My Flag is a Doormat: Has the marketing of Old Glory gone too far?

Lexington is a Swedish Company that can't seem to go one collection with out some kind of image of the American Flag. And they are certainly not the only ones. It seems where ever I go in Sweden I see my star spangled banner. It is comforting but also strange for me to see my home country's flag on everything from Tshirts to bath towels.

I am a proud American , but I am more of the type that hangs my flag high in my backyard, instead of having one on my doormat.

I am aware that the American Flag just cannot mean the same thing to Swedes as it does to Americans. To Swedes and many people from many other nations the American Flag is just a design or part of a trend. Don't get me wrong, I love that Swedes think the American Flag is a marketable symbol. Their affinity for the flag makes me feel more accepted and at home living in Sweden. But I do find it strange that I can be talking to a Swede who has strong opinions against the way my country has handled countless items of foreign policy, wars and conflicts, all the while wearing a sweater with a huge American Flag on it. I am always confused by this contradiction but I think I just need to see the flag as a fashion statement, which is hard for me to do sometimes.

With this being said, my husband often makes fun of me because I do enjoy shopping at Lexington Company. I find myself wanting to purchase items there that I would have never taken a second look at if I were in a store in the states. Even I get wrapped up in their marking plan because I am home sick some of the time. Even though my life here is so new and exciting there are some evenings when all I want to do is sit on the sofa and watch Two and a Half Men reruns, curled up in a big awful throw blanket with the American Flag on it.

"Life Is What Happens To You While You're Busy Making Other Plans"

"Life Is What Happens to You While You're Busy Making Other Plans"

From Beautiful Boy by John Lennon

I grew up listening to John Lennon and this line was always a favorite, but I never knew what a true statement it was until I stepped outside of the hamster wheel that was my life almost a year ago. It seems that while I was frantically trying to make a life for myself that looked good to everyone else in the "big city" I could never stop long enough to realize that I was not happy.

Today I can say that even though I am not yet at a place where I am totally satisfied or have fulfilled all of the goals I want to reach in my lifetime, I am now able to enjoy my everyday life as it is now.

"The Swede Life" for me means stopping to smell the flowers instead not noticing that I trampled all over them on my way to catch the train downtown.

Have a great day everyone and please remember to allow yourself to enjoy your life as it is now. I'm telling you all this so you don't have to drop everything and move to Sweden to figure this out like I did. But if you decide to make the move anyway...let me know so I can prepare some Fika for us!

I Love This Guy!!!!!!

Here in Sweden there is a reality show called Allt för Sverige (you can find episodes on you tube) where Americans with Swedish ancestry come to Sweden and try to learn about the country and culture. I love the show, but I especially love Season One contestant Guy Clark. Guy is good spirted and fun and I just love that he is doing these tv commercials for Swedish Department Store Ahlens.

Guy gives me hope that an outgoing, home decor loving American has a place in Swedish culture.

Tusan tack for allt Guy(a thousand thanks for everything,Guy)!!! Hope to see more of you soon!

All Trails Lead to The Forgotten Kingdom

After I finally managed to get out of bed yesterday we went for a long run and I could not help but take a few more photos because it was so breathtaking. It seems that no matter how many days in a row I do this run I always find something different to look at every time.

It seems with the changing of seasons, variety of trails to take and everyday variations in weather, I never get the same experience twice. Because I do take different trails (some through really deep parts of the forest) I keep thinking someday I will get lost. When I'm with Peete our run feels like an everyday expedition into a forgotten kingdom of sorts. It seems like he is just as curious as I am about what is behind every stonewall and on the other side of each and every leaf covered hillside.

Any Given Sunday

It does not happen every Sunday but any given Sunday I reserve the right to stay in bed all day if I feel like it. These photos were taken at about two o'clock in the afternoon. I figured after my second meal of the day in bed I should get up, greet the world, and give the dog a walk.

Even though I did not leave my bed until the late afternoon I would not say that nothing was accomplished. I read through the local newspaper, which is in Swedish so it took me awhile. I flipped through Swedish and Danish Home Decor magazines from various months past. I took up the entire bed with my favorite books and sketch pad. Really, I think my biggest accomplishment was having the longest Fika of any American to date. I continuously enjoyed strong coffee and Vanilla Buns through the first half of the day.

As American as Apple Pie

When I was a kid I used to go to my Godparent's house for a least a week every summer. They lived in a small town in Central California where there was not much to do so many of my summers there were spent watching my God Sister Lisa make the most amazing pies .She is one of those people that has an unexplainable ease about her in the kitchen. She was such a natural at such a young age. I clearly remember my sister and I would just sit in their little 1930's yellow and black tiled kitchen and watch her in complete awe. When I make pies I always have a good feeling because it reminds me of those simple times.

I am posting my best attempt at replication of Lisa's Apple Pie. It has been said that there is nothing more American than Apple Pie, but something tells me (after living in Europe for awhile) its origins derive from someplace else.

The apples for this pie came from a neighbor's apple tree, so I guess my American Apple Pie is actually part Swedish. I decided to challenge myself and braid the edge of the pie crust. There is a great article on how to do this at Martha Stewart .com. After I completed the rim this pie really made me think of Lisa because of the long, thick French braid she always wore as a kid. Even though I am across the world from many of my loved ones I try to keep their memory close to me. I make them part of my life even though I am in this kitchen all alone.