Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Goodbye summer

Back in this space, hoping that I'll find the time to post once in a while. I made a half-hearted attempt with the 30-day photography challenge, but it proved too challenging what with the sleep deprivation and everything else I've got going. And summer has been busy, a good kind of busy. We tried to fill our days with laid-back outings, took trips abroad (We parents each took a kid and went to different countries, won't be doing that again. All went well, but we prefer the craziness of sticking together as a family) and spent a lot of time outdoors picking berries, taking walks in the woods, going fishing and swimming and doing a whole lot of biking and walking. It was good, and now I feel ready for fall. I'm ready for jeans, boots and thick sweaters, for chilly, clean air, rainy evenings, lighting candles and a whole lot of knitting - preferably done with a warm blanket on my lap and a cup of tea beside me. Fall is just such a cozy time of year, just love it. Goodbye summer, hello fall!







Thursday, July 14, 2011

Day 8: A bad habit

Coffee. Drink way too much of it! I should cut back, really, but I love the smell of freshly ground coffee beans in the morning and the whole ritual and sanctity of my morning coffee. Plus, it's a ritual I share with my husband, and that amplifies the goodness by quite a lot!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

What, we're on day 7 already?!

Oh dear, I'm behind. I was going to be so good with this and post a pic every day, but the sleep deprivation got the best of me. I have been going to bed right after the kids have gone to sleep, which means no alone time and no time to post. To redeem myself I must say that my intention with this blog to just enjoy this little space I've created, and deadlines are just not my thing. So here are days 5, 6 and 7.

Day 5: From a high angle


 Day 6: From a low angle


Day 7: Fruit (Cheating on this one, going with berries instead. They were too red to resist!)

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Day 4: Something green


"Its not easy being green" ;)

Far-fetched? Maybe just a bit, but I just had to post a pic of this little critter we found by the lake today.   Didn't notice the other two until I uploaded the photo!

Friday, July 8, 2011

{ this moment }



A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Hosted by Soulemama.

Day 2: What you wore today


My daughter. We're at that "if you don't carry me all day I'll be completely miserable"-stage, so into the baby wrap she goes.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

It's oh so quiet

It's been way too quiet these days in my little corner of cyber-world, but time has been hard to come by. Always someone needing something, something needing to be done and me needing to rest from these somethings and needings. My silence does not mean nothing has been happening. On the contrary, things have been happening that I've wanted to share. Discoveries, milestones, creating, inspiration and such.

:: Discoveries. My frequent visits to the local second hand store finally paid off. I've been on the prowl for fancy china - gold trimming and petite flowers, something that makes you think of mild-mannered old ladies with white hair tied in neat buns and well-manicured fingernails.  I want to start a tradition of celebrating special occasions by eating from our lovely old-lady china, but I don't want it to be something I'm afraid the kids will break - hence all the visits to second hand stores. I was hoping I'd find something before my sons third birthday, but no such luck. Instead I found this 48-piece set of plates and cups for a whooping 150 crowns. Wow. I love the retro look, the set has just the right touch of  "the 70's called and want their china back". Perfect for everyday use! The search for old-lady china goes on.


:: Milestones. We celebrated this biking fanatics third birthday. Third. It's such a cliché, but time really has gone by too fast. I'm always a bit down around his birthday, I guess I sort of grieve the year that has gone by. I've had to say goodbye to two year old Sebastián, and reminisced about one-year-old Sebastián, baby-Sebastián, the birth, the pregnancy, the longing. At the same time I'm so proud of all the progress he has made and look forward to seeing what this third year has in store for us.


:: Creating. Birthday boy ordered a crown for his birthday, so I took Claire out of the storage room. Claire is my sewing machine, named after the friend who sold her to me (You do name your appliances, don't you? Perfectly normal behaviour). Claire and I don't really get along. That is, the sewing machine and I. Sewing brings out the worst in me, but I cut and sewed and swore and glued and swore some more; and it was so worth it. Birthday boy loved the crown (and I loved that I had made it). I found instructions for this crown in Amanda Blake Soule's book "The creative family".

:: Inspiration. One blissful morning I woke up to the sound of my new coffee machine grinding beans for my morning coffee, it was a lovely sound to wake up to. I actually got to drink that coffee in peace and catch up on some blog reading. Ahhhh the small luxuries in life! While reading, I came upon this post, which touched upon photography. I'm no photographer, half of the time I have no idea what I'm doing, but I do enjoy exploring the world with my camera. So, since I have little time to sit down and write these days, I've decided to jump on board on this 30 day photography challenge. I'm way late, this challenge was posted in May, but better late than never, right?

So, here we go. Day one: Self portrait

Friday, June 10, 2011

{ this moment }

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Hosted by Soulemama.

 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

A taste of mindfullness


I said I promised I would come in to his room after my run, but when I got home I found myself sneaking into the spare room. I was going to hide out there until he was completely asleep when I thought of one of the quotes I have on my refrigerator.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, or I will loose faith in you".

Promising to sit by his bedside while he falls asleep may not be a big promise to break, but a promise nonetheless. So I went in, sat down by his bed and took out my android phone to occupy myself while he falls asleep when yet another quote pops into my head. This one I love and is written on my kitchen wall blackboard (will share soon, project almost done).

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things" ~Robert Brault.

The little things, for me, are the day-to-day things that are so easily taken for granted. Like putting your kids to sleep. Not always the most exciting thing in the world, but something I do think I will treasure once I don't get to do it anymore. So why do I sit by my childrens bedside checking the latest facebook updates and playing sudoku on my phone? Those are not the memories I want of these few, precious years that my kids need me to be with them while they fall asleep, and I don't want them remembering me that way either. Not only that, I also find it a bit frightening that I suddenly can not spend twenty minutes in silence and peace with my own thoughts - but that is a whole other post. So after this eye-opener my phone will not be accompanying me when I put my kids to sleep (but I can't promise some yarn and needles won't.). No, I'd rather sit there with them, listen to their breath slow down and enjoy the quiet time that I have with them. Watch her suck on her lower lip after her pacifier has fallen out of her mouth. Marvel at his beautiful eyelashes that just seem to go on and on and almost lie on his cheeks when his eyes are closed. And hopefully they will remember that I took time to just be there with them, that I was present even though that presence may occasionally have been accompanied by the sound of knitting needles going click-click-click.

What have I learned from this? I should pay more attention to the smart things written in my kitchen and the brilliant things that pop into my head after an invigorating run.

Friday, June 3, 2011

{ this moment }

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Hosted by Soulemama.



Saturday, May 28, 2011

Secret project completed

It's done! My secret blanket is finished and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. It was a simple knit, mostly done while putting my son to sleep. Which is also the reason it took so long. I was knitting in the dark, and didn't notice a rather visible mistake that was made at the beginning until I was almost half-way done. Not much to do but frog the whole thing and start over - after a small break. When I started over again the blanket took me around two weeks to complete. 20 mm needles and thick yarn  = instant gratification.The pattern can be found on my ravelry page.


Now the blanket has been handed over. I hope all the care infused into making it lingers in each strand and stitch.

Friday, May 6, 2011

{ this moment }

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Hosted by Soulemama.

 

Monday, May 2, 2011

A blanket for her

Sibling jealousy has finally reared its ugly head, at first in a very materialistic way. The blankets. All his. Which they of course are, to be honest. I haven't knit or crocheted a single blanket for Esther so I've been using Sebastiáns baby blankets for her.

I have such a love affair with blankets, they are the reason I started knitting in the first place. To me, nothing shows as much love and affection as a handmade blanket. Just imagine all the time spent on a single blanket, all the hours put into creating something to keep someone you love warm and snug. Knitting a blanket for my baby when I was pregnant was a way for me to physically manifest all the love and maternal feelings I had for my unborn child. Most of what  I knit today is for my children, each piece knitted with just as much love as the very first blanket I made.

With little knitting experience I had to start with something simple. Sebastiáns first blanket was the easiest thing to knit. Just garter stitch with a backwards crochet border. 
The second was also in garter stitch and was a very easy knit. The blanket was knit with double strands, each row done indiviually and then sewn together. Details on both blankets can be found on my  ravelry page. I used alpaca wool for both blankets, a material I love working with. Very soft and very warm.



Since I have made a promise to only use yarn from my stash for any future projects, I am now using the left-over yarn from the above blanket for Esthers first baby blanket. I decided to go with something airy and light since it is almost summer. A crocheted Catherine´s wheel blanket will be just perfect. A bit tricky, but the pattern and the use of many colors will suit my little Esther perfectly. Definitely a blanket for her and one I hope to finish sooner rather than later!









Friday, April 29, 2011

{ this moment }

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Hosted by Soulemama.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

My little green corner

Around here we good-naturedly joke about our little shoebox of a home. We're on the prowl for a new home - a house - but in these uncertain times we are being careful and also waiting for the perfect home. Which we probably won't find, but we don't want to make too many compromises on our dream home. Until then we will just have to make-do with what we have. As far as gardens go we have a tiny little bit of lawn beside the entrance to our place, which I've meant to do something with for some time.
 So far its just been a place for Sebastián to keep his bobby car, bikes and whatever else he's playing with outside. But not for long!
I ordered seeds from Impecta fröhandel, a great source for just about every plant you can imagine. After much browsing of their catalogue, I ordered what I usually end up ordering - Nasturtium, Snapdragons, Pumpkins, Hollyhock and Babys breath (Indiankrasse, Lejongap, Pumpor, Stockrosor och Brudslöja). I also ordered Morning glory (Blomman för dagen) but won't be sowing it this year since I realized its poisonous. I love, love, love these type of "granny" flowers. Old-fashioned species that you would expect to find in an old ladies garden. Sowing seeds is a bit more work than just buying the plants at the store, but it is way cheaper and I really enjoy the whole process. Its something kids can help out with as well and so far Sebastián has also enjoyed following what is going on with our little seedlings.
 I decided to create a triangular flower bed with a white Bleeding heart bush (Löjtnantshjärta) in the far corner. My base color will be white, so that it stands out well in contrast with the red walls. The Snapdragons will hopefully give the flower bed a dash of color, and I'm hoping the delicate Babys breath in the mix will give it some more character. I've planted white Violets (penséer) along the border so that we can have something in there until the seedlings are ready to be planted outside, which won't be much longer the way things are progressing.
Can't wait to show you the end result, its gonna be pretty!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

A reminder

Since becoming a mother I have plowed through several parenting books, something I thought I would never do. I've always felt that parenting should just come naturally - its not like its rocket science, right? But parenting is a daunting task, a big commitment and a heavy responsibility, one which most definitely requires guidance of some sort. I haven't really found a book that has struck a chord with me, until I came across "Mitten strings for God: Reflections for mothers in a hurry" by Katrina Kenison. First off, let me say that this is in no way a religious book as the title suggests. Its simply a book about one mothers experiences with her children. Central to the book is slowing down and being present, something that really appeals to me as a mother and in general. Never do things get so crazy around here as when I expect to get a million things done while taking care of the kids at the same time. I can definitely see this being a book that I will read over and over again, because it serves as a reminder of the kind of everyday life that I want my kids growing up in, but sometimes loose sight of:
simple. present. engaging....and full of wonder and warmth.

Friday, April 15, 2011

{ this moment }

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Hosted by Soulemama.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Dusks embrace

Light from the setting sun was sneaking in through cracks in the blinds and somewhere outside a blackbird was marking the onset of dusk with his song. I sat in bed with Esther in my arms, who was suckling away while half asleep. Sebastián was lying in his room, quietly settling into his bed and starting to breathe heavily. At that moment, I felt that the peace and calm that had settled over our household as my babies fell asleep was something I could claim, that I could take pride in. I'm creating my childrens memories with every day that passes, and I like to think that underneath the mess of everyday life they feel my good intent, my deep love and the peace I wish for them. It was in the air that evening; so palpable and comforting. Comforting to a tired mama who often wonders if she is doing this whole mothering thing right.  At that moment, I felt that yes, I am doing this just right. Just right....

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

It's the little things...

Unfortunately I'm not the most optimistic person in the world, although I do try. I really do. I truly believe that a positive outlook on life will get you far and make the journey that much more fun. But I need to work at it, you know? I need to remind myself every now and then that I have so much to be grateful for, and that whatever problem is worrying me at the moment is insignificant compared to all the things in my life that make me happy.

So I started a journal that I write in every night before I go to sleep, a "happy" journal. I jot down three things from my day that have made me happy. It doesn't have to be anything monumental, actually its usually the little things that do it for me. A cup of coffee drunk in peace and quiet, a phone call from a friend, something one of the kids does.... Ending the day by thinking about these moments always puts a smile on my face, and looking back on all the moments I've collected in my journal truly reminds me that I have a very rich life indeed!

~Todays happies~
:: I was in the car by myself for once this morning, and I took the opportunity to put on my favorite song and play it LOUD!
:: I walked into the living room only to find my husband and Sebastián hiding under a blanket, exchanging stories of when they were little. Hilarious since Sebastián is only 2,5 years old
:: My new camera arrived today and I started snapping away as soon as the battery was charged. Looking forward to all the great pictues I'll take with this baby!



What made you happy today?

Friday, March 18, 2011

{ this moment } : Photo by Sebastián

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Hosted by Soulemama.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Waiting

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."
- Charles Dickens


We're having a lot of those days lately. I'm staying out of the shade as much as possible, and dreaming about:

:: Eating homemade cinnamon rolls at the playground while my son plays and my
daughter sleeps (of course I'll be sitting on a bench reading a book in peace)
:: Long walks in the sun with the stroller
:: Hearing rain falling on our balcony roof
:: Getting soil under my fingernails

As for now, I'll have to make do with bringing spring into my home. Lets hope that nature follows my lead.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Todays soundtrack

I've been holed up inside for the better part of a week with a very sick Esther and in all honesty feeling like I'm going to go completely wonkers. Things are looking up! Esther is finally sleeping somewhere other than the baby wrap, her cough is better, her fever has broken and the sun is shining outside. A good long walk is in order, but first things first - tending to all things that get neglected when you're caring for sick babies. Calls for a good song, don't you think?

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

A secret project

 My camera is focused on the right balls of yarn, unfortunately I'm not! See that scrumptious grey yarn on the gigantic needles? Bought just a week ago for my latest creation, making my knitting basket go from full to over-flowing. I solemnly swear that all future projects will be stash-busting projects. Plus, busting my stash will only make room for new yarn, won't it? 

A peek and a tease is all you'll get for now, but since I have a deadline on this piece of work I'll be having a big reveal soon!

A beginning

I just love when my projects go from the planning phase to the execute phase. My intention with this little space  is to share a glimpse into my creative projects and interests; hoping to get in touch with like-minded people. Bear with me as I figure this whole bloging thing out - I could use one of those "Under construction" pics right about now!

::I'm hoping this is a project that has a beginning, but no end::