Det är svenska nationaldagen idag Jag hade tänkt fira Sverige med min familj idag Men det blir inget firande  Nu känner jag mest skam över detta självgoda mörka land som självutnämnt tycker att dom är bäst i världen på allt från skolsystem, teknik, demokrati till hur man hanterar en pandemi Och skulle man ens försöka antyda något annat än att Sverige i alla lägen är fenomenal så är man gnällig, korkad och så pratar vi inte mer om det Om Sverige vore en Astrid Lindgren figur vore den Karlsson på taket Oj nu satte ni i kaffet i halsen för att ifrågasätta Sveriges fullkomlighet är inget vi svenskar gör och inget en utlandssvensk heller bör göra Men nej vi har inget att fira Vi trodde att vi skulle kunna fira att alla i min lilla familj äntligen är svenska medborgare Men nej Vi väntar fortfarande på att slukhålet Migrationsverket ska ta något beslut om min man och barnens pappa har rätt att ha samma pass som resten av sin familj Han har jobbat för ett svenskt företag i14...

Thank you Summer 2019 for a great mix of weather and a long break from routines We have spent our vacation in Sweden. We left Düsseldorf and flew to Stockholm Skavsta on 4 of July and stayed all the way until 18 of August. At first I was stressed to get as much as I can out of this precious time we call Summer and to meet up with family and friends while we are in Sweden. How stupid to get stressed and so I stopped with that and could enjoy fully instead. When we first arrived in Sweden it was cold - no but really I mean cold cold as in 15 degrees. We had to drive to the Outlet in Vingåker to purchase fleece jackets, wellington boots and long pants. When we left German in was hot and I couldn't even imagine that it could be such a different 2 hours away (in an airplane) But the weather picked up and we have enjoyed warm weeks where we have been swimming in the lakes but also rain and cooler weather - and to be honest I think this big variation is the magic with Swedish Summe...

On Monday me, kids, my sister and her boyfriend headed to Kålmården. Kålmården is a wildlife park covering 1,5 square km and home to over 600 animals from all over the world. The park has something for the whole family dolphin show, carousel and theater in Bamse world, cable car safari and much more. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Scandinavia. Thats why we decided to go now before the big summer holiday weeks start and t will be to crowded. The entrance fee is pretty steep but to be fair we spend 6 hours and didn't manage to see everything. It is a well put together park and worth a visit. We decided the evening before to bring pack lunch. I mean we are anyways spending lots of money on tickets so no way are they this time  overcharging me for food also ( adults points to me...). Taco pie and sallad and cinnamon buns and home made chocolate balls. My sister was worried that it might not be allowed to bring picnic and as she is a very much of a following r...

Summer heat here in Sweden at the moment. Its great and at the same time little stressful already June and actually the summer is here. SUMMER IS HERE and it is so short it is making me a little stressed to enjoy it as much as I possibly can. All the dark months up north we have been longing for light and nice temperatures that comes with these three magic months June, July and August. Or actually maybe not that tragic I do like May and most of all I love September and October. But still summer is short so we better enjoy it fully. Our new patio is helping us to make the enjoyment even higher as outdoor is now only a step away without hassle of shoes or too much organization involved. Just simply open the door and their it is the SUMMER and a lot of pollen and 4-5 small bikes for one little girl and toys that the dogs has stolen from the kids and now and then a half eaten mouse or a very cute and very dead squirrel. Funny enough I have got orders of hats from friends and friends frie...

Happy Sankta Lucia today! Swedish celebration of saint Lucia who is coming with the light. I have a little girl her who is crazy about Lucia and all the traditional songs. We have celebrated three days in a row. Friday Lucia concert in our church. Saturday we had great friends and family over for glögg and Christmas snacks and Mila and her best friend performed songs dressed as the two cutest Lucia's all afternoon. Today Sunday 13 December the actual lucia day and we had chance to join great tradition with Lucia on horses. Mila borrowed a very handsome black pony with amazingly long mane. It was so nice walking in a frozen landscape as the sun was setting. After a great weekend we are now putting all lucia gear away until next year and now focus on 3 year cold birthday next weekend instead.

I came from Moscow to Vingåker, Sweden, in March Spring came and my belly was growing The builders came and finished great and necessary projects on our house Baby Filip arrived in May like the brightest sunshine in our life Summer and the light nights came Or actually the summer never really came as it was raining and pretty cool all summer but great weather when having a small baby and a 2,5 year old who likes to ride It was hard to adjust to our country life and it was even harder being a part with Loren working in Moscow and me and kids living in Sweden We got used to and formed a very nice country life and spending a lot of time and bonding with grandparents Seeing family members on regular basis Blessed with not only reconnecting with old friends but also making new great friends Although of course still very hard spending so much time being apart as a family September came and offered great autumn weather and lots of chantarells and berries in the forrest It feels s...

This weeks theme on Illustration Friday is PEOPLE This illustration I made while sitting waiting for Mila & Loren at Skansen in Stockholm. It was a pretty nice day (only a few showers but considering Swedish summer been pretty poor that doesn't really count as bad anymore) I was sat close to a playground with a big wooden squirrel. Kids where climbing up and down. Kids are pretty fun to watch and very hard to illustrate because they are high and low and the noise level is hard to draw.. Kids are also people, right?!

Mila is born in Prague and spend her baby time in parks, cafées and restaurants socializing with other city kids. So when we moved here to the deep Swedish forest this spring she was far from impressed with living close to nature. Not that she was scared or anything but simply just didn't know what to do. Me born in this forest tried to convince her that there is plenty of cool things to play without fancy playground toys. But she continue to long for the city life. At one point she very loud complained every time coming here that she wanted to be in Prague, Moscow, Stockholm or anywhere but here. Heart breaking. We have now been here for over 5 months and slowly but surely this city chick has turned into a real country girl. The other day I asked her " Do you want to go in to town and play in a park or go out in the forest to pick blueberries?" and as fast as she could she put on her rubber boots and said "picking blueberries!"

During our stay here in Vingåker, Sweden, we have found this great hideaway that we come back to over and over. Not far from our house is an old chapel which has been transformed into a beautiful cafe and art gallery. Here you can get great coffee and a home-baked cakes Different artists are exhibiting their work in this beautiful room. Also different events are held here such as yoga, Argentinian tango courses and concerts. The chapel was originally built in 1873 and not only used for for religious services but also a local meeting point for the people in the area for over hundred years. I am so impressed of the people who saw the potential in this old building and was brave enough to create this cultural cafe far out in the Swedish countryside. We have been here quiet a few times this summer and it is always a lot of people. It is so great to have this close by when we feel like having a coffee and getting inspired by all the great art and the atmosphere. Check it out:  Berga ...

I am recycling an illustration I made back in 2013 to illustrate mid July summer weather 2015... It is pretty grey and miserable weather. Lets put it this way I still have heating on inside... Come on now please rain rain go away!

We keep singing rain rain go away.. But it seems to have no effect here in Sweden. After a record cold, rainy and windy May and June I guess we were all hoping for some nice warm sunny weather. We northern people need to charge our batteries with some nice weather before the dark comes again. I can already notice that the dark is falling at night after some weeks of light nights around Midsummer. I guess still some time to hope for this amazing Swedish summer days though, don't think I have given up on you! So I continue singing rain rain go away!

Sommartider hej hej sommartider! Sometimes but only sometimes I wish it was 1994 again, I made a couple of illustrations on this topic sometime ago. It was a warm and sunny summer Me and my best friend was playing cards on the beach all day Sweden playing good football and ending up third in the world cup and we were all signing "Digging for gold in the USA" and dreaming about football players I was laying in the grass with my best friend dreaming about the future and making rather weird foretelling lists ( hundreds of them) and then in the evening we were doing the same but inside a small playhouse where we slept all summer In the field I had a bunch of grass fat ponies to enjoy an evening canter with in the lush nature Going to riding camp with other horse crazy girls is their anything better then that? All good memories although I am not sure that I would want to be 14 for more then for one or two days again.

And so finally the building project came to an end! One morning while me and Mila were having breakfast she looked at me and asked "mamma WHERE is the builders?" Yes I have to admit it was kind of nice to have them around making the quietness out here in the forest a little less too quiet. BUT my god it is also very very nice to finally be done! When I started a couple of months ago with our building project the second floor of the house was a skeleton. A wooden skeleton very drafty and far far away from being called a room. Both short-sides of the facade of the second floor was still to be closed to stop wind, rain and birds from coming in. This is where we started and then continued to divide this humongous second floor with a wall to start to utilize one part as a good beginning. This room nearly 70 square meter got isolated and plaster walls put up and finally the big rounded wooden ceiling created of wood panels that has been laying there for ages. The wooden floor was ...

First of all I do miss my scanner! The illustrations doesn't really come up that well with the camera on the phone and I also don't really have the time at the moment to work on them in the computer. However here is the annual Midsummer illustration. Great memory to capture this very Swedish celebration in an illustration. As the previous three years Team Nikolovski celebrated at Lugnet, my mother and her husband's very nice summer house by the lake. The traditional herring & snaps lunch was planned to start at two o clock and the we got order to be there well in advanced. To follow this order we decided to get ready and leave the house straight away after breakfast (late breakfast but not that late...) My God it takes time to get a two and a half year old ( refused to change from pj to something more decent), a small baby (little cranky because of some tummy issue specially for this day) and a husband ready to go. To pack for this crew only to stay for a couple of d...