Vibeke Nielsen passed away the 5th of oct 2011

Vibeke fight against cancer for 5 years but passed away this week. This blog will be in memorial to Vibeke.

My flat in Oslo has been put up for sale!

Click on the subject link to see the ad. The showing will be this coming Sunday and Monday. I'm so excited about how many will come to have a look at it!

Update: Showing today and tomorrow afternoon. I'm soooo excited! They say the last weekend of August is the busiest weekend on the housing market all year - now I wonder how many will come to take a look at mine? ;)

Summer at sea in my hometown Arendal (South coast of Norway)

Spending a lovely summer day at sea in the boat of my sister and her hubby.....from left to right: my sister, my friend Brita, who was visiting for the weekend, and me.

Hi all!

(Photo by Joern Groenlund, Hjemmet)

I've had to take a break from blogging due to treatment for my illness. However, I really appreciate the comments and messages I've been getting from some of you showing that you're thinking of me. That's much needed encouragment, and it really warms my heart.

I recently did an interview with one of Norway's largest women's magazines. The story has yet to be printed due to me asking the journalist to wait, to be able to include the latest details on the continuing health saga. At the time of the interview they had a professional photographer take a lot of photos of me, and some of them turned out pretty good. I'm leaving you with a couple for now, and hope to be back soon to update you on my situation.

I hope you're all enjoying your summer (and winter of course, for those of you living down under).

Be back soon,
Vibeke :)

(Photo by Joern Groenlund, Hjemmet)

Goodbye, Poja (2007-2011)

On Sunday, April 10th, I was supposed to get a visit from two of my little furry friends. I was so looking forward to seeing them again. However, in the morning, my friend Soso called, saying Poja had taken seriously ill that same day, and that she would have to bring her to the vet for a check-up right there and then. Sadly, Poja had a heart condition, and passed away at the vet's office. She just fell asleep, never waking up again. From happily playing when she got up in morning until she was dead it took about 2.5 hours. Suddenly sweet Poja, at nearly four years old, was no more.

My friends brought her into the woods yesterday to lay her to rest under a huge, old fir tree - a beautiful spot. We decorated the grave with fresh spring flowers. It was the nicest day of spring so far this year. It was 20C, the sun was shining, the heaven a shade of deep, dark blue and the birds were singing from the top of the trees. She looked so peaceful being put to rest for the last time, it was hard to fathom she was no longer with us, and that it all happened so incredibly quickly.

You will be remembered forever. RIP, Poja. Thanks for all the fun you've provided in my life. You'll be sorely missed.

Under treatment

Not so trendy, this outfit...

Every day (Monday-Friday) for 30 days, I'm getting radiation. And once a week during those 6 weeks, I'm getting chemo, too. In order to save my hair they gave me a cold cap, as seen here. I was meant to wear it for 2.5-3 hours, but after half time I had to give up. It was like sticking your head in a deep freezer. Imagine doing that for 3 hours in a row! I just couldn't handle it any longer.

To comfort me, the docs have said I won't be losing all my hair, it will only become thinner for a while until the chemo treatment is finished. Anyhow, the treatment is making me very tired. So that's why I've been absent so much lately. But I want to let everyone know that I truly cherish your visits and comments on my blog. They make my day a little bit brighter. I will be back doing the rounds to visit your blogs, too, as soon as I feel up for it. Thank you, all of you! :)

Flowers...

...from one of my doctors, no less! Wasn't that a lovely gesture?

I've been a little absent lately, I'm afraid. I just started treatment a week ago, and thus haven't had the time and energy to sort out the Paris photos. But I'm getting there, however slowly, so they'll be up here pretty soon.

The Paris trip

The weather was beautiful and sunny. Our chosen hotel, The Westin Vendôme, was top notch and situated in a perfect location. And Paris was truly fantastic. I've got tons of photos to show you, I just haven't had the time to sort them all out yet. But stay tuned, and over the course of the next few days I'll share some of the many exciting experiences from our long weekend in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Greased lightnin' - blue version

Finally I got my Christmas present from my my mum and her hubby. They had promised me a new vacuum cleaner for Christmas, I just had to find one I liked. It took a while until I found the perfect one. Earlier this week, while out shopping with my sister, I stumbled upon this tiny electic blue thing. I was so taken by the colour, I knew instantly I couldn't wait to go home and try it out. I'm playing Travolta's Greased lightnin' on the stereo while working my way trough my flat. Suddenly, vacuum cleaning is great fun!

Thanks, Mum and & Torkel! :)

But the shiny blue wonder isn't the only thing I've purchased this week. As I'm departing for Paris later today, leaving the ice and sludge hell that is Oslo, I needed new comfy shoes for strolling the streets of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Alas;

These suede bike style shoes from Vagabond will be perfect with my trusty old Burberry trench. Not that I don't plan on trying out some gorgeous shoes in Paris, too. So in order to not scare the shoe store staff with horrid winter feet, I went and had a pedicure. I chose blue for that also, only a turguoise shade called "Surfing":

It was just an experiment to choose that colour now, but it'll be great for summer when I get a tan. I bought the whole bottle! :)

In other news, I've just been diagnosed with cancer for the third time. I'm waiting for the test results to know if it's the old one that has recurred, or a new one. Treatment will start next week when I return, and the docs know exactly what it is. They gave me leave of absence from the hospital. "Paris will do you good", my oncologist said. I wholeheartedly agree! Thank heavens for sensible doctors! And also, thank you so much all of you for your supportive comments on my last post.

So, see you around - next up will be images from Paris. Have a great weekend everyone!

A room with a view

From my room at the hospital yesterday. Full snowstorm outside:

At least I didn't have to venture out into the inferno. But the cold and grey rhymes with my existence right now. I was admitted on Monday morning. While at home for a few hours right now, I'm going back in later tonight. The message I got from the doctor was not good. Not at all. However, after tomorrow's consultations, I'm getting the weekend off, before I have to go back again on Monday morning.

A friend sent me this much nicer photo of sweet Sati, to cheer me up. Isn't she adorable?

Caving in

I wanted light coloured nail polishes for spring. Pink ones. Nude ones. Certainly no more dark hues after wearing all this black and grey during winter. I was perfectly happy with still using last season's "it" polish from Chanel, the 505 Particuliére. I did not feel I needed the newest "must have". Not at all.

But then what happened? One blogger after the other featured gushing words and tempting images of the grey/green/black'ish Black Pearl. I tried so hard to resist. First I bought one pink. Then another, even lighter pink. Every time I went past the local beauty store, while desperate not to, I just had to look at the Chanel display to see if it was still sitting there. Deep down I was hoping it would be sold out before I had to throw in the towel.

But it didn't help. It was still available, every time I passed through the shop.

I'm not a weak person. All this subtle persuasion got the better of me.Yeah, that's it. I blame the blogging brainwashers.;)

PS. One coat makes it look grey. Two layers bring out the gorgeous green, almost holograpich, effect. Love it!

Postcard from Bali

Fellow blogger M. of the lovely  She Wore It Well  blog has recently been on holiday in Asia, the lucky girl.

To me, part of the charm of travelling to the tropics goes something like: Sitting under a lush, green palm tree by a gorgeous turquoise pool, wearing a big floppy hat, elegant sunglasses and a breezy tunic, colourful cocktail in one hand, pen in the other while writing postcards to family and friends. [Insert lots of beautiful images of all of the mentioned things here].

Now, that's what I'd call relaxing in style. And in my imagination I can vividly picture her as the star of a fashion editorial depicting that scenario, when she wrote me this idyllic postcard from her vacation:

Thanks, M! Getting a beautiful postcard from someone's exotic holiday destination sure lights up a dark, freezing cold day in a dreary winter that never seems to end.

Renew Ikea furniture with Bemz

Did your know that you can renew your Ikea furniture by getting new, washable covers from Swedish company Bemz? All you have to do is to know the name of the Ikea model and pick out your favorite fabric. No need for taking measurements or any boring stuff like that. Just order, remove the old cover and slip on the new. Simple as that!

Take the old Tomelilla armchair pictured above. I've had it since I bought it second-hand seven years ago. It's a tad big for my tiny apartment, but I decided to keep it for a while longer due to the facts that it's both very comfy and it's got wheels. It's easy to move over to the sofa area when I have guests. The original cover from Ikea was once white, but over the years it has become both yellowish and washed out. Time for a new one.

From Bemz you can order fabric samples for free:

They have a huge selection of fabrics, colours and patterns, both their own design and from other designers. As I have just bought a new sofa from Ikea, a Karlstad in a fabric called Korndal Medium Grey, I was looking for something to go with it:

(Photo by Ikea)

I was particularly taken with a fabric from Designer's Guild called Castellar Indigo, which has some grey in it:

However, upon seeing it on a photo from the Bemz blog, I realized I'd rather use that particular fabric for cushions than for a whole chair, as the chair needed something to make it look less conspicuous since it's so big:

So I went with white and silver grey vertical stripes. They're supposed to be slimming, right?

A closer look:

From I made the order with Bemz and until I received my new cover it took about 3 weeks. Impressive, as they're sewn to order. And the total price, inclusive of shipping and taxes, was only a fraction of what it would have cost me to get a completely new chair. Isn't that just so neat?

It looks fab with the sofa, too. But as the refurbishing of my living room isn't completely finished yet, you'll have to wait for a little while longer until I can show you the whole "new" room. Hope it won't be too long!

Murder!

Oh no.....! I got this idea that I would wash my whole teddy bear collection as they've been played with by many ferrets and got a bit dirty over time. They all survived, except for my precious koala, given to me by an Australian friend many, many years ago. A sad day, indeed.

Anyway - I might seem a little mature to still keep these toys, but hey, almost all of them are gifts from dear friends and loved ones on special occasions. What would you do? Do you hold on to old toys for the sake of the memories attached to them, or do you give them away to declutter your life?

Where did you get those shoes?

The shop assistant in the Beverly Hills boutique didn't pay my H&M outfit a second's attention. My white silk blouse and breezy black and white floral georgette skirt was totally lost on her. I guess she could sniff out deginer items from a mile away. And she did. The one expensive thing about my outfit. Namely my shoes.

Which brand? Where did I get them? When? The questions kept coming. London, from the Prada store in Sloane St, I told her. Got them on a sale the previous autum, I said.  Oh...isn't it typical, she sighed. It had to be European! We don't get any quite as beautiful shoes like those here.

My jaw dropped almost to the floor. With the endless selection of just about everything being available in the US, were we on the same planet? Had my visit to a whole floor of designer shoes in an upmarket department store a few days prior been just a hallucination? As my suitcase was full of new treasures, it simply couldn't be so.

I can't recall if I got anything from her store, though. But at least I still remember her for her very finely tuned nose for above average shoe quality. That really warmed this shoe-freak's heart.

Carrie'd away

SATC. Heels as works of art. Shoe addiction at $400 a pair (at least according to Miranda). Etc. Etc.

No need to waste too many words here, I believe. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? I'm pretty certain I'm not the only one who found her shoe soul mate in Carrie. For a while there, I was completely obsessed. I just had to get my hands on, or rather, feet in, some real SATC shoes.

So here they are, my very first pair of Manolo's. Bought from the designer's boutique during a summer holiday visit to London in the beginning of the noughties. A favourite every summer, with a suntan and one of my LWDs.

Dearly loved and well used. So much in fact, last summer one of the delicate, handmade straps broke. Considering how much affection I feel for what was to become the first pair of hideously expensive designer shoes in my possession, and how many pleasant summer memories are attached to them, the broken strap meant utter disaster. I would never, never be able to calmly throw these away like I would with a pair of $20 sandals from any of the high street chains. There had to be some way to fix it, even if one cobbler after the other just shook their heads, denying they had the tools and skills to fix such tiny things.

But then I got lucky. After practically begging on my knees, a repair guy in a leather goods store said he would try, even if he made no promises. But try he did. And it worked. Almost as good as before - cause from a distance this little "fix" won't be visible.

The turquoise treasures reminding me I actually got completely carried away by a TV show will live to see another summer.

How to lose your luggage fast

(Photo by Jimmy Choo)

Hey, hey -what have we got here? As I was checking out the JC site for news on their spring collection, I came across this addtion to their ever growing selection of accessories - the "Terence" trolley. Now, I love me some spots and I certainly think this little bag is a real eye-catcher.

Immediately, I started daydreaming about going on my spring weekend trip. I could see myself - wearing a light trench, a lovely silk scarf, comfy ballerinas and some fab sunglasses, all while wheeling this little beauty casually behind me. Now, doesn't that sound like the epitome of style? Then reality set in, caused by a glance at the price tag: 3395 euros. Yes, you read that right, threethousandthreehundredandninetyfive euros! That would be the price of a small, used car!

And then another thought hit me - a fact I learnt way back when I started my working career in the travel business - the risk of losing your luggage increases significantly with valuable suitcases. The higher the value, the higher the risk of it mysterioulsy "disappearing" along the way. One brand which the rumours would have it was notoriously known for this, was a certain LV.

(Random photo from the net)

Now, say if you're Paris Hilton, or some other Hollywood A-lister or business tycoon, and frequently travel by private plane, you might not have to worry so much about the airline losing your prized possessions. (And also, in Ms Hilton's case, I'm not completely certain she would even notice if one of her bags should happen to be missing. But I'm digressing). Fact of the matter, I'm neither rich nor a celeb. And as such, I have to travel the way most of us "commons" do, being subject to strict security measures forcing me to check in and let go for a while of even the smallest cabin size trolley if the content includes ordinary sized necessities like perfumes, lotions and potions. Which in my case, it always does.

So, while daydreaming is free, the JC trolley is not. And even if I had been able to afford it, the risk of losing it and the hassle of missing luggage make my old and battered Samsonite seem like the sensible option. In comparison, it's not stylish at all. But then again, it's not especially attractive to anyone else. The look of it clearly advertises "this item's owner cannot afford a new suitcase and therefore the content of this crappy bag can't possibly be of much value either!" Apart from a detour on the way to New York, caused by the confusion in the aftermath of the Icelandic volcano eruption last spring, in the ten years I've had it, it's arrived promptly on the luggage conveyor belt after every trip. As long as it continues to do that, I think I'll stick with it. Till the wheels fall off.

Even if the JC bag is so much prettier.......*sigh*.

Crystal steal

This morning I was just on my way to an appointment with my optician, which incidentally has their store in my local shopping centre. The location is practial, as it's easy to get to. On the other hand, as it is a fairly large shopping centre, it's difficult to resist the lure of all the stores, with their sales or displays of all things new for the coming season. However, with a lot of activites planned for spring I'm trying my best to be somewhat frugal.

So I hadn't planned on shopping anything more exciting than a litre of white paint for my living room. But then I came across a store that actually sold Villeroy & Boch crystal wine glasses at a discount of more than 50 %. I stopped dead in my tracks and rushed into the store. Almost hyperventilating, I ran to the counter: Do have more of those V & B glasses left? They had. So home I went, with 12 new designer glasses at a price which can only be classified as a real steal. I was so excited, I completely forgot the paint.

Cheers!

Villeroy & Boch Maxima Bordeaux and White Wine glasses

On your hands and feet

Sydney Shop Girl is having a giveaway on her blog. Among some very covetable presents, she also features some cute little tubes of handcream.

As she got me thinking about handcream, I felt inspired to share a tip with you about some truly great products.  As a total hand- and footcream addict, I believe I've tested a fair number of versions from different brands. Both cheap and rather expensive stuff.  Between hundreds of beautiful looking products gracing the shelves in beauty stores, I've found my absolute favourite so far. It' from French skin care brand L'Occitane En Provence. The brand has stores all over the world, so it shouldn't be too hard getting hold of some if you want to try it.

Now what, you may ask, is it that makes these products so special?

Natural ingredients
Lovely, light fragrance
Non-oily, both creams absorbed immediately
Keeps moisture locked in and the skin soft and supple

And also the tube is a little different. Old fashioned metallic, instead of plastic. Me likes!

If you feel like trying your luck in SSG's giftshower, it's still not too late to enter the giveway - you can find it right here!

Good luck! Or rather, since I'm promoting French products (and going to Paris soon): Bonne Chance!

Cute overload

Admittedly this is not one of my own photos, but I just have to show you these anyway.....

(Photo from The Daily Mail)

This Daily Mail story is about baby bats rescued from the flooded areas in Australia. See the whole thing with more photos here.

Dracula no longer sounds quite as scary as he used too!

What activities to pursue during a Snowmageddon?

Twin teddy 1: Look at that humongous amount of snow that came overnight and today...Everything is white!

Twin teddy 2: Mum says enormous amounts are forecast for Saturday, too. She declined an invitation to a party as she didn't fancy going out at night in a snowstorm.

Twin 1: Oh..so what is she doing about the snow then?

Twin 2: She's escaping for a whole day tour of Ikea tomorrow. Substituting showelling with shopping.

Polar daredevil: What a chicken! There's no bad weather, only bad clothes. I've got a warm scarf to prove my point. I loooove snow. Bring it on!

Paris in spring

(Photograph by Fred Derwal/Getty Images/Hemis.fr RM, via National Geographic)

A decision made on the spur of the moment....

Just yesterday evening I was marvelling at the gorgeous photos of Parisian scenes in several postings on the blog Carla Loves Photography. I've visited Paris once before, way back in the 90's. By seeing Carla's images I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to experience the beautiful city yet again.

Having coffee with my friend B. earlier today, I casually suggested to her that we should take advantage of a local airline's New Year's offer of cheap airfares, and go on a weekend trip somewhere. Like Paris, for instance...

B. loved the idea! Tickets for a trip in March were booked the minute I returned home. Paris in spring it is. Thank heavens for friends that aren't averse to quick decision-making!

Happy New Year!

A few hours before we were treated to the latest trends in pyrotechnics, mother nature blessed Oslo with a lovely firework of her own.

As I had invited some friends over for New Year's Eve dinner and was busy wrestling pots and pans, unfortunately I had no time to go on a lenghty photo safari. But it was such a gorgeous sunset I just had to catch a snap of it anyway. A few seconds out on the terrace got me the image I wanted to share with you, as I wish you all a happy new year in 2011!

Nature's own firework - Oslo 31.12.10 3.30pm