The Case for Christianity

I have almost finished reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. Though the book is based on a series of radio talks from 1942-44, I am astonished by its relevance in 2013. As a basic introduction to Christian faith, it covers topics that are the same for our age, like faith, hope, relationships, charity, and the nature of God.

This article in Relevant Magazine asks who will be the next great writer, the theologian for our generation. I agree that we need authors who can express principles of our belief and place them in the context of our culture, and at the same time we can cherish the work of the good old ones. In other words: read this book. And if you can write, then write!

PS. Illustration by Baylee Hart.  She has lots more great art and hand lettering on her site. None for sale yet, but you can enjoy looking at it still.

A pretty big resolution for 2013

The new year is right around the corner! 2012 has been a long year, so much has happened. Still, this is not a post about what was, but some thoughts for what is coming. 

Earlier this fall I read about some girls who made a "Shop-stop" resolution. Around the same time, there was a lot of publicity around a documentary about H&M and underpaid factory workers. Clothes, and all kinds of stuff for that matter, can be found at giveaway prices in some stores, and who pays the price for all our shopping? This has been in the back of my mind for a long while: How can I be an ethical consumer? I don´t think I am a raging shopaholic, but there is still room for some improvements. A friend of mine had a similar project  a couple of years ago, and I have wondered if I could do the same one day. 

Some reasons for this project:

- Contentment.

It is so easy to admire everyone else´s home, wardrobe and all their pretty things. Especially with so many blogs and pinterest, there are hundreds of opportunities for me to be discontent - every day! I want to learn to be more content.

- Use what I have. 

I have so much, and with everything from clothes, music and cups to hobby supplies, it is easy to forget what I actually have when I see something new and shiny. So I would like to focus on what I have, instead of all the things I could have.

- Be more conscious of my spending.

- Saving money. 

I think I will be surprised by how much I actually spend on all those little things. 

- Avoid impulse purchases. 

These usually don´t stand the test of time anyways, either because I really didn´t love that sweater I found on super-sale, or because cheap stuff just doesn´t last very long. 

- Deep cleaning.

My friend said she realized more of what she really liked, so I think I will be able to sort out a few things that mainly takes up space and gathers dust. 

- Free time.

Less things means less tidying up, which equals more time for other things :) 

Simpler living, but not so simple rules:

- I will by no new clothes, shoes, accessories, etc from 1st of January 2013 till 1st of January 2014.

- I can knit and sew/redesign clothes and buy used clothes.

- For every new thing I acquire, an old one will have to go. This rule is not just for clothes, but all new things that come through the door.

- Items that are worn out/broken can be replaced if truly necessary (socks, umbrella and other needed things).

- Gifts are exempt from the rules. 

It was easy to talk about this some weeks ago, but with only a few days left of the year, I found myself buying t-shirts on impulse without even trying them on yesterday. Wish me luck! 

PS. "Live Simply" poster and many more prints by Shelli Dorfe.

Favorite pinterest finds: Neutral and sparkly

Seems like I´m liking neutrals with a little sparkle on top these days.

Sources: 1, 2, 3 

Shine like stars

"...you will shine among them like stars in the sky 

as you hold firmly to the word of life."

Phil. 2:15-16

Amazing print from One Lantern.

Book propaganda

Rain is bad for a book, but it is definitely good for reading!
I may or may not have read the Hunger Games trilogy in eight days. Some books are hard not to devour instantly. Others take months to chew, like "Orthodoxy" by Chesterton. It is good to have a varied diet, right?

The Hunger Games series was more interesting than I thought it would be. Less about dying teenagers, even though there is plenty of violence, and more about fighting for justice. And in the battles, how do you know you are doing the right thing?

Next on the reading list is "Anna Karenina". I was having slight withdrawal symptoms after "Catching Fire" while I was in Tromsø, and picked it up at a book store. I must be a total bookworm, since I spent most of my visit in town in the book store and at the library. Not your typical tourist I guess.

PS. More propaganda here.

Picture from Library of Congress.

A perfect day for a celebration

Why do Sundays seem like the perfect day for some old school jazz? Can anyone tell me?

Today is my boyfriend´s birthday, and I made him one of his favorites: chocolate chip pancakes. I had never had them before, and was surprised by how sweet and dessert-like they were. How I could arrive to the conclusion that pancakes + chocolate wasn´t going to taste like dessert is beyond me...

Oh, and for amazing cards and stationary like the one above, check out Sugar Paper!

Here is the recipe I used for the pancakes:

PANCAKES
Serves 4

1,5 cup milk

1 egg

2 TBS melted butter

2 cups flour
2,5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

50g dark chocolate

How to:
1. Whisk the wet ingredients.
2. Mix the dry ingredients
3. Add 1 and 2
4. Fold in chocolate chips
5. Let the batter rest for a while
6. Cook
7. Eat to your hearts delight!
Serve with butter, syrup etc

Food = love

Those days when you want to eat chocolate for dinner... are probably the days you should eat vegetables. At least thats what I preach to myself after a long day at work and I feel uninspired to cook. And yes, this was one of those days!

I went to the grocery store without too much faith in my sense of self-restraint, but all the pretty fruit and vegetables at the entrance tricked me into filling my basket. And before I knew it, I had a plan. Well, half a plan anyways. When I came home I was reminded of a curry salad I had made a couple of times before, and decided to go for it. Normally I am not a dressing girl, but this one is actually good!

Here is what I ate:

Salad
Spinach
Grated carrot
Pork
Garlic
Leek

Other additions could be aragula, coriander, chicken, asparagus, bean sprouts etc

Dressing
Serves 2-3
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 TBS sour cream
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp dried basil or 2 tsp fresh basil
1 tsp scallions, minced
1/4 tsp sea salt freshly ground pepper

Instructions
Whisk everything together.
Easy.
The original recipe used mayonnaise, but I dont really like it, and dont even have any in my house. sour cream is great substitute here.

Picture from A Cup of Jo. Do you want your own Food=Love print? Get it here.

Speaking from the heart

I am listening to peoples stories this week, and these words are so true. I am getting to know people, hearing about their passions and frustrations, and also see how easy it is to encourage when you listen with your heart.

Unfortunately, I couldnt find the source for this picture. I got it on pinterest.

Source: dreamyourselfalong.tumblr.com via Ragnhild on Pinterest

hello, may

May has been beautiful this far, with lots of sunshine (but only a slight red tint on my skin), flowers, books and fresh air. 

Summer is coming, and it is exciting! 

Art from this art journal tumblr.

Have a great one

I am off to visit some friends this weekend. I hope you have fun too!

What would life be without coffee?

Those who know me know that I love coffee. A lot. 

A friend came by my apartment for the first time the other day, 

and brought this print as a house warming gift - so sweet! 

I posted about a giveaway of this print at the Lidyll blog on facebook, 

and she picked it up and ordered one for me! The artist, Jan Skacelik, has an etsy store where you can do some shopping of your own if you like the style.

PS. I chose this picture intentionally. 

What you see in the bottom left corner is not glare from my camera flash, 

but real sun rays, and I am super-excited to have them in my house again!

PPS. My giveaway is open till Monday, so it is not too late to sign up.

The Art of Deduction

Print by the Owl´s Love Nest

I think I am crushing on a detective. Today I brought the complete adventures of Sherlock Holmes back from the library (and mentally adding it to my wish list, but in the original language) and convinced some friends to watch an episode of the BBC series with a modern day Holmes and Watson. This consulting detective is highly fascinating, my first encounter with him can be read here, and my interest seems to grow, rather than diminish. And I am so glad NRK  has the show available online and for free, I am liking the state channel more and more these days. And if you like books in general, you can check out my friend Mike´s blog, for posts on novels, book covers, poetry and the like. 

The Sherlock print can be bought here on etsy. Speaking of prints, I have a stack of them ready to be framed, and can´t wait to hang them around the house! I promise to share the result when I am done.