Raindrops keep falling on my head

Waking up to a gloomy, rainy day. Maybe the Autumn is finally here? On the other hand the flowers in the garden are still in bloom and doing just fine.

Yesterday I got a new retailer boutique for my jewellery! In Uppsala, some miles north of Stockholm. At the last minute - having heard that before anyone... - my old problem, the tummy, acted up again and my M had to stand in for me at the meeting. Obviously he did just fine, even though his skills as a driven sales manager normally don't include girly jewellery...

The problem with selling through retailers compared to direct customer selling is that the prices have to be changed, a lot... And since my jewellery isn't the cheap kind of high street store-thing to begin with, that means the potential customers have to be v e r y inclined to invest in jewellery.

So alas, I suppose somehow, one has to limit ones artistic boundaries and materials used if one wants to sell the stuff in the end - isn't that too bad?!

Or maybe it's a matter of finding t h e right customers for it. Which isn't always the easiest thing...

Above is a picture of some of my new multi-wearable necklace/bracelet in greenish colours. Very happy Autumny I think!

Analyze this

I thought I would dwell a bit on the old-time favourite subject, that's always a hot and interesting topic: relationships and the interpretation of the signals we send, conciously and sub-conciously.

Recently I got an e-mail from long-time friend who had been to a high school-reunion. It had been much fun and he'd also met up with an sort of old girlfriend of his. They'd had a lovely time at the reunion and on her initiative decided to go out for dinner some day soon. They'd spoke on the phone a few days later and it had been a long, fun conversation. Some weeks down the line the guy called the girl to see if that dinner was on, and then she suddenly after some small-talk just said "I had fun at the reunion but I prefer to leave it at that"..... The guy was really confused about her behaviour and also hurt. As he said " I just wanted to go for a dinner and have some conversation - you think I'd asked to change a person's life. I don't understand why people can't be more honest upfront - is that so difficult? Funny, I thought we were all adults."

Of course I had to put my (over) analyzing-skills to use here! - This is an occupational disease of mine.... Typically lawyer-thing, and it doesn't make things less heavy that we (my dad and I) also used to discuss and analyze a lot at home when I was younger...

Anyway, perhaps analyzing in a foreign language is like trying to be witty in English. It isn't always the easiest thing... I think that's one of THE big problems when speaking or writing in another language than your own, the sense of humour can really get misinterpreted or just completely misdirected. I see that in friends who have immigrated from abroud when speaking Swedish, it can be quite difficult when joking - or perhaps they're just boring... - and it's the same thing when speaking with foreign friends. Especially when we both don't have English as our native language...

Back to the analyzing thing then - the poor guy didn't know what hit him from the other side of the Atlantic.... - a really, really amateuristic-shrink-point of view! I think it's a far too common problem, that with what signals we do send out, what signals we think we send out, and what signals that are interpreted and received. Subconciously and conciously and all that. Maybe the girl thought that he where looking for a serious thing, with the prospect marriage and 10 children along the line. And maybe, even if I know, I know the logic says something completely different, deep down he thought of something like that. Maybe she picked up on that? And didn't want to be that one for him, wasn't ready for it or, well whatever...

"Honest up front", well that's sometimes easier said than done, if you are honest enough to say your searching for a life partner, want children or all that then you might come of as desperate or well, a bit strange I suppose (even if it's what many people do look for...). If you meet someone at a reunion (or some social thing) and get talking it's so easy to just socially say "let's meet for dinner" and mean nothing with that. Most of the times I suspect that phrase doesn't lead to anything. It's easier to just say "Fun to meet you again, good luck with your life!" and at least I wouldn't be offended by that, but somehow the other phrases are used more often...

Over the years I myself have at least have grown in that area, and when meeting new or old acquaintances at gatherings I never ever say "hey let's meet for coffee!" if I don't really mean it, and I would never ever give someone my phone-number if I didn't feel like be social with them again. In a more relaxed, daily situation with dinner/coffee you probably see if that new/old friendship is something to work with or not. But all people aren't grown up with this, I know. And even if I am in this particular situation, I'm really not (or don't feel like that anyway...) in other situations...

I do understand it hurts, but in the end (oh I know this sounds so mature and the right thing to say, and it's so much easier to give good advice to others than follow them yourself... But still there's a bit of truth in it...) it'll stop and just be a life-lesson that makes you wiser.

I think the blue friend of mine did misinterpret my analyzing a bit though. I promise I didn't mean it literally with that phrase of "marriage & ten kids". What I meant was that what we conciously think and know in our head is reasonable and "normal" (who wants to be normal?) is one thing, and what we subconciously think, feel incl our dreams is yet another. Therefor the signals we send can be confusing.

I suspect life would be a lot easier to handle if we were like cat's in mind, a lot of sleep, then eat, toilet, play and cuddling and then we'd be satisfied and wouldn't have to deal with a lot of thoughts and interaction with more or less annoying matters/people...

Yummy, yummy

Today I treated myself with a cake from the lovely little family-owned bakery Dalpojken (at Rörstrandsgatan in Stockholm). They have amongst other great cakes, buns, bread, cookies also Stockholm's best tasting "semla" (the superb Swedish special cream bun eaten during Lent)! But today I opted for the great tasting vanilla-butter wheat ring-shaped bunloaf. With a nice cuppa Yorkshire gold tea with milk - heavenly!

Although through the years I've become more and more intolerant, or rather my stomach that is, against dairy products and gluten, so in the end after having feasted on something like this I mostly have to pay for it....

I've recently done this horrible medical examination called gastroscopy (one of the absolute worst things I've ever done... But I'm really proud I managed to do it without sedatives or tranqualizers! It's rather quickly done but really awful to do...) and I hope I'll get some explanatory test-results this week.

I've been a vegetarian for ages, so I do eat healthy and varied, but now and then you really have to feast on something nice like sweets and desserts I think. An some desserts, or even bread, wheat, ice-cream etc can lead to quite a lot of pain in the end. It's not always easy to find a good substitue for wheat and other gluten-products, so it's sort of a constant battle.

Anyway, to top this day's blogging of is a nice picture of some lovely flowers I got this summer in one of my tea-cups. Tea is a big important thing in my life! Served in large cups with lots of milk...

Indian Summer in Stockholm

It's been a few days, nothing really exciting or interesting has happened in my world...

Today though, it has been a fantastic Indian Summer day and I've had a good walk in the city and a nice lunch at Café 7 Knop (close to S:t Eriks plan in the centre of Stockholm). They make a very nice, wholesome Health-plate (Hälsotallrik) with vegetables, rice, different toppings like tuna or feta-cheese, cottage-cheese and egg. Also some nice fruit-smoothies can be ordered.

And if you aren't satisfied after that meal they have several lovely cakes to choose from, like Pecan-pie, chocolate-cake, fudge-cakes etc.

What I don't recommend though, is their caffé lattes, for some reason they have always tasted really chemical and bitter.

If you do want a caffé latte, they serve good ones at for example the chains Wayne's Coffee and Coffee cup. On the other hand, the food/sandwiches at Wayne´s aren't always very good though, in my opinion. The bagels at Coffee Cup are always very tasty though!

Now to something completetly different.
If I've failed to mention that I also breed cats of the breed British shorthairs as an hobby (since 1992/93), I mention it now. In average 1 litter/year, so I try to keep it a small affair. Attending cat-shows are also a part of the hobby, well it used to be a rather large part of the hobby. But alas, through the years you get more and more chastened and realise that far too often it isn't necessarily the best cats that win...

And rather than the cats being judged it's the owners/breeders/handlers of the cats that are "judged" i e it's in large parts a mutual admiration society and it's never wrong to be really friendly with judges and be "well-connected"...

Almost everyone in this arena knows this, but oh if you mention it loudly or even try and complain about it, of course you're just a bad looser and a jealous one at that... But in my experience, if you want a hobby including a fair play, this isn't the arena you should opt for! Well, I suppose this sort of reflects other parts of society, a sense of fair play is often an odd quality than a regular one nowadays, don't you think?

Do I have to mention that I've cut down drastically at the cat-showing? Well I really have, it's no longer my cup of tea. Now and then I still show cats, just to be sort of updated on the arena. But unfortunately I don't find it fun at all really anymore, if I want to meet the breeders that have become dear friends during the years, we can meet elsewhere than at cat-shows...

Having said all that, I also have to mention that I actually showed my youngest little, cat lad last Sunday. It was his very first show and he was a sweetie and did get great comments and good judging. He is a creamspotted boy, with the pedigree name S*Javeliner's Pelle Svensson, Pelle on a daily basis.

His name is also really special to me; his breeder always name her cats alfabetically after athletics (English names). This being the P-litter, I immediately thought the Swedish nick-name Pelle would be cute. With me being totally uninterested in sports I though maybe the breeder knew of some Swedish athlet with that name? Yes, Pelle Svensson, a Swedish wrestler, in his prime even world-famous.

And, of course, after his wrestling career was over, he became a lawyer! I ask you, can there be a better name for a brit kitten for me?! Pelle is the name I wanted, Svensson is a really common Swedish surname, looking like a chubby wrestler is THE thing for a British shorthair cat, and then the lawyer connection is just too good to be true!

He is really a sweetheart, my little Pelle, and above you can see a picture of him with my older sire Knut (pedigree name being Eu Ch S*Luddkolt's Knut Knebworth, redspotted in colour) playing in the cat scratch-tree.

Having a koala-day

I e having had a very slow day, weather being cloudy and chilly and me being tired... I've just pottered around, tidying this and that getting nothing done really... Well you have to have days like that too, huh?

I should be making some new jewellery, since I'm off to some shops this week to show some of the collection and also having some showing at a few companies. But some days I just want to be a couch-potatoe and don't feel very creative nor innovative...

And for me, in the situation I'm in right now, the jewellery-making, knitting etc are just as much as I can fit in both physically and mentally. And the selling-part of it isn't really my cup of tea, so that takes such an effort on my behalf!! I wish I could have a little sales-person who could explain about, show and convince the boutiques and customers that a unique piece of Pia K Stockholm-jewellery is just what every woman need and wants!

A little sales-person who share my idea of the right boutiques and right customers for my jewellery, who loves calling up strangers on the phone selling things, who wants to run around town and country finding those shops and convincing the boutique-owners that these jewelleries are THE thing to sell. All this while I'm being creative and looking for the right pearls here and there and everywhere. Ah what a bliss, "only" having to be creative and not having to deal with the actual business of it all....

Above you can see some creative examples from Pia K Stockholm (I really don't like the layout of it, but not being a computer-wizard it'll have to do for now I guess...). Every piece is uniquely made only once (who wants to wear something "everyone else" wears??) and mostly of lovely semi-precious stones, pearls, authentic Venetian glass and vintage glass. If you find anything interesting or have questions, please feel free to contact me!

A day without koala-bears

Today I rose early - hadn't slept well at all due to a Swedish crime novel I couldn't stop reading. Actually I don't find it all that good but easily read... When I finally put it aside and turned off the lights I couldn't stop thinking about the book though, therefor I'm quite tired *yawn* today - for a doctor's appointment.

I was then suppose to go and see the cute koalabears at Skansen - only visiting for a limited time - with my mum and my older half-sister. But after having lunch at a pizzeria at Timmermansgatan, Ricardo's (does superb thin pizzas! I'm not much of a pizza fan, but when it's done well, either very thin or a good pan-pizza it's yummy:-) I just felt like going home sleeping... So alas the koalas didn't get a visit from me today.

But I'll be sure to see them before they are returned to whatever zoo they come from, I've loved koalabears for as long as I can remember. They seem to be of such sweet nature, that slow pace and cuddly nature - and of course their adorable looks!! - really does appeal to me.

When we were on our fantastic holiday to Florida last October I had the opportunity to see live manatees, and they appeal to me the same way as koalas do, apart from the size and cuddly-factor then, their gentle, slow nature combined with being vegetarians. Inspirations for a better world perhaps?

Finally at home again I was met by my very own sort of koalabear - my cuddly, friendly but not so slow natured Norfolk terrier, Malte (and for sure not vegetarian, though I wish...). After having played with his toys in the guestbed beside the computer he's now fast asleep looking simply like a cuddly toy:-)

In the picture above you can see him posing in his red-white striped D-shirt (D=dog), in badly need of a fur-cut...

Thoughts on a Swedish Sunday afternoon

Looking out of the window you can still enjoy a green and lush garden, the colourful glass lanterns hanging in the trees (from last weekends garden-party) makes a lovely addition to it. I just have to remember to take them down before the frost comes...

The photo though, shows a garden nearly as nice as mine:-), the famous garden of Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, UK. We spent a wonderful morning there in July this year, due to the fact that the rain was pouring down we had the castle and garden almost to ourselves! And the multitude of photos taken turned out really well too, despite the rain.

My cat herd also enjoy my garden, sharing it with not only flowers, bushes and trees but with a tasteful - a matter of opinion I suppose.... - bunch of garden gnomes, gargoyles, fairies and other ornaments.

Right now I'm contemplating whether to continue reading a new book I began with last night, or watching a movie while knitting yet another shawl or perhaps finish some new Pia K Stockholm necklaces... Ah, isn't it wonderful when the mind has to wrestle with such important, world-changing matters?!

Talking about books, I also finished this fantastic philosophical, crime novel last night "La caverna de las ideas"/The Cavern of ideas. You can't read very much of it at one time, you have to think and interpret a lot while reading it, but at the same time try not to think and interpret too much... It's quite nice when you have to really t h i n k while reading a crimenovel! I still marvel over it.

Girlie shawl & flower hairclips

.... was a huge success with my friend's daughter Annie, 2 years old. She never wants to wear anything in her hair says her mum, but the two little crocheted hairclips she absolutely refused to take out even when going to bed:-) And the shawl looked so very pretty, and I actually got the size perfect! Unfortunately I didn't have my digital camera with me, so the pictures taken are still in my other camera.

Before having dinner in the evening at home, we visited a café in their new hometown of Eskilstuna (Kafé Kaka = Café Cookie) who had these amazing cinnamon buns, yummy yummy and the size of a dessert plate... If you ever happen to be in the small town of Eskilstuna (150 km southwest of the Swedish capital Stockholm), I really recommend a visit to this café!

By the way, the picture doesn't show the tired girl who doesn't want to take out the hairclips, but one of my breeded cream-coloured British Shorthairs - S*Luddkolt's Angus Ardvreck.

Knitting Away

Tomorrow it's Saturday and we're off to visit a long time friend of ours. J and I studied law at Stockholm uni together and it was through her I met M years ago. But after the studies work took her to other cities while I stayed on in Stockholm and we drifted apart for different reasons. She got a daughter a couple of years ago, but I actually didn't meet that little darling until last weekend...

Anyway, I've been knitting a lot this past year, it's quite therapeutical, soothing and lovely to combine different yarn, materials, colours and models to create a personal style! I mostly make shawls in mohair and wool, but also some hats, handbags, hairclips and brooches. I used to knit cardigans and sweaters, but I seldom find them good enough or the way I want them... But the shawls I'm quite satisfied with and I use them a lot myself, give them away as presents and sell them too.

And now I've knitted this cute little thing for my friend J's daughter which I hope will fit perfectly! It would be lovely with a sort of mother-daughter thing with shawls, don't you think? As you can see, my little cat-boy (British Shorthair) Pelle Svensson also finds the shawls very appealing...

From Sweden With Love

As this will be my very first try on blogging and contribution to the blogosphere, I'm not really sure how or where to start....

But a cool picture of a very cool British Shorthair gentleman of Swedish origin can never be wrong, huh? And I promise I have more of that to show too.

Writing this it's late in the evening, the wind is blowing outside in the garden, the wind chimes are hard at work. The weather and temperature for this time of year in Sweden is really lovely, though perhaps Greenhouse-effect-unusual, and mild. One ought to make the most of it, try and enjoy the outdoors and discover new lovely areas, perhaps cafes and restaurants in Stockholm one hasn't been to before...

Anyway, with my blogging I just wish to share some thoughts on different issues like cats and the dog, travels, films, books, music, the odd food recipe, photos, everyday Swedish life, beauty products, skin care, jewellerymaking and crafts to mention but a few. Hope you'll find something of interest now and then. Welcome to my little part of the blogosphere.