Little Water Sprite Book

Tim and I have been reorganizing our attic as over time you tend to keep too many things and it can get quite chaotic. When you open all the boxes to check for me the problem is that I tend to see things and then thinking about all the memories some things have which is really not helpful if you want to get it done in a short amount of time, I sometimes feel sorry for Tim :).

But in one of my childhood boxes I came across an old book, the title water sprite, which I had as a audiobook on cassette and I played it almost every night before I went to bed. Back then with the cassette player you had to switch them manually when one side was played or in my case I had already fallen asleep in the middle of the first side. You might think well was it that boring? No it was the opposite it is a really good story for kids, I fell asleep because it was such a calming story and of course I had heard it a 100 times and I really loved it.

If you have children this is a really good book from German author Otfried Preussler:

Picture: http://www.nyrb.com/products/the-little-water-sprite?variant=2465059649

Outside

I really wish we had a little garden and a place outside like this. After a long summer day this is great place to just enjoy the evening with friends and good food.

picture: sköna hem

Summer bed linen

One of the best things in summer is real linen- It's fresh and the best thing when nights are really warm during summer.

Picture: sköna hem

If you are in antique stores make sure to always check if this have linen, you can find beautiful one with monograms. I always think about how much time and love women have put into making these back in the old days. It is good to have things like these real good quality that you cannot buy anymore nowadays and I like the mix of old things and new design.

picture tradera

Wedding anniversary

I cannot believe how fast time has passed by. Today it's been 3 years since Tim and I got married. Thank you for everything and for being there for me for better and for worse.

Moomins

Moomins was one of the series I watched with my grandma in Sweden when I was a child. It was always at dinner time just before the news and I think my grandma was enjoying it at least as much as I was.  :) She also always made it specially cozy by having candles and the little lamp light in her window and the best sandwiches in the world with a glass of milk and some chocolate or cookies she had baked as dessert. When I came across this book in Sweden in one of the antiques shops I had to buy it.

picture: wikiwand

Norrgavel

I'm trying to get my mind on something positive after friday's nightmare in Munich and distract myself by browsing through my favorite websites. Therefore I'm showing you some pictures from the Swedish shop Norrgavel which is an important source of inspiration for my apartment:

picture: Norrgavel

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picture: Norrgavel

picture: Norrgavel

picture: Norrgavel

picture: Norrgavel

It can happen anywhere...

I'm living in Munich and there was a gun rampage in Munich yesterday evening. It felt strange and really vulnerable to have something like this happening in a safe city like Munich. The safety aspect is the reason I live here and it really still feels unreal und I'm still shocked that it happened and so many people got killed.

I think in the world we live now things like this can happen anywhere and anytime and it is nothing that can be controlled or escaped from. Once again it gives me the feeling that you need to really live everyday and enjoy the small things life has to offer.

Hydrangeas everywhere

Just a quick snapshot from my beautiful hydrangeas .... I was so happy to get these yesterday. They truly are my favorite flowers...  :)

Have a lovely summer day!

First glimpse of my shopping in Copenhagen

I promised to show you some of the things I found during my holidays in Copenhagen and Malmö/Sweden. When I saw these 2 salt containers in an antique store in Copenhagen I simply couldn't resist. The bigger one I now use for my tea lights and the smaller one is truly used for its real purpose. :)

Michelsen Versand in Hamburg

In the middle of summer I must admit I already think about Christmas again :). One of the things I always do each year is to buy the Christmas presents for my colleagues at work at Michelsen Versand in Hamburg. It is a deli food store that also was a purveyor to the court like Dallmayr in Munich and I order the presents online. I like good food quality and it is a little bit like shopping in the 1920s as the   labels look like these....

Picture: michelsen-versand

Picture: michelsen-versand

Picture: michelsen-versand

Art for the kitchen

You all know I like porcelain and china and I could have a thousand different series... so maybe a good way would be to buy a picture for our kitchen instead of the true china...even though Stig Lindberg's Berså definitely is a must have ;)

Picture: Etsy/ handz

Standard White Bathroom Makeover

We have one of these standard white bathrooms and it is not only difficult to keep the floor white ;), it  is also really difficult to give it a cozy feeling as it always look like a hospital and our bathroom also doesn't have a window so we need to work with a lot of light from lamps. I decided to give it a more luxurious feeling by using mostly black and white patterns. The curtain is from H&M Home as well as the little carpet and of course I also need a hydrangea in the bathroom :) - but without a window it has to be one that doesn't need light. It is an artificial one - but a very good copy.

Würzburg

I'm currently on a conference in Würzburg and walked up to the castle. It is quite steep and takes quite a while so just go there without a heavy handbag as I did :). But it was worth it in my opinion, don't you think?

Berlin Amano Hotel

On our way back to Munich we also stayed 1 night in Berlin in Amano Hotel and got an upgrade. The apartment they have is just amazing and I was sad that we just stayed 1 night.

Malmö

After almost 1 week in our house on the country side I also spent 2 nights in Malmö where my grandma lived. I love these red bricks and the green roofs that have been formed and changed by the wind and time. the northern part of the city is so cozy with restaurants and shops and the river that flows through the city.

Summer and Strawberries

Is there something more typically and more tasty than strawberries? In Sweden we almost had strawberries everyday, they taste so special up there and you can never stop eating them once you started. Even though you all know I like winter too, I can sometimes miss the variety of fruits and the light of course :)

Summer in Sweden

I told you the light is special in Sweden in summer... It is especially if you are in one of the various forests. The air is so fresh and the light gives everything this golden shimmer. For some listening to the sea and the waves rolling onto the beach is the most relaxing thing to do - for me it is in the forest being in the forest listing to the birds singing, seeing the light through the trees like in the forest around our house in Sweden:

Back from Sweden

I'm finally back in Munich from my trip to Sweden. Back from long days with a very special light, hering, sweet dark bread with salted butter, shopping in antiques shops and a very relaxing time! I'm going to share the things I saw over the next days :)

I'm always sad when I go back even though I also like living in Munich. I guess it would be the same if I lived in Sweden and would need to leave Munich. That's the feeling of being split between 2 countries and 2 cultures.

I look forward to show you everything and even more when my parents come back with the car and all the shopping I did ;)

Summer and Sweden here I come - Happy Midsummer!

I'm on my way to Sweden und Summer!

Picture :storaensoskog

I will be there for 10 days and will not be able to post a lot as we don't have internet in our little house in the middle of the woods. Which is bad and good at the same time as people from my work cannot reach me either ;)

So speak to you after my holidays in Sweden and...

GLAD MIDSOMMAR!

Picture: DSG

Our study

Most rooms are a mix of Tim's style and my style but the study is mostly used by Tim as he often works from home and therefore there are maybe less feminin things in this room. Only the pineapple was allowed to stay :) and I still wanted to show you...

Muellersches Volksbad Munich

If you're in Munich and you like Art Nouveau and would like to go swimming or to a nice sauna place I can recommend Muellersches Volksbad. It is very close to Rosenheimer Platz or Isartor. ( Approximately 10 minutes walk from there) and during summer it has a little cafe in front of it where you can sit and enjoy the sun. And of course also very nice to go there in winter when it's freezing cold outside and you can sit in a hot sauna!

And some pictures from inside ( where I couldn't take pictures ;))

Picture SWM

Picture SWM

Strawberry jam recipe Jamie Oliver

In Munich it is still raining a lot so rather than being outside in the beergarden oder at the Isar river having a summer barbecue I've bought Strawberries to make strawberry jam and found a simple strawberry jam from Jamie Oliver recipe that I will try:

Picture: Living at Home

*******

You need:

• 500 g high pectin sugar (jam sugar) 
• 1 vanilla pod 
• 1 kg ripe strawberries , washed and leafy tops removed

*******

Instructions:

Before you start, sterilize the jars and their lids to get rid of any bacteria. Either put them in the sink (lids unscrewed from jars) and cover them with boiling water from the kettle, filling the jars with the water; or simmer them, completely immersed, in a very large pan of boiling water for 10 minutes; or lay the jars and lids on a baking tray in the oven and heat them at around 100°C/225°F/gas ¼. And if you have a good dishwasher with a very hot cycle you can sterilize them in there as well.

Halve the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Put the seeds in a saucepan with the strawberries and the sugar. Mush it up with a potato masher to make a lovely slurry, leaving a few chunky bits of strawberry in there to add a bit of texture.

Place the pan on a medium heat, bring it to the boil then simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat off, carefully skim any foam off the top of the jam then leave it to cool a little. After about 15 minutes, divide the jam between your sterilized jam jars. Leave to cool completely then cover the jars and pop them in the fridge. Once sealed, the jam will keep for about a week.

Flowers from Isar

On friday after work the sun was finally shining a little bit and I took my bicycle and rode down to the Isar river in Munich and came across these flowers on the way. I really was a flashback. These are the flowers that my grandma and I always got for her in Sweden. She always preferred the flower that are growing wildly rather than flowers that you can buy. I am happy I found these!

Sommar med Ernst 2016

The TV series I look forward to the most is Sommar med Ernst, that will finally start on July 14 at 8 pm CET in Swedish TV channel TV4. This house seems to be his new project for this summer. I really love this series as it is so cozy and has such great pictures. And often during Christmas ( as you all know my favorite time of the year) he returns to decorate for Christmas, so the best 2 seasons in 1 Tv Series :)

Picture Aftonbladet

These are pictures from former seasons of Sommar med Ernst.

Picture TV 4

Picture TV 4

SØSTRENE GRENE OPENS SHOP IN HAMBURG

End of June the first SØSTRENE GRENE shop will open in Shopping-Center Hamburger Meile, Hamburger Straße 27, 22083 Hamburg. Finally it also arrives in Germany! They often have nice Scandinavian furniture and accessories at a very nice price :)

Picture: http://sostrenegrene.com

Mint ice cubes

One of the things that are really simply but look great is mint ice cubes. You can either use mint or berries and just put them into the tray add water and put it into the fridge. This is something that I always have in the fridge during summer.

Shopping in Sweden

I will definitiv need to go into Lagerhaus when I'm in Sweden. My bag will be full with new ides and new things from Sweden and I look forward to seeing all the things. It is like an eldorado for me. It is there where I find most of my decoration, new blankets ... everything as it is really my style and I cannot find it in Germany or anywhere else unfortunately.

Picture: Lagerhaus

Celebration

It's my mum's birthday soon and I will be the one taking care of the food and the celebration itself. I really like the idea of small finger food. you can go and grab a bite and you don't fell like having a stone in your stomach, especially in summer after a large dinner.

picture:: mat och vin

picture ica

Children's room

My cousin just got a baby and asked me about some ideas for a children's room. For me the most important thing is that it should be cozy for the child and I like pastel colors and then a lot of colors for children. Like in the picture below from Bloomingville:

Picture Bloomingville