4 things

Got this tag from Rose et Jaune and think it is a fun one so I'll play along :)

But I am going to do it in english only or it will be a mile long!

4 things in my handbag:

1. My wallet
2. My phone
3. An umbrella
4. My keys

I know - boooring! But those are the only 4 things I always bring with me. 
And about the umbrella - I live in Norway mmkay?

4 things on my deskdrawer:

1. A lamp
2. 3 bottles of nail polish - all of them in beige shades
3. My camera (Canon EOS 1000D)
4. My wow authenticator

And in my defense 1 of the nail polishes is beigeish purple, one is beigeish brown and one just beige, so there is nothing strange about that - right?

4 favourite things in my bedroom:

1. Whatever book I am currently reading
2. Loads of pillows
3. An original artwork by an old friend
4. The snooze button on my alarm clock

4 things I always wanted to do:

1. Visit Thailand
2. Attend an acoustic concert with Counting Crows
3. Be good at drawing
4. Grow old and grey with the one I love

4 things I like at the moment:

1. Autumn
2. My new book in the 'Southern Vampire Mysteries' series
3. Only two weeks until I get to visit Holland again, yay!
4. My two new sweaters from Ginatricot. So soft and comfy!

4 things you probably didn't know about me:

1. I am not Norwegian in the traditional sense, but one of the Sami people. The Sami people are one of the indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia but also in the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. Which means there is no blonde locks and blue eyes on this girl, but dark colors and high cheekbones! 
2. I used to attend boxing classes for over two years, so be aware, I have a mean uppercut! (This was quite a while back though)
3. I took one of those personality test once, you know the ones that recruitments agencies sometimes make you go through and that takes like 2 hours to complete? And apparently I am 'off the charts' creative but also strong willed and stubborn. You don't say...
4. I am an introvert! For those who are not sure what that is or if you know one but don't know quite how to handle them, just read this article - best description ever.

4 songs I sing in the shower:

Haha, I don't sing in the shower! But that is not 4 things so I'll list some songs that I keep playing over and over and over on my spotify instead.

1. Emily Jane White - Wild Tigers I Have Known
2. The Kooks - She Moves In Her Own Way
3. The National - Anyones Ghost
4. Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel

And to round it up - 4 blogs that I love!
 
And if you girls haven't done it yet and can find the time you are welcome to play along - but no pressure!

1. La Petite Coquin
2. Village
3. Wild and Precious
4. After 'I do'

Also, last but not least, I want to thank the 5 lovely ladys that have been passing on a blogaward to me! You guys make me smile :)

Jude from Food and Life. 

Stacey from Design Addict Mom. 

Amber from Amber blue bird.

Vampire from Tragic Fairytales.

Minnja from Minnja the Blog.
 

 I haven't forgotten about you, I just made a separate page to show them off!

All pictures: WeHeartIt 

h

The pictures are linked to the source.

1. Humler. Insektverdenens teddybjørn som trosser alle fysikkens lover bare ved å lette å fly. Fantastisk!
2. Holland. Jo mer jeg reiser dit jo bedre trives jeg!
3. Høst. Stearinlys, en god bok, en varm kopp te, et pledd. Det er alt jeg trenger for å trives i denne kosestunden av en årstid.

Stuff I love starting with the letter H. Naturally it won’t always start with the same letter in English as it does in Norwegian, but what the heck, I'll translate it anyway!  

1. Bumble Bees. The teddy bear of the insect world puts all laws of physics to shame by being able to fly. Fantastic!
2. Holland. The more I go there - the better I like it! 
3. Autumn. Candles, a good book, a warm cup of tea and a throw. That's all I need to thrive in the coziest part of the year.

Italy #4 - Milan

Pictures © SignePling

De to siste dagene våre i Italia tilbragte vi som kjent i Milano! 

Vi tilbragte tiden med shopping, spiste godt, drakk oss tipsy 

på Champagne og feiret 27-års dag for Vegar og Mariel.

Vi var også så heldige at vi fikk med oss starten på Milan Fashion Week så hele byen var lyst opp i rosa og det var 'pink carpets' over alt. Moro!

~ ~ ~

Our two last days in Italy we spent in beautiful Milan!

We did some shopping, had great food, got tipsy on Champagne 

and celebrated my brothers and bonus sisters 27th birthday.

We were also lucky enough to catch the start of Milan Fashion Week and the city were lit up in pink and there were pink carpets everywhere. Fun!

PS: My brother is only pretending to pee on that Armani poster, but you should have seen the look on some of the people that were passing by!

Italy #3 - Mount Mottarone

Pictures © SignePling

Andre del av andre dag tok vi taubanen til toppen av Mottarone fjellet, 1491 meter over havet. Og det skal jeg si deg - det var litt av en skummel tur! Men sånn i ettertid er jeg glad for at jeg ble med for utsikten over alpene var helt fantastisk.

Har noen få bilder igjen fra Milano men etter det 

lover jeg å slutte med feriebilder for en liten stund!

I alle fall til jeg skal til Nederland om et par uker :)

~ ~ ~

Second half of our second day we spent taking the Stresa cable car to the top of Mount Mottarone, 1491m. above sea level. Let me tell you - that was a scary ride! But in hindsight I'm glad I did it because the view over the Alps was absolutely magnificent.

Still have a few pictures left from Milan but after
that I will stop with the holiday pictures, I promise!

At least until my next holiday which goes to Holland in two weeks :)

monday morning randoms

Pictures: WeHeartIt

God mandags morgen!

Hvilke planer har du for uken som kommer? 

Selv venter jeg på å få byttet ut alle vinduene i leiligheten min, men er ikke sikker på når det skal skje enda. Hører arbeiderne bråker noe innmari om dagen når de går løs på de andre leilighetene i blokka!

Og siden høsten er kommet til Oslo med sine flotte farger så jeg tenker å ta en liten tur i botanisk hage å se om jeg kan få til noen fine høstbilder. Kommer litt an på været!

Ha en finfin uke søtnoser :)

~ ~ ~

Good Monday morning!

What plans do you have for the upcoming week?

I am waiting to get all the windows replaced in my apartment, but not quite sure when that will happen yet. When I am at home I can hear the carpenters make quite some noise when doing the other apartments in my building!

And since autumn have arrived in Oslo with its magnificent colors I will try to make time for a trip in the botanical garden and see if I can get some nice pictures. Depends a bit on the weather!

Have a lovely week cupcakes :)

Italy #2 - The Borromean Islands

The Borromean Islands (It. Isole Borromee) are a group of three small islands and two islets in the Italian part of Lago Maggiore, located in the western arm of the lake, between Verbania to the north and Stresa  to the south. Together totalling just 50 acres (20 hectares) in area, they are a major local tourist attraction for their picturesque setting.

Their name derives from the Borromeo family, which started acquiring them in the early 16th century (Isola Madre) and still owns some of them (Isola Madre, Bella, San Giovanni) today.

Isola Bella, named for Isabella, countess Borromeo, was originally a largely barren rock; after first improvements and buildings, opened by count Carlo III between 1629 and 1652, his son Vitaliano the 6th built an attractive summer palace, bringing in vast quantities of soil in order to build up a system of ten terraces for the garden. The unfinished building displays paintings by Lombard artists and Flemish tapestries.

Facts from Wikipedia.

PS: That is my brother entertaining all the tourists by doing a Rocky imitation, 
complete with humming the music and everything!

PS II: That is my bonus sister with the awesome tattoo.

PS III: That is me slacking in the shade.

More from day 2 later! And please do tell me if I am 
killing you with holiday picture overdose here :)

 All pictures © SignePling

bring Italy home

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum & Skin Insulator.

Massimo Dutti Blue Suede (Brogue) Shoes.

Sweet roasted peanuts & a 2011 Calendar in Italian.

Some fun pasta bows. Champagne and Wine from the taxfree shop.

Om du skulle til Italia i morgen hva ville du tatt med deg hjem igjen?
If you were going to Italy tomorrow what would you bring home with you?

Italy #1 - The Arrival

Tidlig mandags morgen møtte vi spent opp på Gardermoen med passet klart og kofferten pakket; meg, lillebror, mine to bonussøstre og foreldrene våre.

Første etappe på reisen var som antatt flyet til Malpensa, Milano. Andre etappe var meningen å være tog, men vi droppet det og leide heller bil (med privatsjåfør!) til byen Stresa ved bredden av Maggioresjøen. Er jammen ikke så ille å reise ut på tur med foreldre som villig plukker opp regninga og er av det bedagelige slaget!

Da vi kom frem til den lille perlen ved bredden av Maggioresjøen og hadde sjekket inn på et flott hotell bar det rett inn til sentrum av byen for å se oss omkring og få oss litt og spise. Vi fant en koselig liten restaurant med rødrutete duk på byens torg og dermed var startskuddet gått for 4 glade dager med nydelig mat, vin, sightseeing og shopping. Og alt sammen i godt selskap!

Når jeg har hatt tid til å gå gjennom noen flere bilder så skal dere få se dag to av reisen som inkluderer en tur til de Boromeiske øyer og Mottaronefjellet.

Early Monday morning we met up at the airport with our passports ready and our bags packed; me, my brother, my two bonus sisters and our parents.

Our first destination turned out to be Malpensa, Milano - as expected! When we arrived there we didn’t get on a train as planned but instead rented a car (with a driver!) to take us to our final destination for the day; the small town Stresa by the shores of Lake Maggiore. Got to love traveling with your parents, especially when they like it comfortable and always pick up the bill!

After we got there and checked into our hotel we went straight into the town center to grab some lunch and have a look around. We found the nicest little restaurant in the town square and with that our adventure in Italy was officially started. It ended up being an amazing 4 days with great food, good wine, sightseeing and shopping – and all in great company!

When I've had the time to sort the rest of my pictures I will be back with day two of our journey which included a trip to the Boromean Islands and a trip with a gondola lift to the top of mount Mottarone.

All pictures © SignePling

pretty pretty!

Hvor fine er ikke det nye bildet og buttonsene mine fra tabitha emma?!

Bildet skal henge på kjøkkenet og buttonsene skal på den nye jakka mi!

(Stemmer det, jeg endte opp med å kjøpe den!)

Fikk også kjøpt meg et par nye sko og litt forskjellig småting i Milano, 

skal se om jeg ikke klarer å få til en post på det i løpet av helgen :)

~ ~ ~

How great is my new print and buttons from tabitha emma?!

The print is for my kitchen and the buttons is for my new coat.

(That's right, I just had to have it!)

Also got a pair of shoes and some other nice bits and pieces in Italy, will try to remember to make a post about those sometime during the weekend :)

friday favorites

Denne ukens fredagsfavoritt er en av mine absolutt 

favorittfilmer og en skikkelig god gammel klassiker. 

Filmen kom ut i 1992, produsert og regissert av Francis Ford Coppola og basert på romanen Dracula som ble gitt ut av den Irske forfatteren Bram Stoker så tidlig som i 1897.
Den skildrer den mystiske Grev Dracula fra Transilvania på jakt etter blod i London og er nok for mange ensbetydende med ordet vampyr.

Jeg har vært helt oppslukt av denne filmen siden første gang jeg så den i 1992 og har sett den på nytt flerfoldige ganger siden.
Bildene er vakre og stemningsfulle og settene og kostymene er av en annen verden. Castingen er perfekt med Winona Ryder som den vakre Mina, Anthony Hopkins som Professor Abraham Van Helsing, Keanu Reeves som Jonathan Harker og ikke minst Gary Oldman som gjør kanskje sitt livs rolle som Grev Dracula. Og for musikk- eller film-geeks så er det gøy å se Tom Waits gjøre en god jobb som den sinnsyke R.M. Renfield!

Men husk at spesialeffektene er fra 1992 og ikke 'state of the art' lengre!
Jeg synes likevel at denne filmen holder seg godt så om du ikke er en av dem som er veldig opptatt av effektene så skulle ikke det kunne ødelegge opplevelsen av filmen.

Filmmusikken fra Wojciech Kilar må nesten også nevnes og
er et eget mesterverk man kan nyte helt uavhengig av filmen!

This week’s friday favorite is one of my 
all time favorite movies and an old classic.

The movie was released in 1992, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based on the novel ‘Dracula’ written by Bram Stoker in 1897. 
It tells the tale of the mysterious count Dracula from Transylvania and his hunt for blood in the streets of London and is for many synonymous with the word vampire.

I’ve been smitten with this movie since I first saw it in 1992 and have seen it over countless of times since then. 
The pictures are gorgeous and the sets and costumes are just out of this world. The casting is flawless with Winona Ryder as the beautiful Mina, Anthony Hopkins as Professor Abraham Van Helsing, Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker and last but not least Gary Oldman doing what might be his best work ever as Count Dracula himself. And for movie- or music geeks it’s also fun to see Tom Waits do a great job as the madman R.M. Renfield!

Keep in mind that the special effects are made in 1992 and therefor not 'state of the art' stuff! But I think it holds up fine still and if you are not one of those people that is really into effects it should not ruin the experiance for you.

I also have to mention the soundtrack from Wojciech Kilar that 

is a great masterpiece and can be enjoyed also outside the movie.

Music: 'Mina/Dracula' by Wojciech Kilar

Pictures: Columbia Pictures

honey, I'm home!

Made it back from Italy today and have had the best time ever!

Will sort my pictures and show you a few of them sometime during the weekend and I honestly can't wait to catch up on my favorite blogs :)

Picture © SignePling

words of wisdom

    
[via]

tuesday tunes

Music: Minor Majority 'Think I'm Up For You & I'

Picture: WeHeartIt

monday morning randoms

Pictures: WeHeartIt

Når du leser dette så er nok jeg på tur fra høsten i
Oslo til fortsatt sommer en eller annen plass i Italia.

Har lagt inn en par poster til automatisk publisering
utover uken også seest vi igjen til helga!

Ha en finfin uke søtnoser :)

~ ~ ~

When you are reading this I have left the autumn in 
Oslo and am heading towards summer some place in Italy.

Added a few posts that will publish during the week 
I am gone and I'll be seeing you guys again this weekend!

Have a lovely week cupcakes :)