Tiedotus

Mulla on iso satsi papereita ja muuta kivaa Huuto.netissä myynnissä.
Piti hiukan siivota...huh.

Back again

I'm still thinking about this bilingual business... as I write in two different languages to two different sets of people, there on might occasion be some differences. Just due to the fact that I might have some info specifically for the locals.

Alrighty then, I promised a full report of my Tuesday in tv-lights.

Contrary to my thinking, I did in fact get some sleep the night before. I took Saara along with me, and we arrived at the studio at about 7.50am. My first stop was the make-up studio. That I could get used to... a professional doing my make-up every morning and hiding the dark bags under my eyes. Sweet.

We were then taken to the waiting area which was a lovely glass walled room next to the studio itself. There was breakfast set up on the table. We looked at the basketful of stuff I brought and chose a few things. Once the reporters came, we made final decisions. Then once they switched over to the news, we quickly set up the table , I got a microphone and very soon I was live on tv. I have to admit being a bit nervous, but all in all it wasn't that bad. I had no time to think of the cameras, and it was over quite quickly. I was just very grateful those two ladies kept asking questions all the time...heheheee...

As I was walking out, I got hit by the sweat of relief... phew. I survived.

Soooo... I've been getting lots of hits on this blog from Finland this week. Not a big surprise, but I know I didn't give the tv folk my blog address... so I'm thinking I've been googled... Well. the more the merrier, right?

What else went on this week? We started a 6 week long multicultural theme at school and we had our school Halloween party on Friday. That involved lots of decorating and fun stuff. The 1st graders are so stinkin' cute all dressed up, really wish I could show pictures. There were also issues with one the kids I look after, but I can't go into that... Sometimes I just wish you could just shake idiot parents, sigh.

I spent a luxurious 7 hours working on my dollhouse yesterday. It's nearly built, yay! There are photos on my (Finnish) dollhouse blog, the link is on my sidebar. Saara helped me by painting all the windowpanes, no small feat either.. eight windows, four pieces each.. you do the math.

I have laundry to hang, some trim to glue in the dollhouse, dinner to cook and a mountain of ironing... so much for the glamorous Hollywood life, eh?

////////////////////////////////

Juu, tästä kaksikielisyydestä sen verran, että asiat voivat hieman vaihdella riippuen millä kielellä näpyttelen.. tai siis sormiahan minä käytän..mutta tiedätte kyllä. Eli joskus voi olla enemmän asiaa kotimaan eläville.

No niin, eli se tiistai tv-valojen loisteessa.

Sain kuin sainkin yöllä nukuttua ja olimme Saaran kanssa studiolla jo 7.50. Vahtimestari sai minut katsomaan kaksi kertaa kun ilmoitti kutsuvansa noutajan paikalle.. vai että ihan noutaja.. taidankin lähteä takaisin kotiin. Ensiksi minut ohjattiin meikkaajien luokse. Saisinkohan sitä itselleen ammatti meikkaajan joka aamu? Laittaisi tummat silmänaluset piiloon.

Kun oli pakkelit naamassa, meidät ohjattiin lasiseinäiseen odotustilaan siihen lähetysstudion viereen. Siellä oli aamiainen katettuna pöydälle. Katselimme roippeitani, joita olin tuonut korillisen paikalle. Kun toimittajat ehtivät paikalle, teimme lopulliset valinnat. Heti kun uutiset alkoivat, laitoimme kamat esille ja sain mikrofonin. Hetken päästä olinkin suorassa lähetyksessä. Täytyy myöntää, että olin hermostunut, mutta ei se ollut niin kamalaa. En ehtinyt ajatella kameroita ja segmentti oli pian tehty. Olin kiitollinen että toimittajat pommittivat kysymyksillä koko ajan, heh.

Poispäin kävellessä iski sitten sellainen jälkihiki.. selviydyinpäs.

Juu.. tänne blogilleni on löytänyt aika moinen määrä kotimaan immeisiä. En ole yllättynyt, mutta en kyllä antanaut Ylen porukoille tätä nettiosoitetta, olettekos googlanneet minut?

Mitä muuta uutta? Aloitimme koululla 6 viikoisen monikulttuurisen teeman ja vietimme koko koulun Halloween naamiaisia perjantaina. Oli paljon koristeiden laittoa viikon varrella. Ekaluokkalaiset ovat niin ihanan innostuneita asuistaan, harmi etten voi näyttää kuvia. Ja yhden poitsun (yksi diabeetikoistani, joita hoidan) vanhempien kanssa oli ongelmia. Joskus olisi kiva vain viedä sinne saunan taakse...

Elen vietin ruhtinaalliset 7 tuntia nukkekotia rakentaen. Se on melkein valmis! Suomenkielisellä nukkisblogillani on kuvia, linkin löytää tuosta reunasta. Saara auttoi minua maalamalla kaikki ikkunanpokat, ei mikääm ihan pikku juttu. Ikkunoita on kahdeksan ja pokia neljä per ikkuna.. laske siitä...

Nyt olisi pyykkiä koneessa osottamassa, muutama pala limmattava nukketaloon, ruokkakin olisi laitettava ja silitettävä pieni vuori vaatteita.. se siitä Hollywood elämästä sitten...

Important stuff/ Tärkeä tiedotus

First...
Jill daaaahling, at least my Finnish made you comment! Heheheee

Now, this question I posted was if I should start writing on this blog in both languages. Because due to this tv appearance I have my Finnish readers (or rather lurkers.. who knew there were so many!!!) crawling out of the woodwork.

I started this blog as a way for my overseas friends to keep up with what's going on with us. Hence the English. But as there are so many locals (well kinda..heh), I've decided to make this blog bilingual. It'll do me good to type in my mother tongue also.

So starting with this post: the first part of the post will be in English, the second in Finnish. The parts will be separated by a colored line so you know where to scroll down to. And my dear native English speakers can consider this as their crash course in Finnish.
*grin*

I'd also love a roll call. If you read this (and remember I have secret ways to see where you are posting from...and just how many) please please pretty please with sugar on top say Hi!

/////////////////////////////////////////

Eli kun kysyin pitäisikö minun kirjoittaa täällä suomeksikin, en arvannutkaan että teitä lukijoita oli näin paljon! Tuo tv-esiintyminen sai teidät ilmoittautumaan, kiitos.

Kun aloitin tämän blogin, se oli väylä ulkomailla asuville ystävilleni nähdä mitä meidän perhe puuhailee. Sen takia tuo enkuksi kirjoittaminen. Mutta nyt kun näitä paikallisiakin (siis "paikallisia") onkin näin paljon, olen päättänyt tehdä blogistani kaksikielisen. Tekee hyvää minullekin kirjoitella välillä äidinkielellä.

Joten, tästä eteenpäin: eka osio on enkuksi, jälkimmäinen suomeksi. Erotan osiot värillisellä viivalla, että tiedätte mihin kohtaan skrollata. Niin, ja saa tätä käyttää kielikurssinakin.
*virnistys*

Nyt on kuitenkin nimenhuuto paikallaan. Eli jos luet tämän, (ja muistathan ne minun salaiset mittarini, jotka kertovat mistä ja kuinka monta klikkausta sivuilleni tulee) sano hei! On tosi kiva tavata!

Phew...

Now that was some experience today, I'll come by later on to tell you all more.
But right now I need to go clean a stinking (literally blech) fridge, figure out dinner and dash back to school for a meeting.

I will leave you with this link: Susanna on tv
Fast forward to 45 minutes 40 seconds and you'll see me babbling.

Ja sama suomeksi...heh.

Kysymys

Kysymys teille suomalaisille lukijoille:

Pitäisikö blogini olla kaksikielinen?
Eli samat höpötykset niin suomeksi kuin englanniksikin?

Olen nimittäin huomannut, että lukijoita täältä kotimaasta on tullut lisää.
Mulla on salaisia mittareita täällä ;o)

Paper, glue and photos

I scrapped today. I got three layouts done.

Now who'll confess

Come on now.

Raise your hand bravely.

Someone has tipped the YLE morning tv-show people that I scrap.

And now they will interview me live on Tuesday at 8.50am...

Help.

Panic panic panic.

Deep breath.

The show just airs nationally.

Panic panic panic.

I guess the upside to this is, that scrappping has finally landed in Finland.

But yeah... still panicking.

Flashback

I was out taking my walk just now and came across a house that was being torn down. I'm not sure what it was, the smell of the old insulation or other building materials from the 1950's but it smelled just like my grandmother's house.

So very odd.

My nose took me about 30 years back. To memories of my cousin and I fresh out of the sauna mid winter. The sauna was in a separate building and we walked the 10 meters or so up the stairs in the snow to get back in to the house. My grandma would clothe us to look like Michelin men for those few steps. I so clearly remember the discomfort of having on my pyjamas, woollen cardigans and probably two coats to boot and having to sit inside for a good quarter of an hour like that. And that house was warm. It was always at least 25C/77F, summer or winter. My point being that we were already red with the heat from the sauna... she never did know about the importance of cooling down afterwards.

But all was well soon enough when we finally got to toss those coats aside and eat sweet buns and drink strawberry juice.
And if we were really lucky she made us crepes, thick lovely crepes. Served with sugar and strawberry jam.

I might just have to make some jam this week.

So hey... it's October!

I need to find some pumpkins...
And make a Halloweenish banner.. I have an idea for it.

It was pouring down this morning.
Sideways.
Lets put it this way... I had on my rainboots, weatherproof coat and an umbrella.
My toes were dry.
And my hair.. kinda.
The rest of me was soaked.

Great way to start a Monday.
Sigh.

Actually this week looks so much more relaxed than the last one.
I was literally running on empty by last night.
It was the weekend of the Fall Bazaar at school which was completely organized by us 6th grade parents, all profits going towards the camp school trip to England in May. I spent six hours at school on Saturday and and ten hours yesterday.
I'm so glad it's over and done with.
Phew.

Tomorrow I have a short day and am heading out to town in the afternoon with a friend. On Wednesday I have a hair appointment! Wooo hoo!
Doing a happy dance, this appointment is long overdue.

Okie dokie.. I have a cranky kid, a montain of laundry and some emails to catch up on.
See ya!

Eye candy time!

Last weekend we visited the Habitare exhibit. It's the interior design exhibit that is in town every second September.
I took lots of photos.
And I mean lots.

First thought was "Wow.... lots of white.. where's the color..and who has a house big enough for these sofas?"

And then... ten minutes in... we fell in love.
Meet our new dining room table:

...ummm...yes in white...LOL!
But so is the old one.

Love the table legs in the middle.
We went and ordered this table yesterday.. five weeks and it'll be here!


Hey, look at this, I found some color!

No.. not our new chairs.. I'm keeping the old ones.

This little number did make me think where I could use one.
It is just so cheery!

This has to be one of the coolest fireplaces I've seen...

I love the idea of a shy chandelier.
I might do this with ours...


Not your garden variety lamps and certainly won't end up in my house (imagine dusting that ball one), but they did make me smile.

Oooohhh... this however...
I'd love one for my kitchen.
Two cons though: Mika dislikes it and it costs about $3000.
'Nuff said.

Happy happy happy!

Now this is just too cute!

For some reason, I like these.


Ingenious!
You can put it on the floor or hang it up!

No, not a chandelier... a hood for your cooker!
Really!

Is it a sink or a fridge?
Those Italians are just so smart.

How fun is that??!

Enter the pink kitchen.
Yes, the color will probably get old very fast, but look at this:

I've never seen anything like this.
Really makes use of every available bit of space.

I loved these lights...

Just for fun.

And how's this for fun:

These are tiles.
Snake skin tiles.

Or maybe some crocodile for your floor?

Makes me happy to see photos incorporated onto furniture.

Or even tiles.

Behold.
The fireplace.
We've seen this one earlier and loved it even more now.
It is indeed rusted.
Feels wonderful.

The girls found some conceptional chairs.


The green one is called The Caterpillar.


Eeo Aarnio's Dog.
Reminds me of Tintin's dog Milou :o)

Hmmm... a sofa/bookcase/room?

Ah, sweet memories of childhood.
It's Barbalala from the Barbapapa Family!

Some things I just don't get.
Swarowski crystals on towels and bed linen.
You can't even sleep on those!

Happy prints!

Happy bathroom!

Happy fabric!

(it's some of the statues of Helsinki)

Happy balloons!

(now you know where my banner came from)

Happy fabrics!

Happy bowls!

And then some fun artsy photos:

Did you get through all of that?

Wow.

Congrats!

I *heart* YouTube...

A couple of parenting rant gems.

Tripping 101

And no... not that kind of tripping..

The "trip over sneaky 1st grader and go down gloriously" kind of tripping.
Oh yeah.
Went flying today.

It all started with the fact that it was pouring outside at recess. No chance of kicking these kids outside. So while I was still checking math homework, class 1A came into our classroom to watch "Sound of Music". And one of the girls snuck to sit on the floor next to me, but left her foot behind me.

Can you see where this is going?

I took one step back and the next thing I knew I was flat on my back on the floor. On the way down I banged my head on one desk and my arm on another.
Luckily I was wearing my hair up and my hairclip softened the blow on my head, there's still a small bump back there. And my hairclip is a gonner...
My arm however hurt like hell.

So I traipsed up to the teachers' room with a cold pack and nursed both my head and arm on the couch. I then attempted to go back to class, but the aching got worse and in the end I decided to go to the doctor.
No broken bones. Phew.
But I hit the muscle tissue in between those two bones between my wrist and elbow well and good. It'll probably take a week to heal. I can't put any weight on it today and turning a key in the lock is impossible as the twisting action hurts most.

And yes, it's my right hand.
Just my luck.

I just typed this with my left hand and it took forever.

However I now have a very good excuse to go park myself in my comfy chair under a blanket and start on those two seasons worth of "House, MD" my bro dropped off.
I'll be popping painkillers right alongside with him, heh.

Photo share!

It's been a while since I shared...
Sadly I haven't been taking so many lately.

These are from mid August when Saara had a camp-out birthday party.

We set up two tents together so the girls could talk and giggle half the night.
And naturally it POURED during the night and the birthday girl, who was sleeping in that joint got wet....

The wind blew out most of the candles before I even got the cake to the table, LOL!

Now what's a camp-out witout toasted marshmallows?

Moving into September:

My new favorite shot of my girls.

But later that day... something strange happened...

Can you tell the difference?
Yup, sure is red.
I gave her a color rinse which is mostly gone already.
And she LOVED it.

Aaahhh... that school Sports Day.
This is the relay race for grades 1-4 at 7.45am.
Yes, you read correctly.

It's the moment the 1st grade realizes that the 2nd grade won.
You can see our last runner just coming into the picture.

And our buffet tent, we were setting up at 6.45am.

Yes, one of the 6th grade duties, more camp school fund raising.


Saara doing shot put.


And Niina trying out long jump.
Practicing for 1st grade next year :o)