell you a little story. 

a few years ago some friends told me of a masquerade party their 6 year old daughter had been invited to.  she was thrilled about the invitation and as soon as she found out she needed a costume she knew at once: she must be a princess.  

the little girl's parents were disappointed.  a princess?  a princess, in their opinion, was completely lacking in imagination and they were already sick to the teeth of all the pink.  the idea of endorsing a pink fluffy princess when there were so many other funner and cuter and more imaginative options to explore was just too much for them.  

"but johanna" they said, "princesses are so boring, so common.  everyone is going to want to be a princess.  you should be Special!  Different! more Creative!  let's really put some thought into this and let's MAKE a costume together that will knock everyone's socks off."  

as you may imagine, johanna was a little reluctant to leave the princess idea behind but was soon swept away by her parents' certainty and enthusiasm.  and, sure enough, they did make a costume and it was adorable.  and when johanna put on her darling homemade dalmatian costume they all barked and laughed and wagged their imaginary tails and were very excited for her to go to the party.  

you can see where this is going, can't you?  

as happy as johanna had been in the bosom of her joyful family, her little tail slowed and eventually stopped when she arrived at the long awaited party only to find that Every Single Other Girl at the party was ... a princess.  

there were pink poofy dresses, curled hair and tiaras to beat the band.  and one darling, creative, homemade and very very unhappy dalmatian.  all of the barking and laughing and delight in the homemade dalmatian costume now felt Very Far Away, and johanna longed, more than anything else, for a pink poofy dress, curled hair and a tiara.  

so, while it may look like i was an owl last night at the halloween party, in actual fact?  

i was a dalmatian.

Fallen for Falun

I love a road trip.

This works out well since E enjoys driving.  Perfect.  It feels like ages since we just jumped in the car and went on a road trip just us, so yesterday we decided to make it happen.  We drove about 3 hours north of Stockholm to Falun in the Dalarna region of Sweden known for its... Swedishness.  Red and white houses dot the countryside like consecutive postcards.  The town of Falun itself completely charmed me - smallish but not tiny, with lovely old architecture (many from the Jugend period and much older), pretty landscaping and particularly appealing gorgeous brick bridge-house now turned into a popular waterside café.  Heaven!

We had fun poking around antique stores looking for treasure.  This is a store clearly run by someone with a fine hand with pretty styling. 

They were having a big sale which seemed very promising since we are absolutely on the hunt for pretty, old, affordable furniture to fill up the (still many) empty spaces of our new house.  I fell in particular for those flower-shaped lamps over the cash register but was disappointed that there was only one left and they were unwilling/able to track any more down for us. Luckily I've found the supplier and am hopeful I can track them down elsewhere - watch this space!  We did find a few pieces of furniture we were excited about but it turned out they were already sold but still on the shop floor, which was deflating.

Onward ho to Gruvgatan 13 - a lovely furniture/interiors store with loads of pretty fabrics by the yard (somebody STOP ME) and this cupboard that could not really be any more perfect:

So the good news is that hurrah! We found something we love! And need! And it's on sale! The bad news - after hanging around in the store with no interest ALL SUMMER, it is on reserve for someone else who also liked it but needed a few days to think.  "Oh well" we thought.  "Maybe they won't want it."  So we asked if they would take our number and call us if the other people decide against it.  Except.  Despite the fact it has been hanging around for months, all of a sudden there are 3 other people in front of us on a waiting list.  Phooey!  The first couple deciding against it is one thing.  But 3 more?  Rats. 

We did like another cupboard from Nordal - it's new and much pricier than the other which I actually prefer, but very pretty nonetheless...

I don't know that we would actually buy the one above, but I do like it.  I still have my fingers crossed that the 4 other people with their eye on that other one all decide that its too big/grey/old/bulky/ugly to spend good money on and my next post will be telling you how we are hightailing it back up to Falun to pick it up.  My great attempt at Positive Thinking.  I'll let you know how it works out.

Do you have a favorite road trip?  Where do you like to go?

Superdelish!

so for once i did not do as i normally do and forget the roasted tomatoes in the oven until they are burned to a nickel-sized crisp.  no!  this time i got it Exactly Right!  

Perfect. Roasted. Tomatoes.  

these little tomatoes (i use cherry tomatoes) are so unbelievably delicious they become like little pieces of candy. just cut them in half, sprinkle (generously) with salt and toss them around in some olive oil (don't be chincy with the oil either).  i put them on parchment to make clean-up easier - cut side up.  i baked them at about 175°C (about 350°F) for about 30 mins, then turned it down to about 100° (about 200°) for another hour or so.   they're done when they look shriveled up and are just starting to go brown around the edges.  

now if i had only remembered to take them out of the oven and serve them to our lunch guests that would have been even better.

Pretend house hunting

We love our little house by the lake and believe me it is more than enough to keep us busy - like, try a 10 year project.  Luckily, that is exactly what we wanted and sho 'nuff it's what we got. 

But spending countless hours over many years of cruising Hemnet (online real estate listings in Sweden) looking for The House is a hard habit to break.  It's like a hobby, the checking.  It's also a great way to peek inside other peoples homes which, lets face it, is always fun.  

Today I saw this really lovely home - not too far from our own.  

Isn't it completely darling?  Loving the blue door (watch this space - we need a new front door and might also go with blue?) and the garden and yard make me want to pop over for some lemonade on a hot summer day.  (Note: "hot summer day" in Sweden is an oxymoron.)  More photos here.   

Blue doors not your thing?  Maybe you prefer yellow ones?  (More here.)

 

But by far my absolute favorite house from today's perusing is hands down this one: 

This is the house I can just move right into.  Just bring my toothbrush and not touch a single thing. Perfect perfect perfect.  

(OK - I can't help it. That last part isn't strictly speaking true. There are some inconsequential things I would tweak, like if i could just change one teensy thing it would be to paint it grey because I have a Thing For Grey Houses but really that's only me being Super Picky and there is not a single thing wrong with the darling yellow. )

Do you stalk houses on the internet and pretend you are in the market (even if you aren't)?

The Truth Told

Beet cake

Now this looks pretty amazing. Sure, the cake looks delish (stay tuned - I'll tell you how it turns out when I've made it), but the recipe video? Looove it.

via the very wonderful tiger in a jar.

Order in the house

finally finally I've moved into my permanent little office/studio in the smallest bedroom in the back of the house and am getting settled in. 

truth be told i was thinking that this was not really going to turn out so well.  we "borrowed" (not like we're giving it back or anything) some space from the back bedroom for the sake of a bathtub and the already smallish back bedroom got, well, even smaller.  it is the least showy room in the house and as i spent more time in my temporary office in the now guest room- the prettiest bedroom with a fantastic view of the lake and apple trees - i was getting cold feet about moving my little office to the poor relation bedroom.  

happy me!  it's turned out way cosier than i thought it could and i could not be happier with the result.  no, all of my stuff (there is a LOT) doesn't fit in the room, but it doesn't matter as there are eaves adjacent to the room which i have also taken over for storage (a post on that another time - its also going to be cute once painted).  

so.  entrance to the back bedroom/my office before:

and after:

the rug was our old kitchen rug from our old house which is way too small for the new kitchen but fits perfectly here.  you know i love me some polka dots. 

this little area (next photo) is my crafty space (rather than my worky space where my computer is (around the corner to the right in the above photo and not pictured here yet - it needs to get cuter first)

i have a thing for pretty rubber stamps...   (believe me, there are more hiding away, this is just a sampling)

my lovely friend beatrice with enviably long legs...

a ribbon jar...

and lots of colored pencils because they just come in handy, you know?...

i feel super super lucky to have a place that is all my own and it is my favorite place in the house to be.

do you have a favorite place in your house?

Mixed grill, I mean feelings

Lovely Highland cattle from our front yard BEFORE:

Lovely Highland cattle from our front yard AFTER: