Monkey business...
Cuckoo!
My youngest daughter has a favorite store here close to our summer house.
And I'm not the one stopping her from going there either...
Its a store with everything you can think of and then add a little more.
No food though although they carry candy and cookies.
In my way of thinking you can never have too many plants, pillows and candle holders.
It was kind of a gloomy day yesterday so i had my tentacles out for candle holders and happened to stumble over this irresistible little Buddha monkey.
So cute, so calming and so peaceful.
Worked well on our kitchen table both with and without food.
A superficial but well needed little addition to our family:)
Love my daughter for "dragging" me there.
Always:)
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
Food and flower fulfillment:)
Cuckoo!
One of the most important thing we always do when arriving to our summerhouse, is to go grocery shopping.
Its part of a routine that brings us closer to our dream and kickstart our summer experience.
And of course some flowers will come home with us from the store before i head out to pick them myself:)
These my friends are not pictures of some random food!
Those are carefully selected items, from the bottom of our hearts and from small incapsuled needs hidden in the braincells of me and the two kids that came with me to Sweden this first round.
Like "filmjölk", ( a sour and thicker breakfast milk), warm smoked salmon and dipping sauces to go with, kids favorite bread and my just wonderful butter with sea salt. A Swedish type of salami, other sausages, a certain type of cinnamon rolls, liver paté, creamy hard cheese, Swedish tea and of course a big bag of "pick your own candy", some Swedish magazines and saft, like a strawberry concentrate you mix with water and a lot more...
Everything on that table represents a dream or something that has been missed and, as a mom, those kind of things are easy to help out with and are definitely giving us a good start of this new adventure of ours:)
Now when the fridge is filled we can move over to the just being mode...
Tjingeling
On our way...
Cuckoo!
So we are on our way...
Away from four years on this big continent on to a small little country up north on the other side of the pond.
Hopefully recent tears will turn into glitter, resistance turn into possibilities and "away" turn into home...
All these boxes are filled with experiences, memories and the well known.
Ready to be set up in a new environment and provide us with a homey feeling.
Like an empty canvas we are going to paint our new life in colors and with lots of details.
It's going to be a painting filled with depth, hope and positive energy.
Yup, this is it.
No return, no regrets...
This is going to be good!!!
Tjingeling
Its happening...
Cuckoo!
Its hard to believe but the day has come when the movers arrived to start packing up things in boxes.
Cardboard and plastics on the floor not to ruin anything, bubble wrap and crates for fragile items and a lot of muscle work for heavy stuff.
I think this has been the roughest and toughest half year ever.
But today when the movers arrived and kind of marked our time is over here, it trigged a volcano in my kids.
While my husband is racing against time across America I'm racing against the kids and all their sadness and anger to remain positive and sane.
Today I felt I don't have a chance to win.
I much rather would have biked across America and then back...
Ive used all my storage of reasons, explanations and positive thinking.
I actually don't know how to recharge.
I only know I have to.
Because I'm their mom, guide and role model.
First I need to have my cup of tea and chocolate.
And then I want to sleep.
But tomorrow is another day!
Let's make it a good day!
Tjingeling
One of my design projects...
Cuckoo!
I thought you maybe wanted to have a little sneak peak of one of the interior design projects I've been working on.
Its been a rewarding ( sometimes frustrating) journey filled with aha moments and love.
It has involved colors, furniture, style and ambience in close interaction with my clients.
This room is still not finished but I hope everyone is getting a feeling for what its going to look like.
My clients were looking for a traditional and entertainingfriendly style.
For some reason the picture does not show the right colors but regardless it is a big change from the original look.
It was a room with great features that just needed some updating and some new furniture that would invite people to come sit for a while, breathe and take a break from the everyday rush.
Sometimes it can be good to be drastic...
And it's amazing how powerful color is:)
Tjingeling
Our jungle...
Cuckoo!
I decided to gather all my remaining plants i did not give away yet into one room.
It turned the room into a jungle...
I love my green plants in every room and seeing them together like this made me again realize we are in for a change.
One little girl seemed to think this jungle was very exciting though and was crawling and sneaking around playing something and with no sofa in the room anymore it also became a perfect spot for a pillow and throw nest among all the "trees" :)
Our signal red lamp has replaced our golden beauty only because the law in this country says you can't leave the house to a new owner with no proper light source. And we wanted our golden half globe to join us over seas.
A gloomy and dark day like today I so welcomed the fire element both in the lampshade and the beautiful sunflowers.
Yup, a day full of plants, pillows and my own Jane ( Tarzan was absent).
Kind of a good day!
Tjingeling
Midsummer dream...
Cuckoo!
Only one more week till I leave this country!
Swoooosch and four years on this continent has come to an end.
Cleaning and sorting out, wrapping up my design projects and distributing hugs to people stopping by to say goodbye. Busy busy busy.
And since I'm here another week I am missing our traditional midsummer celebration that takes place next weekend in Sweden.
Felt I still wanted to feel the inspiration...
( pictures from Pinterest and Sköna hem)
The flowers, the food, the decorations, the flower crown, the maypole, the table setting and all the ambience that comes with the word midsummer.
Long tables with many people around and lots of food and laughs...
Unfortunately a lot of our midsummers are rained away but it still has a romantic touch to it and it is definitely my definition of the start of the summer.
This year I will miss it but I can still dream of that perfect midsummer night:)
Tjingeling
Go Ajax go!
Cuckoo!
There are heroes and there are heroes.
Some are everyday heroes like doctors, nurses, firefighters, the police, teachers and of course moms.
Then there are the crazy heroes.
Like my husband and his team of bike riders.
Over 3000 miles ( 4.800 km) and 180 000 feet of climbing while crossing 12 states.
Such craziness are easily fed by challenges and in this case my husband and his seven team members from RB are doing this to raise money for Save the Children.
Save the Children!
Such a noble and highly important cause.
They have not started yet so this happy posing we can consider a before picture...
Their goal is to raise $150.000 for Save the Children's effort to support disaster relief, to prepare children in the event of a disaster and to eradicate child death due to diarrhea.
But dear people!
There is no chance they are going to make their goal without your help!
Feel free to donate from your heart but in the form of money 😉 to contribute to the team of RB, but mostly to get that beautiful feeling of having a very meaningful role in a child's survival...
Every donation will be matched 1 for 1.
Heres the link:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/alexander-lacik-teamrb
Tjingeling
Concentrated love...
Cuckoo!
Im too tired to update but felt a need to express my love for my family.
Im so spoiled, so lucky and so happy.
Going through diifucult times, happy moments, serious days and experience things together kind of glue us together more tightly day after day.
Even If the mouth is full of food their hearts never seem to stop expanding.
So many tears, dreams, hugs, journeys and moments we have shared and so much fun, difficulties, sun and rains...
Concentrated love in three pictures:)
Best family ever! ❤️
Tjingeling
Certified!!!
So I'm finally done!!!
Hooray for me:)
I think my Feng shui with staging and redesign will live a long life together.
And when I'm also a certified color expert I believe I have a "killer" combination...
Right now I'm taking a break though from any schoolrelated ( or actually from everything) things just to focus on sorting and cleaning out our house.
Im telling you, that is a real journey and very mentally draining...
Im sure it will feel good in the end...
Im sure.
Meanwhile my heart is smiling thinking of my nice certification:)
Tjingeling
Certified!!!
So I'm finally done!!!
Hooray for me:)
I think my Feng shui with staging and redesign will live a long life together.
And when I'm also a certified color expert I believe I have a "killer" combination...
Right now I'm taking a break though from any schoolrelated ( or actually from everything) things just to focus on sorting and cleaning out our house.
Im telling you, that is a real journey and very mentally draining...
Im sure it will feel good in the end...
Im sure.
Meanwhile my heart is smiling thinking of my nice certification:)
Tjingeling
Prom night 2
Cuckoo!
So we suddenly reached the time for the prom.
A much awaited but also dreaded event that would mark an ending of the school year but also in our case an ending of the kids time here with another wave of emotions overflooding.
Watching Max and these handsome, suddenly so grownup and, in some cases, even mature kids Ive known for four years now, all dressed up to their teeth and the girls on wobbly legs on too high of heels definitely created a storm of feelings in the mom too...
Look at him!
So much love in one picture!
Max friends still have one more year to go before leaving the nest and that's what makes it so hard for my son.
He feels everyone stays in the well known and safe and he is leaving that safe haven, all that love they show each other and everything he will be missing here for being thrown to the lions...
Anyway, these beautiful both inside and out kids with their future just around the corner have a big part in how Max has formed and will forever have a place in his and my heart and will only be a phone call or a flight away.
Yup, true friendship dressed in tuxedos:)
Beautiful!!!
Tjingeling
Tuesday advice
Cuckoo!
To rearrange my coffee table gives me sometimes a lot of new energy.
So easy and so simple and yet so effective.
Just move a little vase here and add another pair of candleholders there...
Then move around the pillows and fluff them up and finally make yourself a cup of tea and just sit and relax in your "new" living room.
When everything else is kind of chaotic around you it's good to have like a safe haven...
Yup, rearrange, relax and recharge!
That has to be my tuesday advice:)
Tjingeling
A day at the botanical garden
Cuckoo!
Some time ago me and Bella and friends of ours paid the botanical garden a visit.
We came to enjoy this beautiful pearl and also to have a look at Chihuly's glass art.
It was amazing!!!
It's a big garden and we needed to plan our route...
The glass sculptures were beautifully surrounded by matching nature and looked like they had grew like that naturally.
Big happy exclamation marks.
Both kids and moms loved it and shared a day full of memories.
Lucky me that got to explore this exhibition with the best company:)
Tjingeling
Clearing the clutter and some other stuff
Cuckoo!
In feng shui we say it is important to clear the clutter to make room for new energy.
For some reason I have not applied that to our storage in the basement...
I think we started off in a good way by using shelves and boxes but sometime along our stay here we ( read I) kind of lost it.
It became a room perfect to just throw in stuff I didn't want to deal with in that very moment and then shut the door.
Fast:)
But with our move coming up soon we decided to clean out the whole house including this room.
It's a lot of history in that room dating all the way back to my childhood so it takes a lot of time for me to process but our goal is to minimize (!) our container size, so the only thing to do for me is to dig in.
I can't wait for that new fresh energy to fill the wholes in both my house and in my brain...
Doing it with Bella though takes time since she seems to think its Christmas with all these "new" treasures and is kind of working against me.
I sort and throw and she finds it again and picks it out to keep...
Well well we still have a few weeks before it has to be clean, in order and mentally processed.
'It's a tough job but somebody has to do it:)
Tjingeling
Summer feelings
Cuckoo!
I can't believe summer seems to have arrived...
We have so far only have this warmer season visiting us but for a few days now it really feels it is here to stay, and I so love that.
Between everything we have to accomplish before moving it's just wonderful to sink down in the outdoor sofa or around the dinner table on the patio.
I was in such rush to get the feeling of summer i didn't bother bringing all the pillows out...
Pillows in the red color range are otherwise a good way of getting some of the fireelement in that is missing in all the greens in my garden.
And to be able to sit outside having dinner looking out on all that lush and blooming is just the best treat for your eyes and soul after a busy day.
Summer, you are so welcome!!!
Tjingeling
