What’s your policy on ads, sponsorships and affiliate linking?
Blogging is not a job for me – it’s a personal project that I do because I enjoy it. I started long before you could make money or get free stuff, so that’s never been my motivation.
I am a 100% ad-free/sponsored-free blog. I do not do sponsored blog or social media posts at all. I do not accept advertising or payments for links/promotions at all.
This has always been an ad-free blog so if I share something I like, you can trust that I really do. However, sometimes use Amazon affiliate links in my posts and as of May 2017 I also sometimes use affiliate links for products I’ve actually bought on sites I really shop at.
Affiliate links mean if you click on a link and purchase something, I can get a small financial kickback. It’s important to note: I don’t link to things I don’t buy/use and I don’t write posts based on those links. They’re added only after a post has been written and make sense for that post and for you. I only link to things I’ve bought and stores I’ve actually bought from.
Can I use your photos on my blog?
No.
What is ‘hygge’ & how to pronounce it?
Hygge (pronounced hue-guh not hoo-gah) is a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends, at home or out, ordinary or extraordinary as cosy, charming or special.
Hygge (or to be “hyggeligt”) doesn’t require learning “how-to”, adopting it as a lifestyle or buying anything. It’s not a thing and anyone telling you different either doesn’t understand it or is literally trying to sell you something that has nothing to do with the concept. You can’t buy a ‘hygge living room’ and there are no ‘hygge foods’ to eat.
What does ‘hygge’ mean?
It literally only requires consciousness, a certain slowness, and the ability to not just be present – but recognize and enjoy the present. That’s why so many people distill ‘hygge’ down to being a ‘feeling’ – because if you don’t feel hygge, you probably aren’t using the word right.
Another definition of hygge is “an art of creating intimacy” (either with yourself, friends and your home). While there’s no one English word or simple definition to describe hygge, several can be used interchangeably to describe the idea of hygge such as cosiness, charm, happiness, ‘contentness’, security, familiarity, comfort, reassurance, kinship, and simpleness.
Danes created hygge because they were trying to survive boredom, cold, dark and sameness. The undefinable feeling of hygge was a way for them to find moments to celebrate, acknowledge and break up the mundane or harsh. With so many cold, dark, days, the simple act of lighting a candle and enjoying a cup of coffee could make a huge difference to one’s spirit.
By creating simple rituals without effort {such as brewing real tea with a little china cup every evening to stopping at the flower shop every week} the Danes see both the domestic and personal life as an art form and not every drudgery to get away from. They incorporate hygge into their daily life, so it becomes a natural extension rather than a forced and stressful event.
Whether it’s making coffee a verb by creating a ritual of making it every morning to a cosy evening in with friends where you’re just enjoying each other’s company to the simple act of lighting a candle with every meal, hygge is just about being aware of a good moment. Hygge is simple, it’s just the awareness of it that can seem hard to an outsider.
What was Hygge House?
HyggeHouse.com was created in 2004 as a way for Alex to connect back to her Danish roots because truthfully, she considered herself more French in style, culture and decor. But in returning to Denmark as an adult, she realised that the concept of ‘hygge’ had been missing from her life and seemed totally absent in America where she had immigrated to.
So she created Hygge House to bring more awareness of the concept of hygge by sharing stories and ideas to make the ordinary day, extraordinary through recognizing simple moments and trying to have a slow lifestyle in a busy world. It’s more memoir and personal stories than how-to or design-inspo.
Hyggehouse.com ceased publishing in 2019 and all the posts have been imported to this site.
What happened to your home tours?
Due to the increase in my privacy and the internet becoming such a creepy place, I’ve removed all my home tours/photos with no plans to share this part again.
Did you write a book?
I haven’t written one (yet) but I am featured in the following:
What cameras do you use?
Generally, I use my iPhone.
From 2016-2020 I used and loved the Canon G7 because it’s so compact & easily fit into my jacket pocket or bag for travel. The video and photo quality is amazing and it’s a very affordable camera. Super easy to travel with.
Before 2015, I used the Canon Rebel T3 with the 35mm f/2 wide angle lens, 17-40 f/4 Ultra Wide Angle Zoom lens and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Telephoto Lens.
Where have you lived?
As of April 2016, in Topanga Canyon, California in the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s a tiny place high in a canyon between Santa Monica and Malibu California and just a few miles from the beach. After 10 years of city life, I finally got my dream of moving back into nature surrounded by nature, wildlife and not much else. It’s heaven.
I have also lived in: Denmark, UK (London, Northampton, Oxford, Kent), Ireland (Cork), France (Chinon), Canada (Lake Louise, Banff, Vancouver), New Zealand (Wellington, Dunedin, Queenstown), Singapore, America (Seattle WA, Bowling Green KY, Franklin TN, Austin TX, Philadelphia PA) and the entire California coast. (Santa Monica CA, La Jolla CA, Santa Barbara CA, Carmel by the Sea CA, San Francisco CA)
Why do you move so much?
Good question! Since I was 18 I’ve lived in over 50 homes and since 2005 I’ve lived in 16. When I was younger I just wanted to travel and worked seasonally around the world. As I’ve become older I get recruited by companies to lead their content and social media teams so I’ve been peripatetic since about 2005. I do dream of one day settling down, having a base, and not owning any moving boxes.
When’s your birthday?
February 17. Aquarius. But only the good bits.
What kind of dog is Scout St Charming and how did you get her?
Scout St Charming is some kind of Jack Russel Terrier Mix. She was born in June 2012 and was seen living on the streets for the first two months of her life. Because she was so small and fast, no one could catch her. But luckily the non-profit, no-kill shelter DAWG did.
The next day, I went to DAWG looking for a large, male, older dog and I randomly saw this two-month-old, 4lb female that they had just brought in. It was literally love and first sight and I brought her home the next day. I never thought I’d love a little dog but she’s the perfect companion for me and goes pretty much wherever I go.
Scout has her own Instagram.
Favourite haircare, skincare & makeup?
I keep an updated list of everything on ShopMyShelf.
Favourite haircare products on my ShopMyShelf here:
Favourite skincare products on my ShopMyShelf here.
Favourite makeup on ShopMyShelf here.