SOME RANDOM THINGS I BOUGHT MYSELF WHILE CHRISTMAS GIFT SHOPPING FOR OTHERS

I'm ill at home and have been staring at that shelf for most of the day now. A japanese silk-covered jar I don't know what to put in yet, a bon bonier I have cotton pads in and mint green shades. Now it does not feel like the most up-to-date thing to do to buy sunglasses in December when the day is only 5 hours and 53 minutes long. But we are on the winning side however, going towards this, so one could say I was just being positive, looking forward. And they are mint green for heavens sake!

IN THE VASE

Since I rather seldom have fresh flowers in the house during this time of year I put some fruit in a vase instead. A small fun variation to the fruit bowl. It suits the Christmas holidays but also winter in general I think.

SANTI CLAWS

I can't really decide weather this is a Halloween- or Christmas film. I usually watch it during the Christmas Holidays though; Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas:

(picture source)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Merry Christmas!

(This year you'll have to do without any of my corny or classic Christmas cards, I'll just show you the results of the dress instead, which turned out ok.)

((Everything is vintage; the late 50's sling bakcs were a Christmas gift form K a couple of years ago, the necklace old Dior and the revamped dress from Berlin.))

PREPARATIONS

I'm at work in Siberian weather loaing like hell until midnight, but yesterday and this morning I prepared a lot of things and put ourselves in the Christmas mood!

With a martini and some Sinatra we decorated our small Christmas tree last night.

It's actually the first Christmas tree I've had since I moved away from home a decade ago!

I usually pack a lot of my gifts in old newspapers - saving money, saving nature. Normally I go for the daily papers I've read at home, but this time I picked up some free chinese magazines in my local supermarket (apparently Tapiola is full of Chinese readers?). I make the cards out of lace-like cake paper or left over gift paper from last year.

If you have no idea of what gifts to give, a pretty bowl (from the flea market/super market/fancy store, however you like it) filled with fresh fruit would at least be appreciated by me.

I baked heaps of gingerbreads! Spelt gingerbreads with a hint of orange and another set with almonds.

Eddi wasn't totally happy with being dressed in my apron, having to mix the other dough. But he did enjoy eating it later on.

Saved some for ourselves, while the rest is meant to be decorated and given away.

The decorated ones turned out surprisingly ugly though. For a while I considered saying it was Eddi's kids who baked them. Disappointment. But well, I'm good at a lot of other things! And they do taste good.

I also gave myself a little Christmas present!I had already give up on receiving these before the holidays, but then the delivery boy arrived only minutes before I was on my way to work. Ave Maria was playing in hte background when I opened the parcel. It was a very beautiful moment.

And very beautiful shoes!It is however minus 20 C outside so I won't be wearing these beauties for some time. Well, except for indoors.

Bonus cat-in-the-box!

How are your Holiday preparations coming along?

Ok, Edit : it's almost minus thirty, not 'just' twenty.

CANDY DRESS TRANSFORMING

Muahahahaha! Old eighties pastel dress goes in, new fab one comes out!

So I finally made it to colour this dress, which also means it will finally be worn, instead of just hanging on the rack looking sad and lonely! Can you guess which colour?

You will see the result on Christmas Eve, I think.

PICTURES FROM HOOCHIE MAMA JANE

I took some pics over to HMJ when I was Christmas shopping there last week. The tiny store is filled with pretty jewellery (check out the Christmas calendar on Facebook!), and as you know I bought both myself and others some.

I'm still dreaming about one of the deco earrings, only I am not sure which pair to choose - I love the big and blingy ones, but I am no longer used to wear heavy earrings and I feel they make my ears "hang". But like they saying goes in Swedish "vill man vara fin, får man lida pin". The are selling out fast though so I'd better make up my mind!

(If you are in the neighborhood I also recommend a trip to Ansa!)

BIRDS IN THE BATHROOM

While I think it's ok to put a little kitsch or some extra cuteness in the kitchen, and a lot of flair in decorating the bedroom, I like to keep the rest rather simple. But when it comes to the bathroom I think you can go as kitsch or crazy as you like.

Without ever really choosing a theme it became birds for ours, they just started to gather. And why not - I like small birds (and feed them secretly from the window although our building has banned it).

So let's step in and check out the birdies!


The door is covered in this wallpaper, from Pip Studio. I love it.


I have a bird poster from Papaya! on the wall. And a little tweeter on the paper holder too.


And birdie hand towels, also from Pip Studio.


I've attached bird cage mirrors on the otherwise rather dull shower cabinet. The doors slide so sometimes the bird cages are in front of each other too. Which looks nice. The adhesive mirrors are from Modcloth.

CHRISTMAS AROUDN TOWN

Yesterday Ina and I went out on town for Christmas shopping and getting in the Holiday mood by visiting some of the Christmas markets and fairs in the centre. First time I've been on a carousel in winter! It was very cold so we also went in to café after café for glögg in between.








(I don't know how the f it was possible but we both happened to wear black cardigans and pink shirts. Or well, mine is actually jeany red but it's pretty close.)