It really should have been all about good memories (thank you to all my old, wonderful SCO high-tech colleagues. So much fun seeing you all after 12 years. I treasure each and everyone of you! Only dear Ms. Barbara and Mr. Brian missing… and too little time with Ms. Tamar…) and perhaps another batch of perfume…

Here’s the story in a nutshell…

I fly down to California for a fun company reunion. My close girlfriend-sis Jodi sniffs my perfume and drags me to Anthropologie to pick up a bottle. And so it happens that once a year in San Jose, CA, Anthropologie teams up with The Perfect Dog, a local dog shelter for a joint, meaningful collaboration. Eight adorable dogs are hoping for new, good homes. Trust me, a dog was not exactly on my radar…

… until I met this mellow fellow, a 6 month old Jack Russel Terrier and Chihuahua mutt.

He is calm and super sweet and does not bark or nip. His eyes say it all - an old soul in a new (and small) package. Jodi calls my husband (I don’t dare) to tell him I am, not leaving San Jose Jose without him!

I scramble to get him an air ticket, a health certificate, an airplane carrier, and new toys. (Thank you Laura for taking such good care of him!). The next morning we are flying back home to Seattle!

And now he is ours and we LOVE him! Love, love, love!

Let me introduce you to MILES! (Named after the great Jazz musician Miles Davis. Hubby’s pick).

I thought I saved him. But he is really saving me and forcing me to stop and smell the roses.

The kids are over the moon ecstatic and he is showering the whole family with grand love.

So there, my first (spontaneous perhaps) dog purchase. I/we scored. Big time. (He is sitting next to me while I am writing this).

Before I headed to the airport, Ms. Jodi who, together with my business partner Ewa, is my go-to friend for (among many other things!) excellent, easy, and healthy food, served me this dreamy and oh-so-good pumpkin scone. Fresh from the oven, I wolfed it down in a matter of seconds. (She took these pictures while I was biting my nails waiting for Miles!).

Jodi, a high-flying PR executive in her day job, runs the food blog Garlic Girl - a must destination for me and for anyone looking for easy and good-for-you comfort food. And I should know. I have been indulging in her dishes for the last 14 years!

Jodi’s pumpkin scone recipe can be found here. Make sure to bookmark her blog for many other fabulous recipes. (Look for her healthy smoothies. Jodi takes great care of herself and she looks it too!). You can thank me later.

There you have it. And you thought I was going to say I dragged a new, grand sofa with me! This beats any kind of fancy-schmanzy piece of furniture. A fun reunion, wonderful company & food and a precious dog. I’m whistling over here!

Hugs to you all.

Images: No. 1 unknown, 2-7 via Splendid Willow, 8+9 via Garlic Girl.

The girls finished their last day of the school year yesterday and I have my life back (with some extra strands of gray hair…).

A lot of parties and events lately and I have given away many books as small tokens of appreciation. Here are three of my favorites (the first two I also gave to Moi!):

1.  One Line  A Day

One Line A Day – a pretty little Tiffany blue book with some purpose. Write a sentence a day and go down memory lane and compare that entry with five years of entries in total. What did I do and how did I feel that very same day 2012, 2013, 2014 etc.? I write a sentence every night before I go to bed. A sentence. Anybody can do that!

2. Q&A A Day

Hubby and I went to a fun Seattle restaurant this past weekend (Poppy) and the evening ended at the legendary Seattle book store — Elliott Bay Book Company. I found this pretty little thing with a similar five year diary concept called Q&A A Day — 365 questions — 5 years — 1,825 answers. I like the questions. Can’t wait to fill out August 6th - Who Am I? (It will be interesting to see what I have to say five years from now!).

3.  For kids – anything Sven Nordqvist

Sweden can be very proud of the very many fantastic authors they have shared with the rest of the world. Swedes have a great sense of humor (witty dry!) and it lends itself very well to children’s books. We have bookshelves packed with great Swedish children’s books at our house and an author that all Swedes know about — and you should too — is Sven Nordqvist. His texts and illustrations are ingenious and readers, young and old, will spend happy hours pouring over them and laughing out loud.

Pettson is a Swedish farmer who lives alone with his spunky & creative cat Findus and as a reader you will be part of their delightful adventures. Sven Nordquist adds funny little bonus characters on almost every page.

In one of his books ”A Rumpus in the garden”, Findus is trying to get the hens aways from the meatball he’d just planted (hoping to grow meatball plants?;).

And just last night (after reading this book for the 50th time!), I discovered these three little characters on the left hand side corner of that page. They have paid for tickets to watch the drama unfold! Ha ha! Now that is funny to me!

Several of Sven Nordqvist’s “Pettsson & Findus” books have been translated into English. I go to Amazon Elliott Bay Book Company for mine.

There. Three perfect little book gift ideas — and none of them have anything to do with design! (:

Off to see what my good blog friends are up to.

Hugs!

Images via Splendid Willow.

Nothing smells better than sheets that have been dried outside in fresh air breeze. And preferably in a setting like above. (Good thing I don’t have a jealous bone in my body…).

My Mom would always make sure that our bed linen and towels and my cotton dresses smelled like summer during the warm months in Sweden. Whenever possible clothes were hung on a long white clothesline in our backyard. But I never seem to remember to take that time.

Perhaps these Swedish hand carved wooden clothespins can get me in the groove. (Or a summer home in Sweden… Hear that Hubby!).

These pins can also be used as napkin/place-card holders. They are so adorable! (You know how much I detest plastic and mass produced…).

My good friend Piper over at One Sydney Road invited some shop owners to join in her Paris Pop-Up shops. Piper did a “Trez Magnifique” job putting it all together. (That girl is so talented and such a design whiz that she blows me away).

Hop over and grab a discount code for my store, Splendid Willow Avenue. It will give you an additional 15% off on anything in my store. (Note: ends on May 30th!). You will also find discount codes for many of the other lovely stores. Visit Paris 1 and Paris 2 — here.

(FYI: the high-end Jarbo collection I carry, will soon be switched to cool and chic summer fashion. I look forward to showing you!).

Warm hugs to you all.

Images: no 1. via Desde My Ventana, no. 2 via Joy’s Blogg, no. 3 + 4 via Wildlife Garden, no. 5 +6 via Marie Elisabeth’s room.

Yep, really. I find myself heading  over to Cost Plus quite often nowadays. In the past I would only visit this “global marketplace” for the European liquorice (yes, like most Swedes I am addicted to the salty version!) but ever since I purchased our solid oak kitchen table (which I still love), I have found so many good design finds. And I find myself coming back for more and more. I don’t know if they have a new purchasing team or what — but I think they are better than they have ever been. Some lovelies:

You probably remember our new kitchen table. I don’t like veneer tables. This beauty is solid oak and it has that gray wash that I love. (We now also have the bench).

This hand carved tribal side/drink table is handsome and very versatile. And it is only $149.99. Come on — that is a steal.

A quite lovely swivel chair.

A pretty pillow.

I trotted home with these gray, braided placemats for the kitchen table the other day.

Round again… Adorable gray, scalloped cotton bath rugs for my girls’ bathroom.

I like several of their glass pitchers.

These textured baskets are great.

They have some unique toys like this Pirate’s ship kite. Prince William (3.5) would be in heaven running with this on the beach!

This magnetic house will be a winner on a long car trip.

You will also find many great treats for the Easter baskets.

Anybody else out there addicted?

Warm hugs to you all.

I have not browsed Etsy for quite a while. But I just spent some time over there last night and found, as usual, so many lovely handmade things. I am starting with this utterly hilarious hand colored print by Kate Pugsley, which I also purchased! 

Haha! This print illustrates so well how I feel from time to time and it makes me laugh out loud every time I look at it (and as we all know, laughter cures ugliness both on the inside and outside)! I think it is so hysterically funny, that I decided to buy a second print to whoever of my readers is first to leave a comment on this post saying “I want it too!” You need be honest and committed. If you only like it so-so (or you don’t care for my dry sense of humor) then let someone else get the chance to receive it). This is an out-of-the-blue spontaneous gesture of love from me to my readers. Good humor needs to be spread around!

Here are some more Etsy lovelies that caught my attention.

How about a unique felt Mustache on a Stick? A fun prop for party guests or for a less formal photo session. MaroDesigns offers several different and fun models. Each and every piece is handcrafted with precise detail and care.

I love acorns as a symbol for the fall. I was instantly smitten with this adorable acorn pin offered by Worty Goods. The pin is felt “acorn”s attached to real twin acorn caps and with a pin-back. How cute on that fall sweater!

Here is a perfect little hostess gift. A simple and contemporary porcelain sphere creamer by RouDesigns. A unique and handsome creamer to put on display.

My kids would find eating eggs at our family breakfasts even more interesting with some adorable egg cozies! This hand crotchet frog cozy by Missus D would be perfect for my Prince William!

Not everything on Etsy is brand new. You will also find many lovely, unique vintage pieces like this pretty 60′s cake/display stand from Barking Sands Vintage.

People, I am sorry for always babbling about this item, but my favorite Etsy scarf still has a special place in my heart (and around my neck!). I bought mine 1.5 years ago and I still use it all the time! (It gives any outfit that extra spunk, I so like). Karlita in Belgium, is behind these hand felted beauties.

There you have it. Some fun, unique and well made things from Etsy. Can’t wait to see who I get the honor of sending the print to!

Hugs to you all!