Confession Time Or The Ugly Truth Or Bonfire Of The Vanities

So, here we go, confession time:
The reason I'm not here anymore?
It's so ugly.
It's so ugly I can't stand it. I know, I know, I know. It's never been very pretty and it's not a design blog and why should it even matter and bla bla bla but it does. It really does.
I have things to say and stories to tell, but I find myself dreading the ugliness of this place and avoiding it pretty much at all cost.
And that's just a crying shame.
Because this place has been beautiful and important (well, to me) in oh so many ways and I really shouldn't discard it just because it doesn't look good anymore. How vain and superficial am I? (Oh, lots, it seems.)
You see, everytime I enter this space and see the ugly heading I just cringe and look away. And we can't have that anymore. This is the only writing I do without getting paid and I'd hate to let it go. I need to be here, I think.
So.
Starting today I'm on a mission to find someone who can help me transform this space into something that looks more like home. A clever designer with an hour or two to spare and a mission to create a heading that feels just right.
And.
Until I do find that person and the right idea and the right feeling and all, I'll go back to regular posting just to show that I'm not all about looks. You know, in case you'd gotten me all wrong or summat (sorry, saw Jamie Oliver last night, can't help myself). So there's that. That's that. That's it. That's all. Thanks for your fantastic patience, if you're still there.

I Have Plans

It's getting rude. This non-blogging thing I've got going.
I'm sorry. I'll be better! I promise! I will!
Thanks for asking, though.
We are all well.
And I have plans for this space.
Plans that somehow make it hard to sit down and write.
But all of these excuses really are no excuses at all.
So.
I shall return.
New and improved.
Thank you for your patience.

Photo from Porthleven this summer. The one day it didn't rain.

Turns Out It Never Hurts To Ask

Wendy and Tyler of Blue Lily Photo travel the world with their children, taking photographs of other families and exploring everything from Brazil to Japan as they go along. They are coming to Norway to do a session on June 2:nd this year, and when I asked them about doing Stockholm some time they very kindly said Why not right after Oslo?

Wow. Really? Yes, really. So if there's a family or four out there dreaming of having their picture taken without looking like morons, let me hook you up! Take a look at their work here, comment or e-mail me and say that you do do do. Pricing and printing info from their site below.

Wow again. Did not see this coming. I've always felt that it really does hurt to ask, but never again. Thanks and yay, Tyler and Wendy.

PS. SOFIA, look it's your wedding pictures all taken care of!

PPS. Nooo, I didn't take this photo. They did. But you had already figured that out, right?

THE PHOTO, $475 (USD):

Includes 35 edited, high resolution digital files with a print release*

-45 minute session

- you'll get pictures of your family, individuals, siblings shots, and much more.

*this means you can keep the files on your computer and print to your heart's desire. Sweet!

Please inquire if you are interested in a video session!

And Then A Hero Comes Along

Yes hello, this is me doing my "It comes very natural to me, being both serene and fabulous while looking into the great unknown accompanied by this snow leopard" look. All for the benefit of my reader(s). Enjoy!

Yes, well, sorry about the Whitney Houston. No wait, let me rephrase that (why should anyone ever be sorry about Whitney Houston? Sorry for, maybe, but's that's another blog post entirely). Let's start over. Sorry about the cheesy headline (yes, much more appropriate), but MAN did pinkshoeknits save the day today. Man! You see, I had just given up. I was just about to finish this thing up and then BAM! New and appreciative reader appears as if sent from above. Deus ex machina! (This little piece of Latin is for my beloved Ansjo, who enjoys a literary high school reference once in a while. Not that she ever reads this blog, but I digress.) Anyway. There I was, feeling sorry for myself and the fact that my humongous literary talent (not to mention the very artsy iPhone photos) (iPhone 4 that is, as you probably can tell, even sadder, huh?) is all but being ignored by the masses and thinking that enough is enough and let's call it a bloody day already. And then BAM (as previously stated), there she was. BAM BAM BAM. And so here I am. Back and back and back and you can't stop me and I will NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT. God, you hate her now, don't you? Poor pinkshoeknits. But I love her! I will always love her! I will be saving all my love for her! It will be the greatest love of all! Oh, I wanna dance with somebody! No, seriously, I do.

Just realized that if "Then a hero comes along" isn't a Whitney Houston song, this post pretty much lose all the "fun". Especially the discography of the last sentences above. Oh well, can't be helped. My love is your love and so on.

You Know It's Bad

You know it's bad when your mother calls you up and says there's something wrong with the blog. Sorry. Had to take a break and forgot to let you know. Will be back this afternoon with more than you've asked for, you poor bastards. Posts will fall from the sky like chestnuts plopping out of their shells. Watch them headz.

Turns Out Our House Is A Home Away From Home

Who has been sleeping in my bed?
Jennie has!
And her whole family too!
Just take a look at this.
While we were in Cornwall freezing our butts off, they were in our garden drinking up the sunshine. I'm so very glad.
See, the internet's a beautiful thing.
Blog friends, huh?
Who would have thunk it.

Turns Out We're Great!

Gabrielle Blair (or DesignMom) has been in Stockholm for a short stop over, visiting my friends at Polarn O. Pyret (Becks and Marylove, are you reading this?). It was great reading her report on Swedish parenting. We tend to focus on the things we don't do so well (the classic Swedish low self esteem taking over), so it was lovely hearing someone say we're doing a pretty good job! I think we are too. Yay us! (I wrote the longest comment evah evah evah on Gabrielle's post, you'll find it buried under about a million others. She has a lot of readers.) Anyway, thanks for the perspective. Much needed.

Berlin Two (When Blogs Collide)

Dear readers, meet Aymo. Or Aymeric, also known as Lovely French Guy. Aymo has been a friend of Leo's forever and ever, thanks to Emi and LFTC. (I have so many things to thank Emi for right now that it qualifies for a post on it's own. And she needs your lovin' today, so stop by and say hi.) Anyway. I was in Berlin Monday night and so was my dear friend Aymeric. He lives there now. And if he had his blog up and running he would probably tell you why, but I won't. See, I'm discrete like that. Let's just say that Milan hasn't been the same since he left. But I digress, again. It was lovely to meet a friend I'd never met! We greeted each other like long lost family and started off the conversation where we left it last time. I love this. Just like seeing Jennie of Copenhagen Follies this summer in Stockholm, lovely lovely (read all about it here). Internet's a beautiful thing. So is Aymo. Bonne chance au travail, mon ami!

PS. This is the least terrible picture of me and probably the least flattering of Aymeric. I know, huh. Unbelievable.

Ein Bischen Tripschen

Well, whaddyaknow. Turns out I'm going to Berlin Monday. Just like that. (AGAIN with the perks!) This is of course wonderful in many ways. But apart from the excellent work I hope to be doing, I just might, if I'm really lucky, meet one of my readers. How about that for brilliant? Monsieur Aymo, keep those fingers crossed! I know I am. And sweet Kansas Anna, in a way I feel like I'm getting to meet you too, since Berlin is after all your city. Now I have to go practice my language skills. Guten Tag. Ich bin ein Berliner. Mutti, Mutti, Ich möchte ein Souvenirführer haben.

I didn't take this picture. Nor have I any idea who did. Please forgive me, internet.

Dear People Of The World

Was it something I said?

Kind regards,
The one with a grand total of two comments on the last twelve posts, one of which I wrote myself.

Need To Know

Calling all LDS readers! (Do I have any? Oh, this is interesting on so many levels!) Here's the question of the day: Do Mormons watch Big Love?
And if so, to enjoy or to be appalled?
I need to know this. Please help.

Forever your humble servant,
A.

Facetime

This started out as a an anonymous blog.
That didn't last very long.
I don't do anonymous very well.
It also started out as a blog where I'd talk about my children sometimes, but never show them.
That didn't last very long either.
And here we are today. A blog full of mememe and the kidskidskids and photos of everyone and everything.
Things like this can happen, I am told.
You start to tell a story and end up somewhere other than imagined.
I'm so glad I did.
That we did!
So I'm celebrating the fact that this place turned into something I didn't know I wanted with a recent photo of myself.
I know, huh. What a way to celebrate.
But I wanted to say Hi.
A proper Hello.
Hej.
Hullo, dear Brits.
Bonsoir, Hélène.
This is who I am.
This person with the big forehead and the unplucked eyebrows and the happiness is me.
And the future is wide open.

Thanks for reading.

Dear You

I started blogging because I needed a place to put my words.
I write for a living. Some days it's all I do, for hours on end. But I had things to say and words to use and sentences to spell out that noone in the world was willing to pay for (rightly so).
So I started a blog. A place for unwanted words (and dolls who pretend to be bears).
I hoped that a friend or two would stop by for updates on the kids.
I thought that maybe one day I could use these words, some way or other.
I never dreamed of You.
You who come here and read my words and wonder if I'm ok.
You who come here and say that I wrote what you felt and that you're crying now and it's all my fault.
You who come here and never say anything, but are here just the same.
Dear Miranda and Kathleen. Dear RW. Dear All of You.
I come here and see you and I can't believe my luck.
Thank You.

Testing Testing

Today I bribed kind Kristofer into helping me to do some adjustments to the blog. He's been very good about it. I have not. I hate not knowing what to do! Anyway, the results are looking better by the minute. Unfortunately every photo I've ever uploaded is now out of focus. Kristofer strongly suggest that I move my baby to wordpress.

I Did It!

To open ridicule and much smirkiness from my beloved colleagues I am now on FACEBOOK. Join me there, pleasant ones! Or just join me here. I can see you, you know. See how I'm turning all Stasi on you? That's what attention craving people do when they feel they don't get enough of it. (Ask my husband.) No, what I really meant to say was:

Dear readers,
You are indeed so very dear to me. Feel free to be as quiet you want. My attention seeking issues are dealt with elsewhere. Should you however feel the urge to comment or join, don't hesitate. You will make my day.

Love,
A.

Life Goes On In Tehran

One of my favourite bloggers has been quiet for a while. And his quiet is a very silent quiet, so different from mine. I'm glad to see him back at work. If you haven't visited yet, do. There is also a fan page on Facebook where you can find more information.
Thanks again to Aymo for the initial introduction.

Dear Ramona

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

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?

Dear Pamela

Thanks for the bump update! You look like you're 25 years old. (Haha, maybe you are! It was meant as a compliment, nevertheless.) Having nothing worthy of an update, I pay my respects with these gooseberries from my first ever ever harvest (which turned into my first ever ever ever homemade jam). You are after all, my Queen of Canning.

Love,
A.

Hurra!

Today is Aymo's birthday. Please click here to read 33 random facts about this French gentleman in Milan. I laughed out loud, the best reading I've had in very long. Things I'd like to learn more about:

• The Woody Allen episode
• The two boyfriends
• The Harry Potter obsession
• Monica Lewinsky
• Hospital smell (my worst)

Happy Birthday, Aymo! I'm very proud to have you as a reader.