Just some snaps from a busy vacation

First two weeks of my vacation has been icy cold. Yes, icy, we almost had frost and a friend who lives a 20 km from me had her crops ruined by the cold. They had -4 degrees the night before midsummers eve. 

Our family gathering went well and lots of uncles and cousins were there. The old ones danced around the may pole and the kids watched and giggled at the foolish traditions.

It hasn't been much of a vacation because we are rewiring all the electrical cables in our house. This is how it looked when the old 40's central were removed. A beehive of cables in different colours and materials. Some cables in the walls were broken, one nightmare less is removed, thinking of the fire hazard this has been.

With no electricity in the house, the house is overall a mess and a bad weather, we have been trying to take pauses to do other things. Like a "fika" (coffe) in town and a library visit.

We also visited a flea market. As they are about to closing it down the prices were halfed. Moa want's her room renovated and found this table and the two white chairs for a nice price. The almost similar dark ones are for me. 

With no electricity we have to reinvent the caveman style cooking....well a modern version. You can make the pommes on the grill.

Restless legs takes late night walks. Moa, Alfons and I took a very late walk (it was around 12 at midnight). Yes it is this light at summer nights in Sweden. 

 Even the most humble meadow flowers has something interesting when you look closely.

 Now I jump in the car to visit my dearest friend since my first day in school. Tomorrow is friday and we will go to a water fun park and on Saturday Steam-con. I haven't got a costume sadly, were to busy to sit down and sew.

Vacation report

So we got summervacation at last. The end of the school year is almost like a national day here in Sweden, at least for those who have young ones in their family. Lots of singing and music, grades or just a good luck notes are handed out and often there is a festive dinner awaiting.

This is the youngest walking out from his classroom and primary school. He has grown a lot both physically and in mind this year. To celebrate, I took the boys to the best restaurant in town for a late lunch. No photo of that because I was forbidden to put a photo of the eldest on the net.

We were just in time for the student parade, when we walked to the car. A long row of trucks for every class of graduating students. Loud music were played in every truck and drunk students were yelling in their white student hats. Those painted sheet signs says some offending words or alcohol related stuff like; "We take life with a pinch of salt, lemon and tequila". New for this year were hashtags for instagram, ha.

 This is just one of all weird student traditions...

Me Johan and a couple of other friends took a 5 hour drive to Oslo on the saturday (it's actually not that far away). One of Johans dearest friends had married a Norwegian guy and they held a wedding party for their friends and families. The theme was Swedish midsummer and it striked me that even if Swedes and Norwegians are quite similar in mind (I do believe we are more open minded though) our traditions are not the same. The tradition with singing "nubbevisa" by the table before taking a sip of spiced schnapps was completely unknown but a welcome part of the dinner. 

The groom and his friends had made their own ale and beers, very tasty and smooth.

Ok, I took a toilet selfie to show the dress that I bought. I had forgotten that the neckline was round and not v-shaped, so the necklace wasn't perfect. I usually don't get comments of how I look but got it this time. Well they were too polite to say something negative but they didn't say anything positive either, just a notification. 

The best thing with vacation is being able to stay at home and spend introvert time in the garden. Weeding is a perfect thing to do when you need to be left alone (no one else likes it). I had comfortable silence company though with the other introvert in the family, Alfons.

5 ravens passed by in the sky. First they circled over our house, but after I raised to stand by the rabbits pen they moved further on.

 Tomorrow is another big day in Sweden, another "national day". Midsummers eve. My mother and her siblings will throw a Midsummer party at their summer cottages, it will be fun to see all the cousins.

Summerdays galore

Oh my what a beautiful  summerweather we’ve had the last weeks. The temperature reaches 25 degrees C and I feel like I’m melting away.

The best thing with June is all the meadow flowers. This is how it looks around the company where I work right now. The surroundings are very nice, I guess you have seen the view over lake? This is the view on the other side. 

This summer we have a couple of formal and festive events to go to. I realized that I have to buy new clothes. At Nelly.com I found the printed floral one, it is snuggly down to the hip and then flared. The black one with a draped part, which hopefully will make my tummy disappear is also bought at Nelly. The dress in the middle is bought at a rockabilly/gothabilly store in the neighbor town. They had lots of fun dresses but this one was cheap and it fitted. I will use the black dress this Saturday with the glittery sculls jewelry I bought at Glitter. We are invited to a wedding party in Oslo (Norway). 

My grandmother had her 92^nd birthday on our National day, we celebrated her at my parents place. She was more tired than ever but her mind is crystal clear. I decided to try a layered look in spite the hot weather. Army boots from Invader, skirt from Ewa I Walla, striped leggings from Gudrun Sjödén and a light tunic from Joy.

I’m also finished planting and sowing in my vegetable garden. This is my trick to make the fragile kale plants to survive. I used those plastic containers that cherry tomatoes can be bought in, as little green houses. The earth bugs don’t like the hot and humid air under these.

I got different pumpkin seeds from Ms. Misantropia and have planted 4 in my compost bin. An old window will hopefully boost the growth of them and give me pumpkins for autumn. 

This is a photo of the youngest just before he plunge in the water. We had a barbecue party with his class yesterday and the kids bathed and played games at the beach.

Tomorrow is my last working day before vacation. On Friday the kids are having their last day and on Saturay we will go on a party. See you next week!

Red and Black Week, Day 4. Add some drama to your garden

I enjoy the typical english cottage garden, it mixes well with the typical Swedish granny garden. There are two large flower beds with mainly purple flowers in my garden. This year I decided that I wanted to add more drama in, by burgundy and black flowers. It's not easy to find real black flowers but if you combine the darkest ones with contrast colours, they will appear black. 

I already have burgundy Snapdragons (what a lovely name in english). By selecting selecting seeds from burgundy flowers of a mix I received from mum, I'm almost there.

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I havent these yet but will get them. The almost black Parrot tulip. They are amazing in real life. No wonder that the dutch rated them to the skies during the 15th century.

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Red Patersons curse have a soft red colour. I really look forward to this one in bloom.

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One of my favourite flowers is Alumroot. Not very striking but the leafs are perfect to combine with other flowers. The fairylike flowers lightens everything up.

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The blackest of them all. Black Scabiosa.

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The contrast colour to black is white. Some elements of white is actually necessary in a black flowergarden (or if you prefer, yellow). They will make the almost black flowers darker. Another plus is that you can enjoy the garden in the late evenings when white flowers will light up the shadows.  These Sweet williams are called Caleidoscope and have a 3D effect with the underlying colours.

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Pink Veronicas will also add to balancing the bold colours. You can see that I chose different forms, round, discs and spikes.By different forms the flowerbed will be interesting to the eyes and mind.

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A purple climber Ipomoea, that in my vision will climb over the hedge (reality is different) .

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Here's another selection of what I will grow. Black sunflowers and hollycocks will add hight to the garden.

This is a photo of how it looks at the moment. As you can see the clover and the pansies are already following the colourscheme above.

Well you didn't see much of bright red flowers in this selection right? The problem with bright red flowers are that they are bold. Instead of drama there's a risk you get drag, and that wasn't my purpose. A gothic garden should have a romantic touch to the drama and you will get that by the softer shades.

Maybe you were expecting dark red roses and lilies. Well I love both and I do already have them in my garden but pink ones. To grow a garden is never something consistent, it always change. Some plants will never thrive and you have to look for something else, always that trial and error, while some are litterally weeds. I hope that I will return with a post of my flower beds later this summer.

Red and Black Week, Day 2, Accessories

 Here's my first contribution to fabulous Sophistique Noirs yearly Red and Black Week theme. I'm not that fond of bright red as I am of burgundy red. Black, grey, burgundy and beige are my staple colours in my wardrobe, these are the colours I use in my everyday outfits, not all at the same time but sometimes.

This little felt flower brooch is made of felt scraps. It is very easy to do. Cut three strips of felt and fold each to three loops, like a clover. Sew or glue in the middle. Stack them and spread the loops evenly. Cut a fourth strip, short one, and fold it to one loop and put it on the top of the stack, sew or glue. Mount the flower on a safety pin. Tadaa.

I can't live without sunglasses. I hate full sunshine, it gives me wrinkles and headache. I was out shopping with the kids when I found these cheap ones, in red velvet. Yes velvet sunglasses, lol. As I tried them on there were a couple of raised eyebrows wich made me buy them. It is always satisfying to embarrass the kids.

My newest addition to the shoe addiction. My burgundy Fluevogs. I love them. Words are unnessecary. If you have the opportunity to buy a pair, please do.

Even Wilma admires them.