Just sitting...
Cuckoo!
I've been waiting for this.
Air leaving my body...
Can't do anything but sitting in the sofa waiting for the energy to return.
I must say I do have a wonderful sofa and place to do such thing as just sitting:)
I also have a few places actually to choose from when in a need of contemplating and the first word that crosses my mind is gratefulness.
Maybe it's ok to take a day now and then to do just that.
To sit, think and feeling grateful.
To reload, place the "musts" beside you and tell them in a firm voice to catch the moment too.
All of those places work absolutely perfect with a cup of tea in my hand too:)
Feel free to join me in my "just sitting" mood!
Tjingeling
Reality is here!
Cuckoo!
Reality is catching up on us!
I feel like I've been hit by a truck.
A huge fatigue has taken over my body and soul.
We have finally reached the days when the everyday routines are knocking on our door.
School is starting!
For two days now the two middle kids have been "moving in" to their new school, meeting new friends, new challenges and hopefully a bright future.
At this school all preparations and help they would need for success are served on a silver plate but the student's own effort is apparently something the school does not provide...
A lot of emotions, nervousness but luckily some excitement too...
And for some the real world immediately showed its "cruelty" by not having prepared the bed in the room but left that activity to the guest.
They actually have to make their beds everyday, wash and change their bed linen on their own and properly clean the room once a week.
Woohooo, miracles are to be expected:)
The oldest one is leaving tomorrow and that's when I brutally will be thrown in a new way of living.
Only one child at home, new house, silence, old but long-time-ago-lived in country, new area, not so many friends yet, worrying, sending positive thoughts to the kids and so on.
List can be long but clinging on to all those small but positive steps the kids are taking towards a more positive direction.
"Everything is going to ok in the end, and if it's not ok, then it's not the end"!
Tjingeling
Gucci decor on a Friday
Cuckoo!
Friday and I'm browsing the magazines and internet for home inspiration.
I read that Gucci is launching a new eclectic decor line and I just fell in love with, not so much the products, but the way they used an artist ( Alex Merry ) depicting the line.
(Pictures from Gucci)
The collection will include cushions, chairs, metal trays, candles, wallpaper and metal folding tables. Perfect items for an easy change in a room when needed although you have to save a lifetime to be able to purchase. It seems like the fragrant candles and some of the trays represent the lowest end of the price but you still have to pay around $ 200 ( 1600 sek ).
For me it's definitely enough looking at these beautiful paintings though that remind me of something from Matisse.
A rainy Friday I can't think of anything better than to sink into a world of dreams.
Happy friday!
Tjingeling
Out in the archipelago.
Cuckoo!
One day last week we escaped our unpacking and took a day out in the archipelago.
We took a boat and went for a two hours ride passing one beautiful island after another before we arrived to Sandhamn which was our destination.
A few girlfriends were added to the family constellation so lots of love was in the air and kind of beautified our day. Sandhamn is anyhow such a pretty little island which radiates "Bullerby" feeling but having ❤️ beaming from our boys eyes definitely took the atmosphere to another level:)
The sun was shining and so were we:)
The whole day was so nice and so well needed that I still have a sweet aftertaste of it which makes the chaos at home much more bareable.
Im saying it again, our world is so beautiful and I'm very fortunate to be able to experience it.
Tjingeling
Livingroom in the making.
Cuckoo!
900 boxes unpacked. Check!
Everything from those boxes has a place. Not!!!
Focusing on what pillows to use in the sofa or which color to add on the wall and other more fun "problems" than where to put all our stuff that has been overflowing our new house:)
Someone in our family could not care less:)
I have millions of pillows in different colors and textures so I have a hard work (!) ahead combining everything into a balanced mix. It's easier if I put them out so I can get an overview but all of them did not even fit 🙄 in my very long sofa...
To be continued.
Tjingeling
Moved in!!!
I just had to take a break!
I checked out from all media, barely checking my mail and almost never answered any phone calls.
Only focusing on unpacking 900 boxes...
And finally we can see the light in the tunnel:)
Its chaotic and it's stressful but it's some of those things that will later create comfort, coziness and life to our house so it's worth it.
Its 900 boxes from a bigger house so we kind of have a few problems fitting everything in though.
But I'm sure our house will in time turn into a home too.
Now and then I lift my head from a box just to catch a glimpse of the water and all the activities going on outside our windows.
And then I continue unpacking with a smile:)
Sweden's most southern point...
Cuckoo!
There are a few things that I have to do every time I'm here in my summerhouse.
One thing is to go visit the very south end of Sweden.
That little tip of the country always offers different sceneries depending on the weather, wind or time of the day.
I prefer to do the early night "shift" since there are less people and the light usually would turn into something magical and I get the feeling of walking around in a painting.
All "objects" seem to catch the visitors attention and could be worth taking pictures of:)
Plus, if you are not too late ( we were) they serve both smoked fish and creamy ice creams...
Happy eyes, happy tummies and happy visitors.
Life is good.
Tjingeling
Soon moving in...
Cuckoo!
Its happening!
Our move-in date is getting closer and closer.
Today my dear hubby and oldest daughter left our summerhouse to open up for the movers and our containers that are arriving in a day or so.
Both exciting and kind of scary.
They left in sunshine and hopefully the sun will welcome them to this new place too and to this new adventure.
Sweden and the archepelago is so beautiful and I think and hope this new place will provide us with both quality
and happiness.
At least that is the plan.
For the kids too...
Tjingeling
Sweet sixteen!
Cuckoo!
Yesterday my oldest daughter turned 16 years of age.
My beautiful, funny, wonderful, bighearted and exuberant girl is becoming a young woman.
Even the sun decided that she was worth shining on so we could have lunch outside:)
Witty and annoying, ambitious and demanding, creative and sensitive and completely and utterly wonderful.
Its fascinating how so much love, hate, caring, frustration, thoughtfulness and anger can coexist at the same time but then again she is an extraordinary girl.
I so love our singing, our dancing in the kitchen, our cracking up laughing, our talks, our walks...
She makes my life fulfilled!
Yup, I so live my daughter!
Tjingeling
True family love
Cuckoo!
Have I told you how much I love my own family?
How the love fills my veins and reach all the way out to the smallest capillary?
How my heart overflows with affection, pride and happiness?
How every laugh we share comes from deep inside and kind of create a warm feeling inside my tummy?
Beautiful people from inside and out.
We are so different all of us.
Different life and different "luggage".
But the same big hearts, same positive outlook and an eternal love for each other.
Can you you ask for more?
I so love my family!
I am so grateful and so happy that just I was born into this family:)
Tjingeling
A fairytale garden
Cuckoo!
In sweden we "fikar" ( coffe and a cinnamon bun) a lot.
We can drive for hours just to visit the place with the best home made baking goods in combination with a cozy setting.
The other day we did exactly that.
I must say that first I thought the snack itself was not worth going there for but then I went out in the garden...
So green, lush and beautiful that the drizzling rain immediately was forgotten and my constant faithful friend and I felt we were thrown in to a fairytale.
Narrow and winding paths, small bridges and green "rooms" where you could sit with your coffe or just for contemplating.
If it wouldn't have been raining.
But still...
And suddenly the "fika" experience got taken to another level.
I do think my daughter was the brightest and most beautiful flower in that garden though:)
Tjingeling
Kitchen love!
Cuckoo!
It seems my blogging is on vacation...
No inspiration and no energy.
We spend most of our times inside due to the cold and grey.
And we spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
This room is a perfect base for meals, stories and laughs.
Here in this room we nourish both our body and soul, here we make plans, work together and kind of both start and end our days here.
Here you can't tell if it's raining or not. It's always light, warm and with a few color splashes that makes you think of the sun.
This is definitely our "living room" and the heart in our summerhouse.
We have no summer feeling what so ever but we have a wonderful kitchen.
That is for sure something to be grateful about:)
Tjingeling
Food market in Ystad
Cuckoo!
There has been a food market here in Ystad.
An aromatic scent from all the cooking wrapped the whole little town in a soft blanket.
There were Dutch waffles, French mussels, Thai noodles, British fudge, American hamburgers and a sea of flowers.
In between you could find everything else...
We had visitors at that time and it's always great to bring them along to an activity like this. It's entertaining, colorful, small enough to grasp and one will most likely find at least something to enjoy, taste or smell.
And it's a wonderful way to "travel" around the world:)
Yup, that is what we did a day last week.
I could definitely think of worse days 😉
Tjingeling
Happy girl!
Cuckoo!
My heart is in this very moment dancing and singing out loud!
We have decided to keep our summerhouse and not selling it!
Tjohooo!
The passed few weeks has been wonderful here but there has also been this dark cloud ( I don't mean the weather now 😉) above our being, knowing it might be the very last weeks in this pearl.
I did understand the reasons till why we first thought of selling it in the first place, but my heart was not speaking the same language...
And now heart and brain are tango -ing ( it definitely takes two to tango).
So so happy:)
Suddenly I'm waking up without that heavy weight on my chest, or picking those flowers along the road without the feeling of being the last ones...
And to keep sitting in the sunroom feeling relaxed and in peace knowing it's not the last time:)
I am just one lucky girl:)
Tjingeling
Sunday brunch...
Cuckoo!
When the need of something to eat occurs and you are quite a few hungry mouths I tend to make like brunch inspired food.
Scramble eggs, bread fresh from the bakery or even rather homemade, meatballs, herrings and other cold stuff like ham and a shrimp mixture are a good way to satisfy even the the most picky ones.
A freschly squeezed juice made of apples, oranges, carrots and a slice of lemon gives the whole experience kind of a healthy look too:)
This is a meal that both the older and younger people in our family seem to enjoy a lot and we gather around our table longer than during an usual meal, letting the food fill up our empty stomachs and sprinkle everything with laughs and togetherness.
I love my family and I love to eat so I can't ask for a better combination:)
Tjingeling
Friendship weekend
Cuckoo!
I have had a beautiful friend visiting me.
The kind of friend that fills a hole...
The kind of friend that pulls out the best in you, makes your heart smile and leaves a golden shimmer in your life.
The kind of friend that thinks walking the dog in the forest is the best thing ever...😉
You never know if it is a witch or a fairy that will peek out from behind a tree...
Nature is full of "PlayStations".
And in the middle of nowhere there is always a place to indulge some food for a hungry Viking...
The kind of friend that invest her time and interest in everything that is about me, including my kids...
It does come naturally and just shows the greatness of her heart.
The kind of friend that very rarely is captured in a photo but like to catch the moment for others with her camera:)
Moments that seem to engage all of us...
including my dog:)
The kind of friend that is spreading well being and feel good around and that nurtures the friendship area in your heart and makes it harmonic and strong again.
I am so lucky having these kinds of friends!
Tjingeling
Its kind of cold out there...
Cuckoo!
Its so freakin cold here!
The energy is slowly coming back to our systems although I feel it's fighting to stay high agains the cold.
When the sun is out its kind of warm, if you find a place with no wind, but as soon as that yellow globe disappears the warmth is gone too.
I'm trying to neglect that though and walk my kids (!) everyday anyway to get some fresh air and hopefully a taste of the beauty in our world.
My son claims he is a Viking and never freezes...
So of course an ice cream is a must.
its summer!
On our short time outside we had both rain and shine and jacket on and jacket off.
Its so "challenging" being in Sweden...😉
But we eat and sleep, read and write, laugh and hug and somehow create that feeling of warmth anyway just being together.
Thats definitely ok too:)
Tjingeling
Birthday boy
Cuckoo!
We had a birthday boy here yesterday!
Our latest addition to our family turned one year!
Born the Fourth of July he is our true American boy:)
I tried to capture him with that flag but he was constantly chewing on his birthday present so he looks kind of wild...
This blonde energy packet that provide us with so much happiness and love.
Constantly delivering positive vibes...
Always crazy happy to see us no matter how long times have passed. ( just going out with the garbage creates pure luck coming back)
Being an adolescent in his world does create some obnoxiousity though now and then and a lot of testing of my seriousness but the look he is giving me being in trouble and that careful wagging of his tail, like he is checking if I'm still mad seem to work every time and he is immediately forgiven...
And now he is one year old.
They say at a dog is not our whole world but it definitely fills a whole in our world:)
So much furry love in those pictures!
Tjingeling
When the sun comes out
Cuckoo!
Yesterday the sun decided to peek out for a little while and of course we followed:)
We took our usual walk along the beach enjoying the colors, the seaweed smell filled air and the nice feeling of getting some circulation in our legs.
I dress as close as I can to pajama without really wearing one...😉
We had to do the mandatory photo tree session...
Its so weird having only two kids around.
They get a lot of love.
The double.
Yup, the daily dose of beauty...
Today the rain clouds are present again but I'm sure there will be some sun in between:)
Tjingeling
Recharching...
Cuckoo!
We got a windy start!
Oh my, I thought both kids, dog and house would blow away...
But you never know, the wind is suppose to last a couple of days:)
Our days are short due to the jet lag ( we sleep the whole day) but after waking up there is some energy that needs to let loose so a walk (or a scoot) down to the beach is of course a "must".
This place is truly magical.
The beauty, the colors and the good energy that surrounds us are a welcoming break in our lives.
Slowly slowly the power of this magical is penetrating our minds and bodies and replacing all worries, stress and anxiety with peace, calmness and a feelgood feeling:)
Maybe the wind is helping by blowing everything away...
Whatever it is I'm so grateful and happy that the world offer places like this where I'm able to just be, reload and recharge.
Lucky lucky me!
Tjingeling
