"I CAN´T BELIEVE IT´S NOT UNHEALTHY"- CHOCOLATE PUDDING

  On my quest of finding a non-fattening, healthy, yet delicious form of chocolate I created this:

Gingered lemony chocolate pudding.

The recipe:

1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla sugar
pinch of salt
3 Tbsp ground almonds (or other nuts/seeds)
1 tsp psyllium
2 Tbsp coconut butter
2 dl warm water (slightly over lukewarm, to liquefy the coconut butter)
1 tsp grated fresh gingerroot
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
2 Tbsp agave nectar


+ Mix the first five ingredients (the dry ones). Stir in the coconut butter. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring well, and let sit in the fridge at least 30 min. (Psyllium needs time to become jelly-like. I make mine in the evening and eat it for breakfast =).

 Looks like a lot of ingredients, but requires no baking or other time-consuming (boring) tasks.

  I´m totally excited about this recipe!

STRIPED BOY´S T-SHIRT

  It´s been a while since I´ve sewn anything for my son (for Christmas maybe?), so I thought it be time to make him something nice:

In the spirit of the old times, when people would still work in the fields by hand, gathering hay for the animals for winter, I designed this nearly-basic-t-shirt. I made it more modern of course, to fit our society these days. Whether combined with straight pants or jeans, this shirt oozes classic, traditional style.

I´m particularly happy about how the details turned out so neat (did I really manage to do that?).

The fabric is made of pure cotton, and is gentle to the skin.

  My boy selects his daily wear from only three different shirts these days (he does have some more, but these ones are the only he accepts =). And I hope this new one will become the fourth!

WINTER´S BEAUTY

  Here´s the past couple of weeks in a nutshell:

Snow.

More snow.

  But yesterday I got a little carried away, when it finally looked like this, for a change:

I went for a little walk with my kids, and enjoyed every single beam of sunlight on the way.

The sun is not yet powerful enough to melt the snow.

We passed by our neighbor´s driveway, in all of it´s natural magnificence.

Imbolc is the coldest time of the year, although at the same time, it marks the beginning of spring.

It is amazing how, year after year, I still get excited when the spring approaches. I have seen it come many times, but every year I yearn for it to hurry. Meanwhile I will enjoy this beautiful, wintery scenery while it´s still here!

BERRY-FLAX- BREAKFAST

  It is challenging to eat locally up here in the North at this time of year. But one thing saves my breakfasts: berries in my freezer! (I actually have my Mom to thank for most of them. I did not have the chance to wander in the wild, picking for berries, last summer. She did, and now she generously has filled our freezer, twice, this winter. Thank you!  =)
 Combined with locally grown flax seeds, this breakfast is easy on my wallet, and the environment:

Mmmmh... Swirls of strawberry and vanilla, yum!

The recipe:

2 dl berries, frozen or fresh (any kind)
1-2 Tbsp ground flax seeds (soaked over night in little water)
1-2 dl vanilla yogurt (I use soy)
(cacao nibs for garnishing, optional)

+ Puré the berries. Combine all. Adjust the amount of yogurt to the sourness of the berries you use. Garnish with cacao nibs. Enjoy!

  I have this and some green tea for breakfast, and am satisfied and full for the next 4 hours. 


 

BYE BYE OLD HAIR!

  This has got to go:

I´m giving up my long hair. I will donate it to those in need, who  for medical reasons don´t have hair of their own.

  I´m such a lazy butt when it comes to hair. Clothes, makeup, and nails I can do, but hair... oh boy. Lazyness is probably the reason I have let it grow to these lengths now.
  Sure it´s beautiful! But as a mother of a toddler, long hair is only in the way of everything. And it hurts so much when the kid pulls it! I´ve had this hairstyle for over three years now, and it is time for a change. It will grow back if I ever want long hair again. Plus summer cabin season is approaching, and the main thing to do there is swimming and going to the sauna. Long hair is such a mess there.
  So bla, bla, bla... It has got to go.   =)  May it make somebody else happy in turn, in a wig!

ABS WITHOUT EXERCISE

  When dressing up this morning I accidentally saw something strange in the mirror: my abs. Evidently I haven´t seen myself in the mirror too often recently, because such a difference has occured since the last time:

Now this is 11 months after having a baby. Never did I think a year ago, when eight months pregnant, that I would ever get my flat stomach back again. I´m so glad I was wrong!!! (Sorry about the non-made up look, but this was right after waking up...)

  Exercising is not my strongest points. In fact, despite one hour of Pilates a week, I do none. And that Pilates class has not yet made me sweat (once my ears felt warm, but that doesn´t count  =). I thought it was doing nothing for me! I will definitely continue going there!

YE OLDE TIMES- BABY DRESS

  This is a basic linen-type dress I just adore. Something that should have been in my girl´s garderobe months ago, but didn´t happen until now:

I wanted to keep this simple, and give room to the material itself. Not 100% linen, but close enough, color and all. Combined with an off-white body shirt underneath, I really get a sense of 1800´s going on here.

I couldn´t resist adding some contrast and depth to the dress. These bows I bought ready-made from a craft store, and they keep well in machine wash too. Color black suits well the old-fashioned style.

I hand-painted this text with a small brush and some textile paint. Very handy and versatile tool for many uses.

In the back I added random buttons, each different from the other, but in the same color scale.

Unlike in many of my creations, the top two buttons actually work!

  This lovely little piece is not sabbat-related, and therefore can be worn year round (although in case of a baby, it will not fit her that long =).

IMBOLC FASHION: ICE FAERY

  I love the deep, minty color of thick ice! This outfit is inspired by that rare beauty in nature:

First comes the sketch. Plan is always a plan, and reality doesn´t always follow it to the letter. But it is the perfect place to start.

This bat-sleeved shirt is a staple in my garderobe. It is very simple to make, and is so comfortable to wear. This time I used a swimsuit-like material to make it. It is not warm, and requires a tank-top underneath to keep me warm. But the color, I love it, and wanted this fabric no matter what! The pants are the same ones I wear with my Ice Skater- outfit.

Makeup follows the icy, wintery theme. The eyes: outer third is turquoise, and the inner two thirds pale light grey. On the cheeks I added beige blush, and the lips I coated with clear, glittering gloss.

  This outfit is rather colorful for this season, but the world does need  a splash of color here and there!

IMBOLC FASHION: THE ICE SKATER

  Figure skating is a beautiful form of sports. I got inspired and designed this outfit to spread the beauty of it to outside the ice rinks:

If I was a figure skater I would wear this dress/tunic with nothing but tights and skates on. But in the real world it is best to put on a pair of pants...

  First I drew a sketch:

I have a weird love for Bratz dolls, or rather the drawn images of them. It has been handy to use one as a basic figure and then just sketch the pieces of clothing on it. There are plenty of figures to choose from, here is an easy one to get started with. So much fun!

When working on a sketch, I always include a design for the makeup as well. Makeup complements and completes the look.

The tunic is made of off-white jersey velour. The pants are fleece (of course, what else =) and keep me warm in this snowy environment I live in.

I have a lot going on here; the bow in my hair, the earrings, the collar, the pompoms, and the bracelet. But since they are all the same color, it doesn´t feel like it is too much.

Makeup: for the eyes I applied shimmering white eyeshadow on the inner thirds of the moving eyelids, then shimmering medium grey on the outer two-thirds, blending well the edges. I curled my lashes and applied two layers of  black mascara to the top lashes only. Blush is baby pink with little sparkles in it, applied to the apples of the cheek. I finished off with a touch of clear lipgloss with silvery glitter in it.

  Which reminds me that I bought a pair of figure skates for myself for Christmas. So far I have only used them once... but I swear I will go skating more in the time/winters to come, when my baby girl gets a little older and it is easier to go out and about with her. Yes, that´s a promise.

MOTHER TO DAUGHTER -REPURPOSED DRESS

  Years ago I bought a robe made of soft and lovely jersey velour. It was a nice lavender blue robe, which I thought I would love to wrap myself into in chilly winter evenings and mornings. For some reason I never felt the need to do so. What a waste of money and material!

  Last March I wore that robe. Once. When the labor of my daughter begun, it was the perfect garment to wear at home before heading for the hospital.

  Now I decided it was time to make the robe useful. I cut it into tiny pieces and made this:

A lovely everyday dress for my little girl. In the color that perfectly suits Imbolc.

Buttons in the front are for decorational purpose only. I often like to add some contrast.

Lace in the hem is made of cotton, and along with the buttons, give the dress a bit of vintage look.

The back of the dress is similar to the front. Only there is a seam in the center, because there wasn´t enough fabric in the robe to fit it in one piece. And the buttons are smaller.

  This dress will have the honor of acting as a party dress too, when we go to celebrate a seven-year-old girl´s birthday soon.
   I love multi-tasking. When it comes to clothes, it also reduces consumption. A very nice bonus to practicality!

LOVE. LIVE. LIFE.

  The past two weeks have been the toughest I have ever lived through. My eight-year-old son was diagnosed with diabetes. What a shock.
  He has had severe food allergies since birth, and for years now I thought he was safe from other illnessess or bad things in life. I was wrong. It feels so unfair for him.
  Now we have had to learn to live with this newcomer in our family. Luckily my son isn´t much bothered by it, and that´s what gives me strength. He even says he is not ill at all. He says he feels normal and good, and illness is something that makes you feel bad. I have a lot to learn from his attitude! What a great kid.

They say that people who have healthy childred, have no right to complain about anything. They are right.

  Life goes on, and I find myself living so much more in the present. I need to pick up again the things I did before diabetes arrived, and adapt my life to the new situation.
  Nature´s beauty is one thing I find comforting. Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed. And loved. Love is a powerful force we can derive much strength from.
  And what is life without highs and lows anyway? Boring and blunt. I guess I can´t have the highs without the lows, although I would so much want to.  =)