Random 5 from this week

I was an early bird this morning, watching the sun creating a pretty play of shadows in the kitchen. Before the day starts with errands, I'll journalize here 5 Random things from this week:

• I have slept a lot this week ... I connect the sudden need for sleep to the start of the pollen season. Besides the need to sleep, I sneeze and have itchy eyes - But luckily the medicine is helping! And a nap after work or after dinner is said to be a good ting :)
• Pancakes made of  1 banana and 2 eggs makes a tasty breakfast! I add also a pinch of salt and just a touch of baking powder ... I recommend!
•  I am half way through reading Unashamed by Christine Caine - her authenticity shines through the lines ... I can't wait to pick it up again later this afternoon...
• The days at the work has flown by so fast ... I enjoy spending time with unique children and motivated colleagues :)
• I enjoy watching videos from the Light Room Killer tips by Scott Kelby - here's a good one on noise reduction.

... Wishing you a peaceful weekend,

Nina

A Good Morning & A Free Printable

 Edited with LR Preset kk_Breeze

It has been a very good morning today, since

• Our younger son has had a great week with his school at the Island of Bornholm, he has returned home with the rucksack willed with new experiences in the beautiful nature, together with his classmates
• I enjoyed my morning tea accompanied by piano melodies composed by our older son 
• Having gone through my wardrobe this morning, I have a bag filled with clothes, I haven't used for a while - so I will pop over by my friend later today to see, if she or her daughter would like some of it, before donating it to the flee market (It's lovely to swop something with / to a friend or the other way around, ain't it :)
• Sunlight is warm and bright today!
• It is Saturday - a day to swim some lanes - that will be good to my neck and shoulders, that are a bit worn due a whole lot of writing lately

Here's a link to a printable

I took the photo above this Monday and edited it with Stackables, Afterlight, Phonto and VSCOcam apps.
This plant is crawling up towards light along the concrete wall - It encouraged me and I thought the quote fitted so well ... Let's keep our eyes on the things we believe and find important - as long as there is hope, there is a way.

... Sunshine to your weekend,

Nina

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Sweet Everyday

Something happened this week, that really made me appreciate the sweet, normal everyday life ... 

Wednesday at noon I was driving in downtown. As I was holding at a traffic light - out of the blue - an accordion-style car crash took place ... An inattentive driver crashed into the van behind me, that again crashed into my car - and pushed my car up to the car, that was holding before me.

I am so grateful, that nobody got injured (besides the possible whiplash traumas) ... I am still a bit chocked ... If the van wasn't behind me, taking the worst, our little car (with me inside) would have been smashed... Thankful for protection - God's angels were busy that day!

Afterwards I had a check at ER, just to be sure that the neck region was fine ... and all is well - all the vertebras are still in line and in right order (as much as it is possible in my case: I have a whiplash injury dating back to a a car accident in -89).

In short, my ordinary everyday has definitely gotten a new glow ... I cherish 

- waking up to sound of the alarm, that is telling me that a new day is dawning
- the way my husband crosses his feet as he is writing
- hearing the nearby church bells at 8 am close to my work
- standing in a queue at the supermarket
... just being at home with my family

The poem "A Tribute to the Everyday Things" by Danish poet Dan Turell has been translated into English ... Making a creative and fine window into noticing the happenings making our everyday life so precious.

Wishing you a weekend with extraordinary focus on the sweet and ordinary rituals and happenings in the ordinary days,

Nina

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Tidbits and Snapshots

I have figured out a smart way of "simplifying" my gluten-free diet - I bake to loaves of gluten-free bread (the image above), I slice them and then freeze the slices. And each morning I set one frozen slice in the toaster ... and Voila - Out pops a slice of warm and crispy bread! 

Glaze-app

The theme in art lessons for the 2-3 graders at my work is Surrealism. They formed the other day Surreal Watches, inspired by Salvador Dali. These lovely watches are now hanging on branches, decorating their Arts Class ... I snapped the photo above as I peeked in.

Brushstroke App

I spotted a squirrel on my way home from church last Sunday. It froze and was completely still, as it spotted me - almost as posing :) ... As soon as I had taken the picture, it quickly climbed up to the nearest tree.

I have beed sewing Easter Eggs - combining colourful cloth, adding some sheet wadding in between - and finishing with a ribbon. They ended up being rather sweet! 

It was planned that I would visit my friend yesterday after work - and I hung 9 of these eggs on a bunch of cherry tree branches - she was happy and surprised to receive them! I will sew some more this weekend, to decorate our home for Easter.

Afternoon light created a nice shadow-light-play in the old chair - that inspired me to create "an old photo".

The photo above is inspired by the Creative Self Portrait Photography course. I took two photos with the Koloid Photo app, layered them with the Image Blender App, and added the text with the Over App ... On an evening this week, when the light lamp casted contrasting light on my face.

Now it is Saturday ... The men in the house are planning a jogging tour in the forest - I will pop by a book store and swim some lanes in the swimming hall thereafter - That will be good for my neck and shoulders. And thereafter no hurries, no plans ...

... Wishing you a peaceful weekend,

Nina 

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Photos with Iphone 5S 

Highlights of My Week

Mornings with tea and sunshine

Having the wooden Cubebot as my muse in the daily photos

Returning in my daydreams to the landscapes with pine cones and the sounds of a woodpecker

Finding pretty linen to the kitchen from the flea market nearby

Getting ready to sew something pretty to Easter

Admiring the reflections of the sunlight on dishes & chopsticks

Being inspired by Creative Self Portrait Photography-course by Lindsay Crandall 

at Skillshare

What has been highlighting your week?

Happy Weekend greetings,

Nina

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Photos with Iphone 5S - Camera+, VSCOcam, Snapseed, TadaaSLR, Over, Rhonna Designs -apps

Heather Flovery Valentine's Day

Thank you French Kiss Collections for this pretty photo mask

My mom has heather flowers outside her porch - they look so pretty when covered with snow. As you may have guessed, we have spent our winter break visiting my mom in Finland - The week flew by so fast, I'm grateful for each moment! 

The Great Outdoors with slalom and cross-country skiing, playing in the snow, walking ... Breathing the crispy air, watching the squirrels play and enjoying being in the Winter Wonderland.

Our boys fancy the thin, small rye pies, that are salty and filled with rice, a Finnish speciality caller Karjalanpiirakka. Mom baked a whole bunch of them, and we got some of them home with us ... So delicious! We spent a lot of time in the kitchen together - cooking, baking, having tea and coffee - Enjoying the dishes we rarely get home in Denmark.

Saying farewell is not easy - It takes a few days to adjust ... phone calls, Skype and text messages are great ways of keeping contact. Yet I feel a bit like I've left "my soul" behind: I'm waiting for it to arrive from the woods of Finland back to me ... Feeling a bit lost here in the city. 

Travelling with aeroplane makes everything go so fast - Had we driven by car and ferry all the way, we had gotten an opportunity to be "on the way" a bit longer, thereby adjusting to the change from the quiet life in the countryside back to the city. 

Well, it is Valentine's Day, or as the Finnish tradition goes: The Day of Friendship - A day to cherish one's friends and loved one's ... Some snail mails have been written, some e-mails and texts are yet to be send - and already in the morning, some lovely greetings were waiting for me ...

So life goes on ... A part of loving is to feel longing, as well as a part of living abroad is to meet the family a bit seldom.

Well, my kitchen is calling ... Wondering if I should bake a banana bread or chocolate muffins? :)

...Wishing you a lovely Day of Friendship / Valentine's Day,

Nina

PS. Thank you for all the delightful notes on my two former posts - Lovely surprises that made me really happy! 

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Dreamy images and playful tones

My Monday started with migraine ... In the late afternoon, as I was feeling better, I took a snapshot with my iPhone and edited it in Snapseed, Afterlight, Mextures & VSCOcam apps - Trying to convey the mismatch in the body and thoughts, migraine can cause: The state of between being awake and in sleep, trying to avoid light as much as possible, yet not being able to see in the dark ... and the gaps and cracks in thoughts and in the state of awareness. 

Hipstamatic: Vincent-lens & BlackKeys ExtraFine film, blurry effect in Focal Lab.

Where words fail, music speaks.

Hans Christian Andersen

I enjoy the moments listening our son as he plays piano - Especially the melodies he is making up him self.

An old cross-stitch work, I found from a flee market two years ago, is hanging beside our main door. Every now and then, the moving air is making the tiny bell hanging on it, to ring ... This tiny sound has become a cozy melody of it's own, telling someone has arrived or is about to leave.

I took the photo with Camera+, then edited it in Snapseed (Retrolux). I added an Antiqued-texture in Photo Toaster, and some texture layers in Stackables app.

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Chicken Miso Soup has become one of our the favourite soups - Our boys like it so much that I cook it two -three times a month! Having prepared it so many times, I know the recipe by heart now - It takes just a half an hour to make it, and tastes great! (The original recipe recommends Ramen noodles, but I am using thin rice noodles instead, since they are without gluten).

The gluten free diet has had a very positive effect on my thyroid values - they are back in the normal range now - so I am trying a bunch of new recipes at the moment. I have found a recipe for a delicious, dark bread - and some recipes for sweet taste as well.

What is your favourite thing to cook at the moment - new inspiration to kitchen is always welcome, ain't it!

...Have a great weekend,

Nina

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Highlights of my week

The tube scarf has been in the making a few months now - it is so cozy to knit in the evenings. I like these soft colors, the woolen yarn and the recipe for the scarf is a present from a friend of mine from her travels.

Cherishing the moments in the kitchen, as our boys are making sandwiches or helping around, like emptying the dish washer ... The saying "Kitchen is the heart of a home" makes sense with the pulsing life it contains.

I was about to catch a common cold with sore throat, headache, running nose ... I drank pots of green tea with thinly sliced fresh ginger and honey, and slept a lot after work - I cannot say which helped most - I'm grateful for not getting really sick.

Glaze and Brushstroke apps, and a texture Tableaux Old Style from French Kiss Studio Textures

We had the pleasure of having the sun peeking out Friday afternoon - Sunlight does make a great difference after a foggy and rainy week. The bluish and turquoise shades and the glimpses of sunlight playing on the water ... Yes, the time seemed to stand still, as we admired the vast sea, the far horizon and the open sky.

The scent of paper and Earl Grey ... Simple pleasures on Saturday mornings. 

... Is there a moment from this week that is still lingering in the back of your mind - what made it so special to you?

Wishing you a peaceful weekend,

Nina

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Peace of Heart

Let the peace of heart that comes from Christ be always present in your hearts and lives, 
for this is your responsibility and privilege as members of his body. 
And always be thankful.

Colossians 3:15 Living Bible

Draw Me Close to You Sax Solo

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As we woke up Christmas morning, it was snowing outside -
Such a lovely surprise!

Blessings to your week, 

Nina

Here's a printable

of Colossians 3:15
for you 

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Photo: Nikon D3200, Photo Veil Light from the Illumination Collection Love That Shot

My Christmassy Week

iPhone 5S: Camera+, Image Blender, texture by DistressesFx, VintagePhoto, Filterstorm

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

with every Christmas card I write ..."

I was feeling creative last Saturday and made some Christmas cards. I punched coloured cardboards with either a heart or an  angel paper punch, gluing them to the cards, together with a ribbon. Thursday evening I wrote the cards, listening to carols and sipping tea ... And now they're stamped and on their way, thanks to my sweet husband, who patiently waited at the post office to get the stamps.

iPhone 5S: Camera+, VSCOcam, Snapseed, FocalLab

Christmas Carols have been echoing at my work as well, as the children have been decorating the classrooms.  Watching them I remembered an occasion from my own kindergarden class: I was 6 years old, and we were making Christmas collages. We had a dark blue cardboard, where we glued some cotton balls as snow - and I was allowed to sprinkle some silver glitter to the sky, for stars ... The collage is printed on my mind - being a magical piece of art, our kindergarden teacher inspired us to make. 

On Friday some of the students performed the old Nordic tradition, Lucia - bring the light. The Lucia day is actually the 13th of December, but we delayed the Lucia-tradition to Friday, when the parents were invited to school to Christmas workshops at the classes.

Rick Steve's European Christmas Part 4: Norway

The Christmas traditions in Scandinavian countries are very similar. The video above shows both the Lucia-tradition, the pepperkakkor-cookies and the Christmas porridge with almonds, that among others are a part of the Danish Christmas traditions.

Last but not least - I have been introduced to a fun and creative doddle game, a smart phone app called Draw Something. I am newbie but find it nice and relaxing: Draw one of the 3 words suggested - and try to guess the words, that co-players have drawn. If you already are doodling away at Draw Something, I'd like to guess your word - you'll find me as Niksu12.

Happy Weekend greetings, 

Nina

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Glimpses of Sunlight - and Dreams of a Tripod

Welcome back, sunlight and blue skies ... Such a pleasure after a week with rain, fog and grey skies! The sun peeked out Friday afternoon - so I biked by the lake, so see the setting sun, on my way home from work.

The weather is getting cold - the crispy, fresh air fills my lungs each morning as I step outside - the temperature may soon be under zero during the nighttime.

The sun is getting up at 8 am, and setting down at 4 pm ... That is my working hours and I am mostly inside ... So I'm cherishing the weekends, having the opportunity to be outside during daylight.

Light is so important, in many ways ... and especially with photography. I prefer taking the advantage of natural light when taking pictures, so I'm using each and every opportunity I get, to snap the daily photos with my iPhone.

Yet winter is a wonderful season for learning low light photography ... which is the reason why tripod for my DSLR is on my wish list. I have been reading lately some articles about slow shutter speed photography, and would really like to experiment more in that area. 

What would be important to consider when buying a tripod?
And furthermore - what to consider when photographing with a tripod ... Should I use a timer in order to behave sharpness when photographing with normal shutter speed?

- As you can read, I am thinking about entering into a new, unknown terrain!

 ... Wishing you a Happy Weekend with Glimpses of Sunlight,

Nina

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Snapshots Along My Way

Do you know the feeling, when the words just doesn't match to what you wish to express ... Or maybe it's hard to find the words to express yourself with?

Well, this wordless feeling is hovering over me at the moment ...

Therefore, I let these of snapshots along my way to speak for themselves, with the quotes below:

There's so much grey to every story -

nothing is so black and white.

Lisa Ling

A single dream is more powerful

than a thousand realities.

J. R. R. Tolkien

Weekend greetings,

Nina

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Photos: iPhone 5, Snapseed, Hipstamatic, VSCOcam Apps

In the Shade of Green Trees

Sit still with me in the shade of these green trees, 

which have no weightier thought than 

the withering of their leaves when autumn arrives, 

or the stretching of their many stiff fingers 

into the cold sky of the passing winter. 

Fernando Pessoa 

... Wishing you a peaceful weekend,

Nina


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Photos with iPhone5: Camera+, Snapseed & VSCOcam Apps -
Upper Photo: Privet photo veil from the Botanical Collection by Love That Shot, Faded Crinkle 2 texture by Lil' 2 Owls
Lower Photo: Sepia & B&W Twist preset by Cole's Classroom, Privet photo veil from the Botanical Collection by Love That Shot

A Tribute to My Bike

It is Friday - 4 pm. 

I'm parking my bike ...

My bike is my faithful compagnion,

taking me to work from Monday to Friday.

I enjoy the rides each way,

being outside and having time of my own...

Just biking.

Now my bike is in the cellar -

The weekend is about to start.

I'm having a glass of cold milk with chocolate
- my Friday's treat. 

 

bicycles from Nina Jensen on Vimeo.

... Weekend greetings,

Nina

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Photos with iPhone5, Hipstamatic App: Rijks film Vincent lens -
Crisp, Clean Color preset by Cole's Classroom

Walk views - Hipstamatic Way

Hipstamatic App: G2-lens & Ina's 1935 film

Walking works always - also as a ritual of closing up a week at work and moving towards the weekend.

I was drawn to the lakes, as the mild wind blew softly, scattering the clouds every now and then, releasing spots of sunlight along my way.

Hipstamatic App: G2-lens & Ina's 1935 film

It's the small things ... 

• A smile and a friendly nod from a jogger, that passed me by

• Hearing a father encourage his son to make another cast in the lake; "Maybe you'll get a bite this time" - and seeing the hope being renewed in the eyes of the little fellow with the fishing rod

• Witnessing the patience of the owner of a puppy, who was learning to walk in a lead - that is, wanting to walk consistently to the opposite direction 

... Even when the news has been filled with reports on intolerance and terror, there is caring, love and forbearance to be found among us.

Let us be attentive and notice one another ... Your smile can brighten up someone's day today.

Hipstamatic App: Lowy-lens & Robusta-film

Until you spread your wings you'll have no idea how far you can fly.

Ray Bradbury  

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... Happy weekend to you,

Nina

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