An update

8.12.
Visiting the in-laws.
Funny fuzzy photo, but you know what it tells me?
Niina has learnt to read. I love watching this whole new world opening for her.
Mummolassa kyläilemässä.
On sumuinen ja epätarkka kuva, mutta arvaatteko mistä on kysymys?
Niina on oppinut lukemaan. On mahtavaa katsoa kun uusi maailma aukeaa sivu sivulta.


9.12.
Finally a sunny morning.
If just for a moment.
I know it's hard to grasp if you've never lived this far north. Today the sun rose at 9.13am and sets in just a little while at 3.13pm.
If you're lucky, you'll get a little ray of sunshine. If not, it's this dusky grey blanket.
Vihdoinkin aurinkoinen aamu.
vaikka se olikin vain pieni hetki.


10.12.
Ooohh.. this was fun.
Reflection tricks.
You can see my round lights reflected in the window, and my camera lens reflected in the middle of that.
And that odd bit of blue light? My neighbors' horrid Christmas lights...
Hauska efekti.
Valoympyrä heijastuu ikkunasta ja sen keskellä heijastuu kameran linssi.
Ja tuo omituinen sininen välähdys on naapurini ihme siniset jouluvalot...


11.12.
My Christmas cards arrived yesterday. And they were packed in these.
Way cool.
That's the Italian Alps, night time in Europe, Spain and bits of Norway, Sweden and Finland in winter.
I'm so saving these for some future project.
Joulukorttitilaukseni saapui eilen. Ja kortit oli pakattu näihin.
Mielettömän makeita.
Euroopan osia.
Laitan talteen jotain tulevaa projektia varten.
(kuoria saa kun tilaa kuvia Ifolorilta eli entinen Ifi)

And now?
Off to write all the envelopes...
Ja nyt kirjekuoria kirjoittelemaan.

Photo of the day continued...

6.12.
Independence Day.
Our fair Finland turned 90 years old.
It is a tradition to light two white and blue candles on your window from 6pm to 8pm.


I even washed all the crystals in the chandelier for the occasion.
Took them down thinking, yeah.. this is easy to remember where they go, there are only three different sizes.
Right.
Famous last words...
Had to dig out a two year old photo in the end to get it back together again, LOL!


7.12.
Mary is looking good in her new outfit and is busily decorating her tree already.
I'm quite proud of myself as that is the first 1:12 size doll outfit I've sewn/glued together. But she's so very 1940's chic now.

A few days' worth :)

3.12.
I step on this rock every single morning on my way to work.
Took me two months before I noticed it was shaped like a heart!
Astun tälle kivelle joka aamu matkallani töihin.
Minulta meni pari kuukautta ennenkuin tajusin, että sehän on sydän!


4.12.
Slush.
Welcome to my city, the capital of slush.
If your local you's refer this weather as the Helsinki slush sh*t.
Wearing my trusty goretex shoes to keep my toes dry.
Loskaa.
Helsingin taattua loskap*aska keliä.
Goretex kengät jalassa pärjää.


5.12.
Tomorrow this fair lady of Finland turns 90 years old.
We had celebrations at school today.
And to top it all, we got cake!
These were all desings made by the students.
The chocolate cake was out of this world delicious..mmmm...
Huomenna onkin Suomi-neidon 90-vuotis päivä.
Me juhlimme tänään koulussa.
Kaiken kukkuraksi tarjolla oli vielä kakkuakin!
Kaikki olivat oppilaiden suunnittelemia.
Suklaakakku oli suorastaan syntisen hyväää...

One of today's out-takes

2.12.

Oh yes.

Feel free to knock yourselves over with a feather.

This year I'm sending out a family photo.

I just ordered my cards.

Fashionably late.

Heh.

It's white!!!

I woke up to our first official snow of the year.
Official as in, there's enough for the city plows..ploughs.. oh heck, not sure of the spelling... anyhow.. for them to show up.
Yes, really good English.
It's early on a Sunday morning....
Virallinen ensilumi oli maassa kun heräsin.
Virallinen siis tarkoittaa sitä, että kaupungin aurat lähtevät liikenteeseen.

I'm off to the doll and bear market with the girls this morning.
I can't wait.
Olen kohta lähdössä tyttöjen kanssa Nalle ja Nukke markkinoille...
Olen ihan pöhkön innoissani...

Camera, lights...

Welcome to my photo advent calendar.
Tervetuloa valokuvajoulukalenteriini.
(nice long word, huh?)

December 1st.

First photo of the month.

Joulukuun eka.

Kuun ensimmäinen valokuva.

Because it's so dark...

it's all about the light.

Koska on kaamos...

valo on tärkeää.

I've got my Christmas lights all blazing, how about you?

And be honest now, how many strings?

Minulla palavat jouluvalot täysillä, entä sinulla?

Ja ihan rehellisesti, kuinka paljon niitä on?

I've got a total of 80+120+40+40+40+40 outside.

And 80+40+50+50+50+20+50+120+80+20 inside.

Hey, it's dark here!

Every bulb helps.

*grin*

Numerot ovat samat suomeksikin, ensimäinen letka on ulkovalot ja toinen letka kaikki sisällä palavat.

No kun on kaamos!

Jokainen polttimo autaa.

*virne*

Yes yes.. I know...

I get the Bad Blogger Award...
What can I say. It's been busy.
Good excuse, eh?
(why yes, I have been hanging out with a Canadian. On a daily basis...why? Hehehee)

Oh and as this is being typed quite late, this entry is in English.
Can't wrap my brain into translating.
Hard enough catching the typos... you should see me furiously backspacing here...
Plus, I like to mess with your minds. I'm evil like that.
No really... it's 11pm on Friday night. I'll leave it at that, ok?

I am hoping to get my act together for December though.
Last year I had the daily advent calendar banner, but this year I think I'll challenge myself to another round of "photo a day". It'll be a true challenge as it is so flipping dark here. I might even have to [gasp, horror!] turn on the flash...

Onto a little bit of rambling. I'm so good at composing blog entries in my mind while going to work in the morning. However the school computer won't allow me to sign onto blogger so I could type them out while still fresh in my mind. And once I get home it's all about kids' homework, dinner, laundry etc. (I don't know why I threw in laundry... I'm so behind it's ridiculous..) By the time I get online again, I'm too tired to type. It's a viscious circle.

However, this week as we got off the bus and started walking towards the school, I made a decision to find a new thing to admire every morning. Be it an architectural detail I had missed earlier (I walk through a really interesting area), a new set of Christmas lights, someone wearing a cute scarf... Makes my dark walk a little bit more fun.

Mmmm... this week... dark. And getting darker. Hit me on Tuesday when I was on the bus on my way home from the hair salon. There was the most glorious sunset I had seen in a while. Flaming orange, gold, pink, purple... just blazingly amazing.
And I looked at the time.
3.55pm.
Ouch.
I just wish we'd get some snow.

I am turning on the outside Christmas lights on Sunday. Can't wait.
Now there's a chore though.
It is something I can't wrap my mind around... why is it that lights that are perfectly bound, plugged in for two hours to check and change burnt bulbs, turn into a tangled mess once you start stringing them outside and have three more burnt bulbs in seconds..
Drives me insane.
And another thing... why is it not possible to buy replacement bulbs for the lights I bought two years ago??! That pack of five bulbs is not sold anywhere. Instead, I have to go buy a whole new different set! And in the new ones, you can't even replace bulbs!
Aaaarrrgghhhh.....

Onto other news.
Our new dining table arrived:

Yes.. it is upside down on the floor.
And those legs are right way up. Making sense?
No? I know the feeling... A fairly pricey table and the board has no holes for the screws!
Geeezzzz... we are calling the store tomorrow...
And that tabletop weighs a ton. Or three. I cannot move it. Nor lift it. So I have no idea how we'll flip this table around once those legs are in place... I may just buy floor pillows and call it Japanese style.

I lent this to my cousin today:

It's the christening gown my Mom crocheted for my brother. Two of my cousins and both my girls have also worn it.

We also took this along:

Isn't he just the cutest bear ever?

I'm hoping he'll like it.

That is eight day old cuteness.
And I got to snuggle him today.
So sweet.
Newborn therapy, wipes your worries away in a second.

That time of year

When it gets cold outside, I dig out the yarns... ummm.. read: go buy new yarns.
*grin*

Tähän aikaan vuodesta kaivan aina langat esiin.. siis.. menen ostamaan uusia ihania lankoja.
*virnistys*

This will be my new scarf. I absolutely love this yarn, sooo soft and the colors...

Uusi kaulahuivini työn alla, lanka oli rakkautta ensi silmäyksellä...

And then lets hit the department called are you nuts?

Ja sitten osastolle hullun hommaa...

Yes, those are dollhouse scale snowglobes. Made from medicine packaging.

Jepulis, nukkekoti kokoisia ..jaa.. mitäs nuo ovatkaan suomeksi? Lumisadepallo?

I wonder what else I'll think of today?
Of course what I should do is sort through my Mom's photos... all gazillion of them.
Sigh.
Yeah.. that and laundry.

Mitähän muuta tänään tekisi?
Pitäisi kyllä käydä läpi kaikki äitini valokuvat.. kaikki biljoonasataamiljoonaa.
Huokaus.
Jep... sitä ja pestä pyykkiä.

This and that

The cursives are my Finnish translations :-)
Tänään suomennokset ovat kursiivilla kuvien kohdilla :-)

It's been a while since I shared photos. Just so you know, it is dark and grey here and getting photos without the flash is painful. And there aren't too many things I dislike more than flash photography... cauliflower, peasoup and being late.. but that's about it.

En ole viime aikoina ottanut paljon kuvia, ja se johtuu tästä kaamoksesta. Minä kun inhoan ottaa kuvia salamalla. Se on korkealla siellä inhokkilistalla hermekeiton, kukkakaalin ja myöhässä olemisen kanssa.

But I now have some time to share.

Shouldn't I be at work?

Well, yes... but... I'm home with a little patient:

Mutta nyt on aikaa ladata tänne muutama kuva.

Jaa miksen ole töissä?

Koska:

Niina has an eye infection and has to stay home from school for three days.

She's feeling a whole lot better today as the meds have kicked in and there's no icky goo coming out of the eyes.

Niinalla on silmätulehdus, eikä saa mennä kolmeen päivään kouluun.

Onneksi olo on parantunut eilisestä kun lääke alkoi vaikuttamaan ja inha rähmän tulo loppui.

Lets take a look at this fuzzy photo:

Katsotaanpas sumuista kuvaa:

A few things going on here.

First there's the new scarf I knitted her. The kids at school asked me if I knitting it out of cotton candy heheheee... the yarn was so pink and fluffy.

Muutama juttu meneillään tässä kuvassa.

1. Uusi kaulaliina jonka neuloin. Muksut koulussa kysyivät neulonko sitä hattarasta kun lankakerä oli ihan sen näköinen.

Second:

She's got a goofy grin as she lost both her front teeth. And a genetic glitch has left her without the number 2 teeth (next to the front teeth) on her upper jaw, so she now sports a vampire look. And a cute lisp...

2. Hassu hymy. Yläetuhampaat lähtivät. Ja genetiikasta johtuen puuttuvat yläkakkoshampaat kokonaan. On ihan vampyyri meininki. Ja äshä shuhishee...

Third:

She wanted her hair just like Saara's, who got it cut two weeks ago. So on Friday she lost half the length of her hair. We all love her new cute look.

3.Niina halusi hiukset samanlaisiksi kuin iso siskolla, jonka hiukset lyhenivät pari viikkoa sitten. Joten perjantaina jäi kampaamon lattialle puolet hiuksista. Uusi tyyli on tosi kiva!

Winter is knocking...

Talvi tuloillaan...

It looked this pretty for one day last week.

Then it melted away. It is slushing again today. Too wet to stay on the ground though.

Oli se viime viikolla näin kaunista yhtenä päivänä, kunnes suli pois. Nytkin sataa rannikon räntää.

Last week we had a charity project at school that kept the 6th graders out of trouble, heh.

Viime viikolla oli koulussa hyväntekeväisyysprojekti, joka piti 6s luokkalaiset kiireisinä.

We had asked for donations and got plenty! We packed Christmas packages for little boys and girls. These packages will be sent to poor children in Moldova.

Olimme pyytäneet vanhemmilat lahjoituksia ja tavaraa tuli! Pakkasimme joulupaketteja köyhille lapsille Moldovaan.

This pile of over 70 boxes filled with goodies gives me warm fuzzies.

Yli 70 laatikkoa lämmittää mieltä ja sydäntä.

Today, I planted a garden.

Tänään tein pihatöitä:

More photos of the yard for Saara's dollhouse can be found here. Along with some other mini projects of late.

Lisää kuvia löytyy täältä, kuten myös muita miniprojekteja.

Toimiiko kursiivi paremmin kuin kahtia jako?

On ainakin mulle helpompi kirjoitella....

The 5 Colors of Me

A mini album I made a little time ago.

Fun fun fun.

Moving on

Because you cannot dwell in sorrow.
It will make you ill.

Our Thursday at school was busy. Luckily the little ones were much less affected by the Jokela school shooting than us adults or the bigger kids. Everyone got the support they needed however. We had the school nurse, psychologist, religion teachers and the parish priest offer crisis help to who ever needed it.

Myself, I decided to only watch one news broadcast and read the newspaper. And leave it at that. My heart goes out to those families who lost children and to the kids who will have a hard time returning to those same classrooms.

What warmed my heart was the little interview in the paper of the priest who accompanied the police that dark night bearing devastating news to the families. He said that so many people in midst of their own sorrow said to give their sympathy to the shooters family.
One can only imagine the guilt and confusion those parents feel.

no. here? never... can't be...

Those thoughts were going through my head as I sat in rush hour traffic and listened to the bus driver's radio.

Today an 18 year old boy, went to his high school (middle school + high school) and shot the principal and seven kids. He is in critical condition himself after turning the gun on himself.

This 30 kilometers away.
Here.
This is the kind of thing that happens in Columbine.
Or Virginia Tech.
Over there.
Far away.
Not here.
Not at home.
Not in our safe secure corner of the world.

Needless to say our secure safe corner feels less safe tonight.

I have a scared 12 year old.
She is so lucky to have great friends and caring teachers at school tomorrow morning.
It'll be a tough morning tomorrow.

Now go and hug your kids.

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Ajatukset ovat Jokelan koulun tapahtumissa.
Eiköhän kaikki halata muksujamme tänä iltana.

New gallery up at AMLT!

Here are three of my five new layouts. You'll find the rest and sooooo much more when you click this link!

Enjoy.

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AMLT:n galleriassa on jälleen paljon uutta! Mm. nuo kolme sivuani, mutta lisää löytyy tuon yläpuolella olevan linkin takaa.

It's the official WHOOO HOOOO Elizabeth Day!!!

Lets hear it for my buddy Elizabeth Dillow:

HIP HIP HURRAA!

Elizabeth's book is released today.

I don't know about you, but I'm eager to to have this one!

For those of you not familiar with this very cool and talented scrapping chick, you can go visit her blog or hop and skip to the Simple Scrapbooks site to see some of her fabulous work.

And E, I hope you have a fantastic day today.
You've earned a party.
*grin*

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?

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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!

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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.