Weekend inspiration: celebrating the art of slow living. A summer feast with Deers Photography &

I grew up in a time when the sense of community had a very powerful meaning and when the people living in the same building where more like a big family, rather than some strangers sharing a street address. Moms shared recipes or borrowed ingredients from one another and every house had a notebook with hand written recipes. Impromptu visits were a common thing, especially when a good desert was prepared. Or you would just knock on your neighbor’s door to offer a plate full of homemade crepes & jam. And every weekend was a good occasion to try a new cake recipe that would be shared between all the kids in the apartment bluiding. The gatherings were simple and everyone used to bring a home cooked meal. Just like the potlucks that now Kinfolk promotes. Then as I grew up the simple meals turned into fancy dinners. My mom waking up before dawn to prepare a Sunday lunch for the friends who were now treated as special guests. The home cooked meals that they once used to bring turned into a cakes overloaded with sugar decorations, bought from a bakery. With pressed table linens and a lot of dishes to wash at the end. And because of this the gatherings became more rare and lost their sense of simplicity and joy, turning into such a stressful event for the host. But this series of inspiring gatherings that I’ve been sharing here (curated from favorite blogs and magazines) is a proof that we are coming back to the idea of simple meals and that our sense of belonging needs more than those facebooks friendships. It’s true that most of the beautiful gatherings on the Pinterest boards seem like impossible to reproduce, but what’s important is not the dinner props or handmade ceramic plates, but the people that get together and cook. The celebration of local and seasonal ingredients, the fact that everyone is involved in prepping the meals and a community is build around the table.

And I am more then happy and proud to see such beautiful gatherings in my own country, happening in the loveliest little house ( The Wedding House ) and being captured so amazingly by Deers Photography . I trully hope to read their story in Kinfolk soon, because their style matches perfectly with the Kinfolk way of life. So simple, yet so meaningful and charming.

The harvest days and the delicious food cooked by Floriana. The beautiful linen tablecloth, the wild flowers and nature inspired set up. The joy of them all gathered around the table and celebrating life and good talks late after sunset, with cosy nordic lights and elderflower drinks. The true art of slow living.