Hello - Mushi-mushi - Pronto

During this roller coaster week of events and news, I received a book in the mail from one of my friends. She shares my passion for good books and she therefore sent me one that had made her laugh really loud. Today I finally had some me-time where I could make her a thank-you card.

A while ago I bookmarked a page showing how to make the above pictured style: scales chip cart as this went on my must-try list, so I found some paper scraps, that was saved for purposes like this; where you just need small pieces. Wanted to use it as a background as I stumbled across this cool retro phone freebie earlier this month..

Ended up with this card after the colored retro phone was mounted along with some HELLOs that sometimes comes out of my mouth when picking up the phone at work - the calling number is usually displayed in the office phone when the world is calling, and it makes a huge difference if you can say "Hello" in the caller's local language. Actually I do speak some Spanish and Japanese....

Now I just hope that my friend will smile when she receives her retro card.

Entering it into Birdie Brown's June Freebie Challenge

A Holiday Yarn

Vacation time means reading time :o) Since I need some Christmas mojo to get started on this years Christmas cards and posting that massive amount of weaved hearts taking up table space, I opted for Sally Goldenbaum's "A Holiday Yarn"... Got a lot of strange looks on the train yesterday, when people realised the title of the book, but was MY way of spending more than 2½ hours on trains yesterday (family visit).

A visit back to Sea Harbour where we once again meet the Seaside Knitters. It's Christmas time and during the festivities a murder occur, so our friends are starting to figure out who-did-it while engaging in Christmas preperation and activities. Sally describes the festivities so vivid, that the book becomes multi dimentional: the Christmassy smells, the music, the Christmas decorations just crawls out of that book. Well the murder mystery becomes more intense, and Izzy Chambers encounters personal problems when it comes to the man in her life.... so while the needles are working fast to get presents done, there is mysteries to be unravelled..

Today My Niece Will Be Getting One of These

Wow can't believe, that it has been 20 years since I got mine (in the picture)

For those of you unfamiliar with the hat, it is the symbol that a young boy/girl has passed the final oral exam towards being a student. Here the word student equals the word "graduate", and the school is a gymnasium resembling what equals to be the high school diploma. You can also graduate from a business school, but then it will be blue instead of burgundy.....

You receive it the when you get the grade from the final oral exam, wear it at the graduation ceremony with the class of your year.....actually you wear it everyday from the exam and approximately one week after the ceremony as these days involve a whole lot of partying.

Your grade average will determine which studies, that you can pursue pending on the number of applicants and their averages, as there are only a certain amount of spots at the universities/colleges - and you have to chose from the beginning which major you want to pursue: math, physics, law, medicine, Spanish etc.

Dreaming

Maybe I should just organise my thoughts and those hearts lying around, which should have been posted the last few weeks, but has been severely sidetracked by some sad news today. Wanted to clear my head and push the posting of those hearts a few days more.

One of my missions during my vacation is to stock up on the finished cards - and when I saw the masculine-challenge over at Bronte & Bella's Challenge blog with the requirements of using one of Mo Mannings stamps, I had just the idea: to make a card reflecting a little boys dream.

Just eying this image and one's imagination is fuelled: Is he dreaming about being a pilot? Or even an astronaut to explore space? Has he spotted an airplane in the sky? Seing funny cloud-figures?

Image colored with COPICs and design paper from Søstrene Grene and Die Cot With A View.

Entering it into Bronte & Bellas Challenge blog: Challenge #140 "Masculine" w/Mo image

Bring Your Grill Out!

Ok - if I shouted this out locally, people would give me a strange stare, because it is raining outside. *SIGH* not the time for a barbeque or a picnic, so the red/white gingham table cloth have to stay a while longer in the drawer.

Saw this inspirational photo from Just Us Girls' latest challenge and remembered havin read about the Bring Your Grill Out! bloghop on both Rosemary's blog but also over on Opus Gluei's blog.

Association: red - gingham - barbeque - fun - 4th of July - earth tones - card..... wonderful when the mind starts working with creative ideas again.... especially now, when I have some time off work.

Image is a digi stamp from Bugaboo, sentiment is made on my computer, all the design paper are from a Mat Stacks (Die Cut With a View) and image coloured with COPICs.

Entering it into the following:

Opus Gluei Challenge #133: Bring On The Grill (bloghop)

Just Us Girls - Photo Inspiration Challenge (#142)

Retro Smile

Do not think that there is anything better than this when it comes to getting a good laugh from the heart: 3/4 of the seats in a cinema occupied by people ranging from the age of 5 to approximately 80 years. All leaving the fast moving world outside and just absorbing themselves by the fun displayed in front of them by Charlie Chaplin and his 1936 movie "Modern Times. A reminder that a low-movie can still entertain and make people burst out in laughter :o)

Nature Can Be Sick Too...

It occured to me, that I have shot some photos of signs showing some trees being "sick" - and yet I think that tree fungus can look really nice.

Sometimes we take nature for granted.

Sometimes nature reminds us, that even bad things can sometimes be beautiful to look at.

4 Minute Showers

My 4 minute hourglass is placed on the mirror right next to the shower.

We have to keep down the use of water to a minumum, instead of just using it carelessly. Spotted this little hourglass in a local chain store, where they are campaigning along with Danmarks Naturfredningsforening (Danish Society for Nature Conservation) that 4 minutes showers should be sufficient.

Bought one and was convinced that my showers took way longer time than that. Imagine my surprise when I discovered, that I actually use less than 4 minutes on my showers :o) The big time-stealer seems to be all the other of my daily rutines connected with the daily shower.

Wish that more people would consider to buy one of these, as it is a cheap way of testing time consumed in the shower - those using too much water could reduce their waterbill if only showering for 4 minutes... and help preserve the amount of water.

What Is A Tea Bag?

So what exactly is a teabag? A bag holding the loose tea for your cuppa? Or the bag to carry home your latest purchase of tea?  :o)

TeaHouses TeaSwap Part 2

Josie was fast sending me her swap - me not so fast, at I was caught up in long workdays. Theme of the second Crafter's Tea Party: teahouses.

For once I decided to make a scrap book-like card, using one of my own photos on a card. Did not use regular photopaper but matte-paper and then one of my favourite bugaboo frebie stamps :o) This is where I imagine that tea ceremonies took place a long time ago... hence making it a teahouse or??

Saw that little tea house strainer a while ago in a local bargain store and bought two.... one for me and one to be used in a future swap... Well that future is now :o) Seemed perfect for the theme.

June Tea Swap 2012 - Part 2

Ok, back when I had only been stamping for less than half a year, I would never have endeavoured to make a male card, unless the idea had come to my mind and not a required theme for a card. That thought would simply have been way out of my comfort zone as I only made cards/used techniques that scared me. Still on a learning curve, but comfortable to take up challenges :o)

Well glad that it did not stop Miyuki from making her swap to me, as this card indeed is a male card.... he looks like he is going to let you in on Hawaiian secrets: Best place to surf? Best place to hike? Best place to have a good time?

Thanks for the swap Miyuki - not showing the little extra goodies you sent as going to use those on some cards soon.... and  recipients might be reading this blog - but those extra goodies will surely be used well :o)

The Will

The Swedish writer, Liza Markund, has written several crime novels about the journalist Annika Bengtzon and I have read a couple of them. Must admit that I prefer her Danish competitor Sarah Blædels books, but still find them ok.

So when the adaption of one of the books "The Will" (Nobels testamente) hit the cinemas I decided to go in and see it..... ehhmmm... Maybe I had too many expectations?... Or maybe it is not always a good idea to read a book and then watch a movie based on that book? Felt like something was missing when I left the cinema: Maybe it was the two hours spent in there?

Apparently I Am A Nespresso Lady

Ok, it is not like George Cloony is going to stop by my appartment anytime soon, but one can pretend/dream while making a cup of Nespresso :o)

Yes, I am now the owner of Nespresso machine. And no, my stomach is still not friendly towards a cup of coffee, but want to treat coffee drinking friends a cup when visiting me. Some friends decided that life is to short for coffee made by a french press - and the cleaning of one of those is a pain. So when a campaign was launched, and you were able to get money back after purchase - I found one one sale ending up giving an extremely low price including 16 samples. I can not get a regular coffee machine for money close to that low price. So I think I made a good bargain and an incentive to daydream a little :o)

TeaSwap May 2012 - Missing Swap

That just gotta be a swapper's worst nightmare!! Little can freak me out (ok bad news about my health/MS can), but Dori really got me spooked, when she wrote me, notifying me, that she had not yet received my swap.

When I made the original swap for Dori, I used the last of some green paper with flowers, so had to look for an alternative. Still went with the spinner card technique and the red teapot. Replacing the tea samples I could only to partly. Still had some Pukka Vanilla Chai left, but had to replace the ginger tea with Lipton's African Rooibos.

Yesterday was good news - she received the second swap :o)

June Tea Swap 2012 - Part 1

When Fran called the June Swap, she launched the theme: masculine cards... Oh boy!! How to do that, and suddenly I had several digistamps staring at me, and they "just" wanted to be used. Well boys, can not play with all of you so I chose: Rocco Soccer from Dude Time Doodles/Bonibleaux Designs. This month's swap partner, Miyuki, has already received it, so I can post it here.

Yes, football (soccer) is on everybody's lips here now, so the topic: the weather has now dropped down to the second place, so opted for a card with an American soccer player. Maybe he is upset that the current champion ships is for Europeans only? Anyway Miyuki lives in the US so that helped me chose his nationality and colors.

The tea I sent were more feminine, as Miyuki likes fruity tea: Summerberries and Strawberry - both from the Danish tea company Fredsted.

Crafter's Tea Party 1st Swap - Part 2

Maybe you remember, that I walked down memory lane when creating the swap for Mary Anne, but behold, got a gorgeous creation from Mary Anne that "just" have soo many details.

History of tea; well the image reminds me of what could be a tea party that Jane Austen would attend. Some of the techniques used in this card I would never consider trying as I am not sure that I could pull it off - but watching this card with admiration (it is just above my compuer at the moment... and that image's pearly edge... love it.

Just look as this flourishing inside!! And thse teapots and teacups.... where to find some of those?? Then again would probably end up not being used if I did buy/find them, as do not think I would be able to let them go.

Flowers and pearls to be found on the teapouch... to be honest the thought of using flowers like those in any of my creations seems to be too scary a thought - think I would just mess them up, but they look so precious on Mary Anne's creation.

Wow one more tea lesson - did not knot that the Irish have their own breakfast tea.

Mary Anne - blown away by your creation - do not think my swap to you even comes close to doing your swap justice.... but I love it. Thank you!!

The Football Frenzy Is Here

No not American Football, not soccer.... FOOTBALL... you may call it soccer but to our continent it is football.

Even Coca Cola is participating in the hype around EURO 2012 - the European Championship - as they are one of the main sponsors, so currently the bottles and cans look like this:

The Danish team qualified for the tournament, so lots of people will follow this on tv - especially on the nights where "our boys" are playing..... if they games had been on during workhours, a lot of workplaces put up big screen TVs so their employees can watch the game there instead of taking time off and watching it at home.

Coca Cola's colors and the colors of the Danish flag are the same: red and white. The roligans are also dressed in red and white to support the team. The rooligan is a Danish thing, quite the opposite of a hooligan, as he/she is well-behaved and cheerful even if the team has lost.

Lips and straw like this: flash back to the 80s.

All I can say is: Go Denmark! Go!

How The Other Half Works

Was thinking of Jacob Riis' booktitle: "How the Other Half Lives" just before starting writing this post.

Today is Grundlovsdag (Constitution Day) and is a rather peculiar national holiday, as it is only the afternoon that is declared national holiday. Therefore the workforce are split in two camps: those who have to work in the morning, and those with the whole day off as a "gift" from their employers. I used to belong to the first half, but my current job gives us the whole day off.

Today is also Father's Day, so believe a lot of young people has something planned for their daddy - me I sent the "usual" homemade Father's Day card that he always enjoys receiving.

They Are Back: Men in Black

Arghhhh!!! Blogger deleted yesterdays post..so here we go again... trying to recreated from my memory

The other day I went to the cinema to see Men In Black 3. Did not bother to read the reviews since I liked the two first movies and was pretty sure, that the third one would not be any less funny.

Josh Brolin is brilliant as the younger version of K just walking and talking soo Tommy Lee Jones like, which J (Will Smith) also comments in the movie. Two things will never be the same again, the way Emma Thomson talks and Andy Warhol. Not revealing anything here, just go see it if you want to spend some time laughing.

Happy That Yesterday Is History

People will adapt

to just about anything

if stable and known.

A constant shifting

of what constitutes normal

makes acceptance hard.

A slap in the face.

One thinks this cannot get worse.

By golly, it does.

Judy

Yesterday was just one of those days you wish, that you had never encountered - a true slap in the face as Judy describes it in her Haiku poem. Normally I like getting old fashined letter in the mail box.... just not the kind of letter that I received yesterday.

A while ago I received a letter with the result of the yearly MRI scan: the MS seems to be sleeping - creating a big smile on my face. Yesterday that smile faced severely as I was notified that I have tested positive for a virus that enhances the chances of getting a serious sideeffect when getting my MS treatment. The doctors are now considering if I should stay with the current MS treatment or start a completely different one.

Head is spinning with different scenarioes - one of the dominant ones is: will the new kind of treament have the same positive effect as the current one?

As usually when I want to clear my head a bit I went walking in the nearby park with my camera, and the majority of flowers blooming had the color blue/purple .......... just like my thoughts. Was happy when I found some colorful ones reminding me that I am grateful, that I have so far managed so well... and yet I can not stop wondering if that virus might change everything.

What the ...??!!

If you look up French fries in Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, you get the following definition: thin strips of potatoes deep-fried. Well if you order French fries in one of my local pizza/burger places you now get potato wedges like these when you order French fries?!?!

I can make pretty decent potato wedges in my oven at home, and I was in the mood for French fries (which happens about once a year) and was dissapointed when I got home and opened the box of food. Called the place to hear if they could replace the wrong order, which they refused - it might say French fries on the menu board, but you get potato wedges instead. I snapped, so I asked them if they served sandwiches when ordering a burger, since they are both with bread and meat? They refused to understand the difference between the kind of potatoes ordered and those served.

Well if I order something, I expect them to deliver/prepare accordingly - and in case of any change they actually have to inform me and give me the possibility to cancel the order. In fact those are might rights according to trade laws - so gues what: I am not buying food from that place again, since I can noot be sure, that they preoare the right food.