fantastic flowers and birds

A few weeks ago I got two lovely belated birthday gifts from a dear friend that I hadn't seen for a while. This is one of the gifts, an adorable cup and saucer, here with a midmorning cup of coffee and some gingerbread bisquits, a must this time of year.



Just look at these little birdies sitting in a tree full of flowers! Too cute! Right now I'm having Five Roses Rooibos & Honey in it, which is my favorite evening tea, and some Riviera Chocolate Luvbites, that we just got in a care package from my mother-in-law in Durban. Delish!



We just came back from a small holiday down south in Sweden, and later I'll show some pretty pictures from an incredible place we visited. But for now I'm just gonna brag about this beautiful piece of art that my husband got for me: a Chinese wood carving. When I saw it I just knew I had to have it! It's not only beautiful, it smells wonderful too, don't know what wood it's made of though. Something nice smelling. Cedar Maybe?



I love these phoenix birds. They make me think of getting a phoenix tattoo, that I've considered on many occasions before.



And how about these roses? Oh, how I just adore Chinese arts and crafts. Now comes the delicate question of finding the perfect place for it in our flat, where I can see it the most. Will have to get back on that.

Enjoy your own evening cup of tea! And get yourselves ready for another giveaway coming up in a little bit!

i’ve joined a cult

It's been quite a few years since I first started hearing about Swedish Hasbeens. Then I saw some in the store, and I liked the look just fine, but thought they were way too expensive. Seeing them on lots and lots of people over the years has made me grow fonder of them, but they've remained too expensive for my taste. Until now. Today I heard about this garage sale for only one day, and I thought I'd just pop in and see what all the fuss is about. I came out with these wedge braided cuties, and felt like I had joined a cult, but gotten in the back door since I only had to pay 400 kronor for these. Thank you very much.



On my way back from my cult session I walked past a very nice vintage store I forgot about, because I hardly ever walk that way. They have a nice selection of vintage knick knacks, mostly homeware stuff, and a few other things like jewellery and newly produced retro things as well. After looking around for a specific gift to a specific person, and not really finding it, I was walking out when I saw something. Sometimes I'm happy that I'm able to spot things in the corner of my eye, when it comes to spiders and cockroaches, not so much. Anyway, purchasing something nice gets even nicer when you get it in an old fashioned candy paper bag.



What I saw was considerably more beautiful than any insect (although I do appreciate the beauty in other insects than the ones mentioned above), and cost me 75 kronor out of my christmas gift money my husband gave me to be spent on pretty things for myself. Very good deal, and I've already got both perfectly matching earrings and a necklace.

By the way, I used to wear clogs all the time growing up, in the 70's in Sweden it's what you did. But the clogs back then were not as stylish as the hasbeens, and not as high heeled. You'd get braided ones like the ones I bought now, but I never had any like those. Until now. Okay, I'm gonna stop going on about the cult now. Now I only have to wait about 6 months until I can wear them.

pp guest post over at cc

Today I'm very honoured to be guest posting over at the lovely Cupcake Couture blog, on the topic of doing your own Christmas cards. Check it out HERE.

gifting myself

The electric candlesticks are in their places, a big part of the christmas gifts are already wrapped, and I'm counting down the days until one month leave from work. Friday is the last day, I can't wait! There are so many things I wanna do on my leave, but I also wanna spend a lot of time doing nothing since I feel pretty energy drained after an autumn of hard work. First of all we're going to the Southern tip of Sweden though, to celebrate an early Christmas with my father, his wife and my youngest brother. I'm really looking forward to that, because we're always getting really good food and wine and conversation there, and a good dose of Wii. Which is just what I need right now.

This lovely red steel candlestick is my grandmother's old one, I think it's from the 50's or 60's.



And here's the 60's teak candlestick I've shown before. I need to get some hyacinths next week, it's the best Christmas smell I know.



In the spirit of the season I got myself some early Christmas gifts today. This showroom place close to work occasionally sells samples a lot cheaper than usual, and I found two pairs of very cute earrings I couldn't resist. This white pair reminded me of snowballs, and they're made out of shells actually.



Ruby red, drop shaped lovelies that will compliment half my wardrobe, so pretty! Both these pairs cost 70 kronor each, and I just know I'm gonna use them a lot.

dreamy creations from jumperfabriken

On my way home from work I went into a store that I try to stay away from. Mainly because they carry some really nice, but very expensive brands, and I try to not tempt myself too much. But during the last few weeks I've been looking at a cardigan every morning, thinking how perfect it looks, and how much I'd like it to be mine. Today it was gone, and I couldn't help but go inside to see if it was there still. It was, and it is expensive, and gorgeous. It's made by Swedish brand Jumperfabriken (The Jumper Factory), and checking out their website I started to feel a bit faint, because everything is so beautiful. They all have female names, so let me present my favorite selection for you. My "original" cardigan is called Rosanna, and costs 1.295 kronor.



This black and white hound's tooth jumper is simply amazing. So 60's! She's called Daniela and costs 999 kronor (about the same in rand).



The designers behind the brand are Elisabeth Synnes and Carina Zervakos, and they started the company in 2007. They're inspired by vintage photos from the 50's and 60's, and mainly design knitted jumpers and dresses. Like this cute jacquard dress called Judith, for 1.195 kronor.



This pretty in pink folklore cardigan would certainly brighten up any snowy, dark winter night. She's called Laura and will set you back 999 kronor.



I don't wear hoodies, but especially in knitwear I like a nice hood once in a while. In fact I'm wearing one today, a favorite find from Mr Price back in Durban. This particular black and white lady is called Stina and has got a price tag saying 1.295 kronor.



Here's another piece of perfection, the cut, the colours, the buttons, the pattern, all made out of 100% lamb's wool. Siv is the name, 999 kronor the price.



I can't decide which colour is the cutest. This cardy they also had in the store, and it's so soft and wonderful.



And even though I don't like wearing blue that much, I'd surely make an exception for this beauty, Vilhelmina. For 1.195 kronor she can be yours. Or mine, obviously, if I was in the habit of paying that much for clothes. Which I'm not, as previously stated. In this particular case I'm seriously considering making an exception though, simply because every one of these pieces would make me happy for sure, and seeing as I'm currently living in a climate where we've got winter about 6 months of the year, of course there would be plenty of opportunities to wear it/them. I'm not sure if I'm trying to convince you, or myself.

Anyway, I did actually buy some new knitwear today, for a total of 105 kronor I got one shortsleeved jumper and one cardigan at the Salvation Army. They were pretty enough, but I'll be dreaming about all these girls for a while still. Siv, Stina, Judith, and everyone else.

particularly pretty penguins pt. 7

I know I’m kind of repeating myself here, but in honour of World Aids Day, which happens to be today, I can’t help but show off some new specially designed Penguin RED covers. And no, I’m still not being sponsored by Penguin Classics, but I’d very much like to be. I thought I’d present the brilliant designers this time too, starting with the Silas Marner cover above.

Designer: Jenny Grigg

What else do you associate with the colour red?

”Roses are red, red rag to a bull, passion, anger, heat, warmth, PMS 485 from my time as a magazine art director. My favourite red is ’chinese lacquer red’.”

Designer: Jonny Hannah

What else do you associate with the colour red?

”My favourite 50’s flannel shirt. Hammer horrors. A colour I can’t screenprint without. Robert Burns’ poems.”

Sorry, no info about the designer for this cover. It’s still awesome, so kudos to whoever made it!

Designer: Caseroom Press: Barrie Tullett & Philippa Wood

What else do you associate with the colour red?

”I always think back to Chip Kidds’ comment about his design for the book Disclosure (based on a quote by Ivan Chermayeff), ’When in doubt, make it red. If you’re still in doubt, make it big and red.’”

When you buy these beautiful books (that are of course also an excellent selection of classics everyone should read at some point in their lives), 50% of the profit will be donated to the Global Fund to help eliminate Aids in Africa. As a rather special treat you can also download three of the covers in high resolution FOR FREE, to print out on your own and maybe use as the most beautiful christmas decorations ever. You can find them here, where you will also find more information about the previously published editions and some of their designers. Knock yourselves out with great design!

particularly pretty penguins pt. 6

They say we're having the coldest winter in 100 years. Great, that's a record I would have preferred not to break, ever. Who decided it was time for that? Last winter wasn't exactly a walk in the sun either, so I do think we'd deserve a break this year. And just like the fans sold out in the stores this summer, when we to everyone's surprise had a heatwave, the heating fans will likely sell out too. In order to not worry about that right at this minute, I'll look in awe at some more Penguin Classics, from the Great Ideas series.



















I truly cannot get enough of these, every time I look at them I get happy. Graphic prozac. Can't wait for my holiday leave, when I'll hopefully take a lot of time to catch up on some reading, which is well overdue. What I'm feeling most for at the moment though is actually re-reading a book I read a few years ago, and that I keep thinking about so often. It deserves a post on it's own, so I'll get back on that.