hey ranunculus

2015 - the year i actually managed to both remember AND buy ranunculus early in the season. it's so much nicer when there are lots to chose from.

i heart ranunculus, yet i most always forget to buy or are unable to find them. now i've got not only one but three beauties that will adorn the office window sill. alongside the happy lights. remember the importance of beauty and inspiration.

naturally they've undergone paw inspection. and passed. now i just have to water them really often. that is not my forte. but i will do my very best for them to live a long and prosperous life on the prosit office spring windowsill.

prosit got balls!

If I had balls they would look like this.

Wait, I do have balls and they do look like this!

Can you tell I'm really super excited about my new office lights? So for the second post in a row, colourful balls it is. With colour matching bobbaloos for most colours except for violet. Something that clearly needs rectifying.

I attached the balls to the lighting fixture, which took some time but when you got a hang (no pun intended I'm sure) of it it was fairly easy to do, got some help with the hooks and hey presto, the window, the office and the mood is lifted.



Turned out the light-strand is much longer than I wanted or expected after asking in the shop, so long in fact that it frames the whole window and windowsill. But guess what, it looks amazing that way.

The problem now is that I would love to have more colourful balls of light in this house, at least two more rooms would greatly benefit, probably three really.

Prosit got balls and that makes me really really happy. And proud.

colourful balls of spring happiness

Finally. Finally I did it. Invested in these wonderful, colourful LED lights for the Prosit pink office. I've been meaning to do so for years but haven't really prioritized it. But with the removing of the sweet Lucia parade Advent candlestick from the windowsill the office space was suddenly so dark. It needed something bright and happy to light things up which would also spread the cheer of colours.

Said and done, after a very inspiring morning meeting of the minds I went to the only shop in Stockholm that sells these Iris lights balls where you can chose your own colours and not having to settle with some ready packaged thingie. Free colour will and taste for the win!



My intention was to not show and tell about these lights until I had installed them properly in the office but the whole thing, the shop, the chosing, the fantastic weather, the sun and the fact that I had not only one but two large soy lattes made me all giddy and excited. This I just have to show an initial glimpse.

I had decided beforehand that I would not chose bright colours like I usually do, but since the office is so colourful in itself go for pale pastels instead. It might be that I didn't manage to fulfill that intention completely. There were after alla about 50 colours to chose from... But for being me, myself and I I did alright. The basket above show my initial 12 colours. I then removed some and added others. Ended up with six regular pastels and two brighter colours for some Easter feeling.



The me myself and I boss was so pleased with the lighting investment initiative of her me myself and I employee so she treated her to a second soy latte. I have a truly great boss! Although it might be a very sneaky way of getting the employee to work night. In the light of happy lights.

kind eggs 2015

It's that time of the year again, when kind eggs enter this house. I've stopped using eggs in my cooking and baking altogether, when I don't have these at hand. The free range organic eggs layed by family members pet chickens. It's surprising how easy it is to cook, bake and eat food with no eggs in it.



When I'm eating out I shy away as much as possible from food containing eggs. It isn't always possible if you don't follow a strict vegan lifestyle. But, easier than one thinks. Most often than not we chose food in a routine-like way and opt for a simple choice.



But we can all think. Well, most of us anyway. And we can all make better, kinder choices. It's easier than you think. And thinking is easy. The doing is the trickier thing. Or not.



I wish the whole world was a place for small-scale business and production. Where care, concideration and compassion was a natural part of running a business and not something and someone you carelessly sacrifice for ridiculous profit margins.



I treasure these 30 kind eggs and I will bake lovely cakes with them. And enjoy eating them I'm sure. When the eggs are all used up for this time I will return to my no egg baking and cooking again. And the world is a better place for it. At least some chickens world.

And if more people chose wisely and cared about the lifes that's sacrificed for the food they routine-like eat the world would be an even better place.

spring is in the stockholm air

Suddenly there is a distinct feeling of spring in the air. But to be realistic, even if March is the first spring month in Sweden snow can fall well into April. And who knows, next week it might look like this again. Weather does what weather do, surprises.

But for now, loveliness indeed. And an appropriate change of shoes!

ode to the clever slip

I have always regarded slips as something frumpy and granny style (in the worst sense of the word). Until about five years ago when I realised, don't remember why it happen, they are indeed very clever little garments. When in good quality they make your dresses, blouses and skirts look better and smoother when worn. You never have to deal with that annoying gap between top and skirt if you wear a slip. And despite being light and airy they actually offer an extra layer of warmth in winter and keep you cool in summer. (Well in the hottest of summers I don't wear them either.)

So I have to admit that my views on the slip have drastically changed. I think they're pretty awesome and not frumpy at all. Granny perhaps, but only in the very best sense of great practicality and comfort.



I usually buy my slips at favourite shop bric-a-brac, on sales because there are some serious money to be saved there. Their slips are made in viscose and come in two different colours every season plus always black and white. Obviously I usually go for the colours, but this white one was the only one left in my size so I couldn't be picky with it.

Hey, slip, I'm so glad I finally realised how awesome you really are. Thank you for making dressing so much more uncomplicated.

on the pia day 2015

My name day of 2015 was unpretentious but rather sweet - and unlike last year I wasn't the least bit sniffly -

• I got a lovely T-shirt with a pineapple print - a life without a pineapple tee, bah humbug! 
• I had fika with a cute carrot cake - although why do they insist in slicing it way before serving, obviously it does get dry in the display without a cover.
• I had to work - writing copy for a bicycle dealer. And I dream of a really pretty new bike, but I know I'm not really big on biking so it's most likely not worth the money. My pink bike will do for me still.
• While working I enjoyed my first tulips (locally grown climate compensated ones of course) of the year alongside a swell, as usual, soy latte.
• I also managed to spruce up the Prosit website, by following instructions and common sense only. And figuring things out myself, even though I'm so not interested in coding and such, is quite rewarding. I like to keep things simple still, less is more, but now it's at least a responsive website and easy to read and navigate on a smartphone too. Welcome to Prosit's new and improved website ~

the update of ios

spent about six (!) rather hellish (in a superficial sense) hours last night trying to update the ios on iphone. to be honest i find that unacceptable. 

of course it's a luxuary problem, but somewhere someone is making a lot of money because of users never questioning bugs or problems with computers and smartphones. and especially apple fantatics i'd say, who never ever seem to question their overpriced products.

let's just say that after this ridiculously timeconsuming ios update - and i still find that apps have been deleted, others don't work and other weird details - i'm seriously thinking of getting an android next time a new smartphone is necessary. also those good ones do have better optics than iphone which also is a major plus. 

on the bright side - after not being able to do this update for 1,5 years since there wasn't enough storage on phone to do it (me and my plethora of photos...) - it is like discovering a new phone. which is rather fun. even if i find some changes to be more than a tad nuisance i find others to be charming. like this wee thing above, the collection of photos in the photoalbum. a mosaic of then and now, a little chronological glimpse of my life since 2011 (the oldest photo saved is apparently since then). 

also, how awesome is it to be able to block certain phone numbers? a lot of awesome as far as i'm concerned. sales people and call centers bye bye. because, as we all well know by now, a smartphone isn't for calling. in fact, i do believe that 2015 is the year when calling is banned on smartphones. 

the feline friday five

There was the discovery of spring on its way. A bit early still I think, but in a week March will be here and that's a proper spring month (with the capacity of both snowstorms, rain and warm sun of course).



There was the Project Occupy Human, part I in progress.



There was a vegetable plate of food which had never been more interesting.



There was the neverending story of seducing human into cuddle.



And last but not least there was Friday night party in a feline house. Or Project Occupy Human, part II.

All and all, the average week in this residence according to the felines.

bake your own semla and make your own almond paste

Yesterday I made my own semla from scratch. Such fun! And I have no idea what took me so long. Simply laziness I suspect. The baking process was thoroughly inspected. The dough was lovely to work with!



The buns turned out a bit lopsided though, kind of fancy roll looking - hey semmelwrap, you've got competition! - but tasted lovely.



But the absolute best thing of this homemade semla was the almond paste. Very similar to the one in the once upon a time Stockholm super semla (which isn't at all as superb and well worth a detour anymore), coarse, crunchy and not as sweet as usual almond paste. Because I use half the amount of sugar compared to almonds instead of 50 - 50 as is the usual style.

And this is how I made it:

Almond paste (the heavenly kind)

2 dl almonds (do NOT skin it!)
0,75 dl caster sugar
2 tbsp water

Put the ingredients in the food processor and whizz until you get the consistency you like. I prefer mine much more coarse-grained than the store bought. It will aso be darker since the almonds aren't skinned. Which gives it a lovely natural look.



My homemade semla will certainly not win any prizes for beauty. But looks ain't everything and taste is and that certainly isn't something I would complain about to the baker in question.

I will write about the recipe for the semla buns soon. So you can make your own if you don't happen to live in Sweden (is than an excited squeal I hear?).

The whipped cream is plant based of course (Alpro soy) but the buns I'm not able to bake completely vegan since non dairy butter without palm-oil isn't available in Sweden. If you're lucky to have palm-oil free vegan butter, then by all means make it all vegan. The environment and the animal kingdom, not to mention your health, will thank you!

two years without little loaf

Today marks two years since we had to say goodbye to little loaf extraordinaire.

It happened at a time when I was able to cope with the in a better way. It was a time for new beginnings and goodbye.

That doesn't mean he's not forever missed. And everytime I peel a carrot I remember I lack the pitter patter of loaf paws eager to share that carrot.

Darling tyke in carrot boy shape.

fat tuesday 2015

Happy Fat Tuesday - 

may your day be filled with little semla inspectors 

and semla galore!

tedx stockholm differentia 2015, part I

On a glorious but horribly freezing cold day I spent close to six hours indoors alongside +400 attendees listening to TEDxStockholm talks with the topic being Differentia2015.

Out of the 10 speakers I enjoyed six and four not so much. There was also a very entertaining part where the International Improvisation Theatre Stockholm did an impro.



But seriously, close to six hours and 10 speakers, that was far too long and far too many at one session. When my mind has had time to think things through I'll make a short recap of the talks.



The grand building to the left, Södra teatern (The South Theatre) was the venue.

Now I'm going to take my very full and tired brain to bed and sleep for about 10 hours. tT least.

a good pillowcase is hard to find

I recently bought a couple of new pillows, from my favourite pillow brand -



vegan pillows that always get top marks in consumer tests. And vegan simply means there are no animal cruelty involved in the making of them. Like there always is when it comes to down pillows and duvets. Not to mention down clothes and accessories. But you already knew that, right? Right. -

KungSängen. This time one of the pillows is a so called reading pillow ie a supersized pillow for best comfort when half-lying in bed reading. A regular pillow in Sweden is apparently 60 x 50 cm, this one is 60 x 80 cm. Who knew it would be close to impossible to find good pillowcases in that size in Sweden?

I ended up buying a pair of colourful, organic cotton ones from Gudrun Sjödén. Unfortunately they are 80 x 80 cm so I'll have to sew them down to a smaller size. Which I guess is a luxuary problem. Still, I'm amazed that the pillowcase market in Sweden is so conformed. That something as seemingly simple as a good pillowcase can be so hard to find.

three lipsticks

I've been feeling rather winter blah lately. Listless, sallow and frumpy. I do realise that's likely not how others would describe me, but still that's how I feel. 

So in order to perk myself up, to feel less grey, I thought a bit of make up would help. Which I, apart from the essential bare minerals foundation, rarely can be bothered to wear (and nailpolish doesn't really count). It's just too time consuming and it smudges. 

I've got a new elaborate mascara that, like all others, promise miracles. Haven't worn it yet. The miracle will have to wait for my right mood.

I have however searched for a decent sheer lipstick. To use instead of my regular, favourite Hurraw lip balm. I've come to terms with the fact I will never be comfortable with bright red lips (although it looks good in photos), thus I look for other hues. That gives a more natural result but still adds a bit of colour omph. With a sheer feel and not lots of colour pigments, which I find plain inconvenient when you eat and drink.

The one I really would enjoy isn't available in Sweden, so these three I've decided on after recommendations. It's still a jungle out there if you want to find decent cruelty free make up. Which is of course crazy in this day and age.

If these three brands aren't complete liars they are all cruelty free. And the one I got today, une, is organic too. Looking forward trying it out. It's a lovely dark pink  sheer colour.

The other two are one autumn brown/pink (more brown than is visible in pic) from Finnish brand Lumene and a paler pink from Swedish brand Make Up Store. The Lumene one smells lovely too and is very enjoyable to wear. I feel at least a little bit less frumpy with it.

What's your favourite lipstick brand? 

Or do you prefer lipgloss?

cats in boxes

there isn't such a thing as a too small box. 

i do believe this one is perfect.

look, someone has snatched MY box! a little help please.

SAD FACE.

finally there's an answer to why cats love boxes - read all about it

and here's a swedish article based on the wired one - read swedish about it

fishing cat tea strainer

It's not a new tea strainer and it has made its appearance in blog before. Bit still, it's one of my favourite strainers - the fishing cat. It makes tea moments a bit more fun, as if drinking tea wasn't fun enough. And the tea best enjoyed in a big glass, not a cup. Obviously.

This time the tea held the Dutch rooibos green cranberry I wrote about the other day. It turned out to be a lovely lovely flavourful tea. Highly recommended if you're able to snatch it up somehow. Maybe they have a webshop that ships abroad.

I bought the kitty tea strainer on Åland but I'm not sure about the brand, I think it's from Jo!e, the same brand I got the fabulous little red grater from, I'm however not able to find it on their website.