Scandinavian Christmas

Have you noticed the potted small wispy trees that are ubiquitous in the highly stylized, all white Scandi winter interiors (one example)? Karoline and Bjørnstjerene Bjørnson apparently had a fine specimen as well, as seen here in a photo from their li…

Pick a new soundtrack for this gray Thursday: Vinterland by Laleh Stockholms klockor by Sarah Dawn Finer Nattunn is by Cajsa Stina Åkerström 

In our kitchen, this condiment is to overripe pears what banana bread is to brown bananas. We use it as a substitute for the Swedish staple lingonberry jam or rowan berry jelly. If a recipe calls for apple sauce, this is a fun twist.  If I want less of…

 There are few things more frustrating to me than items floating about our home without a purpose, rarely used. As a result, I have promised myself not to purchase something new unless I have a specific use or need for it. So for two years I have been …

Have you come across the hashtag novent lately?  It´s a term coined by the mother of Alexandra Malmqvist Olsson for christmas and advent preparations and celebrations in November. The term captured a modern day practice so aptly that it has been submit…

The Swedish History Museum, Historiska Museet, has published an audio guide with old Norse myths, translated to English. Listen in. IMAGE: ENGRAVED ILLUSTRATION FROM THE PROSE EDDA, BY OLUF OLFSEN BAGGE, PUBLISHED 1847 

The oldest known flower pot in Sweden is a royal one from 1580. It was footed, with emerald green glaze, and bore a family crest. Sörmlandskrukan, though crafted from unrefined 10 000 year old Swedish clay, is its very opposite in terms of decor. Hand …

 I have been waiting for this collection to drop since I first heard about it three years ago. IKEA has teamed up with the founder of BYREDO, Ben Gorham, to launch a collection of scented candles aptly named osynlig, which means invisible in Swedish. B…

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the beloved character Pippi Longstocking from the books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Together with Save the children, the Astrid Lindgren Company has initiated the Pippi of today campaign to earmark funds t…

Knitted kitchen towels are textural bliss. Ours is spread on the counter more or less permanently, for the daily stack of hand washed water bottles air drying before their next shift. My lovely neighbour in Tromsø knitted her kitchen textiles herself. …