happy thanksgiving

: : Thanksgiving weekend has officially started. For .Iz. and I it means 4 days off together, nothing big planned, no big family gatherings, just time together at home. We'll attempt to re-upholster our couch [I'll share before and after pics], relax, hike, watch movies....but what we're most excited about is doing a lot of cooking. Thanksgiving is the holiday for enjoying food, but that doesn't mean turkey to us. We've got a lot of recipes on our list, I'd like to make Lena Corwin's delicious pumpkin cranberry bread again, and maybe some new recipes from the Jamie Oliver cookbook I got for my birthday. And the pumpkin gnocchi by .delicious days. sounds original and still appropriate for the season. We will also be testing some new drinks with our meals; caipirinha's are a family favorite, and the christmas caipirinha version in one of Bon Appetite's. latest issues sounds like an delicious variation. Happy eating!!

apoteket's mustard

: : every time I step into the Swedish pharmacy [apoteket] when I'm home, I'm impressed by their organization, layout and packaging graphics. No clutter, everything is simple, clean, easy to understand which creates a sense of calm.

I was not aware that in addition to selling ibuprofen and deodorant they also sell Christmas mustard presented in a package that is in line with the rest of their product offerings. The .apotek. experience is so much the very opposite of the CVS experience in America.

[via .below the clouds.]

{+} my sister got me the mustard for Christmas! Tack söta syster! It tasted delicious with the Christmas ham.

Swedish dancebands

: : Everyone seems to think these photos of .Swedish Dancebands. are hilarious. They came up in our lunch discussion at work and I had a friend email the link to me. Please don't let these photos influence your impression of Swedes! but hopefully they will make you laugh.

view more photos here (via .notcot.)

a new member of our household

: : a dining table to me is the heart of a home. this is where we enjoy meals together, do our work, entertain with our friends, go through the day's events over tea & coffee....it's the central piece of our home. for months we lived with my old desk as our dining table, searching and searching for the perfect table to replace it. now, finally we have found it. we'll we didn't find it, we found .jon. at .rochdale table company. and he made it for us. custom made to fit our space and personal preferences, we couldn't be more happy with our choice.

.jon. makes tables and benches using wood from old New England barns. the wood for our table comes from a barn in Orange, MA. the barn was built in 1850, and .jon. told me he can tell that the trees must have been 100 years old. that means that the trees were standing when George Washington was alive. it's so wonderful to have a piece of furniture with a story and so much character.

the mustard yellow eames chairs we found on craigslist in philly.
the .silicone table cloth. was a birthday present from my brother and sister, comes from Swedish .wisdesign.
the prints on the wall are my own design. customized color combinations based on kurbits patterns I have shared in .earlier posts.
the breadbasket and teak tray were my grandmothers.

friday inspiration

: : love the photography of .bernd optiz. [discovered via .frolic.]
happy weekend!!

Göteborg apartment

: : I was emailing back and forth with my cousin in Göteborg, Sweden. He mentioned that he and his fiance are selling their apartment hoping to move into a bigger place. He included some photos of their current space.I was so impressed by what they've done with the space, I had to share. Their view of .skansen kronan. through the windows is probably one of the best in the city. And I love all the use of wood, the flooring, but especially the wood sidings on the balcony. I look forward to see what they'll do in their new place.

dia rugs

.oh joy. is the perfect place to go for some Friday inspiration. she has such a wonderful eye for everything from clothing to home design to architecture. love these .dia rugs. a yellow one would look great in our foyer!

: : change has come to america : :

"Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope." Barack Obama 11.04.08

photo available by. risamay. on etsy

: : Vote tomorrow, Nov 4th : :

: : I encourage everyone who can to PLEASE VOTE TOMORROW. I wish I could : :