Gott nytt år!

Happy new year!

See you in 2009, may all your wishes and prayers come true.

Christmas - can't live with it...

Yesterday morning started like every morning since Christmas Eve when Olle tore the wrapping off his hockey game - with a very serious tornament.
























For the first time in a long while we had to clear the windows of ice before driving off. It was a wonderful day, clear and crisp, perfect for a walk in the forest.


Don't you just love things like this?
Someone has put these apples in the middle of the forest, off the path, for birds, and perhaps deers, to eat. So delightful and loving!




















Here's a story to learn from.
My plan was to give Mr Helylle a cup of sour dough, a recipe and this lovely Pyrex bowl for Christmas. (And another home made sweater.) We try to make our bread ourselves as we both enjoy baking.

I fixed the dough from a friend some days before Christmas Eve, we put it in a green glass cup which I hid in the garage to keep it cold so it wouldn't start fermenting. Problem was, we; my friend and I, had been drinking wine and having a good time so when I got home I wasn't completely my ordinary sober self. Therefore the hiding process wasn't executed in the best of ways.

Two days later when standing in a shop looking for a gift for someone Mr Helylle suddenly pointed a green cup and proclaimed loudly:
"There's a cup just like that in our garage with some sludge in, what is that??"

Here a more collect person would come up with a plausible explanation, turn around and say: "What about this vase?" What did I do? I blushed, became mute and started crying. Yes, I did.

It took a while to sort out why I hid it so poorly ("So it's my fault that you search the garage three days before Christmas??") and why he couldn't understand it was a present ("I didn't expect to get sludge").

The sludge spent Christmas Eve in the dark and quiet garage but is now performing it's task quite admirably in the kitchen.



















It's a lovely bowl, isn't it?

What to learn? You tell me.

God jul!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Yes, it was a blessed Christmas. This is the first photo with my brand new camera. Merry Christmas to you too, mother!

A tea drinker's dream, ot at least so I thought. A bit disappointing, though, lame taste but nice aroma.

Childhood decorations I can't go without. Tree ornaments that the girls can't go without.

A zoological, antropologistic and sex liberal approach to home decorations and Christmas

We had visitors this weekend, my brother and his family, from the west coast. They came bearing gifts, among which a little piggie. Immediately made friends with the goat-candle-stand from last Christmas (courtesy of Ylva).

Seems animals were the theme, we also got these!

And a bottle of homemade glögg. Thanks for your nice remarks on my wall paper. It was a hasty decision made when we moved into this house a year and a half ago. This time of year I think it works very well, maybe because the rest of the year I think it looks like a Christmas gift wrapping paper..?

My brother, and his wife and their two teen-agers all left for home pretty early so we had time to fix a few things in the bathroom. A little cupboard from way back got a western pin-up girl fabric instead of the chicken wire I put there when I thought shabby chic was new and exciting - 10 years ago. It was white then, naturally.

Closer......and a real close -up of the pin-up. If you klick on the link: I know this because it was in our local paper this morning. Can you believe that?? This is the floor. Now with the right angle of inclination so the next person in line doesn't have to wear wellies to go in and come out dry, as soon someone has taken a shower. A great improvement (but not on our expense, ha ha)!
Why is this kind of foot-photo so attractive? I like them a lot and I see them in so many blogs. Sometimes I think it's a reminiscent from the days we put our hand- and foot prints on the walls of the caves we (who, me?) lived in, like you know, "I was here" kind-of-thing.

Happiness is a new soap

Yesterday my Christmas soap arrived. Look at the beautiful parcel!Of course I didn't wait till Christmas. The fragrance is wonderfully christmassy and most likely makes you nice and good - just like gingerbread does, at least according to the old saying. Thank you, Soffy!

I have also received another early Christmas present, a set of lovely marzipan fruits. Why I can't show you any photos? Well, ehh, for some reason this lousy camera of mine refuses to take any gastroscopic pictures worth showing...
Thank you, Sara!

From the angle of my angel

This is my favourite outfit. I love the dress, sneakers are comfortable so what can go wrong? Quite a lot, it turns out. Hyacinths, no Christmas without that sweet scent. Every year I plan to bring them up myself but I'm always too late and have to run to the florist continously so we don't go without. I'm with Mary here, choosing joy. Or at least I'm working on it.

Do I have a guardian angel? I once was told I do and I like the idea as such, but would really like it to interfere more. While it's hanging around anyway, I mean. I feel a little overwhelmed right now by things that go wrong. Dishwasher breaking, craftsmen working in the bathroom (they had to do it all over again because there was a flood of water out in the hallway every time someone showered!), flat tires, family conflicts, CD-players that won't work - any of them, personal finances and other stuff I won't mention for supersticious reasons. I know, all trivial, mostly material stuff.

A winner in a crowd!

Can you see me?? Here I am, listening to some smart people talking about leadership. All is not Christmas and craft in my life though I often wonder why not.

Guess what?? I have won my first blog-give-away! I'm receiving a Christmas soap from Lush anyday thanks to the generous Soffy. I'm so happy - and the bathroom is coming along nicely so I'll put in there!
photo: Soffy

Making a traditional smällkaramell - cracker

Today I'm making a smällkaramell, or cracker. Nothing cracky about it, though, no noise. Do you make them too, dear readers around the globe?It's supposed to hang in your Christmas tree but I guess either trees were bigger or the smällkaramells smaller in the old days.There's really nothing to it. Take two sheets of very thin paper, preferably in two different colours.Use any toilet paper roll or kitchen roll.Fold and cut.The most important part is naturally the candy. If you forget to put in it now, it'll be really difficult to fix later.

You can decorate it with anything christmassy like angels, stars, santas or whatever you fancy. You can also write a season greeting on it, like I did on this one......which I brought to the neighbour's this afternoon as we were invited to a little glögg party. If you, like Eleanor are looking for some Swedish Christmas feeling - start with this! Jag är inte galen - bara förtrollad av julmys. Swedish readers - I'm not mad, just very carried away by Christmas spirit...

Friday evening - peace to all.

This is a little corner of the board above my desk. See that little embroidery in the lower right corner? I bought that from Broarne aand will use it on a dress, I think. It's just so pretty and I like that it's come all the way from Vietnam. This is the calender knitting I was wrestling with yesterday. You can compare it to this. Not too bad, is it? But what is it??Hang on and find out or join the calender too!

Trial-and-error!

This is me in my favourite knitting position - standing in the living room. I'm mad because I've been trying to do the calender knit I mentioned in the last post. Quite simple as it seemed, it turned out to be nemesis to me. Everybody else seems to have managed so there is probably nothing wrong with the pattern. When I quit following the pattern and worked on logic I did better. I still think the idea of knitting an unknown object is amusing.

This a close-up of the brooch I'm wearing. I made it of a badge from a memory game and a pin. To me it's a Christmas tree ball but I guess there could be other interpretations. Anyway, you can see I'm a little less mad and more pleased with the outcome of my trial-and-error approach!

My kitchen window the other morning. I'm wishing for a new camera this Christmas. Not only from Santa but from pretty much anyone who asks.

The concept of western masculinity or If you knit you also love folk music...?

I've started on a knitting calender (why?? do I think the darkness of the evening hours will make them longer??) I found here. It looks weird but interesting. Sorry. I lied. I haven't really started but as soon as I finish here I will go and find some suitable yarn.


Yes, I'm having a day off. What do I do? Do I vacuum, polish floors, do the windows, bake a cake for my loved one? No.

I quote (one of) my (three) teenage daughter(s): I don't do domestic chores.

Not today, anyway.

If your first grade teacher had been a dog...

...you would've learned this the hard way!

I read this at one of the places I visit through work and had to share it with you. It's common knowledge among dogs, but sometimes, as humans we need to be reminded ...

Yes, that is an embroidery hanging over the dog's basket. An appropriate hanging if you ask me.

* When someone you love comes home, always run and meet them.
* Always let the feeling of fresh air and wind against your face be a good enough reason for ecstatic happiness.

* Don't bite if it's enough to growl.
* Let others know it if they trespass your territory.
* Take a nap now and then, and always stretch good before you get up.

* Enjoy all the attention you get, don't be afraid of other peoples touch.

* If it's hot outside, take a break now and then and lay down in the grass.

* When you are happy, dance and shake your body.

* No matter how often you get nagged on - don't get sulk. Run back at once and make friends again instead.
* Enjoy the simple pleasure of a walk.
* Be loyal.

* Run, jump and play a while each day.
* Never pretend to be someone you are not.
* If something you want is buried, dig until you find it.

* When someone has a bad day - be quiet, sit near by and offer comfort just by being there.

This is an assidious practioner of the wisdom listed above, Stoja aged 5 and-a-half. (Stoja is the swedish word (verb) for the the action of someone boisterous - to boister??)

Embroideria

I've gotten a serious wiff of embroideria. First I did this snow flaky flower in traditional style - on a T-shirt. Which is really silly because we all know how long a cheap t-shirt from H&M lasts. I tried to put on a buddhist approach, you know like the monks who "paint" in coloured sand..?

Then I made a striped shirt for Mr Helylle's birthday on Wednesday. And had to put a little bird on it. It's a lovebird, naturally. (It's OK, he never reads my blog. Or will he now with his birthday coming up??)

I've also finished a little bag in felt and appliqué, with pearls and leather lining. Quite pleased with this one, actually!

By the way, the reason for my absence is that - believe it or not - Mr Helylle poured a beer on the keyboard this past Saturday. Don't pour anything on your keyboards, it kills all the keys.

By the way 2; I met Jeanette of Handmade last night - had to hand over the yarn. She is as lovely as her blog - but you figured that out long time ago!

Mad as a (fur)hatter!

This is your mad blogger, Anna of Helylle! I don't normally look like this, but a fur hat does things to you. Especially when made of orange rabbit fur. I have actually worn this, on extremely windy and harsh winter days it's a gift from God. And I kinda like the colour...
No arctic weather today, though. The first sample of snow is now vanishing all too quickly, alas. Please, let us have a white Christmas!!

This time of year it kills me to think about the rest of the country, covered in white. I wasn't born in the south of Sweden so winters to me are supposed to be colder, whiter and winter-ier. But come to think of it, most of you known readers are drenched in sunny summer weather, aren't you? Makes me feel a lot better!

You can cheat - but then you never really win

Yes, my friends, I did say Saturday and today is Tuesday. I realize you've all been impatiently waiting. What can I say? We're six persons on this one computer (I refuse to let the kids have computers in their rooms) and sometimes it get a bit jammed.

But here we are! Siri is performing the ritual:

Reaching out....

...picking a note....

...and revealing the winner: Jeanette!

I promise you this is not a set-up in order for me to save the postage! Jeanette lives in the same town - across the park, we've never met IRL. But that will change now - or shall I put in your mailbox?? I'm so happy you all joined in and I wish I could send each one of you a little gift. Take my affection and rest assured that you mean so much to me - it's surreal!