A relaxing hour

Today I've been to a beauty salon to get a facial treatment. It made me very relaxed. I must say I've never had a facial treatment by a professional before. My skin is cleaner and softer now and hopefully it will stay like this a long time ;)

Next week I'm going to the salon again, but this time to get manicure and hand care. Then I won't get the opportunity to just lay down and relax in the same way. But it's still going to be great for the hands!

I believe I'll take a relaxing facial treatment again sometime. I recommend it! ;)


http://www.themdayspa.com/facial.php

I MADE IT !!!

Hey! I made it !! :D In a few weeks I'll be standing with a white graduation cap on the school stage. Afterwards I'm gonna party with the ones I love. And more partying the next day, 'cause I'm having two parties in a row.

I'm so happy; I was thrilled when I got the results on Monday :D My results are not that good, but I passed the exams and that's good enough for now. I've been thinking of writing one of the exams again, maybe in next spring, just to try to raise the grades. I need to have made up my mind before Friday this week. We'll see.

Sunday and Monday I've been making invitation cards for relatives and friends. My mom and I made them from scratch, so it took very long time; two days, to get it all done. But it was also fun! Hopefully all those who get one will appreciate the work we've done.

"Inbjudan" means invitation.

These are some of the invitation cards.

I love the colours of the cards! :)

Day 12: What is the best time of day?

I won't give a precise time of the best time of day. I would say at least not morning, 'cause I'm always tired in mornings. Maybe midday or evening. At midday I get the feeling that I have much time for whatever I need to do. I'm pretty much relaxed at that time, depending on the situation of course. But at evenings I usually meet people, like friends, and then I'm much, much happier. I think I say evenings are best time of day. I'm mostly energetic late into the night...


 http://www.imagineyourselfthere.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/time_flies.jpg

Day 11: Write about your favourite TV-series

Finally I'll continue with this challenge. It's not a "30-day challenge" anymore, it's more like a challenge to finish. To get it done. I hope you are not so disappointed in me, but it just happend. Time runs fast.

My favourite tv-series are many. I'm also gonna mention some that I've watched too much and therefore they have been my favourites but are not anymore. I must say I need humor, some romance and action or a mystery (to solve) that I would be interested to watch.

For many years I watched the American tv-serie "Friends". I loved the sense of humor, the romance and Chandlers' jokes. I love the thing that the six of them know each other more or less and deals with different, funny everyday problems. Phoebe and Joey are not so smart and rich, which gives the audience something to think about. Everybody doesn't have to be rich and clever to fit in the society. I don't remember when I first started watching "Friends", but I know it was with my big brother. Now I've watched all episodes at least five times. So many times I remember everything by heart. It's not my favourite anymore, but it was a few years ago.

"Pretty Little Liars" is another one. It's an interesting tv-serie because of the mystery with the person "A", that no one knows who it is. In every episode something exciting happens and I get addicted to it. It's not enough with one episode, I have to watch more!! That's why I've taken a break from watching it. It's a couple of months since I last time watched and now I could continue with this serie. I think I'm somewhere in the middle of season two.

Cold Case

 I love watching criminal tv-series; there's always a mystery (a murder) to solve and I have to use my brain when watching. "Cold Case", "Miss Marple" and "Scott & Bailey" are some of my favourites in this category.

Leanne Marshalls' collection, season 5 winner.

Some reality tv-series are also nice to watch; like "Project Runway" or "So You Think You Can Dance". Sometimes I've even watched "American Idol". I know these are very commercial, but they are entertaining.
In "Project Runway" the designers make beautiful clothes, in dance shows they dance in a cool way. I admire those who have managed to come so far in their "own thing", whether it's art, clothes, dance or something else.

Finally, "Downton Abbey" and "Solsidan" are the latest tv-series I've added to the favourite list. I've watched "Downton Abbey" since it started a few years ago. Now the third season is running and I'm thrilled to watch every episode! I love the fashion, romance and the characters' lives changing. Sorry, if I spoil, but Mary and Matthew are so good together!

"Solsidan" is a Swedish tv-serie about young couples' lives in a district called Solsidan. It's a comedy serie about their everyday problems and other things that happen. I started watching the serie this fall, even though it's been running since 2010.


https://somedayandnever.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/friends.jpg
http://cartermatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Pretty-Little-Liars.jpg
http://therogersrevue.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/cold-case-00.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CZqO7CZ09Oo/Tib-pda0h4I/AAAAAAAAsgk/ihMrIoEDG1U/s1600/project-runway-season-5_archived%252817405285-9A93%252B22-573%2529.jpg
http://cartermatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DowntonAbbey.jpg
http://aroundbooks.blogspot.fi/2012/07/solsidan.html

Father's day celebration

A few days ago me and my family celebrated Father's day. Most of the Nordic countries celebrate it on the second Sunday in November. So did we. My dad and mom made the delicious dinner; a beef stew and potatoes, I helped with the starters.

The starters.

My grandparents came in the afternoon to eat with us. They brought red roses and a caramel cake. Mom had made a pear cake, so we ate two cakes for dessert. Okay, we couldn't eat everything so there's still some left. Dad got a tie and a card from us.

The caramel cake.

The pear cake with vanilla sause and strawberries.

It was lovely to be together again. I am happy to have all my grandparents still alive. They mean so much to me.

Soon, in five weeks, my big brother will leave us and will be travelling for eight months! First to Australia, then Singapore and Hongkong... Or how was it again? Well, in April 2013 he's in Japan studying, that's certain. And in the end of summer he's back home again. How am I gonna survive? We'll see. Luckily I still have others around. Others I love. When am I gonna be as brave as he is? :)

Coffee with cake.

 

Feeling like a maid...sometimes

I've been over a month off from school, 'cause I have all my courses done. I don't have to be there anymore. It's a relief not to have to wake up when it's still dark outside. Even though I still do it when I'm going off to work. But it's at least not five times a week. I can choose when I want to work; which days.

I've not done many things since I left school in the beginning of October. I left to Italy for a week, I've worked only four days at kindergartens, I've shopped, been sick, met friends and started in a driving school.

I'm pretty much free to do whatever I want now and that's why I've been showing my lazy side of me; sometimes having days when I'm not taking a foot outside of the front door. Those days my parents wants me to do household work. Yes, of course I can do some, but at times it feels unfair to have to do almost everything of the daily work at home. Of course I understand that it can be stressful for my parents in work and a relief when they doesn't have to do household work when they arrive home. But sometimes I feel like a maid. I do the same things like everyday; wash laundry, hang up the clothes, empty and fill the dishwasher and cook.

Today I haven't done any of those things, because I was at work 8 hours and now I'm tired. I wanna sleep :-P So why do I complain? I can do those household works everyday when I'm not working. I should be happy to have a roof over my head. I'm a maid in my home when I'm not working at kindergartens? OK! :)

By the way, my little brother and I baked these brownies on Monday.

Yummy! We might serve these at my graduation parties. We'll see ;)

The new dress!!

My graduation is coming up in just a month so it's important to know what to wear then. Last week I panicked when my friend asked if I've found a dress, my answer was of course "No". But now I have, yay :D Since Tuesday I've been running to different stores to find the perfect dress. First I loved a red dress, but it was too expensive... but two days ago I found another dress, this time with my mom. Actually I bought two, hehe ;) The first one is totally black, but not as festive as the "winner" dress;  in a colour of champagne and black. As you can see the colours are mixed from the waist downward.

Now it's only to find shoes and a thin sweater or a bolero to match with the dress. And of course make other plans about the graduation party.

My holiday to Italy

View from Porto Valtravaglia at sunset.

It's two weeks ago I came home from Italy. I'm sorry, I've had much going on plus I was sick once again, so I've postponed writing here. Now I feel like I have the time to tell you shortly about my holiday to Italy and actually also to Switzerland.

Friday 12 October we took a flight to Milano and rented a car for the whole week. We stayed in a village named Porto Valtravaglia (difficult to write it, I learned the whole name in the end of the journey :D) in north Italy. We lived in a rented house near alps and lake Maggiore. Only once we visited Milano and it was cool; we saw the Duomo church and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping center from 1860s. The shopping center was different from the ones I'm used to; this was more beautiful and it was easy to guess it was old.

Duomo church, Milano.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (one of the entrances)

 My week with my family and grandparents was nice. Every day we went on excursions by driving with the car to some places. We ate much out, especially pizza and spaghetti, well... Italy is famous about those dishes. The trip would have been better if it would have been sunnier and warmer. But the views were so incredible; it was easy to just stop for a minute and watch the extraordinary views! :) Of course those who live there all the time may not see the same beautiful nature as I see.

Somewhere near lake Maggiore.

Lugano, Switzerland. A very beautiful place <3

During the week we had time to visit or at least drive by all the cities/villages by the coast of lake Maggiore. The lake is actually very big, but not so wide. We took ferries a couple of times to come from the west part to the east. We also drove over the boundary to Switzerland a few times; there we visited cities, a chocolate factory and went hiking to Monte Tamaro.

Pedal boats, we hired one for half an hour.

Taken from the pedal boat, still Lugano.

I'm happy with the holiday, even though I would have been glad with more sun. I understand the fall shows also there, so I should return in a warmer season.

Maybe I will ;)