Birthday Joys

I am happy about special moments on my special day. A bumble-bee enjoying the sweet juice of a pumpkin flower.

Flecki visiting in the morning.

Beautiful roses on my birthday table.

A paper bag with Lady Liberty.

A bit of Disney magic -- a potholder and an apron.

A touch of the American West -- a scarf with a lovely design.

Wonderful gifts from my friend Martina from Sweden -- thanks Martina!

A dream coming true -- a new camera!

Lunch at an Asian restaurant -- just delicious!

Of course, a piece of cake!

I hope your birthday was/will be just as happy!

G is for Gifts

Since I haven't shared any photos from Christmas yet, I decided to post some photos of Christmas gifts for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday. For me, the wrapping is just as important as the gift itself -- it adds a touch of caring and also an element of surprise. This year I added snowflakes to my gifts.

I bought this wooden heart at a Christmas market.

The gifts aren't big -- but they bring joy and add to the festivity of the season. I was delighted to see the Frozen soundtrack among my gifts.

I also got a daily calendar from Disney -- A Year of Animation.

Do you like the design of these blank notesbooks? You might find them at your local IKEA.

Here's a gift by a dear friend from Sweden. By chance, I happened to watch Journey to the Christmas Star on December 24. One sweet character is an imp called Mose. So guess how this little guy is now called.

I really like these thoughtful gifts -- I sure hope you got some nice gifts, too.

Joy

Happy Birthday to all those of you who also celebrate their birthday in July (Rita, Elizabeth, Val, Jules, Constance, and some other sweet souls). I hope you had as much joy on your birthday as I had last weekend. In the afternoon I went for a walk, taking some photos along the way. This little yellow flower peeking through a fence made me smile.

The weather was a mix of sunshine and showers of rain -- perfect for grain to grow tall and strong.

In fact, all trees and bushes and plants look so very green and lush.

Beautiful Queen Anne's Lace! Recently, Elizabeth from The Last Door Down The Hall also posted a photo of this delicate flower.

Back at home some presents were waiting for me.

 Flowers with a butterfly, too.

 The sky had a beautiful shade of blue that day.

 One of my lovely flowers.

 

Yummy Asian food -- spicy chicken with vegetables.

 

There are beautiful flowers in the garden, too.

 I love that shade of violet.

 Time for birthday cake and making a wish!

My new favorite pen with a wooden moose head - a sweet gift from my friend Martina who had come for a visit earlier this month. She and her family were on vacation in her old homeland. It was great that she took the time to come to my place before leaving for Sweden again.

 Tack så mycket, Martina!

Guess what? Rapunzel now lives with me -- think Disney Animators' Collection.

Sure thing that Merida from Brave isn't far behind -- I love the soundtrack!

Another gift I treasure -- a candle holder which reminds me of both of the American Southwest and Tangled's kingdom sun.

 Another treat -- three hooks with three geckos.

N is for No matter the letter

How lucky I am that no starts with N. Since it's my birthday, I am going to post a few photos for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday no matter the letter. For my birthday, there were flowers ...

... some gifts, ...

... and sunshine despite the recent rainy and cool summer weather.

The weather wasn't great for a longer outing, so the destination was IKEA.

Köttbullar (meatballs) for lunch.

Lamps in the cafeteria.

The atmosphere there was lovely that afternoon.

Of course, you can't leave IKEA without buying some neat stuff.

The sun fought hard that day -- it was great to see some blue sky.

In the evening, I enjoyed the garden with the beautiful flowers.

Even a withered clematis bloom can look so very pretty.

The strawberry joghurt cake I had made earlier that day.

The evening was mild enough to have cake on the terrace.

Yummy cake and a delightful birthday day.

Midsummer or I is for IKEA

I am bit late for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday, but my trip to the local IKEA for midsummer activities is just perfect for the letter I. Once again you could make a wreath from birch leaves and flowers for a small fee.

This year there were only white and yellow flowers, but the wreath turned out nice nonetheless.

Winding wire around the base, arranging flowers and leaves neatly.

Finally, the finished wreath!

Lots of children and adults had fun with those wreaths.

In fact, the whole store was bustling with activity.

A Swedish almond cake -- what a treat!

There was a Swedish maypole in the parking lot.

My wreath in the garden.

The flowers were gorgeous.

Here I am wearing it.

Once again yours truly wearing the wreath.

Happy Solstice!