Lovely Finds: Swedish and Handmade

handmade

Lovely Finds: Swedish and Handmade

September 08, 2011

It seems my whole life has bloomed with

delightful nordic sensibilities.

From a childhood home full of dala horses,

Swedish friends, and a "no shoes in house" rule

to marrying my mostly Norwegian husband,

I am drawn to Scandinavian chic and charm

and found these new to me

7 sources of nordic lovely

on the web.

Because I'm a tease...

when you make it to the end of the post,

you will be treated to one of my family's

favorite Swedish lovelies.

Splendid Willow Avenue

{Classic Swedish Lovely}

Monika of Splendid Willow

has an irresistible web boutique,

and you may fall for her

newly expanded shop carrying

Ilse Jacobsen fashion,

Asa Daxberg jewelry,

adorably sweet Maileg

goodness for the kids

(sweet mouse in a matchbox--

get in MAH belly!!!)

and...

luxurious,

silky,

and functional

Gotland pelts.

Now THIS is my idea of

functional

everyday luxury

in a luscious

natural grey.

SwedArt lovelies

{Sami Style}

Margareta and SwedArt artisans

make stunning Lapland Bracelets

from reindeer leather or lambskin

and spun pewter wire braids.

You will not believe the softness

and quality of her bracelets!

Learn a little more about

Sami culture here.

Aren't they brilliant?

Margareta is the first designer

to add pearls to vegetable tanned,

butter soft reindeer leather.

And stay tuned for an upcoming interview

with this designer who happens to be a gem.

In the mean time, check out

how Sami bracelets have gone Hollywood!

Skapligt

{Northern Swedish Charm}

More Lapland lovely...this time

in the form of paper.

In the heart of Lapland,

Petra of Skapligt

creates beautiful little

gift tags, cards, and more.

A busy shop owner and parent,

Petra says:

"When our little ones are tucked up in bed,

I love spending my evenings among sketchbooks,

beautiful papers, stamps, brushes and bottles of paint,

working on new ideas and patterns.

A cup of tea and some pieces of dark chocolate

always keep me company."

Knowing the origin of such handmade lovely
makes me love the swedelicious tags even more.
Am I the first to merge Swede with Delicious?
Googling it returned 5,000+ results,
but this is planet michele soooooo
just for today, let's pretend.

Colin's Creatures

{Scandinavian Chic Sheep}

Colin's shop is in North Carolina,

and the artist's handmade creatures of

fine porcelain, cast stone, and wool

bring a little Gotland farm chic to you.

Colin's gotland sheep

Wouldn't this be an incredible

collection to begin?

Orstadius Photography

{Artful Swede Photographer}

His work captures MOMENTS,

and the intriguing Stockholm series

by Martin Orstadius

charmed me here.

From the photographer's site, we learn:

“There is something truly uplifting about these images.

A sense that nothing is commonplace and that the miracle

and mystery of life walks here among us every day.”

Girl With Umbrella in Snow

A subtle tint has been added,

reminiscent of papers and techniques

used in the silver gelatin process, and

each lovely photograph is signed.

Spoonier

{Affordable Silver Bling}

They may not offer strictly

Scandinavian chic

(in fact, they sound French),

but Spoonier's vintage

Stavanger Norway

sterling silver spoon ring

spoke my name!

This spoon ring

features a lighthouse and has that' pricey

look' though it's NOT...are we loving???

Josh and Mike

are proud to offer a wide selection

of vintage sterling silver spoon rings,

specializing in floral patterns and Art Nouveau.

Since they offer giveaways 1-2 times a month,

it pays to visit their site, etsy, and facebook.

Studio Lise

{Iconic Simplicity}

Designs from Studio Lise

reflect the designer's Scandinavian heritage, and

I fell for turquoise-y lovely dala notecards.

Then I spied the adorable

black and white travel pillow (above)...

Visit the shop to see more

StudioLise wares with

original, happy nordic charm.

Food Network

You made it!

Enjoy pancakes, gorgeous readers.

I could make 'em in my sleep.

They're a sweet tradition from my childhood

which we have passed on to our sons.

Hope you are tempted to visit

these sources of nordic lovely...

I know I'll be referring

to them in the weeks ahead

as I help Santa with the list.

You do know he needs help, right?

Peace to you right where you are.

Hello Lovely at times partners with
with companies I love and think may interest you.

books

Books: Summers in France {Kathryn Ireland}

September 07, 2011

Near Toulouse,

designer

Kathryn Ireland

brought a rural, rundown property

back to life in Summers In France.

(Seen her hilarious self on Million Dollar Decorators?

Yo.

She tells it like it is.)

Beachy blue shutter love!

Nicholas Coleridge

(Managing Director,

Conde Nast Britain)

refers to Kathryn's house as

"a sophisticated exercise in

sustainable upscale bohemia

where the atmosphere is

gloriously relaxed but everything

somehow works perfectly."

Goodness gracious...

don't you love the sound of

'upscale bohemia????'

And isn't Kathryn's palette in here brilliant?

Charming recipes & entertaining tips round out Summers in France.

Such upscale bohemia is throughout

the Southern France farmhouse

in Kathryn's glorious book

Summers In France

(Gibbs Smith).

Like Kathryn,

S.I.F. is not a fussy

decor book, BTW.

Rather, we are treated

to glimpses and tastes

and whispers of what it is truly

like to abide as a guest at

this amazingly rustic chic getaway.

Nicholas Coleridge captures the essence

of Summers In France eloquently:

"Kathryn brings a tumbledown farm

glamorously back to life

in bohemian style, with

marketplace food, sunshine,

and the laughter of friends."

Would you spend

your summers

in a tumbledown

farmhouse if you could?

Can you describe how it looks

in your mind's eye?

Peace to you right where you are.

Hello Lovely at times partners with
with companies I love and think may interest you.

artist

Artist Inspiration: Sasha Grubor Photography

September 05, 2011

Sasha Grubor captures a beach in Yugoslavia...

Sasha Grubor

in 1976.

So happy to stumble upon

gorgeous photography of a

moment in time
in the former Yugoslavia

so I could discover and share

lovely work from L.A. photographer

Sasha Grubor.

Sasha is wonderful to work with,
and this incredible set

of three prints is at her shop right here.

Loving the tranquil
and sunny-but-totally-cool vibe.
Reminds me a little of Hugh Holland lovely.

Yep.
Still digging my heels in
(actually it's bare feet in the sand)
clinging to all things summery
and tropical on planet michele!

Sasha has beautiful work for sale

at extra friendly prices (10 bucks!).

Combine this with an extra 20% discount
(September only!)
by simply using the code
HELLOLOVE20
and you can have
an instant collection
for very little moolah.

Let's explore more of Sasha's work

from her travels, shall we?

Yellow and Flowers

A shot from a far away island

of which I have never heard.
Mali Losinj is off the northern coast of Croatia

(just under the Istran Penninsula).

Aren't the colors yummy?

If I could sketch, I would

sooooooo paint this!

Blue Alley

Also on Mali Losinj, breathtaking blue walls

and textural interest has me sighing,

and I love the mystery of imagining what lies

just beyond that alley.

(Jason Bourne...?)

Pastels

Another intriguing photo which
brings to mind...hmmmm.
Butterscotch and cotton candy?
Khakis and a sorbet-hued cashmere sweater?

Do visit Sasha Grubor

to see more of her lovely work

and gift shop or acquire your very
own SG originals while they
are still affordable!

*****Don't forget the 20% discount code******
HELLOLOVE20
for the month of September.
Talk to me.
Which photography subject matter
do you enjoy most?

Peace to you right where you are.

Hello Lovely at times partners with
with companies I love and think may interest you.

etsy shops

Lovely Finds: Handmade Jewelry

September 01, 2011

Seems everyone is posting

some version of 'welcome to autumn,'

but this blogger is still thinking

B e a c h y C h i c.

It's more than

a summertime gig

or reserved for bronzy

babes lounging oceanside.

Beachy is a sTAtE Of mINd,

with loveliness that can bloom

anywhere and in every season...

To convince you,

I'm sliding a perfect

Mai Tai

across the cyber bar.

Fine.

I'm beachy-high

so we'll throw in fresh pineapple

and a virtual pupu platter too.

You really ARE spoiled.

my photo - my treasures

As you sip,

perhaps you'll

collect some fresh

inspiration to keep summertime

and a beachy state of mind

alive.

Smoobage

{beachy fly}

Color me crazy for Smoobage

with its surfergirl owner.

It's not just those

killer comfy earrings,

it's Heather's whole mermaidtastic

sassy Smoobage 'tude:

"Peace to the geese

and hang loose to the moose.

These are my works

which receive lots of

love and light."

(Heather)

Smoobage

Peace to the geese!!!!

It's tough to get

beachier than feather-light

feathery adornment infused

with sunshine and peace

from a mermaid, yes?

Warning:

Smoobage bling

is a far cry from "cute."

More like

S to the E

to the X to the Y

so make good choices

when you're barefootin it around in

Heather's feathers,

friends.

Seashells11035

{beachy bookshelf bling}

This is bling?

Affirmative.

Quite simply,

it was natural pink sea fan bling

of which I was in dire need.

Neeeeeeddddded.

Big time.

Which is how I found a

Massachusetts shop full of lovely for

aquariums and beachy rooms.

Seen these sea fans placed

under glass or in a vignette

with shells?

FANtastic.

Sarah Renee Designs

{gemtastically chic}

Recently I embarrassed myself

via perpetual posts about druzy stones.

It was while on a crystally goodness quest

I browsed Sarah's shop to discover

INDEED. MORE DRUZY.

As well as a lush variety of

beach girlie glam.

Sarah Renee Designs

Let's not

fixate on her

purple royally-yummy druzy

or the model's perfect shade of beachy blonde...

It'll be ok.

Already enrolled in a 12-step

for obsessive blonde disorder.

Med Beach Stones

{rock your beachy bad self}

Have I mentioned

these stone hearts make my

tender one go pitter patter?

Really? Just 38 times?

Naturally formed

heart-shaped stones

from Israel

look great everywhere and

feel somewhere between sweetly smooth

and texturally dreamy in the hand.

Nichole Riley

{feminine with edge}

Speaking of a dreamy touch,

Southern girl Nichole's

go-to jewelry design style

is all about

tenderly wire-wrapping

gorgeous briolettes.

Like these

*brand spanking new*

Lite Air earrings.

A perfect shade

of oceany-aqua-blue,

soft, feminine,

and lusciously balanced

with the metal wrap.

Nichole Riley

...and a little seagull told me

Nichole's facebook page offers secret discounts.

Are we needing further refreshment?

Comin' right up.

A digital Raspberry Caipirinha

for the ooomph you need to continue.

Next stop?

South America.

Rrunaway

{beachy for a cause}

I fell for Johanna's

(a compassionate soul living in Peru)

laid back, artfully rustic chic pieces

perfect for wearing to the beach or

for evoking memories of it.

30% of sales support young Rosita

who needs the funds for medical treatment,

and I love the idea of speding holiday shopping

dollars where it's going to make a solid difference

to a family's 'everyday.'

Let's trot back to the states.

Stone Alloy

{lakeshore lovely}

Don't you LOVE learning new things?

Great Lakes lover and owner

of Stone Alloy, Val

educated me about

SLAG.

Slag doesn't have the sexiest ring.

Get over it.

(Slag would like to remind you

she rhymes with SWAG.)

"Prized glass rocks...

known to have been disposed of

in the 1800’s along certain areas

of the lake where iron ore

factories operated.

The material has tumbled

for well over 150 years to form

these very cool stones."

Sea glass nautical necklace

Val sees beauty and potential in

stones collected from the Lakes that others

may consider less than desirable.

She transforms the imperfectly perfect

into beautiful handmade treasures.

Stone Alloy

Earrings with rare "Lelandite" blue slag glass.

Aren't the earthy turquoise found "slag"

(tumbling underwater for 150 years)

beguiling?

SAS Appeal

{bling on a budget}

When a designer has

a love affair with collecting pieces

while traveling and serving in the Navy,

sometimes this gives birth to a shop.

SAS Appeal's coin pearl earrings (above)

are an affordably chic way

to inject instant beach appeal

for just a few coins.

LH Jewelry

{beauty and the beach}

FYI.

Dude.

Beachy doesn't mean gnarly.

Beachy can be like totally elegant!

Exhibit A:

Laura knows her way 'round a hoop...so to speak.

Light, graceful, and dripping with

aqua chalcedony and black garnet,

these babies do double duty.

Wear the hoops with the stones,

or if you like, slip them off

to wear the hoops naked

(indeed we're in beach mode,

so please interpret the instructions

any way you like).

LH Jewelry

Right now, Laura is loving:

"Rough minerals like chopped

agate and rough diamonds and

using them in my fall and

winter collections.

The raw beauty of rough stones

woven into polished jewelry intrigues me."

Simple Daisy

{beachy keen}

Don't tell my heart,

my preachy beachy heart,

but Simple Daisy had me at 'simple.'

Organic. Simple. Inspired.

Heather is a true artisan

who makes metal and gemstones

speak.

Simple Daisy's

Beach Pebble Bangle

is delicate minimalism at its best.

The handformed sterling bracelet

features an organic charm created

from fine silver clay.

Simple Daisy

Silver clay?

Am I the only one who thinks that's beyond cool?

Heather's passion for living a creative life

radiates like sunshine from her shop and blog.

"I know that the more I allow myself to nurture

that side of me, the more it just starts coming...

I want everyone to nurture that part of themselves."

Hope you discovered a treasure or five

from this sand-between-the-toes collection, and...

now it's your turn.
Ye who are buzzed
from lovely cyber liquor...

Have a favorite
go-to beachy chic accessory?
And is the temperature beachy
in your neck of the woods?
(In the 90's here).

Peace to you right where you are.