a hazy shade of winter: enjoying the cold months beyond the holidays

photo: tiffany mitchell

Now that the holiday season is drawing to a close, the excitement and festivity that accompanies it usually slows to a depressing halt. We face several months of grey cold, hazy wintertime, and waiting for spring. But this isn't how it should be! Even if the holidays are over, we should still enjoy the remaining winter months to their fullest. Stop longing for flowers and rays of sunshine: instead, cozy up by the fireplace with a cup of tea and a good winter read, and enjoy January and February!
   

Celebrate the 12 days of Christmas. When I'm in denial after Christmas Day, and feel like tearing down all my decorations would just be too depressing, I suddenly realise that I should simply celebrate the twelve days of Christmas! This traditional celebration lasts from December 25 to January 5, and includes gift-giving either just on Christmas, on each of the twelve days, or just on the Twelfth Night. Whether you want to draw out your gift-giving for the holidays or just do something special and festive each day (Bake a new type of Christmas cookie! Keep listening to Christmas carols! Make some decorations for next year!), this is the perfect excuse.

photo: scotchandscones

Don't toss your decorations. Sure, big red bows and jingle bells can go back in storage boxes, but keep your Christmas lights, wreaths, and tree! Natural decorations with pine green, snow white, ivory, deep brown, and burlap colours are fitting for the entire winter season. Christmas lights can be used practically anywhere in your home for soft lighting: I have lights placed on top of the cabinets in my kitchen, draped from the ceiling above my bar, entwined through the headboard on my bed, and roped around my floor-length mirror. Additionally, some decorations (like paper snowflakes hung in the window, a boxwood wreath, or pine clippings tied with white ribbon) don't need to be restricted to Christmastime, but make beautiful decorations throughout winter. One of my favourite wintertime home decorations is my starlight, which I found after seeing similar lights at a Christkindl market in Chicago. Wooden dala horses also make wonderful wintertime folk decorations.  

photo: werenna's warehouse 

Enjoy unique wintertime crafts and foods. One of the things I'm doing this week is creating soy candles using dried fir needles from my Christmas tree and pine fragrance oils. I'm also going to make pinecone garlands to keep around the house for the remainder of winter. Keep pinecones in natural white baskets in the lavatory or on a side-table. Experiment with making your own nourishing, natural soaps and lotions with a pine scent. Apply flattened pine needles to glass votives. Enjoy the flavourful dishes and drinks of the season: this is the time of the year for warm spices, roasted meats, and root vegetables. Bake up some shepherd's pie or root vegetable pie, and use blood orange in a salad. Make rosettes (a traditional Swedish recipe) with lots of powdered sugar. Indulge in some of winter's dark, sweet, and spicy craft beers: Williamsburg Alewerks Coffeehouse Stout, Star Hill Snow Blind, and Harpoon Winter Warmer are a few of my favourites. These are things you can really only enjoy during the cold months!

Cuddle up next to the fireplace with a good winter read. If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace or wood-burning stove, enjoy it while you can! Pick up one of our favourite winter reads (His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, A Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling), brew a pot of black tea, and find a comfy spot by the fire. Don't forget a big cozy sweater!

Listen to beautiful, reflective music. We love unusual and desolate folk music anyway, but this is the perfect season to enjoy artists like Sigur Ros (an Icelandic folk band), Balmorhea,  or more mainstream artists like Mumford & Sons and Simon & Garfunkel. This powerful and inspiring music reminds us of cold woodlands, untouched lands, the northern lights, and pagan rituals.

Get outside. The plausibility of this might depend on where you live, but if at all possible, try to spend some time out in the snow and cold! Hunt for pinecones in the woods, go on a hike, spend an hour ice-skating, throw snowballs for your puppy to (try to) catch! It might not be as comfortable as a day at the beach, but bundling up for a nippy afternoon in the frost-covered woods can be magical and exhilarating. And you always have a hot cup of cocoa next to the fireplace to look forward to upon your return!

photo: travel marvel

Don't waste these beautiful, desolate winter days pining for spring. Embrace the enchantment of winter while you can, and let spring come in its own time. For now, gaze at the clear stars on a night following snowfall, light a pine-scented candle, and fall asleep next to the fireplace.

Last-Minute Christmas Gifts: 7 Etsy Shops for Tiny Jewelry

Fawn and Rose

• Elephantine is one of my favorite jewelry stores.  The delicate, tiny-as-can-be style of everything from the charms to the details on a ring brings an ultra-feminine vibe to a modern look.

• Edor has a similar aesthetic but specializes in geometric designs.

• Jools sells jewelry with very unique and very quirky designs.  Here you can get everything from earrings shaped like PacMan to a gold Shetland sheepdog-shaped pendant.

• Contempo is a jewelry design company selling beautiful, colorful pieces predominantly featuring pyrite and freshwater pearls.

• Fawn and Rose is THE shop of choice for those seeking triangular necklaces and rings.

• Sevenstarz is a British company selling cute animal-shaped pendants in silver and gold.

• Matoto has absolutely adorable charms, from owls to giraffes to a tiny sterling silver paper airplane charm!

Edor

Matoto

how to eat Christmas: holiday oatmeal recipe

Step 1: Make oatmeal (I prefer mixing the oats with milk instead of water).  This is a life skill.  If you can make pasta you can make oatmeal.  Put oatmeal and water/milk in a pot (read the oatmeal package for correct ratio instructions).  Turn on the heat and be sure to stir occasionally until desired texture.  As you cook the oatmeal, spice it:

Add a dash of any/all of the following:

- cinnamon

- ginger

- cardamom

- cloves

- brown sugar

- vanilla extract (go easy on this one!)

Step 2: Once it's done, top with walnuts and pomegranate seeds.  YUM!!

What we're listening to: Christmas music

'Tis the season!  We're officially into December, and personally I've started listening to a great deal of Christmas music.  I thought it'd be fun to put together a mix for you guys - a blend of classical, alternative, and pop tunes to get you in the holiday mood.

5 Swedish beauty brands you may not have heard of

AGONIST "is a Nordic fragrance brand launched in November 2008. AGONIST creates pure 100% natural fragrances inspired by the Nordic climate and culture. Raw materials and product give form to a Swedish but even more Nordic clarity, – fresh with a vigourous weight and beautiful low tones."

BJÖRK & BERRIES "is an ecoluxury beauty brand derived from Swedish nature and traditions. It all began with hand-picked birch leaves that were turned into natural perfume. Our experts refine natural and organic ingredients of the highest quality into essential products for face, body and home for the caring consumer in the contemporary world." 

BYREDO "is a Stockholm based fragrance house founded in 2006 by Ben Gorham. Products currently include perfume, home fragrance, body care products and accessories. All products are made in Sweden with a distinct focus on craftsmanship and quality."

ESTELLE & THILD "is more than just a organic brand: it's about providing a sustainable, effective skin care solution with a feeling of everyday luxury."

FACE STOCKHOLM "is the only Swedish cosmetics company that offers makeup and skin care that is true to the Swedish beauty ideal – naturally based, trend forward, simple, clean, gorgeous and fun. FACE Stockholm offers a spectacular and unrivaled range of colors and uses only the highest quality ingredients."

Thanksgiving surprise: Cathy's Pumpkin Pie recipe

1 pie crust (homemade with this recipe or ready made)

1 can of pumpkin (15 oz)

1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz - but I don't use all of it - I use probably 12oz)

2 eggs

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pie crust (or unroll the ready made crust) and put it in a pie plate. 
• In a large mixing bowl beat the 2 eggs. Add the whole can of the pumpkin to the eggs and mix well. 
• In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Mix until well combined. 
• Add the brown sugar and spices mixture to the pumpkin and egg mixture. Mix well. (It should look darker once the sugar is added) 

NOTE:
When I add the condensed milk, I open the can about 3/4s of the way (so the lid keeps the milk from running out super fast )and pour the milk into the pumpkin mixture (mixing all the while as the milk is being added). When the condensed milk starts to slow down on the pour, meaning that it's coming out at a trickle, I stop. Usually there is a good coating of condensed milk left in the can. When it settles back down it looks like quite a bit so I'm guessing it's about 2 oz from the 14 oz can, but it may only be an ounce. The one thing you need to know about pumpkin pie is that it's pretty forgiving. If you add a little too much milk or a little too little milk, it's really not going to matter. When I measure in the sugar, cinnamon, cloves - I'm not super careful. If there's a little more - I don't sweat it. It always turns out yummy.

• Once you have all your pumpkin and condensed milk mixed, use a scraper (so you get every last drop) and pour it into the pie crust. 
• Cook for 13 minutes at 425 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and cook for anywhere from 30-50 minutes longer. You'll know the pie is done when the pie filling kind of puffs up and a little crack forms in the pie (like a crack in the dirt in the summer when it's dry out). 

NOTE:
If you don't get a crack after 50 additional minutes I would still take the pie out - you don't want your crust to burn and the pie is just being stubborn! Sometimes, even when it's cooked, the middle will still look shiny and wet. Touch it gently in the center if you're worried it's not cooked - if it's mushy, then you're right - it's not cooked - leave it in longer but check it every 5 minutes or so. If it is not mushy and a little stiff, then it's probably done and you'll be safe.

Let the pie cool, top with whipped cream, and enjoy! YUM!! : )

how to become a RUNNER when you REALLY HATE RUNNING

DAY ONE:  Make yourself a running playlist.

Awesome, you're done.  Nice job.  

DAY TWO:  Create your perfect running outfit.

Get dressed up to go running.  Socks (warm ones if it's cold out!), sneakers, leggings, layers... if it's cold, add a scarf, ear warmers, giant mittens... anything to make you completely adorable... slash unrecognizable to people you may walk/run past (for those of us who feel self-conscious when we go jogging).  Choose dark colors, then admire your reflection - see, already you look slimmer!  Put your running gear into a neat little pile, or even into a gym bag, and set it in plain sight for tomorrow...

DAY THREE:  Take a stroll!

You need to figure out your running path.  So today, get into your awesome running wardrobe, grab your keys and put in your headphones.  Go out after dark and take a walk - no running at all tonight.  Just mentally map out a track and walk the entire thing - no cutting corners!  Ideally it should be a sort of loop that begins and ends at your doorstep; perhaps a lap of the neighborhood?  Make sure you are able to stay on the sidewalk for the entire path.  Keep your playlist going from the moment you leave your house until the moment you come back in through the door - then see how many tracks you were out walking for.  Ideally you should have been walking for about 15-20 minutes (or approximately 4 songs).  When you get home, stretch and then hit the showers - you earned it! 

DAY FOUR:  Take the same stroll!

"Ugh... again?  But I just did that yesterday."  Can you remember the path you forged yesterday? Make sure you get all dressed up in your confidence-boosting jogging attire, get your playlist going, and do your lap again.  Maybe as you're going around that last bend, if nobody's around, try jogging for like ten seconds.  Walk the rest of the way home.  When you're back in your room, stretch and then hit the showers - you REALLY earned it today!  Spend the next hour looking at fitness- and running-themed Tumblrs.  Bask in the fact that you are now officially a member of that community.  Maybe start your own health-themed Tumblr.... 

DAYS FIVE & SIX:  Consider quitting; instead, pick up the pace.

Now that you jogged for a few seconds, you realize it's not actually that awful.  Especially since you can stop as soon as you get tired.  Today, set out on your walk with the intent of jogging at least a portion of it.  Start to realize that you get home much more quickly when you jog instead of walk.  Continue to go test this theory every day (try to keep the time of day you run consistent - personally I think the evening is better because you can end your day with the feeling of accomplishment that comes from a laid-back/low-intensity walk/jog).

DAY SEVEN:  Take a day off.

Do whatever you want.  Just make sure that the next day, you get back out there!  In the following weeks, as you realize that the workout ends more quickly when you run it instead of walking it, you might just find yourself running the whole thing.  At this point it's all you.  You may find yourself wanting to actually START your day with a jog.  And maybe doing two laps will eventually turn into three, then four laps...

EVENTUALLY:  Enjoy it.

Studies have shown that it takes 18 - 66 days to make something a habit.  It could take three weeks or more to see results physically, but you will start feeling them very quickly.  No matter what you do, every day you'll have the satisfaction that comes with getting into workout mode and walking out that door to exercise!  And believe it or not, that self-esteem boost is what will ultimately get you addicted to running.  You'll see.

Tried-and-true: the PERFECT pancake recipe

American measurements:

For the dry mix:

1.5 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

For the wet mix:

1.25 cups milk

1 egg

4 tablespoons butter (melted)

1 teaspoon vanilla

European measurements:

For the dry mix:

4 dl flour

30 ml sugar

15 ml baking powder

4 ml salt

For the wet mix:

3.25 dl milk

1 egg

60 ml butter (melted)

5 ml vanilla

I have made American pancakes on three separate occasions now for groups of my international friends, and this recipe I have been using always produces the most perfect, fluffy, golden pancakes.  Just thought I would share it - I have it in American and European measurements.  Side note: my favorite topping for these is Nutella, bananas, and brown sugar - yum!!

Instructions:

1. Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately.
2. Make a well in the center of the dry mix and gradually add the wet mix.  
3. Only mix until there are no dry lumps - the less you mix, the fluffier the pancakes will be!
4. Rub a thin film of butter over a frying pan and give it some time to heat up.  
5. Spoon batter on the skillet and flip when you see bubbles appearing all over the pancake.  
6. Flip again, and once golden on both sides - EAT!

The quest for the perfect winter coat

It was snowing yesterday morning when I woke up.  I live in southern Sweden, but even so, it's kind of early for snow.  I was so psyched when I saw it, until the realization that my fall peacoat wasn't going to stand much of a chance against below-freezing temperatures dawned on me.  It's officially that time of year when we start to go shopping for layers.  Scarves, new pants, boots, mittens, and of course, winter outerwear.  I am having a hell of a time figuring out what kind of coat I want, there are way too many options.  I figured I'd break this down, so you guys can help me decide. :)

Mackage

Let's start with vests.  There's something adorably collegiate about the combination of a chunky knit sweater or a soft layering shirt beneath a puffy vest such as this understated Gray Colorblock Plaid Puffy Vest from Trou‎vé.  You can get a vest with a detachable hood, such as this furry one from the North Face.  Even without sleeves, that will keep you super warm.

If keeping warm isn't really an issue where you are, I recommend just going for a leather jacket.  You can't go wrong with this, it's one of those things you'll be able to wear forever.  My favorite adaptation of the leather jacket is one with a bit of shearling, perhaps lining the collar like this Mackage Moto Jacket.  If you want a warm leather jacket, you can get one with an extra lining, but the added bulkiness might detract from the slimming aesthetic of a leather jacket.

Trou‎vé

Peacoats are great for layering, and if you get a long one that almost goes down to your knees, like this one from Victoria's Secret, you might be able to survive the winter.  But you'll need scarves and sweaters abundant for underneath (not necessarily a problem...).  If you want something a little flashier, you can get one with fur trim, like this one from ASOS.

Peacoat from ASOS

Speaking of fur, if you want to look like a true fashionista you can get your hands on a faux fur coat or best.  These are a little too crazy for me, but I'm seeing them more and more often...  Check out this one from Revolve Clothing: it will make you look like you killed Hedwig and turned her into a vest.

If you're going to get a long coat, you might also consider a trench.  They usually tend to be better-suited to rainy autumn weather, but you can layer up underneath and be ready for snow season as well.  The best thing about these is that they're windproof, so if you live in London or Paris... or Seattle, it's a much more realistic option than a full arctic parka.

Revolve Clothing

But if you live in Scandinavia (like me, currently), and the words winter is coming raise hairs on the back of your neck, then you have to go all-in and buy the most bulky, down-stuffed, lined parka you can afford... windproof, snowproof, stormproof, lifeproof.  I found some relatively affordable options.  If you like the rustic look, read Kinfolk, or call yourself a hipster, check out this rough-looking winter coat with plaid lining by Obey - ASOS has a cheaper option with plaid sleeves here.  When it comes to fur-lined hoods, Mango knows their shit: I can't get enough of this dark green parka's hood... in fact, this is probably my favorite out of everything I've looked at.  Shearling lining is great too, and this ASOS jacket with a whole detachable shearling lining is probably the steal of the season.  It comes in black and khaki.  Mango offers this "teddy-lined" hooded parka if you're not into fur but want a soft lining to your coat.  Not a hood person?  Victoria's Secret has this cute puffy moto coat.  It almost makes me like the puffy coat style.

Can't decide which is cutest?  Yeah, me neither.  I ended up choosing a bunch of options, and then I let my wallet make the decision for me and just went with the cheapest one.  Boom.