See you in 16 days.....

We are off to Sweden for holidays to rest, spend time with family and friends, and of course, enjoy quite a lot of these things:

I'll be back in a little more than 2 weeks with some updates ;))
In the meantime, you can follow my photo updates here on Instagram/Webstagram: http://web.stagram.com/n/anderssonlinda/


Take care!!!
xox

What is yet to come.....

It's funny how life changes.....how your dreams and aspirations develop, how friendships are built and relationships are founded and sometimes broken. I find it amazing how we get lost and found, how we win and loose, how we fight hard battles to our breaking point and at other times, are so relaxed that sleeping is the only thing our bodies can manage.


We laugh, cry, dance, we make love, break love, feel love and give love, we eat, sleep, suffer, work, study, enjoy, sing, run and live our lives. We are weak and strong, we are at the top of the world and we hit rock bottom. We believe in people and things but sometimes find ourselves even doubting if there will ever be something or someone who we can ever trust. We feel loved and unlovable......ugly and beautiful....funny, clever and outgoing and other times, socially awkward not finding even one word to say that sounds remotely interesting. 


We share things, sometimes incredibly private things, but we also keep deep, and at times dark, secrets. We know so much and yet sometimes, feel so uncertain.


At the age of 33, I feel like I've felt most of the emotions that life has to offer......most of them.....but not yet this one, the one they say is the grandest one of all:

Image source: http://pinterest.com/pin/264023596874108657/

No wonder I am all bubbly inside over what is yet to come!!!! Isn't life amazing?
12 weeks to go.......and I can't wait!!

xox

The end of the visitors "era" ;)

Yep......so since yesterday and for the first time in ages, we have no visitors planned! It feels strange, quiet, great, relaxing and sad, all in one go!! I have greatly enjoyed all the company and the fantastic visitors, especially since Chris has been away a lot in the military service, but being pregnant especially, I also must say I enjoy some quiet times, knowing that after mid October, this might be quite a rare thing ;))


Currently, I'm........

Inspired by: Chris who just found out he passed his qualifying exam to become European Patent Attorney (his first try!!!)!! He worked soooooo hard and was so disciplined and it all payed off =)))) I am so so proud of him!!!! This calls for major celebration and we already started yesterday when he came home from the military.....I had made a little surprise welcome for him ;)) 

Such a happy camper ;)))) 

Lots of Champagne for Chris.....two sips for me, just to get a taste ;))

....all though the color is not revealing it, these are vanilla cupcakes with Caramel & Sea Salt flavored topping.

Happy about: The above (obviously)!! Also having had friends and family here lately to make memories with and to cheer me/us up! They were also all taking very good care of me. Am also happy to now have some quiet times ahead to fully get my head around the fact that we are becoming parents.... Exciiiiiting times!

Disappointed about: My physical health as I am struggling to breathe properly due to the pregnancy. This is very frustrating and tiring. I am functioning normally most of the time, but when the difficulty to breathe starts, it's impossible to feel comfortable and to avoid panicking at least a bit. Knowing that it's not dangerous for me or the baby helps though ;)

Looking forward to: Going home to Sweden for a couple of weeks!! We are going together with Chris's youngest sister and her boyfriend and I hope to have many lazy days there, just enjoying being "home" for a while.

Planning: Hmmm.....not sure if I ever told you, but Chris proposed to me back in March so now we are planning our wedding next year.....better to start all the planning early as soon, there will be other things occupying our minds. Hehe!
Listening to: Right now I'm listening a lot to "Drumming song" by Florence and the Machine.

Eating: Cupcakes that are left from yesterday..... 

My goal, post-pregnancy

Wanting: To go back to this shape (see photo on the right) after the pregnancy and remembering how incredibly good it feels to be in good shape will be my motivator! I know some people think I'm obsessing over this thing, but for me this is the hardest thing by far about being pregnant.... Really....the feeling of your physical condition deteriorating is not pleasant. I speak only the truth, so this is what you'll get from me ;)) Ayway, I don't want to be skinny or supermodel sized, I just want to go back to a fit me.

Wondering: If we will be lucky with the weather in Sweden.... It will make all the difference and I want to be sure we get the most out of these precious days.

Thankful for: All the wonderful people (friends and family) in our lives!!! We love them all so very much.....and it's amazing to think about what a great circle of people our child will get to be around! Lucky child =)
Remembering: This one part I'll do in photos ;))))

This gorgeous view at sunset in Annecy in France.....stunning, no?

My friend Madde (in the picture) and I walked up to the Dent de Vaulion. Probably the last uphill hiking for me during this pregnancy...in just a couple of weeks, it had gotten sooooo hard! I had to stop several times to catch my breath and get my pulse back down. Oh well.....

My week 27 pregnancy bump! Last week of the second trimester......hard times ahead they say ;)))

A much needed cool down swim in the Lac Leman

One of the best ice creams I've ever had. Mine is the one to the right containing Coconut, Macaroon and Caramel/sea salt flavors =p

Sunshine sunshine sunshine!!!!

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!!!! 

xox

As Swiss as it gets? Crans Montana (another photo blog)

Like I had always imagined it (Switzerland, I mean), this is how the beautiful Crans Montana area is in summer time and it's impossible for me not to hear the soundtrack from "The Sound of Music" playing in my head while walking in these kinds of surroundings: "The hiiiiills are alive, to the sound of music......" (...and just to be clear, I know that story is played out in Austria ;)).... We were there during the weekend to visit Chris's lovely auntie and, as always, I took some photos:

....surrounding-wise, in my opinion, as Swiss as it gets ;)) Certainly one of the most beautiful countries in the world.


xox

Photo blog galore: Annecy, France

Lately I've been doing so-so health-wise and Chris has been away doing his Swiss military service, so you can maybe imagine how thrilled I was to have had friends visiting me since Thursday and over the weekend. During this time, we took the opportunity to stroll around the stunningly beautiful French town called Annecy. I fell instantly in love with this place!! It's ridiculously charming with a slight "small-town-Venice" resemblance,  a bubbly atmosphere with beautiful views and a great range of food,  desserts and shopping. All I can say is go there if you can! For sure it was not my last visit..... Captured these shots to give you a flavor ;))

We had lunch at one of the restaurants along the river. Moules Frites....a classic!

Later on, we feasted on Crepes with butter, sugar and cinnamon

Charming little restaurants are lined up along the river running through town....

Mirror mirror..... Saw this beautiful swan on the lake, admiring it's own reflection on the water surface.

Ice cream frenzy!

Impossible to resist.....

Some of us got lucky shopping in the little boutiques....the ongoing sales at 50% was a pleasant surprise!!

Three cows (if you count the little green one in the background) ;)) Jokes aside, this is me preggers in end of week 26.

Kiddies heaven ;)) ...well, mine too I guess...

....and even more beautiful at sundown!

xox

Things I love right now.....

Summer temptation: Frozen Yoghurt
I am seriously jealous of all you lucky Zurich inhabitants who recently got the Yoo Moo shop on Pelikanstrasse (no 19 ;). If I lived in Zurich, I'd be there once per day on hot days. Free from fat, but certainly not free from enjoyment! In the photo one with Madagascan Vanilla topped with fresh blueberries, mango and coconut flakes. My mouth is watering by the pure memory of it!


Music: Lifehouse's "From where you are" and Mat Kearney's album "Young love" (am especially hooked on "Chasing the light", "Sooner or later" and "Ships in the night".


TV series: Homeland
Can't get enough!! Am completely hooked and find it hard not to start a new episode, even when time is way past midnight.


Beauty products: 
Laura Mercier's Almond Coconut Milk Honey Bath (during rainy days). It smells absolutely divine and makes any bubble bath feel luxurious!! Leaves a very smooth feeling on the skin....


Redken's "Smooth down" series! Makes my hair feel amazingly soft and it I have the feeling it could detangle anything =) It also smells really good and it stays a long time. Love it!

Clarin's Eye Revive Beauty Flash! Great way to wake up puffy morning eyes..... I find it the best when kept in the fridge over night as it makes the feeling even more refreshing.


Dermalogica's Antioxidant Hydramist
The perfect summer skin refresher/hydrater! Sometimes in summer when it's really hot, in the morning, I find it better to just spray on something like this rather than putting on a cream as it makes me feel fresher.




Food: Caprese salads
I make them constantly right now as it's fast and so easy to make and the taste, when you have a really good Mozzarella di Bufala, some sunwarm plum or cherry tomatoes and fresh basil is just to die for..... My most recent fix is, (apologies to all you Italians out there), to replace the olive oil with a mix of Avocado oil and Pistacchio oil and top it off with a sweeter kind of Balsamico. The perfect combo in my opinion! I also love to make it with some green salad and Avocado to make it more "foody" (as in the photo). The perfect summer lunch or dinner.....


What are you guys hooked on right now??


xox