Buttons, Alice and Italia

This week I have accidentally deleted a post. If you read it, I just wanted to explain to you why it's gone.

Today I went to a really special place - and forgot my camera. Took some photos with my cellphone but now I can't find the installation CD to transfer them...aaarrrgh.

Please be patient and bear with me here, I'll be back soon. Look at this meanwhile.It's a tea jar from the 20's - filled with buttons.

"This box with it's content of buttons was given to me by Granny on my 14th birthday, 22nd of July 1978. Her mother had it before her." I wrote the note while she watched and I'll never forget her loook and the kiss on my forehead. Her name was Alice. The fun and extraordinary is that her mother was named Italia, a name that never has been common anywhere else than Italy, as far as I know.

I want my time machine now, so I can ask my too many questions now. Where would you go if you had a time machine - to the future or backwards?

Saturday outdoors

It was a good thing that the random photo Maria challenged me to show was taken outdoors, since I promised to post a couple of outdoors shots. (I was also immensly proud to receive the same challenge as the übercool underbara clara, one of my first blog acquaintances (but anonymously from my part, I didn't know how to comment...))

Today is Saturday and that meant city wandering for me and one of the Helylle girls. Up and down the both empty and crowded streets

We were on a special mission - The oldest Helylle girl, Siri, turns 18 next Sunday! We were going to buy gifts and it had to be special too.Getting ideas for the party from the shop window.

A pretty depressing picture, isn't it? Christmas is over - get rid of the tree! But the square is a nice place.


Our quest continued -

...but we had to pause. It took some explaining before Miss Helylle accepted to eat outdoors. We had spectators. I was prepared to give these cute dogs my sausage - and by them a new one- but I know that you can't do that. Ylva then decided that I could by her a cup of tea indoors instead of feeding other people's dogs. OK.Didn't look much happier, though, did she?I did. And we really had a good time.We finished our business successfully and split, me going home on my bike, passing this old mansion in the middle of Malmö, as always daydreaming about living there.

I did some good buying on sale at Gudrun Sjödén shop, too. All in all a very pleasant Saturday - and it's not over yet. Have an enjoyable evening! (Quite a performance to shoot a photo of yourself mounted ona bike - in speed. I challenge anyone to try and post a photo of it!!)

Showtime...

I was challenged by Maria to show the fourth photo from the fourth file in my computer's selection of photos. Since we bought a new computer this summer it doesn't go that far back in time. I think you've seen this before? It's me. On my way to somewhere I don't remember anymore. But I remember wearing those shoes at work, it hurt. But you know, don't be vain if you can't take the pain...
N.B. this is not the official attitude of the helylle-foträta styling experience, foträt means literally foot right as in good for your feet.
P.S. There was another challenge too, but I'll have to get back to you on that. I'm off to a wine evening with the girls...

Snowy friday

This met me this morning - it's still morning, just 6.45 am - snow. Since I didn't get the morning paper, I'm posting instead. I hope you all have a nice and enjoyable Friday.

Walking the dog in the park.

Is this really work...click!

Stay!

Look into the camera, stupid dog!

Ice art, extra special today, I thought.

Like precious crystal glass, isn't it?

Outdoors

I noticed that a vast majority of my pictures are taken indoors. As change is one of my 2009-words, I'll work on that. So, my theme for the next couple of days is outdoors. Wanna come along?

Tulpaner

A big bunch of tulips to you all, my lovely blogreaders. You are the best ever! And now all you anonymous visitors can leave a comment, I've changed the settings - didn't know I had them but it's all fixed now - hopefully.

Lingerie!?

I've spent the day making panties. Two, so far. I took an old pair and made my pattern from them, made some adjustment and - voila!

Arms forbidden - Olle's contribution to world peace

The wisdom of a child. The sign says "arms forbidden". Fascinated as he is by guns and superheroes he decided to make this sign "because some people don't understand that it must be make-believe if you fire a gun".

Let there be light!

Days are getting longer and longer, more and more light. Growing things bring hope and promises. Even old orchids that refuse to die no matter what treatment they get. My granny had an orchid when I was small. I was always told what a rare thing it was and how difficult it was to have it bloom. This one in my bedroom is nine years old as has been in bloom pretty much since day 1. Question: Was my granny totally without green fingers or are orchids nowadays tougher?

Olle has been walking around the house with the new camera (you remember that it was another child who dropped the old camera in the lake last summer? I figure it's safe in the house...) and I'm thrilled with his perspective of things. This is the lamp in the living room - from beneath.

The sense of light that a weak winter sun brings calls for funky tights!


Turn your back to darkness! Spring can be a state of mind!!

Grumpy

Yep, this is me in the morning while my family run around looking for their mittens. You can't see the ear plugs, but they prevent me from answering any calls from any member of the family.

See prevoius post for clues.

CHANGE...

My word for this year is CHANGE.
I'm going to change a few things for the better, hopefully. I saw another blog (sorry, forgot who you are, none of my "regulars" I think) who did this and chose the word flow, and got inspired. As you see I've also been making changes with my banner, though not really there yet.

This is my list of a few things I would like to change:

¤ Eating more low carbonate food because of stomach problems - so excited to see if this works!

¤ My immediate impulse to facilitate the life for my family members. For instance: People will have to find their own mittens in the morning while I find mine. This doesn't go for family members younger than 10.

¤ Tell my family not to call my name when they need me, or rather not expect me to come running. They'll have to find me and speak to me in a normal voice. Is this possible or am I asking to much?? This doesn't go for any member in acute need of help, like sitting on the toilet if you're younger than 6.

¤ Starting things and projects without feeling guilty if I don't finish.

¤ Stop avoiding to start projects because thinking I will never finish.

¤ Gracefully accepting that time leaves marks, inside and out.

¤ Accepting who I am - and who I'm not.

¤ Stop reading books like they're fast food. Read, read, read and forget. I'm a fast reader and this is a problem, I don't remember them a week later. Feels lika a terrible waste of time.


I'll stop here, but you probably recognize the feeling that this list can go on for ever, " stop eating sandwiches in the evening" or " always recycle every bit of glass", "always be truthful", "wear matching bra and panties on ordinary days and not just for special occasions"... I think I'll stick to it easier if it's short and simple. Not simple to achieve - simple to remember.

photo:meducation

This is how serious I am.

An endless row of days of leisure? No, tomorrow is back to work and school.

This is what the golden-linen tunic looks like! What I'm reading? A book about Swedish ethymology - extremely exciting and interesting. Really.

Christmas break is the time of the year for potttering about at home. Who am I fooling? it's always a good time to make use of odd bits and pieces or to make "trolldeg" - troll dough. Maybe salt dough is a more correct word. We had fun making turtles, snakes...

whales...

and a pig!

Low ground, high roof

This is a classical foot shoot. Now a combo with mother&son.

We were at the library when we saw the owl overlooking the park from the roof top. Very exciting! Unfortunately it turned out to be a plastic owl they put there to prevent the small birds from flying into the panorama windows. Disappointment! But great for the small birds, though.

An ordinary day in January 2009.

I like to cut hair, my own or other's. Luckily I have a very generous family of which I cut 50%. This Ylva who grew tired of her dreads.
Above our kitchen table. Jars and boxes with tea and coffee. The big one with a handle is for crisp bread, just similar to the one my grandparents had in their kitchen (supposed to hang on a wall but we'll never come around to that).

Happy birthday...

This is my sand castle, from down under. Eleanor made it for me on, totally customized. You can see, it says "Anna" quite clearly.

This is for you, Eleanor. Happy birthday!! (A little late, I know, I'm sorry.)

Word for word; we certainly didn't get enough snow to send messages in...

You see my neat little foot prints?

Production, design Staren Ivan

These are a few things I made in december for Christmas gifts (and a golden tunic for myself...)

Olle got this silver space suit.

Mr Helylle got a sweater, a result of a co-production between me and Olle. Olle did the drawings, of himself and a leopard, and I did the sewing and ironing. I also embroidered an explanation "Olle and a leopard" so there would be no mistakes.

Ylva got a pyjamas made of sheets I slept in when I grew up.

"Staren Ivan design" is written on lables I ordered to sew on things of my own design. It's an anagram of my name but staren also means the starling. Pity I always forget to actually sew them on to the clothes.

I will continue the parade of home made stuff another day.

I hope your year started out OK? Mine did, I feel good though I dread tomorrow morning when the alarm clock will sound at 6.30...