april / 2020

kai: cozy at home, with loki by his side.

april's self-imposed "lockdown" at home... thank goodness for stefan

keeping stefan away from the kitchen is impossible. he cooks up a storm these days of at-home meals: swedish meatballs, dutch pancakes, indonesian curries, flank steak and so much more that were not photographed. 

i am beyond thankful for his delish cooking skills but his hair colouring skills leaves much to be desired but he tries and does the job :) hurry, take a peek at the photo before i delete it! bonus, he now understands why i spend a fortune colouring my hair and is happy for me to go back to the professionals :)

he brings home treats too, like those yummy chocolate chip cookies pictured above. for his birthday, i made him a chocolate cake sheet cake... and it was edible! actually, it was the second time i made it, and if i can say so myself, it was pretty good :) and, on another occasion, i hired my friend's 13-year old daughter, a baker-in-the-making, to whip up a key lime pie (give stefan a break in the kitchen). i may be biased but it was one delicious pie. cecelia, i want more!

stefan has been dealing with our canceled flights... we were to take approximately 8 one-way flights this summer to give you an idea of the headache he is going through to sort it all out. instead of flying to italy, i am reading and dreaming about italy.

our cats and a sprinkle of flowers throughout the house make staying at home just fine. everyone's home should have cats and flowers, just my humble opinion :) 

since kai has been schooling from home - in sweden, only students 16+ are studying from home - we moved his desk into the spare room, so that he and stefan each have their own space. loki has been taking to keeping kai company. every. single. day. it's very cute.

i am the only one leaving the house to go to work, this is my bike ride view

many of you are in true lockdown while here in sweden life is pretty normal-ish. you have asked me about life in sweden, and be assured the three of us are doing what we can to stay healthy. you do the same, okay?

stockholm weekend pics, a lagom-filled easter

embracing simplicity. at our friend's home, they know how to create intimacy: friendship, conviviality, and happiness into one. the swedes call is lagom... being with friends and family, eating and drinking. the beauty of slowing down, enjoying the moments and simple pleasures in life. we do it well together :)

on this easter monday, it started with churros, just the right, generous, amount was consumed. then, a walk in the gorgeous crisp afternoon, the lighting just perfect. the neighbour's cat visited. the table filled with good food, including herring and salmon, of course. candles are a must too, bringing warmth to the table.

i don't think ximena has bought bread for over a year, instead preferring homemade. her loaves are gorgeous. it's one of her simple and magical ways to care for those who are lucky enough to experience lagom with her and her family.

 

the long weekend also starred lounge-y breakfasts, lots of chocolate and sweets, and board games too. lagom.

the easter egg hunt!

hope you had a lovely lagom-filled long weekend too. 

physical distancing easter picnic!

we are hanging out with friends and it was a lovely afternoon. no hugs or kisses on both cheeks. instead, smiles and conversation on a cool sunshine day. how much i missed this!

just outside patrizia's doorstep is järlasjön lake. we found the perfect stop on a cliff overseeing the lake, just us.

patrizia made a quiche and pastiera, a delicious ricotta tart which i first tasted in milan, when she and i visited together. she finds the best italian snacks too, the olives were to die for! we brought the bbq, loads of sausages, and fresh bread. for drinks, there was non-alcoholic italian beer for the kids and wine for the adults. oh, and she brought tea, she thinks of everything :) 

i hope your first physical distancing outing was as lovely and relaxed as ours was. have fun and stay healthy!