{frolic!}

swedish vacation cottage

I receive a lot of emails inquiring about the Swedish cottage I rented last summer so I thought I might as well post some info here. The cottage is on a darling little island 45 minutes (by bus or an hour by boat) from Stockholm called Resarö in the Stockholm Archipelago.

The tiny island has one store and loads of cute cottages and gardens and is just a 20 minute biking trail to Vaxholm. 

Situated a miles walk from a bus stop, the one room cottage is furnished and outfitted simply with everything you'll need. You can rent it right here. Oh and the cottage has since been painted black on the outside. You can see more photos of the cottage, Resarö and surrounding areas right here. 

Photos by Chelsea Fuss.

skansen

Skansen was one of my favorite places to visit in Stockholm. It is a living history museum with the dreamiest bakery, darling grass-roofed houses, moody cafes with peeling wallpaper and candles, arts + crafts studios and farms (with reindeer!). I am so completely charmed by it. More photos here.

P.S. I refer you to Laura Normandin's post for some really pretty photos of Skansen.

 

 

 

 

 

my swedish cottage

 

Here are a few snapshots of the wee little house I've been staying at in Sweden. It's just under 400 square feet and pretty much has everything I need. I've totally fallen in love with the cottage life! It has all the coziness of a house without the hassle that a large space brings. 

                      

Oh dear. Next week I leave + return to reality!!

helena's home

 

I've met so many kind + lovely people here in Sweden. Today, I went to tea at a neighbor's home (I met her on the bus!:). Her name is Helena Molund and she's an amazing landscape designer. I was totally smitten with the interiors of her home. Turns out, it's been featured in a million magazines. It's in the current issue of Lantliv (a gorgeous Swedish home magazine!). 

 

These photos were taken by Mark Scott and are from here, where you can see more photos + details. Thanks for tea, Helena!

swedish moose!

Today our city bus stopped for a moose! It made me smile. Moose are such tall, almost elegant animals. I loved watching it prance across the road!

Photo from tschoppi on Flickr.

rosendals trädgård

I think I found heaven. It's a little place called Rosendals Trädgård, a public space with cutting gardens, greenhouses, a nursery, orchards for picnicking, a cafe, a bakery, and lovely gardens full of romantic nooks and crannies. Think Petersham Nurseries but in Sweden! Jane of Simple + Pretty, I have a feeling you'd love this place! More photos on Flickr.

postcard from sweden: pretty patterns

I went to this little cafe today and every room (there were about 4 of them) had a different wallpaper pattern on the wall (though, actually this one is tile!). I loved it and of course all the geraniums in the window. See more on my Flickr.

a swedish department store

   

There's a department store chain here in Sweden called Åhléns. My first time there was at one of their smaller stores and it seemed perfectly edited just for my taste. I've had my eye on these scalloped plates. Oh, and at their giant Åhléns City store in downtown Stockholm, they have a mini Muji store inside!  Each store also has a fabric section! The website doesn't do it justice. You'll need to come and visit Sweden!

house tour: swedish family home

  
 
This is the home of my landlords and neighbors, Ann and Jesper and their three children. They moved out here to the Stockholm Archipelago from the city just last year and are restoring a 10 year old home. One of the first things they did upon moving in, was to white wash the floors and all the walls of the interior. Ann calls their style, " A harmonious mix of old and new."

 
 
 The dining room is a mix of new purchases and family heirlooms, like the chandelier which belonged to Ann's grandmother. With so many traditional features like the built-in fireplaces and the clapboard ceilings, it is hard to tell if the home is old or new. The outside is currently being painted but features a traditional grass roof! Hopefully I can show that to you soon. See more photos and details on my Flickr. 

postcard from sweden: colors

  

I love the red, yellow, blue and green that appear over and over again in the form of trees, paint, grass, berries, sky and water. More on my Flickr.