Glamorous beauty

Remember I wrote about the new Tom Ford makeup collection and lipsticks a while ago? As another late birthday gift I got one! In a perfect nude color - nude blush. It has a pinkish tone to, so it doesn't make the face washed out. For special occasions I can think it's fun with a more colorful lip but for the everyday, nude is my favorite. Also, my lips are very red naturally so if I want to tone that done, the nude color is perfect for that. This one will look so good in my handbag. A lipstick for almost $50....I feel glamorous just looking at it!

I heart chocolate

And See's is a favorite. I actually like this brand more than a lot of the fancier ones. These darlings were magnificent - strawberry truffles covered in white chocolate. A late birthday gift for me that was very appreciated. Or it could be the perfect little Valentine's Gift for someone you like. Two gone out of five when the photo was taken this morning and since then there is none left...

Jason Wu for Target

Designer Jason Wu is next in line to team up with everybody's favorite store. Nothing will sell for over $59.99 and the collection is looking good! Flirty and cute. Release date: February 5th.

Hello Thursday!

Yesterday was really chill. I needed to relax after the fun but intense birthday. But today will be more packed again. Some vitamins and I'm good to go!

Gifts, gifts...

Some of my lovely birthday gifts - a Lancome hand lotion for those dry winter hands, a Chloe fragrance pendant and these stud sterling silver earrings. Too bad my birthday is over but the gifts and cake are still here ;)

It's my Birthday!

I just made myself a cake!

I've been pampered with lots of gifts and breakfast in bed. I feel loved! I love having a birthday...not to become one year older of course...but the excitement and to feel special for a day. This day is mine and I'm enjoying it and it's not over yet. Tonight, I'm putting on my birthday jewelry and having dinner with a couple of friends!

Happy New Chinese Year!

Year of the dragon - a year of happiness, prosperity and well being!

In the mail...

....a card for me, from an old friend.  Not many send postcards anymore. A friendly greeting from someone far away. So nice to receive.

Versace for H&M....again

And again already sold out! Today was the day when the H&M/Versace collaboration introduced their second collection together, the "Cruise" line. This one only available in Europe and only online. Seems to have been another success for the Swedish fashion chain. Too bad nothing was left for me, what I have seen from the photos this one seems to be much more along the lines of what I like than the previous one.

Walk it off

My best ballerinas from Marc by Marc Jacob's take me everywhere!

Walking is one of my favorite things to do. To let your thoughts wander free. Not in an awful "lie in bed at night and can't sleep kind of a way". But in a positive, healthy, constructive way. When coming home again with rosy cheeks and a tousled ponytail, whatever load you may be carry just seems a little less heavy.

Welcome to Barbieland

Today I had a callback for a Barbie commercial. It was held at the Mattel head quarters in El Segundo, outside of LA. This is where Barbie and her fabulous world is created and where the print ads and commercials are shot. Must be the dream place to visit for any little girl. And for big girls too! I'm full of memories from when I was younger and my sister and I played for hours and hours in our parent's basement. We had this entire world thought out. Whenever we could, we would disappear into it. It's funny, my ten year old self had no idea I would years later get to visit the home of my favorite doll.

Godess in Versace

Angelina rocked it last night at the Golden Globe Awards. She probably gets my vote as best dressed. That cream satin Versace gown with a thigh high side slit and red details paired with a pair of equally red lips made her stand out in a subtle way. Gorgeous.

The Golden Globe

In bed, watching the red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards and munching on my super yummy fresh out of the oven apple&cinnamon muffins.

Board game fun

I played a board game last night. I used to love doing just that and I have so many games, tucked away in a closet somewhere. And just as many back home in Sweden at mom's and dad's. But with dvd:s and all that technology, it's just so easy to forget how weekends and free time were used to being spent. This particular game is like a Trivial Pursuit but with questions about fashion and design, music and movies. After having played for over two hours the participants got tired so we continued the battle this morning, with a lucky outcome for me! I won and get to collect a prize during the day! :)

Krispy Kreme...

 Old school American (weekend) breakfast.

Memory

Mom helped me with getting the image so here he we are. All smiles :)

Pain

It's Friday the 13th today and I'm actually very superstitious so every time I see that day approaching in the calendar I always gasp a bit. But I'm hoping I get to relax today because it seems like my bad luck started a little early. Yesterday evening when going to bed, I was about to clean my face with a facial cleanser that I got from my dermatologist and that I use every morning and night. I love it, it makes the face really clean but without over drying it. It comes in a bottle with a pump and I usually pump out the wished amount in the palm of my hand but last night I somehow managed to get the entire amount splashed right into my right eye. It was this instant pain, one of the worst ones I've ever felt. Like if my eye was on fire and would explode at the same time. I panicked and started crying and had so much pain I couldn't think straight. I tried splashing water into the affected eye but it hurt so much I just wanted to keep it closed. I couldn't even stand up but had to sit down, there on the bathroom floor, crying heavily by now. I thought I would go blind! We have all gotten soap or shampoo in or eyes and it's not a pleasant experience but it's nothing compared to this! Someone told me about getting jalapenos in the eye, perhaps that is a similar experience. The eye got all red of course and after a long time when finally managing to splash it with water and dip my entire eye into a bath of water in the sink, it started to feel better. But even when I woke up this morning it still didn't feel quite like usual. It doesn't burn anymore but it feels so estranged, and it's like the eye is really "tired" and I can't open it quite as much as the left one. I hope it gets better during the day or I might go and have it checked out. So scary! So please, Friday the 13th, be good to me today.

Positivity

I should put this on my bedroom wall at home... the first thing to see when I wake up, as a reminder for the day. We all should.

Captured

I've been spending the whole day at home, in bed reading one of my Christmas book for hours and munching on Swedish cookies. I got so excited when I opened one of my many presents on Christmas Eve and found this one inside. I had put it on my wish list and was hoping Santa Would give it to me. But then I waited a while before throwing myself over it. I had other books I had to finish so at first I just flipped through it a little bit, felt the weight in my hand and put it aside. And then today I couldn't wait any longer. I started reading the first chapter and wouldn't stop after that. I love autobiographies in general. It's so exciting to get to be a part of another person's mind for a while. And since I'm such a soccer and Zlatan fan I was looking forward to this one a little bit extra. What a fascinating person he is and what a life. A true story and it's all real. I wish my life could be a story like that. With a happy ending of course...

I actually met him once. A late summer evening in Malmo, Sweden. My sister and I had been out having some drinks together, just us two sisters. We didn't live close by each other at that time either and I was in Malmo visiting her and I was happy about just spending time with her. I felt the evening had been great already and I had no idea it was about to become even better. All of a sudden, there he was, standing in the middle of Lilla Torg in Malmo, a popular square with many bars and restaurants. I don't know if it was the extra confidence we got from one of the cocktails but we walked up to him, asking if we could take a photo with him. He was cool but nice, posed willingly in the middle of two happy sisters. One of his friends volunteered as photographer, capturing the moment on my little disposable camera I luckily had found in my handbag. He took one extra just for safety, as he said, because this was about ten years ago and it wasn't as common with a digital camera so we had no idea if it would turn out to even be a picture at all. Then, when nervously developing the photos, it showed to be such a great one. Me and my sister beaming and a smiling Zlatan holding one arm around each of us. My sister later enlarged the photo as a gift for me and I still have it in my old room at my parent's house. So whenever I come home, there he is, greeting me with his big grin.

Give yourself some love

Lenin in LA

On our walk me and my company got pretty surprised when suddenly coming across a gigantic Lenin head on the corner of La Brea and 4th St outside of the Ace Museum. It's completely made out of chrome, reflecting its surroundings. Definitely an eye catching piece. Is Vladimir Lenin here to stay? Or just a part of an ongoing exhibition?

Weekend indulgence

(I finished every last bite!)

I ended the week with two auditions in Santa Monica and said hi to the weekend with a pancake breakfast at IHOP. I haven't been there in forever and really treated myself to the yummiest plate I could find. But then immediately after didn't just go back home but went on an hour long walk around the city. So nice to walk some of all those pancakes off and slowly waking up together with the city, noticing more and more people entering the streets, shops opening up their doors and then sun coming out. By the time I was almost home again, that thick cardigan was hanging around the waist on me. Looks like we are getting another sunny day in Southern California.

Still Christmas (at least in my home)

This is one of my absolute favorite things in the world. My very last meal would probably contain of a really good caviar and Dom Perignon Champagne and I would be more than satisfied.

Yesterday it was "Trettondag afton", that's what we call it in Sweden and it's a red day in the calendar and something people celebrate. It's actually the day when the three wise men finally made it to see Jesus. So I lit the candles in the Christmas tree and cooked another nice meal: caviar toast, pork chops in a cream rosemary sauce with potato gratin and then Swedish glogg that was left over since Christmas and some maple fudge for dessert. The more reasons to celebrate, the better if you ask me. And I think people throw out Christmas way too early. My neighbors got rid of their Christmas tree even before New Years Eve! I was so upset when I walked out on the street and found a lonely and naked Christmas tree, leaning against one of the garbage bins. When there is Christmas only once a year why not make sure to fully enjoy it? But I'm definitely also all for making the everyday more festive. To never deprive yourself of a desert or something extra yummy for dinner or setting the table with your favorite china just because it's a "regular" day.

My LA life

The lights are shining outside of LACMA art museum at night.

Me doing my thing at a catalogue shoot.

The last photo of a long work day. When the sun is gone the model gets to go home!

Witnessing an amazing sunset on location for a shoot.

Beautiful Pacific Palisades was my work environment for a day. I love not having to be in an office!

Shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Me on the screen for a commercial for the Forum Shops in Vegas.

And on set for a VISA commercial for the World Cup, playing a Dane!

Ordering a drink at a Thai restaurant in Beverly Hills and I was sure they had put me on the glass ;)

Spring in Los Angeles.

A friend's birthday party in Santa Monica.

I'm ready to strike a pose everywhere! Even at the parking structure at the Beverly Center on a day off.

Downtown LA through a window.

Getting to eat ice cream for a beauty shoot. (My makeup was supposed to embody"vanilla" too.)

My nieces back home asked me to send over some photos of USA. First I wondered: What is USA? How do I defy such a big thing into some pictures? The answer is of course, What is MY USA? That must be what they are interested anyway. And my USA is naturally my life here in Los Angeles.

Recent work

I came across some photos from a job for a shoe brand I shot last fall. Finding photos from stuff you've worked on can be so tricky. There are so many times when you never get to see the finished result at all and that is so frustrating. Having put your soul into a project and then not get to see the outcome of it. I did two different ads for Marlboro Europe in the spring of last year. I've been trying so hard to find them and the company doesn't release them to me. When I came to Europe in December I hoped to find them there but without any luck. So if you would happen to find some ads for Marlboro, one where I'm climbing up an escalator in the subway and in the other one I'm walking on top of some desks in an office, please do let me know!

New year - New journal

Today I bought a new journal for the new year. It's always a special feeling to have a completely blank calender ahead of you, all these days and weeks and months waiting to be filled. I wonder with what? And on New Years Eve I got the best gift for the new year, and for the years to come. A personal journal with a question to be answered for every day. Then the following year and the year after that, all together five years, I'm supposed to answer the same question for that very date. But with one or even more years having passed, I wonder how different my answers will be, how much that have changed. When the book is completed I have a five year diary over my life. Exciting!

Fortune

I opened this one the day before New Years Eve. Sounds pretty good for the new year, right? ;)

Happy New Year!

My ice cream cheesecake. With six people all together, we added a sixth candle and everybody blew out the candles together and got to make a wish for the new year.

Wishing all my dear friends a wonderful 2012! Hope you all had a fun&safe New Years Eve. I spent it at my place with some friends coming over for dinner, drinks and celebration. (Thankful my jetlag didn't stop me from ringing in the new year at midnight!) I didn't like 2011 too much, but it got a lot better towards the end and I'm having high hopes for this new one. Imagine, one full year ahead of us that we can fill with all sorts of adventures. XO