Strange noises coming from the kitchen

Right now I have a celebrity visit in my kitchen. I'm quite flattered I must admit. A pretty little dotted one from the other side of town, visiting and hopefully showing her good side to Rutger, who's actually rather overwhelmed with the fact that she came to visit him and only him. I have heard strange noises coming from the kitchen though.

It's a bit strange, despite the fact that the house has five rooms, three toilet/bathroom-areas plus the kitchen it's still hard to find the perfect room for a celebrity rendedez vous nowadays. Cats here, cats there, cats not suitable everywhere.

Some room I prefer to have cat-free and some rooms the cats want to be in alone for a bit of peace an quiet from the dog. I could do with some more rooms I think... A bigger house, for me, myself and I plus four legged family/friends. Bliss!

When the kitchen isn't occupied with celebrities one might actually use it for preparing something called food with all those luscious greens as seen in the picture. A plethora of loveliness and yumminess, don't you think?!

Let the right one in

I've spent the last couple of days sleeping and cleaning up - this past week must have been exhausting for little ol' me, with many appointments. Yesterday I couldn't keep my eyes open after having breakfast. So that little nap turned into several hours of sleep...

But I haven't slept all weekend, I have managed to do some cleaning and baking the birthday cake for today's cake-party for the close family. Apart from the fact that it's rather nice to have guests now and then, it's also really nice to have a clean house - not to mention a real excuse TO actually clean the house...

So now I'm just enjoying the smell of soaps and freshness plus my brand new light loop in the livingroom. I've had one over the curtain pole ever since I moved in here 5 years ago - but they somehow don't seem to last that long and I think this is the 3rd or 4th of them. Very enjoyable and mood-creating while they last though!

The cake I made was one of my favourites, easy to make, sort of meringue with a twist. And very versitale. I'll share the recipe one of these days. But I think I'll have to add to the recipe next time, since I think it's kind of neat to have some extra cake for breakfast the next day... But I was conciderate enough to actually save some for a friend who's coming over with her little brit girl tomorrow, for a rendez-vous with one of my boys.

The boy being beautiful blue-white Rutger who, with his brother Rupert, shares birthday with me. And now being a bit shy due to the scary vacuum-cleaner and strangers coming to visit, hope he'll be calmer and more behaving from his lovely goody good side tomorrow!

I've also finished a really, really, REALLY good book. Actually a sort of horror book by a Swedish author, John Ajvide Lindqvist, about vampires and the difficulties of being a child in a world of bullies. The name of the book, his debute, is "Låt den rätte komma in" (Let the right one in).

Having finished this book I immediatelly began with the next one of the same author "Hanteringen av odöda" (The handling of the undead) - about zombies - and the right thing to do when you love someone - in Stockholm. So far, definately equally good...

So my neverending love-story with litterature continues... Who can live without them, books?!?

The Treats

I began writing my Swedish blog, and then realized I wanted to be a bit more superficial and write about the things I did buy for a special treat on my birthday yesterday (Oct 25th) - yes I know, not another day of Pia's birthday matters, but come on it's once a year, one has to make the most of it! - I never ever write, well not really, about things like that in Swedish (some might disagree), then I'm always far more intellectual - sort of.

Anyway, the day began with me finding that Odd Molly lambswool, folklore-stylish cardigan with a twist - of course accompanied by some words of wisdom, I'll write more about that another day.

Plus a pair of black, thick nylons - always needed and too often expensive and/or to short in legs or the waist-part. One of life's great and irritating mysteries!

Then I headed over to Yves Rocher - I haven't shopped there for at least 20 years - since I read about some really neat cream perfume boxes. At an unbeatable price. I got one in mango - smells more like peach - for myself and a vanilla for mum. Perfect little gifts and equally perfect to have in the handbag instead of perfumebottles. And then it turned out they had up to 50% sale on everything in the store - and since the prices are really low to begin with... So I got a green tea - one of my favorite scents! - EdT plus a shower gel.

Time for the well-deserved massage. And it was really, really nice, with aromatic oils of citrus for energy (not that I felt any of that afterwards, more like sleepy...). Unfortunately they didn't have that sort of oil for sale, so somehow a Scen Tao body mousse made its way down in my shoppingbag instead...

Before I met my mum for lunch I made a quick stop at COW perfumery to get the Philosophy strawberry milkshake 3-in-1 bubbles - which somehow where no longer available... I then opted for the Melon daiquiri instead - sold out... Then my eyes spotted the little beauty box called Birthday girl - who could resist treating oneself with that?! With five special sized products, all with those cuter than cute names like Soul owner foot cream, Time on your hands handcream, Amazing grace shower gel, Purity made simple facial cleanser and Kiss me red lip balm.

Unfortunately Yogayama vegetarian restaurant turned out to not a restaurant but only a place for take-away or catering. We headed over to Örtagården (ie The Herb garden) at Östermalmshallen. Not my favourite place of vegetarian food at all, but it was nearby and we were hungry. Though the experience was just as I expected, the food was a bad, un-modern, un-well made misch masch of stuff such as mouldy tomatoes... So if you want good, modern, healthy, vegetarian food in Stockholm, don't visit Örtagården!!

But I did get a cup of the best tasting hot cocoa ever at Chokladfabriken afterwards. I even got to take one of their previous used in the café cups with me home (as seen in the very right in the pic above). They're so lovely to enjoy cocoa in! A pity they're not made anymore or used in the café, it was such a part of the hot cocoa-experience.

I had plans of trying to get a birthday girl-discount or two during the day. I forgot though, but it's sort of disturbing no-one offered me that, don't you think? I thought it was pretty obvious it was my day and my day alone! It's not my fault they happened to fly the flags one day too early!

The Cake

Unfortunately my birthday-cake, as seen in the picture, was much prettier than well-tasting. It was supposed to be a walnut cake with milk-chocolate, but it was just too dark-chocolaty and with a crispy, sugary base to it. No taste of walnuts whatsoever *sooo disappointed*

So poor M had to calm the birthday girl down and drive to Coop and buy a really nice, classic Princess-cake (of which I don't eat the marzipan topping, but I really like the "in-stuff") - so I at least could have some cake on my birthday!

Other than that I've had a really nice day, apart from the lunch which didn't work out just the way I had hoped - now I'm just too tired to write anything more about it... So I'll leave you with some feast for the eyes - too chocolaty cake!

Birthday girl

So, my very special day began - an early riser for a change - with two presents. A bit boring perhaps, but oh so useful, an external hard drive and an installation of a heat pump in the house - yes really, really useful is the keyword here... And I'm not at all ungrateful, not at all, and I guess it beats the pots and pans I've gotten from M previous years (and no I didn't hit him over the head with them. Only in my mind).

But I do want some more pampering, fun and exciting things on my birthday too - and who but myself will see to that happening? So here are the plans for today:

I began with an yummy smoothie made of bananas, raspberries, vanillayoghurt and a touch of cinnamon. Now I'm going to have a big cup of tea and watch a movie - Melinda & Melinda - before I head into town for some real pampering.

The pampering consisting of some high quality shopping - no, no new handbag! - then some spa-massage at this place. After that my mum will treat me for lunch at the vegetarian restaurant Yogayama - it'll be my first visit there, hope it'll be a rewarding one too!

Depending on the weather, maybe we'll then take a walk all the way through town, from east to south, to Chokladfabriken. Where you can have Sweden's, if not the world's, best hot cocoa. And I do think a little cake from that place will go really well as a birthday cake for us this evening...

I think this sounds really nice - not to mention well-deserved!

United Nations Day

Today it's United Nations (UN) day. The day before by birthday. It would certainly have been fun if it was on the same day and I could tell everyone the flags are up in honour of me.

Having had quite a busy day, spending some hours at the hairdresser - now I look like the brownhaired Scooby Doo-girl... I wonder if that's considered to be an improvement or not... - then heading out to Djurgården and Rosendals trädgårdar in massive pouring rain for lunch and then visiting a lovely exhibition of Kaffe Fassets wonderful work at Waldemarsudde.

Managed to do som minor shopping too. Now I'm just off to bed soon - it's going to be a special day tomorrow, want to be well rested for that!

I'll leave you with a picture of the train-station where I live, picture taken today. Couldn't resist those beautiful autumnal colours!

Singing in the rain

To cut a slightly longer story short, I've had a really, really nice day in the pouring rain here in Stockholm, Sweden - you can read all about it in Swedish here.

But in English I'll just say that it probably has a lot to do with the fact that it's now the peak of my astrological year - no negative vibes, only very positive ones and great energy everywhere. Well, if you happen to believe in that sort of thing that is...

Anyway, an autumnal apple a day keeps the negative vibes away!

Midnight apple pie (recipe)

One of life’s little niceties is to do the unexpected. Somewhat forbidden perhaps. And of course one shouldn’t be caught doing it, preferably. Yes it can be those utterly childish but oh so giggly fun things, that leaves you with an aching tummy.

Like writing foul words on over snowed car-windows in the middle of a cold, cold winter night. Or dancing naked in the summer-rain - if you’re the courageous sort you dance round and round the house, if your not, stay in the closed in garden.

Be naughty and turn the day into night and vice versa. Between you and me, yes I do believe you’re the most creative and productive in the middle of the night. When your time is only yours. When the silence and darkness speaks of great deeds to be done, goals to be achieved - a pity though that all these great, world-changing ideas somewhat wither and fade when night-time turns into daytime. Mostly.

Why not act a bit crazy and make good food in the middle of the night? Perhaps an apple-pie, as comforting as ever, here comes a recipe of a simple but oh so tasty one. I got the recipe from my mother in law, so it should be called Kajsa’s apple-pie I suppose. Though I find the name Midnight’s apple pie a bit more tantalizing…

Midnight apple pie (á la Kajsa)

100 g butter
3 dl rolled oats
1,5 dl sugar
0,5 dl wheat flour
2 tbsp milk
4-6 apples

Preheat the oven to 175° C

Peal and slice the apples, put them in a pie- or baking tin. Sprinkle with cinnamon or cardamom if you like. Melt the butter and then stir down the flour, sugar, milk to a smooth mixture. Add the oat groats, bring the mixture to a slight boil. Then spread it over the sliced apples. Bake it in the preheated oven about 20-30 minutes. The crusty top should be light brown and caramelised.

Enjoy with whipped cream, homemade (of course!) custard or vanilla ice-cream.

And yes it can be made during day-time too, and eaten both day and night. But personally I believe it's best made and best appreciated during the magic dark hours...

On my own

Hallo, I'm here, all on my own! Where is everyone? I want som company - hallooo?!

I'm three years old, cuddly, happy, playful, superfriendly. I can protect you with fierce barking and look after your cats. I like to chew on green bones - when I don't have an old folks leg to get a bite out of - and go for regular walks in the wood. Preferably in nice weather.

I like to sleep at your feet while watching TV, I'm all nice and cosy while accompany you with snoring and now and then a little fart - promise they do smell like rosewater!

I also give you great excercise when you have to lift my cobby, muscular body up in bed, at night, on a regular basis, since I'm not sure if it's best to sleep up there or down on the floor.

Some evilminded people complain about me smelling like a dog - what's wrong with that?! - and then they put me in the bathtub with smelly soaps and water. Happens too often for my personal liking I think. I want to rise a complaint about that, it can't be right can it?

Maybe we'll meet in the woods some day? We can play hide and seek, or maybe restle a bit, chase the dog's tail or something equally intellectual and mind expounding. Now wouldn't that be nice or what?!

The age of innocence

Yes it was fun to see my old friend - we met at uni when we studied for our law degrees back in the stoneages or something like that, but her moving away to different new towns in Sweden, growing apart etc tended to stretch that contact into something rather sporadic... - yesterday.

But I was so tired when I got home, I hadn't had much sleep the night before, we had a long walk plus her babies (one nearly a year, the other 3,5 years) needing attention pretty much all the time. And I who just wanted to talk to and socialize with my friend...

Anyway, I can safely say I don't hear anything of that biological clock ticking even remotely near me! It has never done and I suppose it never will. Fine by me, there are so many things to do in life anyway! So many things and so little time, especially when one really has to enjoy the here and now too.

Taking care of myself and the furry family for example, travel, spending money and time on myself, friends, family and charitable purposes, the list is endless... From a science kind of breeding view I can see the point of interest in carrying on "the lines" - but why not carry on some nice opinions, views and try and make this world a better place instead?

On the train - with my Coffee Cup grande latte and seeing the world rushing by outside the window - I read an article about the situation in Cambodia. About the horrible way children are for sale to things I don't really want to think about, by mothers infected by HIV. So yes, I really think there are better ways to deal with life and children than to promt have some of your biological offspring. There's a WORLD out there with children in need!

Children already born, by mothers and fathers and families who for some reason can't take care of them. Children who in the grand scheme of things perhaps are meant to make a difference - if they get a chance for a better life, a good life, a life they deserve.

And it’s a world that probably, honestly, doesn’t need anymore inhabitants at the moment. Not until we have fixed the things that really, really need to be fixed with what's wrong with that world... That beautiful, grand world so wrongly handled by so many people. Some of them, lots of them, too many of them, who's breeding-lines would be better of eradicated...

I'm off to see the wizard...

... the wonderful wizard of Oz! Well not really, but I'm a bit excited about going by train to see a friend tomorrow, so I felt like singing a little happy tune.

It's ages since I went by train anywhere - not counting commuter-trains and subways of course. A pity of sorts, that it only takes one hour to get there, how will I manage to consume and enjoy both the landscapes-views, a book, my knittings and some magazines in that time?

It's now nearly three weeks since Rosa went to England to be mended, two-six weeks they said, any day now I hope she'll be back, over my shoulder, so glad to see me! Even if Blända and her friends do their best to keep me in a good mood, I miss my little Rosa, my little überstylish Springtime/Summer friend of 2006...

Ah well, one of life's big crisis one really has to get through, even though it sometimes nearly is impossible... Then one has to bear in mind that every day isn't sunny, but every cloud isn't grey either. Sometimes there's a silver or perhaps a golden lining that one can cling to when times a rough and tough - like when one of one's favourite handbags have gone far, far away. There'll be sunny days again, oh yes there will be!

Right now I'll just pack some goodies for tomorrow, watch a movie, have a cup of tea, and then to bed. Since night-time is THE best, most creative time in the twentyfour hours circle, for me I suppose it's right about time I actually just come to terms with that and accept it. On the other hand, the days with sun and clear skies, they're pretty good for the body and mind too - just as long as one doesn't have to be too creative and productive before noon...

By the way, what do you think of my shawl-roses? Me like, me like a lot if I might say so myself!

The prettiest mittens

When I met a friend for dinner last evening I thought I should have a quick look at Åhléns - one of Stockholm's largest, if not the largest, departmentstore with a wide range of clothes, cosmetics both in style and prices - if they perhaps had the new Winter-collection of Odd Molly's cute scarves and mittens.

Can't say I was too impressed by the different clerks knowledge of the brands the store sells... I wonder if this really a sign of the times, lousy organization and the "I-don't-know-go-ask-someone-else"? And not only in catclubs and at catshows...

Anyway, I did find some of the berets and scarves in a box in the end. And yes, there they were, the mittens, only one pair left. A pair of cute navy blue ones in lambswool with a hint of nylon. With some nice looking details and of course some words of more or less comprehensible wisdom:

Challenge prudence, consume life, enjoy the grand view

Eh, ok, I'll try, maybe... But the mittens now is a part of my wardrobe for the season anyway. And such a nice part too. Even if they smell a bit strange, like paint and oriental insense...

Dinner with friend shouldn't be forgotten either, a very pleasant one indeed. New ideas mixing with old ones, forming new constellations that perhaps will be truly full of really comprehensible wisdom one of these days. When I have sorted them out and decided what to do with them...

The sign of a high quality restaurant

THE sign of a good, high quality restaurant is most certainly an inventive and mouthwatering dessert-part of the menu. In my humble opinion. And that's that. And of course I always glance through the desserts (the height of a meal!) before I chose the main course. Starters I hardly ever eat, boring stuff that only fills the tummy where the sweet tummy should have its own and very exclusive corner.

So last evening's dinner, at Wedholm's fisk consisted of this;

1. Parmesangratinated sole with scallops (for me)
2. Poached monkfish with trout roe and champagne sauce (for Mats)
3. Warm chocolate- & espresso cake with pistacchio ice-cream (me)
4. Pineapple flambee in cognac with hazelnuts and vanilla ice-cream (Mats)

We both started with a G&T and then I drank water plus a lovely, new (to me) cider no sugar added by the name of Cidraie.

I'm not sure how one should prepare the tummy for this kind of rich, creamy meal though...? And one thing I really, really missed was some nice vegetables to accompany the main course. To me a meal without lots of vegetables is half a meal... Preferably lots of carrots and the meal is never a bad one!

The dinner I had today was far less exclusive, but just as good in another way - and far nicer to the tummy...; grilled quornfilets with broccoli, creamy saffron & tomatoe sauce served with rice.

Stockholm by night

I actually think this evening-picture turned out rather well despite the lack of tripod. Showing a mild, pleasant evening in Stockholm at Nybrokajen in the middle of October 2006. The temperature showing around +15 degrees celsius. And that really is a temperature one doesn't see all that often here, this time of year. And perhaps it's not a temperature one SHOULD be seeing/experiencing either...

Anyway, the food - and service as always - was really good at Wedholms fisk (one of Stockholms best fish-restaurants), but as I said before, a bit too rich for my tummy. Which didn't feel all that great during the night that came...

The play though was absolutely lousy, despite two well-known and excellent comedians. Not my cup of tea at all, probably something that's more appreciated by the hoards of countryside folks that are bussed to the city for theatres and shows every weekend. I didn't like it at all. Apart from that absurd striptease-part in the end - but since one had to sit through nearly 3 hours of stupid farcial comedy before that, it really didn't make up for that...

Oh, and the play's title if you perhaps pondered about seeing it, if you don't have a farcial kind of humour there are better ways to spend those hours - "Lögn i helvete" (The lying kind). And since I'm usually not the lying kind you can take my word for it.

Life is like a box of chocolate

Today have been a slow day, sour throat - hopefully gone I think - headache - still there. I did missed the planned outing to the annual Stockholm chocolate festival, I'm sad to admit. If I feel better maybe I'll be able to attend on Sunday instead, if not all the best chocolate is gone by then. I had so looked forward to looking like Al Jolson! It's just not the same doing that in front of the TV with a box of chocolate...

It's now over two weeks since my sweet Rosa went to England to be mended, she's always in the back of my head, does she feel rejected and abandoned? I hope she knows it's all done for a good reason and that all is going to be well again, soon...

Tomorrow there's a surprise waiting for me, not my birthday quite yet though. And I suppose it's not much of a surprise anymore either since I figured it out, a dinner at a really good fish restaurant Wedholms fisk - though perhaps the food is a bit rich and not very modern, in my opinion... But the service is always really good and the ingredients too - and then a play at Chinateatern (the China theatre) nearby.

Now off to bed I think, with a couple of aspirins and a good suspense story "Män som hatar kvinnor" (Men who hates women, by Swedish author Stieg Larsson). But before, look at those pretty red berries I found on a tree in the woods the other day, aren't the gorgeous?! I bet they'd go really well with some chocolate...

The great sensation of absolutely nothing

The name of the shirt I bought today, or at least the words of wisdom that came with it. I really do like the little words with a twist that often are embroidered or come with the clothes from the Swedish clothing brand Odd Molly.

Always in nature-materials and this Fall-collection also in cashmere. Supercute and personal, unfortunately the sizes aren't too big, from 0-3 (i e XS-L and large not being quite large in general...).

It would be nice if women with a larger breast area or larger sizes also could fit in all Odd Molly clothes - since some of their mottos are "You're perfect because your not" and "Vive la difference!"...

Anyway, having said that I'm very happy with my new Autumn shirt in bright mustardyellow. Thick cotton fabric, with cute details and a flattering shape. Wouldn't be surprised if perhaps the brown or/and the grey one accompanied this one later on...

And the other buys of today were

• some bright red mohair-yarn for that order of a muffler I got last weekend.
• The search continues for the ultimate mascara - L'Oréal Telescopic came with me home.
• And then the smartest thing, a magnet for the dishwasher that says Odiskad (Dirty) on the red side and Diskad (Clean) on the green side. No more arguments over the dishwasher and its content! I hope....

Then I met up with my potter friend with whom I hope to form some sort of exciting collaboration concerning her pottery and my jewellery. We both went home with new ideas and tasks to be done on both parts...

Other than that I realize I do have to go to bed - tomorrow it's time for the annual chocolate-festival here in Stockholm. I need to be in good shape for that!

My dream of food

Couldn't really go to bed without showing you pictures of that awesome lunch I was treated with today, could I?

At the bottom is the creamy potatoe & lentil soup garnished with cream/creamcheese, chive and turmeric flowers.

On top - and the thing I'll dream of tonight perhaps - is the fabulousissimo dessert cake, that spells y-u-m-m-y! One of these days I'll maybe share its recipe...

Human nature

Can't say I'm too impressed by people's willingness to put their money on handmade one-off-jewellery or handknitted shawls in fine materials... Handicraft-fairs really isn't my cup of tea - and it sure doesn't help when others say "it's all a matter of time, I didn't sell anything my first four years here..." Who the hell has time and willingness to wait for that?! - but I still had rather a lovely time last weekend.

Well, perhaps not so much on Saturday, since the rain simply poured down very litterally over me. But it was fun to be able to do one of my favourite things a lot, observe the human nature and its behaviour. And with Sunday came a lot of Sun, hence the name.

But a lot of fresh air and socializing all day really claim ones due and as for Monday I think I spent a lot of the day in a horizontal mode. I suppose, I guess, if I could remember...

Today, Tuesday, I went and visited a kittybuyer and the cat of course. The cat now being a 10 year old beautiful and calm lady, spoiled rotten since her uncle/catfriend passed away six months ago. Doris is her name, of course of british shorthair breed and Luddkolt's origin. It was unfortunately so difficult to get her to pose and show her best side for the photographer though...

Apart from seeing Doris I was also invited for lunch, and what a lovely lunch it was! Potatoe & lentil soup with stylish garnish and a dessert cake to die for... We also had, as usual, though we see eachother only about once a year, a lovely talk. About this and that. Friends and foes.

Breeding and selling cats really is a very social thing, one meets a lot of nice, friendly people - as well as not so nice ones too of course, touch wood one doesn't have to sell them any cats at least! - some of them become friends for life, others friendly acquaintances and others just a-postcard-or-two-a-year kind of people.

But being friends for life with all the kittybuyers - ah well, that makes me tired all over. That would be exhausting and time-consuming way over my head. Too much socializing really isn't good for you, just stressful. Right now I'm just going to socialize myself down to a horizontal mode again, nighty night!

What not to wear

The issue of today, and tomorrow, is what not to wear or rather what to wear this weekend. The organizers of the crafts fair this weekend at Zeta's Trädgård want the booth-holders to wear something slightly oldfashioned and special.

So one has to give that a bit of thought - and of course concidering the weather too, it shouldn't come as a surprise if it rains...

Oh, so much clothes and outfit-options, so little time...

I've just finished Sophie Kinsella's "The secret dreamworld of a shopaholic" and it was great, light fun, it gave me lots of laughs and giggles of recognition. Only partly, of course... Like a better written Marian Keynes without all her weight-hangups. What surprised me though was that she had totally forgotten about handbags - what kind of true shopaholic would forget about that, I wonder...?!

So now I have another issue to ponder over, what not to read or rather what to read next, something more intellectual, something light, a suspense novel... Here too the options are many, varied and give me a bit of a problem. So many books, so little time...

I think I'll just have to lie down in a field of mohair shawls - joining Prunella, who seems to have found her true calling - and just wait for the right outfit, the right book to appear. Preferably very litterally, but I wouldn't be surprised if it came in a more figuratively way... *Yaaawn*

The Cinnamon bun day

I am really upset about having missed THE event of the year... Or well, at least of this week, i e Kanelbullens dag (The Cinnamon bun day). October 4th in Sweden we celebrate that, and one ought to eat at least one yummy cinnamon bun - like in the picture - during that day I think. Which I didn't. It totally slipped my mind - hence my gloomy mood.

My mum had made an apple pie with cinnamon though - but since she have some strange idea about not ever peeling the apples, it wasn't really appealing to my delicate palate...

Ah well, that's life - now I'm going to sob for a while, about how unfair life and cinnamon buns can be. And comfort myself with a big cuppa of apple & cinnamon tea... buhu...

Cheery rainy day

Yes, the Autumn rains are here, I've just returned from a short walk with the dog, who was really anxious to get out but then not much of a fan of the walk...

A perfect day for watching movies too, for example a lovely little thing called "Must love dogs" with two of my favourite cosy actors Diane Lane and John Cusack. Yes, it do reminds me a lot of another favourite in that type of movie-area "The truth about cats and dogs" (I'm sure they even filmed it partly in the same studio...), and yes one has heard many of the lines before, but still that kind of movie really makes one (read "me") feel all cosy and kind-hearted. Simply perfect for a day like this - and any other day for that matter!

Aren't they beautiful by the way, those amazing looking flower-cabbage, for Autumn pots? A true nature's work of art I think. See, yet another thing about Autumn that lifts the spirits!

The mother of pink

Instead of writing about all the idiots and cheapies at the craftsmans fair last weekend, I try and think positive thoughts. At least I don't have to get knitting a whole new bunch of shawls and other goodies.

I can have a bit of a lazy, movie-watching week in front of the telly. And try not to dwell on misers and nasty things I'd like seeing happen to them... Well, at least I TRY and be cheerful and positive about it...

Anyway - always a good word to throw in here and there - maybe I should tell you a bit about some of the items that somehow ended up accompany me home last week? When looking at the picture to your right you can see that there are a few red things in there. The mother of pink can't be too bad!

All of them actually come from the Designtorget (aka The Design market), a place in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö where different kinds of designers can - if they manage to be approved by a jury, out of which criterias they chose the designers I have never really understood. There are a lot of really unique, fun and wellmade stuff there as well as some real rubbish... - sell their stuff (although paying a hefty commission fee of 45% of the price).

Anyway - for the second time - from the left to the right, from top to bottom the picture shows:

1. A holder for the dog-poo-bags, leash etc. Couldn't resist, too cute to be left there. Will go well with my cute red, heartshaped doorknobs on the closets in the hallway.
2. Resting on the dog-holder is a nice looking lighter, for all those candles that'll be lit this Autumn.
3. My humour is sometimes of the simplest kind, this is a fridgemagnet which has most of the Stockholm's subway-stations on it, but translated into dirty words instead... Can't stop laughing, a true moodlifter for the simple-minded!
4. Oh yes, this is THE thing, a little match-box with a picture of the Swedish designer/TV-profile you either love or hate nowadays (he's just too good to be true sometimes and he seems to be everywhere and on every TV-show these days... Please, could someone shut him up or lock him into a closet in the smallest house in the middle of a dark wood on a deserted island?!). Along with the picture is one of his, not always too bright, familiar quotations. But this quotation really is shining both bright and beautiful - it translates something like: When a cat lies sleeping in a room there's nothing for an interior designer to do there.
5. And last, but not least, a sleek designed cleaner of DVD:s and CD:s. Every girl should have one.

Having written down all this about one day's shopping in the life of a Stockholmian woman in the best years of her life - as always - I do feel a bit better despite this awful waste of my precious time this last weekend. Shopping or remembering shopping, big and small, for all types of wallets and their content, always seem to do the trick...

Talking about wallets, there's the most beautiful new patchwork one in bright Autumn colours at Mulberry now...