Mila is 9 month and 1 week exactly today. As a proud mother I use this forum to show off her new development ( you know I also promised myself not to do that before having a baby, but the need is just stronger then me....) She has really expanded her interests and recognizing objects that is fun to point out. Lamp ( lampa) is still of course most interesting and fun to point out, but now in competition with her two rubber ducks ( var är ankan?..) Stevie ( named after Stevie Wonder) & Whitney ( after Whitney Houston as she has a bodyguard looking scarf on) Airplanes ( flygplan) no wondering considering we live close to Prague airport and their route for the past few months has been straight over us ( according to Mr Nikolovski they should change direction very soon, but it never seems to happen..). I could write a long post about how annoying this fly route is but lets instead be happy that Mila likes airplanes and got to see them every few minutes and that it is very very con...

More and more often pappa takes Mila when he goes food shopping. Mr Nikolovski  loves to go food shopping. I don't share his passion. But I love the fact that Mila share his passion. Great some time to myself and only myself... The house to myself. But as soon as I have waved them bye bye I already miss them. And also I get a little panicky with the big question  How do I best spend my time? Should I start the sewing project that I been thinking about for weeks (maybe even months), do I paint something, read something or just relax. I get a little overwhelmed and paralyzed. So I just simply do some washing. 

Together is a nice topic. It is nice to be together. Together we are stronger. We are better together. Etc etc. I like these two illustrations on the topic. The first one symbolize the great togetherness we these days can find through Facebook. My friends all over the world are close but far away. I can keep in contact with my family in an easy way. Also helps to find new groups and friends. Here in Prague BBT ( bumps, babies and tots) has been a lifesaver. Here you can find play-dates, friends, questions, answers, many opinions, different opinions and many nationalities. Second illustration is an aquarell about being together and having fun together.

Today me and a friend took our little girls to a new playground here in Prague. A big soft carpet to practice standing and crawling. Different toys to play with. Relax area. Big slide and swing set. Cute place. Everything was creatively hand made and not so plastic as other play places I have been to. I am sure you can find this kind of places in most countries. But I am not sure that they all serve beer, wine and cocktails in the bar. At least in Sweden you can forget about it. In Sweden the strongest you can get is a coffee and there they talk about mothers who heavily consume cafe latte while being on maternity leave "latte morsor". Here in Czech republic Pilsner/Staropramen/Slatopramen, you-name-it-pramen mothers. Great idea is it not? I am sure the playground will be much more fun after a couple of beers. Can you imagine it.. Mothers laughing, talking load, running around, crawling, sliding down the slide in crazy poses after a few drinks. Who said that the playground...

Illustration Fridays topic this week : Totem  My totem is colorful and playful. I am pretty pleased with the result and framed it together with one of my colorful aquarell patterns.

Little Mila is turning 9 months in a few days. Wow how did that happen?! Already 9 months!! She was so small when we took her home from the hospital and that feels like yesterday. At the same time it feels like she has been around forever. She is developing and learning new things everyday. Such a sweet girl and it is amazing to be with her.  I remember wondering why lamp is one of the first words babies learn. Now I know. Mila is fascinated by lamps in any size and form. She scans every room for lamps and points them out. So cute.

Last weeks theme on Illustration Friday was Hide . Great theme! I started in time, but just didn't manage to get it ready in time. Anyhow here they are. First one is inspired by the great game hide and seek. Such a underestimated game. Second picture is inspired by mini Nikolovski who laughs sweet and load every time we do tittut ( peekaboo, but I hate that word and the Swedish tittut is mush cuter..)

Having fun on great paper and missing the art of riding a bit. This autumn I will go and try out a stable outside Prague and see if it is any good.

 I mentioned earlier that I will have my illustration published and now it is out. Great fun indeed and a good start. I am very happy and excited. The magazine is for the organization International Women association of Prague and it´s called Bridge , check it out.

I got for my birthday great new drawing pad and I am enjoying very much to let the colors run wild. This is late summer turning to autumn. I am also inspired by all the new cool colorful patterns from this autumns fashion. A lot of hippie inspired patterns to been seen especially on children's cloths. I love it!

Let me tell you about Mr Nikolovski and his friend Adad. But where do I start? Do I start to tell you that they can discuss for hours what year, what month, what day and even what time they did certain things. Bigger events as well as smaller events. " I bought my last packet of cigarettes two weeks ago!" says Adad when they are having a discussion whether or not you can call yourself a none smoker when you smoke regular every time you have a beer. " No you didn't! You bought it one week and three days ago when we went to the cinema!" Says Mr Nikolovski with a great certainty. " Are you sure?" says Adad and starts to explain what he did earlier that same day he bought this particular packet of cigarettes that he is holding in his hand. And this is how they can go on and on and on for a while about the same thing over and over. They discuss politics with a great passion and loud voices. They wave their hands as their voices are getting louder and ...

For a long time we just couldn't make up our minds where to go for vacation this year. We discussed, came with some different ideas and suggestions. And then no decision. Croatia was on top of our list as we really enjoyed our vacation there last year and the year before. But we just didn't fancy driving for two days. Felt like we have already been there and done that with great success this year to Budapest and Vienna. Now we wanted something easier. After scanning the travel catalogs over a glass of red we finally made a decision. Greece, Rhodos, Charter, all inclusive here we come !! Really ?! charter, all inclusive? If someone had told me ten years ago that I would go charter I would have laughed load and said "NO way boldy!" as I am way too adventures for charter.  But everything has it time as my mother says. I have inter-railed through Europe, slept in a dirty toilet in Barcelona train-station and in a even dirtier room on top of a pub in Amsterdam'...