Hey, have you already seen this new Ikea shelf called "Botkyrka"?
I think it's perfect! Simple & functional.
It comes in 3 colors: classic white, graphic dark grey and happy yellow.
All pics by Ikea
Botkyrka Shelves
ShopTravelFood
Demolishing Work In Budapest
The huge office block on Margit körút on Buda side in Budapest is almost totally demolished. In the place of this former Economy Ministry a park will be created. This building was even uglier than Kallion virastotalo in Helsinki... Before I heard that there will be a new park I was sure they will expand the Mammut shopping mall...
The government has asked the economy minister to assess whether a multistorey underground car park can be built in the area and if this could be done with the help of European Union funding.
Sunday Treat
Just finished Riikka Pulkkinen's 'Vieras' (2012) - could be translated as 'guest' or 'stranger'. Somehow both would go and in Finnish there's only one and same word for both meanings.
Riikka Pulkkinen's texts are always very strong and meaningful. The topics of her books are familiar yet pretty heavy - about death, eating disorders, feelings, love, society ... Earlier I have read 'Totta' (2010) and 'Raja' (2006).
In 'Vieras' there's a woman in her 30s living in Helsinki. She's a priest, married and after her faith begins to crumble she travels to New York to her mother's childhood neighborhoods to find out answers.
While reading Riikka's books you can feel that she has the need to write. She has her own unique style to tell stories.
Summer, a balcony, a cup of mango-lychee green tea & a good book.
And lovely scent of lavender!
"Luin joskus kirjan, jossa vanha nainen sanoi, ett jotkut kantavat mukanansa syntymänsä traumaa, sitä kun putoaa maailmaan silloin kun vähiten odottaa. Vanha nainen oli nähnyt paljon, tunsi itsensä ja kaipuunsa, oli matkustanut horisonttiin ja takaisin. Hän sanoi, että ehkä juuri tämän ensimmäisen kivun ja äkkiarvaamatta koittaneen saapumisen takia jotkut haluavat niin kovasti matkustaa, jotkut meistä haluavat saapua yhä uudelleen, kerta toisensa jälkeen, lähtemisensä jälkeen, jäävät kiinni tähän liikkeeseen."
"Luin joskus kirjan, jossa vanha nainen sanoi, ett jotkut kantavat mukanansa syntymänsä traumaa, sitä kun putoaa maailmaan silloin kun vähiten odottaa. Vanha nainen oli nähnyt paljon, tunsi itsensä ja kaipuunsa, oli matkustanut horisonttiin ja takaisin. Hän sanoi, että ehkä juuri tämän ensimmäisen kivun ja äkkiarvaamatta koittaneen saapumisen takia jotkut haluavat niin kovasti matkustaa, jotkut meistä haluavat saapua yhä uudelleen, kerta toisensa jälkeen, lähtemisensä jälkeen, jäävät kiinni tähän liikkeeseen."
My grey skirt
What to wear with my grey jersey skirt?
I like to keep it comfy and simple as always.
That Miu Miu tote would be so perfect...with any outfit. Maybe one day...
Sand Glimmer
After bright red comes a more earthy hue. This time it's Lumene's #18 Sand Glimmer. It's a "gel effect" nail polish which has a nice glossy effect. I'm not sure if it is suppose to stay longer than a normal polish, but for me it lasted nice only for 3 days after that the nails started to look chippy.
Anyway, I was positively surprised how the color turned even more beautiful than it looks in the bottle. Very sophisticated shade, isn't it?
Lumene #18 Sand Glimmer
Diptyque: Violette
It's so difficult to find a scented candle that doesn't have that artificial smell. This is my second Diptyque's scented candle, the first one was lovely "Lilac". You're not supposed to burn it all day, only an hour, even half an hour will do, and you get a nice scent all over the place.
Very pleasant powdery scent!
"Diptyque Violette (Violet) Candle is a refined and humble sweet floral, a charming fragrance of sensuous humus, undergrowth and shade. Violet is a long time favorite among the Persians, the Romans, the Greeks, and still today, the small flower tells of remembrances."
Got a sample of the Olène eau de toilette. That is divine!
"Venice, with its narrow streets, palaces of a thousand splendors, fragrant hidden gardens, alfresco dining at nightfall under the shelter of a pergola. A place where time simply ceases...It is best explored on foot, on unforgettable strolls, where each step echoes an aromatic accord. Venice, a city to inhale deeply: here, a thick cluster of wisteria; there, tender honeysuckle, further on, sensual jasmine and elegant and mysterious narcissus. Olène conjures the mysterious depths of twilight dotted with the subtle, starry glow of dainty white flowers. "
Spiced Up Scandinavian Home
I don't usually pin or use other people's photos, but now I just could't resist as I saw these on Danish Femina magazine!
Neutral, natural shades combined with loads of whites. Beautiful mixture of Scandinavian & Moroccan style - can it get any better?
What a lovely home!
Smoothie a la Miami
I named this smoothie "Miami" because of its delicious pink color.
1 banana
a cup of blackberries
a bit of fresh ginger
a spoonful of chia seeds
soya milk
All to the blender for a few seconds, and delicious & nutritious breakfast is ready!
Pink is definitely the color in Miami Beach!
No trip to Miami on my agenda...
Sunday Treat
What could be a better way to spend a Sunday that having it in a lazy way eating a bowl of vanilla ice cream with plenty of rest berries and reading an interesting book on a sofa?
That's how I'm spending it. It's hot in the city, half cloudy, half sunny, occasional showers.
About the book I bought at Luton the previous day - "The lie of you" by Jane Lythell.
The format of the book is a bit similar as in Gillian Flynn's book "Gone Girl". There're 2 persons - Kathy and Heja - telling the story one after the other. This is a book you want to read on the spot right away. It's thrilling with well-made characters. I'm not going to spoil it, but I just want to mention that there are some Finnish characters in this British book. Even though some of the names doesn't sound very Finnish to me, such as the name of the main character "Heja Vanhaenen" - never heard the name "Heja", perhaps "Eija" would've been a better choice and the last name would've been much better if it had been "Vanhanen" as that sounds very Finnish. Heja's mother's name is "Solange" - not Finnish at all, and her father is "Pieter" - never heard that one either. Heja's aunt is called "Tanya" - once again not a Finnish name. "Tanja" would have sounded better. For me those names were a bit irritating, but in the book there are some very typical Finnish names as well like "Arvo Talvela", "Markus Hartman", "Ilkka Niemi".
I might even have a nap in the middle of the day...
ps. I would rate the book 4/5.
Visit Porvoo!
Welcome to Porvoo!
If you have time, make a day trip to Porvoo. It's definitely worth it! Especially the Old Town with old wooden houses, lovely interior shops, small lifestyle boutiques, delicatessens, cafes...
Porvoo is not a totally new nor strange place for me as I studied there for four years, ages ago though. Well, it has changed a lot for better since those times, but even then the Old Town was so idyllic. I remember Cafe Helmi from those years, but all the other lovely stores were new to me.
As I never lived in Porvoo, I took every morning for four years a bus from Helsinki to Porvoo, so it is pretty easy to visit there even if you don't have a car. It's about 50km from Helsinki.
Here are some of the pics I took of the Old Town.
The silk butterfly blouse in the last pic was so cute & soft...
ps. for lunch I suggest Bistro Sinne, even though it's not in the Old Town, but you'll find it easily.