wednesday contemplation

I think I can safely say that this has been a week of incredible low points. I would really love to write something witty and nice here in blog, muse about colours and yarn and bobbaloos and Stockholm, Sweden questions and perky giveaways. And shoes and castles, cats and dogs, good food and really fantastically good news.

But for now I just can't, things that happened today - people that have such dull, pathetic, futile, unfullfilled lives of their own that they rejoice in talking a lot of rubbish behind others' back, assuming one person is telling the truth without having even made an effort to hear the other person's version and spread rumours that are so far from the truth, I feel nothing but the uttermost contempt for those people - have left me drained, jaded, tired. Angry and sad. Such stupidity and inability to distinguish right from wrong and instead simply relish the talking of utter crap. Ah, the problem with common sense is that it's far too uncommon.

Life just seems a bit too lopsided right now.

And I desperately cling to the really good stuff, like the fact that there are inspiring, kind people when and possibly where you least expect it. That there are actually anonymous blog stalkers dressed as Easter bunnies who send unexpected and most precious of gifts (above, more of raspberry preciousness later). That's seriously sweetness and I can't say thank you enough. Really. Really. Very much.

That there are lovely blog readers who take time and consideration to leave the dearest of comments. That I often smile in delight when I do the comment moderation on train in the mornings. A most pleasant way to start commuting mornings.

And that I, very unexpectedly, the other day stumbled over that yellow submarine tea-strainer I've been wanting to find for so long. Shadows, gloom and doom may be lurking. But the power of a good tea-strainer (and good tea) should never ever be underestimated.

tuesday delights

Just as I suspected the "too much coffee" yesterday (and a sore jaw) kept me from sleeping last night and it's been a both early and long day. Most of it spent in mind-numbing, humdrum, yawn-inspiring and (for me useless) meetings, before I could finally get on the train home again.

The glimpses of good to brilliant of today have been;

:: the sun shone for the second day in a row. It might possibly have been the fourth day actually, my memory is sometimes short but always sweet. Sadly no kind winds, rather chilly. But sun, blissful sun.

:: season inauguration of Moomin dress. The happy dress. I felt very perky amongst most drab, incomprehensibly dark dressed.

:: there's always room for a view and the view from 9th floor elevator was awesome. (Sadly not really visible in snap.)

:: to have a ceramic choir on the wall is pretty great.

:: to have a surprise gift from the mysterious Easter bunny in mailbox when one gets home is even greater. Really tear-jerkingly fabulastic.

:: As is a tickle happy baby penguin.

All and all, it turned out to be a pretty lovely day in its very own way.

monday blues

Today was the second time for root-filling and since the inflammation, according to Mr Dentist, needs time to heal it's still not a done deal. So I see a string of dentist's appointments over the months to come... Which will cause not only a sad me, but a very unhappy wallet.

But, I'm apparently a darn tough cookie; anesthesia, bah, only for weaklings.

On the bright side, I managed to fit in many a neat errands on my way to the dentist - including a couple of quirky gifts for M, who's birthday it is tomorrow. But since he's away on business, we'll do something extra special come Easter instead - had a nice lunch, the skies were incredibly blue, the sun shone generously, the winds were kind and the post root-filling outdoors fika was lovely.

I've probably had too much coffee to get a good night's sleep (and tomorrow will be a both early and long day).

But I seriously love this shoe-sock-colour-combo, blue nailpolish and the fact that I don't have to bother with the dinner today as there are plenty of leftovers from yesterday's most pleasant dinner.

So can we now agree on that this is as fun as this blog will be today? And that blues doesn't have to be an all bad, singular and unpleasant thing. And that things will get better. Because so says the sun.

And that the sweetest of bobbaloos are all made by Kit Lane and not me, but the magical sleeping pouches are by yours truly.

And that Easter is the bestest best of holidays (unpretentious, yellow, perky, springy, relaxing and long).Yes, I think we can.

the weekend that was

Lovely weather, lawn semi-overflowing with scillas

the rhubarb sprouts are even bigger 

than they were when this was bobbaloo snapped,

so are very much the peony buds and

the lilacs keep growing and
growing in the most delightful of ways.

It has been a reasonably mind-relaxing weekend, even if I haven't slept as completely, utterly  peacefully as some. Oh, it would indeed be lovely to be able to do that once again.

There have been pancakes,
lots of tea and delicious, perky food.

There has been knitting, crocheting,
sewing, writing, gardening 

and there have been the digs of Mr Muddy Loaf.

I can't wait for it to finally be Easter weekend (my favourite holiday)
with many more days in a row like this...

hey mr disgruntled

Cleaned the little furry boys' room today, vacuuming, mopping, swabbing, dusting, well, pretty much the semi-complete makeover after a long winter - someone was very displeased about having to spend most of the day in sunny (or shady, whatever one prefer) garden. Because  o f c o u r s e  one should be able to spend time in- or outdoors as one kitty cat pleases, not being
f o r c e d to be outdoors like that, on a perfectly springy, sunny, pleasant day.

Therefor, I Rutger, spent all day lying in the sage shrubs. No, not too pleased, not at all. Disgruntled is my middle name. Do not disturb.

In case you've missed it, tomorrow, Sunday,
is the last day to enter the little
perky mushroom giveaway,
read more here ~

mid april friday

Another week has passed. Another dispiriting one. Half way through April. A month of which I had such high hopes. So far it has been very far from. I take one day at a time. I wish the giddiness and excitement I feel about certain things, matters, events, people could stay a while and grow, instead of wither away. Again.

I don't want to belong to the pathetic group of tgif:ers, I want good weeks, prosperous, rewarding, inspirational, happy, sometimes uplifting, sometimes just okey weekdays too (I can live with some crap here and there, just not the recurring chaplets of it). As it should be. Instead they are soul-crushing for the most parts.

The thing is that I never suffer from low self-esteem, I never lose faith in my abilities, competences and the true me, but I have long since lost faith in our society (as well as the homo sapiens in general, but that's another story...) and my utter contempt for all the human creepy crawlers that appear from under the nearest rock and uses, abuses a system long since gone awry, that contempt is so overwhelming.

Oh, some weeks are definitely better than others, there are glimpses of hope and promise, good things to come. Everything happens for a reason, possibly, this too shall pass. But some days, some weeks, some months, some years as a whole are destructive and disheartening. They really, really are.

- and how some people can simply ignore incredible stupidity and lousy attitude in co-workers, that never fails to amaze me... - 

For this more than well-deserving weekend I plan to do a decent job in garden, cleaning the outside mess might help with the cleansing of inside and bracing for another dreaded week. And there will be bobbaloo adventures. And all will be well.

Have a lovely,
energyinfusing weekend ~

the curious incident with the cat in the daytime

Are you ready for a gruesome tale, involving a big red menace and three little brave bobbaloos? With a fortunate and happy ending, no need to fear otherwise. Once upon a time there were three wee wool guys on a garden inspecting mission when suddenly...

~ okey guys, how should we approach this looming cat issue?

~ just stand still, stand very very still

~ stand still, stand stiff and all will be well

~ oh noes, he's sniffing me...

~ the brave are a falling,
Buddernut stand still, be strong!

~ just lie still, very still, kismet, and all will be well

~ oh no, I think I may have wet my birthday suit

~ phew, it was an ordeal, i survived,
leonard, just stay still and everything will be alright

~ oh noes, big red menace's
using his big paw claws on little leonard!

~ will stand still, will stand strong, will not buddernut budge

~ saved! we did survive to tell the gruesome tale.
all is well that ends well.

Big red menace - Knut

Three wee brave guys - Kismet, Leonard and Buddernut

for the love of colours

I'm a person that never (well at least 99% of the times, there are exceptions known) wear black.

It started out as simply being a terribly impractical colour when a cat owner, but really, I personally find black incredibly boring, unimaginative and uninspirational in general.

I have a friend who mused over the fact that she always wore black when she was in her twenties, with age she began being more adventurous with colours and she also (in hindsight) realised that with the wearing of colour came an open mind. She had been more of a judgmental character when she was younger, when she loved wearing black clothes.

Myself I cherish a statement from Matthew Broderick's character in the 2004 version of "The Stepford Wives" when he says that black is only worn by neurotic career hags. Ah, that's incredibly hilarious, in my book of colours. (Not that I prefer the Stepford-wife-personality, oh no, those are about as attractive as neurotic career hags. In any colour.)

Be as that may (and I'm sure the wearer-of-black would protest), in my world one should always wear colour, it doesn't have to be bright and cheerful and in your eyes colours always, but the amount of moodlifting and inspiring good colours can do should never ever be underestimated!

Whenever I see a window display with exquisitely combined colours I do get all giddy with happiness. Whenever I step into a shop with gorgeous colours on the rails I immediately am in lust for more colours in my life. Yes, my love for colours is endless and passionate. They inspire me in ways words can't completely describe.

The downside with colours, if one should call it that, is that with wearing colours like I do, one might look overall perkier and happier than one is. It's interesting how easily one can deceive people with a perky, colourful outside, when the inside may be another sadder story.

Some days I dress perky, because I feel perky, others I dress perky because I need to cheer myself up and some days I really can't cheer myself up like that (and let people think I'm much chirpier than I really am). It just a day of gloom, inside out. But, as a general rule, life does feel much, much better in colours.

As is obvious when I look at my little, happy pile of clothes I've been most fortunate to get for spring/summer, applegreen and pink (which is the most lovely of colour combos there is, no protest!), red, raspberry red, green, turquoise, a dash of vanilla (and only because there were cats printed on that scarf, I mean, who can resist that?) and dots, lotsa dots. Ah, what's not to love in this pile? Springish, summery, happy pile.

And when autumn comes (long long time away) I have already some wonderful woolly project plans, like fabulastic Lovikka mittens in red and pink and tutti-frutti coloured socks. Oh for the love of colours. Extra prima ~

On the subject of colours,
don't forget the perky mushroom giveaway,
last day of entry Sunday 17 midnight CET ~

another squeaker bites the dust

This time it was a poor duckie, it may have been the shortest squeaker toy life-span in this loaf dog residence. I think we're talking 10 minutes max, before there was squeaker no more.

Then there was tug of war. Somehow I don't think this duckie will be joining Hip Hippo and the Funky Squeakers.

Before boredom hit Little Loaf, and he began inspecting the winter tired pots, with all his demeanour having strong opinions about them not being home of earthiness and flowers already.

Oh, it has indeed been a hard day's work for one little scruffy loaf dog extraordinaire.

bamboo frond earrings

With a long long winter, wearing caps, hats, woolly shawls and scarves there haven't been much room for wearing fancy earrings. But these past years, when spring arrives, it really arrives fast, like saying high and goodbye within almost a blink of the eye, welcome summer. So I'm thinking I should make a real effort to put on my two lovely tweed hats before summer arrives, the quirky one and the perky one.

But, hats isn't what this post is about, but the fact that my latest earrings-investment are a pair of gorgeous bamboo-silver ones that are truly a work of art. And the fact that I can now actually wear them, without having to take the cap-woolly-shawl-predicament into consideration while choosing earrings du jour. Yes, it really is about those small victories and glimpses of goodness in life...

I've had these frond beauties saved as favourites on Etsy for a long time. And now I own a pair, a fact of which I'm most pleased indeed. I also have to say that the customer care of Anna (proprietor of the Lila Ruby King shop) has been excellent. Because sadly one of the earrings arrived in pieces, I immediately told her about it and she promptly sent me a new pair. No hassle, just pure, caring, much appreciated, customer service.

I've also had issues with these types of earrings, with the metal wire easily being pushed out of ear hole when wearing, so I prefer having plastic plugs or silver backs to secure them. I asked for that and she kindly sent a pair of those too. The earrings are truly gorgeous, fits perfectly and dangle in a very appealing way.

The bamboo frond earrings are made of renewable wood resource and part recycled silver. The designer  also has a shop with lovely paper goods and printed things, as well as other cute wearables called Anna Ruby King - and a beautiful website as well as a blog. Certainly multi-talented and I really like the statement hers, that working towards becoming a carbon neutral business she's offsetting one tonne of greenhouse gas. Many fabulous things to lust for in her shop/s - do go have a browse ~