The RL Gang

The fashion industry has been in love with videos these past seasons. This fall Ralph Lauren is presenting their fall fashion kids line with a video AND a book. I'm kind of torn in this matter. I looooove Ralph Lauren's style and these kids are just too darned cute in their little outfits. But is it really ok to sell clothes with a video apparently made for children? Do we really want our kids to be so "branded"? You know that process when a brand is put into your head as "affordable" as Old Navy, "sporty" like Nike or "classic" as Chanel. Do we really want to teach our kids that if you are a nice, wellbehaved, welldressed kid your wear Ralph Lauren??! I think in terms of values in this video is kind of cute, even though it presents a very stereotype view of gender. At the same time I think that this is really a beautiful way to present clothes. And if you buy the book 15% will go to the Ellis Marsalis Center of Music in New Orleans. Well that's nice too. Torn is the word.

Watch it here:

The RL Gang

So what do you guys think?

Another day, another castle!

I have been lost in cyberspace for a while due to a lightning strike to our modem. We are very vulnerable to lightning strikes in the rural valley where we live. And this summer has seen some of the worse thunderstorms in years. We've been able to use the internet but it has been painfully slow and updating my blog was waaaay to time consuming.

Anyway, thunderstorms aside, I had another castle I wanted to show you! You MAY have noticed I have a huge weakness for castles, mansions and anything historical. THIS is my favorite castle and we visited it again during our vacation.

I present to you, Läckö Castle. A true fairy tale castle.

This castle boasts it's own chapel.

Bye, bye vacation! Now it's back to reality.

Sweet Memories (and lots of pictures)

Hi! I'm back home again and I brought some sweet memories and photos.

Vasa, a Swedish 17th century warship. She was built by appointment of king Gustav II Adolf of Sweden. He was a protestant king waging war against the catholic king Sigismund of Poland who had claims on the swedish throne. Poland had a large fleet and Gustav II Adolf wanted to match that fleet. Vasa was supposed to have been crown jewel in that fleet. It took three years to finish the ship.  In August the 10th 1628 Vasa takes her maiden journey. The journey only lasts for about 20 minutes. A strong wind catches the ship, because of  her high center of gravity she tilts. All of the canon holes are open to show the ship's full power. When Vasa tilts water rushes in under deck. The ballast consist of round rocks that all roll with the ships movement causing her to tilt even more. Vasa goes down. Luckily almost all crew is rescued since large crowds and lots of boats have gathered along the stream of Stockholm to watch Vasa in all her splendor. Somewhere between 25 and 50 people perished. Vasa rested on the floodbed until 1961 and since 1990 resides in a museum especially built for her.

The royal castle in Stockholm, residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.

Clothes worn by members of the royal family of Sweden at the wedding of princess Margaretha (a sister of the king) in 1964.

Dress worn by princess Sibylla, mother of our king Carl XVI Gustaf, to festivites surrounding the wedding her daughter princess Desirée also in 1964.

Wedding dresses worn by swedish princesses.

The royal castle in pouring rain. That black thing in the upper right corner is my umbrella.

Luckily, the rain let up and allowed for a cloudy but dry wedding!

I wore: dress from Sister's Point, shoes Donna Girl, cardigan MQ, headband H&M, earrings Judith Ripka and an old bag that I bought about 14 years ago.