Dreams of Paris

Busy, busy, but fun days at work. Little time to dream about this summers trip to Paris. But it's there, on the horizon. So I'd better lose myself in maps, guidebooks and dreams. And plan plan plan.

Weekend Bliss

So the weekend has been amasing. Close to 30 degrees, sunshine, and great dining and shopping. Friday I bourt myself a new dress in one of my favourite shops: Syvende Himmel (Seventh Heaven). They sell quirky pretty dresses made for women.

As for dining. A five course meal at Tango, my favourite gourmet digs, never goes wrong. Wish I could remember all the foodie details, but as the food and wine kept coming it al just ends up in a blissful blur. I do have to give honarable mention to the desert. White chocolate fondant with sabayonne, and a poached peach with Earl Grey tea sorbet. Fantastic.

(Pictures. Above: Detail from shop window. Below: The goodie bag, and hand made buttons from a norwegian designer: Snella og Petronella)

My Men

Represented by the little one. My inspiration. My loves. They teach me to live in the moment.

Bliss

Ultimate bliss is a cinnamon twist and a double cappuccino from Ostehuset (The Cheese House) for breakfast. Yum!

In Colour Street

Dollies in a store window. Love the beedy eyes. And the round shapes.
Øvre Holmegate. Also known as The Colour Street. Cute shops, cafes and grafitti. Love.

My paint-shop-guys paint dispenser. Well used. He will give you paint in a jam jar to test it out at home.

Summer has come to Stavangers flowerbeds.

My Big Fat Lens

So today I splurged. Big time. Bought a fancy new lens for my camera 18-200 mm. Fun fun fun. Check it out.

(In the background are my Japanese doll bed sheets. They scare my other half)

Excited about taking better photos. And playing around.

Pretty Yummy

After following pretty pretty yum yum for a few days now I'm officially hooked on this Sydney-gals obsession with the kawaii (cute), kakkoii (cool) and omoroi (interesting) in Japan.

I (as I have told earlier) am getting more and more obsessed with that country full of contrasts. For now I'm indulging in Murakamis books. Soon, I will need to go go go. Maybe I should find a Japanese cooking class, or language class. The little Japanese I know is from my karate classes at university.

Untill I fulfill my dreams I can drewl over purple chocolate and kitty bento boxes. Thank you.

(All pictures are from her blog)

Housescapes Too

Have had an amasing weekend. Beautiful people. Beautiful scenery. No time for blogging.

Been hanging around the house all sunday, and passing on some housescapes for colour and inspiration. Love.

Return Trip to Gym

Things I notice om my route to the gym. Spices up my walk. Love the urban-nature mix. Love the personalities and colours shining through.

Secret Garden

I can't take credit for my beautiful garden. The previous owners of our house set it up, but I love it's Secret Garden feel. The flowers start with snowdrops in march, and the roses bloom well into october.

Break Fast

Samorost

The web is a vast expance of inspiration. Something I found loads of in the universe of Samorost. This is more a state of mind, rather than a game. And it ate me up. Whole.

I would love to live in this floating world of organic mechanics. The flash game is designed by Jakub Dvorsky while he was a design student. His company Amanita Design is also an ispiration. I played through both Samorost worlds in one sitting. (The pictures are from Wikipedia)

And I'm anticipating Machinarium. Due this Autumn.

And if you like Samarost you should try these:

Bowja the Ninja
Factory Balls
Grow Island
Orsinal

My New Book

I got a treat in my post box yesterday. My "Paris: Made by Hand" turned up in the mail from fantastic "The Little Bookroom" in New York. The book is photographed and written by one of my favourite bloggers Pia Jane Bijkerk.

The other half has already suggested a trip this summer. - Filled with luxuries, he promises. Hand made luxuries, I reckon. Pain au chocolat. Café au lait. And maybe a creative lamp for my new kitchen. (Yes, kids. We're doing up the kitchen. Light and air is already filling it.

Excited.

Colours and Shapes

So I'm a sucker for colourful things on display. These Easter eggs in a french patisserie on 16th ave in Vancouver B.C. won me over. Was told it's the yearly spread. So sweet they hurt my teeth just looking at them. Wheel barrow rainbow from same street.

Memory Bytes

A whole row of memories on show in my windowsill.

Volcanic rock from Iceland. Amasing trip with girlfriends, glaciers, geysirs and great shopping.

Fish from the Sydney Aquarium. My childhood favourite hangout. Loved the shark-tunnel.

Shells from trips on the beach in Australia. Sand between my toes. Tepid water. The current tagging at my ankles as my feet dig deeper and deeper into the sand. Diving under white waves. Floating over the round ones. Salt in my mouth. Sand in my cossies.

And a sea-coloured enamel bowl from my two and a half years in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The flea market in the old Victorian train station in Tynemouth. The smell of the sea. The anticipation of air and sky building up in my tummy leaving the grey and hostile city.

Memories to touch. Remember. Relive.

Relief.

Grafitti Inspiration

I adore proper grafitti.

So I thought I'd share some pictures I took in Berlin.

Housescapes

My New Lamp

So after almost three years with the previous owners chandellier, I finally got around to putting in my own home-made lamp. My handy brother helped me install it, and seemed pretty suprised that it looked good. What do you think?

A Dogs Life

Ahhh to be a labrador in the doorway of a flowershop in Rue Mouffetard, Paris.

All my fantasies lately involve lavender, laziness and cafe au laits. Ambling trough cobbled streets in Paris. Pain au chocolat. Abricots.

And moules frites. With glasses and glasses of crisp sauvignon.

I think I'll check the airlines right now.

Surreal

Lately I've been immersing myself into Haruki Murikamis believable, yet unprobable, universe.

It all started on a trip to Boston. Left on my own on Harvard campus I wondered into their famous book store. (Worth the blurb by the way.)

- Give me something weird, I asked.

The book store guy came up with a soft back with a beautiful cover: "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" was devoured on the plane home.

Murikamis universe is magical realism crammed into a zen and modern frame. A split conciousness being normal, and travelling between universes an every day chore.

I got to reading a couple other of his books, and only recently did I pick up reading his novels again. And what a pick-up it was. After reading three of his books in a month, my fave till now is "After Dark".

Shake me awake.

Wanting more

So life has always left me wanting more. Call me a life maximalist.

I'd rather add more, than omit anyting. This leading to a mess in which I lose all my creativity.
So frugility works. Ohne. Without.

But underestimating the power of deadlines and busy schedules can leave me just as blank.

What is a good girl to do?