Love it or hate it…

It can be a shoppers dream! Well obviously depends on what kind of shopper you are.
Gekås in Ullared is Scandinavia’s largest shopping centre (department store). You can find everything here and it is often at a good price. It is so popular they built a massive camping site and a hotel should be done soon.  People come from all the way up north , south and quite a few from Germany. I did hear a lot of Danish as well as Norwegian.

It is so well-known that Swedish channel 5 made one season “Ullared“, about some staff, managers and the customers. I think I watched one program a couple of years ago and laughed quite a lot, the evenings at the camping site brings out some strange personalities. The TV show became such a hit they made another couple of seasons. And some staff and customers have become famous and loved but there are some crazy people as well. :-)

I have not been to Ullared for a good seven years and I remember last time I was not spending too much since I had in the back of my mind I was going to London for three months, thinking “Ullared will still be here when I get back”, but I think I might have bought some new kitchenware for my home. It is still in boxes in my dad’s basement. Oh well!

Anyway this time I was after things for Stina, rainclothing, snowsuit, books, dvds and some perhaps some new clothes, they sure grow fast at this age.

So early start, Stina, mum and my brother Caj was supposed to head off towards Gothenburg, pick up my aunty Tina, meet up with my other aunty Bittan so lots of help with Stina.

Well Caj realised three ladies, a shopping crazy sister and a loud child would not be an hour shopping, but perhaps a whole day. Aunty Tina did not make it and aunty Bittan went there when they opened and was done by the time we got there and was on her way home so my help-with-Stina plan did not quite work out, but she was great and fell asleep within 30 min and slept for 90 min which gave me some time.

Well this was the theory! So much to see and way too many people made me slightly panic and there were moments I was ready to find a corner and sit down and cry. It was horrible! You could not move, no use looking for something on your list, if you happen to walk by it you were in luck. No use to walk around back and forth between the departments, just grab what you saw. If you liked something, just grab it. It was mad! Every aisle looked like this, worse other places but I think I would not have been popular if I stopped to take a photo.

The regulars knew the game, you picked up a shopping trolley and filled it with small baskets, parked the trolleys and took a basket and came back and forth, not easy with a pram so that was out of the question for me. Your trolley had a colour and a number, remember it! Plenty of lost trolleys called for in the speakers. But as all Swedes are very likely to tell anyone if they don’t have the right trolley, which they also did it seemed to be sorted fairly quickly.

After a while I had had enough and just wanted to leave and Stina was doing so well but she got a little restless as well.

Paid and headed out. Perfect found a playground outside which was empty, could be the rain! It kept Stina busy so that was good.

Found quite a lot: a snowsuit for Stina, lots of jumpers, jeans, cardigans, pajamas and lots of DVDs and Books for Stina, stories I grew up with. Found some nice things for home but not a lot of space left in luggage, liked these, thought they looked homely.

We did found this LEGO built “model village” of Ullared. Thought it was great most of them had fallen over, fainted of pure exhaustion.

Charlotte x

Holiday time – slowmotion time!

I went straight in to slowmotion time when I walked off the aeroplane. Mums husband Uffe came to pick us up and we went home, had some brunch and Stina had her nap, so I went straight to bed myself and it feel like I have not moved for the last few days, even though we have been very busy. It took me 5 days before I got too restless and am now back in the game again. Weather has been great, and to be outdoors almost all the time has been great.

Mum’s Birthday was on Thursday so a lot of coffee and cake and the most amazing Smörgåstårta (Sandwichcake) sound strange, yes it might do but not for me, it makes me speechless… I kind of wished I had fought a bit a harder to get a photo instead of being first in the queue to get the first piece (after mum of course).  I will see if we can make another one within in the next couple of weeks, and then I think I might even try to get the recipe as well and actually share it with you.

On Saturday the family invaded, brothers and sisters, niece and nephew so full house then mum had friends over in the evening so I found a good book and went out to sit on the veranda with a blanket and a glass of wine…but forgot about the mosquitos so gave up after a few minutes after a some swearwords and silly dances, strange how a small creature can make you do some silly moves and strange noises.

Sunday, I could feel the restlessness starting, so was off to see a couple of friends but it got cancelled due to a bad night for one of the small ones and a bad cold so nope, took a walk with Stina, mum and Cindy the dog.

But now today I feel like I am back again, met up with a friend for “fika”, arranged with Annika to spend a little time in her shop Lappat & Klart this week. Did a little shopping and oh man I kind wiscould buy so much for my home, gifts or just for the shop. Spoken to a few shopowners today and got lots of new contacts and people to speak to and best of all plenty of good inspiration.  There are a few sales going on and found a few bargains and great ideas to show Richard when he will arrive in eight days.

So a busy week ahead. Ullared visit tomorrow and meeting up with my aunties. Friends visit and hopefully off to see one of my grandmothers and next week my other grandmother and also my dad and his family. Got plenty of things to do:)

Have a lovely week! The shop will get deliveries from KG Design, amongst lots of cheerful designs the pink Owl moneybank will be back. Sagaform, more Club champagne flutes, the stylish tube tealight holders in green, blue and purple and a few other fun things. And we are super pleased to introduce Blafre’s latest range “Circus”. Fun, colourful and retro inspirated new tins. I promise you wont be disapointed.

Charlotte x

It has been a busy time for us this month, have hardly had any time to update or blog, but here is a little bit about Stina and my Sweden trip back in May.

We managed to time the perfect weather back home. Lots of BBQ and sun, long nights and of course a glass of wine with loved ones. Perfect holiday, need to go a bit longer next time. So much to see and do! And of course even though the camera is in the bag it was hardly touched. Mum took this photo while out a walk around 7am, before it got too warm.

Landed early in Sweden, met up with my brother-in-law at airport who handed me his car keys and said “see you later” and went with a colleague towards Gothenburg for work. Must admit it was a bit scary at first, was almost a year since I drove on the “right” side of the road. First journey went to my dads, and he lives close to the airport so that was fine. After brunch and chat we then headed off to visit my grandmother in Uddevalla. Perfect weather, perfect driving conditions on the motorway all the way up and Stina was great. Sweden is so beautiful this time of the year, it is so green and fresh. The houses in lovely colours, bright and welcoming. Stayed at grandma for a coffee and ice cream and then off again towards my sister’s farm. Just Stina and I there for a couple of hours so we just chilled outside in the sun, Stina played with their cat and we went to see the horses, she was so happy.

At night my sister and I sat outside talking on the verandah. 21 degrees at 22.00, still very light, oh how I miss Sweden! On Saturday we went to see my sister’s newly bought summer house. The previous owner had left all the furniture in the house and I found plastic rugs everywhere, upstairs was a big pile of them and I wish I had taken the opportunity to dig through and “borrowed” a few with me home.

We took a trip to the nearby lake, even though it was really warm 24 degrees in the air the water was less warm, or perhaps I am getting what you call in Sweden a “Badkruka” someone who makes up excuses for not jumping in the water, I guess chicken would be the right word. Oh well, maybe next time…

Our journey continued home to Alingsås and to my mum. The week before we arrived they started a new project, to build a verandah from the front of the house to the BBQ area at the back. Half was done and “Stina safe”, it was amazing to walk on it and to just move the sun chair with the sun around the house.

We stayed a few days in Alingsås, spent time with my girlfriends with children. I did a few inspirational trips to shops and cafés. Went to visit Lappat & Klart and said hi to owner Annika. Lovely lady, lovely shop. Of course I did a quick visit to Balders Hage (the shop behind the idea of Spektakulär), and lovely Village. One of our brands in the shop is Serholt. Serholt have their own branded shop in Sweden which is Village. Next time I am home I am sure their Autumn collection has arrived so I will spy a little and see what we should stock here:)

Before our flight home we did a quick visit to KG Design and collected a few products and saw some new designs…lovely! KG Designs owners Jennie and Fredrik is such a cool and relaxed couple! So I managed to bring more coasters over (all I could fit in my luggage I am afraid) but you better hurry, there are hardly any left.

Stina and I will spend more time in Sweden this Summer, after just a couple of days back home her English words became Swedish. So a few weeks home should give her hopefully a good base for the Swedish language.  So next time I am home I have planned to spend half a day with Annika at Lappat & Klart (gift wrap training), flea market visits, perhaps a few supplier visits as well, will try to go to Stockholm and visit the big trade fair in August. But most of all, what I really want to do back home is to sit on my mum’s veranda with a good cup of coffee and a good Swedish crime novel (and the cinnamon bun). So I think I will do just that. Sweden is a beautiful country with lots to see and do and yes I miss it a lot, but mostly in the Summers. Am sure I used to think November and March was just too grey and dull to exist, that we should just skip them:)

Anyway yes I miss Sweden especially during a warm summer evening. We was so lucky that Mum, Stina, the dog and I could take a few walks, Stina loved running on the dirt road outside and had lots of fun!

Charlotte x