Theres something ever so magical about silver, that shiny little brother to bold and flashy gold.

So when the oldest Norwegian silverware workshop asked me if I´d collaborate with them in sharing my love for the tradition of   handmade silverware, how could I resist!

There´s something so precious about passing down knowledge of handmade trades from generation to generation, just like they have done at Norwegian silverware company Theodor Olsen.

Founded in 1868 in Bergen, Norway, Theodor Olsen began their production long before there were machines that could do the job.

Silver is unassuming in its shiny presence, and I´ve been in love with silver ever since my grandmother began giving me an ornate handmade tea spoon every year for my birthday.

On Sunday´s my family would gather in her dining room to enjoy a simple but delicious dinner, traditional Norwegian "Suppelapskaus" with flatbread and ice water served in a crystal decanter. 

However simple and traditional the dinner may have been, we drank from small crystal glasses, the soup bowls where fine china and the cutlery beautifully polished silver.

It made me appreciate those simple Sunday dinners, the heartfelt conversations around the table, and the beautiful tradition of handmade silver cutlery.

For my grandmother´s generation, silver was reserved for special occasions only.

Her beautiful silverware would have to be dusted and polished every now and then, and once a year us ladies of the family would gather to polish it all, silver tea pots, sugar bowls, trays, cake spades and cutlery.

It was quite the treat to be able to spend a whole afternoon, us three generations of women, oftentimes in the summer in the garden underneath a parasol with cool drinks and nibbles.

I on the other hand, love using silver on an everyday basis, probably in the same decadent spirit that I enjoy my afternoon tea with cake every day too.

It makes every day special, and it adds a bit of that dash of magic we all need, come rain or sun.

One of the things I adore about using silver cutlery is the handcraft and tradition that it makes me feel a part of as I still my cup of tea with a little silver spoon, slice through a succulent steak with a silver knife or tuck into bowl of warm risotto with a silver fork with great gusto.

The thing with silver is that if you don't use if often it goes a bit dull and need to be polished to be brought back to life again.

Polishing silver with the women in my family was a treasured event, that even if it was work, brought us closer together as we polished, talked and enjoyed each others company.

So the other day I invited a friend over to polish some silver with me over a glass of deep red and cheese, a cheese and wine afternoon, where our hands slowly yet with firm strokes and a cloth, made the silver shine again, like they had when the very hands that made them put on their finishing touch.

Who's says polishing your silver needs to be a dull event.

Invite a few friends over, fill up those glasses and the rest will be history...

...and remember, everyday is an occasion for a bit of magic, so keep that silver on the table and not tucked away in a drawer for that special occasion that may never happen...

Happy polishing!

This sponsored content is a part of a lovely creative collaboration between Norwegian Silverware company Theodor Olsen and myself, and I´m exited to share more with you early in the new year.