VELVET CASHEW SUNSHINE SMOOTIE

Well hello htere internet! I have not been much around it as you can see. Or, actualy: may think, because that's not entirely  true. Time away from the internet would do many rather good I think, but  I have not reated myself to more books or long walks lately instead, just had more work to dig into and and more emails to answer and workouts to go trough. And take care of other essential things like fixing metallic curls for a robot's wig at three in the morning and putting crystals on tiny pants.

But meanwhile here's a smooth smoothie in a pale yellow colour to suit the season, as over here is seems spring really is on it's way!

This one has half a banana, froxen mango and a few bits of fresh pineapple, a spoon of organic peanutbutter and was blended out with cashew milk. "So good!", as Dag said.

4 x RANDOMS

I had big hair.

These cherries defied winter and are still hanging in there.

Dag on one of the wood horses in Tapiola. I rode them too as a kid, but back when there were many of them in different colours. Many were also rather high. Not safe enough for today's standards I think.

And then I wore a little animal print.

LAYERS OF BLACK, BABY BLUE, BEIGE AND GREY

I am wearing clothes.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Happy Valentine's Day everybody!
I am contiuing with my tradition of something heart shaped.

The roses are not for me though -Eddi is away in South Africa and I apparently have no secret admirers either ;)  but for our students that will receive them after they have performed (for the very first time) at the burlesque debutant ball tonight.

The cholocate however is from me to me.

TREATS

My PT sessions are back! To illustrate this I have a highly informative picture of my super shaky hand that feels like it’s stuck in grip-mode after a hard workout (and yes you can also check out my nails with their icy winter manicure).

I worked out with my personal trainer for ten weeks last winter, and it was the best money investment I had made in a long time. You really get to push yourself in a new way. Plus get a bunch of new moves to work on. And, it really is something of an investment, not only from the money point of view, but also (cheesy sentence alert:) an investment in yourself because you know, your body is the one thing you have to live with your whole life. So at the end of last year I gave myself a present when the tax return money came and got myself a set of 10 new sessions. A great decision, once again.

I have always worked out, sometimes more, sometimes less, even though it seldom makes it here more than in a mention or two. What I really loved doing was Savate; French (kick) boxing. I’ve always liked martial arts. I used to do Tae Kwon Do when I was in my late teens. But then my knee got fucked up (a friend sat on my leg so it turned the wrong way, kind of, and things broke) and I had to take a break and then other things came up and I never returned. The reasons I then quit savate about seven years ago were that my working hours in the harbour were so hard I seldom managed to work out on a schedule. That, and that my other knee got fucked up (things broke during a jumping practice) and I had to have an operation and take a 6 month break. Afterwards I returned but when I started performing the bruises all over did not really fit in. Now I live too far from the boxing gym for it to be convenient and my nails are too long to fit in the boxing gloves. But one day I will return! (Add to list of things to take up again). Because, there is no such thing as too old.

Speaking of which; being older today than yesterday, as we all are, I remember reading a blog post from some 19-20-21 year old fashion blogger quite many years ago (I must have been about 26 or 27) where the young author was posting some red carpet celebrity pictures. She was being surprised and impressed that this one celeb woman (can’t remember who and don’t care) could be in such good shape at the age of thirty four! Well, this of course was met with some  amusement from many older (or, “older”) readers that stumbled by, and also by me, not because I didn't think thirty-something was that old back then, but mostly because I had always though I would be in a helluvalot of better shape at 34 than I was at, say, 22 or 26. See, even though I was working out regularly at that time I also went out and partied very regularly. I always thought (and was perhaps hoping) that at 30-something I’d be working out more smart and more dedicated, going out less and having less drinks. And so on. And, ta-da, so indeed I am! After childbirth few will have the same measurements back as one had when 21, but I am in better shape now, in a smarter way, than I’ve ever been before. Moving around for a living also helps, and now of course also because of the pilates training. Being healthy feels good, but I consider myself to be the kind of person that will never get super duper I-will-start-an-instagram-account-about-it fit, neither do I have the need to, because, well, chocolate and red wine are also totally awesome things in this world. But when I’m 34, which is this yearI’m going to be ripped! (or then not, you know, because chocolate. But I like saying it just for fun.)

I also gave myself another treat - a set of vouchers for Liangtse Wellness (a Chinese medicine wellness center). (To illustrate that is the tiny little tea pot you are served tea in when you wait, and later a content me in those small gold pyjamas you get to wear during your treatment.)


I got a gift card there from Eddi for Christmas - I had been planning to of there for years but I am the kind of person who is really bad at getting such things done for myself. Now as I was at it I went all pay-now-think-later and got myself that voucher set.  But it was a good pey first think later moment, because nothing beats someone kneading you aching head for half an hour. Well that would then be one whole hour (and perhaps some other things as well. But it definitely makes top ten of certain lists at least!) My relaxation for the ongoing year is guaranteed.


Now if I could only learn to treat myself to do my book keeping on a regular basis and to fall earlier to sleep at night things'd be even better.

PAINTING

You know I love animations and stop motion in particular!
Jon Rolph painting a Piet Mondrian in legos. Yes that sentence makes sense.

A LITTLE WOLUME ON TOP

 I don't like to tease or back-comb my hair. When setting my hair with curls it gets enough volume for what I normally am after, but sometimes when I want something more of a bouffant I go for hair fills rather than teasing. But not all hair fills are the perfect solution either, as I often feel my hair keeps sliding off or forming gaps in the middle.


But you can of course also get some volume into your hairdo by how you choose to lay your hair - this sideway-swirl-do gives some height by itself. You can then add to it by using just a little fill (which also makes securing the 'do eaiser) that will stay well in place.

We'll get back to the how-to in another post really soon, along with a good hint for a light and easy hair fill. But - if you'd like to learn how to roll it live, plus get some other small tips and trix when it comes to different vintage inspired do's,  I am throwing a 2-part vintage inspired hairstyling workshop next weekend!

The workshop is held in our studio in Lauttasaari on Friday evening (the 13th) and on Saturday the 14th in the day with setting the hair in the evening and brushing it out and making hairdo's the next day- fancy hair for Valentines Day! Held in Finnish, also English or Swedish if needed. See the event page for more info and how to sign up: Set those curls & style your locks!

WHITE ON WHITE WITH SPARKLE; WINTER PHOTOSHOOT

Today I had a ice queen-themed shoot for my winter act with Asko Rantanen. We had been waiting for a suitable day with the right weather and amount of snow for some time already and today everything was just right! It was a productive day and the results will be great. The act itself has not been that special, one of my so called "dinner numbers" (i.e. one that you can easily do anywhere, mainly just an aesthetic act that perhaps has more surface than depth to it. Which is totally alright.), but I started been developing it bit by bit this year and also adding to the costume, making the whole thing evolve into something more one day. And well now I better work on it because I'm getting awesome pics, heh.

I only used part of my costume though; I had a modified sheet for the skirt instead of the actual sateen one (it will thank me later, I am sure).

A big part of shooting is just setting it up and preparing and, when outdoors especially, correcting the clothing and props and and and... This time we shot without an assistant so there was a lot of concentrating going on.


Everything is not serious business though, especially not after a couple of hours in the snow.

As you can see... well, who could resist not doing this anyway?
(Me, actually. I did learn some things as a kid.)



Our last location was just around the corner of our house. Dag joined us and we took the sledge there.
(Note my very gracious winter queen boots and xxx-layers of socks underneath.)

Behind the scenes shots also by Asko.

SOFT GREY & MINT GREEN

  Mint green & soft grey in a re-discovered old sweater. I got it in Milan when I was there performing and also pregnant with Dag.  (That's almost three years ago!! Time flies.)

On yet another quest for all that much coveted space, I decided to clean out my closet and give away anything I haven't used that much and this mint green sweater  -which, even though it is the colour it is has been strangely hard to wear- was about to go, until I noticed it did indeed go rather well with my big grey skirt. So it got to stay.

I like big skirts in winter because if needed you can hide any warm layers underneath.

And here I am in said sweater and big skirt hanging out by my fridge.

4 x BREAKFAST

Muesli with almond milk and avocado and pear.


Chia porridge. Or pudding. Of chia seeds and almond milk. With pomegranate and pear.
I am not a fan of slimy things so I made it rather firm.  I'm keen on trying a raw version of the classical Nordish lingonberry-semolina dish ("whipped porridge") that's made of chia seeds that I stumbled upon somewhere. Otherwise, more a fan of oats or semolina in a traditional porridge.

I was in a hurry.

And the classic peanutbutter & banana sandwhich! I sometimes have this on dark sour rye bread too. It works.