Yay, it’s my birthday every day!

Today I turn 21 years old! I celebrated yesterday with Anna, Cathrine, Jonny and Mia, as we headed out for dinner, before we went out dancing. We had a vorspiel at my place, with lots of laughter. The dinner was exquisite, and our night was a blast. I had so much fun, I didn’t notice that I got tired.

This morning I woke up with a cold, which was annoying, so today I have been drinking lots of green tea, in a desperate hope that it will somehow cure me as fast as possible. My aunt and uncle came over for a cup of coffee today, bringing my present. I will go into detail about the presents later. My grandparents also dropped something off for me. Other than that, I have been eating lots of white chocolate, and watched Disney’s Tarzan on TV. My mother and I cried like babies.
Thereafter, my family and I went out to get Indian food. It was absolutely delicious.

I know I look like a mess. Being hung-over and sporting a cold at the same time, will do that to you.

Now I am going to enjoy a relaxing evening with Sex and The City. Tomorrow I will start my internship at the local library. Hope I’ll be in better health by then. Wish me luck!

P.S.: Thanks to everyone for your kind words and lovely presents. It has been a lovely birthday celebration.

Happy new year!

I celebrated the new year with some good friends of mine. We had a blast, and the food (cooked by Mia) was absolutely delicious. Take a look:

Tables before and after decoration

 

Anna, Jonny, Mia and I preparing for the party. Mia ”is the one at the stove!

We had turkey, creamed potatoes, vegetables and gravy. Absolutely delicious!

Then the guests arrived!

Our lovely hostess for the evening, Anna.

Two of our three gentlemen attending.

 

 

And then… Fireworks!

 

So, since then, I have done nothing but relax and sleep a lot. On Monday I start my internship at the local library, but before that I am going to celebrate my 21st birthday, which is this Sunday. I will be celebrating the night before with Cathrine and Mia, and on the actual day, I will be going out for dinner with my family.

Take care, and may this year bring you peace, joy and happiness!

 

 

2013 in review.

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?

I had a lot of appetizing food experiences. Among others, I figured I have a taste for sea food of nearly any kind and dried fruit. My trip to Alicante, Spain this past summer, introduced me to a line of good tastes.

2. Did you achieve your goals for the year, and will you make more for next year?

Well, I did start college. Became more destined and driven. I did not make an actual list of new year’s resolutions, as I always fail to keep up with them anyway. I do have one now, though, so I hope to get my ass off my computer next year, to say the least.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

As a matter of fact, yes! My cousin, who is very dear to me, did in September. She gave birth to the most beautiful baby boy, and I could not be more happy for her.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully, no. My nearest and dearest are still happy and healthy, thankfully.

5. What countries did you visit?

Aside from Norway: Sweden and Spain.

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?

More money, more determination and dedication. A greater sense of maturity and bravery. Additionally, the will to relax from time to time and not worry.

7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? 

The 16th of May, because that started the summer for me. The 17th of May, because I went to Gothenburg with Mia, Anna and Cathrine. The 17th of June, because that was when I practically moved in with Mia. The 8th of July, because I went to Alicante with Anna and Mia. The 13th of August, because I started college. The 14th of August, because I met my lovely friend Amalie. The 31st of August because Mia left for the States… I guess that’s about it. The summer was fun!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Developing a proper schedule and structure to my life. And I learned to a further degree not to care what other people think.

9. What was your biggest failure?

All the times I failed said schedule.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Aside from a severe case of hypochondria, no.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

This old-fashioned photo I took with my friends, the dress I wore on Christmas + the additional necklace, and my new computer.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

I really like the people in my classes. They are very respectful and tolerant.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

I would preferably not say that out loud, but there are those with whom I share common acquaintances, that I simply cannot avoid or get along with.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Food and clothes, + my trip to Alicante, I assume.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

My trip to Alicante. That was the event of the year, definitely. 

16. What song will always remind you of 2013?

Just to name one, “On Top of The World” by Imagine Dragons.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:  happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?

Happier, neither, richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

School work.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

The Internet just in general.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

I spent Christmas Eve with my family, Christmas Day with my grandmother and grandfather, and Boxing Day with my maternal family.

21. Who did you meet for the first time?

I met this awesome woman in Alicante, Rachel. Then, I also met a few new people through college, granted. To name a few: Amalie, Ida Margrethe, Taran, Samantha and Ragna. Awesome people. Also, I got introduced to my cousin’s new family, which was a heartwarming experience.

22. Did you fall in love in 2013?

Would be very weird if I did.

23. What was your favourite TV program?

Supernatural, no doubt!

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Yeah, I will say there are those that I just sort of disliked, that I came to despise with a burning passion, absolutely.

25. What was the best book you read?

“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green. I know, not a very original answer, but that one was good! And I don’t even like romance novels. Weird, huh?

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

As of this year? Didn’t really discover much more, but I think Bridgit Mendler’s music is pretty damn great!

27. What was your favourite film of this year?

Catching Fire and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Twenty, and I spent it with Mia, Anna, Cathrine and Jonny at my place. It was fun.

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

If I had actually got off my computer. But no.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

I suppose my style is pretty much my own, so to speak. It’s classy, yet casual. Has been so for a while. I probably used more jewelry and overall accessories this year than I tended to before, though.

31. What kept you sane?

No one ever could.

32. What political issue stirred you the most?

I got very much caught up in anything pro-choice-related. There have been politicians, both nationally and internationally, desperately willing to use their own political agenda to put a policy on young women’s bodies, and I am outraged that we haven’t come further.

33. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.

It’s not cancer, it’s normal. It’s not a blood clot, it’s your hormones. It’s not ME, it’s psychological. Aside from that: Don’t count on people to keep their promises.

34. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

This was a hard one, but I listened to the song “Hurricane” by Bridgit Mendler quite frequently, and come to think of it, it reminds me of how hard it can be to maintain your old relationships… Then again, I suck at interpreting lyrics, and the purpose of this song was probably inherently something entirely different.

“I’m boarding up the windows,
locking up my heart.
Like, every time the wind blows,
I feel it tearing us apart.
Every time he smiles, I
let him in again.
Everything is fine when
you’re standing in the eye of the hurricane.”

And by that, I wish you all a very happy new year:

My Christmas!

So far I have had a wonderful Christmas time! I first wish to provide you with a few pictures taken on the 23rd of December, with our Christmas tree finished and decorated:

Hereafter, you will get a beautiful insight to my Christmas Eve, celebrated with family and delicious food:

 

Thereafter, came Christmas Day, which I spent with my family and my grandparents.

 

And from today, I unfortunately have no pictures, but I went to a family reunion, accompanied by my maternal family. Had a wonderful time!

The past few days!

Not sure if I took the time to notify you, but this past Friday, I was supposed to go out for dinner with my mom. We had everything planned, and went along. When we arrived, it took the staff some time to figure out which table we had ordered, and just as we were allowed in, I noticed a familiar face by a table. Guess who it was? Mia! She had told me she was going to stay with a friend in the US for Christmas, but she came home and surprised the shit out of me! Turns out, the whole “dinner with mom”-thing was rigged, and my mom had been planning with Mia all along. It was a huge shock. So we ate our dinner in total excitement, before going off to surprise Cathrine. She was equally as shocked, and almost teared up.

The day after, on Saturday, Mia and I went off to surprise another friend of ours, Denisa. She freaked out and thought she was having burglars at first glance. So we hung out at her place, eating gingerbread, chili nuts and soup. It was nice catching up with her again, she’s such a fun person to hang out with.

Yesterday, I went to my cousin’s son’s baptism. He is so adorable and quiet. He was awake all the time, but as far as I saw, didn’t cry once. And he is only a bit more than three months old. It was lovely meeting with my family again, as I feel a very strong connection to that side of my family (which is my mother’s side). Thankfully I’ll get some more time with them on Boxing Day.

Today I went to town to buy some rings and shampoo. Totally shallow. We are also finishing up for Christmas. Once the tree is up and all is calm, all is bright, I’ll post pictures. Now I gotta go clean my room, and then Christmas may fall upon us.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Yesterday I went to the “town next door”, with Cathrine. We were heading off to the cinema, to watch “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”, but before that, we needed something to eat. I had a lovely taste of traditional Christmas treats, whereas Cathrine had an Italian pizza. Role reversal, you may say.

Let’s just say we developed a bizarre fascination with that candle.

Then we headed off to a coffee shop, in which we had two (ginormous) cups of hot chocolate and some treats to eat.

The movie was amazing. It deserves to be mentioned that the character of Legolas was my very first fictional character crush, and it provided me with a lovely sense of nostalgia to see him on the big screen yet again. On a serious note: The movie was entertaining and definitely worth a watch.

A nice evening with friends, a lovely night in a gorgeous hotel room, Christmas vacation and a new haircut!

Hey guys! I am so fucking happy, not to mention pretty damn relieved. It’s over, it’s done. I finished my exam!

Okay, so this past Sunday, I met with my great friends, Anna, Jonny and Cathrine at Cathrine’s place. We created a beautiful Christmas atmosphere, by watching the first and second “Home Alone” movie, eating gingerbread, eating chocolate, and then make some marzipan balls dipped in chocolate and sprinkles, and mulled wine. We had a great time, exchanged gifts and had fun… That is, until Cathrine’s bed broke.

When night came falling that day, my dad came and drove me to Oslo. Considering I had my exam the morning after, and the trains have had complicated schedules as of lately, I figured I’d be better safe than sorry, so I checked into the Radisson, which is located in my college’s neighborhood. And what a fucking gorgeous room! It cost a fortune, but holy shit… I was in the 11th floor, had an amazing view, a large window, nice bathroom, big TV, a minibar and a soft, warm bed. Not to mention the delicious breakfast I could treat myself to the morning after!

Then… Back to reality! Exam time. It was fucking boring, my mind was all over the place, so I will just be happy for as long as I don’t fail. But now I am free! I have a Christmas vacation, and it is glorious!

So yesterday I went and got a haircut. You can hardly tell any difference whatsoever, but I have dyed it and cut it to a minimum.

 

Then today, I was supposed to get a manicure, but the stylist cancelled at the last minute, so I will have to do without until Christmas is over and done with, which sucks. So today I just went to Sweden with my family. Here’s a picture of me and my little sister Katrine:

A day of efficiency!

I have been surprisingly efficient today, if I dare say so myself. First and foremost, I received my college loan today, which was good (not to mention necessary). My friend Cathrine got tickets for her, Anna and myself to see Miley Cyrus in Oslo on the 28th of May next year.

I am one of those people who are terribly sick of the American media’s puritanism when it comes to that girl. First and foremost, said puritanism is contagious, as it is spreading like fire to other types of media, and second of all, it makes them all sound like a freaking chastity group. I’m done for now. Is her physical image appealing to me personally? Not really. Does it matter? Nope. Because the woman actually has talent. If you’ve got talent in Hollywood nowadays, I actually carry some level of respect for you.

(see, I have this thing where I always like the celebrities that get harsh treatment by the tabloids – I was the same with Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.)

Moving on! I also got a hairdresser appointment. Tuesday, 9AM, and on Wednesday I will be getting a manicure. Gonna look good for Christmas. Or as good as possible, anyway.

Other than that, I am trying to practice for my exam, for which I am not exactly motivated, to say the least. Oh well, what must be done, must be done.

Hope you are having a good day!

Christmas Eve when I was little.

The purpose of this post, is actually just to clear my head a little. Christmas Eve has by far always been one of my favorite days of the year, no matter what, so I thought I was going to inform you on how it tended to go down for me back when I was little.

Now, first and foremost, I feel it would be necessary to mention that Norway is among those countries that carry tradition of opening the Christmas gifts o Christmas Eve (24th of December), as opposed to early morning, 25th.

I remember never being able to sleep the night before Christmas Eve. My room was fully decorated, and I just used to lay there, watching my little Christmas tree, waiting for time to pass. This was the epitome of waiting for me.

Then finally, at about 6AM or so, I managed falling asleep, only to wake up at 9. Then it was time to go downstairs to watch TV, which was basically what I did all day. Every morning on Christmas Eve, they show Christmas movies on TV. You have probably seen the Disney Christmas special (“From All of Us to All of You”).

Then, my grandmother came over to eat porridge, which is a traditional Christmas treat here in Scandinavia. She didn’t live very far away from us, so my father picked her up and drove her to our place (she never owned a car). Thereafter, she was driven back home, as she had a Christmas meal to prepare, and then when the clock struck 5, we went off to her place for the real Christmas celebration. So we had dinner, opened presents and had desert, all the while having a jolly good time. My grandmother lived in this big house, built in the ’50s, and in the summer, she had a large magnificent garden. In December, of course, the garden was covered in thick snow.

Usually, we tended to stay so late, we stayed at her place, as she had plenty of room.

So that is Christmas for me, and even though my grandmother has passed away now, Christmas is still celebrated very much in her memory.

Under the cut you will find a picture of my mom, my brother, me, my grandmother and my little sister from New Year’s Eve 2005/2006! I was twelve, almost thirteen…

Hanging out with Anna.

Today I went shopping, before heading off to Anna’s place. Now, I am not a selfless person, as you may be aware by now, so while I went shopping for Christmas gifts, I also picked something up for myself! A dark blue, classy dress, probably ever so loosely inspired by the ’60s. It fit me so well, and I will be wearing it Christmas Eve. I will show it to you then.

Thereafter, I went off to Anna’s place, where we ate some lovely salmon and watched the hilarious chick flick comedy Mean Girls for the thousandth time or so. Never get tired of that movie!

After we had finished watching, we went off to Cathrine’s, as she lives nearby. I had to drop by with yet another Christmas gift for her, and she had gotten a visit from another friend of ours, Camilla, so we stayed and chatted for a while. Mostly, we discussed celebrity crushes, which served for some hilarious comments.

Anna’s Christmas decorations.

 

Anna (don’t shoot me dead for this, hon.)

Me.

 

Anna’s demonic cat.