Happy advent:)

... and all of a sudden it´s December. Can´t really tell living here in California though. Which is why we´ll be celebrating christmas in Mexicoooooo, can´t wait. Sand beats snow any time. Pictured: This years calendar. I´m a real geek slash housewife and make one for Pablito every year. He needs some candy every day, studying so hard poor boy. I totally blinged out the birdcage, so it also acts as our christmas tree. Will try to check in here a bit more often, my computer ís not very cooperative at the moment though. Anyway. Hepp!

Kelims, stone walls and candles

I spent a big part of my teens rolling my eyes at my parents discussions about kelims, my mothers constant lighting of candles and the way my dad could spend a whole day deciding where to put up a picture. Then the same thing happened to me. And now, the biggest goal in my life is to find a little stone house in the Spanish countryside, a lemon tree and a huge bougainvillea outside. Stone walls, stone floors. A fireplace, reindeer horns, moroccan lamps, a huge old kitchentable where we'll have friends over all the time for neverending dinners, a bathtub, a garden lit with farolitas and strings of bare lightbulbs for warm evenings filled with laughter, sheepskin, my vintage birdcage, and blankets, pillows and candles all over the place. And kelims. Maybe even a couple of eye-rolling teenagers. One day.

Loving the view from my couch right now

It's so beautiful when the sun has just set. And I still can't believe I have a palm tree right outside the window. Not to mention the Pacific. Now you might think I'm some fancy ass drinking fancy wine on a Thursday night, but I can assure you that it's just some dead cava I found laying around in the fridge. Somebody had to drink it.

Autumny

The weather report says: Sunny! 25 degrees! A quick look outside says: Almost raining! I doubt it's even 20 degrees! I was about to go for a bike ride, I was actually out the door and all. Then I just decided against it. I decided to pretend it's autumn for real (not California autumn, doesn't exist). Candles and tea. And it's not even dark outside. Just extremely grey. But I'm a real Scandi at heart, candles can be lit in every situation, (including 35 degree heat, as some of you have experienced).

And every blog has a picture of a tea cup at some point, right? This is my contribution!

Pretending to have a balcony

It looks so sad in this first pic... just the view of our hood I guess. But I spent 5 hours painting the staircase , and now I'm considering buying a chair so I can sit out there and be the crazy girl of our street, maybe even joining the neighbor for some loud singing every now and again. How about it?

Just hangin'

Finished my paintings, now they're mingling on our wall. Friday = farmers market in Hermosa, so I'm off to get some lemons, wheatgrass and flooowers! Ciao!

Artificial

My hubby has left me all alone to drink my yogi teas, listen to norwegian (radioresepsjonen) and swedish (filip&fredrik) podcasts, and drop some paint on a canvas. The neighbors are having a party and the smokers on the balcony keep shouting at me to join them, but I'm quite happy here with bare feet and a zillion candles. Maybe, if they insist, a tiny glass of wine before bed...

Loveydovey

I finally got myself together and carried the übercool bench from Stars to here, not an easypeasy task I can tell you. But now it's glowing with its turquoise beauty in our livingroom. Ah.

 I also went and bought some nail polish so me and the bench could match. Malibu green from American Apparel. We're so happy together, me and benchy. Just look at us.

in the bedroom...

...where my beloved Venice painting has made its home. Try to ignore the wall-to-wall carpet...

that's what I do.

Painted out of pure boredom

Kitchen nightmares

Our fridge has dressed up in pieces from an old Scrabble.

Freshly painted. Well, except from the ceiling. Please notice that we've already had the time to down two bottles of vino.

Yes, I got an orchid. Soooo 2000's.

THE AWESOME ART

I just had to show you this... 30 dollars from a crazy guy on the Venice boardwalk. It's painted on an old post-sack, and it covers a whole wall. I'm not sure where to put it just yet, but stay tuned for more happy days.

THE DECORATION

The reason I haven't been around for a while, is because I've been busy scrubbing, cleaning, washing, painting, shopping, measuring and decorating. When I do that, I usually stop eating or just replace my lunches and dinners with (organic) nacho chips and (low cal) beers, I don't really have any contact with the outside world, and I become generally unpleasant to be around. Which was also the case this time. But I got the results I wanted. More or less. It's a never-ending project...

Birdcage from Star's Antique, the chest was actually already in the house, as was the couch (not crazy about that).

Empty old frames from Star's Antique...

An old lamp-thingy from, yes, you guessed it, Star's Antique. The BEAUTIFUL vase that looks like a birds egg is made by my BEAUTIFUL mother. She has a whole new "collection" out in that very same color, I love it.

I've hidden an extremely hideous, non-working radiator behind that blind!

I'm picking up the turquoise bench tomorrow, couldn't resist buying it... It will be placed somewhere in the living room as well, will update pics when I have it. Also, more to come from the kitchen and bedroom! Do not miss!