Thank you all for the wonderful support you have given me throughout the year. I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for you. I treasure each and every one of you. I always say that I have the BEST group of followers and friends. Thank you, thank you.
I am going to take a good winter break, recharge my batteries and only focus on my family. I will be back again Monday, January 3rd, 2011!
Love to you all,
My lovely blog friend Claudia with Stonehouse Love, together with designer Beth Dotolo of Hello Splendor, recently announced their charity campaign, Blog for Digs, to help support Dwell With Dignity, a wonderful non-profit organization with a mission to help families escape poverty and homelessness through design – one household at a time. Claudia engaged the blog community and, over a few weeks, more than 55 bloggers will help her spread the word about the organization by writing about their childhood bedrooms.
Yes, that is me! (In the happy 60′s!). Growing up I always had my own bedroom. My brother is nine years older than me and he was all boy. My room was more on the girly side without being over-the-top.
1. I remember picking out these colors myself. Mellow blue wallpaper and a dark pink wall-to-wall carpet! Yep, indeed. (I lived with those colors until I left home).
2. My dear Mom is a strong believer in QUALITY. (I don’t know how many times I have heard her say in my lifetime, “It has to be quality!”). When I was 11 my Mom got a white glass cabinet with book shelves and built-in lighting for my bedroom! (When I look back that was clearly a piece of furniture more suited to the living room, but that is what I had growing up. And it was QUALIIITY!).
3. At an early age I started to collect mini glass animals. I passed the collection to my girls (and we are continuing to add more pieces). I still get very excited every time we buy one.
4. I have always loved animals. I grew up with a siemese cat called “Pelle”. We had him for 19 years and I used to dress him up in my doll clothes. He always slept in my bed. Today we have 2 spoiled cats as part of our household.
5. I did not have any plastic toys except two barbies. I have not saved many toys from my childhood except a couple of beautiful dolls from Austria (where my Mom is from), a couple of ”Steiff” animals, my mini glass animals and a large Babooshka my Dad once gave me. (My girls are now playing with it. The smallest doll is the size of a rice grain).
I grew up in an upper middle class family in a house situated in a nice part of Stockholm. My parents were not super rich, by any means, but I feel I had a priviliged childhood. I went to great schools and got to travel on vacations. We always had good food on the table and I had my very own room.
It feels good to give back and it is an absolute honor for me to take some of the profits from my newly started business (here) and donate to Dwell With Dignity. I hope that my little contribution can bring some joy to a person trying to start a new life away from hopelessness and misery. Everybody deserves to live with dignity.
Claudia, I salute your campaign effort to raise the awareness.
If you are also interested in offering some support — please visit Dwell With Dignity.
Hop over to Doryn’s Dish tomorrow to read about Doryns’ childhood room.
3 more things:
1) I would also like to thank Claudia for her write-up on my new store. What a nice and unexpected treat. Thank you! You are a gem! Claudia is an interior designer and I have loved her eye for design from the very second I found her blog. I plan to follow her blog for many years!
2) Another gem in blog land is Kelly with Style Attic. This witty, smart, generous, and friendly blogger always takes time for others. Thank you Kelly for your store support. You are a dear and will always have my 110% loyal support!
3) Finally, the winner of my giveaway (also contacted by e-mail) was no. 23, Marianne with Style For Living. CONGRATULATIONS! Send me your address, so that I can have the book + CD shipped to you right away. (A big thank you to all of my readers for your wonderful support).
The next post will be my last one in 2010. In just a matter of days we have entered a new year! How did it happen so fast!!!!
Happy new week to you!
Cognac has been on my mind a lot lately. Pantone just announced “Honeysuckle” as the color of 2011. I personally would have voted for cognac. I find it so handsome together with white and black. Just a touch of cognac here and there.
I could also use some real cognac (yes the one you carefully sip!) after my whirlwind week! I launched my store Splendid Willow Avenue last Thursday and I have been so busy that I literally had to hold on to my hat. I am so proud to be representing such a design icon brand as Ilse Jacobsen. I love the products and I have a close and fun relationship with the local Ilse Jacobsen team. This is so me! And I am so glad I went for it!
Some serious Thank You’s are in order.I had no real launch strategy in place for my store. (Everything happened very quickly). I did not do any pre-briefings or blog alerts. I just decided to launch it without bells and whistles. I trust myself and the brand and I trust my readers. Something good would come out of this.
Several of my wonderful close blog friends did not agree with my low-key launch. They started to tweet, e-mail and post about my store right away and I have been swamped with e-mails and phone calls!
I am surrounded by some really wonderful, smart, generous, loyal and interesting people in blog land (women and men!). l love my group of blog friends and many have become friends outside of cyberland.
It was very heartwarming and not expected at all that so many of you, during this this busy season, decided to give my store a shout-out. Thank You. You are amazing!
Thank you Willow Decor! Read here.
Thank you Haute Design! Read here.
Thank you Bijou and Boheme! Read here.
Thank you Belle Vivir! Read here.
Thank you Space For Inspiration! Read here.
Thank you Mochatini! Read here.
Thank you Belgian Pearls! Read here.
Thank you Providence Design! Read here.
Thank you Komma Hem! Read here.
Thank you Designer’s Block. Read here.
Thank you Delishh for being my No. 1 store mentor!
Thank you One Sydney Road! Read here.
Thank you to my brilliant and close friend Manvi with Mochatini for including me in her Holiday Inspiration Issue. She mentioned that she was working on a little “Holiday Inspiration Post”. That little post turned out to be a beautiful and inspiring Holiday MAGAZINE (yes an entire magazine whipped up in a couple of days!) featuring Manvi’s own lovely holiday table top decor and tips for entertaining. VERY inspirational. You will find ideas for your own home. Make sure to visit here.
And Thank You to the friendly and generous Julie with with the unique and inspirational blog Inspired, Live Simply. I won her blog giveaway! A vase from one of my favorite stores — Anthropologie! Thank you, Julie. I love it!
And lastly a big thank you to my wonderful friend Lana with Lanalou Style. She included me (and Charlotta!) in her Wish list for the Holidays. Yet another creative and wonderful blog to pay attention to.
A lot of appreciation in this post: For cognac, Ilse Jacobsen, fantastic friends and loyal readers. Love to you all.
Today is the last day to order from Splendid Willow Avenue if you want your Ilse Jacobsen items before Christmas and with FREE shipping.
My giveaway ends tonight (Thursday night Dec. 16th). Go here to enter.
It is time for another smart & creative person to be added to my portfolio of the best DIY minds. (You will find others in the collection behind the button in the right side column).
This time I am putting the spotlight on my friend Anna-Malin behind the gorgeous Swedish blog “Helt Enkelt“.
I have known Anna-Malinfor a good while in blog land but have also gotten to know her outside the cyber world. This lovely lady is unbelievably creative, her house is like a dream and she comes up with projects around her house that are all magazine worthy. (She is also a great photographer). I find her home and DYI ideas incredibly inspirational.
Her design motto:
“Mix old with new. Let high-end design meet flea market finds. Trust your own style. Be brave and decorate from the heart.”
Anna-Malin has introduced her readers to so many lovely projects that it is rather difficult to pick just one. I decided to show you a collection of images perfect for the holiday season. And here is the thing, Anna-Malin is a busy mother, wife and teacher and yet she takes the time to do what she is passionate about and puts her heart into and takes on big things and small that really add beauty to daily life.
For instance this natural arrangement that she literally put together in a few minutes, when she realized she had no advent holder for December. Easy (once you come up with the idea) and stunning.
Or these linen and paper ornaments she worked one day “just because she felt like it”. I need to carve out time for projects like this. But my brain does not seem to be wired that way.
One day she decided to paint some milk glass bottles and use them as Christmas candle holders (jul = Christmas). First she painted them black, then soon after, she decided to paint them white. I can feel the love and creativity all the way to me in Seattle!
And when Anna-Malin wants some added, extra fun, she makes it, rather than buys it. Like this fleet of flags. She made them out of linen fabric and stencils. This inspires me to make my own! (Oh, and she painted the cabinet as well. A weekend project).
There is something so peaceful about Anna-Malin’s projects. She takes the time to sit down and work with her hands (and camera) with the family all around her. I applaud her for that. 
When asking Anna-Malin about her own favorite project she picks her dining room table.
“It is special to me because I put it together with little effort and with little money and yet got the simple, lovely look I wanted. I am very pleased with it and its personality.”
And here it is in its full glory. With a friend’s help she put together the planks. She sanded the top lightly and put a Swedish “drift wood” varnish on it. The base is simple Ikea table legs. Just screw them on and there you have it! It took her 2 hours to put the table together!
Some more amazing projects to add to the DIY portfolio. And projects to be inspired by and hopefully tackled by yourselves. (I know that I am and will try).
Anna-Malin, thank you so much for taking part in this series. It has been an honor to feature you.
Happy new week to all of my readers.
Don’t forget to read more about my new store here.
And to enter my worldwide giveaway.
Warm hugs to you all!
Some of you might remember when I purchased some beautiful rubber boots in Sweden this past summer and how I was going all nuts for them. Well, little did I know back then that I, some 5 months later, would be representing this fabulous Scandinavian brand via my own store!
I am proud to tell you that as of today will be offering the best and most stylish rain gear that I have come across. In Scandinavia they have become design icons. I am talking about Ilse Jacobsen of course.
I will sell the coats and rubber boots to start with. Two products that represent everything I like — quality, functionality with a classic and edgy style, and a Scandinavian design twist. I used to import Swedish antiques a few years ago and I am always drawn to unique pieces and design.
So, welcome to my new store — Splendid Willow Avenue!
(You will also find my new clickable store button over on the right hand column).
To celebrate the launch I am offering a giveaway.
How about a really great design book? – Danish Modern by Andrew Hollingworth. (I want it myself!). The book highlights the birth and growth of Danish Modern furniture designs (and all the design icons such as Hans Wegner, Borge Mogensen, Frits Henningsen and others) and illustrates stunning and inspirational photos.
I am also encluding a Holdiday CD by Pink Martini, Joy To The World. (Now this is a surprise. Who would have thought the Portland, Oregon, pop exotica troupe Pink Martini would come up with one of the most diversely designed holiday albums in years?). The total value for both is $60.
This will be shipped off to one winner on Dec 17th. (I will make sure you get it before Dec. 25th if you live in the US).
To be eligible for the giveaway:
1) Leave a comment about which product in my store you like the most.
2) “Like” Splendid Willow’s Facebook page (started it today). Click on the Splendid Willow Facebook button here. (Or find it in the right hand column).
(If you don’t have a Facebook account – spread the word to a couple of your friends who might be interested).
For additional entries (enter them yourselves):
Tweet about the store (Splendid Willow Avenue) = 1 additional entry
Spread the word on Facebook = 1 additional entry
Mention it on your blog = 2 additional entries.
The giveaway is open to all readers. Wherever in the world you may reside.
The giveaway ends on December 16th, midnight, US west coast time.
There you have it. I now have little boutique, Splendid Willow Avenue. I could not be more excited!
To all my friends who have been supporting and helping me during my exercise of putting it all together. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I could not have done this without you. And to all bloggers who thought I had abandoned them. Thank you for your patience. I just needed some time to put all of this together. Love to you all.
