Tiny update

Oh my, oh my, where did the inspiration go? I've been busy being busy in real life so to speak, and have had no time or energy for the blog. I've been cuddling Charlie and going for walks in the woods, reading 1Q84 and wishing for it to never end, continuing my hunt for a reasonably priced Italian class (and deciding to go for private tutoring instead, at least for the time being), making a hugh batch of Caponata, finishing one dress and starting on another, working on my C.V and enjoying the unexpected but oh so welcome spring weather we've been having. Last weekend, I went back to my beloved Berlin, which was... cold and great. I spend my time strolling down my old streets, hugging my friends and I went back to my old job to see my ex co-workers and kids. Seeing my old class was so wonderful and I really had the most amazing time with my kids. When it was time to go back home, however, I was strangely relieved. I felt so good coming back to Italy and so sure that this is the place for us right now. Even when my boss offered me my old job back, it felt like the easiest thing in the world to turn it down. Needless to say, this kind of gave me the little extra boost I needed to really start planning for the next couple of months and I'm very excited to see what the future holds. 

If I haven't been giving my blog much love lately, I've been putting more effort into my Pinterest page. Feel free to check it out! I happen to know that the coral coloured shoes with cut-outs and laces are on their way home to me as we speak. Andrea is the most amazing person in every single way, but he hates buying gifts for people because he feels that he can never find the right things. I, however, know that this isn't true. For my 30th birthday, he very secretly ordered a Singer heavy duty (that is now one of my best buds) from the U.S. Needless to say, I almost fainted when I came home from work and found it on our kitchen table. Now, how's that for gift finding?! Anyways, when I found these shoes and very innocently pointed out that it's my birthday in less than a month, we both agreed that these would be the perfect birthday gift for yours truly. Very pleased with that deal, I must say, and so is Andrea. 

Today, a friend of ours is arranging a market for small designers, all DIY & handmade and of course, right up my alley. Looking forward to that! 

Have a lovely Sunday! 

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Pack a bag and go

My mind is in a travel mode at the moment. I want to get away for a bit, see something new, talk to people I don't know, taste something different. I usually love big city trips, but this time around, I want sun on my skin, a salty breeze, that sharp summer light that almost hurts your eyes. Last summer, me and Andrea had an excellent plan that worked out really well. We started off in Sweden, where we hung out with my brother, went to a small cottage in the archipelago outside of Stockholm for a couple of days, saw my parents and went to Malmö/Copenhagen to see my friends. People always seem to think that Swedish summer is crappy and cold, but it's more complicated than that.  It is unpredictable, and you never know when it's gonna come or leave. In other words, us Swedes really try to make the most of a sunny day. At the same time, and I totally understand that this is because I'm Swedish myself, but I absolutely love Swedish summer. There is something so bitter sweet and totally seductive about it. The nature is so beautiful and lush it's almost painful and it never gets really dark. 

After Sweden, we went to Italy. Our plan wasn't really set so when we took off, we didn't know exactly where we wanted to go. We ended up visiting Florence, Siena, Sam Gimignano, Pisa and the lovely island of Elba. It was truly an unforgettable trip - not only because of the fact that I got the worst sun burn of my entire life. The nature completely blew me away and I can't wait to go back to Tuscany - truly my no 1 favourite place in Italy. 

Please spring/summer, come now. I need this badly. 

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Back to business

Well hello! Im back in Italy after having spent a lovely Christmas in London with my family. The days went by way too fast, but it was so good to see them again. We celebrated both the traditional Swedish and British way, which meant Swedish food and presents for the kids on the evening of the 24th and lunch, relatives and more presents on Christmas Day. I cuddled my niece and nephew enough to last me a while, over ate at every meal and even managed to squeeze in checking out the sales on Boxing Day. It was absolutely crazy, but I couldn't resist sneaking in to Liberty to dream about their fabrics and to fondle a Marni coat that was still hugely over budget for me at £470. I guess I'll just have to way until the Marni collection for H&M comes out - I bet the prices will be a bit friendlier.

When we got back on Tuesday afternoon, we simply re-packed and took off again to see Andrea's parents and to pick up Charlie who spent Christmas with them and their dogs. She's exhausted from five days of playing, gained 4 kilos while we were gone and is now refusing to eat her normal dog food. We made a few stops on our way there to check out some local thrift stores.

This photo really doesn't do this amazing colour justice. It's a deep, rich blue and from what I can tell, the cardigan is hand knitted and in great condition.  

This pale yellow wool knit is already a huge favourite. It's super warm and perfect for the current Bergamo weather (chilly and a bit windy).

This dotted dress looked like absolute shit on the hanger, but once I tried it on, I knew I couldn't leave it behind. It's longer than most of my dresses but I think I'll leave it that way. 

I also got two pairs of flats that I will be using when it gets a little bit warmer here. I especially love the first pair, made in Florence. I always get so curious about the previous owner whenever I pick up vintage stuff. Who wore these before me? I'm picturing a tiny, Italian lady with shaky knees and an equally tiny husband. 

I don't know about you, but I always feel a bit uneasy between Christmas and New Year's Eve. I guess it might be the food, the lack of exercise, the constant sleepiness or the fact that you've been spending time with your loved ones and then, if your situation is like mine, leave to go back to wherever your home is. I'm comforting myself with the fact that one of my dearest friends will be visiting us next week. I haven't seen her since June, and so much has happened since so I'm really looking forward to long talks and catching up.

How was your Christmas? Have a lovely Thursday!

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Counting down the days

This weekend was great. New star patterned (my first! I'm a stripe girl every day of the year) shirt dress. Love shirt dresses. Walking around town in sunshine. Watching Drive. Finding veggie sausages!! Panattone and bubbly to the tones of blue grass at a clothing shop here in town. Listening to S.B.T.R.K.T while cooking. And the best of all: driving up to the mountains close by to check if there was any snow (ski season is drawing nearer) and if so: to see how Charlie reacted to it. It was instant success. It sounds kind of cheesy and this might be hard to understand for dogless people, but there is something squeezing my heart very tightly whenever I see my dog pal so happy.

I'm so so much looking forward to this week. Today, Andrea is selling his old camera (that I'm using more than he is) and getting a new one, and I am so excited to try the new one out! We're also gonna get some small Italian stuff for the Christmas dinner table (Chili jam and Tarelli anyone?). Wednesday, we're going to Andrea's parents to spend the night and to drop Charlie off. She'll be spending a couple of days at the country house and even though I know she'll be fine, I kind of miss her already.
Then finally, it's Thursday evening and we're off to London. When I wake up on Friday, I'll be with my family and with my favourite people in the world: my niece and nephew. Can't wait!

Oh, and the old run-down hotel... how beautiful? I might just buy in and transform it into a Swedish cheese shop/sewing studio/workshop for A/flats for everyone I love. Have a lovely Monday! Pin It

Oh deer, oh deer

So we're back home after having spent some time at Andrea's parents. It was really relaxing and I always feel so pampered whenever I see his family. They make sure I'm warm and fed and they're just the sweetest people you could ever imagine. These little fellows are not so bad either. They live on the grounds belonging to the family country house and they are just so adorable! They're a bit shy around me, but whenever Andreas grandfather shows up, they'll eat straight out of his hand. Such beautiful creatures. 

It's usually pretty foggy in the area so it's hard to really capture the beauty, but believe me if I say that this view is more spectacular in real life.

Charlie was a happy lady, running around free as a bird without a care in the world (as if she usually has any).

Made a new friend. 

Chew chew chew. 

 

Now it's back to reality and I have a bunch of projects planned for this week. I'm planning to sew a Peter Pan collar, using this excellent tutorial, to start on a dress and to continue on some knitting projects. Last but not least, I'm gonna fix up my little craft space which is in desperate need of organization. Should be a good week! 

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Small Saturday adventure

Earlier this week, Andrea asked me if I wanted to come to this huge outdoor market for vintage bikes and motorcycles. Without really expecting too much, I said I'd come. Early yesterday morning, we packed ourselves, a friend and a not-so-content-and-still-very-sleepy Charlie in our car and went to Novegro. Luckily, for me, it turned out that there were more to it than just things on wheels. Yay! Many sellers had cleaned out their storage spaces and brought along other items they wanted to get rid of. This picnic basket for example, in top condition.









Charlie was a pretty good trooper and tagged along as best as she could. Plenty of sellers told her what a beautiful dog she is and cuddled with her. One even gave her a piece of bread (obvious favourite).

This little guy had a huge fan base. I bet his owners sold lots of stuff.

I have a thing for old maps and globes - I wanted this badly but have really nowhere to put it. We have a huge school map over Europe in our living room and maybe adding this would be a bit overkill. 

One of these beauties got to come home with us. 

Charlie saw this rocking horse that she found very suspicious. What kind of freak dog is this? And why is it so still? A butt sniff was alright though. 

Oh my. I love, LOVE cheese. Like seriously romantically love it. Me and Andrea (who hates cheese) used to toy with the idea of me opening up a small Swedish cheese stand at a Farmer's market in Berlin and become the cheesebassador of Sweden. 

After a few hours, our feet were cold and we were super tired. Me and Charlie fell asleep in a little pile in the car on the way home. It was such a nice market though, and I will be happy to go back next year.

As for now, I'm gonna crash on the couch and gather energy for the upcoming week. Andrea's family visited us today and brought lots of sweets and yummy stuff. Maybe I will treat myself to a little piece of Fontina that Andrea's mom gave me. Yes, I think I will. Have a lovely Sunday evening!

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