Last day of the year

Photo via Pinterest.

The last day of the year is a sunny one in our corner of the world. We went out this morning to visit some local delis and to get some stuff for tonight's dinner. We came home with fresh scallops, shrimps, calamari (that I very recently started enjoying), cheese, chili jam (amazing), freshly baked bread and a bag of lovely veggies. A bottle of bubbly has been lying in the fridge for over a month and yesterday I got some raspberries and Mascarpone that I will use to make a dessert. 

I don't really believe in New Year's resolutions but I do hope that I will be even more crafty, that we will be healthy, that I will learn Italian properly and that I will start using my running shoes that at the moment mostly serve as taking-Charlie-out-for-walks-shoes. 2011 was a very eventful year for us with lots of changes, and I'm hoping that 2012 will be even more sparkly and interesting!

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Back to business

Well hello! Im back in Italy after having spent a lovely Christmas in London with my family. The days went by way too fast, but it was so good to see them again. We celebrated both the traditional Swedish and British way, which meant Swedish food and presents for the kids on the evening of the 24th and lunch, relatives and more presents on Christmas Day. I cuddled my niece and nephew enough to last me a while, over ate at every meal and even managed to squeeze in checking out the sales on Boxing Day. It was absolutely crazy, but I couldn't resist sneaking in to Liberty to dream about their fabrics and to fondle a Marni coat that was still hugely over budget for me at £470. I guess I'll just have to way until the Marni collection for H&M comes out - I bet the prices will be a bit friendlier.

When we got back on Tuesday afternoon, we simply re-packed and took off again to see Andrea's parents and to pick up Charlie who spent Christmas with them and their dogs. She's exhausted from five days of playing, gained 4 kilos while we were gone and is now refusing to eat her normal dog food. We made a few stops on our way there to check out some local thrift stores.

This photo really doesn't do this amazing colour justice. It's a deep, rich blue and from what I can tell, the cardigan is hand knitted and in great condition.  

This pale yellow wool knit is already a huge favourite. It's super warm and perfect for the current Bergamo weather (chilly and a bit windy).

This dotted dress looked like absolute shit on the hanger, but once I tried it on, I knew I couldn't leave it behind. It's longer than most of my dresses but I think I'll leave it that way. 

I also got two pairs of flats that I will be using when it gets a little bit warmer here. I especially love the first pair, made in Florence. I always get so curious about the previous owner whenever I pick up vintage stuff. Who wore these before me? I'm picturing a tiny, Italian lady with shaky knees and an equally tiny husband. 

I don't know about you, but I always feel a bit uneasy between Christmas and New Year's Eve. I guess it might be the food, the lack of exercise, the constant sleepiness or the fact that you've been spending time with your loved ones and then, if your situation is like mine, leave to go back to wherever your home is. I'm comforting myself with the fact that one of my dearest friends will be visiting us next week. I haven't seen her since June, and so much has happened since so I'm really looking forward to long talks and catching up.

How was your Christmas? Have a lovely Thursday!

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Katie Ermilio

New York designer Katie Ermilio's Spring 2012 collection is an absolute dream. Elegant and deadly chic but never, never boring. On her web page, it says that she is the granddaughter of Grace Kelly's personal clothier, so it's not very surprising that she's got what Germans would call Fingerspitzengefühl for timeless pieces. I can't think of more beautiful spring colours than the ones chosen for this collection: pastels mixed up with strong pink and blue. Gorgeous. It makes me want sunshine and bare legs so, so badly (already tired of winter, cold and dry skin) so I'm pretty lucky to be living somewhere where spring and summer are such long seasons. Pin It

Jaeger

British brand Jaeger has some goodies on sale in their online shop right now. I won't be buying anything at the moment, but looking doesn't cost a thing, right? Pin It

Twenty-seven names

The brand Twenty-seven names from New Zealand has a really lovely S/S 2012 collection but I kind of wish they had styled the model a bit differently in these pictures. I can't stand those sandals. I really can't. Everything down to the feet is absolutely beautiful. Enter: the sandals. They make the model look like my dad on a holiday. I'm picturing these clothes paired with a pair of brogues or some gorgeous heels, but maybe that would've been a too obvious choice? Who knows. Apart from that: everything looks so breezy and fresh - perfect pieces for a hot summer day. I don't know if it's the clothes or the model but something about this makes me think of Chloë Sevigny, which can never be a bad thing, right? Pin It

Counting down the days

This weekend was great. New star patterned (my first! I'm a stripe girl every day of the year) shirt dress. Love shirt dresses. Walking around town in sunshine. Watching Drive. Finding veggie sausages!! Panattone and bubbly to the tones of blue grass at a clothing shop here in town. Listening to S.B.T.R.K.T while cooking. And the best of all: driving up to the mountains close by to check if there was any snow (ski season is drawing nearer) and if so: to see how Charlie reacted to it. It was instant success. It sounds kind of cheesy and this might be hard to understand for dogless people, but there is something squeezing my heart very tightly whenever I see my dog pal so happy.

I'm so so much looking forward to this week. Today, Andrea is selling his old camera (that I'm using more than he is) and getting a new one, and I am so excited to try the new one out! We're also gonna get some small Italian stuff for the Christmas dinner table (Chili jam and Tarelli anyone?). Wednesday, we're going to Andrea's parents to spend the night and to drop Charlie off. She'll be spending a couple of days at the country house and even though I know she'll be fine, I kind of miss her already.
Then finally, it's Thursday evening and we're off to London. When I wake up on Friday, I'll be with my family and with my favourite people in the world: my niece and nephew. Can't wait!

Oh, and the old run-down hotel... how beautiful? I might just buy in and transform it into a Swedish cheese shop/sewing studio/workshop for A/flats for everyone I love. Have a lovely Monday! Pin It

I won N.E.E.T the book!

Yay, I am beyond excited! I entered a giveaway at Neet magazine's blog where you could win a copy of N.E.E.T the book and even pick your favourite cover. I (of course) chose Kris Atomic's, and today, I got an e-mail from Stephanie J, editor at N.E.E.T, telling me that I had won! Hooray! Thank you N.E.E.T, can't wait to have it in my hands! Pin It

Making it lovely Doll house

I don't know what's up with me and miniature homes lately, but my god. This is dedication, people. This doll house is absolutely wonderful. I want the wallpaper in the kids' room. Hell, I'd move in any day. See more of Nicole Balch's project on Making it lovely and don't forget to show her some love. Pin It

Victory patterns

After having seen these pictures over here, I really feel like trying some of these patterns! Lovely pictures, lovely design. I keep saying that I can't read patterns, but maybe (hopefully) this could be an exception?

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Alexandra Grecco

Brooklyn based designer Alexandra Grecco's is probably no stranger to anyone who reads indie fashion blogs. I'm not surprised to read that she's a former dancer - there is something about her clothes that makes you think of ballerinas. Oh, and the model in the first and last picture, how gorgeous?

Her creations are truly divine, but she also has a lovely blog here with some really beautiful photos. Go check it out! Pin It

Scotch & Soda

I really like the laid back yet preppy look from Dutch brand Scotch & Soda. 

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