Exploring Colorful Smögen

Outfit Details

Jupiter Skirt  Carlotta Jumper  Crossbody Bag

Velvet Hair Bow

Before I ever visited Sweden, I had always pictured the homes to look like something out of the Pippi Långstrump series: bright and colorful surrounded by, well, nature.

Like this:

And I wasn't far off, actually! Many of the homes here are painted a bright yellow or red (sometimes green or blue), but I haven't seen much else variation so far. That is until Max drove me to Smögen, a small boating town around 40 minutes from where we live in Strömstad. The town is actually pretty similar to ours; they have a big dock, a boardwalk with restaurants, cobblestone-lined streets and the like, but one thing that we don't have and that they excel at is their insanely beautiful array of rainbow boat houses! When I first saw them, I couldn't believe my eyes. The first time I saw them, it was late May, so not quite summer yet. The restaurants weren't open, and there weren't many people around. It was the same situation this time around, but honestly, I enjoy the quiet and having this amazing backdrop all to myself.

For this blog post, I'm wearing my favorite Swedish clothing brand, Jumper Fabriken. They have locations both in Gothenburg and Stockholm. I actually stumbled into the Stockholm location on my first visit to Sweden last year, and fell head over heels in love with their 60s-inspired dresses, striped boat-neck tops, and pastel slip-on clogs. Since I was nearing the end of my trip, I was a bit low on cash and chose to not buy anything that day, but man, I thought about that store for WEEKS after, and kicked myself for not writing down the name. After about, what felt like a hundred google street view searches, I found a shop that was nearby, wrote to them and asked if they knew of "the shop with the pink clogs", and lo and behold, they sent me a link to Jumper and the rest is history!

I had been wanting a feminine a-line skirt that I could tuck a sweater into, and one that cut above the knees, and this one happens to fit me perfectly. It also has a polka dot lining which is just the cutest detail and goes to show how much thought is put into each piece by Jumper Fabriken. The cornflower blue shade of the sweater caught my eye right away and I love that it's not too thick so it's easy to tuck. It would also be cute with a pair of jeans as well. I plan on wearing this outfit all spring long, and when the weather finally lets up (we have our days but not enough, sadly!), I will be transitioning to flats, something I am very excited about! Haha.

I hope you check out their clothes and treat yourself to an amazing Swedish brand! And if you order a piece, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see how cute you look in your new outfit!

xoxo, Jenna

A Retro Weekend on the Koster Islands

Outfit Details

Dress / Voodoo Vixen

Bag /  Voodoo Vixen

Sunglasses / Ouifresh

Flats / Bait Footwear

Hair Bow / Crown & Glory

I just came back from the most wonderful and much needed staycation at Max's parents' house on the Koster Islands. For those who aren't familiar, you can learn more about the islands HERE. For us, it's a 30 minute (sometimes less) ferry ride to the islands which is a relatively short and speedy trip! When I first visited this house last spring, I couldn't believe how amazing it was - from the midcentury decor to the stellar views of the ocean, I was in heaven. This island reminds me a lot of Martha's Vineyard where I spent every summer of my childhood, so it makes a lot of sense for me to love this place, too. There are no cars allowed on it, so most people either take a bicycle or an electric golf cart around. There are a few restaurants and great hiking trails as well.

In this blog post. I want to share my love for the vintage inspired clothing line, Voodoo Vixen, as well as show some of the amazing rooms in this house! I thought the dress and bag would fit so perfectly with the decor that I had to bring them along and shoot something fun. The dress is so beautiful in person and is very well made. I especially love the buttons in the front. The bag is a really great size. I was able to fit many of my overnight items in there, and I appreciate the removable shoulder strap so that I can wear it as a crossbody! The cake, by the way, was one of the most amazing slices of cake that I've ever had and I'm still thinking about it a few days later, haha. It had a brownie base with chocolate mousse and plump blueberries strewn throughout. Thinking this might be my new favorite cake in town. Also, I felt like I was channeling my inner Betty Draper here and I kinda love that (who else reading this loves Mad Men? Let me know in the comments!).

The bar cart area in the house is so cute and I love the starburst clock!

As always, thanks so much for reading! xoxo, Jenna

Snow, Snow, Go Away

Outfit Details

Velvet Bow Hairclip - Crown & Glory

Telephone Dress - Smak Parlour

Faux Leather Jacket - Forever21 (old but here's another cute option)

Hazel Lace Boots - Dasia

Oh, March. You are one confusing month here in Sweden. One minute you're sunny and (fairly?) warm and the next it's snowing and really dark and cold! What giiiiives. Ok, ok. I know. You can't help it. But to this sunny Los Angeles girl, it's starting to get really annoying. And there's only so much one can do to occupy themselves when the weather is not cooperating. Since I know there are many of you reading who are suffering from similar weather, I thought I'd gather up a list of things I like to do to keep the positive vibes going until the sun comes out again!

1. Buy a puzzle. Max and I decided to buy a 1,000 piece puzzle recently. It's a Where's Waldo puzzle and the theme of the puzzle is carnival, and it is actually really hard. The people in the pieces are microscopic which makes it impossible to tell what anything is, but it's a GREAT way to pass the time, and it feels great when you complete it! Bonus points if you and your partner don't fight while doing it. We actually work really well together which makes it more fun.

2. Try out a new recipe. I love food, and I love to cook. I try to make a new recipe every week, and I love the idea of running into the grocery store to shop for all of the ingredients and then bringing them home and diving right in. I recently made sweet potato chili (recipe HERE) and we absolutely loved it. It not only made the apartment smell divine, but it was delicious and so easy.

3. Take a mini road trip. This one might be more challenging if you're in an actual snowstorm or blizzard (so if that's the case, maybe consider skipping it!) but on the days when it's just kind of cold and boring, I like to get out of town and discover a new one! Max and I sometimes get in the car and turn on some music, and just.. drive! Most of the time we end up just driving around our town, but sometimes we'll go a little further out and discover really killer areas to shoot in or to mark in our heads to go back to later..

4. Movie marathon. I'm sure this is an obvious one, but picking a theme of films and watching 2 or 3 is a great way to kill some time and stay cozy indoors. Since Max and I are planning our upcoming trip to Paris, we are only watching movies that take place in Paris right now. Some of our favorites: Funny Face, Midnight in Paris and Marie Antoinette. If you want to take it a step further, create a spreadsheet of all the movies you've seen with your individual scores of each of them. It's fun to look back on later and to see which movies you both like the most and least.

Outfit Post- How I'm Dressing for Snowy Weather

Outfit Details

Dress by Lindex

Two Tone Bag by Zara

Clogs by Haga Tratoffel

In case you were wondering, yes, it is a still a winter wonderland here in Sweden, and this LA girl is starting to get a littttttle tired of it. I find myself daydreaming of getting dressed in the morning and only having to worry about a t-shirt, jeans and a pair of flats. Since the snow probably won't be going away for a little while longer, I've been trying to find ways to incorporate my love for bright colorful pieces while still doing my best to stay warm, and I'm pretty pleased with what I've been coming up with! I found this dress at a popular store here called Lindex, and tried it on immediately. I fell in love with the adorable sleeves, and the print was so eye-catching that I couldn't help but bring it home. If you remember my last post, I had picked up a pair of clogs by Haga Tratoffel, and decided to try them with this outfit, and I love the result! When it gets warm again, I'm looking forward to wearing the clogs with a t-shirt and jeans, and dresses without tights (a concept I can't WAIT for).

If you've been dealing with annoying snowy weather, I would love to know how you've been maintaining your style while keeping warm. Do you stick to boots and sweaters? Or do you opt to wear dresses and tights like me? Tell me in the comments!

Don't forget that you can still get a pair of clogs with free shipping by using my special code! 

If you're ordering from within Sweden, enter code Haga18 at checkout.
If you're ordering from outside Sweden, enter code Haga1819 at checkout.

xoxo, Jenna