Happy Birthday to Me!

Sorry to be a little of of touch lately but week-long b-day celebrations take it out of you.  We had friends over last weekend, enjoyed a home made meal by our eldest tonight (with cupcakes, natch) and will continue partying next Saturday at cheesy local nightclub with our good friends.  So lucky and so happy - HH really outdid himself this year, and I'm just glad to still be on this beautiful planet learning, creating and having fun!
Here's me acting surprised at cupcake #2. It was another fun and silly night at Casa Lagom.  And by the way, the wall color is Gray Mirage by Benjamin Moore, and my painting is of a Ljunghusen bath house.

Like a Swede...

Discuss... is this really like a Swede?  I'm actually a little confused by this clip but it makes for entertaining watching, and the comments at the end are interesting.  Not sure, who or what they are trying to sell here - is it LA?  Discuss amongst yourselves, coffee klatch, and please leave comments!

Shear Beauty

If I was living in Minneapolis, I would head over to the "American Swedish Institute" tomorrow to see this beautiful art and learn more about it.  I've always been captivated by papercutting since I was a little girl and first saw it in Copenhagen at Illums Bolighus.  There's something so magical about it, and you gotta love that word "psaligraphy"!  Here is more information about Karen "Bit" Vejle and the rich art of paper cutting, Karen "Bit" Vejle at American Swedish Institute and another beautiful, ethereal photograph from the installation.

Formex 2014

January 15th Formex, Scandinavia's largest design trade show, opened it's doors with the theme "Day Dreams".  The color of the year as designated by Pantone, Radiant Orchid, was evident in its many displays and booths.  I loved attending this show a couple of years back and I try to follow it now from afar for inspiration and ideas for La Casa Lagom.  Here's a cool photo that inspires me with it's chairs and poofs:

Another photo with the pinkish hues, here I like the mix of hard industrial and soft color and texture:

The palette from the Day Dream theme, see the Formex blog, is very soft and pastel like.

I guess no matter how tough the winter is, one can always dream oneself away -- into summer, warmth and Day Dreams!

Photos borrowed from "Designtjejen", a Swedish blog on design.  http://designtjejen.blogg.se/

Silken pine

Walk through woods in NH

Ah silken pine, just hearing this lovely name makes me want to run out, first into the woods, and then to stock up on this Benjamin Moore paint for the dining room!  But if it was just called 'light green' would I pine for it as much?  What if instead of iceberg, silken pine, misty air and super white the BM colors below were called light blue, light green, beige and white?  Would it then be as intoxicating to play with all the color strips, stop by the paint store one million times, and drive yourself mad deciding? As Juliet says; "What's in a name?  That which we call a rose by any other names would smell as sweet".  (Romeo and Juliet Act 1, Scene 2).  But isn't part of the fun of redecorating the dream that these names conjure up, of how your home with just a little "rosemary sprig" or "Caribbean teal" could be the home of your dreams?  Probably, and I like to dream.  Work not so much.  ;-)

Well the siren call of silken pine is whispering to me now, whistling through the winds, coming softly through my dining room windows and settling its soft scent on our vinegar-laden air*.  Getting all poetic today ain't I? Well maybe I was inspired by this pretty palette, the drapes below, and William Blake who wrote:

Man was made for joy and woe

And when this we rightly know

Thro' the world we safely go

Joy and woe are woven fine

A clothing for the soul divine

Under every grief and pine

Runs a joy with silken twine

"Auguries of Innocence" by William Blake

Artisan Prints "Bonsai Soft Fern" pattern at Mark Alexander

* Removing yucky beige wallpaper with vinegar and water and work.

A beautiful dining room

All from http://www.housebeautiful.com/photos/designer-dining-rooms

Oh, la, la, don't these dining rooms make you want to drool?  And it's not the food we're talking either.  So bare with me please dear reader as I tell you why I am bombarding you with pretty pictures on this dreary Tuesday morning.  As I may have mentioned already HH, the two kiddos, and I moved into a new home in October.  We love it but it was the land of the beige... beige carpeting, beige walls, beige wainscoting between beige walls... you get the idea.  In order to rescue our new home from this affliction we painted the living room a nice greige (not too daring I know but it did make all the difference!) and removed the yucky carpeting.  Voila!

before and after, below.

Edgecomb Gray has a nice warm tone to it

Then we did our son's room with a wall of orange and new blue carpet.  He was thrilled.  So now it is time for the dining room, the heart of the house.  We really don't have any furniture to speak of or preconceived ideas on how it should be done, but we do think it should flow from the white kitchen to the living room (painted Benjamin Moore's Edgecomb gray) as it is the pass through room.  Looking through the internet, old magazines and old blog posts is one way to go, as is searching in the paint store gathering every color I can get my hands on.  What do you do when you are trying to decide on a paint color?  Anything like this?  

When I am done it would be nice to get one of these beautiful Mora clocks from Sweden, but dream on...

Antique Gustavian Tall Clock at Cupboards and Roses for $6,800!

Julgransplundring

Food in massive quantities
My humble rulltårta and cookies came next!

Julgransplundring!

Tomte Nisse - world's oldest?

The kids are a blur - candy!

Hi, the other day the kids and I relived the old Swedish tradition of throwing out the Christmas Tree, and relieving it of its goodies in the process.  The Christmas trees in Sweden are usually covered in candy and nuts and before casting it aside they like to "dance out the tree" and eat the treats.  We went to the Birka Group's annual "Julgransplundring" where we danced, ate, heard a story and plundered the tree.  The event was great except for one thing, not many children showed up.  Granted the tradition is a little rusty, in Sweden and I guess America, and there was snow on the ground but not too much -- I mean we are Vikings right?  But the kids turned it quickly around to a positive note - more candy for them!  Tomte Nisse (Santa Claus) even handed out little presents.  He was so cute.  So, here are some photos from our event and another pic from Nordiska Museet (Nordic Museum) where there are so many dancers they are literally a blur.  Also, for you history nerds out there (like me) I have copied some information found on "Nordstjernan" about the origin of this tradition which has way more to do with just getting the tree out before its dried up needles are everywhere, including even grave visitations and sacrifice.  Intrigued now? Read on Vikings...

And in Stockholm...

JNordiska Museet, Stockholm. Photo: Peter Segemark, ©Nordiska museet

'Julgransplundring'

Tjugondag Knut, January 13, is traditionally the day when Christmas is 'thrown out' ..literally, since you usually want to throw out a Christmas tree that is shedding needles badly...

The tradition in Sweden and in Finland to plunder the Christmas tree is on Tjugondag Knut or St. Knut’s Day on January 13. This is the day when Christmas is 'thrown out.' It is literally the case these days as this is the date when you usually throw out a Christmas tree that is shedding needles badly and seems to have done its part to enhance the Christmas season. Costumes, ghosts, and wild parties. No, it’s not a description of Halloween but rather Epiphany celebrations in the old days. Today, Trettondagen or Epiphany in English, is a fairly tame holiday in Sweden, but it wasn’t always like that – in the old days, January 6th was celebrated with great hullabaloo. Still a holiday in Sweden most people also take the previous day, the Twelfth Night (Trettondagsafton) off from work. 

“That was the day when the Three Wise men visited baby Jesus in Bethlehem and gave their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh,” says Lena Kättström Höök, superintendent at Nordiska museet. According to Swedish folklore, the dead came visiting from their graves for Christmas and had to return on the 6th of January. Most of these traditions went to their graves during the 19th century, too. Today the only one remaining is, perhaps, the so-called julgransplundring (a children’s party at which the Christmas tree was stripped of its decorations, which in the old days consisted of apples, candy and other edibles). 

“But on the island of Möja, it’s just like old times. They sing medieval songs and walk around with a great, shining star,” Kättström Höök explains. Stjärnsångare, Singers to the star, on Möja dress up similar to the star boys of Lucia or the lussegubbar of west Sweden of olden times Lesser known about Lucia celebrations. 

According to the Bible Epiphany actually marks two events in Jesus Christ’s life. The first event was when the three wise men, or kings, visited infant Jesus. The second event was when St John the Baptist baptized Jesus. 

In many countries, Twelfth Night leading into Epiphany marks the absolute end of Christmas celebrations. But the Swedes and Finns, and some parts of Norway, feel it's a pity to finish that early, and stretch Christmas another week. That gives the final date of January 13th, which in Sweden is the name day of Knut, hence the expression tjugondedag Knut ("twentieth day Knut). 

According to renowned folklore professor Jan-Öjvind Swahn it's not clear why Swedes stretch the Christmas celebration so far into January. However, there's a lot to suggest that the notorious Midwinter Sacrifice (Midvinterblot) of the Viking era, with its human sacrifices and great feastings, took place on January 13. It is believed that the early Christian Church in the Nordic countries sought to exterminate the abomination by bringing the Midwinter celebration into the fold of Christmas. 

For more info on the celebration of Trettondagen, see Trettondedag Jul and Tjugondedag Knut 

Rulltårta (Swedish Jelly Roll)

Wanderlusted: Rulltårta (Swedish Jelly Roll): I am trying this recipe today for the annual "Julgransplundring" (Christmas Tree plundering). Sometimes the roll sticks and turns into a jelly pancake. Wish me luck!  Looks good though huh? Thanks Wanderlusted for posting!

By the way, mine came out good too.  Two thoughts, use a baking sheet with parchment paper to get it thinner, and use cake flour.  Normally I don't bother but with the recipe I really think it made a difference. And when the recipe says to let it cool thoroughly, don't rush it like I did.  Got a crack in the cake that way. But it still tasted good!

Happy 2014!

This is a wonderful day for reminiscing, sweeping out the pine needles, and working on that hangover.  After last night's party the couch is beckoning me after some cleaning and a bracing walk on the beach, so I just want to quickly thank you for reading my blog this year and for keeping me on the road "lagom".  It's a process, work-in-progress just like me, and having you read along keeps me on the straight and narrow. Tack, and Happy New Year!!!  Here's a little treat from one of my personal favorite blogs Poppytalk,
Flipbook of Best Decor, Design and DYI's in 2013 by Poppytalk.  Enjoy!

Wishing you bright and beautiful adventures in 2014 from Nordic Niche!