PINK AND GREY

 I let my pink Parikkas out of the closet for the first time in years!
They go well with the vintage deadstock knit top that I got from Style me Betty a few years back.

The skirt however I have worn a lot lately, as you may have noticed. I am very much of a period-wearer, going trough my wardrobe in cycles. The skirt is H&M.

A SWEATPANTS SKIRT AND... MORE CHECKS!

I made myself a skirt out of a soft and stretchy sweatpants fabric that probably was meant for sport gear or so as it has a somewhat shiny surface. Well, shiny surface = fancy skirt so this is one of those 'HAH! I fooled the universe'-pieces of clothing.
Or, almost, because then the universe fooled me a little bit by making me lazy and putting in an elastic waist band instead of a zipper & hook/button fastening when in fact I did not cut the skirt with that much extra to make it easily pulled over my hip . So it is not so comfy to get into but comfy once it's on. I figured as I only have to squeeze twice per day to get in and out of it, or perhaps four times if I got to the gym, I can live with it.

The skirt is cut in something between a half circle and a 3/4  circle skirt. The shoes are old Minna Parikka's and yes, I am wearing checks again because that is clearly the theme for this autumn!

VERY BLUE & RATHER STRIPED

Sunshine and warm weather - what a perfect reason to take out the good shoes!
In this case, my azur blue Lulus from Minna Parikka.

The bag is vintage and the dress is from Indiska.

Dag, always eager to be a part of everything everything (and touch and grab and possess all things :) also joined in on the color scheme and theme.

STREETCAR DRESS AND A UKULELE

Here we are on our way to my dad to celebrate Father's Day (which we obviously spend now and not in June over here), wearing plaid together. Since the father in this house is on the other side of the world working for the moment it was Grandfather's Day for us instead.

My sister gave me a ukulele for my birthday; I've wanted one for some time. My father also recently got one so Dag and I practiced a song to play on the uke together for him. "Together" you know. Pling plong.

My dress is the Streetcar dress from Trashy Diva and the shoes are old Minna Parikka's.

BLUE SUEDE AND PATTERNED SILK IN CORAL

 

After not only days but weeks of hanging around lambs and kids and dirt in the countryside wearing flats and shorts it feels great to put on super hero heels and some fancy and head into town for the weekend.

 (But first before going anywhere some mandatory blogg posing. Always that.)


I was offered to choose an outfit from Sheinside to myself and I chose this silk blouse- and skirt combo.

It's quite different from a lot of other things I have but I like it because of that!

The shoes as you may remember are Minna Parikka.

LULUS IN AZUR BLUE

So, whatever was in the bag peeping in one picture from a few days back?

These ones! Azur blue Lulu-heels from Minna Parikka.

Some may recall me saying that I'd get a pair of Parikkas after giving birth. And I got a little gift card to the Parikka shop from my sister last Christmas. So now almost one year later I kept the promise to myself and settled for these true blue ones. 

And, more on the shoe front still: the Reina Muerte wedges that Freestyle Xtreme was giving away has found an owner!
Dum di dum...

In the drawing luck was on Dita von Grué's side! So off we send a pair to France then :)

PARK LUNCH IN THE CITY

Wednesday as my instagram saw it.

 Today I rolled my hair in small victory rolls and head out to town in the summer heat with Dag.

We met up my sisters in a park for an extempore late lunch. Dag decided not only his but everyone's food was at its best with the box flipped over, on the grass...

Good thing my youngest sister's new puppy molly was there to help finnish it off.

Her boyfriend snapped a polaroid of Dag and his aunts.

It doesn't get more 2013 than this does it; taking a smartphone photo of an old school polaroid  and sharing it with retrofilters on on instagram... 

Little mister I-am-covered-in-my-lunch got a new hat and then fell asleep.

And I got myself something too but we'll check back on that later...

NOT YOUR EVERYDAY PAIR OF BUNNY SLIPPERS

Pfeiffer and Angora heels by Minna Parikka.

The Charlotte Olympia kitty wedges and heels.

Louis Vuitton zebra and giraffe sandals.

Loubotin lion paw heels. Crazy much. And a bit ugly actually.
(But fun too. Although I wouldn't pay shitloads of money for a pair of fun shoes. Not even though they have a heel covered in glitter).

Ducks. Kobi Levi's animal shoes again are quite fun too, and interesting, but I wouldn't pay shitloads for just interesting either. 

Last but not least, high heeled bunny slippers by Streetzie.  Luv.

(The image sources that are not from the designer/supplier are linked.)

YES PLEASE

I don't need any of the stuff above.

But that still does not mean they wouldn't be nice to have, you know.

One could throw in a couple of bangles more, in rose pink and spring green.

Honey Dress from Trashy Diva and PomPom peep toe from Minna Parikka.

Hairflowers and vintage rhinestone bangle from Etsy.

RIDICULE AROUND RITA

Some time ago there were headlines over here, and smaller notices elsewhere, about Ivana Trump suing the Finnish fashion company IVANAhelsinki claiming the later was taking advantage of her name. This was when the IVANAhelsinki collection was presented at the New York fashion week. While many considered it a PR trick from Trump's side, it was considered plain idiocity over here : IVANAhelsinki was founded in the late nineties by Paola Ivana (yes, that's her name too) while Trump registered her name as a trade mark as late as 2002... And back then few even knew about any of the Trumps over here - and even fewer cared. I noticed that some of the non Finnish articles mentioning the case, while over all neutral, were wondering why someone would want to use the Ivana name anyhow as the thing is a bit "old and used already". (To be pointed out is that there seems to be several Ivana-named brands in NY already, like an Ivana Vodka for example). Which shows of bad research of those authors - apart from the facts already mentioned the thing with IVANA helsinki is that the brand of course has nothing to do with any other Ivana than the one designing the clothes, and does not really have any need nor desire to be associated with anything else than itself.

Well, I don't know how the case has continued as the news front has been silent so far. But yesterday a new case made the headlines (something I noticed already has been appearing in posts by many fellow Finnish blogs during the past day too); Adidas has demanded Minna Parikka to withdraw her Rita shoe from the market, claiming the three stripes are copied from the classic Adidas sneaker.

Minna has explained that the three stripes are the ribbons of the bows in front of the shoe, but she still chose to withdraw the boot as "a small entrepreneur stands little chance against a huge corporation". It seems her matching Mistress gloves are also no longer available.

Of course companies and trade marks should watch out for themselves and their copyrighted products and look (for example the Marimekko vs. D&G case was rather obvious), but not by being obsessive - or cocky. I think comparing a high heeled boot from a chick designer to a classic leisure sneaker is, well, ridiculous.

For me those striped boots resembles a covered version of some of her pumps with three or more straps. But never in a lifetime would I have thought of Adidas! What do you think?

DREAMING ABOUT SHIPS, LONGING FOR THE SEA

My photos from this shoot in January.







Sailor Cherry / Burlesque Doll
Photo : Mirva Thil / Post Production: me
Make up, hair & Styling: me

Corset: Corsets UK, Top: Tara Starlet, Frilly Knickers: What Katie Did, Shoes: Minna Parikka

I've had that sailor monkey, Plyti Apan, since 1982.

DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO CLICKING THE BUY BUTTON...

Minna Parikka's S/S 2010 can be wieved at her new site. I'm not going totally banans over the collection (or the ultra skinny model featuring it) but I wouldn't say no to this little overall for example, or to some of the cardigans in the collection (not to mention the Stocking Heels...)

Some of the knitwear from the past collection are on sale and I'm considering to get myself a salorish cardigan for more than half of the price it was. So far only considering, as it even at some 60% off is rather costy. But Sunday evenings, especially after a long day at work, has the dangerous ability of putting things slightly out of proportion (economically) - and perspective(economically) though, as well as listing things in a different line of importance... It usually end in the same way (which is: I buy).

So I don't know, Go! or No?

A NEW PAIR OF PARIKKA'S

I think one should always be happy about and appreciate every single gift and present one gets, but when your boyfriend gives you a pair of Parikka's for Christmas it's OK to be a little bit more happy about that than all the rest.

I originally got a pair of red booties but they were a bit too big and the smaller ones out of stock so I changed to these soft pink ones. And that's just as good.

MORE PARIKKA

Minna Parikka on Bulevardi. Visit recommended if you are in Helsinki.

What's good news for you may not always be good news for your wallet, but thumbs up either way- Minna Parikka has launched a collection of knitwear and gloves! The items showed up in her store today, and can be admired on her site and webshop soon, along with the autumn collection of shoes. I picked up the collection brochure today, and no need to add that I'm drooling over a lot of the content in it...

Cardigans and jumpers, dresses and skirts. It was really hot and humid today so I wasn't in the mood for mohair and wool, but there sure is a long red zipped dress that I got my eye on for colder days...

And gloves! Oh so pretty but for the price of a plane ticket to, say, Budapest...

A peak of the designer dressed in her own creations. (And a mini-peak of me in the mirror. Don't know why I had to point that out but anyway, mini peak of me.)


Minna's store beats any candyshop anytime:







Oh, oh, oh!

The sale is still going on in her shop and online btw and some of the items are heavily reduced so maybe worth to check out!