The Nordic Bedouin

NY state of mind, part 1

Just came back from New York after spending a couple of weeks over New Year's there with family. The city treated us well as always and after only a couple of days ay home, we already miss the Big Apple. Here are some Hipstamatic snapshots:

Signs of Christmas

You know Christmas is approaching when these are the flowers at your local coffee shop!

A cup a day keeps the germs at bay

Well, not really but at least tea seems to help. I'm not sure if there's any science to it (apart from tea being very healthy and full of anti-oxidants), but I use tea like medicine whenever I'm sick. At the moment, I'm attempting to fight my second cold this November (!) with lots of tea. Various Earl Greys, chai, Lemon Zinger and others with lots of honey and the occasional lemon slice. I also self-medicate using tea if I have an upset stomach or any other physical or emotional ailment. It seems to be therapeutic all around! And there are so many kinds out there, I'm never done trying new ones.

Image: teainfocentre.yolasite.com

Some of my favorite teas are from Kusmi who also make a great decaf Earl Grey (not easy to find) for late night comfort black tea drinking.

Image: culturalconcubine.wordpress.com

But half the charm is in the ritual of making the tea. I think it's soothing somehow, even though I don't do it like the traditional and complex Japanese tea ceremonies. I was lucky enough to participate in one when visiting Japan. I'm a sucker for rituals like that! Just beautiful when you add the Japanese sense of esthetics.

Image: Wikipedia

Outdoor naps

Now that the weather has turned warmer, I sometimes let my son nap in his stroller as I take a long walk. I often wish I could trade places with him. I love napping outdoors on a warm sunny day. I wouldn't mind a nap in one of these from Graham & Green.

Images from www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

Rainy weekend

Last weekend was spent in the archipelago. Outdoors, despite the drizzle.

By the way, those aren't real snakes but they do keep the seagulls from using the pier as a toilet.

Garden weekend

This was our wonderful weekend! We were outdoors all day long in the warm sunny weather on my Mom's farm. My little boy was super busy gardening and making sure the dogs, sheep and the new lambs were doing well. We picked lots of rhubarb and returned to the city much against our will!

Garden accessories

Here are some lovely accessories that I would love to decorate an outdoor sitting area with. For more inspiration, check out Anthropologie's website.

Images from www.anthropologie.com

Mårbacka

Some of my favorite flowers to have on my balcony during the summer months are a kind of Pelargonium called Mårbacka. They have a delicate peachy-pink color and are very traditional here in Sweden. I have had them on my balcony every summer for years and they are generally really easy to keep which is great too. Here are a couple of examples:

Play kitchens

I dream of building my son a play house that could have a couple of rooms. One of the rooms would have to be a kitchen since he loves "cooking". These dreamy play kitchens from Pottery Barn Kids are amazing! Explore their website for more detailed images.

Images from www.potterybarnkids.com

Silk fabrics

We're about to begin entirely re-designing our bedroom which means that new fabrics, decorative pillows, headboard, curtains, wall color and artwork all need to be considered and decided on. Our bedroom which has been neglected the most out of all the spaces in our home is much overdue for a make-over. We're leaning towards luxurious embroidered silks and romantic colors that are easy on the eye and relaxing. Here's some of the inspiration that we're using.

Image from www.malabar.co.uk

Image from www.idealhomemagazine.co.uk

Image from www.idealhomemagazine.co.uk