Snowy in the summer kitchen

We've finally made a decision. It has taken couple of years, and this is now the perfect compromise - we both get what we want. This is about our summerhouse - he will get to add another layer of insulation, which will mean covering the beautiful logs from the outside, and I will get to paint the logs white from the inside. And oil the floor grey.Don't know what to do with the yellowish (majorly ugly) pine doors, but it'll come.Don't you agree that white and grey together with small black details are the perfect colors for a summer house? With...

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Recycling flowers

DIY recycled flower arrangementMy husband turned 40 (goodness...) just before Christmas. And with that, he got a fair amount of BEAUTIFUL flower arrangements. One of them came with the sponge thingy, you know the one where you stick the flowers into when you make the arrangements?It was made of red and white tulips, and green leaves, and was stunning until the tulips got tired. The sponge thingy had to be reused, OF COURSE, and the green leaves were also still in perfect shape. We also had some ivy in the garage, only half of the branches dead...

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Christmas traditions

Idea for these ginger bread decorations from http://madebymaryblogg.blogg.se/2012/december/att-dekorera-pepparkakor-med-kristyr-decoration-ginger-bread-with-icing-2.htmlI promised last weekend to write a little more about the Finnish Christmas tradition - and then started to think about it. What is it really? What would be something that everyone more or less agrees with?There is the meal, for example (seems to be very controversial now-a-days among the city folks ;)). The very traditional foods like carrot and sweet potato casseroles. The...

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Beautiful Christmas wreaths

Some magnificent Christmas wreaths in Ulriksdals trädgård...every year I decide to participate their wreath course, and every year I somehow miss it! But aren't these just magnificent?My very favorites with the felt bow...And the couple of wreaths indoors with fresh apples (like the sign above says). Wanted to post these even though the photo quality is really poor - my arm isn't healed yet, and when lifting my arm my hand really shakes...sorry about that :)!***kranssi, joulukranssi, kranssi ideoita, itsetehty kran...

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Christmas at the Cottage

How do you spend your Christmas? We have very specific (very FINNISH ;), more about that later during the week) traditions, but they take place a bit here and there. My favorite? At the summer house.You know how it is so busy at the cottage during the summer with all the possible renovation projects and guests and this and that that you are almost thinking that it is good to get back to every-day life and rest ;)? Well, during winter it is not like that at all, at least not at our summer house.We just basically lazy around all day - the biggest...

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Now or never

Are you a now-person, or when-person? Or perhaps a never-person ;)?I am a now-person, 100%. It just took me 30-something years to realize it (I will be using the 30-something still for many months to come...) A very good friend, with whom there has been excellent discussions lately, has helped me realize this. For me - when going gets tough, it really feels tough. And when life is good, it is really good. Heaven on earth.Many, in my mind fortunate, people are able to think 'soon it is weekend..', 'then, during the holidays...', 'next...

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Let it snow...

We sure have got our share of snow during the past week...beautiful, just beautiful...Even right now, looking out the window from the corner of our couch (where I am spending the day with a little one who is sick, the winter season has REALLY started ;) ), it is snowing. It really looks like we are getting the always wished white Christmas...<3These photos I took in Skogsbo gård last week - I really can recommend ANYONE wanting a moment away from the busy every day life to drop by and enjoy a cup of tea...the atmosphere in this place is amazingly...

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Christmas wrapping paper project - part II

Some more images of our wrapping paper project, as promised - the printing blocks available from the store.&nb...

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