Jungfrau – Top of Europe

If you are in Switzerland and really want to see snow (I’ve only seen it thrice in my life, so am ever so excited!!)… Jungfrau is the place to go!! It is the highest peak in Europe and has snow & ice guaranteed all year long.



An amazing 3454 metres, this is the highest altitude in Europe!! An ofcouse the railway station here, is obviously the highest in Europe as well! Yes!! There is a railway station at this peak!!



Can you spot the train in this picture?



A few attractions on the Jungfrau are -

=> Ice Palace

=> Ice Gateway

=> Sphinx observation terrace

=> Plateau with hikes in the eternal snow

=> "Top of Europe" Glacier Restaurant

=> High Alpine Research Exhibition

=> ski & snowboard park, husky-drawn sledge rides, adventure attractions: e.g. Tyrolienne, snow disk etc.

The route to the peak is truly remarkable and definitely unforgettable.

The route - Interlaken Ost - Lauterbrunnen - Kleine Scheidegg – Jungfraujoch - Grindelwald - Interlaken Ost.

This unique round-trip by modern cogwheel railway takes you first to Kleine Scheidegg, at the foot of the notorious Eiger North Wall. From here the Jungfrau Railway starts its climb to the station at Eigergletscher, well known for its mountain restaurant and polar dog kennels. So stop a few minutes and don’t forget to have some coffee, tea or hot chocolate. The trip then continues through the Eiger tunnel to the stations at Eigerwand and Eismeer, with a five minute halt at each. Enjoy spectacular sightseeing through large observation windows cut from solid Alpine rock.

I don’t even have to say that the roof of Europe, offers superb views extended as far as the mountains in France and the Black Forest in Germany. When you are here just enjoy the Sphinx observation terrace & hall, the impeccable Ice Palace. Don’t forget to have a walk around the Jungfrau….

And then enjoy some hot chocolate on the mountain top!!

Winners! (And computers hate me.)

Please, someone PLEASE hold me back from throwing the computer in a lake. I’ve fought with one computer all week and now I’m on our archaic one and it’s power cord is jacked so it shuts down randomly while I type.
…like just now.
Technology hates me.
Anyway, I hope you’ll understand the reason for this brief post tonight, and I hope to be back shortly (maybe even this weekend if I can get one

Add Eggs or Chicken

For years my holiday decorating consisted of hauling out totes, clearing off most surfaces, and replacing the everyday decor with entire holiday vignettes. Now I find that I like things better when I just add holiday items into the everyday vignettes.
This year our home became more "Easter-y" by the simple addition of eggs or chickens.
The family room mantle before:And after:The entry table before:Now supplemented with a couple of chickens and more flowers:The living room end tables accessorized with elements of Easter:A few dozen eggs placed here and there:

Design Dilemma: Space Above the Sofa

 

You all—I loved reading your comments yesterday about how you do laundry.  Some great advice that I plan on putting together in a follow up post soon.  I’m impressed by how many of you have “systems” in place.  I need to get with the program.

 

So, onto the topic of the day. . . I get lots of emails asking for design advice and unfortunately, I just can’t answer all of them.  I would like to, but I have laundry to do, you know! :)  Although I don’t have the time to specifically source items for people, I would at least like to post about some of the same design dilemmas I see over and over again and to hopefully offer up some general advice. 

 

 

A reader recently sent me pictures of this apartment that’s she’s renting and the vast space above her sofa that’s calling for art. . . or something grand.

 

 

Big walls are scary things to tackle.  One of the biggest mistakes I see is hanging something that’s too small and actually makes the wall look more awkward.  If you have one of these huge “above the sofa” walls, here are some possible options:

 

 

Think about a new room layout first.

 

 House & Home

 

I’m not always the biggest fan of placing a sofa against a wall anyway, but sometimes there’s no other choice.  Before you start hanging things on the wall, think about all of your furniture arrangement options.  Could you put the sofa in the middle of the room and create a vignette (a small chest and pretty mirror with some lamps, for example) on that big wall instead?   When thinking about your layout, remember that furniture can be pulled in closer than you think for a cozy feel, and it’s okay to put a sofa in front of a  window, or even a sliding glass door if you have the walk-through space.

 

 

When it comes to art, think big!

 

 the living room in our last house

 

In our last house, I used this abstract painting (a Craigslist find) to fill the wall behind the sofa, almost up to the ceiling.  It made the ceilings look taller and became the centerpiece of the room.  A similar look could be achieved by buying big canvases at a craft store and using some acrylic paints to bring out the colors of your room.  (Btw, it’s okay to leave a lot of white space on the canvas and if you want a more muted look, spray with water to dilute colors as you paint, letting each coat dry before you go onto the next color.)  Or, if you’re not feeling artistic, cover the canvases in a pretty fabric.

 

Apartment Therapy

 

On a side note, I also like the look of wall lamps flanking art.  They also help to fill visual space are provide great task lighting.  It also allows you to forego bulky side tables if you don’t really need them.

 

 

Create a gallery wall for a big impact.

 

Angella Eisman Design

 

You know I’m a fan of big collections on the wall.  It always makes a big impact visually and can be accomplished even on a small budget, if you’re creative.  I love the look of mismatched art and frames, but if you don’t have a huge collection of art or are scared of finding the right arrangement, a nice symmetrical collection, using the same frames and prints from the same book of art, works as well. 

 

 house tour via Little Green Notebook

 

 

Lean art behind the sofa.

 

DwellStudio

 

This is a great trick if you have an extra foot or so of space.  Pull your sofa out from the wall, and place a piece of furniture behind it.  Lean a large piece of art and add accessories and even lamps.  This gives some nice depth to the room (and if you’re a renter, you’re not committed to nail holes in your wall).

 

 

Open the room up with a floor mirror.

 

 

 Toronto Interior Design Group

 

Leaning a large mirror behind your sofa is like adding another doorway into another (imaginary) room—and much cheaper than a renovation!  It completely opens up the space, and there’s still room for art on both sides. 

 

Any other good advice?  Or, if you have an example of how you’ve tackled a similar wall, I’d love for you to upload a photo (and a link if you have one) to my Facebook page. 

 

One of a Kind Spring Show 2012

The One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale kicked off yesterday. I attended the Media breakfast in the morning and was in heaven as it was provided by Cruda Cafe which specializes in raw/fresh food that is vegan and wheat and gluten-free.

(I finally installed the Instagram app on my ipad and iphone and snapped this photo of my breakfast .)

I love discovering artisans that are new to the show and these are a few of my picks.

1. Coeur de Lion Textiles:  beautiful, hand-dyed and printed fabrics including throws, pillow covers and scarves.
2. Wabi-Sabi Pottery:  It was the shade of green that made me stop and notice these handmade stoneware jars. I so wanted to purchase one!
3.  Heyday Design: I think Claire will be the hit of the show with her “modern porcelain with a vintage beat.”
4. Images of This and That: Photographic images that fit in an Ikea frame – no custom framing required so it’s easy to start your  gallery wall!

My friend Christine will be on the main stage on Sunday at 1:00 pm talking about “The Curated One of a Kind Home.”  She will be sharing her top decor picks from the show and how to incorporate them in your home.

The show is on now until Sunday, April 1 at 6 p.m.  Are you planning on attending?  You can read my past posts here.

How Do You Do LAUNDRY?

 

I’m hoping we can have a little meeting of the minds today.  With the arrival of the twins quickly approaching, I’m feeling the need to bring some organization into our house—fast.  One area that could use some improvement is our laundry situation.  This is how thrilled I currently feel about the whole process:

 

image source

 

 

It’s tedious, spanning over several days and by the time I’m finished, it’s time to start again. 

 

free printable here

 

 

I confess I’m not a laundry sorter.  I don’t sort by color, I don’t sort by kid.  It’s all thrown together, which makes the folding process a chore in itself.  Little white socks are my worst enemy.  With five kids, I’m wondering if each one should have his/her own basket, and then I wash just that kid’s clothes when individual basket is full. . .

 

 

The Container Store

 

 

I also don’t have a designated laundry day.  It’s more like survival mode.  When you’re out of underwear, momma washes your underwear.  (Although I’m looking for good advice, please tell me I’m not alone!)

 

Ken Gemes Interiors

 

 

I’m lucky to have good storage in our laundry room, but I’m definitely not taking advantage of it.  Reorganizing those cabinets is also on the “to-do” list.

 

 

Better Homes & Gardens

 

Alright, those are my laundry confessions.  Feel free to share yours, or any great tips you have for becoming a more efficient “laundress.”  I would be especially interested to hear from those of you with multiple children if you’ve got this all figured out. . .

 

Easter jars

Its always nice to receive a little gift with your name on it... 

Since Easter is around the corner, here is a small personalised gift for my little girlies... and their friends... 

All you need is :

1. Chart paper

2. Scissors to cut

3. Glue

4. Jars or bottles (I've used baby food bottles here)

Draw little bunny heads like these ...

Fold the base (see below), so the bunny can stand!! Glue together the bunny's head...

Stick these on the lid of the jars or bottles...

Isn't that cute?? Now draw little hands holding a name (see below)...

Cut these... and stick only the top of the hands... to the lids... Do not stick the name on the glass...



This will enable the jars to be opened without tearing or breaking the hands.

Now fill the jar with Easter eggs, sugar coated almonds or jelly beans.... PERFECT!! Isn't it??



Have you linked in to 'Kids Craft'...

It's a spray paint party!

Hey hey! We’ve been dealing with a blue screen of death around here tonight –
but Hubs saved the day. :) And then Live Writer decided to hate me...so this post looks a little different because I'm publishing in Blogger. Because I’m getting this up later than I had
hoped, this will be a quick post, so you all can get to linkin’!
I'm just glad to have it GO UP. 

Today’s party is the last in the

Layering on Spring

My front porch spring decorations consist of many layers.The wreath on the door is actually two wreaths layered on top of one another then hung onto a scrap of beadboard. There is even a small nest snuggled inside.The pot of faux flowers (it's still too cold for the real thing) is layered onto a silver tray laid a top a cute thrifted metal chair.The layers continue with a faux bush in an urn, complete with another little nest at the roots.The bush stands behind the egg tree (faux of course!) that has been plopped into a pretty distressed white urn.Then the porch is finished with spring green lanterns that have nests with eggs layered inside.

That's how I
layer in a little Spring time!
This post is linked to: