farewell september

Oh September, I had such high expectations on you. Sadly you have not lived up to them. August was such a blah month, thus I had so hoped that you, September, would refill my happy account in a big way. Can't say you have really. At least not in the grand way I had every faith you would.

On the blah front: job related stuff has sucked once and twice and third. Things seem to happen, I'm getting excited and then they fall flat. It's indeed rather tiresome. The Swedish election outcome was a rather disappointing one - or perhaps it'll work out in an unxepectedly good way somehow.

On the good front: then arrival of Sheldon and Dymphna and then Nerdle and Ruby. Sunflower fields and castles. Blog turns an amazing 9. Good food, good fika, good talks. I began taking a course in storytelling for change - admittedly I'm a bit behind, but getting there and it's an interesting journey. There was an innocent discovery in the grocery store. There was a pretty amazing Indian summer day and gargantuan balloons - but after that the weather turned rather chilly. Scandinavian Autumn as it is has arrived. My reading mojo is definitely back. And I had a really lovely evening in Gothenburg in the company of ABBA music and stories. And there is a new computer. And a pleasing amount of work during the month that was you, September.

But despite the good stuff I'm feeling rather blah, uninspired and wistful just the same. I'm really, really, REALLY hoping that October, my birthday month will show a benevolent face and offer lots of amazing surprises of the very best kind. Because seriously, I do need that. My happy account could use a decent deposit of the rosiest kind.

Bye bye September, welcome October,
you month of complete and utter awesomeness!

a colour coordinated shoe display

Quite smitten by this window display. Not my type of shoes, I do not enjoy flats neither do my feet, but oh the colour coordination is charming and inviting I think. With matching belts. And a little red bobbaloo sized scooter thrown in. Simple fun. But only the display.

The price of the colourful flats is 895 sek which is about 125 usd or 97 euro. I doubt they'll last for years and make your feet happy. I'd take a pair of El Naturalistas anyday, thank you very much.

the prosit office of the day

i really enjoy having meetings and working at cafes. the obvious drawback when you're alone at cafes working for longer periods of time the getting more tea/coffee and loo breaks are terrible inconvenient if you don't have someone really reliable to watch your things. this i tend to do the latter very rarely.

but when it happens i enjoy it. and today i spent some hours with this as my office. not too shabby me thinks?

one of my favourite spots in gothenburg, antikhallarna, where antique shops share the halls with a really sweet cafe that serves excellent fika and especially fab waffles.

so of course i had a waffle break!

now on a train home, 3 hours delayed. so far, who knows when it'll arrive in stockholm... but i did have some lovely meetings and work done in gothenburg, when i finally sleep in my own bed i'll remember the good stuff of this trip. like a really nice office of the day. and waffles.

thank you for the music, gothenburg

a very pleasant business mixed with pleasure day in gothenburg was rounded off with a fantastic event where we got to hear abba's designer speak about his work with abba (it's 40! years since the one with 'waterloo' in brighton) and one of abba's original musician play some tunes. so many memories, laughter and tears. well i cried because if it's something i am truly proud of that sweden has produced it's abba. their music has brought so much joy to so many people and still do.

i will write a bit more about this fun event later. for now, glimpse only.

so thank you so much for the music, gothenburg ~

ginger joe

A couple of years ago I met Ginger Joe. Haven't had the pleasure since actually. When in Gothenburg apparently the pleasure was had again and what a nice one it was. With lots of ice, a great meal, brilliant company and dazzling conversation Joe was the perfect compliment.

If you haven't met Ginger Joe, he's a mustachioed, alcoholic ginger beer and rather a splendid chap to enjoy the company of on a warm summer evening.

goodbye gothenburg

you have been welcoming, sun and fun filled, generous, inspiring and intense, thank you for that.

i will now spend the weekend sorting thoughts, information, ideas and notes. and sleeping.

goodnight gothenburg

Twenty hours ago I woke up in Stockholm, after an eventful work day full of information (and some quite quite quite unexpected such) I'm now falling asleep in Gothenburg.

It has been a grand day, both from a work as well as a personal point of view. I'm certain tomorrow will be another great day in this wonderful west coast city.

Twenty five hours from now I will hopefully fall asleep in Stockholm again. 

Goodnight Gothenburg.

red brogue oxfords slippers

Spotted these in a window display when I strolled in Gothenburg.

You might remember I wrote about the Swedish Docksta design last year when I first spotted the lovely quirkiness of the brogue oxfords they'd come up with. (I also have a pretty pair, no oxfords though, of my own.)

But as I neither have the need of indoors office shoes for long working hours nor unhappy with the plethora of El Naturalista and ART (kind to my feet, the world and happiness instigating) shoes I already have they don't call my name (believe it or not!).

But granted, seeing they now also come in red I did get a bit of heart flutter seeing them...

panda and bunny earrings

i swear i just stepped into this gothenburg kawaii-shop to see if there was anything bobbalooastic that could possibly be appropriate to get for small sized woollies.

instead these earrings screamed to be bought. clearly you never get too old for panda balancing on a ball and supersized black rabbits with pink ears earrings.

pretty perky, quirky, silly and fab if you ask me.

thank you, gothenburg ~

It has indeed been an awesome week well spent. I'm so pleased I finally made the decision to go to Gothenburg - a city I haven't been to for about 6 or so years I think and when I was there I never really walked around or use the tram - and book a lot of great work-related meetings with inspirational people.

I'm quite smitten by the city, its overall more laidback and friendly attitude compared to the often pretentious and always stressful feeling in Stockholm.

The city showed me sun, rain, picturesque districts and modern districts, fab trams and reckless bikers, great vegetarian meals, not so great vegetarian meals, cosy cafes and wonderful fika. I even got to go to an unexpected premiere of a play.

But most of all I (and Prosit) loved all the special people I got to meet, professional, personal, lovely and inspiring in different ways and fields of work (even if they all in some way worked with communication and words of course). Wow, wow, wow. And wow. Home with me I got lots of exciting things of various kinds.

These past few days also held too much coffee (soy latte), not enough sleep, not enough food, huge dark circles under my eyes and a strange husky voice from (too) much talking - but all that are indeed small prices to pay for such fabulously spiritizing days. Treasured days.

Thank you, Gothenburg,
we'll meet again, I'm sure ~