Ønskeliste advarsel - Christmas Wish List Warning

Ja, nu ville jeg jo stolt have fremvist et nisselandskab - med nisser (se mit sidste blogindlæg). Men mindste favorit menneske blev så begejstret, at han bad om en pose og tog det hele med hjem! Han legede med det hele aftenen, så det var en succes!

I stedet vil jeg benytte chancen til at advare mod ønskelister! Tænk over, om det du ønsker dig, at

• det ikke er noget du allerede har (læs: så du får mere af det samme til at fylde op, flere juleuroer, årsskeer o. lign.) 
• det kan få sin egen plads (læs: du skal aldrig eje noget, du ikke har plads til at opbevare)
• det giver dig varig glæde (læs: som ikke bare ender op på bunden af en skuffe, det er spild).

Og husk, at de samme regler skal gælde for de gaver, som du giver. Tænk på modtageren, ikke på hvad du gerne vil have.

Stedet, hvor nisselandskabet skulle have stået! :-)

The place the Santa landscape should have been! :-)

Well, now I would proudly have shown you a Santa landscape - with elves (see my last blog post). But the smallest favorite person became so excited, that he asked for a bag and brought it all back home! He played with it all night, so that was a success! 

But I will take the moment to warn you against wish lists! Think carefully about what you want

• so you don't get something you already have (read: more of the same thing to fill up space)
• that you have room for it (read: never own anything, for which there isn't room)
• gives you joy (read: and doesn't end up on the bottom of a drawer, which is waste).

And remember that the same rules count for the presents you give. Think of the receiver, not of what you want.

Nisselandskab under konstruktion - Santa Landscape under Construction

Jeg er en Gør-det-selv-person, og jeg har kæmpet en svær kamp, indtil jeg lærte at 'lade være' med at agere på enhver god ide, jeg fik. Lærte at få inspiration - og lærte at lade den forsvinde igen, hvis jeg ikke havde tid til at lave tingene her og nu. Jeg er færdig med at købe ind til fremtidige projekter, jeg ikke har tid til at lave. Det er en befrielse!
Men her til aften lavede jeg starten til et nisselandskab, som mindste favorit-person skal være med til at bygge op i løbet af december, for når han kommer i morgen, skal vi ud at lede efter de to første nisser, der skal bo der i december måned. Der vil komme flere nisser i løbet af December, men de gemmer sig lige nu.

I am a DIY-person, and I have fought a big fight, before I learned to 'not' act on every good idea, which entered my head. I learned to be inspired - and learned to let it go, if I didn't have the time to make the project here and now. I am done with buying things for 'future' projects. It is such a relief.
But tonight I started making the ground work for a Santa landscape, which the smallest favorite person is going to help build during December, first time tomorrow, when we have to go looking for two of the elves, who are going to live there all month. More elves are coming the following Sundays, but they are hiding right now.

Mine Black Friday indkøb - My Black Friday Shopping

Mine Black Friday indkøb blev til en liter mælk og rugbrød! Og en kanelsnegl!

Til gengæld købte jeg et par øreringe sidste uge, som jeg er rigtig glad for. Jeg er meget glad for blandingen af forskellige materialer og det lidt rå look.

Jeg ser frem til weekenden. Der er ingen stress på. Kaffe med en ven lørdag og middag med mine favoritmennesker på søndag. Total afslapning. Håber, at jeres weekend også bliver afslappende.

My Black Friday purchases was milk and rye bread! And a cinnamon bun! 

But I bought a pair of earrings last week, which I am quite pleased about. I like the mix of different materials and the raw look.

I am looking forward to the week end. No stress. Coffee with a friend on Saturday and dinner with my favorite persons on Sunday. Total relaxation. Hope that your week end will be just as laid back.

Black Friday og sund fornuft - Black Friday and Common Sense

Tid til julepynt, advents- og julekalendere, julekomsammen og ikke mindst julegaver. Alt sammen meget dejligt - og alt sammen meget dyrt!
Og Black Friday! En relativt ny opfindelse i Danmark, der ligesom Valentine's Day er blevet inviteret indenfor med kyshånd af alle, der har noget at sælge.
Sparer man penge, hvis man handler Black Friday? Ja, det kan lade sig gøre, hvis man kun køber noget, man alligevel skulle anskaffe.
Så gør dig selv en tjeneste, skriv en indkøbsseddel og tag den med på fredag, og køb ikke mere end du havde planlagt, før du tog hjemmefra. Det er ikke et spørgsmål om, hvad du kan få. Det er et spørgsmål om, hvad du behøver!
Så er det god fornuft!

Time for decorating our homes, advent- and Christmas calendars, Christmas parties, not to mention the presents. All of it wonderful - and all of it very expensive!
And Black Friday! A relatively new thing in Denmark. Like Valentine's Day it has been invited to the country with open arms by everybody, who have something to sell.
Do you save money, when shopping on Black Friday? Yes, that is possible, if you only buy stuff, that you were going to buy anyway.
Do yourself a favor and write a shopping list for Friday, and don't buy anything you hadn't planned, before you left home. It is not a question about, what you can get. It is a question about, what you need!
Then it makes good sense!

Juleplaner - Christmas Plans

For de velorganiserede er julen begyndt for længe siden. Planlægningen er sikkert på plads. For alle os andre kommer den mere eller mindre væltende ind.

Det er generelt en god ide at planlægge, men for planlæggerne gælder det om ikke at være tidsoptimistiske, og for de, der ikke planlægger, gælder det om at fastlægge de tidskrævende ting. Vurdér om det virkelig er så vigtigt at bage alle kager selv eller at komme til den ekstra gang glögg.

For begge parter betyder det - GØR KUN DET, I FINDER MEST VIGTIGT! Lad være med at proppe alle mulige aktiviteter ind. Lad være med at tro, at I går glip af noget. Det sker ikke. Deltag i det, der gør jer glade. Deltag ikke i de ting, som I synes, at I burde.

Vær kritiske. Vær sammen med de mennesker, som for alvor betyder noget. Drop pligt-besøg, pligt-bagning, drop alt der starter med 'jeg burde' og nyd det. Uden stress.

Snestormen set fra mit vindue lørdag aften -

The stow storm seen from my window Saturday night -

Efter ca. 40 cm sne, som er smukt, er der desværre også store skader på vores smukke træer!

After approx. 20 inches of snow, which is beautiful, there are also damages to our beautiful trees!

For all the organized persons Christmas has started a long time ago. The planning is in place. For the rest of us it comes more or less barging in.

It is in general a good idea to plan, but for the planners it is important not to become time optimists, and for everybody else it is all about putting the most time consuming events in place.

Make up your mind if it is that important to bake yourself, or if it is that important to participate in every eggnog party.

For everybody the important thing is - ONLY DO WHAT YOU FIND REALLY IMPORTANT! Don't push every event into the calendar. Don't be afraid of missing out. It will not happen. Participate in what makes you happy. Don't participate if you think that you ought to.

Be critical. Be together with the persons important to you. Drop every ought-to-party, ought-to-bake session, drop everything which starts with 'ought-to' and enjoy the season. Without stress.

Et lille opbevaringssted - A Small Container

Jeg har længe savnet en boks, en æske eller et lille opbevaringssted til mine usb-sticks, mine memory cards, cardholder, viskelæder og andre småting.
Da jeg var på Louisiane for et par dage siden, gik jeg en tur i deres gift shop, som er ganske fantastisk, og der stod en lille keramik-'kugle' og råbte på mig. Jeg kunne slet ikke stå for den, så nu er den her på mit bord.

For a long time I have been looking for a small box or container for my usb sticks, my memory cards, card holder, eraser and other small gadgets.
When I was at Louisiana Art Museum a couple days ago, I looked around in their gift shop, which is quite fantastic, and there I found this little ceramics 'ball'. It was yelling my name, so I couldn't resist, And now it is here on my table.

Kunst-prikker - Art Dots

I går var jeg på Louisiana og så udstillingen med Yayoi Kusama. Det var virkelig en oplevelse. Damen er helt klart meget speciel, og hun er meget alvorlig, og alligevel gik jeg rundt og smilede hele aftenen. Måske var det ikke meningen, men det var en fantastisk oplevelse, og det er vel, hvad det drejer sig om: At kunst sætter noget i gang i en.

 En figur, der forestiller kunsteneren selv -

A doll looking the the artist herself

Der er kun 5 mennesker i rummet -

There are only 5 persons in the room

 Et rum, som publikun selv har dekoreret - jeg satte også et par prikker!

A room which the audience has decorated themselves - I also put on some dots!

Yesterday I was at Louisiana Art Museum, where I saw Yayoi Kusama. It was really an experience. The lady is obviously very special, and she is very serious, but no matter I went around smiling all night. Maybe that wasn't the meaning, but it was great, and I guess that it is, what art is about: To make something happen inside of you.

Pladsproblemer? - Problems with Space?

Næste år ved denne tid er jeg sikkert blevet genhuset! Den ejendom, som jeg bor i, skal renoveres fra top til tå, og min lejlighed er en af dem, der bliver totalt ombygget. Jeg glæder mig.
I den forbindelse har alle beboere deltaget i møder, hvor vi har fået oplyst, hvordan det hele kommer til at foregå.
Vi skal bl.a. have et luftrensningsanlæg, hvilket betyder, at der skal 'ofres' et skab i entreen i hver lejlighed. Det har forårsaget stor panik! "Skal jeg undvære et overskab?"
Der er kun en besked: Du har ikke for lidt plads - du har bare for mange ting!

Nu er tiden kommet til at nye skumringen -

Now the time has come to enjoy the twilight.

Next year at this time I am probably being re-housed! The building, I live in, is going to be renovated from top to floor, and my apartment is one of the ones, which will undergo a total transformation. I am really looking forward to that.
Therefore we have been attending some meetings for all tenants, where we were told, how the whole thing is going to take place.
We are among other things going to have a air cleaning system, which means that we all have to 'sacrifice' a top cabinet in the hallway. That has caused great anxiety! "Am I going to let go of a  top cabinet?"
There is only one answer to that: You don't have too little space - you just have too many things!

Den ekstra stol - The Extra Chair

Mange har en stol stående i soveværelset til at sidde på, når man klæder sig på - eller det er i hvert fald meningen fra start, og pludselig er den blevet opbevaringssted for tøj, der ikke 'lige' er blevet hængt op eller lagt til vask.
Disse møbler giver ekstra arbejde, får et værelse til at se rodet ud og har ingen reel funktion.
Prøv at gå igennem dit hjem og se, om du har små borde, der bare ligger ting på, stole der har fået nye funktioner, aviskurve som bare er ophobningssteder for blade, du aldrig får læst og så videre.
Ryd dem væk! og du vil se, at rummet virker meget mere luftigt og rent.

 

Many people have a chair at the bedside meant to sit on, when they dress - or at least that was the purpose from start, but all of a sudden it has become the storage for clothes, which haven't been put back into the closet or in the laundry bag.
These pieces of furniture only gives extra work, make the room look cluttered, and have no real function. Go through your home and see, if you have small tables with 'stuff' on, chairs which have have become storage areas, newspaper baskets with old magazines and newspapers you never get around to read and so on.
Remove them and (re-)create the feeling of serenity and order.

Frankrig - France

Hvordan kan man gå i seng og lægge sig til at sove i nat? Jeg har slet ikke ord for, hvad der er sket.

Udover at terror må aldrig må dræbe demokratiet!

How can you go to bed and go to sleep tonight? I don't have words for what has happened.

Except that terror must never kill democracy!

Alt er godt igen - All is well again

Endelig en normal dag med den lille favorit-person, der igen kunne drøne rundt og lege hele dagen, og som sov så dejligt til middag. Når han har det godt, har vi det alle sammen godt.
Så i morgen - tilbage til hverdagen - og det føles godt på alle måder!

Finally a normal day with the small favorite person, who again was able to roam around playing all day and had a really nice nap in the afternoon. When he is fine, we are all fine.
So tomorrow - back to everyday life - and that feels great in every way!

Første prioritet - First Priority

Der bliver ikke lavet noget kreativt i disse dage, fordi min første prioritet altid vil være mennesker. Den mindste favorit-person er syg, og det trækker i langdrag. Han er sådan en lille tapper sjæl, der ikke klager sig meget, og der er ikke rigtig noget, man kan gøre for ham, Det må bare rase ud.
Det får mig til at føle mig ret hjælpeløs.

Nothing creative is done these days, because my first priority always will be people.
The smallest favorite person is ill, and it is dragging on. He is such a little brave person, who doesn't complain a lot, and there is not really anything, you can do for him, but be there. It has to burn out.
It makes me feel rather helpless.

Vinter-shopping - Winter Shopping

Så er jeg klar til 2 ting: Vinter og mit nye projekt.
Jeg har været på udkig efter en blå kabelstrik sweater, og hvor finder man sådan en? Jeg fandt min i H&M her lige efter Balmain-hysteriet, så nu kan kulden bare komme an!
Det andet køb er 2 tusser (elsker tusser!) og en skitseblok, hvor jeg skal lave andet udkast til min nye bog.
Men det er weekend, folkens! Nyd den!

Now I am ready for 2 things: Winter and my new project.
I have been looking around for a blue sweater, and where do you find the right one? I found mine at H&M right after the Balmain hysteria, so now winter can come.
The other purchase is 2 markers (love markers!) and a new sketch pad, in which I will work with the 2nd draft for my new book.
But it is weekend, Guys and Girls! Enjoy it!

Must-have Bag

Kender I det at slæbe rundt på en kæmpetaske og finde ud af, at man egentlig kun bruger 10% af indholdet?
På en tur til Nice blev jeg træt af at slæbe og købte en lille bæltetaske. Ikke noget mærke, ikke noget at tale om, men den har hængt på mig siden.  Jeg bruger den som en cross-body, så jeg har hænderne fri, den hænger ikke og dingler, og den er aldrig i vejen,.
Efter dagligt brug siden 2009 gav lynlåsen til det store rum endelig op, så man må sige, at den har holdt til mosten, men nu kan jeg ikke klare mig uden.
Der er mange lækre (og dyre) bæltetasker, men de er for store, så jeg har ledt og ledt. Endelig fandt jeg en (næsten) magen til. Så farvel og tak til den gamle og velkommen til den nye.
Det er min must-have bag.

Are you the one like me, who is carrying a gigantic bag with lots of stuff around only using 10% of the contents?
On a trip to Nice, France, I got tired of the heavy load and bought a small bum-bag. Not a brand, nothing to talk about, but it has been with me ever since. I carry it as a cross-body bag, my hands are free, it doesn't 'dangle', and it is never in the way.
Daily use since 2009 and the zipper finally gave up, so you can say, that it has really made the distance, but now I cannot do without one.
There is a lot of nice (and expensive) bumbags, but they are all very big, so I have really been looking around, and finally I found one almost the same. So thanks and goodbye to the old one, and hello to the new one.
This is my must-have bag.

Overforbrug - Excess Consumption

I lørdags åbnede et nyt shoppingcenter i den by, jeg bor i. Mega-stort! Og mega-grimt! Faktisk så grimt, at det skulle forbydes at bygge noget så visionsløst! En sort/grå beton-bunker.
Der bor ca. 28.100 mennesker i byen, og jeg læste i avisen, at man forventede, at der ville komme 100.000 kunder første dag, så Hjemmeværnet var på pletten sammen med politiet for at undgå for store trafikale problemer.
Jeg ved ikke, hvordan det har set ud i løbet af dagen, for jeg holdt mig væk indtil kl. ca. 19.30, hvor jeg cyklede forbi. Der var stadig en 30 meter lang kø uden for en stor elektronikforretning, og der kom mennesker med indkøbsvogne fyldt til randen. Flere vogne pr. familie.
Jeg forstår godt, at man gerne vil have gode tilbud. Jeg forstår godt, at man gerne vil spare penge. Men jeg tvivler på, om hovedparten af kunderne har sparet noget, når det kommer til stykket. Mange har sikkert købt væsentlig mere, end de havde tænkt sig, da de tog hjemme fra. For sådan fungerer 'god' markedsføring'. Vi falder for gode tilbud. De har måske også købt noget andet end det, de havde tænkt sig, når tilbuddene viste sig at være udsolgte. Og ting, som de reelt ikke har brug for.
Forbrug burde starte med forstavelsen 'over-'(forbrug).

Saturday a new shopping center opened in the city I live in. Giga-big! And giga-ugly! Actually so ugly that it should be forbidden to build anything with so little sense for vision. It is a grey/black concrete bunker.
Approx. 28.100 people live in my city, and it was expected that 100.000 customers would come the first day, so the home guard and the police were there to prevent to much traffic chaos.
I don't know, how it looked earlier in the day, but I biked by at 7.30 at night, and there was still a 30 meter long queue outside a big shop with electronics, and lots of people with big shopping carts filled to the top. Several carts per family.
I understand that you want a good bargain. I understand that you want to save money. But I doubt, whether most people have saved anything at all. Many has probably bought a lot more than they had anticipated, before they left home. Because that is how 'good advertising' works. They might also have bought something different from their original intention, when the offers were gone. And things, which they don't need at all.
Consumption should start with the prefix 'over-'(consumption).