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

Would you try this?

Warming my feet, a cold December day in Pamukkale.

Fish therapy - where small fish eat dead skin cells off your feet! I got to try it in Turkey. I had seen it before and was curious but I don't think I would ever have done it if it wasn't because I won it as a prize. It was second prize in a music quiz one night at one of the hotels where we were staying. So of course I had to take advantage of my winning (even though I was scared at first!). It tickled like crazy in the beginning, when those tiny fish take little bites off your feet, but one gets use to it pretty fast. If I noticed any difference? I think I actually noticed more after a feet dip in Pamukkale. This thermal water is supposed to make you ten years younger. Since I only dipped my feet.. let's say I'm about five years younger now? :)

Simple (with a twist)

I found this pair of Calvin Klein stilettos in an old issue of ELLE, that I was flipping through yesterday. This is EXACTLY the kind of style I like in fahsion. So simple but with a little detail that adds something extra. Love them.

Mmm

A vitamin packed carrot, pineapple and orange juice drink at favorite Bloom Cafe should hopefully keep that winter cold away!

www.bloomcafe.com

Lazy Holiday

Today, I haven't been doing much at all. The fun, but hectic Christmas preparations and celebrations have taken out their toll. And I'm still jet lagged and have been waking up not later than 6 am every morning since I got back. So with good conscious, a Christmas gift book and a candy jar have been my best friends for the day.

My Christmas

I got the best Christmas gifts! A lovely Theory cardigan, a beautiful Michel Kors ring, books I can't wait to start reading, Mac makeup brushes, makeup from Face Stockholm, Stig Lindberg china and some handmade and personal items...and much more. Perhaps I'll show you some tomorrow! ;)

Swedish Christmas food. Sill, meatballs, Jansson's Temptation...

And of course some sweets afterwards..

I do live in Southern California after all. The palm trees and sun shining through. Even on Christmas Eve.

Since I'm Swedish the big celebration day for me is Christmas Eve and I had a really nice time. Christmas is by far not over yet though. I'm soon on my way to the valley for some more Holiday spirit - the American way. Hope all of you are having a wonderful Christmas!

From Me to all of You: Merry Christmas!

A tired vagabond...

On my way home again.

...finally lands in Lala-land. After almost three weeks of traveling - to Turkey and then to different locations in Southern Sweden, I was pretty tired even before my trip home even took off. And I had one of the worsts ones ever - three long flights before I could see the palm trees again. With a delayed flight coming in to Toronto I had to spend the night in Canada and got home one day later. So very tired, jet lagged and stressed out about Christmas, only two days away now...

Swedish Christmas

Since I'm going back to LA on Tuesday, my sweet parents brought me to Kosta in Smaland, to give me a little dose of the Swedish Christmas. I have learned to appreciate an American one as well, but having grown up in Sweden and being used to all our traditions, it's just not the same. At the beautiful Art Hotel we enjoyed the most delicious Christmas buffee with all those traditional dishes I'm so fond of. And lucky me even got to experience quite a bit of snow. (Is the sun still shining in LA?)