A little gem in Kirkland

I am happy that a new store, Unique Plus, has opened in Kirkland. They sell organic children's clothing and carry sizes from 0-12 years, shoes, and toys among other things. They have a bigger selection for kids 6 and under, but that might change depending on demand I guess.

Unique Plus also has kids events and classes. For December they have:

• Holiday Giving Program where participants will receive a $50 gift certificate from Nikki Gale Photography.
• Classes & Kids Night Out with some exciting holiday classes and parents night out.

For details of their offerings, you can visit their calendar: http://www.uniqueplusplus.com/events-workshops/

When Irene and I visited the store, we picked up a really soft and nice pajama for her.

After counting sheep each night, she has become good at counting and then sleeping:)

Renovation time for fireplace

Just in time for those cold winter months, I decided to renovate our fire place. I wanted a minimalist style that was a bit more in line with Mies Van Der Rohe's "Less is more" aphorism.

Fireplace before renovation:

Fireplace during renovation:

We now have a new fireplace. Gray and in stone. A bit to shiny finish for my liking, but I am happy. However, the gray does not really go well with the brown on the wall, so looking for a white or gray white color for the walls. A friend suggested I just paint the wall above the fireplace to minimize the work of painting the whole living room. If you have other suggestions, please let me know.

Twitter, here I come

Just want you guys to know that I have joined Twitter and I like it!

Hope to see you all there.

@Kickiluran

Naming my company

As most of you know by now, I am planning to start my own company selling Swedish food and Scandinavian design. I have been thinking a lot about names that say something about what I am selling. I would like a name that has some connection to Sweden (and perhaps me).

I think Nordic Delight is a good name, but unfortunately it is already taken.

I would be so happy if you could help me and give some good suggestions.

Thank you!

Ban gasoline powered leaf blowers!

I just want to say that I detest gasoline powered leaf blowers.

The noise they make, the pollution they let out, and the harm they do to the person holding it.

Is there anyone else out there who feels the same?

Microsoft free images

What's wrong with raking, or just letting nature take care of it?!