gardening I

click to enlarge

A lovely, sunny (mostly), summery day! And my day off. I took a walk in a nearby allotment garden with friends A and P.





This allotment garden was founded in early 1930s, and it has not only plots, but cottages as well. It looks like most of the cottage-owners don't grow many vegetables nowadays, but mostly flowers. The gardens are lush and secluded, the cottages tiny and cute, and some people live there for the whole summer. I don't really dream about a summer cottage*, but having a tiny cottage in the city sounds like fun!** In my cottage I'd have quilts and flower patterned china - all those things which are a tad too romantic for me to really live with every day would be perfect for a cottage like this!











*We have my great-grandparent's house on an island, and that's a lot work in itself.
**If I had, say, an extra 30,000 to 60,000 euros. Which sounds just insane, knowing my friend bought a small apartment in Northern Finland for 57,000.

not so summery

For the past few weeks we've had a lot of rain, and the weather's been fairly cool. Not like it should be in late June at all. I'm missing my wellies which I left in Tampere because I just couldn't fit them in my bags.
I've also got flu which has been bugging me for a week, making sleeping difficult. Add to that long days at work, and I end up exhausted and whiny. At the moment I feel like I'm the only one who has to work work work while others go holidaying in sunny places. (Ok, I know it isn't so. But even a whole weekend off would do wonders for me right now! And yes, I said I'm whiny.)

Let's talk about nicer things. Like the sunflower I got from my boss last week for my name day (Wikipedia link for those who have no idea what is a name day, as it isn't celebrated widely outside Europe).





Or my new Tretorn seersucker sneakers.



They were 40% off, are cute and comfy, and just look like summer to me. I want to wear these while smelling the salty wind and hopping on rocks and looking at the sea glittering in the sun. Right here:




Or the white rose bush, called Juhannusruusu ("Midsummer rose") in Finnish, in bloom on my street a while ago.




Or the fact that I found several episodes of Jeeves and Wooster from Youtube. Jeeves and Wooster was one of my favourite tv series as a child (although I was sure I'd been younger than 10 when it first aired in Finland - I thought it was in the 80s). They're showing it again in Finland this summer, and I was sad I'd miss it (no telly), but Youtube saved me! I have to say that a) I've been loving British tv series portraiting 20s and 30s ever since I saw Jeeves and Wooster for the first time - mind you, my weakness for upper-class English accent might have something to do with Jeeves and Wooster, too b) it might not be quite as great as I remembered - but still, fun to watch and c) Fry and Laurie are so YOUNG in the series!

One other favourite was Moonlighting. But I've completely missed series like Knightrider and MacGyver. What did you watch as a child?

ornithology

Last week I got this lovely old tin (a bit battered and once owned by a boy called Juha, who wrote his name inside the tin) from J. He'd seen it at a flea market, remembered my butterfly tin, and, knowing I love all things with birds, bought it for me. It makes me really happy!





J is like my personal flea market shopper, he's surprised me with bird-themed second hand finds before: the big silver earrings with hooks missing (note to self: buy hooks for the earrings already!) and the red plastic brooch. The silver Love bird necklace by Efva Attling was probably the beginning for my bird-obsession. I got it from my uncle and his wife when I turned 25 (well, I chose it myself) and have worn it most days ever since.





(I also have a couple of tees and hoodies with bird print, and some undies as well, but didn't take photos of them.)

guest

I had an overnight guest

who woke me up in the middle of the night, and when I said I was tired in the following morning, gave me two toy cars "so you won't be tired anymore"




who accompanied me to a gallery, but was more excited about the lorry he saw from the window than the art




who makes me crazy misbehaving when he should be eating, then melts my heart crawling into my lap

who likes to wear his wellies so he can jump in the puddles

who told me "auntie you're similar like I'm similar" (it didn't exactly make sense in Finnish either)







who is more strong-willed and more articulate by the day

who fell asleep with a small fox plushie in one hand and a green toy car in another


whose aunt I have been for two years, four months, and two days, and can't remember what life was like without him



(here he's just woken up from a nap, thus the dummy & the expression)


art in pics by Sanna Kannisto

lilacs

I have a very unsteady working schedule. A while ago I had several days off in a row (always a nice thing), now I work seven days in a row. My mind thinks it's time for the weekend though (I've still got two days to go), I feel like the weekend should be beginning, even though it is Sunday evening.

The weekend has been mostly good, a little bad. Bad thing is I think I might have hurt someone's feelings when just trying to mind my own business; it makes me sad and very small. Good things win, though: I had a nice evening with my friend P whom I don't see that much, catching up and reminiscing about the summers we lived together in Helsinki. And today I had a chance to meet another friend, albeit briefly, and her daughter. It's amazing how someone who was a baby last time you met is a little girl now!




Even though I live in a city, my neighbourhood is really green in the summer. Lots of small parks and trees, and everything has been blooming lately:first bird cherries and apple trees; then rowans, horse chestnuts and lilacs - it's almost over, but it's so lovely when you walk past a lilac bush and the scent envelopes you. I've been taking a lot of walks, getting to know again these familiar streets and places. If I go for a walk at dusk, it's like walking through a fairytale land: blooming bushes, and lots of little rabbits hopping around, like in a Disney film - not exactly what you expect living in a city! Even though I knew the rabbits in the city are breeding like, well, rabbits (just had to say it, sorry), there never were this many before.

summer party

Some photos from yesterday's summer party at L & M. Friends from school together again - I'm old enough to feel lucky to still be in touch with those friends (though I'm the worst person there is in keeping in touch). Other friends as well. Good food, chatting, relaxing.

A good reason to wear my Boden skirt for a first time this year.











I like the black and white photo postcards they have on the wall above the windows.
I also like the view from the windows.







at 2.45 p.m.


Most of the guests ended up staying quite late. We had plans for going to a nearby park but somehow ended up staying in (well, the wind was a bit chilly), except those who began a game of pétanque at 1 a.m. I walked home from Töölö in the wee hours, feeling happy, light, and at home in my favourite city. I picked a few flowers on the way; they felt like a gift from summery Helsinki!

hello summer

Today was the first day I really had time for enjoying the summer and the sun. It has been unusually warm for beginning of June in the past few days, and I've been spending my days in a mall, without even seeing the sun, so today I made the most of my day off.

There were many great things included in my day:

first strawberries from the market




some flowers for me






lemon ice cream





and sitting in the sun and wandering around the neighbourhood with the wonderful company of my new neighbour, miss H. (I already have plans to pester her to do all kinds of things with me all summer.)

meet my favourite shop

I've been having some internet problems, which are hopefully solved now. I've also been working six days in a row - I'm really happy I'm having three days off this week! Hopefully I won't have to work every weekend this summer; my work schedule (mostly evenings & weekends) makes it really hard to see friends who work from eight to four on weekdays.





One of my friends had a graduation party last week, it was really fun, especially because S & D from London where there too. Also, miss H moved houses last Sunday and now lives only one house from me! At least it'll be easy to meet her, whether I'm working or not.





My favourite lifestyle shop, moko, moved this spring: now they have a new shop/coffee shop/space for workshops in an old industrial building. Today I went there with miss A, and we had a nice chat drinking coffee and looking at all the lovely things they sell there. Although I probably wouldn't decorate my home in complete moko-style (I think my tastes are too Scandinavian for that), I often think I could live in that shop! Lots of pretty things which make me happy just looking at them. I know one could easily say it's just good marketing and I'm falling right into their trap, but damn, I really like their concept! Too bad nephew is still too young for their workshops for kids, which sound really fun.



Some of the photos were actually taken in March, and I really meant to show you that chest of drawers back then, inspired by my chest of drawers talk. Today it had a little tag saying 'sold' on it - the new owner must be very happy with this find! (It's one of a kind, and out of my budget anyway.)