Love rules

So finally they are getting engaged Crown Princess and her man.
They look fierce together and so so in love. I'm glad for them.

I, on the other hand, am working my ass off and looking forward to the return of the light and the sun. Still haven't had a chance to wear my new shoes since the ground is still covered in snow. God, I really hate snow unless I am skiing on it and that I haven't done in ages.

At the moment I am terribly anooyed by Linda Skugge and the likes of her. I read some of her columns in CHIC magazine. SHe writes about how women who have kids are so much better, sexier, smarter than those who don't. And living in the suburbs is so right and everything else is not real and people (women) who don't have kids have no connection to reality and cannot be stressed out since they don't know what stress is.
I should not let insecure women like her get to me but seriously...
Isn't it hard enought to be a woman these days without having to turn on eachother? Instead, can't we just respect eachothers choices and be happy for eachother? I admit: screaming kids on a plane or in a restaurant annoys the hell out of me and I do believe that some places just are not the right place to bring your children but that does not mean I cannot be happy for a woman who wants kids and gets pregnant.
I have chosen not to have any children - that is my choice and I am content. So many times have I heard "oh you change your mind" -Hello, I'm 35 almost 36 I don't htink so or "you'll regret it eventually" - Well then I'll get a dog and a young lover to keep me occupied

What if I would go up to a pregnant woman and say "Oh you'll change your mind" or "what if you'll regret it". They'd probably slap me.

Would it be more fun if we instead embraced our differences? If we were all the same - imagine what the world would be like?!?!

Now - back to work

Take care
Love/E

Song of the day: Flo - Rida - Round and Round

And then the snow came

again....

It is seriously white outside.

I bought new shoes in Copenhagen that I am dying to use but I can't while it's snow up to my knees outside.

Copenhagen was very nice. We stayed at a good hotel, The Phoenix and had our Valentines day dinner att a very good restaurant Ego - really really nice food and atmosphere.

Saturday we spen mostly checking out the shops: Illum, Birger Christensen, Magasin du Nord. Sunday we met up with Mr S' son and his very pregnant girlfriend. She is.. nice nothing more nothing elss just nice. Not very funny and not vey interesting just nice. I always thought he would go for someone a bit more... of everything. She has a very annoying habit of talking about him when he is sitting just next to her "A thinks this" and "A likes that"- hello, he is 27 years old and can answer a question by him self.

This week I have been very cultural: Tuesday I went to the opera and saw Swan Lake and yesterday I saw Cabaret. Swan Lake was wonderful but Cabaret was quite disappointing.

Now I have to do my nails...

Take care

Love/E

Song of the day: The Wrestler - Bruce Springsteen

Rock around the Clock

Yesterday Mr S and me went to see "Buddy Holly - the musical". We got free tickets from work - one of the upsides to my job. It was really good, I was plesantly surprised. Buddy Holly made some seriously cool music that still works today.

Friday I had champagne, I would say I had a huge amount of champagne, with sis, Mr S and girlfriend T. Simply because we are worth it :) We had dinner at a newly opened, or reopened, italian restaurant "Per Lei", really great. If you are in the neighboorhood it is well worth a visit, Birger Jarlsgatan 24.
Saturday I watched Top Model - Canada almost all day and that was about it. Oh, I ordered pizza online as well. Good thing these online stuff, I only had to leave the couch to answer the door :)
And of course the Swedish Eurovision Song Contest has started. It is amazing how an entire nation just stops and spends an evening in front of the tv watching it. As do I...
Sunday we went to visit the Nordic Light Furniture fair - very artsy. It's amazing how some people suffer from a "I am desinger therefore I am dressed in balck and acting difficult"-complex. Lighten up - everything is more fun then.

Met up with gay-boyfriend J, he still looks amazing: like a dark haired Ken doll. We had a few laughs while watching and commenting on fashion statements of people passing by.

Now I am going home. Mr S is out of town so tonight I'll watch "Wall-E" and eat pop corn

Take care

Love/E

Song of the day: American Pie - Artist of your choice

Spanked

Looks like the Swedish hockey team is about to smack up the Russians. This I like. At the moment Sweden - Russia 3-1

Mr S is half asleep next to me on the couch. Yesterday his best friends N was here and they spent most of the evening and night doing "boy-stuff"while I was doing girl-stuff in the bathroom.

Work is busy, haven't been home before 7 at all this week but tomorrow it's Friday and I'm meeting sis and my posse for some champagne - simply because we are worth it :)

Now: time to download some more music

Takce care

Love/E

Song of the day: Rock Away - Lazee

Back to earth

Have been oh so busy with oh so boring things lately. Not even worth mentioning - only work.
But Saturday sis, Mr S, Henri and me joined the frenzy of the Stockholm nightlife at it's best and went to berns to see and hear Omar. It's been a long time. last time I saw him was in Paris and he was really down and out back then. Too much of everything. But Saturday he looked great and sounden great. I managed to get his autograph before the show and thank him for a great show afterwards.
Berns was crazy: too young, too much booze and to my surprise (I know, I am getting old) women/girl wearing way to little. When I was younger I would go for either cleavage or legs - not both. At a very young age I learnt that cover it up is sexier. These girly women were wearing next to nothing: short skirts, short tops or hot pants...
I suppose I'm getting old but I would never be caught wearing what they were wearing.

The show was really good and sis got really drunk. I suppose it's partly my fault since I bought her a very strong P2 (vanilla vodka, apple sour and sprite). I had one as well but having worked for a year in the restaurant business my tolerance level for alcohol is high, probably too high to be considered healthy...
Anyway, Mr S had the car so we shoved her in the back seat and went home by 2 in the morning.

This week end my aunt is turning 70 and I'm called to "family duty" to appear at a surpsie party for her on Saturday. I suppose all my boring cousins will be there with their obnoxious kids. Wonder what I shall wear...

Well I'm still at work. One might wonder why, at least I do so now I'm off :)

Take care
Love/E

Song of the day: See you in my Nightmares - Kanye West

Yes, we can!

Today is "Yes, we can"-day when Mr Obama will officially be announced the Prsiden of the United States.

I watched his speech on tv, there were some thing I really liked, some I liked and some I didn't like. One thing he said that I reacted to was: We will not change our lifestyle" I really think we all, every signle one of us has o change our lifestyle. If we want this world to go on. The situation we are in today, both the shifts in climate and the financial crisis, depends on something and I do believe it is our lifestyle that has got us all into this situation. 

Now, on a more positive note: I really believe that Mr Obama can and will make a difference. It will be hard and hard descicions must be made but I think if anyone can do it he can.

Personally I have booked a Valentine's Day trip for my man and myself to Copenhagen. I believe in creating things to look forward to. Espescially now during this dark and rainy period.

Now I'm off

Take care

Love/E

Song of the day: Beyoncé - Halo

A good question

Have you stopped living even though you are not dead?

Something to think about....

I do lead a charmed life. Am surfing the web with a glass of Taittinger and watching my husband making me dinner :)

A very good start of the week end.

Take care

Love/E

Song of the day: No Stress - Laurent Wolf

MSC Fanatsia Dec 20 - 28 2008

13 hours of fun

Have had a few lazy days with only some shopping, hanging out with friends and Mr S, eating good food and drinking good wine.

Picked up a pair of pants from HOPE and a shirt from The Shirt Factory so now I am ready for whatever challenges might come my way.

In my horoscope for 2009 it says that thingw won't calm down until October but I will come into some money and home, frineds and family will be important to me this year. I was hoping for something like: You will become financially independent and move to a caslte in Italy where you will spend your days watching the wines grow"

Yesterday I met up with girlfriend T for lunch at Sturehof. We left some 13 hours later after both lunch and dinner, several glasses of wine and champagne. Felt like a good way to end the holidays and to start my detox period. As of now I will limit my intake of red meat, alcohol, salt and sugar. I will go to the gym 2/week and do about 15 mins of pilates at home per day.

Hello Beach 2009 and size 8! Good bye Big Booty and size 10.

Now I will work on uploading some pics from the cruise.

Take care

Love/E

Song of the day: Hot'n'Cold - Kate Perry

Happy New Year

Had a lovely New Years Eve with friends.

Arranged, with very short notice, a really good dinner. Everyone brought 40 euros worth of food so we had oysters, coquilles St Jaques, duck breast, salmon rolls and a lot more. Wine, beer, champagne and booze. I went very easy on the drinking - only half a bottle of chapagne and some dessert wine. The last ones left at 5 in the morning.

The first day of 2009 I spent cleaning the apartment, drove a car back to friends, dropped of M at the station and made chicken burgers and finally watched "Day after tomorrow".

I am trying very hard to not think about work - I don't have to be there until next Wednesday but work still is in the back of my mind all the time. Maybe I should try some yoga to relax me...

Tomorrow I am going to try to upload some photos from the cruise. I have some really great ones from Egypt and the pyramids.

Take care

Love/E

Song of the day: Case of the Ex - Mya 

The End of the Road

2008 has alomst come to an end, one day remains of a year that went by so fast.

It's been a good year for me.

To sum it up:

• Biggest investment: The kitchen, both in time and money. Six months and 25 000 euros later it's done!
• Best travel: Always Paris but Istanbul is a runner up
• Biggest surprise: I actually passed my drivers licence on my first attempt
• Biggest disappointment: People who can't let things go
• Best buy: Shoes, shoes and shoes in Istanbul
• Worst buy: Pink rouge (what was I thinking?!?!)
• Best dinner: LUX for the food, dinner with The Ladies for the company
• Worst dinner: The Supperclub in Istanbul
• Drink: rediscovered Vanilla Vodka, always champagne
• Food: Quinoa, works at the time
• Brand: POUR - easy to wear and very cool
• Biggest joy: Landing my new job and of course Mr S
• Biggest joy #2: To see my friends happy. Things are falling into place for all of us

For 2009 I will:

eat healthier, drink less alcohol, excercise more, buy at least one horribly expensive bag simply because I'm worth it, take care of my husband and my friends, have more fun, laugh more, act more and create a good space for myself in the world.

I wish you all the best for 2009. Hope you have a wonderful year ahead of you.

Take care

Love/E

Song of the day: Heartless - Kanye West

I see the sea

all around. I keep getting these morbid thoughts "what if I'd fall in the sea, how long would I last"

Two nights ago it was a storm (if you'd ask me, if you'd ask Mr S it was a bit windy). Everything was rocking quite a bit and more than a few people were struck down by sea sickness.

I went to see the ship doctor, he looks at lot like Giorgio Armani - the actual person not the label ;) since I've been coughing like crazy and my throat really hurts. It's was quite disturbing to have a distinguished gentleman mutter stuff in Italian and shake his head while examining me.

Any way I apparently have asthma/broncithis and I am now on medication.

Yesterday was the best day so far: I finally got to see the pyramids and the Sphinxs. Truly amazing. One feels quite small and humble standing below the Cheops pyramid looking up at the top. Each block of stone is perfectly fitted and competely air and water proof. 

We passed through both Alexandria and Cairo - I like Egypt, I'd love to go back but I don't think I would like to live there.

The boat is quite high end. Most of the staff are from countries like Philipines, Malaysia, Honduras etc. Apparently they are paid about 10 pounds sterling a week - makes me feel like a dollar tourist. They don't really speak that good English but they are very nice and smiling.

I did expect more from the food though. I smuggled 4 bottles of champagne into our cabin so after a bottle of champagne anything tastes fairly ok.

Today I am having a massage and I'll spend the day just realxing.

Have the merriest Christmas ever and a fierece New year

Love/E

Song of the day: Balck Sweat - Prince

Welcome to my place

This week end I ahve been doing some very urban adult things: Saturday I got up quite early and went to work - had a few emails to send. The Mr S and myself went to check out the student exhibition at Konsthögskolan. We found the queu from hell so we decided to come back late. Went back into town and checked out some interior decoration stores. Took a sandwich and a coffe and then we tried our luck at the exhibition again. It was cool, some really funny things and some things I saw made me wonder if they will ever find a job.
Spent the evening first at D&S and then sis, Henri, Mr S, O and myself went back to O's place for some anime movies. There I didn't feel adult any more so I fell asleep on the couch.

Soley for my personal pleasure am I looking at apartment adds in the paper and on the www.It's seemes like every single seller is either using the same home styler or are crazy about the colour white.Today I saw an add on the net where everything was white... I sh*t you not. Walls, floor, ceiling, sofa, chairs, table and even the flower (lilies of course) where white. Why is that?? Are we so life style stressed out that we can't stand colours anymore?!?!Who wants to live in a white house? It looked like a hospital.

If you come to my place you'd enter into my hall that is gold coloured then the next room has gold and white wallpaper on the right walls and the walls on the left side are grey. Turn right and follow the gold/white wall paper into the bedroom - light yellow and olive (or I would call it dark green) and open the next door you'll find my walk in closet with yellow walls.
Now go back and check out the living room. Grey walls with on red stripe behind the TV. Black/brown couch with red pillows. But, most of the furniture are white so I supposed my life is also very styled by the latest interior decoration magazines.
Join me in the kitchen: beige stone floor, grey cupboards, black granite and dark brown walls.
Let's have a drink, a red cosmo looks great on the black granite.

Take care

Love/E

Song of the day: Creepin' Up on You - Daren Hayes

Dark and wet

The snow came and melted away so now it's horribly dark and rainy again. Doesn't seem like Christmas in close at all.

On the upside I get to use my new warm jacket a lot and I bought a pair of new fierce boots.

So far I have only bought one Christmas present to sis. Tried to go shopping last week end but I had no inspiration so I only bought some stuff for myself and the house.

Today I got all the travel information about the cruise I think it will be great and I have decided not to bring my work phone with me. So no work contacts at all during 8 whole days. It will be divine :)

Take care

Love/E

Song of the day: Another way to Die - Alicia Keyes & Jack White

And now...

some pilates :)

Song of the day: Stand by me - SEAL

And then the snow came...

and there was quiet... well not as quiet as I'd wish. Work is still quite busy. Everything needs to be done by Christmas and I am looking forward to 3 weeks of vacation.

Stockholm has been officially hit by winter. It's the same story every year. Once the snow comes it's chaos: train not running, planes being cancelled or delayed, trafficjams and more fender-benders than any one can count. Hello, news flash: sometimes in snows in the northern part of the world!

To stop freezing I bought one of those huge jackets at Intersport, you know the ones when you see a jacket walking down the street and not a person. But it's warm.

I am seriously considering leaving my job and do something else. I only wish I knew what to do. i want to do something meaningful like working for the MSF (by the way support them this Christmas they truly do a great job!) or some other organisation like it. But Mr S tells me that I am "too nice" to be able to pull it off. So for now I'll just give my annual donation and keep helping out to make the world a bit more beautiful.

A wise man once said:
"I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually triumph and that there is purpose and worth to each and every life"
-Ronald Reagan
and those a words to live by

Take care
Love/E

Song of the day: My Life - The Game

Like the Boys

Stopped by HM and checked out their latest designer collaboration with Comme des Garcons.

I liked it so I bought a dress. Mr S and friend H bought two shirts each.

After some shopping we went to a chinese restaurant for some food. I'm not really that into Chinese but this was ok.

Then the movie "Quantum of Solace" wih oh so gorgeous Daniel Craig. I was quite disappointed since he wasn't naked, not even flashing his abs....

This week end I'm going to buy a Pilates-dvd and start exercising in front of the TV. Was a the gym today and did some pilates and it really works. This should give my booty a serious challenge. I have to be fit if I am going to show my self in a bathing suit on the cruise.

Now it's time for some www-shopping

Take care

Love/E

Song of the day: Material Girl - Madonna

One Shot

Stopped by fierce MAC-counter at NK the other day and wlaked away with their Christmas One Shot eye shadow kit for warm eyes. I suppose I have warm eyes... or at leat I hope so.

George W Bsuh is supposed  to have said:

"The good thing about books it that they sometimes have pictures in them"

And that man was running a country...

Take care

Love/E

Song of the day: When tomorrow comes - Anna Ternheim

YES We can

And yes he did. Mr Obama will be the next Mr President.
Jan 20 2009 will be a great day. I really really think he can and will make a difference. The world needs "new blood", new ideas and new inspiration. He will not have it easy: finicial crisis, 2 wars, unemployment but HE CAN.
Mr Bush certainly left a mess!

As far as Mr McCain goes he seemed like a very nice and kind person, I don't however agree with most of his opinions. And don't even get met started on Mrs Palin - I mean seriously: calling her a Barracuda is an understatement.

Me, I do my best to support the Nordic economy by shopping Nodric designers :) Bought a new winters jacket from Danish designer team St Martin. Loves it. It is not as warm as I wish it would be, or maybe the weather isn't as warm as I wish it would be...

Last week end Mr S and me went to a champagne tasting hosted by Richard Juhlin at Haga Slott. It was very nice. The dinner after the tasting was also nice, all in all a pleasant experience.

The weeks go by so quickly so soon it is Christmas and I'm off on the cruise. It could be totally divine or total misery. I'm going to bring some books and my gym gear so I can train and read.

Come Saturday it's dad's 66th birthday and sis and I are going to cook for him at his place. My dad isn't really into going out to restaurants - he thinks it to much hazzle to leave the house.

Now I have to find airline tickets for my boss to go to Thailand. I've never been but a lot of Swedeish people goes there for Christmas and New Years. I suppose it's nice but I haven't been tempted.

What are you doing for Christmas?

Take care

Love/E

Song of the day: A Change is gonna Coming - Sam Cooke

It's raining...

It's not raining men today more like cats and dogs as they say in the UK.
Fall has hit us big time... Seems like there are no more of those cold, crisp and sunny days.

Yesterday we were treated (!?!?!) to the flu vaccin at work. So I took it since I've read in the paper that the flu will peak some time around Christmas and I don't want to be sick on the cruise. Before I had the shot I felt pretty good, today I feel like I have the flu. Got this Matrix-like vision of how I now have been injected with a device so that my job always knows where I am and what I do... I thought this was suppose to help not make me ill. D*mn!
This week end Mr S and myself are off to Haga Slott for a champagne week end - simply because we are worth it.

Sunday I met for the first time with my reading circle. We read "To kill a mocking bird". I didn't finish the whole book, made it about 3/4 but I liked it. It gives a very good view on a society I am glad we left behind a long time ago. Well, as I read in the paper today some US neo nazis where planning to kill Mr Obama so I suppose some have a hard time letting go.
It was an experience to actually see the N-word in writing as much as it was in the book.
I'm glad I didn't live back then. I can never imagine what it must be like to so openly be looked down upon only because you have a different colour of your skin. I am a black woman married to a white man and that would never heve been possible in those days.

So today: a big shout out to all those who came before me: I would never be where I am today if you hadn't gone through what you did.

Kind of puts thing in perspective...

Take care
Love/E

Song og the day: Soul II Soul - Back to Life