Elke dag

10 things about me

Moving to Amsterdam

Writing my bio, has made me think about what I've done in life, about what I like and don't like. My bio is almost done, but for now I thought I'd share a small list of random things.

1) I moved abroad, alone, at the age of sixteen (and had the time of my life.)

2) From the age of four I sold old stuff and sometimes fruit from oour garden on a street market every year. I can still remember who was the first person buying strawberries from me.

3) I'm an only child and to this day I find it very boring.

4) I used to have a list of cities I wanted to live in. I don't anymore, because the list is completed!

5) I'm starting my own business, moving in with a boy and I'm turning 28 (so even closer to the big 3 0) I guess I'm starting to grow up.

6) I love photographing. But sometimes I'm just to lazy to carry a camera around all day.

7) Hiked up a Norwegian mountain.

8) I contributed writing to a book and it was published.

9) I like ironing. Yes. I. Do. (This is probably a bad thing to mention, as the boy I'm going to live with reads this blog as well...)

10) I love rain. I like summer & sunshine also, but I love fall and rainy days.

Have a great weekend!

Follow me on Twitter || Elke dag Facebook page || Elke dag board on Pinterest

Thoughts on change

It's early in the morning. I have to get up and go to work soon. It feels weird to walk around there these days. Knowing that I'll leave soon. Everyone keeps asking 'how many days left?' Today I'll tell them 'six.'

Six days of work for a company that is not mine. Six days of work for a boss who isn't me. Six days of having 1000+ coworkers...

I wonder how the days will be, with hardly any people around. Looking for jobs, projects. Writing. Everyday.

Apart from the whole job changing thing, I'm in the midst of moving too. From one city to another. From living alone, to living with someone else. I guess when you change your everyday life, you might as well change all. It is a bit scary though, so many changes in such a short time. But it keeps the mind busy!

p.s. There's an Elke dag blog board on Pinterest!

Monday morning

I imagine my everyday mornings will look a lot like this, come June.

Instead of waking up before I'm done dreaming, I wake up, just an hour later but rested.

Instead of sticking to a tight schedule to get dressed have breakfast get out of the door, I slowly wake up, walk around the house, clean up a bit.

I make coffee, read a few blogs. Make breakfast and watch some tv series, series addict that I am.

Of course there will be lots of days when I have to wake up at the crack of dawn to start working early and until way past sun down. But for now, I imagine my mornings without stress, because well. It's my imagination after all.

Instantly documenting

Instagram.

What are your thoughts on it? What about the fact that you can instantly document everyday life. Is it a good thing? Doesn't it take away too much focus on actually living? Or is it a wonderful keepsake that we will show to our grandchildren on day when we're old & grey?

I'm interested to know what you think of it.

Have a great weekend!

p.s. I'm @silviamdv on instagram.

10 ideas to tell stories of Everyday Life

I love telling stories and I love documenting everyday life. For me it is the best way to see beauty in everyday things. Let's face it, everyday life will make up most of our lives, so why not make the most of it?!

There are days when I feel like telling a story, but can't think of a single one. Call it writers block, call it nothing at all. Getting a story out on paper or the screen just won't happen. That's when prompts come in handy. Because usually the hardest part is to start. With these 10 ideas below, a start is being made for you.

[Feel free to share this with the world!]

Nothing is secure

I'm probably not the first person to tell you this. You probably know already. You keep this thought in the back of your mind, as far away as possible.

You might have read about it in a book, or heard about it on television. Perhaps you've been told by your father, a friend, your teacher or a passerby.

Nothing is secure.

It's the truth. Nothing is secure, not even your secure day job or the house you own.

I'm not saying this to bring you down, but to lift you up. If nothing is secure, big steps might not seems so daunting after all. Because, what have you got to lose? And even if you lose something, might it be worth it for what you gain in return?

Consider this today and let go of all the seemingly secure things that hold you back . And tonight before you fall asleep, daydream of all the things that (might) bring you joy. No matter how insecure it will make you feel. Do it. Dream it.

 

Everyday life interview || Mali [Arctic mum]

What does everyday life mean to you?

I am an everyday person, I like those days the best. I like the holidays too, but nothing can beat daily life. It's a security and a knowledge that the ordinary days are what's your life. If your family functions well in the daily life, there is really nothing more to be grateful for!

Everyday life means for me the routines of getting up, getting dressed, breakfast, work, school, kindergarten, dinner. And there is nothing quite like hitting the couch after the kids are in bed; for tv, knitting, blogging or what makes you relax. And the next day the same. Love it!

Can you share a daily ritual with us?

These days I'm enjoying spending all my time with a 10 month old baby. The two of us have a daily ritual of getting up at about sixish, change nappies and start the day with toast and French Earl Grey tea. She has some bread with liver pate, and we play a little bit too. Then the rest of the family gets (resentfully) up and they get dressed and have breakfast and I ship them along to school and kindergarten. Then my baby needs a nap and I can have a coffee.

In two weeks all that will change as my partner will stay home with her for three months and I'll work. Then it's his turn to get up at six in the weekends as well, and I'll get some sleep!

How do you break the pattern of daily life every once in a while?

I guess we rarely break the pattern of daily life, as the daily life is what we like the best. But the weekends are more spontanous of course, and we try to do more exciting things then. Like eggs, pancakes or espresso, and candy. Sometimes we break the pattern with a mini holiday in Oslo for instance, from Thursday to Sunday. That's exciting for all of us, but nothing like coming home again!

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Read more about Mali's Arctic life (which means all dark winters and all light summers amongst other things) here.

Closing one door & kicking another one in!

 

'Close the door' says the sign on the door. And I am. Closing the door. This time to my working-for-a-boss-life. And I'm opening kicking in a new door, the one that leads to the woorking-for-me-life.

People call me crazy for doing so. For leaving a steady job, and in return not knowing where my next income will come from. Which is fine by me, because everytime in my life when I was called crazy for doing a certain thing...it was the best possible thing I could have done at that moment.

Call me crazy all you want, but it works for me.

Because when closing one door, I always open a new one. I'm moving on, which is the only way to move through things, the good and the bad.

There's no such thing as security. So why try to strive for it? I'd much rather spend my time and energy on doing something I truly love. Good things will come from it...things, jobs, people...who all form the key to the next door!

p.s. I want to continue with the 'Everyday life interview series' I started last year. Are you interested in sharing your everday life story? Contact me here.

p.p.s. Just created a Facebook page for my blog. Would like it very much if you like it too http://tinyurl.com/elkedagfb

Up North, again.

Last weekend three ladies travelled up north. Helsinki was their destination. One of them had been there before. She even lived there a couple of years. Another spend a few holidays there and the third, well she was a Helsinki virgin.

One came home, one came back and one arrived.

My aunt, mom and I had a wonderful time. We all looked at the city with different eyes and from different points of view. It was good to be back, to walk around the broad streets of Helsinki, take in the fresh air on Suomenlinna island. Eat good pastries, and drinks delicious wines. But above all it was good to meet up with friends again. To walk around the city without a care in the world and to sleep in the most heavenly hotel bed I've ever slept in.

The old & the new

All post leading up to this one, are mostly filled with images and very few words.

I'm in for a change.

Let me tell you stories of everyday things. Using words, photographs and perhaps even a few drawings. Because why focus on one medium, when you can use multiple to discover and document the world around you.