American in Norway

Last week I was in Jevnaker for work... what a LOVELY area in Oppland. I know it is breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL.. yet I never allow myself enough time to stop and take pictures on the drive up... perhaps next time..         We stayed here at Thorbjornrud Hotel - beautiful views and fantastic food and wine ... Hadeland Glassverks Factory We had a little outing with work here at the Hadeland Glassverks Factory.. if you are in the area it is  well worth the visit. As it always is with me, it is either feast or famine...  You don't hear from me in AGES.. and now you will be bombarded with 5000 posts. :-) I may have been horrible posting on my blog.. but I am an INSTAGRAM fanatic.. lol.. posting photos of where I am almost daily..  instagram name :   tressa_in_norway

All right.. I am coming to y'all for advice.. so for all of you lurkers who come by.. HELLO Nacogdoches.. Sacramento.. Wilmington.. (etc) & NEVER leave comments. today would be THE. DAY. to chime in.. Last August.. my company announced the next GOLD CONFERENCE would be held in DUBAI.. DUBAI... D  U  B  A  I ... Have I mentioned DUBAI is on my bucket list? & they will be staying at Atlantis The Palm Hotel. Have you seen this  5 star .. place? (as I start to sing.. like the heavens are about to open up...) Can't you imagine ME.. swimming with the dolphins here?    can't ya? .. huh? ..can't ya? So the only problem.. People in my position do not normally go to the GOLD Conferences..  :-( but never mind... I wasn't going to give up... Ohhhh HELLLL  NO! I have busted my ass.. making sure MY people were qualified to get to this conference... I have begged... ...

What's hot for 2013? Bright colors on the eyes... time to ditch your brown & black eyeliner & add a little color... greens...plums... & blues - my personal favorite is plum... might need to shake things up & go a little green too.. Less is more... minimal makeup has continued to be hot the past few seasons, and  will continue into spring 2013.  A fresh take on the look incorporates an ultra subtle, rosy glow on your cheeks.. less bronzer..more blush Full Brows (yippee!) Another 2013 trend that reflects a more laid back, natural approach to beauty is a full, healthy brow. I wish those OVER pluckers.. would put put the tweezers down.. one day... you will.be.sorry.

and the winner is....ME!   yippee.. Truly honored to receive this award from my peers & superiors.. really kind of made my conference. I also produced my very first webinar... as much as I whine & say I hate being pushed out of my comfort zone... I am always happy when I have managed to pull something off... which I thought I was not ready ...

After our jam packed weekend... I headed out to the Swedish country for 3 more days of meetings. We had the Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Dutch, Latvian, Lithuanian & Estonian sales managers. As tired as I was... I love getting together all of the sales managers.. Lots of fun, & lots of inspiration & good ideas to be shared.. There could be worse places to spend 3 days working..no? The Friberghs Herrgard is essentially 17th century manor house, though parts of the building date back to the Middle Ages. situated by an inlet of Lake Mälaren. HIGHLY RECCOMMEND...  Fantastic food... only wish I had time for the sauna & a swim in the lake.

Wish there would have been more time, warmer weather & better walking shoes.. But I was happy just to get away from work & out of the hotel for a few hours.. A few shots from Gamla Stan - Stockholm's Old Town The town dates back to the 13th century, and consists of medieval alleyways, cobbled streets, and archaic architecture. North German architecture has had a strong influence in the Old Town's construction. Mårten Trotzigs Gränd

I haven't forgotten you.. and I haven't given up.. I have been taking pictures ALLLLL week.. let the posting begin.. As promised.. Saturday was CRAZY.. my day started at 6 am.. we started our run through for our ORIFLAME KICK OFF show at 7am. I managed to get on stage & do my presentation in front of almost 500 Scandinavians.. gulp. My region did an fantastic job.. and I finally made it to bed 4:30 Sunday morning... (yes.. I am far too old for this...) Here are some photos from my Scandinavian Star Studded Saturday. (Added  discription for all of you non Scandinavians...) Our Master of Ceremony was the ever fabulous Swedish-Norwegian television host Kristin Kaspersen   Charlotte Nilsson Charlotte Perrelli is a Swedish singer and occasional television host, perhaps most famous for winning the 1999 Melodifestivalen and subsequently that year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Take Me to Your Heaven."   Åge ...

When I turned 40 last Feb... I was a little   Incredibly Disappointed. OPRAH .. PROMISED life would get BETTER after 40... The day after my 40th birthday.. I was thinking OPRAH was a BIG LIAR.. Better? my ASS..  - I was miserable.... But as the days,rolled into weeks... my life started to change... FOR THE BETTER... I remember a few years back(38), thinking that " this is it..." sigh.. might as well give it up... I was feeling OLD & DUMPY.. INVISABLE I was stuck in a dead-end job, wearing comfortable shoes..... doing the same shit.. week in, week out... No longer felt like anything more than a mom & a wife...    I had lost my mojo.. & didn't think I would be able to get it back.... but somehow.. someway... I did.. I have gotten my MOJO back... Or at least I am working on it.. and wondering if 40 REALLY is the new 30? Instead of dwelling on my glory days... I am pretty sure I have many more AWESOME experiences ahead of me... I am learning...

Hønefoss, Norway.... Such a fabulous drive... hope to post more pictures this weekend...

Attended a FABULOUS launch of Oriflames new make up line.. STUDIO ARTIST. Have I mentioned how much I love my job?  Oh, I have?... sorry... :-) Nothing like a Thursday afternoon in the office with live music... catered lunch & a little VINO... The Studio Artist line is professional grade make up...  which will be availible in just a few weeks. yup.. same kind that the make up artists use. LOVE the colors... Love the lipstick..  creamy.. stays on.. & loads of colors to choose from.... Swedish born Hollywood actress Malin Åkerman is the spokeswomen for the new brand..   She was not at our launch in Oslo this week.. but was in Paris last week for our annual meeting... (no.. I wasn't there... :-( perhaps next year?  a girl can hope... I have a BIG day of Packing tomorrow... I am heading to the beautiful Island of Rhodes,Greece. CAN NOT WAIT... it has been AGES since I was in Greece... on of my favorite places on earth... As I keep telling hu...

Hi y'all!    Been a BUSY BUSY girl... traveling all over Southern Norway for work.... Tønsberg... Oldest town in Norway Kristiansand I am always AMAZED how beautiful these tiny little towns are... Too bad I am always driving & on a tight schedual I am POOPED... Hønefoss (Jevnaker) I haven't been blogging & I haven't been checking my personal email account.  (oops) I finaly got around to checking my emails this morning... I had over 600 something... & found 8 E I G H T emails in the past 2 weeks from people moving to Norway asking for advice. I feel HORRIBLE... I really do try to be helpful... I am more than Happy to offer advice & help where I can. SO I apologize for my delay in getting back to y'all... If you have a question , need advice Please leave me a comment here on the blog.. telling me that you have emailed me. OR if you are unable to leave a comment... Please fill out the subject line so  I know it is about moving to...

I am a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE Blogger.  I miss my dear blog I really do.... Every once in a while I will pop by...(with the intention of writing something)  & read a couple of old posts... or look at some pictures of the kids... Makes me sad I don't have the time to blog on a regular basis... STOCKHOLM was AMAZING-.... I could TOTALLY live in that city...  I have been to Stockholm before but never with a bunch of SWEDES.. Even MORE fun... During my 2 days in Stockholm... I went to the Corporate Office.... I met the CEO.  I had lunch with the Nordic director... I went to our "concept store" .... was invited to the company SUMMER Party...  with the most amazing VIEW...  (Managed to pull a few outfits together... - thank you for all of your help.!) MY FABULOUS COUNTERPART  <----     from Bergen... I went on a tour of the factory... where they make most of the bath products... HEAVEN... Love the expr...