Early morning

Morning in the kitchen just some hours ago and checking all my "to-do" lists of things that needs to be done and planned for before the baby arrives. Being pregnant, with a little toddler around, doesn't really makes you the fastest brain thinker in this world and I do have to write down most things in life in my notebook not to forget them.
I've almost decided now what sibling pram to get and little L's room starting to be created in my mind with furnitures, colours etc and the coordination for the upcoming trips needs some serious consideration and planning to work smoothly for all of us.
Soon I'm off for a nice lunch with this lovely woman and later on today we'll celebrate this little doll, turning two years old today! Talk soon!

(cardigan/poncho & Alexis sweater: Davida)

Soft luxury

So you wanted to know what was inside the beautiful parcel, et voila, your wish is my demand! Two cashmere ponchos/cardigans for me (this and this), very chic and absolutely perfect for the state I'm in and throughout all seasons, and another little dark blue sweater in cashmere with a zipper for Alexis, perfect for the ongoing, very chilly temperatures or late summer nights. I'll show them on as soon as I have a chance. They arrive with a cashmere comb and a dust bag, perfect for years of refreshment and when traveling.

You also asked me to get you a discount code, and for the upcoming Mothers Day and all, what could be better then 15 percent off any order? Just use the discount code: STINA when paying!

Happy shopping and for you who lives in Sweden or are Swedish, don't forget your mother on Sunday.   If you purchase today, the delivery will reach her on Friday this week.

A lovely delivery on a negative filled day

Such a shitty day, I'm apologising for my outspokenness but this day has not been the best. Rain, cold temperatures and greyness all over the city and the forecast promise nothing better the coming week. I have pain in all of my Vericose veins (åderbrock) I developed really badly during this pregnancy and on top of that, Alexis has gone into some kind of grumpy phase again, like children do from time to time. All day long it has been waining, complaining and just a not so charming attitude where food has been tossed all over the kitchen and Tiger has been dipped in yoghurt.
Luckily I had a express-delivery from Sweden coming to my door. I needed to cash it in the entry and of course I had no cash at home (that people don't speak very good English in Switzerland and that many times they're still relied on cash, is two of the very huge negative surprises with this country) and I had to run out in the rain ... yes, you understand the frustration when you also have a toddler to bring in all of that mess and a angry postman waiting in the hallway.
Well, enough complaining. The contains of the parcel are stunning and I'm looking so much forward using them all, even little Alexis got a small surprise.

Yesterday, 7.45pm

So here we were yesterday, me and my boys, waiting for M to pack the car properly and take us back to Zürich. Alexis prepared for sleep in his pyjamas, Tiger old and already sleepy, me pregnant and extremely tired after this lovely but like always, quite intensive weekend.
In a little less then two weeks we're packing again to another destination. Ohh, I can't wait actually! Maybe that's where we'll end up owning a house in a couple of years? I have a new dress waiting to be worn for that occasion and I really think it will be so much fun if the weather is on our side! Talk soon!

(M's cashmere sweater: Ralph Lauren, pregnancy pants: H&M & flats: Chanel)

The love for nature and everything that comes from it

One of the best things by coming to Geneva from time to time, is not only to meet my mother and father in law, but it's to have the nature so close. Outside the door actually, with the convenience of the city just a 15 min car drive away with all of the nice shops, restaurants and the more pulsating atmosphere.
Since I was really young, my parents always drove from the city of Stockholm to our country house with my sister and me and I loved it. The "big" garden, the nature, the forest and all the horses, the fields and the beauty of the big and lively ocean just a couple of minutes walk away. I think by presenting us to explore the beauty of both worlds so early in life, it became something natural and a way of living where we actually had in some ways, the best of both.
Until this day I am exactly like that and the need for both environments are so strong that they can't even compete with each other. As a matter of fact, they belong together and one would get boring without the other. So I love being here, enjoying the real, unprocessed food and grocery's from the market or neighbour's next door. We eat by the season and we enjoy food that taste like it should, coming from the earth, less perfect in shape and colour maybe but a true explosion in the mouth.
As a vegetable lover, well actually a lover of all kind of nice quality food, I pay true pleasure in this kind of lifestyle and I have to say it's easier to find the alternatives in Switzerland in average then around Stockholm, which is such a pity. It's more expensive choosing these alternatives and that is somewhat sad, but then at least you know it will do your body good and all the senses will be so much more fulfilled, you don't need to eat as much.
For me, nothing is better then a well composed dish of ingredients with fresh and tasty vegetables, potatoes, seeds and a nice protein source- where they were brought into the household from a short distance, coming from mother nature and being served well cocked and beautifully presented. Ahhh, it's already watering in my mouth and I just had lunch! For me this is the true luxury of food and being a gourmand.

Bonjour Sweden

Bonjour dear Readers! We're starting this day with some newly baked croissants, freshly squeezed orange juice and scrambled eggs. And all my congratulations goes to Sweden! Even I sat and saw parts of the game yesterday! (Switzerland-Sweden in ishockey, and Sweden got the gold!) My man had a hard time accepting our glory, but the best team won, that's just it! Blink.

A Saturday in Geneva

Nice food and some lovely Geneva-friends - a pretty perfect way of spending this Saturday! Thank you S and F for all wonderful arrangement!

(bolero: Lanvin, top: Valentino, old pregnancy pants, clutch: MaxMara, earrings: vintage and heels: Christian Louboutin)

Car-style

Driving down to Geneva, is as normal nowadays as having my morning coffee. The road is extremely beautiful in certain areas, specially when you drive by Lausanne and arrive from the mountain and have the lake a couple of hundred meters down below and the sun is just about to go down and all of the houses are giving light sources, like small stars in the sky.
Sometimes the road down goes perfectly well with the little one, which means he falls asleep immediately and M and me can have a nice chat or I can take the opportunity to catch up on some sleep. But other times it's just an inferno in the car and Alexis hates it. It takes entertaining, in the approximately amount of three hours, to a different level and the fantasy has to go beyond singing and showing different cars or cows outside the window. Last night was one of those times, God was I exhausted after sitting turned back all way down, singing and amusing my little son and just trying to keep him as happy as possible until we arrived. A big glass of wine would have been perfect after that sort of Friday night exhibition.

Beauty

Beautiful, beautiful little boy of mine. 

I'm indulging the last couple of month with just the two of us, where it sometimes 

feels like only you and me exist in the whole universe. 

Soon you'll become a big brother and I'll become a mother of two.

Things will obviously change, but you will always be my first born, my miracle 

who came from nowhere and surprised me like no one have never done. 

You taught me what love, real unconditional love, really is and 

you brought emotions into my soul and heart that I've only touched on the surface before. 

What an adventure we have in front of us, you and me.

My biggest gift in life and the strongest source of true happiness.

The little black ...

I just had a chat with my dear mother in law in Geneva, and she said it was winter down there. Hu ... Not nice at all, but it gives me an opportunity to find things in my closet mostly made for colder days. This stunning little black jacket for example and my Kelly that I truly love. I twist them up, not to look too classic and doll, with a extravagant necklace and a simple white t-shirt and some jeans.
Now I'll pack, eat lunch, take a nap when Alexis is napping, do the last couple of errands and then wait for my man to get back from work and I'll hopefully sleep in the car back down to Geneva. The last trimester of the pregnancy is stepping in and I do remember that the tiredness gets back during this time. So boring and frustrating, I hate feeling like I'm on a sleeping pill all day long, but it seems like it's the price one have to pay when creating small princes inside of me. Blink.

(blazer: Chanel, t-shirt: COS, necklace: J.Crew and bag: Hermés Kelly with a Hermés Twilly scarf wrapped around the handle)

Primavera

So we've been home a couple of days in Zürich again, but actually we're returning to Geneva no later then tonight. There are some big parties and fiestas in front of us now in May and June so we're going to be living in a car and in travel suits on and off by the time. But I can't wait to attend all of these events, I love dressing up and wearing something extraordinary!
As a pregnant woman at the moment, the selection is somewhat limited to a few dresses of mine and a few models that suits properly when finding a new one. It's so much that needs to fit and most of all it needs to enhance the more curvy body and make us feel beautiful, elegant yet with that important originality.
I fell in love with the Primavera pattern when the SS13 collection of byMalina was presented, yet my favourite model was in reality impossible to squeeze myself in to, no matter how much I loved it. But then I found this model, maybe not a classic Stina-dress, but very pretty and even prettier in reality I realised when I got a DHL delivery at home yesterday with it's romantic inside.
The dress is, as all of the designers dresses, made of pure silk, an easy and liberating fabric for all occasions in life. I've had them in my normal state, pregnant ... I love how the textile is blowing in the wind when walking, how it just switches around the legs and creates that dramatic effect, sometimes needed in life. Look here, here and here to understand what I mean. I have a few of her dresses by now.

The weather forecast for the weekend though is disappointing me big time and I have to have a plan B. The temperatures says around 10°C and it's going to rain, rain, rain. The old Chateau we're going to is hopefully heated up, else I need to wear something else unfortunately. But I've fortunately have more excuses to wear this dress in that case, but let's hope for the best.

But I know there's a lot of parties, student balls, graduations, weddings etc, etc in front of us all - and a outstanding dress, one that will be used a lot in the future and has something exceptional to it; can be hard to find so I'm here to help YOU! 
Go to byMalina, find a stunning model, choose the fabric and when paying, put the code: STINA and you'll have 20 percent off any purchase!  How about that!?!!!?

Happy shopping and enjoy all the celebrations this summer! You'll by far be the one best dressed!

If you want help with any questions about size, fabric etc, please write them in the comment field and I'll do my best to give you my empirical experience!

See you soon!

Listen!

Everybody wants to rule the world.

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(white leather jacket: Dolce & Gabbana, dress: Lindex, shades: ray Ban and heels: Phillip Lim)

Casual but chic in cashmere

There's been a lot of talk about cashmere in this blog by me the last couple of years. But how can we not highlight one of the nicest materials there is in this world? A cashmere sweater is by far the most perfect of garments for both kids and grown ups, all seasons around, for it's remarkable ability to adapt to temperatures. It works hand in hand with the climate of the skin and the surrounding, it doesn't scratch like wool does on a naked epidermis and the feeling is always light and easy. The aesthetic part of cashmere just makes the picture perfect, the surface gives a impeccable look of exclusivity and elegance and it has always been like that.
With all of this said, it's also a material who need some extra love and care though cashmere is delicate and need to be washed in a very sensitive hand wash program or wool program in a separate washing bag, but most preferably taken to the dry cleaner. Every time you've used it, you should let it air in some fresh wind or just open in the bathroom, to keep its freshness.

I have the great opportunity to give ALL my readers 10 percent on ALL things from Soft Goat for 10 days if you use the code; Stinaauer 

Please click your way there and pamper yourself with some lovely cashmere! They ship all around the world! Last time I got these ones.

(cashmere sweater: Soft Goat, this one, pregnancy pants: H&M & bag: Balenciaga)

The little, black cashmere coat

I just love that I've found this little, black coat in cashmere from the Swedish brand Greta. As shown, on the post below, it works with exactly everything (on top of a dress or with trousers) and even though I have a lot of black coats in my closet - this one is neater, more simple and works perfect for those chilly spring and summer days and nights. I really, really love it! It's chic, classic and very usable!

(coat: Greta, here, pregnancy pants: H&M, blouse: Equipment, shoes: NoName & bag: Hermés Birkin)

My love turning older ...

What a weekend! Filled with the best of life! Family, surprises, good food, kids, nature, flowers and friends. I've said it before and i'll say it again and again. I feel so blessed being able to share our life between so many different "homes". It really puts life in a different dimension and I can't wait to spend some proper time in our fourth home in South of France this summer and later on, in our fifth home, at my parents country house which both are miles width from each other, but offer different kind of beauty and cosiness.
The whole purpose this time for the stay in Geneva, was my man's birthday. He though we would have a easy family dinner in peace and quite, but the day after we had arranged a surprise garden party for him as I wrote about before. We had invited friends from different places and cities, ordering the cake, fixing the decoration and M's parents had been cooking the food and prepared what I couldn't, being in Zürich.
So this is some pictures from the warm and lovely party, which turned out even better then we hoped for. The people are so wonderful and it was a laid back, fun, kid-friendly and just perfect environment and we even had luck with the weather which is so important when being outside.
M was so touched and so happy and humble, It was a joy to give him this day filled with some of the best of people. Later that night we gathered some friends and drove into the Geneva city to eat at the Pizza institution Da Paolo. They have the best pizza I've ever had and If you're around, you can't leave without going to this superb place and indulge yourself. When I drove home I was almost falling asleep in the car, and after this weekend I'm very tired but it was so worth it! Happy Birthday again my Love and THANK YOU everyone for helping, keeping the secret and for coming!!!

(black cashmere coat: Greta, here, dress: Balmain and later on, beautiful grey cashmere sweater: Soft Goat, here)