Friday already! How the time flies! And I’ve been working hard again this week. Between my official office work for Peter and my desperate attempts to write a book about hygge, I have been burning every candle at both ends. Not very hyggely!

But I’m looking forward to a more relaxing weekend. Last weekend I spent some time looking back over Attic 24′s archives and this weekend I have another treat… strolling through the past posts from Christina at A Colourful Life. I love reading about Christina’s busy but bright life (and I have serious craft room envy over her new extension). Like with Lucy, I get a real sense of a woman who knew how to hygge before the craze came across, and of a real family home: chaotic at times, full of noise and very, very happy.

I asked Christina the same questions I asked Lucy.

Where are you based?

I live in Glasgow, Scotland, but I hail from Switzerland, where I lived happily until I met my husband who was living in the United States at the time. We decided to move to Glasgow, a city of which I had not really been aware off before. In fact, I was only peripherally aware of Scotland. I am almost a little ashamed to admit that actually. I must admit that I never much thought about this move – it just happened – and I never imagined I would still be here 18 years later. I feel more Glasgwegian than Swiss nowadays and I can’t imagine living elsewhere. I feel fiercely loyal to my new home and I think it is quite possibly the best place to live. 

 

How long have you been blogging?

I started my blog at a whim in August 2013.

 

What’s your blog mostly about?

I write about anything that my restless brain mulls over. My blog is eclectic and to some extent unpredictable. I could be writing about books one day, a family adventure the next and maybe on the third day I’ll give you my opinion on current affairs. I like to participate in blog linkups sometimes and this year I am trying to challenge my cooking skills with the Cookery Book Challenge hosted by Penny at The Homemade Heart. I also share my creative projects on the Winter Project Link Party hosted by Jennifer at Thistlebear. I like to write about things I make actually. At the moment I particularly enjoy sewing quilts but maybe in two month’s time I’ll focus my creative energy on something else.

My blog is also a diary of sorts for myself, for times in the hopefully distant future when I can no longer be sure if a memory is a true memory, or just wishful thinking. My blog is a good way to channel my stream of consciousness into some sort of order. It is good to have some order in life.

I also write to keep in touch with family and friends living elsewhere.

 

Do you have a favourite picture on your blog?

No I don’t. My favourite anything is a bit like the wind direction in Scotland, ever changing and always surprising. I am always a bit worried about declaring something ‘favourite’. You know, it is a bit like that veal liver with fried onions my lunch club Italian teacher once cooked for me upon my return from an eight months travel bonanza, declaring he wanted to cook my favourite dish to celebrate my being back in the folds of the group. It was a total misunderstanding, the dish is probably on the top ten list of least favourite foods but he probably remembered fragments of conversation, like ‘veal liver’ and ‘favourite’. In case you wonder, I ate every last morsel, it was an act of kindness that I really appreciated.

 

What’s your favourite post?

I don’t have a favourite post either. There are nearly 400 to choose from and I like most of them.

 

Have you heard of hygge? Do you think your blog shows hygge?

I have been familiar with the concept for a good while, I first read about it on Kristie’s blog North of 49 in January 2014. It seemed like a good way to describe how I like to feel about my life. I am particularly delighted that Jo, the owner of the very blog you are reading just now thinks that my own blog gives her a hyggelig feeling (love the word hyggelig, whoever coined it first did well for creating such a fun word).

 

I am a little bit uncomfortable how a way of life is marketed just now and it makes me sad to think that there may be people out there worrying if their life is hyggelig enough. For me personally, it is something that grows organically from within and something that we all experience – sometimes and somewhere at least. I have my own personal interpretation of hygge, anything that makes me feel warm and fuzzy and happy. I share some of these things on my blog. I also love to read about what makes YOU feel content and happy within yourself. What is hygge for me may not be hygge for you and it is always nice to learn from each other’s experiences.

 

Does my blog show hygge? Yes, I think there are pockets of hygge on my blog (but please feel free to disagree). My life is often hectic, sometimes downright crap, I frequently can’t stand the sight of myself and I am riddled by insecurity but there are many moments where I just feel happy from within, with myself and the world. I know, quite contrary but there you go. I guess that’s what I mean with pockets of hygge. I feel most hygge at home. Our home has been evolving over many years and it seems to adjust to our moods and responds to our needs. It is a higgledy piggledy kind of house but it is welcoming and warm and hopefully promotes a sense of wellbeing not just in me but all the family and visitors. 

 

Who are your blog heroes? Can you share one or two of your favourite blogs with us?

I would hate to miss someone out by naming but two here so I’ll have to direct you to my (out of date) blog roll for this. I love honest blogs that describe life as it comes.

Thank you very much to Christina for agreeing to be featured: and I hope you all have fun looking over her archives this weekend. I’ll be at a Comicon in Liverpool on Saturday, but come Sunday I am carving out a couple of hours to myself and having a good read!

And now a word from our sponsors.

You can now follow me on Bloglovin as well . I post on social media as How to Hygge the British Way on Facebook.I’m also on Twitter and Instagram and as a member of The Hygge Nook on Facebook as well.

****How to Hygge the British Way Blog isn’t monetised. I have taken the decision that I want to remain neutral and not to promote things just because. I will only ever review items that I have bought myself, or that I think will help to promote hygge in a busy life. To do this, I need support. Even just the price of a coffee adds up to a book over time, and it means I can stay independent. Would you help? Please consider clicking through to paypal.me/HyggeJem and leaving even a small amount. I’d be very grateful. Thank you.***