toy car summer day

With weather, health, other commitments not permitting the toy car inauguration until this weekend it was such a bliss to finally be there. We took a long drive, to a destination with a lovely cafe, had a stroll  around the picturesque smalltown, browsed a few shops before heading home again. and while the destination, as usual, is of the sweet kind it was the journey itself which was the major treat.

Riding in a cab on a summer day really is blissful, everything so close, the sky, the ground, air, sounds, scents, light, sights, nature - like a 3D experience compared to a drive in a usual car which can be described as 2D - life. Liberating and life affirming. Heart.

toy dogs

Because some days a couple of silly cute toy dogs (and such) in a window display is THE thing to lift the spirits, to put a smile on face.

christmas glimpses sweden

Little favourite Iron Boy sports a new seasonal outfit.

Saffron semla and advent candles at café Tant Gredelin ~
still undecided whether saffron is a reasonable excuse for eating lenten buns this time of the year...

The red mailbox for Christmas cards only ~
never use it, have heard far too many stories about the mistreatment of mail put in this box from friends working extra at the postal services...

Rekorderlig ('proper', 'hearty') Christmas cider with cinnamon ~
didn't taste of much cinnamon but was rather nice and appley fresh in flavour.

Christmas trees for sale at Nibble Garden, Järna ~

me I'm a firm believer of not cutting down trees for Christmas purposes only. The notion alone makes me utterly sad.

Höganäs mustard jar from Apoteket ~
For many years every winter the Swedish state owned pharmaceutical retailing chain Apoteket (The Pharmacy) sells their own mustard (as well as other Christmassy items) in pretty jars. I am not a great fan of the mustardy flavour, but this year's jar from Höganäs (classic Swedish stoneware company) in gorgeous red was just too lovely to resist. When the mustard is finished the jar will come in use for other things.

Saffron biscotti from Saltå Kvarn bakery ~
ah well, the ones I bake myself tastes a lot better...

Black socks with red stars ~
as I find knitting and crocheting, creative things in black usually boring and impractical (not that everything I make have to be practical always mind you) beyond reason really one should never expect a black custom order to be all black. I just couldn't resist adding little red stars and a rim on these socks and hey presto they were rather lovely me thinks.

Two kitschy gnomes and one pink plastic rabbit ~
what's not to love? The rabbit even jogs its head, very impressive that is.

Apple hook and bird feeder ~
I did think of the wee feathered friend not migrated and put up a new feeder stuffed with seeds in tree. So far fram from a massive hit. The blackbirds that are frequent visitors sadly don't seem to approve of the design. Any suggestions of a perfect feeder for blackbirds?

Knäck ~
the much loved Swedish caramel crunchy-chewy sweets essential for Christmas. It's far from easy to get the perfect consistency and combination of crucnhiness and chewiness. My mother's batch this year was just perfect ~

december 1st - trolls

In awaiting of inspiration and serious writing bug to return but still wanting to express myself, share something little I thought one wee post in the advent calender style throughout December (or at least until Christmas) would be feasible.

So behind the world according to me's December 1st flap hides one of my childhood favourite toys, the Danish DAM trolls.

These three guys weren't my favourites when I was little (the favourites probably still resides in a cardbox in garden shed), but they came to live with me the other day thanks to mother who was 'spring cleaning in December'.

Same mother used to crochet the most adorable befitting outfits for my trolls and others back in childhood days and somehow I feel this nameless trio (any suggestion?) deserves some new and appropriate clothes. I'm thinking magic yarn and trolls would be a good match...

Today's post can also be seen as a quiet hommage to one of my favourite Swedish television calenders ever, "Trolltider" (Troll times).