a butterfly in my hair

to give all we are

2012-02-25T10:52:00.004+01:00

I had a dream that all of time was running dry
and life was like a comet falling from the sky

I woke so frightened in the dawning, oh, so clear
How precious is the time we have here

Are we not wise enough to give all we are?
Surely we're bright enough to outshine the stars
The human kind gets so lost in finding its way
but we have a chance to make a difference til our dying day

And you might pray to God, or say it's Destiny
But I think we are just hiding all that we can be

Are we not wise enough to give all we are?
Surely we're bright enough to outshine the stars
The human kind gets so lost in finding its way
but we have a chance to make a difference til our dying day

All I'm really asking is: what are we doing here?
Are we just killing time? Just living year to year?

In this big world, no one else can play our part
Ain't it time to just wake up and give it all

Are we not wise enough to give all we are?
Surely we're bright enough to outshine the stars
The human kind gets so lost, and in finding its way
we have a chance to make a difference til our dying day

we have a chance to make a difference til our dying day
we have a chance to make a difference til our dying day

lyrics: lamb- wise enough
photo via sassa bjorg

a bright weekend

2012-02-24T09:02:00.003+01:00

it is early morning but my livingroom is filled with this amazing light already, i can't manage to put it into words how much i love the fact that we are getting more and more daylight these days. i feel like a green plant stretching against the bright light......opening myself to the source of life....drinking from it...bathing myself in it....letting it fill me.....(yes, i guess it may sound strange i know but i don't care...smile......)

a knitted present for a dear friend is almost finished and a new project is already on my needles. as soon as the garden season is here my knitting needles are getting themselves a long holiday. can't wait to digg in the ground....feel the earth between my fingers, wait with excitement for the first rosebud to open, to lay in my hammock while drinking iced tea and listening to the birds...oh what a wonderful season we have to look forward to!

my body has allowed me to do some housework this week, my kitchen is SO tidy and clean...felt like a dream to be able to manage it all by myself....so satisfied and happy about it!
i think i am going to fill my weekend with homemade pizza, music, knitting, reading and writing letters, drinking rose petal tea that i got from a lovely new friend this week, sit with my face against the sun and just BE.
but first i am going out to buy myself some flowers.

wishing you a bright and joyable weekend,
love.

A conversation with Olga/My white room

2012-02-22T19:58:00.024+01:00

I LOVE making my conversation posts and i am SO happy and grateful that these inspiring women takes the time to answer my questions! It is such a wonderful thing to get to know them better. This time it is Olga Inoue who has been so kind to share a little bit about herself, her life and work with us.
ENJOY and be inspired! I TRULY AM...smile...

Can you tell a little bit about yourself?

- I am a montessori teacher. I was studying psychology but now i`m taking a little break from work.
We have moved with a friend to another city. I have always dreamed of having time for crafts so for the last six months i have been working for myself, in my white room.

You are an artist working with lots of different materials. Do you especially like one of them?

- I can not say that really. My only feeling: today i am in the mood for wood,
the next day i want to draw, put some vintage brass parts together.
Every day i am finding myself falling in love with something new.

Do you have any favourite artists?

- I adore Klimt`s nature paintings, thin trees, autumn ones and flowers.
Hopper, because i love 30`s, 50`s, stylish america, bright sun.
Shishkin - russian nature, wild woods and greens of my native land.
also - Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Harriet Backer. And old japanese
Sumi-e painting.

What inspires you?

- Everything. Nature, weather, children, music, talking with people.

What are your interests?

- As i was working in a montessori school for a long time it became
a huge part of my life, so i`m interested in children development, exercises, toys,
crafts, especially the ones that were made near nature or according to it.
A time ago i started learning japanese and i just need to make some room for it now.
I love scandinavian cultures, the way they treat home as a beautiful and peacful space for living and creating. And that`s what i was aiming for - home and nature are my number one interests.

What makes you happy Olga?

- Just simple things as beeing next to the person you love, to be inspired, loved,
mornings, talking to children, drawing.

Do you have a favourite quote or poem that you will like to share?

- The one i put on the front page of my blog.
Poems - Brodsky for the past time and
there is my favorite author ever - Yuri Vizbor.

Do you have any creative dreams that you would like to share?

- Yes i do, i have plenty! But for now i am going to buy a pottery wheel to
make some bowls and cups, daily studying japanese and to organize
my very own small montessori class.

How does a perfect day look like for you?

- Spending the day with my dear friend somewhere new...a place we have never visited before, like a trip. Or it can be just spending the day at home, either one.

What do you especially appreciate in your life at the moment?

- Freedom and the capability of doing things i want to do at the moment.

If you were going to take a trip to another country wich one would it be and why?

- Japan. Dreaming of it for eight years now, ever since i had my first japanese student. There is something magical and pure in this country. And, Vibeke,
Norway.

Links:
Olga's Etsy shop, homepage, blog and Facebook.

All photos by Olga Inoue.

a new week

2012-02-20T16:22:00.002+01:00

spent most of the last two days in my "creative room". it has looked like a bomb had fallen down in there for such a long time now so it was nice to finally see the white bench tidy again...smile....
been finishing on a knitted birthday gift for a dear friend, drinking endless pots of green tea and eating raspberry filled chocolate while looking at the birds sitting in the trees outside my window....i can notice some small green spots with grass between the snow now...makes me feel like digging my rosebushes out from the snow...ha-ha...i am longing for them.

can you see some small signs of spring coming where you live?

sunday

2012-02-19T14:15:00.008+01:00

homemade soup is cooking on the stove,
looking UP beneath the trees when i took a little walk today,
sunlight
and
happiness.

2012-02-17T11:08:00.003+01:00

happy weekend dear ones!
v

today's LOVE

2012-02-15T15:21:00.007+01:00

these lovely photos by anu is inspiring me
refreshed by this bright and sunny day
happily reading a loooong handwritten letter from a dear friend
green plants drinking the daylight are keeping me company
enjoying raspberry chocolate
and
delicious berry-tea

to a dear friend

2012-02-13T21:02:00.003+01:00

"Each friend represents a world in us,
a world possibly not born until they arrive,
and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
-Anais Nin

Happy birthday
my
dear Jillian!

photo by jillian

2012-02-12T09:59:00.004+01:00

hermine and i have sent snail mail to each other for a while now and it is so much fun! the other day she e-mailed me some photos of the making of a cup of coffee that i had sent her in the last letter. the coffee won the first prize in the nordic roaster competition. i am not a coffee drinker but hermine said it was SO good!
about the snail mail sign up i had in here the last week: we ended on 28 people and everybody got an international swapper- i am so pleased...*smile*...

today it's mothers day here in norway, my husband and i have invited ours over for dinner tonight. the vine is chilling in the fridge and i have just marinated the chicken with lots of garlic, herbs and indian spices. i think they will be very happy when they see that it is spicy food on the menu tonight, they both love spicy food.

but now i am just going to enjoy the sun that is shining through my living room window. i LOVE the fact that the days are turning longer now and i can see that the plants i have are stretching themselves and turning greener for every day that goes.
the other day i borrowed a biography about virginia woolf, maybe i will read a little bit too.

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within."
~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

2012-02-11T11:58:00.005+01:00

a huge cup of green tea, knittingwork in my hands and just enjoying this bright and lovely day!

i NEVER get bored of this song, lovely Laleh:

2012-02-10T12:17:00.004+01:00

my livingroom is filled with sunlight today, both my green plants and i are happy.
and the sound of emeli sandè's music makes my feet move here i am sitting drinking my tea...*smile*...

wishing you all a lovely weekend,
v

2012-02-09T17:44:00.005+01:00

"When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure."
-Peter Marshall

photos
by
there and back again
via we heart it

today i love

2012-02-08T11:19:00.011+01:00

photos via hendrik lou found via hermine's pinterest

*
SIGN UP IS NOW CLOSED!

today is also the last day for signing up for the snail mail swap.
to my happiness it is turning out very international this time also *smile*
france, australia, finland, sweden, norway, denmark, usa, canada, netherlands, israel, u.k, belgium, germany and cyprus.

pleasures

2012-02-07T15:05:00.010+01:00

-this inspiring photo from le dans la's blog
i always feel refreshed and happy after looking at her photos!
-the bright light outside
-it is so many birds in my garden trees today that i can't manage to count them. they are singing beautifuly....what a blessing!
-the smell of fresh thyme from my kitchen. i am baking vegetables with lots of herbs in the oven now...yum......can't wait...

and of course music (birdy)

today's beautiful three

2012-02-06T14:30:00.007+01:00

1. the sight of the photo above.
2. the scent and taste of tea made from white jasmine pearls
3. the sound of this music (Javier Navarrete's soundtrack from the movie Cracks)

snail mail swap (now closed)

2012-02-05T10:47:00.004+01:00

time for a little swap again, hope you will join:
this time i thought it would be nice to swap letters/snail mail with each other. i find so much joy in both writing and getting letters in my mail box and i am sure it is not just me that feels it that way. like in the previous swaps i will try to pair swappers that are from different countries but of course this all depends on the nationality on those who join.
if you will like to join just send me your post address on my e-mail:
duftenaverteblomster@yahoo.com
BEFORE THE END OF WEDNESDAY the 8'th of february.

the notebook, key, polaroid picture and coaster are some of the snail mail treasures i have found in my mail box the last months....*smile*...

and
a new peperonia plant has moved into our home.

Snail mail sign up is now closed!

staying inside

2012-02-04T20:14:00.004+01:00

comfy clothes, tea, knitting
and keeping it warm inside.

for the love of light

2012-02-03T18:40:00.003+01:00

woke up to the most amazing sunlight today! took a little trip nearby the water and feeded the swans and ducks. they became so excited for the food that it was almost scary.....*smile*.

when i came home from my little trip outside i could notice that two of my green plants had reached their long "fingers" against the window today in love for the light........it's soon spring my green sweethearts! i can't wait to start planning and planting the flower seeds and also to take baby's from some of my green plants. excited to see if my jasmine plant will flower this year and also to see if all my rosebushes have survived the winter.

few weekendplans. a birthday celebration if my energy is good, would like to bake a lemon cake (if you have a good and easy recipe i would love to get it from you), writing some letters and knitting on a sweet friends birthdaygift. ohhh and also to stay warm, it's SUPERCOLD here now!!!

love,
v.

2012-02-02T09:23:00.002+01:00

via pinterest

february

2012-02-01T14:35:00.005+01:00

february month already, how wonderful!
started it with a nice cup of tea, some chocolate filled with marzipan and raspberries.
and
the best of all: i found lovely snail mail in my mailbox, this pretty card *smile*.

very cold today...brrrrrr....wearing wool from top to toe.
tomorrow: eating breakfast with a dear friend, can't wait!
do you have something special that you look forward to this month,
i would love to hear about it?!

love,
v.

today's tea time

2012-01-31T21:06:00.004+01:00

"Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage."
-Catherine Douzel

Her shadow

2012-01-30T12:49:00.003+01:00

I love my water color painting made by Erin.
.....her shadow, her thoughts, her hopes, her prayers, her double, her soul...

2012-01-29T09:03:00.003+01:00

Early morning, not a sound to hear except the sweet music of birdsong from the birds in my garden. For each day now i seem to hear more and more birdsong....i don't know if it is a fact or if it is just an imagination but anyway it is a sweet thing. Snowflakes are dancing outside my window and i am enjoying the first cup of tea this sunday.
The days are not so dark anymore and i love that! One can really notice how the hours with daylight are increasing. Nice for those of us who is longing for spring*smile*.
I started reading on a new novel the other day, Please look after mom by Shin Kyung-Sook. It captured me after only a couple of pages so i think this sunday is going to be "a reading day"- nice.

Enjoy your sunday,
love.

2012-01-28T12:30:00.000+01:00

source

enjoying

2012-01-27T11:08:00.004+01:00

Fresh flowers on my table, some of them smells like jasmine. They are in different shades of peach and yellow, a lovely sight.
My new favourite tea in my tea pot, it is superdelicious! Made of lemongrass, lemon verbena, chamomile, lavender, rose petals, mint, sage, natural essence (all organic).
Newly baked lemoncake in the kitchen.
Sun is trying to break through....hope it will...
and
a new novel is waiting to be read.

wishing you a lovely weekend
and
want to say that you make me so happy for your wonderful comments,
love.

source: pinterest

2012-01-26T10:26:00.004+01:00

"The Latin root of the word 'perfect' means only 'finished,'
not 'without flaws'."

quote
photo

2012-01-25T11:49:00.002+01:00

"SHE STOOD IN THE STORM AND WHEN THE WINDS DID NOT BLOW HER WAY, SHE ADJUSTED HER SAILS!"
-Elizabeth Edwards

photosource

2012-01-24T14:48:00.003+01:00

Because of my sensitivity to sound there is not often that i get to enjoy music. Even the smallest sound turns into high noise for me so when i have "good sound days" like today and yesterday *smile* i am so happy for beeing able to listen to music that i spend most of my day just doing that. Before i usually did "hundreds" of things at the same time.....because i am not able to anymore i have now learned to pause and really enjoy the now....today the now is containing music and i am SO happy for that!!
this artist music and also this one is what's filling my livingroom today,
such a blissful day!!!!!!!!!

2012-01-23T16:30:00.003+01:00

"The world is full of magic things,
patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper."
-by W.B. Yeats

ps: listening to this beat today : )

2012-01-22T11:09:00.008+01:00

Yesterday: snow, reading, writing, burning candles, drinking tea and eating waffles.

green

2012-01-20T10:22:00.002+01:00

"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises."
-Pedro Calderon de la Barca, Spanish Poet

Happy weekend to you,
love.

live with your heart

2012-01-19T21:05:00.001+01:00

"No one else but you can make your marks. Listen to your bones. Speak with your spirit. Edit with your head. Live with your heart."
- S.Holland

sources:
photo via
quote via

sock pattern

2012-01-19T14:10:00.004+01:00

Some of you have asked me if i could share a link to a simple knitting pattern for socks with you and of course i can!: ) I have tried a lot of different patterns but if i am going to make some simple ones i always like to use one that i found in the web site to Drops Design. You can find it by cliking HERE. It is a free pattern and another nice thing is that it is also translated into a lot of different languages.

The socks i am wearing today were a gift that i got from my little sister a while back. Aren't they nice?: )

today

2012-01-18T11:10:00.004+01:00

i have had some very bad body days for a while now and yesterday when i started to "get on my feets" again i noticed a strong need for colors. when days are so bad like they have been now i mostly stay in bed at my dark bedroom so i guess it's no wonder that a deep colorneed developes. so today i have
eaten a beautiful colored fruit and berry salad for breakfast,
put on some bright colored socks,
renilde's cushion are placed in my eyesight : ),
colorful yarn on my knitting needles
and soon
i am going to put on some "crazy"colored nailpolish.

hugs and kisses!

stripes

2012-01-16T12:14:00.007+01:00

source:
1
2
3

2012-01-15T13:39:00.004+01:00

To the New Year

With what stillness at last
you appear in the valley
your first sunlight reaching down
to touch the tips of a few
high leaves that do not stir
as though they had not noticed
and did not know you at all
then the voice of a dove calls
from far away in itself
to the hush of the morning

so this is the sound of you
here and now whether or not
anyone hears it this is
where we have come with our age

our knowledge such as it is

and our hopes such as they are
invisible before us
untouched and still possible

-W. S. Merwin
via misty mawn

Digital Collage by Matt Wisniewski via Theresa's pinterest

A conversation with Magdalena/Color Sepia

2012-01-11T21:18:00.010+01:00

I am so excited about sharing this conversation with Magdalena with you! I just LOVE getting to know more about the women that inspires me and Magdalena truly is one of them. I have been following her blog for a long time, it is filled with amounts of inspiration and beauty.
I was SO curious to see her work space and sweet as she is she took some photos so we could get a peek into her space- enjoy!: )
Some of her work is sold through her etsy shops Color Sepia and TrivialityLab.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself Magdalena?
...a bit of myself, well I'm 33 years old, I live in Stockholm...one of the cities that I love...the other ones are...Warsaw where I was born, Valparaiso where I have lived and studied, Montevideo where the magic happens...and still, there is lots of those that I would like to visit and surely fell in love with too.
I am a curious person in constant movement. I almost always have many projects going on. I am very purposeful, self-critical, sensitive ... and sometimes I talk too much ... earlier, I always said what I thought, now I am perhaps more cautious, but I stand by my opinions.
My great role model for me is my mother, an incredibly strong, mindful and wise woman.

I have been following your blog for a long time and i always feel inspired after visiting. I am curious about what inspires you/where you find your inspiration?
I find my inspiration all around me. Often I am inspired by nature ... but it can be the music, smells, feelings, moods, light, small momentary trivialities that can start a creative process in me.

You work with many different mediums (ceramic, photography, silver, textile and more). Do you have a favorite medium to work with/do you feel more "connected" with one of them?
I use different mediums because I both think it's very exciting with different forms of expression but also because I do not want to limit myself to one. Of course I admire people who can work with one and the same material and know it to the perfection ... it might be like this for me also some time in the future.
There is a whole world behind each medium, and right now I don’t feel that I could or would close any doors to the fabulous treasures…there is still so much to discover, to learn.

Are there any mediums you would like to try/work with?
What I might know are different techniques in different materials, and now I would like to be able to take my creativity to a deeper level.

What are you working on these days?
I'm currently working with materials such as burlap and unfortunately I can`t say more because it's a little secret so far.

You have two etsy shops, what can we look forward to find there this year?
When it comes to my etsy shops, I don´t plan so much in advance. I make what`s in my taste or what I find interesting and if it gets good response I feel very happy.

What makes you happy?
Things that makes me happy may be the smell of fresh coffee in the morning, my family and close friends, my dog, being able to ride bike, swim in the lake, experience the four seasons, have wonderful memories and create new ones. I am simply very grateful and happy for what I have.

Besides creating what other things do you enjoy?
I enjoy being in the nature, reading, thinking…I enjoy music, good food,movies…normal things.

Do you have some favourite artists?
I have a few artists whose work I appreciate… I can mention here among others Magdalena Abakanowicz, Lars Lerin, Eva Hesse, Matthew Harris, Cristina Peri Rossi, Krzysztof Kieslowski…

Do you have a favorite quote that you would like to share with us?
My favorite quotes are:
“Be alive,
be here -- and know
the beat of your heart. “
This one I found on Donna Watson `s beautiful blog Layers

And the other one is by my boyfriend Pablo Magallanes
“ Living my dreams in the reality created by my own fantasies”

beauty

2012-01-10T19:14:00.007+01:00

i have fallen completely in love with this beautiful piece by LENINKA. and her hairstyle makes me ooo soooo want to cut my hair again!: )

2012-01-08T12:34:00.001+01:00

source

etsy LOVE: TrivialityLab

2012-01-07T21:36:00.007+01:00

drinking tea and eating chocolate
while enjoying magdalenas lovely etsy-shop : )
it is snowing every day now, i like it!
BUT i must admit that i have already started on planning what i want to buy of seeds this spring : )

kisses,
v

christmas gift

2012-01-06T11:24:00.003+01:00

i got the most beautiful surprise gift for christmas. these soul raking ear rings by the always amazing jillian/the noisy plume.
THANK YOU DEAR M!!!: )

here it is cold but sunny, nice to see the light again.....good for the soul.
wishing you a lovely weekend,
LOVE.

tea time

2012-01-05T11:13:00.001+01:00

today

2012-01-03T14:35:00.001+01:00

creativity

2012-01-02T18:25:00.003+01:00

"Creativity is not simply about being artistic or able to make beautiful objects, but about living creatively. We may be totally unable to wield a paintbrush, use colour well, write poetry or prose, cook, sew or produce other handicrafts, yet be creative in living. We may be problem-solvers, good at relationships and mediation, inspired home-makers, appreciators of beauty or nature, in tune with incarnation, or skilled in the art of compromise and creative decision-making. The creative person maintains an ability to play, is not afraid to take risks, sustains a belief in magic, and delights in a sense of wonder.

The child is alive and nurtured within."
~ Ruth White
(via madelyn m.)

photosource

2012

2012-01-01T13:46:00.004+01:00

A NEW YEAR is here,
what do we want to fill it with....do we have something special that we dream of......a longing......will we dare to try making this dream become reality this year, or will we maybe wait for next year........do we need to take some chances that we have pushed aside for a long time.....some small or big changes to be done.....
or are we satisfied and happy right here and now where we are in our life......
either way you find yourself answering these questions i think this quote is good to start a new year with

"your work is to discover your world
and then with all your heart give yourself to it"
-Buddha (via brittan)

one of the things that i am for sure going to spend some time on this year is weaving! i have just started and i already find myself completely hooked : )

2011-12-31T11:04:00.005+01:00

with this beautiful view outside my mothers kitchen window
and
a lovely quote given to me by a dear friend
i will wish
you all a wonderful celebration
and
the very very best for the new year to come!
i also want to thank you for every comment you have written to me in here the last year, they warm my heart DEEPLY....THANK YOU ALL!: )

“This sky where we live is no place to lose your wings so love, love, love.”
-Hafiz

lovely "green" christmasgifts

2011-12-29T11:36:00.004+01:00

i have wished for this beautiful sprout painting by anna emilia for a long time and this year a dear friend gave it to me as a christmasgift. the BEAUTIFUL woollen socks have traveled the way from finland. it is such a wonderful feeling to know that my dear friend there have made them especially for me....they are my favourite socks ever!!: )

colors

2011-12-28T14:40:00.007+01:00

these days i am knitting on some colorful socks for a sweet friend. the snow is almost gone here after having some rainy days, i want it back!!!!
what are you filling your christmas days with?

love

2011-12-25T15:02:00.004+01:00

today is spent in my pyjamas and a pair of beautiful knitted socks that i got from a dear friend for christmas. i LOVE handmade gift but i almost never get it since i am a knitter myself, so when it happends i get really happy and moved!

the lovely scent from a apple scented candle is slowly starting to fill the room where i have my "corner". going to enjoy some green tea together with my favourite marzipan now while trying to choose which one of the eight novels that i borrowed home from the library that i am going to start on : )

love,
vibeke

christmas days

2011-12-20T22:26:00.003+01:00

i have just eaten a slice of delicious newly baked christmas bread that i got as a gift from a sweet friend. and of course i had to have butter and brunost on, yummmmmmm...it is soooo good!
my mom and i bought our christmas trees today, so cosy to do it together. the days are cold and bright here. such a beautiful view outside with all the glittering white snow. i am glad that i am a knitter, i am wrapped in warm woollen clothes so i almost don't manage to move on these cold days...ha-ha...not a viking after all : )

i want to wish every single one of you that are stopping by here a wonderful christmas time! may it be filled with lots of love and laughter. i also want to thank all of you for giving me such heartwarming comments, you are all so incredibly kind and generous...thank you thank you thank YOU! you make me feel blessed and very very happy : )

LOVE
vibeke

peace

2011-12-18T12:46:00.006+01:00

when i look at these photos of myself i notice that i look kind of sad but just so you know: i am not. these days i find myself beeing filled with a deep inner peace and i guess that some of the reason for it is the beautiful view of the white snow that i have outside my window. it is giving me such a deep feeling of peace and gratitude.
but the main reason i know is from what i am learning through beeing forced to live in this slow pace because of my fatigued body. i am so grateful for beeing able to manage to focus on the hidden treasures that also is to be found in this tough and frustrating experience. i am not going to paint it all pink and romanticise it because it is nothing at all that is romantic with this sickness but this is how my life is now and i have to do the best out of it. if i am going to try to put it in to words i would say that the main lesson this experience has learnt me (and still are) is the importance of letting go...ohhh how hard that can be but oooo sooooo healing and transforming...

a dear friend of mine is teasing me (in a kind way) of how (extra) reflective i turn when we enter the last month of the year........is that something that also happends to you?: )

“It occurs to me that the peculiarity of most things we think of as fragile is how tough they truly are. There were tricks we did with eggs, as children, to show how they were, in reality, tiny load-bearing marble halls; while the beat of the wings of a butterfly in the right place, we are told, can create a hurricane across an ocean. Hearts may break, but hearts are the toughest of muscles, able to pump for a lifetime, seventy times a minute, and scarcely falter along the way. Even dreams, the most delicate and intangible of things, can prove remarkably difficult to kill.”

~ Neil Gaiman via calm things

today

2011-12-17T11:22:00.004+01:00

these days i am finishing the last gifts that i am making for christmas.
can't wait to start with the wrappings, i think that is such a cosy thing to do!

i had this years last work training at the library last week. came home with a big bag of books afterwards. reading is some of the things i would love to fill my christmas holiday with together with other things like
taking walks in the snow, eating marzipan and tangerines, drinking lots of spicy tea, enjoying good food and nice conversations with family and friends, christmas movies and music...and just soak in the joy and peace of this season...
what are you going to fill your christmas holiday with?

love

Le voyage créatif, part two: the blog

2011-12-15T20:28:00.017+01:00

the lady behind Le voyage créatif, marte marie, also has her own blog and in my opionion it is just as wonderful as her jewelry. i LOVE reading her posts, both her writing and photos are food for my soul. i feel refreshed and uplifted after reading her posts and through what she shares she reminds me of the deep beauty and pleasure that is to be found in the simple every day life.... i think she is such a beautiful and wise women. a woman that inspires me hugely both through what she creates as an artist and also through her view on life!

marte maries blog is also filled with lovely recipes and tomorrow i am going to try her french onion soup recipe. the other day i tried her hearty tomato soup and it was oooo sooooo good!
and for those of you that are not norwegian i am putting with a link to one of her blogposts where you can read about two things we norwegians loves to eat: boller and our famous brunost : )

all photos by marte marie forsberg

Le voyage créatif, part one: the jewelry

2011-12-14T20:45:00.011+01:00

this summer i bought myself a Le voyage créatif piece: the moss pendant necklace. it quickly became a favourite of mine, it goes well with everything from dressed up outfits to casual clothing. in other words, i would dare to say, it is the perfect necklace : ) and i have noticed that it turns even prettier when used. both the wood and the leather gets a beautiful "lived patina" that i SO LOVE!
the oslo necklace is on my wishlist for christmas together with the sweet library bag, i hope they will both be laying under my christmas tree!

all photos by marte marie forsberg

2011-12-13T18:01:00.004+01:00

"Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand, and melting like a snowflake".
-Francis Bacon

photosource:
1
2

total interior loooove

2011-12-12T15:11:00.008+01:00

i just LOVE the photos that mieke has taken from a friends home.
this is for me PURE EYECANDY,
ENJOY!: )

christmas present for suvi

2011-12-11T10:36:00.009+01:00

i have just drawn the reciever of my christmas gift: SUVI/vähän vinoon : )
the photos in this post is all by her, so beautiful!
want to thank everyone who wrote a comment under the christmas present post, i have had a lovely time reading them!

2011-12-10T19:02:00.005+01:00

my mother and i have been to the christmas fair at the norwegian folkemuseum today.
it gives such a magical feeling to walk among buildings as old as from year 1500 while listening to the lovely sound of a choir singing christmas carols : )

happy winter weekend

2011-12-09T16:32:00.008+01:00

a parcel was waiting for me in my mailbox today. it had traveled all the way from
sweet coco in japan to me here in wintery norway. i LOVE getting letters and parcels
in my mailbox, makes me happy!!: )
it was to dark inside to take a photo of the treasures i got from coco but i am going to show you another day i promise.

now: a teacup and a good novel,
love
vibeke

ps: i am drawing the reciever of my christmas present on sunday so i get to send it before christmas sets in!: ) i SO enjoy reading your answers there, thanks for sharing!!

2011-12-08T10:59:00.002+01:00

it is sooooo beautiful (and freezing) outside!
to see everything beeing covered up by the white blanket of snow is such a peaceful view....
here in my livingroom it is silent, warm and cosy. i have a burning fireplace and the smell of christmas insence is slowly starting to fill the room. green advent tea from a lovely danish friend is in my cup....a lovely start on a new day!: )

hurray!!!

2011-12-07T15:34:00.002+01:00

finally the snow came,
i am SOOOOO happy!!!: )

ps:
christmas gift in the previous post

my christmas present for you (now closed)

2011-12-06T13:14:00.007+01:00

i treasure every one of you visting and commenting here at my blog, having this blog would not have been such a wonderful thing if you haden't been a part of it!
christmas is the perfect time to show appriciation and i like to show mine
by giving one of you a christmas gift. it will contain three of my favourite things: one is something soft and warm made by me,
two is something sweet
and three is something soothing.
if you want to take part just leave me a comment where you share a little bit about something that is christmas related. it can be everything from your favourite christmas recipe to your most cherished christmas memory.
the winner will be drawn on sunday the 11.th of december so i can send it to you
before christmas sets in : )

love,
v

2011-12-05T11:11:00.002+01:00

one of my christmas wishes has already come true! the other day this beautiful cocoon by color sepia came in my mailbox: a sweet friend of mine has a good connection with santa : )
THANK YOU MY DEAR M,
i am still over myself with joy and surprise!!!!!!: )

today is spent in bed,
thank you all for your lovely get well wishes,

love
v

2011-12-04T15:45:00.003+01:00

i haven't done much this weekend but at least one more pair of knitted socks is finished. these are going to be found under someones christmastree in not many weeks, hope she likes them.

also been reading on a new novel by tatiana de rosnay, the house i loved, i think it is very good. now it's time for some taco's and then i feel like heading for my bed....the flu has decided to visit with high fever, soar throat and a aching body.

distractions

2011-12-04T11:32:00.002+01:00

Miranda July: The Future on Nowness.com.

photolove

2011-12-03T11:33:00.004+01:00

i LOVE the atmosphere in these photos,
makes me feel warm on a cold day!: )

source:
1 via winter
2 dasha shestakova

my favourite shawl

2011-12-02T15:10:00.003+01:00

this is my absolute favourite shawl! i have had it for several years now and i am thinking about making myself one more soon. the yarn used on the one i have is very soft and cosy but it has lost it's shape completely. this because of the high amount of alpaccafibers in the yarn that is used. i have just knitted one for a dear friend and on that i used a blend without alpacca, so that one is for sure going to hold it's shape. the only sad thing is that it is not so soft as mine is. blablaaaablaaaa...ohhhh i could talk for hours when it comes to knitting..ha-ha...: )

pattern: mara shawl from madeline tosh

golden light

2011-12-02T12:11:00.003+01:00

the sun decided to say hello today, what a wonderful surprise!!!
happy weekend everybody,

love
v

peace and inspiration

2011-12-01T11:23:00.004+01:00

i love magdalenas (color sepia) work,
my favourite ceramic cup is made by her.
and her blog is one of the blogs i just have to visit,
there is so much beauty in her posts...i always find inspiration AND peace in them,
and today was no exception!

be real grow bloom be simple

love,
v

corners

2011-11-30T12:47:00.003+01:00

the sunlight is filling some of the corners in my livingroom today

and some are pretty dark. melody gardot's music is keeping me company while i

am making some christmas gifts. the scent of christmas insence is filling the room together

with the lovely light-bliss : )

(sorry for the lack of christmas colors in my photos, i am not "there" yet).

conversation with jane

2011-11-28T16:39:00.009+01:00

i LOVE doing these conversation posts with different women that inspire me in their own special way; it can be everything from what they create, their interior style to their view on life. if you want to read the previuos conversation posts you can click at the label at the end of this post.

my conversation this time is with the beautiful Jane Lancaster who has a blog dedicated to her sister Pam. Pam was killed in a plane crash at the age of 43 ,July 3rd 2008, along with the flying instructor Charlie and her husband Keith. there is so many things about Jane that inspires me and i am deeply honored to share her and her sisters story at my blog.
thank you dear Jane for allowing me!

-jane (left)with her sister pam

-would you like to share the story behind your blog Before i go to bed?

I had a friend who had a blog. His was the first blog I saw and I thought it was cool. He and I were big friends when young and he kind of grew up with us but I haven't been close to him in years. So I was already toying with the idea of doing one. Then Pam was killed and my friend came to her memorial in England. He encouraged me to do a blog when I told him I liked his. So that is how it started. Naturally I talked about what happened to Pam on the blog. But really I was in shock and had no real direction other than I must be creative in honour of Pam. Then I kind of lost interest in it as I was in so much pain.

Then last year I went back to England for a visit and a friend said hey why haven't you been doing your blog?! Keep doing it she said. i was encouraged that she was reading it. I think I'd just been in too much pain. And still I hadn't really got the point of it. Then last January 2011 something told me to go look at the blog. Hadn't done so in ages. That very morning someone left a comment saying my blog had really helped her, she'd lost both parents within six months of each other. I was so pleased that my blog had helped her. I think that was the thing that pushed me into started to focus on it more, that and I wasn't in so much pain. How wonderful I thought that sharing Pam could help other grieving people. Like you Vibeke.

As I started to pour my heart into the blog one day I was writing to Pam. I'd started writing to her for ten minutes a day and it was really helping me. As I was writing to her I felt her say to me, your blog is like putting flowers on my grave. Of course I burst out crying. But how true I thought. What a beautiful image. And so I have continued with it in that spirit.

Then certain people started to comment regularly, one, Susan, who's brother died in his thirties. She has been a tremendous, constant support. I lost friends when it happened, people who just couldn't be there for me and the blog helped with that. New people came along. But since I'd retreated from the world and wanted to be very lonely and quiet for quite some time the blog kept me in contact in a way that felt safe.

-what kind of function does the blog have for you in your life today?

Jane: It serves as a way to keep me close to Pam. I was always so proud of her and so the blog gives me a way to still show the world how proud I am of her. I also feel it is my way to make up to her for the fact that being a dysfunctional family she being the youngest got the short straw in how much attention she got. Perhaps it's my way of grieving doing this blog.

-is it a special quote, saying, poem or something else written that you have held on to in your grief?

Jane: Poems that helped. some are quoted on the blog. Emily Dickinson. Hamlet was a huge help to me. I watched every film of it that I could lay my hands on and would cry and feel so grateful that Shakespeare obviously understood what I was going through. Rilke's Duino Elegies, a poem by DH Lawrence called the Ship of Death. I wanted to read it at a poetry night but thought I would frighten everyone to death! There is a book called the Soul of Grief by Robert Romanyshyn that was a huge help to me.

-what has/is helping you to heal your loss?

Jane: the main thing that is helping to heal my loss is meditation. My mind had been so difficult to live with since Pam's death. I have felt a lot of fear and worry about who next? Fear of death, fear of where is she? My mind had driven me crazy and so I felt I had not alternative i had to start meditating. I just finished an 8 week course by Jon Kabatt Zinn called mindfulness based stress reduction. It was hard but really good. so now I meditate every morning for 40 mins.

-at your blog you shared some photos of a beautiful labyrinth, can you tell me about it?

Jane: so far, and it's been 3 years i have needed to do something special on the anniversary of her death July 3rd (which btw is our auntie Pam's birthday) and on Pam's birthday Nov 10th. A grief therapist told me about the labyrinth so i walked it on her birthday year one. it is hidden away in the grounds of a church you'd never know it is there. so I walk it and talk to her. this time i said to her I'm trying too hard aren't I? it's for me really .. i need to do it for me.

-in what ways has loosing your sister changed you as a person?

Jane: it has made me come alive to death. I mean before I never even gave it a thought. I suppose I thought we were all going to live forever. and if someone lost someone I didn't get it. as certain people in my life didn't get it. now i get it. so it has made me have compassion for those suffering from grief. i lost the person on this planet who was the most precious to me. i was so angry. why me? i couldn't believe this was happening to me. we were so close it was inconceivable. so i have gone through abject excruciating pain. the most pain I've ever felt in my life. i have been humbled by this. very. i have been made by this to see how nothing that i hold onto means a damn thing. nothing. attachment to life as we know it is futile because nothing and i mean nothing is going to last forever all of it is passing away even thought it seems as real as that table. so really nothing is real. we are all living an illusion. this I've learned. so it has changed to way i see life .. as passing away. and i hope i so dearly hope that there is life after death. if i thought i would never see my sister again I'd go mad. so i choose to believe i will.
i've become much more creative. kind of in pam's honour. we so struggled with this, were so blocked for so many years and i think it pushed me to just do it. so i've been writing so much more, i have started taking singing lessons again after ten years. i finished my one woman play and performed it last year and will be performing it again this march. pam was my biggest number one fan. so i let this push me to overcome my fears as i know she would so want me to use my talents.

the light

2011-11-28T11:02:00.003+01:00

this weekend was full of light (and this day too), what a blessing to see the light in this season of short dark days that we are having here in norway now! my husband and i took a walk in the forest behind our house to find some things for decorating our house for advent and christmas. we came home with lots of branches, cones and moss.

i have had some conversation posts in here with different people that are inspiring me and the next post will be one of those. the person is inspiring me deeply in so many ways.....through her honesty and openness about how it is to loose someone dear to you and how to go on living your life....her story is despite the loss and pain also for me a story full of deep love and hope!...just like life is....

sunday sun

2011-11-27T12:00:00.006+01:00

sunfilled livingroom, new BEAUTIFUL cushion, knitting christmas gifts (socks) and drinking jasmine tea...oooohh and of course: eating lots and lots of tangerines.
happy sunday!

bloglove-coco

2011-11-26T10:56:00.003+01:00

- all photos by coco

fridayphotolove

2011-11-25T09:40:00.006+01:00

source:
1
2 (via how sweet to be a cloud)

for the love of tea

2011-11-24T10:40:00.005+01:00

as many of you know i am a both a passionate tea drinker and quote collector so i thought it would be nice to share my favourite tea quote with you
AND
to give you an update on the nationality of the tea swappers
(you can read more about it and also sign up if you like here).

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis
on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without
rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment.
Only this moment is life."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

i often find myself not living the actual moment but when i drink my tea it is different...then i am completely in the present moment.....and in that moment i find my body and soul connecting..

so to the lovely tea swappers nationality:
norway, sweden, denmark, finland, germany, spain, estonia, france, australia, usa and japan is joining...this is so much fun : )!!

i woke up to a shining sun today, oh how i love the light!
going to put on some warm clothes and go outside to embrace it now.

love,
vibeke

beauty like this is food for my soul

2011-11-23T22:10:00.002+01:00

"...Under the water, the river stones are a choir of chattering teeth and chiming atomics. Something in my soul goes boom."
[JSL]

earrings, photo and words by the noisy plume

what's in your cup these days

2011-11-23T13:04:00.003+01:00

my current tea obsession is green of london by le palais des thes,
i was so happy when they announced this new tea some months back! my body doesn't respond good to black tea so i am over myself with joy over this green tea based earl grey...hurray : )it contains chinese green tea, bergamot, flower petals, cornflower and blue mallow.....mmmm, so heavenly!!

what's in your tea cup these days?

ps: tea swap sign up here if you like to join. it is going to be a very international swap and that is so much fun! norway, sweden, finland, usa, estonia, france, spain and australia is all signed up : )

colorcombinationlove

2011-11-22T21:37:00.007+01:00

1. anthropologie
2. renilde/at swim two birds

(dear santa can you please please pleaaaaaase whisper in someones ear that i have a huge crush on this necklace!!!????)

NOTE:
there is a sign up for tea swap in the previous post if you would like to join.
it is open until the end of friday.

tea swap- now closed for sign up!

2011-11-21T10:34:00.007+01:00

i thought it would be nice if the tea swap wasn't coming to near christmas so here it comes. a little time ago a sweet friend sent me some samples of her favourite teas and it was so much fun!both to get a glimpse into her "tea world", i must say that for me it is almost as interesting to see what types of tea people drink as to know what they read, and because i got to taste new types that i maybe wouldn't have bought myself. and by the way, one of the teas i got from her is now one of my favourites...a green chai..mmmmm sooooo good!

the amount of tea is up to each person to decide and you all get the e-mail adress to your swapper so you can also decide it together if you like. the sign up is open until afternoon this friday and you will get the information of you swapper before the end of sunday. so if you would like to enter sign up in a comment under this post or on my e-mail duftenaverteblomster@yahoo.com . nice if you could write down your postadress too when you sign up, thank you!: )

SIGN UP NOW CLOSED!

friendstime

2011-11-20T20:06:00.002+01:00

i have been out celebrating a dear friends birthday this weekend.
lots of good food and conversations,
i LOVE friendstime!: )

reading day

2011-11-19T11:54:00.003+01:00

autumn and winter are my favourite seasons for reading books, it is like the books "tastes" even better this time of year....
i have just started on a book written by the norwegian visual artist barbro raen thomassen. think this is a book that i have to have in my own bookshelf. i am using the library a lot but some books i have to own myself...it is like they become a part of you that you can't part from after finished reading it...
what are you reading on now?

along with the writings the book also contains quotes, pictures and art sketches. one of the quotes referred to are by rilke, i know that i have shared it in here before but i love it so much so here we go again:

“Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves... live everything. Live the question now. Perhaps then, some day far in the future, you will gradually without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke

2011-11-18T14:22:00.003+01:00

"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."

-Henry David Thoreau

photo via we heart it

happy (and warm) feet

2011-11-17T17:00:00.002+01:00

try again

2011-11-16T17:14:00.005+01:00

the last time i started on a cap it ended with my sweet sister having to finish it for me. i am kind of embarraced to admit it but it was so boring that my patience got way to short......BUT when i visited MADDER'S blog today and saw this lovely cap i was immidiately convinced to try to knit this one because it makes me really happy just looking at it..love the color too : ) the pattern can be bought here.
i am really glad that my sister finished the cap for me because it is starting to get cold here in norway now. i had to use my thick wooll mittens, scarf and the cap when i went outside today....brrrrr....
i am longing for the snow to come now, can't wait to see the beauty of the white blanket covering the nature....it is like everything goes to sleep for a while...
in my eyes it is such a peaceful sight.

love,
v

eyecandy

2011-11-16T12:24:00.017+01:00

i just LOVE the atmosphere in renildes home,
enjoy!

all photos by renilde,

for more:
her flickr

and

her blog

today

2011-11-15T14:25:00.002+01:00

to my dear friend m

2011-11-14T12:18:00.004+01:00

(i put on my beautiful flower stockings, made me some delicious jasmine tea
and took some pictures for my dear friend m who is hurting deeply from loosing her best friend...
hope i can cheer you up a little bit today dear m...or at least bring some hope and light into the hurt and darkness...

love you friend!)

The hurt that broke your heart
And left you trembling in the dark
Feeling lost and alone
Will tell you hope’s a lie
But what if every tear you cry
Will seed the ground where joy will grow

And nothing is wasted
Nothing is wasted
In the hands of our Redeemer
Nothing is wasted

It’s from the deepest wounds
That beauty finds a place to bloom
And you will see before the end
That every broken piece is
Gathered in the heart of Jesus
And what’s lost will be found again

And nothing is wasted
Nothing is wasted
In the hands of our Redeemer
Nothing is wasted

From the ruins
From the ashes
Beauty will rise
From the wreckage
From the darkness
Glory will shine
-Jason Gray

a conversation with leah/from head to feet

2011-11-13T09:10:00.014+01:00

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Well, I'm 19. My blog, From Head To Feet, is my journal. I'm still getting used to a public journal, but it's been good. Making things with my hands is capital for me, I hope with all my heart that my hands never rest. I have an Etsy shop named Hey Freddie where I sell natural fiber knit accessories. I have to represent and mention I was home schooled through most of my school years. If it was not for the time and freedom I had to indulge my curiosities I wouldn't be a bit like I am today, I am sure of that. My dream (goal) is to live in a yurt and be completely self-sufficient.

Like me you are a passionate knitter,
who teached this craft to you?
My grandmother spurred my interest (her mom knit when she was young, she had learned but hadn't done it for a long time and wanted to relearn) But I taught myself using a book when I was 11 or so. My first project was a variegated ribbed scarf.

In your knitting "history", so far, do you have a knitting project you never will forget?
My first pair of mittens. It was the first time I ever followed a pattern. Sure, the lengths weren't the same--but they actually looked like mittens you could find in a store. After that, I knew I could knit anything if I tried.

I LOVE your painted desert wrap (actually it is on the top of my
wish-list for christmas). what inspired you/made you come up with the design of this beautiful piece?
Oh, really?! I'm glad to hear someone else has already begun their Christmas list...Well, I like simple things mostly and am not very flashy. I wanted (needed) to make something attention-grabbing that people would just have to click on when they saw it on Etsy and then hopefully look through the rest of my shop and notice the simpler items as well. It was basically a whim and an experiment. It ended up being not so loud that I wouldn't wear it myself. In fact, it's on my Christmas list too!!

What kind of yarns are your absolute favourites
and why?
Anything natural. Each blend and fiber works for some project that's out there. I love memorizing the traits of fibers and how they smell like animals (if it's an animal fiber) when they get wet, it reminds me that a beautiful creature is providing me warmth. I have a hat I made last year and I used yarn that I had never used before and will never use again, but it was perfect for that one hat. Using different yarns is one if the most exciting things about knitting.

I know you are a book lover too, what is you "top
three"?
Anything by Pearl S. Buck (the first book I ever read by her was The Good Earth, it has a special place in my heart) I love the Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery (especially the first ones and Anne of the Windy Poplars) and also....the Harry Potter books :-).

If you had a whole day that you could do ANYTHING
you would like, how would that day look like?
One day on Roan Inish or just surrounded by natural and old beauty where the light is perfect so I can take pictures and I'm allowed to explore every nook and cranny. Also, if at the end of the day someone came and told me that that they giving away angora bunnies and I got to pick one out to take home.

And last, what inspires you?
People. The small interactions they have with one another, the significant ones, the things they do and why they do them, the way they talk and those certain favorite words they use again and again but mostly the way they live their lives. It encourages me to be better in this or that area or encourages me to NOT be more like that. Art, clothing, buildings, gardens, words and nature are all inspiring but compared to the people behind them, they are nothing but a drop in the ocean.

-
Leah is giving the readers of this post 15 percent off anything in her shop:
just add the coupon code
THANKYOUVIBEKE11

2011-11-12T11:49:00.004+01:00

grey and rainy outside,
warm and cosy inside.
going to tidy my creative corner
because now it looks more like a messy corner..
strange how fast that happends around here : )

love,
v

2011-11-11T21:20:00.002+01:00

finally friday,
happy-happy weekend to you!

love,
vibeke

2011-11-10T17:41:00.004+01:00

days filled with golden light
makes me feel sooo good,

love

guest post by e/lady oracle

2011-11-07T12:53:00.005+01:00

The thread

She couldn’t remember when she had first spotted the thread or how it got there. It was red and very thin. Wound tightly around the stone she still wore on her finger. It hadn’t been there early in the morning. She had taken off her ring so she could wash him. Even though everyone had advised against it, she had insisted on doing it herself. Somehow, her hands had managed to soap themselves and carefully she had let them glide over his body. It had been cold and still and strangely dense. When she reached his face she had heard a sound escape her throat. Strangled. Muffled, as if belonging to someone else, far away. His hands had been the most difficult. They had reminded her of the moments he had placed them on the small of her back, making her feel like a three-year-old and a desirable woman at the same time. And then, the undertakers had come to take him away. All that was left was the kitchen table and the chair on which she sat. The light on the kitchen table had shifted, inch by inch. A fruit fly hovered over the apricot in the blue bowl. Slowly, she started unwinding the thread from her ring. With it, something inside her loosened. She tried to push against it. Put it back in its trembling, fleshy cover and stitch it shut. She got up from her chair and walked towards her sewing kit.

by
E. A.
4.11.2011

image by Belgian artist Ronal Ceuppens
found via

congratulations!: )

2011-11-07T12:34:00.004+01:00

i have just drawn the lucky winner of the little owl arts give away:

congratulations
to cherry blossom!: )

a BIG thank you to everyone who wrote a comment,
it was a true blessing to read them!

love,
v

inspiration

2011-11-06T09:36:00.006+01:00

in the previous post there is a lovely give away by little owl arts that you can enter by leaving a comment telling us what inspires you. i have had such a lovely time reading your answers, thank you for sharing!!! the give away doesn't end before
the end of this day so there is still time to join if you like.

the two main sources of inspiration for me is other people and nature. today i want to share with you one of my favourite posts by one of the people that inspires me hugely, dear e with her blog lady oracle. e has become a cherished friend of mine and i am delighted to tell that she actually is tomorrows guestblogger in here...i SO look forward to it!

Brother holding his sister, 1996
by Peter Kayafas

Summer had turned seventy-six that year. Her hot embrace slowed us into a standstill. That’s when I found him. Faded. Green. Polished by sand and sea. My brother told me it was only rubbish, a piece of glass. Still, I knew better: I had found an emerald. Matt, trying to hide his sparkle. Too shy to be the gem he was. I loved him just the way he was. I was five and didn’t know yet we are expected to become.

I still find. Yet, most days I am found. Too sensitive. Too direct. Too naive. Too shy. Too happy. Too sad. As if I’m solely made out of pluses and minuses. They cancel each other out until I dissolve into nothingness. Nothing, but always too. Were I to become, I’d be a success. I’d shine. Or so they tell me. Perfection knows no too.

Society has become mercilessly malleable. Our potential has to be lived up to. Happiness must be created. Yet, my potential likes to lie dormant at times. Often, I don’t even feel it’s there, simmering below my surface. And then, suddenly, it reappears. An unexpected, hungry visitor. A reason for a little celebration. The cherry on my daily cake. Until it says its goodbyes again.

The more I’m told to become, the less I am. I have no appetite for constant bliss. I like the rain. Leaves falling. Bittersweet, that’s how I like to take my life. But does that mean I don’t deserve to shine every now and again? Matt. Shy. Discreet.

I want to be polished by whatever flows through me. Rubs against me. Sharp today. Round tomorrow. Stringing the beads onto the necklace that is my life.

-The writing is by e/lady oracle

a conversation and give away with brittan/little owl arts

2011-11-04T17:27:00.010+01:00

I love getting to know the persons behind the blogs i am reading a little bit better.To know what inspires them, what a typical day in their life looks like and so on...Some weeks ago i had a conversation with Niina/Souvenirs and this time it is with Brittan/Little owl arts. At the end of this post you can also read about how you can enter the give away where you can be the owner of one of Brittans beautiful creations.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Sure! Well, my name is Brittan, I am an artists/crafter living in New England in the seaside town of Gloucester, Ma. (which is part of Cape Ann, a peninsula on the coast north of Boston.) I live in a granite cottage in the woods with my beloved dog, Veda, and bird, Posey. I love the sea as well as the mountains, so where my house is feels like the best of both worlds being in the woods up the street from the ocean.
I love beautiful things.
One of my mentors once told me that she likes to live "the beauty way". This means she would surround herself with what she thought was beautiful, whether it was conventional or not, or to take extra steps to bring beauty into her life, like always having fresh flowers around her house and workspace. I really identify with this, a large part of my life and work incorporates what I feel is beautiful, or beauty that inspires me. I love nature, it is one of the things that most inspires me, one of my favorite things is listening to the trees rustle in the wind or hearing birdsong outside my door.

How does a typical day in Brittan's life look like? I like to wake up fairly early, I have never really been able to sleep in. I like to wake up slowly, snuggle with my dog and bird, make some tea and start organizing my mind and making a list of what needs to get done or what I would like to get done. I am a HUGE fan of list making! Next I usually feed the animals, feed myself and then take miss Veda-lou out for a good walk. I like to be outside, I am always looking for treasures... A special leaf or stone, feathers, bones- the other day I found a shed snake skin out by the wood pile! When I get back, I start working on my list. I usually have a few different things I am working on at all times, this helps keep my creative cycle from getting in a rut (because I have come to realize there is a cycle to the creative process!). So depending on what I need or want to work on, I sometimes can multi-task, like getting some silk dyed while I am working on felting, crocheting or painting. I work all throughout the day, stopping for meals or other chores, but usually until I am ready for bed I am working on things here and there. Sometimes it is hard to take time off, but it's ok because I really love what I do! Sometimes I wonder where the time goes, it seems to fly by so quickly, one of these days I am going to figure out the secret to slowing down time!

I have been following your blog for a long while and i must say that i especially love the posts of your walks in nature Brittan. what does nature mean to you? Nature is extremely important to me, it is pretty much my main source of inspiration. I have a deep connection with nature and the earth. I can remember always playing outside in the bushes making forts or climbing trees and picking wildflowers when I was younger. I went to school to study herbalism, using plants as medicine and it is more of a way of life for me than just a practice. I worked for years at a store as one of their herbalists and have spent many years as a gardener both in my own garden and working for other people. I love the organic textures and shapes that you find in nature, texture is something that I have always been fascinated with.

You are a self taught artist that enjoys working with different mediums. can you tell us a little bit of the mediums you are working the most with and why you have choosen those? Growing up I was always drawing and painting. I liked to work in acrylic and lately have moving into watercolor. For a long time I made sterling silver wire wrapped jewelry using both precious and semi-precious stones. I still do from time to time if I am inspired to create something, but in the last few years have expanded and shifted my focus into fiber art. I make crocheted necklaces and pendants using smooth beach stones and glass that I find both locally and in my adventures, I even use crystals that I get from a friend up the street who mines them locally! I also work with silk and wool, creating nuno felted scarves and things. I also like to spin yarn and needle felt... I like to incorporate nature into my work as much as possible, or use natural materials. I also like to do things myself as much as possible. I make some felted mermaids and owls where I get the wool locally, mostly from some rescued sheep in the next town over, I do all the processing which means I pick it clean, wash it, card it and then dye it before I felting into shape! It is a lot of work, but I like to have at least a few things that are 100% local and 100% handmade!

What inspires you/where do you find your inspiration? I am strongly inspired by my environment, both externally and internally. I am inspired by nature and the environment that surrounds me, but also by my home and architecture. Lately I have been really inspired by scandinavian art, architecture, the landscape and the tradition. I also love japanese art and architecture.
I love looking at textures, shapes, colors and forms out in nature and all around me. I am also inspired by people, lifestyles, animals, flowers, trees, stones, the beach and ocean, lanscapes, weather, and moments where the heart connects. I guess by life in general, especially more rustic lifestyles. However, I am also inspired by mysterious, magical things. I like fairy tales and creatures and beings of spirit, folklore or mythology.

Besides creating, what other things/activities do you enjoy? I love to swim and take walks out in beautiful places in nature, like the beach or woods, as well as car rides to see beautiful places. I love the snow, so I like to walk, snowshoe and snowboard (when I have the $ to!) in it. I love to garden, bake bread and a good cup of tea, it is like prayer, many of my teas are herbs and flowers from my garden. I also love to hoola hoop (with adult sized hoops, not those tiny ones that are kids toys), if you haven't tried it it is so much fun and a great workout!

Do you have any favourite artists yourself? There are so many artists that I love. Growing up I always loved and was inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe and Claude Monet. I was also really inspired by Salvador Dali when I was in high school. I am finding some wonderful artists lately who's work and being I am moved by, such as sheila hicks, Jill Bliss, Abigail Brown, Margaret Oomen, Cathy McMurray, Jillian Lukiwski (to name a few).

Brittan is giving away one of her lovely necklaces where you get to choose the color on the crocheting work that sourrounds the stone. The only thing you have to do is to write a comment under this post telling us what inspires you (and of course it would be nice if you stopped by Brittans blog and said hello). The give away is open until the end of this sunday and the lucky winner will be announced here on monday.

Happy weekend,
love
v.

the give away is now closed!

a tiny preview: a conversation and give-away tomorrow

2011-11-03T12:39:00.004+01:00

The Sea is such a powerful inspiration for me.
Not just with the ebb and flow of the tides
-high tide around here is my favorite-
but the sound of the waves lapping,
beautiful boulders
and collections of shells, stones and driftwood...

I love the magical mystery of the deep sea.
The selkies and sea sprites,
the merfolk,
and all of the fantastical creatures associated through history's tales.

I love the shapes and textures
and the smell in the air
of salt and earth.
The sea has wrapped itself around my soul,
taken hold
and become a part of me.
-Brittan

-

If you liked this post stay tuned for more tomorrow : )
Who this lovely soul is? Wait and see....

love,
v

gold

2011-11-02T20:33:00.004+01:00

"Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold.”
-Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

photo by the lovely madelyn mulvaney

photolove

2011-10-31T21:49:00.003+01:00

photos by
bee xlaura

yesterday

2011-10-30T11:15:00.004+01:00

i spent a lovely time under this tree yesterday, eating waffles and drinking tea...
the tree mirrored itself in my tea cup...
oh how i love this autumn!

love,
v.