'SWEDISH CROWN'

Well it is almost just over 3 weeks since we returned from Sweden. And we are all getting very excited as we make our preparations to return in less than 2 weeks time Yippee!!!

Little J our youngest in particular is extremely excited and is now on COUNTDOWN 12 more days to go 12 more days to go... He cannot wait to sit down on 'that special rock, cast my rod in Mum and catch another lovely brown trout and this time because we're going to stay at the house, I want Dad to cook it for me on the Fire, the Camp Fire , for my tea... Right Mum?' I smile and nod 'OK, Yes Little J for definite'. The Joy of being 10! Not a Care in the World and just blissful thoughts and dreams of fishing all day long...

My own thoughts these past few weeks, have been with more mundane (yet at the same time exiciting, us women do like to home-make and build our nests) matters like ordering essential items from IKEA , for instance mattresses for the boys to sleep on when we arrive on the 24th, a table to eat at and chairs to sit on would be nice too!!! So a job lot order of x 6 mattresses 1 dinning room table and x 6 chairs, 1 kitchen table and x 4 chairs (the 2 chairs seen in photo I rescued from the previous owners and covered very quickly, using my magic staple gun, in spot fabric by another of my favourites Cath Kidston http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/) have been ordered from IKEA HANDLA HEMMA http://www.ikea.se/ by telephone. The service was excellent the Swedes are soo efficient. Our heaven sent carpenter/builder Lars will be taking delivery of these at his own home and then taking them up in his 4wd truck, he kindly offered to do this for us, as he said the DHL Truck would never find or get up the track to our house oops! I spoke to him today and IKEA have already liased with him so thats sorted. He will also be fitting our Jotul Woodburning Stove next week, so when we arrive it should be all in place, not that we will shall be needing it now, as like the UK Summer has arrived prematurely in Sweden too.

Last Friday, AT LAST my special hand-embroidered cushion, which I have been trying to purchase since end of last summer, finally arrived. Designed by Jan Constantine (take a peek at her website) http://www.janconstantine.com/ She is a very talented and lovely lady www.janconstantine.com/aboutJanConstantine.asp and I had the good fortune to meet and chat with her on her stand at the Country Living Fair at the Design Centre, Islington in March, FORTUNATELY she was able to track this cushion down via one of her selling agents THANK YOU! THANK YOU! AND so it will have pride of place on our TO BE ORDERED... White Ikea Sofa, fingers crossed we will have something to snuggle up on for Christmas! I also couldn't resist AND fell in love with the 'Cherub' Cushion too, BUT justify it by saying that these are works of art, designed and skillfully hand-made by craftswomen and will be heirlooms of the future...