bye march.

March 31, 2016March 31, 201613 Comments

thank you march for spring breaks, portlands and seattles. for slight colds, long walks in heels, good beers and phone calls. march has been selfies and cartoon character curls ↑.

i procrastinated school work, tried michelada for the first time and finished season two of orange is the new black. i kept myself from buying yet another jacket i didn’t need, but did come home with a new dress.

one day, a whole day’s worth of photos disappeared and i bought a recovery software in panic; it worked. it rained a lot, and then it didn’t.

hello april. i’m looking forward to you. my last full month in school — ever — after seven years of post-high school studies. can’t believe it. i’m turning a quarter century, i’m gonna see an exhibition that i’m looking forward to and i’m gonna eat food truck food again. and more walks in heels, more phone calls and beers, more orange is the new black and selfies. i like the spring that is here and that is now.

tack mars för spring breaks, portlands och seattles. för lätta förkylningar, långa promenader i högklackat, god öl och telefonsamtal. mars har varit selfies och seriefigurslockar ↑.

jag har prokrastinerat skolarbete, provat michelada för första gången och kollat klart säsong två av orange is the new black. jag har hindrat mig själv från att köpa ännu en jacka jag inte behövt, men har kommit hem med en ny klänning.

en dag försvann en hel dags bilder och jag köpte ett återställningsprogram i panik; det funkade. det regnade mycket och sen gjorde det inte det.

hej april. jag ser fram emot dig. min sista hela månad i skolan — nånsin — efter sju års av eftergymnasiala studier. jag kan inte fatta det. jag fyller ett kvarts sekel, jag ska gå på en utställning som jag ser fram emot och jag ska äta foodtruckmat igen. och fler promenader i högklackat, fler telefonsamtal och öl, mer orange is the new black och selfies. jag gillar den våren som är här och som är nu.

portland: 500 ft above ground and world’s biggest book store.

March 30, 2016March 29, 20166 Comments

here’s the first half of my second day in portland. i wanted to go up in one of these!

so i went down to the waterfront and in-between the food trucks.

hello portland up from the aerial tram!

and there is the willamette river. so pretty! feels a little bit like northern sweden.

i thought that the aerial tram was gonna be more of a tourist attraction than it was though. people mostly use it as transportation up to the hill. some businessmen working, and then me *the tourist* taking pictures heheeee.

but i didn’t care. it was pretty! look at those little colorful houses.

after getting back down again, i hopped on the bus downtown. it’s so serene there, for being the middle of a big city.

this is where i wanted to go! powell’s book store. it takes up the _whole_ block (and it’s apparantly the world’s biggest book store??). love love love

they house about one million books (??!?). i FINALLY found a book i’ve been looking for for so so long. i’ll show you later!

after what felt like 245 hours (and i hadn’t even gone through 1/10 of the store), i continued out. hello pretty dr martens store!

↑ ~*literally my life*~ ↑

at this point, it was obviously lunch time. i went to lardo (and no, i didn’t reflect over the name at all ..). they’re obviously most into meat, but one option was a tuna melt, so i ordered that one. with tuna, provolone, tapenade, pickled pepper and fennel. OMG IT WAS SO GOOD :”””((((((((

and after i died and came back from the dead, i went for a stroll in pretty downtown portland.

interesting street art. so this is what i walked around and took pictures of while i was waiting for a bus. it took me some place that i will show you next time. i know this was probably enough photos for one post. :)

första halvan av min andra dag i portland! jag drog upp till portland aerial tram för att se stan uppifrån. så det gjorde jag. tjusigt värre, med både usa och norrlandskänsla. efter det åkte jag downtown för att gå till powell’s, som är värdens största (?!) bokaffär. knatade runt bland allt fint, åt en helt magisk tonfisksmörgås på lardo till lunch och hoppade sen på en buss till ett ställe jag ska visa nästa gång. puss!

my wish list.

March 29, 2016March 29, 20164 Comments

hello hello hello and happy march 29th! you who have been reading my blog for quite a while know that my birthday is my favorite day of the year — especially since i don’t celebrate christmas or easter or any of that other family stuff. and today, it’s exactly one little month left until my 25th birthday, so i think it’s adequate to start the countdown already with a wish list.

› a robe. for example this gray one with lace from h&m.

› a new perfume, since i’ve almost used up my frosted cranberry one from body shop that i use every day. i switch often and don’t have a *signature* fragrance. maybe warm cotton from clean this time? i love that one.

› one of the (few) murakami books i haven’t read! colorless tsukuru tazaki, for example.

› a trip to new orleans. SO wanna go.

› a straightening iron. one of those things i forget that i want but that i feel like i NEED every time i use one.

› these beautiful scissors from anthropologie.

› portraits!!! ah, portraits. i love when you guys draw me portraits! <3

› more everyday dresses. like this cute skater one from asos.

› a tote bag. i’ve totally worn out both this and this one that i REALLY loved, but i guess i’ll have to get a new one now. i really like this marc jacobs one! then again, marc by marc jacobs just closed down their whole brand :((( so maybe i can’t have that one either.

› brunch!!! love love love.

› body shop’s boddy butter. love the ones that don’t smell all too strong. moringa or japanese cherry blossom for example.

› and white sneakers! ahhhh few things beat the feeling of brand new white sneakers.

(all the sources can be found on my pinterest, by the way. xx)

om ni hängt här ett tag vet ni att jag inte firar nånting speciellt mycket förutom MIN FÖDELSEDAG. älskar fasen att fylla år asså. och idag är det prick en månad kvar till min tjugofemma, så jag tänkte att det var adekvat tid att börja peppa med en önskelista!

› morgonrock, tex denna från h&m.

› parfym, tex cleans warm cotton.

› nån av de få murakamiböckerna jag inte läst, tex färglöse herr tazaki.

› en resa till new orleans.

› en plattång.

› denna fantastiska sax från anthropologie.

› porträtt!! alltid porträtt.

› fina basklänningar, tex denna skater dress från asos.

› en najs tygkasse, tex denna från marc jacobs.

› brunch! <3

› body butter från body shop, tex med doft av moringa eller japansk körsbärsblom.

› vita sneakers! love.

collected guides and tips.

March 28, 2016March 28, 20164 Comments

over the months and years, the number of guides and tips here on the blog has been growing steadily. today, i thought i’d collect a bunch of them. hopefully you’ll discover something new, especially if you haven’t hung out here for a super long time. here we go:

travel guides.

traveling 4 ever. in the menu to the right (if you’re on desktop that is — if you’re reading this on your phone, scroll to the bottom), i have gathered my travel guides. to san francisco, nice, maui, san diego and an oslo veggie burger guide. i’m updating the sf one constantly since i live here, and there is a mini portland guide coming up!

blogs.

maren

a while back, i listed the blogs i read in four parts. they can be found here, here, here and here, but also in the sidebar menu under “blogs i read“.

recipes.

i don’t cook that often, but sometimes i do, and some of those times, my recipes might end up here. for example the ones for a mushroom and sundried tomato pasta, a super smoothie bowl, a pannacotta with white chocolate and blueberries or scones. last year, when i hadn’t eaten meat for 10 years, i made a collected post with a bunch of recipes.

lifehacks and advice.

i’ve written a couple of posts with thoughts on life, advice or tips. like for example five tips before starting college, the secret but not so secret life hack, my five best writing advice and ten tips that will make traveling easier.

insta tips.

i love instagram so much! and i really think i can brag about how many amazing accounts i follow. throughout the years, i’ve posted so many insta tips for you. for example my favorite cat instagrams, dog instagrams, different is beautiful instagrams and four instagram hashtags. not too long time ago gathered (at least tried to) all my insta tips at the end of this post.

other stuff.

if you want to listen to me talk about berghs and moving to san francisco, you can listen to that podcast episode of källan here. i’ve also participated in källan sharing my (a little darker) story growing up with anxiety and being self-destructive here. i’ve also for example written about how it was not drinking for three months.

hope i’ve managed to pick ut at least something new and interesting for you to check out! most of my post are (hopefully) kind of searchable, either in the little search bar or through the categories in the sidebar. happy monday :*

jag har samlat ihop lite blandade guider och tips från både nyligen och längesen. hoppas det finns nåt som ni inte sett tidigare som kan vara kul eller intressant. puss!

PORTLAND.

March 27, 2016March 26, 20165 Comments

when i’m writing this i’ve just come home from portland. i’m so tired but so happy, it’s been a lovely couple of days. i have SO many pictures to show you. but one thing at the time! here’s the first day:

bye california, hello oregon.

the first thing i needed to do when i got off the plane was to eat something. i looked up the neighborhood where i was staying, hawthorne, and found the waffle window where i decided to grab lunch.

this one was with balsamic braised mushrooms and onions, spinach, roasted pepper, sliced tomato and lemon zest-thyme marinated chèvre. YUM. :))

i still had a few hours before i could check in, so i decided to check out the hood. hawthorne blvd has lots of vintage shops, so i hopped in and out of a couple of those. in-between the vintage places is blue star donuts!

so, let’s get it clear once and for all: for some reason i don’t really like donuts. it’s one of the few things i don’t like, but since it’s a portland thing, i had to go here.

hehe. (last one. hehe.)

as i showed you last time, i picked the blueberry bourbon basil one. i struggled through half and then gave up to the fact that i will probably never be a donut person. OH WHATEVS i have all the other foods in the world. and so i continued down the street.

one place had lovely kitsch candles with queen bee.

and these fantastic recipe dice!! love!! <3

as well as bottled portland rain. so sweet. oh well, didn’t buy anything here this time. after this, i checked in, left my stuff and headed out to downtown portland.

this is how it looks like there! calm and nice and feels like fall and big city and small city at the same time. love the vibe here. i walked around here for a good amount of time.

until it was time for dinner. i went here! to grassa (and worry not, i will make a little mini-guide soon!).

it’s an italian place with handcrafted pasta, so i ordered cacio e pepe and a glass of their local wine. yum yum yum.

before i headed back to east of the river, i took a stroll. so much nice street art in portland.

and SO many food trucks in this city too! here’s just a few of the zillion across the city (and still somehow i managed to eat from ZERO food trucks. so bad)

this vampire hostel cat said good night to me before i passed out for the day. splendid first day in portland i’d say.

första dagen i portland! åh herregud en sån bra stad kan jag ju säga med en gång. iallafall så landade jag i tisdags rätt tidigt och hade några timmar på mig innan jag kunde checka in, så jag satsade på smarrig matvåffla till lunch i hawthorne, där jag skulle bo första två nätterna. efter lunchen kikade jag i ett gäng butiker, med knäppa vintagefynd, fantastiska recepttärningar och portland-regn på flaska. efter att ha droppat av mina grejer hoppade jag på en buss downtown och knatade runt i allt det fina stillsamma ett bra tag innan det var dags för middag. beställde en cacio e pepe på grassa och kilade runt bland kvarteren en stund till innan jag åkte tillbaka till östra sidan av floden och däckade. så fin första dag!

the microscope in my heart.

March 25, 2016March 24, 201614 Comments

as you might already know, there is the creative initiative monthly makers going on the swedish blogosphere. each month, anyone can contribute for the theme of that particular month. for march, the theme is miniature and just like last month, i interpreted it in through a text.

since the original is in swedish, i started with that one. the english text follows underneath.

i hope you enjoy it. (and more texts of mine can be found in the category texts. ♥)

precis som det overkliga i abstraktion i tankar i känslor
allt nu är som ett teleskop, zoomar in på en prick som är en människa i ett hus i en stad i ett land utan gränser som syns
jag står i ett kök i ett liv som är det verkliga, men det är som att det är planeter som drar, tyngdlagar mot den himlakropp som är jag, planet eller supernova men antagligen bara ett gruskorn, rymdstoft, för jag är bara five feet tall på en ruta av parketterat trägolv jag är så liten att jag knappt syns och inuti ser det ut som att “om känslor finns”, på en planet som denna, liten långt bort som en måne, kanske är de bara nålstick
all rymd är oproportionerlig när jag står här vid en marmorskiva med en kökssax, planetarier finns inte bland stekpannor och skafferivaror

och kanske är jag en myra kanske tar ett universum aldrig slut men i mitt mikroskophjärta får det aldrig plats iallafall,
om vi skramlar extra högt bland porslinet kan vi låtsas som att rymdskepp och astronauter inte existerar
jag rör runt i en kastrull, litet blir stort och det är ett himlavalv som roterar, jag låtsas som att jag vill ha pastan al dente men egentligen orkar jag inte vänta tolv minuter, fem komma fem miljarder år
jag är ett miniatyrhjärta nu något som pickar snabbt och tyst i hundratjugo kilometer i timmen, som kokar i tolv minuter, spaghettiben och sockerdricka i huvudet
kolsyrade vita bubblor i hjärnbarken, en stjärnbeströdd himmel och den är som snöflingor som kristaller i miniatyr som något som inte är synligt med blotta ögat

just like the unreality in the abstraction in thoughts in feelings
everything now is like a telescope, it’s zooming in on a dot that is a human in a house in a city in a land without borders that can be seen
i’m standing in a kitchen in a life that is the real one, but it’s like there are planets pulling, laws of gravity against the celestial body that is me, planet or super nova but probably just a pebble, space dust, because i’m just five feet tall on a square of hardwood floors i’m so small that i can barely be seen and inside it looks like “if feelings exist”, on a planet like this one, a small one like a moon, maybe they’re just needle pinches
all space is disproportional when i stand here at a marble counter with a pair of kitchen scissors, planetaries don’t exist among pans and pantry foods

and maybe i’m an ant maybe a universe is never-ending but in my microscope heart there is however no space for it,
if we rattle the porcelain extra loudly we can pretend as if space ship and astronauts don’t exist
i’m stirring around in a pot, small becomes big and there is a stellar vault that rotates, i pretend as if i want the pasta al dente but in fact i don’t have the patience to wait twelve minutes, five point five billion years
i’m a miniature heart now something that’s pecking quickly and quietly a hundred miles an hour, that is boiling for twelve minutes, spaghetti legs and lemonade in my head
carbonated white bubbles in my brain, a starry sky and it’s like snowflakes like miniature crystals like something that isn’t visible to the eye

first portland moments.

March 24, 2016March 23, 201610 Comments

hey form oregon! as some of you might remember, i flew up to portland for a little casual vacay on tuesday. it’s so pretty here! let’s look at some first moments from my phone.

bye bye california.

off we go! i love looking out from planes. it’s unreal everything. so beautiful!

hello portland! <3

if san francisco feels like spring, portland feels like a friendly fall. it feels like a big city but calm and serene at the same time. so pretty.

i spent the first day vintage shopping.

and eating donuts .. even though i don’t like donuts. it’s a portland thing! this one is blueberry bourbon basil. crazy huh.

and i made leslie proud!! hehe. the cutest tip jar at a waffle place. i’ll tell you more about all this (and show you pictures from my real camera) soon. can’t wait! ok now i have to run and catch a bus to do some kickass sightseeing. xx

mina första ögonblick från portland! flög ju hit i tisdags morgon och spenderade dagen med att spana i vintageaffärer och äta god mat. allt är fint och känns som höst här. lovar att visa mer snart! <3

♥ crop tops & ramen bowls. ♥

March 23, 2016March 22, 20164 Comments

i have some new stuff! yay! stuff!

first of all, ANOTHER crop top. as if i need more. oh well. this one is a little longer, ribbed and with snap buttons and a deep round neckline (which i like the most). i saw it at h&m and it had my name on it, so like ~yolo~

second, i ran across this adorable ramen bowl pin the other day at lavish in hayes valley. i totally had to have it.

and since i sadly lost my i <3 tl pin somewhere somehow, i needed to replace that empty spot on my jacket either way.

oh, and just as an extra bonus, uniqlo were giving out lilies because it was the first day of spring, so i just put them in a wine bottle. whine ot?

lite nytt! en ribbad grå lite längre magtröja med tryckknappar och djup rund ringning precis så som jag gillart från h&m, en gullig ramen-pin och så en blomkvist från uniqlo som delade ut som grattis på första vårdagen!

FOUR FAB FOODS.

March 22, 2016March 22, 2016Leave a comment

there is great food EVERYWHERE is san francisco. here are four amazing things i’ve had lately in four lovely spots.

♠ nopa.

this past saturday, i went to nopa with siri for brunch. i have only been there for dinner before, so i was so excited to try the brunch.

i had bagel with smoked trout. oh my goodness it was so good.

siri ordered scrambled eggs, tea and a grapefruit/cardamom (!) drink. i also had coffee and a bloody mary with mezcal instead of vodka. it was interesting with a very special twist to it. i like!

♠ el capitan.

this dinner took place at the tapas place el capitan, with my old roommate cecilia. we lived together for about five months, from about september to january, but somehow she has never been in any of my pictures. here she is, however!

we shared some plantain chips, arugula salad, a baja fish taco and a nacho chips-kind of plate that i of course don’t remember the name of. and some california craft ipa! nom nom.

♠ trick dog.

it was so late and so dark here when i was here with cissi and manu, but it’s just a super great bar down in the mission. they have been nominated for the best cocktails in the u.s., and they are really great. there is one that they serve in an actual pineapple!

♠ jane.

jane on fillmore is a classic spot that i’ve been to several times, but they regularly change the menu, and this time when i had breakfast there with ravit, i tried something new — black rice coconut porridge with granola, kiwi and goji berries. (haha, i realize this plate sounds SO san francisco.) YUM though.

SIGH. so much great good in this city. oh! and don’t forget that a few of these↑ spots together with lots of others can be found in my san francisco guide.

fyra fantastiska grejer/ställen jag ätit (på) på sista tiden. öring till brunch på nopa, mexikanskinspirerade tapas på el capitan, drinkar rätt ur hela ananasar på trick dog och gröt på svart kokosris med müsli, kiwi och gojibär (så sf-hipstrigt jag vet) på jane on fillmore. kika förresten in [min sf-guide] för några av dessa plus massa fler sf-tips. puss!

une photo chaque heure. mars.

March 21, 2016March 21, 20165 Comments

come with me on my thursday through hourly photo documentation!

9 a.m.

i have thursdays off, so i wake up to the sunshine in no real rush to what will then become the hottest day in a long time. LOVE waking up to the sun btw.

10 a.m.

i get ready. one of my too many pink tops and navy skirt. + no jacket needed! <3

11 a.m.

i walk down to soma to have a meeting buuuut turns out it had to be cancelled, so i just had a look at the books at alexander’s instead.

12 p.m.

i need to soak up all of the sun there is, so i walk up to huntington park in nob hill. there is sunshine and dogs everywhere = perfect everything

1 p.m.

i need to do some grocery shopping, so i go to trader joe’s. the most lovely and friendly grocery store around. <3

2 p.m.

~blog lyfe~ and rice cookies. yolo

3 p.m.

it’s seriously SO HOT outside this day and as a swede, i get panicky about being inside when the sun’s out, so i decide to go back up to huntington park.

4 p.m.

these babes join me. mireya, ivana and ebba. we hang out for a while and SWEAT together for a while.

5 p.m.

and then we go back down the pretty hill a couple of blocks to lower nob, where we live.

6 p.m.

i paint my nails in this light pastel blue polish that i haven’t used in forever. pretty, non?

7 p.m.

and towards the evening, i change and get ready. it’s saint patrick’s day, right? so i go out and drink whiskey in north beach, because why not a night like this one. the rest of the night stayed undocumented, but i can assure you the bars were packed and the night ended well. ♣♣♣♣♣

ett foto i timmen från i torsdags när det var st patrick’s day! jag strosade runt i solen, hälsade på hundar i huntington park och gick sedan ut och drack whiskey på barer som var fulla av grönklädda firare. hurra!