I Dina Händer (in your hands)

Today it's cold, and I'm staying at home doing some handcrafts while I'm drinking some hot cinammon tea... but I want to show you some pictures from a couple of weeks ago.

(Naïve birthday here)

It was Laia Chic's birthday, and we were having a Naïve party at her home. There was lots of yummy food and lovely people there.

 Laia Chic

Laia, really cute!

 

Jana, always so funny. I really adore her ♥

Tea time!

There were so much delicious food: sandwiches, pancakes, lovely teas, chocolate muffins... ♥ all made with lots of love! And we spent the evenign talking and giving Laia her presents!

 

 

 

 

I must say that I love birthday parties, but I don't like to celebrate my birthday. I'm doing a party this year, but the truth is that I'm not so happy about it... but well, I'll take it as another theme party of us and that's all. 

Sweater - Vintage

Skirt - Zara

Tights - Topshop

I've been rencetly listening to Hola a Todo el Mundo, a spanish band from Madrid that sings in english. I think they're pretty good, and their sound it's so different from the music that usually is made here in Spain. A little bit between Arcade Fire and First Aid Kid, if you ask me.

And another artist I've been listening during the past weeks is Pontus de Wolfe, Elsa's husband. I didn't know about his music until Elsa posted about it in her blog... and now, I'm in love with his music and his soft voice. Check his website for some cute songs, I really recomend it to you. I Dina Händer is my favourite one, I can't stop listening to it.

It's half past six in the vening and now everything it's dark outside... how much I love winter...!

Enjoy the rest of your sunday.

My reasons for loving Sweden.

Hi there!

I know I've been a terrible blogger for the past weeks, but as I've got no internet connection (I hope this week or maybe next I would have it) and I've been so busy with work and other things... I couldn't post! Fortunately, everytime I have internet, I try to read all your blogs... so maybe I don't leave any comments, but I read the all, promise!

Lots of people asked me why I love Sweden so much; it seems so strange for them how I could love this country and sometimes they don't understand why I want to spend the rest of my life there, "a girl from the south, from a hot country, like you", they said.

Well, here you've got a little explanation (maybe so romantic) about it... 

The clouds, the sky... I know this could be apply to all the world, but everytime I go to the north, I love more and more the sky...

(more reasons around here)

Winter, cold winter, with lots of snow, and coats, and boots, and umbrellas, and everything white...

Spring and summer... TRUE spring and summer, with all around green and alive...

Nature, all the nature you want... almost into the wild.

But at the same time, the city lights...

You can see the wild nature of the fields, but also of the sea... (in this picture: Malmo)

The language, I LOVE how swedish sounds!

The colors; when spring arrives, the colors are so brighter (in the pictures: Stockholm, Uppsala).

The music; I've realized that a big part of the music I love is from Sweden.

Rain, rain, rain, rain...

The buildings: not too small, not too tall... perfect for seeing the landslide and keep the light.

But the truth is so simple: it's my dream since I was 7 years old, since I can remember, since I dream with snow; so don't try to get another explanation.

(All pictures from we heart it)

Interview: Elsa Billgren (Need help dressing?), the redish vintage queen.

I'm so happy today about sharing this interview to all of you, because Elsa is one of my muses. I love her not only for being the most beautiful redish girl around the net, but also because her love for vintage clothes, specially dresses.

Elsa is a gorgeous woman who works for Beyond Retro, writes for swedish Elle Magazine and has a progam in the swedish tv, where you can see her showing some amazing vintage shops.

She was recently married with a handsome man who makes her always smile, the wolf -as she likes to call him-; and I can assure you that her wedding was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

As you can see, I don't have words for saying how amazing I think Elsa is... but...

Who's Elsa Billgren?

(click for the interview!)

Thank you so much for accepting doing this interview, Elsa! First of all, could you please tell us who you are and a brief description of you?
A: I'm a 24 year old married and vintageloving girl from Stockholm who can not live without high heeld shoes and strawberries.

Oh, I cannot live without them too...!What do you do? What do you like to dedicate?
A: I love to picnic in the park, mostly everything that you can do outside in the summer time. I love to cook and have friends over so we can play cards and drink wine.

Can you talk a little about your interests?
A: My main intrest is vintage fashion. I work as Press and PR officer for Beyond Retro Sweden and a dedicate all my time to beautiful things. I love to shop old stuff I don't need and then just take pictures of it.

That's a great hobby, haha! Ok, so, tell us a book, an album and a movie without which you could not live.
A: I read Tintin when I travel, maybe it's not a book, but close enough... I listen a lot to JJ's latest album and I think I watched Edward Scjssorhands about a hundered times.

Would you share with us a memory that makes you smile?
A: I will never forget my wedding day. It was a rainy saturday in May and now I will always think about how happy I was that day when the rain falls in May.

Any favorite quote?
A: "A career is wonderful, but you can't curl up with it on a cold night." - Marilyn Monroe

So, talking a little bit about fashion, at what age did your get interested in the fashion world?
A: When I was about thirteen I think. But it wasn't pretty...

That's really difficult to imagine for me! Could you explain us a bit what has been the evolution of your image?
A: I was white trash when I was young. Horrible outfits that showed to much. But then I saw a movie with marilyn and I was hooked.

How would you describe your actual style?
A: Like a young girl trapped in a Disney movie from the sixties mixed with a german woman who bakes cinnamon buns.

What inspire you in choosing your clothes? Do you follow a pattern to match your clothes or just choose randomly?
A: I just buy stuff I think are beautiful. They are often in bright colors and in cotton.

Where do you usually get your clothes? Do you customize or sew any garment to you?
A: I buy almost all my clothes from Beyond Retro. I do put a bit more money on shoes and I just love Sonia Rykiel!

Sonia Rykiel is one of my favourites too, I adore her! Have you got any special obsession (like shoes, bows, skirts...)?
A: Dresses. I only have dresses. Not a single pair of jeans and that's the trouth!

I think that all the people who reads your blog already knew that! Ok, so now, about blogging... When and why did you decide to start writing a blog?
A: Swedish Elle magazine asked me in december 2008. They got in touch with me from my work with vintage fashion and said they needed someone just like me.

What do you want to express with your blog? Do you think it adds anything to the people who read it?
A: It should be an inspiration and an opposite to all the blogs out there who makes you feel worse about yourself. It shoul be beautiful, colorful and honest.

That's so honest, and makes me say "tahnk you" to you again!
As you may know, you're such a great inspiration for people all around the world -as me-; what do you feel when someone says you are his/her inspiration? What would you say to those people?
A: I get surprised and flattered every time! They are the reason I love blogging so much! It gives me strength to proceed and continue wanting to give people positive energy!

What do you think about the actual Bloggers' world? Do you think they've got some influence into the fashion world? In wich way do you think they make the fashion world evolve?
A: I don't read a lot of blogs accually. I just read my friends blogs. It's very easy to be judgemental towards all the young girls who write about fashion and their lifes. Internet is a harsh place. I'm not vety interested in trends and fashion. I like people more.

Have you had some experience with any fashion or beauty brand for being a bloggers, just to promote them? Wich ones? How it was?
A: A lot of companys send you stuff. I don't write about anything I don't just love. It would chabnge my blog into something else.

How did you started to colaborate with Elle Magazine? Do you think that promote bloggers between magazines is a good idea?
A: I worked with Elle before I starded to blog. I borrowed out a lot of clothes for photo shoots. Working wioth Elle has been pure joy!

About your recent entry of the desing of bowties, how was the collaboration with Flugorna? Have you done something like this before? Would you like to do this kind of things more often?
A: They asked me if I wanted to design bowties ages ago, in my early blogging days. I said yes because I didn't get a lot of proposals like that. Now a days a get a lot and I try to be careful with what I do. I do love the bowties though and really enjoy illustrating patterns!

And finally (but not less important), tell us a tip for your readers (a tip for their lifes, for the fashion bloggers' world or whatever you want to say to them.
A: Don't take life to serious. Enjoy yourself and spend time with only people you love. Surround yourself with beautiful things and never let anyone tell you you're not fab. You are. Abfab.

Thank you so much, Elsa!!

You cannot imagine how happy and inspired I was when I made this interview, it was really great for my final project and I learned a lot about this gorgeous woman!

So... did you know about Elsa?

PS: By the way, I'm thinking too seriously about moving into Sweden... so, if there is some swedish readers around here or people who lives there, could you please tell me a little bit about living there and working? I really would love moving into Stockholm, but I don't know if there's a job for a psychologist and coolhunter as me (with poor swedish but excellent english and a little bit of german!)
I would really appreciate any comment about it!!

Because If I can't dance, I don't want your revolution...

I think that everybody around here knows about my love for Sweden, almost since I was a child. But the point of this is that, with the past of the time, I've discovered that some of my very fvourite bands are swedish too... so this is a short list I've made for you with them!

(click here for good music if you want to dance!)

1. Mando Diao.

This is one of my favourite bands since the first time I listened to them, long time ago, in 2002. The funny thing is that I only listened to their music and I never saw a picture or videoclip of then until 2007, that I saw this gorgeous clip, Never seen the ligt of day. I think that this is one of the songs that can be described as "talks about me". Totally.

2. The Hives.

The sound of their guitars and drums makes me go crazy, and the fury of their letters just makes me go mad... I adore The Hives, and I really think that their name is more than appropiate, because the sound of their music stings like a hive!

3. The Cardigans.

Yes, I know that this maybe sounds strange for all of you, who know that I love punk and rock... yes, The Cardigans is a pop band, but a pop band that makes a delicious music with a 60s touch in the begining and that, later on, mature their sound for make a real good pop. Hanging Around is one of my favourite songs and videoclips, but I adore carnival too, I must say!

4. Backyard Babies.

Total 13 changed my life, totally. I was ending my highschool studies and I was so into punk and hard rock music that, when I fist listened to Backyard Babies, I went crazy. I saw them in 2002, with the Making enemies is good tour... and I hope I could see them again soon!

5.The Hellacopters.

Of course, with Backyard Babies, The Hellacopters came into my life, and I just love them too. The sound of their guitars makes me shake my head always! They've got lots of great songs, but this one has something that I really like!

6. Miss Li.

I think that Miss Li has got one of the most sweet voices and makes some of the most lovely songs I've ever heard. It's funny, because I discovered her like some months ago, and since the beginng of the year, this song it's been used for a car spot... I almost screamed the first time I was it!

7. Sugarplum Fairy

Another pop band, but related with Mando Diao (as the founders of this band are two Norens, brothers of Gustaf Noren). I discovered them with this song, The Escapologist, and their sound is perfect for dancing... son, why don't you dance with them?

8. Johnossi.

I discovered Johnossi thanks to Die Welle film, where they've got a song; and since them, I'm a huge fan. I really love their rock sound, mixed with different things like blues, sometimes... this is an expample, my favourite song!

9. Ebba Grön

Yes, a formal swedish punk band, of course! When I started with punk music, I listened not only to english band, but also to german, swedish or italian bands. Ebba Grön is the most famous punk band from Sweden, and their great hit, Staten och Kapitalet, is a cover version of Den Ena Handen Vet Vad Den Andra Gör, by another swedish band, Blå Tåget (I discovered this thanks to Wikipedia some years ago, haha!). Anyway, punk is claim, and this song is about claim, of course!

10. The (International) Noise Conspiracy.

This is the band that I most want to see from Sweden right now. The first time I heard T(I)NC was in 2001, when I was still living at Málaga and we were planning a claim trip to Madrid where we finally had to escape from the police. And while I was running, I remember that this son was inside my head...

Because If I can't dance, I don't want your revolution...

Did you know about this bands? Have you got another favourite band from Sweden? Let's share them!

Cone, but not forgotten

South of Gamla Stan, across one of the city’s many bridges, lies Stockholm’s vibrant beating heart. Södermalm is achingly, effortlessly and unselfconsciously cool in the way only certain places can be. This is the city’s Soho where artists, musicians and writers pack into small and over-priced flats to compose their masterpieces. The shops are independent and boutique. The restaurants are ethnic and exotic. Cafés line the streets and music pours from open doorways – deep bass lines melding together and converging into a heavy morass that soundtracks your journey.

There is no pretence. There is no agenda. ‘Live and let live’ appears to be the philosophy that exudes from every corner. Closed doors tantalise with their potential secrets – you get the impression that the best nights are to be had in basements that do not advertise their wares. This is the sort of place where you have to be resident to truly appreciate it and we were merely visitors. And hungry ones at that.

Our desire to be as ‘free-range’ as possible when we travel cuts down our need to rely on guidebooks but sometimes it is impossible to ignore the lure of the Lonely Planet and that is exactly how we found ourselves in a Thai restaurant in the middle of Sweden’s capital.

Kho Phangan manages to skirt so very close to the realm of kitsch that it is amazing it doesn’t fall into a vast chasm of tackiness. This heavily decorated restaurant comes complete with a bamboo bar, UV lighting and even a table in a tuk tuk and yet somehow manages to maintain its dignity. It could be that tongue remains firmly in cheek and there is a nod of self-awareness. It might be because it is one of a kind and not part of a highly stylised chain of similar outlets. Or perhaps it is because the food is very, very good.


A half hour wait passed quickly at the well stocked bar which, in addition to three or four Thai beers, served the famous buckets of Mekong whisky and Red Bull, although at over forty pounds each we made do with a lager. As the minutes passed it became increasingly easy to forget that we were still in Scandinavia and not in an Asian beach hut and the level of detail aided this thought – the lighting, the drinks and even the sounds were reminiscent of Thailand and by the time our table was ready we were certainly ready to sample the food.

A complimentary salad, with a zingy lime juice and chilli dressing, served as an excellent appetiser while we perused the menu. One doesn’t go to a Thai restaurant to be surprised and, as expected, all the usual suspects were present including green and red curry and Pad Thai. Feeling as if I had probably consumed enough meat for at least a week (in the form of yet more hot dogs, and a steak the previous night), I went for a vegetable stir-fry with chilli and basil while the birthday girl chose a chicken curry. Both were delicious – capturing classical Thai flavours like lemongrass and ginger and delivering a hefty spice kick, enough to bring a few beads of sweat to the forehead. The vegetables were fabulously fresh and had been cooked for only a short amount of time, retaining a satisfying crunch. Delicately steamed plain white rice accompanied both dishes.

Knowing that a decadently tempting ice cream parlour lay in wait for us on the way back, we declined dessert, paid the bill and blinked our way back into the bright reality of early summer Sweden – the combination of strong Oriental beer, spicy food and UV lighting ensuring a few moments of confusion before we could head on our merry way.

***

I, like many others, have formed an inextricable link between holidays and ice cream. It is a foodstuff that I adore but doesn’t often appear on my radar and consequently makes only rare appearances in the freezer. But holidays provoke some sort of Pavlovian reaction within me and I begin to salivate at the merest thought of the good stuff.

Since day one we had been intrigued by a technique we had seen whereby an entire ice cream, complete with the top half inch of the cone, was dipped into warm, molten chocolate. On contact with the cold ice cream, the chocolate quickly hardened creating a crisp choco layer around the soft vanilla ice cream underneath. If it tasted half as good as it looked, it was bound to be achingly delicious. Coupled with this, the shop we chose made the enormous waffle cones fresh each day: a Heath Robinson style contraption in the window dribbled the mixture onto a hot plate which was then closed shut to cook the waffle. When it was ready and cool enough to handle whilst still being pliable, it was curled into a cone shape ready to be filled with soft vanilla ice cream.


When faced with such delicacies, it would be rude to merely dabble. Rather, the only course of action is to dive in headfirst and think about it later. It was this philosophy that saw me ordering two of the largest ice creams I have ever seen. Each one could easily have satisfied two people. They were dipped into the chocolate which, as expected, formed a dark brown shell around the light, white ice cream within.

We sat outside the shop, perched on the windowsill in front of the waffle maker and tucked into the behemoth frozen treats in our childlike hands. They were as tasty as they looked; soft ice cream with the unmistakeable taste of manufactured vanilla, a crisp cone with a faintly sweet note and a gentle bitterness from the dark chocolate. It was one of the great ice creams, a truly legendary dessert.


My steadfast determination to finish it saw me through to the end leaving me reeling like a child at Easter who has eaten too much chocolate before breakfast. I licked the final smudges of chocolate from my lips, tossed my napkin into the bin and rested a hand on my sore belly while my girlfriend, clutching the final quarter of a cone still filled with ice cream, admitted defeat. Even after all that I considered whether it would be foolhardy to do the gentlemanly thing and finish it for her. An audible groan from my stomach gave me my answer. We binned the remains before I could change my mind and ambled into the quickly cooling evening happy and sated.