Formex August 2015

 Hello Friday!

Long time no see. I was just about to make the excuse of being too busy... but it's just untrue, plus I'm not a big fan of the "too busy" excuse. (You always have time, it's just a matter of what you decide to spend your time doing.) I've had plenty of time to pop in here to update you on what's happening behind the scenes... I just haven't.

Anywho, 3 weeks ago I presented my work at Formex for the second time. Since I had shown my work at Formex in January I had learnt a thing or two which I tried to implement this time around. In January I tried to show as much of my work as possible, and didn't really think about the overall look of my booth. This time I showcased just my scarves and my illustrations and designed my booth to look a little bit like a candy shop or bakery. I am really pleased with how it all turned out, plus the gorgeous bouquet of flowers really brought everything together. I'm also totally in love with the perfect periwinkle color I picked for the counter and frilly banner!

Another thing I also learnt from last time is that many people (or maybe just Swedes) are pretty timid when it comes to getting close to you to take a closer look so I built a little counter to bring my work a little closer to the walk ways. This way people felt a little more comfortable stopping to pick up a business card or stop for a chat and take a quick look at my work.

How did I find this Formex compared to the first experience?

The first time around was really exciting because I really didn't know what to expect. I felt really new and people seemed excited to see something new at the fair too. I met tons of people who really took the time to complement my work and chat with me about my process etc. I made a handful of sales and connections that definitely made the fair worth it for me.

The second time around was just as exciting but this time I felt I really knew what was going to happen, and I was really pleased with how my booth looked overall. Unfortunately the weather was not on our side. It was incredibly sunny and people didn't seem to want to be stuck indoors. So the overall feel of the fair from speaking to others too was that there wasn't as many people there and people were really really stressed, not taking the time to stop for a chat. I still feel that it was worth standing at the fair because I made a handful of sales and connections this time around too that will potentially lead to lots of exciting work. So no complaints from me. But I had hoped that more people would have recognised my work from the last time around, and a little press would have been nice. I gave out over 100 business cards, so who knows what that will lead to in the future.

By the way, did you know that I'm the top selling Etsy shop in Sweden in the category of Art. Pretty neat huh?!

Äppelfabriken

Hello Monday!

On Saturday Johan and I jumped in the car and drove about an hour for a perfect Autumn day trip to Äppelfabriken (The Apple Factory) on the island of Färingsö. It was the most stunning sunny crisp day and we enjoyed a short walk in the fallen leaves and a really yummy Swedish fika, complete with one of the most delicious apple crumbles we've ever had. It was so nice to to get out of the city and to see the countryside in all of the gorgeous reds, oranges, and yellows.

Stockholm has been really hit or miss with the Autumn weather lately. It will be gray, rainy and depressing one day and then bright, crisp, and happy the next day. Guess which one I prefer? Autumn I still love you anyway even if you're a big grump some times.

Staycation and Nåttarö

Hello Wednesday!

I know there is nothing more pathetic than chatting about the weather but I just have to share what gorgeous sunshine we've been having in Sweden this summer. (Summer usually doesn't exist in Sweden, it's usually a little too rainy and a bit chilly.) We chose not to take a summer vacation anywhere else this year just so that we could stay at home and enjoy our own backyard, seas, and parks because we were expected to have gorgeous days with lots of sun and high temperatures through out July. For once the weather man's predictions were actually right. And I'm so glad for that because there is nothing like falling in love with Sweden during the summertime. (Makes the cold dark long winters a little more bearable.)

Staycation for some could sound a bit boring, one might get stuck in a rut doing house chores etc. Even though we had a long list of to-do items to fix at home, we haven't done much checking off of that list. Instead we've tried to be outside as much as possible taking trips to the sea or lake for picnics, swimming and sunbathing.

A few nice places we've visited for sun and swimming this July:

Björnö

Just about 30 minutes outside of Stockholm, it's far enough so you feel like you've gone somewhere but not quite so far so you feel like you have to stay all all day to not waste the drive. It's also rather quiet on the cliffs (where we prefer to find a spot for the day) as families and many others prefer the near by beach.

Nynäshamn

This is where my boyfriend grew up so he's rather partial to this seaside city's swimming options. (I don't blame him, as it's stunning!) It has many great places to take a dip, and Johan knows all of the best ones. We usually take the car, but the other day I brought my bike along with me on the 1 hour train ride, to easily take me from the station to the sea quickly.

Långsjö

Our closest body of water, a lake about a 15 minute bike ride from where we live south of Stockholm. I must confess I'm not too keen on lake water. It's a bit brown and creepy, but if you're desperately warm like we were one day, it will do the trick.

Nåttarö

As close to a mini vacation as we came with a one night camping stay was a trip out to one of the islands in Stockholm's southern archipelago, Nåttarö. Just a 30 minute boat ride from Nynäshamn we were able to find our own little spot to camp and swim for 2 days and one night, pretty much all on our lonesome too. Sleeping in a tent isn't my favorite (creepy), but I can do it for a night, especially since it's free. With Sweden's Allemansrätt (Every Man's Right) there is no such thing as private property, you can camp pretty much where ever you like, just as long as you leave it just as you found it. It was really nice to explore a new place and be surrounded by gorgeous blueberry speckled Swedish forests and pretty beaches and rocky coastlines. It really felt like summer vacation!

How I celebrated Swedish Midsummer

Hello Monday!

Swedish Midsommar was this weekend, and it was nice. I would say we took it pretty easy, actually, Midsommar the lite version. No major drinking and dancing into the wee hours of the night (as we've done years before.) Even though we may not have had the most gorgeous sunny warm summer weather (it was freezing!) we spent the majority of the weekend outside. At least it didn't rain! 

Although we skipped out on a few traditions this year (we didn't dress the May Pole, or do any dancing) we of course didn't skip the snaps and the herring. We enjoyed a nice Midsommar lunch with Johan's family and met up with friends on the following day. All in all a nice holiday weekend. I got to see swan babies too!

p.s. This picture was shot at Midnight. Around Midsummer the days are at their longest and this is as dark as it gets. The sun never really completely sets, just stays just past the horizon line, until the sun starts to rise again around 3am.

Glad Midsommar!

Hello Friday!

In honor of today's huge Swedish Midsommar celebration I created this illustration. We've got all the Midsommar essentials here: The Swedish Flag, a Midsummer wreath, Pickled Herring, New Potatoes, and of course Aquavit! All that is missing are the silly snaps songs you sing with dinner. The boyfriend and I are celebrating out in the country with family where we hope for a day of sunshine.

Hope you all have a gorgeous Midsommar!

Living in Stockholm

Hello Friday!

A few weeks ago Victoria of Vmac and Cheese wrote about her experience living in New York for one year. I love reading about other people's city experiences (especially of NYC as it's such a diverse interesting city) so I found her post very entertaining. (Public nudity, gee wizz!) I've been living in Stockholm for well over 6 years but I've never really done any sort of yearly recap which is kind of a shame. (Would have been fun to go back to re-read.) Since I really like Victoria's setup of a quick Q&A instead of a long drawn out essay I decided to fill out her questions for my Stockholm experiences.

Best Meal I've had in Stockholm:

I kind of feel like I haven't had it yet as there are so many amazing restaurants in this city that I haven't had the pleasure of eating at yet (got to save my pennies). The meal we had at French restaurant Le Rouge to celebrate our 5 year anniversary would be a contender though. Usually when Johan and I go out we kind of feel cheated, like the meal was a waste of money as we could easily make the same or better at home. Definitely for a lot less money! But the meal at Le Rouge, though costing what we spend on half a month's groceries was so worth it. The food was something we'd never make at home, and the meat was so tender we still talk about it.

Favorite Place I've been for Drinks:

Drinks? Who can afford a $24 vodka cranberry. I stick to beer or wine as it's at least a little bit more affordable. So I don't ever go anywhere specifically for the drink selection but rather just for the atmosphere or my friends. I really like Mosebacke's outdoor terrass in the summer months. It's a relaxed environment and has a gorgeous panorama view over Stockholm.

Thing I would Miss Most about Stockholm if I Moved:

I would surely miss this gorgeous city so so so very much if I were to move. Stockholm has fast become my home and I truly love living here. I love being able to navigate the different bus and train lines, and streets as walking has become one of my favorite forms of transportation in this city. The city is stunning and makes me feel elegant and very happy!

Favorite Neighborhood:

I'm definitely a South Stockholm Södermalm girl. This is the more relaxed, "hipster", area that I feel most at home. Think farmers markets, second hand stores a plenty, and coffee shops every 10 steps. You can be who ever you want to be too, while in other parts of Stockholm I feel you have to dress a certain way or be a certain way or have a certain job to fit in. I love all the little shops, and cafes here as well. I'm starting to especially really like the areas around Maria Torget and Hornstull.

Places I like to Visit that Never get Old:

I never get tired of Gamla Stan, Stockholm's Old Town. I know some places are very touristy but I just can't get enough of it's charming wonky cobblestoned narrow streets and history.

Most Expensive Cab Ride to Date:

Every cab ride is expensive therefore I steer clear of taxis. On some occasions though when there is a 30 to 60 minute wait for your train, or sometimes after a night of too much fun you just have to get. home. right. now. Since we don't live in the middle of the city (about 15 minutes outside in the suburbs) a cab ride home costs about 260:-SEK nearly $40, eek!

Weirdest Thing I've ever Seen:

Nothing as weird as some of the craziness that I've seen in The Untied States has ever come close to happening in Stockholm. I'll let you know as soon as something surprises me!

Most Awkward Stockholm Subway Experience:

For the most part people are rather well behaved on the subway in Stockholm. People sit quietly and mind their own business, usually reading or on their phones. The subway is also clean and well taken care of and there are guards often on board. But even so, once in awhile the weirdos really come out from where ever they normally are and add some spice to the public transport experience. They are of course usually drunk, high or sadly mentally ill. One experience really sticks in my mind as I feel so guilty of not stepping in. I witnessed a rasist Swedish woman (who was either incredibly high or mental ill, or both) harass an english speaking African woman. The Swedish woman claimed that the cut she had on her arm would be infected by her presence and that she should move away from her side of the train, which sickened me. I truly hope the African lady couldn't understand Swedish, and am also completely embarrassed that I didn't do anything nor did anyone else on the train. :(

Best Stockholm Subway Experience:

One time during a Girl's Night Out we hopped on the train at the same time as a fun group of friends and their portable speaker which was blaring ABBA's Dancing Queen. We of course joined in on the singing and disco moves. Best 5 minute subway ride of my life!

Favorite Place to Shop:

I'm not much of a shopper so I don't really have any exciting favorite places for shopping. For clothes I go to H&M for the most part, or wait until I'm in the States to buy some new things as the prices are so much better. For window shopping I love the department store PUB. They house lots of Swedish designs, great home wares, and even vintage. As for food I am completely smitten with our local grocery store ICA in Liljeholmen (I sound so incredibly boring). The store itself is pretty large, and fresh plus they seem to constantly update their assortment with exciting things. 

Thing that Annoys Me the Most about Living in Stockholm:

It's soooooo EXPENSIVE! Everything is 2x 3x or even 4x more expensive than what I'm used to in The States. I'm especially sad how expensive it is to eat out. There are so many interesting restaurants popping up all over the city but I can't afford to even eat out for dinner once a week. (One nice meal with wine and dessert for two costs a week's worth of groceries. I'm talking about a normal Stockholm restaurant, nothing incredibly fancy.) So me and my boyfriend stick to making homemade meals ourselves. Groceries are incredibly expensive here too though, so we've got a strikt budget that we stick too. Oh and a Maybelline mascara costs $24 here! I prefer to shop and eat out less so that I can travel as much as possible.

Thing that I Love Most about living in Stockholm:

I've never really been able to quite put my finger on what I love so much about Stockholm. When I moved here over 6 years ago it always just felt right, like I fit in perfectly. I suppose it's the Swedish mentality that I like the most. It's a little quieter, calmer, possibly a smidge snobby, very stylish, and there's an appreciation for everyday luxuries. 

My Stockholm Map on Pinterest

Hello Monday!

I'm completely obsessed with Pinterest, as I'm sure you are as well. (It's just so easily inspiring for all sorts of inspiration; style, food, creative projects, travel etc. and I spend far too many hours on the site than I'd like to admit... especially during work hours. oopsie) One new feature that I'm especially excited for are the new pinable maps. This is a great way of remembering favorite places during a recent trip or cataloging a map of your very own city to share with others. I've even used other pinners maps to learn more about a travel destination when planning future vacations. I of course also promptly started work on my very own for my city, Stockholm since I adore my city, and love playing tourist and tour guide.

Since I completely adore Stockholm, I've been really loving adding favorite places to my map. Places including favorite food shops, restaurants, cafes, retail shops, parks, or just gorgeous places to take in a beautiful view. I really hope you'll follow along as I discover new places in my own city, and I'd be ever so tickled if my Stockholm map would ever be of help to a future visit to Stockholm. Follow My Stockholm Map board here on Pinterest.

Have you ever been to Stockholm? What are some of your favorite places? Oh and do you have a Pinterest Map of your city?

Video Interview!

Hello Tuesday!

I've got something really really exciting to share with you today... my first ever video appearance. Holy Moly!!! You finally get to hear how I sound both in English and a little pinch of Swedish, how soft spoken and slow I am, what I look like, a peek at some weird art I created in college and a few glimpses of where I work and live. 

Way back in September two really lovely German girls came to Stockholm to do a video portrait of me as a part of a school project. We spent two days together exploring some of my favorite places in Stockholm, and at home in my studio where I showed off some past and present artwork. We talked about all sorts of things. There must have been sooo many hours of footage, I can't believe they were able to cut it down to under 4 minutes.

It was a really fun experience and I'm really pleased with the final outcome. I think it really portrays who I am and what EmmaKisstina is. It was a little scary to watch myself on film the first time around (man I never noticed how slow I talk... oh and is that a double chin, hehe) but I'm trying not to be too self critical. I'm actually pretty proud of myself. Go me!

So I hope you enjoy this short little film, and get to know me better.

The Darkness

Hello Thursday, and Happy Halloween!

It's that time of year again when the days get really short, and you feel a tad bit down, and it just gets darker and darker and darker in Sweden. (Uplifting, I know.) We turned back the clocks this past weekend, and we were instantly hit with a 4PM sunset (rainy bad weather didn't help the situation one bit either). Even though you try to be prepared the darkness always hits me at first pretty hard. It's just so sad and boring. 

But after a few days I already get used to it, and almost (almost) enjoy the darkness. It's really cozy if you make it that way. I've been looking at all my cookbooks which feature warm rustic soups, stews, and filling dinners, and I've been dreaming a planning lots of yummy warm meals to be enjoyed this season. I've been lighting lots of candles too, especially long stemmed tapers at dinner time. I've also increased my reading time, and cups of tea per day which make for lots of extra coziness. So it's not so bad.

November may not be the most exciting month of the year weather wise, but it certainly is going to be a fun special month anyhow. The boyfriend and I are going to celebrate our 5 year anniversary this month at a fancy French restaurant here in Stockholm. Actually the same place we met for our first date. (Romantic huh?!)

p.s. I don't really like Halloween that much. Don't tell.

Surfing in Sweden?

Surfing in Sweden sounds like a major oximoron, doesn't it? It also sends icy chills up my spine, all I can think is burr and run to wrap myself in several layers of wooly blankets! The water here is bone chilling during the "Summer" months, I can't imagine a wet suit would keep you that toasty in 10°C water.  I also can't imagine the weather and ocean being more than just pleasant, calm, and just plain nice here. But it seems that in a certain corner of Nynäshamn, about 1.5 hours outside of Stockholm at a beach called Stenstrand the open location and island weather conditions combine to cause enough waves for some Swedish surfing.

I'm thinking you have to be pretty hardcore in love with surfing (or crazy) to brave 10°C or colder water and an icy breeze for maybe just a few hours of surfing on 4 foot waves. You also have to get your butt all the way to Stenstrand, which isn't really an easy find. Would you dare?

I think I'll skip the surfing and just admire all the stones that fill the entire beach and surrounding area. They are just so beautiful. I always leave with at least one gorgeous ocean smoothed stone in my pocket.

Designlovefest Stockholm Guide

I think you know this already but I truly deeply have a love affair with my current city of residence, Stockholm. I love the size of the city, it's not too small or too big, it's stylish, gorgeous, close to nature, and just really has everything (except my family that is.)

When my friends from America come to visit I really really enjoy being a tour guide, showing them all the gorgeous sites, fun stores, and test out a new cafe or restaurant or two together. It's also really fun to see this gorgeous city through the eyes of other creatives. Such as Bri of designlovefest, who was here teaching Blogshop a few weeks ago. She finally posted her Stockholm Guide today, featuring this gorgeous map illustrated by our mutual friend Asia. So glad a few of my old and new favorites made it too the list. Unfortunately this is just a pinch of what Stockholm has to offer. I think you'd have to visit for more than just a long weekend to get a feel of this great city.

Stockholm Love

It's Wednesday, yay!

I'm doing something rather exciting today. Two girlies from Germany are coming to do a video profile about yours truly (crazy right?!) I get to show them my favorite parts of Stockholm and give them an insider's look into EmmaKisstina. I'm pretty flattered someone would like to interview me let alone film me. The thought of being in front of a film camera kind of scares me a little though. (It's good to go outside of your comfort zone every once and a while, right?)

Showing off Stockholm is definitely one of my favorite things to do ever. I love this city soooo soooo sooo very much and it's just so fun to be a tour guide for my friends or even people I don't know. A big plus is that I usually discover something new too!

Unfortunately Stockholm's gorgeous summer weather seems to finally have passed. The temperatures took a major dive towards the cool side, and rain seems to be a part of the forecast for a while. Thankfully Stockholm still looks rather stylish, gorgeous and even more moody in the rain. I think we'll make do.

Stockholm Map

Thought it would be fun to take a closer look at my map of Stockholm. If you still haven't read my Stockholm Guide where all of these places are outlined you can find that here...

Stockholm is so gorgeous, and absolutely my favorite city so it was pretty difficult from keeping my guide from being a million pages long but I tried to keep it down to just a handful of great places spread out around the entire city.

Stockholm is split up into 7 very different sections and I like them each for their own unique style and vibe.

• Södermalm: I spend most of my time (and feel most comfortable) in the southern part of Stockholm because I live around this area, and do most of my errands here. Södermalm is a little more casual and arty than the rest of Stockholm and I know my way around this area the best.
• Östermalm: As much as I'd like to fit in to super chic and elegant Östermalm it's just a pinch too stuck up and expensive for me. Window shopping is the best here though of course.
• Norrmalm: The inner city area is all hustle and bustle but not so much so you'd get overwhelmed or lost. This is where I like to do my shopping if I've got some money to spend. There is seriously a H&M on every corner.
• Vasastan: This is a part of town which is really unfamiliar to me even though this is where my Father grew up. It's mainly a quiet residential area (boring if you ask me, sorry Dad.)
• Kungsholmen: Also another area of Stockholm I unfortunately almost forget about. This is too bad because this part of town is actually really gorgeous especially along the water of Norrmälarstrand.
• Djurgården: I describe this island as Stockholm's Backyard as it almost feels like you're out in the country. Great for long walks or a picnic. I especially like to take the ferry instead of the bus. Really feels like your taking a trip, though it only takes about 10 minutes.
• Gamla Stan: The cosiest and most historical part of Stockholm might seem like a tourist trap, but definitely shouldn't be ignored. I'll never get tired of exploring these tiny old quirky streets. The Royal Castle is pretty okay too.

Have you ever been to Stockholm? or do you live here too? What's your favorite part of town?

Pouf! Issue 5

The 5th issue of Pouf Magazine went live yesterday. Yay! It was gorgeous as always and included a handful of my illustrations, but this issue is a little more special as I created an entire Stockholm Guide telling my Stockholm love story and sharing a few of my favorite spots and tips. I'm so proud of how it turned out and hope you'll turn to page 34 to check it out here...

Hope you like it! I've been wanting to share a few of my favorite spots in Stockholm for a while now, and Pouf was such a great platform.