14 months later... a gift guide!

it's been a long while since i was blogging. basically, life got busy with school (i am training to become a teacher and am almost done, fingers crossed) while working and tending to my health. all is good and looking forward to some extra time on my hands so that i can get back to this little blog of mine... will update soon on all the shenanigans that went on here.

for now, i am back with a holiday gift guide... including lisa larsson paintings (photo above) which makes me think of vacations in italy, available from wall of art.

i have coveted this lily candlestick holder since i arrived to stockhom, from skultuna 

tulip candlestick holder is another coveted one; it comes in a set of three too, just saying, from skultuna 

these plant straws are beautiful, they come in a variety of colours and are locally made right here in vasastan

this cute silver plated vase from skultuna, yes, please.

i have been on the lookout for a braided bag and i think i found it in this swedish designed one, from blankens

flower market poster (the paris one is lovely but there is more too choose from) from paper ministry

the lola vase is canadian made and i love it, from ssense

stoff nagel candleholder to grow my collection, available from nordic nest

the monika slip looks so comfy, from blankens

also from blankens, these knee high boots for stockholm winters, yes, please.

cute pinky pillow from h&m, perfect for our new sofabed where we can now accomodate friends and family, come visit!

louis poulsen's swoon-worthy ceiling lamp, from svenssons

oiseaux de paradis teapot, from svenskt tenn, to go with my mugs

bjorn winblad ceramic eva flowerpot, for a touch of scandinavian folk art, from rosendahl

happy holiday shopping!

kai is 18!

somebody turned 18! 

i set up the table then waited for an approriate late morning hour to burst into his room with donuts, balloons and a happy birthday song.

breakfast pancakes - the same ones stefan has been making since kai was a babe - and prezzies next!

an apple watch

then the obligatory photo opt... he has so much patience for me :)

stefan makes a cake just as kai requested... coffee (cream) and almond (sponge) shared with our bestest of friends :)

lastly, dinner at svartengrens, so freaking delicious is all i can say. if you haven't been, please go. They like meat, and if you like meat, then please go. they choose locally raised beef, reared and butchered in a sustainable way direct from the stockholm archipelago. and, they source the veggies the same way, from people they know and trust. they do everything from scratch, dry age, smoke, pickle, and make stock. then there's wine and bubbles, cocktails and micro brewed beer too. it's one of kai's favourite places.

i love this guy so much! happy birthday kai (insert heart emoji here).

july and august / 2021

kai: we needed this holiday! so grateful for my fun-loving sweet boy.

stockholm weekend pics: a day in värmdö

värmdö is a lovely area to explore for a day, as we did on this occasion, or a weekend as we have done in the past. we go to our usual spots...

first, gustavsberg to visit the local bakery, their chai latte is very good and you can't go wrong with any pastry but i love a good tosca (think almondy caramel). then we hop into the shops. gustavsberg for their plates, bowls, and cups. we were gifted coffee cups from them and they are lovely. they also sell lisa larson's pottery (i'm coveting the black cat pictured below). ittala is another outlet that i like to browse and i bought their blush coloured flower pot which now sits on my coffee table and makes me happy. there was a new little artisanal boutique with all the oils and honey and sausage you could want plus much more. we walked away with licorice (for stefan) and chips (for me). 

lunch was next at siggesta gård where i indulged in two seasonal appetizers... mushrooms on toast and crayfish soup. both were eye-rolling good. they also have a little shop where we picked up their homemade ketcup and apple musteri. of course, we visited the alpacas (or are they llamas?). 

our last stop was the artipelag, the museum in the woods with views of the baltic. rolf hanson's exhibition was showing which was not stefan's cup of tea although he liked his earlier work a bit more, the stair paintings "permeate a creeping sensation of discomfort, one can disern a ghost walking down the stairs toward an endpoint". i, instead, enjoyed his later more abstract paintings, especially "sine nomen". afterwards, we walked via the water walkway enveloped in its quiet and peaceful surroundings.

it's been awhile since we took a day trip. here's hoping for more of them.