She's 8!

So big.
So headstrong.
So cute.
So smart.
So sweet.
So kind.



We had decorations.


We had juice.

Which incidentally was in an IKEA pitcher. One of the best things I've bought in a while. The center bit is filled with water and should be placed in the freezer before hand, keeps the juice cold :)

We also had pink cookies.

We had an eager waitress :D

There were presents to open.

Sweet furry new friends.

And fabulous colorful fairies too.

Saara put together a game to find a lost bear by solving riddles.

We had candles and ice cream.

And apparently too many photos taken.. heheee...

Etsy happy

I've been perusing on Etsy for a long time. Looking at this.. looking at that.. should I..maybe..not today..

Yesterday I made a decision, this year I'll buy one item a month from the talented Etsy artists.
So I bought myself a Mobile Idea Factory :)

From PearsonMaron.

Cannot wait to get this in the mail!

(I was torn between this and the cloud factory... in the end this one won)

I've found a few interesting shops on Etsy, but I'd love some more recommendations.

Do tell me your favorite artists on Etsy.

Please :)

I'm still on a color high

It all started with these lovely kids' play dishes from IKEA.
I got these for Niina's birthday present.. I mean how cute are these?
Look at those cafe latte cups..

Or these dishes... like sorbet.


Cute glasses..

..and even silverware. Sigh...too stinkin' cute :)

That's how the trouble started...
I decided to surf online a bit.

Thought I'd go over to see what fun they had at Pottery Barn... the teen catalog.
BIG mistake.
Now I'm kicking myself...

I want the owl pillows, please.

And this bedding.

I wouldn't mind sleeping in an enchanted forest either...

I'll take all the natural light in this room, thank you very much.

I could live with this piece. Oh yes I could..

A polkadot rug.. swoon...

One in each color, please.

The green or all three... all three I think. One for me, one for Saara and one for Niina. Yeah, that's it.

And naturally we'd all need our own hairdryers to match...

Now if they'd just bring an outlet to Finland....

Just let me dream, ok?

Scrappiness

A few recent pages :)

Last year in review.

Went through all last year's photos and picked some from every month. Then just jotted down some words.

Once in a while you make a page you could marry... know what I mean?

Need I say I love this one?

I have a shoebox filled with scraps of KI Memories papers... I just started framing the photo with them. And just so you know.. I didn't have to cut any strips... heh.

I made a list of what all was in my purse on Christmas Eve... included were throat lozengers, chocolate, used tissues, wool socks, In Style magazine, bus pass, extra battery for my camera, gift card, two opened packs of gum, needle with thread etc etc etc

I received some new supplies last week, and as Mika will be in Germany for three days next week, I see some quality scrapping time in my future :D

Rainbow explosion

This just makes me happy!

1. star dust and rainbows. 156:365, 2. The End of the Rainbow, 3. Rainbow beads, 4. by minklet, 5. the importance of pegs, 6. embroidery floss, 7. bookshelf., 8. book.ed, 9. yes, it is amazing., 10. A bevy of Elfin Love!, 11. so many bunnies!, 12. Ring of stitches, 13. favorite activity, 14. Somewhere over the rainbow..., 15. rainbow roses, 16. Multi-coloured embroidery finished, 17. Pencils, 18. polka dot ribbon: tower, 19. real sweet, 20. Get Your Fruity Rainbow On!, 21. rainbow, 22. bendita elástica, 23. Untitled, 24. A Rainbow For Life*, 25. The rainbow connection., 26. Rainbow Buoys, 27. Zipper Rainbow, 28. Rainbow, 29. Untitled, 30. Tasty Technicolor Treats, 31. Dicey subject, 32. Rainbow Twizzlers, 33. #24/365- Rainbow- my favourite flavour, 34. Rainbow Strawberry, 35. A rainbow of colours, 36. Marble Rainbow

Coughwhinestresscoughbendstretchgripe...

That about sums up the two first weeks of school this year.

Being short of five classrooms is getting on everybody's nerves. The kids and the staff. There's been many complaints, a near revolution and plenty of heads banging against walls.
I wish I could say I'm happy with the board decisions... but I'll go with the plan.. it is exceptional circumstances. This is all due to the mold found in the lower level (where we worked at) that meant five classrooms were closed in an already tight-fit school.

I was off sick the latter part of the week. Well I should say I was home feeling quite alright, but sick at school. They were doing some cutting through concrete walls in the lower level, forgot to close one doorway and all that fine concrete dust was flying upstairs. I never get any breathing difficulties with allergies, but I did this time. Felt like someone was sitting on my lungs.. I had a tingling sensation in my mouth... not good. So I left noon Tuesday. Tried again next morning.. left at noon and said I'd be back Monday when they had managed to clean it all up.

This coming week we are moving the afternoon daycare to premises outside the school, just a three minute walk, so quite close. But that means a lot of planning, sorting and organizing. I'm tired already.. ;)

Plus it's Niina's birthday on Friday! She'll be 8.. A girly party on Saturday, I have no idea what I'll do.. great.

I feel like I need a vacation from my life, you ever feel like that?
Or even 4 extra hours a day.. see that would help...
I'd probably sleep through that though.. heh...

Happy January!

How has your year started off?
Ours has been sunny and cold.

I'll take that over dark and wet anyday.

Our Christmas went well. I have no decent photos to show you as it was ..ermm.. dark and wet. Anyone living around the 60th latitude can understand the darkness. Which is why I'm still wishing for a camera with a 3600 ISO..heh.
It was nice and calm, lots of food, even more chocolates and nice presents. Saara got the new Sims2 game, Niina loved a new white cuddly dog, Mika got Battlestar Galactica dvd's and I scored a new battery for my camera.. ok, so there were a few more presents too.

I've so enjoyed time off work. The two weeks have flown though. Work/school starts on Wednesday...sigh..
I've made some minis, scrapped, watched heaps of Battlestar Galactica :D
Such a nerd, I know..

The past two days I've been making these mini desk organizers and magazine holders from scraps of my Basic Grey papers. For sale at a miniature market in the summer. I intend to fill that chocolate box with them. Great use of scraps, I think.


Today I checked out a new yarn store a friend recommended, it's in fact really close to where my brother lives.
Oh my.
Pure heaven.
Soft, woolly, cottony, colorful, fluffy heaven.
I thought it would be a small filled to the brim kinda store, but it was a BIG filled to the brim kinda store! Apparently th ebiggest yarn store in the Nordic countries... Great prices too.
I left with a bag full of yummies.


These will be new wool socks to keep my toesies warm :)


This bumpy fun softness was picked out by Niina to be her new scarf.

And these... they are chenille.. soft and so pretty.

They will turn into a blanket for my niece who will be born this spring.

I didn't feel like doing a pink one. In fact those light blue ones were free as I bought 10 rolls of that yarn.

The one bright blue roll was also a freebie.

These will keep me busy for a couple months.

I think.

I just have a thing for new yarn....

Could have worse addictions, right?

And for you locals: Lankamaailma Nordia, Ogelin liikekeskus Oulunkylässä :)

I recommend you stop by.

Heeeyyyy... where did December go???

Wow... I don't remember the month going past so quick before.
Glad I decided to quit stressing.
Make no lists (except a grocery one.. still working on that).
Not feel pressured to bake.
I've got my shopping done and wrapped.

It's a good feeling.
I also like that Saturday was the last day of school, and that left a few days to just chill out.

Can you see me waving to you? ..hehee...


Niina was one of the angels in the nativity scene at the school's Christmas church.
Boy was that an event... I won't go into details, but after Wednesday's rehearsals Maija and I were of one mind.. we thought it had been hard last year and had needed to open a bottle of bubbly afterwards... this year it would take gin and tonics to recover.. to give you an idea.. this is a VERY lively group...

Atleast the parents thought it was great... us..? Well.. we had the drinks ;)

We got our tree yesterday!
Isn't it pretty?

Smells good too...

Hauled my two big bins of ornaments from the basement to decorate.. I still had enough left in those bins for two more trees... it's a sickness.. I don't know why I have to buy new ornaments every year.. I guess I just don't like to have the tree looking like it did the year before.

I got this sweet and delicate glass tree from one of my boys. "My boys" refers to the three diabetic boys I've looked after last school year and this one. I've grown quite attached to those little fellows.. as a mom of girls it's fun to learn how the other half lives :D

Sooo... what do you think Mika and I did yesterday, on the winter equinox.. the darkest day of the year?

Wallpapered naturally.. what did you think we did?

My kitchen wall is finally chockful of RED.

It's a Designer's Guils wallpaper called Moya.
Love it.
Love it love it love it.
Mika's jury is still out...

The thing about working at a school means you really don't have to go out and buy seasonal flowers or chocolates... I got this lovely amaryllis and some pink hyacinths and a mountain of sweets as presents from the kids. Plus a nice gift card too.

For the flowers I just sat them in pretty pots and put some shiny stuff on top. Fast and, I must say, fabulous...

Today I sewed new valances.

Also red.

I think we still need to change the outlet and lightswitch plate to aluminum colored ones. They stand out a bit too much now.

What are you having for Christmas dinner?

We'll spend Christmas Eve with Mika's folks so we'll be eating very traditional dishes.. ham, potato and carrot casseroles etc.

Christmas Day my brother and sister-in-law are coming and I think I just found recipes.. roasted pork tenderloins with bacon and herbs, buttered carrots and a cheese and pear salad. Blueberry pannacotta for dessert.

Now I think I'll go throw some laundry in the wash and start on that grocery list...

Baubles and crafts

I've got a bit more than the lights up now...



This big lovely glass ball replaces a round crystal on the chandelier.

I bought two of these sparkling snowflakes from Porvoo.

I also bought mini trees :D

And a candlestick... beautiful.

My flower is a bit on the unconventional side, I'm not much into pointsettias..

I also have two white hyacinths lurking in the cool.

My favorite decoration however are the lights.

Angels await on my desk.

While glittery birds are ready. These have a lovely scent as the dough has lots of cinnamon in it. (it also has applesauce and white glue..heh)

Tomorrow I'm going for my last bit of Xmas shopping with my SIL. This is after two hours of choir/nativity scene church practice with 1st and 2nd graders... the shopping will be a lot less stressful!