International Giveaway: "Sanselig Sommer" by Franciska Munck-Johansen

They are not long, the days of wine and roses:

      Out of a misty dream

Our path emerges for a while, then closes

              Within a dream.

-Ernest Dowson, from ‘They are not long / The weeping and the laughter’

Summer comes and goes so quickly.  Don’t you wish you could capture it?  Well, if you win---or purchase---a copy of Sanselig Sommer (Summer for the Senses) by Franciska Munck-Johansen you’ll have access to summer any time of year.  This colorful hardcover book is like Victoria in the 1980s crossed with Jeanne d’Arc Living, and features the homes and gardens of prominent Scandinavian bloggers.  You’ll love the large pictures of darling children, beaches, bunnies, decorating ideas, and gardening tips.  The pictures take precedent over the text---no knowledge of Norwegian is necessary. 

Highlights include the cottage gardens of Helen (helensdagbok.blogspot.com), my friend Jorunn’s sunporch (villaklaraberg.blogspot.com), and the work of Petra Eriksson and Ingela Broling (romantiskahem.blogspot.com, inspirationivitt.blogspot.com (Lev Vackert's authors).  A bonus visit to Green Gables---I mean---the seaside Prince Edward Island home of Carolyn Aiken (warrengrovegarden.blogspot.com) is featured.  Finally, her entrancing photos are in print.  There’s even a spread of a streamside cottage by this lady I know pretty well, too. 

The experience of this book is as sweet as its many dessert recipes. 

Linger in it as long as a Nordic midsummer night shines.

My very special thanks to the dear, the talented, the indefatigable, the lovely Franciska Munck-Johansen for asking me to be in her breathtaking book.  Enjoy more of stylist/photographer/author at Franciska’s Vakre Verden (Beautiful World).

The contest is open to all, and international entries are welcome!  

To enter, leave a comment.  

If you don’t have a blog, leave your email address like this so spammers don’t latch on to it: zuzudotfosteratgmaildotcom.

Posting the above button on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter scores extra entries.  Be sure to leave a post for each so the random number generator counts your effort.  Giveaway ends at midnight 30 June.

A preview of Sanselig Sommer (A Summer for the Senses):

Until next time, stay shabby!

Sharing with
Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer

Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

How I Spent My Spring Workcation

My puppy Zuzu on our hillside apple orchard!

Another weed tree bites the dust.

One person's weed is another person's wildflower:

Alliaria seed gathered from roadsides last year

is a drift of white lace for this spring's

Dame's Rocket 'runway strut'. 

Scored an industrial stool ($25), and $5 for these daybed ‘ends’ with killer

patina at the Memorial Day yard sale at Maple Shade Farm in Delhi. 

So what if I have to build the rest of it? 

I see white linen and nailheads in my future.

How was my spring workcation?  Too short, of course!  The garden shed My King and I intended to build was all finished on Wednesday.  We guiltlessly relaxed with fun time and a date at our favorite haunt The Crossroads Café on Friday night when they have live acoustic music. We felled logs enough for next winter.  We’ll split and stack them between vegetable garden chores all summer long. 

After nearly a week at home, I entered that sweet state of grace -- suspended from ties to the real world and responsibilities for so long you begin to believe it.  I shopped, money seeming coming from a magic plastic card for I could remember no job; I enjoyed movies with My King and we went to bed late and slept in without consequence; I played with my dogs instead of weedwhacking; I shook myself ‘back’ after minutes in the bewitching spell of my half-wild garden and it didn’t matter.  Heaven.

As adults, we long for the unfettered feeling of summer so much we sometimes go to great lengths to feel like a kid again.  I built my streamside studio to recapture this!  Whether you vicariously relive your childhood by giving your children a fun summer every day, or if you’re at work or school for so many hours summer comes and goes without you noticing, I hope you have at least one magic summer moment this year.

Photo: Hanna Kristindottir/Charming Recycling

This leads me to a great summer lifestyle book I'm sharing with you: “Sanselig Sommer” (A Summer for All the Senses) by Franciska Munck-Johansen.  I’m giving a copy away next post – stay tuned! 

Photo: Maria Carr

                                                       

Last but not least: Maria over at Dreamy Whites is hosting her first giveaway at her delectable online shop:  a generous $250 gift certificate!  Pick from antique French linens, wire baskets, zinc pitchers, vintage documents, grain sacks, lavender products, Catholica...everything you could hope to accessorize your home in the shabby French country style.

Until next time, stay shabby!

Sharing with:

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer