je danse donc je suis

Is this imperfection too early, or too late with someone? De toute facon, voici Micaela. She was in my class last year (I've been in so many different classes because of moving to France one year) and we had a great night.
(self-portrait challenge)

We were at Carpe Noctem (the best name of a bar ever - seize the night is definetely my new motto). The club was Je danse donc je suis (even better! I prefer dancing to thinking...), all French 60's.

On a parlé francais, bu du vin et dansé toute la nuit - chouette! :)

When we arrived there was a quiz promenade on French 60's music. I got 4 of 6 right (la chance!) and won this record.

It looks nice, I'll put it on the wall as a memory. I have yet to listen to it, as I haven't got a record player... C'est dommage :(

sunday

This afternoon I passed Street (a super cool market in my hood, with design, fashion, second hand, handcrafted, art and other goodies) after meeting a friend in town. It was jewellery weekend, lots of nice and shiny things. Unfortunately I didn't have any camera batteries. I got this silver flower pendant. It's really gorgeous, the photo doesn't do it any justice. It's kind of an optic illusion, cause the "bowl" in the middle looks like a pearl. The designer (and maker) is called Elin Lundvik.

There were also some fabulous knitted jewellery, so colourful and cozy! (too bad that I'm a poor student, I'll have to steal the idea and crochet some for myself) Katrin Bawah seems to be a very talented textile artist.

Right now I'm working on this. I didn't know what to crochet next (I have lots of ideas and nice patterns - but I hate picking one and then choosing yarn: decisions decisions decisions...) so I decided to try the shell stitch, and I like it.

However, the pastel colours (they're much duller in real life) and the acrylic yarn makes me slightly sick, especially when sitting crocheting on the bus :)

Yesterday I crocheted this for Frida (mellansyster/sister). It's really her colours so I hope she'll like it. Found this wool yarn in mum's stash, I wonder if it's dyed with plants?

It's made from Simmy's pattern. It's a great pattern (and a good tutorial), a fun, quick and easy crochet. Already tried it in cotton, but it's much nicer in wool. I might make one for myself as well.

sewn deco

I just finished this deco (had so sew in the pages and stitch the back), for the September swap in EuropeArtDecos. It's probably the closest that I'll ever get to real patchwork. The images are from a Gudrun Sjödén catalogue. I really love her clothes, the fabrics and the patterns. So colourful!

This is the back...

misty morning

Alone in the fog


Little boat


Could someone please tell me what those are for?


I really wish I knew how to use my camera...


Drops of water like tiny glass beads


How can such distgusting creatures weave such beauty?


I missed my train that day. But it was so worth it.

plugga

This is what I'm going to do all night



This is my only comfort.



I got it in high school.l I try to carry my pencils in it even though I never really saw the point of having a pencil case. It cheers me up.


I found a nice café today. It was more like a French café than a Swedish fik. There were business men sitting with a cup of coffee reading the newspaper. I really liked it, good for studying too.

It's odd. When I'm in France I always miss Swedish fika. Only Swedes understand fika. It's more than a social activity involving pastries. It's a whole concept sort of, like sitting an entire afternoon on a café with a cup of tea or a latte, chatting about everything and nothing, or having lunch sort of, but much nicer. C'est fika, tout simplement.

Anyways, now in Sweden, I miss the French cafés. Sitting with a café crème, watching people passing on the street. Why do they never place the chairs like that here in Sweden?

Next to me there were two guys. I sort of listened to their conversation when I didn't know how to formulate a sentence. And they were talking about their own gender studies in real life. Much more interesting than what I was reading about (marxist and radical feminism's opinion on domestic work - so far away from real life). In another world I'd have joined their discussion instead. I wonder if I'd have learnt more that way?


Now I'm off to my books.

everybody's got something to hide except me and my monkey

This is Ellen, my little sister. We took those photos last week. I was reminded what laughing and playing feels like. I should do that more often.



Ellen is 14 and she really reminds me of myself being 14. She's got the same hair, and she wears my old striped socks and tights :) I didn't like being 14, not at all. Still, seeing her makes me think that maybe I had some good times too.

more self-portraits with someone

each photo of me and Ellen a bit bigger

fog

This is what I saw when looking out my window this morning. Ca ne donne pas du tout envie de se lever :( (it doesn't make you want to get up)



Am I really supposed to walk on Årstabron (the bridge) today? I'll probably get lost.



Actually I don't feel like doing anything at all. Certainly not going to school and writing my essay. I could sit on the couch with a warm cup of tea crocheting Anna-Maria's wristwarmers (no photo yet). And maybe start a super cute curly whirly scarf like Simmy.

"Jag är för trött för att existera. Jag vill inte vara med." (Camilla)

with someone

This is Anneli, one of my closest friends. (and me to the right, we're in Kungsträdgården, a park in the centre of Stockholm). Right now she's in Paris (je pense à toi!), which is a bad thing, as I miss her a lot (saknar dig!). But it's also kind of good, cause then I can return to Paris soon to visit her :)

What else about Anneli? We met in high school and we're very very different. But both of us love to chat (imagine our conversations!).

(see more self-portraits with someone over at self-portrait challenge)


By the way, today was good. I as out planning a secret with Maria. The weather is very pleasant. It's almost like summer again, which is nice, cause I don't want autumn to come. Well, autumn is okay (drinking tea at cafés for several hours, wearing cozy scarves, mittens and caps, leaves turning red - it WOULD be my favourite season, if not...) but then comes winter. And that means life here sucks until April. Thinking of another winter in Sweden makes me want to emigrate far away. But I'm not there yet, so I'm trying not to think about it.



I saw this painted scooter (or whatever it's called, even in Swedish I have no idea) on Rosenlundsgatan. So cute! It made me happy :)

And in the evening I wathed Thelma & Louise, which is definetely one of the best films I've ever seen. It was for school. I like gender studies, especially when I get to see super cool films instead of just reading (j'en ai marre de lire!). I've already seen Ma vie en rose, but I think I'll skip Private Benjamin.

The end in Thelma & Louise must be one of the best film endings ever.

I cried...




So beautiful!

august mosaic

This is my conclusion of August. It was all about friends, street art, party, mail art, crafting, Paris and idla (there's a seperate idla mosaic).


The last month of summer was nice. I kind of wish that I were still there. Especially when sitting here, cold and dark outside (I can really feel that autumn is here), having hundred pages to read (and it's already eleven - why haven't I started?!).

Spetember is ok though. After all, I'm listening to the soundtrack of Black cat white cat, a vanilla candle is burning and the book is on queer feminism.

More monthly mosaics.

street art on the way to school

Everyday I walk over Årstabron (the bridge of Årsta) to the shuttle train station. It's good to get to use my legs a bit, to prepare for a day of sitting still using my head. I have a nice view of the water, some nature, and the trains (but they make lots of noise!). And street art (or should I say bridge art or railway art?).

I took these photos on my way home. It's far from all there is to see, but I had to choose or I would have been late for dinner.



Close to the shuttle station





I love stencils!





On the bridge



I live in the house to the left :)



Those worms are everywhere in town. I like them, except when they're on traffic signs. Could someone tell me about it?



Getting closer to home...




Love the colours!



Thanks for brightening my day! Street art is the best art form, everyone can see it, show it and contribute to it.

I'd like to take part of this, but I don't dare to. Am I really good enough? What if I get caught?

When mellansyster (my sister) lived here we used to do stuff. Like putting snowflakes in a tree and putting up lots of Loesje posters. I miss that.

Maybe one day...