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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Giveaways!

I've bumped into several exciting giveaways today and want to make sure that I share the love!

7th House on the Left is hosting a 31 Bits necklace giveaway - not only does their fab jewelry sport a chic design, it also provides independence and power to the women in Uganda who make them. I've got my fingers crossed (my American side) and my thumbs held (Swedish side) to win their necklace.


I'm also coveting one of these super black and white signs from Red Letter Words. Hop on over to the Nesting Place for your chance to win one as well.


And last but not least, not one...but two! giveaways over at T Party Designs Springtime Giveaways - you get up to 8 tries to win either a killer sign from BOP, or the clever talk bubble photo props.



Good luck to us all!

Until next time...
M

Treasure Hunt

Last week, a young boy came home from school and instead of the usual leap down the stairs 3-at-a-time to play on the PS3, he asked his mom to take a walk with him in the forest. And even though his mom was right in the middle of something, she jumped at the rare chance to spend this time with her son at his own request - you see, his body is ruled by A-typical Austism and ADHD, so theirs isn't the typical mother-son relationship. Once in the forest, she couldn't have been more proud when he started to "treasure hunt", looking for odd items left and neglected in nature so that he could make something with them - "a sculpture", he said. Indeed, he was her son.

What he found: an old rusted dolly (a little trolley on wheels) from a river stream, a few special stones, and some odd pieces of junk.

Here's a sneak peek at the unfinished sculpture. I'll make sure to post more photos when the mom (that's me) and her son (my 9-year old son, Kai) finish their project.



Förra veckan kom en ung pojke hem från skolan och i stället för den vanliga hopp ner trapporna för att spela på PS3, frågade han sin mamma om hon ville ta en promenad med honom i skogen. Och även om hans mamma var precis i mitten av något, hoppade hon på ett sällsynt tillfälle att var med sin son på hans egen begäran - för att hans kropp styrs av Autism-liknande tillstånd och ADHD så dem har ingen typisk mamma-son-förhållande. Väl inne i skogen kunde hon inte ha varit mer stolt när han sa att han var på "skattjakten" och letar efter udda föremål som lämnats kvar och försummade i naturen så att han kunde göra något med dem - "en skulptur", sade han. Visste var det sant att han var hennes son.

Vad fann han: en gammal rostig Dolly (en liten vagn på hjul) från en flod bäck, några speciella stenar, och en del udda skräp.

Här finns en 'sneak peek' även om skulpturen är inte färdigt. Vi ska lägga upp fler bilder när mamman (det är jag) och hennes son (min 9-årige son, Kai) avsluta sitt projekt.



And a huge thanks to Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for sharing words of wisdom that she received from a friend - that every project needs a story. Check out her Farmer's Market story.

Until Next time...
Tills nästa gång...
M

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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Crazy about mosaics

I'm crazy about mosaics. Have been for as long as I remember. Not a clean mosaic, either. I like them 'dirty' - using broken tiles, found objects, discarded junk. In my opinion, there is no limit to the materials that can make a mosaic - it's more about the coming together of 'broken pieces' to make something uniquely whole and beautiful again.

Jag är galen i mosaik. Har så länge jag minns. Inte en 'ren' mosaik heller. Jag gillar dem 'smutsiga' - med brutet kakel, funna objekt och kastat skräp. Engligt min åsikt finns det ingen gräns för de material som kan göra en mosaik - det handlar met om att med 'trasiga bitar' göra något helt unikt, hela och vackra igen.



Above: The button mirror is one of my favorite pieces! It took me hours sorting through buttons at a thrift store to find the most colorful and interesting pieces - but all in all this probably cost me only $5, even the mirror was second hand. Add a hot glue gun and you are ready to go! It's all about the layers.

Ovan: Knapp-spegeln är en av mina favoriter! Det tog mig timmar att sortera knappar på en secondhandbutik för att hitta de mest färgstarka och intressanta pjäser - men allt som allt kan detta förmodligen kostade mig bara 40kr. Även spegeln var second hand.


Above: One of  my more traditional-style mosaic pieces with broken tiles (quite therapeutic) and an old planter pot. There is a  new color theme from every angle.
Below:  I love this new take on mosaic from Diane at In My Own Style, which uses shopping bags. It even comes with a great tutorial so that you can make your own version. Thanks, Diane, for sharing your creative mind!

Ovan: En av mina mer traditionella mosaikhantverk
Nedan: Jag älskar den här nya synen på mosaik från Diane på In My Own Style som använder shoppingkassar. Den kommer dessutom med en bra beskrivning så att du kan göra din egen version. Tack, Diane, för att du delar med dig av din kreativitet!


Let me know if you would be interested in more mosaic tutorials. I also think it would be fun to see your own version of a mosaic. Think outside the box - and remember - mosaics aren't just for tiles! Just click on the InLinkz button below and upload your photo and link, and a big thanks in advance for adding a link to this post in your blog.

Låt mig veta om du skulle vara intresserad av mer mosaikbeskrivningar. Jag tycker också det vore kul om du skulle lägga upp din egen version av en mosaik. Tänk utanför boxen - och kom ihåg - mosaik är inte bara för kakel! Klicka på InLinkz knappen nedan och ladda upp din bild och länk och ett stort tack på förhand om du lägger till länken till detta inlägg i din blogg.

Until next time...
Tills nästa gång...
M

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Taking Risks and a Kitchen Remodel


You risk tears if you let yourself be tamed.
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), The Little Prince

I love this quote - for me it is a representation of all things lost when we avoid taking risks, great or small. I can't say it has been comfortable, but I am not opposed to the idea of taking risks. 

I took a risk 13 years ago when I bought an old 1912 uninhabitable Victorian house. It was one of the greatest projects of my life, created with my own hands alongside those of family and friends. I didn't know at the time, but the process of bringing that house back to life was a direct metaphor of bringing my own self back to life. Within 2 years, I resigned from my job, sold that lovely house, and packed up whatever belongings I had left after a major yard sale purge. I was ready to take my next risk, a 12-month (or so) period of travel in Europe and across the United States. So, off I flew to Europe. I could not begin to understand that one of my life's biggest risks was yet to come. Not even 2 months into my travels, I met a man at the train station in Gothenburg, Sweden, when I asked if he spoke English and could help me find my lost CD player. He said 'yes', and 2 months later I said 'yes'. That man is now my husband, and that 12-month travel plan never happened, and I never returned to the U.S. to unpack all of those belongings I had left behind. That was 10 years ago! Yes, I've taken some risks.

We bought a house nearly 3 years ago, one that requires total renovation in order to properly give it a new life. It's a much slower process for me this time - but none the less satisfying. We've tackled the kitchen first, and it wasn't until we took the risk of finishing some of the work ourselves that we really got a kitchen that includes a real piece of us  - regardless of what current trends of Sweden dictate. Let me explain. But first, a peek at the (almost) finished product.



Now a look at where it all began.




We felt overwhelmed, so we originally hired out the work, but that money quickly disappeared as everything seems to cost 3 times more here in Sweden than what I think it should. So, we TOOK A RISK and decided to finish the work ourselves (hanging cabinets, tiling walls, installing appliances, etc.). We wanted a clean-style kitchen to match the 70's flat-roof architecture of the house itself. But at some point I felt it was getting 'too clean' - that's when I took another risk and grabbed some long stone tiles that I had saved from a trash pile at a local tile store and slapped them right in the middle of the clean-lined glass mosaics that I had been using.




It wasn't until I added this little piece of 'junk' to our kitchen that I felt it was more complete, more mine. The wall below this area was not totally smooth and the rest of my tile turned out a little jiggly - something my husband said added more character (bless him).



The glass mosaic tile wall may not be perfect...but it IS perfectly me!

Those belongings I left back in the States were whittled down over the years and dispersed to my American family - all but the most near and dear items and artwork that represented my 'historical me' - which have finally been reunited with me here in Sweden. Thus, the reason for starting this blog and naming it after my precious-but-less-than-perfect blue velvet chair. As cheesy as it sounds, my past has now joined my present and I feel more whole as I move into the future.

A big thanks to Nesting Place for your National (not really) Take a Risk Day.

Until next time...
M


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Monday, March 21, 2011

I see spots

I bow down to people who can sew...I mean REALLY sew. My mom can sew. My sister can sew. I have friends that sew. I, however, cannot sew. But I still have hope to learn one day. There are so many sewing projects that swirl in my head on any given day...alas, only to be pushed by the wayside. One person who really knows how to sew is Marie at Reebert. I love her new crayon travel books. Nice durable material and great colors. One thing I'm missing is that great Reebert tag. Or how about personalizing them?



Jag bugar mig för människor som kan sy...jag menar dem som är riktigt bra på att sy. Min mor kan sy. Min syster kan sy. Jag har vänner som syr. Men jag kan inte sy själv. Jag hoppas att jag en dag kan lära mig detta. Det finns så många projekt som snurrar i huvudet vissa dagar...tyvärr, bara för att hamna på hyllan. En person som verkligen vet hur man syr är Marie på Reebert. Jag älskar hennes nya kritväska. Tuffa och tåliga väskor med härliga färger. Det enda som saknas är den supersöta Reeberttaggen. Eller vad sägs om att göra den mer unik med barnets namn?

Until next time...
Tills nästa gång...
M

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Sunday, March 20, 2011

'Beyond the pale' Photoshop

There's gloomy weather outside so I'm having fun inside with 'trial and error' photo editing, creating images from Mia's birthday party that I am sure would make most graphic designers and photographers shudder in their skin - my apologies to all my really professional photo and design friends. Here's Mia with the brightness jacked right up and the contrast to follow. Only 6 and she already knows how to smize.


Det är tråkigt väder utanför så jag har kul inne med en lite "trial and error" fotoredigering och skapa bilder från Mias födelsedagsfest som jag är saker på skulle göra de flesta grafiska formgivare och fotografer ryser i huden - jag ber om ursäkt redan nu. Här är en bild på Mia med ljusstyrkan kapade rätt upp och kontrasten följa med. Endast 6 år och hon vet redan hur man 'smize'.

Until next time...
Tills nästa gång...
M

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By the light of the moon

I often wonder if we see the same moon from different places around the world. Look at the sky in this photo I just shot from my home in Sweden and you'll know exactly how bright the moon is shining down on us tonight. Breathtaking. Do you see it, too?


Ibland undrar jag om vi ser samma måne runt om i världen. Titta på himlen i den här foto jag tog från mitt hem i Sverige och du vet exact hur månen lyser ner på oss ikväll. Härlig. Ser du det också?

Until next time...
Tills nästa gång...
M


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Sunday, March 13, 2011

Button Ornaments


Festish:  noun, \fe-tish\Edit HTML
b. an object of irrational reverence or obsessive devotion:  prepossession
(Webster-Mirriam Dictionary)

For me, it's buttons and dishes...but OH! what I will create with those buttons. The snowman and the tree were made for an annual christmas ornament exchange where creativity rules, and the two ladies are my button vision of two wonderful women behind Epla.no.  Kudos to the infamous Martha Stewart  for the snowman inspiration.





Fetisch:  För mig är det knapper och tallrikar...men OH! vad jag ska skapa med knapparna. Snögubben och julgranen gjördes för ett årligt utbyte av julgran prydnad  med väninnor där kreativitet är kung, och dessa två damerna är min vision av två underbara kvinnor bakom Epla.no. Kudos till Martha Stewart för hennes inspiration till snögubben.

Until next time...
Tills nästa gång...
M

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Princess Party Extravaganza

It's another princess party for Mia's 6th birthday. I'm thinking about putting together a 'Birthday in a Box' here in Sweden. Anyone interested?

Thanks to OneCharmingParty for the rainbow cake idea and Disney Family for the Rapunzel 3D papercraft. The bunting was made with scrapbook paper, a printer, and a pair of scissors (to cut the triangle after printing a 5x7 sheet). Curling ribbon is always a favorite of mine, and I used glass candle votives from Ikea for the ice cream dishes and the sprinkles.Mia's own prince and princess figurines could be seen from every angle, and chocolate covered strawberries were requested by the birthday girl herself.







Det är ännu en till prinsessa födelsedagsfest för Mia. Jag funderar på att sätta ihop en 'Födelsedags låda' här i Sverige. Den som är intresserad?

Tack till OneCharmingParty för inspiration till regnbåge kakan och Disney för Rapunzel 3D pappersmodellen.

Until next time...
Tills nästa gång...
M

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The blue velvet chair

The only piece of furniture that moved with me from the U.S. to Sweden is my blue velvet chair. It has no real monetary value as I only paid $25 at a garage sale. But the funky blue velvet mixed with a pale pink Gustavian frame has become a part of my life story, with entire rooms designed around this sentimental piece. We're finally reunited after 10 years, and so my blog begins, sitting in my faithful Blue, to share tidbits of my foreign life in Sweden and stumblings across creative genius in every form.



Den enda möbel som flyttade med mig from USA till Sverige är min fräcka blå sammet fåtölj. Det finns inga riktiga penningvärde eftersom jag bara betalade $25 vid en loppmarknad. Men den läckra blå sammet blandat med en ljusrosa gustaviansk trä design har blivit en del av mitt livs historia, och inredning som kretsar kring fåtöljen. Vi är äntligen återförenade efter 10 år, och nu kan jag sitter i min trogna Blå och dela min syn på livet i Sverige och kreativt geni i alla former.

Until next time...
Tills nästa gång...
M

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