A Winter Garden in Sweden

Winters are long in Sweden so why not design your garden to be beautiful in the snow?

Read the article about how Maria Dremo Sundström achieved this look with hers.

I wonder if she was inspired by Dutch Landscape Designer. Piet Oudolf? See a video about his Dutch gardens and a film documentary below:

A Kitchen Inspired by Carl Larsson

"The Kitchen" circa 1898 by Carl Larsson via 

His own kitchen, pictured above, has inspired a real life kitchen with these paint colors. Read the article and see photos of the cabinetry and paint swatches here

Swedish School Girl's Fight for Climate Change

Click here to watch and hear Greta Thunberg speak in this wonderful video. I loved it. She has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy work for climate change.

Lennart Helje Art w/ Elf, Cat, Bird

Lennart Helje is a painter and illustrator who born in 1940 in Lima, Sweden. He paints gnomes wearing red hats and animals in snowy landscapes. He has also illustrated books, stamps, and postal Christmas seals, with Nordic, nature, and plant motifs. The photo above was found on Google Images. Isn't his artwork delightful? I also found an article about him on a blog with a slideshow of some of his wonderful paintings. Read more here. You're welcome. xo

Video: Nordic Skating on Thin Black Ice in Sweden

This small lake outside Stockholm, Sweden, emits otherworldly sounds as Mårten Ajne skates over its precariously thin, black ice. “Wild ice skating” or “Nordic skating” is both an art and a science. A skater seeks out the thinnest, most pristine black ice possible -- both for its special smoothness, and for its high-pitched sounds of cracking. This is so exhilarating to watch!!!!!

View full screen if you are watching this video on a computer. It is truly amazing and don't forget to turn on the sound. If you cannot see the video, here is the link for a National Geographic feature on YouTube.

Ural Owl in Sweden

Photographed by Mattias Bergman in a dark forrest in Uppland, Sweden. He said seeing this Ural Owl against the dark background was like seeing a ghost.