Happy Weekend!

The house is decorated for the holidays! This year I’ve again kept it very simple but still with that Christmas feel I love so much. String lights, paper stars, white and greenery. And here’s what I’ll be listening to when I ‘ll light that first candle on Sunday. We’re not religious at all, but it’s a nice tradition and count down to Christmas.

Happy weekend and Advent 1st!

Comments

[Katharina]

Happy Weekend and 1st of Advent to you, too.
Will start tomorrow, I guess. Only the wreath is on the dining table already.

[tinajo]

Happy weekend and Advent 1:st to you too! :-)

[Anne]

Glad advent! Misstänker att adventsfriden kommer komma till mig mycket sent lördag kväll när jag gjort en utgrävning i mitt överbelamrade källarförråd efter adventssakerna. Tur att jag fick de fina ljusen av dig ifall jag inte hittar något :).

[Judith]

What a beautiful song! Never heard that one before. Happy weekend, Happy first Advent, and HAPPY SNOW ON THE GROUND! :)

[Leena]

Have a nice first advent. I like your simple decorations.

[Carlos]

I know! How's that for good timing?!

I really recommend Sarah Dawn Finer's Winterland album from last year. Perfect for the holidays.

[Judith]

Yeah, I think we'll be buying it. Definitely need some fresh Christmas music around here.

[Zosia]

Lovely simplicity. Your new camera/lenses are great - love the photos. Do you have any tips on how to achieve a good white balance in the conditions like on the photo above?

Trevlig helg and Happy Advent First!

[Die Rabenfrau]

Thank you for your music-tip. She's new to me, but now I'll look out for her. I wish you a wonderful time this Christmas!
Ursel

[Carlos]

I've only just recently learned how to white balance! I used to do it in editing the photo after but now I'm actually doing it before taking it. It requires a camera where you can choose "custom white balance" setting. All DSLRs have it, not sure about point and shoot's though.
What you do is:
1. Take a photo of a white surface (I use a wall or a desk top etc).
2. Go to White Balance and choose Custom White Balance settings in the menu.
3. Choose the photo you just took (which is probably pretty "off").
4. Choose "custom white balance" on your camera (as opposed to going Auto WB or Tungsten etc).
5. Take the photo of your object or whatever.
6. Marvel at it being white and nice.
I still have a lot to learn in terms of getting it right but setting the white balance sure helps clean things up photowise. Just wih I'd learned earlier... :)

[Zosia]

Thanks for the info. My camera does have the setting. I will try it.

[Giulia]

Are those the IKEA candles and you changed the number colour? I changed the IKEA candles by adding blue glitter to the numbers (posted it on Monday). Have a happy first Advent!

[Annelise in Edmonds]

I love your simple advent candles! Did you make them? Have you made them before? I'm sure they are pretty easy to make...I lived in Denmark for a few years and love that tradition, although I'm not religious either. They're not as easy to find with numbers around here (Seattle).

[Carlos]

No, these came with the black print. Will go check out your glitter version!

[kathrin]

Enkelt och fint! Trevligt första advent! ...och tack för tippsen med vit balancering!
Hälsningar
Kathrin
laralotta.blogspot.de

[Carlos]

I didn't, they're store bought but I bet you could make them by cutting out numbers out of colored wax sheets from the hobby store and adhering it to white pillar candles!

[Sera]

I also enjoy the tradition sans religion :) We got together with Oma on Thursday to make the wreath, and I'm looking forward to lighting that first beeswax candle on Sunday - they just smell so good ;)
I love your decorations too! Do you also have a tree?

Happy Weekend,

Sera

[Carlos]

I don't have a tree up yet. I usually put it up around mid December (which is actually considered early over here where a lot of people don't decorate the tree until the day before Christmas Eve). Will show it when it's up for sure!

[Andrea]

Dear Benita,
inspired by your idea for an Advent calendar for Wille, I made a last minute one for my bf and it was a huge success this morning :) I need to get off the couch now and into town to go hunting for an Advent wreath.
Last minute Christmas this way please!

Happy first Advent to Wille and you!

[Sally]

Thank you for another wonderful music tip.

[Libris]

Hej, Benita!

Thanks for the outfit answer. Well, I chked the silver sweater on web shop - it IS great! However I visited the local KappAhl and made some shopping there. At least I found new jeans though did not find any top in gray : )

I have another question, of questipns, conxernong uor computer seen in some of your photos. Are you happy with your iMac? Do you use Mac also at wor? If not, have you got any trouble with files, transforming them into a different type and vice versa? I mean do you use Pages and KeyNote and then open the files from the iCloud on some other computer? Does it wor properly?

And do you download you pictures from your camera via wi-fi? I am asking that because since I got my iPhone, it has been soooo easy to sctures and see them right away on my iPad. I have become lazy to use my camera, install the memry card into the computer

[Libris]

Sorry for the spelling, my iPad didn't want to fill any more letters into the comment text box, it was like fully written.

[Carlos]

I'm happy with my iMac but I do use a PC at work. I rarely bring work home with me though and if I do I use gmail and their drive where I have access to everything from any computer. I have iCloud but am not really using it much at all yet.

As for my camera, I don't download via WiFi, I don't think it's an option on the model 5D MarkII which I have.