Last picnic in Lidingö in a nature reserve

We have to leave our lovely house in Lidingö so we are trying to enjoy all the good things from the island as much as possible. We discovered this natural protected area and decided to stop there for a picnic (and of course take a few pics along the way):Fields with dandelions, cow parsley and buttercups. Say no more. We got the perfect place to enjoy the beautiful nature of the island...I always make more or less the same things when I go on picnics. It's often sandwiches, salads, cooked eggs, fruits, sometimes I make a pie... and I always bring tea! I would love to hear about your ideas for a picnic too to broaden my choices!We love these family times in the nature, it's so so good!And a really cute forest to wander in around the field, what else?They have a little cafe not too far. One of these typical Swedish red house, selling gorgeous cakes and a lot of coffee: If you are ever setting your foot on Lidingö, and it's not winter (because then I recommend skating on a lake): go there! Give me some more picnic meal ideas, I would love to hear them!

Portrait of my children in 2017 - Six

For the 6th portrait together session, we  took pictures in those familiar and loved places of  where we live. Before we leave it. But to make it a little more fun, we found the coolest prop! I'm not sure what they are called but the kids surely had fun with them:First part is the little terrace in front of our house where we had lunches during the summer and is a good place to play as soon as the weather allows. We of course then had to go to the garden to take some pictures too. Because we had so much fun in it over the months and the seasons. This might no show here, but this garden is so lush and full of treasures.Do you like butter (I mean glitter)? I think you do!ok we might need to cut the grass a little but otherwise, what's the fun in it? And now it's time to take those two out to our favourite beach:The one we spent many hours at after school in August and September.We are so going to miss that proximity with the sea!And last but not least, we took just one picture in the forest. Lidingö has some pretty nice ones. And it can really have magical light in there just like when I took the woodland fairy tale pics: Oh yes. One last of the beach. Just because.Eliott has gotten an idea for the next portrait session and I can't wait to start shooting that too! It's good to be able to look forward :)   

New kids shop in Stockholm: Betòn Studios

Remember my post about the best slippers in town? It was about the women mocks but also all baby mocks and much more. Well, the Betòn studios (formerly mini mocks) shop that was once only an online store is also a shop in Stockholm now. In one of the coolest areas: Petra is the amazing woman behind all of it. She is so brilliant, strong minded, joyful and creative. And she is so nice too! Her story is worth a read for anyone who seeks motivation to build their dreams with their hands. You can read about it here, here and follow her on instagram here and here. After building her online shop and taking care of it for a few years, she decided to throw herself into opening a physical shop in one of the coolest areas in Stockholm. Otherwise known as sofo. It's like she did it all by herself (with some help from husband, maybe family and friends too I think ;)) and it's so beautiful. She made this curtain for instance and her choices of colours and furnitures are really nice too.And now she doesn't only sell mini and femme mocks, or accessories like those. She also sells so many beautiful things for kids, like clothes (liilu, daughter), toys and books (like the one below from the über talented Majasbok ).You should go there, meet her and see the shop. It's worth it.I wish they would do these bed sheets for adults too!I'm not going to show you more, because I want you to pay a visit and discover it too :)Go to Betòn Studios,  Nytorgsgatan 23B, Stockholm. You'll be happy you did!

Lilac love: the cordial recipe.

Earlier this spring, my eyes got caught by this pretty post from Emilie's blog Sweet Cabane on how to make Lilac cordial . If you don't know it, just go check it out! I couldn't wait for the Lilac season to start in Sweden and try it out myself. Everyone who knows me, knows my obsessions for Lilac. I planted one in the garden we had in Brussels. Then I had searches and hunts to find a perfume that reminded me the ephemeral smell of it (I managed!).And finally, the season came. So late (June) ! But soooo worth it. I have been in dreamland. I'm seriously thinking of renaming the island I am currently living in the "Lilac island". All sorts, all colours, all smells, everywhere! I'm happy to have lived this at least once in my life. Now moving on to the recipe:Here is the original recipe from Sweet Cabane:Ingredients

• 20 lilas heads

• 1 lemon

• 75 cl of water

• 750 g cane sugar

• 25 g of citric acid

I used a bit less sugar (about 600g) and a bit more lilac (about 30 heads) and a tiny bit less of citric acid (20g) but overall I followed the recipe. You have to remove the stems of the lilacs and put them in a jar.Slice the lemon and put it over the flowers. Boil the water and the sugar together until the sugar has melted. Once the mixture is removed, add the citric acid and stir well. Then pour the mixture on the flowers and lemons. Close the jar tightly.You then have to leave it in a dark (and if possible cool) place for three to five days before straining the flowers and lemons. Then, you are ready to taste! The colour I obtained I think comes from the dark cane sugar I had... The kids absolutely loved it and I tried it with a cool glass of prosecco. It was delicious!All set for a proper picnicI hope you still have lilacs wherever you are to try this out. Otherwise, keep the link for next year! 

oh London, I love you so - week-end with my daughter

The title might be misleading. I had planned this post long before the attacks in London. Long before the elections. But the title is still valid! Even more so after those events. Solidarity.We love London. All of us do. We have been several times with the kids. And we are lucky enough to have friends who live there. Pelle got us a trip to London as a birthday present and I thought I would share a a few pictures of the things we have done there:We spent an entire day in Kew gardens. I love it there. It might be a little bit far but it's so worth it. I hadn't been for 7 years. But it was worth the wait. It's especially nice in the spring of course.All the flowers and the hive reproduction was really cool. Also there is a tree top trail that is really nice. A bit too short in our views but still worth it. But one of the thing I liked best in Kew is the green houses. So moody and beautiful. I love it!I also liked the smaller greenhouse with the waterliliesIt's such a beautiful space!The day after we went to the Tate modern. We met the beautiful Siobhan there, she is a great photographer (check her out). And we saw the Giacometti exhibition. I recommend both the place and the latter. Thanks to some great IG advice, we took a boat to the Tate britain and saw the really cool installation from Cerith Wyn Evans:I then took Lily to Liberty to have tea there because they have great teas. And the best scones too!I took her to one of my favourite dim sum restaurant that day and it was happiness for both of us!The third day we spent in Walthamstow with our friends and went to the William Morris Gallery  which I also recommend! Very good with children.And lastly, before heading to the airport, we hung around St Pancras station, close to Saint Martins art school: Granary square. You have a cool fountain, especially good when it's hot! There was also a free Magnum exhibition in the tube station.  All worth it!Overall, what do we think about the week-end in London?Any more tips? I'm happy to oblige, let me know!

Tea time experience with Jing tea

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a tea lover. A big tea fan. It's like some British genes have been stuck in me! Ah the first sip in the morning is the best moment of the day. I like all sorts: black, white, green, rooibos. I like it cold or hot. With flowers or just pure white leafs. We went to China for our honey moon and even had the most amazing tea ceremonies there. I bought everything to re-do it but was never able to give a Oolong the taste I got there. Nevermind the nightmares it gave me after but that was another story. Despite all that, I have to say that my favourite of all times remains a good cup of Earl Grey. When JING tea sent me their finest Earl grey tea bags to try out, I was beyond excited:The day I received the tea was such a beautiful day. The lilac were blooming and I was biking with this big package while stealing gathering a bit of Lilac (ok a lot) from the streets of Lidingö.I couldn't wait to open it and try the tea out! The package had some Earl grey tea bags but also a lovely transparent cup. The best way to see your tea unfold in my view. But most importantly, Jing tea also sent a timer.That is a must, my friends,  to get to know when your tea is ready its best. I already have a boiler where I can choose the right temperature for different types of teas. And the timer was the missing piece! Plus, this one is really pretty I think."It’s not just a drink – it’s an experience." you can read on Jing tea's website. Jing tea is a british company and I really like the philosophy behind it. The way they want to bring you more than just selling their tea. Like telling you how best to drink it, how to bring the finest taste out of them. And they have a real expertise especially in the way they source their teas. I like the relation they have with the producers. And the way they make sure each tea they choose has the best taste.So I tried their Earl Grey twice. I infused a tea bag directly in the cup the first time. And I infused a tea bag in a pot the second time. 3 minutes with the timer and it was ready!I liked both equally and I can say it without doubts: this was one of the best Earl greys I had tasted. Believe me, I tried many. This one is particularly refined and a subtle taste of bergamot makes it a real pleasure to drink. Not the usual strong tea I have for breakfast but it definitely became my favourite after lunch treat.They have such a great range. Their whole rose buds look delicious. And I now want to try their Jasmine teas (the flowering ones are so beautiful in a transparent pot or cup) and Silver needles. Both jasmine and white teas are my favourites after Earl grey!As a tea drinker and lover, I really appreciated tasting a new tea. And so did my son:If you like tea, and would like to treat yourself, click here. I recommend it!PS: Jing tea sent me the tea for free but all appreciation and thoughts are my own!

Birthday week-end when Lily turned 9

Lily turned 9 not that long ago.  As she didn't have many friends in her class, we decided to avoid trying to have a birthday party. But instead we would have a family week-end full of adventures: I was a bit heartbroken at first that she wouldn't have the usual friends big party. But then, this family/adventure week-end grew on us. And it was actually the greatest idea. She will probably remember it better than all of her previous parties!It started with a little trip to the sea before hitting the road. The water was much chillier than expected (especially because it was so hot in the air that day!)Then we went to our family in Örebro.  It's a place I mentionned before because they have a great open art exhibition every two years. But it's also where Pelle's family lives and it was really good this year to be able to have more reunions with them!I ended up doing the Nigella's olive oil gluten free chocolate cake I was advised to do on instagram and it was quite nice with mascarpone and raspberries on top!Lily got a Ukulélé for her birthday as requested, played right away with it. Such happiness!It was such a beautiful week-end too!We drove to near Gothenburg from there to an amazingly beautiful hotel. Just a bit weird that it's in the middle of a golf course. But if you ignore that fact, you are in paradise! The rooms have a scandinavian style. With woodland and white design. And big window bays giving you a view to the forest:I'm pretty sure the woods have fairies there!The real birthday day was Sunday. We got a little cake and a candle for her and gave her some more presents:This includes that Bellerose dress she really liked!The aim of the trip was to go to Universum, a huge science center in Gothenburg that Lily really wanted to visit. On our way, there was a dandelion field and I had to stop to take some pics of course:Kids had a great time at Universum. If you are in the area, I definitely recommend it!And when we were on our way back to Stockholm, I got totally obsessed with Colza (Rapeseed) fields and thankfully we could stop at one of them so I could take pictures!Great end to a great birthday week-end! Overall, she was very happy about everything. And I'm sure she'll have much more memories of it. I think planning trips is one of the best present you can have. What do you think? 

Portrait of my children in 2017 - Five

We did a little experimentation for this 5th portraits together once a month session. With lights and darkness. The result isn't what I expected but as far as experiments go, I can still be pretty happy. Once again, it was too cold and you can probably see that on Eliott's face or body language. But still, it was fun:“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”― Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and SpeechesSo we had the lights. Now here is to hope that there is love too between those two ;)I tried to experiment with light after my findings with the coach I saw and talked about in Woodland reveries, the third portrait of them this year. I love to try to seek a bit of magic in photography and in life and light is the best way to do it. I'm always compelled to pictures that have some interesting, amazing,  beautiful lights. And I hope that wherever they go, whatever they do, they'll have love and light to guide them throughYou can see the heart shape right? This session didn't run out like I had imagined when I started saving pictures on my pinterest. But it was still an interesting step forward, what do you think?I hope you enjoyed it. Till the next portrait! Meanwhile,  let me know what you think. 

Artipelag in the spring

When we went to Artipelag in the summer, I promised to go and check it during every seasons. So we went during the winter. And now we paid it a visit during early spring. And I'm still in awe of the place. I already praised it in my previous posts and explained why. But I will do a little reminder here with a few pictures:This place is truly magical. Any time, any weather and I'm totally bewitched!So Artipelag is a beautiful place on the Värmdö island of the Stockholm archipelago. It's first a museum where you have great exhibitions and a restaurant but it's also nice walk paths with beautiful views and settings. One by the sea and one by a pine forest.When we came last time, it was rather cold and grey but still. The colours were amazing, the  views are stunning and the museum is a great place. Always such a treat!Oh and did I mention the pine forest? I think I did!So comfortable, she didn't want to move for a while......but had to! And it ends with some beautiful birch trees so typical of the north of Europe:I also made a little week-end movie so you can see more:I'm not sure I'll see it in the Autumn. All is a bit uncertain at the moment. But we will certainly try to as I'm sure It would blow my mind (and my camera).

One we like: cool clothes from Sweden

I recently met the owner of the clothes brand One we like. I got to go to the opening of her new shop in Stockholm.  If you are in the area, you should definitely pass by! And I really liked the brand so much, I want to share with you the reasons why:Vicky is making and selling clothes that are sustainable, organic, cool and comfortable. Also, she uses mostly local designers and illustrators for the prints.  And it's so soft! you can read all about it here.It's more and more difficult to find nice clothes that fits my ever growing (too fast) kids. So I was quite pleased to find this one!And even for my son it's possible to find something really cool. Sizes go up to 14 years old. Plus, he doesn't accuse me of making him look like a baby with what I buy! By the way, they have some models in adult sizes too!Did I mention they were comfy? Overall, as you can read, I'm very pleased with the clothes from One we like. I support the philosophy behind it. And I also like that it's a local brand. Plus, she created a small collection for a charity where all proceeds go to help newly arrived refugees. What else?

Little summer feel in May

Just a little interlude because May in Sweden has been somewhat surprising. To say the least. One minute it was almost summer. Shorts and sandals were in order. And the next: it snowed for three days in a row! Alternating with hailing and rain. Plus, it was also below 6 degrees with minus temperatures during the night.I mean, in May! What happened here? Anyway, spring seems to be making it's way back and I can't be happier. Meanwhile, a few pics to make me remember that it can also be warm and sunny here sometimes:It was so nice we decided to have a little picnic outside and Lily of course brought her drawing gear with her.We had a lovely apéro there until quite late (before it became a bit too chilly):The day after we went into a beautiful protected area on the island and picked up some spring white flowers (more photos to come in a later post). It was less warm but still: Can you imagine that two days after that we had snow and it was 6°C outside? Well at least in between I had a nice time out with my daughter in one of my Stockholm's favorite's cafés: Fabrique stenugsbageri in Gamla Stan:Well, even if it was short, at least I will remember with this post, the glimpses of summer in an otherwise wintery early May: