Guesting the vintage dream

This weekend I took a mini-trip to Luleå to celebrate the 30th birthday of my friend Johannes. One night I spent with my very stylish friend Therese, who has the most gorgeous appartement I have ever seen! Above, the vanity in the guestroom. That's right, a room just for guests. Not a combo sewing - home office - guests, such a luxury for the lucky friends who stays in this room!

 

The green hat with dark velvet and a bow at the neck was just adorable! 

The kitchen was cozy but stylish in white, red and black. Lots of polkadots! =)

The living room. I just love the lamp! And the mirror. And the polarbear...

The perfect place to cozy up with a nice book, right?

For all the sewing enthusiasts =) I love the suit that's all marked up with chalk, and the sewing machine. It's actually quite interesting to see the tailoring techniques that are represented in this print.

I swear, I left with such a positive feeling of "wow, I can't wait to fix my appartament!". Isn't it great with people who inspire us to take that last step, to bring our projects to their conclusions? It's so easy to become blind to those last boxes in the corner. After all, one doesn't know where to put the things in them, and it's not like the boxes are hurting anyone just standing there...

I'm not promising I'll get it done this week, or even this month. Actually, I'm guessing earliest towards the end of summer (mom visiting = we'll transport the last of my furniture up here). But before it didn't feel so necessary, just something I needed to do, now I want my own dream-appartement! I think I will start with my sewing area...

Thank you, Therese! Both for having me overnight, the lovely chat and the wonderful inspiration!

Love, Erika

First try at fake bob

This is what I wore to the dance at Saturday this weekend, the blouse doesn't photograph very well, but it's a favorite... The skirt is my beloved circleskirt (made by mom 30 years ago), the stockings are from What Katie Did and the shoes are a pair of Aris Allen 30s reproducion.


Inspired by browsing the new Vintage Hairstyling book last weekend, I made an attempt at a fake bob. It needs a bit of work, but I'm happy to report that the hair kept in place while I danced, so there will be more times with this hairdo.

A close up, where you can see that it's still up after all that dancing, although it is hanging a bit lower. During the evening I got the tip to use a very thin hairnet over the whole bob. I'll try that next time!


I've already mentioned that my string-shelves are finally up on the wall, but I wanted to give you a pre-view, now that it has some books in it! A strange thing, books. As soon as I have all my books up, a place starts feeling like home. I know there are people who don't own books, but for me they're absolute essentials of life. Anyway, at the picture you can see part of the middle section and part of the right section.

It's a rather short post today, I'm afraid. I was at the dentist earlier today, it's really hurting, so now I'm going to crawl back to my sofa and watch either Dead like me or Criminal minds (has borrowed some boxes from friends). Hopefully I make up my mind before I reach the living room =)

Love, Erika

Kitchen shelf, how did I manage without you?

The new appartement-setting up is on the home-stretch, soon I'll feel ready to give you a tour =) Mainly thanks to my wonderful friends who helped me mount the string-shelfs on the wall, and to secure my dvd-cabinet so it doesn't topple. Thank you, thank you, thank you Kalle and Elin!
This kitchen shelf was a walk in the park by comparising, but the important part is that I did it myself =)

This sort of shelf was very common here in Sweden for the first part of the 20th c, "paradhylla" (direct translation "parade shelf"). For my international readers: have you ever seen one of these, or perhaps even know what they're called in English?
Whatever it's called, it's really practical! Small and slim, but creates a place both for my kitchen towels, my most used apron and my favorite teas.


One can of course have the shelf as it is, but I prefer it with this curtain-like thing so aptly named "parade towel" =) This is where the sewing came in (if drilling doesn't count as crafty...), I made a small canal at the back. Not much, but I did use a sewing machine, so it counts as crafty! ;)

The story behind the shelf and its towel is rather cute. I had talked about getting one for a few months, then this summer me and my grandmother were at separate vacations, both of us of course visiting local fleamarkets. By pure chance we went to Stockholm on the same train, and she pulls up a fabric from her suitcase and says
"Look what I found at a fleamarket! A parade towel for you!".
At first I was so surprised I just stared at her.
"Guess what I found at a fleamarket in Skåne?" I finally managed.
"A parade towel?" she asked a bit nervous.
"Nope, a parade shelf!"
Perfect combination =) Thank you, nanna!

Close up on the embroidery:

Leaving the world of wonderful kitchen shelfs, have you read Tilly's excellent posts on the problems with being a concious consumer of fabrics? I have for quite a while despaired at the seemingly impossibility to find organic and fairtrade fabric. Such clothes exists, such yarn exists, but fabric seems to be hard to find. I know I'm not perfect in always buying organic and fairtrade, but I do try whenever there's an option, and I would love to find that option for fabrics. Check this out for thoughts on ethical fabric, this for a Brittish on-line store that carries organic fairtrade cottons and this for the generous giveaway Tilly's hosting. (There's no "mention this in your blog, and get more chances", I just genuinly think this is an important topic).

Have a great weekend!
Love, Erika

P.S. And yes, that is snow on the ground you can spot in the second photo. It's very thin, it doesn't cover all ground, but it is there. Winter is at least three weeks ahed of scheduale, in my own humble opinion... It's fortunate that I love winter clothes! =)

Loppisfynd

Det här med loppis är något som jag länge tyckt varit bra i teorin, men i praktiken inte riktigt kommit iväg på så ofta. Så i helgen var jag för första gången på loppisen på Nolia. Himla skoj! De lite mer erfarna loppisbesökarna jag följde med dit, de tyckte tydligen att det var lite lite bord... Men jag älskade det! Så himla mycket fina saker!

Gjorde ett par fynd, som jag tänkte visa er:



Först lite praktiska saker, en lampa att ha bredvid sängen, en hushållsvåg till syltkokningen i höst och en mandelkvarn. För att jag inte hade någon och har saknat en.




Det största fyndet ekonomiskt var denna hushållsassistent för 80 kr. Följde med en massa delar, men de flesta hamnar nog på vinden så länge. För tillfället lär den mest komma till användning när det är dags för bullbak eller brödbak. Så skönt att inte behöva knåda för hand! Enda abret är var jag ska förvara den... behöver ett större kök.




Till sist min favorit: tekoppar som matchar tekannan jag hittade på Stockholms stadsmission i vintras. Jag fick ju en servis när jag var i Visby, och den tycker jag egentligen är finare. Den här var mest kul för att det är fint med hela te-set. Sen är de lite söta =)



Se hur otroligt tunt porslinet är! Man kan se målningen på utsidan inifrån. Var lite läskigt att diska dem...

Det var allt! Väldigt nöjd med mitt loppisbesök och mina fynd.