Blogger WIMB: Meg Biram

I'm so glad it's been two weeks since my last What's in my Bag illustration, so that I could do yet another. I swear these collaborations are becoming more and more fun to do... and share.

This week I got the pleasure of drawing blogger extraordinaire Meg Biram's gorgeously curated/normal bag contents. (Love that she added something so ordinary as contact eye drops.) That Kate Spade handbag is just stunning too! (Why don't we have Kate Spade in Sweden?!) Btw, I don't think Meg needed any proper introduction from me, as I know we all know, follow and adore her. Don't we?!

To view all of the great bloggers I've collaborated with and all the illustrations I've created you can visit my Pinterest board here...

and if you'd like to commission a What's in my Bag illustration for yourself you can purchase this Etsy listing here...

Our New Apartment

This weekend we had the chance to take a look at our new apartment a second time. This time when we knew it was ours we tried to make sure to pay attention to everything, and not miss anything. But it's difficult, when you're just so excited to move in.

We did take lots of measurements of all the rooms, and have been planning, measuring, and testing out floor plan options with simple sketches ever since. So that's fun! But it's hard to plan things in your head, or just with a floor plan. You kind of just need to move in all your stuff and move it around until it looks perfect. We took a few photos to remember a few details too, but didn't have the time to take any proper before pictures. (We'll have to do that on move in day when the current owner has removed all of his things.)

Here are a few peeks though...

Ta da! Here it is in all it's cream white snowy glory, viewed from the back yard. (The one in the middle) I'm in love with the extra large living room window, and can only imagine how sunny and bright the living room will be. Gorgeous! Plus the balcony has sun all day, our herbs and plants are going to love living here. It's located in such a lovely area too. Seems so quiet and cute. There were also lots of bunny tracks in the snow. Can't wait to see lots of bunnies hopping about here. Too cute!

Oh the gorgeously polished herringbone wooden floors in the living room! Sigh, so beautiful! The wooden floors in the bedrooms are really nice too.

And I actually really love the delicate wallpaper in the bedroom. So simple and pretty. I think it's going to look wonderfully romantic with our white curtains and sheets.

Just 3 more months!

Birthday Dinner

For dinner on my birthday I just wanted something very simple, but very delicious and elegant. So I requested to have crab, eaten simply cold with aioli, freshly baked bread and a very stinky creamy cheese. I also prepared a little salmon ceviche, which was really refreshing and tasty. For dessert I baked a lime and passion fruit pie (added maybe just a little too much green food coloring, hehe). Yummers!

Turning 29

It was my birthday on Saturday, as you may have gathered, and as birthday girl I got to decide how I wanted to spend my day. I didn't have too many plans or requests, just wanted to go on a nice walk, and enjoy good food. And that's exactly what we did!

We took a long walk on a side of Stockholm I've never really explored, South East Stockholm. We walked along the water, chatting about the mix of old and new architecture as we went. It got rather chilly after a while (started to have no feeling in my face, haha) so we stopped to warm up in one of my favorite places Chokladfabriken (the Chocolate Factory) for a mug of hot chocolate and a yummy chocolate eclair before heading home for dinner.

29!

(Image via here)

Today is my birthday, my 29th birthday! I quite like getting older, especially when it feels as though with every year my life gets better and better.

Week 8

So this week was pretty dang regular except for the fact that we bought ourselves our apartment. My first ever own apartment and actually Johan's too. You can only imagine our excitement! (hint we're ecstatic!) A place all of our own, which we can fix, paint, renovate however we please, and pick out our very own furniture for. Surely feeling awfully grown up; it's a great feeling by the way.

I've never really had my own place before. I lived at home with my parents throughout college and even for a year after that. When I moved to Sweden I lived with my Aunt and Uncle, and then in my cousin's apartment. When Johan and I moved in together, we lived in numerous furnished apartments of friends and friends of friends. We haven't had to purchase much furniture, and kind of just adapted to however the apartment was set up. Only in this last apartment have we gotten a feel for what it would be like to have our own place, as we've been able to live here a while longer, and have added a lot of our own touches. But the majority of the furniture here is not ours. Now if only the end of May would come sooner, so that it could be moving day.

The week will also finish off on another great note as it's my birthday tomorrow. 29 gah! How on Earth did I ever get this old?! I plan on not doing anything particularly exciting, no parties or anything like that. Maybe just a quick visit to town, to look for a new dress or two, and I plan on enjoying a huge delicious crab dinner. Sounds perfect to me.

Have a great weekend!

p.s. Please excuse the really boring photo of the realtors office. We don't have any photos of the apartment as of yet. Going to rectify that on Sunday :)

A Place of Our Own

Drum roll please... we got an apartment! This 2 bedroom stunner to be exact...

After weeks of searching, waiting, and enduring the frustration as all our favorites sold from right under our feet, we were offered to look at an apartment that wasn't yet on the market. We loved it! and now it's ours... well almost. (There's the whole money part, eek, and the waiting 3 months before moving in, aka an eternity.) So it doesn't really feel real yet. It also feels as though we got to see it for about 30 seconds, I can't remember how everything looked, or felt. Plus we have no pictures to share or drool over. But what I do remember is how gorgeously it was taken care of.

The walls are all wallpapered with gorgeous wallpapers, perfectly placed. I mean like ruler straight and perfect in every way. They are really pretty too with blue and green florals in the hall ways and a romantic simple floral in the bedroom. I think we'll only replace the current wallpaper in the living room and the extra bedroom for white walls (otherwise it may be too much of a pattern explosion.) The kitchen is a sun shiny yellow, painted perfectly too of course. No paint drips or smudges on the ceiling or mouldings... and it's really clean and fresh.

Hoping to go back soon, to get a better look, take a few photos, and get the planning started. We need furniture, like woah! We don't own a bed, sofa, wardrobes, or anything really so that part's pretty exciting too. Hope our family members have some hidden treasures in their attics.

I'm also really pleased that in the end we were able to afford a 2 bedroom so I get my very own office space. No longer will I be crammed in the corner of my living room. Can't even imagine how I'll decorate. Eek so exciting!!!

More Apartments

Apartment hunting is still kind of fun. It's fun to get a glimpse into other people's homes and how they live. Some people have really great style and others not so much (many what were they thinking moments!) It's also really fun to imagine how we could make a space ours with all of our great art, and personal items.

Thought I'd share a few random pictures of a few of the apartments we've got our eyes on as of late. I can't really pick a favorite, it's just too difficult. One will be in a nice area but have a crap kitchen, one will have a gorgeous kitchen but the bedroom needs major work, or everything will be perfect but it's on the first floor. Or everything will be perfect or almost perfect, but right at the end of our budget.

I really just want a gorgeous kitchen, a nice space for me to have my workspace (doesn't even have to be an extra room), a sunny balcony, and a quiet bedroom. Living on the second floor or higher would be nice too. I think it's a bit creepy when people can see into the apartment (especially at night, eek!) Is that so much to ask for?

I think we have a handful of really nice prospects here. I can't wait to see them in person, and really get a feel for whether or not we could see ourselves living there. So exciting!

Have a great weekend!

Blogger WIMB: Briony

This week's Blogger What's in my Bag is just a pinch late, but uber gorgeous anyhow... because I had the pleasure of drawing the gorgeously girly items of A Girl, A Style's Briony. Her blog is like stepping in to every girl's dream... full of Chanel, pinks, fresh, flowers, glitter, and plenty of smiles. I just knew she's have amazing items in her bag for me to draw. I adore her love for soft pinks, nudes, and small interesting details. (Love that One Kiss ticket.)

This weekend is going to involve a lot of drawing on Saturday (because I'm still on a drawing kick, and I want to bang out as much as possible) and an extra special dinner on Saturday night (to celebrate my recent business success.) On Sunday the apartment hunting continues. We're going to go see at least 3 new interesting apartments. Yippie! We still haven't really found an apartment that we really really love, we're also trying not to fall too in love with anything, just incase we don't get it. But I'm feeling rather hopeful this week. Feels like a new apartment is getting close!!!

To view all of the great bloggers I've collaborated with and all the illustrations I've created you can visit my Pinterest board here...

and if you'd like to commission a What's in my Bag illustration for yourself you can purchase this Etsy listing here...

Black and Gold

My promise to myself to create a new illustration every week and post it on Friday, hasn't worked out so well the past few weeks. But this week I've gotten my act together with this Stockholm inspired Black and Gold Tray.

When I moved to Stockholm 5 years ago, I was shocked by how obsessed Swedes are with black. I found it rather ridiculous and boycotted black for awhile. But now I can't deny how chic and gorgeous a bit of black can be. I still can't wrap my brain around all black outfits or entirely colorless interiors though.

Be Mine

How's abouts a love story? It is Valentine's Day and all!

 I met my hunky blonde Swede online, on a Swedish dating site, about 8 months after I had moved to Stockholm. A few months previously I had met a group of girls that welcomed me into their group who made me feel at home in Sweden. We were a nice bunch of single girls enjoying the single life... but what better way to feel even more at home than with a nice boyfriend. It's always better when you're two. So a few of us, me included, signed up on a pretty casual dating site (not match.com or anything serious like that.) We didn't expect to meet Mr. Right, just Mr. Right Now, and that would be fine. I went on 5 very unsuccessful (dare I say extremely awkward, and boring) dates before deciding to meet one last sixth guy, Johan. Gosh am I glad I did!!!

Before we met IRL we chatted online for a few weeks. He seemed like a really great guy, but so did the other 5 and they were a major disappointment (just no chemistry). I didn't get my hopes up too much, but it was hard, I still got major butterflies every time I saw a new message from him in my Inbox. Johan decided the where and when. Slottskajen (the Royal Castle pier) at 1pm, November 26th, 2008.

Silly dude didn't know his Stockholm landmarks. I stood by Slottskajan and Johan stood on Slottsbron (on the bridge.) Fortunately they are connected so we realised rather quickly that neither of us was late (or didn't show, eek). When we finally met something just clicked, can I be cliché and say it was Love at First Sight. It was, and the rest is history. We had lunch, then walked around Stockholm for hours and hours chatting about anything and everything... and it felt as though we had always been together.

I loved that Johan was so secure with himself, and our first few dates were never awkward. I've always just felt really comfortable in his presence. Every one has a list with attributes one wishes their dream boy would have, I never imagined Johan would check every box. I'm such a lucky girl!

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you have a gorgeous day with your one and only, your family or friends.

T.M. Stock

Hello Wednesday!

I think it's about time I show off these gorgeous vectorised panels I created for NYC gentleman's tie company T.M. Stock. If you were wondering what that huge project I was working on all December, this is it!

These illustrations (which were then blown up and printed huge at 119"x97") were so much fun to work on though they were of course very very time consuming. I actually really enjoy the process of building images in Illustrator, though my hand at the time felt as though it may fall off. It may take 10x longer, but I feel like I'm really building something (not just scribbling on paper... though fun as well). Gathering inspiration for the interiors and small details was very enjoyable too. Working for a menswear company was also a welcomed change from my usual girly clients. Great to work on something very classic and a bit more manly. Thank goodness they are fans of pink though ;)

I worked on another amazing project with them, but I'll keep that secret from just a while longer.