#bloggswe

My red and white amaryllis 2015

amaryllis

My red and white amaryllis 2015. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Amaryllis are beautiful flowers. I love amaryllis. Every year around this time of the year I try to have at least one amaryllis, usually red. Or one read and one white. Discovered the white amaryllis just last year. I then fell in love in one white kind called Alfresco. I have one of those also this year. And four red ones called Merry Christmas. They have the most beautiful flowers. Fascinating to look close at. Here is a bunch of pictures of this years amaryllis’.

They will not last over Christmas. I enjoy them now, standing on my kitchen table where I can enjoy them each time I sit down there to eat.

Click on an image to see a larger version and to get the possibility to move one image at the time.

Posted by nini in decoration, Flowers, House plants, 0 comments

Xmas-Moose in Stockholm

moose

Xmas-moose at Nybroplan. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I was in town yesterday at an Adobe Lightroom seminar. Unusual to have a seminar on a Sunday, but… The theater was filled to the last place.

When we were done it was pitch dark outside so took the opportunity to go take photos of the Xmas moose at Sergels Torg and Nybroplan.

moose, sergelstorg

Moose at Sergels Torg, Stockholm. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Unfortunately Sergels Torg also this year is filled with building materials and various constructions for the tram-station to be there. Which means you have find a moment between cars passing by and people among the moose in what in other seasons is a fountain to be able to take a picture. At Sergels Torg there is mother+father+baby moose and a couple of fir-trees.

moose, sergelstorg

Moose at Sergels Torg, Stockholm. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Some think that the moose aren’t appropriate for Xmas decoration in Stockholm. Or that they are ugly. I don’t. Rather a couple of lit moose and fir-trees than a lot of Santas and stars or similar in various colors. Of course, moose have nothing to do with Xmas, but that is exactly what I like about these decorations. The light up the place and are fascinating where they stand. Especially if ti is really dark.

This year there were seven (7) moose at Nybroplan. Last year there were five (5) I think.

moose, nybroplan

Xmas-Moose at Nybroplan. Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

I only had my mobile (iPhone 5S) as it was unsure when I left home if it should rain or not in the evening. But using the iPhone was fine. (The rain started when i was waiting for the bus and almost home).

moose, nybroplan

Xmas moose at Nybroplan. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The moose at Nybroplan are mightier than those at Sergels torg. There is more of them (and no fir-trees) and it is darker there. They come in a group and look like they are on their way into the center of town…

moose, nybroplan

Xmas moose at Nybroplan, Stockholm. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I shot the moose also last year. It was then published at my Swedish blog. I called it “Älgarna demonstrerar”/”The moose are demonstrating” because I came to think of a an old song from the 70-ties with that name when I at first saw them. The song and a video on YouTube can be found here. Last years pictures were shot earlier in the day with more light. The darkness of yesterday was better for showing the lit moose.

moose, nybroplan

Xmas moose at Nybroplan. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Posted by nini in Various, 0 comments

Magazine racks of various origins

magazine rack

My inherited magazine rack. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This is my inherited magazine rack. It comes from my parents and I have seen it all my life. It is made from bamboo and still going strong. It will probably last longer than I myself live… I still think this is a beautiful magazine rack. Despite being used for decades it has no damages at all.

magazine rack

My inherited magazine rack. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I usually do not keep magazines in it… They tend to curl up in there. Presently I keep the connection cords from the TV to my MacBook Pro in it.

magazine rack

Magazine rack at Designtorget. Photo Designtorget from the internet.

The magazine rack above can be found at Designtorget. It costs SEK 395. They call it Tipack. Very simple. Right? Not sure I would like to pay SEK 395 for it though.

magazine rack

Magazine rack from Designtorget. Photo from Designtorget on the internet.

Also the magazine rack above is from Designtorget. Also costs SEK 395 like the other one. It is called Journal. Very simple too. Compare these two to the one below.

magazine rack

Magazine rack from Ikea. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This one comes from Ikea. No, they do not sell it any more. I have had it for several years. It was meant to store magazines in until you carried them out to the recycling-container. The small hook at its back was meant for keeping a roll of cord for binding them into a bundle to carry them out. I think I paid something like SEK 39 or so for it. Very reasonable price…

magazine rack

My magazine rack with magazines in it. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This is how this rack looks with magazines in it.

Any less decorative than the designer models above from Designtorget? Not in my eyes. They are all black. Lacquered metal. This one is normally used in my storage room and for its original usage: to keep old magazines and newspapers in until I cary them out to the recycling-container. But it could in my opinion serve as a magazine rack in a visible place any time.

magazine rack

Magazine rack seen from above. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Posted by nini in decoration, Furniture and Decoration, Interior Design, storage, 0 comments

Sofa styles come and go

sofa, karlstad

KARLSTAD 2-seater sofa in the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Sofa styles come and go. So also in my livingroom. Presently I have a KARLSTAD sofa from IKEA. A 2-seater (or love-seat as some call them). Presently in its grayish cover. Over summer it was dressed in white.

Before that, I had a MIO sofa called Coffee, that MIO still sell. A 3-seater. That one was way too big for the present livingroom. And I didn’t like its rounded look. I much prefer the straight and simple look that KARLSTAD has. The MIO sofa actually could be ordered with differently styled ends, not all that rounded as the one I then choose.

sofa

The previous sofa. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I gave the MIO sofa away for free when I bought the new, smaller KARLSTAD sofa. First tried to sell it on Blocket.se… None existent market. Too many sofas there. One of my neighbors got it for free (new it costed SEK 10.000…). He later gave it away to his son who lives elsewhere. Nothing wrong with the sofa, except the size of it. A quality sofa…

Now, these more rounded sofas are coming back again.
And Ikea has discontinued the KARLSTAD model.

karlstad

Karlstad discontinued. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

IKEA flagged the discontinuation of KARLSTAD some time during this summer. What I do not understand is why on earth they discontinue a sofa that has been one of their most popular sofas over time…

It is really a pity that they discontinued KARLSTAD. It is a nicelooking, simple sofa. Straight and classy. Much loved by people all over the world. Including me. And it is comfortable to sit in and easy to get up from.

norsborgsofa

Norsborg sofa from Ikea. Photo: Ikea.

IKEA replaced it with a new model called NORSBORG. (Which has a 10 year guarantee, so I guess they will sell it for the next ten years at least… regardless of changing sofa styles…).

I don’t like NORSBORG.
At all.
It is too rounded.
Too big.
Not an elegant form (as I see it).
And not particularly comfortable.
Too soft.

norsborgsofa

Norsborg sofa from Ikea. Photo: Ikea.

One detail on the new sofa NORSBORG is that pocket at the ends of the sofa.
Good idea?
Not really.
After putting away the newspaper into the pocket a couple of times… how dirty will it be? Fun idea, yes, but practical? No. A loose pocket to hang over the sofa end is much more useful. As the one I have in the first picture (also from IKEA and not discontinued). Not for newspapers or books, granted, but for all those remotes you have.

sofa

Norsborg sofa. Photo: Ikea.

The NORSBORG sofa also is not all that comfortable.
It is too soft.
Isn’t soft good?
No. It means it is difficult to get up from it.

norsborgsofa

Norsborg 2-seater. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I think NORSBORG is ugly…
Of course it is personal what you find ugly or not. But…
It is something with the proportions. And the roundedness…

Maybe Gustav, the neighbor cat, would like the roundedness of NORSBORG, but I don’t.

I wonder though how long the IKEA sofa EKTORP will survive… One of the most comfortable sofas IKEA has. When I was sofa-hunting, and bought the MIO sofa, EKTORP didn’t have any grey covers. If they would have had that then (they do now), I would have bought the much smaller and cheaper EKTORP sofa from IKEA instead of the one from MIO. Rounded ends, but much nicer than NORSBORG. The EKTORP 3-seater would also have been too big for this livingroom though and been exchanged.

sofa

Gustav on my KARLSTAD 2-seater sofa. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2014

Posted by nini in Furniture and Decoration, Interior Design, livingroom, Thoughts, 4 comments

#plantshelfie

plantshelfie

Plantshelfie. ©nini.tjader.2015

This is my window in the livingroom, and this is my #plantshelfie. I have a freestanding shelf to house all the plants that go inside over the dark and cold season called winter. It is actually a sideboard.

plantshelfie

Livingroomwindow. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I haven’t filled the entire shelf with plants. Left some space for decorative items. Still, it is a plantshelf, or a plantshelfie (if we speak the language of instagram).

livingroomwindow

Decorations in the livingroom window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The two bubbly candleholders are from Ikea. The vase with a candle inside it is from H&M (but I found it in our wastebins outside). Behind it is a Stephanotis floribunda that I got from neighbours that moved north and didn’t want to bring the plants. I have two now. From the beginning they were four. I gave one to my neighbour, Gustavs owner, and one to my friend Ulla.I really didn’t need four of them.

plantshelfie

Plantshelfie… Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Apart from the Stephanotis floribunda, the fig tree now lives on this shelf. Since it got inside into to the indoor warmth it has begun to sprout figs. Several actually. AsI don’t have a cool and dark place to keep the fig tree over the winter, I instead choose to give it light in the warm livingroom. I’ve placed a special plant-light in the pot. It seems to like that and has grown quite some since it got inside.

plantshelfie

Plants in the livingroom window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Behind the Stephanotis floribunda is a long pot with cuttings from the Mårbacka pelargonia. Impossible to see them in the picture, but they are there. Three of them. Comes from the two Mårbacka pelargonias I placed on the windowsill over the winter and had to cut down when I took them inside.

Hanging in the window is the second Stephanotis floribunda. Behind the curtain is my biggest and oldest olivetree which also spends the summer outside. since it got inside a couple of weeks ago it grew some 20 cms… So had to cut it to keep size back.

Behind the candleholders is my new quite big corokia cotoneaster (zigzagbush). That one lives inside the year around.

plantshelfie

Plants in the livingroom window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Some of the outside plants are placed in the bedroom. No place on the windowsill – where the smaller olivetree lives together with two cactus plants – but on the chest of drawers. There are two white pelargonias and the November cactus. All of them living outside in the warm season. They get extra light from the fluorescent lamp, placed on a higher chest of drawers. They need the extra light. This spot is otherwise too dark.

Remains to be seen how many of these plants survive the winter inside. The pelargonias will look tired and ugly for a while, but they usually come to life and come back some time by the end February.

plantshelfie

Plants in the bedroom window. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

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Posted by nini in House plants, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 2 comments

Picturewall at my neighbors

picturewall

The new picture wall. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I’ve spent the last weekend at my neighbors (where the cat Gustav and Alice live) helping her to re-arrange her existing furniture, a quick trip to Ikea to get new shelves, assembling the shelves and putting them in place, and creating a new picture wall above her sofa in its new location.

livingroom, picturewall

The livingroom at my neighbors. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

It is a very long livingroom where she also has her working space. It needed some division. Open plan towards the kitchen and dining area.

The dark picture on the wall mirrors me and my neighbor instead of showing the content of the picture. Has to do with how the light falls I suppose.

livingroom, division

The livingroom division. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The solution was two new Kallax shelves from Ikea. This way she got a corner for the sofa and TV-watching, the computer corner partly hidden behind the shelves, and a new reading corner.

livingroom, division

Division. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

When at Ikea, my neighbors friend Pia also found a cover for the old darkblue officechair. That cover, created for diningroom chairs, fit the office-chair perfectly.

livingroom, readingcorner

Livingroom, the reading corner. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

All that lacks in the reading corner now is a reading lamp and a carpet. The lamp to the left of the sofa in the pictures above is supposed to move to this corner. She already has a carpet that she plans to place here.

livingroom

View towards the kitchen. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The livingroom became all new. The ceiling lamps need fixing, but that will come later.

livingroom, workcorner, computercorner

Computer corner, Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The funny thing with the re-arranged furniture was the reaction of the cats. Alice, who slept during the entire re-arranging and appeared only when it was ready, and took to it with great curiosity and accepted it immediately. Gustav at first didn’t accept it at all. He hardly wanted to enter the livingroom… He got over it later in the evening though and accepted the new placement of the sofa.

The entire room became so much nicer with the picture wall, the re-arrangement of the furniture and the new shelves dividing the long room.

livingroom, picturewall

Livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Posted by nini in Art and Drawings, decoration, Furniture and Decoration, Interior Design, livingroom, 0 comments

New computer table found

table, computertable, workspace

New computer table. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Found a simple solution to the computer desk problem.

Bought four adjustable legs (Olov from Ikea SEK75 à piece), that can be adjusted from 60 cms in heights to 90 cms in heights, and one table top (Linnmon from Ikea, SEK 79) at the size of 60 x 100 cms. All in white.

I didn’t have to move the printer into the kitchen. Its shelf goes in under the table.

I now have a table of the right size and heights, and hope that my neck-problem will disappear now that the screen is no longer too high up.

The old table has temporarily been moved to the bicycle shed awaiting if somebody wants it. Doubt that, but you never know.

Below the old computer table. The new table is approximately the heights of where the shelf for the keyboard is for the old table.

computer table

The old computer table. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

PS. The old desk above is now sold and collected and has got a new home.

Posted by nini in Furniture and Decoration, office, workspace, 0 comments

Finding a computer desk

computer desk, workcorner, office

My workcorner and computer desk. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Finding a computer desk for those of us who use a keyboard and a mouse and have a stationary computer with a 24″screen (an iMac), is not easy. Particularly if the size of the desk cannot – because of space available – exceed 100 cms in width.

Above is my workcorner as it looks just now. It is placed in hallway number two on the way to the kitchen. I have no other space for it. The unit with the printer CAN be moved into the nearby kitchen (if I remove a chair that stands just there), but I don’t want it to be wider than that.

Present unit/computer desk is an old Ikea model with wheels and shelf for the keyboard at just the right height for me. It is 80 cms wide. The screen is too heigh up though and I would like it to be at the same height as my keyboard. Chair – which is really comfortable – cannot be raised more than it is.

So I need a table that can be lower than the default 73 cms in height. It needs to be around 66 cms high. Preferably including wheels so it is easy to move around when needed. But wheels is not the most important, the height of the table is.

computer desk

Micke desk from Ikea. Picture from Ikea.

Today’s equivalent from Ikea is the above, Micke. Right size. Wrong heights (for me). No wheels. And no place for a keyboard. It has a drawer… Who came up with that ridiculous idea to have a drawer there? You cannot put a keyboard in a drawer and be able to work with it. And the table itself is too small for both a keyboard, mouse and the computer (unless you sit really close to the screen).

computer desk

Picture from Ikea.

I actually like the above combination – if it wasn’t for the drawers…

computer desk

Picture from Ikea.

I like the above one too – except for the drawers. And the size is too big and it is also too high. But that dark grey color is beautiful.

Most work-desks/computer desks for stationary screens, computers and keyboards and mice, are much bigger than the ones above. All smaller desks seem to be done with drawers nowadays. As if people at home only have pads or portables. Not all of us do. My iPad and my portable (MacBook Pro) are complements to my stationary iMac. That’s is not where I “work” if I can avoid it. I would not want to do image editing in Photoshop on anything but my big iMac for instance.

In the end I will probably buy four legs that can be adjusted in height and a separate tabletop from Ikea. Their smallest tabletops are 100 cms wide. Which means I’ll probably have to move the printer into the kitchen. Not the ultimate placement, but… such is life in a small apartment. Compromises.

I noticed in the new Ikea catalogue (published online in the US) that the table tops can have a colored edge. Would be fun with a red edge… I’ll wait until next week when the new items are released. Then it will also probably take some time until the new items are available in the store.

Posted by nini in Furniture and Decoration, Interior Design, office, 0 comments

Plants on my outside place 2015

Photo:©nini.tjader.2015

Photo:©nini.tjader.2015

I’ve got several plants on my outside place 2015. Both inside it and on the railing, hanging on the inside and the outside. On this side (above) are three boxes with regular red pelargonias.

vietnamese basil

Vietnamese basil. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the short side of the railing, by the entrance, I have a Vietnames red basil (which the bumblebees love) and a French tarragon.

french tarragon

French tarragon. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The tarragon actually needs to be moved to the real earth outside before summer is over.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Just inside the entrance I have a pot with red osteospermum (called “stjärnöga” in Swedish). It is a hardy plant that can be put outside early in the spring and lasts and blooms (provided you cut off wilted flowers regularly) until some time in October, or until the frost takes it.

basil

Basil. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the back of the bench on my outside place I also have plants. One is the regular basil, bought at the supermarket, which at first just stood in glass with water, but has since been replanted in a proper pot with proper soil.

thyme

Thyme. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Just beside the basil is a thyme. Likewise bought in the supermarket and replanted. Bought already some time in the winter. Used in cooking when I want fresh thyme.

Chili

Chili. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

At the time when I took the above picture the chili, grown from seed from Ikea, was also placed here. It started its life inside, in the livingroom window, but moved outside when it got big enough and the weather permitted. I have no idea which kind of chili this is. I have moved it since to another location at the outside place.

rosemary

Rosemary. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Then comes the rosemary. It is hard to make that last inside over the winter and it doesn’t survive the winter outside so in late autumn I usually dry the rosemary to make it last over winter.

fragrance geranium

Fragrance geranium. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Then comes the fragrance geranium (doftpelargon in Swedish). Gets small lilac flowers, has a citrus smell. Is said to hunt away mosquitos – something which could be needed this year.

pansies

Pansies. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Until recently I had a pot of pansies on the outside place on the shelf there. They lasted from March until mid July. Now gone.

mårbacka pelargonia

Mårbacka pelaargonia. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Beside the pansies I then had a large Mårbacka pelargonia. It has since moved into the corner of that shelf and the Ikea-chili has moved onto the shelf.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the table I have a white tobacco plant. It is supposed to give off a nice fragrance in the evening… but I think it has been too cold this summer because I’ve not felt any fragrance from it at all.

novembercactus

November cactus. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Above the table, on the railing is the large and old November cactus. It loves being outside, rain or sun, during the summer season. It also makes it to produce flowers. See the flower buds above?

november cactus

November cactus. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Not yet, but ut will have fully open flowers some time in August. That’s been the result of putting it outside for the last three years. Before that it refused to get flower any time of the year… Now it gets them in August, in October and in April/May. But never in November.

viola hederacea

Viola hederacea. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the railing I also keep a viola hederacea (Australian Violet). It has grown a lot since I got it in March. Then it was indoors. It will return indoors in the autumn when it gets cold. Problem is how to place it as it gets those long creepers which probably would like to crawl aling the ground…

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On Jul 2nd the first seeds of the ruccola salad started to show. On July 19th it got ready to start eating. I have it on the railing.

olivetree

Olive. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Further inside I’ve got two olive trees, that are indoors in the winter. The thrive outside in the summertime regardless of if the it is sunny or rainy. The above one is the small olivetree that I bought at Ikea last summer.

olivetree

Olivetree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

And the above one is the old olive tree which I cut down hard last summer as it had grown in all the wrong directions. It is coming back just fine.

chili

Chili. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On raised paletts on the floor in the warmest corner of the outside place I have two chili plants. The above one has lots of fruits at this stage. The other one has just started to flower.

chili

Chili. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

These two chilis are supposed to be medium hot. We will see when they are ready.

mårbacka pelargonia

mårbacka pelargonia

Mårbacka pelargonia. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Behind the chilis there is a large Mårbacka pelargonia, child of the other one on the shelf.

tomatoes

Tomatoes. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

There is also the big tomato plant. Since picture was shot, I’ve eaten the red ones… They are delicious.

figtree

Figtree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

In hat corner also lives the figtree which is new for this year. It will move inside over the winter. It has grown quite a lot since I got it.

lavender

Lavender. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

There used to be a lavender plants there too. I’ve since moved it outside (in its pot) as it looks so sick… If it survives I’ll plant it in one of the flowerbeds.

white pelargonias

White pelargonias. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the wall at the back of the outside place hand three white pelargonias. It was one at the end of last summer and two of them come from that plant. A very good white pelargonia kind which does not get brown flowers when it rains, which most white pelargonias do.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Scaevola aemula Goodeniaceae (Femtunga). Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the plank also hangs a large scaevola aemula goodeniaceae (or Femtunga in Swedish). When I got it was rathe small and not all that good-looking, That changed though when it got a larger pot to hang in with sufficient enough soil in it. It is a thirsty plant.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the wall above the tomatoes and the chilis I have this plant. Also a thirsty thing. It only now started to grow. Have forgotten the name of it (it started with D) but I have that somewhere…

clematis

Clematis. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the wall I’ve this year a clematis instead of the cobea I usually have. Thought is that if it manages to survive in the pot over winter, I will not have to change climbing plant every year.

clematis

Clematis. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

clematis

Clematis. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This one gets large dark blue/lilac flowers with an interesting middle. It only now started to open its flowers.

That is this years plants on my outside place. I will probably keep moving them around as they grow and need sunshine and warmth, but there won’t be any more there now. To see an overview of my outside place, instead of only the plants go here.

red pelargonias

Red pelargonias on the outside. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2014

ujblogo100

Posted by nini in Flowers, House plants, Outside, Plants, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 0 comments

Daisies = Summer

daisy

Daisy. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

We’ve got two kinds of daisies. One is the lower one with the raised middle that comes first.

daisy

Daisy. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Those are finished by now.

daisy

Daisy. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Now comes the taller ones with a flat middle. They are really tall (taller than a meter high) and the flower is large (and loved by small black insects).

daisy

daisy

daisy

Daisy. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The tall ones mingle with the bluebells (which are soon finished blooming). They both mingle with the black currants… (which are ready for picking just now). Picture below is from a couple of days ago. Everything is changing fast this time of the year. Both bluebells and daisies = summer at its peak. (Just wish the weather would be more summer like and less rainy…).

daisies, bluebells

Daisies and bluebells. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Posted by nini in Flowers, Garden, Garden and Nature, 0 comments

My hallway(s)

hallway

Hallways. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I’ve got two (2) hallways. First the one you get to first when you enter the flat. Then the one that follows after it and is a combination of my workspace/office with cupboards both for office-supplies and other things (like towels, table-cloths, socks, underwear and some other things) and the connection to both the kitchen (to the left after the work-corner), the livingroom (to the right), the walk-in closet and the bathroom (see plan of flat at the bottom of the post).

Complicated to take photos of…

hallway

Hallway at entrance. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I use a picture list to put all those small things that you normally need to dump somewhere when coming in through the door. The chair is from Ikea, as is the paper-basket and the material used for the door-curtain. To the left of the big picture are two tall mirrors. Makes the small space feel larger.

hallway

Hallway at entrance. Picasso on the wall. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The big picture is an old poster of Picasso from the Apple “Think Different” campaign long ago. I used to work at an Apple Center then and got it from work. I painted the walls in both hallways with a dark grey color before I moved in. Originally the walls were orange… I have never liked the color orange.

hallway

Hallway, work corner, Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

And here is my work-corner.

hallway, workcorner

Hallway, work corner. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Office-chair from Ikea. Lambskin in it from MIO. Printer is an old HP color laser. iMac 24″. The picture on the wall is of me in around 1961 or such… Several Ikea cupboards all around. To the right is the kitchen.

hallway, workcorner

Hallway. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

On the way towards the livingroom there are cupboards and book-cases on both sides of the passage. I definitely have a storage problem and this is one of the areas in the flat that I use for storage. A proper work-room would be fine… but there isn’t any. Had that in my previous flat.

hallway

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Through the door you see the first hallway at the entrance (and the cupboard I use for hanging seasonable outdoor clothes, to its left is the door to the storage-room) and to the right the work-corner.

hallway

Hallway. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This is the bookcase immediately to the right in the second hallway. After it comes the door to the bathroom and to the left the door to the walk-in closet and then the opening to the livingroom. On the wall, very old family pictures.

I really need to go through all that is in the bookcases and cupboards in the hallways and throw out what has not been touched for a long time… The CDs/DVDs to the right here have been gone through (they are all software and documents and photos), but the rest…

To better understand the layout of the flat, this is the plan of the flat:

flatplan

Plan of the flat

Posted by nini in Furniture and Decoration, hallway, Interior Design, 0 comments

Under cover from the rain

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

It has been raining now since Wednesday night. On and off. Mostly on. So, the outside plants in pots and other containers had to be put under cover, one way or the other, for protection from the rain. As you can see from the photo above, the neighbor balcony provides kind of a roof over part of my patio. It doesn’t cover the whole place, but a vital part of it. Rain protection is necessary when the weather report says it is going to rain for several days.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The outside sofa is a good place to place as many pots and plants as it can take.  If it doesn’t rain sidewise, they are pretty protected here.

novembercactus

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

There was no place for the November-cactus – which just moved outside the other day – so it stayed on the railing getting all washed and clean by rain water. I know it can take it.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Rain protection. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The containers with the red pelargonias got placed under the table with a cover for chairs over the table.  Two containers got in there and got company by the rosemary pot and two amaryllis that are supposed to be kept dry and rest.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Rain protection. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The third container with red pelargonias and the one with million belles got their own cover, as well as the end part of the two other pelargonia containers. Had a cover for a sunbed that I could use. To keep it form flying away they got some dumbbells as weights. I go out regularly and make the water that collects there go away so the cover doesn’t get too heavy.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Rain protection for the plants. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I also used a plastic shower curtain as protection. Behind it is the large tomato-plant, two chili-plants and two olive trees. The upper part of the sun-umbrella has been detached and is protecting the mover.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

One of the chairs were placed on top of another chair to make place on the floor. The klematis did not get any protection as it has started climbing on the wall. The oregano got moved in from its un-protected location to a reasonably dry spot behind the door to the outside which has the neighbor balcony above it.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Rain protection for the plants. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

It isn’t pretty… but it protects the plants from drowning.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Rain protection for the plants. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Yesterday around noon the rain gauge showed that 30 mm rain had fallen. It is still raining.

raingauge

The rain gauge yesterday. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This morning it was about 35 mm. It is still raining.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The grill is also under cover. An Ikea bag serves well as cover for the grill. Haven’t used the grill even once yet this year…

Salad peas. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Salad peas. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The salad peas are thriving in the wet weather though and are coming along just fine. The container has holes in the bottom so they will not drown.

honeysuckle

Yellow honeysuckle. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The yellow honeysuckle will bloom soon.

honeysuckle

Honeysuckle. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The orange honeysuckle is in bloom, but very wet…

platycodon

Platycodon. Photo ©nini.tjader.2015

The new plant – that I got from cousin Carin and her husband Harold when they visited from California on Wednesday – a Platycodon (Praktklocka in Swedish) – is still inside awaiting better weather for planting. It is a perennial so it can be planted outside.

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The garden is very wet and will get wetter before the rains stop about tonight (according to the weather report).

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Meanwhile can only keep an eye on it from inside, through the kitchen windows. By the way, the bird feeders are out of nuts. The last ones went this morning. There will be no new peanuts in them until I get them delivered some time next week. The birds are a bit frantic and desperate about the lack of nuts…

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

ujblogo100

Posted by nini in Flowers, Garden and Nature, House plants, Outside, Thoughts, Urban Jungle Bloggers, 0 comments

Birds

birds

Birds in the rain. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This time of the year, when the birds all have chickens, they are hungrier than ever. They hang in groups in the peanut feeders (I have two) an fight for the nuts. Above are a blue tit, a great tit and two tree sparrows. Usually there are also a couple of black birds hunting for nuts on the ground.

woodpigeon

Wood pigeon Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Every afternoon two wood pigeons arrive. They do not eat from the feeder but from the ground below it what the others have thrown down.

woodpecker

Woodpecker. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The woodpecker hangs in the feeder. It always throws nuts onto the ground that the smaller birds take care of. Probably not intentionally, but it has trouble getting them out sometimes. I’ve got three wood peckers this year. One male, two female. I think one of the females might be the chicken from last year.

chaffinch

Chaffinch. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The chaffinch is one of the birds that eat from the ground only. The chaffinch is a beautiful little bird with all the red feathers it has.

chaffinch

Chaffinch. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The peanuts won’t last until I get the next delivery – which probably will be next week. The birds are too hungry and I am out of nuts. Have ordered another 10 kgs though. Hopefully the birds will not fly away to other places during the time I will be out of nuts. And if they do, I hope they come back when there are nuts again.

Some think that birds do not need to be fed in the warmer season, but that is wrong. Especially after this years very cold spring there is a shortage of the insects the birds eat. And I want the birds in the garden as they also eat the insects and bugs there are, which means less bugs on the greenery.

Posted by nini in Birds, Garden and Nature, 0 comments

White instead of grey

livingroom

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This time of the year – what is supposed to be summer – I always get the urge to change the covers of the sofa, chair and chaise lounge to white instead of grey. he curtains and the big carpet are already white.

So, the other day I did just that. Changed the covers both on the chaise lounge, the sofa and the smaller chair.

chaiselounge, livingroom

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

Changing cover on the chaise lounge  means screwing off the armrest first or you will not be able to change the cover on the armrest or the body of the chaise lounge. It is now white.

chaiselounge, livingroom

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This cover has been along since I bought the chaise lounge and washed several times. Contrary to the one for the smaller chair, it has not shrunk. It gets very wrinkled when washed though (in the washing machine). Some of the wrinkles disappear over time, but until then you just have to live with those wrinkles…

chaiselounge, pillows, livingroom

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I also changed the cover on one of the pillows here. It got a new, blue one from a temporary collection at Ikea.

chair, livingroom

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The smaller Ektorp Jennylund chair (from Ikea) also got a new white cover instead of the dark grey it has had the entire winter season. The old white cover has shrunk a lot and is no longer possible to use. I have saved it and plan to de-construct it and use it as template to try to make a new one myself at some time.

chair, gustav, livingroom

Gustav in his favorite chair. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

As protection against dirty cat-feet (Gustavs’) had to put on a fleece as well… Or I would have had to wash the white cover really soon. I changed the pillowcase after the above picture was shot.

sofa, livingroom, karlstad

Karlstad sofa with white cover. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

And finally the sofa – a Karlstad two-seater from Ikea – got a white cover change as well. I have had the white cover since I bought the sofa (which is normally grey) but never got around to changing covers until now. I know why. Changing covers on the Karlstad sofa is the same as de-constructing the entire sofa, sides, legs and all, taking off the old cover, putting on the new cover, and then putting together the sofa again, sides, legs and all. You don’t do that in a few minutes… But now it is done.

sofa, karlstad, livingroom

Karlstad sofa. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The sofa also got a change of pillow covers. Most of them are now blue, instead of the black-and-white ones I usually have here. The one in the middle is a new one from Ikea. When I was at it changing pillow covers, I also changed the one on the big pillow on the pouff to make it more summer-like.

livingroom

Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015


 

If anybody wonders why there are three mice on the sofa-table… Well, I am fixing them by shaking them in every direction possible to make it possible to use them again… It actually works. What happens to them is that they get dust and dirt into them and then suddenly are impossible to move in some direction. Just haven’t got around to move them back to where they should be…

Posted by nini in Furniture and Decoration, Interior Design, livingroom, 0 comments

Apple trees

appletree

Apple tree Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

This year I didn’t visit the old orchard in the vicinity of where I previously lived and I regularly use to visit this time of the year to take pictures of the apple trees and their flowers. The weather simply has been much too unreliable. As the flowering time for apple trees is very short I decided not to go there this year.

appletree

Apple tree Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

I did however discover that there are apple trees just around the corner, in my immediate neighborhood. They are just as beautiful.

appletree

Apple tree Photo. ©nini.tjader.2015

The trees above are in the abandoned “wilderness” in my housing cooperative. Owned by nobody and everybody in the area. The bigger tree gets plenty of apples every year – but you need to be fast to get any of them. Either the deer, who like to hang around in this area, gets them. Or any of the neighbors seeing that they are ripe for picking. Lat year all the apples disappeared over night from one day to the other.

appletree

Apple tree at the green. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The small apple tree at the common green – which is probably the result of a thrown away apple at some time – also has several flowers this year. Last time that happened was two years ago. Then it had one flower – which someone broke off the tree. Last year was hard for that little tree because of allt he digging going on for the cable for the fibernet, so no flowers then.

appletree

My own apple tree. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2015

The small apple tree – also created by a stray apple seed, and not so small any more – that I have in the flowerbed outside my patio, has never had flowers. It is probably sterile. I cut it every year by the end of August so it doesn’t get too big. No flowers, no apples. It is good for creating shadow for my patio. Better than an umbrella. I hang my solar-charged Ikea-lamp in it. My yellow honeysuckle climbs into it. This year there will soon be yellow flowers in the tree, but not for apples…

Below some close-ups of apple flowers. Love those flowers. Their form, their colors.
Clicking an image shows a larger version. Reloading the page sorts the pictures differently.

Posted by nini in Flowers, Garden and Nature, Outside, 0 comments