Monthly Archives: December 2013

This Year’s Christmas Card Trauma…

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You know the saying ‘Never work with children or animals’? Well, the first part of that statement certainly rang true last week when I spent two separate afternoons trying to get just one decent picture of the children in their Santa hats to use for a Christmas card. Despite bribing them with promises of sweets (bad mummy, I know..) getting the three of them to all look at the camera and smile at the same time proved rather challenging, to put it mildly…

If one wasn’t picking their nose, the other was sticking their tongue out or the third was tickling/pinching/pushing their siblings. It was actually easier when Clemmie was baby, as at least she stayed in one place instead of climbing all over the sofa and her brothers. I came close to giving up but I know how much our friends and relatives (many of whom live abroad) appreciate these cards. In the end it was worth persevering as I did get one (yes ONE) usable picture. Jazzed up with a bit of fake snow and a red border it does the job, even if Cameron looks like he wants to be anywhere but in the picture (that’s a pre-teen’s prerogative I suppose..)

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This year’s Christmas card from the Anderson family. I hope the recipients appreciate the hours of hard work that went into it…

This Week’s Favourites

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I could really do with an extra five (child free!) hours in the day at the moment. Despite my best intentions I still haven’t wrapped ANY of the Christmas presents and each day more packages are arriving in the post and added to the towering pile of cardboard boxes in the laundry room. I feel like one of those compulsive shoppers who keep keeps buying more and more stuff but just hiding the unopened bags in the cupboard (except none of the purchases are actually for me). Tomorrow I really must start opening the boxes and wrapping a few each night…

But first here is a quick recap of my week:

1. I’m doing most of my Christmas shopping online but I did venture into town earlier this week and stumbled across a cute Christmas market in the church yard, complete with traditional stalls and..

2. ..an old-fashioned cart selling hot chestnuts. I’ve never actually tried them (if anyone has – are they nice?) but they smell gorgeous.

3. The advent stars in our kitchen windows are switched on every afternoon as soon as it starts to get dark. I love how they make the room feel all warm and cosy and always miss them when they come down in January.

4. It was a very busy weekend for us and one of the highlights was the Christmas concert which Casper’s Beaver Scout group put on last night. Casper and his friend dressed up as The Proclaimers and gave a sterling rendition of their hit I’m Gonna Be (500 miles).

5. This morning we got up early to go to The Swedish Church in London for the annual St Lucia celebration. The boys dressed up as ‘stjarngossar’ (star boys) and Clemmie was a tiny Lucia. We all sang Christmas songs before going down to the church hall for gingerbread biscuits, coffee and juice.

6. I know I’m biased, but have you ever seen a cuter Lucia? Clemmie was very brave and stayed at the front of the church for the whole concert. My baby is growing up!

7.. Counting down the days: We lit the second advent candle today, not long to go now!

8. My husband and I also had a taste of this year’s Glogg (a bit like mulled wine but nicer, in my opinion!) before dinner.

9. We rounded off the weekend by heading over to our friends’ house to celebrate their daughter’s third birthday with this yummy red velvet cake. The perfect end to a great week!

We also finally bought our Christmas tree today, so the kids and I put the decorations up when we got home but the lights aren’t on yet so I haven’t taken any pictures. It’s on my list for tomorrow along with the wrapping and writing the Christmas cards…

Hope you have a great evening! X

‘Tis the Weekend to get Christmassy

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{A white Amaryllis from our local florist, which will hopefully flower in the next week or so}

The Friday night calm has once again descended over our house and the children are watching a DVD before bedtime. We have started to add the first festive touches to our house, keeping it fairly simple so far, but this morning my husband was dispatched to the loft to bring down five huge boxes so by tomorrow there will be no holding back on the Christmas cheer! We’re hopefully buying the tree on Sunday (a little bit late for my liking…) so that too will be ready by the start of next week.

Have you gone all out on the Christmas decs yet or are you still exercising some restraint?

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{I planted some wintery flowers last weekend which take pride of place on our front doorstep along with a small Christmas tree decked out with twinkly fairy lights}

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{White paper advent stars hanging in the windows. They look beautiful lit up at night}

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{The advent candle holder again, with some red Christmas ribbon tied around two of the candles}

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{The children’s wooden advent calendar sits on the mantlepiece in the playroom and each night a drawer is magically filled with three chocolate coins. Apart from this morning when I forgot and had to sneak the chocs in while they were having breakfast}

Behind the Scenes at Liberty of London

Posted in Beauty, Fashion by

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I finally watched the TV programme about Liberty of London last night. It aired on Monday here in the UK but these days I hardly watch any TV in ‘real time’! I found it fascinating (and moving in parts, the scenes with the 70-year-old Shukla who has worked at Liberty for 40 years almost brought a tear to my eye) especially as I interviewed the MD, Ed Burstell, last year about his vision for Liberty and the need for retail theatre on the high street.

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Liberty has always been one of my favourite London stores. Founded in 1875, the magnificent Tudor building itself is such a treat to wander around, even it there weren’t delectable products on every shelf and rail. Easier to navigate than the vast retail emporiums that are Selfridges and Harrods, it may lack the uber-cool of Harvey Nichols but the atmosphere seems somehow warmer and more inviting. Its carefully edited beauty, lingerie and footwear (the Manolo Blahnik collaboration was pure genius) departments are arguably the best you’ll find anywhere in London and I love that  Liberty has held onto its history as a leading textile design house and has not been swayed to ditch the more traditional elements of the store, such as its haberdashery department.

The highlight of the first installment of the three-part series for me was without a doubt Grayson Perry proclaiming that Liberty is the store “for people who find John Lewis too beige”.

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Getting into the Christmas Spirit

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Poor Clemmie has got tonsillitis so it was a day at home for us today, curled up on the sofa in front of CBeebies while I did my best to boost the country’s economy by pressing the ‘click to buy’ button on my computer more times than I care to remember. We did venture out to pick up some antibiotics from the chemist and I couldn’t resist snapping some pictures of the lovely Christmas displays in the shop windows. Our village is pretty all year round but it really comes into its own at Christmas time.

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Six Month Blog Anniversary and Thank You for the Awards

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I just realised today that November 12 marked the six month anniversary of A Spoonful of Style! My goodness, where has the time gone? I have enjoyed every minute of blogging so far, largely thanks to the amazing people that I have connected with – I know I’ve said it before but it really does feel like we’re part of a lovely little cyber community. I really do appreciate every single visit, like or comment that people take the time to make and I am constantly in awe of all the great blogs out there. It seems fitting to use this post to say thank you for the awards I have received in the past few weeks. I am truly grateful and humbled to be nominated by these inspiring bloggers and hope to get time in the new year to respond in full with my own nominations.

Ada from More Food, Please and Judit from Judit Bakes both nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award. Check out their fantastic blogs for delicious recipes.

Here are seven facts about me:

1. I shop far too much online and have been known to hide packages from my husband.

2. I would love to be the type of mum who organises home made nutritious meals way in advance but usually I’m scrambling around the fridge and kitchen cupboards looking for something to cook at 5pm

3. I hate board games but when I do play I usually win (much to the annoyance of my kids)

4. I was a cheerleader in high school.

5. I’m quite claustrophobic and hate going on the Tube or in lifts

6. I love baking and am pretty good at it but I’m rubbish at cake decorating

7. It frustrates me that I have had a very nice camera for over a year now but still don’t know how to use it to its full extent.

The lovely Donna from Donz Webb nominated me for the Unique Leaves award and asked me this question: What makes you unique? Everyone is unique in their own way but if I had to pick one thing I would probably say my international background. I think (and hope!) that having lived in four different countries (and attended an international school), has made me more tolerant and accepting of other people and cultures.

Evelen Margaret, whose blog is an endless source of fashion inspiration, nominated me for the Liebster Award.

Here are my answers to the questions:

1.What’s your daily motivation?

I will let this image answer it for me:

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2.Do you have a particular song that makes your day?

Hobart Paving by St Etienne

3.Name five items that you always carry with you.

My phone, purse, lipstick, keys, sunglasses/umbrella and wet wipes

4.What was your best movie you’ve seen recently?

Philomena

5.Full breakfast or on the go?

I prefer a full breakfast with pancakes, bacon, eggs etc but I usually only manage that on the weekends. During the week it’s breakfast on the go.

6.What do you first notice on another person?

As the shallow fashion obsessed person I am, I usually notice what they’re wearing first!

7.Do you agree :”Less is more”?

Yes, except at Christmas!
8.You can’t live without …

My family.. and that first cup of coffee in the morning!
9.First Love is unforgetable but second Love is Lovelier .Do you agree ?

I met my husband when I was quite young, 18 years ago, so in many ways he is my first love.

10. Last but not least :Have you already bought your Xmas gifts or at least made a list?

I’m working on it this week! I have a list in my head – does that count?

Aspiring designer Kat who writes the blog My Journey on Becoming a Full Time Designer also nominated me for the Liebster Award and here are my answers to her questions:

1. Who are your three favourite comedians and why?

Cameron, Casper and Clementine – my three children who make me laugh on a daily basis

2. What made you decide to be Kat’s follower or a friend?

I admire her determination and creativity and wanted to follow her exciting journey.

3. What is your favourite book now and which one was it as a child?

I don’t have much time to read at the moment but it’s an ambition of mine to read more of the great classics in the future. As a child I loved the books by the late Swedish author Astrid Lindgren.

4. The shoes to wear in Prague are..? Heels or flats? Do you have any connections to anything Czech?

I have never been to Prague so I would have to say flats as they would be most comfortable for walking around the city and seeing as much as possible.

5. How about everyday challenge, as Kat writes right now, would you go for that and what would you write about?

I would love to exercise regularly but am very much a stop/starter. Maybe writing about it would encourage me to stick to an exercise regime for longer than a month or two. But I think I’m to lazy to get started!

6. Do you have any regrets in life?

No I don’t, although I do sometimes wonder how my life would have turned out if I hadn’t left Sweden as a child or if I had stayed and settled in the US, where I spent a year when I was 19.

7. What is your next project? And did you start already?

My next project will be to figure out what I want to do work-wise when Clemmie starts school next September.

And finally, the amazing Angela from Ruby Angel 711 – her blog is a daily source of fashion & beauty temptation for me! – nominated me for the Wonderful Team Membership Award.

Thank you so much to all of you! X

This Week’s Favourites

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Finally December is here and the countdown to Christmas has begun in earnest. I have vowed that this is the year I am going to be organised and on top of things – no more frantically running around crowded shops the day before school breaks up or sitting up until 2am wrapping Christmas presents on the 24th. I have one friend who had already finished her shopping (including all the stocking fillers) and wrapped it all by mid November! Well, that is never going to be me and in some ways I think it would take the fun out of the run-up to Christmas to be finished so early on (or maybe I’m just jealous that I will never attain that level of organisation) BUT I am working my way through the mammoth list of presents (every year we say we’re going to cut down on the number of gifts and then still end up thinking ‘oh well, just one more won’t hurt..’) and even plan to do some wrapping this week which is a definite first for me.

Here are some pictures and a brief round-up of the last week of November:

1. The boys are on their best behaviour at the moment, knowing that Santa is watching every move. Cameron was being extra helpful this week and even helped to brush his little sister’s teeth.

2. He also read a bedtime story to both his siblings. Believe me, bedtime is not usually this calm in our household!

3. On Tuesday I went to the Swedish shop in south west London with my mum and Clemmie to stock up on Christmas essentials like saffron, gingerbread dough (so much easier than making your own) and glogg.

4. Just like the September issues of the fashion glossies are a must-buy, I think interior magazines really come into their own in December with each sumptuous cover outdoing the next in terms of Christmas decadence. Living Etc is hands down my favourite any time of year.

5. With two older brothers, I thought Clemmie would turn into a little Tomboy but at the moment it is all about dolls, princesses and pink everything.

6. We had some friends over for dinner last night and couldn’t resist cracking open the champagne while we were waiting for them to arrive.

7. Their daughter is Clemmie’s best friend so she had been asking all day when they coming. I bought this dress for her this week from Zara – so cute, I wish it came in an adult version!

8. The first of December and the first of Advent today so we lit a candle in the Iittala candle holder. Let the Christmas countdown begin!

Have a wonderful evening. X