the heart has many shapes

I've probably mention about a gazillion times that one of my favourite shapes is the heart's. Kind and lovable its shape and implication always delights. But I'm not very interested in the girlie, bling, overstated heart-shape - like with pretty much everything, everyone in my life I enjoy the quirky heart shape the most, the interesting, wobbly, the heart felt and non massproduced.

Like my potter friend Lena's fabulous wobbly heart shaped pie-tin/bowl, which I've used for all sorts of nice things since I got it a while back, strawberries, pies, serving plate. A heart shape of a very lovable kind as far as I'm concerned.

Another kind of heart experience I had at a meeting today. Without going into any details I left the meeting feeling dumbstruck, not because it was a bad meeting or an unsatisfying outcome, but because I had prepared myself to the teeth with arguments and answers to all sorts of follow up questions and thought the meeting would take about an hour. Instead it took fifteen minutes and the details solved pretty much effortlessly.

And as silly as it may seem for something as seemingly simple it was kind of a revelation and aha-experience for me. Because my overall professional and personal experience, my career damage as an ex-(thank goodness!)lawyer, is that dealing with people and negotiations (even the simplest of simple) is a hassle, you have to be prepared with a gazillion arguments and be able to deal with all sorts of stupidity and inconceviable complications even to uncomplicated matters that can be easily solved.

Your time, everyone's time, and energy, could be so much better spent. Instead your intentions and credability is questioned, you have to prove yourself again and again. In short, sad as it may seem, I am not very used to hassle free, professional meetings where someone just trust your instincts and competence. So that is something I'm taking with me from today, the aha of meetings about simple matters can actually go smoothly and quickly. You don't have to complicate things and you can trust people that they actually are able to do their job. Which, seeing those words like this, is really obvious, but yet not my overall experience. Until now.

I doubt the person in question read this blog regularly, but if you do or happen to read this post, you know who you are - you made my, possibly overactive, brain think a lot of things through today, in a very good way. Thank you.

Oh how I totally heart my happy place in life.

Now playing on a very red iPod - Moby ~ In my heart.

being in a happy place, part III

Some other changes I've done recently which I truly believe have had an impact on my mood, health, focus and attitude are;

:: As a vegetarian I've obviously never eaten Omega3, but when I looked into causes for high blood pressure, the insufficent levels of potassium etc and lack of that can be a major reason. So I began looking for vegan options - and isn't it great that you can always always find great, natural, healthy options to using/killing animals for food and supplements! - and found linseed oil capsules (in some rare cases one has to take algae supplements too).

And I have to say it has made such a difference in so many ways like not having sore muscles and joints anymore, something I've especially experienced this past year (something which I haven't complained a lot about, but which have been constant companions).

My complexion is brighter, my hair feels great - more great than bad hair days, huzzah! - my mind is clearer, my ideas more, my energy levels are higher, I sleep better, there's no constant undercurrent of tired-to-the-boneness, in general I feel more in tune with the here and now and the world somehow.


:: I also find it easier to accept that some days I'm not really in tune with people and the world outside my own little haven at all, I simply embrace my inner introvert. Because I know that the next day, next week I meet some awesome and inspirational being and both ingredients, solitude and social activities, are necessary to make me thrive.


:: I've also rekindle with my old iPod - and the pink speaker - and on it is music I have so many good memories of which instantly put me in a good and inspired mood. And I turn up the volume to the max and dance regularly to old tunes. Pink office is so darn awesome for many things!


:: And as mentioned before there are several exciting projects in the works, which are madly inspiring and we laugh a lot while working. Having fun is probably so so much more essential than one ever thought. Because there will always come bleak and awful days, to fill the rest of the time with laughter and fun is important. And realising that it doesn't make you less of a professional, less competent really is key.

I love embracing my Jill of all trades-personality. And interact with people who think alike but also compliment my skills with their awesome skills and competences, of which I know very little or nothing. One doesn't have to know or master everything, just use and master the things one love well.

More about being in a happy place, part I
and part II

woolly gadget covers

So much in life and living is politics, one can't help but think, feel and being involved - and mostly getting quite upset because it somewhat always boils down to mankind being so incredibly stupid, seemingly brain- as well as heartless. Really - but enough of that now. Instead let's blog woolly, lovely yarny stuff.

Because it is that time of the year (however much one would have liked it to be otherwise still...). And if one has to get dressed in layers and woolly, thick clothes again, one might at least do it with colours and cute accessories.

These woolly pouches I crocheted some years back. I thoroughly enjoyed playing with different yarn colours, they were easy enough to make, then finding a quirky button to match. I've used them myself as winter covers for cellphone and iPod (and they could be adjusted to fit an iPhone too) and they are rather useful for all sorts of small items that need some extra protection and such.

Of course you could make some extra embellishment, make them a bit girlier and all that. But I quite like to just let the colours talk. Some have moved to new owners, others I'm planning to get around putting up for sale in Etsy shop. Soon-ish.

In fact, I'm just going through my yarn stash, realising there certainly are quite a lot of sad left over yarn balls that cry out to be made into something useful, or pretty, or preferably both in one piece. So if by chance you think that 'hey, I would like a so-so made', by no means hesitate to ask for a custom order over at the olde Etsy shoppe and I'll see what I might do for you.

Don't forget,
tomorrow Sept 22 midnight CET
is the last day to enter
that blogoversary giveaway

~

On the Train to Somewhere

A train ticket at a more than reasonable price, window seat and sun, free latte from favourite coffee chain, a good book and some music, somewhere nice to go. Train leaves on time (!) and arrives a tad early. Life is good.

Playing on the iPod, part II

As much as I thrive in the semi-chaos called my life I really do not like to have a lot of *unnecessary* music on the iPod. Songs I once adored may not still be something I keenly listen to very often. Hence the term "unnecessary" for these space requiring songs. Besides, it does disturb the flow when one has to (oh the difficult tasks in life) skip songs when one just need good, want-to-listen-to-whatever-mood-songs most of the time.

When one can't seem to sort out all the majorly important things in life, one can at least erase and cleanse the iPod. But the more one download-upload (which way is up and which way is down, that is the question) the more tiresome it gets to actually try and decide which ones should stay which should go, which ones should be swept away in much needed spring cleaning and which ones sit safe. Especially if that "one" that's in charge of the music library has a middle name spelled Procrastinator.

In awaiting of actual musical spring cleaning mood - admittedly I've been quite good at cleansing my bookshelves as lately, leaving room for new and improved books I actually like, love and adore and want at this time in life as opposed to what I read 10-20 years ago... - these are the artists - as songs would be too many to write blog about, some artists have loads of songs while others appear only once in a special song, hence the "1" - sharing the iPod space at the moment (as this will be a longish list, downsized is the text);

1 Giant Leap (1)
Adolphson & Falk
Aimee Mann
Alison Krauss (1)
Alison Moyet
Amy Winehouse
Ane Brun
Annie Lennox
Anouska Shankar (1)
Antony & the Johnsons
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers (1)
Astrud Gilberto (1)
Bach (1)
The Beach Boys (1)
The Beautiful South
The Beloved (1)
Billy Mack (1)
Black
Bo Kaspers Orkester
Bo Sundström & Frida Öhrn
Bryan Ferry
Cher
China Crisis
Chris Davis (1)
Chris Isaak
Chris Rea
Christina Aguilera (1)
Cock Robin
The Communards
Craig Armstrong
Darren Hayes (1)
David Shire (1)
Debbie Harry (1)
Deep Forest
Delerium (1)
Dido
Dina Carroll (1)
Dinah Washington (1)
Dolphin Boy (1)
Dominic Miller
Duffy
Elton John (1)
Emmylou Harris (1)
Enya
Erasure
Eric Clapton
Eric Gadd
Erik Satie
Eva Cassidy
Everything But the Girl
Feist
Fleetwood Mac
Frank Sinatra (1)
Gabrielle (1)
Ganga (1)
George Michael
Gillian Welch (1)
Girls Aloud (1)
Gotan Project (1)
Groove Armada (1)
Henri Salvador (1)
Human League
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (1)
James Blunt
Jarabe de Palo (1)
Joni Mitchell
Julia Fordham
Katie Melua
K. D. Lang
Kelly Clarkson (1)
Kinobe (1)
Koop (1)
Lena Philipsson
Leonard Cohen
Lighthouse Family
Lisa Miskovsky (1)
Liv Widell (1)
Lois Clark (1)
Lynden David Hall (1)
Mark Tolga (1)
Maroon 5 (1)
Martin Stenmark
Mary J. Blige (1)
Mats Klingström
Moby
Morcheeba (1)
Music Sculptors
Myers (1)
Mylene Farmer (1)
Nora Jones
Oh Laura
Olivia Olson (1)
Oren Lavie
Otis Redding (1)
Paul Simon (1)
Paul Young
Pet Shop Boys
Pierre Belmond (1)
Presuntos Implicados
Puccini (1)
Ricky Martin
Robbie Williams (1)
Robert Miles
Rongedal
Ron Sexsmith (1)
Rosey (1)
Roxy Music
Sarah McLachlan
Shelby Lynne (1)
Sia
Simple Minds
Slow Train (1)
Soft Cell (1)
The Soggy Bottom Boys (1)
Sophie B. Hawkins
Stan Getz & João Gilberto (1)
Sugababes (1)
Syd Matters (1)
Tanita Tikaram
Teitur (1)
Texas
Toni Childs
Tracy Thorn
Ty Unwin & Joolz (1)
Vangelis (1)
Vincente Amigo (1)
William Orbit (1)
Zzaj

As this list may have hinted my (of course indeed very refined) taste in music, any artists/songs you think I should give a go? Any of the artists/songs above you love, any you're not too keen on?

For my most-listen-to-list, have a look here

Playing on the iPod, part I

From the at this time 440 songs on my (red of course) iPod these are the 35 most played. And since many of them have been faithful companions for a long, long time I think they'll continue being some of the most played in the foreseeable future too...

1. Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix) - Everything But the Girl
2. Ifrån (Away) - Adolphson & Falk
3. Missing - Everything But the Girl (yes, really, two versions on my top 3 list...)
4. Answer - Sarah McLachlan
5. Mi Fe - Dominic Miller/Alejandro Lerner
6. If I Could Be Where You Are - Enya
7. I Nattens Lugn (In the Still of the Night) - Adolphson & Falk
8. I Samma Bil (In the Same Car) - Bo Kaspers Orkester
9. (I) Get Lost - Eric Clapton
10. Home & Dry - Pet Shop Boys
11. Shape of My Heart - Dominic Miller/Sting
12. Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
13. The Day Before You Came - Tanita Tikaram
14. 100 år från nu (100 years from now) - Martin Stenmarck
15. Fallen - Sarah McLachlan
16. Perfect 10 - The Beautiful South
17. Don't Leave Me This Way - The Communards
18. Concrete Love - Julia Fordham
19. Release Me - Oh Laura
20. Push - Sarah McLachlan
21. Dirty Little Secret - Sarah McLachlan
22. Breathe Me - Sia
23. In My Heart - Moby
24. Slave to Love - Bryan Ferry
25. It Was Very Good Year - Frank Sinatra
26. So Sorry - Feist
27. Auf Immer und Ewig - Chris Rea
28. Here Comes A Raincloud - China Crisis
29. Big Love - Fleetwood Mac
30. Happy Ever After (Rain Forest Mix) - Julia Fordham, oh that voice...
31. Drifting - Sarah McLachlan
32. Numb - Sia
33. Porcelain - Julia Fordham
34. Marlowe's Theme - David Shire
35. Mercy - Duffy

So. These are apparently my musical preferences. Gosh, looking at this list I'll try hard refrain from making an in depth self-analysis. All I'll say is that this list is about some really satisfying combinations of music, lyrics and amazing voices in stylish package.

The Giant Princess Cake

Indeed, this day has turned out to be exactly that kind of day when one should have stayed in bed, or possibly curled up in the sofa, not even contemplating taking a step into the outside world. Ah well, home again, safe and semi-sound, at least I can see the humour in it all, even if it's so unbelievably clumsy, unnecessary and an inkling pitiful...

When I finally was on my way to the hairdresser's I thought that it was kind of a fine day despite the unbelievably gloomy, foggy weather. Music in my ears, being in a good mood, looking forward to a bit of pampering and a nice lunch on the town afterwards. Getting off the c-train at Karlberg station, tripping along in my Wicked Witch of the East-boots, kind of humming one of my favourite songs, wearing The Winter Coat - the very pale green, delicate, living-dangerously-in-the-Scandinavian-climate-coat... - when I suddenly felt oh no, now I'm actually tripping very factually, in slow motion, with my bags and kind of making a poor imitation of a breakdancer swirling on the dirty ground, ending up jiggering like a giant Princess cake.

I'll spare you the more gorie and embarrassing details - like this wasn't enough you might think, but really, I obviously had to have that icing on the cake to finish the whole spectacle off... And the music didn't stop playing - that song, one of my favourites, will now forever be tainted by this silly incident.

I quickly, perkily got on my way, the hairdresser TG(IF) being only a few blocks away, where I discovered the poor beautiful coat had been severely stained, my stockings were of course ruined, a bit of grazing and bruising here and there, something happened to my left middle finger. And oh yes, my poor ankle that I've sort of disregarded for quite some time now was once again badly strained. I suppose it's drycleaning and a doctor's appointment on the agenda for next week.

I'm not generally clumsy, honestly, but nevertheless I manage to make these completely unexpected hustle and bustle tripping over in very public with a certain charming regular irregularity. Sometimes when I'm on my own, others when I'm with friends. Friends who still like to reminiscence those stupid occasions - and yet, I still call them friends. And well, apart from the sometimes ruined clothes and the pain, I find it more than slightly amusing myself. Not everyone get the chance to make a breakdancing Princess cake imitation in public. With icing on the cake.

Incidentally, how does one tag this post, how about "Stockholm" since it happened here, "sweets" and "food" because it involves a Princess cake, inedible but still. "Sweden"; the Princess cake is very much a Swedish cake. "Illness"; my poor ankle and a bit of grazing - and yes there was blood involved too! - "Humour"; the only way too look at it. "Haircare"; on my way to the hairdresser's. "Entertainment; for some. "Shoes", "clothes", "NoaNoa", "iPod", "music" all played - no pun intended - important parts in this tripping story.

This close to music

I've been thiiiis close to returning that darn - but so very cute! And red! - iPod nano. The phone support wasn't very helpful - most of the times I have absolutely no idea what qualifications got those guys the job... - finally I had to reinstall the whole iTunes system, again. Overwhelmingly big sigh over that!!

But right now it actually looks like it's working, believe it or not. And I'm downloading old CD goodies and new ones just as fast as I can - which isn't very fast... So for this very first time of downloading to my cute new musical companion I've selected:

* Anthony & the Johnsons - first album and their album of I am a bird now
* Black
* Bossa Nova for lovers
* Ane Brun - Spending time with Morgan
* buddha-bar III (and contemplating about whether to take the others too or not...)
* Cher - believe
* The Classic chillout album
* Leonard Cohen - Dear Heather, Ten new songs
* Deep Forest; Deep forest & Boheme
* Enya - Amarantine
* Euro lounge
* Everything but the girl - Amplified heart
* Fleetwood Mac - Tango in the night
* Bryan Ferry - Boys & girls
* Julia Fordham - concrete love
* Sophie B. Hawkins - timbre
* Lighthouse family - The very best of...
* Ricky Martin - sound loaded
* Sarah McLachlan - Afterglow, Solace, Surfacing
* Katie Melua - Piece by piece
* George Michael - Patience
* Dominic Miller - Shapes (which must be one of the most beautiful records ever made!)
* Lisa Miskovsky - Changes
* Alison Moyet - Voice
* Our defintion of jazz
* Pet Shop Boys (of course!) - Discography, Fundamental, Very
* Presuntos implicados - el pan y la sal
* Chris Rea - On the beach
* Roxy Music - Avalon (classical all time favorite!)
* Simple Minds - Black & White
* Sting - Sacred love

One record that really doesn't want to cooperate with me and one I really, really would like to have downloaded is The Blue Nile - High. It seems like there might be some hidden non-copying function on that CD. Buhu huhu...

And tomorrow I'll be doing some selecting and downloading of separate songs from
* The Beautiful south
* Bo Kaspers Orkester
* Toni Childs
* Eric Clapton
* Frank Sinatra

Right now I feel like a busy little music-bee - a busy bee that has kept postponing the actual hard labour of packing her colourful (red!) suitcase in a very compact way. That certain compact way that still keeps one very stylish and yet comfortable and not overly dressed on a holiday in the sun.

And of course, that compact way that makes room for fun shopping which hopefully won't lead to any overweight-fees on the plane back home...

Countdown to sun

Can't help but musing over the fact than in about a week I'll be sitting somewhere on a very warm and sunny beach sipping something like this to the right...

And what's the fun with musing if you can't share the fact that in one week I'll be having fun in the sun whilst others just have to do with fun in the snow - and cold.

Since it was a bit of sort of impossible to find bikinishorts in the Stockholmian shops this time of year - hey, haven't you heard of winter holidays to the sun? - I had to try the emergency thing with buying them online.

The model/colour/pattern seemed to good to be true - I hope they're good enough irl... And I sure hope they'll get here in time too - a bit silly if they don't.

Another thing I hope will get here in time before we leave is my new present - which also helps support the fight against aids in Africa - a bright red iPod nano.

I'm not really keen on the iPod design itself, but well, it's both for a global good cause AND a Pia good cause - so I don't have to bring with me a bunch of CD:s and a player on holiday, again.

If you want to both listen and do good, or do even more good, read more about the Global fund and Red here.

I have managed - I think - to compact down the luggage I'm bringing, but the big question(s) still remaining unanswered is whether to bring one handbag or two, and if so which one or two? The opinions on that highly important matter varies.

Yeah, I know, going on a safari doesn't acquire any stylish handbag. And not the hanging out at the beach either. But I suppose there'll be a bit of hanging out in a city or two too, and a bit of shopping. And well, one wouldn't want to be totally without style, right?

The question(s) remains... One or two, which one or two... To be continued.