- 15 snapshot

minus fifteen weather in photos... one day last week.

the best semla thus far at robin delselius

sandal season is coming to stockholm!

it was warm the last couple of days in paris and so lovely to wear flats - no socks!  i am repeatedly told that sandal season doesn't start in stockholm until late june!  if today is any indication, i hope they are wrong.  but in the meantime i can dream about sandals.  here are a few favourites:

charlotte stone

charlotte stone

fly london

everlane

sven clogs

swedish hasbeens

pons

birkenstock, black on black!

i can't imagine warm weather (when it finally arrives) without sandals.  i'm a sandal fiend :)

craving spring

i need to wait until mid to late april to see stockholm's cherry blossoms.

winter has been going on for a gazillion years here in stockholm.  i can't tell you how much i am craving spring.  when i see images of vancouver exploding with magnolias and cherry blossoms, i can't help but feel a tad (ok, alot!) jealous.

for the last two weeks the weather tricked me into believing spring was just around the corner but then the first days of spring brought snow and a blast of cold winter-like temperatures.  now the sun is peeking and the ground thawing again, could this be for real?  do i dare hope? 

update: i wrote the above yesterday.  it's not for real.  i woke up this morning and it was quite cold outside, the barista told me that snow is expected!  what?

the swedes are optimistic though, despite the temperatures hovering around 6 degrees celsius, it's spring for stockholmers.  even restaurants and cafes are putting out their outdoor furniture.  i couldn't believe it, i wanted to yell out, "haven't you noticed, it's still winter!"  it wouldn't matter, they'll just keep their winter jackets on, hoping for a peek of sunshine.

here are some spring images of stockholm under the sun, out of the cold and in the light... 

sitting outdoors without the need for winter jackets!

branches have been bear for too long... can't wait to see trees with leaves

lounging under a tree by the water

visiting the archipelago

spring, hurry up please.

stockholm weekend pics 8, early winter

these early winter days have been crisp and invigorating.  and bright!  this is the weather i imagined stockholm in the winter to be like.  i will tolerate freezing temperatures (-7 celsius has been the coldest thus far) for brightness and a dusting of snow.  it just may be the best christmas present i received this holiday.

and now, a few pics of sunny stockholm these last several days... 

view from our apartment

view of durgarden amusement park from the ferry

gamla stan

view of gamla stan from the skeppsholm bridge

skansen

along the strandvagen in the city

tree in nobelparken

church in sodermalm

view of sodermalm (and gamla stan at the end of the bridge to the right) from the gondolen bridge

hope you guys had a lovely holiday week.  more pics to follow in the next few days of our first christmas in stockholm, if you'd like to drop by again.

getting cozy

there's something to be said for feeling cozy.  cozy brings happiness, calm, and comfort.  everything seems better with coziness in our life.  

in sweden, getting cozy is a winter sport.  it has to be with the darkness that engulfs the country and the cold that comes too early.

the first couple of weeks in our apartment were anything but cozy.  it's still empty except for some basic rental furniture that stefan's workplace has provided us.  let's just say it is far from cozy.  however, with the arrival of some of our stuff we put on an air freight and with a few new purchases, our apartment is slowly cozy-ing up!

now, for getting cozy, i have one of two swede tricks up my sleeve: 

1. a happy (new!) rug (plus others that arrived on the air freight) for softness underfoot.

2. candles, alot of them, strewn about the house.  a pretty candle holder helps too. i also brought this one, locally made in vancouver, with me.  their railtown candle with tobacco, amber and black pepper smells divine. 

3. blankets (arrived in the air freight!) to wrap oneself in.  and even better when snuggled on the sofa with a cup of tea and kinfolk to read (i found a shop here that sells my favourite magazines!).

4. decorating for the holiday season early.  i picked up this cute gnome (the swede's santa) at a xmas market.  alongside a couple of my favourite things, it makes for a sweet vignette.

5. glögg, a swedish mulled wine served warm (simmering with raisins and almonds is optional). 

i hope these days are cozy for you too.

rain and shine



dear mother nature, 

i have loved this week of warm weather.  the mediterranean runs in my blood and i will always choose warm (even humid!) days over cold or wet ones.  but, i am tired of your bad behaviour.  i hear the weekend is suppose to be grey and rainy.  this has been your theme of late, you give us vancouverites a few days of sunshine and then you take it away and rain on our fun.

now don't get me wrong, although i would like to keep the umbrella at bay, i can appreciate rain.  it can be peaceful and comforting snuggling up with a cup of tea and a good book.   i love my hunters and putting them to use.  the smell of blossoms after a day of rain is lovely too. 

but enough is enough.  let there be sunshine for a little longer, okay?

loving the top left image; the perfect warm weather outfit!  so cute.  and isn't that top right image a sweet one?

blueberry tea

we're stocked up with grand marnier, amaretto and black tea!  you see, when it's cold and rainy outside i like being indoors sipping on blueberry tea.  it is a great way to warm up.  the name of this tea is deceiving as there are no blueberries or blueberry flavouring actually in it and instead it is simply a really good warm drink that is very aromatic.

see stefan's blueberry tea recipe after the pic.



image from here



blueberry tea recipe
 
ingredients you will need:
a bit of amaretto, approx. 1oz
a bit of grand marnier, approx. 1oz
black tea, like an earl grey or orange pekoe
a cinnamon stick
a curl of orange peel
 
what to do:
in a mug of hot tea mix in amaretto and grand marnier - the amount can be varied depending on how boozy you want it. 

have a lovely weekend!

rain and sniffles

 

it was a rainy weekend.  intense rain.  and while i have been under the weather with a cold and would have loved nothing more than to stay in bed, drink tea, read, and sleep i had two important events happening that couldn't be missed.  first up was a birthday party for our dear friends' daughter who turned three and then preparing and hosting a baby shower for my lovely friend.  there was not much time to rest but i'm making up for it today... i don't intend to get out of my pyjamas all day!

winter solstice

today is the shortest day (and darkest/longest night) of the year in north america. in vancouver, the sun will set at 4:16pm leaving us with only about 8 hours of sunlight. 

officially the beginning of the winter season this means colder days, pots of soup, cozy blankets, snowy mountains, hot chocolate, and hibernation.  sounds good, yes? 

my little guy is happy too... today is the last day of school for winter break (2 weeks!).


photo from here


the winter solstice also means that the days, from now on, will get brighter every day.  i like my soup and cozy blankets but very excited for spring to show up.  to celebrate i hope to partake in the lantern festival tonight... if i can fit it in between a late afternoon tea with a friend and a holiday party...

have a lovely weekend.

coziness

new yorkers, how are you doing? how devastating for those who have lost homes and loved ones. may you be cozy and safe and filled with hope today.

acts of kindness like this and this bring on a lovely cozy feeling (and a smile!) in the sandy aftermath.
 

image from here



here's to a cozy weekend (and a haircut; i am seriously considering getting bangs). have a lovely one friends.

vancouver weather

bye-bye warm fall weather. 

oops, if you know where i found this image let me know and i will credit it

hello gray skies + rain... it began last week and it's sticking around (probably for months).  have a lovely weekend whatever the weather.