It's late Tuesday night in Europe and you know what that means...it's time for our weekly showcase of crafters and artisans from countries around the world. This is the European leg on this creative global blog hop - and the fun doesn't stop here! Don't miss other stops on the tour in Asia, Australia, and North America. What do we all have in common? We create! Thus the title of this global blog hop...'Creating Success Around the World'.





This week's European creative showcase:
Stylizimo

Who:  Nina at Stylizimo
Where:  Drammen, Norway (just outside of Oslo)



BVC:  When did your passion for interior design and home decor begin?
Nina:  Well, I´m not sure how old I was but I know that I loved to decorate my fiends room when I was a little girl, so I guess it´s a passion that has always been there.



BVC:  Do you have a 'day job'?
Nina:  My day job is administrating my home decoration community Stylizimo.com. It´s getting a makeover at the moment, and the new version is about to get launched. It´s going to be an inspirational website where you can find ideas from real homes.



BVC:  Have you ever sold any of your decor creations on sites like Etsy or Epla?
Nina:  No, I haven´t. I do buy stuff there though.



BVC:  Norway seems to have very active craft bloggers. Why do you think that is?
Nina:  I´m not sure, but we do love to spend a lot of our time in our home, and that means that we have more time to do creative things like crafting I guess.



BVC:  What is your 'dream' project?
Nina:  I love my new home office and my DIY chalkboard calendar. I spend a lot of time in my office, therefore it´s nice to have a room that I enjoy spending time in, and where I can be organized as well.



BVC:  Can you share 3 other Norwegian DIY or crafting blogs that you think our readers should see? 

Nina:

Mrs Hardy





Kronprinsessene






Forever Love






BVC:  Fill in the blank:   If I was in Paris, I would...
Nina:  ...relax and spend a lot of time in cosy restaurants and cafès... I would also eat a lot of Crêpes *smile*.




A genuine thanks to Nina for sharing a bit of her time with us. There is a special design aesthetic in Scandinavia, and Nina is among the best. I'm so in love with her unique style that is always on target - and never over the top.


If you'd like to catch up with past global blog hop interviews for Europe, check out:
Ina Olavarria (Spain)
Made by iSa (France)
Handmade by Kallaristi (Greece)
Annemarie's Haakblog (the Netherlands)


Now it's time for you to hop over to see who's been discovered in North America, Australia, or Asia.







Are you also in Europe and would like to be considered for an interview feature? Leave me a comment at the end of the post, or send an e-mail with your website/blog.

**Don't forget to add your own blog or website to the link party below to connect with new creative soulmates from across the world.

Until next time...
Mike

The recycled and repurposed season is bright this year!

Until next time...
Mike


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Not Just a Housewife gets big props from BVC today with her reclaimed wood shelves!

She took this free stack of fence wood in her backyard...



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OK. This post has nothing to do with holiday decor, recycling, or repurposing. But it is one of those 'palm-of-hand-knocking-against temple' kinds of clever household tips. So at the risk that every other person in the world has already figured this out, I'll share it anyway in the hopes of reaching just one person who has shared my plight against clothes that slip off hangers.

One word. Rubberband. Yes, it took me 44 years to realize that wrapping a simple rubberband around the edges of the hanger would help to hold wide-shouldered clothing on a standard hanger. Okay, maybe I didn't care the first 20 years of my life when my clothes ended up in a pile on the closet floor, but after a while it bothered me. I had my lightbulb moment in a thrift store (bless thrift stores everywhere!) who were preventing sliding clothes with rubberbands.


No need to buy fancy fabric hangers. Okay, maybe just a few very cool handmade hangers from indie creatives. And while I would LOVE to have a closet full of artsy hangers, it won't be happening anytime soon given the price. This artist may not actually intend for them to be used in the closet, but I like 'living' with art - so I would definitely try to incorporate them into daily living.


Until next time...
Mike


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As I got ready to put the kid's little surprises in the traveling carrier on the forest funky advent calendar tonight, I whipped up a couple of quick & easy gift boxes made from recycled Christmas cards. I put 20 kr in each (about $3), and put them in the traveling carrier tin can for the kids to find in the morning.



You'll not believe how ridiculously easy these were. Thanks to Noreen at make-homemade-gifts.com I had the perfect tutorial to breeze right through this little project in minutes.

Why did I still have old Christmas cards you ask? Because growing up my mom always saved her favorites and cut the pictures out as accessories on Christmas gifts the next year. Not because she was being environmentally trendy, but because as a single mom of 3 girls she had to be economically thrifty - that has always been a part of her lifestyle and I'm so glad to say that it has become a part of my lifestyle now, too. Thanks, Mom!

Until next time...
Mike


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