Sunday Funday

Today I'm baking - and eating - cupcakes . . .

. . . happy first-day-of-winter-time to all of you ♡

Homemade toothpaste - the healthy way of taking care of your teeth

Hello all - how's it hanging?

Today I have a great post for you!
I'm gonna tell you how to make your own toothpaste using just 2 (if you want, 3) ingredients.
As many of you know I love anything homemade which also takes care of our environment. So when I found this recipe for homemade toothpaste I was instantaneously curious.
For the last two weeks I've been trying a method called "Coconut Oil Pulling" - this means that every night after you've brushed your teeth, you take a spoonful of coconut oil in your mouth and swish it around for 15 to 20 minutes. After a week I saw improvements; my teeth were already whiter and felt a lot cleaner. However, 15 minutes is a long time, and many nights I forgot and had to stay up an extra 15 minutes to do it - which meant loosing 15 precious minutes of sleep.
That was when I found this recipe for homemade coconut oil toothpaste - it works just as great and doesn't take quite as long.

First of all, let me tell you a little about store-bought toothpaste:
Store-bought toothpaste - although advertised as the best product to keep your mouth hygiene up to speed - is not the best way to take care of your precious choppers.
In fact, store-bought toothpaste contains Sodium Fluoride which has a negative effect on your bones and teeth and furthermore, in store-bought toothpastes, you'll also get Glycerin. Glycerin coats your teeth in such a way that they don't obtain the nutrients they need - in fact, one single coating of Glycerine will take 30 brushings to remove.
Scared? I was!

So I tried this simple recipe for making my own healthy toothpaste.
All you need are these 3 ingredients:

1. Coconut oil (( can be bought in most grocery stores or health stores ))
2. Sodium Bicarbonate (( can be bought in every grocery store next to the baking supplies ))
3. (( OPTIONAL )) Minty oil (( can be bought a health stores or the pharmacy ))

All you do is pour 4-5 tablespoons of coconut oil in a glass jar container, add 6-7 teaspoons of the Sodium Bicarbonate and then 30-40 drops of the minty oil. Mix it all together and voilá - you're done!

The minty oil is optional, but it does add a nice flavour to the mix. However, I don't use it - as I forgot to buy it - and the mix does not at all taste bad. 

After a week or two you will notice your teeth are getting whiter and your mouth feels cleaner, that you don't need to go to the dentist as much and that your cavities (( if you have any )) don't hurt as bad. This is just a huge bonus - there's nothing to fear; just enjoy it!

Have fun and remember to show off that dazzling smile! 

Side note: 

Tomorrow's my birthday 

and I have a fun and different kind of post for you then 

- so remember to check back tomorrow :)

100 HAPPY DAYS!

Hiya, interwebs friends!
My favourite blog is "A Beautiful Mess" hosted by Elsie and Emma.
I read it many times a week, and actually more often than I read (( or look at pictures at )) any other blog.
Just a minute ago, I scrolled through the latest posts on ABM, and I stumbled upon this fantastically amazing concept...

... It's called 100 Happy Days! The question behind the concept is:

Ever since I stopped drinking (( almost )) 3 years ago, I've been tremendously happy with myself and my life.
However, lately life has been stressful; my grandfather is in hospital, I have final exams in just a few months and the constant stressful situation of "will I//won't I get in to University?"
So yes, life has been a little rough lately, but I mostly manage to keep my spirits up
- I have amazing friends who carry me through when I need it, and for that I am very grateful.

What I'm trying to say is, that even though life is a mix of up's and down's,
I (( thankfully and luckily )) still have a very happy life.
HOWEVER I - like so many others - I forget to be thankful for what I have, and I forget that I actually AM happy!
That's why I think 100 Happy Days is an amazing concept.
Everything you need to know about the "challenge" is right here,
but basically the concept is you documenting your happiness for a hundred days.

You might ask yourself:

Well, if that doesn't win you over, I don't know what will (( haha )).
If you think about it, it's a very simple challenge. I plan on starting this Friday - the 28th - where I can celebrate 3 years sober.
I thought that would be a good starting point.
I must say I'm looking forward to it, although I think it's going to be quite the challenge to snap an Instagram pic every day.
BUT: You'll never know if you never try.

So here's to happiness!
Remember to tag your status update, picture or tweet with the hashtag:

STAY HAPPY // STAY POSITIVE // STAY PEACEFUL 

Table for three (and a half)

Hi all - long time, no see!
Sorry I've been gone a while; I've been busy living life and experiencing all it's little ups and downs.
However now I'm back, and I thought I'd show you some new snaps from Apartment 107.

Last weekend I bought a new chair for my dining table.
Before I used it as my working space, but I got a little tired of that. In stead I "switched it back" to a dining area,
and therefore I wanted a new chair for it. Luckily it was on sale, so I got it cheap - the bitch was getting it home on my bike, haha.
However, now it's here and it's lovely - by the way, it's the white one.

Anyway, this was a quick post, but I hope the pictures makes up for it.
I'll try to do better with the whole blogging thing, but there's just so much to do these days.
However, hope I'll see you again soon.

Ciao for now ♡

A yummy yummy DIY: Home made coffee syrup

Hello rainy Tuesday!

Over the last couple of weeks, I've gotten into the habit of visiting this charming little coffee house we have here in town.
It's called Kaffekilden, and it's basically Roskilde's equivalent to the TV show "Friends'" Central Perk.
It's filled with old furniture, cozy nooks and delicious cups of coffee.
It's beginning to be an expensive habit of mine, but I'm hooked now
- there's nothing like getting a quick cuppa joe and a ciggy with friends after class.

Well anyway, since this new "tradition" started, I also developed the habit of using syrup in my coffee.
I'm pretty hooked on it by now, and since I also drink several cups of coffee at home, I thought:
Why not make the coffee syrup myself?
It's a fun little project, and you can make it with any flavour you want.
I am a huge cinnamon fan, so of course that's what I used in mine. However, you can choose yourself
- why not try vanilla or caramel?

Here's a little picture tutorial on how to make your own coffee syrup
- it's amazingly tasty and delicious, and as a plus, it is a cheap way of adding a little luxury to your coffee routine ♡

Keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months  

Plant Pot DIY - Easy and oh-so-cute

Hello Sunny Sunday, hello all of you!

It's been a busy couple of days since last we crossed paths, but even a meteor hitting me in the head
couldn't keep me away from this lovely playground that is f&f.
And speaking of playground, I have a fun DIY for you today.
It's super easy and super cute, and you don't need more than an old clay plant pot and some nail polish
(in the colour of your preference) - shall we? I think we shall!

Being a big plant and flowers kinda gal, I always have at least 10 plants around the house.
Actually, doing a quick scan of my apartment right now, I can spot 30 plants in a variety of shapes and sizes. Ah how I love it!
But anyway, there's no denying that the plastic pots the plants come in are not the prettiest of things.
I am personally a big fan of clay pots for my plants, and as a plus, those are the only ones that the plants actually thrive in.
But after a while, they do get a little boring to look at. About a year ago I showed you this plant pots with lace DIY, and today
I thought I'd show you how to paint cute faces on them.
Of course, you don't have to paint faces - you can paint whatever you want, and in any colour you want.
I thought white paint would go best with my pots, so I used an old nail polish and carefully painted a cute little face on it.

There - wasn't that just the simplest of DIY's? Yes, that's what I thought you'd say.
Now go and be creative, and have the loveliest of Sundays ♡

DIY: How to paint IKEA's Frosta stool in any colour

Hello to you all on such a fine and sunny Sunday - how are you all doing? Had a great weekend?

Today I thought that I would show you how to paint the Frosta stool, which you can buy at IKEA for almost no money!
I don't know how it is around the world, but take a look in any teenagers room or the apartment of a young adult in Denmark,
and you're sure to find this exact stool. As said before, it's really cheap, really sturdy and can be used as an extra seat or a side table. There are tons of IKEA Hacks on the net on how to turn the Frosta into - well, pretty much anything! I've seen it as a sleigh, a TV table, a hat rack, a play bike and so on. If you're looking be a little creative, then just Google "IKEA Hack Frosta"...

... However, that craving for being creative can also be fulfilled right here!
There's no denying that the Frosta stool is practical, but not the prettiest of furniture - colour wise.
But as always: A little creativity, patience and imagination can go a long way.
So if you want the Frosta to match your other furniture, then all you have to do is paint it.
For inspiration, try to Google "IKEA Frosta paint" or come up with your own funny and creative idea.

NOW I KNOW that practically everyone says that you have to sandpaper it first, and that is true with bigger (and possibly more valuable) furniture. But I find that since this stool is so cheap, you don't have to go all out with the pre-painting part. Besides, if you just plan on using the Frosta as a small side table, this is the DIY for you. However, if you plan on using it as an everyday stool, then consider sandpapering, painting and varnishing it. It's a bigger project, but the paint will hold longer and it won't be as prone to dents and scratches.

Here we go

- I did not sandpaper my Frosta. 

- In stead I cleaned it with a damp cloth and then let it dry off completely before painting.

- I spread a bunch of old newspapers on the floor, 

making sure that I wouldn't accidentally splatter paint on my other furniture or the wooden floor. 

- I turned it upside down and started with the legs of the stool.

- With a big brush I painted the stool using simple acrylic paint. You can find it in every craft store.

Making sure I got into every nook and cranny, 

I painted one thick layer of paint, turning it back right side up and then painting the upper part of the stool.

- I let it dry for 12 hours before adding another thick coat of paint. 

Depending on how many coats you do, let it dry for 12 (one coat) to 24 (two coats) hours. 

After just one day you'll have an all new Frosta!

You can do this in any colour - though with lighter colours, you'll need to do 2-3 coats of paint, 

letting it dry for 6-12 hours between every coat.

This is just such a lovely - and easy + cheap - way to add new life to your Frosta. 

As a bonus, acrylic paint is really cheap and you'll only use about a tube of paint, so there's no reason for not trying this out!

It can even be done in your living room, if only you remember to spread a lot of newspapers on the floor before painting.

Have so much fun doing this - I had, and I love the result. 

Lots of positive thoughts and have the happiest of sunny Sundays ♡

Tour of my teeny tiny bathroom

Well, hello to a beautiful and sunny Saturday here in DK, and hello to all of you!

It's not that often I show you my own home, but today I thought I'd give you a teeny tour of my tiny bathroom. I did a similar thing with my kitchen a long time ago, but it's changed a bit out there as well, so I'll give you a tour of that another time.
Well anyway, the thing that brought this post on was actually my cleaning obsession.
Today I woke up early and I just felt like I needed a morning project. So I decided to clean the bathroom, but that quickly turned into a "raid." I decided to finally de-clutter out there, which has been a long time coming.

As you can see, there's not much room out there, so to the naked eye, it doesn't seem like there's much to de-clutter. However, right outside my bathroom door I have a tall closet in which I keep bathroom related odds and ends, plus I have some bathroom trolleys under the sink which needed a little de-cluttering as well.
It was a nice project; it took two hours, three trash bags and a lot of choices (in the sense that I am a bit of a collector, so I have a hard time throwing things out), but now it's finally nice and tidy out there.

As I've said many many many times before, I live in a small studio apartment. It's old, dingy and small, the kitchen is teeny, the bathroom is tiny, I sleep on a sofa bed - but oh how I love this apartment! It's my little kingdom, and even though I'd like to make a lot of changes, I do love this place and wouldn't trade it for anything!

Well, that's it for me today. I have a Danish paper due, however I find myself drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes instead, browsing cool 60's inspired clothes on the internet. Oh well, it is, after all, Saturday!
You all have a lovely day - go out and enjoy the sunshine, and remember to be oh-so-happy that it's finally weekend ♡

Christmas has come to Apartment 107

Every where I go, I see Christmas. Decorations are hung in the streets of Roskilde, all of the shops have been selling Christmas decorations for months now, and it seems that I'm the only one who hasn't gotten ready for Christmas.
Not that I haven't been tempted to do it weeks ago! I've always had my own tradition of decorating for Christmas the day before the 1st of December, and since I'm the biggest Christmas goose, I've actually been holding myself back.

However, when I went to get the mail a couple of hours ago, there it was: A clear sign that today was the day to get ready for Christmas!
Last Friday I ordered a Christmas Calendar TV Show from when I was a kid, and I didn't count on it being here already. But there it was; "Krummernes Jul" just waiting for me to watch it. So I made myself a big pot of coffee, put on the dvd and just couldn't restraint myself any longer!
So I put on some shoes, went down to the basement, searched my way through all of my storage crap and found my big box of Christmas things.
For the last four hours I've been hanging Christmas lights, decorated my little plastic Christmas tree and been singing along to Christmas tunes.

I haven't gone all out this year, but kept it simple and cosy. However, I'm sure that there will be many add-ons over the next month or so. But ah, what a wonderful day it has been. Here are a few snippets from just one corner - there's a bit more around the place, but you'll have to wait until next week.

Have a happy happy Tuesday ♡

Bless This Mess

Goodevening, dear Internet friends - how are you today?
My Wednesday has been wonderful; I had the day off, so I've been taking it easy,
doing my homework for tomorrow, coloured my hair...

... and then I did this. I often get very inspired by different pictures on Instagram and interior blogs I read,
and about an hour ago an idea got stuck in my head.
I have this small space between my windows, and every so often, I like to change the look of the otherwise small piece of boring and white wall. Currently, I'm so in love with blackboards and have them everywhere! My mum gave me this one a couple of weeks back, and I couldn't quite figure out where I wanted it. Today, however, it hit me: I wanted it in plain sight!
So I got my beloved toolbox out, measured up and hung the blackboard, decorated it with nice lights - and of course, as I do like a little clutter, some different prints to fill out the rest.

I really like the result; as said before, it's now in plain sight from my favorite spot on the couch,
and the chain of lights draws focus to the blackboard message.
"Bless this mess" is one of my favorite sayings, and it is really fitting for my little studio-haven.

No more posting from me today, but I hope you all are having a nice evening.
Remember to smile and be happy - it'll make your life that much better ♡

Very quick candle storage DIY

Hello Wednesday, how wonderful you are!
It's my day off, and luckily I woke up pretty early today. I did all of the chores before noon, so then I found myself kind of bored. That was when I started planning little things I could change around the apartment - nothing much, just move some stuff around and creating a little more space.

Anyway, since we've now really entered late Fall, it's kind of a given - at least to me - that we've also really entered candle season.
I'm the type of gal who spend a lot of money on candles during Fall and Winter. Every year I tell myself to stop lighting so many candles - not because it isn't wonderful and lovely (because it really is), but because I do spend so much money on them. But ah, every year I end up giving in, and every night is just a lovely and oh so "hyggelig" evening!
So I tend to buy candles by the bunch so that I never run out, but since do live in a studio apartment, I don't have much space for them.
That's why it was such an easy, quick and good idea to do this:

It's actually just two old plant pots, some four hour tea candles and two home made flags.
The flags are easy to make; all you need is a glue stick, some paper, a black marker and some grill sticks. Just make a little flag and mark on it the number of hours your candles will burn - it usually says so on the bag. Place the paper around the stick, glue them together and presto! You have a nice way of storing your candles - and as a bonus, it looks adorable!

That's it for today; I still have some projects left, but I'll see you tomorrow.
Have a fantastic Wednesday, remember to smile and be happy ♡

DIY vase or candlestick holder with lace tape

Hello Saturday, nice of you to drop by again.

Today I'm going to show you a very easy, very lovely and very creative DIY. 

You don't necessarily need lace tape; you can do this with other kinds of fabric - or even normal tape with colour or print. However, I think this looks absolutely adorable.

Yes, you will need a vase - or a glass bottle, if you're making a candlestick holder. The size of the vase - or bottle - really doesn't matter, just use whatever you think will look pretty. However, remember to check that you have enough lace tape or fabric, so you don't run out of material in the middle of your project.

That's right; it really is super easy, and doesn't take long. You just want to make sure, when you're cutting the lace tape, that it fits all the way around the bottle or vase - actually, you should add and inch or two extra, just to be sure. Remember to take it easy and make sure that the lines of the tape are straight, so that the ends match together.  

So there you have it - an easy and quick DIY on this lovely Saturday. 

Have fun, be creative and think differently!

See you tomorrow ❤

Home at home

Hej hej Thursday!
About 2 weeks ago, I got this new piece of furniture from IKEA.
I love love love IKEA; there's always something new you want, something new to find and something new to get inspired by.
Back in November I got a shelving unit just like the one above, and I've been loving it so much, that I wanted to get another one for the other wall in my flat. It really wasn't expensive - actually the thing that cost the most was the wheels.

Well anyway, I got this new shelving unit 2 weeks ago, right before I was going to Sweden. So I assembled it the day before I was going on holiday, and just never got around to showing it to you.
Well, here it is! It's so lovely and practical, and I love the way I've "styled it" - I can't get enough of plants, and I really like that there's room for so many - and yet, it doesn't look crowded.

Oh, and the cactus is new, by the way. I've always wanted a cactus, and last Sunday I found this one for cheap money. Although it was a bitch getting it home on a bike and no room in the baskets, haha...

Have an absolutely lovely day ❤

Home made lace plant pots

Hello rainy Wednesday!
Today I thought I'd show you how to make your own lace plant pots. It's super cute and adorable, it's very personal and it can also be used as a very nice gift for someone.

Yes, that's what you'll need. The lace I used was this fancy "lace tape" which I got for $2 at one of my favourite stores, Tigeren. Because of the sticky tape on the back of the lace, it was very easy to glue it onto the pots. But actually, lace tape is not a necessity for this; you can also use lace fabric and glue it on - carefully - with super glue. That also looks very cute, but it can be a little more difficult. So I'd suggest you try to find some lace tape or a lace string, and then glue it onto the pot.

If you weren't able to find lace tape, and you're doing this the ol' fashioned way, then I would suggest you try your way on a couple of old plant pots first. It's a bit difficult to get the lace glued on the pot in a straight line. So try and try again, because when you're finish, you'll love yourself for the time and effort you put into this.

If you do have lace tape, then this should be easy as pie. Just remember to take your time and make sure the line of the lace is somewhat straight.

And there you have it; a very personal and cute way of displaying your plants.
Oh and by the way; be careful not to spill water or dirt on the lace, since it'll take quite easily, and the lace is hard to take off the plant pots after you've glued it on.

Have a happy, happy day ❤