VILLA BETULA

WHAT HAPPENED?

14/03/2018

I’m empty of things to share. I almost have a “Mac aversion” this week, for the first time ever. Ninety percent of my life is about our divorce. I’m so in the middle of it and need to put it all in a perspective before I can write about it in a proper, and not too private, way.

It has taught me a lot – the pain.

I was going to do a collaboration this week which I were to share with you, but it will be delayed because of some shipping and administration things, so it’ll have to wait… It’s alright, the timing is “good” since my daughter has been sick and home from school a couple of days. And I was not choosen for the exhibition I submitted for, so I can’t share a hurray either!

All I do is to clean and tidy – decluttering for photographs of the house. It’s actually quite OK since I’m looking forward to make a new home another place. When you have to see new possibilities because there’s no other way, it opens some doors for sure. I’m excited to see where it will take me. At least it takes me closer to myself, and I already am. I visualize the apartment many times a day, but still so little plans. I know I will make very little decisions before I live there, I have to feel where to put things, it’s my only way.

My nine year old has decided to cut her long hair tomorrow, and even add a splash of colour. She’s in control of her hair, because why not, so I’m excited to see how it turns out. Maybe I’ll get some photos of her Friday morning. She will suddenly look older, and probably never as “small” again as she does today. It’s fascinating, and I love to be a mother even though I don’t write much about motherhood…

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FRESH FROM THE BATHROOM

08/03/2018

Hi! It’s time to show you some of what I’m up to these days – photographing the house in a different way than usual – brighter, lighter and with less shadows than you usually see here on the blog. The reason: just started yesterday to take photos for the marketing of the house for the real estate market. We have a real estate agent with us, but I insisted to take the photos myself, so I’m challenging both myself and the agent, ha ha, poor man. Hope he will be satisfied (fingers crossed).

Maybe some of you are even planning on seeing the house when it’s out for sale? Maybe one of my readers are going to end up living here? That would have been quite awesome! It will be out on the market late April, so keep your eyes peeled! I’m going to show you all my “marketing shots” during March, and hopefully get done before April start since I’m off for nine days at that time. When I get back there will be outdoor photos (spring is here then, right!?!), and before I even get to think, this will be sold!

Alright, alright, who wouldn’t miss this bathroom… I mean, it’s really big (you can even place a sofa in here!), has an old bathtub, a beautiful floor, and stars in the ceiling, big shower, built in shelves with room for everything you need (and even more), old exposed beams, floor heating and tons of natural light. This is for sure one of the rooms I will miss the most!

If you are interested is this property, don’t hesitate to contact our very nice and pro real estate agent. He will keep in touch with you and make sure you get to know it all 😉

Except from lots to do with property and administration which never seems to end, I want to tell you I’m doing quite fine (though I still cry almost every day). It could have been worse, and we’re both still living here and we manage it very well together at this point.

And something totally different: some of you have commented on the blog, or messaged me on Instagram, about the curtains in my coming apartment, if I will keep them. I’ve said no, they smell so so bad, and there’s no way they can be nice again. But today I went to the apartment and took them all down, and I’m washing them as I write! Thanks for pushing the curtains into my life, and I’ll try to give them new life! Hope they will shine (and smell less tobacco and some kind of perfume) again!

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WHAT’S IN MY HEAD AND THE WEEK AHEAD

04/03/2018

It’s like I forget to photograph, so when I want to share something with you I’m in lack of photos! What’s in my head is administration and thoughts about the future (I’m glad the past isn’t bothering me so much right now), and to keep calm and carry on in this time between “the old life” and “the new life”. It’s like a vacuum, but still stormy, if you get what I mean. I don’t know if I’m gonna stay in this house until it’s sold, or if my husband/ ex-husband will stay, and who’s moving when. It’s not like we’re just sitting here not working it out, but finding new homes takes time. I have my new place this summer, as you know. If he finds a place this week, I’m suddenly here alone, and if he’s not, I’m might going to stay in a tiny cabin in the garden of some friends of mine. It’s so surreal to not know where I am just a week or two from now.

So the only new photo I could find for you today was this one, the finished self portrait. Or, I just had to tell myself it’s done because I where to submit it for an exhibition with a deadline the 1st of March, so I have applied with it like this, ha ha. Can’t believe it… So at least it have to stay like this until I know if I’m one of the chosen local artists or not. That’s how I work right now, gosh!

Anyway, I’ll hopefully get a delivery from Britain tomorrow with some rather big products that I am to style and shoot. That’s exciting!! And I promise I’ll do a better job when it comes to collaborations that what I do with my “personal” work right now, no doubt. And except that I will also start to photograph our house for the upcoming sale. I will spend the next three weeks photographing rooms every now and then, so I don’t freak out and do a bad job when March comes to an end.

Sooo… Hopefully I will get to know more about the process in the apartment the coming week too… And I have to paint rest of the stairwells in this house before I get to photograph it. That’s not fun, I promise you!

I can also promise you to share what happens in my life next week! To keep you posted, and hopefully with some other photos than a painting of myself with a collar on my head…

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THE SHOP WILL BE BACK!

02/03/2018

Friday hi! I just set my artwork shop to offline, as I’m withdrawing from the business that me an my husband/ex-husband have together. I will start my own business again in April, but have to get boring administration work done first. I’ll be back! With new artwork, an exciting newsletter, new possibilities, and a I will even make it easier to shop directly from Instagram! My shop will have PayPal and card as payment options, just like before…

So… Weekend… I think it will be far from perfect, it’s difficult these days – selling two houses, still living together with my husband/ex-husband and making it as soft as possible, all the administration with businesses and both of us finding new homes. As you know I’ve found my new home, but it’s not ready until June. So I might end up living somewhere else in the time between this house and the apartment, which is not very tempting. If that’s the “solution”, it will be a place where I would just bring my bed and Mac basically, and just living there reminding myself it’s just for a short period. But at the same time be brave, patient and present. Knowing that the beautiful apartment is just around the corner, soon to be ready for many years with me and my daughter.

I’ve been taking some photos here for you today, and I hardly ever style anything. And for sure not today! I don’t see any good reason to do that. For my clients – yes – like next week when something special arrives from Britain to be photographed in Villa Betula by me. Then we talk some styling… Because they deserve it, and they hire me for a job. And that makes me realize that if any one else is keen having their products photographed in here, you better be quick about it! Before this place ain’t longer mine. During March I will also photograph the house for the marketing when it will be for sale. The real estate agent always use “their” photograph, and never anyone else. But do I always agree on the “rules”?! No 😉 So I better do a good job!

Got this cute teddy from my daughter, as an early birthday present since she’s at her dads next week. She thought it looked like the dog we had, who died in September, and she is so right. A gift with a thought behind it, combined with her own love for teddybears, I think she might ask to borrow it 😉

This teddy is alive though, glued to “his” pram, while I’m wearing three layers of wool combined with my new spring blossom pants. It’s March, right!? And you will find me just an arm length from the wood burner…

Take care – Hope your weekend will be soft and gentle!

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UPDATE

28/02/2018

More about this place! Tomorrow I’m heading for a meeting about the apartment, because there’s no way I am to just sit back and see what I get when the summer comes and this is renovated, right?! As you might have already read this is a rental, and I’ve signed a contract for several years. And I want to have a nice place that feels like mine all the way. Wish me luck! At least they’re positive to hear my opinions and see my Pinterest map made for this place, so I’m excited about that. Things that have to be decided are: kitchen, bathroom, floors, walls…. everything! Goooosh… I wish I could be the project leader of this space – I would work for free, just give me the budget! So, on Monday I got the keys, and for those following me on Instagram, you could see a tour of this place directly after. Did you watch? I’ve saved it in case someone would like to see it back on stories – let me know!

Where I’m standing while taking this photo is where the entrance door will be, so this will be my hallway. The most perfect hallway, really. This is a hallway that can be used as any other room, because of the size and light, and the balcony. Do you know what I will use it for? A little atelier! This is where new painting will be made – in all this flow of light. The two openings to the right will be a bedroom and a bathroom, and the double door opening to the left is the way to the living room, kitchen an another bedroom.

By the window the bedroom will be, and most likely it will be my daughters bedroom. I think I need the biggest bedroom myself, because it’s the only place I can make a smart solution to keep basically ALL my stuff. There’s nowhere else to put it. I sure need to clean a lot out when I move. Door number two will be a little bathroom, and the big opening will be the hallway that leads to several apartments, so not a part of my apartment…

All the windows in here, which I’ve counted will be nine, is rather big. I’ve already said to the landlord please, don’t paint the windows white! Ha ha 😉

This is the hallway in the other direction, and YES this very old double door is staying! Phew! You never know… Norway is not the best country when it comes to protect and care for the original things and old buildings. But I’m doing my very best! Monday I ate a carrot cake to celebrate that this door will be a part of my life. All the small things, you know…

Love the details… And I love the height under the ceilings! I’m so spoiled in the house we live now, with approx three meters, and that’s one of the things I thought I would really miss when I’m moving out of the house. And I would have missed it if it wasn’t for the fact that I measured this place to be 3 meters and 20 centimeters yesterday. I fell blessed, and not giving up and being able to see other ways than the traditional ones, has saved me once again.

When you walk trough the double door you will get into the living room with a tower. Never in my life I would have thought I could pull off to get a place like this. It’s like bringing our place outside Prague into my own town. On my meeting with the landlord tomorrow I will ask if I can take the curtains down, wash them like ten times, and keep them… Hanging them back up… He will get a shocked look on his face when I ask, I just know. If he reads this he will be a little prepared though;) And by the way the “castle ” in Czech Republic will also be for sale, most likely… If I had the nerves to keep it, just because it’s like total magic, then I would have kept it. My husband, or ex-husband, I don’t know what to call him these days, is in Czech right now, photographing it. He got the keys handed over yesterday, and we never got to bring the dreams and plans into life. It’s a difficult one to accept…

Which lamp will hang in the tower?

The view in one direction, a quite nice one actually. I’ve started to realize this town has quite many cute old buildings (and lots of ugly ones, but I already knew!). I get to see some of the nicest ones from my place.

When you turn the other way (the double door is now to the left) this is all you can see – a very dirty peach colored wall, and behind here someone is living right now, so I can’t get to see what’s on the other side before May! There will be an opening here into my kitchen, which will have room for a dining table to the right in front of another big window, and to the left the kitchen cabinets and fridge and all that will be. And there will be another door in front of here again, from the kitchen, that will lead into the biggest bedroom with the ninth and last window.

But for today I will keep out of here, even though the key is already mine (that’s actually very nice of the landlord!). I’m off to a meeting about a possible collaboration about coffee! Yes, coffee. I love a good coffee, and there will be “challenging” with excellent and expensive coffee several places right outside my door when I move here, so I better get my own way of making something excellent to save me money I don’t have;)

I will work much harder on making collaborations in the time to come, all with my heart involved, and no bad decisions will be made. But there’s several things I will really need in the apartment that the landlord won’t buy me, so if you think your brand or product will be needed and fit well in here, send me an email at contact@villabetula.com. I don’t expect many to knock on my door and ask, even though it has happened before. So I will work hard to try and get what I want and need.

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SAY HELLO TO THE “NEW VILLA BETULA”

23/02/2018

Here it is – the closest you can get to a castle in my town, at least in my opinion! And I tell you – this opportunity did not come and knock on my door! (more about my process here). It’s not like I own this building now, ha ha, but some days I will pretend I do. I will rent here for many years, and the apartment is formed as a “L” on the second floor. The top balcony will be mine, and if you start counting windows, from the window left of the balcony, you will see nine big beautiful windows that will let the light flow in my New Villa Betula.

It’s actually quite big, though it is less than half of what I’m used to now. I’ve never lived in an apartment, never in a town, and never without a garden nor a car. This will be so different! Interesting that I choose to change it all up totally when I was not able to keep our house on my own…

I have a lot to say about the apartment, that are to be renovated before I move in this summer. I will not start to write about it now, because it will make it impossible to stop! Something else that is a little interesting, is that the same person has rented here for thirty years, wow, maybe I’m next to grow old in here?!

Far from the best photos I’ve taken, but they’re from my first (and so far only) time in here, together with the landlord. I had to take it all in with my heart and soul, and combining that with a camera I find difficult sometimes. Adrenalin kicking, overwhelming feelings and so many questions at once. I can tell you this is not a typical rental apartment in this town (or country for that matter), and I feel blessed.

A tower!! Maybe I will host some kind of a brunch club or something in the tower, what do you think? “Sign up for next weeks tower brunch with dream achieving as a topic”, does that sounds cool and interesting? I want to reach out to more local people, I want to meet you! And I want readers from abroad to book a plane and drop by too 😉

And all of a sudden I started to dream about having the top floor too, and use it as a very tiny “hotel” for people I trust and want to meet and great… Workshops, retreats… Workspace for a week or two for those who need some new input, peace and calm… But that might be in another life… Because that part is not only about dreaming, there’s also some economy involved, I’m afraid. But do we meet for brunch in the tower?

PS. just realized how super excited this post sounds, and I am excited to find a nice place and it will decrease my stress a lot. But I also cry every day, and this is not all about a great new start. It’s rough. Not like I have to excuse myself being excited, but… I just did, because there’s so much more to it..

And in the middle of the night I was thinking of this post, this perfect and beautiful sentence to sum it all up. But like a dream it disappeared out in the air this morning, and is nowhere to be found…

Did I mention I will get the key on Monday though I can’t move in before it’s summertime?! Will take more photos and hang out there a lot… Alone in peace and quiet, taking it all in and start making plans… Bringing some coffee, my camera and my Mac. Wish you a soft and kind weekend, take care.

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THINK OUT OF THE BOX

18/02/2018

Many of you do think “different” already, and many of you like to get inspired to do so, even more than you already do. My plan was to write a short post about thinking out of the box, but I can see it went on…and on… hope you find this journey interesting and inspiring. This is my first time taking you a little closer to my “New Villa Betula”!

So what I refer to this particular moment is making a new home. Some of you have wondered why Villa Betula is for sale, and here’s the post about that, if you missed it. I’ve also doubled my amount of wrinkles the last two months because of this, head over to my stories at Instagram to see yourself.

What are the possibilities? Well, in Norway it’s mostly looking at ads for rentals and houses or apartments to buy, and that’s it. Refresh your browser twenty times a day to see if there’s something new out there that could fit me. And you have to be quick too, if there’s something interesting. But there’s nothing interesting… And it’s expensive…

And what fits me, who actually want to live in an old castle? Nothing! Since I have a daughter, I will stay in this area. If not I would most likely end up in another country. So, I quit looking at the ads, it drove me nuts. There’s no way you’ll get me to rent 50 square meters in someones basement, seriously, it will not happen. I’m taking myself way too seriously to do myself such harm.

So, about making a new home, this is my approach:

Number one: I started to think that I need a place where I can develop my “Villa Betula Business” and keep up doing what I love to do. That was a very challenging number one, I tell you!

Number two: What looks most like the property in Czech Republic? Because that’s my favourite kind of place! (Will most likely be for sale too, email me at contact@villabetula.com if interested).

Number three: I want to rent for the first time in my life, that will open some other doors. I also want to live somewhere I won’t need a car, also for the first time since I got my drivers license when I was eighteen. It sounds like something that will decrease my freedom, but I think it will do just the opposite. I hate cars, and how much it costs to keep them rollin’, so it would be very nice for my economy as well.

Kind of a conclusion: be a tourist in my home town and see everything with new eyes! What do I like about it, could I live in the middle of the town and skip the car, how will it be for me? And for my daughter? Which buildings looks pretty? What’s inside those buildings (most likely bad looking offices)?

What I did: Pretending to be a spy – I was quite interesting actually! Research, research and more research. Spending hours and hours every day to search, look, email, call… And that’s what I mean thinking out of the box: the best place for you and your life is not necessarily going to pop up as an add right in front of your face when you want it the most. Most likely it won’t, sorry to say. So give it that little extra if you know what you want, take it a little further, go for it. You are the only one who can do this for you! And you don’t have to be rich or something to achieve things, never forget! I keep reminding myself.

Where I am now: I need to sign and pay a deposit! It freakes me out, ’cause I have a general trust-problem, I admit. But I’m so very very close to an agreement for a very exciting place. I want to sign as many pages as possible, and pay as much deposit as possible, ha ha ha, that would make me lower my shoulders a lot! Sounds a little crazy, and it is, but I feel very sure about this.

Hopefully I will land the contract the week to come, and then I will dare to show you some photos… Are you curious?

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CRYING OVER THIS

16/02/2018

It’s only materialistic. Some wood with dark blue paint and stains of gold every here and there. But the truth is I cried my eyes out because of this floor today. I sat down at a chair I rarely use, and saw all this beauty I surrounded myself with. This is not just materialistic – it’s my “new” atelier where 5 paintings have taken shape from the deep of my heart, neither of them done. I can paint at my new place, even though I don’t know where my new place will be. Nothing landed. My mascara ended somewhere down my cheeks by the thought of someone painting over my all time favourite floors, where my soul is sprinkled as small stains of blue, black and green and even bigger stains of gold. That is me. I’ll get trough it – the floor thing… it’s really about the whole package, you know…