HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Just like last year, I am not going to do a list of my New Year resolutions for 2011 - but instead chosing my word for the year to come:

Exploring

Well - I do travel a lot, and since the new year is starting with a trip to unknown territories on the very first day of the year, it seems appropriate. I am venturing of to somewhere I have never been before - have some expectations and yet none at all..... I just want to empty my mind from everything called expectations and absorb all now thing around me. Naturally with caution to my health and safety :o)

What would your word be for 2011?



World Wide News Clippings

Yep travelling again - and once more experincing a local Christmas out in the big world :o)

Having a job that is very dependant on logistics solutions and especially JIT (just-in-time), reading this article made me laugh out loud while the air. Here is the part, that initiated the giggling:

His home delivery service too, although unconventional, is light years ahead if the competition. Since deliveries are only made at night, there's no chance of the customer being out at the shops when he arrives Plus he's happy to use the chimney in the event of the front door being locked. Never once have has anybody woken up Christmas morning to find a card on the mat reding "Sorry you were out." It's also a very green service, as the only emmisions from the transport are reeindeer poo.

Business Life (British Airways) December 2010



World Wide News Clippings

Merry X-Mas Everyone

Growing up in a place, where X-mas is celebrated, it is hard to imagine that somebody is not celebrating X-mas.

It is true - a large part of Shanghai is decorated for X-mas, but you seldom find anywhere to purchase X-mas ornaments. Even though X-mas is not celebrated in China, they have chosen to X-mas decorate the city anyway. My season spirit did not dissapear while in Shanghai - How could it be when I could photograph decorations like this:

Many downtown streets are filled with Christmas decotrations to greet the Western festival next Saturday.

Source: Shanghai Daily

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 25th, 2010

Merry X-mas everybody

Unfortunately the calendar only counted 24 Happy Xmas Trees and when browsing the official website, I can see that I missed out on some great ones.... buhu :o(

The picture was taken at the kickoff in Copenhagen on November 13th, and if you are wonderingwhy the lady in the picture a carrying small natures-own Xmas trees, it is because the organisers handed out free small Xmas trees that day to everybody, that was insterested in having one.

I hope the upcoming action will result in a lot of money for the forrestation project in Mali, Africa.

"Thank you!" to all the artists for bringing a different Xmas tree to us.

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 24th, 2010

Title:
Artist:
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 23rd, 2010

Title: Colorholics Christmas Tree
Artist: Steen Berg Hansen
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 22nd, 2010

Title: Unnamed
Artist: Tobias Dybvad & Christian Fahlendorff
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

World Wide News Clippings

Source: Holland Herald (KLM)

Travelling includes reading local newspapers but also magazines provided by the airline in the seat pocket in front of you (next to the safety card) in the plane. I stumbled across the headline "Eraser Memory" in KLMs free magaine - right next to a fun looking picture of.. well yes erasers - like those we used in school.

If you are collecting something, you might want to take a look at this blog... My only question to myself is: Why have I not known about Lisa Congdon's blog until now? Guess most of us have some kind of collecting habit (some more than others) and this idea about a photograph a day is a great inspiration. I am definately to buy her book when it is released next spring.

My own collecting frenzy includes miniature turtes(not live ones), Starbuck's annual X-mas mug, occationally on holidays - this:

2005 vacation picture - photo by HotchPotch

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 21st, 2010

Title: Unnamed
Artist: Anne Lorenzen
Location: Ny Østergade

Happy Xmas Trees

Meet My New Mascot: Tomtepilot David

I have been travelling - and where I went, it is forbidden to visit webpages like blogs, Facebook, YouTube etc.... this explains my absent blogger comments.... Sorry about that, but it was one of those last minute decisions at my job which sent me away.

He was purchased at an airport while "killing waiting time" and his originates from Sweden - translated his name means "Santa pilot David" and from the Åsa Götlander collection.

I have decided to make him my travel mascot, and he has to go with me on my many travels and live in my handbag while travelling...

Silly? Well usually I hate Mondays, but this Monday was totally different. Is it this little guy's doing??? :o)

What was to good about this Monday: well.... got notice that my salary has got a huge rise... heard from my doctor, that the latest MRI scan shows less MS lesions on the spinal cord... and one of my friends announced that she's pregnant.

Hoping you have had some goods news today or the past weekend as well :o)

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 20th, 2010

Title: Unnamed
Artist: Rasmus Nielsen
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 19th, 2010

Title: Reflections of the City
Artist: Jonna Pedersen
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 18th, 2010

Title:
Artist:
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 17th, 2010

Title:
Artist: Dagskolen Vikasku
Location N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 16th, 2010

Title:
Artists: Zenia Mundelange & Rie Lind
Location : N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 15th, 2010

Title: Unnamed
Artist: Mau-Mau
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 14th, 2010

Title:
Artist:
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 13th, 2010

Title: Unnamed
Artist: Jens Galshiøt
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Don't You Just Love...

.... when some plans are just altered to something even better than originally planned?

I had opted for an all me-day today, but yesterday my plans changed.

Spending time with my best friends and their kids was so refreshing... well the weather certainly helped on the refreshing part **LOL** as in red cheeks as it is really cold outside. We faced the challenge and dressed like Eskimos - well somebody may have compared our outfit to a Michelin Man.

All the snow melted away yesterday, which was really weird.... water was just everywhere. Today Father Frost made his appearance and all the water still on the ground/streets froze = outside is one biiiig icescating rink making it a challenge to stay solid on the feet.

Spending time like I did today is what I really believe that X-mas is all about: spending time with people, whose friendship means the world to me, laughing and at some point behaving like school kids again.

How did you spend your Sunday? I hope you enjoyed it :o)

Opus Gluei Challenge #82

Didn't enter my card to the challenge, but it made me try out something I've never done before when creating a card - using my sewing machine

I have an issue with the proportions of the ribbon used - way too wide for this size of card, but it is that sort of learning by doing that might help me do it right the next time. Using a sewing machine when making cards is also something I have to explore some further, as I can see some potential ideas

In this card I used material which I absolutely love... I have this thing for snow and snowmen so this challenge has been lurking in the back on my head eventhough I didn't submit the card for the challenge.



Can You Spell Christmas?

p  o  i  n  s  e  t  t  i  a

The question was from my teacher in the 3rd grade, and she was surprised, that I could even spell to poinsettia. The other kids were of course laughing as I was supposed to write c h r i s t m a s.

Why did I remember this? Today is actually Poinsettia Day (as per Act of US Congress) and is celebrated all over the world.

For me, poinsettias is one of the visible signs of X-mas, just like holly, reindeers, glögg, X-mas cards, eggnog ...

I have met that teacher occationally since I left school, and she is always reminding me of this story. She once told me, that I was the first time, that she asked a student to spell Christmas, when I took her by surprise and spelled something very X-massy for me. She has repeated the question year after year and by some odd coincidence every second time, a student spells something else just like me....

A couple of years ago, having a poinsettia was kinda "out", as people a couple a years in a row couldn't get enough of Christmas trees... nowadays it seems to be all about reindeers - one of my best friends smile, as I have collected small reindeer ornaments for years already. IN-traditions seems to go in circles always return to an oldie-but-goodie :o)

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 12th, 2010

Title: Unnamed

Artist: Thomas Harmann 

Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Going Down Memory Lane.... Hoptimists

I have a thing or two for reindeers.... As in I have them in various shapes, and this little guy is my latest purchase :o)

When I grew up, I was always totally fascinated about a orange Hoptimist owned by my best friend's parents - padding the Hoptimist of the head and see his upper body bounce of and down (the inside of an Hoptimist is a strong spring).

I have watched the revival of the Hoptimist, and today I saw the Reindeer Hoptimist....about a split second later he was mine.... I call it my X-mas gift to me :o)

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 11th, 2010

Title: Raket Træ  (Rocket Tree)
Artist: Frodo Mikkelsen
Location :N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 10th, 2010

Title: Unnamed
Artist: Bjørn Eriksen
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Sunday Was All About Me Time

After a stressing time with my family, I decided that last Sunday was going to be a me-time day.

Reading a good book, watching a X-mas movie, knitting.... and baking brunkager (Danish X-mas cookie - the recipe is from my grandmother) and making a cup of glögg (think this originates in Sweden in another version, also a bit similar to the German gluhwein or the English mulled wine). Glögg is heated red wine with an extract of liqueur, spices (cloves, cinnamon etc), raisins and flakes of almonds - it is an aquired taste but I love it.... the true spirit of X-mas for me.

Maybe I am going to declare next Sunday as a me-day: then it will be a Dutch cookie recipe and maybe a cup of eggnog. Then spiced up with the writing of this year's batch of X-mas cards to go by snail mail.

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 9th, 2010

Title:
Artist:
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Knitter's Café

Tonight I am going to the Knitter's Café at my favourite yarn shop.

I hope, that the shop owner can help me track down the pattern for these mittens. I had a pair of these when I was about 5 years old, and it was not until recently that I saw this picture in London and was hurled back memory lane.

The memories that popped into my mind, was the innocent belief in the existence of Santa Clause and innocent unawareness of all the arguements that seem to rule my family year after year during the gathering at X-mas. Knowing that these mittens will not be a time machine, but I do think they will give me a piece of quiet joy, since again this year I have opted not to celebrate X-mas with my family.

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 8th, 2010

Title: Unnamed
Artist: Kristian Vodder Svensson
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

The Holidays Are Coming.....

Does that make you think of the Coca Cola X-mas commercials?

For as long as I can remember, I have loved the Coca Cola commercials around X-mas time, especially since they always have snow in them, and we don't have snow every year at this time - well like last year we do actually have tons of snow already.

Everyday I hear music at work in my headsets, but never too loud as I am still able to hear if people are addressing me... nowadays the music is X-mas music.... and today I realised that something was missing...What was it?! ... Somehow something X-mas was missing something.... I was bombarded with X-mas music, cookies, cards etc...

Whoa!!! I had forgotten to get this years Starbucks X-mas mug!! I started collecting them two years ago, since the white/red color is so X-massy to me.... Know they were introduced before I discovered them as a can-buy-mug... buhu....guess I will have to keep looking at fleamarkets etc.

I have to take a train some stops before I get to the Starbucks the closest to my home, but I gladly took that trainride today to get the mug, and also purchased the tumbler to bring to work. Found an excuse to make an X-massy post on my other blog and it was a good taste :o)

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 7th, 2010

Title: Copenhagen Tower Tree
Artist: Mikael Hauberg
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 6th, 2010

Title:
Artist:
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees.

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 5th, 2010

Title:
Artist:
Location: Nørreport Station

Happy Xmas Trees

Me-time......

Days like these - I just need some me-time!!

I took some days off work to go to a big family event and just got back home. "Just" wishing that I could have told others, that it was a great time and everything went well, but I cant.

Those two days with my family drained me from my strength, my joyfull spirit, my confindence/trust in other people and temperament was put to a stressfull test. Actually I have started to compare some of my family members with vampires, that is sucking all your mojo out of you - and it was one of my childhood friends who just have me that perceptance of those people. She has watched those family members from the outside, and cannot understand why I have not completely cut off my family.

My brother and my two nieces are the reasons why I haven't cut off the family from my life as they persistently tell me to stay just who I am. The other parts of the family complain about everything in my life:

• Why don't you get a bigger appartment?
• Why are you not yet married?
• Why don't you retire early because of the MS?
• Why do you use so much time with the creative hobby - you can't earn money on that?

Had some "hiding time" from my family - went outside in the snow and decided to take photos with my camera and forgetting all about the family. Strange that photography could be a lifesaver this particular week, since photos was a big source of my frustration.

I have found the photographer that took a picture 30 years ago and decided to give a framed reprint as a gift (they lost the original years ago) - the other family members told me a month ago, that the idea was really unique and that the gift's receivers would be thrilled. Those same family members decided to copy my idea and the receivers was swamped with tons of old photos - the receivers was wondering why this copy-cat mentality was present and had no idea how the idea originally surfaced.

Needless to say, that I feel let down by the family members and somebody think that I "took a shortcut" because I am to busy doing so much leaving me no time to find a suitable present.

I came home to find a "you survived" card from two of my best friends telling me that they like me for being me... I honestly do not know, what I would do without my friends.

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 4th, 2010

Title:Unnamed
Artist: Malene Koch
Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 3rd, 2010

Title:
Artist:
Location: Unknown

Happy Xmas Trees

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 2nd, 2010

Title: Street Tree

Artist: Rene Holm

Location: N/A

Happy Xmas Trees

Words of Inspiration

Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quote

Oscar Wilde (1905)

Happy Xmas Tree of the Day: December 1st, 2010

As mentioned in my blogpost last Sunday, this is going to be my version of a Christmas Calendar - Hope you will enjoy it.

Title: The Suffering Tree
Artist: Svend Sømod
Location: Østerport Station
Happy Xmas Tree

Happy X-mas Trees

I have been wondering, if I could make some kind of blog Xmas calendar, and the theme presented itself when I coincidently saw the Kickoff of Happy X-mas Trees at the square of Copenhagen City Hall in Copenhagen.

From November 14th and untill Christmas, the decorated Xmas trees made of eco-friendly material can be found all over Copenhagen.... Yes I know what you are thinking: This is just like the Cowparade, exept that this is only a Christmas season event - and this year marks the first one ever. The organizers have planned, that this event will tour to another big city next year etc. The Xmas trees will at a later stage be autioned away and the proceeds will go to a forrestaion project in Mali, Africa.

Like usual, my camera was on overtime and I managed to get decent shots of most of the Xmas trees before they were scattered all over the city - so from December 1st and until Christmas my blog will have Happy Xmas Tree of the Day posts :o) Other regular posts will also appear during December.

Tagged.... You Are It....

Made these gift tags as part of one of my friends birthday presents earlier this week.

Amazing what you can accomplish with COPICS and a stamp... and a geat deal of patience, as the paper did not want to play with the stamp and ink :o)

Food Fighting... Or....??

Well this is old news, but in my opinion definately a step in the right direction: San Francisco has banned Happy Meals with toys.

Well let me ask this question: Was there a kid at your Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, that really complained about the food, and wanted to go to MacDonalds instead?

I know too many families that are treating their kids with Happy Meals as a kind of reward for something -sometimes even as a bribe. In one case I knew a single mom, who caved everytime her kid screamed for a HappyMeal, and sometimes that could happen up to three times a week (!!!?!). That lady actually cancelled her participation in dinner invitations at the very last minute with the "excuse": "Oh, I can't come afterall, I promised little Buddy that he could have his dinner at MacDonalds instead. Needless to say, but people simply stopped inviting her.

Are parents really too busy when it comes to setting limitations for their kids' demands? Are they too busy to make a homemade meal, that in most cases would even be a cheaper option? Do they really believe that Happy Meals is a proper/healthy choise? The trend is a slippery slope: an adult can make his/her own choise to live healthy or not - kids can not make that decision themselves and therefore depend on responsible parents.

There are a lot of cookbooks out there with inspiring recipes on how to make healthy, nutritiounus food in a hurry without costing a fortune. If MacDonalds turned the tables and started making healthier food, they could actually even accumulate more business - I think the kid opt for the logo and the toy and not necessarily the food itself.

Well today, I will prepare my own version of fastfood: Burgerbread (homemade a while ago and put into the freezer to come in handy like today), slice of leftover turkey from yesterday, slices of fresh cucumber and a salsa made of fresh avocado, tomatoes and just a teaspoon of leftover cranberry sauce (to give it a sweet-sour touch).... Cooking time: about 5 minutes - Taste: Yummy :o)

The picture is not captured in San Francisco, but in Guangzhou, China (2009)

Gourmet Travelling

If your have seen the movie "Eat, Love, Pray" - you have seen Julia Roberts as the real life Elizabeth Gilbert who travelled the world to rediscover herself.

But have you ever given it much thought, that you are sometimes travelling to different cultures simply by stepping into someone's house or into a restaurant? Just think about it! You would be quite surprised :o)

I travel a lot - by planes etc. and that maybe how I got the taste for a lot of local dishes and I simply love, if I can find a local restaurant that have the dish or something similar on their menu in my hometown. I also have a lot of international colleagues which means local dishes when I visit their houses, eventhough they live 10-15 minutes from my house.

So what is "travel cuisine" for me? Some of the dishes are from my childhood but that is just the point of origin :o)

Here's a recap (and yes, some of them are desserts):

China Dim sum

Denmark Ris á la mande - Stegt flæsk og persillesovs

France Cremé Brûlee

India  Nan - Prawn Biryani - Shrimp Curry

Italy Pizze: Braccio di ferro - Risotto - Tiramisu

Japan Sushi

Korea Food with kimchi on the side

Mexico Chili con carne

MiddleEast Tajine balsamek

North America (US and Canada) Crabcake - Hashbrowns - Turkey (á la Thanksgiving dinner)

Spain Paella

Sweden Rösti

Well there might be plenty of more dishes, that I have forgotten :o)

Happy Thanksgiving

Sometimes You Have To Yell Out Loud..

"ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!"

I have been following a blog for six months - a lady that actually lives close to my house and who I had the deepest admiration for... That has just come to an end.

She has mentioned another blog several times, and that other blog's owner have a cool Etsy store from which I have made several purchases. Then suddenly yesterday, the lady I was following advertised for her own new market store  - she mentions, that she had made wrist warmers just like the ones, that from the other blogger's Etsy store. She even has labels that screams out "Copycat!".

It is not ok, that a blogger copies another blogger like that! One thing is, if you are inspired to make an identical item yourself for yourself. But copying another bloggers idea just to make money on it without even making a signature-difference-to-the-design-making-it-a-revised-unique-design: That is not ok!!

Have you ever stopped following a blog because it was simply copying other people's work?

Recycled Envelopes

No no. It has nothing to do with reusing an actual envelope. It is about making envelopes from a scrap op paper thorn out out of a magazine, book, newspaper or catalogue... something you might have just trown into the recycle paper bin.

There is actually a lot of printed publications, that have pages with a full-page photo just screaming to be reused as an envelope. Well at least it is screaming in my little world. The middle envelope is a page from a Martha Steward magazine, and the others are from a supplier catalogue (from work - about to be thrown out) and a clothing catalogue.

100+ years ago, paper was sometimes scarce and very expensive, and at some point, people simply reused an envelope up to 3 times. A few more of my friends have rediscovered the joy of a handwritten note/letter, so I am in constant need of envelopes - and they really enjoy these colorful envelopes.