Leaping into Spring..

Hi darlings.

I am so thrilled to report that there has been a real shift in the air here in Sweden and we can feel the very first signs of Spring!!

Though I am sure we might get at least one more blizzard before the sun wins over the frost, the ground is actually bare this week! And the light has returned which makes such a difference! In the not too distant future nature will explode in a parade of life and colours - the best time of the year don't you think!?! Happy happy!! :)

It has been so long since I posted properly and a lot has happened.. 

The detox went so well and I carried on strictly for about six weeks with great results. I feel cleaner, leaner & more energized, and love that many of the good habits of the detox have stayed with me. E.g. I have eliminated cow's milk and sugar in my diet. I also continue to eat wholefoods and raw foods, which add to the feeling of 'inner glow'. I will definitely go 'all raw' for a week or so later this Spring!

Your detox emails and comments have been a lovely support and with the number of questions I have received I thought I'd start a little 'detox series' where I go through my learnings over the years as well as share food tips and motivations. 
I'll kick this off soon and hope that it will inspire you to start your own journey towards a cleaner and healthier life. I can guarantee that you won't have any regrets!

I am also so excited to tell you that I was finally able to catch up with my long term and close blog sister Monika of 'Splendid Willow' when she visited Stockholm a few weeks ago. It was our very first 'real life meeting' but felt far from it. She is even lovelier in real life, and we spent a few very precious hours together.

As you know Monika also runs a brilliant e-boutique..

... click on the banner above and you will be able to enjoy a very well curated collection of hand picked Scandinavian items that will feel current for years to come!

images from Splendid Willow Avenue

 

I just purchased a pair of orange Ilse Jacobsen boots for Spring. What better colour to compliment a grey and rainy day!?

More fun news! I am so thrilled to tell you that we welcomed our beloved cat Bella Busk to Sweden a few weeks ago. 
Like a champion, she flew all the way from Sydney to Stockholm and arrived tired but well. I can't tell you how happy the kids and I are to have her with us, and now that Bella Busk is thoroughly cuddled and acclimatised, she is bushy tailed and bright eyed again!

More reasons to be happy..! 
We have booked tickets to Paris for March when Marshall comes to Sweden. Mais oui! :))

Two days in the city and two days at Disneyland Paris. Is there anything lovelier than Springtime in Paris..!?!

by Peter Rutherhagen

More great news to come this Spring I am sure.. There is simply so much to be grateful for and I am sincerely LOVING life back in my beloved Sweden!

Big hugs to all and wishes of a happy weekend ahead!

xx Charlotta

Swedish affair with Affari..

Hello lovely people! One of my favourite Swedish decor brands is 'Affari AB'.

Located in the South of Sweden this small, privately owned company was founded in 1998 by a group of four people who at the time sold only candles and candle related products. However their vision and passion for finding unique and stylish decor items from around the world made them grow, and today they sell a wide range of stunning hand selected pieces for indoor as well as outdoor use.

I am mad about their products and have several pieces in my home. My latest purchase is a large (and very heavy) ice tub in cast aluminium. I can see it used all year around in an array of scenarios (e.g. drinks, fruit, twigs, candles etc) but for now I intend to fill it with Hyacinths (like in the picture below) for my Christmas buffet table. It will be surrounded by candles, Pine or Juniper tree branches, and of course a parade of Swedish seasonal delicacies. I think this will look nice.. What do you think darlings?

I have also placed an order for a wonderful (and big!) three tiered tray, also in solid cast aluminium (below). 
It too will make its debut in December when I intend to fill it with nuts, home made truffles and perhaps a load of ginger biscuits. I can't wait for it to arrive!

There are so many things I want from this company and I know I'll be adding some of their rustic pots (in their perfectly distressed (mossy) drained terracotta / white clay execution..). 

And oh perhaps a trio of hammered silver plated pots too... I have seen them with baby Myrtle trees and also with chunky charcoal coloured candles, and both look great!

I also adore their royal chandeliers. There are several in their collection but I like the simplicity of the one below... 

And what about some selected galvanized sheet metal urns & tubs (yum), and/or a duet of concrete candle sticks (the big ones!)..

I can so see this one filled with ruby red apples.. or filled with Spring twigs..

And don't get me started on their carved panels (below).. I never knew MDF could look so sexy people..! I can see this one being used as a wall decoration, window panel, and/or as a table top (with glass on top). 

**Sigh.. so many things to drool over here don't you think!?!. I especially love the way the catalogue has been styled this year - timelessly Swedish with a nice edge. Let's dream together through some final pictures from their most recent catalogue..

Cute bins to fill with stylishly wrapped Christmas presents don't you think..!?!

Isn't this candle buffet just heaven.. Especially with the simple window treatment. 

These reindeer are super cute and come in two sizes. I can see a couple in the kids' room for Christmas..!

And true to their roots, Affari still makes the most wonderful candles and candle products.. Loving their lantern (the tall ones with those fabulous big rings at the top..!).

With that I leave you with warm hugs and wishes of a fun Halloween weekend!

xx Charlotta

All images are via the Affari website and their '2011 Autumn/Winter Catalogue'. Jump across - you won't regret it!

P.S.
I am personally not a big fan of 'Shabby Chic' style. It's nice but just not 'me'.
If you feel the same, do make sure you practice restraint when decorating with your Affari pieces. They need a backdrop of 'preppiness' and uncluttered/clean settings to work (in my humble mind). Less is definitely more if you want to avoid Shabby Chic..

If on the other hand you DO embrace 'Shabby Chic' style (below), there are plenty of 'French romantic' pieces in the Affari collection. Just layer them with lots of white and vintage, et voila!

Autumnal Sweden...

Hello lovelies! I am typing this from a truly Autumnal Sweden - the wind is ruffling the trees sending cascades of yellowing leaves past my window. 
Summer has definitely left us, and in a seemingly constant glow of candle light (I am a candle addict!) I find myself drifting into a slow & comfortable pace of life - Autumnal bliss..!

Don't you just love the 'Crimean Pinecone' lamp by Pavel Eekra..!?!

My mind seems to swing like a pendulum between food (eating!) and interiors at this time of the year. With equal measure I crave cooking- and interior- magazines & blogs right now and I find myself drawn to richer colours, more rustic finishes, and nurturing environments.

This is what I had for lunch today.. this photo from my kitchen table..

Golden Chanterelles & Horn of Plenty mushrooms (that I pick in the nearby forest), ruby red 'lingon berries', sweet figs, fragrant chestnuts, fresh beetroot, pumpkins & carrots bought from my local farmyard (a wonderful self-service farm outlet!), ripe plums, pears & apples picked in my garden all  glow with such rich vibrancy that they inspire me to both cook an decorate..

The Rowan trees are heavy with clusters of bright red berries that work wonderfully when wanting to add a touch of Autumn inside. I adore them in every shape and form!

I currently have a single twig in an over-sized glass bottle in my living room (that desperately needs art and window dressing still.!), and I have used small cuts of berries and leaves to brighten up the place settings on my dining table.

I am also planning to thread single berries on thin steel wire and bend into 'single strand wreaths' for my kitchen and dining room windows. For one of many tutorials HERE..

The leaves are starting to change from green to a spectrum of yellows, though it will be a few weeks still until they explode in their 'grand finale' of vivid colours. My regular and long term readers might remember an Autumnal guest post by my dear friend Minna Mercke Schmidt last year, where she showed us how to tie a beautiful leaf wreath. Click HERE to refresh your memory.

Autumn (Sept-Nov) here in Sweden is referred to the 'food season' because of the abundance of fresh local produce. 

The harvest has brought an array of wonderful root vegetables, beekeepers are offering jars of fresh honey, the forest is serving up a 'smörgåsbord' of delicacies (berries, mushrooms, chestnuts etc), the gaming/hunting season and cattle slaughtering are in full swing, and the ocean is treating us to and array of crustaceans & heavenly seafood. Simply put, this is THE time of the year to visit Sweden if you are a food lover!

Another culinary excuse (..if you need one!) to travel to Sweden this time of the year is the annual harvest of the black 'Gotland truffle' (October/November)!! Yes you heard me right, Sweden is home to some of the world's best black truffle. It may not be as well known or 'famous' as its Italian or French 'truffle cousins', but actually on par in quality, fragrance and flavour!

Perhaps you feel like learning the secrets of truffle hunting & harvesting (?), in which case you can join 'Gotlandstryffel & Smakrike Krog' in their annual 'truffle safari'. You don't even have to bring your own 'truffle pig'..ha!

With all of this in mind, you can imagine why I am purring in contentment and delight right now. There are so many wonderful things to enjoy and look forward to in the next couple of months. Rugged up outside or snug & cozy inside I am enjoying Swedish Autumn to the full!

Warm hugs from the top of the world!

xx Charlotta

Image credits: 1. Habitually Chic (manipulated by me), 2. unknown via Tumblr, 3. Eekra, 4 & 5. Pinterest & Sköna Hem, 7. Charlotta Ward (private photo), 8. Chris Faves (Tumblr), 9. Laughing Popcorn (Tumblr), 6/10/28/30 &11 &12. Sweet Paul Fall 2011 & Coco+Kelly & Google, 13/27. Söderbergs Argentur, 14. Anna Skoog, 15. Pinterest, 16. From the Bottom of the Ironing Basket, 17, Sweet Paul 2010, 18, Folkbladet, 19. unknown, 20, Beas Barnsligheter, 21. Fancy, 22. What Wilson Wants, 23. Ojo, 24. Anna Kern, 25. Mochatini, 26. Lena Granefelt, 29. the Heart of the Sea Home, 31. unknown, 32. from one of my previous posts, 33. Glasshouse images.