Name Change & Brushing Up

If you have been visiting me before, you can see that I've been brushing dust and changing up the old blog layout since last time to give it a cleaner look. The photo on the header has been changed out to match the name, and the profile picture along with it. The biggeste change of all is a totally new name and address for my blog! It was carefully concidered (for a looooong time), as I'm not sure how good of an idea it is to do so.. But I've been thinking about changing the name for a while now, I wanted a name on the blog which reflected what I was writing about, rather than a name I've been using online for a while. Exactly what VirgineMary was.. I think Scary Mary is a better name for the blog all over, concidering my love for the darker elements in life and what I'm blogging about. I had to make it thescarymarys.blogspot.com, as that's what was available.. I added the "pinup and monster mash" to give visitors a quick idea. I'm really pleased with the change, hope that goes for you guys too;)

Scary Mary's in tha' house!!

Sweet Spring Thrills and Trills...

Lovely, long, lazy easter days.. Spent in my beloved tights and hoodie, watching an endless flow of scary movies, fun movies when my dreams goes over to nightmares, and then some more scary movies when I just thought I had enough. Snacksing on chips and chocolate, which suddenly and convinient is popping out of the cabinet..

Wonderful, warm, vibrant easter Sunday, spent on a wooden bench outside the tiki bar.. All while the first, warming rays of sun hits the skin. First outdoors beer, cheers and people peeping;) An optimistic roar of Harleys and vintage cars filling the air...

A ladybugs first lazy steps, between our dobble glass windows on the toilet.. Gently released from it's winter nest, resting on my thigh before it liftes off into the chill easter evening..

The crows chased off, or maybe holding their breath.. Falling asleep to the beautiful trills of the nightingales, a gentle breeze caresses my cheek and bring promises of warmer days to come...

Chasing off the last shaddow of winter..

Dizzie Lizzie...

I'm not quite sure how I did it, but somehow I managed to forget all about it and walk away from my visa card at the ATM yesterday...:S So angry at myself, talking about being far away..!! Long day at work and not feeling to well, trying to get some swedish money changed into norwegian.. Argh!! Identity theft and drained bank account is running through my mind. That little card holds some sensitive information.. Hoping and praying that my card hasn't ended up in the wrong hands! Been through this before and I remember vividly how my bank account got drained within days, without being able to do nothing. Helplessly watching the money flowing out of it... Yeah, you get it back, but it takes time. Even if you notice the bank, there is a few places it can be used. At least at that time, according to the clerk in the bank, there isn't many places that you can use it anymore and 99% of the time the card gets returned to it's owner without being misused. Hope he's right!

"Airhead" by Katie Husak

One Year Wedding Anniversary..

One whole year since we walked up the floor at the Little White Wedding Chappel in Las Vegas, and sealed our sweet love with a kiss and a ring!!;)

One year allready, gone so fast, yet so much has happened. Most of the pieces of the puzzle has fallen into place when it comes to work and school for my love, and a life together here in Norway.

Mmmmm If we can just get an appartment at the appartment house we're trying to get into, I will howl of joy, run around in our 17 suare meter appartment and dance on the table like a crazy nut!;D haha

(So getting me ass of ma computer to celebrate)...

LOVE!

"It Happened One Night"

Las Vegas, city of sin, hope and rock'n'roll (photo by me)

Eiffel Tower Las Vegas (photo by me)

Elisabeth Taylor in the movie "Father Of The bride"

"Circus Ballerina" (photo by me)

"Father Of The Bride"

Las Vegas strip (photo by me)

Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers in "Carefree"

View from the Eiffel Tower at the strip (photo by me)

Le cake;)

Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller on their wedding day

Las Vegas 28.2.2009

<3

Land Ladies from Hell, Tripple Shifts and a Funeral..

Life has been more than busy for me here lately.. Having the whole appartment search, trying to decide wether or not to move. While thinking it over, we are dealing with the land ladies here, two sisters. One wants to raise the rent by 1/3 if we decide to stay, that's after she at first wanted us to move. She think the place is too small for two, nothing she really can decide, as the law is clear on that part. But the contract has to be renewed 1. of April, so she can pretty much do as she pleases.. In the middle of dealing with that I received a letter from the other sister, wanting to raise the rent slightly since there has been some more expenses on the property this winter.. Don't think it's even leagel! Like I'm paying anything more for what we had to go through here this winter.. Chopping out big holes in our walls and the heater not working properly.. I told her what I thought and that the rent will be raised in April anyway.. Seems like the comunication between them two is next to nothing, and their business skills..

Last week was quite on the insane side..! Went through trippel shifts at work and a funeral on Thursday, a close revlative died. My moms cousin, we have been quite a bit with them over the years. Not an eye was dry at the reception, even my love was sitting and crying, though he only met him once. It's just the whole situation I think. He got the message that he has cancer a week before he died, he passed away 62 years old. Still a young old man, too early to go.. Seeing those who is left behind and their pain is really the most difficult part about it all I think.. His three sons, where the two youngest is still in their 20's, and his wife.. Life is such a fragile gift. It's a real reminder to make the most out of it while you actually have it!

At the end of the week I felt totally knocked out, mentally and fysically exhausted. I capitulated on the sofa with a beer in one hand, the remote in the other and a bowl of chips.. Hahah Knock out after 5 beer!extremely effective sedation.. Very needed;)

On the good side, my love has got a vacancy for Map Google!! He starts working this month, I'm so happy for him:) He also got back to norwegian classes this month. Finally things are moving in the right direction a little faster! Things will get easier and it's a great for him to have something more to do than cleaning dishes and making dinner.. Hmmm though I have to admit, I will miss my house husband:)

Who wouldn't want one of these?  I mean the ironing board..

The 4 bottles of life

Good instructions

And sedate yourself when needed;)

Trading swiss cheese for birds nest...

We have started the search after a new place to stay.. Exciting! Leaving the swiss cheese and it's many holes in not too long we hope:) The holes are still very much there. But on the bright side we're starting to get used to them by now and the temperatures has gone up, so at least we don't have to worry about freezing to death in the near future!

Since it seems like it will take some time for my husband to find work here, we have decided to find an other studio appartment. We checked out a few bigger appartments, but decided that it was better to have some money left at the end of the month. It would be so miserable living in a beautiful appartment, but not being able to go anywhere, do anything and have to flip every penny to make it. In other words; Yes to life and adventures!:)

Why is it sometimes so hard to decide what to do, just to know what would be the right decission to make? We found a bigger appartment that would have been perfect for us, just a bit expensive with our finance right now. It would have been so nice to start a new chapter there, but the timing could be better. Sometimes there is no rights and there can be more than one right, but in the end I think you have to go for your gutt feeling and what makes you happy at the end of the day. And that's just what we did. A little soul searcher in other words. What makes you happy, I believe the answer lies inside of you.. We can ask people, talk about it and get advices, but in the end we have to look inside to get the true answers to how we want to live our lifes in order to be happy. For me and us in this case, that is to be able to adventure life, feel free and to not have to worry about every little thing because the rent is to high.

Mmmmm I must admit, I would like some more room though and having a proper kitchen for one, and the bathroom inside my appartment, and not sharing it with two neighboures that's not so friendly with the soaps and scrubbers, and especially after living small for many years. And a balcony would be heaven!! But we will have all that one day... One day when things has fallen into place for us. Patience.

On the other side I don't see why I can't live like this a little longer! I'm used to having everything just within one arms reach;) It's practical and you never get to save up too much junk. Simply cuz you don't have the space..! Voil'a!! It's a true lovers nest and you have to love each other dearly to live this close, trust me... Which we do.

Bird's Nest by Keith Taylor

Living In a Swiss Cheese...

The last couple of weeks has been unbelievable cold! We've had temperatures down to -20 C/-4 F, and believe me that is COLD! Especially combined with an ice wind that seems to be blowing from north of Siberia..:/ I've been adding doubble and tripple layers of clothes so I won't freeze on my way to work, in other words not so happy for walking to work right now. Looking like wrinched up lemon, cuz I'm so concentrated on surviving.. ahha Mmmmm maybe I should get myself a little foldable bed under my desk?;) Guess I should feel "lucky" though.. Just outside town we've had temperatures much lower than this, like -30 C/- 22 F as a normal. I surrender, I give up, where's my summer?

Early Monday morning, I woke up to a very chillled, little loft appartment. I reached out to feel the radiator.. Ice cold! It usually happends every winter, but it couldn't have happend on a worse time than this!! Oslo feeling more like living in an ice box right now! Kitchen oven on full throttle, hoping I didn't have to get up to frosted windows.. Brrrrr!! So happy we live in one room, a few candles and the oven on keeps it warm:) haha

Turns out the burner in the basement had stopped working. Also one of the water pipes had bursed during the night, and of course they thought it might be at my place! Some where.. With no technical drawings, they didn't know where to look for the leakage and that some where proved hard to find:S Later on the same day, I got a phone call from my love, they had to make a hole in the wall.. One hole, two holes, three holes, four holes later, in walls, ceiling, even inside our closet and they still hadn't found the pipe!! And allmost ripped the floor up! Mighty chaotic in 17 square meters! I just had this ugly feeling it probably wasn't even in our place.. Grrrrr Turns out I was right.. They finally turned to the neighbores, which has been complaining about their kitchen cabinet being damp for a long time allready... Yeahiii for lazy care takers, ceap land ladies and plumbers with no technical drawings! Maybe they can make us a nice little balcony and a roof window while their at it, a few holes more..;)

Me wanna move..

Winter Wonderland..

The snow has been falling heavily over the last few days, we're something as unusual as allmost snowed in down town! If I wanted to I could take my skies out and go skiing down the road and most likely I would get anywhere I needed to go... Probably the best way of getting around right now by far! We woke up to more snow yesterday morning, apparently it had been snowing all night.. The road into the house was all covered by at least a foot of snow. Usuallly we don't get much snow in town since it's warmer here, also it has a tendency to disappear or turn into wet, slushy, brown snow... Have to enjoy this while it lasts!!;)

Some photos taken late last eve of the wonderful winter wonderland...

Christmas time... <3

Finally we got all the Christams presents done, wrapped up and ready!! With Christmas carols on the speakers we packed them together like the little santa helpers team we are;) It all really put me in a Christmas mood! Something about listening to the same old Christmas carols as I have done every year since I was little, the smells and all the traditions...

Grandfather decided to gather the family this year some days before Christmas, which is the first since my grandmother passed away. My grandmother had her birthday a few days before Christmas, the whole family has come together at their place every year since before I was born. When we were kids it was all about making Christmas decoration, playing dress up with my grandma's old clothes (from her hippie periode) and biggest of all; who would get the almond in the Christmas Porage this year! All very exciting:) The winner would get a big marzipan pig which  lasted all Christmas, sickening, but soooo O good! I remember my childhood Christmas parties as a very special time, allmost magical. It was never Christmas before we had been there. That's pretty much how I feel about them still.. This is the first year that I really feel the Christmas spririt again since my grandma passed.  I think I finally got some more distance to loosing a very special person in my life, which I allmost was convinced would live on for ever. At least till a 100! I think we all did. She allways was so full of life, strong and filled with a force that seemed stronger than death it self. Therefore loosing her was a bigger shock than it may have been otherwise. Allmost like when a young person passes away.. It wasn't expected at all. Even when they found the cancer, I was sure she would be able to fight it, and I'm sure she would've.. Only it had spread so badly through her intestants that there was never really any hope. So veird how a person can seem healthy and strong as an ox one day, the next everything is turned upside down and nothing is like it seemed to be and it will never be again. She went through surgery, 88 years old. She would have had to live with a bag on her stomack the rest of her life. Horrifying for my grandma, a very proud person. I'm not sure if it was the cancer that ate her or the thought of the bag or both, but it all got to much. She refused to eat and slowly shrunk into nothing. She fell asleep one December morning, just as silent as the powdered snow crystals falling from the sky...

But life goes on, and it has. My grandfather finally seems to be doing good, though his thoughts is never far away from his love. The fact that he had the party this year says alot.. We had a really good time, gathered on her day, which has also become our day. Celebrating all those passed Christmases, the good time and memories that we have, but also all the Christmases that will come. Don't forget what has been, but never forget what you have and what that will be.

Concerning me, I have a very special person in my life.. Celebrating the first Christmas with him brings all the magic back!!;)

My first angel in the center of the photo, a real beauty;)

I think this is the second one.. Complete with fillings in her teeth. Which I was really fascinated of when I was a kid, I thought it was really beautiful.. ahha Guess I allways been a bit different;) lol

Some decoration from moms dinner table for Christmas eve, the 24. of December.. Which is when we celebrate Christmas in Scandinavia. We celebrate with a really nice dinner, usually with all kinds of traditional norwegian Christmas dishes. Santa come with gifts during the evening, so we actually get to see him;) We also walk around the tree while we're singing Christmas carols.. A very Scandinavian thing to do, I think we are alone about doing that in the world? (Correct me if I'm wrong). I remember one Christmas when we had my greek boyfriend (my ex) on a visit from Greece, I think he thought it was the most hideous thing he had ever seen.. He was standing on a chair taking photos while laughing hysterically. I'm not sure if it says more about him, us or my taste in men;) ahhaha

Cyberlove by first sight, part 2 <3

The second part of an impossible possible true cyberlove story coming up;)

After a year of e-mails, chatting, phoning, texting and what not else.. Living in despare and agony of being far away and daily craving for each other, resulting in phonebills from an other planet and falling asleep in bed with my computer, after long nights of chatting.. I was finally on my way over the pound, 21 hours travel, one stop in NYC, two long distance flights before hitting Arizona. Every second closer to my love.. As I was sitting on the plane, I was permeated by the feeling of it being the best descission ever:) I counted clouds, m&m's and tried to pass time.. I just couldn't get there fast enough! Butterflies in my stomack, twisting and twirling by the thought of soon being in the arms of the man that I loved. Crazy how you can fall in love with someone even though you never met in person.. Even having the feeling of missing each other, like we had been parted for a long time. Love works in mysterious ways.

I arrived Tucson airport in the dark, it felt like I had traveled through time and space to get there. Bevildered by the time difference, my butt aking from sitting hours in an airplane and sleepy zzzzzleepy.. But O so excited at the same time!! After a quick look in the mirror and brushing of teeth. I went down the escelator to meet my love, my heart was pounding as every clicketi-clack brought me closer.. He saw me first, I caught his eyes, I think time stopped for both of us. Somehow I got over to him, all while gazing into his green eyes. Amazed by how beautiful they were. I didn't even know they were green, I thought they were brown.. Hhaha So much for crappy photos. We hugged for the longest time. It felt so good to finally feel him, to be close to him and smell him. Being there together for real, be able to do normal stuff that normal couples do. Be able to have a date, that didn't consist of never ending chats, sitting on each our side of the earth. Be able to HAVE a date at all! It felt like I had found the last piece of the puzzle fell on place.. Finally home! We held hands and small talked all the way home. Like we had never been appart and it had allways been us. We had 3 weeks of fun and happiness. Sharing everything and getting even closer. It was waaaay too short! After the sweet scratch and so on... It took all my will power to get on that plane back. I cried when it took off, for every up and down and further away I got, and finally when it hit ground in Norway, half a globe away from the man that my heart belonged to!

3 1/2 miserable months of waiting, endless phonecalls, texting, chatting, pain, tears and more tears followed.. Before he FINALLY came to Norway, we had decided that it was no way we could live without each other! Sweet as he is he said he would move here, since it would be easier for him to move than for me and he would never ask me to do such a thing for him. He quit his job over the last 6 years and sold his belongings. Finally together again:D And this time hopefully for ever! That's before we understood it wasn't just that easy.. Getting a job and a visa wasn't done in a snap. Laws and regulations saying that he was more than welcome to work, but on the other hand NOOOO.. A laberint of a bureaucratic world from hell and endless paper work! He stayed 3 months on his tourist visa before we had to wave each other off for the second time. Even worse this time around, after spending every single moment of ever day together, as long a I wasn't working that was. We had to put an end to it. Every day appart, felt like one day too many...

28.2.2009, we got married in a Little White Wedding Chappel in Las Vegas:) We went there on holiday the first time I came to visit and we very much feel like it is "our" town, a very natural choice. Needless to say, we had the TIME of our lifes celebrating our love!!;) Only me and him. It was romantic, special, intimate and fun and all those things you want it to be! Our pastor was an old man with coca cola bottle bottom glasses and fish eyes. The real deal, no Elvis here.. He insisted on saying a praier for us even though we're not religious (maybe he thought we needed it;), and also give us a real Christian ceremony with talk of Jesus and God, but so be it. It made him happy. And I couldn't be happier! I was with my man and we would finally be able to be together. After the ceremony the pastor stuck an envelope in our hands saying: suggested tip, 50$ 80$ or 100$.. We were really surprised as no one had mentioned it and we thought we had paid for everything. Apparently not! (If you ever get married in Vegas, remember to have tip on you for the priest) We only had a visa card...:/ He looked quite desperate for a bit, before he concluded with that we had his address and that we could send it to him......... (Very Christian indeed). The limo driver on the other hand said that it didn't matter, as long as we got a long and happy life together, that was the main thing. Quite ironic you ask me.

<3

A couple of months later my love moved to Norway for the second time. He came just a few days before our National Day this year and has stayed here all through summer and autumn up till now. We applied for a visa, filling out never ending aggravating forms and applications. Providing them with our story, lots of photos and gave them our life on a silver platter pretty much. They said it could take 5 months before we heard anything more... Last week we started to really worry since we hadn't heard anything more. My man was climbing the walls, not being able to work, being a housefather and in charge of the kitchen and all. I called in. Guess what?? WE GOT IT!!!:D Yes WE, not him, it feels like we.. We are going through this very much as a WE. And now WE got it!! Soooooooooooooo happy and relieved!!!!! Things are falling into place:) bestest Christmas present EVER!

Swine flu, here we come!

We've decided to just give a big shit about any lurking danger from the big, bad swine flu. The chances are really small that we'll get it at my cousin's anyway. They cleaned the whole place down, even the sofa didn't escape the clean freaks;) I think it's just as likely that we'll get it somewhere else. Soooo we went present shopping last evening, at the mall, in a toy store, full of kids with runny noses! Probably the worst place to be right now? Besides that, I'm amazed by all the stuff that they come up with for the kids.. We found this coolest little, classic, black piano in there! Hmmm wonder if there is any chance I can wish for a toy piano for Christmas?? If I been a good girl that is... Fat chance. After looking at all sorts of goodies, we came out on the other side with a globe with lights and animals on the map showing where they belong. If I were a kid I would love that!!:)

I allways had an attraction to globes.. It holds some sort of mystery in it, allmost magical. Like an entrance to different worlds, the thought of all the places that lies there undiscovered.. By me. Makes me wanna travel and experience these places. My grandparents used to have one that we would gather around to spin and see where to go. Where ever the finger landed we had to visit. I guess I allways been an adventurer, since i was 2 1/2 and bicycled away on my three weeler... Out to discover the world! haha I still remember the feeling that gave me, total freedom and excitement of the undiscovered! The world was no longer just the playground.. Till my mom managed to hunt me down and bring me in that is, but I got quite far. I can imagine the horror! My first adventure.. Been a few after that;)

My "childhood globe"

(In the front, a photo of me and my sister in our pyjamas when we were little)..

Finally Friday!!

Sooooo O happy it's Friday!!:D Finally weekend and time to exhale! Been a long week at work, reeeeeally looking forward to wind down a bit.. We're supposed to be tending a birthday together with the rest of the family this weekend, but we're having some second thoughts since they just had the swine flu in the house..:/ We're not sure if it's worth the risk.. My man went through surgery this spring and had to remove one of his kidneys, which puts him in the risk zone as I have understood it.. On the other side, how hysterical are we gonna allow ourself to get! Can't stop living either just cuz of this stupid swine flu and we're just as likely to get it while we're at the mall or at some bar I guess... Dilemma. Me want cake!!;) haha

First snow..

It's something special about that first snow that falls.. Cold, white flakes dancing down from the sky.... Like a peaceful winter scene from a silent movie. Beautiful! Though I have to admit today was rather unpleasent, a harsh wind whipping these first white flakes around house corners and cross the city streets like wet cotton bombs, in under scarfs and jackets. No matter how tight I pulled my scarf, the wind still seemed to find some way to pierce through my defence. My umbrella served as a shield against the attacks.. Which worked quite fine, till I allmost hit a comercial sign. Art of the city. The reason for being out in this lovely weather you might ask your self.. The fun has just began, we still have 5 more months with snow and wind, and not to forget the darkness that embraces us from all around this time of the year. Welcome King Winter! Time to hibernate..  Where's that remote!?

One of the wonderful fairies by Anna Ignatieva, Winterlight..

Post Halloween Vacuum...

I'm in a bit of a vacuum right now, Halloween is over for this time and all our scary projects too.. Hmmmm or are they? We have decided to work a bit on props and stuff all year around. Hmmm and isn't it just an excellent hobby? Mooohahahha!! Making ghouls and scary props can be quite cozy, believe it or not and we have really fun doing it:) We've been talking some more about starting up a haunted house, like one of those that you find in the U.S... I think it's an awsome idea, but it's still just an idea. Clearly Halloween is about to hit off in Norway, if it hasn't allready.. I saw a huge difference from last year, people seemed to be much more into it this year. The stores were quite busy, full of people shopping Halloween stuff. Also we noticed a change when we went out, clearly more people had dressed up and seemed to be coming from a Halloween party this year. We stumbled down to Dr. Jeckyll's after midnight some time, a bar down town with that cozy Halloween theme all year around style to it;) We met everything from scary pirates, Draculas to full rabbit costumes in there, I'm very pleased to find that it finally seems to be picking up here! haha

Our Halloween party went great!!:) Everyone seemed very pleased with our grusome decoration in our Cabinet Of Death! haha My creepy, little spidercakes went rather well, they looked quite alive as my sister pointed out. Really easy to make and something I will have on the menu for next year too;) I've been taking a few photos of some of the props and decoration we had up in the hallway, unfortunately I didn't have time to take any of the the gory, headless guy outside, but I know someone did.. I'll add it together with photos from inside our Cabinet of Death later on, so please do check in again for more haunting photos;)

Also I have to add my Marie Antoinette costume won forst prize this year, very flattered but I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO WIN!! ahah We were supposed to hand it out to one of our guests, but wasn't happening...:/

Welcome to our motel;)

Our toilet demon..

Would you pee with this guy watching?;) Scary Halloween sounds playing in the background..

Some lovely toilet decor

Bats in the flicker of the grave light..

Of the toilet demon and other dangers lurking in the dark..

Meat eating spider?

Our welcome sign in the hallway..

Doorbells from hell..