Black is the new black

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

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

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

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!

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...

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!

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

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

"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

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..

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

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

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

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?

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?

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...

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..

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...

...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?

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.