the camera pencil sharpener etc

Looki looki, this is what I got for my name day, a rather fabulous Rolleiflex-ish pencil sharpener. Granted one doesn't use a soft pencil much anymore, but I found it quite irresistable when I spotted it at Fotografiska last autumn. And now I got one, from Kikkerland. It'll be another perfect addition to the pink office.

Admired by all. And ready to be put to sharpening use whenever the soft pencil urge hits.

February, as January, has flown by. The last day of the month held a hairdresser appointment for me, which left me with a spurcing and a fine little braid,

the skies were ridiculously blue and spring was most definitely in the air - though I won't hold my breath it's here for real for good until April arrives - and as a nice round off, the order I placed or not arrived in the afternoon. It looked awesome and joyous. But I've decided it's not really earned until project is finally finished come next Sunday. Thus it won't be any showing and telling until then.

Bye bye February, welcome March ~

monday blues

Not blue as in having the blues, not at all, but I have to bow my head in a bit of shame and look at my blue boots - I completely forgot about an afternoon appointment I had today. Luckily it wasn't with a prospective client - phew - nor an appointment I have to pay a not-showing-up-charge for - phew again - but still. I have never ever missed a meeting or appointment just because I forgot, until now. And I really hate wasting other people's time, as much as I hate when someone wastes mine.

It will not happen again. And I really really have to get into the routine of checking the Filofax at least every Sunday evening... Plus I could have made a remind-me in iPhone of course. I blame my slight absent-mindedness on working. Which makes it semi-alright, in some little way, I suppose. And I guess missing an appointment/meeting was meant to happen sooner or later, at least once in a lifetime.

On yesterday's post - ya'know, however lovely it would be to have such a fabulous chair or similar to it of my own, I wouldn't dream on spending that kind of money on a chair. My home and life is simply not built for grand pieces of furniture like that. And even if wallet permitted I would not anyway, there are better ways to spend money or treat yourself, I think, but it is indeed a dreamy and crazy lovely piece, I know.

I'm so predictable, in the ways of treating myself, so let's say it's both a thing of prettiness, colour, usefullness, wearability and not something I strictly need or lack. I'm guessing the thing I ordered or not will show up later this week or not, but I'm thinking it will not show up in blog until this project of mine is finished in, now less than, two weeks. And I will definitely not be wearing or not the thing I ordered or not until spring has properly arrived...

I'm also delighted, just delighted to hear that some of you have decided to get the bobbaloos food & drink adventures book! I do hope you enjoy it, best done so in the company of a yummy cake, or at least so I've heard ~

on the last february weekend

There's a distinct feeling that this weekend has been very productive. The good thing about working while in general just being is that it doesn't feel like work since I'd do pretty much the same without getting paid for it (as I am slightly nerdy regarding this that will now be revealed in two weeks). I just have to pay a bit more attention to exactly what I'm doing. It does keep the brain and eyes active. But it also isn't very relaxing. But I enjoy it. Though I also feel many other things have been put on lowflame, but there's only so much one am able to accomplish at one time. Only two weeks left, it's fun, but I think six weeks of this, in its current shape and payment-form is quite enough. But a good start it is. A good step.

Which may or may not have influenced me in thinking I need to treat myself to something very special when these weeks come to an end. I may or may not have placed an order already. I may or may not be slightly crazy. But a productive weekend, feeling pretty much on top of things may or may not make people make decisions of extraordinary treats for the hardworking self.

Spring is in the air, February is almost at an end. Yesterday was a rather nasty day weatherwise, but today brought blue skies after a long good night's sleep. And there have been many colourful moments during this productive weekend. Yes the weekend turned out pretty much as I had hoped, possibly even better.

I've seen awesome door handles, had good food and nice fika, spent time with small sized woollies, cuddled kittens and slightly larger cats, worn blue shoes and seen a lot of blue skies. I think the may or may not placed order was really really called for.

I hope your weekend was grand and wishing everyone a week in the same style. And even if I'm not visiting and commenting on blogs in the way I usually do it doesn't mean I'm not thinking about you all, but you already knew that, right? Right. Happy week!

have a pawpy colourful weekend

Wishing everyone well-deserving a most pawpy and colourful weekend.

I'm going to spend mine sleeping, working and with little friends, which pretty much is what an ordinary week holds - oh and have something nice to eat, but that goes without saying of course.

Have a lovely one ~

the pia day

Admittedly I had forgot it was my name day today, February 22. But my mum came by with a little awesome gift (I'll show it another day) and a semla (yesterday's semla was better than expected, but not as good as the bananza one today). Not that name days is a big deal really, but it's nice with any wee excuse to celebrate a little, wouldn't you agree?

M, the absent minded mister, had completely forgotten about it being the Pia-day though - I will try and look pass that, be magnanimous and get him a little something for his name day in a few days. Because the older you get, the more fun it is to give things rather than receiving. Giving a gift is double the fun.

Other than that I basically spend my days writing, writing, writing and when I'm not writing I'm thinking about what I should write about. What I have been writing about will be revealed in about three weeks now I should think. It's pretty much all absorbing, it was meant to be part time, but as it is a neat way to get an income - granted not at all the decent income I aim for having, but still better than recently as well as better than I had initially budgeted for Prosit's first months - so I've worked hard and full-time instead, and hopefully it'll be for good credentials. Three more weeks then it's bye to this assignment and I'll be available for new clients.

To be honest I'm a bit too tired and pre-occupied to be chirpy and call that oh-I-want-this phone-call just now -

side note, I know, I do know, I'm completely and utter silly about this, I don't mind you point that out at all, it needs to be pointed out, though I am ridiculously aware of my daftness here. But I love my e-mail and irl-meetings, can't we just skip the thing called phonecalls for good? -

and be in a better mood when this assignment is well over. The future belongs to procrastinators. That is a fact of life.

I'm also very very grateful for being able to work from home right now, because the weather is simply awful right now, the beautiful snow has turned into slosh which then has turned into ice, temperatures around +-0, roads are icy hell and there have many many unavoidable car accidents these past few days and I'd imagine many broken legs on icy, treacherous streets... So the comfort of working from home is great in many many ways.

I also love the fact that all this writing simply fuels my passion for writing, in most anyway imaginable, I'm not picky with this, it doesn't have to be long, clever, intriguing, advanced, intellectual, pretty much any kind of wording will do. It's wonderful and magical somehow.

When this assignment is done, I will once again open my feed reader... and hopefully not be completely appalled by the number of blogposts that have appeared there. And I'll get reading and commenting again, because I have the time again, but  most of all because I know I want to.

It's been a good name day, very unpretentious, but good. And tasty. And loafie. And full of sweet kitten cuddles. Really, what more could one wish for?

happy fat semla tuesday ~

It was an imminent threat that today of all days, on the sacred Swedish Semla day of all days, on Fat Tuesday I was not going to have a semla. Disaster alert! And as I'd rather have no semla at all, that a bad one, I'm still hesitant of the one M picked up from work. But time will tell - and I will edit this post - and the thought of having a semla after all on Fat Tuesday is comforting somehow. And not having to make do by only looking at cute but non-edible ones.

The one in the picture I had last week, it was lovely. A sourdough similar to the Stockholm Super Semla, not quite as top notch, but very very edible just the same. No matter what size or colour, we all agreed on that.



Happy Fat Tuesday one and all,
I hope you've had or will have at least one good semla today!

little sunday reds

To round off the red week in blog I give you

A) a red Moomin spatula I originally got as a gift in December, but it turned out to be broken (buhu) and I had to wait to get a new one until now. This one is a better one though, with a feisty Little My instead of a jovial Moomin depicted on spatula. I'm sure it'll help me make grand bakes.

B) a mini-grater from Jo!e - I thought it looked clever and handy for when you just need to grate something small. And it was red.

I'm also thinking that I want to be more like Little My this week - which I certainly can be at times, my parents always thought/think she's very me and I'm not exactly sure it's a good or a bad thing, but I like feisty - and not prevent myself from doing stuff because I feel possibly inadequate for a task - which I'm not, I'm brimming with ideas, passion and competence - or uncomfortable - because I truly hate the phone thing - but most of all because if one (read I) really really very much want something, it's easy to keep on dreaming about it and as long as one has not taken the (semi)final step to get it one hasn't really risked getting a not so favourable answer.

But if one (I) don't take that step I'll get no answer at all, favourable or not, and it will simply be an unproductive status quo. And the only one who is stopping me is the self. And really, what's the worst thing that could happen? It's not as if I'll get punched, fined, arrested or doomed to eat meat for the rest of my life. So get this sorted now, be a proper Little My. This is just serious silliness, unworthy awkwardness.  Just do it. No matter what, I'll be alright. It really will.

Red bonus information of today -

A) I inaugurated the red gore-tex boots, the weather here is now a most unpleasing combo of ice and slush, and they were pretty lovely. And feet were dry. Touch wood. Or gore-tex.

B) When you're a Red Top and you get really really tired of your flat out Sleeping Sister you might as well practise the subtle art of suffocating such a boring sister ~



Happy week to come for all!

spicy love yummies

I baked these for Valentine's - nothing more, nothing less, but a sweet treat is always nice, right? Right - a version of the classic Swedish cake "kärleksmums" (love yum or love yummies) I guess. A simple chocolate sponge cake traditionally baked in a roasting pan - I remember my mum made them for our class parties in the lower grades - with a chocolate-coffee frosting and sprinkled with coconut. They usually go down a treat. I've been meaning to bake them in a tin for ages, but never gotten around to it. Same went for the heartshaped muffin tin, I rarely use it.

So I let them team up for Valentine's and did these. And spiced the recipe up with adding chili powder. Here's how you bake them - from the batter I got 6 large heart muffins and 6 small, regular ones in paper tins.

S p i c y   l o v e   y u m m i e s
2 organic free-range eggs
170 g caster sugar
270 g wheat flour
3 tbsp cacao
1 tsp chili (I think a tad more would have been even nicer)
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla sugar
170 g liquid butter/oil
100 (soy) milk

Icing:
40 g liquid butter/oil
130 g icing sugar
2 tbsp cacao
3 tbsp strong coffee (I mix instant coffee with warm water)
plus sprinkle of choice (coconut is the classic one)

:: Whip the egg and caster sugar until fluffy and pale.
:: Sift the wheat flour, cacao, vanilla sugar, baking powder and chili into the mix. Blend carefully. Add the liquid butter/oil and the milk and stir.
:: Pour the batter into the muffin tin or paper tins (which often do well with being supported by a muffin tin of course). Fill the tins halfway.
:: Bake in 175C for about 20 minutes.
:: Let the muffins cool completely on a rack before icing them.
:: Prepare the icing by sifting the cacao and icing sugar together and adding the liquid butter/oil and coffee. Whip it until smooth and glossy. Then spread the icing evenly on top of every muffin. Sprinkle the sprinkle of choice.



There, ready to be devoured by someone you heart.

three lovikka mittens

The red blog week has so far consisted of red boots, little hearts and tea, red bird feeder, a little red head and now, I give you mittens. Three kinds of red (like the first ever blue pair) In classic Swedish Lovikka mittens. Grey with red details, a very red pair and a pink pair (which technically is the daughter of red). Pink pair is for me, myself and I, the other two I've made to order. Which I do at times.

But as I've said before, in this day and age of people in general wanting cheap things, complaining about handmade things costing too much, you can get something similar at a chain store and yada yada yada... - I'm not interested in putting my time, work, energy and material into something and not getting at least some kind of fair-ish price for it.

Thus I rarely custom-make things, even if it's fun, because, seriously, this is work, a lot of work and if you have no issues paying for your doctor, your plumber, your lawyer, your handyman, your accountant, you shouldn't whine about people's carefully handmade things costing a bit too. It's just such a lopsided world where some work are considered pay-worthy, overpriced even, while others are not.

That said, you are welcome to contact me if you'd like a pair of your own to keep the cold at bay, I'd be happy too - they're indeed woolly, cosy, warm and will last for ever-ish - but I can't promise I'll sell them cheap, alright? Oki.

That said etc etc, I'm very pleased I finally got around to finishing the thumbs and add the classical embroidery to finish them off. It's a nice feeling of accomplishment to say bye-bye to a project and then move on. In wool as in life. As in a week and hallo new weekend.

I wish you a fine one, a delightful one - but you are of course welcome back to see what kind of reds the two last days of the week will hold -

h a p p y    w e e k e n d,
keep safe, keep warm ~

little red head

I thought the little red head and her snowflake sister were seven weeks, instead it turned out they're nine weeks old today. Oh dear, where did the time go?

As this is the week of red things in blog, sister Ztina will be appearing next week instead. I think Zigne is such a precious little kitty, sweet natured, cuddly and absolutely adorable. I'm so glad I did decide to keep both her and sister.



Paws up from Zigne, catlovers!
(Appearing in photo is daddy Pelle, creamspotted british shorthair)

red bird feeder

Just in time for the next heavy snowfall the birds hanging around in my garden got a new bird feeder (from Swedish company Wildlife Garden). Another red one. Yes, I finally managed to find a red combi feeder too and like the white one it of course cried out to be thoroughly inspected by the small sized woollies.

When every nook and cranny had been inspected, the red feeder was filled with nuts instead of bobbaloos and got suspended beside its white sibling. And then the snow fell.

I do hope the little birdies will enjoy their new feeder and all the delights it holds. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is indeed served for the little feathered ones.

little hearts

My week of the colour red continues. Yesterday it was a fabulous pair of red boots. Today we have bobbaloos and tea. Two of life's greatest things. Not all bobbaloos are red, obviously, but they are all in possession of little, dear and colourful hearts.

The tea though, is filled with little red hearts and is called just that Lilla Hjärtat (Little Heart). Just like the fine teas Papaya Babaco and Citrusmumma, Gingerbread and Tomtesnurr this organic tea comes from Swedish coffee and tea merchants Johan & Nyström. Adorable to look at and flavoured with passionfruit, blueberries, kumquat, rosebuds and marigold - it makes for a lovely cup of tea. Heart.

Have you found any new teas lately you'd like to recommend?
I've finished a few tins and bags recently,
so I'm all ears to know of new pleasing flavour to try.

red gore-tex inuit boots

I'm not one to make a big fuss of the commercialized Valentine's Day, will not this year either. I will however make this week a very red one be it Valentine's or not. Because I've notice there have been a lot of red around in my life lately - it's been a while since the vacuum and the toaster etc - and because beautiful coloured things deserve to be shared.

First out is a new pair of red boots. One thing my shoe-wardrobe is actually missing (or now, have missed) is a pair of rainboots (the ones I have are just terribly uncomfortable for proper long walks and days). So I can't help but being smitten by this is a pair of Gore-tex boots that would actually comfortably fit a discerning pair of feet. And have been ogling them in purple (of all colours) on the website since last autumn, but alas my size was sold out since the start. And even if they were gorgeous (of course) in red, I already had a pair of red boots in the exact same hue, so they weren't really an option. Or so I thought.

I've sold a few old mistake shoe buys-wrong size-never worn recently and ahem, what better way to use those money than on a pair of new shoes? I mean, cleansing, selling, getting a pair of new shoes but still downsizing the shoe wardrobe, win win win. Missed out on a fabulous pair of red bottines on sale recently, so when I was reminded that El Naturalista still had an ongoing online sale I looked at this pair (Inutit Gore-tex) again. And wouldn't it be nice to have something extraordinarily perky when the weather turns slush and rainy rainy days?

They are of a lovely wellington model. And, needless to say, the discerning eye of course notices the striking difference of model, old Iggdrasil (sorry old boots, I never did get around writing a proper post about you alone) vs new Inuit. Slightly slimmer and with other neat little details. Apart from the Gore-tex feature of course. I will stick to my blues for a while - oh how I heart them! A perfect perfect model - and save these for a rainy rainy day, no pun intended I'm sure.



--- I also want to mention that there's one thing I'm less than happy with regarding the buy. It's the fact that I clicked the sale-still-on-link I got in the email from El Naturalista, it clearly showed the prices for Sweden. I was however not able to finish the buy until I had fiddled about with the buttons and suddenly the price for the boots had increased with 28.70 euro for Sweden. Utterly annoying and a sale-trick I do not appreciate at all. I took a screen print with the sale price I got from them in the email, sent it to the customer services and got a dumb and useless reply. I'm happy about the boots, less than happy about such... let's say, less than satisfying customer service... ---