Sports holiday hangover

I'm not sure if Sweden is unique in the way that we have a school holiday called "sports vacation" one week every February, maybe you could tell me? Well, this year school was closed for two weeks in this town due to the World Championships in skiing. I also had 1,5 week of duty as a teacher but worked two days as a volunteer at the event. 

My favourite knitted wool hat to keep my brain warm from the snow slush. 

Not usually a sports nerd but as the Swedish team took lots of medals and the event taking place in my town it was irresistable to avoid. One of my students was also competing in ski jumping.

The photos below shows the ski jumping arena with lots of drunk and crazy Norwegians waving their flags (took even more medals). Two Gripen planes passing by and a backstage photo taken from my booth selling food. 

The community tried to take advantage of all the visitors and do something cultural down town. Grafitti walls, food market, and ice statues (melting away) et cetera. 

You can see at the photo in the middle wich one who is an indoor person and who is the outdoor one. 

I promised earlier to take more photos of the buildings in my town. I love the details of this house.

Alfons was for once ready to try downhill skiing and we went to the local slope. First visit for me. Ok, we have mountains. BUT they are not Alpine mountains as a visiting polititian from the Capital claimed. Wonder if she slept on her Geography class at primary school. 

View from the top. 

It went great. As he listened carefully at my instructions, he managed the skiis only after one round.

I'm a sucker for nice views. Here's view of our beautiful lake Runn that is very popular for skating. 

 The sports vacation was too short for recovering from a hectic semester. Like most teachers I was cursed by the flu a couple of days (no time to be sick, except on holidays). My ambition was to do more than I had time to. I did take some time to paint though, wich I usually never have time for, sadly because it's very calming.  Johan says I painted his coworker. 

 Well well see each other next vacation...Easter maybe?

Jewellery organising

For a while a great deal of irritation has been launched every morning I wanted to choose a jewellery for my outfit. I ended up picking those laying on top and never using earrings because they are always scattered.

So this is a project that has been in progress for a long while. The towel holder was found at a flea market without a rod and no paint. The only thing I did was to paint it and carve a twig fitting the holes for the rod.

The bracelet stands are all handmade by myself. The bottom is a part of a mug holder. With glue, a drill and a screwdriver it was more easier than it look like. The padding under the fabric is glued on with hot glue. 

 I also made a little drawer from three Glossy boxes and their lids to store more jewellery. This is a great tutorial if you have those boxes (or three of another kind).

The necklace bust is made of a lamp foot and a bust made of plaster strips.

The little pink box on the right is a upcycled box from an electronics supplyer. It is wrapped in wallpaper and decorated with old clock gears and a small mounting. 

I will add boxes and a earring holder later. 

 Our town has changed and got a sudden world wide focus due to the World championships in skiing. It's the first time I'm visiting an event like this as I'm not very interested in watching sports. But wow, it was amazing so many happy people and all the yelling and waving flags. The photo below only shows a half of the audience. 

 Lots of people stood in the snow along the track as well. 

It's a big event around the championship as well with lots of sponsors showing their products. SAAB showed their warplane Gripen and Alfons tried the cockpit of it,(looks claustrophobic in my opinion).

With sturdy boots and skirts in layers you don't have to freeze. 

Delights of winter

Det är många som klagar på den här årstiden och så även jag. Tänk att jag har glömt att just den här tiden faktiskt är den bästa på hela vintern. Ljuset återvänder, vädret är oftast vackert och snön ligget gnistrande vit och väntar. I fredags var vi till skidbacken hela familjen och jag provade mina nya pjäxor. Det känns som att bryta sönder foten varje gång man sätter på dem. Det är tävlingspjäxor så fotleden är mer böjd. Men det var jättekul att åka igen, jag önskar bara att fler än jag och Oskar i familjen ville åka. 

There's lots of people complaining about this time of year, so have I. But I must have forgotten that this time of winter is the best part. The daylight returns, the weather is often sunny and the sparkling snow covering the ground and calls for you. This friday evening we went to the ski slope with the family and I tried my new ski boots. I feels like the bones in the foot i cracking apart when I put them on. It's kind of racing boots that makes the ankle more bent forward. But it was so fun to ski again, I only wish that it was more than me and Oskar in the family who'd join.

Igår var jag till uthuset och hämtade nytt hö till kaninen. Det virvlade upp ett gult damm och lite oroligt stack jag näsan i dammolnet för att försäkra mig om att det inte var mögel. Istället för en stickande lukt så kom den ljuvaste doft av sommar äng in i mina luktsinnen. Ja jag stod faktiskt och dammade lite extra och doftade in svensk högsommar. Jag konstaterade ändå att det var en fin vinterdag och att sommaren kommer sen när det är dags.

Det är ett löv som lilla fröken sitter och tuggar på, det där bruna hon har i munnen.

Yesterday I was out in the garden shed to get more hay to the rabbit. While digging in the hay sack a yellow dust swirled in the air. A little bit worried for mold, I sticked my nosed in it and felt the most beautiful smell of summer meadows toutching my senses. Well I even dusted a little extra with the hay just to smell the lovely swedish summer flowers a little bit more. I concluded though that it was a lovely winter day and the summer will arrive when it's time.

It is a leaf that little miss is chewing on, the little brown thingy in her mouth.

Här är en alldeles rak stig av hennes kusiners tassavtryck, och rådjurens. Från ängen utanför in till våran trädgård.

A straight path made of little paws by misses cousins and deers. From the wild meadow on the outside into our garden.

Där har de kalas på resterna av grönkålen, kvar är bara pinnarna, men de kanske försvinner de med så småningom.

Were they are have a feast on the remnants of green cale. There is only the hard stems left, but the might dissapear as well by a little more time.

Min yngste som vägrar åka slalom har uttryckt en önskan att få ett par längdskidor. Så trots att jag inte har åkt sen jag var barn så funderar jag på att skaffa ett par sådana också så att vi har något kul att göra. Njut nu av iskylan, värmen kommer sen, när det är dags.

My youngest son who refuses to learn downhill skiing, have wished for a pair of common skis. So even if I haven't been skiing on "flat" ground since I was a child, I'm considering to buy skis for me an Tuli, that we can have something fun to do together. Enjoy the ice cold, the warmth will arrive later, when the time is right.

Decorated journal and calendar

Eftersom jag deltar i Le Professeur Gothique's Bat fit challenge så behöver jag en anteckningsbok för att föra journal över hälsomål, ätbeteenden och motion. Jag köpte en bok med hårda pärmar. Eftersom den var lite tråkigt på utsidan så dekorerade jag den. Jag har limmat på gammalt notpapper en viktoriansk etikett som säger Gentlemens Delight (lite ironi) med kantband som ram, en liten bit spets och gammalt namnband med mina initialer och ett gammalt nyckelhål. Som bokmärke tog jag ett fransigt band och limmade fast längst bak i boken och knöt en gammal nyckel på i änden, som passar nyckelhålet.

Since I participate in Le Professeur Gothique's Bat fit challenge, I'm supposed to buy a health journal to register my health goals, eating habits and excercise in. I bought a sturdy notebook to write in, but it was plain black with a purple back so it needed some embellishment. I glued on old notebook paper a victorian label that says "Gentlemens Delight" (very ironical) with a tapestry ribbon as a frame, black lace, old letter ribbon with my initials and a victorian keyhole. In the back of the book I glued a frayed black ribbon to use as a page marker and attached an old key to the end (fitting the keyhole on the front).

Målen för min hälsoresa har jag redan skrivit om här. Jag har inte varit hälsosam alls denna ledighet. Ärligt talat har jag ätit väldigt mycket av det hemlagade godiset. Det enda nyttiga jag har gjort var en rask 40min promenad i skogen, det var väldigt bra för själen. Vi har haft lite diskussioner här hemma om det här med att springa i skogen, nu när det finns så mycket varg och björn här i krokarna. Jägare säger att det är tomt på älg i skogen nuförtiden. 

Jag tog hem min jobbkalender också som behövde en personlig touch. Den är pytteliten men den passar mig. Den har fått samma stil av dekorationer som hälsojournalen.

The goals for my helthier year is already posted here. I haven't been a bit healthy at all this holiday. Frankly I've been eating a lot of homemade sweets. The only thing that is a bit healthy was a fast 40 min walk in the forest, but very soothing for my mind. We have some discussions about walks and run in the forest now at home, because of the wolves, and bears. Hunting is a kind of lifestyle here and many hunters says the woods are empty of mooses. 

I brought my job calendar home to make it look nicer as well. It's very tiny but the size fits me. It got the same kind of decorations as the health journal.

Min underbare Oskar hade köpt julklappar till alla av oss när han kom på juldagen. Johan fick en ljuslykta av himalayasalt och jag fick en i glas. Han hade köpt pc spel till 2 av sina syskon och lego till den tredje. Han är en så generös och rar person, fina pojken.

My lovely Oskar had bought christmas presents to all of us when he arrived at christmas day. Johan got a tea candle holder of himalayan salt and I got the one in glass to the right. He had bought pc games to two of his siblings and some lego to the third. That's the kind of person he is, generous and sweet.

A nice weekend

I helgen fick jag chansen att shoppa lite nytt till verandan och trädgården. Den blommiga lilla hinken som pelargonen står i passar in i färgskalan på mitt smultronställe perfekt.

I got the chance for some shopping for my porch this weekend. The bucket with flowerprints was a perfect colour match for my favourite spot.

Annica kom och hämtade mig och vi for till Bäsna trädgård i Borlänge. Det var mitt första besök där och jag kan säga att trädgården är värd att besöka pga att den är ganska speciell (läs plottrig). Det finns inga speciella växter att köpa där, men en fin prylbutik. Visningsträdgården är verkligen plottrig på den lilla ytan samsas växter med krimskrams av helt skilda världar. Som demoner och tomtar.

I went to Bäsna garden in Borlänge with Annica. It was my first visit and I can say that it is worth a visit because it is special (read cluttery). There's no rare plants to buy but nice things for the garden. The show garden is very cluttery. On the little space is plants crowding with knick-knacks of all different kinds. Like demons and gnomes.

Buddastatyer, you name it. Ja tom skitfula små miniatyrer av huvudena på påskön.

...And Buddahs, well you name it. They even got shitty little miniatures of the heads on Easter Island.

Ändå kan jag rekommendera ett besök till Bäsna, det är ändå ganska mysigt. Det kan ju hända att det var sällskapet och det goda fikat som gjorde det hela komplett. Tack och godnatt.

I can anyway recomend a visit to Bäsna, because it is rather cosy. It might be because of my company and the nice coffee that made it successful. Good night and sleep tight.