Electricity and Espresso Cups

Thought I would share two christmas gifts I got this year which made me very happy. The IQ Light was designed in 1972 by Danish designer Holger Strøm (strøm means "electricity" in Danish which I find rather funny) and you can shape it in various ways - check out this link to see how and learn more iqlight

In the Spring (seems like forever now) I visited Paris and stopped by "Télescope Café" for one of my best cups of coffee in the city. I fell in love with their blue espresso cups and is happy to have them in my kitchen now. I love to get inspired on my travels and surround myself with small memories in my daily life. The café is located on 5, Rue Villedo not far from Palais Royal and the Opera. Check out their website here télescope

Damn, now I miss Paris!

Like a Children's Book...

Almost every child in Scandinavia grows up with stories written by Swedish children's author Astrid Lindgren and many of them are made into tv-series, as well. When Riikka showed me this neighbourhood I felt like stepping into Lindgren's universe. It was so charming and quaint that I was ready for Christmas right then and there.  

Snowy Finland

A few weeks ago I visited a close friend of mine who lives in Helsinki. I actually met Riikka in a breakfast room in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) 2 years ago - we clicked immediately. Riikka is the kind of girl who make things happen, gets me drunk in Lao Lao, bikes 80 km. without complains, never turns down a good meal -  and she loves sunrises. These photos are from a walk we took where the newly fallen snow put me in a wintery mood right away. 

Weekend Inspiration #7

Where's the Fun?

I am struggling a bit trying to blog more regularly. I often put things together and discard them because I think they're really lame and of no interest to my 7 readers (oh, wait, I might have 9 - yeah) but seriously, where's the fun in that? 

Also, I really want to post more pictures from Christianshavn because there are so many cute corners and funny nooks on this little island. But by the time I come home from work it's dark! - yes, we've officially entered "depression time" in Denmark. I've always found this time of year difficult. As much as I love to snuggle up inside with a good book, lots of coffee or glögg (mulled wine) and goodies I also love (love, love, love) warm weather and the light Nordic summers. 

So until I get more organized this post is a small accumulation of a few important coffee moments I had on a trip I took to Asia a while ago. Whenever I felt overwhelmed I found a café and had a "cup o' joe" and simply watched the world go by. I quickly learned that when in doubt (about anything, really) grap a coffee and see how things quiet down and fall into place.  

coffee on a coffee plantation in laos

phnom penh, cambodia

dalat, vietna

ha noi, vietnam

ha noi, vietnam

ha noi, vietnam

The Little Paris Kitchen

My mother and sister are foodies and very good cooks - so I decided at an early age that my mission in life simply was to enjoy their fabulous  meals (I love food) - and afterwards kindly offer to do the dishes. So far it's worked but I seriously need to learn to enjoy cooking. 

Anyway, I suppose I can cook, I just enjoy doing other things more but I will challenge myself and "The Little Paris Kitchen" is going to help me. I will try my hands at  the "Oeufs en Cocotte" first.

The Little Paris Kitchen
Rachel Khoo
Penguin 2012

Weekend Inspiration #6

Eggs Benedict from Luna's Diner

If you find yourself walking aimlessly on Christianshavn in dire need of a meal that's not too heavy but enough to keep you going for more sightseeing stop in your tracks and head straight to Luna's Diner* and order their "eggs benedict." You will not be disappointed. 

The eggs are served in three variations and my favourite is the Mexican style. 

check out their entire menu here

*I have a huge crush on this place and is planning to devote an entire section to Luna' Diner alone, stay tuned!

The Perfect Red from Helena

I have been looking for the perfect red lipstick for ages and today I finally found it. I picked Helena Rubinstein's "Celestial Red"#350 from the "Wanted Stellars" line and I love it because it's not a heavy red but light and a little transparent with a bit of  shimmer which means I don't need a lip liner. Thus the perfect red for work and social outings. 

Helena Rubinstein, who fondly was referred to as "madame" by her employees, allegedly said: "there are no ugly women, only lazy ones" - a statement which gives hope to some of us, ha ha. 

Weekend Inspiration #5

This Little Guy ... and the Name of My Blog

He doesn’t know it but he is partly responsible for the name of my blog. Ladies and gentlemen... meet my nephew! 

When he was a toddler he babbled a lot and I noticed that he started saying people’s names. First mom, then dad, then granddad etc. I hung out at my sister’s apartment a lot back then and wondered why he never indicated a word that sounded like my name. I mean... why didn’t he say anything, I was there all the time?? One day he suddenly said, a little quietly, Manne... which later became Manna.  

When I showed him my blog and asked if he approved he said “yeah, yeah, it’s fine.” He is not so little anymore and is by far the coolest, sweetest and funniest 5-year old I know. 

Weekend Inspiration #4

Weekend Inspiration #3

A Walk in the Woods

I was sick last week so when two friends asked if I'd like to join them for a long leisurely walk in a forest called 'Grib' i immediately said YES. Besides perfect company the weather was lovely and the temperature fairly mild for the season. A perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 

Flowers and World Views

Since March I've wanted to see this exhibit about flowers at the Danish National Gallery. I made it there Saturday - one day before it closed (quite typical of me!!) The thing is... I love, love, love flowers and this exhibit presented a spectacular and lush extravaganza of flower paintings spanning two centuries. I spent a few hours exploring rare exotic flowers and strange blooms I've never seen before. 

Besides offering a sensuous walk through the rich variety of the world of flowers, this  exhibit managed to dig deeper and I realized that in these rooms a flower is not just simply a flower. The artists' ways of presenting flowers, fruit and plants are affected by history and the prevalent world view - a picture of a flower is a picture of its own time.

when I left I felt a bit dizzy - sometimes too much beauty can be hard to take in as if you have been transported to a place beyond time. 

But gosh do I wish I was the owner of the original 'Gottorfer Codex.'