On beauty

Aesthetics, looks, beauty have always been important to me.  Of course true beauty goes much beyond that, but it's wonderful and inspiring to have beautiful things to look at.  Be they objects, scenery, art, or people, it's lovely to see something that really pleases the eye.  I've loved looking at all things beautiful ever since I can remember.  I'm sure we all like things that look good, but as I've become older, I've really realised how important aesthetics are to me.  Fashion, beauty, interior design, art, photography all mean so much to me, and bring a lot of joy to my life.  Can we really call something that brings so much joy and does no harm superficial?  I am talking just outer beauty here.

I'm not going to get into a huge philosophical conversation regarding beauty, because I simply don't know enough about it.  What I do know is that beauty is subjective, and different to all of us.  That's what makes it so wonderful and interesting!  When perceiving something, no one can have the same experience as you. While there are so many other much more important things in life, beauty surprises, delights, pleases, and in my opinion vastly improves quality of life.

Isn't it interesting though how you can look of photos of someone, and then meet them in person, and realise how you find their looks changing?  Someone very attractive can suddenly seem incredibly plain, while someone regular can suddenly become irresistible.  All through the power of personality, charm, charisma, and mannerisms.  We can all influence how beautiful we're perceived, and can bring so much joy and happiness to others' lives.

A dog named Indy

He arrived in this world on the 17th of February, just 2 days before my 30th birthday.  We were sunning ourselves on the beautiful beaches of Thailand, and a little litter of beagles was born in the cold, wintery, snowy Finland, on the shores of a frozen lake close to the city of Varkaus.

He arrived in our city home in April, causing stress and gray hairs and arguments, lack of sleep, and raising of voices.  He sticks his nose anywhere and everywhere, and wants to take part in everything we do.  He chews and plays, not sitting still for a moment.  He loves to fish and lives to eat.  As his hair lightens and he grows up, my heart fills with joy and excitement and love.  As he curls up to sleep, bites my arms with his itching teeth and gums, jumps up to scratch my legs, as I find bite marks on my favourite shoes and as he pushes me off my place on the mattress, I am filled with warmth.

Today's fashion crush: Jeans by Acne

It's always worth investing a little bit more on great jeans - you wear them so often, they pay themselves back very quickly!
I'm currently drooling over a new pair of jeans from Acne.  Slim fit, high-waisted, and just the right shade of blue...  I can't wait to get my hands on you!  I haven't tried these on (I haven't actually investigated whether you can get them in Helsinki yet, just seen them on Acne's site), but the fit looks great!  I'm all for higher-waisted jeans for this summer.  Flattering and chic, no belly or panties on show.

xx

Cheap n' easy home-made body scrubs!

Just take some raw salt, and use to scrub your bod.  Can be used on face as well, very softly.
For your legs and tummy in particular, use plain ground coffee.  They say it's good for eliminating cellulite, who knows.  Follow with a gorgeous thick body lotion for wonderfully soft skin.

Easy peasy, and cheap as chips!

xx

Can someone please tell the weather gods it's May, not November?!

The Canada Goose is coming out again today.  I thought I was joking this weekend when I said it would make another pre-summer appearance.  Apparently not.  It's under 5 degrees out there, and I can see snow.
My parents live in Germany, and it's been 27 degrees there on several occasions over the past month.


On a happier note, I'm going to get my lashes re-filled at Maarit Leikoski's salon today, and the man and I are off to the gym now while our new pup sleeps in his pen.

xx

Experiences in Helsinki workplaces, pt. 1

Job no. 1, unnamed marketing agency, high level marketing position.

At the interview

Company owner:  Our goal is to be the best and most wanted employer not just in Finland, not just in Scandinavia, but in the whole of Europe.
Me:  Ok, sounds great!  (Pretty ambitious for a small agency, but it's always good to aim high, isn't it?)

First day on the job


Me: Hi!  Would someone like to go for lunch with me?
Group of girls: (Grumble, grumble, no clear answers given, no one moves so I'm guessing I need to find a lunch place on my own)

- Old dirty laptop I'm given is not working
- No phone, mobile or desk phone
- Despite my requests, no one has time to brief me on anything
- > I sit at my desk texting my boyfriend and watching the clock for 8 hours

Second day on the job


Me:  Hi, how are you?  I was told you would be able to order me phone...?
Office / HR assistant:  I'll get back to you when I have time.  I'm really busy.  (Gets back to school books)
Me:  Ok.  Would be great to get the phone as soon as possible though, because I'm making all my work calls on my own phone.
Office / HR assistant:  No one's said anything to me about a phone.  I said I'll get back to you when I'm less busy.  (Turns back to school books)

Later that day

Me:  Hi, how are you!?  Nice to see you again!
New colleague, who is also an ex-colleague from a previous client-agency relationship:  Fine.

Still no brief on my work / the agency.

Third day on the job

Me:  Hi!  I've been trying to reach you about fixing my computer.  Please could you come over and have a look at it asap?
IT support:  I might be able to make it tomorrow...

Still no brief on my work / the agency.

Fourth day on the job

Office / HR assistant:  Ok, we can talk about getting you that phone now...

Most relevant people can't make any of my scheduled briefings.

Fifth day on the job

Me:  I'm really sorry, I'm not going to stay in this job company.
New boss #1:  What?  Everyone here is so nice!
New boss #2:  That's ridiculous!

And so I left.  Word.

x

Some advice on getting advice!

Don't listen to other people too much!  It's great to get other opinions, and learn, but the most important person to listen to is yourself.  You need to be happy, and live with your decisions.  Don't let anyone talk you into anything, and don't go out of your way to put yourself in uncomfortable situations.

Now if this post isn't a contradiction in itself, I don't know what is!

I'm back by the way! :)

x

Today's crush 270110

Interlocking gold and sterling bangles from Tiffany's
<3

Golden Globes winner - best dressed

Jennifer Aniston, always classy and so well put together, gets my vote.  My personal style is more adventurous, but I do love Jennifer's simple and elegant style.  She really knows what suits her!  The Huffington Post lists Jennifer alongside Mariah Carey as one of the Golden Globes worst dressed.  I couldn't agree less!  The cut of the dress is fabulous, and Jennifer manages to look both groomed and casual at the same time.  Love it!

x

True Blood - hottest hottt

Call me weird if you will - I am so into all things Southern US.  The vibe, the people, the steamy bubbling Mississippi river, the mystique, the humidity, the eerie at time dark history.  HBO's True Blood brings all of this to life in such a cool way, I almost get shivers down my spine when I watch these opening credits.
Perfect escapism, soo intriguing and hot.




x

Dream of shopping on net-a-porter.com?

I know I do!  Pretty much everything on the site is out of my current price range.  But there's a tiny twinkle of hope - in celebration of the site's 1millionth order, one lucky lady (or gentleman of course) will win a 25,000 GBP shopping spree on the site.  I've entered, and although it'll diminish my chances, you should too.  Good luck!
I'm off to enjoy my friday night now, first with a lovely bottle of white vino at home, followed by blinis with roe and more vino.  One new thing I've learned to love about Helsinki - Blini Viikot take place every year during January and February in numerous restaurants across the city, and I'm loving it!

x

Happiness is... 220110

- Seeing the sunrise
- finding wild strawberries
- dipping your toes in the water from a pier
- hoolahoops
- the morning dew
- Strawberry eskimo ice cream
- the smell of freshly cut oranges
- Fiskars scissors
- napping
- Chanel no 5 fragrance
- Cold Fazer yellow chocolate with a huge cold glass of milk
- laughing at yourself
- friendship
- loft apartments
- FRIDAYS!!

(Some stolen from 12 000 syytä olla onneliinen, published by Gummerus.  Others from my head.)


Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

x

Some gym inspiration...

Miranda Kerr, Australian Victoria's Secret model and girlfriend of Orlando Bloom, recently posed naked for men's magazine GQ.  Is it possible for any girl to look any more perfect than she does in these shots?  Definite gym inspiration for me... Baby, when you tell me I am the most beautiful girl in the world, I know you are lying.
Speaking of the gym, Forever Töölö was fabulous!  The gym is very calm, tidy, and frequented by lots of older people which I like.  The overall feel is kind of Far Eastern, very zen. :) My personal trainer seemed really nice and knew his stuff.  We're meeting again next week for a session on nutrition therapy.

x

Gym bunny!

Guess what everyone, today is the first day of my brand new fitness regime!  I am off to the gym now for the first time in about a year to meet with a personal trainer... I need to get fit in time for my wedding at the end of August!  And let me tell you, there's lots of work to be done!  I'm off to the Forever Töölö gym, and will keep posting about my progress.  Wish me luck as I will need it, I hate exercise and every single gym routine I've started so far has failed miserably!  This time I need to succeed, and get fit for our big day and the wonderful honeymoon we're planning!

xx

Love me some fairylights! <3

Fairylights (check - not Christmas lights!) must be one of the most adorable things ever!  I've always had a thing for hanging them in my house.  They lighten and brighten, give a great warm glow and colour, and really soften modern spaces.  We have a great pink plastic heart set just thrown across our dresser in the bedroom, and I want some more... Fairylights look great on the wall, over windows or mirrors, on tables, in bowls or candleholders, sometimes even on the ground.  So romantic!

x

Best winter boots ever ever ever!

My boyfriend is the greatest - we headed up to Lapland for New Years, and as I was panicking about turning into an icicle, or at the very least a very unflattering shade of blue, he very kindly got me the best ever winter boots.  Made by Helly Hansen and available at Stockmann, these are a size too big for me, but that's great!  More than enough space for that extra pair of wool socks... My toes haven't been cold since!  If I could afford it, I would get these in black as well as it's definitely more slush and sleet friendly.
Thanks baby - I love my booties!

x

Iittala lighting up these dark winter nights

Though they are a very obvious choice in Finnish homes, I do love Iittala's various different options for candles.  We've got the small "kivi" lights in various colours including the light pink and blue pictured here.  The small clear lantern was a gift from friends for our engagement, and the tall white one is our latest purchase from the Iittala store from a few weeks ago.  It's currently perched on our large windowsill, and I can't imagine our living room without it!  Is there anything better than candles and fairylights to light up dark winter nights?

x

Candleholders by Iittala

I'm dreaming of azure blue skies and waters...

As our holiday nears and I've had plenty of free time, I've been surfing on a couple of fashion sites, on the lookout for the perfect holiday wardrobe.  My first stop?  Melissa Odabash.  Our Portobello Road home in London was just a stone's throw away from Melissa Odabash's flagship store on Westbourne Grove.  I never actually went in, but spent plenty of time peering in outside her shop window.  Former bikini model Melissa Odabash designs simple, sexy, high-quality swimwear.  I might have ordered the sky blue number pictured below...  I've never tried her bikinis before, so here's to hoping I'll be able to squeeze my butt into the size I ordered!  Only problem?  The price.

For cheaper holiday alternatives, my favourite option is my number one all-time-fave internet retailer asos.  I find their site incredibly easy to navigate, and it never takes me long to find some gorgeous bits and pieces.  I love how easy it is to get summer clothes online in the internet age!  I'm loving the more pastel-y tones of my asos choices.

So the question is... Splurge, or save?

(Splurge... at Melissa Odabash)

(Or save, at asos.com...)

What's your choice?

x

Wedding dress shopping in Helsinki...

I've been looking for that perfect wedding gown for a few months now, and I've got a firm favourite in a store just down the street from where we live.  Exciting stuff!  Thought I would share some of my dress hunting experiences, as they might be helpful to others on the lookout for their perfect dress!

Some good hints and tips:
- Start well in advance!  Delivery times for dresses can range from 3 to up to 6 months, and you'll probably need to put time aside for a seamstress to do some work on it as well.  Our wedding is at the end of August, and I don't think I'm looking a day too early.
- If you can, try to book fittings at some stores, to ensure that they have time to see you.  Mornings and early afternoons, and all day Friday are really busy times!
- Wear tights if you don't want to be seen in your underwear!
- Have a look through websites and magazines before going into stores, to get an idea of what style you like.  Show it to the girls in the stores.  Also it's a good idea to ask the shop personnel what their favourite dresses are.  They know the dresses really well, and can make some great recommendations.
- Think about the colour of your dress.  Some people's skin tones are better suited to off-white, while others look better in bright white. I can't wear off-white, I look totally washed out!

Highly recommended stores:
- Seremonia.  Great service, and gorgeous dresses, particularly from Pronovias and Atelier Diagonal.
- Niinatar.  Super sweet service, and lots of dresses at great prices.
- Stockmann.  Selection lightly old-fashioned, but worth a look.  Best space and great mirrors to see your dress.
- Stilissima.  Lovely service.  Stocks Cymbelline dresses, which are just gorgeous!

Not so highly recommended stores:
- Meslewi.  The most bizarre service I've ever received.  Don't waste your time.
- Lavem.  The ladies working there completely ignored me and my mom.

I might still have a quick look in Morsmaikku, and will be checking out the dresses etc. at this weekend's wedding fair!

x

(Dress: Pronovias)