Dos Visit

Today we had an exiting visit from across Øresund. Jenny of Sammy Rose and Dos Family came and photographed every inch of our home for the series Dos Visits! How cool is that? We are so honoured that we can be a part of such a cool series! Jenny was the sweetest and we had fika with raspberry/apple/ginger juice and brownies and talked decorations and pregnancies :) AND just as she had left, she came running back up the stairs with the sweetest gift: A super cool kids shirt from Sammy Rose! Now we are both resting our bellies, but i can't wait to see the result!

▶ B: Ja tiden nærmer sig virkelig! glæder mig til vi ses på den anden siden :)
▶ Hanna: you bet!
▶ Sarah: well we can't all have a cute barista to flirt with...
▶ Anni: Good that you like it! i was sure all my readers just found me crazy after this post!
▶ Maria: I hope you discover the difference with the low heat -and combined with the freshly grinded coffee it sounds really really good! can i come by and taste ??
▶ Kristina: Its such a perfect for a dog to lie!
▶ Júlía: Oh cool!! i remember Te og Kaffi very well, how cool that you work there!
▶ Ai: aw you are so sweet! im so happy you understand me and can use my tips :)
▶ Epe: Yay more coffee fans!

coffee ritual

So if you follow this blog you know, that i enjoy a my coffee. Actually im pretty serious about the whole thing -even more so since becoming pregnant and drinking only one cup of coffee a day -it has to be good! So i thought i would let you in on my coffee ritual. Its going to be a loooong post.. I have an espresso machine, but these days i mostly use a bialetti espresso maker. Let me take you through this step by step ▶ first i grind beans on my krups coffee-grinder. I have had this grinder for a few months and im actually really pleased with it as it grinds evenly and fine. I use espresso beans or a good Kenya AA coffee. My favourite coffee is probably Illys dark roast espresso. Using an espresso-maker is actually almost an art form, as you can end up with some burned bitter water-coffee if you don't watch out. Im in no way a barista, but these are the tips i have ▶ you need to get to know your espresso-maker, so you can use as fine a grind as possible without clogging the pot ▶ Fill the lower part of the espresso-maker with cold water up to the mark and put the coffee in the little pot loosely! No stamping! (EDIT: okay, so i have started to stamp just a little! if you do it too much, it will clog, but if you do it just right the coffee will perfect and dark) Screw the espresso-maker together and put it on the heat -i use gas. Now you need to know your espresso-maker again ▶ You need to keep the heat LOW and be patient, leaving the top open so you can watch the coffee. The coffee needs to slowly fill the pot -never ever making that evil hissy sound! just slowly pouring in the top part ▶ And then you have to know when to stop. You can't get greedy - the less coffee you make the better it will taste! Its much better to have a small, strong espresso (I know this is more a moca, not an espresso) than a weak, bitter but bigger cup. So you will find out just how much coffee you can make and you take it off the heat in time letting it finish ▶ Now its time for the milk! i like a strong cappuccino-like drink with lots of foam. I use the bialetti foamer and its the best in the world! you really need to look for that little man with his finger in the air! thats a sign of good coffee equipment in my mind. Pour the milk in the bialetti foamer and put it on the heat with a thermometer! ▶ You need the milk at the right temperature: if its too cold it won't foam and if its too hot it will totally change texture and be undrinkable! I heat my milk to 70 degrees celsius. you need to take it of the heat somewhere between 65-72 degrees ▶ Then you just use the double layered pump - not too long - and get the smoothest milk-foam in the world! the goal is for all the milk to be foamy -not for a stiff layer of foam on the top, so that when you pour it in your coffee it all mixes nicely ▶ If you don't get the foaming just right you can bang the milkfoamer a couple of times to the table to eliminate the biggest air-holes. And there you have. My coffee as i like it and the longest, most boring post in the history of blogs! A big thanks to my brother in law Emil for helping me get to know my espresso-maker!

▶ Brit: you should. As i have said before; triangles are easy!
▶ Lea: Jep -Mahmoud er en håndklædekamel, hvilket gør ham en lille smule nusset fra start!
▶ Sandra: We definitely need to fika when we stop by your city! i have been longing for all the amazing looking cappuccinos you drink for ever and ever! i will let you know!
▶ Famapa: I mean it when i say that my belly is much bigger than it look in the picture! i don't know what happend there, but really its HUGE. Does your belly get the hiccups too? Ponyboy does several times a day and my whole belly makes these rhythmic jumps :)
▶ Emma: We still don't know if it is a ponyboy, but you have to call the little creature something :)
▶ Alice: you are so right! how cool! I always knew there was nothing new about my aesthetics
▶ Celine: Thank you so much. It is a huge huge huge pillow -the sofa is made from a mattress and two huge pillows -really i have never seen this big a pillow before !
▶ Lisen: How funny!! i knew that there was a ladies and a mans side to but the opening, but i just put in the buttons - i of course should have thought of the fact that men always sits to my right :)
▶.girl ferment. : Thank you so much!
▶ Tilda: Thank you! actually the camel is a pattern i got from a librarybook years and years ago, so no its now my own pattern.
▶ Lina: Very cuddly -he used to be a handtowel!
▶ Maria: Lovely little Mahmoud and lovely little Rufus can't play though. Its gonna be though to keep the babys things seperate from rufus'!
▶ Provins: TAK

mahmoud

more sewing projects finished! among other things three extra pillows for the couch, a purple/black blanket and a camel named Mahmoud. I have finally finished some things for myself as well: shirts/dresses that will be suited for breastfeeding -now there is a fun design challenge: how do i ensure easy access to my breasts at all time :) im sorry for the images you might get from reading this, but when you get pregnant you get used to thoughts of that kind. Im bad at photographing the clothes that i sew. maybe i will get D in on a photo session one day. The last photo is what rufus looks like when you call his name while photographing: he has an instant pose :)

▶ Sopchan: that pinapple sounds like a nice habit -i have been eating alot of apples!
▶ Hello Sandwich: apropos todays post - notice the zipper in the stripy thing im wearing -breastfeeding :)
▶ Katrine: Ja, det er et skræmmende billede med det der baby ben dinglende ud af maven, men i drømmen var jeg ikke spor chokeret :) Nu ved man jo aldrig med sådan en lille ponyboy -noglegange tænker jeg at han kommer i morgen, men det bliver nok helt i slutningen af oktober/starten af november.
▶ Lisen: Hope you get some lazy days too after all your travelling!
▶ Abeo: :) Thank you! it can be really straining to carry around a little kicker, but mostly its wonderful!
▶ Mado: oh thankyou -you are so sweet.
▶ Lina: I know i just read that too! so funny to think that she is where i was six months ago! seems like years!
▶ NE: thank you - i think?
▶ Maria: yes, its so great that relaxing is just allowed :)

belly belly

had to post some belly-shots -even if they are crappy photo booth-ones - cos this belly is taking up so so much space these days! i tell you, it feels twice as big as it looks and a lot of the time it has a weird shape because the little Ponyboy inside likes to push his/her feet to the one side with such a power that i had a dream the other night where he/she kicked through and i had a little leg dangling out of my belly........ luckily Friday was my l a s t day at work! im on maternity leave now and feel like the freedom to nap all day long is much needed :)

▶ A-Nah: there is something drawing about the animals stillness!
▶ Brit: yes, i am often proud to be a scandinavian!
▶ Patricia: we need colourful tiles like that here in copenhagen!
▶ Lina: Yeah, not enough babies wear glasses :)
▶ mieke willems: i have been meaning to post about them for so long - they deserve all the attention they get :)
▶ Little Nutbrown Hare: Oh cool to know where they are from! thank you spotting it! -so you could actually buy these animals?? or maybe just go to them to get your latest bear stuffed..
▶ Fine Little Day: Yes! creme de la creme de la Edgar is also a magical and dangerous place to visit -you want to take it all home!
▶ Ai: you should write them an email and ask where to buy!

luckyboysunday

Denmark has a l o t of children's brands who make sort of bland retro children's stuff. But Denmark also has a really cool children's brand who make wonderfully imaginative children's stuff. Its called Luckyboysunday and im in love with their world and aesthetics (and not just because of our mutual fondness for triangles...)

▶ Emma: do it -all it takes is a really hot oven!
▶ Celine: its very simple, but i have tested a lot of different variations before getting to this one. A pizza-stone for baking the pizza is a really good tip!
▶ Leen: i do different kinds of dough and i actually don't have a solid recipe that i follow. I always use a mix of tipo 00 and durum, olive oil, salt, yeast and water. and the i let it rest in the fridge
▶ Saga: thank you. im sticking to the couch again today :)
▶ Lina: hi hi -most food that looks good, tastes good! for me the visual aspect of food is really half of the experience!
▶ Epe: i'll fax it right over :)

mmm

Pizza and dog from the other day. Home made pizza is one of my favourites for sure. -whats yours? Slow is actually very very good and laying on the sofa with your dog is one of the best things ever -so im really doing good, even if it does mean this blog has been more quiet than i ever thought it would be :)

▶ Stefanie: thank you -everything with the belly is good! but im allready getting impatient. and thats a bit early..
▶ at swim-two-birds: hoorray for slow!
▶ Lisen: i will enjoy all my slow time even more just for you! hope you will get that break soon!
▶ Louise: Ja, her har vi snestorm - vidste ikke at du kunne lide ænder :)

sloooooww

things are slooooow here on the blog. Too slow! -real life is also a bit slower than usual these days, but also busy. Enough stuff to be done, but every thing happens at a slower pace. I haven't been using my camera enough - but i have great expectations for the future !

▶ Everybody: thank for all your comments - your comments are the best thing in the world :) (▶ Louise: jep! hylderne er fra ikea -og tak for din søde kompliment!)

still vs. live

i found these magical photos somewhere on my computer (notice the little lambs and the big bear) -don't remember where i found them, but i think it was on times.com or something - and i got a sudden urge to visit the museum of natural history - or maybe i should go for the zoo instead?? The polar bears in the copenhagen zoo are getting a new home! much needed. A cool detail is that brown bears will live some days in part of the polar bear-land -that way both bears will get to smell other bears like in nature :)

▶Ann-Mari: maybe i will do a little coffee-post, since it is actually something i feel strongly about :) but yes, i do whisk the milk in a bialetti milk-foamer! and i still love the name ponyboy (just watched the outsiders again and he is such a sweet boy + you get some patrick swayze nostalgia) but i think we are too chicken to actually name our child something that different and un-danish. but it will sure make a good nickname for a little baby-boy!
▶ Emma: my thoughts exactly -aslong as you mix your cake with some fruits and vegetables all will be good :)

carrots, apples and a danish

Yesterday i made my own carrot/apple/ginger-juice and had a lovely breakfast with coffee and a danish. I no longer have trouble eating sweets like earlier in my pregnancy -i enjoy that very much but, of course, its not all good...

▶ Lisen: i know! its still quite hot here and i am NOT looking forward to freezing every time you go out
▶ milk tooth's rain: i know i know -lets forget about the snow for now!
▶ Mieke Willems: Its the hardest in the morning. i enjoy the cosy evenings alot too -i just have to remember to bring lights for my bike when i go out :)

seasons

the seasons are changing. I love the darkness of fall but it still surprises me that i all ready gets dark so so early -and light so so late. i mean, wasn't it just long summer nights?

▶ Sandra: Sounds like a perfect saturday night! a soup like that is just about perfect all the time! i really love a good, hot vegetable soup with some delicious bread!
▶ Maaret: so many talented people on flickr! and such a good way to get inspiration! thank you for your sweet words about my projects!
▶ par3rg0n: hi hi -they are a nice couple! i always found the gorilla to be a bit.. reserved.. not as friendly and open as our other animals, but maybe a little love from the duck will get him to open up more!

well, well, well

The past days have been mostly like the first picture; blurry, snotty, sore-throaty and with lots of tea w. honey and home made get-better-soup = carrots, beets, garlic, chilli, ginger and other good stuff that will make you hot and healthy. And i am better now. just a little snotty and cough-y still :) This post needed something a bit more happy now that im feeling better, so this is a little duck i have made recently. I do not have much experience sewing softies and find it quite difficult, especially since i mostly don't use a pattern. But this duck turned out all right i think. I will show you more soon + some the softie-inspiration i have used (tip: type in softies at flickr and you will find so much good stuff) Hope your weekend is happy around the world.

▶ Flora: thank you! -we will be expecting the baby just around the very end of october -but who knows with babies?? im sure i will want it to come out sooner (as soon as i hit 37 weeks :)) and im also pretty sure it will stay in there longer than my due date! im thinking you are just a few weeks further along than me!?
▶ Lisen: Ive only read Muleum by Loe and found his writing good, but the story sort of annoyed me :) i will definitely read the others in the series too!
▶ Syrah: Thank you so much for the book-tips! I was strongly recommended Extremely loud... by a friend of mine, but i actually did not really like it -or maybe i liked it, but i didn't get caught up in it like i expected.
▶ Brit: thank you so much for the book tip -thats a new movie too right?
▶ Anna Caroline: no, i haven't read that! im loving all the good book tips!
▶ Veja cecilia: Thank you! i have only read Muleum before this one and definitely liked Doppler more!
▶ misako mimoko: I am! thank you very much. I have thought of reading aloud for the baby, but haven't done it much. i sing to it sometimes though :)
▶ Celine: oh i will look in to that tea! im really really a coffee person, but im quite fond of white tea with fresh ginger + i like the thought of how healthy that combo is :)
▶ Jana: Oh, thank you so much for stopping by! hope you will come back again :) and thank you so much for the book tip too! I don't know that one
▶ Hello Sandwich: Thank you! it has actually been quite nice to take it so easy the past week and just read in bed -especially since my head has been clear most of the time -i can really feel how much my body likes a good break like that!

Doppler

one thing in the picture from yesterday was very misleading: the coffee. I have hardly touched my beloved coffee for days now because of a sore sore throat. instead i have been drinking white tea with lemon, ginger and honey. much better for making you feel better. Im reading Erlend Loe's Doppler and liking it alot. He has a very effortless way with words -which means i will be done with the book too soon ...what to read next... im split between some old danish classics i have never read and some easy swedish crime fiction..

▶ Lina, Epe and Kristina: thank you for the well wishes -im trying to take it easy! -thank you for the tag Epe!

under

im feeling a bit under the weather so im staying in and taking it slow. hope to catch up on some blog reading and book reading! Be sure to go check out the family photos Jenny gathered over at Dos Family! you can still participate and send in yours!

▶everyone: thank you for all your super fantastic sweet comments! it would be really cool to produce some more "pearl" necklaces and sell -maybe if i get the easiest baby ever i will have time while im on maternity leave :)

fabric pearls

here is yet another sewing project. this one is for me though. its a scarf that looks a bit like a soft, fabric pearl necklace (not meant to be worn around your face obviously) -if that makes any sense :) hope you will all have a nice weekend. i feel like maybe i made too many plans, but they are small ones with lots of space in between, so it will only be fun.

▶ Søster: yay, nu er du her :)
▶ Søhesten: ja, det er lidt mærkeligt med alle de baby ting. mange af de ting vi skal arve, skal fra jylland til københavn, så vi kan ikke rigtig bare få dem lige før termin. På nogen måder er det også meget godt, at det hele bliver gjort lidt mere virkeligt af alle de babyting :)
▶ Flora: The crib we got from my parents has these three wooden beads on one of the poles and i clearly remember playing with them as a small child. i like that :)
▶ Lisa Kjellerød: thank you so much - its still a bit too weird to think of my self as a mother :)
▶ girlheartfood: Thank you. it does take time, but on the other hand its not something you need to concentrate too much on while doing it. that helps :)
▶ Hayley: Thank you
▶Benedikte: Du skal bare kaste dig ud i det! hvis man vil lave helt perfekt og præcist patchwork er det svært, men man kan sagtens lave noget flot uden at det er perfekt. det er min filosofi!
▶ Katrine ny: stoffet er fra berlin :) og så så fint! Vi fandt det den sidste dag i berlin og havde ikke flere kontanter til at købe det for, men så fik D min veninde til at købe en meter for os der nede!
▶ Neftos: they really really are! i once had a pattern for a penguin-softie, but i can't seem to find it now!
▶ Lisen: yeat, our baby will have the coolest crib in the hood
▶ Mieke Willems: YES! you have to sneak up on the next poodle you meet and feel the fur! total lamb softness!
▶ D: you are dreaming! we don't have enough space for a whippet and a baby AND a standard poodle...
▶ Maria: Tak, jeg er også så glad for det stof!
▶ Kiwitz: hi hi thank you so much -one of my friends just wrote me an email saying the same thing -and i would sell them! if i had more time!! time time time.
▶ Hello Sandwich: yes, our kid will have no where to go but art school ...unless all the bright colours will make him/her rebel and become a goth accountant or something...