Mother Knows Best

Mom: So, did you let the kids decorate the tree this year?
Me: Yes, I did.
Mom: And did you let them put everything where they wanted?
Me: Yes, I did.
Mom: And did you let them use all the decorations they wanted?
Me: Yes, I did.
Mom: And did they put everything on one side and lick on all the candy canes?
Me: Yes, they did. Even the ones wrapped in plastic.
Mom: And are you going to leave it that way?
Me: Yes, I am.
Mom: Good girl! I'm very proud of you.

Gluttony

You know it's the night before Christmas when you're making 87 meatballs and a giant Pavlova simultaneously.

Sunday Snow

There's a lot of snow here right now. As Swedes you might think we'd be used to such a thing. No. We're like Bambi. Bambi in longjohns and electric hair. But I like it. This will be my whitest Christmas since childhood (when all summers were sunny and all winters white). Blanka is chewing on sandwich donated by friendly neighbours. Once again Karin and Jeppe saves the day.


There goes the neighbourhood!


The blizzard started over and the young'uns cried for mercy and begged to go home. We left the big guys with aforementioned Jeppe and went home to the fire and teapot. A smell of wet wool permeating through the house.

Hello Friday

Today was better. So much snow. Wilhelm brought a helmet to school so he could go sledding. I never wore a helmet to go sledding, but the times they are a'changing.
It's my last day of work before Christmas. Good for me and work equally.
My parents are buying a tree with the kids.
I will bring out the decorations tonight.
Tomorrow is gingerbread day. Maybe a cousin or two will join us.
I will light a fire.
I will be better company than I have been this week.
"I'm sorry for not being so much fun today", I told Wilhelm.
"You really weren't", he answered.
"But you were pretty nice!", he added.
Thanks for your patience, prince with missing front tooth.
I will be better tomorrow.
And tonight is popcorn night. You can't beat that.
Happy weekend, everybody. Thanks for reading.

Under Siege

It's snowing like mad. Like crazy, like cats and dogs and elephants and little freaking bastards. I've never seen anything like it. Remember this? That was a fresh breath of spring compared to this. So please excuse my silence, I'm trying to find myself (and my gloves) in the midst of this blizzarrrrd.

Chère Cousine

Ma belle cousine Katrin is taller than I am. And has a very exciting job with the Ballet Maurice Béjart in Lausanne. Her mother is my father's baby sister. Her sister Hélène is the one who got married in April. Her father drives a car faster and better than anyone I know and has a lovely moustache. Her brother is my gorgeous baby cousin Thomas. His girlfriend is the tiny, but multitalented and equally gorgeous Ida from Denmark. Katrin is closest to me in age of all my cousins (though still very young, of course) and the only one who doesn't make me feel like a hundred years old. She's also very funny and fluent in like five languages. She talks really fast and smokes even faster. She's Greek-Swedish, born and raised in Switzerland, but still has a very French thing going on. When she was a baby I wouldn't let her play with any of my stuff. I'm better now. Je t'adore, cousine.

Happy Third Sunday Of Advent

Dear Ramona

Are you telling me that this is what you wear all winter? Very brave!

I Miss Green

If I could eat these pictures I would.

Hey Lady

So, December is turning into Serious Crush On Women Month. First it was Carey Mulligan, whom I haven't really seen in anything apart from that trailer from yesterday. But she seems, well, what can I say, she seems enchanting for crying out loud. Enchanting and like twelwe years old, I know I know...

And then there's Dr O'Hara. Doctor Eleonor O'Hara of "Nurse Jackie". Holy Mother Of God. She is like the incarnation of All Things Important. You want it, she's got it: brains, looks, wit and a very healthy appetite. And the accent. The British accent to die for. Oh la la, she makes me happy every time she makes her snotty appearance. And this is a woman who shares the stage with the Queen Of Domestic Bliss And Total Denial, Carmela Soprano. I thought nothing could outshine Edie Falco, and I'm not sure that Eve Best does, but boy. Dr O'Hara. You're good.

I wonder what January will bring.

Oh Yes

Dear Santa,

If I get to see this for Christmas I will be such a good girl you won't even recognize me. I'm developing a serious crush on Carey Mulligan.

/A.

Photos For Hanna

Dinner with Anna and Hanna tonight. We talked about New York. And about Islam in Africa, stupid students, True Blood, true passion, food, being 35, work, Scrubs and contraceptives. All the good stuff. And I managed to wake my godson up right before we left (you're very welcome). Apart from that, it was a very good night. Thank you, darling Ansjo.

I've Been Found

I'm not on Facebook. (I don't have enough character. I can hardly keep myself from checking my e-mail once every two minutes, let alone refrain from blogging during office hours. And I know, this makes me a little bit of a freak, and I'm seriously reconsidering the whole thing, but then there's the whole question of my shady past catching up with me and oh my. But I digress.) Yesterday HOORAY! someone very important and special and dear to me found me! Someone I haven't heard from in years. And now I'm all excitement and happy go lucky. This is exciting!

This Is Better

Woke up this morning to the first frost. Everything is crisp and glittery. I rolled my bike over the grass and it made a noise like glass shattering. My boots sound crunch crunch. The sun is low and whitey yellow. I hope this is the last we'll see of honeysuckle confusion.

F Star Star Star!

I still hurt from laughing. It was painfully funny. And don't judge it by the lame poster, this is pure genius. You HAVE to see this. Sorry for bossing you around, but you really do HAVE to see this. Well, ok, if you do find swearing really offensive and don't appreciate the government on any side of the pond to be ridiculed, then maybe you shouldn't see this. And if you don't like The Office (versions from any side of the pond), then you shouldn't see this either. But if you don't mind the occasional (muhahahaha) f*** and do like The Office, then GO GO GO! And then come back here and tell me all about it.

What Leo Would Do? He would laugh himself sick. I just know it.

Something Smells Good

Mom has arrived, homemade gingerbread dough in her bag (it's a different generation, the one that travels with dough). The house sounds and smells like Christmas. If I wasn't supposed to be working, I could very happily fall asleep right now. Flour everywhere, mom and Wilhelm singing, Blanka running around dressed in only an apron, debates over the much coveted giraffe shape, darkness outside, Jesper on his way home. But Blanka won't stop eating the dough, so thoughts about the coming sounds and smells of tonight are helping to keep me awake.

Honeysuckle Confusion

Stockholm's been experiencing the warmest November in over a hundred years. Maybe ever. And things are cooking in the garden that really shouldn't. The honeysuckle and I are equally confused.

Happy First Sunday Of Advent

We've had a good one. (The camera did not, my apologies.)

Anticipation Angst

First of Advent is only three days away, the countdown will begin. And I love this season. I think about what's to come. I daydream and plan and ponder. I anticipate. It's always been this way. I remember being a child and enjoying the waiting for Christmas more than Christmas itself. In Advent there was always the promise of that Perfect Night. When my presents would be wonderful, the snow thick and white and the magic surrounding us.

I like to think that I'm wiser now (dear Lord, I know that I'm older). That what I dream about today is simpler and therefore easier to accomplish. Family, good food, going to church, being together. I'm not into perfection these days (well, I try not to be – and at least my definition of perfection has changed a lot these last five years).

But then I listen to my son and realize that he's just like me. Like I was. He has a vision of Christmas that is very clear and very perfect. And I find myself struggling with wanting to give him everything and wanting to tell him that no, there probably won't be any snow on the 24th and no, he can't possibly get everything he wishes for and does he realize how lucky he is and there are children starving in the world and can't we all just share an orange in front of the fireplace and be happy with that?

There's a part of me that would very much like to celebrate Christmas Little House On The Praire style. And there's a part of me who want to wrap every present possible, buy snow and fifteen reindeers and build a lifesize gingerbread house with helipad for my son to sleep in.

So there. Total anticipation angst and a tad confused. How about you?

Fellow Proustians/VF-ians

Have you seen this? If you're anything like me or new web acquaintance (damn, that's some difficult spelling) Jennie you're going to be very happy spending your day with this. Turns out I have a lot in common with the Governor of California. Who would have thunk it?

You Know It's A Good One

When ages 6 through 60 are fighting over air time.

Dear Angela Duncan

We finally framed it! And we love it. Sorry about the passepartout being a little tight, though. And don't be fooled by the really awful pictures, it actually looks very much at home in our living room. Thank you!

More of Angela Duncan to be found on Etsy or here.

Du Hast Mir Gefallen

Remember the Spametry siege I was under a couple of weeks ago? It's now Spametry The German Edition. Babelfish tells me that today's headline is "You pleased me". Suddenly I want to be fluent in German.

Hello Friday

It seemed for a while like you would never come.
But you did. And for this I am grateful, thankful, joyful.
Full of good things.
I want to go home now.
To chicken pox and itchy legs and tired eyes and MommyMommyMommy.
To Friday night popcorn and spaghetti and how was school and come here and kiss me.
I want this working week to be over and done with.
And it is.
Thank you Friday.
Tomorrow is Saturday. A whole different scenario. Another me.
Slippers and French toast. Friends and family.
But first. Thank you Friday.
You are good to me.

More Su Blackwell

Holy all things holy, this is pretty. If I were a rich man and so on.

Hello Su Blackwell

You have a new fan. In fact, you have several new fans as of the last five minutes. The office is singing your praise. Rightly so!

Thanks Emi

The Kensington Palace exhibition on the last debutantes was highly entertaining! Having posture problems? Try the old book-on-the-head-trick!

More London (The Bite Size Version)

Eggsalad tartine, small café au lait, Elderflower Bubbly at Le Pain Quotidien.


Chili garlic edamame, prawn and potato dumpling, miso soup at Yo!Sushi.


Earl Grey, orange juice, pumpkin seed flapjack at the Country Living Christmas Fair.


Coffee, smoothie, more elderflower at Prèt A Manger, Heathrow, after missing our flight home.

Maybe It's Because I'm A Londoner