my perfect contemplation corner

Remember when I painted this Adirondack chair years ago? Since it's actually pretty comfy it has been residing indoors since. But when I changed things around a bit this spring - due to unexpected life events... - I put it out in the garden near the fragrant mock orange, which has since obviously been overgrown by the amazing clematis. Didn't realize it would become one of my favourite spots in the garden this summer, but it certainly has been!

Weather and time allowed it is the perfect place to enjoy breakfast, fika and contemplation. It's my thinking and life enjoying chair. Sitting there on a warm summer day, in the shade, mild breezes and the cats flocking around me for cuddles I know I'm so blessed and grateful for all the wonderful things I have in my life, have had, will have.

My clematis is bigger than yours! And the picture does not do it justice.

Hopefully there will be quite a few more moments of this and breakfasts al fresco still this season. But one thing's for sure, I will miss my perfect contemplating, gratitude corner lots when weather turns autumn.

How many cats can you spot here?

Do you have a perfect contemplation spot too?
Tell me all about it!

from cone of shame to hip post-operative suit

It was a miserable couple of days with the cone for the little red miss. I have never ever seen a cat so hysterical over having to wear the shameful cone (and I never ever want to see one again). She refused to eat, use the box and she ended up peeing all over me before I got enough and thought I'd try making a post-operative-suit from an old sock.

A kind blog-reader had already offered to send me the snazzy suit she had for her little dog after surgery, but that would take a day or two to get here in the mail. So awaiting that I decided this could be an option.

A regular little sock would be too small but a knee-sock would do, so I sacrificed one. Cut holes for the head and heine plus all for legs. I'm surprised how immediately relieved she was having to wear that instead of the cone. Initially she moved a bit awkwardly but only next morning she was more or less her usual self. So happy to be able clean herself, eat and use the litter box.

She has been super-cuddly and chatty in her little hip suit all week. In fact I think it has worked so very well that I'm contenplating that with some tweaks this would work well as a little side-business - upcycled old socks turned unpretentious post-operative suits for cats and small dogs.

Tomorrow the stitches will be removed by the vet, I hope he'll appreciate my creative solution to the cone problem.

I also hope Zigne will stay true to her new and chat/cuddle-improved self (we've comforted eachother so well all week). And that it isn't a case of 'the clothes make the cat'.

the diy book chair

One of the cutest, most brilliant armchairs I've ever seen! Spotted in a bookstore and such a great inspiration for a DIY, wouldn't you agree?

Discarded and thrifted books, and wood, together they get a new life as a chair, table or some other furniture. And if you haven't decided on the perfect Christmas gift yet, well it's high time to get building!

a wall of diy mosaic

In the toilet at the pizzeria Dammstugan The Pond Cottage), situated at Wenngarn castle (where we picked sunflowers and met adorable pigs), they have a pretty fabulous wall. 

A mosaic wall made of old, crushed plates and porcelain items. Happy and inspirational, a great way to upcycle old pottery. And of course even if the impact is greater with a large wall this will be a fine kind of DIY on smaller objects too.

meet the magical recycling wardrobe

The thrifted wardrobe which purpose is to hold all the recycling bags - glass, tin, cardboard, paper, plastic - is now fully assembled and my hall is transformed. And there's no room for cats to jump up and inspect anymore.

I adore its new airy, quirky look - totally bobbaloo approved as you can see - and when I've put together the happy lights for the mirror it will be basically done, but for a few finishing touches.

It was sad to see the old thrifted, wooden sofa I bought and transformed when I moved to my second apartment in 1991 finally being demolished. But it was really beyond repair now - for which I blame the cats - and it had served me well for over 20 years. 

The hallway does look so much fresher and bigger without it - and a bit magical given the wardrobe's design. And to have all those recycling paper bags stored away is such a great relief.

Wardrobe from IKEA Mammut-series.

when a rag rug meets a sunlounger

Spotted this in a shop window display recently and I have to say I think it's pretty brilliant in all it's simplicity.

Many of us who have inherited old rag rugs and even if they are beautiful not all of us are inclined to cover our floors in rugs. Luckily there are many good ways to use them and this is one.

Sunlounger + rag rug = true.

once upon a time i painted pots

Those painting pots days seem awfully far away. I don't feel the least bit inclined to do such painting now. Back then I used to paint, sell and give pots in different sizes as gifts. I loved coming up with colour combinations (obviously) and details. The odd pot I kept for myself. One of my favourites from those days is still this one for kitchen utensils.



Though the impression of the pot clearly improves with a feline inspector posing with it.







Another favourite is the vegetables pot. It's been used and worn with time. But with a motive that still rocks my vegetarian boat.







And of course the old carrot pot!

A while back I discovered a couple of pots with a style that felt similar to mine. Turned out it was indeed my painting. I had forgotten about that lingonberry and apple pair. A rather sweet pair me thinks. After all these years.

the prosit sisters proudly present laptop skin and case

The new laptop has now been dressed in what can most likely be described as the most awesome skin ever. The Prosit sisters as kittens.

The customized skin was ordered at Schtickers and I'm very pleased with the quality in general. But there are two details that glitch. 

A) The fact that you have to rely on eye measurement when you change the uploaded size of the photo. It looked fine on screen but irl it is visible (to me) that the sisters' heads are a bit too flat and squeezed together compared to the actual photo. The sizing procedure should be more accurate.

B) The second glitch is that the sizing of the corners of the skin isn't perfect. They need a bit of a trim. I thought I measured the flat surface perfectly, not sure it's my fault or not. And I suppose it's reasonably easy to trim myself.

That apart, a very high degree of adorable loveliness indeed.

The new laptop has also received a proper case. Or you could also say, little sister iPad case (made from recycled PET-bottles and wool) has now a big sister. 

For weird and unknown reasons the Swedish company P.A.P's laptop cases has been adjusted to MACs only. By which they obviously miss a huge potential in customers.

I'm just pleased my laptop apparently is of the perfect case size despite being a happy non-MAC. So the 15" size is a perfect fit. I love its simplicity, design and material.

Both skin and case have been paw inspected and approved. By both Prosit sisters. Apparently the cases are great scratching cases for cats too. Who knew.

diy bird feeder

Spotted this pretty darn fabulous diy birdfeeder at Alsta gardens last weekend. What a great way to use old pottery, ceramics, whatever beads you have lying around etc. Only your imagination is the limit to what can be created. I see bird feeders or bird baths, but I'm sure the creations can be used as hanging "baskets" for fruit, bathroom stuff or holders for all sorts of trinkets and treasures. Very inspirational, wouldn't you agree?



I do believe I need to raid the nearest thrift store for old plates and bowls asap. And I have lots of glass beads since my jewellery making days that I won't use for jewellery again - when I get my jewellery making mojo back, I'm thinking it might have gone on an extended holiday in company with my reading mojo - which would be lovely to use for these creations instead of chunky wooden ones.



A selection of previous birdfeeders in my garden are

~ the apple hook - a disappointment
~ the dotty one - pretty to look at
~ the red moomin house - bird success!
~ the white moomin house - success too!

a mess of necklaces

A couple of years ago I thrifted a (white) bureau with the intention of repainting and upcycling. In the end I went with changing the 10 knobs into pretty porcelain ones only, since the bureau was in good condition and white is such an easy-goes-with-everything colour.

In this bureau I decided to keep my jewellery, accessories and hair thingies for easy storage and reach. Easy storage yes, but to be honest I've ended up using less and less jewellery because - just as in life in general - "if it isn't visible it doesn't exist".

Today however I rememembered an old necklace I hadn't used for ages and decided to rummage through the bureau for it. Which to my surprise was easier said than done. I know I put all those necklaces down in the drawer very carefully so it wouldn't get tangled, but today it was just a big mess when I tried to liberate this one necklace.

Clearly there's (at least) one mischiveous house elf in this household. And no I don't mean the fourlegged, furry herd.



I managed to detangle the necklace mess and get my heart out. All was in the end well. And it got even better when the juice was juiced of course. Cheers!

goodbye june 2013

You have been an awesome month, June 2013, I will be sad to see you go but I haved loved pretty much every minute of you -

except for that accident caused by the bus driver a while back, when I fell stepping out of the bus because he closed the door on me. And hey presto, I crash landed on my knees. It wasn't, and still isn't, good at all, but the fall and crash could have been so so much worse and I bet it was you, awesome June, who made the crash landing a lot less painful than it could have been, you saved me but at the same time showed me that one should always be aware of life's unexpected less delightful elements even amidst a lot of awesomeness.

I'm also very happy that on your very last day you showed me this inspirational little thing for the garden, how to create my very own heart path. Because one can't have to many hearts in life.

And please tell your sister July that too much of the good thing is never enough.

a brand new pia k stockholm website

Finally I've gotten around to revamping the Pia K Stockholm website, something I should have done ages ago, but better late than never. It's a work in progress and far from finished, but I kind of like it like it is, not a lot of words, or pictures, just a few glimpses (but links to more of them). Plus simple contact information. Really, what more needs to be, if you think about it. In this world were we're drowned in information, texts and images, all the time, everywhere.

I'm glad I got around to the revamping with the new MOO cards arriving, perfect timing really.

I've been crocheting a lot of bowties recently - more of the happy bunch later - bitten by the springtime cotton yarn bug and of course, the endless thing that is lovely colour combinations... I'm glad M has not been negative at the thought of actually wearing them. Bowties are such a dapper little thing, wouldn't you agree?

upcycled seat cushion

I know I've promised lots of pictures of pink office, but somehow there's always some tweaking that needs doing, improvements, a bit of tidying up, pink office styling etc etc - and the light is never really right. One day there will be light and there will be pictures, even if that day isn't today.

But I give you something small and pink instead, an unexpected detail I've been enjoying a lot since I bought it a few months back - an upcycled seat cushion. Easy to make yourself of course - and I have lots of those charity shop rags left - but it called my name, this crocheted seat (by MFJ Form) since no matter how comfortable a (pink) plastic office chair is it really can be terribly uncomfortable to sit on a warm day without a seat cushion.

And yes, this simple thing, crocheted with recycled rags, have been surprisingly kind to my behind. What a difference an upcycled pink seat cushion can make!

the yabba-dabba-doo skirt

the stockholm city mission run several successful charity projects, including a bakery, cafes and quite a few second hand shops.

one of those shops is a special gem, situated in the big cultural center (the ugly building where the swedish parliament was housed a while during the seventies) in stockholm city - it's a smallish, fresh and inviting shop that only sells cleverly upcycled second hand stuff and new fairtrade items. they make simply awesome dresses, tunics, skirts, hats, bags and superadorable children/baby garments from old clothes and fabrics people have given to charity. it's so lovely and inspiring it'll actually make you weep (if you're a softie).

for very reasonable prices they sell the remade things under the label REMAKE.

myself i've been drooling over a fabulous summer tunic for months, sadly it didn't fit over my shoulders. would still love to have it but it feels silly to having to redo it the first thing i do... it was still for sale there today... i can't believe noone has snatched it a long time ago!

what i did find there and HAD TO try on today though was this happyhappyhappy skirt - i didn't know i needed one until i saw it, seriously, everyone needs one!! behold, a yabba-dabba-doo skirt.

recycled material, handmade, clever and unique, the money goes to charity - shopping at its best!

have a yabbadabbadooastic weekend one and all ~

random sunday musings

Life is a lot about thinking right now - and kittens plus blue boots, oh how I adore them all in their own ways - so here goes another post on this and that ~

:: Enjoyed reading your different views on blogging and blogetiquette the other day very much. And yes, to put it plainly, as someone clever said, "do what is right for you, blogging isn't an obligation".


:: I find it mind-baffling that someone I know reasonably well refuses to text or call me on my *new* mobile phone number, contact me at home or via email, or Facebook for that matter. Instead she keeps using my old mobile phone number, the one that noone I care about uses anymore.

I've had the iPhone for nearly two years now, I've repeatedly told her to use that number. When I on the very odd occasion check it I find strange sms:s she left there months ago. We've known eachother for, let's see... 16 years now. At times a friend, others an acquaintance and for longer periods we haven't had any contact at all. She is, shall we say, a peculiar kind of person, caring and kind, creative and fun, but also at times showing other not nearly as nice features if you rub her the wrong way. Well, at least she suddenly insists it to be the wrong way.

The last time we had any real contact was rather awkward and her acting like this doesn't really make me want to revitalize our ... acquaintanceship. I don't need any more weirdness in my life. Not the energy absorbing kind that this would be. And once again, I ponder the thing about friends for different occasions.


:: Today I overcame a great hurdle, something I've been dreading for months now - I finally went and got my picture taken in a photo machine (I emptied my piggy bank for it, but hey, photo machines of today apparently only takes credit cards. Wow, it really is modern days of our lives).

And despite me really, really hating this, having my picture taken, as I mentioned before, and having braced myself for having to take loads of x4 photos, it turned out the very first one was good. Quite good, and I'm really super-critical and annoyed about pictures of me so if I deem them quiet good I think they're alright. I was so surprised about that when I spotted it in pre-view mode I inadvertently made a weird face in the second pic, but the latter two were also alright. The dotty spectacles helped a lot.

So tomorrow I'll head to the bank and get a new ID-card. If they deem the pictures ID-card-worthy (size, shadows, visible pupils etc) that is.

And this I have dreaded for months. The utter silliness.


:: The first really job-related meeting I had last week was a really good one. No it wasn't the dream-client I mentioned - that'll hopefully be next month, touch wood and all that - but an old job contact, which will hopefully lead to new good contacts and contracts. Yes it really was a good meeting, over a cup of tea and scones in a pretty tea room. My kind of job meeting indeed.


:: I'm thinking that photogenique cats and kittens ought to be concidered a work-related, deductible stock-in-trade. I'm thinking sister Almost White and sister Dotty Red are perfect photographical stock-in-trades. The more I think about it the more sense it makes, wouldn't you agree? I really have the best of opportunities to work with their abilities and temperament right from the start, I always have, but still, now I'm thinking about it from a slightly different angle.

It would be a relief not having to even think about the selling of li'l ms Dotty Red, since she then already has her future set as a Prosit representative. Not having to separate the two peas in a pod, one red, one almost white.

I mean, creative, intellectual people do enjoy the company of cats, they are inspirational as well as soul soothing when needed. Wouldn't it be perfect somehow, that the company of Prosit would have two tiny furbabies as spokecatpersons, groomed the part right from the start? Not that I would go all crazy-cat-lady of course, but I find the sheer idea of spokekittens rather exhilarating and amusing.

And actually, I am thinking of a logotype that would be a good symbol for Prosit, what I am and what I'll bring to a client - not a cat, silly - but the things that a cat stands for. Ah, this could be a neat idea me thinks. Brought to blog under the influence by Ztina and Zigne, or Ord and Bild if you will.


:: Yesterday I bought three cans of spray paint, three shades of pink. My plan is to A) paint this case shelf - I know that wasn't my original intention, but its not an antique piece, I'll use it in my office, dark furnitures have no room in there and it really needs to be transformed into something happy looking. It has waited for its new purposes for plus two years. It is time.

B) to paint this curvaceous lamp-stand. It was my original intention to do so when I charity shop bought it plus one year ago. And make a new shade for it. I still haven't gotten around to it, the shade kind of grew on me - after all it's pink - and it's been standing beside the TV awaiting its destiny.

The idea was to find a similar lamp-stand for the pink office, to repaint it and make a new shade. And have it as a reading lamp by the armchair (which will also enjoy the company of the granny square footstool). Finding the right kind of lamp-stand is however trickier than you might think, they're probably quite sought after these days.

So, I'll spraypaint this one, better late than never, and use it as an office-stand-in-lamp-stand - or maybe it'll be more comfortable in there, who knows. A new shade it'll get too, I've had a few fabulastic ideas cooking for a while now, one of them it will be. (But I'll save this current pink shade for special occasions or the living room life.)

Since snow fell in an abundance today - I can't help but thinking that these soft, supersized snowflakes that create a silent, winter wonderland with reasonable temperatures only around zero are really really beautiful. I may not think so if it gets colder, icier, creates a public transportation mess and give me hellish electrical bills for months, but for now, for a while, let me declare winter bliss - I won't be doing any spraypainting outdoors until temperatures and weather allow. But as soon as it does, hello pink caste, hello pink lamp-stand.


:: Pretty much the rest of the office is now painted in pink also. Tomorrow I'll do a second coat. A few odd corners and holes that need more extensive plastering will hopefully be done next weekend. Then all the walls are finished!

Oh, then someone (not so) clever once upon a time thought it was a fantastic idea to wallpaper the outside of the closet door. Thus it looks the same rubbish as the walls used to and need painting. I would love to go all applegreen on it, but I think a pale lavender hue would emit a more tranquil and seamless feeling with the pink walls. So that it will be.

And then there's the tired, worn ol' marble window sill in dark grey. It needs either a few coats of paint or a plastic cover film. Since I'm in painting mood the paint idea seems nicer, though a cover film in a cute pattern would be rather pleasing.


:: Doing all this painting and refurbishing has made me thinking about other projects I've been pondering for years. Home improvement projects I can perform myself for a reasonable sum of money. With Rutger moving to my mum - yes he's doing fine, although he probably needs time to adjust to the fact that he is not a fertile mister anymore, but a neuter consultant and calm down with his plucky behaviour towards his brother and mother - there's another room liberated. A room I've been thinking of repainting ever since we moved here 10 years ago (last December 19). Now-ish is finally the time.

I was thinking green, but with the pink paint leftovers from the office space I'll probably use that. But only for three walls, the fourth will be wallpapered. I'm thinking this birdie and flower one would be wonderful, but I 'm not interested in splurging the money it'll probably cost. This butterfly wallpaper is gorgeous too - but probably also a costly alternative. So I'm looking for more affordable alternatives.


:: I need to be a more demanding boss this week. January is almost over, time to stop semi-slacking.

the week that was

I was going to write something substantial about my "first week as my own boss" this evening. But I have been a very kind boss this first week, getting into a flow plus those hairy, cuddly colleagues, well, you have to spend time socializing to, right? I may not have been quite as diligently checking off lists as I had planned - and I'm really, really working hard on the "not everything has to be perfect in order to get things going forward"... -  but I'm alright with that.

I've also been quite busy finally getting around to painting the office walls (somehow you really, really must be in the right mood for it). 50% of the room is now painted twice, in what turned out to be - as one can't really be sure what the colour will look like on a big wall compared to a smaller sample - a rather awesome strawberry icecream hue - you Swedes who ate and the remember "puckstång jordgubb", that's the colour - which is really sweet, pink, calming and perky at the same time.

It was the first time I painted walls, it was great fun. And very satisfying. And a lot of work, I have sore muscles I didn't know existed. In order to put up the new bookshelves - which I think are nothing less than fabulous

- I had to finish half of the room and will leave the other half until I'm less sore and up for it again. But I hope to do it within a week, it's so easy to let it drag out and procrastinate, but I want the whole room to look as grand and new as one half does now asap!

I spent a good portion of the autumn and winter cleaning out things that had been piling up in there and the amount of stuff (incl books that lacked importance to me) given away to charity is substantial. As is the amount of papers thrown away. It really feels fantastic to finally getting down to doing this, a major factual as well as soul/mind cleansing.

To have a brand new room, a creative, calm space - no cats allowed, but little loaf has his own blanket - for a specific purpose, gosh, I am so so happy about this!

Weekend has basically been spent working on this space, figuring out which books and papers that do have a place in there still. And I spent an hour at IKEA this Sunday morning - not an IKEA fan, ya'know, but an annual visit for a specific purpose for wares with prices I'm alright with, as in cheap, but not as cheap as it's very obvious someone else have paid the actual price for it - being very specific with the things needed, rushing through the place cleverly avoiding the crowds and queues. Home with me came a new desk (light and simple), a deskchair (perky and simple), a few office supplies and a fabulastic ceiling lamp.

The comfy armchair in mint condition I got from the charity shop last year has finally a proper place and purpose in pink office. It does need a decent floor lamp, something pretty and worn that I can upcycle and transform to fit the room - thus being on top of the to-get-list for my perfect, creative space.

I absolutely heart my new office. It'll quite probably be my new favourite room. Light permitted I'll try and get a few photos of it tomorrow. The finished side vs the not so finished one. Now, now I will be a more demanding boss this week to come. Promise.

refurn

The week before Christmas last year we visited a Christmas fair/Refurn open warehouse at Stjärnhov in December 2010.

The idea behind ReFurn (which is a clever little name) is reduce-reuse-recycle. They have a store in a Stockholm suburb (so far haven't visited there) as well as this huge warehouse a couple of hours drive south of Stockholm, an old barn situated at the manor named Stjärnhov (stjärna = star, hov = court or hoof). ReFurn has apparently been around since 1994, but I only heard about it last year or so. They've also won environmental prices for their work.

The barn (which very much still looked and smelled like one, it was all very authentic and quite charming, despite the bitter cold) was absolutely brimming with fantastic stuff. And not so fantastic too of course. But why buy new furniture when there's a goldmine of recycled things that look awesome as they are and things that would look great with a coat of paint or some other nifty upcycling?

love this sofa,
cats would destroy it without
a moments of fur-hesitation

once upon an analog time...

There was a shoe per diem moment. There was the shopping of a red lampshade, books for bookcrossing and there was an armchair, a fabulous armchair that will have its own post tomorrow-ish. Yes it was all very enlightening and lovely. Definitely also a place to (re)visit or donate one's old furniture and stuff too.

ReFurn
Ulvsundavägen 151, Bromma (Stockholm)
Stjärnhovs Säteri, Gnesta
how to get there