Hello everyone. I am back in the saddle again! Thanks to so many of you for reaching out and wondering what (on earth) I was up to and asking when I was coming back. All is good, friends! I just needed some more time to get back to normal after an insanely busy holiday season for the store and my family. Thank you for thinking of me though.

I am also busy working on a couple of big new projects — you will of course learn here first.

So, not starting a new year without some serious focus and a few new resolutions.

1) Think Green

After spending some time before Christmas with my Dear Mom who sadly is ailing and seeing my extraordinary Mother-In-Law having a mini stroke on Christmas Eve (we had Ambulance people dancing around the Christmas Tree – thankfully it all ended on a positive note!) 2013 will be the year when I take better charge of my own health. I am already fairly active, healthy and happy but I can do so much better. An energy filled green smoothie (min. 16 oz all organic greens + berries – no fruit) in the morning is now as part of my morning ritual as brushing my teeth!

2) Embrace Emerald Green

The Yellow Brick Road leads to Emerald City.

It works for me that Pantone announced “Emerald Green” as the color of the year. Finally they got it right. I love that color! (Always wanted a sassy, modern evening gown in Emerald Green. Perhaps this will be the year.).

To add a little bit more Emerald Green into my own home, I purchased this print on Etsy - a loosey-goosey, fun cameo portrait drawing. I find the illustrator Kathryn with hhop so creative and fun. Of course I ended up buying other things as well!

3) Don’t be a design/brand snob (Note to myself!)

I am proud to say that my absolute favorite daily china right now are these practical gray-blue, glazed stoneware dishes (Dinera) from Ikea! I love the color, the look, the material and the price. Come on, the large bowls are $12.99 for a set of four! You could not entice me away with anything fancy from Bergdorf Goodman. I swear this is better!

I also snapped up this pretty velvet-like pillow at Ikea for a song (here in our family room). There was just something familiar and calming about it.

4) Less stuff

Filling an entire cart with gray-blue china might not go hand in hand with wanting less stuff in the house. January is usually the month when people do some serious personal and home cleansing. I am hoping 2013 will be the year when I start really thinking through every single purchase. Do I Need It – do I Love It? And with everything I buy, AT LEAST two things need to go (yep! friends, charity, dump whatever — but they are not staying!).

In 2013 I will strive for piece, calm, serenity and a happy, healthy heart. And with all that renewed energy, I also hope to give more to you! What are your personal commitments for 2013?

Hugs to you all. It’s good to be back.

Image no. 3 via Katie Rosenfeld Design, no. 4 via hhop, no. 5 via Ikea , no. 6 + 7 via Splendid Willow.

Friends, it’s a wrap (and one gigantic embrace) from this little corner of the cyber world.

Thank you, thank you for all for the wonderful support you have given me throughout the year. What a special bunch you are. I treasure each and every one of you.

This lady is finally breathing like a normal cat again. What a crazy busy season this has been for our store; a customer compared us to Cirque De Soleil. We have managed to pull some last minute miracle tricks, but oh how much fun we have had!

I am now going to take a good winter break, recharge my batteries and focus on my family and close friends. I will be back again Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013!

Love To You All,

Images no. 1 unknown (sorry!), no. 2 via Martha Stewart.

(Love the irregular moss hearts. This one is for you Michele!).

When I went to Sweden I bought a ton of design magazines filled with inspiration for the winter Holidays. Do I even have to tell you that I ear marked just about every page? Those Scandinavians — they do know a thing or two about decorating so it looks & feels fresh, inviting, chic effortless, simple and oh so beautiful. Gotta tell you. This gal is very proud of her Swedish genes.

Enjoy the eye candy.

A great spot for gifts. And 2 different mirrors look so pretty together.

On my next outing with Miles I am so picking up sticks so I can make my own mother nature star.

Hyacinths and red tulips are my two favorite flowers for Christmas.

Oh, and I need to make a pinecone & nut heart as well! So simple pretty.

For those of you who are interested in what’s happening at the store. Here goes.

Make sure to order on or before Tuesday 19th, if you want to receive the shipment before Dec. 25th.

And please enjoy a little store treat.

Just use SPLENDIDTIMES at checkout. Enter our store here.

New things are coming in almost daily.

The NEW Danish Bride & Groom rabbits are simply adorable! Well made and unique.

We love the Royal King and Royal Queen in their fabric towers! (Easy to carry around too!).

The lovely Odd Molly Sweaters/cardigans are hopping away fast.

And the Swedish moccasins are getting raves everywhere!

The popular Swedish egg cups are FINALLY back in stock. (And they come in a nice, black gift box)

My own kids’ favorite Holiday book has also been added to the store – ”Findus At Christmas” by Sven Nordqvist. Adults and kids laugh out loud! (I will be saving my Nordqvist books for my own grand kids – a long ways down the road…).

We are almost completely sold out of the real reindeer antlers wine stoppers and bottle openers. Very Scandinavian!

Enter our store here.

Alright then. Off to handle business. You will see me in extra good form next week. I am ready for some good Holiday celebration myself.

Happy weekend to you all!

Images (all scanned) via: 1 + 6 Lantliv, no. 2 via Tove Älskade Hem, no. 3 + 5 via Hus & Hem, no. 4 via Underbara Julhem.

Busy season folks! How are you all holding up? Not much new happening at my house (the store is taking all my time) but I managed to get some simple holiday decor up this weekend. Perhaps nothing to write home about. And not too much glitter and glam. I am a simple Swede after all….

Last week I found a gray vintage door that I dragged home (Hubby shook his head…) and leaned against a wall. That is where all the holiday cards are going up! (If I only can get mine out in time…). Note: The lighing is pretty bad in these pictures. Trust me, the door looks better in real.

I am using simple green moss balls (from my store) which I added some silver thread to and placed in our stocking pot holders. It took me a whole 4 minutes to put together…

The tree looks pretty much like last year’s. (Forest/wood themed for this animal loving family).

The Winter village is up again. My kids love this simple Holiday display! The wooden house is vintage.

(Only our traditional “Swedish Candy Store” is left to tackle. I will show you soon).

Before I sign off, I want to send some extra big hugs to these talented ladies, bloggers, designers and friends who all plugged my store, Splendid Avenue. Thank you ladies! What unexpected and lovely treats!

Thank you to my dear & mega talented friend, Greet with Belgian Pearls (everybody’s best friend!). She highligted some of my Swedish finds in her blog post, jam packed with holiday inpiration. Don’t forget to check out her brand new business website. Can we all say Magnificent!

Thank you to the lovely Leslie with Trouver Le Soleil.

Leslie hung some of our Boxwood wreaths in her window.  Your holiday decor looks fabulous, girlie! (Read her entire post).

Thank you to Phyllis with Henhurst Interiors (who we all pin like crazy because she is sooo good!). She also featured a wreath from us in a recent blog post.

Thank you to my dear friend-sis Charlotta (“Hej Lilla Loppan”!) with Space For Inspiration (who I did not get to see in Stockholm this time around. Bohhoo! But this summer you can count on me knocking on your door!).  Charlotta highligted Ylva Skarp’s popular artwork which we are the only US store to carry. Charlotta’s post/blog is jam packed with lots of Scandi-design inspiration.

And finally, Linda Merrill with Surroundings who is a really good and loyal friend and who is mega busy with her high-flying design business. She featured our reindeer candlesticks in her latest issue of Surroundings Holiday Style Guide.

Hop over here and read her magazine here!

Make sure you follow all these ladies. I already do. And you know how picky I am! (:

There you have it. Some Decor & Blog Shout-outs. “Gott och Blandat” as we say in Swedish. Happy & Mixed.

Ta Ta!

Hello (or Hej in Swedish) friends! I am back from Stockholm and grinning from ear to ear. Having spent quality time with family and enjoying a beautiful and festive Stockholm gives me fantastic energy for the next few months.

Trotting the streets in Stockholm also gave me tons of design inspiration and ideas. And I brought some of that back with me home.

1. Hyacinths EVERYWHERE

Fragrant hyacinths have got to be the most popular flower plant in Sweden during the winter season. Swedes make the most pretty and inspirational Hyacinth arrangements, often with treasures from mother nature. I LOVE hyacinths myself and I can’t imagine Christmas without them.

2. Modern Rustic Gnomes

Forget cheerful elves. The Swedes prefer quiet & witty gnomes to protect their homes. And the ones you see everywhere have their funky hats pulled down over their heads and are dressed in more neutral colors. A traditional gnome with a modern twist. Of course I brought a few fellows with me home.

 3. Reindeer hides

So pretty and winter rustic. You can find them in just about every design magazine and in decorated store windows all over Sweden.

I bought my first hide for my own home. Right now it is placed over one end of my dining table. But I’m sure it will travel around to the house and serve many purposes.

I am so happy with my gorgeous reindeer hide that we now have teamed up with the Swedish company selling them. They are based 80 km north of the Arctic Circle and the family business is on its third generation offering reindeer products. (Note: The hides are by-products of the food industry).

Reindeer hides are on their way from Sweden to our store, Splendid Avenue. We will only carry a limited edition — so place your order now if you want one. I expect them to go quickly.

 I also brought home a few other things for the store:

1. Several wonderful Swedish antique engravings (some as old as the 17th century)

2. Charming Swedish tile stoves (kakelugn) tea-light holders

I found this handmade beauty in the Old Town of Stockholm.

Tile stoves have a long history in Sweden. In the 1700′s, due to concerns over dwindling wood supplies in Sweden, two Swedes came up with a new energy efficient design (the internationally renowned “Kakelugn”) and by the late 1700′s Sweden had become famous for its cosy indoor temperatures.  Apart from providing an excellent source of heat, the “kakelugn” is also an object of great beauty.

The tea-light holder is made of ceramic by the talented artist Katarina Andersson and is as close to a real Swedish “kakelugn” as we will get here in the US!

3. Swedish Moccasins

Ok, I used to wear non-slip moccasins when I was a kid! And all my own children wore them. But none of them have been as cute as these Mocklis moccasins! All handmade in Sweden, with fun and unique patterns. We are super thrilled to now be carrying them in our store! (We will have them in stock around Dec. 10th).

Other than that I came home with tons of Swedish candy, clothes, home decor, food items, gifts, deodorant (US deodorants suck!), but most importantly loads of fun and precious memories.

Gigantic hugs to: Erik, Olle, Gunilla, Sanne, Anki, Sussi, Camilla, Sara, Adde, Monica, Petra & Anna.

You are the best and most beautiful friends!

This is my daughter Frida on our last day in Sweden. Surrounded by glorious, quiet, white snow!

Now switching gears from Sweden to Seattle… If you are interested in learning about my favorite winter holiday activities in Seattle, I invite you to my good friend Barbara’s Blog — HausDesign.

You can read my guest post here. And say hello to Ms. Barbara too! She is one lovely lady and friend. I am so glad that she moved to my city (after spending a few years in Germany).  Her blog is jam packed with beautiful home inspiration. That girl has excellent taste!

There you have it. A whirlwind trip to Sweden and now I am back in Seattle, busy decorating for the holidays! Thank you for tuning in. I look forward to hearing what you have been up to.

Hugs to you all. It is good to be back.