Author: leiaot

Summer 2019

We are actually on our way back home after a few weeks (5!!) Of vacation abroad. We have 1,5 trains left before we enter our city and quickly, I can just say that this vacation was needed and good.

Since Z is over 2 years old now, we pay airplane tickets but the train is still cheap with her. We knew we would be on vacation for a long time, so we decided to take the train down to France to visit my family among other. To take the train was an experience itself and I will write a special article about that.

We have been to many places, seen a lots of things and of course met a lots of lovely people. It was a totally change comparing to our normal life in Uppsala. Warm, no clock at all and late nights and mornings. We ran, did bicycle, walked. We are and did drink a lot too and if we are coming home with a little more in our luggages, I even have to carry some extra kilos. I don’t really care, there will be a cold November as well. I will also write something I guess about our packing, which I found was optimal.

I close this article with a picture of a hipster, met in Lyon.

by leiaot

European Goldfinch

I promised myself I would give me more time to be creative. So, yesterday, we went to the library and I borrowed some inspiration and today, I did play with Inkscape to draw this european goldfinch. What do you think?

by leiaot

Munich

We spent some days in Munich, visiting a friend. We were not much of tourists but to enjoy Spielplatz und Biergarten, we were good.Life in Germany is something I’m almost longing to. Well, not yet, Z have to be older (the possibility to get work and life balance with small children is better in Sweden) but I like the way you can live on the country side but close to a big city somehow.To move to another country now would be a big step for us, we are way too comfortable with our life in Sweden but I’d like to enjoy shorter winter and more mountains (south Germany in this case) and simplicity in big cities.Let’s see what life will offer us!

by leiaot

Find the jaguar in your orchid

We have few flowers at home. At least, we have some plants which resist some weeks without water. And we have an orchid. We got it as a gift some years ago and it was full with flowers but then, nothing. I mean, I’m not too interested of them, so I let it survive in a window and wait.

But this lovely got now 5 flowers. Last instinct to send sos to the world maybe?

I took my camera and did some photos and I discovered that there is a little jaguar in every flower. Maybe it’s a good metaphor for life? You have to be kind and lovely on the outside but keep your power inside, ready to go out?

by leiaot

PMS monster

It’s getting very obvious. I’m changed since I gave birth to my daughter. In many good ways, but there is one I can’t control. The PMS monster living in me is waking up once a month and taking over my whole personality. I get both very angry and very sad in the same day, observing myself from the outside and not understanding what’s happening. I loose totally control over myself and become an awful people to get around.

This is so strong and something I can’t handle. These PMS days, I would like to be at home and meet no one but at the same time, I need loving people around me, comforting me.

I hate this state because I’m not feeling myself. I use to wake up, not understanding why I’m already upset, while it happened nothing at all. I cannot work normally because I can’t get off this state of mind and I get very unpleasant as soon as I got some contradictions to deal with (which happens all the time). I feel like a bad colleague. At home, I get angry, impatient and no one knows how to get around with me. I feel like a very bad wife and mother.

On the outside, I’m like before, but on the inside, the monster is eating me up once a month.

If you ask me, the world will be gender neutral when women with hormones and cycles perturbations will be able to just do what the f*** they want during these aweful times without giving any explanation.

by leiaot

Creativity

Sorry for the non writting on here for a while, life is happening. I tried to give the priority to some creativity the past days and it resulted in some tries of making digital drawings of pictures from books I have at home. I try to become friend with Inkscape and understand how it works. I find the software OK to draw with but it demands kind of precision with the mouse and I only have my touchpad so I need to keep calm and focused.

On this try bellow, I plaid with the gradients. Not easy to get them right but after one hour of play, I got this magnolia. Comments? Advices?

by leiaot

Summertime

Long time no writting on here, sorry. I have been busy with some extra formation for work and I wanted to spend the time left on “free time” with my family. I got the last testes this week, so after that, I will be all ready for some more time on here.

This year, we will probably have a long summer vacation, so we decided (Well, I did and then, up to me to make it work for the three of us…) tp take the train to France, where we will spend some times at my parents place. Last week end, we booked the train between Hamburg and Basel and now, we just have to sew the rest of the travel. It’s fun.

With this plan, then, we have to rethink our way of travelling. Z will be 2,5 years old, we will probably change trains a couple of times before to be at our destination, so we bought a bag pack for carrying our little girl. This will be a challenge, because one will carry her and one will carry the other bag pack, including all our things. Well, fun!

I’ll tell more on it on it was after this summer, I hope it will be funny!

by leiaot

2 years

Our little girl is turning 2 years today. So much happened! Last year,she was walking for her first birthday and this year, she talks. What will she do next year?

The day she was born, it was cold (-19) and very sunny. Today, it’s grey and very slippery. Z got a keyboard and we enjoy being at home the 3 of us.

by leiaot

Knitting

In winter, I like to knitt in front of the TV, it makes me feel like I spend my time more usefully when I do something with my hands.

My latest project was to knit a sweater for me. I made one this summer, but even if I followed all the instructions for the size, it did not fit me -at least the Me who doesn’t want to show the belly in winter. So I gave this one to my little sister and went to buy some new wool.

This one is one piece of knitting, meaning no sewing between different parts and it was the first time I tried and I loved it! You can try your work while knitting it and it allows you to change the size and everything so the sweater will fit you! Great! I used a circular needle and then socks needls for the arms.

It took me two months to knit, pretty quick to be me but we watched TV a lot this fall.

I like pretty much the pattern of islandic pullover, so I will try to make one, based on the same model than the one I just did but with variation in the colors. I’ll keep you posted!

by leiaot

Let’s learn and create

This wa sa strange day today. Z is sick since yesterday evening, meaning a bad night for everyone. I woke up pretty “translated” this morning and much more tired than every day this vacation. Bad karma when work begins again on monday…

Yesterday, I finished to knitt a pullover for me and it was the first time I made this kind, I’ll tell in another post later. Anyway, I don’t have any knitting project for the moment, and I feel pretty bored while watching TV then. I like to make something with my hands when I watch something. So I decided to sort things out in my little hobby place. And then, magic happened! I cleaned my desk!

So now, no excuses anymore, I’ve got a proper place to learn and create. I’ve got some goals for spring, related to work but which will need some attention from me on the evenings and I want to write, draw, design and of course have this blog a little bit more updated. So now, I’m ready! 2019 can only be full of inspiration and new thoughts!

by leiaot