when autumn falls

As I was putting my little red bird into place today, I noticed one of my biggest and most luscious plants is planning on getting even bigger. As my ivys, to my great distress, are not doing so well, I was very happy to see this. I might actually have to let my ivys go, and it's so sad, cos they were so incredibly beautiful when I got them, and now they're all infested with something that's killing them. If I buy new ones, I'll make sure to ask in the store if there's anything at all I can do to prevent it, cos it's never happened to me before.



I did end up buying a new iPod the other day, and I got the latest nano, that was presented on Wednesday night for the first time, and I was actually following the news minute by minute! To my own surprise I must add, but I just got into it. And the new nano is ridiculously cute, I have to say, it's pretty much an extraordinary musical brooch, and I got it in red. Will have to wait quite a bit for it though, but very much looking forward to it's arrival. So since I had already shopped big time this week, and also got some really good news yesterday, I thought I'd pop into Humana vintage after work to check out what's “new” for autumn. (Don't you admire how I made that sound logical?!) They had lots of goodies for sure, but I wasn't in the mood for trying that much of clothes on, so I ended up with these shoes for 249 kronor instead.



They're Bally, very classic looking, and in really good shape. They've been worn well. I actually don't have any shoes like this, and have been looking around without finding anything. Would have loved if they were brogues, but just changing the old tired shoelaces for red silk ribbons made them prettier I think. I'm quite certain we'll become good friends this autumn.



I got some great discount coupons end of August, and I happily and naïvely think that it's the stores practically giving me money to shop for, but I do of course know I only get the coupons cos I've spent so much of money there in the first place ... Oh, well, I still think it's good to be awarded with shopping for shopping! At Åhléns, my fave department store, I found this cute handbag on final sale. I've been looking at it before, but thought 400 kronor was a bit expensive, how ever cute it was. Now I got it for 50 kronor!



What I like most about it, is that it's got loads of pockets, and as I tend to spend a lot of time trying to find things in my bag, this is most welcome. It's actually only last year that I've started to use more “grown-up” hand bags, especially leather bags, that I've never had before. This is only my third one too, so it's not like it's a collection with one for every outfit. That would be quite a collection, I tell you!



The other coupon was for H&M, and I found this adorable white cotton cardigan that will be perfect for so many of my dresses when the days are getting colder (which is pretty much as of Monday this week). With the discount I got it for 50 kronor, thank you very much. I fell a bit in love with another cardigan too, if it's still there at the end of the month I think I might get it, as a birthday gift for myself.

Although this year I will get the best birthday gift possible: I'm finally being reunited with my husband. Staying on opposite sides of the world has been difficult for sure, but when you know what you've got, things are what they are. If that makes any sense. It does to me anyway, and that's what's important. Obviously being in the same place is the best, not even a thousand vintage dresses or a private show with The National in my living room would beat that.

i crave an ipod

So my aim for a shopping free month isn't gonna work out since my iPod died this morning. Boooooooo! I NEED my iPod, I stress out completely if I can't hide inside my music when I'm out and about. Music is my shield against the world. I'm not a big fan of spending money on modern gadgets, but I do appreciate how cute the iPod nano's are nowadays, and since this is a gadget that I'll use all the time it's a good and necessary investment for sure. I knew better than to just order one straight away though, and asked my Apple maniac brother about when the new models are coming out, and was told tomorrow! Therefore I'm trying to stay patient, and usually shipping is quite quick, so I won't have to walk to work having to hear traffic and people for that many days. That would make me very unhappy, very unhappy indeed. I want to dance in the streets!

Well, okay, not quite, but at least sing really loud in my head to stay sane. We've all got our ways to get by. Morrissey put it like this: “Because the music that they constantly play, it says nothing to me about my life.” I couldn't agree more, and that's why I bring my own music. And when I've got my headphones on, it can be more difficult to catch my attention, but on the other hand you might catch me smiling just cos my ears are happy.

more gothenburg goodies

One of the new stores I found during my Gothenburg visit was an Indian one on Kungsgatan, quite close to Järntorget. We just wanted to pop in to check it out, but ended up spending both plenty of time and money there because the shop owner was so friendly and it turned out to be packed with lovely things! If you're at all into Indian interior design items such as pillow cases, curtains, bedspreads, etcetera, this is definitely the place for you. It's more expensive than for example Indiska, but the quailty and selection is way better, and compared to other Indian interior design stores in Stockholm the prices are very reasonable. The nice shop owner very patiently let us try about 10 pairs of earrings each before finally choosing one pair each, and just as I was about to pay for them I spotted this little Ganesh figurine behind the counter. It's made of beautifully handpainted brass, and since Ganesh is me and my husband's special protective god (we were told at our temple wedding), I thought maybe it would be a good thing to get it. My motive wasn't religious though, maybe I should point that out, I just wanted a pretty figurine in our home! But if I by doing that am pleasing the gods, so be it, I guess.



These were the earrings I finally decided to get, very pretty silver ones with turquiose stones. They weren't cheap, 269 kronor, but for real silver and Indian design it's not too bad actually. And I've already used them quite a lot, I really love them! And love is always an investment, right? Or at least a good excuse to shop ...



I did also compensate these slightly more expensive buys, with two ridiculously cheap ones: this lovely little Chinese vase I paid 5 kronor for! Hardly a Ming Dynasty vase or something, but small and pretty and easy to place. And Chinese, of course, which is reason enough for me to spend money on it.



The only problem is that I can't decide which side is the prettiest! So I think I'm gonna have to turn it around once a week, just to get both. Had there been two of them, I probably would have splashed out another 5 kronor to get around that delicate problem.



This was the other big investment: two Hello Kitty plastic toys that I bought from two little girls selling their things at a market. They were a whopping 3 kronor each! Even though I do like Hello Kitty, I'm not a collector and will probably pass these on to someone who will appreciate them more.



A very nice vintage store that we found wandering around Olivedal was Popitop, where I saw some vintage buttons I couldn't resist. Digging around a little box of them I first decided on some, then went back for seconds and thirds and so on, until I decided that I had picked out all the pretty ones. Maybe it was selfish of me, but I do believe I need them for future projects. Like these little red cherry ones!



White ornate cuties and turquiose shiny gems! Not that many of these kinds though, but I'll find the perfect way to use them to show them off the best.



Small red lovely flower buttons! These were the ones I decided on first, and I just love them. Since I bought so many I got a bit of a discount and ended up spending 130 kronor on buttons. Not exactly flea market prices, but good enough vintage ones I guess. I'm happy anyway, and can't wait to use them.

all dressed up and going for brunch

Today after dying my hair, which was long overdue, I managed to somehow make a pretty old fashioned hairdo (in my opinion anyway), so I let that set the tone for my outfit. I really like getting all dressed up on the weekend, even if I'm not doing anything special, cos at least I will feel special. Well sometimes that is. But just a few minutes after walking outside I got such a nice compliment from a girl walking by, it really made my day! There's nothing like the kindness of a stranger to make you smile.



I'm not a big poser, and can't find a good place to stand in the flat, or a way of looking at least semi-relaxed, but nevermind. I've never claimed to be a model, have I? First time I got to use the lovely red beaded necklace I almost got for free at the country flea market earlier this summer (about 12 kronor), it went excellent with the dress, which is one of the lot of five from the basement vintage shop that mysteriously disappeared (150 kronor).



Sneak peak of the ensamble in colour. I met a friend for brunch, and he said I looked very nice and matching. I've always liked matching, I can't help it. I do believe that everything you personally like will look good on you, but in my case I've got such a lot of things that I really like it's never difficult to find something that will look particularly good with something else!

That being said, I have sort of decided to go on a shopping diet for about a month, or even longer, if I can make it. Or at least try and stay within a specific budget after the first month. It's not that I've really spent that much, and have nothing left, it's more that I feel it would be good for my character to spend less for a while. Also I got so much of stuff in the basement, and in drawers and cabinets, so I plan to start investigating a bit more, doing inventory if you will, probably find things I've forgotten, maybe sort some things out to sell or donate, and such. I'm also, once again, seriously considering buying a sewing machine, so that I can finally get around a big pile of projects that are just waiting, thereby getting new clothes for myself! I've spent most of the day, after coming back from brunch, reading this amazing blog from start to last update, and feel very inspired indeed to start getting things done. Not just reading about what other people are crafty enough to make. I've sure got an abundance of ideas and material to get started, whether or not I've got any skills to turn things out as well, is left to be seen.

to kongo and back

I've spent the last few days in this house, called Kongo (it was supposed to be shipped to the Kongo, but never left this tiny island in the outer archipelago of Stockholm). Not too shabby, not too shabby at all. But it's nice to be back home, finally getting to go to bed knowing I'm not gonna have to do it alone for that much longer.

And I do believe summer is officially over.

gorgeous gothenburg

My first day in Gothenburg I made some nice finds, but the nicest one of all was to find Gothenburg as lovely as I ever remembered it. I go there once every year for the big national book fair in September, but unfortunately never have time to really experience the city outside the fair, except for going to some really nice restaurants in the evenings. I used to go there quite a lot in the past, since one of my best friends has lived there for a long time (and she just got married, so happy happy marriage to Hanna and Malin!). Even when I was little, and we went there with my cousins who live in the same part of Sweden (the west coast), I loved it and actually thought Gothenburg was cooler than Stockholm. I'm not sure I'd like to live there full time, but I'll definitely try and visit more often, besides going to the book fair.



A for me "new" part of the city was the first place I went, cos I'd read about it and driving past it in cabs to the hotel last year I suspected it'd be just my cup of tea. It sure was! Or rather a perfect cup of coffee, that I got from Da Matteo, a coffee shop and coffee supplier I'm pretty sure have the best coffee in Gothenburg. The area is one or two blocks where Vallgatan meets Magasinsgatan, where there are lovely shops every which direction you look. Prickig Katt I've already told you briefly about, and will get back to that in another post, cos I've got a lot of awesome pics from the store. A vintage shop I really liked was Pop Boutique, where I found this pretty dress for 300 kronor. I know it's not really expensive, but I'm always a bit hesitant paying that much for vintage if isn't mint condition, and I also have to fix it. This was mint indeed though, doesn't even look worn. It looks 40's, but is more likely 80's, from Spain. It's a little bit big, but nothing I can't fix, and with a belt this shape might work anyway actually. The fabric is quite warm, not sure what it is, but it'll be a perfect autumn favorite!



Gothenburg is known for it's excellent shoe stores, at least to me. Right now all stores had sales, but seeing it's being the end of summer I thought it didn't make much sense to buy more summer shoes. Sometimes I can be sensible too. No, really, I can. Except that white shoes might not be that incredibly sensible with the kind of autumn weather we usually get here, but there were only white left in my size, and they're so incredibly adorable I couldn't leave without these Vagabond brogue-mary-jane-wedges! Especially since I've discovered this summer that my feet actually like wedges, and I've used to be a flat shoe girl for as long as I can remember. Mostly cos I've thought my feet couldn't take heels, but apparently I've been wrong all these years. All the more reason to make up for it now, and these were on sale for 420 kronor, which is an okay price for quality shoes (I keep telling myself ...). Not exactly Mr Price, but hopefully they'll last longer, if I can remember to buy white shoe polish, and use it. And hope for a lot of sunny autumn days!



The cheapest buy of the day were these little hairpin gingham flowers from Indiska, two for 25 kronor. Very cute indeed. Did you notice how well all these things will go together? I actually just realised this now, looking forward to trying it out one of these days when autumn creeps closer. Maybe I can wear it at the book fair? Go all Gothenburg when in Gothenburg. Makes sense.

Now I'm off to the archipelago for a work conference for a few days, it'll be so nice to leave the city for a bit. As of yesterday everyone's definitely back for school and work, and the streets are so incredibly crowded by people and bikes and cars and stupid skateboarders I almost had a fit walking to and from work yesterday! Not to mention how many times people bumped into me without apologising, in true Stockholm Style, and bikers refusing to consider anyone but themselves in traffic, and cars not stopping when they should ... It's exhausting I tell you! So what better to cure that than to go off into the wilderness, where things will be too quiet for sure, and I'll miss the hectic pace of the city again. I'm weird, yes I am. But what can you do?

tiny pencil letter art

This is by far one of the most perfect pictures I've seen in a long time! This is miniature art at its very best, made by American carpenter Dalton Ghetti. Apparently he's been doing this incredible handiwork for 25 years, and this piece alone with the alphabet pens took about 2,5 years, and he doesn't use a magnifying glass! I'm so mighty impressed I'm at a loss for words. I wish I could buy these pens in a frame, and I would never stop looking at them, just being mesmerized by their incredible beauty. Unfortunately Mr Ghetti has of yet never sold anything, just given things away to friends. So I guess I have to become his friend then, if that's what it takes.

I really love art that looks deceivingly simple at first glance, but at a closer look reveals complete magic in the well crafted details. I love being surprised, and I very much love when someone thinks about me finding something like this, knows I'm gonna like it and sends me a link. That's why I married the someone who sent this to me. Read more about the genius carver here.