Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Faluröd








I think I have a thing for businesses in trouble.

There's something about run-down places ... 
maybe it's the challenge to restore them to their former glory?
Or the lingering atmosphere of the better days?

Muramaris is definitely not beyond repair, 
it is an enchanting place, full of potential ...

If only someone could roll up their sleeves and make it happen ...

Monday, March 26, 2012

A few of my favourite things ...

 freshly baked sourdough bread (my best so far!) and homemade gluten-free knäckebröd ...

 my very first dinner guest who stayed around long enough for me to grab my camera 
and a particularly amusing door knocker 

daffodils and fresh pineapple and organic chocolate 

wild tulips popping up everywhere ... and a very very early fig!

Good start of the week! 

Wishing you all a fantastic Tuesday!

*
Aina

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Nature is my Friend




I've been discovering muscles I never thought I had after some fierce gardening over the past days.
I also made new friends.
First up are my mini cucumber plants, along with all the other seedlings I will start calling "my friends" (because people give me weird looks when I call them my babies)
Second is Bassi, the truffle dog who paid close attention during my lunch break yesterday,
and last but not least, Mr Tree Stump, discovered during a mini road trip driving back from work.

It's actually hard to call my work work. It's too much fun to be called work :)
I'm really enjoying this lazy Sunday though. I think my muscles are too!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

A Day for Water



This year's edition of World Water Day focuses on Water and Food Security, with as main question 
"Do you know how much water you actually consume ever day?"
The FAQ page on their website is particularly interesting ...
Clearly, reducing our water footprint is equally important as reducing our carbon footprint.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Fruitful Days ...




Last week my career path took a new turn.

I've been interested in growing food for a while, and this year again all windowsill-space in our apartment is occupied by little seedlings, waiting to be eaten ... or for the luckier ones, to go outside as soon as the temperature allows ... 

And then I met a person who seems to be able to give me exactly what I wished for:
gardening knowledge and hands-on experience,
a job with more or less flexible hours, and allows me to work with my hands, outside in the fresh air,
added bonuses, like a bag full of freshly dug up jerusalem artichokes,
AND hopefully, a patch of land where my seedlings can dig their roots deep into the earth and grow to their full potential :)

PS: to prove that I was really lucky, the day I decided to become a gardener I also won fresh cinnamon and vanilla beans (straight from Sri Lanka) at a raffle at a meeting of Gotland's "Gardener Society" I was invited to :) 

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Photo Shopping

Here's a little habit I've developed:
in stead of buying all the things I see and fall in love with in all those fantastic stores all over Visby ...
I take pictures ... At least I own those :)

It's a very cost effective way shopping!


Now I can at least pretend I have these zinc containers to plant my herbs in once my seedlings are big and strong enough to move onto our balcony ...



Or that I have this Stig Lindberg 'burk med lock' from Gustavsbergs Porslinsfabrik to keep sugar cubes in maybe?


Or that one of Kristian Vedel's expressive birds is now living on our coffee table ...

It makes me happy - even though it's only an illusion.
It beats ripping out pages from magazines, to be honest :)

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

A philosopher in our living room!



We still need to actually put it up on the wall, but here is my latest creative project.
It's a drawing made by Luqaz' grandfather Stig Lasseby, born Stig Gunnar Larsson (who has his own page on wikipedia, I just discovered) which I pimped a little with some yellow paint and a few strips of a poster I saved from a Wallpaper magazine I once bought.

I think the guy on the poster is Socrates but we're not entirely sure. Can someone out there confirm this?
:)




Thursday, March 8, 2012

Invisible Children


The Kony 2012 film is spreading like a virus accross the internet. But just in case you've missed it - 
here you go!
If you google Kony 2012 you'll find just as much criticism as praise. Luckily, all people seem to agree that Kony is an awful man, but those who criticize say the campaign is outdated, their financial situation is dubious, that they attempt to fix something that is far too complicated to have a simple solution, and that military intervention from the US will do more harm than good.

I think it's always interesting to hear both sides, 
but what I find touching, is the strong belief that WE as a community can change things. We can change whatever we want to change. All we need to do is connect, stick together and raise our voice.

That is what inspired me today. 
If a campaign like this brings an end to at least one of the bad things in this world and inspires others, there will be no stopping us!

Who else wants to cover the night?

Love,

Aina

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

My Week in Pictures




A couple of days of sunshine,
a beautiful bouquet of Swedish climate compensated tulips,
a green "Princess tårta" and baby semlor (spring equals new life, right?),
a photogenic swan and the first snowdrops ...

all it takes for me to grow green fingers and transform our living room into a garden center.

My first pea shoots already popped up, so just like last year, you can expect loads of pictures of my seedlings :)

"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow" - Audrey Hepburn




Saturday, March 3, 2012

Ack, Sundbyberg




Ever walked into a place and thought - "this is exactly what I want to do!"?
That's the feeling I had when Lotta and I browsed the second hand shops of Sundbyberg last weekend and walked into Stockholms Stadsmissions shop & café.
A place where you can both check out all kinds of second hand stuff, from clothes to books to decorative items, spread out over two floors, and pick your favourite chair, sit down and have a quick lunch, a cup of tea or one of their many tempting desserts.
It's 2 in 1!
The coolest thing about the café of course, is the funky collection of old cups and plates they use.
Or that, in some cases, you can buy the chair you were just sitting in :)

I still haven't decided if I will reopen my shop this summer ... but I will definitely keep this idea in mind for later!