Shooting the moon

 Every once in a while Mother Nature complies.

By having clear skies.

So you are able to take your camera for an outing, instead of grumbling at home because of overcast skies the night aurora borealis were predicted.. for example. That might have happened over the winter...

On Saturday we went out to find the Supermoon.

We ended up on a pier in Soukka (Espoo).

 Just in time for the last half of that amazing golden hour.

This is SOC (straight out of camera). Absolutely NO editing done.

With that light, there is no need.

Perfection.

Now I wonder how I could bribe my kids for a photoshoot..

Mika turned my phone on me..

 It was light out.

Still.

Well, it's the white nights around here, it's always light.. :P

Time stamp on the above photo is 10.25pm.

Light enough to easily read a book on that pier.

Not that I had one, I was busy with my camera.

 Because the moon was out.

Meanwhile to the west...

On Sunday, Niina and I decided to go out on another hunting trip. This time I thought we'd head downtown to see the moon rise above the sea.

The closer to the shore we got, the foggier it got.

No moon.

Just the most magical thick fog on the sea.

 

A foggy sunset...

The city hushed.

..happy sigh..

The fog was to the east, so we drove a bit further and came across this view of downtown.

 Time stamp 11.31pm.

We found the moon emerging from the clouds once we got home.

It was a happy photographer arriving back home.

 

Yellow. And Italian.

 Look to the right.

 Look to the left.

 And if you look in the middle, you might just find the photographer who wishes this beauty was hers...

I love it.

What do I love, you ask?

When the city allows designers to get a little silly.

So when you are walking about you can find a fun surprise around the corner.

Like these metal birds near the Senate Square.

They house surveillance cameras.

Yes!

Isn't that awesome?

And these guys.

I chuckled.

This poor street lamp can't take it anymore...

Can't take what?

These guys are maybe a bit off key?

Heh...

And then you have the tourist happily snapping away.

He's facing the big church on Senate Square.

My pic is a different view.

A reflection off a car windscreen.

Hobbit house aka geeky happiness

 A friend of mine is getting married next spring.

She has a brilliant concept of decorating each table at the reception acccording to a fairytale or fantasy story.

When she asked if I'd like to help her make a hobbit house, I was practically jumping for joy.

 Our geeky selves were doubly thrilled about building it from Harry Potter Lego boxes. 

Basic cutting and glueing.

We used wine corks as material.

The back is completely covered.

Cardboard, corks, paint and odd greenery from my stash.

I'd move in.

Now who's going to beam me to the Shire?

Only took seven months...

 ...to finish Niina's room renovation.

Way back in 1999, brand spanking new, it looked like this:

Saara, 4 years old, had chosen pink for the walls and a pretty border with girls having a tea party.

13 years later, Niina said the pink HAD TO GO.

So last October while the girls spent a happy week basking under the Spanish sun, we emptied the room and I got out the white paint...

 Mika fixed the few cracks first.

 Lovely fresh white paint.

 

 And then aqua!

 

The old bed, dresser and cupboard moved away too.

Their new owner is a 4 year old, who is thrilled to get Niina's old "princess bed".

Exact quote from Julia.

*grin*

The new furniture came in installments this spring. 

In other words, from IKEA. 

Niina is SOOOOOO happy with the fresh new look.

The biggest headache was getting that white dresser.

By the time we got around to getting it, they only had the purple ones left in IKEA.

Apparently they had discontinued the white one...sigh.. I know, right?

Luckily they still had seven left in the IKEA in western Finland. What's even luckier is that Niina's godmother lived close by and was willing to do this huge favor.

And then I had a brilliant excuse to go visit her :)

There's the new bed, and the even cuter lamp.

 Niina had made a little reading spot on the shelf ;)

 No curtains..yet..

 Yeah...OK.. I had a little helper..

Hehe...