Moving on.....

the weather is cold but beautiful and sunny this very last day of 2010.

Family will be gathering over a good meal, looking forward into 2011.

We are soon up for a major change in our lives, a most exciting experience.

Look what I caught climbing the stairs, heading for a bed and some rest before New Year's dinner!

We wish you all a prosperous 2011 around the world!

    
     ♪ Klocka ♫

Just in time......

to join the Christmas Holiday. I saved her a spot to rest after a long journey.

Nu väntar vi bara på att husse som korsar Atlanten för sista 

gången detta år, ska trotsa snöyra o kyla och hinna hem i tid.

Ingen jul utan husets mästerkock!

                                  

                                                                                 ✩        

   ✩  Ia    ✩
☆

                                                                         ☆            ☆

                                                                                                   

                                                                           

Ett tråg fullt......

med snart 30 års sparande av äldsta sonen och mitt

tävlande i julgranspynt .... i alla fall delar av dem.

Till vardags numera samlade på vinden. Idag klär mor granen

tillsammans med husets katt, tävlar gör hon inte längre utan vill glädja

sin vuxna son med traditionen av husets julgrans utstyrsel... 

....men först skall alla lösa barr ruskas av och avlägsnas.

I år valdes handmålat med gammalt filigran och antika frostade

glaskulor i en salig röra. Vissa måste träs om på snören då de torkat.

Och sen är det inget pling i kulorna, Kletus! 

                                                               ☆

☆           ☆

☆            ☆              

 

This year's ornaments and trims for the Christmas tree decor have 

been selected from the attic's storage. For almost 28 years I've been

competing against by eldest son ( the only competition I've ever had in 

my whole life whatsoever ) decorating the family Christmas tree to

look it's best ever. Every year we have been scrutinizing the market

and antiques, making our picks separately, then adding them to the

tree when the other one was out of the house.

Today my son has his own apartment and works hard with

little time for Holiday preparations. So his mum has picked

some assorted ornaments from over the years and will try to

honor him by keeping the family tradition and dress the tree

herself this year, accompanied as always by the most
expectant housecat. He's been sniffing it for a couple
of days now.

Also grown up men love a beautiful Christmas tree.

Updating of thorns.....

on some of the gutter's finials, finally accomplished.

Great teamwork with the tinsmith, my design and finishing 

 coats of paint (along with some others stuff I prefer not to mention)

 to achieve the the right surface matching the new roofing tiles,

 glazed in black.

The extreme and cold weather is hard on the roofers, they are 

using the 7 hrs daylight efficiently and then really deserve a

 good rest. I've never heard so much giggling and laughter

during the day on my roof ever before. Great spirit, thanks guys!

Jag är glad för vissa traditioner som går av rena farten i huset, 

speciellt vid Jul. Just nu svischar dagarna förbi med jobb, benen är 

rätt tunga, fortfarande. En liten vila ovanför trappan är rätt skönt.

Husets tolkning av Lusselelle får hänga med ett tag till.

Tomorrow is set aside for the foundry, moulding reproductions

of the pinnacles. This is the original.

❤Hej å hå❤

Ia

Med näsa för tryfflar.....

eller kanske mera allmän ursäkt för

hamstring inför julen.

Gottegrisar är vi allihopa......men först preppar vi för

 husets årliga fest av vårt eget Lussebarn.

Choklad och tryffel med champagne kommer årligen från Charbonnel.

Vissa saker vill husets gottegrisar inte göra avkall på.

Numera kan man beställa smidigt online, tack o lov!

❤ Ia, i tidsnöd o duckar för byggnadsställningar!

P.s.  Some assorted chocolates recommended for Christmas,

truffles filled with pink champagne.

Charbonnel, a chocolatier housed in London and established in 1875,

proudly wraps up in hand-made boxes and ships worldwide.

Uttråkat läge.....

för små katter i vinterkylan.

Längtar ut liksom, men vädret är inte bättre på någon sida av huset.

Sen en massa byggnadsställningar högt o lågt med en massa bråte!

Winter is hard on us cats right now, I prefer a warm cosy

linen duvet and some shearling on top of me.

Bye the way, I was finally caught in action in the middle of last night,

 for drinking from Mum's glass of water, even though I have my own  

bowl on her bedside table. She's been suspecting me for some time.

Verified with an Iphone camera!

She loves me just the same.

☃ Kletus ☃

P.s.  Ia says hi, she's busy acting as a henchman for the roofers,

painting watercups and gutters while also dealing with orders in the workshop

as always close to Christmas.

En hel del senare........

samt utrustad med ett gott tålamod,

fick jag sen min målbild klar. Det tog ett år +. Se här!

Mitt skapande sker oftast i lager av linjer och balans mellan 

olika material samt ytfinish och lätt asymmetri som är behaglig för ögat. 

Mönstrade tapeter kan vara svåra och resultatet genom fönstret

blev denna gång precis så effektfullt som jag hoppats.

Till och med normala kaoset i köksentrén lurar ögat tillsammans

med tapetens mönster, kontrasterna suddas ut.

De gamla munblåsta originalglasen i fönstren mjukar i sin tur

helheten från matplatsen. En del glas saknas och får så vara 

för att behålla en viss charm och praktiska prathål.

Det springs rätt mycket in o ut genom dörren.

❤Ia, som skyndar långsamt!

After more than a year, the tapestry of the wallpaper

from Colefax&Fowler is finally completed.

The small kitchen entrance needed some reflections

along the process of getting the different 

layers of lines to work well together.

This is how it all started! 

Skenet bedrar....

man kan tro att vila o ro hägrar denna tidiga morgon.

Skymningsrelät har precis släckt all belysning utomhus runt huset.

Frosten ligger vackert på de gamla tegelpannorna.

I verkligheten ser det mer ut så här..........!!!!!

Operation takbyte är påbörjat, morgonfriden är ett minne blott...

Hu, vad jag är trött i håret,

❤Ia❤

Early November morning nipped by frost,

providing a misty scenery for a day.

The veritable action takes place around the corner...

operation roofing tiles exchange is now on.

There are no late mornings any longer,

the skylift turns the key with the daylight

and the scaffolds start squeaking as the 

craftsmen swing themselves up

I must say I'm impressed, it's crazy cold

but I've seen nothing but a great spirit. 

To follow.....

Goda egenskaper....

vid full kalender!

I'm truly brilliant at having power naps on the couch.

Christmas orders are filling up my calender,

but I've learned my lesson to offer a reasonable

amount of time for my deliveries. I prefer

handing over my work with pride.

I do not possess the quality of playing the piano, as others in the 

family do, but I enjoy being a listener. Music has every quality for 
boosting. 

♪Ia♪♬

Out of office.......

having no public office next to the workshop at the moment

and trying to seperate my needles and tools from the paperwork in 

a more quiet area of the house, my stationary is now temporarily

installed on the top floor.

My very small and old cap table, late Gustavian, has a natural distressed

 surface of linseed oil paint and now acts as a desk for the computor. 

Thank lord for wireless network for printing etc....

Blending functional hi-tech device with old interior styles and

gracious textiles is what makes my day peaceful at heart while working.

I will always stay open for technical improvements. 

Decorating my home is on the other hand rather a different matter.

I'm a hopeless fusspot over tiny details, 

you may ask my tinsmith about today's watercups!

How do you blend??

★Ia★

Autumn delight....

Ingrid Maries grow ripe at late October 

and shall preferably be picked after

a frosty night or two.

An apple with a herald from the Danish island of Fyn.

The story tells about the one seedling from a Cox Orange

taking root amongst the raspberry bushes a hundred years ago.

This year our single tree has produced a bumper harvest

and I'm preparing goodie-baskets for family and friends, 

to bring home after tomorrow's brunch.

This juicy apple tastes it's best at Christmas but may, 

when stored suitably, preserve well until April. 

XX Ia xx

Ponding......

efter många års tjat gav jag då äntligen med mig.....

men inte till vad som helst och inte hur som helst.

Detta är min måltavla, hittad hos en favorit blogg, Trouvais.

Hur går det då???

Lite långsamt kanske i inspektorns ögon,

men trots allt framåt.

Seriös leklåda för vuxna karlar!

Seriösa katter däremot har gjort sitt för dagen och tar sig

gärna en sömnlur bakom köksgardinen i solskenet.

❤Ia❤

I've finally surrendered after 20 years of harping

 and agreed on having a smaller pond 

constructed in the garden.

But not until I found my inspiration from 

one of Trouvais posts earlier this year.

I never thought it would be of such fun for someone else,

it's really a playground for adult males.

Bricks of stone, buckets with concrete, layers of armour,

electrical devices for a water cascade,

stone caisson for drainage...etc etc etc!

It's a never ending list.....

Regularly accompanied by the house cat, who needs to

rest for a bit, preferably on a windowsill

in the kitchen while the sun is warming up the pane.

The cold weather arrived rather early this year and working in 

mortar will now have to rest until the next spring.

Passing on...

yesterday's company-mail.

On the air today!

Hennes nya bok släpps nu i Sverige.

Or watch later at TV4play!

I heard it through the grapevine...

is one of my fav songs with Marvin Gaye

and has been on my lips all day.

Today's harvest gently picked from topped roofing!

Bringing in this season's grapes on a cold, rainy day and you need to warm up again.

Wrapped up.......and then some comfy loose chair covers to rest on.

These blue grapes have to come off after a night's temperature below the freezing-point,

for a better result and before being drawn off into bottles.

Some are left over for raisins.

❤Ia❤


P.s. It is possible to grow grapes in Sweden,
we have done so in a small number for 20 years.
We have chosen vines hardy a severe climate,
suitable for the Stockholm region.
Both blue and green logs have grown robust over 
the years, they even made it through last winter's
extreme cold.......knock on wood !!!