A road trip, a white home and soft fields

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Marte Marie

It’s Wednesday and I’m in need of a trip, but since I’m glued to my studio today, I went into the archives to find a little escape.

A while back I went on a day-trip off the island to a part of this area I’ve never bee before.

The landscape spoke to me with it’s soft features and I fell in love with this white dragon-style home.

With this great song playing, and this great view my thoughts had plenty of room to wander and be inspired.

Day-trips in the middle of the week is my favorite way of recharging, especially when I feel my creativity is slipping.

The fresh air, the new scenery, perhaps a little picnic, good company and some music, I’m all set;)

PS: The firts test batch of the Paris wrap skirt and the Paris jacket arrived yesterday, and I’m so excited to show you how it looks!

In perfect creme color they make me yearn for spring;)

Posted in Moss, Norway, Travel | 4 Comments

Recipe: Decadent white chocolate dessert with lime

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Marte Marie

I hope you’re ready for this delicious dessert.

It’s one of those sweet things that it’s hard to show self control with.

While making it I was just going to have a small taste, just one spoon, and then before I now it I’ve eaten two and then three and then I stopped counting;)

It’s Monday, and week full of new possibilities and we need a dose of sweetness to get it all started, non?

I hope you’ll enjoy;)

___________________

What you need:

___________________

600 dl Whipping cream

225 g White chocolate

3 egg yolks

3 plates of gelatin, gelatin powder can also be used.

1 ts Natural vanilla essence or scrape out with a knife the seeds of real one vanilla bean.

____________________

How to make:

_____________________

Fill a bowl with cold water and add the gelatin plates.

Melt the white chocolate and whipping cream in a bowl/pan heated over a water bath.

Stir until it’s all melted and add the egg yolks and vanilla.

Continue to stir regularly all the way to the bottom of the bowl/pan till the mixture has thickened.

Squeeze the gelatin plates in your hand to get the excess water out as you pull it from the bowl with cold water and add it to the white chocolate mixture that is still heated by the water-bath, and stir.

When the gelatin plates has been dissolved you can pour the mixture into your serving cups.

I used small cocktail glasses and made about 10 servings with some extra for the chef;)

Set to cool in the fridge for two hours and serve with a squeeze of lime on top for a delicious fresh taste, and dash of grated white chocolate and the zest of lime sprinkled on top.

You’re in for a real treat!

The days are getting longer.

Every day we get one minute more of daylight here in Norway, and I try to fill these hours with as much as I can.

Still there are so many books I want to read, walks I want to take and friends I want to see.

I hope this year can teach me to take one step at a time, to pace myself.

One page at the time, becomes a book.

One step at the time, becomes a walk,

so I guess even if there’s only so many hours of the day, with one step at the time I hope to be able to fill this year of adventure with the content of my heart’s desire.

and while walking

let’s make some dessert along the way.

 I’m off to see my tailors that should have the first test batch of the clothes ready.

It’s a good day!

Wishing you a wonderful Monday!

Posted in Chocolate, Desserts, Food | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Decadent white chocolate dessert with lime and a worrisome heart.

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Marte Marie

 This decadent white chocolate dessert have been on my mind for a while.

So after some wonderfully hectic days, filled with great news, I just went for it.

No special occasion other than celebrating life a bit, on a mere Friday:)

 My beloved mother taught me to celebrate on random occasion. To have a little feast on mere Wednesdays for no reason at all than to spice the everyday up.

I love that thought and I love how she will take random moments to sit alone in the sun and enjoy a decadent chocolate dessert all by herself, or pull over the car on mere Mondays when she’d pick me up at school to have a bite of confetti chocolate she kept in her bag.

But lately I’ve had a somewhat of a worrisome heart.

Oh, the heart, the worrisome heart that oftentimes leap into tomorrow to gather up all it can be worried about and cloud my present.

It’s quite silly really to chose to be worried about things that are just as unlikely to happen as they are likely.

Yet sometimes I do and listen to this talented woman and marinate a little in her melancholy.

So as the snow peacefully fell outside my window, I tossed worries out the window and gave into the delightful taste of sweet chocolate with a drizzle of lime.

In it’s decadent embrace worries were kept on hold for a while and I allowed myself to be happy for all the wonderful things that fill the now.

 

And as I sat there bathing in the soft light through my kitchen window, I bore my soul and emptied my bag a bit.

Since worrying is based on fear of the unknown, wanting to be buckled up when a storm takes you by surprise, and hoping desperately to be able to build up a big enough wall of steel so that no hurt or disappointment can penetrate.

I let the sweet delicate white chocolate melt ever so slightly on the spoon  and gave in.

I gave in to the moment and gave in to the unknown, even if just for now;)

I came to realize that I love the four seasons, and that I in no way want to avoid having a good storm sweep though my life every now and then, as it makes my life so much more meaningful to be able to experience diversity.

I guess it’s just all a matter of clothing really.

I’ll just learn to dress my heart and mind in the appropriate clothing so I can be amidst a storm, and even if the cold wind stings on my face, my heart is nestled and warm inside, because I know I can do this.

In the end it’s not about others, what may or may not happen, it’s up to me to learn to thrive no matter the weather;)

With a dash of indulgence and a feast on mere Fridays, I think I can do it, one step at the time.

And if my worrisome heart should emerge again and make me weak in the knees with a bit of fear I’ll just let it.

So what!

I’ll take a moment to listen, then move on as I know we all have it in us to rise above, try again and get it right…next time;)

And people say chocolate can’t solve your problems… huh!

Have a lovely worry-less weekend:)

(Recipe coming up next)

 

Posted in Desserts, Food | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Afternoon wander to my favorite cafe on the island.

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Marte Marie

This is my favorite cafe on our island, and I’ve mentioned it every now and then, so I thought it was about time I introduced it to you properly.

It’s just a hop and a skip away from my petite studio.

This beautiful old mansion is home to the cafe, a great modern art gallery, a bookstore and has a glassblowing hut just around the corner.

I go here often.

In rain, snow or sun I make my way across the field and through the forest.

A few weeks ago some of my closest friends and I walked over in the snow to eat good food, laugh and listen to live Jazz.

This was a great day indeed!

And speaking of great days, yesterday I met with my tailors to look at the first batch of clothes, and it looked so great!

They have done such wonderful work and I truly admire their craftsmanship.

I’m particularly in love with the spring jacket in linen and cotton in creme, and I have a sneaking suspicion you’ll develop a bit of a crush on it too!

It’s a little gem really.

I’ll show you soon.

But let’s head back to the snow first…

I think what I find so beautiful about this magical place is how I feel when I’m within it’s embrace.

This place paints a picture with it’s fairytale landscape of peace.

The landscape doesn’t harbor majestic mountains or intriguingly deep valleys, it’s quite diverse with it’s cliffs, soft beaches, rolling hills fields and forests, but it’s never imposing in its beauty, it’s rather non assuming and quiet about it.

I think it comes from a place within;)

It’s like this landscape has a quiet balance about it that you can feel.

No matter how much turbulence I may experience within me some days, a walk in this area always re-instals a sense of peace through it’s beauty and open landscape.

This place is a remedy I prescribe to myself for anything that’s going on in my life.

And in the summertime I run along it’s shores gazing at the ocean with a big smile on my face.

Do you have a place like this, that is the remedy for anything and everything?

Or maybe it’s just s spot somewhere in a park or in your home?

Posted in Afternoon walks, Moss, Moss, Norway, Norway, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Poetry, fabric and winter decorations, a new year has begun.

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Marte Marie

There is poery in everything, truly everything around us, in every single detail.

In little unexpected breezes, raindrops, whispers, old hangers, and christmas decorations;)

A sweet twitter follower gave me a wonderufl advise some weeks ago when I posted a Christmas decorationp problem.

Well, simply put, I’m not yet done with some of them, especially not this one.

There is more poetry to be sung from it.

She advised me to simply rename it winter-decorations and let it hang as long as the temperature advised.

So here we are, mid January and my kitchen is still sporting this  Christmas….hm….winter-decoration, and It’s not going anywhere, at least not untill I can wear light summer dresses and skip about in the sun without a care in the world!

Oh, dear readers, I know, there possibly is a wee bit more winter left before such days, but in my studio, I can assure you, the only thing on my mind is spring and summer.

Gorgoues little summer dresses are in the making, and shirts and skirts. In fact I’m heading down to Oslo tomorrow to meet with my tailor and check up on the first batch!

I’m creating some fabulous basics for you, clothes that I love to travel with, easy to pack, easy to wear, and above all flattering no matter how much I indulge in chocolate.

I have a lot of the basic fabric picked out, but for some of the dresses, shirts and pieces coming in the fall, I’m off to Italy in a couple of weeks to pick out fabric there.

And because I’m never all businiss and no play, I will spend quality time with dear friends I have not seen in a while.

Can we add a cup of cappuccino with that?

I think we’ll have to;)

Since we are on the topic of poetry that magically is everywhere we go, I think there definitely is a bit of poetry in clothes as well, and I hope to bring some of that to your wardrobe this year.

The clothes are very basic, made from 100% natural materials, and is all made by hand.

And that’s where the poetry comes in.

It’s every stich and handsewn element.

It’s in every artisan hand that has been working on that skirt, dress, necklace or a bag just for you.

There is so much coming this year, but we are just in the wee beginning so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

 There will be some color, but mostly there’ll just be wonderful soft, strong and quiet fabric.

And of course you’ve already been introduced to parts of the Swarovski family.

(Remember to sign up for the Swarovski giveaway here!)

I’m so enjoying working on this little clothing collection, and I’m so happy about the positive feedback I’ve got from you.

To those of you who have signed up for the first batch of the Paris wrap skirt in beautiful linen and cotton, I’ll let you know as soon as it comes in.

If you want to be on the list email me at:

forsberg[dot]marie[at]gamil[dot]com

As the days get longer and more light fills these hours, I’m determined to stop more often and notice all this poetry around me.

Some days I feel I’m quite good at finding it and listening to it, other days, I rush too fast by.

Do you remember to find time for all this poetry around?

Do you perhaps have a favorite spot or a moment where it’s poetic verses were sung more so than other times?

I’d love to hear!

Since we only have this one life here on earth, this year I will lend my ear and eyes to the poetry around us more often.

This I promise in my heart;)

Have a fantastic week!

Posted in Accessories, Beautiful things, by Le voyage creatif, Giveaway, Handmade, Jewelry | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Swarovski, silver and a Valentines giveaway (Closed)

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Marte Marie

It’s about time I show you a few things that have been filling my days in  mon petite studio.

As you all may know, I’m working long days on my first little clothing collection and my tailors have been such great sports.

The collection is introducing a few basic very tailored pieces that I hope you’ll fall in love with as I have.

And with such tailored pieces we may need a bit of frosting!

So today while waiting for clothing collection to take form, here is a peak into the Swarovski family collection!

This is a limited edition of frosted gems handmade with real Swarovski crystals, silver, leather and wood.

To kick it off  I’ll give away one Swarovski necklace of your choice!

Now, it’s not yet Valentines, but for you to receive it on your doorstep in a little valentines box we need to get this show on the road;)

Choose any of these three necklaces, leave a comment below stating which one you’d like, add a link to the necklace you want on, Facebook, Twitter or on your blog and tell about this giveaway;)

The giveaway ends Saturday the 28th of January at midnight Oslo time;)

Nr 1

The Swarovski Monterey necklace.

Nr 2

The Swarovski Copenhagen necklace.

Nr 3

The Swarovski Berlin necklace.

There are some more additions to the Swarovski family collection coming soon, but this is a peak that I hope you enjoy.

Now, if you feel a bit impatient and want to make sure you get your hands on one of thess little gems from this limited edition, head on over to the

by Le voyage creatif shop

and get your hands on them over there;)

I hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend!

Posted in Accessories, Jewelry | Tagged , , , , | 27 Comments

Recipe: Scone-sticks with rosemary and cheese

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Marte Marie

I hope you’re still in the baking mode! It’s wonderful that you vere so excited for this recipe.

There are many ways to Rome and there is perhaps even more ways to make a delicious scone, but here is one with a twist I hope you’ll like.

I love scones with salty butter.

It’s just one of those things I choose to fully accept, scones are here to stay.

Ahh, and speaking of scones… last August I met up with beautiful Ann and her great husband CJ in the british Lake district with my beloved mother.

One day we all sat down on a sunny porch and indulged without any reservation on delicious scones with clotted cream.

It was simply heaven.

The day before, my beloved mother and I had braved a storm with sideways rain and headed down to a lake.

Sadly there were no one willing to take us out on the water, so we enjoyed refuge in a nearby greenhouse cafe.

As the rain poured down outside and sailed down the glass walls of the greenhouse we listened to piano music while nipping to warm tea and ate scones with clotted cream.

Wonderful scone memories indeed.

This little recipe is more of a snack and has a cheese and rosemary twist I hope you’ll enjoy.

Oh, and after I’d patiently rolled out and cut cute little scones out of the dough for too long I though; ‘Sod this’, and made simple scone sticks from the rest of the batch.

I hope I don;t offend any brit by messing up their scones, but I was rather pleased with my “new” invention of the scone stick that with a dash of butter is such a pleasure to dip in a warm winter soup;)

___________________

What you need:

___________________

250g / 9 oz Self -raising flour. (If you use normal flour just add 2ts of baking powder.)

50g / 2 oz Salted butter

50g / 2 oz Edamer or Gruyer cheese, or any other cheese you like that melt well.

50g / 2 oz Camembert or Brie

150ml / 5fl oz Milk. You can still use it if it’s gone sour;)

Pinch of salt

Sprigs of fresh herbs such as Rosemary and Thyme

1 Egg yolk, for brushing the scones with.

______________

How to make

_______________

Preheat oven to 220 C or 425 F.

In a bowl sift flour and salt.

Rub the butter into the flour between your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Chop the fresh rosemary or thyme finely and add or ad as much of dry herbs as you please.

Add the cheese (Grate the Edamer or Gruyere, and cube the Brie or Camembert.)

Add the milk and stir gently until you have a loose dough. Overworking this dough will leave the scones heavy.

Pour pout the dough on a floured surface and quite lightly, “knead” it.

Now here you either:

With a rolling pin or with your hands work the dough out to become flat and ca 2 cm thick and cut out the scones with a glass or your scone cutters.

Or:

You cut the dough up in small meat ball slices and roll the dough into sausages as long, short, thick or thin as you like.

Grease a baking tray, dust a bit of flour and arrange your scones.

Brush a bit of beaten egg yolk on top, sprinkle with some cheese and or add a sprig of herbs if you like. This is not a must, as for any recipe this is a mere suggestion;)

In 10-15 min your scones a lightly golden and ready to be devoured on their own with butter or dipped in a warm tomato soup.

Happy baking!

PS: Katie from the wonderful Nola inspired blog wrote up such a beautiful little post about my

by

Le voyage creatif

jewelry.

Thank you Katie!

Posted in Baked goods, Brunch, Food, Food memories, scones | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Scones with a twist and my nose buried in vintage cookbooks.

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Marte Marie

 

 It snowed, it snowed it snowed!

I felt like a giddy little girl this morning as quiet snow danced in the air after a month of it’s absence.

Beautiful light filled the kitchen as I headed down in my PJ’s to peak out the front door and inhale fresh cold winter air.

I’ve felt thirsty for snow and a bit of cold for weeks now.

So with the front door wide open I fired up the oven and started baking Saturday brunch scones with a little twist.

There really is nothing quite like scones with some butter to accompany a warm winter soup or alone with a cup of tea.

One of my brothers and his wife recently took a little trip to Ireland and picked up some scone cutters for me. And today was their inauguration party.

On with my polka dotted apron.

Tea kettle filled with water.

and

to work I went with my scone baking.



I feel so inspired by your comments about the word, or words you have decided to focus on this new year.

Thank you for sharing it with me;)

I sat and read through you emails and comments before I started baking these scones and felt excited about all that is in front of us.

It’s in small moments like this that I think I feel the most content.

The kitchen smelled delicious with the promise of warm goods soon to come out of the oven and into my little belly, and year full of possibilities in front of me.

As for the scones, making something from scratch, involving my hands and creating something so delicious in no time, (this recipe takes 10 min to make and 10-15 min to bake) simply makes me happy!

And as I baked I thought about life, and how my life truly has and is a creative journey, a life in the making.

It certainly is no straight path, but I the older I get the more I realize that is what life is all about. The unexpected turns, the curves, the hills, valleys and the long stretch of prairie.

Maybe that’s what I like so much about cookbooks.

There’s seems to be no beginning, no middle and no end, and although the recipes call for a certain amount of this and that, I take those as mere suggestions baking away as I please.

Something I’d like to do more of in my life, to take other peoples advice as mere suggestions and not let their voice drown out my own.

We all have such beautiful and unique voices, and where would we all be if we all had the same voice?

So, I’v decided that having different opinions, in a family, a relationship, between friends or strangers is a healthy dose of diversity. It simply is the way its supposed to be, a world with all the colors of the rainbow.

So as I put batch after batch to bake in the hot oven, I took a moment pausing in the front door, looking through one of my favorite vintage cookbooks that has been passed down from mother to daughter in my family for about 100 years and watched peaceful fluffy snow land on my bike outside.

And as I stood there in the doorway looking at the snow, I was so happy to be. I felt that things are good, right here, right now.

That all we really have to do is say yes please to all you already have.

With an inner voice in training and scones baking in the oven I skipped and hopped back into the kitchen and got ready to clean up before heading out to an early afternoon jazz concert with dear friends;)

Hope you’re having a great weekend!

(recipe with a twist coming up next)

Posted in Baked goods, Food, Kitchen, Lunch, Weekend | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The ocean, peace and a little new years picnic.

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Marte Marie

These brand new days of the year feel like blank pages  that I’m eager to fill.

So yesterday I took to the ocean to find inspiration and to take a little break from days that feel way too hectic.

The air was crisp and cold, the ground covered with a bit of frosting and ferries crossed back and forth across the fjord.

With some delicious italian biscotti and lavender and cardamum steamer, I sat on a rock and dipped my hunter boots in the ice cold water.

Waves gently played with my boots and my mind wandered.

Beautiful Ann wrote yesterday about finding that one wild word to guide her steps through this new year.

My word that will color my steps this year is adventure.

These past years I’ve been naming the year. In Chinese tradition years have a name, however, since I was born in the year of the goat, I felt the need to spruce things up a bit. Hence the year of adventure.

Years passed have been the year where dreams come true, or the year of opportunity, but as the months pealed off and I was left with December 2011, adventure was the word that seemed written in stone for the upcoming year.

Recent years I’ve perhaps had a more passive approach to the theme of the year. This year I’ve already planned some adventurous things, strecthed my imagination and stretched what I expect of me.

And then of course since it is the year of adventure, I’m very excited for some magic dust;)

Now expectations can be a bit dangerous, but if we do our part I think it’s ok to leave a bit up to the weather gods, non?

Besides hope with a dash of faith mixed in can soften our white knuckled desire for control, and before you know it you’re being swept away by a bit of adventure;)

Magical, non?

However, this year I’ll allow myself a bit of greediness and choose both peace and andventure.

You may suggest they do not go hand in hand….but I think they can…

As I strive for finding more peace in my life, I believe wholeheartedly it will make me better fit for adventure, for accepting the unknown and being ready to be swept away both by my own lofty dreams and by the magic of things that are out of my hands.

Doesn’t this make you just a wee bit excited!

Excited for all the things that we cannot control and for where they’ll take us.

It’s like softly giving in to magic, the kind of magic that will take us; “second to the right, and straight on till morning.”

What are your words or theme for 2012?


Posted in Afternoon walks, Beautiful places, Moss, Norway, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

San Francisco { Part one }

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Marte Marie

Last year I lived in San Francisco, and I too left a big chunk of my heart there.

I loved walking for hours and exploring the different areas of this unique city.

It’s rolling hills that makes each new area a separate little village.

I thought we’d start this year off with a little trip to this beautiful city, what do you say, are you in?

 One of my favorite weekend things to do was to head down to Embarcadero, the Ferry building. It’s home to regular farmer’s market and if you’r a food lover like me, the inside is jam packed with delicious specialty food stores and restaurants.

I would always wander a bit inside, be inspired and then stock up on some delicious cheese, bread and some chocolate before I bought tickets with the ferry to this beautiful seaside village called Sausalito.

 This was always my absolute favorite thing to do.

With my little snack bag with goods bought in the ferry building, I’d take a seat outside on the top deck no matter the weather, and take in the view and fresh air.

Majestic bridges, Alcatraz, islands, the ocean, sailboats, people and the view of the city.

It’s all quite enough to take your breath away, really.

 

 With cold hands I’d bite into the delicious cheese and bread, nip to warm tea and let my thoughts wander.

Rarely did I take this ferry while the sun was warm.

No San Francisco may have quite the reputation when it comes to it’s unstable weather, but that’s what adds magic to this place.

The sun plays on the buildings and windows in the city and the fog dresses it all in the most alluring blur. It hides and emphasizes and the city is always exciting to look at because of it.

 

 Alcatraz, I never actually got to board the island, but every time I passed something filled the air and made me ever so slightly curious.

 But then beautiful Sausalito would appear and remind me of Positano in Italy.

Sometimes, I’d hop off the ferry and have lunch in one of it’s charming cafes and other times, when my schedule was tight I’d just turn on a dime and go back ot the city.

The view and the fresh salty air was always worth the trip.

 

 These little weekend breaks would fuel me with delight and passion to go back to work.

In this fast paced world I love finding time to slow down and just gaze, absorb and feel the now. I guess in the end, the now is the only currency we truly own, non?

Now, I can’t wait to see what adventures will pop up this year, and I’ve already lots planned.

The Studio is in overload mode, tailors are working on the little upcoming clothing collection, new jewelry design will come out in the next few weeks and soon I’m off to Italy, but today, let’s just take a little lunch break in San Francisco;)

More to come…

 

 

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Posted in California, San Francisco, San Francisco, Travel, USA | Tagged , | 2 Comments