Weekend plans

We're going into another hiking weekend. The girls will be out most of Saturday morning so I plan to get some sewing done.
If nothing else I need to organize my sewing room better because I feel like I can't move in there.

I have a few things planned I want to try out. Like another skirt similar to this



I also have patterns I want to trace and sew.

Malmö is also host to this year's Eurovision Song Contest (ESC2013) and there have been loads of activities in town all week. The big finale is on Saturday and I couldn't be more uninterested. I suppose I'll end up in front of the telly reading Twitter. I have a few Swedes and some people from the UK on my feed who are very much into it. It's always entertaining to read their opinions.

The girls haven't shown much interest in it all but if they wanted to I would let them stay up a while I suppose.

Personally I'm a lot more excited about the Doctor Who finale which is also on Saturday.

Sunday Sofia has her last swim class and then in the evening there is a dance recital - well, more of a regular class with parents invited to watch.

Spruce

I visited a plant nursery today, which is another place I should not be let loose unsupervised.

I got off easy today though. Instead of investing in two or more new black terracotta pots I bought black paint and spruced up two that I already had.

While I had the brush out and was painting anyway I gave our clay elephant a coat of paint too. It's been with me for a long time. It had a friend but I think we dropped it and it broke.
This one's been used as a door stop and as a book end when we lived in town, but when we moved out here and got our garden somewhat put together we made a home for it in the flower beds.

Now I gave it a wash and a coat of black paint and I think it looks so cool. Definitely an improvement.

Hiking

Isabel and Sofia went hiking on Saturday. Sofia's group (The Frogs) are gone from 9:30 am  - 1:20 pm and Isabel's group (The Foxes) leaves at the same time and usually gets back around 3:45 pm.

I went hiking as a child as well. The organisation is called Friluftsfrämjandet (Association for the promotion of outdoor living - roughly translated) and it is a co-ed organisation. I started in Mulle at 5 years old and progressed through the different age groups until I quit at 14 years old.

There are similarities with the Scouts, but it is less organised. They only meet for 7-8 times in Spring and Fall, and only on weekends. No regular meetings in the weeks and no badges.

Both Isabel and Sofia started when they were 1 year old in the first age group available. Which meant 1 hour in a park with parents present. Sofia will stay in her group another year and move up to the one Isabel is in now once she turns 7 next year.

Isabel will probably stay in her group another two years. I think they move up to the next age group at 11 years old. That group gets a lot more say in what activities they do. They have more sleep-overs and more adventurous activities - canoeing, rock climbing, longer walks. All to prepare for a week long trip to the North of Sweden to go hiking in Fjällen (the Scandinavian mountain range).

I quit just before our trip to Fjällen, which I sort of regret today. I was 14 - I worried about getting my period while we were away. Silly I know.

They both love being away and come home smelling of wood smoke and forest.

Quick and dirty blog

I don't have a picture from today because I've been stuck at work most of the day. It's been gorgeous out and tonight when we had dinner it was still 25C!

Tomorrow is a short day - I get out of the office at 2:30 pm-ish. I plan to go to the mall to exchange Sofia's shoes that were too small, then groceries and then home for a 4 day weekend.

We have tickets for Star Trek Into Darkness on Friday and the girls are staying with my aunt. They are very excited about that and we are excited about the movie. In equal measure but for slightly different reasons.

On a whole other topic - I gave up coffee for Lent and have not gotten back into the habit again. I don't even feel a craving for it any more.

Do I have to change my blog name?

Birthday money

My birthday money was burning a hole in my purse (that's a figure of speech) and I had an opportunity this weekend to spend it.

I bought a wooden cutting/serving board, two candle sticks and a started kit with china at the Iittala-store in town.

We've had earthenware plates in the kitchen that I got when I moved out. They were beginning to look worn so I have been in the market for a new set.
This time I chose china/porcelain instead.

I could only afford a starter kit with 4 dinner plates, 4 smaller plates, 4 bowls and 4 soup dishes. I would have liked a full set of 8 but I will have to wait.

I'm not sure Iittala is a huge brand elsewhere but it is big in Sweden and its native Finland. They are on the pricier end of the spectrum, but what are birthday money for?

Mojo

I thought I'd lost my mojo. My sewing mojo that is.

But tonight I felt it creep back and try to sneak in unnoticed. No suck luck. I've been working on another Carpenter Star pillow case for a friend of Sofia's.

I've been hoarding that red doll print for ages and I am seriously having second thoughts about giving it away. I'll have a look around the cupboards to see if I can find something equally nice to make another one ... or I'll have to part with this one.