God Jul!

Today is our special day and our little family will celebrate Christmas a la Swedish style with traditional Ham, Janssons Temptation, Herring, meatballs, prince sausages, special bread and more…right this is what I will eat! The rest of the family might touch some sausages and meatballs. I am sure they will be fine, they have their turkey dinner tomorrow (not for me) so I am sure we will be stuffed for days! We will open our gifts tonight and no I will not watch the traditional Donald Duck, got lots of Swedish games and DVDs for Christmas from family so I am sure we will be just fine.

We like to wish all of you our lovely customers a lovely Christmas and have a fantastic time with your loved ones.

The shop will be closed until Monday 29th. Ruth and Zuzanna will be here next week. Shop will also be closed New Years Day, 2nd January and reopening the 3rd again. I am not back in until Tuesday the 6th January since someone needs to stay home with my super excited (over the top excited…) girls.

I am in the shop just now but Emma will come in soon and close the shop today around 4 or 5ish (when no one is knocking on the door anymore).

Thank you all for your support to our tiny Scandinavian shop this winter, you all are wonderful and we do love the chats, lovely comment and happiness you bring with you when you visit us. Remember to enjoy Christmas, lets take it easy and enjoy family and friends time! I have just seen pictures from my home village and yes it is snowing, so they will get a white Christmas (no not jealous at all)!

Love Charlotte, Richard, Stina & Lovisa xxx

MASSIVE delivery with original Swedish Ginger Thins also know as Pepparkakor…YAY!!!

Traditional Swedish Christmas biscuit which is very very loved. I know the big blue box do their own brand ones but they are NOT as good as Anna’s! Hurry and grab a tin before they all go. Bargain £5 per tin. WE LOVE ANNA’S!!!

Enjoy!

Charlotte x

Lovi, what a delightful brand! I have seen these quite a few times here and there, mostly magazines and at galleries. And this January we met them in London and now it is finally time to introduce Lovi to the shop. And what a success! A little box arrived all the way from Finland and it was such a delight to unpack. I could not stop smiling and I still three days later feel very happy about them.

So what is Lovi? Lovi is wooden figures made in northern Finland using Finnish wood. The idea started when the owner wanted to create a wooden Christmas ornament for her tree instead of plastic one. And then created one as a 3D puzzle using no glue and from then on it is. I also took the opportunity to assemble a little Christmas tree by my self and if I can do it then you can do it. Super simple and of course there are instructions in each package. The figures comes flat packed with a great postage label so just write who it is for and pop it in the post. Great little gift to cheer someone up, or as one lady mention her sister has a small flat and a little Christmas tree would be perfect for her. I would personally be so delighted if someone posted me a heart or a Little My because she is so pretty. 

We have only stocked a very small selection to start with but am looking forward to ordering in more and bigger items. They even do massive trees, taller than me!!! Lovi is also part of a re-planting schemes all over the world. Since 2009 they have helped planting 5000 trees a year. Keep up the good work LOVI!

I do hope you all will enjoy these as much as we do!

Charlotte x

Hooray a new happy brand has arrived at Spektakulär, welcome Jangneus. Owner Marie is originally from Sweden but now settled in Oxford where she lives with her family. I love her idea behind her brand, feels happy and I must say quite Swedish. I have seen them here and there, but when I saw them in person, I was convinced that we had to give them a try and hooray am I glad we did. Jangneus motto is “We can’t do the washing-up for you but with colourful and fun accessories even the most simple domestic chores can become an everyday pleasure”. 

During the years we have had a few customer mentioning they like us to stock Swedish dish cloths, but I have been reluctant even though I always buy some with me from Sweden which does not really makes any sense at all. So finally for all you who have been waiting, the Swedish dish cloths has finally arrived. But not only dish cloths but also happy tea towels and trays. I think Jangneus is a brand that is here to stay with us.

Now what is so special with a Swedish dish cloth and what is the big idea? I mean it is just a dish cloth…or is it?

Well not really, these dish cloths are ultra absorbent, machine washable, long lasting and eco-friendly. The cloths are made from natural and renewable materials; cellulose and cotton and are also 100% biodegradable so after their long and useful lives, they can go straight onto the compost heap. Now does that not sounds great?! And to top this up Jangeus dish cloths have the most delightful and happy designs. Now already it sounds a bit more fun to do the dishes (one of my least enjoyable moments of the day).

All images by Jangneus.

Enjoy!

Charlotte x

One of our most loved brands is Linum! I fell in love with this Swedish brand years ago and I am so delighted we were able to stock their beautiful designs in our little shop. Linum is well know for its fantastic quality! We have cushions covers at home which have been though the washing machine a few times and they still look and feel the same. My friend Anna who runs the Swedish bars, Boda, Victoria, Sofi’s, Joseph Pearce and Hemma buy our Linum cushions and they love them in the bars (pretty hard wearing).  When we open we decided to do what we do in Sweden, give the option to buy just the covers. We Swedes love changing our homes after seasons and why have to buy inners all the time. Invest in a few really good quality inners (Linum ones of course) and then just change covers after seasons or atmosphere. Sometimes a few cushion covers change a room completely.

This season Linum has introduced a really strong collection! We love it, it is happy and bold yet stylish and elegant. We are excited to try something new, we have left our safe Scandinavian stripes and introduced a few beautiful abstract patterns in velvet and cotton. As well as more single colours in velvet.

Even though Linums’ cushion covers always have been our best sellers we do stock their rugs and runners and sometimes other products as well. This season you will not be disappointed when you come in for a visit to the shop and in a few weeks their winter collection will arrive, then we will be back to our lovely Scandi stripes in reds and grey since hint hint that will be our colour theme this winter.

Enjoy!

Charlotte x

I don’t know what happen suddenly it is dark in the morning and I struggle to get out of bed! Glad I have two little ones who happily let me know it is time to get up. Maybe it is a good thing, got a massive to do list and since we got back from our Sweden holiday I don’t have the same happy energy. To be honest I have felt very low, did not enjoy leaving Sweden this summer and would have loved to have stay there. If I did not have the shop and the love for it I probably would have pushed a bit harder for us to take the next step and actually move home. I guess it does not help that it is getting darker and just a bit greyer. However there is probably nothing that beats a crisp Autumn day, when the leaves are colourful and the air is fresh. So the best way for me to get back on track is to write lists. So you could probably guess, our house, the shop my bags are just covered in lists, Richard does not like it, well he is a proper IT man and thinks I could use my smartphone or the computer and have it all in same place but I don’t know I rather write by hand a little to do list and I am getting there. For the last two weeks I have trying to sort out all our Christmas orders and one by one they are off and delivery has been booked in and soon the shop will jammed packed, which I love!

But first let focus on Autumn and even though it is such a beautiful season it is very short for us retailers, visiting Dobbies the other day and walking around in a Winter Wonderland does make me sad and no we will wait until after Halloween before we change the shop in to Christmas. I do love the shop at Christmas time, it is so cozy, homely, welcoming and warm. But so is Autumn, and this week a beautiful delivery by Linum arrived and their Autumn collection is so strong with bold colours and patterns. We have left out comfort zone with the Scandinavian stripes and tried abstract and happy designs and wow it sure has made a change to the shop already. And Zuzanna sold cushions while unpacking the delivery so it has already proven it self popular. Tomorrow Monday Ruth and I will do a new window and change the whole shop around and make it warm and welcoming for this beautiful season we have ahead of us so lets enjoy it.

After my London visit to Top Drawer and HOME we have also started to introduce a few new brands and designs and I am very very excited. Oh I do love the shop and I do love spending time in the shop, am so happy that this little Scandinavian shop is mine. I am also delighted that we have grown to become a popular little shop and we love how personal the atmosphere can be. I need to be a bit better at posting what being delivered to the shop so you can see and of course we do mail order.It has been quite a long day but a good day. I managed to grab a bargain at Maddie & Marks shoe clearance across the road from us. Stina went to a birthday party saw friends who left for school in August and was very happy to see them again. I hope you all had a great weekend, I shall now finish mine with an episode of Downtown Abbey (yes I am a massive fan of period dramas).

Charlotte x

Happy Birthday Spektakulär!

Join us and celebrate our birthday with 10 % off everything in the shop. (Perfect opportunity to get some Scandinavian designs for your home)

We made it to four years and yes we are extremely pleased and happy! It sure has its ups and downs being a shop owner and self employed, but there is such a joy to be at the shop so it is worth it! I love all our amazing customers and the support, the friendly and positive words from you. Returning and new customers, you make us smile and we love our conversations. It is what a small business is all about. It is personal and pleasant and we do sincerely hope we come across as that and we thank you!

Yes we are a small independent shop and we do sometimes feel very small but we keep working hard and have lots to look forward to this rest of the year. With our small girls growing fast, we have started to reclaim our evenings and soon, well hopefully soon we shall be able to get cracking with the webshop (yes I know we promise this every year). But first we are looking forward to a stunning Autumn with warm and welcoming colours and then a Scandinavian Christmas. We have replaced a few brands but are excited to introduce new brands and products.

I found this photo from 2010 on our FB page and the shop sure does look different now! Pop in and have a look for yourself.

Don’t miss our amazing competition on our Facebook page! Like us and take part.

Love

Charlotte, Richard and the girls.

Hooray, for three long weeks we are heading home! Home to Alingsås where we will stay at my mums off and on. Lots of excitement and of course, gosh three weeks at my mums…how will we cope, how will they cope I guess is the actual question?! At least they are working and obviously have their everyday activities but still! Lovisa is in a lovely stage where she is everywhere at the same time as well as trying out new things that for you and me is actually not normal, such as eating everything of the floor and touching things that could actually hurt you. And yes mum has animals, one dog Cindy and two cats, Princess and the Prince. The Prince is also deaf…great! He wont be able to hear her coming, hopefully the floor will shake enough to give him a warning since she just learnt to walk and balancing can be a bit tricky so a few bumps. She is getting there and it looks so sweet! Soon she will come running, and I bet chasing after her sister.

While we are away the shop will obviously be looked after as always by Zuzanna and Ruth! Am so pleased to have these ladies at the shop, they do a great job and the shop is looking organised and tidy. I must admit it is hard work to juggle family and business life so having the support from your staff is so important and without their love for the shop it would not work.

Three weeks at home should also give me lots of inspiration and a bit of energy to prepare the shop for the next step…the dreaded webshop, well dreaded for us to build but also very exciting to see it take shape at the same time.  Oh yes it is on our to do list but keeping being pushed further and further away over and over again. One of the children is not sleeping well, VAT needs to be done, or any kind of admin, the home front is a mess, always something else to put on the list above the webshop. But Richard and I have made a plan and I hope we will stick to it and get our self organised and just do it!  Because I know it is a great demand for a fantastic Spektakulär webshop. And it would be amazing to have it up and running soon. 

Any plans while we are home? Well I decided not to plan anything this time, just take it as it comes because we get really exhausted running between everyone and we are on a holiday not a stress marathon. Sadly I have already managed to fill three weeks! It is just me and the girls for the first two weeks then Richard will join us for the last week. I have booked in to see family, a few friends, suppliers, shops, outlets and a few other exciting things. I guess I do need to try to entertain the girls as much as possible and bombard them with Swedish!

Our last week we will head to Varberg, an hour south of Gothenburg for a long weekend with my mums family. Cottages by the sea has been rented and everyone is coming. A couple of cousins I have not seen since I was a teenager, my aunties and of course my beloved grandmother. My mormor (mothers mother) turned 80 last year and they did this gathering then and decided this will happen each year from then onwards, so one week in August every year we need to head home. Sound good to me! 

Anyway I will do my best to update you, follow us on Instagram since I do try to use that as much as I can or why not follow us on Facebook. 

Have a wonderful August and enjoy the Festival, don’t forget to pop in to the shop for gifts or treats. I have arranged for deliveries all August so something new every week. Have fun!

So totally forgot to post this blog. Have been home for a week! Just taken it easy but also done a lot of small things. Looking forward to collect Richard at the airport on Friday! Have seen quite a lot I like to show him and both me and the girls miss him a lot.
Charlotte x

A wonderful Pappelina delivery arrived yesterday with only door mats. These door mats find new homes so quickly so I decided to place an order just with door mats! Amazing, I love it! Am so pleased to see how people like them and like to try out our plastic rugs!

This doormat size is 50×70 cm and the RRP is £30. We stock four different designs, Lilo, Mose, Svea and Viggo Star in most colours. Sadly I can not work out my log in to get the proper images and have to apply for a new one (I do apologise) so please have a browse on their website if you like to see the designs.

For you who have ordered, Zuzanna will get in touch as soon as they have been checked of the list.

Have a great weekend, we are off on a mini-hoilday in Aberdeen and a night away in the Highlands. Not too worry, Zuzanna and Ruth is at the shop this weekend and will look after you.

Charlotte x

YAY IT IS TIME… it is time for our annual clearance!

On Midsummers eve, 20th June 2014 at 10.00 we open the door for our annual clearance. It is time to grab a spectacular bargain. We only do one clearance a year and it is around Midsummer. We need to prepare and make space in the shop for Autumn/Winter designs.

The designs in the clearance are products that have been discontinued by the designer, supplier or indeed ourselves. Seasonal designs that have been replaced, brands that does not exists any longer or items we have decided to let go to make space for new exciting brands. So please be aware that when it is gone it is gone. I will not order these designs in again!

This year we have a strong collection on the bargain table: cushion covers, rugs, runners, tins, hangers, lanterns, candles, candle holders, kitchenware and lots more.  All products has been priced highlighted in red and there are some major price reductions.

We also have a small selection of ex-display products that are non-perfect which have been reduced. These products have small stickers where it clearly show off marks, if any and why it is reduced. No further reductions will be made on these.

If you are worried something might be in the sale and you really want to buy it, give us a ring on 0131 629 0941 and we can keep it aside, however only for a couple of days.

Happy Bargain Hunting!

Trevlig Midsommar / Happy Midsummer

Charlotte x