The modern housewife

I don't have time to write a lot today because my friend is going to pick me up soon. This weekend though will be a mix of Vintage inspiration and wedding invitations. A good weekend in other words.

STORY HOTEL is a hotel in Stockholm that combines design and innovation. They have quite a few prints from WONDERWALL on their walls for example. On top of that they have a very modern and user friendly website.








Images from Story Hotel's website.

I went on the net to look for some graphics inspiration and I found quite a lot of interesting projects. The least you can say is that I have some serious competition...




FLUIDESIGN




NADIE PARSHINA







ELISABETH LIMI




ANDREA GADESMANN

Ikea has very nice designs to a low price but when you have so much furniture from there that it feels like you live in the store it could be fun to personalise a bit. I found THIS blog where there is plenty of ideas. There is a lot of less interesting stuff but also really nice changes. I also found THIS website where designers have taken items from Ikea and made them into something else. Here are a few ideas.














Images from IKEAHACKER.BLOGSPOT.COM.




Images from PLATFORM21.NL

SOFI FAHRMAN is a fashion girl who has a blog at a Swedish newspaper amongst many other activities. Now she has written a book that is called ELSAS MODE. I think that it could be a lot of fun to read having heard a few stories that are in there. I'll let you know what I thought if I can manage to find it here in Paris.

The house that we have found has stairs that we don't really like in it's design so I have been doing some research for something more interesting. What do you think about any of these?

I discovered SALLY MANN in 2007 at an expo in Stockholm and I found the photos very fascinating! She is using her children as models and she is mixing the innocent child with the adult world in a quite provocative way. There is still very much magic in Sally Mann's photos.






Photos Sally Mann.

A wedding is something very romantic of course and if you want to look like a real princess a dress made of lace could be something for you. And, no, you don't have to look like a puffy cake to appear romantic and princess like.














Photos from here and there.

I don't know if you know the story about Marie Antoinette and how there is a rumour that she once said "Let them eat cake" when one of the politicians came to announce that the French population didn't even have bread to eat anymore. Whether this is true or not only history can tell but no matter what I find that the online shop LET THEM EAT CAKE has found the perfect company name considering that they sell very Marie Antoinette like cakestands.

This is a friday mood that I hope will change during the weekend. I am soo cold because we dont have any heat in our appartment even though it is the 23 of October and cold outside. The owner decided to change the heating system and there has been some complications with the electricity company so here I am sitting in Siberia feeling as if I have a thin layer of snow on my skin...


I unfortunately don't remember who has taken these photos but I love them!

I absolutely love DOLCE & GABBANA'S website. If there is one reference of the perfect website out there I think this one is not far away, especially the index page.

When I found LENNEKE WISPELWEY'S vases and other ceramics on another blog the other day I fell in love. The vases and mugs are absolutely on top of my wishing list for our future house!









Images from Lenneke Wispelwey's website.

I love carrot cake! And after having tried many different recipies I have found the best one. The cinnamon adds a spicy touch that is very good with the carrots.



For 6-8 people

4 eggs
4 decilitres of sugar
4 decilitres of flour
2 tablespoons of baking powder
2 tablespoons of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar
2 decilitres of cooking oil
5 decilitres of grated carrots

Glacing :
1 decilitre of philadelphia cheese
1/2 decilitre of icing sugar
1 tablespoon of room warm butter
1 tablespoon of lime or lemon juice

Whisk eggs and sugar. Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and vanilla sugar. Add to the batter.
Carefully add the oil and the grated carrots.
Butter a baking tin. Pour in the batter.
Put in the oven, 150 degrees, for about 75 minutes. Let the cake become cold.
Mix all the ingredients for the glacing with an electric whisk.
Spred it over the carrot cake and decorate it as you wish.

With very little material and time you can make your stool sitting friendly for the winter. If you have a bit more time and money you can opt for the version to the right.

I went to CAMILLA NORRBACK'S website to see what she is proposing for this winter and I found quite a few things that I would like in my closet. Camilla is working in a eco friendly way by using environment certified natural materials. She calls it "ecoluxury".






Photos from Camilla Norrback's website.

Now that it is getting colder it is really cosy to sit in front of a fire place with a cup of tea or hot chocolate. Here is some inspiration if you are planning to install one.

I love these photos of PETER FARAGO! They show the little pinch of crazyness that make the difference.








Photos by Peter Farago.

I have the privilige to live just next to the Versailles palace and since we moved here almost four years ago I have taken a great interest in the history of Marie Antoinette. If I could choose, me and my fiancee would get married in Versailles like Marie Antoinette (the wedding would be a bit happier though...) but for little reasons like finances I am not sure that it will ever happen. This doesn't mean that I can't be Marie Antoinette for a day. If you try to represent it with colors, style and patterns anyone can be The Queen on your wedding day.

I survived the weekend and is ready for a new week with lots of inspiration. Why not start with an online shop that sell very nice objects with a touch of homy feeling. I am sure that you will find something interesting so don't hesitate to go and check out what ANYHOW.SE has to offer.

This weekend is going to be a busy but very fun weekend. Starting tonight with a rendez vous with a construction builder. We are looking to build a house and it takes a lot of time. Sometimes it feels like I should clone myself to have time with everything. But I am not complaning because it is a lot of fun to plan for our future home!


Cover of one of Hotel Coste's albums.

My fiancee sent me a link to Citroen Picasso's website. I find it pretty cool especially the way they present the car. It is unexcpected and fun to discover the different universes.
To go to the website, click HERE.

I know, summer is over, but when I found these photos in my IPhoto I felt just a little bit less cold and maybe it will make you dream about the summer that passed .





8-10 slices

3 decilitres peeled and chopped rhubarbe (about 200 grams)
1 decilitre of sugar
3 decilitres of thick vanilla custard
2 rounds of sponge cake (make them from your favorite recipe or buy already made)
1 litre of strawberries
200 g of white cheese (Philadelphia cheese for example)
1 1/2 decilitres of cream
1 decilitre of sugar
6 leafs of gelatin
1/2 litre of red berries to put as decoration

Heat up the rhubarbe with the sugar to a compote. Let it turn cold. Mix the compote with the vanilla custard.
Put one of the rounds of the sponge cake on a plate. Spread the compote vanilla mixture on to it. Add the other piece of sponge cake on top.
Mix the strawberries in a blender.
Mix white cheese, cream and sugar. Add to the mixed strawberries.
Put the gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes. Then melt them in a pan (without the water of course).
Add the gelatin to the strawberry batter.
Spread the mix on the cake and put it in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
Decorate the cake just before serving.

BARBRO WESSLANDER is a Swedish product designer who, I would say, have two sides to her. On one hand she is very Scandinavian in her pure forms and the choice of materials. On the other hand, she has a very colorful side where inspiration from nature is very present.








Photos from Barbro Wesslander's website.

I have posted quite some things about Danish people and brands lately and why not because they have a very strong design culture.
A fashion company that I really like is NUMPH. They make very high quality cut clothing with very interesting patterns. Here is a peak from their fall 2009 collection.






Photos from Numph's website.

When I saw this amazing cat shelf I right away thought about my two cats and how much they would love it. Since we are trying to move within the near future, this will be a project for our new home though, so India and Maya has to wait a little bit longer to climb on the walls.

For you who are a bit tired of having the feeling of living at Ikea there are easy and fast transformations that makes the piece of furniture feels a bit more personal. You can for example glue a nice paper on to the drawers of a buffet. Just make sure to protect the paper by putting a plastic film on top.




Photos Anna Nasstrom.

A trend I have noticed that is on a the moment is to cover your walls with photos in various styles. It is a great idea to personalise your interior with your own photos. It started with the wall stickers that you can put on and take of easily and now it has become whole walls covered. In addition, most of the visuals represent exterior environments, which erases the limit between inside and outside.
Here are a few examples. Unfortunately I don't remember where they all come from but type in photo wallpaper on Google and I am sure you will find some interesting stuff.

LARS RANEK is a photographer that has a very pure style, I guess the style that is very typical to Scandinavia. Normally I am not a big fan of this kind of photos which are very advertising oriented but I think that he is an exception that is worth showing.






Photos Lars Ranek.

I love this online shop! If I won the lottery I would definitely spend a big chunk HERE!

When you get married it's not only the bride and groom that receive gifts. The wedding couple also give their guests a little something. You can wrap this gift in many different ways, it has something to do with the theme in general. Here are a few ideas what you can do to make your guest's happy.

I will start my weekend a bit earlier this week, in a couple of hours to be more precise. My fiancee and I are going south to spend a romantic weekend next to the mountains. The best is that it is free because there will be a car fair that my fiancee has to go to so his company pays for it!
Have a good weekend and I'll see you on Monday!


Photo Thomas Hawk.

Infographics sound really boring, I am sure you think about the ones they had in school with one blue line and one red line that moved up and down depending on the evolution. My fiancee sent me this link to a website that makes really cool and graphic infographics though.They take inspiration from the subject that is evoked.
I'll let you look for yourself HERE.

No, it is not the Swedish princesse's lemon pie but it does taste quite royal!
I used a small baking tin so it permitted me to make two.



For pie dough :
150 grams of butter
1 decilitre of sugar
3 decilitres of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder

Mix all the ingredients for the pie dough and put it in a buttered baking tin. Bake in the oven, 175 degrees for 15 minutes.

Lemon batter :
3 eggs
2 decilitres of sugar
0,5 decilitres of flour
juice and zest of 1 lemon

Whisk eggs and sugar. Add flour, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Pour the batter into the pre baked pie and bake for another 15 minutes (175 degrees).

Yesterday before going to a dinner with some friends I dropped by HABITAT to check out their new collection and boy, there was a lot of nice stuff. Here is my wishing list of things I want the most.


1. Chair LUPI 139 euros. 
2. Sofa table DEENA 349 euros.
3. CAPRI 45 euros for four.
4. Cutlery set MAISY 149 euros for a set of seven.
5. Side table SHUFFLE 139 to 179 euros.
6. Floor lamp BOBBY 69 euros.
7. Buffet MILTON 1199 euros.


Bedset BLOOMSBURY from 75 euros.


Bedset FOXGLOVE from 75 euros.

All images from Habitat's website.

Have you seen the new advertisement for IKEA? FORSMAN & BODENFORS have managed to find an idea that is unexpected yet very Ikea. You can see the video HERE.

When I went to the design fair in Paris a few weeks ago I found a company who makes really nice clocks and accessories for your interior. DIAMANTINI & DOMENICONI is an Italian company where the invention of objects characterized by a contemporary, elegant and essential style, perpetuates the Italian innovative design tradition.
















Images from Diamantini & Domeniconi's website.

If you have a tight budget but still want to change something in your interior I found this great idea. Take your old chairs and paint their legs in different colors. It will bring some happiness to your interior and that could be usefull now that it has turned grey and rainy outside.

Like I mentined before it is the fashion week here in Paris now and yesterday it was YVES SAINT LAURENT'S turn to show their spring 2010 collection. Yves Saint Laurent himself died last year and the Creative director Stefano Pilati made a hommage to the fashion house's father by creating clothing influenced by Yves Saint Laurent's previous designs.








Images from COUTORTURE.COM

Autumn has reached Paris and maybe it is time for some autumn cleaning. It is not something I am looking forward to but at least you can do it with style.






Laundry basket from VIPP 4 095 SEK. Garbage cans from MAGIS, design Jasper Morrison 250 SEK. Colorful whiping brush from MAGIS, design Stefano Giovannoni 515 SEK. Vaccum cleaner from ELECTROLUX, design Pia Wallen 3 500 SEK.

As I was surfing the net yesterday I discovered a very talented Russian Product designer. DIMA LOGINOFF started as a hair stylist before he decided to design furniture and accessories for our homes.






Photos from Dima Loginoff's website.

CAMILLA ÅKRANS is a photographer where light and colors are two very important sources. She takes us into a world of fashion that let's us dream away from our everyday life.












Photos Camilla Åkrans.

The flowers are very important for a wedding, especially the bride's bouquet. Here is some inspiration of different flowers and color combinations.

If you are looking for a nice fabric TYGHUSET.SE is a really good online shop with a vaste choice.

One of my favorite designers is MONICA FÖRSTER. Recently she has promoted new products and I absolutely fell in love with her new lamp ZERO - UMBRELLA. A lamp that I hope will have a place in my future house!

I will just leave you with this photo and say no more. It has something to do with this weekend but I don't want to say anything yet because then I risk jinxing it...


Photo Daniela Stallinger.

I am not an expert on fashion even though I think it's a lot of fun with new trends and mouvements. But I thought since it is the fashion week here in Paris now I would post a website that has to do with fashion. I guess there is nothing special about ALEXANDER WANG'S website, I just really like how it is set up, with the different technical solutions and the pure graphic design.

Since I got so many apples from our friends I had to figure out a way to use a big quantity before they would go bad. I figured making my own apple sauce would be a good idea so yesterday I launched operation apple sauce. And as a graphic designer, I of course had to design some prints to put on the jars.





1 kilo of apples
juice from 1/2 a lemon
300 grams of sugar

Peel the apples and cut them into smaller slices. Mix the slices with lemon juice so that they don't turn brown.
Put apples, sugar, apples, sugar in a big cooking pan.
Let it stay in the fridge over night.
Heat them up on the stove and stir while boiling lightly for about 20-30 minutes.
Pour into clean jars while the sauce is still warm (this will sterilise the jars automatically) and store in a cool and dark place.
If you want you can spice the apple sauce with cinnamon

I have been a big fan of LISELOTTE WATKINS for many years now. She is very much a part of today's society and she manage to capture the modern and trendy fashion world at this very moment.
Everything is respected, from the trendy person at the moment to the colors of the season.






Illustrations by Liselotte Watkins.