We are all in the gutter

Someone told me it's all happening at the zoo

2012-03-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

I do believe it. I do believe it's true.:-)

Images by me from Copenhagen Zoo.

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T01:42:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a

Happy Valentine's Day

Shoe clips from Ban. do via A Cup of Jo

It's Cold Outside

2012-02-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

It's cold and snowy in Copenhagen. I find it difficult to see the charm of it right now since I have to bike 80 minutes a day in this weather. If only I looked this stylish while I pedal away.

Image from A Well Traveled Woman

I Want To: Walk in a Tulip Field in Holland

2012-01-31T14:05:00.000-08:00

Image from here

In the Nick of Time

2012-01-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a rather lengthy post about my goals in life and my apparently absent baking skills. If you continue reading, you have been warned.

January has not been the easiest month for me, but I’m slowly becoming my old self again. I never make new year’s resolutions, but I had secretly planned that in 2012 I want to try to make some of my wishes, dreams, and plans come true. Not the ‘lose 30 kilos’ or ‘win a million dollars’ dreams. Just the small ones – the ‘I would like to do that someday’ dreams. The dreams that no one is keeping me from fulfilling.

You might remember one of my ‘I want to’ posts in which I said that I would like to bake. I cook a lot, but rarely bake – and since I love cakes and everything sweet, I would love to learn to bake really well. I have enjoyed following Mariah and Katie as they have baked one cake a month throughout 2011 and my plan was/is to do the same.

Since January is coming to an end, I thought I’d better hurry up. Most people who never bake would begin with a simple, easy, foolproof cake. Well, apparently I’m just not that kind of person. No, no. I dove head first into this project: Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Doesn’t it look delicious and pretty? Enjoy the picture – what you will see later bears no resemblance to this cake.

Anyway, this morning I read (correction: I skimmed through) the recipe, went shopping for the cake and considered myself ready for this adventure. And this is where things started to go terribly wrong. Let me switch to the dramatic present.

I start making the cake – I realize I haven’t bought enough butter – I leave the kitchen, cross the street, borrow butter. I'm back in the kitchen – problem solved. When I have to put the batter in my two springform pans – I realize that one is broken (won't close). I find a regular pan to use instead, thinking that the batter in this one won’t rise enough to be separated into two layers – but who cares? A three layer cake will do just fine. I bake the cakes – no problem – they look great – my confidence increases.

Then, while the cakes cool, the recipe says that you should make the syrup. I have never in my life made syrup, but I follow the recipe which says that it should boil until reduced. Well! One second it was reducing, the next second it was a brown caramel which could not be brushed on the cakes as the recipe reads. Well, who needs syrup I think and throw the saucepan with burnt sugar, lemon juice, and water in the sink.

Then onto the frosting, which I, btw, have never made before either. I start by mixing the ingredients – I realize that I haven't bought enough sugar either. Again(!) I leave the kitchen, cross the street, borrow sugar, get back to the kitchen, which by now looks like a war zone. I make the frosting – assemble the layers with the frosting – no problem. Now to the frosting outside the cake.....It was a bit liquid, it went everywhere except on the cake. I throw the cake and the bowl of frosting into the refrigerator, thinking this will make things better.

True, it was a little better after the fridge, but while I smear the rest of the frosting on the cake, I can’t help laughing at myself. Before falling asleep last night, I was actually contemplating whether or not I should do a frosting pattern.:-D The pattern I ‘chose’ was the 'any way that will stick on the cake pattern.’

It looks terrible, but the lemon-poppy cake is delicious - the frosting not so much.:-(

I found it fitting to photograph the mess in front of my ‘keep calm and carry on' poster. I will try to do just that; keep calm and carry on...and try to lower my ambitions regarding the February cake.

Recipe and image from Always with Butter

Keep Calm....

2012-01-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

Trust me - I'm working hard on both!:-)

God Bless You

2012-01-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

I'm in love with these handherchiefs from The Honey Press on etsy.

I Want To: Travel the World

2012-01-17T13:21:00.000-08:00

Image from Pinterest? Can't remember where! So sorry.

Me Elsewhere

2012-01-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

I have a lot on my plate right now, so I hope you'll excuse the lack of posts. In the meantime, you might want to visit my Pinterest...

...or my Tumblr

'We Are All in the Gutter' Wishes You...

2011-12-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

A Merry Christmas

A Happy New Year!

Image: Bippity Boppity Boo

Blog Is 2 Today

2011-12-21T04:10:00.000-08:00

Blog is 2 today! My, how time flies when you're having fun.

Thank you to those of you who read and comment. Thanks to those of you who I consider my blogging friends. Thanks for making all these nothings become somethings. (you know I love that movie:-))

Scenes from a Christmas Tree

2011-12-18T06:43:00.000-08:00

This year's Christmas tree; style-confused as always, but I still love it!

Love Seat

2011-12-12T15:15:00.000-08:00

I'll probably never be able to afford this, but I'm in love with this love seat by Gareth Neal. It's a rethinking of the Windsor chair.

Image and more details here

I Want To: Live in an Ivy Covered Cottage

2011-12-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

Image: From the House of Edward

Yes, It's Another Post on Newman and Woodward

2011-12-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

I do know that I have a slight obsession with this couple, but I just can't help myself. Besides from being the most sophisticated, cool couple I can think of, they just seemed so genuinely in love and so likeable. I love these pictures of them.

Images from Snippet and Ink, Life, and A Cup of Jo

Gift Guide: Dogs and Men

2011-12-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

For the four- and two-legged sweethearts. Dogs first...

Personalized dog bone ornaments from Sunshine Ceramics

Cubes bow tie from SillyBuddy

Giant cupcake liner dog bed (P.S. Can also be used for plants, as a sandbox, baby bath and more)

And for the small dog: a hot dog costume from Build-a-Bear. Is it beautiful? No. Is it tasteful? No. Will it make me smile on Christmas Eve? Oh, yes!

For the men...

A Lego mouse from Perpetual Kid.

Laptop leather sleeve by Kenton Sorensen

Liberty linen tie from Fieldguided

Dice cup from Georg Jensen

A Paris vs. New York print

Do you have any great gift ideas for guys and dogs? I'd love to hear!

Perhaps you can get inspired by last year's post.

Gift Guide: Grandma & Grandpa

2011-12-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

As you know, some grandmas and grandpas can struggle a bit with the newest technology, but this funny Pop Phone, which can be plugged into an iPhone or used with Skype on iPads and laptops, might help them adapt:-D

Downtown Abbey dvd

Michael Bublé Christmas album

Japanese style tea pot.

A photo book from Pinhole Press with pictures of you and them through time. Time-consuming but worth the trouble.

Do you have any great gift ideas for grandma and grandpa? I'd love to hear!

Maybe you can find inspiration in last year's post.

Gift Guide: Boys and Girls

2011-12-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

For the boys...

A wooden plane from Normann Copenhagen

Future Mozart? I'm so in love with this mini piano from Vilac.

Stuart Little book

For the girls...

A hopscotch carpet! I would have loved one of these...

A doll's pram from Sebra

And how adorable is 'Viola'? Also from Sebra.

Remember these mice from Danish toy company Maileg? They now have a milk carton house to put their matchbox and cigar box beds in:-D

Last, but not least, remember to support IKEA's soft toy campaign. They have lots of sweet toys for all the kids you have to buy for, and it's for such a good cause.

Do you have any gift ideas for girls and boys? I'd love to hear!

Maybe you can find inspiration in last year's post.

Gift Guide: Mum

2011-12-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

For mum...

A Flying Saucer ring from Colleen Baran

A basket bag, Annie Hall style, from Emma Jane Baskets

'You're the best' ceramic bowl from Paloma's Nest.

Beautiful fine art photography print from Eye Poetry (thanks to Susan for introducing me to this:-))

Do you have any great gift ideas for mothers? I'd love to hear!

Maybe you can find something in last year's post.

Gift Guide: Dad

2011-12-04T15:24:00.000-08:00

For dad, who is impossible to buy for...

Marzipan pigs from Danish chocolate company Summerbird.

The Godfather trilogy

The Rat Pack Christmas album. Thanks to Jeanne for introducing me to this:-))

Bamboo keyboard and mouse.

Do you have any great ideas for dads? I'd love to hear!

Maybe you'll find some ideas in last year's post.

Gift Guide: Brothers

2011-12-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

For the brothers...

If he only wants a light bulb hanging from the ceiling, at least it can be pretty. Diamond Light by Swedish designer Eric Therner.

Famous book title iPad cover

Danish design: Kay Bojesen's wooden elephant.

Leah Dieterich's Thx thx thx book to teach him how to be grateful for the little things. See her blog here

Do you have any good ideas for brothers? I'd love to hear.

Perhaps you'll find something in last year's post.

Remember Doing This?

2011-12-03T13:40:00.000-08:00

This picture on Tenka's blog made me smile. I used to do that all the time!

Gift Guide: Sisters

2011-12-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

December is here! Did that somehow happen sooner this year?:-)

I have to admit that I love buying Christmas presents, or rather not so much the actual buying as the planning, searching, and finally finding just the perfect thing. I'll post my ideas here - maybe you'll find something that would be suitable for your loved ones as well. First up: Sister....

We went to see Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris and she fell in love with Cole Porter's music, so I've bought this album: The Essential Cole Porter.

For a couple of years, she's been talking about wanting to make it a Christmas tradition to watch The Nutcracker with her daughter at The Royal Danish Theatre. So I hope she'll be happy with two tickets for the ballet.

She never buys things for herself, so I want to buy her something nice from one of my favourite shops, Noa Noa.

A morse code necklace spelling out 'carpe diem' from Coatt. (I recently rewatched Dead Poets Society:-))

She collects Christmas ornaments, so I'll go crazy in Tivoli where the Danish company Brink has a stall. I have my heart set on these. Once an anglophile, always an anglophile:-)

Do you have any good ideas for sisters? I'd love to hear.

Perhaps you'll find something in last year's post

Happy Birthday Woody

2011-12-01T06:16:00.000-08:00

Woody Allen is 76 today! His mother lived to be 96 and his father 101, so hopefully he still has many years and films to come. A few days ago I watched a wonderful PBS American Masters documentary about him. It's in two parts and can be seen on the PBS webpage. It lasts three hours and I enjoyed every minute of it! There are so many interesting facts about Allen and about every single movie he's made that I wouldn't know where to begin were I to tell you about it all. Do watch it - a perfect Woody Allen birthday activity:-) Also visit Every Woody Allen Movie, a blog I'm slightly addicted to. I'm quite sure it was Susan who pointed me to it on either Bricolage or Giulia Geranium, but can't find the post.

Made Me Smile

2011-11-29T15:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Steve Jobs,

Three apples changed the world; the one that Eve ate, the one that hit Newton on the head and the one that you built.

Sincerely, RIP.

From Dear blank, please blank

Bon Appetit

2011-11-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

For my birthday dinner this year, I opted for a French menu. We started with Salade Nicoise

I used quail eggs which looked adorable.-)

Then, of course, we had Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

Finally, for dessert, I made Poire belle Helene

Last, but not least - macarons to go with the coffee

I did resist the urge to shout out 'Bon Appetit' in Julia Child style - well, to be honest: no, I didn't. I'm afraid I am that sort of person.

Click images to go to sources

Remembrance Day

2011-11-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

Image from here

It's My Birthday

2011-11-09T02:48:00.000-08:00

Another year. Another candle in the cake. I have the day off. I have never been to school or at work on my birthday:-D I'm going to enjoy my day - maybe buy myself a birthday present? Tonight I'm celebrating with my nearest and dearest - just the way I want it.

I've been having the birthday blues the last couple of days. It's not about the age. Don't care. Never have. It's the questions I seem to ask myself this time every year. Am I living the life I want to live? Am I who I want to be? Have I achieved what I am supposed to have achieved by now? Have I achieved anything at all!? Will I ever meet that special someone? Will I ever get to have the kids I want or will it be too late - eggs all dried up when I finally find the one with whom I want to have them? Why don't I spend my time working on doing all the things I dream of instead of working too much?

Am I the only one who feels like this when a birthday is coming up?

Oh well, hopefully all these questions will be answered or evaporate as I celebrate tonight. They usually do. Because life can't be wrong when you get to be with the people you love most - eating the food you love most - and occasionally have time to do what you love most - blogging for example!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T01:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! I love these pumpkins with carrot noses from Martha Stewart. Cute and within the realm of my capabilities. Hope you have a wonderful day whether you celebrate this holiday or not. My favourite costume from around the web this year must be this....

Is it not the cutest? Up and away:-)

Pumpkin image from Martha Stewart. Up image from babble via Oh Happy Day.

On My Mind Lately

2011-10-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite bloggers have seemed to touch upon the same subject lately. Pamela wrote this thought-provoking post and linked to this great article by Lisa Bloom and Louise wrote this post about role models then and now. Their posts have made me think and I feel that I have to put these thoughts into writing. I hope you’ll forgive my torrent of words.

I agree with all three women that the body and beauty ideals that the media feed little girls with are sick and disturbing. But I don’t think we can only blame the media for ruining young girls’ self image. I’m not defending the media and advertisements – I do think they make grown-up women feel bad about themselves, but when it comes to little and young girls, I think parents – and in the case of girls – mothers, play an enormous part. I judge no one! I believe that parents do the best job they know how to do, and it’s the hardest job in the world and they train people the least for it - as good old Oprah always said.

But I think that children unconsciously do what works; what is rewarded. They do what you do, and not what you tell them to do. This goes for everything; the way you treat other people as well as the way you treat yourself. If you do not ‘reward’ them for being pretty, wearing makeup, caring about clothes – well, it will inevitably lose its charm.

If a girl’s mother is constantly on a scale checking if she has gained or lost a few pounds, buying and talking about shoes and clothes, getting botox or lip injections, complimenting other people’s appearances – or the opposite, is constantly complaining about her own looks, then it will seep in to the child’s mind that weight, looks, and clothes are things of importance.

I can’t recall ever seeing my mother on a scale. I can’t recall my parents talking about their own looks or weight. I can’t recall them ever praising someone for being slim and beautiful. I do, however, recall how astonished they got when other people commented on other people’s weight, style of clothes, or appearances. As if it mattered.

Don’t get me wrong. I am also a ‘girly girl’ sometimes – I don’t wear a sack dress and a bag over my head. I check the mirror before I leave the house. I can rejoice in a beautiful new dress and beautiful shoes as well as the next woman. I don’t find people who are interested in fashion and makeup shallow and superficial – and I can admire movie stars in beautiful outfits. But I don’t value them as a person because they have a good stylist!

I remember my parents complimenting other people for their brains, their achievements, and their sense of humour and so consciously or not, these were the things that became important. These were the things you were proud to be complimented for. Being bright mattered. Being kind mattered. Being adventurous and courageous mattered. Being healthy and happy mattered!

I can’t remember getting a makeup lesson – I can remember making up quizzes on the capitals of the world around the dinner table. I can’t remember ever being weighed at home - I can remember pushing the furniture to the walls so we could dance to my parents’ old records. I can’t remember my parents ever having to say ‘no’ to makeup, lingerie(!), or high heels - I don’t think I ever asked. I was too busy turning the dining room floor into a Playmobil village with streets marked in adhesive tape, cutting, painting and gluing the super secret member cards to the super secret club we had founded with the other children on the street, or reading about my heroines. I played with toys until I was an age that almost seems embarrassing to admit to today.

I can’t remember my parents taking a special interest in whether my clothes matched – if they were clean and without holes, they were fine – that didn’t mean that it wasn’t funny to dress up and get a beautiful new dress for Christmas Eve.

I think the key is that there has to be a balance. I don’t like fanaticism – not even when the cause is good. So I don’t agree with those women who believe that you can’t be smart, kind, and intellectual because you wear makeup and like new shoes. And I can’t remember my parents ever being judgmental of women who did.

I get exhausted even thinking about the amount of work it must take parents to fight this ongoing battle with the influences of the media and as Pamela wrote, ‘prevent little girls from allowing their mirrors to reflect their self-worth.’

But remember that the first and most important role model and the hugest influence in a child’s life are not the media or their friends. It’s you.

Lisa Bloom says we should bite our tongues when we are about to compliment girls for their looks or dresses. I think her advice is great and her cause honourable, but of course you can tell your daughter that she is cute, beautiful and more, as long as you compliment her for other things as well.

So yes, I agree with Lisa Bloom that we can change the world, ‘one little girl at a time.' I already believe parents do that. Every. Single. Day. One child at a time. My hats off to you.

"I’ve got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don’t want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I’d rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny - a thousand things, before ‘thin’. And frankly, I’d rather they didn’t give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons. Let them never be Stupid Girls."

– J.K. Rowling

Image and Rowling quote from here

Hat Love

2011-10-28T06:26:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought I couldn't love Jeanne more, I discover that she has a pinterest board called 'Hat Love.' I love it! I do not have a head built for hats, but somehow it doesn't seem to sink in. I gladly continue buying hats. I feel that I can justify this fact because they look so pretty hanging on their hat stands.

Here are some of my favourites from Jeanne's board.

I so want a Pinterest account. I requested one, but I can't get an account unless I have a Facebook or Twitter account. Rude! Colour me disappointed....

Alphabet Love: F

2011-10-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my favorite things and people beginning with 'F'....

Family

Family trees

Friends

Food

Freckles

Flowers

Flea markets

Fall leaves

Figure skating

Feel good movies

Foot baths

Finger prints

Forsythia

Fritillaries

What's yours?

Click images to go to sources.

Happy Birthday, Oscar

2011-10-16T02:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Mr. Wilde. Make a wish!

Cake photo from here

Current Obsession

2011-10-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

I'm slightly obsessed with the music of Adele these days. 'Rolling in the Deep' and 'Set Fire to the Rain' have pretty much been on replay for a couple of weeks. I don't know how this has happened? I don't know when it will be over?:-D

Click images to go to source

I Hear You, Wendy

2011-10-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

From Holland Is a Country

Alphabet Love: E

2011-10-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my favourite things and people beginning with the letter E...

Edward Hopper

Edith Piaf

The English Language

Easter

Encyclopedias

(Am I the only one?)

Eggs

Election days

What are yours?

Alphabet love: A
Alphabet love: B
Alphabet love: C
Alphabet love: D

Click images to go to sources

LOL Dogs

2011-09-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

I first saw these dog photographs by Carli Davidson over at Melissa's blog, and they made me laugh out loud. I'm especially fond of the cross eyed one at the bottom:-D

He's 62 Today

2011-09-23T05:49:00.000-07:00

Same procedure as every year:-)

Photo by Annie Leibovitz

Statues on My Way

2011-09-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

I'm slightly obsessed with statues at the moment. These are two of the statues I pass when I go to the library. They have been there my entire life - I remember my father, my sister, and I trying to recreate the statue with the three girls everytime we went to the library:-D

Images: me

Peace of Mind

2011-09-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Source: A well traveled woman

Brussels

2011-09-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

I was in Brussels last week - thought I'd share some photos with you. Have you been? If so, what do you think of the city?

Americans in Paris

2011-09-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

Why is it that everytime you find yourself overwhelmed with work, the first things you chose to drop are actually the things that bring you most joy or are best for you physically and mentally? For me one of those things is blogging. But when I've been up since dawn and biked 12 kilometres to work, taught classes all day long, biked 12 kilometres home, have eaten dinner, corrected essays and prepared classes for the next day, I simply can't find the energy to neither exercise nor blog. It all seems like a vicious circle, since I know that I'm so happy when I blog, comment and interact with all you wonderful blogging people and I know that I have so much more energy when I get to the gym. Alas, I'm not the only one feeling this way, am I?

My sister and I went to see Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, and of course I loved it! So right now I have immersed myself in the literature of Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Eliot and the art of Picasso, Matisse, Dali and Man Ray. As always, what I read at home becomes what I read with my students and to my delight they are also loving it.

Gertrude Stein by Picasso

T.S. Eliot

Josephine Baker

Man Ray

The Fitzgerald's

Juan Belmonte

Ernest Hemingway

Cole Porter

Let's do it - let's fall in love:-)

End of Season

2011-08-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

The Tivoli season is coming to an end. I managed to squeeze in a visit this weekend:-)

Images me.

Babette's Feast

2011-08-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous post, I went to Rungstedlund, Karen Blixen's home, the other day to see Gabriel Axel's movie adaptation of Blixen's Babette's Feast under the Danish 'summer' sky. It was just as magical as seeing Out of Africa last year. Gabriel Axel was there to introduce the movie and the museum handed out recipes for the meal Babette creates in the movie. Guess who is planning to recreate Babette's feast?

Anticipation..

The museum garden and entrance were lit by torches...

The museum by night

Images me

A Post for Jeanne

2011-08-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

This post is for Jeanne. Here's the story: Jeanne posted this image of a beautiful flower arrangement by Sarah at Saipua. I commented that it reminded me of Karen Blixen's flower arrangements at Rungstedlund. That comment made Jeanne write that she wanted to know more, and I promised her that I would put Blixen's flowers on my 'future posts list.' So to make a short story long(!) here it is, Jeanne.

Karen Blixen was a Danish baroness and author (1885 – 1962), mostly known outside Denmark as Isak Dinesen. She is perhaps best known for her book about her life in Africa Out of Africa which became a motion picture with Meryl Streep portraying Blixen. Before and after her time in Africa, she lived at her family's estate 'Rungstedlund' in Rungsted, a town north of Copenhagen. The home became a museum in 1991 and is one of my favourite museums. It is such a beautiful place - and it is magical to walk in the house where Blixen lived and to see the room with her desk and typewriter and imagine the stories that came to life there.

But now to the flowers!

One of the things that you'll see when visiting the museum are the many flower arrangements - still arranged in the way Blixen arranged them. She had a cutting garden (which you can still see today) and almost every day, she went to her cutting garden and cut different flowers, grasses etc. The arrangements she made were very different from the style of the time. Very creative, 'wild' and beautiful - just like the flowers in Jeanne's post.

I hope this cleared things up a little:-), otherwise you can all read more in the book Karen Blixen's Flowers: Nature and Art at Rungstedlund.

I've written about Rungstedlund and a little more about Blixen and her life here and here I wrote about a magical night at Rungstedlund where I saw Out of Africa under the sky. This week I will go there again - this time they are showing Babette's Feast. Can't wait!

Top image: Young Blixen with flowers from here.

I Want To: Bake

2011-08-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

I cook a lot, but seldom bake. I love to follow Mariah's cakes. She bakes a cake each month and post it on her sweet blog Size too Small. I'm planning to copy her come January:-)

Image from Not Without Salt

I Don't Know Her, but I Love her: Sofia Coppola

2011-08-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

I love that she's not a classic beauty. I have a thing for noses:-)

I love her fashion style. She's getting married soon - can't wait to see the dress.

I love the bubbles named after her....

And I love her work. I have seen and loved all her movies - even the one that most people didn't like - Marie Antoinette.

Movie posters from imdb, bubbles from The Swede Records, all other images from Sofia Coppola tumblr

I'm Still Here

2011-08-10T03:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the radio silence. Life has been teasing me lately - everything around me is breaking down - including my camera and my computer. I don't know why I feel embarrassed by saying it, but I find it difficult to be without those two things:-) Camera couldn't be saved so I had to invest in a new one and I don't deal well with change. Computer is fixed - fingers crossed - just picked it up today and paid a fair amount of money for that as well. So now I'm trying to catch up on all the blogging that has been going on, but I don't have much time since I have to start work again tomorrow. I love my students so I'm looking forward to begin, but I'm a little sad that the summer is almost over and scared that pretty soon I'll probably find myself overworked again. Well, good times had can't be taken away from you. Hope you have all had a wonderful summer?

I bought my first heather today - always a clear sign of summer's end here in DK.

Candice Breitz: Her

2011-07-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

As you know, I love Meryl Streep and I therefore also love Candice Breitz's video work Her, which consists of seven screens that display images of Streep in different roles. It's really fun and a great tour through the many memorable roles. You can see it on Breitz's homepage here. Just click 'work' - 'video' - 'him-her' and then on Meryl's image:-)

Image from here

Honeydew Baby

2011-07-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

Remember Carolee Beckham who planned to document her pregnancy by being photographed with fruit the same size of her baby? Well, only few days from being born, baby Beckham is now a honeydew melon:-)

See all the photos at Carolee's blog where this picture is also taken from.

I Skal Vide Vi Græder med Jer

2011-07-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

I know that this blog insists on focusing on the stars instead of the gutter, but all we hear and think about all day long in Denmark these days is the horrible tragedy that our sisters and brothers in Norway live through right now. Young people who were gathered to discuss politics and fight for a better world were killed in a senseless massacre. It makes it difficult to post about anything. I know life must go on, and it will.
This is a picture from the Norwegian Embassy in Copenhagen where people leave flowers, cards and lights. This card says 'I skal vide vi græder med jer' which means 'You must know that we are crying with you.'

Photograph by Jens Dresling for the Danish newspaper Politiken. Taken from here

Sisters of War

2011-07-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Danish television showed the tv movie Sisters of War, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. The movie is based on the true story of two Australian women, the army nurse, Lorna Whyte, and the nun, Sister Berenice Twohill, who met and became friends when they were both POWs in Papua New Guinea during World War II.

As a person who is pretty much afraid of everything, I consider myself one of the least brave people in the world. Therefore, the bravery of others fascinates me. These two women overcame starvation and torture. They were seperated as the nuns and nurses were sent to different places, but met again after the war and are still friends. Such a scary, amazing, heartbreaking, touching story about what the human being is able to overcome. If you haven't already seen it, I highly recommend it.

Alphabet Love: D

2011-07-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my favourite things beginning with 'D'

Dogs

Dimples

Dreams

Ducks

Double deckers

Diaries

Dollhouses

Dancing

Documentaries

Daffodils

Dahlias

Dublin

What's yours?

Images: Dog image by Buddenbohn, dimples photograph by Andy Buck, dream quote in frame by me, ducks from here, double deckers from here, diary image from Philippa Willitts' flickr, dollhouse image from Greenleaf Dollhouses, dancing Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire from here, documentaries collage from A Cup of Jo, daffodils from here, dahlias from here and Dublin photo from here.

This Past Week

2011-07-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for the lack of posts, but I'm trying my best to practise a bit of 'dolce far niente' without my inherent Scandinavian guilt on top! But I thought I'd just share a bit of my past week with you. Hope you all have a wonderful summer.

This past week...

I visited the Museum of Copenhagen. They have a sweet miniature of the old Copenhagen in front of the museum. These days they leave the small buildings and 'trees' outside all year long, but when I was a child the mini city was a clear indicator of the seasons. When the city came out - it was summer! And when it was packed down again winter was knocking.

I went to the beach at Gilleleje and met this seaweed mermaid

I went to the library and accidently found myself at one of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival concerts. This young woman sang Bonnie Raitt's 'I Can't Make You Love Me' with this guy on the bass as the only accompaniment.

I went to my sister's summer house and read books and photographed roses.

And last, but not least, I tried to make a new header for this blog. What do you think? Should it stay or should it go?

Images me.

Made Me Laugh

2011-07-08T05:12:00.000-07:00

Found here

I Want To: Watch a Wimbledon Final

2011-07-04T03:42:00.000-07:00

...not just on television!

Image from here

Waterful Copenhagen

2011-07-03T03:36:00.000-07:00

Today, Copenhagen is trying to recover from yesterday's cloudburst - the worst in 30 years - which has paralyzed traffic. Tivoli had to be evacuated! We're told that we can expect one more tonight:-(

Images from here

Me in Monet's garden!

2011-06-27T06:11:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite books as a child was Linnea in Monet's Garden. I loved Linnea, I wanted to be Linnea. Or at least I wanted a Linnea doll.

In the book, Linnea and her friend Bloom goes to Paris - not to see the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe. No they only went, so they could travel to Giverny and visit the house of the French impressionist painter, Claude Monet. She visits the garden and sees his famous waterlilies and the Japanese bridge he painted several times.

So when my sister and I were old enough to travel by ourselves, we went to Paris - not to see the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, but to go to Giverny. And what do we see when we walk in the beautiful garden? A small girl dressed in Linnea's outfit! I still to this day don't know whether she was hired by the museum or if she was simply a Linnea fan as myself.

If you want to visit Giverny go here

Click images to go to sources.

Important Notice

2011-06-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

Blogger has been giving me problems for weeks now. It is important for me to let you know that I so appreciate your comments, but blogger will not let me answer your comments. I can't comment on my own blog! I try to go to your own blogs to answer you there, but half of my favourite blogs I can't comment on either!! It is driving me nuts!
Please know that I read and cherish every comment and that I still follow your blogs closely even though I haven't commented on them recently - it's not for lack of trying!

xo Carina

Childhood Revisited

2011-06-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

If you have grown up with the strongest, richest and sweetest girl in the world, Pippi Longstocking,

Emil from Lönneberga, who always gets himself into trouble such as getting his head stuck in the soup tureen or hoisting his little sister, Ida, up the flagpole and has to sit in the shed and cut wood figures until his father’s rage has evaporated,

the brave brothers Lionheart who die all too soon, but come to the beautiful Nangijala,

the children of Bullerby, who play, play and then play some more,

Mardie, whose real name is Margaret, but nobody calls her that – only when she has done something wrong,

Lotta who lives on Troublemaker Street,

the children at Seacrow Island,

Ronia, the robber’s daughter and her best friend Birk,

they live in your consciousness forever – and visiting Astrid Lindgren’s World in Vimmerby, Sweden is a fantastic as well as surreal experience. Astrid Lindgren’s World is a theatre and theme park where you can meet all the characters from Astrid Lindgren’s books. It is probably the most aesthetic themepark in the world. Nothing is ugly! Even the garbage bins are beautiful and made to fit into the forest environment.Troublemaker Street, meeting Ronia on a path in the forest, playing croquet with Mardie etc.

Entering the park, you suddenly find yourself walking in to Pippi’s Villekulla Cottage , whittling at a piece of wood in Emil’s shed, walking down

I've been several times, and I can highly recommend it. If you are in driving distance from Sweden, I recommend that you borrow Lindgren's work on audio books and listen to them in the car. I/we did that once and when we arrived all the stories were fresh in mind which only makes the visit to the park even better.

Henry James' Venice

2011-06-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

Let's stay in Italy...today, the journey goes to Venice, one of my favourite cities in the world. The melancholy feel of the city fits perfectly with my Scandinavian nature:-) Anglo-American writers have written in and about Venice for hundreds of year, and to me, Venice is closely related to literature. As I have mentioned before, I wrote my thesis on Henry James. Particularly about Italy in James' work. So today, I would like to take you on a little trip around Venice in the footsteps of Henry James.

James preferred to stay in the Palazzo Barbaro, the home of Daniel and Ariana Curtis. The palazzo was his model for the palazzo Leporelli where Milly Theale lives and dies in his novel The Wings of the Dove.

It was here that James began writing one of my favourite works The Aspern Papers. At one point in the novella, the protagonist stands in front of Verrocchio's statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni:

I was standing before the church of Saints John and Paul and looking up at the small square-jawed face of Bartolommeo Colleoni,the terrible condottiere who sits so sturdily astride of his huge bronze horse, on the high pedestal on which Venetian gratitude maintains him.The statue is incomparable, the finest of all mounted figures, unless that of Marcus Aurelius, who rides benignant before the Roman Capitol, be finer; but I was not thinking of that; I only found myself staring at the triumphant captain as if he had an oracle on his lips. The western light shines into all his grimness at that hour and makes it wonderfully personal. But he continued to look far over my head, at the red immersion of another day - he had seen so many go down into the lagoon through the centuries - and if he were thinking of battles and stratagems they were of a different quality from any I had to tell him of. He could not direct me what to do, gaze up at him as I might.

James's favorite cafe, Florian's, is my favourite place to sit and watch the world go by. Just like the narrator in The Aspern Papers.

I sat in front of Florian's cafe, eating ices, listening to music, talking with acquaintances. The traveller will remember how the immense cluster of tables and little chairs stretches like a promontory into the smooth lake of the Piazza. The whole place, of a summer's evening, under the stars and with all the lamps, all the voices and light footsteps on marble (the only sounds of the arcades that enclose it), is like an open-air saloon dedicated to cooling drinks and to a still finer degustation - that of the exquisite impressions received during the day. When I did not prefer to keep mine to myself there was always a stray tourist, disencumbered of his Bädeker, to discuss them with, or some domesticated painter rejoicing in the return of the season of strong effects. The wonderful church, with its low domes and bristling embroideries, the mystery of its mosaic and sculpture, looked ghostly in the tempered gloom, and the sea-breeze passed between the twin columns of the Piazzetta, the lintels of a door no longer guarded, as gently as if a rich curtain were swaying there.

Isn't it a wonderful description?

When James didn't stay at the Curtis', he lived with Mrs Katherine Bronson in her Casa Alvisi which is now part of the Hotel Regina, right across from the church Santa Maria della Salute. James wrote about watching the Salute from casa Alvisa:

Casa Alvisi is directly opposite the high, broad-based, florid church of S. Maria della Salute - so directly that from the balcony over the water-entrance your eye, crossing the canal, seems to find the key-hole of the great door right in a line with it.

Hope you enjoyed this rather nerdy look at Venice. If you would like to visit Venice go here.

Images by me.

Fainting in Florence

2011-06-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

As readers of this blog may know, I'm hopelessly in love with Italy and everything Italian. One of my friends is likewise infatuated, so we have travelled together to Italy several times. Today, I'd like to tell you about my first day in Florence.

My friend and I had just arrived in the city after a long journey, it was hot (surprise) and we hadn't had anything to eat. However, I convince my friend that instead of getting something to eat and relax, we should immediately steer towards Piazza della Signoria. As we stand in the piazza admiring the many statues, I become extremely unwell, almost faint and my friend has to practically carry me to a place in the shadow and give me some water. It was extremely uncomfortable, but fortunately the discomfort disappeared as quickly as it came and as soon as I was back on my feet, I told my friend that this incident was perfect. Because this is the exact place that Lucy Honeychurch faints and has to be carried away by George Emerson! I have never felt so much in tune with literature!

Still, I hope that your meeting with Florence will begin in a more pleasant way. If you want to visit Florence go here.

Images from James Ivory's movie adaptation of A Room with a View taken from Period Films.

Thanks to Susan for the title suggestion and link to Period Films:-)

Skagen - Then and Now

2011-06-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

There are few pieces of Danish art as iconic as the painting below by P.S. Krøyer 'Sommeraften på Skagen Sønderstrand med Anna Ancher og Marie Krøyer,' 1893. (Summer Evening on the Skagen Southern Beach with Anna Ancher and Marie Krøyer'). P.S. Krøyer was one of the Skagen Painters, a community of artists who lived and/or worked in Skagen, which is a city located on the northernmost tip of Denmark.

I visited Skagen a few years ago and obviously had to visit the very northernmost point of Denmark which is called Grenen (The Branch). You can walk all the way to the tip of the country where you can see the two seas Skagerak and Kattegat meet, and you - and everyone else- can stand with your feet in two different seas at one time.

It is truly a dreamy city and area, but unfortunately the women no longer wear long floating white dresses with waist ribbons and summer hats. Still, I couldn't resist paying tribute to Krøyer and photograph my own 'Summer Evening on the Skagen Southern Beach.'

As the attentive reader may have observed, this picture is from Skagen Southern beach, but taken facing north and not south as the Krøyer painting, but I could not resist these two women walking arm in arm. Here is a picture taken facing south.

What can I say? Times they're a-changing.

If you want to visit Skagen go here

P.S. Krøyer image from here - rest of the images by me.

School's Out for Summer!

2011-06-22T01:22:00.000-07:00

Exams are finally over and I have sent a new set of young people out in the world - hopefully a little wiser than when I met them. One can only hope. It is with great joy I welcome the summer vacation - I thought it would never come!
What are your plans for this summer? I've been so busy that I couldn't concentrate on planning anything. I've never been one to plan ahead. These days I'm trying to get used to not doing anything and figuring out what my plans are. To be honest, I prefer to be in Copenhagen or at least Denmark during the summer so I'm not even sure I'm going away. I have a few con amore projects I'd like to work on and otherwise just relax, see friends, and practice a little 'dolce far niente.'
However, I thought I would share some of my favourite travel moments with you the next few days. If, like me, you're staying at home for the summer, you can live vicariously through them, or, who knows, maybe find inspiration to go away.

Have a wonderful summer!

Edward Hopper: People in the Sun, 1960 (Smithsonian American Art Museum) taken from here

Yellow Dress + Red Lips

2011-06-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one obsessed with this mustard yellow dress/red lips combination?

Michelle Williams at the Oscars, Kirsten Dunst in Cannes and Diane Kruger at the SAG awards.
Click on images to go to source.

Blog Love

2011-06-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

I've added two new blogs on my blog list on the right. They are actually not new to me at all. I have been enjoying them for some time now, but for some reason they haven't made it to the blog list yet. But better late than never:-)

First From the House of Edward

A wonderful blog written by Pamela - and her dog! the charming Edward. Pamela is a great writer and an avid reader - as am I.

Second A Bloomsbury Life

Well, a sure way of attracting me to your blog is to have a blog with the word Bloomsbury in the title! A Bloomsbury Life is written by Lisa Borgnes Giramonti, who also happens to love books. She recently did a great post about what she learned from different books and she can also knit - remember this scarf?

Do visit both blogs - you won't regret it.

Images from respectively From the House of Edward and A Bloomsbury Life.

Goodbye to The Big Man

2011-06-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are Bruce Springsteen fans like myself have probably heard the sad news. Musician and member of The E-Street Band, Clarence Clemons died yesterday. He was such an integral part of the band and it's hard to imagine how the concerts will be like after he's not here anymore. The interaction between The Boss and The Big Man was such a huge part of most of the concerts.

“Bruce and I looked at each other and didn’t say anything, we just knew.We knew we were the missing links in each other’s lives.” - Clemons about playing with Bruce Springsteen for the first time.

As one commenter said on the Clemons post at Bricolage: at least we must hope he is playing in a band in heaven with Danny Federici.

Click on images to go to sources.

Ipad Covers

2011-06-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

I may just be the only person in the world who does not have an Ipad - but I might just get one because of these lovely Ipad covers. Aren't they great? There are lots of different famous book titles to choose from, but I would love the Walden one or the Moby Dick one. The last one is not for sale unfortunately. It is homemade by Whitney Deal from Darling Dexter.

Book Ipad covers from here via Creature Comforts. Darling Dexter photos from the Darling Dexter blog.

A Different Kind of Catwalk

2011-06-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

While in York, I picked up a brochure at the hotel. I was lured in by the headline: Free Fun in York :-D

It turned out to be a brochure about ‘The Fabulous York Cat Trail’ created by York Glass Ltd. I don’t have a cat, but I chose to walk the walk just for fun. I highly recommend the walk to anyone whether they are cat or dog lovers. It’s not really about the cats (except if you are in fact crazy about cats), but it took me through parts of the city that I wouldn’t have seen and along the way, it became very important to me to actually find the cats – once a competitive person – always a competitive person!

I think this would be a great idea for lots of different kinds of walks in different cities, don’t you think? Again, it doesn’t have to be about cats. You could look for lots of other things. The reason why the York walk is a cat walk is - according to the brochure - that cats have played a part in York’s history – the cats are considered to be linked with luck, since cats always land on their feet and have nine lives. Statues and sculptures of cats are placed around the city, originally to scare off rats, mice and pigeons, but they were also considered luck for the inhabitants of the houses.

Would you like to take the walk with me? Come along!

'Start the trail in the Shambles outside York Glass which is home to York Lucky Cats.'

‘Proceed downhill and turn left under the stone arch into the Snickleway which leads onto Whip-ma-whop-ma-gate…’ (isn’t that just the most amazing street name?!)…’turn left up Colliergate and stop at Barnitts emporium of retail excellence to find the first two cats. Cat No 1 is unusual, being a carving and not a statue, the second cat can be difficult to find…Clue, tick tock for cat No 2.’ I admit I almost gave up already since it took me ages to find the first cat. But here they are – can you see cat No 1?

I thought it was difficult, but here it is in a close up.

And here's the tick tock one.

‘Proceed into Kings Square. Scan the roof-line around the square and you will notice cat No 3 stalking a pigeon.’

‘Proceed down St Andrewsgate, picking off cat No 4 and No 5, situated at ½ and No 1, which are clues to house numbers, location of cats, and also to certain cats relative sizes.' Here's the 1/2 sized cat...

...at No 1/2!

And here's the normal sized cat at No 1.

'Continue down Spen Lane and into St Saviour's Place looking out for the black and white building straight ahead- The Black Swan Inn is both one of York's oldest hostelries (15th C) and also one of its most haunted Hotels. Look out for Salem, the establishment's real black cat and also cat No 6.' I didn't see Salem - not for lack of trying! But here's No 6.

'Cross over from the Black Swan heading downhill past the Quilting Museum (which I visited and higly recommend!) towards the traffic lights where the River Foss passes under the road. Turn left and up onto the City Walls after the solicitors offices. Enjoy the fine views along the walls, descending at the first opportunity. From Monk Bar proceed up Goodramgate looking for cat No 7 which can be found at the best of the numerous cafes. In need of assistance?...ask for vegetarian food!'

'To find the next cat involves strolling past the Minster up Deansgate and turning right onto High Petergate at the Dean Court Hotel. Pass through Bootham Bar turning right at the traffic lights onto Gillygate. Cat No 8 is halfway down. Stuck? Look for an old fashioned gas style street lamp.'

'Retrace your steps to the traffic lights looking out for the City Art Gallery and the fountains in front. Take the passageway to the side of the adjacent St Williams College. This leads you into the Museum gardens (which were B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!), you need to turn left and go out the Main entrance. Cat No 9 can be seen from the Gardens main entrance.'

'Continue down Lendal passing the Post Office and keep going into Coney Street where cat No 10 can be found about half way down the street. Think cards if struggling.'

'At the end of Coney Street turn right onto Ousegate for cat No 11. This is probably the oldest surviving cat. It is on the building of a former grocers where originally there were two cat statues dating back to the 19th century.'

'No 12 can be unlucky for some! This one is difficult to spot. Move onto the middle of Ouse Bridge and look up Rover finding the Park Inn. Once found look directly across the River from the Park Inn and No 12 is on the roof line at the back of the same building as cat No 11.'

Can you spot it? If so, please tell me where! I was one of the unlucky ones:-(

'There are some steps down from the Bridge towards Kings Arms Pub which floods at times. If safe, then go down these past the pub and walk approx 200m south along Kings Staith by the River Ouse. Cats No 13 and 14 are close to each other and to where Friars Terrace and South Esplanade merge. If you find a walled up entrance with a now unnecessary gate, then you are close.'

Do you see them? One in each window.

'Next, you are best to continue in the same direction along the River, turning left at the open space of Tower Gardens. Cross the road and keep Clifford's Tower to your right passing the Hilton Hotel and going along Castlegate towards the city centre and the Shambles which were your starting point. Cat No 15 is located on a Shambles based shop which sells hand made 'Lucky Cats.':-)

'If your legs allow it, there is another reasonably central cat to be found on Walmgate which is a continuation of Fossgate. Fossgate is to be found by turning left at the bottom of the Shambles and then right where the Army and Navy store is located. The cat No 16 is approx 100m past the River and located close to another animal statue.'

'Congratulations on your effort.'

All text in 'italics' from the brochure from York Glass Ltd. All images by me.

I Want To: Age Gracefully

2011-06-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

Nadine Gordimer

Helen Mirren

Tyne Daly

Meryl Streep

Click on images to go to sources.

2011-06-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry, but this is funny.

From here

First Three Words

2011-06-01T05:56:00.000-07:00

Mine were wisdom, secret and passion. Thank God, it's only three - because immediately after 'passion', I found 'coke':-)

Found here

Alphabet Love: C

2011-05-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my favourite things and people beginning with the letter C...

Cellos

Chocolate

Chaplin

Ceramics

Candles

Copenhagen

Chestnuts

Cinnamon

Crosswords

Christmas

Church bells

Croquet

Cartwheels

Clouds

Carpet beaters

Carousel horses

Camp fires

Cut-out-dolls

Chandeliers

Crayons

Cook books

Collections

Cello, chocolate, Chaplin, Susan Liebe ceramic box, candles, Copenhagen - the little mermaid, chestnuts, cinnamon, crosswords, christmas tree from bippity boppity boo, church bells, croquet ?, cartwheels, clouds, carpet beaters, carousel horse, campfires, cut-out dolls, chandelier, crayons, cook books, collection.

'This is certainly a beautiful country!'

2011-05-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

The words are borrowed from Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, but I second Mr. Lockwood's description of Yorkshire. It really is beautiful. Still busy, busy, busy, but I thought I would show you some of my pictures from the trip.

Images by me.

P.S. Can't wait to share a cat walk I went on in York!

Exams!

2011-05-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. It's exam time! So it's one of the busiest times of the year for me. Between reading final papers and preparing questions for examinations and calming students in panic, there seems to be no time left for the things I love - including blogging. Hope to be back soon.

Image from here

I'm Back...

2011-05-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

...after a week in Yorkshire. I have lots to share, but first - a lot of blog reading!

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Alphabet Love: B

2011-05-07T08:14:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my favourite things and people beginning with B:-).

Braids

Ballet flats

Ballerinas

Ballet

Black

Blue colours

Babushkas

Bumper cars

Bird song

Bloomsbury Group

Birch

Books

Bruce Springsteen

Bathing jetties

Bookstores

Birthdays

Balloons

Bread

Bicycles

Book clubs

Bell jars

Babies

What and who are yours?

Braids photo by Jennifer Sarkilahti via Wikstenmade, ballet flats drawing 'The Girliest Girl' by Caitlin Shearer via Audrey Hepburn Complex, ballerinas photo from here, ballet image from here, black square, blue paint chart from here, babushka dolls from here, bumper car from Retro To Go, bird song image from here, Bloomsbury painting: The Memoir Club by Vanessa Bell (National Portrait Gallery, London), birch painting from here, book lover drawing from here, Bruce Springsteen photograph by Michael Zorn for Backstreets taken from here, bathing jetty photo from here, bookstore photo from Modern Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe photo from here, balloon image ?:-(, bread photo by photographer Nichole Robertson from Little Brown Pen, bicycle photo from here, cover of Karen Joy Fowler's The Jane Austen Book Club, bell jars image from here, baby photo from Lou, Boos and Shoes.

A Potter Day

2011-05-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

I have always been in love with the wonderful books by Beatrix Potter so I was delighted when I found these three small books at one of my favourite vintage shops.

They are so adorable and have sent me into one of my Potter crazes. I'm reading Potter's books, daydream about visiting the Lake District and today I saw Miss Potter, the movie about Potter's life, love and literature.

Isn't this a movie you just want to live in?

For more on Beatrix Potter and the movie, visit The World of Beatrix Potter.

Potter image from here, book images by me, movie stills from Miss Potter, Potter website via Giulia Geranium

Seperated at Birth

2011-05-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

You know how much I love Miss Moss' colour comparisons - I have now also fallen in love with the 'seperated at birth' series on Sfgirlbybay. Love that room in the first comparison!

Images from Sfgirlbybay.

84 Charing Cross Road

2011-05-02T03:16:00.000-07:00

I have just been reading Helene Hanff's 84 Charing Cross Road and the sequel The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street for the God-knows-how-many-times. I simply adore them and if you haven't already read them, I highly recommend them. However, this time, was the first time I read them since I started this blog and I couldn't help but think about how blog land must be full of similar stories, people writing to each other, commenting on each other's posts, becoming friends and following each other's lives, sharing their joys and sorrows without ever meeting in real life.

84 Charing Cross Road is a compilation of the letter correspondance between the American writer, Helene Hanff, and Frank Doel, the buyer of Marks & Co., an antiquarian book shop at, you guessed, 84 Charing Cross Road. The knowledge of, and more importantly the passion for literature that these two shared, makes the book a wonderful read for any book lover. Helene Hanff is the straightforward American who isn't afraid to speak her mind, while Frank Doel is the stoic and polite Englishman. They develop a friendship although never meeting each other - when Hanff finally visits England it's too late. Frank Doel has past away and the book shop is closed.

In the sequel Hanff describes her visit to London. She finally meets the friends - except Frank Doel - that she has been writing to for so many years. It's the journey of a lifetime for Hanff and she is waited on and admired every second she is there, which makes her feel like 'The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street'.

I've never read any other books by Hanff, but I would love to - I love her sense of humour and no-nonsense approach to life.

Sadly, there is no longer a book store at 84 Charing Cross Road, only this plaque..

There has to be a book shop there, don't you think? If I can't become museum keeper at The Bloomsbury Museum, I have to some day open a book store at 84 Charing Cross Road!

The book (84 Charing Cross Road) was made into a movie in 1987 starring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins as Hanff and Doel. Genius casting if you ask me. I love Anne Bancroft, but that's a different post:-)

Book covers from here and here, Helene Hanff image from here, Marks & Co. image from here, plaque from here, and still from the movie from here.

Tivoli

2011-04-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

When Tivoli opens the doors for the season, it is officially spring in Copenhagen. I went there recently and took some of my famously bad pictures, but I hope the beauty of the garden still shines through:-)

The Pantomime Theatre - the peacock lowers its feathers when the show begins.

I do love magnolia trees!

A sign which tells you which fish you can see in the lake.

You'll find this guy many places in the garden. He is dreaded by young daredevils. If you're not above 140 cm, you are not allowed to try some of the more 'dangerous' rides:-)

The Chinese influences in the garden are many.

This amusement, the Vintage Cars, was one of my favourites when I was little, and they are still there. The nostalgia is a big part of Tivoli's success with us natives:-)

These small pavillions are used for small concerts, classical, jazz etc.

'Glassalen' - The Glass Hall Theatre. That is the tower of the city hall to the left by the way...

The tea salon by the fountains.

Enjoying the sun at the lawn.

I'm in love with these hanging flowers!

A statue of the founder, Georg Carstensen.

It is of course one of the biggest tourist attractions in Copenhagen, but if you are not visiting the city at the height of the season, and you are there when the garden opens at 11 a.m. you can enjoy a somewhat peaceful visit to the garden - the flowers, the statues, the old buildings...it really is lovely.

Anna & Mr. Bates

2011-04-30T04:15:00.000-07:00

The last episode of Downtown Abbey aired this past week in Denmark. I can't wait until the next season! My favourite storyline/couple is Anna and Mr. Bates. They are both so stoic and decent:-) As I googled images of them to use for this post, I discovered that I am by no means the only one who is devoted to this 'almost couple'. This blog devoted to the couple has beautiful images and great quotes by Anna & Mr. Bates. This article explores 'the unlikely cult of Mr. Bates'. My favourite scenes are the scenes when they bring trays for each other. Sigh!

Anna: Because … because I love you, Mr. Bates. I know it’s not ladylike to say it, but I’m not a lady and I don’t pretend to be.

Bates: You are a lady to me and I never knew a finer one.

Bates: Now go to sleep and dream of a better man.

Anna: I can’t … because there isn’t one.

Images from here

Sisters

2011-04-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

Such a sweet picture from today's wedding. Brings back memories - I was my sister's maid of honour:-)

They both looked beautiful.

Photograph by Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

Alphabet Love: A

2011-04-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my favourite things and people beginning with A:-)

Annie Hall

Audrey Hepburn

Anemones

Astrid Lindgren

Art

Apple pie

Autumn

Anne Shirley - Anne with an 'e'

Abaci

Alcoves

Ampersands

Artichokes

Autobiographies

Argentine Tango

Australia

What and who are yours?

Still from Annie Hall, Audrey Hepburn art by Melissa Chaib, anemone photograph by Kjeld Brandt, Astrid Lindgren photograph by Ulla Montan, The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, apple pie from here, autumn leaves from here, still of Megan Follows as Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables, abacus from Hudson Goods, alcove image by ?, ampersands from here, artichokes painting by Brian Edmond, autobiography covers by me, Argentine tango image from here, Australia image from here.

Word Portraits

2011-04-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

Are these not amazing? Artist John Sokol has created these word portraits where he 'draws' famous authors by using words from some of their most famous works. I'm in awe! I wish there were an Oscar version or Virginia Woolf and Henry James. Which author and work would you like to see?

Walt Whitman: Leaves of Grass

William Faulkner: The Sound and the Fury

Charles Baudelaire: Les Fleurs de Mal

Images by John Sokol taken from his website via Le Projet D'amour