Long Time No See

It has been a long winter... and much work and a trip overseas and and and.
With a spring clean attitude and many ideas up my sleeve, this space will not be vacant any longer!
Happy reading!

Keep calm and read on

Have you come across these great little posters lately? Very decorative and easily adaptable. I cant decide which one is my favourite...

 

 

Having had a sneak on google images and Pinterest, there is one for every animal fan and every vehicle...

I think I'll go with the furry friend for my diary cover!

Naturally, Anke

12 von 12

 Good morning, said Chrystal Carrington to me...

Meanwhile, outside on the balcony, on a fine Bondi autumn morning, ...

 

In Marrickville, the Seniors' workshop for Digital Storytelling takes some unexpected turns, old ladies from Chile, Spain and Australia share their interesting, shocking, moving and legally challenging stories!

A walk through Marrickville in search of a printing company to copy some last minute workshop booklets leaves lasting impressions, too! 

Not necessarily an activity, you might choose to do for lunch... Where is the next Vietnamese restaurant???

Back home for dinner, some awesome autumny Sweet Potato Gnocchi fill the bowl and our tummies. 

A few nighttime thoughts on new projects do attempt over the weekend, colour schemes, autumn and winter themes, book titles and etsy shop adventures.

 

And off to bed with an exciting Saturday morning ahead, off to look at a new home!

Naturally, Anke

Makrame

Makrame - the word that led me to Morocco and to Sweden and back to Germany 30 years ago... Not quite yet physically travelling, but a journey of the very young creative mind.

With a sailor in the family and much water around and grandma's small farm operation to enjoy, rope was everywhere: boats, horses, ornaments - they all depended on these natural threads.

It is not only a pleasure to see them reemerge, it seems that the longevity and versatility of rope has made a comeback for reasons of sustainability - we have come to understand that it is a much superior material to plastic!

Thank you, DS, for inspiring me again to assemble and braid some strings!!! With Easter holidays looming, Miss T will have to show some enthusiasm and may hop to school with a little makrame bag of her own soon...
Have you tried it? Please share your creations!!!

Naturally, Anke

Make An Entrance!

The girls from Nordic Fusion in Manly, Sydney, have done some great work bringing Nordic Design to Australia - they shared this beautiful home shot today on FB - a rare find!!!











It looks like it could be a weekend project!
And don't you love the wide entrance door with the glass panel? Practical yet stylish and visually pleasing! All shown materials could easily be sourced second-hand - particularly the glasswares and ceramics...
And that thought makes me want to go to Varmland this Australian winter and check out more loppis! ;-)

Naturally, Anke

Jams & Pickles

We are heading towards that time of the year again: The kitchen smells of cinnamon, brown sugar syrup and stone fruits and there are never enough glasses to put all those cooked delights into. The tip of the iceberg are labelling issues, BUT: Here is a little help to take that one of worry away, beautiful botanical labels to use for your jams & pickles, free to download! Thank you, Packagery!

I came across these on How About Orange, a great resource by blogger Jessica Jones! Thank you Jessica!

Naturally, Anke

Dream On

I am contemplating donating my Dream to the opp-shop. Remember those letters and words that you could/did/wanted to scatter throughout the house? My dear Sara dislikes them and she has a point: If you put love into your front window, are you a lovelier person? Is your household filled with positive energy? Are your family members content and happy? Better put happiness onto the living room wall,too, for good measure!

Dream was already at the front door on its way out, when both Miss T and my man objected, quel surprise!!! Maybe Dream is not as invasive as love or as pressurising as happiness...

So it got a second chance on the balcony wall... half out, so-to-say. Against the gritty brown urban background, it actually works much better than before!

Speaking of dreams:

I have a dream that Nordik By Nature will develop into a little creative studio with a tiny production line, making accessories, clothing and furniture from recycled fabrics and shirts, dresses, skirts, and other materials - a re- and upcycle hub really! I dream to be the creative director of a company that develops every aspect of the business with ethical and sustainable practice and technology in mind. I would love to see us taking our passions and dream to work, making a living and living our dream as the critical mass of people who appreciate reuse-reduce-recycle grows and grows.

Naturally, Anke

Bunnies by Anja

Frau Kaennchen has done it again: I am in love with Anja Rieger's bunnies!!! Animal friends, alive and imagined, are very very important in our household, see these beauties. They put a smile on our faces every single day. 

Aren't they adorable???

If you think so too, but are not quite sure where you could feature them, check out the Design Ideas. Anja's website is in German, but you can visit her on FB and she does speak English! Thank you, Anja!!!

Naturally, Anke

Coaster Gallery

A long narrow hallway is often difficult to decorate, particularly if there is not much light. Large paintings are out of the question and so many opt for small photo frames to display family memories. Here is another idea:

Ein langer, enger Flur ist oft schwierig zu dekorieren, vor allem, wenn es nicht viel Licht gibt. Grosse Gemaelde sind tabu und daher entscheiden sich viele fuer kleine Foto-Rahmen, die Familien-Erinnerungen zeigen.
Hier ist eine andere Idee:

 I have found these coasters last week - and you might have read about my current obsession with all things Parisian - and since they DID look tacky on the table, I had to find another way of displaying them without displeasing the other members of the family.
So with a little help of my friend "the blue sticky", they have become a daily reminder of the exciting week we had au bord de la Seine last August.


Letzte Woche fand ich diese Untersetzer - und Du hast vielleicht ueber meine momentane Besessenheit, was alles Parisische angeht, gelesen - und da sie auf dem Tisch ziemlich kitschig aussahen, musste ich eine andere Flaeche finden, um sie darzustellen, ohne die Augen der anderen Familienmitglieder zu beleidigen.
Also wurden sie mit Hilfe meines Freundes "das blaue Klebende" zu einer taeglichen Erinnerung an die aufregende Woche, die wir im letzten August am Seine-Ufer verbracht haben.

And since the Goddess of Opp-Shopping meant well, she handed me these Sydney photographs a few days later. Speak about the universe conspiring...!!!

Und da die Goettin des Opp-Shoppings es gut mit mir meinte, gab sie mir noch diese Sydney-Fotografien ein paar Tage spaeter mit auf den Weg. Na, wenn da mal nicht das Universum wieder einen Plan schmiedet...!!!

And there were not only the coasters... - 6 placemats, too! What might I do with these???

Und da waren nicht nur die Untersetzer... - 6 Sets auch noch! Was koennte ich denn damit machen???

As so often, these beauties will go and await their fate safely stored in the chest.

Wie so haeufig werden diese Schoenheiten ihr Schicksal trocken und sicher im Sideboard abwarten.

Naturally, Anke

12 von 12 - Februar 2012

I love this idea! Caro and a friend of hers started it.
Here we go...

I am not the only one up early it seems. Nugget awaits breakfast service which is duly performed.

Rare... an almost empty beach at the end of the day.

Did you know that Mardi Gras has kicked off on the weekend? Fair Day was rained out in the end, but there are many more moments to look forward to! ;-)

Oh, and don't forget to say something special on Tuesday...

 

I havent sold anything on Ebay lately, so using a spare moment to offer the benches and the dotted dress - hard to let either of them go!

A good book, a great idea, yippyyayyeah!, another image idea for the blog and another project coming up - great weekend!

 

 

Naturally, Anke

The Est Magazine

The Est Magazine is a revelation! To me anyway...!

Is is testimony to my friend B's remark yesterday that our life has been influenced by Nordic design, but less so by Nordic culture or food - but with the rise of Swedish thriller writing and Australian-Danish relations growing from top to bottom of society and business, this is changing. This issue of the mag is just plain wonderful, a treat for every design & decor sweet-tooth!

By the way, please watch the Swedish original, not the US release - you WILL enjoy the authentic plot and landscape more in its homeland setting, promise.










Naturally, Anke

Prada goes Pril

If you grew up in Germany in the 1970s, chances are your mum would have bought ONE brand of dishwashing liquid - THE ONE: Pril. We kids loved it, because there would be stickers on the back: the very decorative Pril flowers. Sooner or later, these would appear on kitchen appliances, cupboards, homework books, VW combi vans, etc etc.

Now, strike me down if I am wrong..., but I came across an image in HB mag yesterday, showing a nice little 2-piece outfit from the Italian fashion label apparently worn by the devil...

Am I imagining things or have they taken inspiration from the humble Pril flower? Not a bad adaption, though, definitely more wearable than the above Tee.

It is however another proof that some things should never get lost and never be forgotten - I think I will love the Pril flower forever - for its symmetry, its great original bold colours, it naive take on graphic design in its infant boots... A bit of melancholia for the past and great joy that it has surfaced again! ;-))

Naturally, Anke

Things that say who you are

Just my luck: I was blessed with these two beauties crossing my desk a couple of days ago - do they resonate with recent postings or do they...???

I have the need to carry or style or plainly own things that say who I am. I like to express myself in the details that I wear and live in and place around me. And I like to do so with found objects, read: second-hand, opp-shop, curb-collected, given, traded or otherwise-ly found items.





I have a sneaking suspicion that in the next few weeks, I will increasingly share some of these Anke-objects with you - so if you want to get to know me better ;-)

Naturally, Anke

Nordik Beauty

Wherever I am in the world, I cannot escape the beauty of my hometown in all seasons. Particularly the harbour always amazes, with its majestic cranes on the horizons, its architectural statements and its pristine clarity. There are many reasons why this blog has its name - and the passion for fine photography of nordic landscapes is definitely one of them!

Find these here, and enjoy!
Naturally, Anke

Have you been to Paris lately?

I took my daughter to Paris for a few culturally inclined days last August, en route to the South. I caught a bug: Since then, Paris seems to be everywhere. I hear chansons, I see Eiffel towers, I eat baguette with soft smelly cheeses, I dress in blue, red and white and have bought Vogue every month. Aaaaaahhhh, Paris...

Naturally, Anke