Guest post 06: 'Autumn in London' by Simone from 'The Bottom of the Ironing Basket'...

Hello, I am Simone from 'The Bottom of the Ironing Basket' and I am from London, England.

Charlotta and I have been reading each other's blogs for some time now and I was very flattered that she asked me if I would write something for her wonderfully stylish blog. I am also delighed that for a few weeks at least she is a little closer to me, spending happy times with her family in Sweden.....'skojar bara Charlotta!'



Without a doubt, Autumn is my most favourite time of year....the day that I unpack my scarves, knitwear and winter boots is a day of celebration for me!!

September is often a time of late sunny days in England and this year has been no exception....but slowly the weather is changing, the evenings are cooler and the leaves are starting to fall. It is a month that always has a hint of a "new start" about it....a 'back-to-school feeling'. Indeed my youngest child has just started full-time school for the first time and so it is a time of change for all of us.



This week I have been filling my afternoons with organising, de-cluttering and clearing out....making space for autumn.....finding wellington boots, walking boots, woolly hats and gloves.



I love nothing more than wrapping up in layers of clothing and heading out for a long walk....we are lucky enough to live minutes from London's Hampstead Heath and a bracing autumn walk taking bikes and scooters and hunting for the biggest leaves we can find followed by a steaming hot chocolate or a bowl of hot soup becomes our Sunday routine this time of year.



Scarves and winter boots are one of my weaknesses and I have already started my autumn/winter shopping....Zara is especially good this season....great boots and some chunky knits. This year I am loving black and gray with splashes of colour.



I wish you a happy autumn wherever you are and to you Charlotta....'tack och många kärleksfulla hälsningar till dig!'  Simone

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Dear Simone - THANK YOU so much for this gorgeous post! I can't tell you how much I miss my old home-turf London having read your post..! That feeling of Autumn in the air, walking through Kensington Gardens, Hampstead Heath or Regent's Park (where I used to live).. Roasting chestnuts, gorgeous window displays at my favourite shops, coffee in Primrose Hills.. Big sigh..!

To everyone else. I am sure you all enjoyed this wonderful Atumnal post as much as I did, and that you will enjoy Simone's gorgeous blog 'The Bottom of the Ironing Basket'. There is no other place where you will find such delightful, girly, flirty and enchanting posts. I am always left with such a great feeling & big smile on my face having been there!

Just click on the banner above to jump across to Simone's right now, and what better way to get to know her than to read her latest post.. 'Getting to know you tag'.

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Next week you will meet the fun, talented, and brilliant Louise from 'Table Tonic' - a fab blog with a fantastic web shop attached..! Louise hails from Sydney Australia and will share some splendid Spring inspiration with us on the 2nd October. You don't want to miss this one..!

Big hugs from Sweden!

xx Charlotta



Guest post 05: 'Swedish Autumn divinity' by Tina at 'Komma Hem'..

Hi there! Tina here from 'Komma hem'.

I am a 33 year old interior-design-addict & blogging 'Swede', and I´m so glad and honored to be here at Charlottas beautiful place. I can´t believe I´m actually one of the lucky chosen ones! Thank you Charlotta. I´ll try my very best to make you at least some proud of me:)!

In contrast to the adventurous girl over here at 'Space For Inspiration' (whom I admire in so many ways. Especially the the adventurous part of her..!) I still live in my birthtown 'Karlshamn', situated by the coast in the South of Sweden.

Here you´ll find me living in an old house built in 1936, that I and my common-law spouse (+2 beautiful cats 'Peach' & 'Precious') are trying our best to renovate (spending almost all of our freetime on it.. Many times wondering 'what on Earth have we gotten ourselves into'???), with a future goal to make it a place to live, love and call home.

Over here in Sweden we have just entered a new season - Autumn to be more precise. The trees have slowly started to burst out in the most amazing colors. I can´t wait for it to fully explode into a beautiful color palette.
I love this time of year. Autumn for sure is my absolute favourite season. The older I get, the more I tend to appriciate it. The air is fresher, the temperature is dropping (comfortably so though), and for me it feels like everything comes alive again. And in a very natural way, brings on a new start.

In a way it´s like 'New Years' for me even though it´s only September. Now is the time for new goals and dreams, getting organized and being healthier!
For me Autumn also means back to normal routines, yoga, clarity, news and trends, spas, relaxation, growth, freshness, music, new clothes, candles, hot chocolate, change, balance, great plans, long walks in the woods, movies, weekends with friends and family, wind, blankets, sheepskin, books, open fire, red wine, a blue sky, raindrops on my windows, umbrella, rubber boots, chanterelles, stews, warming cardigans, baths, apple pie ... I could probably go on forever.

What else could I tell you about Autumn over here?

Well, in Sweden Autumn tend to bring on some changes in our homes as well. Darker colors, more texture, new plants on the porch and a warm and cozy feeling suddenly feels very important for many of us Swedes.

In my own home lots of warming throws and rugs, as well as candles (I love the scented ones) find their way back after been put away during the warmer Summer months + some new might just sneak in among the older ones.. :)

This year I´m also planning to update myself a little bit. The other day I had my hair dyed in a darker brown color (tend to do that at this time of year) and next up is a new pair of leather boots, a new coat and some nice and warming knits.

When Autumn finally arrives, so does the need to learn and experience something new. Some might plan for a vacation further on, others take a course at the university.. This year I would ove to learn more about mindfulness, how to make pottery, how to renovate and restore old antique furniture ,plus lots of other things. Or I might just be satisfied (probably should be!) with all of the projects we have here at home...?!? Hopefully there will be time this Autumn for us to deal with our little indoor porch where I would love to put a daybed for lazy afternoons...

Before I sign off I would like to invite you to my place over at 'Komma Hem'. I would love to have some new readers! Obviously all of us bloggers do! And I´m taking my chances here..! :). But who knows, you might just actually find something you like?!

Bye for now and Big thanks to one of the most amazing girls in the world, Charlotta Ward!

Photos: Lexington Company, House and Home, Vogue UK, We heart it

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TUSEN TACK my dear Tina for this warm and wonderful Autumn post from your beautiful part of Sweden!! I love how you invite us into your life, home, and blog with such open arms and I KNOW my readers will love your blog as much as I do!!. I also look forward to getting to know you face-to-face when I permanently return to our beautiful motherland next year. I can't wait to finally meet you my dear! xx

So my darlings, click on the banner below and be transported to Sweden and Tina's world - you will be met with a wide variety of gorgeous design inspiration and beautiful posts on life & renovation. A blog to bookmark and keep an eye on as it continues to flourish and expand..!

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Next we will hear from my gorgeous friend Simone who blogs over at 'The Bottom of the Ironing Basket' in my old home turf London. Over steaming cups of Earl Grey tea this lovely woman keeps on dishing up post after post of sheer divinity in a girly, flirty and totally inspiring manner. So you can imagine just how thrilled I am that Simone will share a guest post here on Space for Inspiration on the 29th September. See you then lovelies..!!

Hugs and kisses to all, from Sweden!

xx Charlotta

Guest post 04: 'Golden Fall' by Monika of the Splendid Willow..

Hello all, Monika from Splendid Willow here. I am truly honored to be guest posting today when my close blog sis Charlotta is enjoying Fall in Sweden with family and friends.

As many of you might already know, I am also a native Swede, but resides on the other side of the planet, in beautiful Seattle, USA.

Fall has arrived here too - and I could not be happier! I love this time of the year! The air is crisp, the leaves are magical with their rich colors and life gets more earthy and cozy.

Fall also means harvest and mushroom season. I am huge mushroom lover - especially chantarelles and "trumpet mushrooms" (horns of plenty).



I have picked basket loads in my days. And let me tell you, that's quite a few days...

And when I come home with my golden friends, this simple, basic mushroom dish is a fall must (try it!):

Monika's Golden Fall Dish:

(Brush off the dirt of the musrooms. Don't clean them with water or they turn into sponges!)

one. Fry up some shallots with butter and add a little crushed garlic

two. Put the fresh chantarelles (tear them into small parts) into the pan together with the onions and garlic

three. Add some fresh parsley

four. Fry for a few minutes

five. Add some salt and pepper according to taste (Mine are more on the salty side)

six. Put a fresh toast (good bread, people!) in the toaster (or heat up in the oven)

seven. Overload the toast with the chantarelles

eight. Enjoy with a glass of wine and a salad. Eat while it is warm and salute fall!

This is also the season to start investing in a few new fashion items to endure the colder weather. A warm, cozy sweather and a nice pair of boots are always a must. These Sam Edelman boots are making me quite happy.



And this sweater from Antropologie.

This is also the season to get really crafty for the upcoming holidays. I like my decor simple. The fewer things, the more you see!



Ultimately, Fall to me is all about cocooning and spending lots of quality time with family, and darker days don't scare me ( I come from Sweden after all!). This is a good time to fill up your heart and soul (and stomach) with goodness for Winter.



Thank you for having me here today, Charlotta! I am sad we are not on the same side of the world, so we could go mushroom picking together! And share that bottle of wine we keep talking about. One of these days...

Fall hugs to you and all of your readers!

Image credits: 1-4) Flickr, 5+6) thegoodmoodfoodblog, 9) Sweet Paul, 10) Unknown (sorry), 11) Homelife


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TUSEN TACK my dear sis for this gorgeous Autumn post, and thank goodness I am in Sweden right now so that I can enjoy chantarelles by the handfull..! They are amongst my favourite things to eat - them, and Swedish crayfish!! And when we finally manage to synchronise our travels, there will be more than just one bottle of wine.. Of that I am sure!  ;) xx

Now for those of you who read my blog regularly, you will be very familiar with Monika's wonderful blog 'Splendid Willow'. For those who are new to the name, please do not wait another minute to click the banner, and know that you will be transported to an amazing world of style and inspiration. Be sure to sign up to the email subscription and look forward to wonderful posts of addictive reading!

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In a few days you will be able to meet another gorgeous Swedish girl here on Space for Inspiration, namely Tina of the lovely blog 'Komma Hem'. Tina is not only adorable & a wonderful friend, but she has also got a fabulous eye for style and design. I hope you will join her here on the 26th September.

xx Charlotta

Guest post 03: 'Cozying up for Autumn' with La Boheme...

Hi everyone, this is Anna over from La Boheme, and I'm so excited Charlotta asked me to participate in her guest post series while she is gone on her vacation. I think she deserves to take a break, and Sweden is certainly not a bad place to be!

While many of you are getting warmed up for Spring, we are just about ready to embrace Autumn here in San Francisco. I feel so lucky to finally call San Francisco my home and have many reasons for falling for it every single day. One of them is that it reminds me Europe so much. I grew up in the Czech Republic where my entire family still lives, therefore finding a place that feels like home on the other side of the world is quite special.

Home to me is the core of everything important, where you can find your balance, refuge and inspiration. It just happens Autumn is the season where I feel more inclined to staying inside that much more. The pleasure of chilly mornings and the crisp air soaking through my body makes me want to soak into warm bath.

When it's cold outside and you don't feel like going out, you can surround yourself with small luxuries in your special place instead. When it's raining, there is nothing wrong with snuggling up in your bed, drinking coffee and reading your favorite books (and blogs!) from there.. ;)

Home is the essence of our self-being and with season changes it is the warmth of home that keeps us coming back.

No matter where you live, how you live or who you live with, I hope you welcome the new season with open arms. I hope you find that special something that makes you happy when you wake up in the morning, when are you strolling the streets of whatever city you happen to live in and later at night when you go to sleep. I wish you the most beautiful season ahead!

Again, thank you Charlotta for letting me be part of such amazing group of bloggers!

Images: 1. Fredrick Larsson for The Chronicle, 2. Liz Hampton Photography via Dress, Design, Decor,

3-5. via Pantone, 4. Elle Decor Sept 2010, 6. via West Elm, 7. Laura Smeras on Flickr.

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THANK YOU sweet Anna for this wonderful post about the blessings of Autumn - I feel all wrapped up in a warm and cozy feeling now! xx I so relate to what you say about home being 'the core of everything important'. Especially when family lives in another part of the world, like for you & me. I am glad you have found a happy base in San Francisco (I LOVE that city!!) and hope to be able to knock on your door one day to visit your gorgeous home! xx

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My dears, Anna's blog is sheer divinity and you will love it!! Just click on the banner below to be transported across right now... Though before you do, be sure to make yourselves a big cup of tea, because you'll be there for a while.. (it's addictive!)

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Next up in is my dear blog sister Monika of the 'Splendid Willow'. She will join us with some yummy Autumn inspiration from Seattle in a few days. This warm, fun, stylish and energetic woman (who I love to bits) knows how to inspire, and I know you will absolutely love what she has to share! So don't forget to pop in on the 23rd September to read her post.

xx Charlotta