A NEW VIEW / THE ROSEY CURTAINS

Here we have the Marimekko Ruusupuu (the Rose Tree) fabric. It has, among many,  been a favourite of mine for a long time. (picture source)

So I got curtains of the fabric in the apartment I had before moving to where we are now. 

Then as I moved the curtains got chopped off to hang in the study.

And now they are hanging in the kitchen! 

As the result of an unexpected little catastrophe actually; I washed the yellow gingham kitchen curtains and they shrunk with some 20 cm... Argh! Because I (finally) am in cleaning-and-organising mode now I thus can't stand things being "not ready" and as I would have packed the rose curtains aside anyway for a kiddo-set of curtains for Dag I made a quick save and hung these up.

Funny how a little fabric can change the whole feel of a room! I really liked it with the yellow curtains, but I am starting to think that this is not that bad after all.

Btw another little funny thing,  Marimekko fabrics / patterns are probably one of few in which it is considered totally alright and normal (and rather fancy too as   'it is after all Marimekko' ) for someone to show up to a, say, wedding in a dress of the same fabric as your tablecloth. Hipsters and old ladies alike.

PS. there is a Finnish survey about blog readership popping up here (once per ip address) on the blog. In Finnish. Thus not useable for many of you, so choose the "ei kiitos"option then to close it.

THE ART OF WINTER DRESSING

I bought this Marimekko dress almost by accident last winter when I was pregnant.
Impulse shopping is not always just an unwise way to spend money, stuff up your wardrobe and destroy the planet - sometimes it can lead to very useful pieces. I don't actually do that much of impulse shopping, but I have some items that I have bought without planing to do so ahead or giving it that much pre-thought. And in my case those have often turned out to be pieces I really use a lot.

I got the dress in the largest sie they had, as I wanted it to fit my belly all the way.  I could have managed with a few sizes less in the end too I noticed, but this is the kind of dress that looks pretty much the same in all sizes and it still works belted for a normal belly as well. And it buttons up for nursing. So I've been able to wear it still, around the year. Well worth it's Marimekko price.


But a thin cotton dress worn just like that won't of course work on it's own most of the year up here in the North. It would get too cold.

As it is among my most linked posts I think you remember me writing about winterizing summer dresses
, and the importance of layering and layering again; the anatomy of dressing when really really cold. Here's the winter dressing post for this year then!

If you wear a cotton dress in winter the dress is merely a detail, kind of an acessory, a coating to what you actually wear. It's what underneath that counts. And on top too, as you have to be able to take something off when you go inside in order not to melt down to a pool of sweat (we have quite stiff heating over here and tripple windows) - cardigan(s), the coat (preferably of the longer kind if you wear something like this), socks and boots and so on yadi yadi.

So, under the dress I have an underskirt. It is mostly for "cosmetic" reasons, to prevent the cotton dress from sticking to the rest and looking all weird. It's not really that warming. But every layer counts.


Underneath that I have another dress! Stretchy, tight, comfy and in cotton. (This one with a nursing pocket in front too which comes in handy at these baby times.)  If you are of the kind that gets real freezy add a slip or top underneath still.


Wearing double stockings also warms up. Or tights plus stockings. But for me one pair of thick stockings (mainly wool or knitted cotton) usually is enough, as far as the mercury stays above minus ten c. But here's the little important trick! People always joke about grannies and their wool pants. But that's what keeps the warmth! You can actually get those from somewhere, but a pair of hot pants or so works just as well. I have some wool stockings of which I have cut the legs off. Comfier and easier to do it that way adding high socks to go, than stuffing two pairs of stockings onto each other.

So that's it! Out to fight the cold in a summer dress, no prob!
(If you're going to go all smartass and say "why not just wear trousers" then think again, you can only stuff so many layers into a pair of pants, but when it comes to a dress, options are pretty much endless. I actually find it warmer in skirts and dresses!)

MIX N' MATCH

Dag and I are pattern clashing mixing and matching.
Well, OK, he is not really doing it no, as it is me that dresses him up of course. He is just all 'yeah, whatever!', as you can see.

On another note, funny how sometimes the things you get more by chance turn out to be the best ones. It usually happens to me with shoes, but sometimes also with clothes -  I've worn this dress so much now; it's the most practical home/day dress I've ever had. Loads of pockets and a fabric that does not show whatever spots it. Plus good for breastfeeding too.
The pinafore dress is from Marimekko, this season.

THE CONSOLATION / THE PRACTICAL HOME DRESS

Calming down after a little marathon of shouting.

Well yes.
Anyway. I got myself something I wanted in some form for about a decade already; a pinafore dress! Reminding me of the ones I wore as a kid. This one is from Marimekko and has A LOT of pockets.
Just the way I like it. It's a super-practical mommy dress.

The shoes are very very old as you can see (falling apart, but I just can't bare to throw them away), shirt from American Apparel and the red cardigan I got from H&M just because it was  less than five euros, and it's  turning out to be my best cardigan this fall. What do you know.

PS. Dag is wearing my old romper. It makes him look like a candy cane.

LEMON & LICORICE. AND JUST SEVEN WEEKS TO GO

Yes, really, only seven more weeks to go. That's the baby being due next month already. Whoah!

My dress is this season's Marimekko; it's not a maternity dress, just a regular one int the biggest size available (a very small 46). Scarf old H&M, bag vintage and shoes bought in Tallinn.
And now I'm off scouting a birthday present for Eddi!
Btw did you spot the bonus kitty?

STRIPES, MOOMIN AND THE SIXTIES

I've been wearing a lot of sixties styled dresses lately. That's because they are cut in a way to fit my belly. 

I don't have an urge to absolutely have to dress according to a decade from the past, and now that a fifties waist is out of the question it's not like I have to jump on to the next vintage period available. No, of course not. (My sister said, when I in the beginning of pregnancy said there seemed to be quite little interesting maternity wear out there, "maybe now you can dress like normal people for a while". Hehe.) So, I don't feel obliged to dress in a certain way; that would be ridiculous. But I like to play around with different styles and be inspired by the aesthetics of those times I find inspiring. And now with the belly it's been a lot of the sixties!

This dress however is new. From Marimekko. It's meant to be worn all buttoned up, but that's way too hipster for me. It makes me feel a bit like a Moomin character! Which is a fun change. Who wouldn't want to be one, at least every once in a while?

It's also funny how normal I can look from the back and front, but enormous from the side!

Btw apparently most of my extra kilos (which are something closer to 15 right now. Quite much, even though I haven't been eating any more than usual at all, and I eat rather healthy by default. So the kilos don't bother me, due to that.) have gone to my legs! I noticed that some time ago in the mirror... Hope I can make them go away from there later then too...

But anyway, back to the look: I like to do over stylized sixties inspired make up and hair styles, although they have only been for special occasions, like shooting or parties. The same goes for today; the reason for my look was not just playing around; we shot a promo video for our jazz project that will happen next winter. (You may remember the one that we took promo shots from earlier this year.)

The beehive is done by rolling a big wig (that happens to be just the same as my own colour) into a bun on the top of my head, securing it with a hairnet and pins. You've heard the same story before. The same can be done with clip-on extensions, or if your hair si long enough, by back combing your own hair and using tulle, extensions or bump-its and a rat to fill it up. I say go for the extra hair though.

By making this a bit more subtle it would make a nice every day look - using a slightly smaller piece of hair for a less huge bun, going a little easier on the make up; the lines a little thinner, the black a little less strong. (For the look, in addition to eye liner, draw a line above the socket of your eye and one line under your lower lashes. And a whole lot more, but that's the basic.) I'm on the look-out for a nice attachable ponytail that could be used for smaller versions of up do's like this, but it's hard to get the right shade and know about the quality of the locks when shopping online.

If interested, my dress (or, tunic)  is this season's Marimekko, kitten heels from a local shoe store and both eye shadow and lipstick from Lime Crime (called "Troubadour" and "Great pink planet").

OFF TO THE AIRPORT SOON...

Almost done packing my belly friendly dresses and then I'm off ot the spring in Milan!
Surprisingly enough I usually pack quite little ...

....it's all the make up and other stuff that fill up the bag. Especially since we're doing a show. As you can imagine my hand baggage only consists of sequins, wigs and dancing shoes...
If you're there come and say hi!

If interested, from above:
vintage jacket and dress, H&M ballerinas,
new Marimekko dress, old shoes and another pair of H&M ballerinas,
Marimekko striped dress and kitten heels form Martin's.

Ta-ta!

OOH LALA AND OTHER KITCHEN PRINTS

We do not call this a fashion blogf or nothing: today I am going to write a little about kitchen towels! Haute!

No but really. I like it with prints in the kitchen that still are not right there in your face you know. While I out in the countryside go for more classic checks stripes and flowers I keep on buying graphic prints for the apartment kitchen.
Mostly in the form of towels.

My newest one has mustaches, goes ooh la-la! and is all frenchy (although actually Norwegian). By Darling Clementine, that also has lots of other print products. You can find similar styles by Finnish design duo PolkaJam (lots of black cats in their kitchen-themed prints! Site in Finnish but you don't really need to get what it says, right?).

One favorite is... oh, wait, cat in the way.

...my Kippis-print by Marimekko. Marimekko needs no further introduction (shouldn't at least) but "Kippis" means "Cheers".
Lesson #1 in Finnish accomplished!

I also have a vintage kitchen towel my friend Aiju gave me once with a cocktail print. Or alcohol print actually. Every kitchen needs a little alcohol, you know - an opened red wine bottle hanging around int he corner, vintage martini ad calendar, alcohol towel. Or then not. But this one is funny.


If you're all disappointed now that you didn't get a big enough dose of fashiuun you came to the wrong blog I can remind you of my Vivien of Holloway discount code VOH_FreelanceF4b that is running until the end of the month; 10% off normally priced products. You can use the code only once.

Then there's also my -10% code for Shabby Apple; freelancer10off, which is valid until January 16. However, they do have a site wide discount code now that is as high as 20% off basically everything so maybe better to go for that one! The code is NEWYEAR.

Fashionblog over and out.

THE TWO OTHER ROOMS

You've seen most of our flat in previous posts (here, here and here or under the 'At Home'-label, which actually is my favorite one) but there are in fact two more rooms to our flat that I haven't posted pictures of before. Most because they're always rather messy.
But maybe it's time to take a look!

To the right we have the pastel coloured kitchen, but to the left we have...

...the childrens' room!
As you may remember Eddi's sons, 10 and 5 years old, live with us every second week. Although those weekends mostly are spent at the farm here's where they reside during the weekdays.

This was the room I was tearing out the 70's plastic carpet form in the renovation post last spring. The table is made from the original kitchen's working surface.


Remember the Moomin cards I got but did not know what to do of? I hang them on the kid's door! The inside of the door is painted with chalk board paint and can be drawn upon.


We cut an IKEA table in half on both sides of the shelf to use for small items; books and school bags or to sit on when tying the shoes. It is fastened with a piece of wood against the wall.


I like the look of bunting but I sort of still don't get the point of it so I made my own version of vintage replica post cards of animals aroudn the world and a few meters of silk ribbon.


Then there's the blue room, where we work. I foudn the huge sciccors in an old toolbox.


You may remember it as the room with all the stuff in it during the renovation.


Normally it's full of burlesque show bags to unpack, suitcases from trips or just papers papers papers and eternal sewing projects.


And either way everything is always full of cats.

ROSEBUDS. CURTAINS. LIGHT

If one would place the fabric of my skirt next to my curtains I bet one couldn't tell which pattern was the skirt's and which the curtains'. I think it's perfectly fine to wear clothes that might remind you of an old ladie's curtains. At least on Sundays. (Or tapersty. It reminds me of old tapestry too. We have walls like my skirt at our summer house).


Skirt - Jackpot, Cardigan - Zara
Curtains - Marimekko

Whenever I open a closet or drawer or curtain there's a cat waiting for me behind it. My cats are everywhere (they're intense, like K says). Can you spot the other kitty cat in the picture?

AN ARTY MISTAKE / A DRESS FOR A BEER

Yes, this picture is an arty mistake but I am mainly referring to the dress in it.

A couple of years ago I strated fixing on a dress for myself - I had been making small drawings of such a dress for a long time already and finnally started with the project by cutting a suitable tunic I found on sale into pieces, colouring the fabric soft black, still with the origial pattern showing from underneath, and finally sewing the pieces toghether again with another fabric to into a dress. Over confident as I often am when sewing, I did not bother to try it on too much in between since I know my measurememnts pretty well by the eye.

Well, this time my project ended up being a reather arty mistake, looking all nice but being way to small for me to be able to wear (after some strange bends and moves I got into the dress but had to take it quite easy with the breathing. Getting out was another story then).

So, hours of works and tens of euros ended up haning on a rack in the fleamarket last summer.

But then Ina came by and said "nice dress", tried it on (fit very nicely) and I sold it to her for the symbolic price of one beer. Not that bad a deal in the end, since at least the other one of us ended up looking great :)
And hey, I eventually got my beer too.


See? Nice. (And yup, I have nice new Marimekko curtains.)



More nice stuff - Ina also has a new nice tattoo, a Matryoshka doll.
It's decorated with strawberries. That's nice.