Over Sees Life, My Life Abroad

Happy Birthday

2012-02-17T08:01:00.001+01:00

This post goes out to the most amazing niece in the world... Happy Birthday! You are amazing and we love you so much!

PS: sent a present, hope it gets there on time!!?!

Happy Day

2012-02-14T19:25:00.004+01:00

Awesome Fika

Amazing Present

Sweet Sweets

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Friday, Saturday & Sunday

2012-02-12T20:10:00.000+01:00

Ate some food (Friday: steak tartar, Saturday: pasta a la vongole)

Went to the movies (Tigers & Tattoos)

Took a walk in the City

Made some Valentines

Visted my friend Lisa

In just about this order...

Got some things done...

2012-02-09T18:08:00.005+01:00

Anyone remember this list:

Work out at least 3x a week 5x a week for 6 weeks then slipped but I'm back on it. Two days in a row!
Go to at least 2 museums Stockholm City Museum and Fotografiska (and Skarpnäcks Kulturhus -gallery at community center- exhibit)
Go out to eat with a friend, at least 1 time x2, doing the damn thing!
Get at least 2 massages Yep but no spa massage for me... old age seems to be catching up with me! Back aches are a daily hassle but the naprapathy is helping... a bit.
Read 3 books Just Kids, Imperial Bedrooms, Freedom, 1/2 through The Corrections
Bake at least 2 times: pies, buns, cake or such (me not Tony)Apple crumble, bananna bread x3 times, scones 1 time
Renew my drivers license (it’s got to be done Yep!
Take at least 2 rolls of film (I am so bad… only using my iphone these days)1 roll, still lazy as a mofo
Develop at least 2 rolls of film (omg, I have so much undeveloped film at home)Nope, lazy mofo
Look, plan and/or possibly submit to a photo exhibition/contest (have you people checked my photos page? Ok so it hasn’t been update in a while which leads me to my next goal…) What do you think?
Update my photos page on the blog Nep
Sew something either me or Tilda can wear Well, she can't wear it but she can play with it!

The weekend...

2012-02-05T19:09:00.001+01:00

Talk about an awesome weekend. The weather is freezing but wonderful. Sun is shining and we were outside for the better part of Saturday and Sunday. Layers, lot's and lot's of layers. What else is new... Saw an awesome exhibit at our local library/culture center. Random coolness. Which made me feel lazy which got me thinking which got me sewing. Yes, it's true, I started a new craft project! Very excited to share but first need to photograph it. We've made some small creative changes at home, what else... OH and it's February! How did that happen? Next thing you know it's Easter then summer and then it will be time to plan another get away. Crazy, as soon as everyone gets back from winter vacations the planning starts. Almost everyone at my work already know where they are going for Easter, midsummer, summer and some have even started plannng for next winter. I am still digesting our last trip. And, I am slowly opening week by week small little treats from Trader Joe's. Oh how I miss thee...Maybe a quick trip to NYC is in our future? Who knows...

Life, ho hum....

2012-02-03T09:07:00.000+01:00

Same old, same old. Life goes round and round. It’s freezing cold here and there has been a lot of snow falling down during the last week. It’s been quite beautiful. Ho, hum… signing off until I have more to say….

A Day in the Life (a friday in february)

2012-01-27T21:26:00.000+01:00

Painting chipped nails at 7am is always FUN

Cold walk to subway 7:35am

morning subway ride... peeps get busy on their iphones, 7:40am

Sad little breakfast at work 8:30am

Sad little lunch at work 1:20pm

Subway homeward 4:40pm

Look who I ran into on the subway... Mr. Man 4:50pm

Elevator ride home... yay 5:36pm!

Vino! 6:45pm!

Lasanga & cuccumber salad 7:10pm (Mr. Man is tired... awake since 5am)

A mother's work is never done, 8:10pm

Wipe out x 2... 8:40pm!

Sleeping Q on HUGE laundry piled on couch, 9:20pm!

Blog blog blogin' it! 9:26pm!

Not really a resolution... but a good start

2012-01-22T11:37:00.000+01:00

All this...

led to all this...

New year, new me... nah but a few pounds lighter would do a body good. The Uwas not kind or rather it was too kind. Hamburgers, milk shakes, pancakes, fried chicken, Napa Valley wine, need I say more?

It's not really hardcore fasting or a real detox but I feel lighter and that feels good. I cut the dairy, the red meat, alcohol and processed food from my diet and it's feels like the right thing to do. So it's oats for breakfast, salad or soup for lunch and dinner. Miso soup with veggies takes like 20 minutes to make and the spinach soap above took about 15 (honestly, it tastes better when made with yogurt... oh well). The tahini in the above picture was super easy and tasty to make, I highly recommend making your own... great with rye bread. One more week to go. Wish me luck!

YES, in this order...

2012-01-12T20:14:00.001+01:00

at a certain point you just can't post anymore pancake pictures... I think I've reached that point.

NEW YORK!

2012-01-10T20:06:00.007+01:00

How long will it take to tell the full story of our trip to New York? Probably as long as it took to plan it… 4 months people, 4 months. So much to tell… I'll save it for another time but for now...

After a week in Mississippi we headed to NYC. New York couldn't have been more beautiful. It was cold but felt warm with the sun shining over the city for the entire time we were there. Tony and I thought New York would be difficult with kids but it was totally ok. The kids were champs during the long walks, subway rides and in restaurants (lively, happy, active champs but champs none the less). We only had 2.5 days but they were well planned. A lot was accomplished and many friends were met, good meal eaten and even time for kiddie play. It's really amazing how much fun you can fill into two days... especially one one day had a very slow start (I blame you Dimitry).

Ok, so I'll upload some better pics either later tonight or tomorrow... thus far I've been lazy and just tranferred my instagram app pics onto my blogger app. Iphone genius!

A Week in Mississippi

2012-01-08T21:40:00.003+01:00

We spent an entire week in Mississippi. After six well planned and busy days in Los Angeles and two days on the road, Mississippi was just what we needed. Rest, relaxation and open space for the kids to roam around in!





Our kids are KIDS! 2.5 and 4.5 years old. Loud crazy insane and their energy level goes beyond explanation. I thought the plane trips and long hours on our cross country road trip would be grueling but it turns out that this is when Tilda and Quincy were on their best behavior. No crying, shouting, whining or anything... However once we arrived (in L.A. And then later Mississippi) the party started. I have realized taking the kids out of theirs (and OUR) comfort zone that they can be a bit in your face if you are not used to them or don't have your home organized for two small balls of energy! All that said, I am very proud of my two small weirdos, whom didn't through any real tantrums or fits or have any break-downs due to jet lag or change or climate or environment. While in Los Angeles, Tony and I were even able to eat a few good meals while they crashed out, black-out style every night by 8pm!




Mississippi is/was and always will be, for me, a place to just let things happen as they may. No cooking plans, no play dates or schedules to follow and in a life where everything is scheduled daily from 7am to 7pm it's nice to just be. Mississippi is also the place where I get to spend time with a particular family member that gives me more joy and pride then she will ever know. The only thing is... there is never enough time... time slips away and then she is gone until the next time we return. Sadly, we don't return often. Thank God for Skype.




After a week in Mississippi we packed it up and headed towards our next destination: New York City!

Update: In the deep South

2011-12-28T22:03:00.001+01:00

In Mississippi after a 43 hour drive where we were stuck 4 hours in Las Cruces New Mexico and hit by a random but severe snow storm in Midland Texas. We had decided to drive non-stop but the snow said otherwise and thus we crashed for 6 hours at a hotel just outside of South Fort Texas. We arrived in Mississippi on Christmas Day at 6:15PM just in time for Christmas dinner!

Now we are in chill mode. Southern food and Southern hospitality surrounds...

UPDATE USA

2011-12-23T18:28:00.001+01:00

Short update! We made it to Los Angeles 7 hours later then planned, at 3:30 am!, after a nightmare experience in the Windy City. Broken plane, tired kids, tired me, tired Tony... 5 hours sitting on the tarmac and 2 more sitting in the airport. But let's just put that behind us now and move on...

Los Angeles is the same but different. Everything seems so excessive and fancy here. Maybe it's just because we came from dark, grey winter and here it it sunny and beautiful. Or maybe it's because there is a lot of fancy stores with fancy stuff, lot's and lot's of stuff. Yes, we've done some damage but I think we've been pretty good so far. The sales start in two days... More updates to come... Today we start our road trip!

Santa Lucia!

2011-12-13T20:53:00.001+01:00

How cute are these kids? Soooo cute. True story: last year these two were the same size and then Tilda GREW!

COS

2011-12-09T18:06:00.001+01:00

I like to think of myself as pretty up to date, kinda fashionable. Classic but cool. Trendy but trendy. But, today I found out about COS and I wonder where I have been these last couple of years? Seriously! It's even Swedish! And I live in Sweden! WTF!

AUTUMN WINTER 2011 LOOKBOOK

I like to think of myself as pretty up to date, kinda fashionable. Classic but cool. Trendy but trendy. But, today I found out about COS and I wonder where I have been these last couple of years? Seriously! It's even Swedish! And I live in Sweden! WTF!

ABOUT COS

COS, Collection Of Style, is for men and women who want high end design and good quality at an affordable price. Since our launch in 2007, COS has opened over 40 stores across Europe, each one placed in a carefully considered location with a design concept that preserves buildings’ original features whilst creating a modern gallery space for our collection.

Always exploring our original concept of favouring style over fashion, COS appreciates timeless design that lives beyond the season. Merging traditional methods with new techniques and innovative fabrics, we work hard to create fashion pieces that look and feel at once classic and modern. We hope you enjoy the attention to detail shown in every garment and the wide breadth of inspiration that defines our collections.

COS likes functional design crafted from simple ideas.

Welcome to COS.

Company information

COS is a brand under the H & M Group.

Saturday & Sunday

2011-12-06T07:02:00.001+01:00

The weekends are getting shorter! So it seems...

Tilda is sick of all the clothes she wants to go to America... and speak English... and wear sweaters that don't itch so much!

Went to a Christmas market. Tilda disappeared, when I found her she was sitting and getting her face painted.

On Sunday we made lot's and lot's and lot's of saffron rolls!

That's it...

Holiday fun!

2011-11-29T20:21:00.001+01:00

Starting to feel a lot like...

2011-11-27T18:10:00.001+01:00

It's starting to feel like Christmas. Kind of... well, not really. After 12 years in New York and now 5 years in Sweden I need COLD weater and snow to make me feel all Chrsitmasy inside. What happened to the Southern California girl? I can deal with no snow but it's not even really cold yet and most days have been sunny... a few grey wet days but no snow, no freezing cold bundle up with all I got weather. Not complaining. Just doesn't feel a lot like Christmas. No matter, I'll be in California and then Mississippi soon enough and I doubt I'll run into snow or cold weather there.

Here is the weekend round up... Friday: steak dinner, amazing! Saturday: Thanksgiving (yes, Saturday) cuz, well, it's Sweden and as it's not a holdiday here we usually celebrate on a day when you have entire day to cook. Sunday: 1st advent, bake day... that's right people gingersnaps from scratch and yes, there is a major difference!

Yeah ok so I spend a lot of my time blogging about food. fA lot of food photos, indeed. What of it? We love food. So yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving with my American friend Scarlet and her new American friend Courtne. Good times, good food. Celebrating little things like Thanksgiving feels good, feels like I still have one foot in it... This year the meal consisted of: Turkey, pot roast, mac-n-cheese, stewed green beans, brussel sprouts, sweet potato mash, corn bread, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and a broccoli salad followed by apple crumble with ice cream and chocolate cupcakes! American style all the way...

On another note:
By the by, the cover of Saturdays paper: 35% of all unemployed are foreigners! The trend is going the wrong way. In 2009 it was 22%. I wasn't foreign born BUT my Education and my job experience is from abroad so yeah I know this is an issue, as it took me nearly five years to find a job which was within my field and which suited all my needs (financially and creatively). Anyway, food for thought...

Good Reads

2011-11-24T18:28:00.001+01:00

Finally some good reads (I hope). Recently finished Freedom by Frazen which I loved but followed it up with two so so books... Confederacy of Dunces which was well written but offered up the most annoying characters of all time and Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis and honestly it was ok but the ending ruined it for me.

So, where do I begin? With Just Kids.... which I have been putting off forever because with all the hype I just really need it to be good.

House Hunting, again

2011-11-20T20:30:00.001+01:00

We are looking at houses again. I don't think we are really ready yet but it is always fun to look. Most likely we'll be ready next fall but we could probably work it out if we found our dream house. This place we looked at today was indeed pretty dang dreamy. A couple of issues... always... the price is amazing as is the neighborhood (30 minutes to the city) but... dun dun da dun... the neighbors on the backside pretty much can touch the back door from their front door, yep that close and the entire heating system needs to be redone. Money! But, as I said it's is cheap for the neighborhood it's located in and for the size and look look at this place, so cute. What to do?

Oh yeah, only two bedrooms but there is a sizable attic and the basement has an extra room and a bathroom. English speakers/readers: MATSAL/diningroom, VARDAGSRUM/livingroom, KÖK/kitchen, SOVRUM/bedroom, BADRUM/bedroom. Price: 2,300,000:- SEK (339,310.00 USD).

Life, ho hum

2011-11-14T08:19:00.001+01:00

Saft!

It was pretty chill around here this weekend. Met some friends and went to a museum on Saturday. Sunday Tilda went to dance class and I worked out. Food, laundry, grocery shopping, wine, the usual weekend stuff.

Carbonara

Borscht

Pancakes, eggs, bacon

The two things about this weekend that struck a chord with me was 1. There is a lot of hate going around and 2. There are a lot of people wanting to make a change, even if it’s only within themselves. Let me explain. On Saturday I saw a picture someone had posted on Facebook of the Obama’s saying the Pledge of Allegiance. In the picture the Obama’s both use their left hands to cross their hearts. A big no, no. I guess. I don’t know what the big deal is but anyway the photo is doctored and you can totally tell when you look close enough. You can also find the original on the web. Anyway, the comments on the photo are crazy insane and full of such hatred. It has been hard for me to let it go. I know the political climate is pretty tense right now in the U.S. but it just really upset me. I only know one of the people making the comments (and her comment was not one of the bad ones) but it has just been really eating away at me. Why do people have to be so hateful? I understand confusion, frustration, dislike, debating, questioning but the hate is just so unconstructive. Moving on to point two. Tony has used a form of tobacco, called snus here in Sweden, for twenty years. From what I understand it is much stronger and addictive then cigarettes. It’s also much grosser! Imagine a big ball of rolled tobacco shoved under the upper lip. Sick. Anyway, he stopped, cold turkey. It has not been easy but I am just so amazed at how strong and determined he is… he has had the shakes and a bad headache, a loss of energy and unable to concentrate. So what does he do, last night he goes to Bikram Yoga. The most hardcore, intense yoga there is. He has never done any form of yoga before and what does he do, go to the yoga that is 40°C hot. Bikram is suppose to be great for so many things (concentration, stress release, toxin release, etc). Hard core. It was pretty intense, he said he literally thought he was going to die at one point. Ha. But, they say the first 1-3 times this is completely normal. He is going back tonight.

Rings

2011-11-10T20:45:00.001+01:00

I never thought I would go for someone else's wedding ring but... The rings at this Etsy Shop are crazy insane beautiful. Vintage, ahhh... Well, I got a ring and I am happy with it. But my right hand, ahhh...

Totally Random Weekend Shots

2011-11-07T08:31:00.001+01:00

Totally chill weekend. Didn’t do much. Friday started right with a work meeting at Sirup. Sirup is an American breakfast cafe here in Stockholm and I gotta give props where props are do... So good! A little run to the the Stockholm Toy Museum on Saturday followed Sunday errands and here we are back to the work week. I have actually been sticking to my previously setgoals by 1. Working out every weekday during lunch 2. Baking which I did two weeks ago (banana bread) and this weekend (sour cream scones) and 3. thus far I have gone to one museum. So not bad! Gotta schedule a massage though!

Everyone Gets the Blues, Sometimes

2011-11-04T07:58:00.000+01:00

Everyone has the right to get sad. Even a two year old. My little man gets sad out of nowhere sometimes. I ask why and he just says "I just am... sad". Trust me little man, I can relate. When I ask does it hurt and where, he takes his tiny little finger and points to his head. That was at 6:30 this morning. At 6:45 after a glass of milk he was ok again. He's a bit sensitive. Somtimes you just gotta hug it out and we did. My kids get me to stop and think all the time... it must be so hard and confusing and overwhelming to be so little and inexperienced and feel so much. Don't ya think?

Oh and yeah those are dirty martinis (on a Thursday night). You can't tell but the glass is TINY and I only had one and it was DELICIOUS!

Me & My Guy

2011-10-30T17:38:00.002+01:00

This weekend it was me and the Q man. It's been a low key and kinda weird weekend around here. Friday night Quincy staid up until 9pm. At 9 o'clock he announced that he wanted to go to sleep in Tilda's bed since she was not home. I said fine and put him down. The next morning I woke up at 7am and he was still asleep which for him is very unusual, his normal wake time is between 5:50 and 6:30. At 10am I started getting worried so I went in and checked on him... he was breathing! So, I returned to bed. Watched Real Time with Bill Maher and an episode of Rachel Zoe (sorry... I am lame, sometimes you just want to be lame and that has to be ok). 1pm and he is still sleeping! Shortly after 2pm I hear "mamma, mamma?" He is up and at 'em like no big deal. 2pm! We at breakfast and then went for a walk and that was pretty much our Saturday. When he went to bed at 8:30pm I Watched I Don't Know How She Does It, which was pretty much like watching Carrie play Amanda (if ya know what I mean, it was ok.)

Today Quincy slept until 10am. I am not sure what it is... maybe it's Tilda's bed which he slept in again or maybe he knows that Tony and Tilda are away and therefore he might as well rest up. I don't know but it is deffinetely weird. Anyway, after a nice breakfast with the Sunday paper, another episode of Rachel Zoe, a shower and some nail painting off we went to the Stockholm City Musuem which had an awesome kids room. Sadly, Mr. Shy Guy wasn't having it and thus he spent the better part of 3 hours sitting by my side watching as other kids have a ball. Towards the end he warmed up and got into the act but then it was time to leave. We aren't really fast food kind of people but it just seemed like a Burger King kind of day. Quincy did not agree with me and ate about 10 fries and drank his apple juice and when we got home he asked he if we had salmon?!