Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Wonderful weekend past..

Monday night here in Sydney and a fantastic day has passed. Not fantastic in the
sense that something truly sensational happened, but because it was just an 
incredibly beautiful day. We woke up to a spotless blue sky and lovely sunlight,
and having had a brilliant weekend the world felt a wonderful place today!

via Rise & Shine

The air was (is) cold, crisp and fresh - a day I wish I could have spent outside -
preferably doing numerous laps in the park (read on and you'll understand why..)
however this week, like the last two, is insanely busy. I say this with a big smile
on my face, because I am so excited and grateful for all the stimulating projects &
commissions that are coming my way.  I thrive on the energy and love the rush!

via Sma Kee on Flickr as seen via Matisse Color

The weekend just passed was wonderfully relaxed and we had such a great time!
On Saturday we went over to beautiful Woollahra to see a great exhibition by
legendary photographer Nick Brandt at the equally fabulous Shapiro gallery.

 LIONESS JUMPING FROM TREE, MASAI MARA 2008

I have blogged about Nick Brandt before (HERE & HERE) and am a huge fan of his work!
He has a way of capturing the animals in such a serene, intimate and tender manner.

 LIONS HEAD TO HEAD, MASAI MARA 2008
 
As with another of my favourite photographers, Rodney Smith (blogged HERE & HERE),
Nick also uses a regular SLR (i.e. not digital SLR) and does all his post-production by hand!..

 ZEBRA MOTHER AND BABY, NGORONGORO CRATER 2005

The works shown at Shapiro were huge (you know how I love big art and prints!..) giving
the stunning motifs and detail justice.  My favourite (this time) was a huge (over 2 m x 1 m)
print of buffalo shot at Amboseli in 2006 (below). An amazing piece I would absolutely love
to own, and for sure also a great investment piece! Expensive but very very tempting indeed!

BUFFALO GROUP PORTRAIT, AMBOSELI, 2006

Later that afternoon we went over to good friends' to celebrate midsummer Swedish
style. This very wonderful annual event (that exceeds our national day in popularity!) is
celebrated with a buffet of (for us typically) Summery foods like a selection of herring,
dill, new potatoes, salmon, snaps, and usually topped off with a large serving of fresh
strawberries and whipped cream. This feast is usually held outside after having danced
around a maypole at some nearby field, followed by a raft of fun games & tournaments.


via House of Philia

A real 'family celebration' that includes the very young to the very old. Such a great time!


Though it was too cold to embrace the outdoor tradition we raised our glasses with chilled
Aquavit and we sang, ate and had a terribly Swedish and great time until the kids looked
cross-eyed with tiredness and it was time to go home & to bed. Despite not being able
to adorn our Summery selves with hand made wreaths of birch tree twigs, walk silently
& barefoot over seven dew-clad meadows and pick seven different kinds of midsummer
flowers to put underneath our pillows, like the old pagan tradition dictates, we slept well..

via Martha Stewart

Sunday was my dear huz's birthday, so the kids and I whisked him off to breakfast at
one of his fave cafes (Bellagio on Bronte Rd). This place not only displays the most
amazing cobalt blue & silver wallpaper (which I will snap an iPhone photo of next
time) and coolest vintage tables, but also serves fantastic coffee. Needless to say the
huz cares more about the latter.. After breakfast we set off for the ocean front, and we
spent a couple of hours enjoying the fantastic weather at a local beach and park.
Aaaaahhh.. I love this time of the year (when it's sunny like this!..) - I can breeeathe!!

 via Cox & Cox and Kim Gray


Having treated Marshall to Nick Brandt's book (gallery sold only) 'On This Earth A
Shadow Falls' (artist's edition) the day before, there were no other presents than a candle
clad home-made chocolate & coconut cake, singing by me and the kids and some divine
drawings and cards by the kids. After cake (and a rest!), we headed out to dinner at a local
Italian restaurant and even managed to top off our meal with a generous serving of gelato.. 
 A real feat after a long and needless to say, very very gluttonous weekend, I tell you! :)

via Lissy Elle (first introduced to me by my dear friend Manvi at Mochatini)

Suffice to say we had no room or energy left for anything else after this, though a couple of
already mentioned laps in the park wouldn't have hurt..  So all in all, a truly blessed weekend
and the perfect way to prepare for Marshall being away for all of this week. In fact he is on
his flight to Singapore as we speak and probably enjoying a great movie and fab service..

source unknown

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. What did you get up to?

xx Charlotta

30 comments:

Stacey said...

Wow! That was some weekend! That's the way one enjoys the simple pleasures with loved ones! As usual, i love all the imagery that accompanies your post-very vivid!

Mariska Meijers said...

Wow indeed! What an impressive report and sounds perfect. I relaxed througout the weekend and did not get near to my computer. It was summer in the city. Boating on the canals of Amsterdam, lazy, browsing magazines, outdoor diners.... Wishing you a great week! xoxo

A Perfect Gray said...

Charlotta, those photographs by Nick Brandt are absolutely amazing. I can see why you are so smitten with them.

beauty comma said...

now that's some weekend, however did you find time to squeeze it all in? sounds like a great time!
thank you so much for your lovely comments charlotta! re your questions: 1) yes, the 'nest' is stitched! 2) no, i didn't make the boots, they are from an italian company (can't remember the name and i'm not at home to check) and cost a fortune... but worth every krone!! but i guess it would be possible to jazz up a pair of boots with a ribbon? it's a great idea, actually!
have a lovely week =)

Greet Lefèvre said...

Hello my friend,
Thank you so much for stopping by and for your nice comment! Don't botter about not being able to comment every time!! I know we are all so busy! And for me it is a very busy time now!
I am glad you have had such a fantastic weekend!
Here in Belgium it was a very nice weather and I have enjoyed our garden the entire weekend!
xx
Greet

Marcie said...

Amazing photos Charlotta! I love the red velvet cake, the cherries and the toast! You have an eye for beautiful things.

xo Marcie

ted and bunny said...

wow! just found your blog- amazing. It makes me feel like I'm a country bumpkin!
Well actually I suppose I am a country bumpkin!
xx

Unknown said...

oh Charlotta! what a sweet, adorable post. I am so glad to hear you had a great weekend.... Mine was pretty relaxing and uneventful. I just had a good time with my best friend as my son was away with grandma and grandpa. I'd die to be in one of those Midsummer celebrations!! how wonderful!!!!! xoxoxoxox

Tuuli - Lumo Lifestyle said...

You definitely had a grand weekend!

I, of course, celebrated midsummer here in Finland. Spent the weekend with Husband's relatives and friends at countryside, ate too much, saw an amazing rainbow and of course planned my upcoming trip!

Hardly can wait!

Fer said...

Hi Charlotta,it's been a while, your pictures are just beautiful.
I am off to NY this week and then Rio, I hope to take nice pictures to post.
I hope you have a great week.

Fer

Marija said...

I swear I left a comment earlier from my iPhone. It hates me. Okay rather than rambling, let me say I loved this post as you sound so happy! It's infectious! And I'll take that heart shaped cake, please...

Off to read your Terribly Swedish post. How did I miss that one?!

Marija said...

Even better than just a post ... an entire blog! Thanks for the tip. This will give me something to do this evening when I'm supposed to be doing a million other things. ;)

Marija

Julie@beingRUBY said...

Hi Charlotta
Sounds like you had a wonderful weekend.. I just love Nicks' photography and if I wasn't buried in a million packing boxes would get myself to the exhibition... My brother uses SLR also... dedication!!

Have a fabulous week and thanks for sharing all these gorgeous pics.. xxx Julie

Kelly Frances Dunn said...

Happy BDay to your loved one! It's always a treasure with each passing year to be there for those days. Your photo content to express the time spent is awesome :)

Solid Frog said...

Hi Charlotta
Hope you had a lovely midsummer weekend! I love these pictures, especially the second one ... :-)
Kram Mia

tinajo said...

Oh, sounds absolutely wonderful! :-) I love these photos as well, so great!

If you want; come to my blog and listen to my FIRST recorded song that will be released within a couple of months..! I´m so HAPPY! I´ve written the lyrics and Patrick Rydman sings and wrote the music - have to pinch myself! :-)

And you should all be very, very happy that I´m not the one doing the singing... ;-)

A Room For Everyone said...

It sounds so lovely..I feel relaxed just reading it! The visit to the gallery must have been very moving..Rachaelxx

Unknown said...

It all sounds like the best time ever! Love the images that you choose to go with your fun stories. Happy belated Birthday to your Huz!
xx

Lysande ögonblick! said...

WOW! The pictures are wonderful. And yes, hahahahahahahahaha, the typical football male. The picture showed it all. They all look the same. :-)

A big swedish summer hug from me!

Welcome said...

Looks like we needed to trade weekends Charlotta...mine was blah, expcept for my Sunday laughathon - I blogged about it too... Hopefully, I'll have a wonderful holiday weekend this weekend..

XOXOX
Kiki

Fer said...

Thank you,Thank you, thank you, for all sweet words.

I hope I can bring more inpiration for evebody. I am off to NY and Rio.

XOXO

Fer

asia said...

If you love Nick Brandt you would probably enjoy my dad's work, they became friends through their photography. He actually just traded one of his photos with Nick for one of Nick's Lion photographs, which I was lucky to admire in person last week!

Enjoy!
www.mitchdobrowner.com

Maria | Vintage Simple said...

Oh, what a beautiful day to come visit your blog, dear Charlotta..!

I am so happy you are busy and happy with work and commissions, and your weekend sounds absolutely divine. I love all of the Swedish traditions I read about here and over at Monika's blog... I really feel like maybe I was born in the wrong country somehow, and that my heart really belongs to Sweden - even though I've never even been there. You both have such wonderful, warm and beautiful memories... and traditions that you continue to celebrate..! I love it all.

Hope you have a good week with the husband away, and I am happy to find you sounding so full of life and happiness.

love,
-maria

Åse - Interiörguiden said...

Vad kul att få så långväga besök på min blogg, tack så mycket för din kommentar! Vilka fantastiska bilder du visar på din blogg, hit kommer jag att komma igen!

harem6 said...

Hi ! We've just found your blog and it is so very inspiring! This images are truly a joy to the eyes and soul!

Claudia Cifuentes said...

Wow -- All of these photos are magical! Thanks for sharing! xo

~*~ saskia ~*~ said...

Hi Charlotta, just found your lovely blog. All your images are gorgeous, heart touching. Will follow you so i won't miss your future posts.
Hope you're week is great so far! xx

s a n s k u :) said...

i LOVE nick brandt's photos. he's amazing. and i love all the other photos too in this posting. lovely!

s a n s k u :) said...

ps. i barely remember when it's midsummer anymore. i only remember it when i read about it in my friends' blogs. sad but true. :( it just wouldn't be the same to try to create the same feeling here in canada.

Charlotta Ward said...

Hi my dear friends and thank you for all your lovely comments. As usual I am so overwhelmed by the fact that you a) read my blog and b) take time to comment like this.
I love that you openly share your thoughts and all the feedback I get. I never stop being amazed by how rewarding blogging is. To find so many like minded friends in so many corners of the world is fantastic.

I appreciate and value all of you and am so glad you are here and continue to visit me!

Big hugs and happy new week to everyone!

xx Charlotta

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