Glögg Fest 2013 - Skål!

Much of Venice is in a fög today, after making very, very merry at Glögg Fest 2013 last night.

It's been in the high 70s outside for some reason all week, so it took some added effort to create a Winter Wonderland aesthetic in the new pad, but I think the vibe was felt.

For the first time ever at Glögg, I had a fireplace. So even though it was a balmy, Full Moon-lit night outside (and a furnace in the kitchen over the mulling cauldron), I had to have a fire going. Atmosphere. And then clothes started coming off, always a bonus.

I love Glögg night so much because I'm pretty into my traditions (as longtime friends will be happy to tell you), but also because I get to see the hard core honorary Vikings in town who won't miss it.

In some cases, I hadn't seen people almost since last year's pillaging.

Some folks just flew back into town that day, some are leaving town tomorrow (ME!), but all were in extra good holiday spirits and ready to get down on a Tuesday.

Indeed, as it was all still going until a few hours ago (Thanks and sorry, new neighbors!).

I always enjoy waking up the morning (ok, noon) after Glögg and seeing absolutely everything gone (especially the lefse that my Mom had made from scratch and sent from Minnesota - legit. Thanks, Mama!).

No cookie crumbs left, scraped out pans, and an empty red pot, with only the dregs of spices remaining on the bottom. That's so gratifying to see after spending hours with a rolling pin getting ready for this festive time of our year.

New friends were made, and old ones were treasured. Everyone was up for a night of Viking style celebration. A robust TUSEN TAKK to all who make it such a pleasure to Glögg (it's now a verb) with each year, as we bring the Minnesota to Venice.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, EVERYWHERE - from Glöggtown!!!

Norwegian Wood

I was cruising along Speedway, thinking about home and Christmas and Glogg and stuff, when I came upon this wooden Norwegian flag nailed up to this tore up and tagged building on 17th and Speedway:

What is the meaning of this? Why has the flag of my forebears been put up smack dab in the middle of Venice? What is coming?! I need to get to the bottom of this, and velkommen your insights. Weird. Cool.


*Photo by Jennifer Everhart

Moods of Norway Celebrates Norwegian National Day - L.A. Style!

Norway celebrates its National Day (Syttende Mai) on May 17th, and for the third year in a row I got to throw down with the Norwegians of the super duper clothing brand, Moods of Norway.

They are the best people ever, and really know how to throw a party. Judging from the line outside, the word is spreading that Norwegians are the jam.

The place was packed with real blondes, and a lot of scenester people that had never heard of Syttende Mai before. And that's ok ... One Love!

Moods of Norway founder and owner, Stefan Dahlkvist, was the host of the evening, and was having as good a time as anyone there. He told me they're about to open their summer ski resort in Norway, and that is HIGH on my list of must life experiences. Ja.

This was a very L.A. Norwegian experience, from the long line out front, red carpet deal, the Moods blue limo parked out front, the sparkly gold tractor (MON's logo), some iffy plastic surgery, and everyone taking phone pictures.

But the warmth of the store's wooden walls, and homespun photos and embroidery placed around cozied it right up, in spite of the pressure to be a scene.

Moods served up the usual champagne and waffles they're know for, but for the night party they had a Border Grill truck set up in the back, and Viking Fjord vodka drinks ("Grandma's Disco Fuel" - on the very day that Donna Summer died - RIP) getting the crowd all loosened up.

This was most evident in the area reserved for the Viking Photo booth. Folks of all ethnic backgrounds were transformed into ferocious Vikings via horned helmets, beards, Thor hammers, shields and Glogg mugs. Everyone had the Viking spirit, for sure, some (I'm talking to you, rosy-cheeked ass grabber) more than others.

Moods of Norway suits were well represented on the gentlemen in attendance,

And the ladies were mostly fancy, though one woman wore her traditional bunad costume, and I was jealous.

Norwegians are very friendly, and seem to get a kick out of my trying to speak my few bits of the language that I retained from college in Minnesota. They also get a kick out of the fact that most Norwegians they meet ARE from Minnesota. Similar climates, I guess.

One woman I met (Anna, I think - Viking Fjord fog) and I got to chatting and her son is going to college in Minnesota near where I went. We were talking about our various traditions and foods and stuff, and she told me that it's mandatory in her family that she make Norwegian meatballs each Christmas. I said, "How are Norwegian meatballs different from Swedish meatballs?" She smiled at me and very confidently said, "They're MUCH bigger."

We laughed and looked around at all the happy people ("Happy clothes for Happy People"), proud of our heritage, and also happy to be exactly where we were.

SKOL!!!

Moods Of Norway ... Knows How To Party!

Syttende Mai is the National Day of Norway, celebrated each May 17. Up until now, we've had nothing to do here in Los Angeles on this holiday to honor our ancestry, and usually just said "Happy Syttende Mai!" to each other and wore a t-shirt with a Norwegian flag on it, to quizzical glances from Non-Scandinavians.


That changed last night with a RAGER of a Syttende Mai/One Year Anniversary bash at the Moods Of Norway store on Robertson. We were greeted by a snow (Real snow! In L.A.! In May!) covered hot pink carpet and a big bright blue tractor and limo parked out front, and thumping tunes blasting from inside the store.


Our hosts were Moods Of Norway founders, Peder Borresen, Stefan Dahlkvist, and Simen Staalnacke, all matching in hot pink plaid M.O.N. suits and huge grins. They are the nicest guys around, and made sure everyone was having a blast all night long - and we were.


My brother, Paul, and I kept glancing at each other and cracking up ... we'd never seen so many Norwegians in one spot in L.A., and certainly not so many natural blondes. I think there's a reason no one is ever mad at Norway ... everyone is extra nice, with strangers coming up to one another and saying how nice they looked, offering to get drinks for you, acting truly interested in what you had to say ... Yep, L.A. can use a lot LOT more of this kind of behavior. I'm so glad the Moods guys chose here to be their first U.S. location.


Everyone was abuzz about the Aha show the previous weekend, and they were rumored to be coming to the party. I didn't see them, but I did see Matt Sorum, Leif Garret, Bobby Trendy (in a fancy veil and puffy sleeves), and I don't really know who else celeb-wise, because I was busy trying out my very limited Norwegian on the natives.


And drinking lots of the freely flowing champagne.


When it got too hot and crowded inside, you could step out back and be served "Super Duper" heart-shaped waffles, fresh off the griddle, made with love by a Norwegian Grandma, decked out in her bunad, the national dress of Norway. Top that off with the fresh cream and lingonberry sauce, and you couldn't really ask for more.


Many of the revelers were decked out in Moods Of Norway dresses and suits, and the bright colors and good looks added to the fun. I covet absolutely everything in the entire store, especially the preview dress from next year that Moods' Meaghan was sporting - stunning.



Venice's own Valerie Hammond is the Moods rep here in town, and she also has never looked cuter. People, you want to get your hands on these togs ... they instantly put you in a better mood. See for yourself. "Happy Clothes for Happy People" is their motto, and it was in full effect last night.


We made lots of new friends, and next year's Glogg Festen might actually be populated by more Norwegians than just my brother and I - more than I even knew existed here.


Norway should be very proud of the welcoming ambassadors they've sent over in these guys from Moods ... it was one of the most fun, warm, and high-spirited parties I've been to in this town, and I've been to a lot of 'em.


Tusen Takk, Moods Of Norway!!! You gave us a wonderful evening, and your philosophy, ridiculously great clothes, and sense of fun is exactly what the whole world needs right now.


Super Duper!



*Photos by PaulGronner.com

Norway - The Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Happy Syttende Mai, my Norwegians!

Yes, I come from an Immigrant family. My grandparents came to the United States from Norway. Today they celebrate their Constitution Day in Norway, and fly the red, white, and blue of their country in celebration, kind of like their Fourth of July. I'm flying my little flag here in Venice today too, as I grew up doing in Minnesota.


Most of us are proud of our heritage and realize that all our myriad cultures are what make our country different, great and INTERESTING, for Goodness sake. I can't believe how easily some haters forget that unless they come from a Native American tribe, we are ALL immigrants. How the Native Tribespeople can even bear to listen to the usually somewhat older white men spew about people coming into "THEIR" Country these days, I'll never know. We have a Statue Of Liberty we love, and that says right on it:

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the Golden Door!

So there. Solutions, not spew. Thanks.

Anway, YAY NORWAY!! We've always had great pride in our Motherland, and the good ideas they come up with over there, like Lefse, and the Nobel Peace Prize. But the best one yet in my opinion, is the genius idea and monumentally important undertaking of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, (also called "The Doomsday Vault") on Norway's Spitsbergen Island, 810 miles from the North Pole.


They have blasted deep down into the permafrost of a sandstone mountain, to create a place to store seeds from all over the world, in the event of a horrible natural (or Man-made) disaster that would destroy a country's vital crops. They take seed donations from anywhere at all, and the country remains in charge of their own seeds, though the building cost was put up by the Kingdom of Norway.


The seeds are safely stored deep underground, with the capacity to be preserved for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. There are three chambers, each with the capacity to store 1.5 million seeds (only accessible in the event that seeds are lost for any reason). You reach the vault via a long tunnel, entered into through a portal above ground, lit with Aurora Borealis-like trippiness. Stunning, in its beauty, and ingenuity alike. Ahh, thinking globally! How refreshing.


*You really should study more about it at the link above. It's pretty cool.




With the recent nightmare of the BP Oil Spill (CRIME!!!) we are more aware - I HOPE - of what can go so badly, and possibly irreparably, wrong in our natural world, and stop doing those murderous things. Unfortunately the Svalbard Vault only takes seeds, and won't be able to replace precious Gulf marine life. But their forethought is not only impressive, but necessary, as we watch the filthy oil execs scramble for fixes well AFTER the fact.

I was walking down my street this gloomy Venice morning, and ran into my neighbor, Sven (he's really named that, I'm not just giving the story a Scandinavian twist), and he was out putting a stake up for a wind-blown tree. Next to his curbside corn crop that is already knee high. We spoke only about natural stuff, and though he did have a Bluetooth thing in his ear, we could otherwise have been in anytime, anyplace, talking about the crops and weather. It was kind of great, and again, felt so much more real and important than anything else we could small-talk about. It IS important.

So thanks, Norway, for looking out for the rest of us. Thanks too for providing my ancestry, which I'm very proud of. And I'm not at all ashamed to say I'm an Immigrant.

SKOL, NORGE!!!

Moods Of Norway - Super Duper!

I come from 100% purebred Norwegian descent, which is kind of crazy, especially these days. Especially in Los Angeles. No one here ever believes that my hair is naturally blonde, but it is. I have a Glogg party every Christmas time to share our Viking traditions with my pals of all ethnic backgrounds ... and smash mugs together, pre-Holiday Pillaging.

One of my rocker friends, Nick Maybury, turned me on to a new clothing label last year called Moods Of Norway. Then I was talking with Valerie Hammond (owner of the much missed, Slave, which was the hippest store in Venice), who told me that she was repping a supercool new label that she was all excited about called Moods Of Norway! The world is indeed very small. Knowing I was a Norwegian gal, Valerie invited me to see their showroom downtown, and then head over to their retail store to chat with one of the founders, Stefan Dahlkvist, and hear what they're all about. And what they're all about is "Happy Clothes for Happy People." Sold!


Three young Norwegian guys - Stefan D, Peder Borresen, and Simen Staalnacke - met while attending college in Hawai'i (Weird. I also lived in Hawai'i) in 1999. They came up with the idea that they'd like to tell the tale of Norway through fashion, and create an international lifestyle brand through the 3 Moods of Norway: Street, Casual, and Cocktail. They began the label in 2002 in tiny, glacial Stryn, Norway (where their headquarters is still located, though they've now grown into the biggest label in their country!). They knew not at all what they were doing, but believed in themselves, and the idea that clothing "inspired by Urban Norwegian Everyday Living" would catch on globally. And it certainly has. They've doubled their business every year, recently held a massive fashion show in Oslo that featured models splashing down a watery runway (with the attendees all outfitted in Moods Of Norway wellies), and now have a U.S. Flagship store on fashionable Robertson Boulevard in L.A.


I walked into the store and immediately felt at home. Bright colors and sparkle, mixed with rustic wood cabin. Or exactly the competing sides of me! A big golden tractor greets you at the front of the store, and also serves as their logo. Each (gorgeous) Men's suit is embroidered on the arm with the number of tractors registered in Norway (last count: 234,243) in tribute to the farmers of that beautiful country. The current collection is actually called "Cocktail Farming", so you know that these guys have a great sense of humor, and are having a complete blast creating more fun for their label, and their lives.


Fun like sailing a big pink fishing boat around to rock festivals in Norway. Cruising around L.A. in a bright blue limo. (They're looking for a street legal Tractor too, if you know anyone looking to sell!) Outfitting a slew of Rock Stars, and even Perez Hilton! Hosting live sheep in the shop to give it a homey feel, as they serve up waffles and champagne each Saturday. Throwing up a sign on their back parking spaces saying "Parking for Lefse Lovers Only" (so it was cool that I parked there). Shooting a reality show (from the makers of L.A. Ink) to follow the guys around as they spread the M.O.N. Love around the world.


Stefan told me that their main goal is to make their Grandmothers happy. That love of both family and fun is evident in every aspect of the company. The clothing labels feature actual old photographs of the founders' families, with little grandpas out in farm fields, and families out for a stroll among the fjords. The dressing rooms look like a little wooden cabin, with Norwegian folk art paintings and needlepoint, and Sonja Henie books lying about. The underwear line is called "Grandpa's Disco Wear". Adorably.


Adorable is also an excellent adjective for every single piece of clothing I saw. Long dresses with names like "Tattoo Flower Satin" and "Sunshine Flowers" (I searched. My name MUST be in the lining somewhere on that dreamy chiffon one ...). Fresh kicks called "Super Duper Dancing Shoes", and brightly color-blocked tennies that have seemingly found a fan in Venice's own Harry Perry!


There are exquisitely tailored, satiny suits (20% off until May 17th!) with shorts in a fabric called "Field Flowers", and crazy plaid ones with Norwegian friends as the namesakes. With such bleak times - and palettes - hopefully on the way to being behind us, these clothes are taking back the fun of color and optimism. Just looking at the happy clothes gets you in a better mood(s)!


May 17th is Norway's National Day. We grew up flying the red, white and blue flag of Norway over our door in Minnesota (where this clothing line will be huge, I'm sure) each year on Syttende Mai, and have never had anything cool to do out here in SoCal for that day of celebrating our heritage. Well, we do this year! The Moods Of Norway store on Robertson is having a big party to celebrate both their U.S. store's 1 Year Anniversary, and the day of Norsk pride. Highlights are to include real snow for cross country skiing on Robertson ("We just call the Snow Guy" - Stefan)!, those live sheep, stylists there to dye peoples' hair blonde, perhaps an appearance by the #1 All time Norwegian band, Aha (Take On Me!), and of course, "Grandmas serving delicious waffles", as the invitation states.


Celebrate the fun spirit of Moods Of Norway on Monday, May 17 (all day long) at the Robertson store ... And every day that you put on a piece of their uplifting apparel.


SKOL!!!


Retail:

Moods Of Norway
113 S. Robertson Blvd. (by Kitson)
Los Angeles. CA. 90048
310.271.7172


Wholesale Contact:

Valerie Hammond
Connected Showroom
Cooper Building
Downtown L.A.
310.463.7184