karkovski

Thoughts from the Kitchen

Making lunch and doing dishes......and I'm still amazed at how well we all are. How easily we have slipped into this new lifestyle. How we have found new rhythms in no time. How the kids have just accepted that, we live here and Dad lives there. Of course there have been tears, especially from the little one. She can't understand in words. But I try not to make a "big deal" out of it, I just let her grieve. I try not to expect any of us having a huge breakdown, because my believe is that, if you expect something, you are almost sure it will happen. And I believe and expect that, we can live peacefully and happily ever after.....

Holmegaard Glassworks

Sunday we went on a little trip to Holmegaard Glassworks, where the whole family can try and blow glass! Unfortunately it was closed, so we only got to walk around and see the beautiful buildings and the Glass Shop, but we'll return when they open in February.

These are some of their lamps I absolutely adore.

I love the work of Holmegaard, I have the Karen Blixen vases and the Fiducia vase, which is a collaboration between Kähler Ceramics and Louise Campbell. Kähler Ceramics are now under Holmegaard as well.

But the most fun we had was this:

I just love swimming around in a huge tub o' balls - the kids and I discussed where we could actually have that many balls in our apartment?

What's Up?

OK, time to explain what's up:

My Husband and I have separated. The kids and I will move into an apartment near by, on November 15. th. I am starting school next week (some classes to finish High School). And then I will study to get a Bachelors Degree in Pedagogy, here in town as well.

The decision is something we've agreed on and we are still friendly and will continue to be so. We have always been great at working together around the kids and they are still our main focus, even though this is a very selfish decision. We haven't been able to work out our difficulties and have spent the last 3 or so years, trying hard - especially because we have kids.

I am not very creative these days....duh!....and will soon pack up all my stuff, but I will continue my Blog, only it will be a little here and a little there, to keep you up to date and as soon as the kids and I have settled in, I hope to "get back on track".... I really love my Blog world and my 2 year Bloggaversary is coming up in November!

Hugs to everyone and to those who already knows and have been so kind to me. You know who you are.....

Sweetest Sweden

We just returned from Kyrkekvarn in Sweden, where we had a wonderful time. We stayed in one house all 12 of us - my husbands brother, sister and mom + families - it was quite a trip. We went canoing, hiking, fishing and horse back riding. The kids loved it!

And Mama got to do a little Swedish shopping....more about that in another post.....

When The Guys Are Gone

Mu my Husbands of, for another week of working in Sweden and my Son just left for camp with his school.

2 girls at home alone.....happy days.....

We have been...

...waiting for the bus

...hanging out with best friends

...playing with water

...trying to stay cool

Holidaying

We've been on vacation in Copenhagen this week, living in my brothers apartment while they where in Greece. We've had the greatest time, touring the canals and visiting the zoo, where my daughter had her first horse back ride - she loved it!

We've had breakfast at the most cozy little bakery/café, sitting outside sheltered from the rain, with blankets (and my poncho) wrapped around the kids. That morning was all the rain we had - thank you very much!

We also went to the zoological museum, where my daughter screamed as soon as we entered and she saw the huge Dino (below). She and I spent the rest of the time in their café. When we went to the geological museum, same thing happened, only this time she screamed because of the darkness in the hall, so she and I went to the Castle Gardens instead.

Next week we will go with my brother, his girlfriend and their one year old son, to a summerhouse to hang out and enjoy each other, good food and great laughs.

Since this is "Family Holidaying Time", I will be pretty much off the computer for the next few weeks, but now you know where I am!

Happy Holidays everybody!!!

Green House Effect

Our Green House

Things are looking mighty fine in our green house right now. We got lots of flowers ready to plant outside and soil ready for "food plants".

We thought my funny looking old olive tree, was dead at one point. It looked dead. And one of our cats had scratched it up silly. I guess they don't give up that easy?

One of these days we will be planting tomatoes, cucumber and bell peppers. We had sooo many of them last year and they're sooo yummy. To top that off, we also have a variety of fruits around our garden: Strawberries, blackberries, gooseberries, raspberries and elder. We've also planted 2 tiny apple trees (last year), that we hope to see apples on this year.

And of course we have herbs.

Last year we had a huge bunny. Now, its old house looks a bit empty. We've been talking about getting a new smaller one. Well lets see about that...

Now I keep saying WE, but actually my sweet husband is the gardener here. (And the one talking about a new bunny.) I have nothing to do with the garden. At all. Maybe I should give him a hand this year. Yeah, that'd be nice. He has practically done the whole garden by himself and I probably don't say it often enough, but I really appreciate all his hard work and all the wonderful fruits and vegetables we reap. Wouldn't you?

Now take a guess where he went to work this past weekend? I'll give you a clue: I would be wearing a lot more clothes than THAT! Oh and he lived there for 2 years as a child. And Laila can't participate!

Sunday came and left....

....and my 10::10 project TWO, was no where to be found. The poor dog is still laying around in tiny pieces, waiting to be stitched up. He'll be ready for next Sunday!

Meanwhile, here's my daughters new kicks. Same as big bros.

And her thrifted clogs. Got her those last year, but they weren't a hit until now. She's practicing. They seem very hard to walk in.

When we visited Grandma, her husband had made these of the kids - aren't they cool? Seriously, the man is a true artist and such an inspiration. He will be 80 this year and he is busy. Playing music and performing, learning new instruments, painting, working on the computer - all kinds of stuff. He's the man to ask, when you have questions about anything graphic/visual. These paintings are b/w photo copies of the kids, glued to canvas, washed with watercolor and painted afterwords.

I feel so lucky!

Lotsa LOVE

My brother - Rasmus - and I have always lived together. First with our parents, later with our Mom. When we moved away from home, we lived door to door. Untill 3 years ago, when he moved to Copenhagen and I moved a bit south. Now we live an hour away from each other. By car. Since we don't have a car, it takes about 2 hours to get to him.....I'm really sad about not living close to him, as he is my best friend. We can talk about every thing and nothing. When we get together we'll have a few cups o' coffee and a chat. His girlfriend calls us "coffee sisters"! I'm trying to convince him (and his family) to move to our city, without much luck. I hope we either get a car or find a solution, where we can live a bit closer, some day.....I don't like him being that far away!

HIS BOY                      MY BROWN EYED GIRL

Rasmus and I have this ongoing argument, about whose kids are the cutest. Who had the cutest baby.....I say I had the cutest babies....he says Otto Man is the cutest.....OK so they're all cute, except mine is a bit cuter ;o) Ha ha.....

Jennifer

When I was a kid, my Grandpa had a colleague and friend in New Jersey. One summer he and his family came to visit Denmark and I got to met them too. They had a boy my age and a daughter a few years older, who came over for Danish pancakes - they're more like crepes!

The girl - Jennifer - and I became pen pals and I wrote her letters with help from my Dad's sister, since I didn't speak English! We always wrote about me visiting them and in the summer of 1989 - when I was 14 - I went on my first trip to the U.S. It was my first flight EVER and I was 14 and I went by myself!! Can you believe it??? Anyway....I had a great time!

After wards, the years went by and we lost contact. In my mid twenties (I think) I met her Dad again. He was visiting my Grandparents. He told me that Jennifer was a law student. Later on I learned she got married, gotten a new last name and lived in Paris.

Then one day about 6 months ago I was reading this press piece at Genius Jones - don't ask why I do that - and the writers name popped out of the screen!!! Hmmmm....can't be THAT Jennifer Cattaui? The Lawyer? I Googled her and found out she has a blog and even a super cool on-line shop - Babesta! I immediately contacted her and got a little update. How much fun is that. We are both Moms, we share a common sense of style - what's more to know? Oh I can tell you this: She's still a Rock Chick! She'll always be a Rock Chick to me ;o)

 

All the t-shirt's are from her shop - I  L O V E  prints like these. All these I want for my kids ;o)

She also sells bedding, furniture and other GREAT stuff. Check it out!

Otto

My brother had his baby in June. He is Otto. We love him.

 

Today my son and I was looking for snowsuits for the kids on-line and stumbled upon a onesie that says "Lillebror" which means "Little brother" and he asked if we could get that for Otto! He LOVES him ;o) By the way - snowsuit wise - I think we'll go for the wonderful suits from Danish design duo Miniature. I like them in army green and red. Well enough of the winter talk!

We had a wonderful week in my sister-in-laws parent's summerhouse this summer. We went there by train and stayed with my brother, Sophie (sil), Otto, their two Chihuahua's and her parents huge mutt! All lovely dogs I might add. The house is in the woods.

Goodbye Summer - Hello Blogland

Summer is VERY gone here....it's been raining for a month! But we had a super lovely summer before that. Here we are in Bon Bon land, which is only 20 minutes away from us and you can bring your own lunch!

(How do I "center" my new banner?)

Trip de Cousins

We had such a great "Mini-Vacation" this weekend. We borrowed my brother's car and the kids sat in it, for 45 minutes BEFORE we even drove out of here!!! It took us 7 hours to get there and 4 to get home! There had been an accident, on the way out. We all managed. Well my husband got a little grumpy....but....the rest of us where fine ;o)

Our kids absolutely LOVE visiting their Dads sister and all the cousins. It's real sad, that they live 4-5 hours away and that we don't have a car, to go visit more often. They all get to big to fast, y'know.

This is Lasse - who we went to celebrate - and my son's *all time favorite* cousin. They just hang out. He's a lot older than my son, as is Louise, who he plays with sooo well. But they're cousins. And they just love each other, I guess. Even though we don't get together that much, they're just comfortable around each other. So we had a great trip.

Louise's parents (my husband's brother and wife) had - so nicely - prepared a birthday party for my daughter, in their summer house. With presents (getting help from cousin Lykke), cake (check out the pink one) and family - lucky girl!

We stayed in a summer house with my husband's Mom and Calle. We had this very funky lamp, hovering above us, in our room.

Our way back.

BonFire

"Hey! What's going on out there?"

"MOOOOMMYYY....come take a look!"

"What are they doing?"

"I WANNA GOOOOO....."

BonFire with Daddy <3

I'm back with more whining...

....my weblog is SOOO exiting!

And now I'm totally rhyming.....sorry about that.....my brain is all clogged up, because I've got a cold ;o)

Well my husband (the breadwinner), is working his butt of these days, working evenings, weekends and double shifts!! So I'm pretty much left alone with the kids and my cold. NO... I'm not feeling sorry for myself, just telling you that, I'm a little out there and all my great crafting and re-decorating plans, are not moving a long as fast as one would like. I did manage to bake these super healthy biscuit's today, that the kids hated! Aaaaahhhh....now I have them all by myself and a nice cup of decaf-coffee...(don't wanna hang around too late...)

I also went through all of my son's old clothes, to find something to fit my daughter and to save some baby clothes for my brothers baby  Pablo ;o) Well that's the name my husband came up with and the name we root for. Go Pablo!

I'm gonna have to speed up, with the bedroom for the kids. My daughter sleeps with me, but she really needs her own bed and to find a way to go to bed, that doesn't take up 2 hours of Mommy's evening!!

My son made this mask in kindergarten. He's made some more at home. A wolf for my brother, a hamster for his girlfriend and a tiny dragon for their baby. Oh and a tiger for his Grandma. So creative he is - my son.

And FInally....tomorrow this package will be posted! I have been waiting for these to arrive for Cassidy and it just took forever. I KNOW she'll love'em ;o)

Next I'll be up to a swap with Blair and a magazine swap with Fiona....yay! And of course get my shop up and running. I've got paper all over our dining room table and I'm finishing 2 dogs!

Weekend

Yesterday the kids and I went to visit my Mom and go out for lunch with her, my brother Rasmus and his girlfriend Sophie - we had such a fun time, laughing like lunatics!!

LOOOVE MY KIDS: Kisses, hugs, hearts, squeezes, love, love, love....;o)

As I went to check the schedule for the trains in the morning, I stopped by Flickr to see what was going on with "my contacts" . I saw this and remembered: IT'S FRIDAY! So I checked the trains and the computer was OF until this morning - yay - I'm so good! (If I would just remember!!!)

After such a great Friday with family, my son and I will do Mini Swap today. We bought this book (here) for Cassidy yesterday, so she can learn danish.....noooo we just love the book - it's absolutely funny and the illustrations tell it all! My son drew a dog, that I'm sewing for her and he gets to try to sew on my machine!!! Argh... We have a few other small projects lined up and hopefully the package will be out of here Monday.

Oh.... on another note: After seeing ThriftCraft and all the lovely links, I have decided to hang on to my thrifted goods and just *show them of* instead of selling them!  I will still sell my handmade goodies....just need a few more hours in the day though ;o)

I REALLY need some comments

*Update: Thank you for all your comments.

                     I am now a Stay At Home Mom ;o)

                     See this Post!

In the snow with my daughter in her sling....

My boyfriend and I are in the middle of a life altering decision. It's HUGE for our little family.

We're trying to decide, if I should stay at home or not. See, it's very unusual to stay home after baby's 1. year here in Denmark. But how can any family make it work, with both parents working away from home? What do all of you do? How much/little money can a family live on? What do you do? We're sure that it's the right choice for us - taking our daughter out of daycare and our son at half-care, but it's just sooo huge, because it's not normal!

Also, we want to be more "frugal" and more aware and make choices - not just float along. I want our family to live together....be close....and "alert"!

Anyway...please respond here....I need some other voices ;o)

Feel free to email me at karkov-therkildsen@tele2adsl.dk karkovski (at) hotmail (dot) com

GOD JUL!

Merry Christmas everybody and I wish you all a super 2006!

Today is the day for great food, caroling, dancing around the tree and presents!

Here are the Christmas projects I didn't quite finish yet:

See ya...

*Update: I used the salt dough ornaments for our napkins on Christmas eve, along with the mushrooms. The trees were finished by my sister during dinner! The Hobby Clay were never used - it dried out...

TIVOLI

Yesterday the kids and I went to Tivoli with my Dad. It was so beautiful with all the lights, Christmas decorations and happy people! Tivoli is an old amusement park in the middle of Copenhagen, it's very pretty and has a lot of rides. Usually it's open during the summer, but in all of December it reopens  - full of lights and Christmas spirit....

Check out my red nose and very yellow teeth!??!!

It was a great day and after Tivoli we went to a Greek/Turkish restaurant - yummmmm....

Anyway...today is 3. Sunday of Advent and I had my friend Laila over with her 2 sons, for a little Christmas decorating fun. We made Christmas cards and "trylledej" - which is a kind of dough to make cut-outs and different figures with. Then they have to go in the oven for 2-8 hours, so photos will have to be posted later! Laila had sent me a little present one day, that said it was from the "nisse" (goblin?), but I could tell it was from her by her handwriting!! Ha ha...It was this felted cone, to hang on the Christmas tree in my favorite color: Purple. I made the mushroom on the first Sunday of Advent, only to realize after wards, that a mushroom is NOT brown, but white!! Oh well...this must be a mushroom gone bad! The cute bird was from my swap with Jackie, so now I have 3 felt ornaments for my Advent Candles, which means I will have to come up with a 4. by next Sunday!?

Here's why...

...I've been a bad blogger:

My December job at Sus & Dus - a very small boutique, where we sell Christmas decorations and all kinds of beautiful interior, old furniture and plants.

And also this wonderful guy who I miss terribly:

My sweet love, who's in Hungary this week and I'm alone with the kids.

So until sometime next week, I won't be a good blogger!

Sorry friends ;o)

1. Sunday of Advent.

Crafting Kids:

• Clay Santas
• Oranges with red ribbon
• Advent candle ornaments

Mommy:

• Advent candle ornament
• Tiny toadstool

I've got a cold - I feel terrible and VERY tired, but I have to stay "fresh", because I'm alone with the kids, have been so since yesterday. My boyfriend is away, helping his Dad move. Wish he was here, so I could just snuggle up and feel sorry for myself  ;o)

Busy, busy, busy!

I've got quite a few projects to finish, before I start my x-mas job, which starts December 1.:

1. Paint our kitchen. (My boyfriend did this!)
2. Paint our staircase. (Still not done...)
3. Wash our windows. (Boyfriend did this too!!!)
4. Make advent ornament.
5. Make scrapbook for my daughter's Nursery.
6. Take both kids to the Doctor, for their check ups. (Oooops....)
7. Visit my pregnant sister in law. (Yay, my baby brother's having a baby in June!) (Hmmm...)
8. (Make time for) craft projects. (Getting better?)

I'm so glad that I've got plenty of time!?

Gee...and all I can think of, is when am I gonna have time for my crafting? I've got tons of things I wanna make.

Do you remember these?

I found them, at the local thrift store. Somehow the green monkey reminds me of my childhood.

Oooohhhh....and to match Jackie's PINK theme; I just got my new glasses:

They're by Dior and they're PINK. The colors on the photo's, are not as pink as in real life - sorry.

I love'em!