Happy Christmas And A Present For You

It took me more than a while to get into the Holiday spirit this year. It usually takes a little time for me to fall into that frame of mind — with family being miles away from us the excitement for celebrating fades very quickly in this house, although, we always seem to manage have a decent time.

This year, we’re enjoying a gift-free Christmas. We’re also not hosting a party this year and instead we will play the roll of guests. We’ve never had a Holiday with no presents and I’m hoping this experiment allows us to hug each other tighter and to focus all our energies into loving one another rather than having to divide our emotions with the expectations of material things.

I won’t lie… I’ve thoroughly enjoyed not feeling the rush to buy presents or the worry that someone would over-spend on a present for me. It’s been lovely to stay at home instead of pushing my way through crowded markets and malls but what I've loved the most is channeling that time into one very important thing: The science behind the perfect Chocolate Cloud Cake — which will be my contribution to the party, so... wish me luck.

Having said that this will be a gift-free Holiday for us, it doesn’t mean that I will miss the opportunity to thank you* with a gift this Holiday. Each one of you who comes to my blog, leaves a comment, emails me, follows me on social media or that simply lurks around deserves a big virtual hug and an extra one for all your light and the good energy you send our way on the daily.

Get a 25% discount on non-promotional themes using the code: HOLIDAY25 and the same discount on my book 30 Days To Minimal Blogging using the code: CHANGE at check out. A lot of people have been telling me they are saving the book for this break so they can read it intently and silently. I hope you get to do that as well.

The biggest gift for me would be that you read my book and send through a review so I can feature you on my book’s landing page. I want to know how the book is changing your vision, how it’s helping you but most importantly how much meaning is adding to your life and blog.

Enjoy a wonderful, meaningful and love-filled Christmas break with your loved ones.
Hugs,
Ana

Photography: The beautiful and talented Anna Kubel with thanks.

Happy Christmas And A Present For You

Birthday Thoughts

It’s my birthday today and I cannot help but to go into full introspection mode and think about how the last year for me has been. If you follow me, you know how terrible it was at times... but for the gift of resilience and for the constant love I’ve gotten from my little one all year long, I’m profoundly grateful.

Clearly, nobody wants to go through loss and hardship the way I did this year - but deep in my heart I know and understand how momentary everything is. So much so that the only way to have no regrets is to learn to embrace people wholeheartedly. To love our families, to make material things secondary, to hug people tight... and to be kinder to ourselves.

I have 2 birthday wishes: one is cake and... the other one is to be able to pass on some of my happiness and feeling of being celebrated and loved today.

There's a code for you ready to be used. Use the code CAKE at checkout to get my book, 30 Days To Minimal Blogging at 25% off today.

Photography: Sara Medina Lind and Passenger with thanks.

Birthday Thoughts

Collection: Stillness

I’ve been wracking my brain trying to put my thoughts into words and have you somehow know what’s been going on in my life for the past year and more importantly the past week.

I had decided to come back to blogging as soon as I was ready but I realized just a few minutes ago that most of you have been with me for a long time, through thick and thin and have celebrated with me my achievements and happy moments - so I couldn’t just sweep this one under the rug and pretend it didn’t happen.

For over a year my dad suffered from cancer, I won’t tell you all the details but as you could imagine, there’s a reason why people refer to it as a “battle”. Being a continent away from home and not being able to be close to him when he was undergoing surgeries, treatment, memory loss and a million other things, was the biggest, most anxiety-inducing roller coaster I’ve been on in my life. Every call, every message, every email caused a panic attack and it continued to be like that for a year.

Earlier this year the treatments and surgeries took their toll on my father and they discovered that after a long period of chemo, he still had cancer and was sent back home to spend his last days with his loved ones. In a matter of minutes I got the news that he was suffering from pneumonia and then it sunk in that he was going to pass away before I could even try to be there with him.

He passed away on Sunday evening. I felt a mix of relief that he wasn’t going to suffer the way he had and a deep pain that my father wasn’t going to be with us any longer, that he wasn’t going to enjoy the company of his wife, children and grandchildren that he loved so much. Weirdly enough, I wanted him to be able to comfort us. I needed my father as he was passing away.

I realized on Monday that we’d gone through so much and I had been trying to push myself above and beyond my limits, blogging on days when I felt torn inside, obsessing over the quality of work I do for my sponsors, writing a book while feeling physically out of breath from all the emotions running through my body and fighting so hard so that my business didn’t go up in flames while my life felt exactly like that.

Clearly, I understand I’m not the only person who has gone through this and the only person who will ever go through it, but as I write these words, they feel unreal to me - that I won’t see him again and at the same time, liberating. I hope you understand why I’d battle between telling you and keeping this to myself.

The fact that you know I’m not a slacker, that I do love what I do, that I do want to continue... and I want to launch that book... and the urge to continue designing beautiful blogs is still alive in me. I needed a moment of stillness, a time of silence I haven't had in a long time. I cannot in any way say I'm "recharged" but there's more calmness withing me.

I want to be able to get through this and make my father proud. I’m sure this black cloud will lift one day but in the meantime, I thank all of you for being kind and understanding, for still giving me the chance to work with you and for your kind and healing words and prayers.

Photography: Kristofer Johnsson

Collection: Stillness

How Not To Kill Plants

The older I get the more I feel like I'm failing at life by killing everything green that comes into my home. I've mastered killing indoor plants in such way that succulents have passed away in my living room. I'm actually a big fan of green so I decided it was time to tackle that horrible habit of buying plants and tossing them in the trash a few days later and learn how not to kill them. I recently bought 4 new plants for my apartment and did a bit of research. This article I found via Apartment Therapy helped me the most. It's simple, to the point and makes all the sense in the world. My hope is that in a few months my home would be a cozy retreat, like shown in the images above taken my Mikkel Mostensen for Elle DK and not plant-slaughter house that is right now.

Photography: Mikkel Mortensen
Styling: Amanda Smith

How Not To Kill Plants

For Hair Consideration

It's been more than a while since I've taken the time to simply rant about here on the blog, but as I daily battle the state of the heat and the mess that is my hair I keep considering chopping my locks and the haircut above looks like would do the trick. Only thing is, whenever I go about cutting my hair I start missing it 48-72 hours after it's done. Do you feel the same?

Hair

Post Christmas

How's the most wonderful time of the year treating you? After months of work, deadlines and traveling I finally got to wind-down and indulge in laziness, the sea and good food yesterday e.g. This redcurrant breakfast bowl. As the new year approaches I cannot help but feel excited and grateful for what the last 360 days have been, as usual we've launched a Theme Sale on Christmas eve that will end on January 1st while we work on a new and special collection that our European clients have been requesting to see. I've also partnered with some amazing Artists and Designers recently and their websites are starting to launch. I couldn't be happier for your trust, your wonderful and constant emails and all your views. You've kept me inspired this year and for that I wish I could give you a real hug. Here's to a good Holiday time.

Post Christmas

Taking A Breathing Break

I don't know if you'd agree but life on my side of the woods is a constant up and down these days...so I've decided to not fight it and just go with the flow. To be very honest, this is harder for me than just keeping on going but after years and years of doing this I know better (sort of) and if I don't stop now, life and exhaustion will force me to.

Taking A Breathing Break

Personal: Now and Then

Last week the beautiful Helena of Helena La Petite asked me to participate in this fun meme called "Now and Then". If you follow me on Instagram you'll know I'm obsessed tags lately and even though I don't have the time to participate in all of them I love when you ask me to join because it gives me the opportunity to get to know you better. Here's where I embarrass myself publicly:

Now and Then

Hair

Confession:
When it comes to Q+A's I constantly fail to publicly reply to some questions that are too personal or that I believe other people might not want to know about as much. Somehow something clicked in me this weekend as I read through the latest questions and ended up laughing myself silly reading things like, "Do you think you'd survive a zombie apocalypse?" "Milli Vanilli or New Kids On The Block" and "How do I stop my kid from posting scripts of my rants on her blog?" (Replies via Twitter soon). I realized many of you feel comfortable and have a killer sense of humor that I adore.

Hair