Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Den bedste Version - The Best Version

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Mit firma får hver dag brochurer om foredrag og kurser med emner som som ’Bliv den Bedste Udgave af Dig Selv’ og lignende. Tja, måske er det ikke nok at være sig selv, selvom jeg er superdygtig, meget social, sød, veloplagt, og talentløs, elsker at være alene, gal og doven. Listen kan fortsætte uendeligt. Jeg er mig og den eneste udgave af mig – altid!



Every day my company received brochures about courses and lectures called ‘Become the best version of yourself’ or something like it. Well, maybe it isn't enough to be yourself, even if I am really smart, very social, nice, enthusiastic, and talentless, love to be alone, mad and lazy. The list has no end. I am me, and the only version of me – always!

Monday, October 29, 2012

En varm tanke - A Warm Thought

I dag har det været koldt, blæsende, mørkt og regnfuldt her i Danmark. Kedeligt vejr. Men vi bor et sted, som for det meste er skånet for storme og andre voldsomme naturkrafter. Så det her er en hilsen til de amerikanere, der nu kæmper for liv og hjem.



Today it has been cold, windy, dark, and rainy here in Denmark. Bad weather. But we are lucky to live in a place which most of the time are spared for storms and other fierce weather conditions. So I am sending a thought to the Americans, who now are fighting for their lives and their homes.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Originalitet - Originality


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Hvem er smuk? Hvad er smukt? Hvem bestemmer, hvad der er perfekt? Jeg elsker mennesker, der klæder sig, som de har lyst. Jeg elsker hjem, der er indrettet efter hjerte og behov. Og sjovt nok, ser det for det meste helt rigtig ud. Så gør som du har lyst, i stedet for at følge den såkaldte gode smag. Klæd dig som du vil, og uanset hvordan du ser ud, så accepter det og gør det bedste ud af det. Blæs på hvad folk siger. Så længe du befinder dig godt, og tingene fungerer, så er det så perfekt, som det skal være.
Ingenting er smukt, hvis der ikke er en lille skævhed.



Who is beautiful? What is beautiful? Who decides what perfection is. I love people, who dress exactly the way they want. I love homes decorated according to the heart and the needs. And most of the time that looks quite right. So do what you want instead of following the so called good taste. Dress the way you want, and no matter what you look like, accept it and make the best of it. Give a damn what people say. When you feel good, and things are working fine, then everything is as perfect as it should be.
Nothing is beautiful, unless there is added a little bit quirkiness.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Forventningen glæde - Joy of Expectation


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Vi føler ikke ofte forventningens glæde mere. Vi venter nemlig ikke med at købe tingene. Vi køber, når vi føler impulsen. Store ting og små ting, og det løber alt sammen op til pæne pengesummer. Vi køber endda nogle gange for penge, som vi faktisk ikke rigtig har. Og det er blevet let at købe uden penge. Alt for let. Men forventningens glæde er god på mange fronter. Som det første strammer man ikke elastikken på sin økonomi. For det andet kan man i opsparingsperioden finde ud af, om det virkelig er den rigtige ting at købe, eller om det bare er et indfald. For det tredie er der glæden ved at arbejde sig nærmere. Tre gode grunde til at tage sig god tid. Verden løber ikke tør for ting, vi kan købe!




We don’t often feel the joy of expectation anymore. Because we don’t wait to buy things. We buy, when we feel the impulse. Big things and small things, and they all add up to quite substantial sums of money. Sometimes even money we don’t have. And it has become very easy to buy without having the money. Much too easy. But the joy of expectation is good in many ways. First it doesn’t put a squeeze on your economy. Second, during the saving period you become sure if it really is the right thing to buy, or if it just was a whimsical idea. Third, the thrill of getting closer to your goal. Three good reasons to take your time. The world don’t run out of things to buy!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

En nyanskaffelse - A New Acquisition

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For 1½ år siden flyttede jeg til en mindre lejlighed – helt frivilligt. Jeg havde et værelse i den anden lejlighed, som jeg aldrig brugte, og da jeg helst kun vil leve med præcis det, jeg har brug for og ikke en masse unødigt og ikke behøvede den ekstra plads, flyttede jeg, da jeg fik muligheden. Jeg vil ikke have mange ting. Jeg vil have gode ting. Ting med god personlighed, der er valgt med omhu. Jeg var meget striks med, hvad jeg tog med mig, og jeg blev ret populær i genbrugsforretningen. Der skulle dog lidt nye ting til, og en af dem har jeg ventet på i næsten et år, og nu kommer den snart. Mere om det senere.

Tegning fra producentens website - Drawing from the producer's website
Mere info senere - More info later

One and a half year ago I moved to a smaller apartment – not because I had to, but because I wanted to. I had a room in the other apartment, which I never used, and as I want to live with exactly what I need and not a lot of unimportant things, and I didn't need the extra space, I moved, when I got the opportunity. I don’t want a lot of things. I want good things. Things with personality carefully chosen. I was very strict about which things I brought with me, and I became rather popular in the second hand shop. Though I had to have a few new things, and now I have waited for one of them almost one year, and it will arrive soon. I will keep you updated.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Jul allerede? - Christmas Already?

Jeg så julepynt i forretningerne i dag! Vi er tæt på 1. november, ikke 1. december. Men måske kan man bruge noget af tiden, før det for alvor går løs, til at planlægge bedre end sidste år, så det bliver mindre stresset. Måske tænke lidt over om det er nødvendigt at sige ja til alt. Måske have lidt færre ambitioner om, hvad der skal gøres. Måske være lidt mere selektiv, så der bliver tid til at nyde og slappe af med dem, vi holder af. Somme tider er ’godt nok’ faktisk ganske udmærket.



I saw Christmas ornaments in the shops today! We are close to November 1st, not December 1st. But maybe we should spend some of the time before it really take speed to plan at bit better than last year, so the whole thing gets a little stressed. Maybe think about if it is necessary to say yes to all invitations. Maybe be a little less ambitious about what’s to be done. Maybe be a bit more selective, so we get the time to enjoy the whole thing some more with the ones we love. Actually sometimes ‘good enough’ is more than fine.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Copenhagen Weekend Mood

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Lidt mere efterårsstemning fra i lørdag - A little more fall mood from Saturday

I midten af byen - In the middle of the city
Restaurant Kong Gulerod - Restaurant King Carrot
Miniature antikviteter - Thumbnail antiqueties
Rådhuspladsen skal have en Metro-station - The Town Hall Square is going to have a Metro station

Tivoli
Strøget - The Walking Street Stroeget
og underholdning - and entertainment
Efterår - Fall


Et kreativt Sted - A Creative Place


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Det er weekend. Det har været fantastisk vejr, og København har vist sig fra sin bedste side. Masser af mennesker, aktiviteter og god stemning. Jeg fandt et lille sted, der hedder Creative Space.  Her kan man male sit eget krus, tallerken, fad, eller hvad man nu har lyst til. Lertøjet bliver brændt, og man kan hente kunstværket nogle dage senere. Den lille kreative cafe var næsten fyldt op, og folk i alle aldersgrupper sad og malede, sludrede, drak chokolade/kaffe og hyggede sig. En afslappende og sjov måde at tilbringe en eftermiddag på med venner og familie.




It is weekend. The weather has been fantastic, and Copenhagen has shown itself from the best side. Lots of people, activity, and a good atmosphere. I found a small place called Creative Space. There you can paint you own mug, dish, plate, or whatever comes to mind. The pottery gets burnt, and you can pick up your artwork some days later.  The little creative cafe was almost full, and people at all age groups were painting, talking, drinking hot chocolate or coffee, having a good time. A really fun way to spend an afternoon with friends and family.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Reality TV? Hvorfor? - Reality TV? Why?

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Hvorfor er der så stor interesse for reality tv? Det er objektivt set ret absurd at sidde i sin sofa og se på nogle talentløse mennesker, der lever deres uinteressante og kunstige liv. Hver dag uden tv, er en god dag. Det er et tegn på, at du har haft travlt med at leve dit eget liv. Alt andet er spild af tid. Så fyld dit hjem med mennesker af kød og blod  i aften, eller kom derud, hvor det sker. Brug dig selv. Lev dit eget liv. 



Why is the interest for reality TV so big? It is objectively pretty absurd to sit in the sofa and watch some talentless persons living their uninteresting and artificial lives. Every day without TV is a good day. It is the sign that you are busy living you own life. Everything else is waste of time. So fill you home with people of flesh and blood, or go out there where things happen. Use yourself. Live you own life.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Hvad er dit vinterprojekt? - What is Your Winter Project?

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Da jeg sank ned i min lænestol her til aften, så jeg de smukke træer udenfor. Det fik mig til at tænke på, hvilket projekt jeg skal hygge mig med i de mørke vinteraftener. Jeg har altid et vinterprojekt. Hvad det skal være i år, er jeg ikke helt kommet frem til endnu. For nogle år siden ordnede jeg alle familiefotos og satte dem i orden. Altså billeder fra før den digitale tid, som for mig repræsenterer familiehistorien. Jeg havde bl.a. et par kasser med billeder fra min mor og far, som jeg sorterede. Jeg smed alle billeder ud, hvor der ikke var mennesker, som resten af familien kendte på, og alle dårlige billeder gik samme vej. Det blev til en hel vinters hyggearbejde, hvor jeg genoplevede en masse minder og endte med 6 tykke albums, som viser flere årtiers familiehistorie. Hvad skal dit vinterprojekt være?




When I sank into my armchair earlier tonight, I saw the beautiful trees outside. This made me think of, which project I am going to have fun with the dark winter nights, because I always have a winter project. I haven’t quite decided yet what it is going to be this year. A couple of years ago I set all the family photos in order. Photos before the digital time, which for me represent my family history. I also had a couple of boxes with photos from my Mom and Dad, and I sorted them and tossed the ones on which the rest of the family didn’t recognize anybody, and the bad ones went the same way. It was work for a whole winter, and I relived a lot of good memories and ended up with 6 thick albums, which show decades of family history. What is your winter project going to be?

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Kvalitet eller kvantitet? - Quality or Quantity?


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Er det tegn på succes at have travlt? Børn bliver aktiveret hele tiden, teenagers og yngre mennesker deltager i mange aktiviteter hver dag. Børnefamilier jonglerer børn, job, hjem og sig selv, alt sammen lige vigtigt. Ældre mennesker, der er gået på pension, har mere travlt, end da de arbejdede. Er det, hvad det drejer sig om? At have travlt? Hvor kommer kvaliteten ind i al kvantiteten? 
Der er mere til livet end at øge dets hastighed. Citat Mahatma Gandhi.



It is a sign of success to be busy? Children get activated all the time, teen-agers and younger people ‘have’ lots of activities every day. Families with children are juggling children, jobs, home and themselves, all with same priority order. People, who have retired, are more busy than when they were working. Is that what it is all about? To be busy? Where does the quality enter into all this quantity? 
There is more to life than increase it's speed - Mahatma Gandhi

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Hvad er orden? - What is order?


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Indrømmet. Jeg er et ordensmenneske. Jeg ved, hvor jeg har mine ting, og jeg ved, hvad jeg har. Det er definitionen på orden for mig. Man behøver ikke at have et skrabet hjem. Tingene behøver ikke at stå lige på hylden, eller ligge på den helt rigtige plads i skuffen. Det drejer sig ikke en gang om meget eller lidt, selvom man jo må indrømme at ’lidt’ altid er lettere at styre. Det drejer sig ganske enkelt om at vide, hvad man har, og at det fungerer. Så behøver man ikke at beskæftige sig mere med det og kan koncentrere sig om noget bedre. Jeg bliver også nødt til at erkende, at jeg er et ordensmenneske med en svaghed: Tøj i bunker på sengen efter morgenens tøjkrise!




Admitted. I am a tidy person. I know where my things are, and I know what I have got. That is the definition of order for me. It is to know what you own. You don’t have to have a minimalist home, your things don’t have to be standing straight on the shelf, or be in the exact right place in the drawer. It is not even about a little or a lot of stuff, even though you have to admit that ‘little’ always is easier to handle. It is all about knowing, what you have got, and that it is functioning. Then you don’t have to think about that and you can concentrate about something better. I also have to admit that I am a tidy person with a weakness: Clothes in piles at the bed after the morning’s clothes crisis!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

En træstub - A Piece of Wood


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Der er et ’møbel’, der har fulgt mig i årevis. Et møbel, der ikke tager meget plads op. Det er en træstub. Den har fungeret som underbord til blomster på altanen, sidebord til en kaffekop i stuen, lampebord, og nu er den natbord. Den står på plade på hjul, købt i Ikea, så den er let at køre rundt. Et lille ’møbel’, meget alsidigt og – well, lidt underlig..., men jeg kommer ikke til at skille mig af med den, før den falder fra hinanden.



There is a piece of 'furniture', which has followed me for years. It doesn't take up much space. It is a piece of wood. It has been functioning as a table for flower at my balcony, side table for my coffee cup in my living room, lamp table, and now it is my night table. It is placed on a plate with wheels, bought in Ikea, so it is easy to move. A small piece of ‘furniture’, very versatile and – well, a little strange..., but I will not rid of it, before it falls apart.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

I tvivl - In Doubt


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Jeg elsker hvide vægge og er generelt ikke særlig farve-vild. Men somme tider kan jeg godt se, at det måske ville give lidt ’oomph’ at få noget på væggene. Inspireret af flere designblogs har jeg hængt billeder op i dag. Overskredet min komfortzone. Men så tænkte jeg – Hva’ pokker! Det kan jo altid laves om.
Så jeg hængte billeder op i et ’dødt’ hjørne, og nu vil jeg se, om jeg kan vænne mig til det. Ellers hiver jeg dem bare ned igen.


I love white walls and I am in general not particular color-wild. But sometimes I can see that maybe it would give a little ‘oomph’ to have something on the walls. Inspired by some design blogs I have hung some pictures today. Crossed my comfort zone. But then I thought – So what...! I can always change it back.
So I hung pictures in a ‘dead’ corner, and now I will see if I can get used to it. Otherwise I will just pull them down again.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Forelsk dig - Fall in Love


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I dag var jeg inviteret til fernisering. Louis Poulsen lamper udgav deres nye katalog i samarbejde med bl.a. kunstneren Tenka Gammelgaard. Tenkas lejlighed og studio er i kataloget brugt som kulisse for lamperne. To fantastiske universer mødes.
Kataloget er udover nogle dejlige billeder fyldt med interviews, hvor bl.a. Sara Schmidt Hauge siger: ....”at være så forelsket i designet, at man ønsker at se på lampen i mange år”.
Det kan med lethed overføres til alle de ting, vi køber. At vi forelsker os så meget i noget, så vi ikke ønsker at skifte det ud. Det er værd at vente på at finde de ting – i stedet for at købe junk, som vi ikke lægger mærke til efter en uge.




Today I was invited to a design opening. Louis Poulsen lamps released their new catalogue in cooperation with among others the artist Tenka Gammelgaard. Tenka’s apartment and studio has been the backdrop for the lamps. Two fantastic universes have met.
The catalogue is filled with beautiful photos and interviews, and one persons says: ...”to fall so much in love with the design that you want to look at the lamp for years”.
You can easily transfer this to all things, we buy. To fall so much in love with the something that we don’t want to change it. It is worth the waiting time to find those things – instead buying junk, which we don’t notice after a week.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Dårlig samvittighed - Bad Conscience


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En af mine bekendte døde alt for tidligt og efterlod sig flere ting, bl.a. et maleri, som havde hængt i barndomshjemmet.
Der var ingen af de efterladte, der for alvor havde lyst til at have maleriet hængende, men alligevel beholdt de det. Det står i kælderen - og til glæde for hvem?
For når nogen, der står én nær, ikke er der mere, så kan man jo ikke skille sig af med ting, som den afdøde holdt af. Eller kan man?
Jo, for ellers der er en stor risiko for, at ens hjem bliver til et mausolæum over tidligere slægt.
Lad os mindes tidligere tider ved at vælge en ting, som minder os om personen, og som vi er glade for at have stående.

My grandmother's old imitation jewelry


One of my friends died much too early and left a lot of things, among other things a painting, which once upon a time had been hanging the grandparents’ home. No one in the family really wanted the painting, but they kept it anyway. It is in the basement – to the delight of whom?
Because when you loose someone, you have been close to, you cannot get rid of things, which the deceased person once felt something for. Or can you?
Yes, because you risk making you home into a mausoleum for your ancestors.
Let’s keep our loved ones in our hearts and choose a thing which we think represents the person and make us happy when we look at it.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Den daglige indsats - The daily Effort

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Begynd i dag med at smide avisen ud, når du har læst den.
Sortér posten. Smid kuverterne ud og lad alle brochurer gå samme vej (du har ikke brug for noget nu), og læg vigtige papirer på plads.
Ryd et rum i køkkenskuffen for ting, der ikke hører til, eller smid ud, hvis der ligger 17 plastic-skeer, der skulle have været brugt til en havefest.
Bestem dig for, at dér hvor du normalt smider alle papirer, ikke skal bruges til papirskraldeplads mere.
Det er starten til, at bunkerne ikke vokser, og det er en begyndelse.
Det er starten på et gennembrud.




Start today by throwing out the newspapers, when you have read it.
Sort you mail. In the bin with the envelopes and let all advertisements go the same way (you don’t need anything now) and put important papers in their place.
Clean out in the kitchen drawer for things, which do not belong, or throw the 17 plastic spoons out, which should have been used at a previous garden party.
Decide that the place, where you normally put all papers, shouldn’t be used as a paper basket anymore.
This is the start for the piles getting smaller, and it is a beginning.
That is the start of a break through.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Et modeindslag - A Fashion Spot


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Dette er normalt ikke en modeblog, men jeg kan bare ikke overse god personlig stil. Jeg bliver altid fascineret af mennesker, som gør ting på deres egen måde, uanset om det drejer sig om tøj eller om indretning.
Jeg mødte denne fantastiske pige i en forretning i København. Hvis jeg beskriver hende, lyder det sådan: Sort top med blonderyg, der afslørede konturer af en stor, flot ryg-tatoo, pailliet-haremsbukser og rå bløde støvler. Hvilket ikke lyder, som om det kan lykkes. Men det gjorde det. Det var helt rigtigt og super-personligt. En fantastisk pige, der tør klæde sig, som hun har lyst, og derfor får det til at se helt rigtig ud - på den måde som får mig til at ønske, at jeg turde mere.
Jeg ville heller ikke være ked af at have hår som hende!

This isn't normally a fashion blog, but I simply cannot ignore good personal style. I always get fascinated by people who do things their own way, clothes or interior design.
I met this fantastic girl in a shop in Copenhagen. If I should describe her, it would sound like this: Black top with lace-back, which revealed the outline of a big, nice back tattoo, sequin harem pants and raw soft boots. Which doesn't sound as a success. But it was. It was so right and super personal. A fantastic girl, who dares dressing the way she wants, and therefore totally succeeds - in a way that makes me wish that I dared a little more.
And hair like hers wouldn't make me unhappy either!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Nye møbler - New Furniture

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Jeg har længe savnet en arbejds/spiseplads, hvilket kan være lidt vanskeligt, når man bor på få kvadratmeter. Men da jeg elsker min lejlighed, må der bare kreativitet til - og så vente til den rigtige løsning viser sig, og det gjorde den i sidste uge. Jeg fik mulighed for at købe nogle flotte second hand møbler.  Oveni fik jeg også et nyt sofabord, og det blev helt perfekt. De gamle møbler fået nye ejere - lige bortset fra sofabordet, men det kommer en af dagene.

Elsker min nye stue.

I have for a long time wanted a combined work/dining space, which can be a bit difficult, when you live in few square meters. But as I love my flat, I just have to be creative - and wait for the right solution to pop up, and it did last week. I got the opportunity to buy some really nice second hand furniture. On top of that I got a new coffee table, and it is perfect now. The old furniture has new owners - except for the old coffee table, but that will happen one of these days.
Love my new living space!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

11. Stop!


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Stop for nye indkøb af småting! Alt for mange penge ryger direkte ned i et stort hul.
Se dine skabe igennem efter pyntegenstande. Sæt alt frem og find ud af, om der er ting, der fortjener en renæssance. Og vælg så de ting, som du ved, at du aldrig kommer til at bruge igen. De første skal du tage i brug, og de andre skal du pakke sammen og komme af sted med til en genbrugsshop.
Når du næste gang føler, at du trænger til lidt fornyelse, så køb noget, der ”forgår”. Blomster, smukke lys, papirservietter. Ting, der ikke tager permanent plads op i dit hjem, men det giver alligevel følelsen af at få noget nyt.






 Stop shopping for small things. Way too much money runs down into a big hole.
Look through your cupboards and cabinets and take out all your ornaments, vases, nick-nacks and find out, if there are some which deserve a renaissance. Also find the things which you know that you never will use again. The first ones should be going back in use, and pack the others and go off to the local second hand shop.
Next time you feel that you need a bit of renewal buy something which “perishes”. Flowers, beautiful candles, paper napkins. Things which will not take permanent space in your home, but give the feeling of “new” anyway.

Monday, October 1, 2012

10. Begynd et sted - Begin Somewhere


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Det allerbedste råd: Lad være med at samle mere. Lad være med at købe flere ting. Ting = alt muligt, der skal ind og stå på hylder eller ligge i skabe – eller for den sags skyld stå og pynte. Slet ikke noget pynt, bortset fra friske blomster! Jeg vil vædde med, at du har ting nok! Ikke flere ting ind over dørtærsklen i de næste uger. Brug i stedet hvad du har.
Bonus: Du sparer rigtig mange penge, hvis du ”bare” køber mad og ikke ting.



The best advise: Stop collecting more stuff. Stop buying more things. Things = everything that can put be on shelves or be in cupboards – or just look good for that matter. No, absolutely no ”garnish”, except fresh flowers! I bet that you have enough. No more carrying things over the threshold the next couple of weeks. Instead use what you have got.
Bonus: You save a substantial amount of money, if you “just” buy food and no stuff.