Wedding Weekend

It's Monday and another week has begun. The weekends just never seem to last long enough, but they go by especially quick when we have a lot planned. Friday night Klas and I treated ourselves to an expensive dinner to celebrate pay day. Woohoo! Here in Sweden, you only get paid once a month so it is a very exciting day :) We decided to try something new and ended up at a Pakistani restaurant called Lilla Pakistan. We are always the adventurers when it comes to food since both Klas and I love strong flavors. Indian and Thai food are still my favorite, but we enjoyed our fancy dinner.

Saturday we attended the wedding of one of Klas' close friends Stefan and his now wife Elisabeth. It was a beautiful ceremony and great party with all the charm and simplicity of a Swedish wedding. There are some wedding traditions here that are different to me, like how there is always assigned seating for dinner and you don't get to sit with your date. I suppose it is a tradition that has evolved here as a way to force the guests to get know eachother, since talking to strangers can be tough for some Swedes. It has made for an interesting experience for me at the two Swedish weddings I have been to where I didn't know anyone except Klas. Both times I ended up making great friends with all my table mates and now I have decided I like the tradition. We had a fun night of great food (Brasilian food) and some wild dancing (Klas even played with the band for awhile) and we felt lucky to be a part of Stefan and Elisabeth's special day.

Staffan, Ida, Me and Klas before the ceremony. Apparently the theme for the night was gray and black. The "I do's"... except they said it in Swedish of course :)
Cutting the cake(s)!

The Klas Toresson Quartet

There are are a lot of exciting things going on right now for Klas. He has a crazy busy schedule and is pretty much playing somewhere with someone every night of the week. If it isn't a recording gig in a studio, it's a Norwegian tour with a big band or a weekly gig at a jazz venue in Stockholm. That boy never stops. On days when he doesn't have a gig, he is at his rehearsal studio practicing and writing music. Both he and I like to refer to his saxophone as his mistress since he spends as much time with the thing as he does me :) I admire his discipline and his passion for his work and am not so sure I would do such a good job of being self-employed.

In December, Klas will be releasing his first album, called Statement. While he has recorded backgrounds on several albums and been a part of other people's projects, this album will be his own. All the tracks are songs he has written specifically for his quartet, which is a band that holds a special place in my groupie heart.

When Klas and I were in the early stages of dating (one and a half years ago) I went and saw him play with his quartet. It was an experience I will never forget, and not just because he was winking and smiling at me from on stage. It was a musical experience that changed me and created a desire in me to learn more about jazz. While we were at the photoshoot for the album cover this past Sunday, I remembered that I had taken a short video that night when I first saw them play. I wish it was longer...

These four guys have some kind of magical musical connection between them and with Klas' music, the magic comes to life. I am so proud of him and all the work he has put into the album and I can't wait for its December release. Don't you worry, I will be exporting several copies to the U.S.

Photos by Anna Larsson

There are plenty of reasons why I love my life in Stockholm, but one of the most significant reasons is of course the people in my life. Somehow, I have managed to surround myself with incredibly creative and inspiring individuals that have given me a new perspective on the reality of making a career out of something you love to do.

Anna Larsson, my very best friend, is an amazing photographer. She has never even considered a career in any other field, because taking pictures is what she loves. Although being an artist is not exactly the easiest road to take in life, I do believe it can be one of the most fulfilling. Anna's dedication and passion for her art inspires me and has given me the desire to seek out my own ways of being creative and leaving my artistic mark on this world.

Anna already has an impressive resume. She has worked as an assistant to a successful photographer here in Stockholm and completed the certificate program at the prestigious International Center for Photography in New York City. She has started her own business now and works as a full-time photographer.

I have taken advantage of my friend's amazing talent and have asked her to take a lot of pictures of me over the years. On the other hand, she has taken advantage of my incredible poise and beauty and has asked me to be her model on several occasions so it works out for the both of us ;) hahahahaha... Here are a few of my favorite pictures she has taken of me:
After work...Taken in our NYC apartment. This is from one of our first "photoshoots" taken in Stockholm in September 2006 Fall in Prospect Park...taken in Brooklyn in Autumn 2007 This picture is from the photoshoot Anna did for her final exhibition at ICP. The project was called Almost see through.Taken in Dalarna, Midsommar 2007 Backyard BBQ party in Williamsburg, March 2008

Believe it or not, Anna does in fact take pictures of other things and other people besides me :) Travel and food photography are her specialty but she doesn't limit herself to just that. Check out her new website to see more of her work.

Shadow Creatures

This is how we spend our Saturday afternoons when the autumn sun light comes through the window just right...

Roses

I had a rough day at work on Thursday and had called Klas on my lunch break pretty upset. When I came home, Klas, who had been rehearsing and working hard himself all day, was out grocery shopping for dinner. I was still settling in at home when someone knocked on the door. I tip-toed over and looked through the peep-hole, but no one was there. And then a knock again...this time I saw it was Klas and when I opened the door he handed me a bouquet of the most beautiful roses I have ever seen.

It's pretty amazing how one person can turn a bad day into a great one in a matter of seconds. I am a lucky girl to have someone so caring, and I know it. Not trying to rub it in, I just wanted to share a few pictures of these absolutely gorgeous flowers that are now sitting on my kitchen table. Aren't they incredible?

Hobbies

It seems as though the older I get, the faster times goes by. The days just come and go, and sometimes it easy to look back on the week and wonder what I did just for myself. I am a strong believer in the fact that everyone needs to have some "me" time and having a hobby is one of the best ways to do just that. Aren't we all a little happier when we do something creative, something athletic, something musical...something that doesn't feel like work?

I have been making an effort to find some new activities for myself because I realized that when I was not at work or out with friends, I was usually at home, wasting my precious free time paralyzed in front of my computer screen. Don't get me wrong, blogging is a good hobby, but facebook, peoplemagazine.com and youtube...not so much.

So first, and probably most importantly, I have purchased a one year gym membership and have set a goal for myself to work out three days a week. They have really great classes at the gym I go to including aerobics, dance and step that I am already having a blast participating in. Working out can become a hobby when you find a physical activity you truly enjoy.

My other new hobby is learning how to play the flute, as you know, and you may be glad to hear that I am getting better!