Thursday, May 1, 2014

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


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.


 

Monday, April 21, 2014

Swedish Country on Food52


Starting today, our Rosemaling dessert plates are available as part of a Spring/Summer wedding collection for Food52.com!

If you aren't familiar with Food52, it is an all-inclusive foodie website with everything from recipes, to advice, to products that help you in the kitchen.  Seriously, their recipes are out of this world--and they really strive to equip cooks with the best resources available.

Provisions, their curated shop, has a lovely assortment of items that are both practical and beautiful. That's where we come in.  Our plates make a fantastic wedding gift, or a great addition to any dining collection--they're unique, durable and super useful.

Visit us at swedishcountry.com for our whole Rosemaling collection!




Inspiration from around the web



Scandinavian style doesn't have to be stark white and modern.

And to be fair, these spaces below aren't necessarily Scandinavian.  They really are a complete hodgepodge of styles.

But they all have a common thread, and that is that they embody the ideas of light, bright and comfortable. And that is, in essence, Scandinavian.  Rooms that are livable, and realistic, with lots of natural light, and lots of white-meets-bright.

Just a little inspiration from around the web!















Friday, April 18, 2014

Fika.


Time for a fika.  Coffee and a pastry (or two) as an afternoon pick-me-up.

This is an essential part of a Swede's day.  To take a break, re-collect, and meet with friends for conversation.



You can do fika in your home as well--it is just as normal as going out to a cafe or something--the where is less important than the what.



It traditionally would be coffee served, but these days it doesn't have to be.  In recent years the concept has morphed and changed somewhat, as many traditions do, to include everything from tea, to small sandwiches, to whatever else you might want--as long as you are taking a break.

Purists would disagree, and still claim it's coffee that should be consumed at this coffee hour.

But regardless of what you're drinking, the point of fika is taking time out of your day to replenish, revive, and (in most cases) recaffeinate.  Swedes believe that not only is this not slacking off or wasting time, but is actually helpful in recharging you for the remainder of your day.

I wholeheartedly agree.




Sources:
Blue Teacup Set (discontinued)
Colbalt Cookie Plate (unknown)


Thursday, April 17, 2014

Welcome back.



Hi there!

It's been a loooong time since I've posted!  We've been busy around here--between working on a number of projects and our new baby (well, he's not that 'new', he just turned one), this past year has gone by, fast.

We have some fun things happening at SCI, with some new products, new collaborations, and lots of making, testing, packaging and shipping.

Check back soon, as I'll be posting updates along the way!

Friday, November 23, 2012

Let's shop small. (And save some $ too!)



Shop with us this Saturday through Monday and support the small business community in doing so!  Use the code SAVE20 and get 20% off of your order with Swedish Country Interiors through either of our sites: swedishcountry.com or swedishcountry.etsy.com.

Enjoy, and have a wonderful Christmas season!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Deck the Halls Gift Guide

Earlier this week we were included in an Etsy gift guide mailing (which I just discovered yesterday) along with some other really great gift picks. Our "Let us Eat" plates were featured in the Scandinavian section. Take a look at all of the great finds!

If you are having trouble with any of the links, use this one instead...


Email doesn't look right? Click here!
Today's email brought to you by Christine
Fabric Leaf Wreath - French ...
janejoss$25.00USD
Hand Stamped Christmas Tr...
ImBlessed$12.00USD
Deck the Halls with Holiday Spirit

Country Christmas
Country Doves- handmade c...
kylieparry$28.00USD
Vintage Seed Sack Christma...
catnapcottage$46.50USD
Christmas Cards Set of TEN ...
CardinalBoutique$20.00USD
 
 
Rustic Barn Door Gate Coat ...
SoPurdyCreations$37.00USD
Vintage Christmas Tree Skirt
RicsRelics$80.00USD
Burlap Table Runner with Ha...
NorthCountryComforts$20.00USD
Shop all country Christmas collections...
Cottage Chic
black stripe jute stocking - lin...
jennilyons81$27.99USD
Santa Pillow Cover, Christma...
TheWatsonShop$56.00USD
Christmas Reindeer 24" Sha...
DistinctiveByDesign$43.00USD
Linen Bunting JOY Shabby ...
thewildraspberry$15.00USD
4 Pale aqua green bottle bru...
hopeandjoystudios$15.00USD
Christmas Pillow, Holy Night,...
parismarketplace$21.00USD
 
Cottage Christmas Wreath
TheLinnetsWing$67.00USD
Santas Cookies Sign // Shab...
SweetMeas$25.00USD
Shabby Chic Christmas garla...
PaperAndMache$40.00USD
Shop all cottage chic holiday collections...
 
Christmas Wooden Ornamen...
littlethingsstudio$5.00USD
Let us Eat...Porcelain Desser...
SwedishCountry$48.00USD
Red and White Quilt
silverfoxcub£70.00GBP
Shop all Scandinavian holiday collections...
 
Vintage Deer Antler Mount C...
UpscaleDownhome$125.00USD
Mixed Cotton Boll Wreath - N...
TALLCOTTONnPEAS$160.00USD
Cotton and Burlap Pillow Bur...
JolieMarche$35.00USD
Shop all woodland holiday collections...
Rockin' Around the Retro Tree
Yarn Tree Christmas Decor. ...
HeartfeltYarnWreaths$33.00USD
Retro Snowman Christmas D...
AJARbyRachaelCrew$15.00USD
Doe A Deer... Vintage Woodl...
InWithTheOld$24.00USD