Things I ♥ This Week

If you like Scandinavian design, then you will LOVE Lovenordic Design Blog.
Hands free stroller umbrella!?! Yes, please.
DIY origami balloon lanterns for fairy lights. 'Cause you guys know how much I love origami.
This cocktail looks perfect for a long hot afternoon.
How awesome is this DIY net bag bag from Seriously...WTF?
This before & after of a rundown old trolly depot is AH-MAZING!
These cosy knit beanbags from Zilalila.
I'll be participating in Susannah Conway's August Break. Won't you join us?

Have a happy weekend!

It gets better.

A message from Professor Severus Snape.

It's part of the work itgetsbetter.org is doing to combat the bullying of gay and lesbian teens, but I think the message "It gets better" pretty much applies to any horrible situation you might find yourself in.

P.S. Sorry about the early post.

Things I love this week will be up again tomorrow. 

7/22

The Babe and I stepped out of the chilly misty afternoon into our cozy little apartment, shedding our damp coats and wet shoes at the door. We'd been out to meet with friends for coffee and a snack. It was late when we got home and I still had supper to cook, so I turned on the TV to distract The Babe from all the sharp knives and hot surfaces that he so desperately wants to touch and play with when I am in the kitchen cooking. The Danish news was on and the images that flashed across the screen were clearly those of a place that had been bombed. Broken windows. Rubble. After almost 10 years of The War on Terror, we've all seen images like this what? A hundred times? Maybe more. But something about this scene was different. It seemed...closer. This was not in some sunny, dry desert thousands of miles away. No. This place was grey. It was raining. Like it was raining here. 

My first thought was that someone had bombed Copenhagen. Denmark has it's fair share of troubles. Once, while exploring the city with The Babe, I happened upon a small group of immigrants who were protesting before being chased away by twice as many police men. There was a very menacing tension in the air. I turned around instantly and walked quickly back the way I came. I thought of that brief encounter as I turned the channel. If it was big enough to be on Danish TV, then it was bound to be on CNN.

It was not Copenhagen. It was Oslo.

I'm not going to sit here and try to share with you the intricacies of the Danish political landscape. (For that I recommend the excellent blog, Adventures and Japes. ) I haven't been here anywhere near long enough to know all its characters and philosophies. I will say this: Nationalism is not new. Hatred is not new. Fear is not new. It exists everywhere. This horrible thing that happened in Norway, it could happen anywhere. And that is terrifying. 

I've tried many times since Friday to write this post. I am heartbroken for Norway. I am heartbroken for us all and the words, well, they are even more difficult to find than usual. I am going to stop trying. Instead, I am going to use a quote from one of the survivors of the Utoya massacre that I found on In My Tree.

Inspiration for a Big Boy Room

The Babe's recent escape artistry skills mean that it's time for a big boy bed. That's right. Just when we've gotten all moved in and settled, it's time to redecorate. Well, redecorate his room anyway, which is a little sad. I really liked the way his room was starting to come together. Oh well. I'll always have these pictures. 

Here are three rooms that are really inspiring me right now.  

via Desire to Inspire

I love everything about this shared room for four. 

via Skona Hem

This is such a happy, colorful room. And that bunting is just plain fun.

via Oliver Yaphe

originally from Emmas Design Blogg

I am crazy for maps, especially in a kid's room. 

Also, that giant hippo is adorable.

 I'm a sucker for hippos. 

Weekend Pics: Windmills, Wheat and Poppies

Happy Monday, all! How was your weekend? Ours was gray and misty but full of new friends. Saturday night we had a newly arrived American over for dinner. Sunday we went out to this lovely country home for afternoon tea with a lovely couple and their adorable baby boy.

The house is just on the other side of this wheat field.

And in this sea of wheat were little dots of red poppies. 

Weekend Reading

A step by step on how to make your own abstract art over at Oh Happy Day!

Awesome iPhonography at Pioneer Woman .

How amazing is this Red White and Two birthday party!?!

This looks seriously yummy. My mouth is watering.

Check out the designer who will be decorating Will and Kate's London digs.

Just hearing about the heat wave in the US reminded me of how much I want to do this.

Super easy cake pops for the über lazy from Aubrey and Lindsey's Little House Blog.

Have a happy weekend!!

Duck(s)!

Yesterday The Boy worked from home. That meant The Babe and I absolutely had to vacate the house because when Daddy works from home, all The Babe wants to do is distract him with cuteness. He's pretty shameless about it, too, and insistent. (I WILL NOT BE IGNORED, DAD!) So after breakfast we packed up Big Red and went for a long walk to our new favorite park. It's a charming little place on a peninsula that juts out into the fjord. It has a small playground, a birdhouse and lots of room to run around. On our first visit we discovered the Big Boy slide, which is a little too big for him but he tackled it bravely anyway before deciding he'd been there and done that. Next was the rope climbing web. Again, it's a little out of his age range, but he enjoyed standing and bouncing on the bottom rung. It got old pretty quickly. But running up and down The Big Hill, that never gets old. 

As we were practicing running up and down the hill a la Little House on the Prairie  these guys flew in and landed a few feet away. 

 They kinda blend. 

Of course The Babe, being a great lover of ducks, was very excited by this development. It was on. He had the best time chasing these guys around.  

And seeing as these guys never flew off and even let him get tantalizing close,

 I think that the ducks had a pretty good time, too. 

Living In A Foreign Land: Vejle, Denmark

It's been 6 months since we moved to Vejle and I've been meaning to update you on our thoughts and impressions about our new little town but every time I sit down to write I get so overwhelmed that I draw a complete blank. Where do I even begin? Then I got an email from a nice couple who will be moving here soon, and wanted the skinny on life in Vejle which has been acting as a motivator to try and organize my thoughts. (Check out Heidi's brand new blog The Read Diary, that's chronicling their life and upcoming move. Woohoo more countrymen!). The thoughts, well, they're still pretty jumbled, and not just because I've got a toddler pulling on my arm right now, but here goes. 

With a population of around 50,000 people, Vejle is Denmark's 9th largest city. To us, though, it feels like a small town. Practically speaking, Vejle is extremely livable. We live near the city center and find it to be very walkable. There are many many excellent shops that are filled with all the Danish designs that the world raves about. There are lovely cafes and restaurants to enjoy, especially in the summer when tables are set up outside. Three high quality grocery stores make shopping easy. In the warmer months (starting around Easter) there is a small market in the church square. Here's the draw back. Most shops open at 10am on weekdays and close promptly at 5pm. On weekends, Saturday hours are 10-2. Sunday there is one grocery store open. Seriously. When things close down, they close down and it's a ghost town.  This perhaps more than anything else has been the biggest change for us.  I know. Strange but true. Vejle is also pretty conveniently located. If you can't find it here or just want to explore, Arhus (Denmark's 2nd largest city) is only an hour's drive/train ride away. Copenhagen is 2 hours away. The west coast is a little over an hour away. Denmark has an excellent rail system, so it's very easy to explore the country from here. 

I'll be honest and say that we have not taken advantage of all that Vejle/Syddanmark/Denmark/Europe in general has to offer. That's partly because we're still recuperating from the move to Denmark in November and then the move to Vejle in February.  But it's also partly because we have a small child and that adds a complicated dimension to our outings. If The Babe is not interested in something, he will let you know and make the entire trip miserable. (Examples: The Jelling Viking Market. He was waaaay more interested in the cars driving past than he was in the Vikings and so the entire trip was about keeping him away from the traffic. Or our trip to The National Museum in Copenhagen when he screamed the entire time. You see? Challenging.) Vejle itself has a movie theater and a music theater, which is to say a performance theater that puts on everything from comedy to Broadway to classical ballet and opera , an excellent library, and a gym known as the DGI Huset. There are swimming beaches around the fjord, but I gotta be honest, it has to be A LOT warmer before a little ol' southern blossom like myself will get in that water. (So far this summer it's only gotten as warm as the mid 70's. Most days I am more comfortable in long sleeves or a light jacket. Most days I feel like I should be going to tailgate at a college football game.) As far as I can tell, activities and events are cyclical. They start popping up in the spring. People really get out to enjoy the weather and sunlight in the  summer with music festivals, fairs, and other outdoor activities. (Check out Visit Vejle, an excellent website for events in the area.) Things kind of die down in the fall, I think, but then Denmark does Christmas in a VERY BIG way. From mid January  to Easter is kind of a tough time. It's cold. It's dark. When it's not dark, it's grey. Everyone seems to just batten down the hatches and wait for spring. 

There doesn't seem to be a huge American expat community here, but there are expat events around the country like dinners and picnics. We haven't been yet, but there is a picnic in August we plan to attend. So there are opportunities to make connections with fellow expatriates. Despite the many books that we read expounding on the standoffishness of the Danes, we've found the people here to be kind and hospitable. Most people speak a good amount of English and are willing to give it a try even if they are unsure of their capabilities. I find this endearing, especially since, as a stay at home mom, I haven't had the opportunity to take language classes. 

Next week I'll talk about the business of setting up your life in Denmark. Things like cell service and drivers licenses. You know. Fun stuff. Because it's so different from the US, it can be complicated. We found this book, The Worktrotter's Guide to Denmark, to be immeasurably helpful in explaining the ins and outs of the Danish system.

I hope this helps!

Weekend Reading

I have got to try this: Make your own cinemagraphs like the one above by Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg of From Me to You.
I am giddy with excitement about the fabulous AshleyAnn's SnapShot Online course.
I am ridiculously jealous of The Boy, who's in London this week and staying right around the corner from Buckingham Palace. 
S'mores are yummy. Peanut butter cup s'mores are yummier.
Traveling with a toddler this summer? Then you need this travel childproofing kit.
Just when I'm all upset with Facebook, this story comes along to literally save the day.
I watched this movie last night and loved it. Totally worth every Oscar.
Yeah. I gotta remember this.
Congratulations to new mom and soon to be published author, Liz Owen of Mable's House, for her first book! I'm so happy for you!

Have a fabulous weekend!

A Trip to Bath

This time last year my parents were visiting us in London. Because my dad wanted to see a little bit of the British countryside and I wanted to see some serious history we (OK, I) decided to walk in the footsteps of one of my literary heroines and take a trip to Aquae Sulis. You might  know it better today as Bath. 

As always, the worst part of getting anywhere in the UK from London is getting through London itself. We spent about an hour going from our house in Greenwich to Paddington Station and then another 45 or so minutes in line to buy tickets which, as luck would have it, put us at just in time for the next train. If we ran. Which is not easy to do with husband and grandparents and baby + all baby's paraphernalia in tow. We'd just plopped down into our seats, breathless and sweaty, when the train began pulling out of the station and on toward Somerset. 

Nestled on the banks of the Avon River, Bath is an ancient little town (like Iron Age ancient) with a big history. I'm sure it has a lot going for it (two of my favorite bloggers live there, after all) but in my mind, it's know for two things: The Roman Baths and Jane Austen. This being a day trip with boys, I didn't think there would be much enthusiasm for an all out Austen Extravaganza, so to The Baths we went.

Bath Abby shares a square with the Roman Bath complex.

Those two lovely people staring at the camera amid all the hustle and bustle?

Those are my parents. 

There is a lot to see at The Roman Baths. I could've spent many happy hours exploring but when there is a baby involved you no longer have that kind of time. Turns out, babies aren't really that into museums. Oh, sure they'll tolerate an exhibit for a little while but then one of two things will happen. If you're lucky, they'll get bored and fall asleep. If you're unlucky, well, then a tantrum is probably in the cards. You never know the hand you're going to be dealt and so you make the most of the time you have. That's when Mommie Museum Mode kicks in. Look  at everything, but only read about the things that really really really catch your eye. (This technique is also employed on any kind of shopping trip. Yes, gone are the days of a leisurely amble around the bookstore. *sigh*.) Consequently, I missed about 86.9% of the museum, but what I did catch was AMAZING.  

Those are the actual hot springs! In the actual Roman conduits!

When we first moved to Greenwich, they were tearing up the streets

to replace the Victorian pipeworks. And that's like, what? 150 years old?

It's true. They really don't make things like they used to.

We got lucky. The Babe got bored. 

After an exciting lunch which included a poop-splosion so grand that I had to go out and buy The Babe replacement pants, we headed down to the park for some fun time our little one could enjoy. 

This cool lion made (mostly) out of succulents guarding the entrance to the park.

Yes, I packed his ball but didn't bring an extra pair of pants. I am always waaaay optimistic about the pooping situation. It has on more than one occasion been my downfall.

Something I find exceedingly endearing about the British is their love of their pets. I'm not saying that they love their pets more than anyone else, but you can find monuments

to faithful pets like Greyfriars Bobby and cemeteries for pets all over the UK. There's one in Hyde Park, if you know where to look, another in Edinburgh Castle, and this one hidden peacefully beneath trees in the park by the river.

So sad and sweet.

The Escape Artist

Cue Mission Impossible music.

We are so in trouble. 

I want to go to there.

Happy Monday, my friends! How have you been? Sorry to have gone missing again so soon, but things around here have been a bit frustrating the last few days. The Boy has been super busy with work and The Babe has decided that food is not exactly his thing. I swear the kid can taste the color green. Dinner time has become a battle of wills and tears as we all try to work out our strategies. We've tried begging, coaxing, praise, rewards, ignoring him, removing the food if he throws a tantrum and time out to calm down when he does. It's been pretty upsetting for us all. No one likes to see a baby sobbing uncontrollably and when we put him in time out and he says "Mama" in one great, choking sob, I want to cry too. It would be so easy to give in and give him what he wants just to make the screaming and crying stop. We know what a slippery slope that would be, though, so we endure the tantrums and the crying and the heartbreaking "Mama's". It's all a part of it, I guess. Not the fun part, but a part. 

We could use a vacay after all this kerfuffle.  Three years ago, the girls in my wedding treated me to a three day beach getaway in Destin, Florida and lately I've been daydreaming of a trip to this beautiful beach with the family. And by family I mean grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, the whole chaotic, crazy, wonderful shebang. 

I think about our little guy running around chasing waves, looking for seashells, and building sand castles with his cousins.  I think about my daddy's BBQ and my momma's potato salad and my sister's strawberry pretzel dessert . I think about watching the sunset over the Gulf with a glass of lemonade in my hand, my feet in the sugar white sand and my family and friends all around and my heart smiles.

The little blond one there is not mine. He's my sister's. 

But he bears an uncanny resemblance to The Babe. 

It's a pretty good daydream. 

Little Vikings

Yesterday while on an adventure to retrieve a book on reserve for The Boy at the local library, The Babe and I came across this Viking day camp.

This group was getting some serious instructions on how to be warriors.

And then they were turned loose.

The little kids had a fantastic time ganging up on the big kids...ahem...I mean instructors. I  was especially happy to see some girls holding their own in the bunch. (I love the little girl in her stripe dress, polka dot tights and sword. Too cute.)

Naturally, The Babe wanted to get in on that action. He thought the whole battle was hilarious. But I think he's a little young yet to be practicing his Viking skills. Maybe next year. 

Sparkle

via Lobster on a Placemat

via john.reilly on flickr

via FroggiesCanFly on Flicker

Sparkler art is cool.