Rebeccommended

Finally a cure for hiccups!

2010-08-28T00:43:00.000+02:00

I just got rid of a really annoying hiccup-fest thanks to this tip!

http://www.cognitial.com/hiccups.shtml

      The 30-Second Hiccup Cure
                                                                                                                (En Español)

For overall best results, please try to do the steps as quickly as you can and try very hard not to let any air out.

Step 1: Start by inhaling through your mouth until your lungs feel full (when it feels like you cannot inhale any more.... your lungs will basically stop taking in air).

Step 2: Swallow. You are not really swallowing anything but it seems that without this act, it doesn't work.  Do not let any air out.

Step 3: Now inhale some more until your lungs feel full again. You may not be able to inhale a lot, but do get some more air in. It will start to get difficult to do this as you go, but keep trying. You obviously can't suck in as much air as you did initially, but just a little will do (think of it as taking a "sip" of air but directly into your lungs).

Step 4: Swallow again. This too will start to get difficult as you go.  Do not let any air out.

Step 5: Repeat steps 3 and 4 (inhale and swallow) until you cannot swallow again. While it seems you can almost always suck in just a little more air, it is actually the swallowing that gets to be impossible. When you feel like you cannot swallow again, swallow again anyway. It will be hard to do, your face will probably turn red, and you may make squeaking sounds. But you CAN swallow one last time. By this time, your lungs should also be quite full and it should be difficult to get much more air in as well. While you should try not to let any air out, if you have really repeated steps 3 and 4 as many times as you can, you probably will end up letting a little air out before you can take that last swallow. If you find that air keeps escaping out of your nose even early in the process, try squeezing it shut with your fingers.

Step 6: Exhale.

Check out my HipstaPrint

2010-08-20T11:23:00.000+02:00

Spännande bok med matchande väntrumsinredning!

Underbara uppblåsbara elefanten!

2009-05-25T21:28:00.002+02:00

En sån här vill jag ha! Blir problem med takhöjden därhemma dock...

The Super fun happy remote linking thread

2009-05-23T23:27:00.003+02:00

"Something just wasn't right about this jungle outing. But you won't see the monkeys complaining".

Roligaste forumtråden med massor av foton med captions. Spana in här

Lite som Jan Stenmark, skulle man kunna säga.

Falling Water i lego!

2009-05-23T21:20:00.002+02:00

Nu kan alla bygga drömhuset själva! Lego lanserar en arkitektur-kollektion där "Falling Water" av Frank Llloyd Wright är ett av totalt sex set. Fann denna trevliga nyhet på Designboom, mkt bra sida för övrigt.

Awkward family photos

2009-05-23T18:49:00.003+02:00

Hahaha, min syster skickade den här länken till mig häromdagen. Det är en guldgruva av udda familjefoton. Ta en titt!

Dagens dröm-outfit

2009-05-16T09:36:00.004+02:00

Man kan ju bara älska en fjäderhatt med namnet "The Kiss of death-bonnet".
För att riktigt skrämma den som jag dödskysser skulle jag styla hatten med detta:
En halsduk för att skyla behagen...

..och ett par mullvadstofflor så att jag kan gå riktigt riktigt tyst...

"Nu har hon glömt nåt", tänker ni. Men icke. Kalle Anka-style (bar underkropp) är det nya svarta! Ni hörde det här först!

Akinator - den tankeläsande anden!

2009-05-15T11:33:00.004+02:00

Tjugo frågor med en irriterande ande som blir "smartare" ju mer folk spelar med honom.
Tänk på en (någorlunda välkänd) person, verklig/fiktiv/seriefigur
och förundras över andens sorteringsmekanism. Testa inte Johnny Depp, det är alldeles för enkelt för honom. Tydligen är det det första som dyker upp i mångas huvuden ( I wonder why..)

Jag blir lite provocerad och vill "sätta dit" anden, men förvånansvärt ofta har han järnkoll på vem man gissar på...

Twilight

2009-05-06T13:06:00.004+02:00

Am totally swept away. Loved it!
Hjärtat i halsgropen, på helspänn hela tiden, snygg film, fantastiskt skådespeleri. Sådan hunger!
En annan stor behållning var vampyrernas residens! Långt från slottet i Transsylvanien, ett otroligt hus som slår an alla strängar på min arkitekt-lyra.

Se filmen.

Edit 25 maj: Här är en länk till ett blogginlägg som bjuder på en rundtur i familjen Cullens hus. Eller, ska jag säga The Hoke house, av Skylab Architecture.
Sjukt fint!

Streetart

2009-05-02T14:15:00.003+02:00

Rolig streetart på Mentalgassi! Gillar biljettautomaterna och glasigloorna (pluralform?). Men ser även ett användningsområde för bröstvårte-pinsen.
Är de inklädda i utskrifter?
Ta en titt!

Stora boken om teckning

2009-02-25T19:47:00.003+01:00

En riktigt fin bok finns nu på Åhléns bokrea för strax under hundralappen!
"Stora boken om teckning" av Sarah Simblet.
Jag har haft den länge och den är jätteinspirerande och rätt heltäckande. Handgripliga saker såsom material, teknik och motiv avhandlas men också litet mer flyktiga rubriker såsom "Passion", "Förvrängningar" och "Hemsökelser" kan man hitta i boken.

Spring och köp den nu innan den tar slut! Förutsatt att du är intresserad av teckning!

Cry-Baby!

2009-02-08T01:03:00.005+01:00

Jag var inte medveten om att Johnny Depp visar så mycket hud i Cry-Baby.
Men jag hade nog rekommenderat den i alla fall.
En underbar film på alla sätt. Med celebriteter som Ricki Lake, Traci Lords och Iggy Pop. Och om man inte gillar (den förvisso tunna) storyn kan man titta på den fina rekvisitan! Kläder & smink. Speciellt Hatchetface's. Eller Vrangtryne(?) som hon verkar heta på norsk tv3.

Kylskåpspoesi?

2009-02-07T12:35:00.005+01:00

Wordle är en festlig sida där du kan skriva in en text och arrangera den i fina ordmoln!
Bestäm själv färger, font och layout eller klicka på random-knappen!
Här har jag valt att den ska hämta text från Illustrationmania! och titta vilken fin liten historia det blev!

Bloggen har vaknat.

2009-02-06T14:40:00.004+01:00

Nu var det längesen jag rekommenderade något. Men jag är full av uppslag och är redo att sätta igång igen!

Jag börjar med att rekommendera mig själv. Det är lite utskällt med reklambloggar, men jag får inte betalt av mig för att säja att jag är bra, så det är inte att betrakta som reklam.

Jag ställer ut akvareller tillsammans med Anders Andersson på Galleri Backlund i Göteborg till och med den 14 februari.
På min hemsida, http://www.rebeccaelfast.com, kan de som inte har möjlighet att besöka utställningen kika på mina målningar och ta del av ett gäng tips om akvarellmåleri och kreativitet.

Om man skulle vara intresserad av att anlita mig som illustratör går det också bra. Då kan man kliva in på
http://illustrationmania.blogspot.com och titta på vad jag kan göra.

John Ajvide Lindqvist

2008-05-30T23:50:00.006+02:00

Denna författare!

Hur kan något så pittoreskt och härligt som skärgården, skogen eller förorten bli så ruskigt och svindlande? Jo, med hjälp av vampyrer, zombies och insekter.

Ofta när man läser skräck/thrillers så är det bara polisromaner som får utspela sig i skärgården eller i Stockholmsförorten, men på något sätt får John Ajvide Lindqvist vampyrer i Blackeberg att kännas alldeles naturligt. Det blir inte unken Stephen King utan stor poesi (med Morrissey-referenser).
Otaliga småtrådar och språkliga krumbukter vävs samman till storslagna, poetiska berättelser som sitter kvar i en långt efter det att man motvilligt lagt böckerna ifrån sig.

Har just avslutat senaste romanen Människohamn, som varmt rekommenderas till alla som ska tillbringa sommaren vid havet! (här berättar författaren själv om boken)

En annan favorit är Pappersväggar, som är en novellsamling där varje historia är som en hiskelig karamell!

Men, missa för all del inte Låt den rätte komma in och Hanteringen av Odöda!

Surf's Up

2008-01-25T19:43:00.000+01:00

Saw this movie yesterday and got a positive surprise! The reviews here have been quite bad.
Apart from the storyline that indeed was a bit thin, I really liked it! I've never seen an animated film in a documentary format, innovative and very fun, they really portrayed the natural, non-acting behaviur and humour of the characters. (When the mother serves her "stew" is hilarous!)

And the animation and computer graphics were AMAZING!! The water looked real and fooled me many times. And they had real weather, like on the day of the big surf event, the weather was real bad and you could feel it in the light, colours and shadows. The standard thing to do would be to make the big event day sunny and bright!

I also loved the chicken character, voice by Jon Heder. He is always a pleasure to watch, animated or not!

(Another well made film is Ratatouille, but I found the story rather childish)
(Another nice surf film is Blue Crush with Kate Bosworth. Not the best movie you will see but its in my top movies in the feelgood category.)

Gråsuggan

2008-01-22T23:21:00.001+01:00

I recently bought this bug from IKEA for my godson, it's SO cool! The mouth has a zipper and you can hide stuff in there. I felt a little stab in the heart when I gave it away, so I had to get one myself. Buy these for your kids! They are supersoft and have no plastic parts. I love it!

Equale rättvisemärkt choklad.

2008-01-20T22:04:00.000+01:00

Jag har ofta en väsk-choklad i handväskan för de där tillfällena då man behöver litet energi (och njutning). Ju mörkare desto bättre är min devis, åtminstone upp till 76%.

Min senaste väskchoklad är Equale Extra Mörk från Sackeus. Rättvise- och kravmärkt (den första i världen enligt de själva).

Och jättegod! Ett fint klick när man bryter den ska ju vara viktigt, så det lyssnade jag efter och det lät bra.
Smaken är underbart fyllig och fin med nåt slags blomster-eftersmak. Konsistensen är slät, fast och krämig på samma gång.

En solklar rekommendation!

Faki faki cheap price

2007-02-03T18:19:00.000+01:00

If you decide to go to Gothenburg, do not miss the lentil soup, Faki at Alexandras Soppkök in Saluhallen, Kungstorget. (Tramstation Kungsportsplatsen)

At only 30 SEK it is a culinary miracle! Red hot and tasty.

Alexandras has daughter-shops in Malmö and Lund as well. The one in Malmö ( Saluhallen by Lilla torg) is excellent as well, Lund I have not tried.

Wanna make your own faki? Try this recipe. Or this one. The secret is in the red vinegar.

Heroes

2006-11-28T00:36:00.000+01:00

I've become addicted to NBC's new tv series "Heroes".

Great everything so far, concept, story, acting, beautifully shot.

The viewer is tossed around between multiple sub-stories all over America, India and Japan.
Random (?) people suddenly discover that they possess an unusual skill and react very differently to it.

This series is in fact as much an intricate relationship drama as it is a superhero-story.
So it doesn't matter what you're into, Heroes won't disappoint you!

I like: The fact that the Japanese guy is called "Hiro", fun pun!

Hiro's expression while he uses his power!

That the cool little daughter in "Remember the Titans" (great film btw)
grew up and became one of the superheroes!

Mmm..my new darling

2006-11-27T01:50:00.000+01:00

You know that furry feeling (referred to as 'woolen gloves' by a friend of mine) on your teeth after eating something sweet?

I finally found a way to get rid of it. Listerine mouthwash! (available at Apoteket, länk här)

Green, mean, tastes exactly like Swedish chewing gum Jenka.
It claims to keep teeth clean for 12 hours, so used morning and night gives you full protection against the gloves!! I really noticed a difference, no matter what I eat, my teeth are smooth as a baby's bottom.

Just be careful with how much you take, it's so strong that a few drops (a teaspoon?) is enough. 20 ml is waaaaay too much, believe you me! Give it a try why dont ya!!

Muji

2006-03-13T21:20:00.000+01:00

I just solved two of my major storage problems. See, the thing is that I forget about stuff that I don't see all the time.

I have loads of makeup. It used to be all mixed up in a huge makeup box, all the little packages rubbing against eachother, most of them long since forgotten.

Until I went to Muji (at the recommendation of a sales person at Face Stockholm). This lovely lovely little shop. (or corner of Åhlens) I found these lovely little acrylic storage units with drawers.
Two of them got to go home with me, one 3 drawer and one 5 drawer unit.

They solved all my problems! I got so happy that the next day, I went for yet another one for my earring collection. I can now see everything that I own. And stuff will not get chipped or sticky och yucky because of excess fumbling. Thank you, Muji!

The Notebook

2006-03-07T10:55:00.000+01:00

Totally predictable but very very cute, the Notebook is a real gem in it's genre.

This movie will leave no eyes dry, great acting from Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling (and the rest of the cast). I love Geena Rowlands too. Ooh, and what I especially like is that they didn't follow the obvious path and made the "other guy" an especially bad one. Good job!!

The story? Pretty much the usual, at first it seems impossible but love conquers all.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

2006-03-06T10:35:00.000+01:00

Hiya. Long time no see. It is mainly because I work full time and have no time left for discovering new and wonderful things to recommend. That and I'm lazy as hell.

Anyways, I saw a refreshingly different movie yesterday that I think you should see too.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. (rated 7.9 on IMDB, everything above 7.0 is often very watchworthy.)

The movie is a murder story/comedy that takes place in Los Angeles, starring Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer. It's brutal and confusing but hysterical and beautiful. I especially like the pre-movie-credits (word?), beautifully illustrated and animated in black, white and orange. ( all right, I am a credit fetischist..)

Read Pixelsurgeon review here.

Fah la la la laaah la la la la

2005-12-11T16:17:00.000+01:00

I need to get the Christmas spirit going. A great way to do this is to see 'Love Actually'. It's adorable, I get all warm and fluffy inside when I watch it. The movie consists of a number of main characters of different ages, with different stories that turn out to be interwoven in intricate ways. Of course it also has it's fair share of goosebump moments and moist eyes... All in a lovely Christmas setting. To me, this one is already a classic ( albeit, in the "romantic comedy"
section of my moviemania, I am not as hard a judge as usual...).
I'll probably go on watching it every Christmas, and you should too.

Godmorgon alla barn!

2005-11-14T20:58:00.000+01:00

... heter miniserien på ettan som jag just tittade på. Så här beskriver de den själva på SVT:s hemsida. (DÄR MAN ÄVEN KAN TITTA PÅ AVSNITTEN I 30 DAGAR EFTER ATT DE HAR SÄNTS! PASSA PÅ!) (Edit)

"En samhällskritisk dramaserie med en handling som cirklar runt dokusåpornas utslagningsfilosofi och dess följder. Eller en berättelse om barns utsatthet och hur vår förmåga att nå kärleken gått förlorad. Eller helt enkelt en surrealistisk saga om ett litet samhälle vars invånare lever ett liv bortom rim och reson."

Den är fullständigt skitdeprimerande och riktigt bra i all sin klyschighet. Mellanstadiekänslan har på pricken fångats och den är kanonsnyggt filmad, som en Lars Lerin-målning fast med levande bild. Och mer humor. I am hooked.

Wardrobe tip

2005-11-09T21:33:00.000+01:00

With much clothes and little space, I use an under-the-bed drawer to stuff all my tops in. It works just fine. The main reason for it working just fine, is my "roll-method". I never fold t-shirts and tops, I roll them. This way you can pull out the drawer and see EVERYTHING at once. With neatly folded piles, you only see the top top (haha), and when you're in a hurry, things end up not so neatly. Or folded.

Oh, and this method also works miracles with jeans, and when packing a suitcase.

Mera Fredagsgourmet!

2005-10-23T14:19:00.000+02:00

Nu finns äntligen en till bok i den, av mig själv tidigare hyllade, Fredagsgourmet-serien! Den tredje boken, som heter "Mera Fredagsgourmet", är späckad med 150 nya recept ur den populära kolumnen från Allt om Mat.
Har inte hunnit kasta mig huvudstupa in i recepten i praktiken, men när jag bläddrat i boken känner jag igen stuket. Lättlagat with a twist. Det kan vara en ny och annorlunda ingrediens, eller en välkänd ingrediens på ett nytt ställe. Till exempel har jag sett att de har VANILJ i en sås som ska vara till gösfilé. Måste testa!

Architecture

2005-10-17T22:52:00.000+02:00

I just love the website of Plot (which consists of a couple of Danish architects). It is like a candy bag, a bunch of colorful little icons lead you on to something tasteful (more often than not). They seem to build a lot of physical models, some of which are very detailed and even lit from within! From the looks of it, concept rules above everything else, but I cannot help but wonder whether some of it isn't actually post-constructed...

However, Plot.dk is definitely very worth a visit! And hey, if you search the page thoroughly, you might find a special little treat!

The Blind Watchmaker

2005-10-13T19:31:00.000+02:00

... is a great book by Richard Dawkins, that makes you think about evolution in a whole new way.
I read it a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. It has a scientific point of view without being too hard to get through, the language is somewhere in the middle of essay and novel. Very interesting from the first page to the last, give it a try!

The Skeleton Key

2005-10-02T20:06:00.000+02:00

I spent a lovely week of sun and snorkelling on Crete, and came home Friday afternoon. More on that later. Friday night I saw a movie that I would like to recommend, "The Skeleton Key".

Without telling you too much, this is the story in short: The movie takes place in New Orleans. Kate Hudson plays a nurse who gets tired of her old job. She moves in with a couple to assist the husband who has had a stroke, gets a skeleton key that opens every door in the house (almost) and it doesn't take long before she begins to suspect something fishy is going on..

I really enjoyed the movie, it's not too scary really but a bit creepy at times. It is beautifully filmed with a yellowish tone to it (think "O Brother, Where art Thou?") and the soundtrack really adds to the spooky feeling, being a little cosy at the same time.

My boyfriend will sure be sad to see that "If I Can Dream", by the one and only Elvis Presley, is not included in the soundtrack, even though it is played in the movie...

Lemony Snicket

2005-09-17T17:00:00.000+02:00

Saw "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events". I loved the acting, the Baudelaire kids are great and Jim Carrey makes a great appearance (or a couple, actually) as the greedy Count Olaf. The movie is built like a children's story, but it's very dark and a little bit scary for kids, I think. It makes me want to have seen it as a child.

My favourite part came at the very end. The credits are the most beautiful credits I have ever seen. A mixture of school play, silhouette theatre and animation. Do not miss them!

My favourite pen

2005-09-15T21:08:00.000+02:00

Hiya. Sorry I've kept you waiting for so long, but I've had kind of a hectic life lately. Started an internship last Monday, very fun!

Anyways, here's my favourite pen! It's actually the refill that can be used as a pencil, since it has a cap and everything. Much cheaper to not buy the "shell". Plus I think that the slimmer grip is more comfortable.

It's called Pentel Stylo Refill, I buy it at Matton (Kungsgatan). Don't forget that students have 20% off!

A little known fact

2005-08-29T10:20:00.000+02:00

-->
My sister pointed this out to me: Kara's Flowers = Maroon 5

Yep. Makes sense now that I think about it. I HAVE actually heard Kara's Flowers way back in the Weezer days, they made a couple of good songs, like "Oliver" and "Myself", for example. Maroon 5 is a bit more slimy, but "This Love" is so darn catchy that I cannot not like it.

Wu jian dao

2005-08-28T22:21:00.000+02:00

Just got back from watching a movie at a friend's house. Infernal Affairs (2002) was smart and thrilling with beautiful camerawork. The story is about two moles, one in the police department and one in the mafia. They each get the mission to find out who the other mole is. Sometimes all this twisting and turning gets kinda confusing, be sure to watch it with a discussion partner! I am still not sure about everything. What about the very last scene before the credits, for example? Explanation anyone?

Skolstart

2005-08-27T18:04:00.000+02:00

Tillbaka till utbildningen och långa föreläsningar i obekväma skolbänkar. Men nu har jag något fint att klottra i!
Fann supersnygga anteckningsböcker för bara 29 kr styck på Pocketshop!
Litet, behändigt format och härliga papper inuti (som oskrivna pocketböcker faktiskt). Men det bästa är nästan omslagen, designade av Lotta Kühlhorn. Tapetartade mönster (det finns åtta) i underbara färgkombinationer. Hoppas att de är lite säsongsbetonade, så att de byter ut dem efterhand. Vore kul.
Läs mer om Lotta Kühlhorn här, och se fina mönster hon har gjort på AgentForm.

Mer dåligt väder...

2005-08-14T14:05:00.000+02:00

... och jag har klämt en bok till!

Underdog av Torbjörn Flygt (2001) handlar om Johan Kraft som bor med sin mamma och sin syster i ett av de första miljonprogramsområdena i Malmö. Man får följa Johan genom skolgången, från fyran (början av sjuttiotalet) till lumpen, med allt vad det innebär av hackordning, flummiga lärarkandidater och tidstypiska företeelser såsom jättetajta Gul&Blåjeans och gårdskrig.
Jag är på tok för ung för att känna äkta barndomsnostalgi av den här boken, men tack vare att den är så otroligt välskriven snuddar jag ändå vid nostalgi av något slag. Personporträtten är klockrena, Johan är en skarpsynt och krass liten kille, boken är bitvis nattsvart men genomlyses ändå av värme och kärlek. Jag gillade den skarpt.

Läs mer här...

Min mystiska svamp

2005-08-12T14:51:00.000+02:00

se större här
Var på promenad igår och fann en mystisk svamp. Klåfingrig som jag är, kunde jag inte hålla fingrarna borta utan plockade med mig den. Den var stor som en apelsin/grapefrukt, vit och ganska rund, doftade jättegott. Så ville jag ju veta vad det var för nåt. Och fann...

Svampguiden, där entusiaster sammanstrålar i det tillhörande forumet och hjälper varandra med att artbestämma!

En riktigt fin sida som får mig att längta ut i skogen och plocka svamp. Förra året plockade vi massor av trattkantareller (som tillsammans med kantareller är det enda jag personligen skulle våga mig på att plocka själv). Kanske kan det sluta regna nu så man kan ge sig ut en sväng?

Jag vill gärna göra en trevlig liten toast på min fina svamp, hoppas att det inte finns några elaka förväxlingssvampar till jätteröksvamp... är det nån av er som vet nåt så säj till!

BBC Food

2005-08-12T10:44:00.000+02:00

Igår lagade jag en kalasfin fläskfilérätt (örtgnuggad, ugnsstekt med rödlök och två såser) från BBC Food's hemsida, som är nästan lika bra som TV-kanalen. Här är receptet.

Rekommenderas varmt! Fast, obstinat som jag är, kunde jag ju inte hålla mig till receptet utan lade till röd paprika i ugnsformen för de blir så himla söta och läckra, och jag hade crème fraîche och en skvätt konjak i ädelostsåsen (konjak+ ädelost = super) istället för double cream.

Jag skulle nu kunna fortsätta dela med mig av min iver över BBC Food, men Anna på Modernista har redan gjort det bättre (fast med sin egen iver.. på många sätt liknar den dock min..). Läs hennes inlägg!

PS. En annan bra matsite, som dock nästan inte hade några fläskfilérecept, är Epicurious. Spana in den med!

Crappy weather = reading

2005-08-11T20:00:00.000+02:00

I've been reluctant to leave bed these days of crappy Swedish weather. It hasn't helped that the books I've been reading are so exciting that I can hardly leave them...

Traci Lords "Underneath it all"
(unfortunately I read the Swedish version called "Nattens Barn")
The autobiography of Traci Lords (all i knew about her was that she starred in Cry-Baby, a movie that i totally love). I had no expectations whatsoever opening the book, but it was a good read. A bit diary-like, interesting all the way through. I still can't get exactly how the transition from troubled girl to child porn actress happened, but maybe you have to read it twice. Anyways, the book is surprisingly (bad me!) well-written and I recommend it.

J.K Rowling "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

Aah. This is like revisiting an old and dear friend. The enchanting saga of Harry Potter continues. Although it gets a bit frustrating with all the soap-opera-misunderstandings and failing to communicate between the characters, this is a book you cannot put down. I will not tell you ANYTHING of what it's about. Read it for yourselves and see..

Now I just hope that they ask Morrissey to do the soundtrack of the next Harry Potter movie. According to a documentary I saw some time ago, Rowling is crazy about him.

Hey, won't the actors be like, thirty-five before the filmmakers have made all the films, if the books keep coming at this pace? It's going to be worse than in Beverly Hills 90210..

This may not be a glamourous tip..

2005-08-10T13:05:00.000+02:00

... but someone has to do it..

I want to recommend a pimple extractor, and anti-recommend another.
See, this little thingy, designed right, is an absolute must. My skin seldom brings me any surprises, but the occasional zit pops (haha) in for a visit every now and then, and i simply cannot keep my hands off them!
If you share my impatient behaviour, this will help to get rid of even the smallest blackhead wihout clawing until you bleed and it gets infected and turns into a real pimple!

So, attention dear readers. This is the one that, in my experience, works the best. It has a little "spoon-shaped" end with a tiny hole in the middle.

The one to avoid (unless your pimples ar of another species than mine) looks more like some kind of tick-remover and has two little "hoops". This, in my humple opinion, works not nearly as good to apply the even pressure of the "spoon-extractor". Well, here it is:

I've bought mine at a pharmacy on Gran Canaria. You may find them at the Body Shop, although I am pretty sure that they only have the wrong kind nowadays.
This is a place to get them from the internet.

Bacon-wrapped dates

2005-08-09T21:11:00.000+02:00

Some time ago, I mentioned the bacon-wrapped dates that I'd eaten at Capaco, the tapas bar. Now we tried them at home. The home-made ones totally ruled, too.

Here's how to: wrap fresh dates (pit them if you like) in bacon and grill them in the oven on high heat or simply fry them in a pan until crunchy.
Serve immediately, enjoy the nice contrast of salt,crispy bacon vs. creamy, supa-sweet date.

The most simple recipe I found was in Danish, here. (which is also where I borrowed the pic)

I came across a more elaborate recipe here, that also included a sauce that looks mighty fine to me. Must try.

Ett gratiskonsert-tips

2005-08-09T14:30:00.000+02:00

.. Vacatierra, det dundertajta bandet jag talade mig varm om för ett tag sedan, spelar på Bananpiren på Göteborgskalaset fredag 12 aug mellan kl18 och 19.

Älvsnabben mellan Operan och Bananpiren är gratis under kalasdagarna, och även om Göteborgskalaset mest innebär att en massa läskigt folk lämnar sina hålor och intar staden, så är detta ett must-see som inte lämnar någon besviken!

Oh, nu har dom låtar på hemsidan också...

Ett oväntat jeans-tips..

2005-08-09T13:54:00.000+02:00

... är ett par billig- jeans från Stadiums nya märke, D-Cate (Mississippi Straight Fit, 499:-)(ack, jag minns dagarna då man inte tyckte att femhundra spänn var BILLIGT för ett par jeans!). Stadium har ju tidigare varit hemskt mycket ute och cyklat när det gäller egna jeansmodeller, åtminstone passade inga av dem någonsin mig...
De här Mississippi-jeansen ser inte mkt ut för världen när de ligger på bordet men jag testade dem och fick en smärre chock. Stuprör har alltid (förutom de från Tiger of Sweden) tett sig rätt ridbyx-aktiga på mig pga mina spinkiga vrister, men dessa satt perfekt.
Bra mellan-tvätt som passar vilken säsong som helst, lite stretch och bakfickorna långt ner. Jag kanske postar en bild när jag lagt beslag på dem.

#5 på önskelistan.

2005-08-05T08:33:00.000+02:00

Den här vill jag ha!
Skärmen gör verkligen inte färgen rättvisa, koftan är sådär riktigt höstigt senapsgul och kan säkert med finess kombineras med andra lite murriga färger.
Överhuvudtaget gillar jag höstfärgerna i år, puderrosa/beige, plommon, buteljgrönt och petroleumblått. Fint mot vinterrosig hy!

Moisture for less

2005-08-04T16:36:00.000+02:00

My "standard" body lotion, that I always have, aside from all the fancy stuff, is Nivea Rich Caring Milk.
It keeps you moist almost forever, you get baby soft skin and the milk has a mild, neutral smell that won't dominate your bouquet. It's really cheap and easy to get hold of (in Sweden at least). I buy it at H&M, to add to my club bonus...

The Great Gatsby

2005-08-04T00:04:00.000+02:00

I saw "The Great Gatsby" (Jack Clayton, 1974) the other day. I was totally swept away.
What an incredibly fashionable and inspirational film! The wardrobe, the furniture, the hairdos, I WANT IT ALL! This movie is eye candy through every scene, I could see it over and over again just to spot a new railing, chair or telephone. And the clothes! Lots of accessories, flowing dresses and scarves, headbands, glitter... a true odyssey in style.
Be sure not to miss it!

(Oh, and the film was kinda good too, even though the female characters were hysterical and crazy beyond reason. I couldn't identify with them, hehe..)

Passion fruit!

2005-07-30T22:05:00.000+02:00

A hot tip: grow your own passion fruit! The plant is nice and clingy, it will climb just about anything! And the flowers are absolutely beautiful. But the best part is the fruit! Our plant is three years old and got it's first fruits this summer. They were small but very tasty.

Passion fruit is an absolute favourite of mine. It gives almost any dessert that extra little something to make it pop. It appears as though the passion fruit holds some medical purpose too..

Here's a yummy and really simple dessert for ya:

Slice a few bananas length-wise.
Mix a couple of passion fruits with crème fraiche and a little brown sugar or honey. The mix should be fresh, not too sweet.
Spread the bananas in an oven-proof dish and cover with the mixture, add a little extra brown sugar on top. Put in the oven for about 15 minutes, 200 degrees Celsius. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

Su Jok Massage Ring and Stick

2005-07-26T13:22:00.000+02:00

Su Jok is a modern version of traditional acupuncture, with roots in Korea. My parents went to Tylösand Spa and came back with a massage ring and stick from their shop-of-weird-stuff.

These are small mean-looking wire tools that you are supposed to roll on your fingers or between your hands or feet until they're all warm and tingling.
It's effect is related to that of acupuncture or acupressure, with zones in the hands or feet corresponding to different body parts. I am not sure about what I think of all of this, but it does feel really nice and soothing for tired hands and feet.

Beach reading

2005-07-18T23:36:00.000+02:00

I just finished the tales of the Otori, by Lian Hearn (a pseudonym).

"Brought up among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people, Takeo knows only the ways of peace. But he possesses the supernatural skills of the Tribe - preternatural hearing, the ability to be in two places at once, to become invisible.

When his life is saved by the mysterious Lord Otori Shigeru, Takeo begins the journey that will lead him to his destiny within the walls of Inuyama. It is a journey of revenge and treachery, honour and loyalty, beauty and magic, and the overwhelming passion of love."

These three books will not haunt you night and day until you finish them, like the books of Dan Brown did (I think The Da Vinci Code was said to be "unputdownable").

Still, they're very much enjoyable.
You can read a bit, put the book down, go for a swim and go on later. Set in a Japan-like environment, with stories of war and love and just a little magic, they're a soft introduction to fantasy.

My experiences of fantasy so far are a bit of Tolkien (who, of course, beats the **** out of pretty much any other writer when it comes to creating worlds inside your head) and Robin Hobb (another pseudonym). I've liked it and will probably encounter this genre again.

Summer nails

2005-07-17T19:29:00.000+02:00

A favourite of mine: Lumene Super Gloss & Quick Dry, color "Satin Clouds".

One coat: A healthy pinkish shade with just enough color to barely be noticed.

Two coats: Very nice to match the tan (the tan that I would have, had I not been working all day)(and had the weather not turned from amazing summer to thunderstorms and rain).

Here's a little color sample for y'all.

Madeira trip report: GARDENS

2005-07-09T19:00:00.000+02:00

Madeira is very green and has lots and lots of weird and beautiful plants and flowers. There are innumerable gardens to visit, here are the ones we tried

Jardim Botanico - Lots of cool plants and a great view over Funchal. Buy the fennel candy from the souvenir shop. Funchal is actually named after fennel,"funcho" in Portuguese.

Monte - the town park (municipal gardens). Down the stairs from the square and you're in paradise!

Monte.
Palheiro Gardens - beautiful but expensive, entry fee is 8 Euros.

Madeira trip report: NATURE

2005-07-07T19:00:00.000+02:00

Encumeada. Don't miss this one! Way up in the mountains (easy to reach by car) there is a wall where the clouds run down the slope like a waterfall. If you're there at the right time (which is fairly often) you're in for an amazing experience. It is a bit of a gamble since you never know when, but try it out!

Pico do Arieiro.With it's 1819 metres, Arieiro is the second highest mountaintop on Madeira. It can be reached by car, and from here you can walk (a long and scary walk) to the highest one, Pico Ruivo (1834 m). I didn't go there. Of course it wasn't because of fear, I just didn't feel like it ;) Too much trouble for fifteen measly metres! The Pico do Arieiro is amazing. There are two miradouras, or viewpoints, from where you can see almost the whole island!

When we had lunch on the north viewpoint, we were attacked by really friendly and hungry lizards! They crawled all over us and ate the crumbs of our sandwiches (they were also fond of my nail polish and tried to bite my finger off. Luckily they had no teeth..) I later learned that this was the Madeira Lizard, an endemic species. Very cute.

Madeira is a Mecca for trekkers, since it has irrigation channels, "levadas" all over. Not only do they provide water, but very beautiful walks thanks to concrete maintenance paths. The levadas go high up in the mountains, in the countryside and even downtown!

This is a levada we walked, Waterfall Risque. Amazing views! Try it!

Madeira trip report: SWIMMING

2005-07-06T09:02:00.000+02:00

Madeira seems to have it all - except beaches. Two hours away by ferry is Porto Santo, an island that seems to have gotten all the sand for itself. I didn't go there but it's supposed to be really nice.
However, if you wanna go for a swim there ARE options. Here are two spots we tried and liked.

Calheta - two man-made beaches opposite of eachother. Watching over the beaches is a giant mountainwall with a waterfall.

Porto Moniz - natural lava-rock-pools that have been enhanced with concrete to become a real beach paradise. It was kinda windy, though.

(Lido, right near Funchal is a saltwater pool-complex which I did not visit, but it's supposed to be good.)

Hey, hey! Remember! Every part of Madeira has it's own micro-climate, maybe because of the mountains... Fear not if you wake up to a cloudy Funchal. Just go a bit west or north and there is a good chance the sun will shine!

Madeira trip report : SHOPPING

2005-07-05T15:19:00.000+02:00

Yep, the shopping was nice even though the Euro has made everything more expensive. Mango, for example, is still a good bit cheaper than in Sweden.

Here's where to go.

Madeira Shopping, Sta Quitéria, Funchal. The big mall I told you about. It's really nice and hosts all the major shops.

C.C Forum Madeira, Estrada Monumental, Funchal. On the very same street as our hotel. This is a new (from the looks of it) outdoors mall that has about the same shops as Madeira Shopping.

The capital, Funchal, is well worth a visit. Very beautiful and picturesque, narrow streets and beautiful buildings. If you want to find the shopping here, go to Rua do Aljube and Rua dos Ferreiros. However, it is pretty much the same stores here as in the malls, I didn't find much individuality here.

If you want to check out some local life, visit the market. It is situated in the east of Funchal, right near where the lifts take you to Monte.

This is a Madeiran specialty, the Espada, often served with banana!
The market has a large fish department, and a somewhat less smelly part where they sell flowers, fruits, baskets, birds, books and a whole bunch of stuff. Be sure to watch the fruit prices, because I am pretty sure they fiddle with the scales sometimes. At least when youre a gullible tourist..

Oh, I learned something new about the brands here. They're very much intertwined. Mango is the only one that seems to stand on it's own, but Zara, Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius and Oysho (dont miss Oysho! they've got awesome underwear and some nice clothes too!!) are part of a huge group called the Inditex Group. That I did not know. It seems like they're all able to keep their individual profile intact though, so all is good.

Madeira trip report

2005-06-30T22:44:00.000+02:00

Madeira truly is a paradise island with lots of stuff to see and do. Conveniently enough it is also quite small, so getting around is kinda quick. Thanks to lots of tunnels through the mountains, it can be even quicker. But then you miss the scenic route..

The inhabitants are very friendly and helpful, and the tourism has not struck Madeira as hard as, say, the Canary Islands. One thing that surprised me was the great knowledge of English. Almost everyone spoke impeccable British English. (I found to my great joy that they don't dub the TV- programmes into Portuguese, they have subtitles instead. Maybe that has something to do with it?)

view over Funchal

SLEEPING & EATING:
Stayed at the Florasol west of downtown Funchal (capital) - the staff and service is real nice, try to get a room in the tower if you can, ours had two balconies with sea view. The hotel restaurant is good (there is another restaurant at the pool deck that's supposed to be great), but the breakfast isn't much to hang in the Christmas tree, as we like to say in Sweden..

The eating experience was a real disappointment. Everything is deep-fried and the vegetables are overcooked or from cans. Beware of most restaurants!
We found the needle in the haystack though, every later attempt to try a new restaurant brought us right back to this one:

Trigal in Funchal (on the corner of Rua dos Aranhas and Rua da Carreira)
Great prices, an exciting menu (compared to lots of places here), fresh vegetables, yummy pizzas and awesome garlic bread! This will keep you fed all week long! Oh, except they're closed Sunday...

will be back after a short break
next: SHOPPING!

2005-06-21T01:15:00.000+02:00

I am off to paradise island (I hope...) Madeira for a week of sunbathing and novel-reading.
Cya!

And look.. they have shopping too!

Black is the new black

2005-06-18T16:38:00.000+02:00

I bought a pair of cheap pumps on Wedins the other day. They were an awful blue but the model was really nice. So I got myself some Boston shoe color. Two layers applied with a sponge, and the awful blue shoes turned into a tasteful black.
Now for the test drive.. Will they last through scratching or walks in the summer rain? Time will tell. The color turned out really nice though. So for now the status is : Recommended.

Bombay

2005-06-17T11:20:00.000+02:00

After the concert I and bf went to one of my favourite restaurants in Gothenburg, Restaurang Bombay on Andra Långgatan. It's a lovley Indian (duh!) place with cheap, VERY yummy food. They have a great lunch offer too.

According to Göteborgs-Posten the service sucks, while we agree on the food part of the review. I have never had a bad experience with the service, the staff is very nice and helpful. However, I do think that the restaurant may be too small for it's popularity, it is always crowded and that might bring a little stress into the minds of the waiters. Nothing to whine about.

Now to the food..
We ordered Chicken Tikka Masala (picture) and Begum Bhara. And, of course, lots of naan.

The Chicken Tikka Masala is subtly spicy, it's not overwhelmingly strong when you eat it but after a while your nostrils start running. Which must be seen as a good sign. Read about Tikka Masala here.

The Begum Bhara is chicken in a cognac sauce with nuts and ground meat. It was milder than the tikka masala and complemented it very well.

My favourite Bombay dish is a dessert. The carrot cake is amazelicious. Not so much a cake as warm, runny dough poured over vanilla ice cream. It is very spicy with pieces of ginger and nuts. You cannot visit Bombay without tasting this.

Lager 157

2005-06-16T22:01:00.000+02:00

Today a couple of friends and I went to Lager 157 in Gällstad, near Borås.

It has lost some of it's former glory, probably it does so in the same pace as becoming increasingly popular. Stuff is not as cheap as it used to be, which is kinda bothering me.
However, I am very pleased with the move and redecoration, it looks less like a warehouse and more like a boutique.

The finds today:

A light turquoise t-shirt from Abercrombie & Fitch

A couple of scarves

A pair of boxers / shorts? from Swedish brand Velour

Not bad.

When I got home though, I got a bad case of post-shoperative-angst. I rejected a t-shirt at the last moment, which I very much regret. It was a très soft and very cool tie-dye C&C California tee. Here it is:

I now absolutely love it because I cant get hold of it. And the price was ridiculously low compared to that on the homepage.. 220 SEK versus $ 62.00. I am such a fool!

It may be discussed whether I am a fool because of not buying the tee or whether, in fact, I am a fool because I am so stuck in the consumer-trap. I have absolutely no need for another t-shirt, no matter how soft or cool it is. Damnit. Sometimes it hurts to be clear-sighted.

Vacatierra

2005-06-16T21:15:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I went to Musikens Hus for the finals in the Emergenza Festival music competition. Ten bands were playing, and I was totally swept away by one of them.

Vacatierra rocked!! A bunch of kids from Kungälv who apparently have been winning a lot lately (see here and here). The music was impossible not to move to, energetic hip-hop-ish soul with elements of pretty much everything (including amazing backup vocals). And I have never seen such well synched stage behavior and audience contact at a rookie concert before. They are definitely on the road towards big-ness!

Now if you kids could put some music samples on your webpage, so people get what I am talking about!!

White nectarines!

2005-06-14T16:57:00.000+02:00

This is a little known fact in Sweden (at least I did not know until my friend pointed it out to me).
There are two kinds of nectarines, yellow ones and white ones. I never picked the white ones before, because I thought they were less ripe. This is wrong! Abroad I have noticed that they are sold separately, which would be nice to see here too.

To those of you who weren't aware of this most valuable piece of knowledge: look for nectarines that are WHITE and red on the outside. They are much more aromatic (smell them in the store) and have a sweeter taste, even in a state of crispiness where most yellow nectarines would find themselves tasting bitter and powdery.

Read more about this phenomenon here.

Tack Anna! Nu har jag också beach hair...

2005-06-10T21:45:00.000+02:00

Idag gick jag äntligen och köpte saltvattensspray från H&M, efter att ha läst hyllningen på Annas (o Malins) blogg.

Jag avskyr nytvättat hår, det flyger och är mjukt och lent och oformligt. Helst ska det ha gått både två och tre dagar sedan man tvättade det sist, så att det håller sig där det ska vara och är lite trassligt och gôtt. Men det känns ju inte alltid så fräscht att vänta så länge kanske.

Har letat efter något som får håret att bli så med en gång efter tvätt men resultatet har inte varit tillfredsställande. Tills idag. Flaskan är rätt liten dock, undrar just om man kan göra eget saltvatten till håret eller om det är för elakt?

Nu är inte jag den som stylar mitt hår nästan någonsin, men man blir nästan lite sugen när man kollar in den här sidan(det finns även en kändisavdelning om man är lagd åt det hållet). Många många gallerier med inspiration, får nog ta fram locktången snart...

Se hit torrisar!

2005-06-08T12:44:00.000+02:00

Apoteket kanske känns lite osexigt att gå till när man ska gå och handla krämiga krämer. Men, det går inte att förneka. De har sina pärlor.

Locobase Repair. Tillför kroppseget fett och ska vara riktigt bra för problemhy har jag hört. Själv faller jag inte in under den kategorin, men sol och salta bad kan ställa till en del ändå. Krämen är jättebra för läpparna bland annat, funkar bra under både läppstift och -glans.

CCS Fotvårdssalva innehåller 10% karbamid som binder fukt. Jag begränsar mig inte till fötterna utan avhjälper även torra sommarsmalben och armbågar med denna eukalyptusdoftande salva.

ACO Time Shimmering Bodylotion Q10. Mitt senaste Apoteket-fynd. En skimmer-kräm som ger musikvideo-textur till huden. Krämen luktar dessutom gott och håller fukten länge. Jättefin på tex lite brunbrända armar, jag hoppas på svenska sommaren!

Santa Inés

2005-06-06T22:04:00.000+02:00

Jaha. Så har systern tagit studenten, och ingen tur med vädret fick hon. Tio och en halv grader. Men det har varit hemskt skoj ändå, försäkrade hon mig när hon blåfrusen anlände efter lastbilsflakandet. Här hemma hade vi buffé med allehanda godsaker, vilket leder mig till tipset.

Santa Inés lådvin från Chile. Nu är jag ingen raffinerad vinkännare och tänker därmed inte
förirra mig in i massa beskrivningar som hänvisar till flora och fauna, men DN skriver såhär:

"Det chilenska Santa Inés är ett mer klassiskt rödvin med mer karaktär och mindre knäckig druvsötma. Doften är öppen och tydlig med fin mognad och en bra, lite örtig ton av de båda druvsorterna, cabernet och carmenère. Smaken är lång och tydlig i en förvånansvärt och föredömligt sträv, rejäl och mycket matvänlig stil. "

Hursomhelst, jag vet vad jag gillar och inte. Det här fetdiggar jag. Väldigt "rik, lite eldig" smak, kanske jag ska våga mig på att säga.

Where to get it? Ja, det är ju som det är.. Systemet.

Quick English translation:
Yummy bag-in-box red wine: Santa Inés from Chile. Try it out.

My most recent time-waster

2005-06-03T19:20:00.000+02:00

"Desperate Housewives" is dark, Tim Burton-esque (it should be, Danny Elfman made the theme) and very entertaining.
It takes place on Wisteria Lane, a perfect suburban street with green lawns and great neighbours. At least that's the way it seems...

The main characters differ very much in style and personality, not unlike Sex and the City. Instead of meeting at a local bar or café to do the heavy gossiping, they meet at home, playing poker. The juicy news can be anything from infidelity to cold blooded murder. However, they all keep more or less dark secrets from eachother too (which the girls in SATC never did, they found support in eachother). In this series, it's all about keeping up appearances.

I have to add this to my list of "What to see if you have to watch TV".

Te och bestick

2005-06-01T20:28:00.000+02:00

Det här började med ett tips om mitt favoritte. Grönt te ska ju vara riktigt bra för hälsan har man hört, men ofta har det en omisskännlig arom av halm som knappast kan kamoufleras med honung.
Mitt absoluta favortitte, "Grönt & Skönt", är just grönt, men med väldigt fräsch och klar smak.
Teet ska smaka hallon och citrus, men detta är inget som dominerar eller ens märks om man frågar mig. Grönt & Skönt finns att köpa i lösvikt hos butiker som samarbetar med Te-specialisten.

Hursomhelst, när jag letade fin bild på teskedar, kom tipset även att omfatta en jättefin bestickserie jag har skaffat från IKEA. Den heter "DATA" och besticken är sådär tunga och sköna i handen, och har ett tunt, lite lyxigt handtag. Rekommenderas!

My Precious..

2005-05-30T01:42:00.000+02:00

I finally got it! My CK moonstone ring! It is just as fabulous as I had imagined!

I bought it at Klockmaster Hansson, Frölunda Torg. They were very helpful and nice, they ordered one with the right size and transparency (they are way cooler when you can see through them). This morning they called me and told me that I could come get it. I sure have a weak spot for personal service.
Note: I do NOT mean the kind of personal service when the staff attack you at the door to ask if you need any help, or open the fitting rooms to "see how you're doing", but the plain niceness that you sometimes encounter that will brighten your shopping experience.

The "Emerald" of eyeliners

2005-05-30T01:16:00.000+02:00

Ok. So I made loads of people aware of eyeshadow "Emerald" from The Body Shop (see post). The time has come for me to share this eyeliner as well. I got the tip from a friend at work, who is very dark-featured with brown eyes. It was lovely on her. I am more of a blonde (even though I am technically not, nowadays), but to my great joy it looked great on me too. Conclusion: this tip applies to everyone.

Isa Dora "Perfect Contour Kajal" The shade: "71 Atlantic".
Write that down. It's the perfect way to frame your "Emerald" eyes (I either use it on the inside of the lashes or as an eyeliner or even shadow!). A little blueish, a little greenish. Lots of sparkle. Minimum hole in the wallet. You'll love it.

Get it anywhere in Sweden or here from the www.

This is what last made me cry

2005-05-22T19:25:00.000+02:00

Digging to China, a film about the friendship of a ten year old girl and a retarded man (who happens to be Kevin Bacon).

I have a hard time deciding whether this film is adorable or depressing. A little bit of both, may be the most accurate desription. What I do know is that it was really touching and everyone should see it if they're in the mood for a small town movie that makes you all soft inside. It's a little like the dog tickling the baby.

Maybe I was too soft and taste-impaired yesterday night, I read that people go on about bad acting and such. Pfft. Ok, so the movie feels a bit like a TV production (maybe it is?). What's wrong with that?
Nah, you go ahead and see it.

Wish list item #4

2005-05-17T09:17:00.000+02:00

In The Republica yesterday, I saw a post that really tickled my tastebuds. There is a new restaurant in Chicago called Alinea, where a 30-course "tour" is available for anyone who is willing to spend $175. I totally would be, had I actually GOT the money to go to Chicago and pay for dinner.

Grant Achatz, some famous prize-winning chef of whom I have never heard, is the brain behind Alinea, he sure seems to be an innovative fella. Just take a look at what foodandwine.com has to say about him:

"Any ingredient that strays into his kitchen is examined, poked, prodded, stretched, reshaped, transubstantiated. Herbs are turned into gas, fruit is turned into paper, pizza is stripped of crunch and chew until it's nothing but pure flavor. By tomato season in 2003, Achatz had figured out how to blow bubbles out of mozzarella and trap tomato foam inside them. The search for tools that enable such culinary makeovers has led Achatz and his cooks to laboratory-equipment manufacturers, snack-food conventions and the corner hardware store."

The Republica linked to eGullet forums (a place where I will set foot more often for sure) where a full walkthrough of the meal with pictures (oh, the pictures!) is available (six pages, be sure to see them all!). It kinda made me hungry. But THIRTY courses? I am kind of a petite girl. This would probably be even worse than my Lejonet & Björnen-experience. But still..

Ok, so I blog about food all the time... it seems to be what interests me the most at the moment..

Har BBB en panic button?

2005-05-16T16:51:00.000+02:00

Uppkopplingen har varit knackig alltför länge, jag slog en signal (många om man räknar med telefonkön) till BBB Support. Trevlig tjej svarade, nej, det var inget reparationsarbete på stationerna, allt skulle vara i sin ordning. Var jag SÄKER på att lådan satt i förstajacket? Jahaja, men vi gör en felanmälan då. Har du ett mobilnummer?

En kvart senare piper det till i mobilen och BBB meddelar att de har åtgärdat problemet. Hur GÖR de?
Jag tror på en panic button. Ringer någon och klagar så trycker de på en röd knapp som krämar på ordentligt med bandbredd till den klagande, som tystas tillfälligt. Eller permanent, vad vet jag. Man kan ju hoppas.

Guanabanana?

2005-05-14T00:13:00.000+02:00

Bought a Festis today with an eerie colour. The flavour was Guanabana/Pineapple. Turns out, this magical combination (and perhaps the colour, too) made it taste like liquid Piggelin. I can only imagine what happens if you put it in the freezer... but then again.. why should you when you can buy the ice cream?

I really liked it, the Festis, maybe it's Pavlovian, it brings back lots of childhood memories. It tastes kinda artificial (the opposition says) but is well worth trying.

Whatever the heck is guanabana anyway?

An odyssey in bad taste...

2005-05-13T22:03:00.000+02:00

We went crazy this afternoon and went to Ullared!
A well known Swedish phenomenon it is, the huge shopping mall Gekås in the middle of nowhere that sells just about everything. According to my mother, you could find great clothes there thirty years ago. Today, I am sad to say, the clothes there serve as a perfect indication of what to avoid at all costs, fashion-wise. Yet, the lingerie and swimwear department is allright, so is the Home & Kitchen and the cosmetics! Today I left with only a couple of facial creams and a necklace. Unfortunately, the H&M shop there was closed today. It's always packed with crazy offers.

Another well-known Swedish phenomenon is Kärringrallyt. That's when a couple of old ladies go crazy and take the entire tour, including Ullared, all the fabric factories in Borås and Lager 157 in Gällstad. Nowadays, probably Freeport, Kungsbacka as well.

I once did the full Kärringrally, and stopped for lunch at Klevs Gästgiveri (phone no here), Mårdaklev. Highly recommended, great staff and lovely Swedish food.

Lager 157 (an outlet near Borås) is actually well worth a visit! I recommend it. They've got all kinds of brands, loads of jeans. It's a bit like SOLO but much cheaper. Try it out!

Sounds that make you feel good..

2005-05-12T01:07:00.000+02:00

I checked out Hedonistica the other day, and saw this video of a dog tickling a baby. It was impossible not to feel warm and happy inside when I heard the crazy noises the baby makes. It's kinda like when I hear the laughing version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by Elvis Presley. It never fails to make me happy (and his laughter is so contagious that I always end up laughing too), no matter how I feel before hearing it.

Why is Elvis laughing? Read here.

Creativity will not take me far...

2005-05-11T20:30:00.000+02:00

...when I have the annoying habit of "saving" my favourite pieces of clothing for special occasions. And when those special occasions come, I get so tired of picking out what to wear, that I just grab something random. Meaning that my wardrobe is full(and steadily growing, I am sorry to say) of lovely clothes that I never wear.

And what about The Dress? Why does it always feel too dressed up when it's the most practical thing in the world? (Killer Biscotti Friend, remember our Campaign for Klänningens Avdramatiserande? Time for a revival.)

I have to end this ridiculous behaviour. Now. More dresses. No more saving stuff.

Am I alone?

Out with the old, in with the..OLD?

2005-05-11T14:18:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I did some deep digging in the boxes and the bags in my "hidden chamber" (skrubb in Swedish).
The thought was to find some old clothes that I can re-use and some that I can get rid of.
I scored jackpot. Two old skirts (thin offwhite and white cotton), one from Mango and one from Zara, revealed their true identities to me.
One turned out to be a great dress with the mere help of a belt or ribbon. The other one, set with a brooch, became a really cute top. Maybe I'll post a pic or two in the near (or far) future, so that you can watch the magic happen. I will take a look at my other skirts to see if they hold this potential too. Sometimes I feel so creative.

Cantuccini

2005-05-09T20:58:00.000+02:00

This is what's looking down on me every time I open the kitchen cabinet.
My father returned from a trip to Italy with the mandatory giant chunk of parmigiano reggiano and a bag of cantuccini. For my mother! And as she always saves stuff until it crawls out of the bag by itself, these cookies will probably never see daylight in their prime. Unless I come up with some devious plan...

Cantuccini (or, as I've always said, "biscotti".. which is wrong, because thats just "cookie" or "biscuit" in general) are Italian cookies with whole almonds and a bit of lemon juice (I think). Will have to ask my classmate for the recipe, she makes KILLER cantuccini.

It says here (and everywhere) that these darlings are best enjoyed with sweet wine (Vino Santo) which I have to try, but the "killer-cantuccini-friend" served them with mascarpone. And that was molto bene too.

Edit: Tried them out and I must say that the ones you can buy in Sweden (small pic) are better. The brand is called Colussi.

This is hard evidence...

2005-05-07T01:09:00.000+02:00

...that I spend way too much time surfing the web (like a friend told me today).

See the resemblance?

The left one is Mosh Girl, which I found somewhat hilarious (at least the breakdance one!) at the time of discovery. Today while checking out Onemansafari, I came across this lovely scuba gallery and was amazed at the beauty of the deep blue. And then, all of a sudden, among frogfish and corals, I found the Mosh Girl of the ocean (right). Whaddayathink?

larger pics here and here

A sweet threesome

2005-05-05T12:25:00.000+02:00

I LOVE dark chocolate! It's so addictive, once you get started you go darker and darker and darker. I used to love After Eight, too. But I've outgrown it, everything seems too sugary compared to the seductive tastes of 75% cocoa or more. I've solved this problem by simply taking a square of dark chocolate and a piece of After Eight, align them (a perfect size match, you might notice) and enjoy them together! What makes this even more refined, is a chocholate with cocoa kernel splinters, my favourite is Sarotti No. 1 Sao Thomé.

Now you have the perfect combo of dark chocolate, mint AND crispy splinters. M-m-m.

My buddy Chuck.

2005-05-04T11:03:00.000+02:00

'"No matter what your size, these are big shoes to fill"

At least that's what they say on the homepage. I would change that to "no matter what your size, these babies are the ultimate spring shoes".
White Chuck Taylors will go with pretty much any outfit. Well, that's my theory at least, which is why I bought them myself a couple of days ago. Had a pair of red ones (or two) before but felt somewhat limited color-wise. I hope my theory will be proven correct, I love these shoes.

yea yea, I know. This is old news and I am totally un-original...
Read more about the Chucks here.

Now that spring is finally here..

2005-05-02T23:23:00.000+02:00

...what could possibly be better than a romantic ice-cream in a romantic city?
Here are my personal favourites:

Lejonet & Björnen - Gothenburg

The other day I went with a friend to Lejonet och Björnen to get rid of some cravings since the Paris trip (see below). They had a "Taste menu" with ten (!) flavours of choice in a waffle boat. I can never decide, so I thought that was the thing for me. Let me just say, when I walked out of there, I had no more cravings.
This is about as good as ice cream gets in Gothenburg. They have loads of weird flavours. During my 10-flavor-orgy, I fell for Limoncello (LOVELY!!), Marcipan and Cinnamon. Oh, and the Italian Chocolate. The joy. The pleasure.

Amorino - Paris

When I was in Paris, I paid (4 Euros) a visit to Amorino almost every day. Italian gelato at it's finest (outside of Italy, that is, see below). The best one was at Rue de Buci, right next to the Taschen bookstore (which I totally loved too, the interior was really cool). The good thing about Amorino is, apart from the ice cream being so extremely great, that you buy a cup or cone and you can fill it with AS MANY FLAVOURS AS YOU LIKE!! Mmm. And the ice cream is extraordinary. The best ones at Amorino were: passion fruit, mascarpone, pistachio.
Read more: Another blogger who discovered the great world of Amorino.

Blue Ice - Rome

Yet another school excursion that took place June last year. We found a crazy neon ice cream chain that was amazing! (there is one right near Fontana di Trevi) I have no words. Well, allright. I have three.. FRUTTI. DI. BOSCO.
Read even more: Someone who loves both Blue Ice and Amorino.

Rebecca loves: Mung bean sprouts

2005-04-26T11:42:00.000+02:00

I feel that I have only begun to scratch the surface of the mung bean's full potential, yet a recommendation is already necessary. My sister brought them home a few weeks ago, and we put them in salads, woks (add them the last thing you do for maximum crispiness) and on sandwiches. And I have totally fallen in love. They are very tasty, crispy and a little sweet. And probably very nutritious as well, I read that the beans (when sprouted) contain vitamins B and C and a whole lot of minerals and stuff. Read about that here, and here(Swe).

Världens lättaste efterrätt...

2005-04-25T20:48:00.000+02:00

... är på samma gång ganska glamourös. Folk kommer att tro att du har slavat i köket i timmar, tills (och OM) du avslöjar hemligheten. Så här gör man den...

Man tager:

Lagom mycket Kelda Vanilj-visp och vispar den. Sedan breder man ut den i en grund pajform. Efter det tar man några (kanske ett tiotal) Noblesse (jag gillar dom mörka bäst, det är en smaksak) och petar ner i den utbredda smeten. Efter det stoppar man helt sonika in kreationen i frysen ( om man inte vill smaksätta på annat sätt..)

När den är fryst och det är dags att servera kan man garnera sin eminenta glasstårta. Passionsfrukt-inkråm och physalis är en riktig höjdare men jag är säker på att andra kombinationer blir lika deliciösa.

Ni ser. Enkelt va? Bjud detta nästa gång ni får fint besök och lyssna till the "oohs" and the "aahs". För de kommer att dugga tätt.

Wanted! (or "efterlyst" in Swedish)

2005-04-24T14:35:00.000+02:00

Teisseire!
This is a great brand of fruit syrups that I got introduced to in Paris.
We had the grapefruit (pamplemousse in French, such a funny word!) one at home all the time! It is pretty much like the swedish "saft" but more fresh and sour-ish. Kinda like limonade.

It is a shame that I didnt take a few with me home. I cannot find them here. If you know where to buy them in Sweden, please lemme know. It's an aluminum can with concentrate (see above). I miss my pamplemousse sirop.

Matbordsironi...

2005-04-23T19:02:00.000+02:00

... är att det enda smörgåsmargarinet med "Bre" i margarinet - just inte går att breda! (med mindre än att man låter det ligga framme hela dagen)
Ja ja, resten stämmer ju, gott är det ju i alla fall.

Besök Bregottfabriken här.

In the time of need

2005-04-19T13:34:00.000+02:00

My computer crashed hard a few days ago. When I tried to restart, XP had thrown in the towel, all I got was a Blue Screen of Death and the whole thing started over again.

I Googled and Googled, and somehow I came across this lovely little thing called EBCD, Emergency Boot CD. It pretty much saved my life! I had backups of most of the important stuff, schoolwork and such, but there's so much nonsens and nostalgia that means a lot on a laptop!
I found valuable info here and here.

After a couple of hours, along with some fiddling with the XP cd, I managed to get it to start normally again, and I even got back my old desktop background (a picture of Morrissey that I found on the Foundphotos page).

Now I have mixed feelings. I feel like a super-geek-hero..ine (think Sandra Bullock in "the Net") since I got the darn thing working again. But I am also on pins and needles because I still don't know if it will last.
Darn. Why can't I learn to
a.) be thankful for what I've got, when I've got it (like a working computer)?
and b.) quit procrastinating the backup-making?

Wish list item # 3

2005-04-14T09:42:00.000+02:00

I was checking out Kicks at Frölunda Torg (the local mall) and spotted this lovely new lipgloss from Clinique, "Colour Surge Impossibly Glossy". I haven't tried it out yet, as I am saving myself for the "buy two items and get a whole lotta freebies-campaign" somewhere around the end of April. But from what my fingertips could tell, these lipglosses are rich in color and moisture. And again, free of smell. Thank you Clinique!
I am leaning towards trying out the "Firefly" and the "Cherry Apple" shades. Will return with comment later on.

Still haven't tried them out, but I went by the shop to check them out again, and found out that the shades I wanted were Firefly and some other one that wasn't on the homepage! It was called "Tropical" something...

Reliable apples

2005-04-13T10:19:00.000+02:00

I enjoy a good apple every now and then. But why is it always a gamble?
Most apples have a short time of the year when they're great tasting. The sad thing is that most of the time, they are not.

Take the Granny Smith, for example. When they're good, they're REALLY good, but you cant trust them. More often than not, they're all green and nice but taste nothing.

The worst thing is when apples get all waxy and non-crispy (better word anyone?) the second you come home from the grocery store.

However, my worries are over! There is one apple that has never disappointed me. The Pink Lady apple (a hybrid of Golden Delicious and Lady Williams) is always sweet-tasting, crispy and fresh. Try them once and you will be stuck with them forever.

Vintage shopping in Paris

2005-04-11T13:53:00.000+02:00

My number one hobby while getting lost in Paris was, to the great joy (not) of my travelmates, finding some good vintage shopping. Here in Gothenburg you have to look through loads of crap before you find something even remotely attractive. In Paris, they are a little bit more picky, and unfortunately a little bit more expensive. However, if you're stubborn you can find really beautiful original pieces to a nice price. Here are the shops I liked the most:

Free P-star, 8, rue Ste Croix de la Bretonnerie, 4:e
This one is my favourite. The prices are reasonable and the clothes are wacko. The shop is absolutely stuffed with flowery dresses and lovely lace thingies and they have a little indoor balcony with more clothes and a scary ladder. A crazy shop that you must see. And yes, they do take the major credit cards.

Come on Eileen, 16/18 Rue des Taillandiers, 11:e
Three stories of second-hand heaven. Lots of designer wear, sometimes a bit pricey. Going through the racks is like the picture gallery I recommended not too long ago, you have absolutely NO idea what comes next.

Rag, ? Rue St Honoré
Small but interesting shop that must've moved not too long ago. On the internet I found the old adress on Rue St Martin, south of Centre Pompidou. When I looked it up I found two other second hand shops on that adress. But they were a little more flea-market-y. Still worth a visit if you ask me..

Kiliwatch, 64, rue Tiquetonne, 2:e
Huge store that mixes the old with the new. Like pretty much everything in Paris, the prices are pretty scary sometimes, but this shop is well worth browsing through.

Picsouille, 3 Rue Perrault, 1:e, Mo Louvre-Rivoli
Nice little shop right near the Louvre. Very mixed clothes, some of them not too old. The prices were really good and they had beautiful accessories.

La Belle Epoque, 10 Rue de Poitou, 3:e
This one was closed when I got there but the street was packed with lovely little shops, so I recommend it anyways. I will definitely pay a visit when I come next time

Wish list item #2

2005-04-02T00:41:00.000+02:00

This is something really cool I found today while strolling the streets of Paris.
A round aquarium that is it's own eco-system, tested by NASA in space! It is shut tight and self-managing; and contains little red shrimps (who keep the water clean from algae). They are absolutely adorable! My desk needs one of these now.

Check them out here

THE flip-flops!

2005-03-25T12:00:00.000+01:00

Allow me to introduce THE flip-flops: Havaianas!
I've got the ones on the pic, "Floral". I saw a cheap place to get them here.

from the "history" part on the webpage:
"The addictive nature of these flip flops is largely due to a 42-year old secret rubber formula, which makes them butter-soft, bouncy, flexible and durable."

I couldn't agree more. They are unlike any flip-flops I have ever tried. Last summer, I took them to work (lots of standing around) and my feet gratefully smiled at me at the end of the day. You will never want to wear another brand of flip-flops again! They feel kinda like a Tempur-mattress. For your feet.

I Sverige kostar de en slant, men jag hävdar å det bestämdaste att de är värda vartenda öre. Fanns förra året på bl a Stadium, kan vara värt ett besök, de kanske kommer i år med.

Going somewhere soon?

2005-03-24T18:42:00.000+01:00

I am going to Paris in a few days. Travelling is fun, especially the part before the trip, when you browse the web for restaurants, flea markets, events, stuff other people recommend. A few trips ago, I found the perfect place to do this:

www.frommers.com

A user-friendly site that feels up to date. The source is the Frommer's travel guides that are available for sale on the site. I do not get the feeling that they're holding back on the site to get you to buy the books. There's lots of material on almost any travel destination. The articles are written in an informal, funny way but are still very informative. And the message boards seem a popular spot for discussing anything travel-related. Check it out!

Oh, and have you got must-sees (smultronställen)(shops, not too pricey restaurants, whatever) in Paris to recommend, feel free to comment!

Exquisite effects

2005-03-22T21:13:00.000+01:00

This is another step in my campaign for getting people to understand the fabulousness of Eye Shimmer from the Body Shop. Read about a previous (and somewhat successful!) attempt here (at a fabulous blog, I might add, mymarkup.net/anna). Or ask any of my friends, I go on and on about these eyeshadows.
My three favourite shades are gold, emerald and indigo.

The eyeshadow looks totally boring and washed-out until you touch it. You can hardly see any color from the shadow itself, it's all shimmer. Worn au naturel, the effect is only visible from certain angles, which can be really cool. But on top of another shadow, black or whatever, the result is a firework of color and shine. The possibilities are never-ending. Your imagination is the limit. Lemme know what you think!

For the voyeur in you...

2005-03-21T11:09:00.000+01:00

This may already be a classic, I just recently stumbled upon it.
I thought for a moment about the moral incorrectness of the webpage I am going to recommend, but hey... if you share your pictures on DC ++ or whatever, you may have to face the consequences, right? To the joy and edutainment of others, I might add.

So, here it is: Foundphotos.

It's kinda fun to browse through the galleries and see what the world looks like. Every once in a while you come across something real artistic and beautiful. I have a feeling I might get addicted to this one...

view pic larger

This may be old news...

2005-03-20T15:45:00.000+01:00

... but still worth mentioning.
Sunday is the perfect day to watch a 'feelgood movie', so I thought I'd share a few favourites.

Garden State (2004). Zach Braff from 'Scrubs' proves that he's multi-talented. This is a beautifully crafted movie that leaves you happy and warm (and, according to some of my friends, totally in love with Natalie Portman). On top of that you get a couple of good laughs and ear-candy from the AMAZING soundtrack. (Pixelsurgeon review here.)

The Iron Giant (1999). A boy finds a robot from outer space and teaches him about the ways of Earthlings. With voices from Jennifer Aniston and Vin Diesel among others, the characters really come to life, and the drawing and animation is excellent. This film is so cute (and kick-ass and beautiful!) it makes you want to cry. I actually did on several occasions..

50 First Dates (2004). Common sense tells you that this is yet another silly Adam Sandler movie (Personally I don't have anything against those, but I know people who do. I did the test, and 50 First Dates scored high) This one is somewhat different. It's actually really touching and beautiful, apart from the usual wacko humor, that of course is there. Keep an eye out for 'Sam Gamgee' of Fellowship of the Ring (who also had the lead role in 'the Goonies', one of my childhood favourites).

Doodle in MSN!

2005-03-19T17:34:00.000+01:00

This is a fun new feature on the Msn Messenger 7.0 beta (requires a plug-in).
Just click a tab in the conversation window, and you are able to draw or write by hand. The tool is pretty much like "Paint" but somewhat simpler (I miss the fill tool). From this moment on, my conversations will be far more colorful!

Koss Porta-Pro

2005-03-19T12:11:00.000+01:00

Behold my favourite headphones ever: Koss Porta-Pro.
They give you darn near perfect sound, when you first try them out you wonder why you never tried them before. A whole new world of detail awaits the listener, I was in awe when I heard stuff in songs that I didn't know was there before.
The design is somewhat old-school looking, in a good way. They're lightweight and collapsible into a comfortable size for your purse or bag.

They may be a bit pricier than most cheap-ass headphones, but you do get your money's worth. Plus, on the www. you can find them much cheaper than in stores.

The cons: A bit leaky, in a noisy environment they don't provide the same "vavoom" as in-ear headphones. Plus people around you can probably hear a good part of what you're listening to.

In my phones right now: Kent, "Du & jag döden" (new album) . Like pretty much everything that comes from Kent, this is a must-hear. Yep, I am talking to those of you outside of Sweden as well. Read about it here.

Wish-list item #1

2005-03-18T14:44:00.000+01:00

This Calvin Klein ring is lovely(the top one in the pic). Which is why I go a bit off-topic and recommend something that I haven't yet tried. Other than in the shop, that is.
The ring is very clean, still it's big and colorful enough to pop out. And, moonstone! I love it. It is semi-transparent and light-reflecting in the most fascinating way. Most of the time the glow is blue, but in certain places you can see a clean, orange reflection as well.
My own theory on that phenomenon is that it is pure physics. Like the experiment in which you pour milk in a glass of water and shine a flashlight through it to explain why the sky is blue and the sunsets are red...
However, I hope to get my hands on this ring (or, more correctly, get this ring on my hands) real soon.

Read about it here, check out more pics here.

The perfect red...

2005-03-17T08:55:00.000+01:00

...is hard to find. At least if you're talking about nail polish. A color that looks just about right in the bottle changes dramatically when painted onto the nails (usually the color becomes more "cold").

My favourite red hue is almost touching orange. I've had a favourite out-of-season bottle of Maybelline Water Shine for years but the darn brush is not long enough to get the final drops at the bottom. So I've browsed the stores and my red was IMPOSSIBLE to find! That is, until I found "Kid Orange" from MAC. Not only is the color perfect, it's also hypoallergenic and long-lasting. Plus the bottle is kinda nice. My nails are saved!

I have heard so much good stuff about MAC, they might have other future favourites as well. Better check them out someday.