Love the nature...

...and the nature will love You !

We are having the best ending of this summer with baskets of sweet mature figs.

Maybe it is due to all the chatting and laughing under the tree this summer. She is paying back. We are having a fig with the breakfast tea, with the 11 o'clock brake, making jam and more. Most of all, the dogs are really happy.

Will be even nicer and more attending next year,

Gunn

Love donkeys !

We received a wonderful product at Un Momento Nordico made with milk from lovely donkey ladies.

Called DasinaL from a Turin company, Vegetal progress. I always get the best Shea butter in the world....from them. We have Body lotion, Face cream and a Face tonic. The milk make a very rich and nutrient creme. Suitable for all skins and excellent for sensitive ones. 

Of course its organic and the donkeys are as well taken care of, as my dogs. I will eventually go and see them and bring back their manure for the vegetable garden. It should be the best you can feed the earth with. This amazing photo is taken by Christopher Griffith. 

Mindful eating

There is lots of talk about mindful eating lately...not mindless. 
Well, what it is teaching us, is to keep our mind on the food while eating ( I do not have a problem there) and not concentrate on other things such as Internet, watching TV or reading at the same time. Eating while multitasking often leads us to eat more. On the other hand, eating mindfully, savoring every mouthful, enhances the experience of eating and keeps us aware of how much we take in.

But most of all it is teaching us on how to think of the food while we gorge it down. 
Where is it coming from ? 
Is it good to me ?
How much am I eating without even noticing ?
Thank the person who prepared it for you.
If you like to read more about this subject,  zenhabits is the blog I personally like the best.


It should be a good habit,
Gunn

Red colour

A very popular natural paint in Sweden called Falu Red Colour was developed in the 19th century and is still commonly used. It was to preserve the wood from aging and protecting it from absorbing humidity. It is made from Water, Rye flour, Linseed oil and Copper from leftover material at the copper mines. It is the copper giving this wonderful colour.

The oldest houses found is from the 15th century, but it become fashionable much later when the population could afford it. Otherwise the wood houses was untreated. So I guess we can call it an IKEA lifestyle of the 19th century. Lots of style without cash...

This is what the production... looks like. Just kidding. It's source is calculated to last only until the 2090 and there is no export of this paint.

Just some Swedish culture...

G

A special friend

I already presented my special friend with an artistic talent in an earlier post. She sent me another greeting card I wish to share with you.

Hopefully this photo is clear enough to see how the card is opening up. If not , click on the image and it will open up larger for a better view. The girl, Ayaka in her striped dressed is sitting on a stool with a duck on a small side table. 

How adorable. I love creativity. To receive a personal card from friends are price less today in the time of quick sms messages. 

I am the first one, who should learn as I am stuck on e-mails and can hardly use the phone anymore. 

Thank you, Ayaka for talent and inspiration,

Gunn

Autumn sun

Sunday and luckily super sunny !

We made some new photos for the next "nara nytt" paper and had a very successful day.

I am thankful for every minute the sun is shining on us. The September month has been so perfect. Italy is really great in this period with all the late summer flowers, fruits and vegetables. If one loves truffles, this is the best time to visit Piemonte.
We have a tree with white peaces and this year is the first time we see them riped in at least 10 years. And we also have lots of sweet, tasty figs in the garden and it is the favorite place of the dogs , they are actually climbing to pick the fruit.


We love to eat,
G 

Multi tasking

What a great photo this is.

 I have for a long time been thinking of the importance of  multi- tasking. Multi-tasking is focusing your conscious awareness in more than one place at a time.

Mothers do it easily, having a child on the hip talking on the phone to their boss or lover..who knows and at the same time preparing the dinner for the husband who is on his way. 

Or when good secretaries manage to type a letter during 3 phone calls and still passing out the whisky bottles to Don Draper. 

It is also becoming a normal life in a designer's routine , designing, technical stuff, display, pr and sales at the same time. And if you do not handle them all well you are limping. 

Or when you are attending a meeting and answering messages at the same time ( we all know that one) , although I would call that half-tasking as the attention is divided between two situations. 

The photo is from the show " atta armar" opening party in Stockholm today. Arsenalsgatan 3

Gunn

Home made

Some home-made gorgeous oil for the body is something special. 

And even more luxury in a stylish vintage bottle. I made this combination of body oil today of organic Sesame oil and a few drops of essential oil of Patchouli and Lavender each. It is very important to have an organic essential oil of a good quality. I fill up a small bowl of hot water from the tap and make a quick "bagno Maria" before massaging it well into the skin, right after a nice hot shower. 

Something I would recommend to all enthusiasts like me,

Gunn

Lovely flowers

Flowers have long been admired and used by humans, mainly to beautify their environment but also as a source of food. 

Red roses are given as a symbol of love , beauty, and passion. 

Poppies are a symbol of consolation in time of death. 

   

Irises lily are used in burials as a symbol referring to life.

Daisies are a symbol of innocence. 

Rose leaves thrown into burning flame are said to give luck. 

We need to have lots of them around us ,

Gunn

Spider friend

My house is a zoo...
It is odd, but every August or September this guy is visiting. We normally carry it very far, being animal friendly and Zen.  He is always back ! I say he, although he is probably a she as the male lives only up to two years. So it is the female or one of her 50.000 off-springs returning home.
It might not show in the photo,  she is about 8-9 cm from top to toe.
Perhaps not my favorite pet. But as we do not stay in Antarctica we have to live with them.
In Italy it is good luck to receive a visit like this.
Gunn

Second class citizen

I always write about our dogs. They take a lot of space and they feel very important. We sometimes say that we are lucky to live in their house...
We do have 2 cats as well as one should have when you live in the country. Their job is mouse hunting but I think our two male cats are too lacy for this responsibility as I've never seen any catch being brought home on the door step. They are considered second class citizens in our house and have learned to stay away from the dogs or at least sneak around when the dogs are sleeping. Our grey cat ( in the photo ) is very cute and sometimes behave as a dog. He takes advantage of the dog beds during the day. He was never named , just called the grey cat. It is sad and i think he should be named but no ideas of a good name is coming to my mind. Could you help me with a good name ?


G

A cake for my best friend

My dear friend Erica, was over for a visit today and as our Swedish tradition I made a cake for the 11 o'clock " Fika " brake. 
I think the cake turned out so tasty that I decided to share it with you.


You need : Organic ingredients when you can

125 gr butter
3 1/2 dl or 210 gr flour
2 teaspoon vanilla sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
Grate the peel off an orange
2 eggs
3 dl sugar or i try to use less, it's up to you...
1 1/2 dl orange juice

How to make it:
Prepare the cake tin with butter and bread crumbs 
Melt the butter and let it cool.
Mix  flour, sugar, baking powder, butter and the grated orange
Whip egg and sugar fluffy until it has a creamy, white foam
Add the flour mix into the eggs together with the milk.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and spread the pine nuts on top
Bake in the lower oven at 175° for about 45 minutes


Let cool and share it with a best friend,
Gunn

Can I invite you over for a coffee ?

Swedish coffee....


I can't help stopping at an image as this. It is really nice. 
Making coffee in the forest is such an amazing contrast to the quick, instant cafe lattes we get in every corner and all the coffee machines handsome Clooney is inspiring us buy for our homes. It might be handy and quick to get a shot when you want it. 
But did anyone think what is happening to the billions of the small containers when it hits the garbage ? I thought about it and wondered.... 
Yes, if I buy my coffee in Milano and bring them to Switzerland, Germany or France for recycling. That's great.  
In general we have to much packaging to take care of after bringing it home. I am really trying to think low impact but it is difficult to find the produce without plastic and cartons.


The photo is made by naturverk.se


G

Last roses

 Time to refresh after a hot summer in sandals. 


I thought it is a good idea to use the last roses in the garden for a natural foot bath in front of the last episode of Mad men. Yes , i am addicted to Don Draper and the gang. Luckily my friend Wayne is supplying me with the weekly episodes.


Well back to feet perhaps... this is how i do it;


A big bowl - anything will do from salad bowl to bucket
Nice hot water
An handful of organic sea salt from the kitchen
A squeeze from the bath foam Lovely from nara heltnaturligt


Mix it and enjoy,
Gunn

Isola Di Elba

Wow water !

 I was really trying to prepare myself psychologically yesterday, for the autumn and the big chill. And in comes some photos through the sms  from ( a nasty ) friend who is still out there on the boat.

The image is from the lovely Isola di Elba, Italy.  Water is important in every form. Swimming in it, sailing in it, just meditating in front of it, I can personally loose myself and stare into the sea for hours. And drinking it or eating your water in form of food and of course last but not least the water we have in our skincare. Ours is crystal clear and pure from the mountain  spring.

More will come on our water,

Gunn