giveaway ~ amazing photography for your holiday memories

as you might know, i'm off to my { well deserved } weekend trip to barcelona with my friends. yeah yeah! and while i'm sipping sangria and dancing flamenco until the early hours, i'm giving you something lovely too... ladies and gentlemen, it's time for liviaConcept's first giveaway ever!

so i'd love to present this amazing photographer { and a fellow blogger! } who is willing to give away two of his works! you must immediately start choosing which two are your favorites. rush to this lovely etsy shop, ready steady GO!

in order to win this prize you ...

{ 1 } be(come) my follower

{ 2 } tell me about your greatest getaway, what do you do there and why this place is so precious!

and before you start picking and dreaming, here's a word from the creative man behind the lense... i give you Tim!

~~

LC: when did you start photographing and what was your first object?

Tim: I began photography with a Kodak Brownie when I was 9. I've attached a picture of me taken by my father with the camera. My first subject was my mother.

~~

LC: how do you feel you have developed in your profession since you started?

Tim: I think I'm still developing and changing as a photographer. My work is becoming less complex and more about contrast and form.

~~

LC: ever photographed anyone famous? who or what is your absolute dream object to shoot?

Famous people, no not me. I do photograph dancers, ballet and flamenco. My dream object to photograph is a tame crow or any big black bird that will keep still.

~~

LC: what is your biggest inspiration source?

I look at art a lot. I visit exhitions whenever I can, I'm inspired by other artists.

~~

LC: now to the technical stuff... what's camera, lense and software do you use to create such amazing photoes?

My photographs rely on bokeh (blur) and grain, this is easier to achieve using film cameras. My everyday cameras are a 35mm rangefinder and a Rolleiflex. I use color slide film that I have developed and scanned. Finally, I use Photoshop to prepare the images for printing.

thank you Tim and now, my friends, start picking and writing! last date to enter is sunday 16th of august.

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

need more drama

today, more love from this genious. i have created a serious crush. please, would you be my friend paul? i make really good salmon dish and you make really nice homes.

{ paul josef hopper }

thank you all lovely friends for your sweet comments! they really make my day :)

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

fabulous swedish stylist eva lindh.

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

happy monday morning!

{ daniel farmer photography }

good day my friends! how was your weekend? are you on holidays this week? i'm very good, this week is going to be really nice... why, because i'm jetsetting off to barcelona :) so, i believe that this weeks posts will have a slight spanish touch... so, any tips for me? your favorite shops and bars in barcelona? i can send you a souvenir if you point me to a really lovely shop!

should we... have coffees here?

... or maybe go touring here?

... stay in a luxury house like this?

... and party here?

{ barcelonabible }

oh yes, we will!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

fabulous vintage pillows by Karin

today i'm loving these! karin lindström is a swedish vintage cushion designer { and fellow blogger } who i had a short chat with a while ago. i really like her designs! she makes cushions out of old lace and knitted handkerchiefs, granny's napkins and all vintage fabrics she can find. and she ships away too!!

really pretty isn't it?

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

sweet saturday in sthlm

yesterday we had a lovely sunny day here in stockholm. my friends arrived with a huge moving van since they move to stockholm today. i wasn't that much of help since i got there too late { i know, baaad!! } but i'm sure i can make it up for them by helping with the wallpapers and other interiors. the flat was beautiful allthough filled with boxes, but it's going to be very lovely home for them.

afterwards i wandered around the city camera in my hand and looked into small shops. stockholm has so many independent boutiques and i love visiting them, and ofcourse give tips about my newest findings: countrylife interiors and kungens lilla piga. i didn't however buy anything, need to save money to BARCELONA.

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

dining with style

what's your favorite diningroom?

{ decorpad }

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

boutique interiors

... and here i could shop all the day. i always wonder how come people don't put much effort on designing the stores. it's strange since we all know how long potential shoppers would stay in a lovely boutique like this. AND it doesn't have to cost a lot, thet we know too! i also love fusion stores, where people can have a cup of tea or a cookie and milk while listening to nice rhytms and trying on clothes. better even, serve some sparkling and your items WILL sell { i'm not sure about the legal issues here...}. this shop is designed by ana donohue.

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

what if this man came to me?

mr. hopper. i seriously want you to come to my home and make it look like these lovely things...

{ hopper }

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

cool hotel in london

i found this cool london hotel via maliin, a very creative decorator in sweden. thank you for sharing girl! and have a happy weekend all of you! my friends are moving here this weekend so i'm busy with carrying boxes { and hopefully decorating their new home, yeyy!! }

loving these images by emma cassi

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

subway station art in stockholm

every morning i take the subway to work, and this morning i realised that there is some lovely art at the station. so i had to take some shots with my mobile. sweet isn't it?

have a lovely day!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

lovely golds and silvers

{ decoroom }

golden and silver interiors with soft pink-blue-greens... this is very me. do you think it's ok to mix gold and silver? what colors would you definitely NOT mix together?

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

household stalking { NY }

you all know my fascination about household stalking, and i'm pretty sure i share this daily need of screening through people's living spaces with you too. i'm also a big stockholm promoter { don't worry, i will stop as soon as the cold and dark winter comes!! }, and a lot of people like stockholm apartments... but this time i'm taking you to household stalkers' tour in NY. let's dream a bit ladies and gentlemen...

{ sothebyshomes }

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

my new cushion designs!

remember ladies when i hand printed some fabrics a while ago? well, tonight after work i've been busy with sewing cushions of them, and of other ready made fabrics! i literally dusted off my sewing machine, and started designing my own cushions. this is how they look now. i'm still learning though... and should also learn a thing or two about taking lovely pictures. but, here, what do you think?

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

Jessica Rust Designs ~ loveliest tableware

it's time for another interview here on LC. my friends, you must see this lovely woman's work! jessica rust was featured as one of the inspirational women entreprenours in country living some time ago. and since inpiration she gives, and the same thing we all need, i decided to have a little chat with the lovely desiger. here you go!

where do you get your design ideas and inspiration?

JR: Design inspiration; it comes from everywhere. I love the new cartoons my children watch the detail involved blows my mind away, not at all like the ones I remember. I've started a few concepts based on some artwork I've seen in those shows. I also take a great deal from nature. I like my nature at a distance as bugs freak me out, (although I do find them visually amazing). I've found a lot of design inspiration with my walks with our dog, Adi. The whole process clears my mind and being outside is always liberating.

what are the biggest challenges in starting a company, specially in design branch?

JR: The biggest challenges for starting my company and I'm sure for anyone, is finding the money and time. Money often will afford you some time but if you aren't working full time then where is the money coming from? And if you are working full time where is the time. It is still a challenge for me, finding the money I still don't pay myself a salary. I'm hopeful that will change in the next 6 months, but who knows. These are unpredictable times. I started my business with $200 and only purchased things as I had the cash flow to buy them. I'm not comfortable with credit but I know that is the way most businesses start and there is nothing wrong it, just not OK for me.

what tips would you give to other young female entrepreneurs?

JR: My biggest advise is what you'll hear over and over again so sorry to say it, but love what you do because you'll be doing it 18 hours a day 7 days a week for a long time. If you don't love it don't do it, it isn't worth it. If you love it do it and don't let any voices stop you. Just do it.

JUST DO IT! love it. you must go and read about jessica and other brave female entreneurs featured in country living. and after you are done, please write about who inspires you here at holly's decor8 { oh camoon, tell me too!! }. i must say that i have been so inspired lately, much thanks to you all!

thank you lovely jessica!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

celebrity interiors: miss tyra's dressing room

how about miss tyra's lovely dressing / office space? i just got over to bloomacious and found what lovely julie posted about miss tyra's interiors. this is so beautiful! i'm sure you agree with me. the space is designed by interior stylist ron norsworthy. the only thing i don't like is the mat on the floor... and probably those little pompoms hanging on curtains :) but otherwise, YES room, you can be mine!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

shiny items for your home

who loves dramatic furniture and decor? i do! lobdesign is a swedish family run company that produces a lot of lovely items. look here for more!

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

start business ~ how did you do? ~

ladies. i'm so inspired again... the whole weekend was about inspiration, learning, creative talks and butt kicking { and a little wine drinking too, eating good, touring around and chillaxing }. as some of you might know, i'm planning on setting up a little side business { besides my work, my NEW job that i will start in 3 weeks, which i'm so excited about!! } my very talented friends who visited me this weekend gave me alot of tips about what-where-when-how and so on. these lovely girls are in fashion and flower industry { in london } and in graphic design { in helsinki }. i've been fixing and doing a lot of stuff lately, and will let you know my what-where-when-how's a bit later. however, i'm so excited, wagging my tail, inspired, sucking in the knowledge, contact making and ready to take another step... tell me ladies, how did you do when you were starting your businesses? pliiiz, i love those stories. and you know, if you want you can send me email too, pictures and stuff, because i'm sure you are so proud of your work, right?

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

inside is outside is inside

{ images from here }

don't you just love when insides become outsides and outsides move in? i do. these images make me wish it always could be summer { well, i never really wish anything else... besides autumn, since i love autumn clothes, boots, leather, wool, tailored suits, black, browns, grey, ivory, cashmere... oooh, but summer is great too! }

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina

stockholm city tour by me

my friends have been in stockholm this weekend { they still are, tomorrow is a museum day! } and today we have been touring around the lovely city. i love being tourist in my own city! here, some pictures... the girls shopped and i took photoes, we had a few coffee breaks, some wine breaks { vodkatonic! } and had sushi. so fantastic!

{ lovely... i mean one mad kiwi and one mad finn (x2) }

♥ Love&Decorate, Tiina