An Illusion of Spring

Soon and very soon...... Spring will be here. 

I think it is a great idea to go out and buy a couple of herbal plants, bring them home , place them in a goodlooking vase or container and leave it at a strategic place, where you walk by hundereds of time, during the day. 

Every time passing by, touch it with the hand and feel the scent it is giving off , breath in and you are moving into Spring immediately. 

Rosemary gives a good energy. 

When the Spring arrives, about 20 of March and when the temprature is suitable, bring it outside.

Just a peak of Spring, 

Gunn

Tea Tray in an odd place !

If somebody had asked me a couple of month ago if I would like to have a tea-tray in my bathroom ? I would have answered.  - Are you nuts !!

I have had this fantastic tray with a selection of natural teabags , 2 ceramic mugs made by an artist from Sweden ( being sold in Un Momento Nordico ) and an electrical water boiler, now for a couple of months in my bathroom / dressing room and it is one of the best ideas in this house, this winter. 

We are tea drinkers, so it is great to have a cup early in the morning while taking a bath or at the very end of the day. I wish I had thought about it earlier and would have saved so many trips up and down the stairs balancing a tray with tea cups in the hand. It is also very nice to linger around quietly and waisting time in the private quarters. 

So I could recommend this idea , if the kitchen is far away or if there is a  cold hallway to cross.

 G

Another NEW YORK post !

Everyone stays at The Standard............except me.  

Thought I better stay near the showroom I worked with, so The Mercer was a better choice.

Anyway,  thought I better take a look at it. Drinks at bar...

The Bong Bong room / bar upstairs, with a wonderful view of Manhattan.

Modern fun interior, that  makes it a playground for adults. Personally it is not my kind of hotel. Too much of a scene and the noisy Beirgarten would drive me nuts. 

That area of 14th Street is happening. New shops and Restaurants. I had dinner at MPD, a contemporary French brasserie. Good food , but awfully noisy with overly tending waiters.

Instead...this is what I LIKE..............

What Goes Around Comes Around - a sweet Second hand store with lots of well selected items. Great hand bags.

A coffee brake at Le Pain Quotidien - a perfect meeting place and I happened to have a "soup bowl" of cappuccino. Totally crazy and impossible to drink all that warm milk.

A nice scribble on the wall....bigger than life, just in a NY style.

DE VERA - It could not be more personal. 

TED MUEHLING - Private and amazing, amazing and amazing. 

All the fine handcrafted jewellery and objects are breathtaking.

OPENING CEREMONY - a young and happing store and collection.  Actually I did see their smaller shop in the ACE Hotel on 29th street. That is a fun place with John Dory - a good Oyster restaurant, great lobby for hanging out, Stumptown - a smart cafe and The Breslin Bar & Dining - a place to have the perfect meal produced by artisans. See more on their web   www.acehotel.com

Thanks for following me,

Gunn

More on New York

Being addicted to good Macrobiotic food, I am back at Souen again. This time for a warm Carrot soup with a sprinkle of "anti cancer" watercress.

Steamed Brussel sprouts with warm Peanut butter dressing. 

On the side a fresh Carrot juice with ginger, toasted Corn bread and Seaweed salad. 

By the way did you know if you eat one table spoon of seaweed each day, you will get the calcium needed for keeping healthy bones. 

Bergdorf Goodman had amazing windows. 

People was lining up to take photos with their telephones and small personal cameras. It was colourful seawater creatures made from coloured balloons, normally used as toys for kids.

Just amazing, and I understand it has been their most successful windows ever. You can see better photos than mine at www.anothernormal.com or see the artist, Jason Hackenwerth on his website.

They are powerful and brings you into the window. You just wish to be in there squeezing the balloons.  The new Spring fashion looks pretty good  the new, fresh shades.

More...

 Barney's NY had a completely different look but stunning as well. With black and white backstage images in the back ground with just a couple of simple mannequins.

Might be back with more, 

Gunn

One afternoon in New York

 New York has the best macrobiotic cafe, located in Soho. Souen This is my very first stop at every trip. It has been there for ever , at least for 30 some years. It is quite amazing because it is playing against all the marketing rules we know. They never change the menu, they did not change interior in all these years ( perhaps some fresh paint ) Same tables, same chairs as 30 years ago. No image, no advertizing ( the website is nice ) .... but amazing good, fresh and healthy food. Friendly personel and always open. Unfortunately I picked a hotel in midtown so it is too far to have breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Lunch is vegetarian Sushi, made of brown rice and rolled in sesame seeds. heavenly Kale with Carrot dressing and Hijiki salad

Kate Spade is making really nice accessories and has  a fantastic looking shop at 454 Broome street, Soho. It is a good stop if you are in Soho.

I went to Elisabeth street to see if something new had happend. Not really.  Erica Kanov is still there with her sweet shop of simple feminine pieces. The mood of the collection and the shop is  very eclectic and personal. 

Double RL is really a great menswear shop and very Ralph Lauren...The perfect vintage items for a casual styled man.

My favorite stop was MODO, 252 Moot Street,  for a pair of new eyeglasses. The store has really good brands. Loved the Fabien Baron Eyewear.

If you like vintage interior and textile Paola Rubenstein at 65 Prince street is a good stop. I think her selection is amazing and a dreamland. 

A closeup of Paola Rubenstein's window display.

It is so easy to forget to raise your head sometimes and look at the fantastic buildings NY has. This is the Little Singer Building, designed by Ernest Flagg in the 1902,

 on 561 Broadway.  

A nice tea brake at The Mercer hotel cafe, 147 Mercer street.

I had poached pear in warm Frangipane sauce. 

Not bad....., 

Gunn

                                      
                                                                          

New York in February

Just arrived in New York last night. Woke up to a wonderful clear sky, 26 F and a mad storm.

The above photo is on the 7th Avenue area taken from the 44th floor. I am visting the

 " fashion district" after a couple of years ( actually we need to add an 0 to that number ).

I am looking forward to this day and will let You know more later on,

G

HAPPY Valentines Day !

A perfect day....and it is perfect at any time.

"Champagne is the only wine that leaves a woman beautiful after drinking it"

Madame de Pompadour

English VOUGE always have stunning and inspirational photographs. This one is taken by Raymond Meier in the  December issue 2010

PS. It is the best thing you can have great after a heart attack.

G

Dr Hauscka's Ritual Cleanse

This routine developed by Dr Hauscka Skin Care is working very well for me. And I wish to share it with you. How to awaken skin to radiant beauty. It takes just a few minutes each day to clean, tone and moisturize your face, the effort will show. 





 1 / I wash my face and neck with Signature Cleansing, an exfoliating creme and rinse carefully with finger warm water. Easily done with a clean compress.


2 / I spray the balancing Clarifying Toner directly on the face, neck and décolleté and let it dry for a moment. 


3 / A few drops of Normalizing Day Oil as a base. It provides protective benefits to mature skin. With wonderful plant extracts and plant oils. It is quickly absorbed.


4 /  Then, I dab...or tap...on the tiniest amount of Daily Revitalizing Eye Cream around the eyes. Containing Rose water and botanical extracts, mango and macadamia oils. The box promise to prevent signs of premature aging safely and naturally. 


5 / Last, I complete the face with Rose Day Cream, massage lightly. Each tube contains oil from thirty Rose flowers and has Avocado oil as well.


  Usually I do not use any coloured cremes or powder on the face and do not use any make-up in my casual office. I think it is good to save the face for important occasions. 
 I am lucky living in a clean and fresh climate and am a non smoker. This helps.

And no mentioning about fresh fruits and vegetables,
Gunn

Time for Love !

Time to think of Valentines Day ! 

A fantastic celebration of Lovers. 

Well, why pick a precise day? It is peculiar....but all for buying more and keep the economy going. 

Personally , I think the best present is to give away TIME. 

A moment for each other, a moment to be caring and attentive.

G

Monty Don's last arrival !

The box of new books came in from Amazonia.com yesterday and it it feels like Christmas Eve again. My first and favorite subject is gardening. 

This is the latest book by Monty Don. Actually I think it was launched in 2009. Himself calls the book a love story. 

As it is in a form of a diary from the family house and garden it is very nice to read it slowly, month after month.

We will see..I just finished the January chapter. I love M.D. soft, friendly and honest way of writing and he takes you into his garden with a description that you even feel the scent of the flowers and the fruit growing there. I read his books in the winter and dream of what can be done in my small garden.

Dreaming of green plants, flowers is soul food.

 In the summer I have his books around to help me when I am stuck or aware of ignorance in carrot growing....

 Often I have to run out and save the books from a rain shower in the garden. They are by now so consumed that I have made my own hard cover. But the content is the same and works wonder for me.

His next book "My Dream Farm" should be released in September.

My friend Edy,  just reminded me of that Happiness - is to share passion, experience and doings from day-to-day.
Gunn

Colours for life !

COLOURS ! 

Shades of colours is an important part of our everyday lives. In how we dress, in interior decoration, in food and are all strongly influenced by hues. I am a fashion designer ( when I do not garden, make natural skincare, play with dogs or cook ) and am sourounded with tons of colours in my office . Always predicting what is the next shade we want to buy. Always making a good colour story for the next year. I pinch napkins in restaurants ( if the shade is perfect ) , pick fruit and flowers for the perfect shade, that is going into a Cashmere sweater. Always having a shade in my mind.

The colour is also light. The reflection of the sun. The beauty of shadows. The Scandinavian Interior decoration style is built on shadows. White and grey.

Colours plays a vitally important role in the world, which we live in. 

Colours can change moods, thinking and cause reaction. It can give energy or lower energy. 

Red is attention and Green is ok, for go ahead. Yellow is energy and attention. Red is Love.... I can go on for ever.

Anyway I think we live in a Blue era at this moment.  And let's remember that Pink is the navy blue of India.

Actually, India is one of my favorite source of colour inspiration.

What's next ? 

A lot of white, stone, beige, sand, kind of non colour ..... now, thinking Spring Summer 2012.

Thank's to all the brights this coming Season. It looks so good. 

Let's endulge in brights,

Gunn

HAPPINESS

I just read an interesting article in an Italian magazine about Happiness. 

Being miserable in translating , I will just tell you in my own words. The article said that 6 out of 10 Italians are unhappy....and the number of happy women is increased, due to work and more self esteem. Funny I would think Italians in general are a very joyful population.

 Except when it comes to politics and taxes. On this issue there is a lot of complaining year after year, without doing anything about it. When it's time for election , the majority goes always the same way. ......here  am going in the wrong direction...complaining.....

Back to HAPPINESS.

What is happiness ? Somebody called Schopenhauer said; The only happiness is not to be born. Hm...what attitude is this. We are here and we need to make the best of it, right ?

Happiness - is family

Happiness - is health

Happiness - is to love

Happiness - are friends

Happiness - is to eat a simple healthy meal

Happiness - is to give

Happiness - is money ? for some, sad...

Happiness - is a sunny day !

Happiness - are children's joy

Happiness - is to believe in a religion 

Happiness - is a wagging tail ( for me )

Happiness - is to return home

Happiness - is not to take depression medication 

Happiness - is to have a slumber party !

Lucky - is to have a choice

Happiness  is laughing and the best medicine for health. 

Let's release more of HAPPINESS hormones.

G

Cherish these days !

What a beautiful day ! 

It was incredible warm and sunny today. I think we had 18° in the sun. It is amazing, but very incorrect. It is actually scary and it makes you wonder how we are going to cope with the  extreme future climates. 

I did enjoy the day in the garden, cleaning and cutting in the Herbal garden and could see a lot of green little sprouts coming up. 

Cutting dried herbs is a wonderful Aromatherapy experience. 

The perfume of Thyme, Rosemary, Lavender ,Spearmint...

A great tip: when you cut off old dried plants of lavender and thyme. It is useful to bundle them up with a string and save them for starters for the fireplace. It is bulky and requires space for storing them, I keep mine in a big IKEA bag. The scent coming from the fire is amazing.

After a day of hard physical labour it is nice to enjoy a relaxing bath... 

with Lavender and Geranium scented bath foam from nara heltnaturligt, of course.

mmmm, nice...

Follow up with  Body lotion in the same scent.

Gunn

Vegetable garden

The vegetable garden will be fantastic " this year ".... that is something I promised myself last Fall when it was actually an unplanned mess. I love to dig into the dirt and forget about time and any other important things, I should be bothered with. I am an amateur gardener and am trying to learn from studying beautiful, inspirational coffee table books , thinking that I can do it as well. Probably not. 

Dreaming and planning are big issues and sometimes more important than the actual happening. Like planning for a big party or a wedding or giving a special surprise to somebody.

I already told you how much I admire Monty Don and his inspirational writing about his garden.  There is no thriller that can give the thrills as M. Don's garden books.

It is only early February and very little can be done in the garden. 

Planning the vegetables position can be done, ordering seeds as well. I like when the garden is orderly organized and everything is in perfect rows....my helping hand, is sticking the plant where he finds an empty spot. It can be charming , but it limits the possibility to make second planting in the season. 

A good seed company I normally get my seeds from is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in The US.

The weather in Italy is so fantastic that certain vegetables can be growing twice. Rucola for example grows so fast that we never have time to eat it.

Pumpkins can take over the whole plot, so I am planting them in another end of the garden. Basel is a struggle, they are mostly eaten by the slugs. I thought of trying some high pots this year instead of having them in the herbal garden.

Dreaming, planning and fantasising,

G

Love is in the air...

....Give your love, live your life

Each and every day

And keep your hands wide open

Let the sun shine trough

'Cause you can never lose a thing 

If it belongs to you....

Abbey Lincoln