Bright young things

As a 'plus-size' Australian woman in my late 30s, it might seem a little weird to have a bit of a style crush on a twenty-something from Sweden ....
Am I too old to be inspired by this kind of look?? I don't know. Probably. But when I get past the cutesy posing, Elsa's blog makes me smile.

I usually don't like blogs filled with 'what I wore today' shots, in which young women point their toes inward, trying to look wide-eyed and wistful and moody. They often seem to drip with narcissism and suggest to me a vacuous, self-centred existence. Elsa is also clearly aware that she's pretty and photogenic, but there's something about her blog that conveys an endearing exuberance and confidence, which makes it less irritating to read. Her outfits are unconventional and I love the photos she takes of her neighbourhood, friends and culinary adventures ..... oh, that Northern European light!

People in glass houses ....

While the impracticalities of glass houses (as homes) are quite apparent, particularly for people familiar with the extreme heat of a Melbourne summer, my heart still skips at the idea of building such a home in a glorious wild and natural setting. It could be in a deciduous forest somewhere, near a river, overlooking a prairie, in the mountains, or near the sea perhaps ....

Phillip Johnson's acclaimed glass house and Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House are two beauties that continue to inspire, although I wouldn't choose to surround my glass home with manicured lawns and gravel paths...

I rather prefer the forest setting of this Swedish tree hotel complex, and particularly the stunning glass Mirrorcube unit* 

* (found via Jo)

Santambrogio's concept house certainly fires the imagination - glass walls, floors and furniture would challenge the senses and any desire for privacy.

Would you like a glass house?

Scandinavian dreaming

Sorry, none of my own pics today but a couple of links to some lovely blogs:
Posidriv from Norway (accompanied by outrageously beautiful photos on Flickr), Emma's Design Blog from Sweden, Astrid's photoblog from Norway, and Liivian Talossa from Finland ....







Ach! Wanderlust!