Entries by TATIANA

I just got home from a traditional Swedish Lucia Celebration in Las Vegas! Well, as traditional as it gets here in Vegas. There was a Lucia and tärnor and stjärngossar singing songs. Swedish traditional Jul mat (Christmas food) and glögg. I went and got food several times and some man renamed me "The Girl with the fast metabolism" and said something like "Thank You for being thin". I was like......?
I have a good appetite and I am for sure not going to hold back on my food intake when I can have Swedish food that taste like HOME. No dieting for me.
Roxy was kind enough to accompany me this afternoon, we had fun (Thank You Roxy). There was a raffle and Roxy got us tickets and she won a knitted throw in blue and yellow, the Swedish flag colors and I won a $50 gift certificate to a Mexican restaurant so I am taking us there. Yeay!
Lucia walking away. Lucia is a big deal in Sweden, I was Lucia in 6th grade.



Glögg! I got us a small cup that we split. In Sweden we usually serve it with almonds and sometimes raisins on the bottom of the cup/glass.



Lussekatt or Lussebulle.

I have more cupcakes for you.....just because they are so pretty! Perhaps working at a cafe with all kinds of sweets will make me lose some of my sweet tooth?
Today I had chai and Holiday Tea to drink, cupcakes, a cookie and lavender cream cake.



I got off at 2 PM today, went to IKEA afterwards, then home to get Chhaya and we did some errands. I now have two days off until work again on Monday.



I got really cold at work too. So I had to put on my hoodie and warm up by the oven.



I'm feeling sleepy and it's not even 9 PM! I am going to watch a Swedish program that I follow and then bundle up and walk Chhaya before I go to bed.

December has arrived. The last month of 2016......Santa is coming soon, are you ready?



I am getting there. Singing Christmas songs, getting gifts for people, feeling nostalgic, remembering childhood Christmases and others from not too long ago. Memories in my heart, memories that make me feel warm and happy.....also memories that hurt and make my eyes burn with tears and my heart ache.



Me and Chhaya went to Sunset Park this evening, to go for a walk and we brought some food for the rabbits.

I love spicy food. This salsa called "Death Salsa" is very hot. My mouth burns when I eat it. I got one for my friend Mikey and he he could not eat it, too hot for him. And today I tried the blackberry serrano Noosa. If you like yoghurt and haven't tried Noosa yet, you HAVE to - it is so creamy and delicious. Spicy yoghurt might sound a bit strange but it is surprisingly tasty, I have to try the raspberry habanero one. I am definitely a spicy food person. My Mom used to say that spicy food is really good for the stomach and intestinal flora. And fermented food like sauerkraut too, another food that I love.



And this tea I really like also (not spicy), Youthberry by Teavana......mmmmmmmmm! It's so good! And it smells heavenly.

I have to be at work at 7 30 this morning. Surprisingly I love the opening shift and rather work the opening than closing. When opening I am there at 7 30 or 8 30 AM depending on what day of the week it is and when I close I start at 11 30 AM until about 5 30 - 5 45 PM.
The other day I made some of the Holiday Tea for me and Gabi (our chef) to try. We have some nice teas as well, not only coffee, our teas are by Harney & Sons. I liked it and might send some to my friend Marie in Sweden. She drinks a lot of tea and I would like for her to try this one. I started drinking tea when I was about 12. Coffee came some some years later. I spent many evenings drinking tea with Marie and talking for hours and lots of time with her at various cafés all over Stockholm with a large cafe au lait each.



And I got my first Yelp review! We had a nice couple in last Saturday, besides food and dessert they ordered a doppio and a latte. The man took a pic and I can be seen behind the espresso machine and he wrote, "Exceeds high expectations. Romantic, delicious food and beverages. Service and enviroment is comfortable and elegant. Incredible bakery & cafe." Five stars too!
So it was not I per se that got the review but it was only and Gabi working that day. It made me happy to see that review! 🙂
Well, I am off to work now.......FUN!

Here is an oldie but goodie of ME (this pic is already in the blog somewhere). Location somewhere outside of Las Vegas with the wind blowing through my hair. A bebe dress on that I still have. I keep clothes forever.
I have a few photo shoots awaiting. One with Cindy and one with Barry, both photographers that I have shot with before. I had to cancel on Cindy a few times, once because of work and another because I had to help somebody out. Too bad because we had a shoot scheduled on the day of the supermoon that happened a few weeks ago and I totally missed out on the shoot and watching the spectacular moon......disappointing! Plus I don't like cancelling and being flaky, that's not me.
Barry mentioned maybe shooting in Death Valley......I have never done that before, so I hope we can make that happen. Then I might have another shoot somewhere out by Beatty. That is about 100 miles from Vegas and I need to bring a dress that flows. I have not decided on that shoot yet.
But if I do it I will pack a sleeping bag and then me and Chhaya will spend the night in the car listening to Coast to Coast AM. Munch on potato chips and cuddle!