2016. You kind of blew my mind

2016. What a year. It’s been shit for the world in general. I don’t think I have ever been so sad for anything political as when brexit happened and it’s just been downhill from there. That feeling of ‘how can we let this happen’ have only grown stronger since with Syria, Aleppo, Trump, the right wing winning votes all over the world. 

I’m rooting for 2017.

However, for me personally it’s been…pretty damn amazing. 

I celebrated my birthday with a healed arm, all my friends and that hot guy with the beard showed up and covered the place in valentines posters and kissed me all night.

I knew I was screwed…

The spring was spent falling in love in London and celebrating the love of two of my best friends in Sweden. How’s that for seeing the world blossoming and all that. 

I got to spend so much time with my friends in Sweden Sanna said she was almost a bit tired of me. Hear ya sister and LOVE that. 

Summer came and that hot guy and I admitted to ourselves that wtf and shit and omg you are that one I’ve been looking for. We celebrated that by having all the fun and the longest mornings in bed. 

We went to Berlin and Oxford and Prague and I fell truly, irrevocably in love between various dance floors, being served breakfast in bed, buying books, meeting each other’s friends, kisses, nerd talks, endless nights, picklebacks, diet cokes and this guy who weirdly just got me.

Did my last wedding and closed summer. Coming back to London started a new job and then George moved into the flat with Woolky and me.

Two hairy heroes in my bed.

New job was stressful and George worked nights so we saw each other less. Good thing you can always go up and have a drink at Found. 

Bringing Woolly to my favourite bar and drinking never ending heaven and hells. 

It got darker and we spent as much time as we could in bed.

Between me going to Paris with work and nights meeting our friends at Found life’s good. Like really good. 

By November there were friends, routines, work. Knowing the levels of stress couldn’t last forever but also eternally grateful for all the amazing people around. And you. 

When we decided you would come and celebrate Christmas with me I think something fell into place in my heart. 

This year. 2016. It’s been one of the best years of my life. Because you. Because a new job. Because friends. But mostly because I made the journey to get here. Thanks me. 

Can’t wait for the last two weeks of this pretty spectacular year. 

Christmas dinner

Went to a Christmas dinner at Bens warehouse yesterday. I have now eaten my own body weight in good. Kid you not.

Because delicious. 

We also wore the funky Christmas cracker hats 

Drank 

And played the after eight game (you put an after eight on your forehead and try to glide in into your mouth without using hands. Messy and harder than it sounds) 

But because I was the most tired person ever I headed home around midnight and dove straight into our new star sheets. 

Love stars. 

Today missing this guy but only one more sleep and I get to show him my country house. That’s the best Christmas gift ever.

I’m like the opposite of the grinch

Sent George off to Sweden yesterday. I kid you not when I say he wanted to kill me. I might have gone a tad bit overboard with Xmas gifts in his bag. Like 32kg overboard (that is not just me though). 

Seriously angry boyfriend. Sorry. 

First he got to build Lego in bed though so don’t feel too bad for him 

Other things I did yesterday were buying a new carpet 

The old one was destroyed and after the break in I decided I needed a new one. Love this. Also a bit smaller and fits he room better. Hello new carpet. 

Then I promised G I will deal with my Xmas gifting issues and continued on to wrap a couple here and plan what I’m giving the team as a thank you. 

Kopparbergs and rekorderlig cider of course. 

Tonight Xmas dinner at bens warehouse and then only 2 more days to go before I’m back in swedland. 

When your house gets broken into

3 days to go until I leave. Let’s just…enjoy that for a bit…

….

Ok, enjoyed. So let’s talk about the less enjoyable things that happened this weekend. After being down and out with a cold on Friday (hallelujah to getting that before Xmas) I decided to stay home all weekend. As in sofa and only leaving to walk W. 

So I did. I watched all seasons of skam and kosede meg.

But, if you hide from drama drama finds you (truth). On Saturday nighg around 1 I hear a loud crash and dead sure it was our massive Christmas tree going to its demise ran into the living room.

To be met by a man legging it out the window, glass and soil everywhere and a broken window. My shitty guard dog hid in the bedroom and me in chock wrapped myself in a blanket and just sat staring at that broken window trying to get hold of George.

And maybe crying just a little bit. Because scared. 

After about 30 min W came out into the room all high and mighty barking away. Too late buddy but sweet you wanted to protect me.

Another 30 min and George came home. Never been so happy to see anyone in my life. Poor guy had smashed his hand rushing home to me. But must admit i was happy he came so quickly. 

We sat staying at our broken window not sure how to go to sleep with an open window to the street. 

But every cloud has a silver lining and around 3 our very intoxicated neighbour showed up and it turns out he is a builder and between him and G they operated the saw and boarded up our window 

Thank god since this made we could go to bed and get some much needed sleep. 

On the Sunday I had the police and the forensics checking everything and could then finally clean up the flat before going to see Rogue one. 

Being a rational human being I was totally fine with everything until I completely broke down in bed that evening. Like on a massive scale crying to George how lonely I felt. Guess that’s to be expected after, you know, a mini trauma. 

But yesterday got the window fixed and then took back my flat lighting the last candle on the advent candles. 

In Paris for like 24h. My boss needed me to come over and say hi to some people. So that’s what I did. 

Very early face after yesterday’s Xmas party. Waking up a 6 is a pain at the best of times.

And after what have might been the most tacky Xmas party ever it was agony. No one does tacky like the English. The place even had fake candles.

But I had my team so all good in the hood. 

Everyone got shit faced (standard uk Xmas party) except for me. Which was fine. I felt like a responsible old lady.

 

Then I came home and broke a glass and the illusion was gone. 

Tomorrow back stage concert. But first glorious sleep. 

A very happy Lucia

Glad Lucia! Since it’s my office Christmas party today I’m missing out on the full experience so dressed up Woolly instead. 

Who needs a Lucia train when you have this guy by your side? 

Last night me and George had one of those rare nights at home. So we went all in with the projector, all the food, popcorn and some weird Aussie cheese twisters and watched magnificent 7. 

But first I got a message from this very happy guy saying he had a gift for me. 

Came home to this under the tree. Sorry for absolute cheese but there is so much love for a guy who treat me to this on a pretty shit Monday in December. 

And even more love for his absolute klutziness of putting some chewing gum all over his sock and foot. How? Me neither my friend.

All in all a pretty good Monday with my little family. 

Tonight Xmas party as mentioned and then off to Paris early tomorrow morning. It will be an in and out and thankfully I can sleep on the Eurostar. 

Over and out 

Just too much fun (my poor body thinks today)

December is truly upon us and with that comes the english love for Christmas. And parties. And ugly sweaters, milled wine and getting way to drunk. 

Witn Bella in London we managed our weekend through all of that. Result? Dead tired but an awesome weekend behind me.

On Thursday Bella came to mine for dinner and a much needed catch up. Must be almost 4 year since she was here last. 

Friday it was time for drinks and east London. We started at pimp shuei my long lost bar hide out. 

Very excited. After a drink or two then dinner at french bistro petit pois in Hoxton square and then found. What else.

Many shots, many drinks, song and dance to Bella’s bday and then a short stint at fortress before the girls gave up and collected my man and went home. 

Friday and first bday brunch for Bella at ivy and then the magical winter wonderland. We headed straight for the German beer tent and spent hours drinking all the beer and dancing to after ski music. Heaven. 

Around 10 we left for Hollywood arms but me being weak left the girls to fend for themselves and headed home. 

Sunday was Christmas lunch with tomlins up east 

Brought my sexy man up hackney way and got myself a pretty nice view on the train. Don’t mind if I do. 

Then we did all the traditional Christmas things. Opened crackers, played secret santa, ate roast, drank ciders. Aced life pretty much.

I got a Viking egg cup holder (yes!!)

And George a pretty hot beard warmer. For someone who doesn’t like Christmas he’s been given a hard bargain with me. 

After the lunch I was taken to George’s big surprise. I’ve known for weeks that one of my Xmas gifts is a experience and yesterday it was time. 

Up until the last minute I had no idea what this would be but we he took me to this absolutely outrageous, hilarious and amazing show called La soiree. 

It was like a mix between a burlesque show, a circus and comedy. I loved it. The gift game is on. 

That ended around 9 and after some ramen I was finito. Over. Dead.

But no rest for the wicked. Company Christmas party tomorrow, then early up for a last minute Paris trip on Wednesday to come home and go straight to a back stage party for the band 1975 on Thursday. 

Holidays you can’t come quick enough…

Dreams

Our office is still not fixed. Because London. I’m addition to that my dishwasher broke. And now I have to wait for my landlord to get back to me before I can fix it. Because also London. 

But, I love this city of mine. Bella is in town and tonight we are hitting the streets. Going up east to hang with my man and see the sights and wonders of hipsterland. 

But first working from home in my PJs with this winner. Taking him for a walk in a couple of hours but enjoying doing minimal effort movement first. 

Also realising it’s only 69 days left until we head to Sydney. That will be all kinds of awesome. Dreaming of sun. And beaches. Maybe I won’t come back. Good thing that my man is dead set on never moving back there. 

But a girl can dream. Of endless beach life, Friday night drinks and flawless skin. 

Hope you all have a great weekend. 

Being a grown up (ish)

I had this ‘im actually really a grown up’ moment yesterday. 

Might say something about me that I don’t have them often. Anyways, I came home and under the tree my cleaner had left some Christmas gift chocolate.

My cleaner gave me a Christmas gift. No avoiding the fact that is a very grown up thing. I mean really…

Very sweet of her though. They are still under the tree. To make me feel less grown up. 

Other than that I ate what looks like kids food. Even if it’s delicious gumbo. Then I watched 12 episodes of new girl on the sofa. Maybe not so grown up after all…

Crazy times

Big weekend ahead. Bella comes tomorrow and we have more or less every minute planned with fun. And if that wasn’t enough I have surprise plans with George on Sunday, Christmas party next Tuesday and concert Thursday. 

Keep the party flag flying. 

This is me channeling more or less every day next week when I’m struggling. Taking out shit in advance.

Tonight home in anticipation. Was considering Found because miss George (people over every weekend don’t leave much time for us time. But we did have one night 2 weeks ago) but decided against it because rest. 

Time to watch 12 episodes of new girl again.