yay

A very short trailer, but it makes me excited!

Anthropologie

I did a magazine swap with Jen of simply photo a little while ago. Some of the goodies she sent was a couple of Anthropologie catalogs. I instantly fell in love with some of the spreads. See the rest of the photos here. We don't have Anthropologie in Norway, so I will definitely make a visit when I come to the US on day.

work and food

Hei!

I have a plan to post here every day, but sometimes life takes over, and there's less time for online fun. You know how it is, don't you?

I was quite absent from this space the last week, which was filled with lots of work and great food. For those of you interested in what was on the menu, take a look at my Flickr photostream. It seems like this week will be as busy as the last, so I'll probably not be around here much this week either. When life slows down I'll take some time to write about Scandinavian design, which I got a question about in a comment on one of my recent posts. I also have a couple of other things planned to share with you. In the mean time I'll probably find time to upload photos on Flickr daily, like I normally do.

Have a great week friends!

dots

I like these cute coat hooks by the Bergen based Norwegian designers Tveit & Tornø. The Dots are manufactured by Muuto. You might remember Muuto from this post.

This is what the Muuto website says about Tveit & Tornø:

ON THEIR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY “We don’t have any strict rules regarding our designs - every product needs a different approach. There are always new things to learn and new ways to achieve high design quality. Inspiration can emerge from anywhere, but a good product needs a lot of work and a couple of designers loving their job.”

ON NEW NORDIC “New Nordic designers seem to be more playful than the older predecessors. You see them playing with abstractions and simplifications of everyday objects, often in a very humorous way. Maybe they feel less obligated to follow the traditions of Scandinavian design. However, you will in most cases find something Scandinavian in there…”

Tveit&Tornøe was established in September 2006, but has already received much recognition. In 2007 they received the Young Talent award of the Year in Norway.

And this is what the Muuto website writes about The Dots:

TVEIT&TORNØE ON THE DESIGN "This characterful little family of hooks is a friendly addition to any wall. The Dots are proud of their round edges and will treat your clothes with the greatest care. They will also let you arrange them on your wall in the pattern you like. Being a very social set of hooks, The Dots love to welcome other Dots to join them on the wall. The only thing The Dots demand from you is that you uncover them every now and then and admire their shape and material"

Sweet Paul

Paul Lowe has been one of my favorite stylists for a long time. He does a lot of fabulous work for some of my favorite Norwegian magazines, and he has done quite a few beautiful books as well. Remember this cookbook that I shared with you on Flickr a while ago? Well, that's an example of Paul's work. I just discovered, via Bloesem, that Paul has a blog - Sweet Paul. You can see more of his work over at Art Wing NY (that is were I got the photos above from).

Have a nice weekend guys. I guess a lot of you are enjoying a long Thanksgiving weekend with family and yummy food. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Norway, but I'll sure enjoy some good food this weekend though. I'm preparing for a special guest who arrives tomorrow... :-)

the perfect marriage?

Next year Marimekko and H&M are collaborating. Me likey!

This is what the press release says:

Marimekko is licencing its patterns to H&M's summer 2008 collection

Marimekko Corporation and H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB have today signed a license agreement whereby Marimekko licenses some of its popular patterns from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s to H&M's summer collection 2008. The impressive collection of around 50 products will be sold in H&M stores in 28 countries.

"Our design team has long admired Marimekko's vivid patterns and colours. When our designers came up with the idea of creating a collection with Marimekko patterns, it felt very natural and timely. The summer collection 2008 will be joyfully fresh like a vitamin injection," states H&M's head of design Margareta van den Bosch.

"H&M is one of the trendiest and most successful fashion houses in the world. I see a great value in our co-operation. I believe that it will enhance Marimekko's international recognition among young and fashion-conscious consumers," says Kirsti Paakkanen, President of Marimekko.

In addition to increased international visibility, licensing co operation with H&M will generate substantial non-recurring royalty earnings to Marimekko during the second quarter of 2008.

new no

A new issue of no magazine is out.

I have written about the visual Portugal. Some of you may recognize the talented Cristina who is one of the artists included in the article. I have also written about coat hooks, king crab and warming winter drinks. If you live in Norway, or happen to visit Norway these days, you can get a copy of no at the newsstand. All you other guys can have a sneak peek here.

a long workday

You all know the feeling of a long working day, don't you? The first part of the day, when it's still daylight outside, your energy and spirits are high. At lunchtime it drops a little because you are hungry, but after a quick bite you are ready to go again. Then, at about 4-5 pm, it's time for another meal. At least for me it is. I eat small meals often. This last meal was an organic sunflower seeds whole grain roll from Godt Brød with a homemade spread of mayonnaise, eggs and scrimps bought at Kjøttbasaren. It was so, so good. But it did not lift my energy level at all. I'm so tired; all I want to do is sleep. Its dark outside, so why not?

What is your trick to keep going the second part of a long workday, when it's dark outside and all you want to do is go home?

The photo above was taken some weeks ago when I biked home from work. Close to my home there is a steep hill through a church yard. I never bike up the hill, it's too stressful. As I walked up the hill, I saw the moon shining through the tree branches. It was pretty nice, so I took this photo with my old analog slr. It's not the best moon shot in the world, but who cares?

That's all. Now I'm going to work. Astrid out. 6 pm.

Moo

I just wanted to stop by and say hei. I'm having some busy work days, and not so much time for blogging.

Two moos today:

I guess by now most of you, especially Flickr users, know of moo.com. I use the mini cards as my business card, which I am really happy about, and I recently ordered the postcards too. I'm surprised how good they look. Recommended!

The second moo is Norwegian designed leather laptop bags called Moo. This is the story (as it reads on the company's website):

One day, a Norwegian designer told her friend of an idea she had: "What people need are funky bags for their laptops". The friend and a Swedish guy liked the idea and took it to Buenos Aires. They roamed Argentina for a few months and learned the tricks of the cow trade. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the designer started sketching. This adventure resulted in the creation of our Moo bags. All the members of our herd are hand-made from the finest quality Argentinean leather in order to protect both your hardware and software. The first collection was launched in Scandinavia in the autumn of 2005. The bags are now available in several countries, so check out our map page to see where we are.

The bag in the photo above is my favorite. The grey color is really nice. It reminds me a lot of my favorite Calvin Klein bag that I have used for ages (I don't have a good photo of it). It's not a laptop bag, and I need that. Check out the Moo website for more stylish laptop bags and to see where to buy them.

girly galoshes

Remember I told you about the Norwegian Swims galoshes?

Swims galoshes are now available for girls too! I like how they have made the galoshes look so sexy... Take a look on the website for more photos and to buy the galoshes.

Check out the website of the shop Pur Norsk. They are giving away a free subscription to one of the magazines I write for, no. You might need a Norwegian address to get it, but I'm not sure.

Kirsten Hinder

Blue skies and sun in Bergen today, the snow from the weekend is almost gone, but it's still cold. My bike was all white of frost this morning. With three layers of wool the ride wasn't too cool. The writer Astrid Hagen has busy days, but I enjoy stopping by blogland and Flickr for some instant inspiration. And hopefully also to inspire you.

Today I want you to take a look at the beautiful photography of Swedish Kirsten Hinder (via style files). On her elegant website you can browse through photos in the categories interior, food, people and product.

There is an interview (in Norwegian) of me over here at Frilansliv (translates to freelance life).

yes, I got comfortable

Yes, I got plenty comfortable on Thursday night.

As expected the ride home was wet. Raindrops dripping from my nose kind of wet. But I wore rubber boots and rain gear (I have been a girl scout for many years and I know how to dress in bad weather), so it wasn't too bad.

I came home to candles, roses, a lit fireplace, chilled Chablis and a super delicious salmon dinner. Sølve arranged a surprise date. How can I possibly ask for more?!

In other news:
Some of you have already seen this, and if you haven't, you should: Jen of Simply Photo has made a beautiful simply breakfast book.

My sister and I finally got a chance to work together again this weekend. I'm writing an article about bananas, and my sister took photos. Here is a couple of behind the scenes shots. At last I got to try mav's famous banana bread. Oh yum!

comfort

The image above is from Domino Magazine. I saved it on my computer a while ago, and I stumbled upon it again today. I like the colors and the rustic, comfortable atmosphere.

Comfort is something I need today. My workday has been busy yet fun. You know those kind of days when so much is happening at once, you just have to take a time out, breath, and make a list of to dos for the rest of the day. I made the list and it calmed me down. I only checked one item on the list, but now I know what to do tomorrow. New things are happening and I enjoy it.

Now, at 5:50 pm, I'm getting ready to bike home. Local media says Andrea, which the storm has been named, will hit Bergen tonight. Sounds like "tonight" is now. It is going to be a very wet ride home. No doubt I'll light the fireplace and have some red wine when I get home. I'm sure it will make me plenty comfortable.

Sophie Conran

You all know Terence Conran, right? Designer, restaurateur, and founder of Habitat. His daughter, Sophie Conran, has also a lot going for her. Her beautiful home was recently featured in Norwegian Elle Deco, which is how I kind of "found" her. Her website is lovely, and there are some tempting recipes there.

I'm online!

With great help from Mathias and Jördis the writer Astrid Hagen is finally online. Here at astridhagen.no those of you who understand Norwegian can read stuff I have written, and you other guys can have a look at some of my photos.

the wishbone chair

A long time favorite of mine, the wishbone chair by Danish designer Hans J Wegner. Photo from the manufacturer Carl Hansen & Son's website.

Deborah Bowness

Lazy Sunday in front of the fireplace. Reading magazines, eating Grandiosa (we kind of forgot to buy "real" Sunday dinner) and drinking red wine.

I came across Deborah Bowness' great wallpapers while reading the newest issue of the Norwegian Elle Deco.

I hope you are having a great weekend too.

Poul Kjærholm

I like PK8 and PK58.

PK8 was designed by Poul Kjærholm in 1978 and has never been in production before. The PK58 table is inspired by the PK54 but in a different material, the top is a strong white polyester composite and base is aluminium. The PK8 chair is made of plastic material and a aluminium base. Part of Fritz Hansen's Autumn/Winter Collection 2007. (Photo and text from the website.)

A few Friday Flickr Favorites - photos of and by people I know: hi! - flower girl - me - jump - untitled - Me :) - Thinking - Inspired by Tedfoo - Just me again - My travel companion - Astrid and Jakob

on my wish list

While working on an article for no magazine earlier today, I came across Design Supremo.

The website says: DESIGN SUPREMO is a creative hub, a playground for carefully selected designers, a constantly evolving collection of innovative contemporary design, illustration and photography. Our website is continually growing to showcase objects of desire for you and your home, providing a boutique of chic that you can visit frequently and see what’s new.

There are some great stuff in the web shop, and several things are now on my wish list. For example the Potting Shed t-shirt and the postcard pack. And I want to get the Peas on Earth t-shirt for Sølve.

happy, rainy Wednesday

There are certain things that make this girl happy on a very rainy, very wet, very grey autumn day. Crisp bread with Philadelphia creme cheese, Provence ham and cucumber is one thing. I have already had 8 of them today (!). Buying tickets to Berlin to meet up with a certain German couple and a certain Canadian couple is another thing. Knowing that she is going to lounge on the sofa with her boyfriend tonight and watch more episodes of the West Wing on DVD, is even another thing that makes her happy.

And then there is the one thing that makes this very magazine addicted girl super happy - 25 % off all foreign magazines at Narvesen for three weeks. Knowing that most foreign magazines usually cost around $22/£9/€13, you might understand why this gets me so worked up. I'm ready for magazine galore!

Boligmagasinet

The other day emmas designblogg reminded me of the website of one of my favorite magazines, Danish Boligmagasinet. Click "boligreportage" on the left hand side, and you can see photos from some great homes featured in the magazine. Me likey!

Thomas O'Brien

Today I have fallen in love with Thomas O'Brien (via Design*Sponge).

Friday Flickr Favorites: Birch trees (and Jördis and other whiteish trees) are so photogenic: untitled - Birch Trees 2 - birken - Spring - Den fula skogen - winter imsielbecker moor - untitled - Birch and lichen 3 - in the bacground - untitled - timber - Winter sun

I'm off to buy a cake. It's Sølve's birthday today.

Have a great weekend guys!

Paul Smith

I have fallen in love with Paul Smith.

I have uploaded the rest of the roadtrip photos. Hope you enjoyed the trip.

The last photo in the "October Roadtrip" set will probably be my last new digital photo for a while. Seems like my camera decided to die in the middle of the Lærdal tunnel. It's been with me since June 2004, so maybe it's time to upgrade...

bits & pieces

Some bits and pieces from autumn Bergen today.

I found a fantastic photostream on Flickr today. I totally neglected my work for a while and took the time to browse through all of feels just like home's photos. You should do the same - I know you will enjoy it!

I love the Fullum & Holt bags! (via hoping for happy accidents)

I'm really excited about the upcoming lifeiscarbon publications.

I'm falling in love with the lovely clothing of wiksten (via here).

A big thank you to all of you who visit this site. I'm not so good with replies to your comments, but they are always appreciated.

PS: I posted a few more roadtrip photos today, the last batch will be up tomorrow. The photo above (which I think Sølve took) is from the mountain crossing called Valdresflya.

roadtrip notes

I'm back from my roadtrip, and you can see the photos here. I uploaded some photos today, there will be more later. It was a really long drive, 10 hours on Saturday and 10 hours on Monday, almost 1500 km all together. Sølve is a great driver and I try to be a great passenger - serving him snacks when ever he wants some, being DJ Astrid who plays great music (nothing too slow because that always make us tired in the car) and audio books, telling him the names of the places we pass on along the way, telling him how much I love the sights and nature we drive through... You know how roadtrips are, don't you?
The photo is from Lærdalstunnelen. Pretty cool tunnel.

THE front page

Have you heard of the Norwegian band Turbonegro? The band's vocalist Hans Erik Husby, aka Hank von Helvete (meaning Hank from Hell) is on the front page of no magazine's newest issue. What do you think? I love it!

Take a look inside the magazine, and you will find me presented as one of the magazine's contributors. Oh! The shameless self promotion! ;-)

There will be a new international issue of no magazine coming out before Christmas. I'll let you know when it's out.

Last Friday I showed you photos I like of people sleeping, this week I will should you my Flickr favorites of empty beds.
rest - wyken - bed - untitled - 302.jpg - morning sun - vera pillows - keegan's bed - homage to eshu - morning 2 - DSC00605 - Morning - untitled - fresh - Det aller helligste IV - brightness - winter light

I'm off for a roadtrip for a couple of days. See you again next week.

Blankets

It's cold today and I'm in the mood for blankets. I like the blankets from Røros-Tweed. They have nice traditional design (some of them are more modern) and they are 100 % pure wool. Take a look at their catalogue, it can be downloaded from the website. It says "Last ned vår katalog her" on the left hand side of the front page.

Sara Skotte

I like Sara Skotte's ceramics designs. You can buy it in Pur Norsk's web shop.

festvimpler

I love festvimpler! I don't know the word for "festvimpler" in English, but you know what I'm talking about when you see the photos above, right? I want to buy some, but these that I found at the Danish web shop Design Delicatessen are beautiful but a bit pricey (ca NOK 400/ca $76/ca £37/€53 including shipping). Does any of you know a place online where I can buy festvimpler?

Today is Friday (already?!) and here are my Flickr Favorites for the day. I like photos of sleeping people: day 2 of motherhood - Sleeping chefs in Shanghai - sloth - harbor seal rob. - nataliandyael - untitled - Sun on Sunday - untitled - untitled - asleep on the sofa

home is where the heart is?

Today I have another book I want to share with you - Home is where the heart is? by Ilse Crawford, who also wrote this book that I showed you earlier this week. The cover of the book is really eye catching; red and silk like. I haven't read the book yet, but I took some time and flipped through it during lunch today (leftover homemade pizza - yum!). It's a beautiful book and I look forward to spending more time with it.

See more photos from the book here.

girly long johns

It's been some cold autumn days lately and I have woken up in the morning with an ice cold nose (I always sleep with the window open). I guess it's time to start wearing wool.

Speaking of wool. Looking for good looking, girly long johns? Take a look at this website: Kari Traa. Kari Traa is a Norwegian mogul skier from Voss, who has launched a sport clothing line. There's even a web shop!

Haltenbanken has done a lot of fabulous work for Kari Traa, including the shop interior (together with interior architect Ørjan Djønne). See more photos on their website.

cabin life

I had a nice relaxing evening on the sofa with a couple of magazines last night. One of my favorite past times! I found an article that I wanted to share with you. It's from a family cabin nearby Oslo. So lovely and evocative. It instantly made me want to go hiking and spend time at a mountain cabin.

See the rest of the photos here. Enjoy!

Sensual Home

Some of you may remember this book from my Flickr photostream, but it's so great it's worth taking a second look at it. Sensual Home by Ilse Crawford is beautiful and inspiring.

I forgot Friday Flickr Favorites on Friday, so here we go with my Flickr Favorites on a Monday. They all fit the theme "beautiful nature".
Baltic sea - 8 - seriously - after the storm - :: - untitled - ocean - song - autumn sun - Mt.F

I'm Boo

I simple love the shape and name of this carafe. I'm Boo. It's by the great Norwegian design group Norway Says for Danish Muuto.

On their website it says that Muuto is striving to expand the Scandinavian design tradition with fresh and original perspectives. The name Muuto is inspired by the Finish word "muutos", which means "fresh perspective".

Norway Says about I'm Boo: Boo is like the skin, or a balloon surrounding the water with openings that tell the simple story of fluid motion in and out of the glass. The carafe exudes a strong personality , as if it's saying: "I'm Boo, who are you?".

Wallpaper likes I'm Boo: "Norwegian triumvirate Torbjørn Anderssen, Andreas Engsvik and Espen Voll are preoccupied with things that speak. As a collaborative they call themselves "Norway Says", and now they've designed a carafe for the Danish design group Muuto called "I'm Boo". The carafe, which comes in blue-grey or purple glass, is a design classic with a twist; a side pourer lends the elegantly curved oblong a quirky irreverence."

from Russia with love

Hei! I was in Moscow this weekend, and it was simply fabulous. It included great sights, fascinating architecture, Faithless playing with the Russian chamber orchestra Musica Viva, Kelis, Mark Ronson playing with Daniel Merriweather, Tom Middleton vs. Kissy Sell Out, interviews, lots of vodka, little sleep and great people. It was a huge Smirnoff Experience. Read more about it on smirnoff.com.