Jackie just sent me a hoooooge stack of prints and I just looooove them! I already have two of her owl prints and I highly recommend them - go check out her etsy shop. Some of my faves I got are the wise owl, made it! and the 70's bird!
Then Mette sent me another of her gorgeous Babushka dolls for my collection in my daughters room. It's the green checkered one. I just love her new Artista collection. (Oh, check out the hexagon bag she made - isn't it fab?)
A little present for myself: Angulus leather boots.
Christmas present from my Mom: Noa Noa leather bag.
The above looks are the ones I'll be going for this winter, all from Impulse Seattle. Seriously, isn't that just the greatest collection of clothes? Check out their Flickr pages too, so inspiring. Very French...would have to loose another 20 pounds, but whatever....until then I'll be fumbling around in my new gray hoodie from my fave band LIVE....doing a little rock chick thing, hoping the cool Parisian thing will kick in soon. Maybe after the trip I'm planning with my Mom, to Paris in April?
T-shirt for my daughter and my nephew....so cute.....
Happy New Year Everybody!
I got my IKEA Ektorp corner sofa bed in white and I just love it!
I even got some of my art up - put it there myself, thank you very much. Shannon's gorgeous girls and Jackie's amazing lino cut prints, all of which I will love forever! A little piece of art by my son and a frame my daughter decorated. Also my own painting. The one that has gone bad from using the kids paint....duh!
Anyway, I am very pleased about our apartment so far and I hope to "finish up" pretty soon. I know I will always get new idea's for decorating, but for now, I would just like to be done....
Oh and with gorgeous new T's for my little girl....
Owl print by Mini Nümph and Bird print by Katvig.
Thank you everybody, for all your support!
It means soooo much to me, that I have this world - Blogland - and I can't stress this enough: It really helps me through this time in my life!
I have started to pack up my stuff. I started in my craft room and the attic. Phew....I sure have a lot of stuff.
I have also started to purchase some of the things, that I will need in our new place. Like towels and the likes on the above photo. The tea towels are from our trip to Sweden. I got them in Åhléns and they are muchos pretty. I need some more of them! I also got some of the fab fabrics below, that I've been yearning for, ever I since I laid my eyes on them the first time. They were actually the first thing I saw, when I stepped into the streets of Jönsköping! (From iems.)
Don't you just looove the part with Elisabeth's name? I totally freaked out, when I saw it! Oh, and by the way - she has opened an etsy shop, where you can buy her gorgeous print!
I recently bought some new paint. See I've been using the kids poster paint and it is not good! The paintings I already made looks awful now...bah! I also got some new canvases and took a look at my Great Grandpas old paint box - isn't it marvelous? A lot of my ancestors have painted at some point in their lives and my Grandpas brother was living as an artist - I like that, I'm very intrigued, but I don't really need a new hobby, now do I?
(The "owl-Christmas-tree" print is made by Elisabeth - I SO, so love it! I will buy a black Ribba frame for it in IKEA and hang it on my wall - can hardly wait!)
The last time we went to Paris, I bought this fabulous book about very chic boutiques in Paris. In it I found a papier maché woman (bottom left) and loved it! I really wanted to find out about this person who made it, but the book doesn't say anything about it or who made it, as it is simply a decoration from "Trèsor by Brigitte Masson."
Then a few months back someone leaves a comment in my Flickr pages and I take a peek at who it is and Voila! There she is - my papier maché woman! I also see this bunny mask and remember it! Weird I think and go and read about Dominique Donois and just have to contact her. She is SO inspiring. It turns out we already spoke before, as she left me a comment here about her show at Pomme NYC, which is why I remember that darn mask! Well I just had to share her, in case anyone was looking for her too....hope to see her the next time we do Paris....
For more of her work, visit her agent, click "portfolios des artistes" and then Dominique Donois.
And check out her Papier Maché set at Flickr.
More Moomin craze from Paivi! She sent me 3 dishtowels - Little My included - and I just couldn't bare toweling of my dishes in such prettiness, so I framed one and put it on my wall.
Little My
We have been away since Friday, visiting my Mother-In-Law for a "Work Weekend" together with my husbands brother(+family) and sister(+family). We had a wonderful time hanging out, working, eating and sleeping together. The kids really enjoyed being with their cousins, especially since they don't get to see them that much, being scattered all over the country.
As for 10::10 Sunday, I made another giraffe similar to this one.
Going Down....
Emma suggested that I actually SHOWED you guys the pillows already I made! SO since I made the last one today (for our bed), I thought you'd like to see a peek of our nook. I used all vintage fabrics for the front and linen for the back. I did 2 types of closures. 2 in envelope style and 1 with ribbons at the bottom. The quilt is handmade and a thrift store steal at $10,- Love the colors.
The cat is for tomorrows 10::10 project (see the back of it here). It's made of Moomin fabric from a pillow cover, that Paivi sent me, among other goodies I'll show you later.
After seeing the pillows, my son stated that he wanted pillows "with something on them!" Hmmm....no solids? So he's been browsing my fabric stash for quite a while now. Wanting a mix of EVERYTHING. Mama doesn't approve, but want the kid to express himself. I'll "guide" him a bit in the right direction though. His pillows will be up next.
Found some inspiration in an issue of selvedge, from Poppy Treffry (loving her name). Check out her shop if you are into embroidery.
LOVE these pillows!
....and my 10::10 project TWO, was no where to be found. The poor dog is still laying around in tiny pieces, waiting to be stitched up. He'll be ready for next Sunday!
Meanwhile, here's my daughters new kicks. Same as big bros.
And her thrifted clogs. Got her those last year, but they weren't a hit until now. She's practicing. They seem very hard to walk in.
When we visited Grandma, her husband had made these of the kids - aren't they cool? Seriously, the man is a true artist and such an inspiration. He will be 80 this year and he is busy. Playing music and performing, learning new instruments, painting, working on the computer - all kinds of stuff. He's the man to ask, when you have questions about anything graphic/visual. These paintings are b/w photo copies of the kids, glued to canvas, washed with watercolor and painted afterwords.
I feel so lucky!
Now this is a love/hate thing for me. Russian dolls. As with a lot of stuff, coming back,getting popular, I didn't appreciate these dolls when they returned. Like leggings. What's up with those? To 80's for me and still they've grown on me. They do look quite cute, cut off under a skirt or something. Though I wouldn't wear them. But back to the dolls. My daughter has a few. I've even purchased some fabric.
My sweet girlfriend Laila at ViOhlin gave me the wee ones - cute, eh?
So now I'm going to do a little Russian Doll thing myself! I found this pattern, at the local thrift store and thought I'd throw myself into a little stitchery! Maybe in some other colors - whaddaya say? And maybe not until Winter. It IS a Winter project, I'd say.
Oh and I just ordered one of these from Mette in her Erleperle shop. And do you remember these I got from Run Amok? I guess it's more love now, than hate?
I'm feeling Spring. The other day the Danish mail order catalog from Bon Aparte arrived and don't you think these fabric prints says LIBERTY OF LONDON? I think so. I LOVE Liberty prints and I'm gonna need some to decorate my daughters room. I also found this at the library last week. It features 2 of my favorite stylists Andrea Larsson and Iben Windsmose.
I have to go to Copenhagen to get a hold of these fabrics (or order on line). I usually stop by Skipper Stoffer, because they also have STRIPES! I'll have to check out Grønlykke.com. They have lots of prints and flowers. For a tour around some of Copenhagen's most FABULOUS shops, visit Alexa at Lille Hus (scroll down).
Liberty prints in corduroy, twill and knits with Lycra from Skipper Stoffer.
Last Sundays paper had an interesting article on Wall Stickers. I must say I love this idea, as they come of easily. And we ARE in the middle of rearranging our house, so the kids gets their own separate rooms....
The article featured 2 Danish company's - Ferm Living and Boligtrend - which both has some amazing stickers. I've only been familiar with Blik, Barbapapa, maybe a few others and of course wallpaper by Inke.
(These 4 are by Boligtrend)
Go check out Ferm Livings more natural stickers, like branches and flies. Of course my son wants the Water World ones. He thinks they will go quite nice with his Garfield Wallpaper. I dunno. I was going for a more ME, retro, seventies kinda feel to his new room, but he gets the last word. It's his room. Now my daughters room, that's a whole other story. She gets the Barbapapa sticker and of course the flowery wallpaper I got for her last year......
My son is on winter break this week, so we just hang out with friends (lotsa coffee, knitting, talking and non-talking!) and family. We are having one of the kid's cousins here today, for a sleep over. They are keeping themselves busy!
I've been working on a giraffe Softie pattern, to match my Giraffe Collages and just remembered the whole heard of giraffes, made by Cotton Strudel. They are simply adorable! When I get my pattern right, I want to make a few in the vintage fabrics shown below.
As you can see, I have received the Boden and MiniBoden catalogs - and filled them with little post-its (from Sabine), on the pages of interesting things. As you can probably tell, I find the catalogs very interesting! I keep flipping through them....
I will definitely get the silver (Birkenstock look-a-like) sandals for my girl and the 2 t-shirts for my boy! He loves crocodiles (very Dino-like) and playing the Foosball Table at school. Couldn't be more perfect.
What to get for myself? Most likely this top, with this skirt and these sandals! I need an outfit like that, don't I? Not for kids. Can't wear white. AT ALL! Ever.
My Sweetie Pie's kitchen, for Corners of My Home in our kitchen/dining room. She makes a lot of coffee for her dog Maya here! I love having all those colors - it's really fresh - and she's so close to everything, when she "cooks" as it is in the center of our house. The kitchen, dining room, living room and hall meets here.
The top shelve from the left:
Bottom shelve:
And of course my Flensted Prize Hen.
I had me a little unauthorized blog break there, didn't I? I have been in my head lately and this weekend, I was left to myself for 3 whole days!
These fellas and their patterns, I made for an Australian book on Softie patterns, that will be out later this year. You might remember the bunny? Now regarding patterns: A lot of you have been asking me about the Knitted Dog Pattern. I am not allowed to share it all over the world - sorry - (it would also take up quite a lot of my precious time!), but it's from an old Danish book by Lis Albrectsen. You might be able to find it or her somewhere. I think I've seen her work in German books too and Rosa told me she has it in Spanish!
Here's a peek at my ever growing Moomin Mug Collection. I have 12 now! And I sooo adore them.
Here I am....home....alone....
OK, ok....what do YOU do, when your left alone for 3 days???
Got some new boots on killer sale. I'm not as tall - as Camilla!
Got my new knitting bag from Shinzi Katoh.
Got a new cool chair from my Sister in Laws parents. My SiL just KNEW I would love it. She was SO right. It has been a part of her childhood home - her Dads chair even! It's Danish design and part of a set with another chair and a sofa....sigh....wish they didn't have room for that either!
My daughter got a Laban & Labolina shirt for Christmas, from her 2 cousins and my Sister and Brother in Law. They bought it in Göteborg (Hi Camilla!) and told me I would LOVE the place. They just KNOW me...being the ones to give me my new chair.
Thought it was time to check in on my bag - what is going on in there? Well the bag is the lovely "Koko" from Wise Craft, which I swapped last year for one of my knitted dogs. Also last year, I bought a tissue holder from Little Birds and she send me a mini pin cone as a present. Super sweet - I use it as a key hanger. The wallet is from Three Green Apples. I had another swap with Curious Bird. She sent me an owl and the purse. Now the purse I didn't empty, because we all know what tampons look like, but I also use it for a pack of my unhealthy habit! See I stopped smoking when I got pregnant with my son and have been thinking of it ever since. Terrible. Then 6 years later I find myself in our garden, in the sun, daughter asleep, coffee in hand and cigarette in the other! Tsk tsk....
The phone is my new Nokia - love it! The bunny pal for my bear is from Noa Noa Miniature. He was attached to a present my daughter got for Christmas. Noa Noa put one on all their presents for kids last year!
Quite the lovely swaps I did in 2006, huh? I think I will be up for more here in 2007 ;o)
Browsing around galerie doux dimanche - you all know I love the books - I stumbled upon an "Exposition" page, with some amazing links to photo's of various expositions.
Check out these beauties by Mitsuko Onodera. Great gals, huh?
Birds, deer and butterflies by echino. Be sure to browse the ceramic section. Ooooohhhh....
Hilarious dolls by Naoko Yoshihara and Naomi Morikawa.
There was even a little zakka going on. I love the tree. I want to start making some paper maché figurines. I've been thinking about that for a while. Actually since I made the Pumpkin Piñata!
And somehow I was led to Kraso. It seems to be a magazine or catalog with a lot of wonderful goodies. I found a page where you can view the entire magazine/catalog. Does any of you know it?
If I only spoke Japanese.....
More links: Children's Rooms London, Paper and Print.
Lots of inspiration for the New Year! Have a wonderful 2007 everybody!
Look at the wonderful magazines, my sweet friend Tracy sent me! I am so lucky. I have been swooning over the atomic ranch magazine, since she posted about it. Haven't had a MS Kids in my hands FOREVER. Never had either Ready Made or Real Simple Family - so I am REAL happy! Thank you Tracy.
Oh....and she also sent all kinds of goodies for the kids (and adults alike), the Kids CD Swap - a-hem....swap goes way back ;o) - and of course the GORGEOUS paper, that started the whole dang thing!
Fantastic, huh? Must do paper cuts tonight!
Other things fantastic are these paintings by Jeanette Uldall.
I love the colors. She will be at the Freestyle Factory Bazaar this weekend. I hope I can go. I wish I was a part of it. Maybe next time?
There will be all kinds of good stuff, like clothing for all ages and genders, bags, hats, jewelry, felt things, ceramics, lamps etc. by 40 different designers! Geeezzzz...I gotta go. Must take lotsa photo's to share, right?
My Magazine Frenzy is (sadly) over. My last bash was from Alexa of Lille Hus - an on-line shop, selling great Scandinavian stuff, like this little pot and stainless steel kitchen unit. Which - by the way - is VERY popular around these parts of the world!
Check out how cute she looks too ;o) And I'll meet her! Early next year she's coming to Denmark to shop for her shop!
Anyway....she send me *Blueprint* + *Domino* and *Real Simple* and I just love all of them!
In return I send her Isabellas, Boligmagasinet and Boligliv. The same package will go to Annu (DO NOT scroll down to see photo of me looking VERY pregnant, when we met in August - y'all know I'm not pregnant) in Finland, who ALSO has an on-line shop + real life shop, selling Scandinavian stuff! Here she is (to the right) with her sweet sister Liinu.
OK...so in return she is sending me these.....need I say more?
Check them all out here. Maybe I'll show MY collection soon?
When I was a kid, my Grandpa had a colleague and friend in New Jersey. One summer he and his family came to visit Denmark and I got to met them too. They had a boy my age and a daughter a few years older, who came over for Danish pancakes - they're more like crepes!
The girl - Jennifer - and I became pen pals and I wrote her letters with help from my Dad's sister, since I didn't speak English! We always wrote about me visiting them and in the summer of 1989 - when I was 14 - I went on my first trip to the U.S. It was my first flight EVER and I was 14 and I went by myself!! Can you believe it??? Anyway....I had a great time!
After wards, the years went by and we lost contact. In my mid twenties (I think) I met her Dad again. He was visiting my Grandparents. He told me that Jennifer was a law student. Later on I learned she got married, gotten a new last name and lived in Paris.
Then one day about 6 months ago I was reading this press piece at Genius Jones - don't ask why I do that - and the writers name popped out of the screen!!! Hmmmm....can't be THAT Jennifer Cattaui? The Lawyer? I Googled her and found out she has a blog and even a super cool on-line shop - Babesta! I immediately contacted her and got a little update. How much fun is that. We are both Moms, we share a common sense of style - what's more to know? Oh I can tell you this: She's still a Rock Chick! She'll always be a Rock Chick to me ;o)
All the t-shirt's are from her shop - I L O V E prints like these. All these I want for my kids ;o)
She also sells bedding, furniture and other GREAT stuff. Check it out!
::SHOP WINDOWS, KIDS SHOPS AND STUFFIES A LA FRENCH::
We went buy this tiny boutique/gallery several times and I just adore it. It's showcase for Claire Coles, who creates the most beautiful art pieces. I especially fell for her stitched wallpaper art. (See under "commissioned art" on her website.)
Notice the yellow lamp? It's by Swedish Design Dessert....I so so want it.
They also represent Donna Wilson and her cool squirrel...that I - up until now - thought was a fox!!! A-hem...
And come on how funny are these tea cosies?
Well it is DEFINITELY the kind of shop I want! Maybe with a little dash of Calesta - THE kids shop in Paris. They carry ALL the cool brands like the Japanese kids clothes designers Muchacha and the Bugaboo stroller.
They also function as a gallery - I suppose - as artist Veronique Lafont had an exhibition there, showing über cool stuffies. (Check it out here and here.) They're not only cute and inspiring but also kinda weird ;o)
Another kiddy store/gallery is Niou.
They have various cool toys and interior stuff like these:
Very Scandinavian - Very me.
Their exhibition was very cute and of course I forgot the name of the exhibitor!!! And I didn't get the business card. And I wish I did.And oh well....that's it.
Paris Part Four: ?
A little inspiration before todays chores.
After cleaning with my daughter, our house looks pretty neat.
Thursday morning on September 7. at 7:30 CET, Steen and I will fly off to Paris - AGAIN - for FOUR days....without the kids! We have then known each other for 10 years and felt it was appropriate to celebrate!!!
OK, so since this is the month of September, I would like to share my Camilla/Ana/Sabine wall, because it's my fave month in Camilla's calender and it'll be my contribution to this weeks Corners of My Home.
See ya all next week ;o)
My brother had his baby in June. He is Otto. We love him.
Today my son and I was looking for snowsuits for the kids on-line and stumbled upon a onesie that says "Lillebror" which means "Little brother" and he asked if we could get that for Otto! He LOVES him ;o) By the way - snowsuit wise - I think we'll go for the wonderful suits from Danish design duo Miniature. I like them in army green and red. Well enough of the winter talk!
We had a wonderful week in my sister-in-laws parent's summerhouse this summer. We went there by train and stayed with my brother, Sophie (sil), Otto, their two Chihuahua's and her parents huge mutt! All lovely dogs I might add. The house is in the woods.
We had such a great "Mini-Vacation" this weekend. We borrowed my brother's car and the kids sat in it, for 45 minutes BEFORE we even drove out of here!!! It took us 7 hours to get there and 4 to get home! There had been an accident, on the way out. We all managed. Well my husband got a little grumpy....but....the rest of us where fine ;o)
Our kids absolutely LOVE visiting their Dads sister and all the cousins. It's real sad, that they live 4-5 hours away and that we don't have a car, to go visit more often. They all get to big to fast, y'know.
This is Lasse - who we went to celebrate - and my son's *all time favorite* cousin. They just hang out. He's a lot older than my son, as is Louise, who he plays with sooo well. But they're cousins. And they just love each other, I guess. Even though we don't get together that much, they're just comfortable around each other. So we had a great trip.
Louise's parents (my husband's brother and wife) had - so nicely - prepared a birthday party for my daughter, in their summer house. With presents (getting help from cousin Lykke), cake (check out the pink one) and family - lucky girl!
We stayed in a summer house with my husband's Mom and Calle. We had this very funky lamp, hovering above us, in our room.
Our way back.
Recently my husband and I did a little thrifting, at *Sudan Genbrug* ("Sudan Re-use") shop. I found these 2 lampshades.
And LOOK: They are exactly like the one one in my favorite book! (UPDATE: ISBN4-07-250139-5)Probably IKEA or something. They're gonna hang in the new playroom - when we get to THAT part of re-decorating!
I know I have a thing for stripes, but look at the DOTS.
Loving the Tea Set. I remember seeing one at Karin's blog - can't find it again though. Does anyone know where I can buy a set?
My mind is filled with house organizing these days. Especially organizing. I think storage is key. I found *Lege og bo* ("Play and live") a while back. It's absolutely wonderful.
Very fifties and sixties. A lot of great storage solutions. They don't make classy stuff for kids like that anymore, now do they? Maybe I should take THAT up....hmmmm....*karkovski - interiors for kids*!
My oldest girlfriend, Trine - we met at daycare!!! - actually has a company, Den Eventyrlige Kommode, where she designs furniture for kids and has it made here in Denmark. It's not my style, but I appreciate the design and craftsmanship. Check it out. I took all the photographs! (Most of the props are mine as well!)
More here.
Tomorrow we're going of to visit my husband's sister and celebrate her son's "Confirmation". The party is on the 12. which is also daughter's 2. Birthday - bah...bummer! We had a small party this past Saturday. Not quite the same. Kinda weird. For me anyways ;o)
Have a great weekend everybody and thank you for cheering me on - blog wise - I REALLY appreciate all of you!
HUGS <3
Poor Baby! Her Mommy is crazy for stripes! Wow....I really AM nuts - check out the top right one. She even has a striped tank top, showing under the striped wrap dress! Geee....even my crafting is stripey ;o) The dog was for Blair. Ooohh by the way, she sent me a copy of Blueprint - very nice - we can't buy that or Domino or Cookie here. I just subscribed to Cookie though....hope it's good?
Anyway. We just started moving things around the house, to accommodate our new lifestyle. Now it's an even bigger mess. Upstairs we moved the closets out of our bedroom - where the 4 of us sleeps - into the kids room - where they never go. Loving the brightness and air....aahhhh.
The kids will then get the downstairs office/craft room, as a playroom and my husband and I will have to set up camp, somewhere else?
Photo's to come later....gotta get out in the sun....it's finally here! YAY! Time for shades.
I've recently discovered some *new* weblogs out there, that I want to share, because they inspire me tremendously!
Aunty Cookie: Shannon has such great humor, which I think shows perfectly through her drawings - and one is on its way to MOI!
