home...

I have been to my fare share of cheesy Scandinavian Festivals,

And I am a recovering Museum Professional,

so I have lived many a day inside an Art Museum.

It takes a lot to impress me on either front.

So it was with slight reluctance

that I found myself 

on a cold February day a few years ago

at the American Swedish Institute

looking for something new

something special

something to take me away.

I fell in love instantly.

Happy Syttende Mai!...

image from here

Happy Syttende Mai Everyone!

hus&hem inspiration...

I have been drooling over
Hus&Hem
all morning whilst drinking my coffee.
Inspired for my patio rework,
inspired for a new kitchen someday,
inspired for a privacy solution for my backyard,
and inspired to go to my hyggelig.
Oh how I love Scandinavia
and good
clean
simple
honest
design.

and thank you
google translator!

Bohuslän Coast...

I am on Mid-Summer Vacation.
Though I am not going anywhere, I am traveling in my mind.
All it takes is a little imagination,
some life lessons in how to make the most of where you are,
and a few wonderful memories of trips traveled,
to transport you wherever you want to be...

Happy July Everyone!
Come back and visit,
I will be posting from my
favorite European trips
all week.

Stockholm...

I am on Mid-Summer Vacation.
Though I am not going anywhere, I am traveling in my mind.
All it takes is a little imagination,
some life lessons in how to make the most of where you are,
and a few wonderful memories of trips traveled,
to transport you wherever you want to be...

Happy July Everyone!
Come back and visit,
I will be posting from my
favorite European trips
all week.

Norway...

I am on Mid-Summer Vacation.
Though I am not going anywhere, I am traveling in my mind.
All it takes is a little imagination,
some life lessons in how to make the most of where you are,
and a few wonderful memories of trips traveled,
to transport you wherever you want to be...

Happy July Everyone!
Come back and visit,
I will be posting from my
favorite European trips
all week.

in search of...

June Gloom
is one thing,
but what we have going on here this year
is really starting to test my patience.
Trying to lift my spirits,
H came up with some outings
that would take me out of the clouds
out of the city
and out of my funk.
Thusly, we spent the better part of our weekend traveling in search
of Sun
and Scandinavian festivals.
We found both.

We have now sworn off of Scandinavian festivals
until the new ASI opens,
but we will never swear off
SUN.

What was accomplished
mentally
and physically for me
far outweighed
the actual time at the events.
It's not always
the destination,
It's the journey...

sunny disposition...

The Sun is FINALLY out!!!
Just in time for the weekend.
I can not begin to express my happiness about this.
But I did find this video last night that exudes happy.
Sunny personalities,
lovely gals (not just looks) and their bicycles,
(don't you love how she only locks the back wheel - just like when I was in Sweden!)
fashion,
and yes Denmark!
A perfect combo for this gal.

Happy Friday Everyone!
May your weekend days be Sunny...

summer porch solace...

The forecast has not changed here this week,
still calling out for rain, rain, rain.
More impetus to get our screened in porch finished.
I am dreaming of places like these...

Happy Midsommar Everyone!

total sucker...

I am a total sucker
for this stuff.
I just never get tired of it.
I know it is advertising,
but its not the clothes I want.
What I am a total sucker for is beautiful images
of beautiful Dutch-style bicycles
with beautiful people
doing happy things.
This makes me feel like I am here.

Ahhh...
Summer
Beautiful Bicycles
Carefree
Sunny Days.

a different year...

This year is different.
I finally just rolled 100
Tuesday night,
just...100...

I have been spending A LOT
of time with this guy.
He's fun and all,
but he's A LOT of work
somedays.

My free time seems limited
My time in this space
therefore,
limited.

Personal things are being challenged.
Vacation was forced early
and then cancelled.

The pretzel of life seems to continue to twist.

But I hope between the twist and turns
some sense seems to be made
some calm begins to occur
new friendships are strengthened
and current relationships put back on track.

Most of all,
I wish for some bicycle time
that feeds my soul
feeds my relationship
and gives me that vacation
I am so dearly missing
So I can feel like I am here

instead of here...

Happy Syttende Mai!...

a whole new world...

A few years ago I bemoaned the loss
of the online English version of Aftenposten.
Recently I discovered google translate

on google chrome ~ it automatically pops up

and translates!
A whole new world has opened up!
I can once again not only get my Nordic news fix,
but I can read it!

And not only that,
but all of the wonderful blogs
I could only enjoy the pictures from before,
I can now read too!

And on top of it all....
Sköna Hem ~ are you kidding me?!!!
THIS is phenomenal people.

The world really amazes me
sometimes.

delicious and inspiring...

Lotta Jansdotter has been one of my favorites for a long time.
Her light graphic touch,
the fact that she is self-taught,
her simple but creative ideas,
it all is right down my alley.
I have been looking forward to getting her Handmade Living book,
the pictures look delicious and inspiring!
I was surprised to learn she also has a book coming out about studios.
This is one of my favorite things to do,
to get inspiration from the studios of other creative gals.
Darn Lotta ~ you beat me to it!

I am tired.
This is my last full week of work for a couple of weeks
before the nice Holiday breaks begin.
I am particularly looking forward to Thanksgiving Holiday;
all I plan to do is rest,
exercise,
sew,
and look at pretty pictures.
This will carry me through the week...

Have a good week Everyone!

King Thor...

Oh hell yeah!
Not a bad way to start a Sunday.
more here.

Now off to see some leaves...

how the Republic rolls...

yes my sweet, that is a Camper shoe
placed on a Dutch-Style Bicycle...

I noticed these bicycles quite awhile ago
and I have to say, when I received the marketing brochure
I was completely seduced.
I know a lot of it is the nice photography,
my obsession for Camper Shoes,
my complete appreciation of good design,
and of course my long festering love of
Dutch bicycles,
Is it a good bicycle?
Where is it made?
How Heavy Is it?
I have no idea,
but Public Bike, damn it, you make me want you.
And of course in my opinion most good things
come out of the Bay Area,
so here we go again...

I am pretty sure I have seen this girl riding around St. Paul
on a Cream Public.
I keep wondering what the bike she is riding is
but am usually going up a hill and do not want to stop and ask.

If it is her and this is the bike,

tis a thing of beauty in passing

and they are the picture of grace and beauty

perhaps headed off to the farmer's market...

I also find it incredibly wonderful
that when I return for my next visit to NorCal
I now have a hotel to stay at I can afford
and a bicycle I would like to ride.
h2 is not the first hotel to come up with this idea.
the W
my experience in Stockholm where we picked our Kronan's up at a hotel
and the Ace in Portland come to mind,
but this is not about originality,
it is about options.

I feel like the world of 'Dutch-Style' bicycles
has opened up so much since I began my search
at least three years ago.
It gets me excited
and I will try to post a few other bikes
of note I have been seeing soon.

I know I have a Pashley,
but so what,
I am greedy,
I want more,
MORE DUTCH-STYLE bicycles!
MORE!!!

California here I come...

digging...

My Scandinavian Retreat

Cool Wallpaper and sewing machine shot

Victoria's new bicycle


Beav

Some things I am digging lately...

hell yeah...

Hushovds fantastiske revansj

17:32 CEST Hushovd gets it

hell yeah...

Midsommar...

When I was quite at my low
in February
I needed to find solace.
Not often taking advantage of the great offerings of my city,
I decided to venture forth to the American Swedish Institute.
I expected very little
and gained an enormous amount.
First off, the place is impressive and a real gem.
I have been in many museums
and right up there
with the Tate Modern,
seeing the Fisher Collection in its element,
and visiting the Rijksmuseum,
I have to say, I was smitten.
I am infinitely inspired by the kakelugnar that are in almost every room,
especially the geometric patterns on the sides.
I hope to go back and have the opportunity to do a little research
and have a future project in mind for myself one day...



This place has great programming
and a real sense of community.

So much so that they are expanding,
I find this particularly exciting!

I have also enjoyed a wonderful and inspiring lecture by
Pia Amsell and Barbro Wesslander here.
I loved the images they showed of their home towns
and particularly a gorgeous little Scandinavian house with black siding.

I also plan to return to do do some serious holiday shopping
in their well edited gift shop.

We have found ourselves returning again and again,
most recently on
Midsommar.

There were a few painfully beautiful
Scandinavian families at Midsommar.
I can't deny it, I wanted to be them.
How picture perfect are these three?
They were posing for dad,
but I caught them in the corner of my lens
while taking a picture of the
procession to the Midsommar Pole.

And Kubb, ahhh...
I remember it well.

My City,
My Hyggelig...