R o u n d - & - g o r g e o u s

Today I had a look at Lis' lovely shop. I always read her blog, but it had been a while ago since I passed by her shop.

Maybe I shouldn't have done that, because the beautiful pillow below was such a brilliant palet of soft colours, which I just couldn't keep my eyes of. At the moment I'm very fond of mustard coloured interior items and clothes. And along with the coral triangle in the circle the mustard colour is perfect.

Photo from Karlsons Kludeskab's shop

So I bought the pillow - but not for me. Anne-Sophie has some of these pillows at home, and I thought that this round beauty might present itself well with them. Now I hope that she likes it - otherwise it's not a problem. I can easily find a good spot for it in my livingroom...

A - F r i d a y - e v e n i n g

Liselotte will soon be done. The cardigan. I have truely enjoyed knitting it. Because of the amazing yarn and because of the size 5 knitting needles. What a difference that is instead of size 2½-3 which I have been using a lot for recent projects. And the pattern has been so easy and wellwritten. No procrastinations, only kind and necessary knitting information to make the work go as smooth as possible.

1 button at the top of the front pieces when the cardigan is done. Perhaps 3, but time will tell. If I go for a single button, it will be this one. Or perhaps some dots. 

The other day the prints from Jennifer Davis arrived, and they completely fulfilled my expectations. For now they are standing on my grandmother's old chest of drawers, until we decide which frames they are to be put in. (The hen bowls keep them from sliding down on the floor - in case you wondered why they were standing in front of the prints).

Now I will go talk to my husband - he has just come home from work. And give him a big hug. He has been working hard lately, which means away from home for far too many hours. 

This evening it's just him and I - Emil is visiting his sweet girlfriend Ronja.

Have a lovely weekend...

I cross my fingers . . .

. . . and hope to get money for this lamp for my birthday (or else I will get it myself). It's brilliant and with the right amount of colour and inventiveness. It would give me light over my cosy chair and something beautiful to look at during the day. 


I'm 99% sure that my husband will like it too - he loves our Le Klint lamps so this should do as well. This is kind of like Le Klint + modern youth.

Photo from Studio Snowpuppe

The clever people who made it are Nellianna and Kenneth - an architecht and an industrial designer from the Neatherlands. They have the etsy shop Studio Snowpuppe.

If you don't like this particular lamp, then try to see what else they made. I could easily pick out more desirable stuff for my home . .  but I had better not.

A favourite artist

It's actually not that long ago, that I discovered the amazing artist Jennifer Davis and her breathtaking work.

I knew from the minute I saw her paintings and prints, that I wanted to buy a print from her.

So I did - these 2 are the ones which I decided on. 

Photo from Jennifer Davis Art

Photo from Jennifer Davis Art

In one way or another. . .

. . .I'm going to get this little beauty inside the walls of our house. (My husband doesn't think that it's cool nor beautiful at all).

I can imagine it having a purpose in almost every room of our house, so that part will not be a problem. It oozes 50ties style and charm in the right way. I just know that it will look fine, no matter what one decides to put in it.

Source: blogs.babble.com via Ulla on Pinterest

It will become available in IKEA soon - in case you like it too. . .It's called RÅSKOG and it's already in the IKEA stores in Denmark. You can get it in a wonderful turquiose or in grey.

I always knew. . .

. . . that Anne-Sophie's 20th birthday would have a bit of a different touch to it. Well, first of all it's special because she turns 20, but also because of the fact that at the exact same age, I gave birth to Anne-Sophie.

It's strange to imagine that I were 20 years old - 20 years ago! So much has happened and somehow time has gone far too fast, and yet suitable slow.

I remember how happy we all were, when we saw that little girl for the first time. And we have felt the same way about her ever since . . . an unexplainable, never ending love, which contains so many feelings. (What a joy it is for us to feel this paramount kind of love twice).

Later we are going to visit Anne-Sophie in her new apartment, and celebrate her. We did start the day with a birthday song on her cellphone. And as we didn't catch her the first time we called, she now has the birthday song on her answering machine. . . maybe not a good thing at all. ;)

I must admit that it still feels a bit strange not to set up the breakfast birthday ritual with presents, birthday mats, the orchestra and candles. But it's a very heartwarming delight that Anne-Sophie's boyfriend Tim made his very own birthday ritual for her this morning - they are both so good at remembering and pleasing each other.

So, my dearest Anne-Sophie - if you see this, I send you a warm happy birthday and my very best birthday hugs.
Love mom,
xoxo

I never thought . . .

. . . that I would be in a spin over tea towels! But I am.

The other day I bought these 2 beauties from HAY. 

Of course I were beckoned by the combination of the colours when I saw them, but when I got to touch the fabric they were made from, it got even better. And the graphic designs in the fabric!

A little box with 2 different towels cost 129 Danish kroner - about 22 $. Not bad for tea towels in that fine quality.

I'm not sure that I will ever get to dry any dishes in the lovely towels. I wouldn't have the heart. But what I do know is, that I want to buy the orange and paleblue set as well.

Or maybe I get lucky and get them for Christmas . . .

For our hands - and eyes

Anne-Sophie has been busy with her studies for a long time, but she has spent some of her precious sparetime on making the most beautiful Christmas ornaments I know.

A whole bunch of Froebel Stars were among the things she showed me, when she was home this weekend. She's going to use the lot for a mobile. And the ones you see here are not all of them - many more were folded in her hands while she was here. 

It didn't take her many minutes to finish a star. My skills, on the other hand, are a different story. I'm not good at making the stars - they always tend to look inaccurate and somehow I manage to get the paper shreds wrinkled. As a side befinefit my temper usually gets the better of me.

Today we had a wonderful afternoon, playing with self-hardening clay and listening to so far unheard Christmas music from the radio. Both of us enjoyed it (apart from the music).

It's a magical feeling to mould the clay in your hands and get things to come out of it.We mostly made ornaments for Christmas, but also a bit of jewlry and some signs to put on jars containing flour, sugar and the likes of it.

Anne-Sophie didn't get to bring home her things made from clay this time. They hadn't dried up yet, and I think that the items need the night to set completely hard.

Maybe we are going to paint some of the letters which we put into the clay...and of course add some string in different colours to the ones which need that.

It's was almost too late to begin with the Christmas stuff, but we are absolutely not done playing with self-hardening clay.

For marks and x x x x

Once more Maileg has come up with new and wonderful things for those of us, who like the whimsy stuff.

I might have to get myself one of their new calenders. It seems as if each month and day have plenty of room in which we can write down the plans and appointments of our family. That is indeed a necessity, because I have become so forgetful over the recent years. 

I haven't seen the whole calender yet, but from the photos I'm pleased with the fact that Dorthe Mailil's  characteristic figurines have made their entry in there as well.

So now we wait for 2012 . . .

Klip-selv-ark

I tell myself that I haven't bought new Christmas ornaments for several years - no new Maileg nisser or any Noilly Noël figurines like I used to. And it's actually true.

So with that in mind - and forgetting all about the beautiful angles from Karina Bækkelund (which arrived yesterday and they are SO lovely!) - I bought the most wonderful knitted and felted Christmas DIY set from Sort Lakrids.

I know that I will love to look at it all for many years ahead, without getting bored of it. And most importanly it will make me smile.

Photo from Sort Lakrids

The Christmas set is made by Theresa Jessing and Line Dyrholm. Both artists whom I love for their unique way of expressing themselves.

Hopefully I will be cutting and sewing in a matter of days...

Photo from Sort Lakrids

She's back!!

It was with much joy that I read this post on Ida's blog Midtimellem . ( An inspirering and wonderful blog by the way).

Because Ida had fabulous news to tell about the illustrator Karina Bækkelund, whom I admire tremendously for her brilliant work.
A while ago Karina closed her Amio shop and I thought that it was a huge shame, but I'm sure that she had a good reason to do so.

Photo from Karina Bækkenlund's Amioshop

BUT now she has reopened her shop! I'm really delighted that Ida told about it on her blog, because I have been keeping an eye on Karina's shop for months, but at a point I stopped checking it out.

Today it was time to act immediately before all of the beautiful things were sold out. So hopefully these 2 fine angles will hang in my home in a little while.

Photo from Karina Bækkenlund's Amioshop

If you like Karina's gentle angles and gorgeous squirrels, you have the exclusive opportunity to win some of her work in the giveaway, which Ida is having at her blog at the moment. You can enter the competition right here...

Fir or wood??

I just love the sight of an Advent wreath made from fir, 4 white candles and 4 red bows.

It reminds me of my childhood and the feeling of joy and excitement, when my mother lit the first candle on the first Sunday of Advent. (And along with that day came another big thing, which I liked as a child - our town put up all the outside Christmas ornaments in fake fir(!) and plenty of white light bulbs all the way through the main street).

I almost wish that I wasn't as tradition-bound as I am, about how our advent wreath looks like. Because then I would absolutely buy this gorgeous one from Ferm Living...

Photo from Ferm Living

It's so cool! The wooden balls, the colours and the leather string - and when Christmas is over you can make it into a long row of pearls, which will look like a completely different candleholder.

Photo from Ferm Living

How about you? Are you as tradition bound as me with your Advent wreath??(Well, many of you might not even have this tradition in your country).

For only 25 Danish kroner

...you can buy the new 2012 calender from Skals - Højskolen for design og håndarbejde.

Photo from Skals - Skolen for design og håndarbejde

It's always a highlight to me, when their calender gets revealed. And I truely enjoy having the calender, and it's numerous beautiful photos and recipes, hanging on my kitchen wall throughtout the year.

The calender can be bought directly at the school for 25 Danish kroners, which is about 4-5$. To that you must add shipping costs as well.

Stripes for Kalle

Washed, blogged and dried. The scarf I have been making for my dear friend Kalle is now done. I have wrapped it as fine as possible along with the book I bought for him, and now it's all tucked away in a big brown envelope. With Kalle's name and adress written on the thick brown paper.

I have put the envelope on top of our old chest of drawers in our livingroom, so I don't forget to bring it with me to the post office tomorrow. So it can begin the long journey to England where Kalle lives.

And then I will go back to my pale pink yarn...

Ready for a second life

Yesterday Anne-Sophie came to pick up her new machine - or should I say new old machine.

When I got my new sewing machine a few years ago, I promised Anne-Sophie that she could have my old Singer. (Actually Emil was supposed to use it as well, if he ever had the need for it! I have a feeling that it might never occur again. I think that we must see it as a thing he loved to do, once in a while, when he was a very little boy). ;)

The old Singer has been standing at home waiting for Anne-Sophie to need it. And so she did yesterday.

She is making a project at the architecture school, which needed just that kind of tool. Now I hope that having the sewing machine close by, will inspire her to sew again. She used to sew when she lived at home, but in recent years she has been too occupied by her studies.

The Singer was my very first sewing machine and a graduation gift from Christian. I still remember how happy it made me, when I opened the present.  A gift he knew I would cherish and use a lot.

By now it's time that it starts a new life, with new hands operating the buttons and buttom thread - and another person who finds out about all the many funny advantages and - not so funny - disadvantages such an old machine has.
I know that it will do a good job, even though it has become a bit more yellow over the years.

I couldn't be more delighted about the new owner...I hope that she will get as many wonderful hours of creating with it, as I have had...

For the home

Knitting for my home hasn't been something I have done - at all. But my point of view on that matter changed when I was surfing on both Marianne Isager's and Helga Isager's sites.

Together they have created a new book about knitting items for one's home.
It must have been such an exiting project to make together - especially as relatives. And being at different stages of life, have probably also had a huge impact on their process with the patterns.

Photo from Amimono

Pillows, a baby blanket, a napkin for a breadbasket and a plaid - the one above - are some of the things the book contains. I'm totally crazy about the colours they have used and I don't have a problem about seing it all in my home!

But if I get to knit just 1 thing from the book, I guess that I should consider that as a victory...

Photo from Amimono

Getting inspiration from the book is actually almost enough for me. I often wonder about the thoughts which have gone through a designer's mind while creating. What inspired them to pick the colours, the shapes and the materials? But getting the patterns as well is definitely not a bad bonus.

Below is a photo of the book. I bought mine here and you can also buy it on this site.

Photo from Amimono

Memory jar

Source: inchmark.squarespace.com via Ulla on Pinterest

This . . .
. . . is an idea that I want to make for my little family. A beautiful jar full of paper notes about our everdaylife and funny episodes through a whole year. And when New Year's Eve is reached, all the notes are read out loud to the family.

Eventhough I have books - one for Anne-Sophie and one for Emil - in which I continuously write about anything and everything in their lives, I still think that the jar is brilliant. It's an easy way to remember to get the little joys in life on paper, and it's also more practicable. . . and best of all it's much faster than having to pull out books from shelves far away.

I'm off to find a big jar in my kitchen cupboard...

I wonder where it has been??

On a little Sunday trip I bought this cardboard box. It has 2 sweet girls drawn on the upper lid - the kind of drawing which makes me have a second look at it, whenever I see something like it.

The girls reminded me of some paper cut out dolls I had as a child. And actually I expected to find that kind of dolls in the box when I opened the lid.

Instead it revealed 2 pieces of lined writing paper...with tiny dolls walking across the buttom of the paper. Perfect for the kind of letters only a child can create - and which I love.

I wonder who put the paper in there? Maybe a girl who wanted to save the final pieces of paper for something special - but who never got around to using them anyway.

Now, the paper wasn't bad either. And the box has already pleased my eyes several times. It only cost me about 7½ $. What a cheap pleasure...

o o o o o o o

Circles, circles, circles.... I'm crocheting this.

With the many little circles which are needed for the scarf, I will most certainly get a bit more experinced in this particular kind of handwork. (At least I hope so). And maybe then I can take a wee step ahead in the wolrd of crocheting. But first things first - the scarf must get done.

I have decided to make the scarf 3 circles wide contrary to the recipe, where they have used 4.

The easiness of making the cirles, the size and the convenience of bringing it along, suit me perfectly. Especially in these days, where the warmth has finally hit us.

I like to sit in our little patio in our old garden furniture with Otto runing around. He loves to look for the titbits I hide for him. And since he doesn't possess the patience of an angel, I think he's rather satisfied with the fact, that a half-finished yarn circle can be put at the table in no time...

I have bought myself some Forest Hearts...

...and also The Singing Tree.

It's for my wall collection which I'm working on. It's going to become bigger and bigger as time goes by - full of beautiful and unique artwork prints from various artists from all over the world.

Photo from Arts & Ghosts

The artist who made the 2 new ones is Louise Robinson from the UK, who has the shop Arts & Ghosts. I have admired her work forso long, but I have really had a hard time deciding which ones to get.

There is something special about her work. She manages to combine beauty with something a bit scary. And I just adore her use of colours, and the fact that many of her pictures  have a fragile and misty elegance.

Photo from Arts & Ghosts