A Fig in Sweden Portland

overall awesome

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that I am head over heels in love with Swedish children's clothes. And one of my very favorites is Polarn O. Pyret. Luckily, they have recently arrived in the U.S. And, even luckier, they sent me some sample gear to "put to the test" just as they do with preschools in Sweden. 

Polarn O. Pyret is all about outdoor play. Mathis is a little young to "play" outside, but he still needs to stay warm and dry while we're out and about. Plus, I'm a big believer in a daily dose of fresh air for everyone.

With the cold rainy season in full swing here, I have been reaching more and more for his waterproof PO.P overall. I love that it's just a shell, so I can use it with light clothing on wet spring days, too. Plus, he doesn't get overheated when we pop in and out of stores. Great for when I'm carrying him in the Ergo.

While I got drenched during today's outing (see the HUGE puddles in the background?), he stayed totally dry. So, did Sophie in her PO.P jacket. PO.P clothes do cost a bit more, but I love the clever ways they design their clothes so that they sort of grow with your child a bit. Honestly, I'm sure this rainsuit will fit him next fall when he jumps in his first puddle!

You'll hear (and see!) more about PO.P here on the blog. In the meantime, buy ahead for next year because loads of fall and winter items are up to 60% off!

 

a swedish sewing machine was not fried in the making of this pennant banner

I have been slightly petrified by all the bare walls in our newly finished basement. Like it's so intimidating to have a blank canvas that it's hard to know where or how to start. But my sadness over Sophie's boring off-white room pushed me over the edge. Two tacks have now been hammered into the wall to hold up this handmade fabric pennant banner!

The idea started after I made Mathis a baby quilt a couple of weeks ago (thanks to parental guilt for not making him a darn thing) with my sewing machine from Sweden. It survived. The transformer seemed to do its thing without blowing up the machine. And the IKEA fabric I used for Mathis' quilt lent itself well to a fabric pennant banner, which I have wanted to make/get for Sophie for a while.

I found this DIY page with great instructions, spent Saturday afternoon cutting triangles and sewed it all together Sunday morning.

Two little tacks have broken the ice ... just in time for the little man to move into his sister's room (!!!).

sew portland

While I was out running errands, I stopped by one of the secondhand kids shops where I have an account to see if I could pick up something supercute for the baby. Instead, I found something supercute for Sophie. This hand-sewn shirt by Karina Potestio seemed so Portland to me.

As I was walking out, the owner said, "Put a bird on it, right?"

Yup, that would be why it seemed so Portland to me.

 

P.S. Thanks to everyone who emailed or commented about my last post. I have since taken it down, partly because I chickened out and partly because I already feel a lot better. Thanks to your support and the fact that Sophie pee-peed on the potty for the first time last night. (Yes, yet another thing on my plate right now.) Amazing what a little urine in a pink princess potty will do for your mood. :) Thanks again, everyone.

we're not in sweden anymore

There are lots of things I miss about Sweden, particularly when it comes to kids. First of all, it is dang hard to find toddler socks with those rubber stickies on the bottom. Is it due to the propensity of wall-to-wall carpet here? Whatever the reason, we have a hell of a time finding socks that don't send Sophie slipping and sliding all over our wood floors. Probably what's #1 on my miss list is Swedish children's clothing shops. If Lindex shipped to Sweden, I would be all over it. Fortunately there is a glimmer of hope with all the hip baby clothes available in Portland, like the adorable onesie above.

Also battling for the #1 spot right now: I really miss the Swedish laid-back attitude toward pregnancy. I found a great midwife clinic here that's actually in walking distance from our house. And it's like an English-speaking version of my Swedish experience. BUT we had our 20-week ultrasound at the hospital on Monday, and the doctor was the epitomy of everything I imagined with an American pregnancy. First, the exam took 2 hours versus 20 minutes tops in Sweden. They looked for EVERYTHING. Good in one sense, but bad in another, which I will expand on in a minute.

After the technician did the initial screen for over an hour, a doctor came in to give us the results. She introduced herself and then asked a series of questions like, "Are you working with a genetic counselor?" and "Have you opted out of getting any genetic tests like an amniocentesis." Looking like a deer in headlights, I finally asked her, "Is there a reason you are asking me all these questions? Should I be concerned?" She said that no, it's just something she asks all women of my age. Over 35. WTF???!!

In Sweden, I asked my midwife if there were any special tests that I would get because of my age (also over 35 back then). She kind of gave me the look of "why?" And then said, no, there wasn't anything to be concerned about with my age. She said if we wanted any special tests we would have to go to a private doctor ... it wasn't part of the normal Swedish system.

Anyway, back to my U.S. anatomy scan ... they found something strange. She didn't really know what it was, which was kind of comforting since it didn't point to anything being wrong. But I have been more nervous than excited for the past two days. Thankfully, I got a little more clarity from my midwife today who said that it seems totally benign and is probably part of normal development. And that it wasn't until recently that we really started looking at the baby with such scrutiny — now we're finding stuff and are like what the heck is that? On one hand, it's great that we have such sophisticated tests and tools to look at stuff (like being able to find out we're having a boy!), but then it just makes you super-obsessed about every little thing you find. This thing they found is the size of a pinhead!

I know you can't have it all, but if someone could just give me my Swedish baby clothes shops and Swedish medical system, I would be a much happier Portlander. Tack.

i want this ride!

I think Lewis and Sophie would look great pedaling around Portland in this sweet ride. (I'll take the powder blue one for me.) And with this blog post, I have now entered to win one. Sweet!

portland bag

Bag fetish + newfound love of Portland = must have the Portland Bag by lizbags!

label shopping, PDX-style

I discovered today that I am an easy walk down a quiet street away from Portland's best beer store, John's Marketplace. On tap for tonight: Rogue's Yellow Snow IPA.

who says being organized isn't sexy?

Granit, Sweden's version of The Container Store (but better), is one of the shops I'll miss when we move back. I actually don't buy much there, but it's fun to drool over the stylie organization products. I was there on Saturday and picked up this cute flyer (plus a t-shirt). I especially like the story on page 2: Grandpa surprising grandma with a newly organized garage. Me thinks grandpa's gonna get lucky, but let's keep this blog PG-13.

6 shopping days left

I've been making a mental list of all the Swedish things I need to buy before the movers show up on Sept. 27, and they include the items above: P.OP clothes, Fjällräven bag, clogs (still not 100% on that one), Olle Eksell poster, and a Stelton pitcher and bread bag.

44 days turned into 6 shopping days, because I really only have Saturdays to get it done. (Yikes!)

Anyone have anything to add to my list (which will also include BOB Hallonsylt)?

tillsammans in stockholm

Sweden has royal wedding fever right now. Crown Princess Victoria will marry ordinary-dude Daniel Westling on June 19. Apparently there's like a royal wedding countdown on all the news programs. IKEA Sweden joined the hub-bub with a really fun exhibition: IKEA Tillsammans (together), which was basically our take on how Victoria and Daniel should furnish Haga Castle.

Our whole group went up on Thursday to check it out. What an awesome work day away from work that also included a visit to the new Fotografiska museum (super Annie Liebovitz and Lennart Nilsson shots), a latte in a cafe (I miss that!), Gudrun Sjödén shopping, Thai food, a smoothie fika and Beirut Cafe takeaway for the train ride home. If you live in a city, this sounds like pretty ordinary stuff. When you live in a place like Älmhult, not so much.

Here are some shots from IKEA's Haga Castle and the IKEA sleepover camp – yes, you can sleep over but only if you booked early. It's sold out every night.

good life. good design.

The packaging designer-wannabe in me was very happy to see the new look of the ICA Gott Liv line. These fun illustrations were done by Swedish illustrator Klas Fahlén, who also illustrated the IKEA book Beloved Homes.

Click on any of the images above to see them in motion on the ICA website. 

(Images from ICA website)

just call me J. Ginny

I made two important fashion discoveries while shopping with two girlfriends in Malmö this week. One was Gudrun Sjöden – fun, feminine, ecological clothes from Stockholm. The chain is limited to Scandinavia right now and reminds me of an ethnic version of Anthropologie.

While we were walking down the main shopping street, two girls in colourful outfits handed us cute floral canvas bags. We thought perhaps they were Hare Krishnas who were going to ask us for money. But, no, they were just happy people publicizing the reopening of the Gudrun Sjöden boutique in Malmö. The ploy worked. Amy thought that I might like the clothes (read: mom clothes), so we checked it out. She was right. If I hadn't just forked over too much money for a cute organic mom dress from Denmark's Jackpot, I could have easily walked out with some new Gudrun threads, such as the skirt and tights above.

Which leads me to my 2nd discovery, which is really more of a revelation: my age-appropriate taste in fashion (read: mom clothes). How did this happen? Was it becoming a mom at age 37, being promoted to "management" or living in Scandinavia for 5 years? Or maybe all three?

My friends, who are 10 years younger than me, were not looking at Jackpot dresses and probably would not have gone to Gudrun Sjöden if I wasn't there. Inside the store, the clientele was definitely more 40+ moms than 30-something fashionistas. (Yes, Amy is a mom. But she's a really hip mom.) 

Anyway, it made me think back to my style preferences before moving here. When I used to make fun of women who shopped at J. Jill – the epitome of mom fashion to me. Today I checked out the J. Jill website and instantly fell in love with three dresses, shown below.  

I turn 40 in a few months, and I've decided to embrace my mom fashionista-ness. Oh yeah... gonna work those mom clothes!

 
(photos: J. Jill)

label shopping at easter

Sure, we Americans have our egg nog at Christmas. But the Swedes win big-time when it comes to holiday-themed beverages. Christmas here includes Julmust (Christmas soda), glögg and an assortment of Christmas beers. 

Then there's Easter, and its Påskmust (Easter soda), Easter ales and apparently Easter coffee. I drank this Oppigårds Easter Ale last night and wish it came out year-round.

Oh how I love a country that makes food such an important part of celebrating.

Food is even the whole reason for holidays here. Like Cinnamon Bun day and Waffle Day, which we'll be celebrating on Thursday.

It may be damn cold here, but at least you don't go hungry. Or thirsty.

i can't pronounce it, but i love it

I have decided that $50/yard for fabric is not outrageous. Not when it's Marimekko's Kevätjuhla by Finnish designer Miina Äkkijyrkkä. Because as soon as I saw it in Helsinki this summer, and then again on the wall of a nearby restaurant last week, I knew I had to have it.

(Photo: www.alwaysmod.com)

furniture for city squares

I spent the night in Malmö last week for a two-day workshop and discovered this huge, lit lamp in the middle of Lilla Torg. I don't know what it's doing there, but it made me smile.

so glad i bought those party flags

We celebrated Sophie's birthday today (instead of tomorrow, which is her official big day... blog post in the works), and I decorated the house with some Danish party flags I found in Århus. It was one of those spontaneous, I'm-not-sure-what-I'll-use-these-for-but-I-love-them purchases. Now I wish I had bought more.

And, actually, thanks to the Internets, I can! The flags were designed by Rie Elise Larsen, and they are available at several web shops. I think I might get a string of paper birds, too.

Just lovely stuff.

if i didn't do what i do...

I would love to design the packaging of everyday products. This one is for a chocolate milk drink from Denmark. Saw it sitting on the train on Friday and emailed the company when I got home to see if they sell the design as a poster. I love it even more than the Boylan soda bottles from New Jersey that I saved for years and years. I recycled them before moving to Sweden. Little did I know that I could have upcycled them instead.

baby clothes for the many people

I was shopping for baby clothes this week and stumbled upon a Swedish brand I had never heard of: Maxomorra. This was an exciting discovery for me in and of itself. Then I went to the Maxomorra website to see that nearly all the clothes are made from organic cotton. And that they are made right here in Älmhult. (!!!)

Further digging revealed that they have a mission that's very similar to a certain other Swedish company with big blue stores. "We want as many people as possible to have access to children clothes with quality, function and lovely design. We have chosen to eliminate all unnecessary costs in supply chain."

Their clothes don't seem to have funny names though.

mittens that make her/me smile

Dear H&M,

Thank you for making such adorable mittens that I no longer have to fight flailing toddler hands and endure mini toddler fits at the back door. 

älmhult's museum circuit

Does living in the middle of the woods mean we have no access to culture and the arts? Um, usually. But Sweden's biggest toy maker, BRIO, has a "play museum" at their headquarters in nearby Osby. (More play than museum, but still.) It was a fun afternoon, and, yes, we ended up coming home with a new wooden toy.