Old School Swede Sale

Memorial Day Weekend Sale in our vintage shop!  Now through Monday recieve 30% off everything with code MEMORIAL30.

Enjoy and Happy Memorial Day!

Food52 Spring and Summer Wedding Collection

Our Rosemaling plates are still being featured at Food52 in their Spring and Summer Weddings Collection.

And as such, I though we should take a look at some of the other items in the collection, as there are some absolutely gorgeous things.




First up, the Floral Letterpress Coasters from Sesame Letterpress.

These coasters are (extra heavy beverage) paper, but are anything but your normal paper coaster. They are printed with rubber-based ink which means they don't bleed and are actually reusable.  They come in four gorgeous floral patterns, and would make such an unexpected and fantastic wedding gift.



Next up, the Jadeite Glass Cake Plate by Mosser Glass.

I've always loved jadeite, but this piece is exceptionally pretty with its footed glass bottom and clean lines. I love the vintage-y feel, and the fact that is is handmade.




Next, the Pour la tourtiere d'Annette Stoneware Pie Plate by Art et Manufacture.

A beautiful ceramic tart plate with a fluted edge and unique, one-of-a-kind design.  And I have such an affinity for blue and white.



Last but not least, the Walnut Pizza Peel by Primal Kitchen.

Such a useful tool if you make pizza often (like we do) and goes really well with their walnut pizza cutter if you like the idea of getting a set.  Almost too pretty to use!


So these are some of my favorites from the collection, but there are many more lovely items, perfect for giving as a wedding or anniversary gift this season!  See the whole collection here.

Etsy Wedding Registries

Etsy offers such a unique opportunity for brides and grooms - to create a registry that spans any of their handmade or vintage shops and allows them to register for a million different items, all in one place.

Creating an Etsy registry is incredibly easy, and the real brilliance of it is that items can be pulled from any of the thousands of different sellers, to curate a really unique, well-suited registry that speaks volumes about them and the home they are creating.  And of course, registering this way supports independent artists and small businesses galore.

Swedish Country Interiors has been a part of a few different registries, and each time we've found it such an honor to be a part of the process of helping a couple start their life together, and assisting them in furnishing their home. And it's pretty cool to think about them using our dishes for dinner parties, holidays, and everyday meals for years to come.

This article leads you through the process of building a registry step by step, and this is where you get started, if you're interested in doing so.  It's also easy to access from the Etsy homepage--look for the link in the top, left-hand corner.

For ideas on what other couples are registering for, or to get some creative tips for decor, party favors, themes or how-to's, check out the Etsy wedding blog for a wealth of information.

Art Prints

Did you know we have art prints in our Swedish Country shop?

Printed on slightly textured, white, 210g cardstock with high-quality ink.  Prints are sold in 8x10 size, but can be custom ordered in any additional size you need.  We can also do a custom color for you, if you would prefer something other than black or red, our commonly stocked options.  Let us know if we can help you with a special order.

Currently, we are offering our Rosemaling and Dala Horse designs--both are a great way to add a little Swedish vibe to your home!

These prints also make great gifts.  Think spring weddings, birthdays...and don't forget Mother's Day!

Midsommar, Midsummer, Midsommardaggen, and even St. John's Day

Scandinavian Heritage Midsommar Festival in Portland, OR

Have you ever considered attending a Midsommar party?  They're a big deal, (a real big deal) if you live in Sweden, and celebrate the summer solstice and generally just the arrival of warm days, lots of sunshine, and time off from school and work.

Midsommar, (or Midsummer, obviously, if you prefer the American spelling) is rooted in Nordic and Germanic pagan tradition, with rituals of fertility and youthfulness.  It also coincides with St. John's Day on the Christian calendar. These days, however, it's all about enjoying the spring-turned-summer, and some really good food.  

In Sweden, this holiday kicks off the summer vacation season, and is often spent with family and close friends.  Stateside, we don't often see too many neighborhood bbq's with kids dancing around a maypole, (by the way, you can find an awesome tutorial for making one here) and often, Midsommar celebrations are held at Scandinavian cultural centers, and rightly so.  (Here is a fairly conclusive list of American Midsommar events compiled by Nordstjernan.)  By the way, this year it is celebrated on June 21st.

Even Ikea does it up with a celebratory Smorgasbord, as as they always seem to do, they sell many of the components you might need to make your own version in their marketplace.

If you would like to read more about the history of Midsommar, here and here are some good resources with some background information, and even some traditional recipes that you might like to try out.

Speaking of food, I love that Midsommar celebrations aren't barbecues.  As an American, barbecuing is what we do in the summer.  But it is so fun, from a culinary perspective, to have an outdoor celebration that doesn't incorporate meat on a grill.  I'm actually not even sure Americans are capable of it.  But it is worth a try, because the food is fabulous, and it is well worth venturing out onto a Northern European limb for such fare.

Here, here, and here, are some other fantastic places to find a variety of Midsommar recipes.

Scandinavian Folk Festival, Jamestown, NY