2013/12/24

Last Minute Wrapping

Yesterday I did some last minute wrapping. I drew some extra patterns to my brothers gift's wrapping paper. There is no name tape on his present but instead there is a big A telling that the present is his. Yesterday we had the shop open only five hours and because most of the Christmas shopping (foods, presents etc.) was done, I had time to do something unnecessary like this. Special wrappings for my special brother! :)

Eilen paketoin vielä viimeiset lahjat aaton aaton kunniaksi. Broidin lahjapaperiin tuli tuherrettua muutama ekstra kuvio. Koska nimilaput on so last season, yhdistelin paperin tähdet kiemuroilla isoksi A-kirjaimeksi veljen nimen mukaan. Eilen oltiin vain viisi tuntia töissä, joten kun ruoka ja lahjaostokset oli saatu tehtyä jo aiemmin valmiiksi, jäi aikaa johonkin sika tarpeelliseen hommaan eli tähän. Spessu lahjapaperi spessulle veljelle! :) Kannustimena oli tietysti paketillinen konvehteja.




2013/12/16

Gallery Himmelblau

Today we did some Christmas shopping with my mom. We also went to Gallery Himmelblau to get mom's present to me. I didn't see the piece I'll get, but it's some kind of painting, I guess. It's always nice to go visit this gallery. It's right next to towns river and the ambience with old buildings is wonderful. Himmelblau have had many interesting exhibitions going on. This time they had Johanna Havimäki's and Carl Osberg's works there. In this show I especially liked Havimäki's stuffed animals made by e.g. leather jackets. They were so funny & cute!

Tänään tehtiin maman kanssa vähän jouluostoksia. Muiden hankintojen lomassa haettiin myös äiskän lahja mulle Galleria Himmelblausta Finlaysonilta - mikä ihana miljöö! Himmelblaussa on tullut ennenkin käytyä ja aina sinne on kiva palata. Vanhoissa tehdasrakennuksissa on sitä jotain ja ah, se liiketila! Galleria on aivan Tammerkosken kyljessä kiinni ja koski todella kuohuu heti ikkunan alla. Lahjatauluani en nähnyt, enkä halunnutkaan nähdä. Sen sijaan tsekkailin meneillään olevan näyttelyn, missä oli Johanna Havimäen sekä Carl Osbergin töitä. Näyttely kokonaisuudessaan oli mainio, mutta erityisesti meikätypyä ihastutti Havimäen täytetyt eläimet, mitkä oli tehty nahkatakeista sun muista. Ihania!



2013/12/13

Biker Mice From Mars

Whoop, what kind of costumes! My friend had an animation themed housewarming party and as a proper Biker Mice From Mars fan I dressed as Vinnie. There was also Michelangelo from Turtles , Minion, Abu from Aladdin, Snow White, Magica De Spell from Donald Duck, Woody from Toy Story, Superman, Barbie, Cruella De Vil etc. The funniest part for me was when we went to a bar, a guy stopped me and showed his arm; he had a Biker Mice From Mars tattoo! So cool!

Ei vitsi millaisia pukuja! Kaverilla oli animaatio teemaiset tuparit, mihin meikätypy kunnon Prätkähiirifanina luonnollisestikin pukeutui Vinskiksi. Tähänhän se viime postauksen violettipukuinen Lalli Leipäjuusto siis liittyi. Vinskin lisäksi juhlista löytyi muun muassa Michelangelo Turtleseista, Minion, Abu Aladdinista, Lumikki, Milla Magia, Woody Toy Storysta, Supermies, Barbi, Cruella De Vil 101 Dalmatialaisesta jne. Hauskin tapahtuma meikälle sattui baarissa, kun joku random jäbä tuli näyttämään olkapäätään; prätkis tatskahan se siellä! Siisteintä ikinä!

 Minion, Vinski & Vinski




2013/12/11

Deer Darling

Here it is, my new dear deer! It's not something I looked for but when I saw it in the shop I knew exactly where it should be. Now the deer welcomes me home every day. What the purple suited guy has to do with the deer? Nothing, but it's related to my last weekend. You'll find out what happened then later. :-)

Tässä se on, ihana peuraloinen! Ihan tätä en tosiaan mennyt kaupoista etsimään, mutta kun se niin sievästi katseli, niin päästin sen kotiin. Paikkahan sille oli tiedossa saman tien; eteisaulaan vastaanottamaan minut ja vieraat! Mitä kuvista löytyvällä violettipukuisella jäbällä on tekemistä peuran kanssa? No ei mitään. Se liittyy lähinnä viime viikonlopun tapahtumiin. Niistä lisää myöhemmin! :-)



2013/12/01

Starting Christmas Season

It was the first day of December so I had to do something related to Christmas. The winter lights were up already in November but today I started the Finnish mince pie season at home. I also did some present shopping and bought Christmas decorations to the shop. I also happened to find the most adorable wall piece to my hallway. The best things are always found by accident. You'll see it later. :-)

Joulukuun ekan päivän kunniaksi piti tehdä jotain jouluista; siispä joulutorttuja leipomaan! Naapurin Siwasta oli torttupohjat loppu, mutta seuraavasta kaupasta löytyi onneksi laarikaupalla. Käväsin myös lahjaostoksilla ja löysimpä muutamia joulukoristeita myös liikkeelle. Saadaan sinnekin vähän jouluisempaa fiilistä. Kotonahan aloittelin valojen ja tähtien virittelyn jo marraskuun puolella. Kotiin kaupoilta löytyi sattumalta myös söpökkä seinäkoriste, näätte siitä varmasti vilauksia myöhemmin. :-)



2013/11/26

Remington Hair Straighteners

Since my old hair straightener broke down I had to get a new one. I chose Remington because a friend of mine recommended it. Here you can see how it worked. I've mainly used it to straighten my hair but this time I tried to make loose curls and it worked out just fine. This hair straightener is easy to use with only few buttons (on/off, +/-). The only bad thing comparing to my old one is that Remington don't remember my favorite temperature (180°C) and always starts to heat itself up to 200°C. The signal voice on the other hand is perfect to me who always just turn the machine on without thinking how long will it take to heat up. The straightener will tell me with voice that it's ready to work, so it won't spend energy for nothing.

Vanha hiustensuoristaja päätti ottaa loparit, joten kipaisin kaupasta uuden yksilön. Merkkinä ystävän suosituksesta Remington. Tässä vähän vihiä, miten kapistus toimii kun suoristuksen sijasta kiharretaan. Suurin ero vanhaan taitaa olla tuo lämpötilan säätö. Vanha suoristaja muisti lemppari lämpötilan, mutta tämä lähtee päättäväisesti aina kohti kahtasataa astetta. Mutta hyvin toimii tästä huolimatta - suoristaja täytti vanhan raudan saappaat mallikkaasti (vaikka eivätpä nuo tainneet niin suuret ollakaan)!




2013/11/13

The Coolest Guy

He is one of the bravest guy I've ever heard of. What an inspiring man, Pekka Hyysalo. This Finnish guy was almost professional skier when he had an injury where his body collapsed totally. He had to learn to eat, walk and talk again and now he is planning to run a marathon. Setting up a business is a piece of cake comparing to this accomplishment. Getting better needs loads of willpower and hard work. Here is a link to his site where you can read Pekka's story and show your support to him.


2013/11/03

Today I'm Snacking...

...chicken blue-cheese pizza with rucola with white wine and good friends.


2013/10/21

Brisbane, Australia - Day 2


The second day in Australia was a city day. It started with a bush walk to a vantage point where we were able to see whole Brisbane. After that we actually went to the city and did some shopping and eating. We stopped by to this lovely cafe where we had the best cappuccinos and cakes. We also walked trough city gardens and took our time to just wonder and look around. I love the purple trees with no leafs, only the trunk and the purple flowers. I heard they started to flower just before I arrived. The last thing we did was a ferry tour at the river in the middle of Brisbane. The lights of the city in the dark were beautiful.







2013/10/20

Gym Time

That's what I've been doing lately; weightlifting. I didn't remember that a woman can be so sore. I haven't been at a gym for a year but last Tuesday I joined a sports center. I've had three hard workout days since then. No pain, no gain - let me tell you, I feel the pain! :D


2013/10/13

Brisbane, Australia - Day 1

So... about the trip to Australia. First day was the-jet-lag-day. I arrived to Brisbane at 5am feeling fine. Flights from Helsinki to Singapore and from Singapore to Brisbane went as planned. I took a train from the airport to the city and there was my dear friend welcoming me. We took a bus to her flat and I met a bunch of different people and got to know the place my friend lived/lives.

The schedule after arriving to my friends apartment was loose but planned. We went to Koala Sanctuary to see Australian animals. After hour or so I started to feel the flights and slept also when standing (I didn't either believe it was possible). I was tired as hell. After the zoo I took half an hour nap and then we headed to a grill party hosted by my friends student buddy. It was nice but we left early to get some sleep. After the first day the jet lag was defeated, hooray! I heard that many times it takes several days to get over the time zone differences.




The kangaroo couldn't care less. :-)

2013/10/09

Australia - done!

WHAT. A. JOURNEY. Today I came back from Brisbane, Australia and I cannot believe it was all real. I was at Queensland only 9 whole days but I managed to see and do so much! The journey included inter alia snorkeling, surfing, sailing, grilling, partying and relaxing. I'll be posting more about the trip soon, but now I have to unpack my stuff and have a good night sleep. Coming back to everyday life was quick after 31 hours flight 'cause sure I had to go to work today at 10 am since I was in Finland already at 6.35 am. ;-)


2013/09/22

The Black Elephant

This month is more or less all about traveling. The ongoing week I'm in Germany, Cologne. The main reason is to see what is going on in my industry, but this time we have time to seek some other things, too. Despite the fact I'm working all the time here, I'm having also a lot of fun exploring new things! Actually working and having a good time is one and the same thing. It's always good to see other entrepreneurs on the same industry and find some exciting new stuff to our shops. But in addition we have found e.g. interesting interior shops and great restaurants here.

The shops and restaurants have nothing to do with my businesses, and that's only good thing. It's always good to see some other world, too. Here is some pics from the shop we found here in Cologne, Schwarzer Elefant (Black Elephant). What a great place! Filled with crazy (big) stuff from all-around the world and the shop just continued on forever. Rooms after rooms in three different floors. After we had walked around the whole store I noticed the "no cameras" sign. Oops! But anyway, when the crime is already done I guess it does no bigger harm to load the pics here. I consider this as free advertising to them. ;-) (And btw, it was a phone, not a camera!)


The ostrich on the left was two times bigger than me. See also the bull and the elephant back there!

2013/09/19

Dear Samsonite

We started our life together just couple days ago, but I like you already. Your shapes are lovable, deep metallic grey color makes me trust you and still you seem to be soft and flexible. I have traveled years with my old pal but now we have drifted apart; she had to retire and I'm still young. Now you came along and you promised to me to be loyal for at least ten years. I hope I can trust you.

The thing I'm most excited is the packing part. Now, if weight limit is e.g. 20 kg, I can really pack for 20 kg, not 15 kg + you. You weight nothing! (Ok 3,12kg.) And travelling with you should be light as well. I don't need to drag you anywhere, we can walk side by side hand in handle, 'cause you have four wheels legs of you own. We started our journeys together this week when we headed ourselves to Germany for four days. The following week we'll go to Sweden, and right after that we'll travel to Australia.

Samsonite Chronolite Spinner, our relationship will be tested right away.

Yours sincerely
Maria



2013/09/08

Looking For An Eyewear

Lately I've found myself scrolling eyeglass catalogs online quite often. Last time I bought eyeglasses it was 2010 and since then I haven't even check my level of vision. I believe there's not that big changes in that but the glasses I have look pretty terrible. That's why I'm wearing them like... never. I have found a great Finnish manufacturer called KraaKraa from Tampere, Finland who make wooden frames with handful of different models.

The material of the wooden frames is usually birch, but there is also wenge, rosewood, walnut and oregon available. The glasses have no hinges so the wooden frames maintain the fit well. There's couple different sizes of each model so anyone can wear the glasses. The fit can also be adjusted with silicone nose pads. I have tested the frames once and I'm planning to go to their office to try the frames one more time before making an order. That'll be the first thing I'm going to do when I'm having my next day off!

These are my top 3 models from KraaKraa. The model Hank was my favorite before testing, but surprisingly the model Panto turned out to be the best for me. I'm still pondering the color; should it be oregon or shall I go crazy with the bright yellow?! I don't knooow!



Pictures from here.

2013/09/03

Visit To Tarto



My mom and brother went to Estonia couple weeks ago to see Tallinn, Estonia's capital city. (Not to buy cheap liqueur like most Finns.) The most interesting part for them was the food and the culture. They would've been also my favorites to see and taste, but I was forced to keep the shop running. I'm going to be away a lot in the following moths, so I decided to stay home this time. Anyway, this reminds me of the trip we made last summer to Tarto, Estonia. My brother studied/worked there for a year or so, so he knew the places already. He was a good guide and we got into the country much better than I expected.

We visited also for example town called Viljandi and the lake Peipsi. The buildings are a bit worn out, but the condition of them only adds a little character to them. It's great to see how imaginative the builders/architects have been. Comparing to Finland the design of the houses are more versatile, so that's refreshing. It was sunny and warm, so we got to see Estonia at its best. Here are some pics from the trip. The pics are obviously one year old, but I believe you don't mind. :-)





Tarto was full of these "graffities". Some of them were more political than others, but they all looked sharp and classy. No smudges here.

2013/08/25

Today I'm Snacking...

...take away sushi from Watami. The order was quite unimaginative as you can see, only one type of sushi on the plate. But it was a good Sunday lunch. :-)

Plate by Klaus Haapaniemi, Iittala.

2013/08/23

Day At The Museum - Part II

Remember me telling the museum tour here? Well, it was not only Terracotta Army we took a look. There was plenty of other shows, too. The ice hockey and old toys themed shows were not the ones that made me hooray, but luckily there was for example show about the innovations made in the city we're living, and show about the history of the town. Sounds boring, but yep, that's me. My brother was more into the innovations and I was the most interested one when talking about history. It has always fascinated me and that was one of the school subjects I studied all the way until high school ended. After that I went with the economy studies. Anyway, here is some random pics from the museum visit.




2013/08/18

Restaurant Day

Today was The Restaurant Day. (The last one was in May, as I said here.) This time the weekday was Sunday, so we had time to visit many different places. The first place we tried to go had sold out their main dish after 45 minutes, so we hurried ourselves to the next place called Meatlovers United BBQ. There we had the greatest pork sandwiches and soda. After that we went to the riverside in center of the city. There was restaurant called Cafe Malami. We ate tomato feta pie and had blueberry cake as a desert.

After queuing a while we got to buy our first meal. / Mirroring ourselves from the glasses of the door.
Queuing. / Pork sandwich - tasted gooooooooood!

I don't even like Pepsi. :-)

Blueberry cake. We shared it since we were full after many meals.