Warm feelings and cold feet

On Tuesday I got the package from Ellie, I told you about it in the previous post. Later that same day I went to see Handmade-Jeanette and two of her friends. We had a very nice, chatty, crafty evening together. I'm so lucky to live a few blocks away from one of my favourite bloggers! On the other hand, we are all so lucky to be able to meet at all, thanks to cyber space, aren't we?
If you see someone on Jeanette's blog you think you recognize, it is me. I did not put on 25 kg - that's what happens when you don't have full control over published material... But the camera is magnificent, Jeanette!

Are your feet cold too? Any of the slippers in this book makes both heart and feet glow...

An Australian moment.

I got this package from Australia today.Besides that it must have cost a fortune in shipping, it was filled with the most wonderful goodies:

From the Red Seed Studio; a delightful notebook with a beautiful printed linen cover,

...three (3) crafty magazines that I want to read all evening and let the family get take-away...

...I'm totally lost! Thanks a million for your generosity, Ellie!

Strolling down Memory lane

I always enjoy looking at oters people´s youtubes. Hope you do too.

Music means a lot to me but I'm not a great consumer. I don't download and I don't buy records, I listen to the radio or to music other people around me play, or sing and play myself.
I love Johnny Mercer and the Andrew sisters. A more modern love is Fairground Attraction. And Eddie Reader probably influenced me more than I realized at the time, can't you tell?




Here he is, Johnny singing with Margaret Whiting - the weather has actually been very wintery so it's approproate in every way.


One more, The Andrew sisters; this is their notion of how people in Harlem, NY, used to greet each other. I don't know, I've never been to Harlem, but it doesn't feel like it's ever been a custom - but maybe I'm wrong and LaVerne, Maxene and Patty really did know the Harlem ways. But the clip is cute and the song is happy in it's innocence.

Happy hooker

I try to hide the camera but you can tell from the look om my face that it is a self portrait, can't you?

The sewing machine is busted. (I won't make more of it, but you know by now that I'm haunted..) Crochet was a while ago. I really like making these little patches, and combine them and alter and combine again. Hence the title of this post, in case you're wondering. I have no idea what it'll turn into.

I like to move it. Sometimes.

Friday night in the jungle. Sound of beating drums fill the air. Everybody gotta move their butts. Not much of a dancer really but I like to move and will hopefully one day be able to make my ass vibrate like that of an African woman - traditionally built, as Alexander McCall Smith puts it.

Junior has a more Asian style, judging by the hand moves.

This is our local drummer. Extremely local, he shares my bed. Do you dance? My height always made the gym teacher have me lead in gym class, when we practiced dancing and also made me painfully aware of myself.

For some reason all (honestly, every single one) of my gym teachers were Polish, educated at the ballet academy in Warsaw (not a 100% sure there) or possibly Moscow, and they had us dance a lot. I really wanted to play volley ball or at least do long jump, and instead found myself being told "ven ve come to corner ve turn and turn and count to fife and bend". All the way to the floor.
The irony is, now I really enjoy to see dance, classic or modern. And a little late I appreciate the effort made of those dancers in exile who had the hopeless task of teaching dance to very blasé teenage girls in a sleepy little town covered by grey woollen skies.

Ordinary day - special day

With a constant smile I work in the kitchen...

..I mop..

...and do the laundry...

...all things ready before the magic moment of turning 16!

Happy birthday Ylva!

P.S: In case you noticed the up-side-down bottle in front of the washing machine - it's there to prevent people from stumbling over an old pipe in the middle of the floor. Get rid of the pipe? Guess so. Someday.

Jag har blivit utmanad av Maria - jag blommar. Jag har lite svårt för de där bildutmaningarna - den sjätte bilden i den sjätte mappen, eftersom mina mappar bara sträcker sig bak till augusti - och de bilderna har ni ju sett nästan allihop. Men den här utmaningen ska jag väl klara!

I've been challenged by Maria - jag blommar. I've had difficulties with some challenges lately, like showing the 6th photo in the 6th file, because my files only go back till mid August, and you've seen almost all of those. But this challenge I think I can manage!

Nämn 5 kul/annorlunda fakta om dig själv: List 5 fun/unexpected facts about yourself:

¤ Jag flyttade hemifrån när jag var 16. I left home when I was 16.

¤ Jag trummar med fingrarna när jag håller på att somna. I drum my fingers when falling asleep.

¤ Jag gillar inte öl eller kaffe. I don't like beer or coffee.

¤ Jag ser väldigt lite på TV, följer inga serier och ser aldrig nyheter på TV. I watch very little TV, I don't follow any shows and never watch the news on TV. Rättelse: Jag ser faktiskt Top Model (av alla serier!) just nu med mina döttrar. Correction: I actually watch Top Model (of all shows!) with my daughters this season.

¤ Sista året har jag gillat tanken på att det finns en Gud. This last year I've been enjoying the idea that there is a God.

Nämn 5 av de roligaste eller ovanligaste jobben/praktiken du haft: List the 5 funniest or most unusual jobs you've had:

¤ Bygga flygplansdelar på Saab-Scanias fabrik i Linköping, ett år när jag var 20. Ovanligt, inte kul. Building airplane parts at the plant in Linköping, one year when I was 20. Unusual, not fun.

¤ Cirkelledare i franska för pensionärer, som 22-åring. Jag var inget vidare i franska - då heller. Men mod hade jag tydligen. Teaching French to a bunch of elderly citizens, at the age of 22. I wasn't that good in French - at that time either. But I did have guts, apparently.

¤ Nakenmodell på konstskolor i Linköping och Göteborg - nånstans finns det oljemålningar föreställande undertecknad... Nude model at art schools in Linköping and Göteborg - somewhere there are oil paintings of yours truly...

¤ Undervisa - roligaste av alla jobb! Teaching - best job of all!

Vilka är dina 5 favoritblommor? What are your 5 favourite flowers?

¤ Tulpaner. Tulips.

¤ Rosor. Roses.

¤ Syrener. Lilacs.

¤ Liktärter. Sweet peas.

¤ Solrosor. Sunflowers.

5 senast sedda filmerna? Last 5 films seen?

Jag är en usel filmtittare numera, jag vet att jag såg Varg med Peter stormare på bio nån gång förra året men jag minns inte vad jag såg senast... Nästa fråga!

I'm a lousy movie watcher these days, I know I saw Wolf with Peter Stormare, some time last year, but I don't remember the last film I saw...Next question!

5 saker på din önskelista (materiella saker): 5 things (material) on your wishing list:

¤ Ett strykjärn. An iron.

¤ En snygg regnkappa. A pretty rain coat.

¤ Ett hus på en grekisk ö (just det ja, jag såg ju Mamma Mia...) A house on a Greek island (yeah, that's right, I did see Mamma Mia...)

¤ En snygg matta under soffbordet+ under matbordet+ i sovrummet. En svag punkt det där med mattor. A nice carpet under the sofa table + under the dining table + in the bedroom. A weak spot, carpets.

¤ En lödkolv. A soldering iron.

Detta var kul! Och inte märkte jag att jag skrev på svenska heller förrän efter ett tag. Jag utmanar Knitsonya, Paige, Soffy and Jeanette! Helt frivilligt, så klart.

This was fun! And I didn't notice until after a while that I was writing in Swedish. I cahallenge Knitsonya, Paige, Soffy and Jeanette. All quite voluntarily, of course.

Update

Sleepy, happy, pretty 18

At Christmas I always intend to work on parcels - but they are always too many. Birthdays are perfect that way - one person, not so many packages.

Yes, I did it.

Car still not running but since this pic was taken it's been moved to a workshop. Transportation still a question of muscle labour.

Today is a mix of cheched in different browns. And a yellow top.

About the green little fabric basket from previous post, Paige, yes, I made it from old fabrics, torn or cut in pieces. Crochet needle used is the biggest there is, I think. Fast and fun!