teapot

I've been wanting to buy a teapot for quite some time now. I love tea, and especially in the winter when our apartment has a tendency to get very codl and all you want to do is snuggle up with a big blanket on the couch and not move an inch. Then it is very anoying if that cup of tea you had with you becomes empty too soon.

It would also be useful when you have friends over and want to have a litle tea party. I often bake and love inviting people over for tea or coffee but it feels almost incomplete when you don't have a nice big pot to decorate the table with.

I've been looking for a long time, PIP studio, wedgwood, royal copenhagen and so on, but they are quite expensive those little pots, so I think I will have to go by a thrift store and find my own little unique one.

time goes by so slowly

Gosh! I'm constantly looking at the clock and each time it has only moved about 2 min. Not ok! There is ahardly any work to do today and time is going by so extremely slow. But I am almost there. Just another 2.5 hours and this workday will be over and we'll be on the way to the airport. Finally!

Haven't finished all my Christmas shopping. Well actually our siblings have been kind enough to help us out with most of it. But I will buy a few things in Tax Free at the airport before we leave.

so excited

Yesterday I went to the gym, packed all teh things we will need for our trip home (I realised that I don't have any shoes or boots for snowy weather so that is something I will ahve to buy/borrow when I get there), cleaned up a bit and showered. Just before we went to the gym, the girl who will be taking care of our cat and apartment (She will stay in our apartment whislt we are away) came buy and we gave her a quick tour. Quite a lof of things happening yesterday and I wasn't in bed until about midnight (like the rest of the week. I really need to work on my bedtimes) and I am absolutely knackered today. But who cares. We are going home today! YIPPIE!
I can't wait to come home to Christmas food, warm bed, best hugs, and these guys! I miss you so much.







Christmas is the best time of the year :)

one picture from graduation

I got an e-mail saying I could buy this photo for £15 and get a 5x10" print of it, but I think not... I need to check the camera and see what Andreas manage to capture from the day. Until then - here is the first pciture from my graduation for you to enjoy :)

please let me be home for Christmas

"Airport spokesman Thomas Uber said there was a backlog
of about 3,500 passengers, including about 600
who spent the night on emergency cots.

"It will take a while to catch up," he added."

We are leaving from Heathrow tomorrow evening. I can't imagine not being with family on Christmas eve, I mean, we don't even have a Christmas tree in our apartment. I have started thinking about what we would do in case they send us back home. Trying to cook the Christmas dinner for the first time... Horrible! No, I can't happen! Please let us go home!

virtue

From Vardagstugg

advent calendar

I found this great idea on Kerstis blog that I had to share with you. She's bought some nice felt fabric and printed numbers on them, attached some rings for each number that the gifts can be hung up on, and voila: a beautiful advent calendar. I wish I had done that because Andreas advent calender just ended up being a big pile in our living room. Next year hopefully...

Chloé S/S 2011

Yes! A real genuine smile in a fashion ad campaign. None of those fake, "oh-a-camera", pout, serious face, model smiles - some real emotion. I love you Malgosia!

Santa? Really?

"Most children stop believing in Santa Claus between 7 and 8 years old; however a lot of these children pretended to believe in order not to “disappoint their parents,” wrote Kutner. Dr. John Condry, a professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Cornell University, noted that most children weren’t upset by the lie. In fact, said Condry, “The most common response to finding out the truth was that they felt older and more mature.” In situations where the lies aren’t considered “benevolent,” it’s important to admit to them and to explain the situation as best you can. “Once you, as a parent, lose credibility, you’ve lost your moral authority. It knocks the feet out from under a child.” Dr. Lawrence J. Walker, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia."

When I was young I think my parents tried the Santa Claus thing once or twice but I never believed it, or I pulled the fake beard of my dad and alughed at him. Santa Claus was always just a figure in movies to me, a bit like Cinderella, Batman and Winnie the Pooh Bear. Something I was fond of and enjoyed thinking about, but nothing I thought was real. Presents was something you gave to family members and something you were thankful for to them. Not something that depended on my behaviour and on my wishlist.

In Andreas family Santa is still coming, and since there are now grandchildren in the family it makes sense I guess, at the same time I get a bit frustrated. The logic is just so massively flawed. I don't understand why we try to convince the children, I don't even understand the charm or magic about him. In England where Santa comes during the night it makes more sense, but in Sweden where Santa comes in when everyone is there (except one family member who is out to get the mail or is in the bathroom for a suspiciously long time) it just doesn't make sense. Especially since the kids are told to thank Santa and the gift giver (grandmother or whoever it may be). This is the part I don't understand... So Santa comes by, to give out presents that are from people already in the room....?

What kind of stupid kid believes this? My hope is that any kids we might have in the future will be smart enough to figure this one out. Not because Santa isn't welcome but because he doesn't make sense... :)



UPDATE: Andreas told me that I should probably take away this post because otherwise I will probably not get any presents this year. (Yes he is serious ;) )

giving

I love giving present when I think I've found something that will be really appreciate by the receiver. When you know that what you ahve given will be well used and not just sit in a cupboard and then after a few years be given away to someone else or go to charity shops. But it takes time to find that perfect gift, and it is not always easy to find. Especially if your budget is limiting you.

There has been a couple of times where I've thought I found a great gift that was very useful and then when the person opened it the reaction wasn't exactly what I expect. It makes me question - do I really know this person that well? Was I assuming that this person likes and needs the things that I like and want? An example of this is a gift I bought for my mother - I'm not sure what it is called in English but in Swedish we call it "noppmaskin" (it cuts of all the "lumps" on knitted wollen sweaters.) I thoguht it was genious and I've always wanted one my self but I don't think my mother has used it once...




We'll see if I can repeat the success this Christmas :)

a blog or a diary or both?

I am struggling a bit with what this blog should be like. Should it have a theme and become more of a commercial blog where I either focus on an area (such as recipes, interior design, DIY, music, photos, fashion) or should I just continue writing it as our personal diary? I've noticed on my stats that most of you who are here either come from facebook - which means I can assume you are friends (so the diary part would be most interesting to you) and the other majority is searching for Gula Paviljongen (our wedding venue). However, I probably won't be blogging about wedding preparations again unfortunately so that traffic isn't very helpful for me starting up a blog with a clear direction. So I'm a bit confused and I think I will just continue they way it has been... that means less expectations and less personal attacks haha. (I've only had one angry comment and that was regarding my PTLLS post, and only one offensive comment which was just very random and I deleted it straight away)

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO POST MORE OF

Necessities for the ski trip

There are a few things that I really need to buy before going on our ski trip in February and it is: proper waterproof boots, goggles, ski pants.





Not exactly cheap things. Anyone knows where I can get this at a good price and still decent quality?

food blogs

When it gets cold outside food just takes up more time in my life for some reason. Standing in the kitchen with a cute embroidered apron, some candles lit, and the oven heating up the room - it all seems so appealing and home-y. I have found a couple of blogs online that really inspires me and I thought I would share them with you. If you "eat with your eyes" like I do these visuals should make you drewling.

Canelle et Vanille - one of my latest finds.



BitterSweet - a blog full of vegan recipes (great when you don't eat meat)



Tartelette - Everything from Macaroons to Risotto


and of course a classic food blog - Sweet Paul

goosebumps

seriously. all. over. my. body. amazing.

Work Christmas Party

Oh and Elvis was there... ;)


I haven't been blogging for a while now, and last week I just didn't feel like writing anything. I've been a bit down actually, but then yesterday I started to feel better again. I just needed some time to realise just how lucky I am again. It's strange how you can have everything and still be upset by the little things. Anyways, my mood is now much better and I thought I should share some pictures from the Christmas party last Friday... I had a good time :)

And in a few hours I will be at the Graduation Ceremony - it already feels like it has been years since I finished that Masters degree, but it will be fun to see everyone again.