giveaway!

While I spend the next one and a half week at the the mountain cabin for our Easter vacation, I was hoping you would like to participate in my little giveaway. Please leave a comment and tell me why you like to visit this blog, and you get a chance to win my newest Blurb book, Light.

The book is 40 pages square format soft cover with premium paper. You can see the preview of the whole book here.

The winner will be picked on Tuesday April 6 when I'm back online.

Btw, this is my kind of cabin life.

So long folks!

I like this

I don't think I would like cabinets like that in my own kitchen, but I still like this unusual solution. I also like the built in stove + marble countertops are growing on me - though I still prefer wood. Photo by Cesar Rubio for this article in Dwell magazine.

today

I fell in love with our garden. Again. I love seeing it come to life after this especially snowy winter.







When I walked home from the office the sun was shining and it was 10 degrees celcius. I smiled like an idiot as I photographed (with film) the budding trees. Spring is here!

Btw, I'm planning my first ever giveaway (this doesn't count ;-) in this space very soon. Details are coming very, very soon.

Happy Friday peeps!

our garden | spring

Trippel

Good looking coffee table by Norwegian designers Wyller, Frøystad & Klock (via Made in Norway Now).

Trippel is a table with tree functions in one. Tubular aluminium pipes holds the 3 functional tabletops shaped like bowls with different sizes and makes an attractive centrepiece in a living room, sitting room, or lounge. Trippel consists of little and only one material, which makes it 100% recyclable. The table has an intriguing aluminium anodized finish, which improves the corrosion resistance and colourfastness of the aluminium and makes the surface hard, colourful and decorative.

Norwegian Rain

As you might know, Bergen is a very rainy city. As you also might know, there is not a lot of stylish rain protection gear out there - except Norwegian Rain. Unfortunately these beautiful rain coats are only designed for men, hopefully they will be available for women too.

Growing up in this small, creative city in the western part of Norway combined with a sojourn in Milan, sparked and shaped the 28 year old founder Alexander Helle's decision to finally become dry and comfortable. Due to the concept of dugnad, a thriving collaboration between local creatives (incl bespoke tailor/co-designer; T Michael and graphic design studio; Grandpeople) and soaked citizens of Bergen, Norwegian Rain has evolved, drop by drop. The result is a subtle composition of traditional men’s tailoring, recycled fibers and technology found in extreme rain protection.

Vogue Italy’s March edition feature a special dedicated to a selection of 8 international fashion designers, presented as talented newcomers in 2010. Norwegian Rain is among those 8!

home and everyday photography

There is a little interview with me over at Parismages today.

I like this

Interior design at United Bakeries by Vigdis Apeland Bergh/Inne Design (via Elle Interiør's editor Helle Tjabergs's blog at Klikk.no).

snowflakes

Cute Snowflakes tables by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Swedish Offecct.

Snowflakes is the world’s first furniture to be both mass produced and one-of-a-kind. The Corian tabletops are cut using a computer program that changes the pattern within set parameters for each table made.

Read more about the tables here.

Charlyn shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Charlyn?

I shoot film because photos shot on film often provide such depth and character that does not compare to anything else. I also appreciate having to be a bit more fastidious when shooting with Polaroid film, because I feel that it trains you to be more selective in what objects/scenery you choose to capture. Each and every frame developed on film is a lovely and unexpected surprise.....and who doesn't love happy surprises?

You can see more of Charlyn's film photos here.

the dinner project, week 11

Monday March 15: store bought fresh ravioli filled with cheese + shredded chicken, tomatoes, a little bit of salami, shallots and butter (photo above)

Tuesday March 16: a pimped frozen pizza

Wednesday March 17: Astrid's home alone dinner: pantry pasta: macaroni, ham, canned mushrooms, pesto and cheese

Thursday March 18: Astrid's home alone dinner: same as Wednesday

Friday March 19: dinner out: Thai red curry at Zupperia

Saturday March 20: at my grandparents' place: fish soup

Sunday March 21: at my grandparents' place: roasted Salma salmon (with olive oil, fresh ground salt and pepper, parsley and spring onion) with boiled potatoes and asparagus

my office

I moved to my new office 3 weeks ago and I'm so happy with it. And look at that amazing light! Light is so important and inspiring to me. Also: film! I finally had a new film developed - a Fuji Provia 100F slide film. It's the first time I've tried it and I think I like it.

work

Here is some recent work I have done; articles for a magazine called NæringsEiendom Interiør that focuses on interior design for workspaces.



This is an article about the coffee firm Friele's office in Bergen. Interior design by Scenario, photos by Daniel Clements.


This article is about how to make the best of an open landscape office space.



The last article is about Roxar's new office in Stavanger and their collaboration with artist Pia Myrvold. Photos by Emile Ashley.

it's coming

Days of pouring rain have washed away heaps and heaps of snow. There is still some left though, but most streets are bare now. I saw these little guys outside our front door today. It made me happy and optimistic.

same but different

DAW armchair (1950) by Charles & Ray Eames for Vitra.


About a Chair by (2008/2009) Hee Welling for Hay.

code

I like this Code basket, designed by Ola Wihlborg (in 2005) for Swedish Asplund.

Ola has also designed a few things for IKEA. Check his website to see the products.

I like this

The green lamp does it! Photo by Mari Eriksson, via the inspiring my Scandinavian retreat.

the weekend

Friday morning before I walked to the office, I enjoyed the lovely light on the tulips Sølve gave me.

Two of my office friends and I had a Friday afternoon treat in the café at Verftet. I had a Danish.

Sølve and I drove to Åsly and lounged in front of the big fireplace with good wine and seafood.


After a greasy breakfast Saturday morning, we headed to the slopes. It was a beautiful sunny day.

We were just a little bit bummed that our friends secretly got married last Friday and didn’t involve us in any way, so we took matters into our own hands. When the newlyweds invited us over for dinner Saturday night, we dressed to the nines; Sølve wore his wedding tuxedo and I wore a golden dress, golden heels and all my diamonds. Our friends got pretty surprised when they opened their front door sand saw us all dressed up and Sølve popping the Champagne.

Sunday morning was very sunny. Later it snowed. Still it feels a little bit like spring is on its way.

I got up before Sølve and served him coffee in bed.

Our Sunday project was preparations for my (very) belated 30th birthday celebration next weekend; making meatballs for the finger food feast. I put the bowl in the sink to get a better working position.

Sølve made me a big Pimm's. At that time I was luckily unaware that it would take me four hours to fry the meatballs.

I made a small mountain of (ca 600) meatballs. We both agree that they are the best meatballs we have ever tasted! I wish I got easily share the recipe, but I can't. Sølve just put a little bit (or a lot) of everything that tastes good into the meatball "dough" - and voila! the best meatballs ever!

It was a great weekend. I hope your's was great too.

Michelle shoots film

Why do you shoot film, Michelle?

So I think there are very obvious responses to this question. Film without a doubt has something that digital can not seem to accomplish. While I do shoot digital often and I really love the digital camera I have. There is something to my Hasselblad that I really cherish and feels much closer and natural to me. Perhaps it's because I have been using this camera for well over ten years. And not using it would feel as though I have lost a limb. But it's also this camera, and the film that I use, that always manages to capture my vision perfectly. We have a very happy marriage and could never imagine living without it.

Plus...film only needs boxes to be stored in; not expensive hard drives that quickly fill up.

You can see more of Michelle's film photos in her Flickr photostream and her website.

the dinner project, week 10

Monday March 8: pan fried pre-spiced sirloin of pork (a Kiwi Go' helg product) with roast potatoes, a pimped Toro rosé pepper sauce and a salad (photo above)

Tuesday March 9: pita bread filled with taco spiced minced meat, roasted chicken, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, corn, red onion and shredded cheese

Wednesday March 10: leftovers from Tuesday

Thuesday March 11: Astrid's pantry pasta: store bought fresh tortellini filled with ham and cheese, shredded chicken (leftovers from Tuesday), canned ham (leftovers from a weekend lunch), tomatoes, red onion, a little bit of shredded cheese and butter, fresh ground pepper

Friday March 12: salmon sashimi + fresh shrimps with white bread and mayonnaise

Saturday March 13: dinner at our friends' place: first course: lobster in cognac orange sauce with asparagus (old photo here), main course: roasted entrecote with roasted potatoes, vegetables and sauce, dessert: cheese and cured ham

Sunday March 14: homemade burgers with roasted potatoes and tomatoes (photo here)

March 13, 2006-2010

2006: Magazines, new CDs, mail, lunch, phones, camera and other random stuff on my home office desk.

2007: I didn't take any photos on March 13 in 2007, so this one is from our breakfast on March 11.

2008: tired and high on sugar. nothing beats that combination. well, yeah. add caffeine. (Caption written on Flickr. Post processing by the 10 cent designer.)

2009: early morning elephant ride

2010: a perfectly greasy breakfast at Åsly before skiing in the sun

February 13, 2005-2010 | original idea by Sandra