Just some random things...

As the summer passed by the hermit has become more socially interested in people and restless wich is usually positive things. But I have also become really stupid, not using the brain, does this. According to my brother who's spouse also is a teacher, this is very common. 

Today was worst: We went to an water park and I started to put my bathing suit outside in. Thankfully I started to complain to Moa (the bonus daughter) that it was very ugly and made her look at it and pointed the mistake out. Then she remarked that the key tag should be on the arm instead of the leg, for easier entrance. When I was about to go home a heavy shower made me wet when I ran to get the car. A large puddle hid a pit that made me fall and I got completely soaked including everything I was carrying. Back home I offered Moa microwaved cinnamon bun dough (it should have been baked in the owen) and when making coffe I noticed that I had made coffe on yesterdays grounds without even noticing a difference in taste.

Other days were more successful. We bought a new sofa, at last. I had a vision of a victorian antique one with lots of wood carvings and velvet, but this option was more practical, must admit that.

I made deliscious macarons for the bonus kids birthday (same birthday, different ages).

We visited an ostrich farm and I snatched me some lovely feathers that I will dye.

And visited the holy spring to dip toes and drink icy cold water. This spring supports two cities with water. 

The vegetable garden is a mess because of bad weather. But I succeded to grow cuttings from my grape wine and to get small grapes too. I've been handing out the plants to friends and family and have two left to plant. Easy peasy.

 I got beautiful flowers from a friend at visit. I want that lily!! The name is something with chocolate.

I hope your summer has been great. Mine is not completely over yet. I have a couple of weeks before work begins. I really loved to have a long summer vacation and look forward to my work even more now.

Spooky box and a garden visit

Today I'm going to write about a very inspirational garden visit and a purchase I made from Spooky box club... First the box. The idea of UK based Spooky box club is that you get one box every month filled with different kinds of knick knacks. It is always gothically inclined but each month have a different theme. A part of the fee goes to a chosen aid organization.

I choosed not to subscribe but to buy one of the older boxes. One reason is that I buy one that I like ( you can find box openings on youtube) and that I don't have enough money to spend every month (have a family to run for godness sake!). 
Soo..the box I chosed was the January, Bat in a box one. I really liked it and it is well worth it's money. 

First and foremost I got this lovely and sturdy bag with batprint. The quality is very good and I finally have a good looking bag to carry my chromebook and books in for work;  here comes the Gothic teacher!

Another nice thing I used right away was this lovely moon pendant. 

I can't resist neatly package, like purple tissuepaper, black grossgrain ribbon, striped paper bags and cute saché bags for jewelery. I reuse them for crafting.

Top photo shows a spooky box club sticker, wall stickers with bats (oohhh, love it), a bat badge and an awesome bat broch (click the photo for better view).

The package also contained a banner with cool text, graveyard and bat stickers that fits perfectly for the nails ( amazing!) and a lollipop. 
I can highly recommend Spooky box club.

I went for a garden trip with a dear friend of mine last week. We went to Hildasholm in Leksand wich is an hour away.  The house and garden belonged to the private doctor of queen Victoria (same period as brittish king Edward) or rather his wife. The house and garden is a mix of neo renaissance, England and Italian gardens. 
We bought a house tour were the guide talked about the wealthy life of that times celebrities; wich was quite boring because the seemed to have too much time to spend on leisure.

The garden on the other hand is very interesting because it's smacked with topiary for northern climate. Very inspirational. I would love to try to cut a fir tree like the ones in the photo above.

The garden has many "rooms" and paths and hidden corners.

 It has also lots of statues. Don't blink!!

I found a drain pipe formed as a dragon with bat ears, that was so neat.

The garden stretches out in a djungle like canyon, were fallen trees were cut to sculptures. 

 So Swedish readers are recommended to visit the garden, but maybe not the house. They sell baskets with lovely fika (coffe and buiscits) that you can bring and sit werever you want eat. 

Vacation zombie

I really thought I was going to post more often and read blogs during the summer. Well hello, late as usual with keeping this porthole open. 

My introvertion has struck me after a year with talking and interacting with humans continuosly. The days goes by in complete silence and it feels very comforting. 

A few trips has been achieved though as we live in an area for summer tourism.  There are lot's of things to do here if you like. Me and Alfons took a fika (coffe and some cookies or icecream) at Staberg Mansion and garden one day. The garden is a baroque vegetable garden with fish ponds. The white house on the photo below is the "new" mansion built in the early 19 hundreds.

Alfons is taking a leap in front of the old mansion built in the 17 hundreds. He's such a great company and he likes coffe.

Johan and I visited an "art/comic" exhibition. I can't label Jan Stenmark because he is represented in both cultural papers and comic magazines. 

One picture of a collage, often made of paperclips from old magazines and comics with one sentence written underneath. The collage and the words form a really twisted sense of humour that makes you laugh and when you think deeper it's a little sad or dark. The exhibition is called "the laughter that choked".

"Bosse Lindblom stood by the boiler house and wondered if he was before or after its time"

" What a luck, some may think, that death arrives and free you from not living your life"

My flower garden starts to look better this year. I bought seeds to add some black and dark purple colours to the flower beds. This is one of them, not knowing what it's called in english.

I also have maroon coloured clover.

This columbine is actually darker than this photo shows.

As a contrast to the dark flowers some light ones are necessary. This peony Maxima is amazing. The scent reminds me of the old soaps that my grandfather used to have in his bathroom.

A pink allium that taste like garlic.

I will hopefully be another step closer to my gothic garden.

I have spent two weeks alone in the house and during that time I have cleaned it thoroughly. Johan lend a truck for me to fill with junk from two years of  renovating and hoarding. It's something releiving to make that errand to the recyling station. Yep, everything in the truck is recycled, like we do in Sweden.

I sleep a lot, 10-12 hours per night and that is visible, the dark circles under the eyes are gone. I also take long brunches every morning watching series on netflix.