Vitamin C, in a skirt...

Back from a gorgeous week in Sweden, where - as usual - I only managed to see a fraction of all the lovely people I would have loved to catch up with. However, a few precious moments were wrapped, folded and gently placed in the mental suitcase to be brought home to the UK...

One of these very special encounters was with a new friend, a rather extraordinary blogger, creator and artist, whose personality permeates every word and every image in her blog, and whose bubbly spirit in real life - as well as in her blog - works as an energizing dose of Vitamin C...

The first image above may have given some of you a clue, as Lotten is the lambs' ear lady of all lambs' ear ladies, at least in my rather lambs'-ear-people-limited world. Her home is every bit as spectacular as it is portrayed on her blog, and Lotten herself, every bit as warm and inspiring.

Some of you who may already have read Lotten's kind words on her blog about our encounter, may perhaps find this public exchange of praise a little "much", a little too much of a "club for internal admiration". I can understand that. Perhaps to a degree, that is what "life style" and interior decorating blogging is, sort of a club for internal admiration. But perhaps that is not all bad. Most of us read blogs displaying and expressing images or words about a shared interest. Most of us find inspiration in doing so, otherwise we would not do it. Most of us leave positive comments on other people's blogs only when honesty is holding our pens and when the words are sprung from our hearts. And to me, as a contrast to so many dark news stories and negative world energy in the shape of death and destruction, this generous, positive, strengthening blog community brings some beautiful light to anyone wanting to join in. Because that is the beauty of this "club". No membership cards needed, no auditions, no restrictions.

So, having just sung the ode to the "power of love", I will return to Lotten once more here. Because, you see, she may talk about enjoying spreading cow dung around her plants, but her own rays of light and laughter are far more far-reaching than her own garden. And I, for one, am grateful for that.

Tomorrow I will show more of the things that came with me back in my physical suitcase from Sweden. Hopefully I will also be able to catch up on missed blog reading... Until then, light-filled greetings to you all!