Lunch at "Bugges eft".

The wether has been realy grey with loads of rain today, so we decided to have lunch at one of our favorit cafés. Days like this are perfekt for snuggling up in one of the cosy sofas at "Bugges eft". The obvious choise would have been to order hot chocolat, but we both had a craving for milkshakes. I ordered strawberry-milkshake and Tomas ordered cherry-milkshake. Mmmmm....

If you ever find yourself at Grünerløkka in Oslo, "Bugges eft" is absolutely worth a wisit.

Here's Tomas after a good sandwitch and cherry-milkshake. I'm in totaly shock, that he allowed me to put his picture on my blog.

Lazy days

Yesterday we had a visit from my sister in law, so we treated ourselfs to a wisit so Pascal. They have the best cakes in the world. Just take a look at this picture:

Yummi, right? They are just so incredibly tasty, and everyone should have a chance to taste one of these at least once in theyre liftime. To day this is whats left:

But it looks so lonely, so I better eat this one too......

Before Christmas I found these small christmas-cones

I realy wanted to buy them, but they were a bit to expensive. So when I found them on sale yesterday, I was so happy! I've bougth four of them, two red and two black ones.

Other than that, we spends the days relaxing, watching DVDs and reading. I've even started croheting an octopus for Odin. It's nice to make something that's not related to Christmas again.

I've got mail

We have had a great day! We had lunch on "Fridays", returned some christmas-gifts and just enjoyed the day together. I just love lazy days like this. And when we came home, an envelope was waiting for me in my mailbox. It's from Kathy in Australia, who sent me some free samples for the "Free sample-swap" I've joined. It's fun to try some new products, that I can't get here in Norway. Kathy even sent me some extra samples! Thank you, Kathy!

Merry Christmas

Phu! The last few days have been busy, so I haven't had much time to update my blog. To day I wanted to do some changes in my blog, and ended up deleting all my links to my favorite blogs. Grrrr.... So I'll have to start all over again. At least I've found an easier way to make a link-list this time. But it will probably take me some time to find all the links again.

I got this great gift from GH in the "Secret friend-swap".

The yarn is alpaca-wool, my favorite! I haven't decided what I'll make of it yet, but I'm sure I'll find some use for it. Thank you, GH!

Cosmetic-bags

I got so inspiered by the wonderfull cosmetic-bags Nena made, so I just had to make some myself. They are really easy and fun to make, and looks so cool. I made three of them today, while Odin was sleeping.

The bags even have "secret pockets" in the front and back.

I've joined another swap again, and will include a cosmetic-bag in the gift to each of my three swap-partners. So the bags will be sent off to England, USA and Australia.

I've also knitted these angels.

A good night sleep....

About a year ago, I started reading about feng shui. At first I was very skeptical, but now I'm totaly in to it. It's amasing how our environmet have an effect on every aspects of our lives. I have been sleeping very badly the last couple of weeks, and I'm always soooo tired when I wake up in the morning. To day I took a good look at our bedroom, and it's no wonder I can't sleep properly. It was a complete mess, with piles of clothes, magasines, toys and etc. So I started cleaning, changed the bed (I always sleep better after I have changed the bed), and left the window open for a couple of houres. Now the energy feels so much better in there. Hopefully I will sleep better to night. I probably will, because I'm so tired from all the cleaning. But I don't care why it workes, as long as it works.....

I have a smal collection of mementos on my nightstand, that are realy important to me. Some of my chrystals, some religious symbols and other things that I appriciate.

The faery is a gift from Tomas, and the smal Ganesh-figure is a gift from a friend that now have moved to Jerusalem. If I'm feeling down, I like to cary the Ganesh-figure with me in one of my pockets.

This tiny icon is a gift from another friend. I always thinks of her when I look at it.

The Tor-figure is also a gift from Tomas. I think it's realy cool, and as I'm realy in to the old norse Gods, this is perhaps my absolute favorit amongst my religious things.

The angel, made by Gisela Graham, my mother bought for me last year, when I told her I was pregnant. She wanted it to look after me and the baby.

And finaly; this is what I'm reading these days......

.... "Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix" for the second time, and "Voluspå", a collection of some of the old, norse poems called "Edda". I love the "Edda-poems", and reads them over and over.

Gift from a secret friend

I got a christmas-gift in the mail yesterday. I just want to open it rigth away, but have to wait to christmas-eve. (In Norway the tradition is to open the gifts on christmas-eve, not christmas-morning.) I don't know who sent it yet, because it's a secret friend swap, that I have joined. This is so fun!

I did a real bargain at my lokal goodwill store yesterday. I bougth this great Santa.

And a whole box of old christmas-decorations.

My favorits among the things in the box are these angels.....

.... and these smal books with christmas-carols. They are for hanging on the christmas-tree, and I've never seen decorations like this before.

Giftbag

To day I finally finished the last home-made christmas-gift. It's a giftbag for my friend. On the bag I have written words like; Joy, Happines and Resting, only in norwegian. Hopefully she will like both the bag and the things in it.





And... Our little viking-prince got his first tooth yesterday. He "borrowed" his Grandmothers cellphone, and left a tiny toothmark in it. Grandma was, of course, beyond herself with pride. She has been walking around all day, showing it to everybody.

We're going to the Canary Islands!

Well, not just yet, but soon. We're going to Arguineguin in mid January. We have never been there before, so we're a bit exited. And a bit nervous.... I'm a little afraid it will be boring, since non of us are the type that like laying at the beach all day long. Usually we like to travel to a city, like London, Pragh or Paris, and spend the time at museums, sightseing, theater and shopping. But with a seven months old baby, that's out of the question. But a week of relaxation, good food and a bit of sun do not sound awfull, so I'll probably survive. And it's kind of nice to have something nice to look foreward to after christmas too. Usually January feels so looooong.

Here's a picture of the hotel we're staying at, Hotel Arguineguin

And here's a picture of the pool

Almost finished with the gifts

I didn't finish all gifts in time for 1. Desember as I had planed, but now I'm nearly done.

This is the santa-couple I've made for my aunt.

Here are all six winebags. I made them very simple, but I think they turned out ok anyway.

A pair of slippers for a friend.

I'm planing to make a stringbag, and fill it with these slippers, a book about Rome, chocolat and a sented candle. Hopefully my friend will like the gift.

I bougth some cristmas-cookies today, so now I'll enjoy the cookies and watch some tv for the rest of the evening. Later "Grays anatomy" is on, one of my favorites.

Ullevål Hospital

We have spent the day at Ullevål Hospital, and our little viking-prince was so brave. He just cried once, when we had to hold him down for the x-rays. All the nurses and doctors comented on how brave he was! And we were just SO proud! Now we have to wait a couple of weeks or so for the results. But the doctors were very optimistic, and it looks like he won't need surgery.

I have finished the two gnomes for my cousins. Now I just need to finish one more, and that one is for myself. After that, I think I'm done making gnomes. It was soooo boring finishing the last two, so no more gnomes!

Yesterday I got this lovely hanger in the mail. It was sent by TinTin. I sent her some yarn in return. This is a great way of "buying" new craft-supplies, without spending a lot of money. I'm looking forward to using the hanger, but it won't be before after christmas, I think.

Hurry! Hurry!

I haven't been able to update my blog again. My son, Odin, was sick the whole last week, so I didn't have time to do much blogging or crafting. But he got some penecillin, and is much better now. On thursday we're going to Ullevål hospital for a check up. Hopefully they won't find anything wrong.

My goal for christmas was to be finished with all my christmas-gifts by 1. Desember. (Exept the gifts for Tomas and Odin) The Idea is that this way, I can spend the whole Desember making cristmas-decorations, cakes and other christmas-stuff for myself. It would be nice to have a calm, nice Desember, without all the stress. But Desember 1. is just a few days away, so I better hurry. I have a few gifts I need to buy, and some gifts I need to finish making.

I need to finish these three Gnomes. Two are gifts for my cousins, one I'm planing to keep myself.

I also have to finish another "Santa-couple in love". They are a gift for my aunt.

This is a slipper I'm making for a friend.

I'm also planing on sewing some wine-bags to give away with wine-bottles. It makes the gift a bit more personal. Only problem is, I haven't even started on these yet. I don't think I will be able to finish everything by friday 1. Desember, but by the end of the coming weekend, I hope everything is done.

Well I better get started.....

Sunday

I love sundays! It's the day of the week when we try to do as little as possible. This sunday is fathersday in Norway, so I made waffles for brekfast. It's Tomas favourite, so I thoght it would be a great start at his first fathersday. Later we will have homemade hamburgers for dinner, and brownies for dessert. Jummy!

To day is also the day of the football cup finale. Unfortunatly my team; Lillestrøm, didn't make it this year. But next year.... Look out everyone!
Well, today Sandefjord is playing Fredrikstad. A friend of mine is Fredrikstad supporter, so I'll chear for them today.

I can hear a little, cranky boy waking up now, so I better log of.

Hello again

I haven't updated my blog for a while. My sister has been visiting from Canada, so I just haven't had the time to log on. I don't see my sister wery often, so when she's here, we try and spend as much time together as we can. Now she's back in Toronto, so I'll try and update my blog more often.

I still haven't started on my bag for the "Veskealong" (Handbag-along), but I have decided I want to make a felted bag. I'm looking forward to start, now that I have decided how I want to make it.

A great day!

This day has been just great! First we woke up to beautifull sunshine, and that's always a good start for me. I kind of like rain too, but there is something about sunshine in the morning, that makes me spesially happy.

When we were on our daily stroll, I decided to visit one of my favourite stores, "Junibakken". I ended up treating myself with these candellight-holders.

And this very cute hanger:

At my local Fretex (a good-will store) I found this rainhat, cold sydvest in norwegian. I have wanted one of these for a long time, but haven't been able to find one I like. So when I saw this bright red one, I just had to buy it.

I also found this old cookbooks, and a coffeepot, at an other secondhand store.

The coffeepot has the same pattern as some plates I alredy have. No one of us drink coffee, but I think it will work fine with hot chocholat too.

But the best buy of the day was a 32 pice dinnerware. I bougt a really nice plate at a fleemarket a while ago, but haven't been able to find more of them. But to day I found the whole set at once. I bought it of course, but it was to big and heavy to carry home, so I will have to pick it up tomorrow.

After this fun day of shopping, the best part was waiting for me in my mailbox. I recived my swap-gift in the "Santas Hat Swap"! It was sent by Jenni in Denver, USA. And WOW! The santas hat was really full of wraped little gifts. I just love it! I got so many nice things. Thank you, Jenni. This was so wonderfull!

Weekend at Norefjell

We spent the weekend at Norefjell. It was raining all the time, but we snuggled up inside with hot chocholat, boardgames, crosswordpussels and lots of magasines. It's so nice to have the time to do nothing sometimes. I brought the camera with me, but had forgotten to charge the battery, so no pictures from Norefjell.

I have joined a "Santas Hat Swap". The idea is to fill a santas hat with little gifts and send it to some one you don't know. It's fun to plan and make the gifts, and I hope the reciver will be happy with it. It's my first international swap, so I'm really exited.

I'm struggeling with the Handbag-along. I haven't been able to come up with a good idea for a bag yet. The only thing I have decided is that I want it to be a shoulder-bag. But other than that, I have no idea what I want to make. I have started knitting a new gnome insted. This will be gnome number six. I still like to knit the gnomes; It's fun and easy.

Crafting and shopping

I started making these santas last year, but didn't finish them in time for christmas, so they ended up in my UFO-basket. This weekend I finally came around to finish them.

I've also made pair of clogs. I made them for myself, but they are to wide for me, so Tomas ended up with them insted. After making these, I have decided that I don't like the colour orange. I wasn't sure about the colour when I started knitting the clogs, but wanted to use some leftover yarn. Well, now I know; I don't like it. Luckily Tomas like the colour, and the clogs fits him perfectly, so it wasn't a waste of time anyway.

The nights are getting longer and longer, and the temperature is dropping every day. It's not just all bad. This means time for candlelights, and I bought a new candlelight-holder yesterday.

It's decorated with a picture by Alphonse Mucha, one of my favorit painters. Check out this page; http://www.muchafoundation.org/mucha/page.php?page=front , for more about Mucha and his beautifull pictures.

Handbags

I've joined a handbag along at http://forum.hobbyboden.com/ . We're making handbags, but are free to decide what technics we want to use; knitting, crocheting, sewing or someting completely different. I haven't decided on technics yet, but I'm really looking foreward to start. I just love handbags. I never get enough of them.

Pillow

I love things that's both practical and decorative at the same time. I made this pillow from different leftover fabrics, and I think it turned out real nice.

The picture is ironed on a pink cotton fabric. I wish I had placed the picture more in the middle of the pillow. You can't really see the picture now. Well, well.... Maybe I'll make one more pillow like this, and place a picture more in the middle then.

Mmmm Brownies

I made brownies today. I love chocholat, and this sticky cake is just incredible tasty. Mmmm!

The recepie is from my favorite cookbook, "Far heter Daddy". I've had the book for about six months, but the pages are alredy staind and folded several places.

To night I'll watch "House" on tv, and enjoy the Brownies.