applehook report # 1

Applehook is a success. It clearly attracts birds. Of all sizes and shapes.

Future updates on its user friendliness to come in a blog near you.

piglet got a badger friend

Many years ago I bought the sweetest painting of a wee piglet in a small shop in a village somewhere in the Dartmoor area. Ever since I have so regretted that I didn't got a second painting and a friend for piglet. Until now. Because now I do believe I have found the perfect companion. Meet tiny baby badger ~

Isn't he just adorable?! The sweet painting measures only about 90x60 mm and when I figure out what kind of frame I want for him he'll join wee piglet, because of course there's a perfect spot on the wall for him just there. I'm sure they will have loads of fun together.

Check out Savage Artworks talented, detailed sweet work at her Etsy shop, all depicting gentle or more savage animals from nature's kingdom. Apart from, obviously, Little Boy Badger above, I love her amazing looking nesting doll owls, just irresistible they are.

the woodland cemetery loaf

Meet the coffin loaf. If not by name, though certainly by looks. Its proper name is Skogskyrkslimpa - let's practise Swedish, skog = woods, kyrka = church, limpa = loaf, hence this is one piece of Wood church loaf - and it can only be found and bought at that charming little bakery-café Bakgården, nearby the always-worth-a-visit Woodland Cemetery.

It's sourdough bread with anise and cumin and to be honest I didn't find its flavour or texture all that appealing at closer inspection. The bakery have so many other great breads (like lingonberry bread, apricot bread and ciabattas) so this one coffin bread was just a one time thing for me. I can still appreciate the quirky idea of it (I most always appreciate quirky ideas, if you hadn't guessed that by now...), even if my taste buds didn't quite approve of this particular quirky flavour.

one cuppa in the morning

Despite this probably being one of the prettiest cups I've ever seen it didn't come home with me. Dash too small for my needs and well, it's not like I really need another cup to my already pretty extensive collection of cups to use and cups to ogle.

Besides, it would be pretty darn difficult to chose just one cup (for spring gestures like wood anemones or lily of the valley), since there are different colours and so many quirky nature patterns.

The nature cups are sold, and used, at Alsta gardens, made by Sylvia Rodin, the price for one cup is 165 sek, for two 330 sek.

everything you need

As much as I adore the colours - ah pink and green make my heart sing -, the flowers and the idea behind this sign, a place for relaxation, contemplation under a pretty tree, they clearly have got the text quite, quite wrong -

books ~ cats ~ tea

Now we're talking necessities in life. Everything you need. Summed up in three words.

the passion

Through a heartbreaking history lesson on the Napoleonic wars to the seediness and magic of Venice (another favourite city of mine, just move past the sad, disheartening tourist tracks), the reader gets to follow the, at first, idealistic soldier/chicken cook Henri who worships Napoleon. In the indescribable coldness of winter Moscow enters Villanelle, the Venetian croupier who has had her heart stolen. Their story together begins as they make their way to Venice.

The Passion being far from my favourite book by Jeanette Winterson - that one is still unthreatened Powerbook - but her smooth writing, the deftness with which she moves from the extreme to the mundane, the poetry, the reality, the fantasy, the fairytale it is always a good read, an inspirational read, if not always an amazing one.

And you can always rely on that even if not the book, as a whole, is of the stunning kind, there are passages, quotes, thoughts that sticks, that is nothing less than beautiful, heartbreakingly so at times, in their simplicity and obviousness. I collect them and I treasure them. Because ever so often she has managed to put my (and to know that someone else feels and thinks like oneself is always comforting, don't you think?) thoughts to paper, in a beautiful way, and if not my thoughts provoking me to think and for that I salute her ~

- Every victory leaves even more resent, another defeated and humiliated people. Another place to guard, defend and fear.

- We are tepid people and our longing for freedom is our longing for love. If we had the courage to love we wouldn't value warfare as much.

latte tea spring thoughts

To be honest I suspect the reason that many of us up here in Scandinavia find Starbucks rather fascinating is the fact that they obviously, so far, don't see Sweden as a lucrative enough market. Because, IMHO, as far as really good coffee goes, nah...

Compared to a few of our Swedish coffee chains, as well as of course independent coffee shops and cafés, I find the Starbuck's lattes - which with few exceptions is the only thing I drink when it comes to coffee, being the discerning tea lover in person - to be very pale, bland and lacking that combination of oomf and smoothness that distinguish good quality coffees, and baristas. And I've had a few of those, in different countries and continents. Coffees that is.

Having said that, I'm still pleased when I spot a Starbuck's when travelling because even if the coffee might not be all that to write praising blog posts about - like some ice lattes I dream close to wet dreams about -, there's something pleasingly holidayish and relaxing about finding a Starbuck's. I like many of the cafés interior decoration style, sympathize with the chain's values and then, they do have very nice collector's mugs. See, I have a soft spot for those mugs, in a rather irregular, unfocused way.

I'm well aware, sort of, the fact that I clearly do not need any more cups and mugs in my cupboards or shelves, but I do think they make a rather neat and simple souvenir. Even if it totally annoys me that some cafés for some disturbingly odd reason see it fit to carry Scotland - not Edinburgh - or England - not York - or Greece - not Athens - mugs. Not to mention Crete and Rhodes mugs in Athens instead of Athens... Oh to be able to pick that brilliant procurator's brain.

The very small mugs make for rather lovely miniature vases too, perfect for all those miniature flowers you stumble over in the woods come spring. Who said semi-hoarding Starbuck's mugs is a waste of money and time? Can't have been the wood anemones anyway, whatever would they have done hadn't there been a perfect fit wee mug to hang out in here.

So where do you get your favourite coffee? And what kind of coffee is that? And if your delicate, sophisticated tastebuds prefer just tea, what tea is your favourite and how do you take it?

hooked on apples

I've been eyeing this pretty bird feeder for quite some time now - apparently it is awardwinning that I didn't know, I just thought it was incredibly pretty and pleasing in its ingenious shiny simplicity - and I finally got the opportunity to take two of them home with me.

All my pretty feathered friends - who apparently enjoy to hang around in my garden despite the threat of bird butchers and such - have been slightly grumpy as lately due to the lack of decent food here and now I do hope they'll have a feast.

The designers behind this sweet little birdie thing inn brass are two young Swedish women, who have some lovely and versatile designs in their portfolio, from quirky and fun to thoughtful and caring for the difficult times in life we all have to go through. Check out Ahnlund Karlén's website - which also is a really nice, light, tasteful, no frills, easy to navigate one - for more information about their work and retailers.

~ Welcome all birdies who are hooked on apples, red or green, to my garden. I promise I'm a kind hearted Snow white rather than a poisonous stepmother ~

cherry blossom parking lot

They may not be as sumptuous as the inner city ones, but I still rather love the fact that I live in a neighbourhood where someone once upon a time saw it fit to plant such a (pink!) beauty at the parking lot.

So every time I head to and from the bus stop (as a car of my own isn't included in my lifestyle), this time of the year, I can relish its delicate beauty and my heart feels a dash lighter, a dash brighter.

the prosit studio shop

What better way to start the month of May - time flies! -, than with proudly presenting something that will surely please any fan of one loaf doggie extraordinaire and his feline companions; now they even have their own line of posh postcards for sale on Etsy. In other words, Prosit goes Etsy too.

There will be more whimsical stuff listed there soon, including something special for the discerning bookworm. But for now, there are postcards depicting some of the best things in life ~ loafie, kitties and other quirky animals, vegetarian food, castles and desserts.

Have a look, perhaps you'll find something irresistibly postcardly fancy and festive for that special someone. And yes, loaf doggie with felines have declared that they are indeed willing to sign the postcards should anyone (of course) wish.