A dream come true...:0) please HELP...:0)

Did I tell you that I love my family and friends...

If I haven't ...I'll do it again...

LOVE YOU!!!!

Why do I need your help in all this then...

read on and please share what ever you know!!:0)

I got firewood!!!:0)

WHAT!!

Yepp...I got firewood...:0)

Aha...a puzzle fit for a 50 year old...

not that many pieces...lol...

Holy macaroni!!!

Crazy crazy family and friends....

I am going on a paid vacation!!!!!

Oh yes I am...:0)))

Isn't this the most wonderful gift so say!!

THANKYOU THANKYOU....

AND THANKYOU!!!:0)

I am so so happy for it...

and have just recently taken all this in...

And there is more to it...

I will have a travelling companion...

LOUISE!!!:0))))

So friends out there!!!

This is why I need your help!!!

I want to go somewhere "QUILTY" of course...

but the world is big...

So friends...

please share the news on fun things going on

at your place in the world...

Because STINA...and Louise

are going on a TRIP!!!

If someone doesn't want to write here on the blog...
Email me at
kviltstina at gmail dot com

Love always!!!

Btw...

Do you see me smiling

and maybe doing a little happy dance...:0))

---XOX---

Gifts from family ...

Back again with more gifts...

Lovely lovely family made me a photo album

with photos from my childhood and until today...

Wasn't too big at this time...in 1963...:0)

look at those little bootees...wonder who made them...:0)

Inside the album...

my family had left me lots of wonderful greetings...

and it all became very emotional...

cried some but laughed a lot too...

Lucia...

with a pretty crown made out of straw...

Here I am with my brother Anders...

I remembering him putting the candle to close

to his hair once...ouachhhh!!!

Won't show the last photo....

smile...

they added a photomontage of me probably 80 years old...:0))

It was REALLY wonderful getting this one...

thanks to especially my dear daughters and Jimmy

who had put all this together...

More tea ...

from Anders and his family...

rose tea in an absolutely wonderful pink tin!!

And this absolutely heavenly scented package

came from France...

where my cousin Eve lives with her family...

Once visiting there...

I had them to stop at every spot I could find

where I could smell the lavender...

Mmmmmmm...

easily dreaming my self away with that scent!

Eve...thanks for remembering

and to add those lovely lavender fabrics...

Also remembering me hunting patchwork stores

while visiting her...

had looked out a shop in Lyon...

and when getting there...hah..

they had closed to celebrate the 14th of July...;0)))

Have one last gift to show you...

and dear dear friends...now I will need your help...

So hang on ... wait for the next post!!

Love...

---XOX---

 

...and the party kept going and going...

SURPRISE!!!!

Guess who stood on our doorstep the morning after...

This little cutie pie with all her brothers and parents...

I do know I have a crazy brother...;0)

but I never thought they would come for a visit...

and especially not that early they came...

( around nine o'clock )

he must have milked the cows with the speed of lightning...

and I don't think I want to know how fast he drove

the 23 Swedish miles to our place...pheeww...

But I'm happy they came...

now I finally could see and hold baby

Snöfrid for the first time

Lovely hairdo this morning...:0)

Jarl, the oldest ...

digging in on the best breakfast they had eaten...

cake and cupcakes...:0)

This is brother number two, Agnar...

(Who loves pink...:0)

with his mother Anna in the background...

And the third guy Seved ...

who never stops talking...;0)

This is my youngest brother Gussar...

the happy father of Snöfrid...

The younger boys were so much more interested in Viktor playing...

than talking to us...:0)

The rest of us took turns in carrying baby Snöfrid...

Anders ...:0) a proud uncle...

And Louise...

took the opportunity to cuddle some with the baby...

And back to the parents again...

This picture is kind of funny...

it looks like we have the baby hung in a rope...

but not...it's the lamp...:0)

Even Molly found time to enjoy little Märtas visit...:0))

No more surprises...

but I must say...all of them ...

have been the most lovely surprises!!

And to finally meet this little beautiful girl...

It was wonderful...

Thanks brother and family!!!

Maybe we should do this all over again...lol...

Kind of sad when everyone was leaving...the guests...

mum and dad...

Anders to Stockholm ...

Happy I still had Louise here for one day more...:0)

Love to all...and

thanks for stopping by...

---XOX---

 

Party day ... morning...

While we still had our beauty sleep ...;0)))

somebody started the flight to the north of Sweden...

We had breakfast...dressed up in pink...

ALL OF US...:0)

And started to prepare for the party...

Louise had filled her suitcase with pink/white dotty tablecloths...

and a pink serving tray...

(also a stroke of genius of Petra to involve Louise in some PINK..:0)...no problem was Louise answer to Petras questions about PINK..;0)

First guests to arrive was my Mum and Dad...:0))

and the puppy "Märta"

(They started early in the morning driving for 2 1/2 hours)

Brother Gussar was kind to do the milking of the cows for them...

Thanks brother!

Dear dear mother of mine...and Märta...

( notice the pink scarf..:0)

A knock on the door!!!

And the long way distance guest arrived...

My brother Anders from Stockholm...

Big smile!!!!

(totally fooled here ...

never ever thought he would come since we were to meet at Easter...)

Such a wonderful surprise!!!!

And dressed up for a pink party with a pink shirt

and hot pink socks...LOVELY!!!

Anders and my dear Dad caught in conversation...

Really would have loved seeing Dad in some pink..

but I guess the limit was reached...

he said he came with pink skin...:0)))

And it works for me...:0)

Louise continued with preparations...

(See how fast her hands moves...:0)

Nice to have parties like this so my old china comes forward...

Inherited this from my dads aunt Irene...

pink and grey Royal Tuscan china from England

It's so thin and just beautiful...

tea tastes so good in them...

when I feel luxurious I use them and enjoys my tea even more...:0)

Pretty pink tulips from Mum and Dad...

Viktor ( with a little pink in his T-shirt)

...raised a hand to take care of Märta...

Dear daughters of mine and Jimmy came...

miraculous they seem to have succeeded

to not be on any close up photos... Bummer!!!

But photos of what they came with...lots!!!:0)

show on next post...promise...:0)

Lars had prepared some lunch which we ate before

the other guests came...

Salmon fish soup/casserole ....Mmmmm....

Satisfied and happy we could just wait for the guests...:0)

---XOX---

 

Pink party...

So it is...

50 I am...;0)

Must confess I don't mind having my birthday...

had no paranoia turning one year older...

And having a birthday like this one... How can you not like it!!!

My dear dear family planned a little party for me...

Surprise party...with a theme:

PINK..:0)

So the home had to transform with pink little things...

and outfits for everyone with a little pink somewhere...

this I knew...not what was going to be served or who was coming...

Oh my...:0)

Turned 50 on the 13th...

and the party was on planned to the weekend after..

So we saved the celebrations for Saturday...

But some gifts and flowers I got on the 13th...:0)

Flowers from Lars, Viktor and Molly...:0)

A Think Pink box...

filled with the most luxurious spa products

from Lush...and PINK..:0)

Lovely lovely scented...

long to take a long warm bath...:0)

thankyou dear dear Lars, Viktor and Molly!!!

Late at evening I got an most surprising packet from Great Britain

...from who...

Oh yes...the one and only

...Shirley...

Who has the blog Stitcherydo

And this packet was filled with the most wonderful PINK things...

Late evening photos...of the pink goodness...

A bag filled with...PINK...:0)

Lovely lovely White Chocolat covered Raspberries...

Tasted heavenly!! Mmmmm!

How in the world did she know that my favourite berry

is just Raspberries...??

Beautifully wrapped package...

With this inside... Ahhhhh....so beautiful...

This lady has so much workmanship and creativity

in her that I'm amazed...

everything done with perfect little stitches

and lovely colour choices ...

Look at this purse....

ain't it magnificent...I love it ....

will use it for something special...

Will show more photos later...daylight ones...

Package also had more pink loveliness inside...

soft pink yarn...crochet hook...with light...

perfect for dark and dusky days...

and a pink button...:0) that she used so creatively on the package!!!

I'm so so happy and overwhelmed by all this...

Shirley...love to you!!

Pink boost that was what I got...

Operation PINK continued for the next days...

Daughters preparing and whispering...smiled a lot...and blinked at me...

Hmmm....wonder what they had in mind...:0)

Oh how I wanted to know!!!

Found out that one person was coming the day before the party...

BUT WHO????

Who??? By air...????

Back with news ...soon...promise...:0)

---XOX---

 

Happy...

This time I have a GOOD excuse for not blogging!!!

I simply haven't had the time...

Sometimes in life you just know...

now it's time to do what have been on the mind for years...

And this time...we did something that I am so happy and thankful for...

I don't think I can thank my children and Jimmy enough for all the help they have given me with my crazy and totally wonderful idea....

The starting shot was Lars going away for nine days to Stockholm...

We have a saying here in Sweden that goes like this...

"When the Cat is away the Mice dance on the table"

And so we did...;0)

(Lars did know our plans...so he wasn't totally unknowing...)

So what did we do...a white make over of the first floor!!!!

You all know how I love the light...not dark dark dark...

so Viktor said why don't we "white-ify"

So the 22nd of February...

right away after Lars leaving the house...;0)

operation WHITE-IFY started...

All furniture that wasn't going to be painted was moved to Lars bedroom...don't think we could have squeezed in something more into that bedroom...:0)

Saturday morning we all were prepared for painting!!!

We had chosen a colour called Light and Space..."Artic Light" a colour that reflects daylight up to 40 % ...can you see me smiling already!!!!!:0)

I thought I had pretty white walls before the painting...

But as you can see...they were NOT!!!

Jimmy was the king of ceilings...

The Paint king as he told us...;0)

Petra was fastest of us all...

Without her speed we probably would still be painting!!

The most brave ones were put on the risk painting areas...:0)

5 metres up to the second floor...in the stairs...

Not an easy task!!!

We had had our thoughts on how the dogs would react to all this...

But I must say that they behaved most wonderful..despite all the mess and little space they had to be at!!!

BRAVO!!!

Viktor got the most difficult areas to paint...

We needed a small and limber person for that...

I'm NOT!!!

Linda was a rock when coming to fix us all something to eat...

and serving us all day with food and "Fika"

And she was the specialist on all things small!!!

Here goes one of the last green walls...

Can't say I'm sorry!!!

We saved the worst part till the end!!

The stairs!!!

We had made such good plans on how to be finished by the time Lars were to be home...

But ...the plans were no good!!!

First coat...no problem...

We happily painted that stair from (hell) with

Such a good mood...

Petra, Jimmy and I...

Second coat of paint...wouldn't fix on first coat....

Aaarrgggggghhhhhhh!!!

I won't say what some of us said!!!

And worse...

They have never ever had this problem at the store...

No problem at 99,9%

But that didn't help us!!

So...we had to sand the paint down...grrrr...

Test paint after some days....grrrr..

Still the same problem...

GRRRRRRRR!!!!

Back to store...

Now they held their hands on the head and closed their eyes when seeing me...:0)

A phone call to the head office...

With a tip to sand the paint lightly before painting...

And wait one more day so the new coat fixed!!

Tap tap tap...

Time ticking...

Sigh...

But now it fixed!!!

JIPPIEEEE!!!

Thanks Petra for all the late night painting!!

( poor girl...working and studying and full time work at mums place)

A BIG THANKYOU to all

I couldn't have done this without your help!!!

Viktor

Linda

Petra

Jimmy

...Molly and Zorro...

THANKYOU

Was it finished by the time Lars came home...

NO!!!

This is how he had to check his email

On arrival day...:0)))

But lets say...

He was very surprised by how everything looked...

Back with pictures on the finished first floor!!

---XOX---