More Sweden

Right now at Lille Nord there is a small report from our Easter vacation in Sweden. I loved that day at the lake (and both girls had their stockings soaked because they couldn't resist the temptation of going a little too far out into the lake).

If you are considering a summer vacation in Sweden or if you are curious to know more, do also read finurlig's guide to summer in Sweden at Lille Nord.

♥5♥

My sweet big girl is 5 years. It was her birthday Friday, and we have been celbrating her with our family this weekend. She was so excited and now, of course, she is quite exhausted.

For us birthdays and birthday parties means alot of cooking. For her birthday dinner Friday evening Frida Viola chose buckwheat pancakes. Since all of our family come from far away we always make a big lunch to welcome them. We have been baking the beetroot-goatcheese tart several times and it's so good served with salads (I use milk instead of cream, and this time I added lovage from the backyard instead of basil). This cucumber-cilantro salad is also a favourite - I am almost addicted to it - and we also tried out these walnut-ricotta-crostinis, good too.

Frida Viola wanted a "hindbærsnittepige" - a traditional Danish cake with a raspberry filling shaped like a girl, and I also finally tried out the thin oat crisps with ginger & cloves from Greenkitchenstories - and it's not the last time we are going to bake them.

~birds~

Frida Viola is 5 tomorrow and before Easter we spent a cosy afternoon making little heart-bird invitations for her birthday party. I thought I would share them here since they are so easy and quick to make that even small kids can handle the project from start to finish. I only did the writing. We used washi tape as the birds' beaks.

we want more

We are back in the city again and Molly has been standing with her wellies on at the door all day ready to go back to the country house. We will, in some weeks.

If you also want to go to Småland you might find some inspiration here. I wrote a Småland guide to Lille Nord with our favourite things to do & see. Let me know if you have any great tips for Småland and Sweden?

1. Flea find for Molly.
2. & 3. Breakfast & morning light.
4. Blue anemones from the woodland.
5. She found a horse at the flea market, best friend.
6. Quilts & rag rugs go so well together.
7. Reading.

we have anemones everywhere

We are up here in our Swedish country house for the holidays. It's so quiet and nice. We have anemones all over the plot and everything is much more springlike than last year's Easter vacation. It's good to be here & the girls are happy.

*Gækkebreve*

I am so happy to tell you that my little assistant and I made a contribution for the inspiring & beautiful Lille Nord. I am quite sure that Lille Nord needs no further introduction for all of you and it feels good to be a contributor to this fine site on Scandinavian culture, lifestyle and family life.

Our first contribution is on the Danish tradition of papercuts for Easter - "gækkebreve".
Did you know that this is a specific Danish tradition that exists nowhere else..?
And that the tradition has its roots all the way back to the 1700s ?
Read about the tradtion here.

This year Frida Viola and I have been cutting & cutting, experiencing the childlike joy of unfolding our papercuts to see what new patterns the scissors made us - and we can only encourage you to do the same.

birthday party

This weekend we were celebrating Molly's 2-years birthday with our family.

Frida Viola was busy making papercuts to decorate the table.
She said it was "Easter crystals" (instead of the snowflakes we cut for Christmas).