Earlier in the week I announced my recharged store, Splendid Willow Avenue. And today we’re having a celebration!

I have teamed up with two of my close blog/personal friends — the wonderful Sarah with Haute Design and the equally wonderful Ally with From The Right Bank.

(I have known these talented ladies from my very early blog days and if you are not following them, you are missing out!)

Together we are celebrating  with, not one, but TWO store giveaways open to all of our readers!

(Bloggers, none-bloggers, NY, Sweden, Belgium, Iceland — anyone from anywhere can enter!)

Over at From The Right Bank one person will be able to win a pair of high-end rubber boots from my store by the Danish fashion icon Ilse Jacobsen. The winner gets to pick any model, size and color! (Valued at up to$170).

Hop over to From The Right Bank and enter the giveaway for the Ilse Jacobsen boots — here.

And over at Haute Design one person will be able to enter to win a gorgeous necklace by the very talented Swedish native jewelry designer, Asa Daxberg. The winner gets to pick any of  Asa’s necklaces from my store. (Valued at up to $175).

Go to Haute Design to enter the giveaway for the Asa Daxberg necklace — here.

I am very excited about this giveaway and can’t wait to announce the happy winners. It could be you!

The giveaways are open to ALL readers and will close on Friday August 26th at midnight PST.

Giving is fun. And giving together with friends is even more fun!

Good luck to all of you!

Now go to Haute Design and From The Right Bank and enter!

I am very proud to have been invited to be a regular columnist for the hugely popular Houzz, which is the Internet’s largest database of design and decorating ideas. Here you will find literally hundreds of thousands of interior design & garden photos from homeowners and design professionals that you easily can put in your Houzz ideabook for personal home inspiration. Perfect if you are remodeling your home or just needing some great design ideas. It is all there.

It was humbling to see that my own little blue chest project from my bedroom has ended up in some 1500 different idea books. Who would have thought!

In my first Houzz segment I am sharing:

“20 Chic & Affordable Furnishings For The Living Room”

Pop over and see my suggestions if you have a moment. Go here.

More sharing. My recharged store, Splendid Willow Avenue, is off to a flying start and I could not be happier!

Now is the golden time to acknowledge some fantastic and creative people who helped me give “voice” to my vision.

Firstly Ms. Shari who I started following a long time ago (she has an incredible eye for design). Blog communication ended up in friendship and now professional collaboration! She helped me with my lovely new banners and various online design elements including my new business cards! Easy to work with and such a pro. I adore her.

Rachel was introduced to me by a lovely friend. I had a really hard time finding a web designer/developer and had almost given up when Rachel came along, and with a great attitude took everything over and built my entire on-line shop. I love everything she came up and will team up with her again! She is wonderful!

I met Dorothee when she came to my home to take pictures for the Rue Magazine. (Dorothee seen to the right next to her business partner Annabel). We clicked right away and a few days later I put her in charge of my store’s front page images. With offices in NY and Seattle, this pro is asked to capture weddings and events all over the planet. She is fantastic!

Susan (who I met thanks to our kids!) just recently decided to take her photo hobby to the next level and is now focusing on photographing families and pets. She helped me with my new product images. For my Seattle friends, you might want to team up with her before she gets too pricey because this girl is really good and also easy to work with!

And finally a big thank you to my dear girlfriend Stacey (our kids brought us together and now also our hubbies hang out!) my beautiful model. It makes my business so much more meaningful and personal if family and friends are involved. Stacey is stunning on the outside and inside and has been one of my strongest supporters. She is used to my high energy and nutty Swedish behavior and we always have the best of time together!

Thank you all, ladies! You are the best.

Tomorrow you need to stop by again. And I really mean it. I have teamed up with a couple of other phenomenal ladies and you do not want to miss what we have in store for our readers!

Warm hugs. See you tomorrow!

I am back from our wonderful & lazy family vacation on the Oregon coast. I have not forgotten any of you and I am looking forward to checking in with all of my friends to see what you have been up to!

For the last little while I have been a busy summer Mom and I have also been preparing to take my little store to the next level.

Today I am proud to announce: 

NEW: Store makeover, its own separate domain name, more product categories and still staying true to my mission of:

 Offering Unique, Well-Made Products With A Scandinavian Twist

Welcome! 

I now offer even more colors and models from Ilse Jacobsen’s sophisticated line of high-end rain gear.

I now also carry some unique and lovely things for the young ones. Scandinavian design, of course.

I am very proud to be the first on-line store to carry Swedish native, Asa’s, fantastic jewelry.

And I could not have a store, offering the best I know from Scandinavia, without also carrying pelts from Gotland sheep –- desirable sheep skins from sheep from a rural Swedish Viking island in the Baltic Sea, where I used to spend all my childhood summers.

Not a jam packed store, just a few things that I am personally very attached to and very proud to represent. More to be added as I go along.

Welcome in! Enter Splendid Willow Avenue here.

I hope you like what you see.  If you do, perhaps you will help me spread the word by telling a few of your friends.

This coming Friday I am celebrating the launch of my recharged store with a fun and unique event with two very dear blog friends. I will remind you later in the week. You won’t want to miss it!

Warm hugs to you all and thank you for all your support. YOU are the ones who gave me the courage and wings to fly (and I am flying!). I am grateful to every single one of my friends/readers/supporters and Splendid Willow Avenue team/partners. Thank you all very much!

Warm hugs!

All images belong to Splendid Willow/Splendid Willow Avenue.