I featured the bold colors from H&M’s spring home collection a few days ago, and exactly how all the bolder colors are like directly from Pantone’s 2012 color picks, so are the more neutral colors in the H&M’s rustic collection.

This part of the H&M home collection includes vintage style products like in previous H&M home collections, and this time lovely pillows, bedding and kitchen accessories that could be directly not from Stockholm – but from USA or Paris.

Here are some of my favorite products from the rustic collection, and I do love the color scheme in these a lot, great for apartment living and to be matched with white.

See more pictures from the H&M home for spring 2012.

Photos: H&M

I adore the simplicity of the Pulu oil lamp designed by Finnish Katriina Nuutinen.

Katriina Nuutinen is a recent graduate from the Applied Art and Design department in The University of Art and Design Helsinki, Finland. She has mainly focused her work on ceramic and glass, but works with other materials as well, like metals and wood. Katriina did part of her studies in Sweden at Konstfack, University College of Arts, Crafts and Design and she received two nominations from MUOTO2011-gala, Talent 2011, Readers choice and she received the MUOTO2011-stipend. MUOTO rewards the best of incoming Finnish design, and I think Katriina already has made her mark on Finnish design.

I hope to see the Pulu oil lamp in retails soon.

photos: Sirpa Kinnunen

I’m liking the H&M Home collection more and more each year. No, it’s still not available to purchase in the US, but I can’t help but feature these pictures from H&M Home Spring 2012 collection. The bold colors are almost directly from Pantone’s 2012 color wheel, and they look like candy, and I just want to eat all of this stuff up.

I have been packing things to be shipped to Sweden today, and filling up even more boxes to be donated at Goodwill. It’s heartbreaking to get rid of half of our things, but as I look at these H&M Home collection pictures and I think of the H&M store in Stockholm, I can’t believe I will be shopping for these products for my new home in the very same store I visited as a tourist a few years ago.

Part of the H&M Home collection has very nostalgic feeling with polka dots, lemonade print tea towels and gingham aprons, but then there is this very modern side of easy storage solutions and Missoni-style chevron. Check out all of the photos below.

photos: H&M

Lempi Glass by Matti Klenell

Swedish designer Matti Klenell designed a new every occasion glass for Finnish Iittala called “Lempi”.

Lempi means ‘favourite’ in Finnish, and Lempi was created for any occasion, informal or spectacular, from wine to milk, and it is perfect for modern living spaces as this stackable stemware offers generous servings without taking up too much space in a small kitchen.

I love the concept of Lempi – its ultimate idea is to be the only glass you need to buy and it will be stackable so you can fit a collection of them easily in your kitchen cabinet. Strong enough for everyday use, but elegant enough for special occasions, Lempi is for sure to be “favorite” for many.

Lempi is available in clear, purple, light blue and grey glass.

Lempi glasses 4-pack is $40.48 at Scandinavian Design Center.

Designer Matti Klenell

Matti Klenell grew up surrounded by the household glassware made by his father and mother, and he has a lifelong experience in designing glassware. Matti Klenell has won several prestigious national and international awards and his work is represented in the permanent collections of various museums. In 2003 he received the prestigious Ljunggren Design Prize and he has been named Designer of the Year in Sweden.

source: iittala

Hello there – I’m still here. Thank you for checking back, even though I have been not posting much lately.

If you already didn’t hear, we have big news: we are moving to Sweden!

We have known it for a while and I’ve been busy trying to do everything for the move while still working, making Christmas happen, traveling to Texas, and you know, life. While we are super excited about the move and can’t wait to get back to Europe, it has been bitter sweet to think what all we are leaving behind here. But one thing is becoming more and more clear to me – blogging will become my main focus as we have settled in Sweden, and I hope I can write here much more often than what I have the past six months.

One of the realities of this particular move is that we can’t ship all of our furniture and belongings to Sweden, and I have already been selling, donating and dumping over half of the things we owned. In a way it’s like a dream come true – a fresh start, you will get to buy everything new, everything exactly matching and what our style is right now. In a way it’s a nightmare, because it has taken years to collect some of the items we had, and most important things are not the ones you can go and buy from stores; it’s the items that we have found on flea markets, bought on our travels or our DIY projects of love. Mixed emotions, that’s for sure.

Luckily we have been fancying the Scandinavian minimalistic style the past years, and we didn’t have nearly as much furniture and things as we did a few years ago. Moving from East Coast to Colorado and back already pruned out a lot.

We have been admiring apartment listings in Stockholm, and every single apartment looks like it is from a design magazine. You don’t have to read Swedish design magazines to see the beautiful homes – real estate sites offer more realistic and offer as beautiful eye candy!

If I could choose… my dream would be to live on a boat. We have found a few all year round boats for rent or sale in Stockholm, and some of them are over 2,000 square foot floating design apartments. Now, only if I wasn’t worried about practicalities like slippery icy deck during the winter, emptying the septic tank, or the enormous electricity bill that it takes to keep the boathouses warm in the Swedish winter in the ice cold and icy water…. A boat like this one in these pictures would be mine.

Pictures: Sotheby’s International.

This past October the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued new safe sleep guidelines for infants to prevent against SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). The new recommendations state that bumper pads should not be used in cribs. In addition, Chicago has become the first city in the country to ban the sale of crib bumpers due to concerns that the product poses a suffocation risk to babies. While crib bumpers can look pretty – they are not the safest option for your child’s crib. Thanks to Skip Hop – you now have a new solution. You can get the beautiful nursery décor but without the bumper!

Skip Hop announced the launch of the Complete Sheet Collection, a smart new crib sheet solution that offers all the décor of a fully dressed crib – fun themes and coordinating patterns – in a multi-faceted, constructed sheet, designed as an alternative to the bumper.

The patent–pending Complete Sheet is a first-of-its-kind constructed sheet with a bold theme surrounding the mattress sides and a contrasting pattern on top. Finished with linen piping, this crib sheet gives a sophisticated look to the nursery décor.

The 100% cotton, 200-thread count sheet will be available as separates, or as part of a four-piece collection that also includes a coordinating nursery blanket, airflow wearable blanket and linen crib skirt.

Check out the Complete Sheet Collection with a suggested retail price of $120 for the 4-piece set and $24-$30 for separates. I can’t imagine a more stylish baby gift than the Complete Sheet Collection!

Available themes include (below, from left to right):
• Alphabet Zoo – a bevy of cute critters introduce the alphabet to baby
• Chocolate Lattice – soothing, sophisticated style for a modern nursery
• Elephant Parade – elephants keep baby company in this cool nursery design
• Mod Dot – connect the dots with this funky, colorful theme
• Moving Gears – this graphic print will set your design wheels in motion
• Pink Lattice – sophisticated grown-up design sweet enough for baby
• Pretty Pennant – make everyday a celebration with this whimsical design
• Treetop Friends – a friendly owl and colorful leaves surround baby with the joy of nature

Look at this gorgeous DIY wreath my friend made for her Christmas home! Read her full post of her beautiful DIY Christmas decorations at Inspirations by D, and you can find the book page wreath tutorial here.

Photo: Inspirations by D

Sale Find: Twist Designer Candle Holders
Normal price: $58 Sale price: $38
Shop: Chiasso

Perfect for the Holidays, for your home or as a gift!

This is a new feature at Skimbaco blog network. Simple sale alert posts of great deals to help you to save time and money this Holiday season. Many of the deals are available only for a limited time, so don’t wait!

See the clothing, fashion and beauty and more Sale Finds also at Skimbaco Lifestyle.

As you are preparing for Thanksgiving and the biggest shopping weekend of the year, read these holiday tips from my dear friends, entertaining experts Dawn Sandomeno and Elizabeth Mascali. They recommend saving time and money by getting all of your holiday shopping done this weekend – even with your Christmas decorating and Holiday parties in mind.

Dawn and Elizabeth are the authors of Plan To Party, and the founders of The Party Bluprints Blog and you might have seen them on TV on Today Show and other shows, or magazines like Redbook. Dawn and Elizabeth know the latest trends in Holiday entertaining. This Holiday season the Party Bluprints experts also teamed up with CheapSally.com to find the best deals on Holiday gifts and created the Best Holiday Gift Ideas for 2011, full of gift ideas for anyone in your list and then click to Cheap Sally to find the gifts from the gift guide on the lowest prices. Remember to see CheapSally.com’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday pages, they aggregate all the best deals across the internet for you making it super easy for you to shop this year.

The Scoop on 6 Hot Holiday Trends for 2011

1. Alpine Sparkle is a hot trend this season – a ‘silver and green’ color theme with a mountain meets Manhattan twist! Mix Mercury glass with holiday greens and pine cones to achieve this look.

2. “Traditional” is trendy and “Retro” is hot, be inspired by a 60’s or 70’s look. Peace signs as accessories on Christmas trees, wreaths, mantles or in any décor are hot for the holidays!

3. Less is more, let simplicity shine and try a minimalistic. The mantle is a great place to start: a few candles and stockings in a monochromatic theme.

4. “Hushed” is a hot alternative to holiday focused decorating that needs to be packed away in early January. The color palette is pure white, grayed blues and muddied raisin, and serenity, tranquility and longevity are the goal of this minimalistic decorating style perfect for the winter season and not just for the holidays. Hushed can also serve as a beautiful backdrop to your holiday decorating, simply layer on your holiday decorations – when you pack away the holiday décor, leave the “Hushed” look and your home won’t look so cold and empty.

5. Cocktail and Dessert parties are the new way to entertain for those with limited time and money. Dessert flights will be all the rage at holiday parties this year.

6. French food is hot and fun to feature at dessert parties. Try: macaroon towers, French 75 cocktails, mini dessert pastries and crème brulee.

Disclosure: this is a sponsored post but I love everything these ladies do.

Setting the table pretty for Thanksgiving is easy. Get a few seasonal accents and use what you have in an unified color scheme – or decorate with seasonal fruits or flowers to get an instant seasonal feeling to your table top. If you are looking for fast last-minute Thanksgiving table setting tips, check out our Thanksgiving Home Decorating Guide for many products that work for Thanksgiving and beyond making them very cost-effective. If you have time to go to one store prior Thanksgiving, make it Target for their vast selection of products that work for longer time than just for turkey day.

“A beautiful tablescape doesn’t have to be costly,” says Sabrina Soto, Target Style Expert for Home and HGTV designer. “Layering in key holiday trends to your everyday pieces can be a cost-effective way to create a one-of-a-kind dinner table.”

Celeb chef Giada De Laurentiis prepares most of the meal in advance, so she can enjoy the party rather than trying to cook everything at once. “Try to leave only one item for last minute prep – this brings everyone into the kitchen and sets the tone for a cozy, comfortable evening.”

Check out all of these product details in the picture below at the A Bull’s Eye View blog or from Target near you.