The Allure Of Autumn.

I am a summer child.
I am born in the midst of the golden season and I worship the white nights, the warm, long days and the richness and suppleness of nature.
However, as I grow older, I find more and more allure in autumn.

I enjoy everything about this versatile season.
The beautiful colour display, which happens with certain precision, yet which can change annually in regards to intensity and duration.
The sense of closure, and the increasing feel of tranquility - the slowed down pace that instigates a sense of rest.

As the air grows cool and damp and the daylight turns into twilight, the effect is a sweet contradiction - an atmosphere of certain gentle sadness and melancholy, which the receding sun leaves behind, yet simultaneously a welcomed and needed sense of rest.
A well deserved winter sleep for nature and for us, as we seek indoors to the warmth of a crackling fire and the company of loved ones, for cosy moments in the shine of candlelight.

Autumn plays a vital role in the yearly seasonal cycle and is deeply alluring in every sense, if we only care to take notice.

Solitude By The Fire.

Even though overall I prefer to be around people, such as my friends and my family, I will not deny that I also like being on my own. I enjoy my own company and I need - almost crave - moments of solitude.

Being alone is at times essential I believe to every human being. What I dislike however is the sensation of being lonely. This can become very palpable for many as we near the Holiday Season, which at all times instigates the idea of family and companionship and is often perceived as a difficult period for those who lack both...

I have many favorite places in my home where I like to sit and daydream my hours away, relaxing, reading, writing or just contemplating life's grand purpose, while getting lost in scents and sounds around me.
Currently, with the onset of late fall and the imminence of winter, this place is near my fireplace. The crackling of the fire, the scent of burning wood and the comfortable atmosphere generated by candle lights convey tranquility and a sense of rest, which invigorates my mind and soul, despite the twilight that rules my days.

Morning Glory.

Due to the company I used to keep, in the past I found myself being a creature of the night, often involuntarily. It did not bother me though and I enjoyed late morning sleep ins; however on regular bases they failed to make me feel refreshed and invigorated.

As much as the stillness of the night can be soothing and tranquil, it seems also to carry a certain feel of distress with it. A sensation of being late, or being behind. As if one is trying to catch up with the world that seems to move a few hours ahead of oneself. Besides, it has been suggested that sleep initiated on the other side of midnight never fully restores the body and mind.

Early morning however carries a different kind of tranquility. The one that instigates a feel of being ahead, being the first one to experience an enchanting moment, way before anyone even knows it is there. The privilege of facing a new day, with all its pristine glory and unblemished beauty, while the rest of the population is still sound asleep, unaware of the natural wonder that is taking place just outside their windows.

As of lately, my body naturally prefers rising early and I have never felt more energetic. This past weekend, as I was up just after the day break, watching a late autumn sunrise, offered views filled with colours and nuances that contrast the ones surrounding our sunsets. Gone is the saturated golden, red and orange. Instead, the air is light and misty, defined by transparent colours; pale yellow, turquoise and baby blue, with a touch of pink, which can turn violet as the winter nears ever so close.

There is a certain magic hidden within the morning glory, which carries with it hope and sense of renewal, as well as promises of fresh beginnings. Anything has the potential to yet occur. It is infused with a sensation of momentarily stillness, almost an anticipation of something grand - it is as if time lingers for an instant, belonging to no one else but me...

Watching the sun rise slowly, as its subtle rays embrace the landscape, melting gently away the frosty blanket while the golden disc barely leaves the horizon, is a source of endless enchantment. To relish in the gentle tranquility of a newborn day, as my house becomes saturated with the scent of fresh coffee and baked bread has become one of my new found simple pleasures.


(Below a selection of recent images, depicting late autumn - early mornings, as viewed from my grand windows; please click the images for a better view)

November Twilight.

November has arrived. A month disliked by many, none the least the Scandinavians, due to the dreary, drizzly weather, late autumn storms and most of all, darkness.
Our daylight is diminishing drastically. The sun moves lower and lower across the horizon and soon twilight will gain reign over our reality.

Thus this is - once again - the time of candle lights. It is the time of cozy evenings by the fire, the time of contemplation and remembrance. The time of long discussions with someone special while sharing a glass of wine, enjoying the time of tranquility and reflection.

This is the time of November twilight and I am looking forward to relish in its gentle melancholy.

Tranquil Scents Of A Home.

I am ruled by fragrances and scents. To me the ability to smell is one of the most important senses on which I rely heavily each day. It aids in my daily life, as I make my decisions about people and situations I encounter and as I go about my routines.

I use my nose as soon as I awake in the morning, taking great pleasure in the fresh scents of my shower gel and shampoo and deciding what perfume to wear that day. I inhale lavishly the aroma of fresh coffee and bread when I have my breakfast and the scent of the sea in the air outside. I take information from the scents in any room I enter during the day, the fragrances brought in and surrounding people I know or strangers I meet. These all, in concert with the impressions gained by all my other senses help me to form opinions and take decisions.
And later in the evening when I return home, as I am met by its familiar and comforting scent - I know I am safe and can relax.

My home has many aromas, but the main ones comes from two sources. Burning incense, my absolute daily addiction that creates that tranquil atmosphere in the evenings, signaling soothing serenity as soon as the first whiff of its burning fragrance enters my consciousness.

And then there are my Millefiori room diffuser sticks.

A wonderful invention that was introduced to me by my sister this past summer. It consists of  a container filled with a lovely fragrance of ones choice - mine is green tea - and a handful of wooden sticks submerged into the scented liquid. As these get saturated by the fragrance, a lovely subtle scent is spread all around the room creating a delightful, lasting atmosphere.

I have placed the perfumed bottle next to the stairs in the main room. The fragrance of home is immediately palpable as soon as I get in through the door and intensifies as I ascend into my living room.
Once I do, as if by magic, the troubles and worries of the day are slowly left behind in my footsteps.

Back To The Fire...

The days are getting considerably shorter and even though we have had some gorgeous fall weather so far, full of sunshine and blue skies - today Lady Autumn shows her darker, more menacing side. Her melancholy can be felt in the wind and the low, threatening clouds. Indeed, fierce fall storms will soon be our reality.

This is thus the time when my fireplace becomes once again the center point of my house. In the evenings and in the weekends, the crackling and the scent of the fire creates the most relaxing atmosphere. The dancing warm light creates shadows on the walls and the orange flames makes me pause, having my mind wander in time and space. I relish those moments when everything feels still and tranquil...
And safe. Despite the weather conditions outside.

In those times I can not help but feel a connection with my primitive ancestors, to whom fire was vital; a source of protections as well as unity, sitting around ancient campfires, feeling a sense of familiarity and home...

Unique Illumination.

My home is far from stylish. It is however unique and filled with items of affection. Everything has a story and everything in it means something to me.

Every decoration, every painting, every object and even the furniture holds a sentimental value. My home is a collection of memories and details which define who I am.

Such is my light in iron and wood, as I like to call it. A simple but very unusual lamp, made from cast iron and rough wood, it was given to me by my parents when they relocated their home a few years back.  Purchased in a gallery, the lamp is created by an artist that must have loved the rugged and the pristine found in natural materials and who could see something beautiful in the unusual.

It used to hang above the stairs in my parents house and I recall its mystical shine, as it would cast shadows over the walls in the evenings. I always found the lamp slightly enchanting and intriguing.

According to my father, the wood is a former harness that held the horses reins, while the majestic animals would be ploughing the fields. I do not know the age of the wooden object, however due to the type of its former use, I sense it carries perhaps over a century of history in its rough surface.  I often wonder about the animals that laboured arduously, once long time ago between its edges, as well as about the lives of the people that led them. Ultimately I am also fascinated by the artist that envisioned an enigmatic potential in a discarded piece of tool, to see it become once again of use for centuries to come, but in a new, unique way.

To spread enchantment through pale and intimate shine, in a unique home.

"Golden Nerves".

Those two words make up an expression in my language, meaning something similar to "Nerves of Steel". Basically, this is used to describe someone who can stay calm even during the most trying situations. It can also be used as an exclamation, when things get tough, meaning one would love to have "Golden Nerves" in that moment.

However, it can also apply as a description of someone who knows how to relax.
Like Batcat. The way he can shut out the world is amazing. And highly contagious. The below is taken this weekend as he managed to escape into the dreamworld for hours, while lying in front of the fire.

Counting Down To Christmas Eve.

December has arrived.
This is the first winter month and thus the beginning of a new season. It is the time of dark days, long nights, of wind and rain, sometimes snow. Of frost and bare landscape, cold hands, red noses and sleepy eyes.
However, December is so much more than just that; it is also the Holiday month. A time of joy and expectations, no matter whether you are an adult or a child.

We all surely recall the incredible impatience we once felt as children, looking forward to that night of magic, which seemed still so far away, once December begun. In Scandinavia, the wait has been eased by a very sweet tradition. The tradition of burning Calendar Candles. These are candles that come in all shapes and sizes, with one common significance: a column of numbers printed on one side.
Starting with number 1 at the very top, all the way to 24 at the very bottom. The candle is lit every day and the number corresponding to the date is burned away, making the wait, particularly for children, slightly more exciting. Of course, if you are like me and have kept a childish mind, this is a wonderful daily simple pleasure throughout the month of December.

I dedicate this post to the lovely Blog Princess G, who expressed such a delightful interest in this Scandinavian tradition last year; I hope she will enjoy the daily Christmas countdown this year as well, as I post it on my sidebar in the following weeks.

Fire And Ice.

This is the time of candles. I light them every day, in multitude of candle holders, through out my house and even outside. My favorite ones are almost all made for tealights. I like these for many reasons, but mostly as tealights in Scandinavia are very popular and readily available. They are very safe, or as safe as a candle alight can be and can burn for many hours, without having to be constantly watched. We have many different kinds, any that can burn for four hours all the way up to eight hours. The eight hours ones are very much in use in the winter when the evenings are dark and the nights very long.

I have many candle holders that are my favorite, but the oldest one is the most beautiful by far. It is called "Snowball" and is made by the Swedish glasswork company called Kosta Boda. It is suppose to imitate a ball made of snow, or rather ice and it certainly looks that way. Particularly when a lit candle is placed within, it looks like fire within ice. I love the light it spreads and I love the originality of the design, that is so very Scandinavian in its elegance.

It was the first candle holder ever to hold a lit candle when I moved away from home. It has been with me everywhere and have been in use in every home I ever lived in.

The Winter Candles.

In Scandinavia, the lack of light in November and December means that we light multitude of candles through out our homes. It creates a cosy atmosphere and candles are an essential and a very common object in every Nordic home.

Around the holidays, it is common to place candles and a multitude of candle holders in the windows as well. Today though, in order to avoid fires, we have started to place electric candles in the windows and in the unattended rooms in our houses.
Recently I purchased two rechargeable electric candles, that look very much like the real deal. I have placed them in my bedroom window, up in the attic, next to my Christmas Cactus.
The beauty lies in their design but also in their practical use; they can be charged during the day and then left on in the evening for decoration. Furthermore they will shine all through the night, acting as a sort of a nightlight.