Today we are going down to the beach for a quick surf session and the we are off again to Venice beach to celebrate the new year with Lisa, Martin and some friends of theirs.

I was going trough my wardrobe yesterday and I did not bring to many fancy clothes to wear except my lace up Miu Miu sandals and a dark blue dress. I might wuss out and wear jeans and a shirt instead of the dress. But the shoes, them I have to wear!

Happy new year to you all!!!

Tonight I am hopefully wearing this midnight blue dress and a bag that I found at one of my favorit second hand stores in Stockholm called Pop vintage.

Earlier today I mended the little holes that had appeared on the front of my favorit t-shirt. At hand I had my new sewing kit. And even though my sewing skills are a bit rusty, I am pretty happy with the result. The only thing I need to do now is to press the the sewn patches with an iron to make them a little bit flatter.

The other day I went in to a coffee shop to buy water and was exited to find this one.

Alpaca sweater, Industry of all nations.
This the sweater that I got during our Christmas weekend in Venice. I already feel that it will be a good friend of mine for a long long time. What makes me love this sweater even more is that the colors are all natural virgin colors, no dyes.

I think this is a great thing to send with each knitted garment. Some extra yarn incase you would need to mend a hole in the future.

One of the things I really appriciate here in Encinitas is all the second hand shops and the unique stuff you can find if you just take a closer look. There is one store called Your moms where they sell super cute second hand kids’ clothing. Second hand clothes for kids is not only a great option to save money, worn and washed clothes are less likely to contain rests of dyes and other toxics.

For Christmas I got this sewing kit, which in my opinion might be the ultimate gift for anyone. I have been looking for something similar for ages back home without any luck. This would be an easy gift to make yourself as well. Later on today I am gonna mend som holes in one of my favorite t-shirts.

My new all you need sewing kit.

Hope you have a great Christmas! Here in Venice beach the sun is shining and we just had breakfast. The other day Lisa showed me the store of a brand called Industry of all nations, the shop is on 1121 Abbot Kinney here in Venice. The brand has a great view on how to produce garments without any unnecessary impact on the environment. The sweaters are hand-knitted and made with 100% virgin fibers. I got one that I can’t wait to show you guys, I have been wearing it non-stop since I got it.

The cotton is colored with natural dyes in India.

The shoes are produced by hand in Argentina.

The alpaca sweaters are made with 100% virgin fibers and no dyes.

When I see all the effort and craftsmanship it takes to make each garment it makes me appreciate and respect the garment much more.

Merry Christmas from Venice Beach! Lisa showed us around yesterday and I really like this neighborhood. Today we have symbolic gift shopping and eating loads of good food on the agenda.

Today we woke up to a stormy and rainy Encinitas, so we are spending the day at home under a blanket in the sofa. I have to admit that it is quite nice to just stay in. Still I wish that we would have gotten at least one hour of surf this morning. But with the wind going crazy there won’t be talk of any surf until tomorrow or worst case scenario, until Friday.
Today I am going to read this amazing book that I brought here and catch up on some new sustainable brands. Do you guys have a favorite brand that cares about sustainability?

It has been a great weekend of surf, sun and my favorite drink ginger beer. In our backyard we have a lemon tree, if I would live here I would grow all sorts of things in my garden. This summer I am going to try to have some tomatoes and cucumbers on out balcony in Stockholm. I think this will be my new years resolution, to start growing things myself. Anyone who has any tip on things you can grow on your balcony?

Even though is sunny and blue skies ever where you look, I am still getting in to the christmas mood. It must be all the insane christmas decorations and christmas music that is completely surrounding you here in the states. Yesterday I was where my a favorit look of mine. Classic peacoat, wayfarers and jeans.

Classic pea coat, Dagmar. Favorite jeans called “Pop”, Acne studio. Shoes, Vans. Sunglasses, Rayban.

These mornings of surf truly is life as it should be. I know that it’s the slogan for a big soda pop company, but I feel it describes the feelings when I start the day on my board in the water. Man! I wish this would be our everyday life. We wake up, have breakfast and the go down to the beach. This morning four dolphins swam by us and a bit later a little seal. Nature is so god to us, I really wish that my great grandkids gets to swim in the ocean and see all this beauty. Reading this make me think that we might get closer to finding a way to be kinder to mother nature.

I got this wetsuit from Nine plus the other day at the Bing surf shop. After reading about the material I was amazed how far teknologi has taken the textil industry. The surface feels like a seals skin (I imagine) and it you take care of it this wetsuit will be your best friend for a long long time. One of the ways to make treat the fabric with care is to rise it properly to get all the sand and salt of the it. And NEVER leave it to dry in the sun.

The surfboard is a Pintail mini from Bing.

Here is some tips on what to get for christmas from Tradera Trend. I really love that people are selling things to suport Musikhjälpen! Find Make it last’s selection of great gifts here! And you’ll find the shelf here.

Yesterday I found these amazing brown vintage jeans at a secondhand shop for only 9$. They work great with everything in my travel wardrobe. The following week I’ll show you how to wear the in two other ways this following week.

Sweater, Hope. Sunglasses, Rayban.

Trousers, Second hand. Shoes, Vans.

Adam making their mini pintail ready for surf.

Yesterday we went to visit the factory of Bing surfboards. They have been making surfboards since 1959 so they really know what they are doing. The visit was like being a kid in a candy store! The shop manager Adam showed us around and told us about the different boards. It was such a treat seeing all the craftsmanship behind make each board.

I am so happy that we started our surf week there and got such a nice welcome by the guys in the shop. I always wanted to visit a shapers quarters since I secretly would love to work in a board shop. And my expectations where well meet, I might be romanticizing working there, but wouldn’t be great to make something as amazing as a surfboard with your bare hands?! If I ever decided to change carrier, I know where to start looking. They ship world wide if your looking to buy!

A board waiting to dry.

One of the guys shoes showed the whole Bing color scale.

Seeing these old and new candy colored boards felt like christmas.

A little reminder by the door.

Marc O’Polo asked me about my favorite part of the holidays. And I have to say that I love the slowdown that the holidays bring. Finally there is time for doing those things that you can’t fit in into your everyday life. So my favorite part of Christmas is to cuddle upp in the sofa with my dog Stella, a cup of hot Swedish glögg and a book.

A hot drink and a book.

Big cozy knits are my best friends during winter.

Here is my christmas selection from Marc O’Polo.

#casualchristmas #marcopolo

The time is really flying here! I blame the massiv jetlag I can seam to shake of. Still it’s quite nice to wake up early in the morning and get some work done before the sun is up. Still after 6 at night I can’t keep my eyes opened. This morning I even had some time for a coffee and a read in the backyard. Now we are going on a board hunt. I would love to find a used surfboard from Bing. I can’t believe we have been here for almost five days without surfing. Still it has been nice to get settled in without the surf stress. But finally the wind is gone and the swell is a bit smaller. So fingers crossed for some surf today!

The time really flies here in Encinitas. We have all ready been here for 4 days now! So far we have spent most of the time having a look around the neighborhood. Today’s plans are to find some surf boards, eat at a place called Swami’s cafe.

Sweater, Marc O’Polo. Jeans, Acne studios. Sandals, K.Jacques.

Old bag from Michael Kors. Handmade sandals from K.Jacques.
So after 24 hours travels we arrived late last night to the very beautiful and peaceful town of Encinitas. Today we have managed to visit my new favorite food store Sprouts farmers market (why don’t we have these stores back home in Sweden?). We had lunch at a whole foods restaurant called Naked cafe. We also spent a some time on the beach which is painfully beautiful.

Jacket, Prada. Jeans, Levis/Beyond retro.
Now we are finally at the airport ready to leave for California! Normally I am quite good at packing a traveling wardrobe, I make sure that the things I bring match and that I have different things for different actions. BUT this time I can’t even remember what I brought, I just threw some stuff in my back, since I had a million other things to sort out last night. One thing that I brought with me was this jacket, which I am super happy that I got. It was quite an investment piece but I pretty much works with everything I already have in my wardrobe.

This week I am hoping to start reading this book that I’ll bring with me to California. Do you guys have any good book tips on sustainability?

Shirt, Filippa K.
I love this shirt that I got a year ago. I have a similar one in black and I have to say that these two shirts are pretty much the only thing I use for parties. They work great with skirts, trousers or even under a dress.

Earlier today I really felt the Christmas spirit kick in. I have been playing Christmas music for the last hour for everybody here at the office. So here is a little inspiration list for holiday gifts. Hope you like it!

1. Plant a tree for someone and help WWF save the rain forest.

2. Lost Property of London takes salvaged fabrics and lovingly transforms them into classic bags with traditional, handmade techniques. The leather is vegetable-tanned and matched with quality hardware.

3. Second hand is a great place to shop for presents, these sunglasses for the brother or boyfriend from Dior Home/Vestiaire. 

4. This lunch box is a great gift for both friends and family. With the right care it lasts a lifetime.

5. For the interior design interested this rug is a excellent gift. The fabric is a made with 100% recycled material.

6. This is what I am getting my dog Stella, it is the very talented Altewaisaome who designs this collar for Wonderboo in sustainable leather produced by Tärnsjö Garveri.

7. Keep your loved one warm in a this timeless vintage find from Melinda Gloss.

8. This is my favorite gift this holiday season! For only 300 SEK you’ll give a child in need a school bench, a chair and books and pencils for a whole year. Find more information here. 

Beeswax oil & serum Moonsun. Beauty oil, RMS.
 
Keeping your skin smooth during these cold winter months with cold, dry air and radiators is so hard. My skin feels like a desert. So for the following months these three products will be my best friends.

Today we are taking Stella to her breeder Camilla for a little holiday of her own while we are going away for a month. So she is going to spend christmas with her pug mommy Elsa and pug grandma Inez. I am going to miss her like crazy this following month!!! But I know she is going a great time! I am so grateful to have her in my life. Stella gives me so much joy everyday, she makes me smile every time I look at her. I can not describe with words the happiness and energy it gives to have her by my side. To be able to communicate without words with Stella is something I never thought I would experience. Animals are the best!

On my desk right now are these wooden desk office supplies, a great alternative to plastic. And the bible of sustainable fashion – this book is amazing if you want learn more about the industry.

A detail from yesterday. The t-shirt is from H&M Studio and a favorite of mine.

Here are three things that I think make a look into something more. First out is a colorful scarf (something I never thought that I would own or enjoy.) Second, a great watch is in my opinion the best accessory. I hope that I’ll be able to give mine to my kid in the future. Last and tiniest is this ridiculously small bag that make me smile, especially when I pretend that is my dog Stella’s little bag.

One way to combine the scarf and bag is to make the scarf into a shoulder strap.

All I want for Christmas is books about craftsmanship and reconstruction. One of the things I am gonna take up this Christmas is knitting, I truly miss having a little side project to work with at night watching TV.

Lately I have been feeling a fatigue that I haven’t been able to shake off. No matter how much coffee (something I found out later on to be one of the bad guys) exercise and sleep I got, I never felt quite as energetic as I use to. After a visit to my doctor it was really obvious that I had a serious lack of iron. When I started reading about what a shortage of iron causes I recognized more symtoms like the feeling of apathy and having a hard time focusing. After some more research I found some great vegetarian sources for iron. Here are some of the best plant sources of iron:

Legumes: lentils, soybeans, tofu, tempeh, lima beans. Grains: quinoa, fortified cereals, brown rice, oatmeal. Nuts and seeds: pumpkin, squash, pine, pistacio, sunflower, cashews, unhulled sesame. Vegetables: tomato sauce, swiss chard, collard greens. Other: blackstrap molasses, prune juice, spinach.

But here’s the key: It’s not how much iron you consume, but how well you absorb it. Coffee, tea, milk and chocolate could impair your uptake of iron. Bu Vitamin C improves it! So for the next couple of weeks it is bye bye coffee and hello spinach and orange juice.

Lisa brought these pieces of jewelry to the office this morning. Baumgarten di Marco make these amazing jewelry by using raw diamonds and are engaging expert craftspeople from around the world, using only environmentally friendly materials and production methods. A great christmas gift to a loved one maybe?

I am not such a big fan of heels now a days. Like I probably wrote here a million times, now a days I prefer to be in comfortable shoes. But there is one exception. My boots from Céline. I bought these shoes my first time at Barney’s in New York, and ever since they have been my favorite heels. Find the same pair at Tradera Trend here!

I love to travel but I always feel a bit guilty about it. Air planes, as you probably know, is not the most environmentally friendly way to get around. But what I found online the other day made me truly happy. Modern technology has made it possible to create an air plane that flies only on sun cells. Both day and night. Read more about the plane here. I truly hope that this will be something that can be used in commercial air traffic in a near future. And how inspiring isn’t to see these amazing people inventing tools to change the world as we know it. Reading this made my day!