Back soon...

Darlings I am beyond swamped at the moment. I'll be back next week to let you know what is keeping me busy..

Until then, please enjoy this beautiful Swedish house-tour that I came across a little while ago. Just look at the wonderful bones of this place..!

Via. 1. Joner. House tour pictures via Mixr.se

Big hugs to all from Sydney..

xx Charlotta 

Give Away winner.. and Swedish real estate with a twist..

Hello lovelies! How's the weekend been? Ours ended with a big happy sigh after a string of fun events, including Marshall's birthday celebration yesterday. In fact we all took the day off and spent a lovely day together instead of scooting off to work and school. Life is for living isn't it!?! :)

Pinterest via 'The Pretty Blog'

As promised, I have drawn the two winners of the ISAK 'ABC Character' posters that were so generously sponsored by Kindergallery. And without further ado I'd like to congratulate Bron of 'Maxabella Loves' AND Felicity of 'Gifts of Serendipity'. 

You won girls!! Please drop me an email with your address details so that I can organize for the delivery of your posters. xx

+++ + +++

Today I also wanted to share a Swedish real estate agent with a difference, namely 'Fantastic Frank'.

Styled with an open-ended 'story' in mind, rather than a fully furnished statement...

This is a modern, creative and insightful agency that believes that "..A home is more than the size & dimension between the walls. Our senses are more affected by the light, colours, sounds and textures than by a designer chair."

They also believe that people feel their best when they are inspired, and when they feel that there is a purpouse to what surrounds them. Then and only then, can a home start to exude a tangible character that allows us to connect and build a meaningful relationship with it. So true..!

With this philosophy in mind they style their listings in a way that allows the character of the property to come to life with the aim to "reach the few who 'love' it, rather than the large group who only 'like' it..". I love this bold, confident and to-the-point approach!

All interior & styling shots via Fantastic Frank Fastighetsmäkleri and blog

On that note.. I am off to bed! Have a great start to the new week. I'll be back in a few days with some exciting news..!

xx Charlotta

How cool is this?!

via my gorgeous friend Jen of 'Slumber Designs'

Don't you just love this..!?! Tho' I fear I'd always find my husband down there under my feet.. :)

xx Charlotta

Rustic Winter delight..

It is no secret that I absolutely love (!) the mountains. In fact I think I may be a reincarnated mountaineer or ranger, because I get a very special feeling of serenity and genuine belonging when I am in mountainous terrain.

 Matterhorn via Picasa - I would love to climb the 'Hörnli ridge' (right).. A distant dream..!

For two years I lived in the divine (Olympic) village of Lillehammer Norway where I enjoyed a full life of hiking, climbing, skiing and other mountainous fun. It was perfect for me and I still dream of one day owning a cozy chalet perched in-between snowy peaks just like this one near beautiful Matterhorn (one of my favourite peaks!) in Switzerland..

I once stayed as a guest in a privately owned castle in this area of Switzerland. My host and his family had held their beautiful grand home & grounds for many generations. Suffice to say it was a real privilege to be able to experience their warm hospitality in such a unique and exclusive setting. George, if you read this. Thanks again - that was such a fun Easter break! Good memories.x

During that same trip I also skied the Matterhorn, and though I have swooped down the pistes (and off-pistes!) of many famous places in the Alps I would probably rate this one as one of my favourite skiing destinations (after Chamonix, Avoriaz and the Mount Blanc slopes in Val d'Aosta).

House tour images via Inside Home Page

*sigh*

+++++++++++++++  +  ++++++ +++++++++

Don't forget to enter my 'Kindergallery' give-away of two 'ABC Character' posters by 'ISAK'. Entries are open to Australian & NZ residents only, however if you are an international blogger with a friend who lives in one of these regions you may enter on their behalf. Entries close on Sunday 26th June at Midnight, Sydney time..

Happy hugs from a sunny & glistening Sydney.

xx Charlotta


P.S.

A long row of hearts and big thank you hugs to Linda!
You rock darling!
x-o-x

'A' is for 'Art'... 'G' is for 'Give-away'...!

Hello my darlings. Hope your weekend was nice & relaxing and that the new week has kicked off well.  Today I'd like to talk art.. Nursery art. 
A few years ago when I was pregnant with Oscar there was hardly anything out there that suited my aesthetic, and I really struggled to find pieces for his nursery. In the end this is what brought me to start painting again for real, and this as you (may) know also set the start of my own children's art & design business.

 by Peters & James

Times have certainly changed since then and the market place of today is flooded by talented artists who target families and young ones. A wonderful & convenient hub for quality children's artwork is Sydney  based 'Kindergallery'.

 

Meredith Gaston *

Shinzi Katoh *

Ida Pearle *

This gallery-shop operates both online and by private appointment to help art savvy littlies (& their parents) choose the perfect visual adornment for their walls. They carry a number of wonderful artists such as Meredith Gaston, Aliette, Shinzi Katoh, and Swedish Sandra Isaksson. The latter of course is especially close to my heart..

by ISAK

Sandra (who also blogs - HERE) operates both as an independent artist, and as part of a Scandi-British collaboration under art & decor label 'ISAK'. I love the way she introduces herself on her website..

click to enlarge..

Sandra's work is playful & neat with tangible flair of Scandinavian mid-centrury retro. Her pieces are designed to work on their own or in clusters, and they are as fun for the nursery as they are for your older kids.
So imagine my delight when Kate Holcombe, the manager of Kindergallery contacted me to offer not one but two A2 'ABC Character' posters by ISAK as a give-away for my Australian/NZ friends.
That said, if you are an international blogger who want to enter this give-away on behalf of or for an Australian/NZ friend, you may. As long as the shipping address falls withing this region. Just read on to find out how..

Give Away: 2 x A2 ISAK posters via Kindergallery

To enter you must be a public follower of Space for Inspiration (no anonymous entries please). Leave one comment for each of the following entry points:

1. Confirm you are indeed a follower, and include your email address if you are reading my posts as a non-blogger.
If you enter for or behalf of an Aussi/Kiwi friend, please mention this in your comment. Thanks. x

2. Announce this give-away on your Facebook (with post link)

3. and/or your blog (with post link).

Entries are open until midnight on Sunday 26th July (AEST) and the two winners will be announced shortly after.

Johanna Ekmark via Mama magazine

Good luck to all!
And thank you once more to Kate & Kindergallery.

xx Charlotta

Detox made yummy..

Hello lovelies and warm weekend greetings from Sydney! I am thrilled that the sun has returned to our Wintery patch of the world, and as such life feels pretty great! :)

via Tumblr

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I have received a few emails from people in regards to the 'detox regimes' that I embark on.

My regular readers will know that I go on a 4-8 week detox stint 3-4 times a year. In fact I am enjoying 'week 7' of my second round for 2011 as I type this!

It may come as a surprise that I use the word 'enjoying' but it is true, I am actually genuinely enjoying it! I will even go as far to say that I really look forward to my detoxes these days - so much in fact that they have become more frequent and longer!

1. Don't Settle For Less, 2. Scandie Foodie, 3. Chance Facebook, 4. Sweet Paul Magazine

 

May I add here though that I by no means am a 'health freak', nor do I intend to become one. But I do love the powerful & tangible benefits of clean, nutritious, and healthy foods. I can assure you all that eating/living this way does not mean going about daily life feeling deprived or starved in any way! 
To me it all comes down to a 'lifestyle' choice, and how we aim to find one that make us feel, look and be the best we can possibly be. Most importantly, any initiative or change to ones life and habits has to marry organically into every-day routines & life in order to work in the long run. 

1. Unknown, 2. Babauhaus, 3. Red Stamp, 4. Australian Gourmet Traveller

The detox queries I have received are mostly from people who read my 'Squeeky Clean' post at the beginning of the year. I wrote that post as an introduction and starting point for finding out more about the kind of 'detox programme' I do. It is a long and comprehensive post that takes you through the basics of detoxing and also gives reference to a couple of good sites.
There are many different programmes out there, including ones that incorporate 'fasting', 'parasite elimination' and 'breaking a candida cycle' and I am happy to talk more about all of these at a later stage. For now, I am basing my posts on a broader detox programme that will benefit everyone and that is not too hard to implement.

1. One Thousand Rings, 2. Fabulous K 3. Canelle et Vanille, 4. Sweet Paul Magazine

Some of the questions I have received relate to foods & recipes, and this brings me to the core of today's post.. namely 'yummy detox friendly foods'!
Over the (detox-) years I have built a little 'mental library' of every-day-recipes that work for me, and I will eventually add these to a dedicated 'blog page' (or separate blog..), but today I wanted to introduce you to a wonderful 'food blogette' named Maria.

This talented Finnish girl grew up in a small remote town just south of the Arctic Circle but has called Australia home since a few years back. 

Inspired by her mother and the abundance of amazing raw produce here in Sydney, she cooks up a delicious storm of healthy foods which are showcased through her vastly popular blog 'Scandi Foodie'. You will want to click that 'subscribe button' fast people!

via unknown source on Tumblr

The 'Scandie Foodie' dishes are delicious, wholesome, and packed with nutrients. Maria cooks with skill, style, and with great insight to seasonal & quality raw produce! 
Having salivated my way through her impressive and impeccably photographed (!) 'smörgasbord' of recipe posts I knew this would be the perfect reference to give my friends who asked about guidance on food & eating.
With Maria's permission I am sharing six 'detox proof' dishes that I personally will try in the near future. Rest assured though that there are plenty more where these came from..!
Thank you Maria for letting me showcase them here. You are such an inspiration to me!! xx

Chestnut & Apple Crumble - HERE

Brown Rice & Fig Tartlets - HERE

Fig & Goat's Cheese Tart - HERE

Paradise Pear & Kamut Couscous Salad - HERE

Savoy Cabbage Rolls With Brown Rice & Chanterelle Filling - HERE

Prawn & Wattleseed Fettuccine - HERE

All recipe pictures by Maria for 'Scandie Foodie' 

 ** * **

That's all for now folks, but I promise to chat more about detoxing later and to also share some of my own recipes. 
Of course you are always welcome to drop me an email with more questions until then.

 via Wet Hot American Summer

Hugs to all and happy new week for tomorrow!

xx Charlotta

One last (but not least) thing! My blog and posts are being featured on the  'Decorating Forum' all week. Do pop across and check their 'forum' and Facebook out.  Thank you Julie-Ann - hope your members enjoy my blog. x