THE LIGHTS ARE BACK

Neglected for half a year behind the curtains I have plugged my window lights back on. Felt totally right and cosy with the rain and wind outside and me curling up under the blanket with a cup of tea and the lights framing the window.

Today however they felt a little bit less right as it turned +20 all of a sudden in the afternoon... Normally I am not the one to complain about unexpected sunshine and warmth, but by brain had already been set on autumn and cold. Now I just need to re-boot it for as long as the warmth will last.

HATS, FAKE SNOW AND PIN UP PROPS

I did some hat modelling for my friend and rather fabulous milliner Fiona Timantti. You've seen me model summer hats of hers before (here), but now we were shooting her winter hats.


We shot at Studio Blank where Saara and Marco (that you mostly know from Atelieri O.Haapala) resides. But Saara toghether with Fiona and make up artist Miia Magia also runs Pin Up Helsinki, a team that styles and shoots pin up photography. (If you are interested in getting pin up shots of yourself or to give a photo session as a gift to someone you can find more info on their Facebook page.)
They did some shooting when I arrived, but I couldn't of course snap any pictures of that so here are som details of props (that's a giant heart for you there in the middle) and make up instead.


And then we prepared for the hat shooting! You have got to love those huge snow flakes!


And here's me in a collar and hat!
I however did slightly different faces for the actual photographs.

AUTUMN OUTFIT / EYE DUELLING

Looking out on nature.


Which looks right back at me.




(Seriously, sweet as the lambs may be they sometimes scare me. The moment they notice you. Makes me think of The Far Side every now and then...)

HORROR & TEASE AND MORE

A couple of weeks from now I will start this burlesque-weekend-gig-marathon; each and every weekend some place different. From Helsinki to Lahti to Tampere to Pori and then back to Helsinki again. (Those are all Finnish cities in case some of you started wondering...)So that means a whole lot of putting on make up doing hair and, of course, shaking. For more info (yet to come) and details you can check out the Itty-Bitty Tease Cabaret blog.

But before that I will do a whole lot of drawing; I drew the poster above for Olivia Rouge's Horror&Tease event on Halloween in Tampere (that you saw a bit of in progress some time ago).

Next up is something for a porn lady and then for a politician. It's the contrasts that make it worth while now isn't it!

FOUR THINGS THIS WEEK

Every now and then I actually hope for a little flu so I can lie at home in bed with a good consciousness. And perhaps even get that damn wardrobe of mine organized and cleaned out. And with the amount of work that I do, and it's kind, I really do get ill a couple of two three times a year. The only thing is that then I tend to be rather tired, alas, the closet is still un organized.

This week I was home for three days with an ill knee and a slight flu. I did not do any organizing but here's what I did instead:

Stayed in bed drinking smoothies, browsing interior magazines and reading. The cats kept me company.


Re-planetd some of my pelargoniums in bigger pots. And made those ticklie things. I am not totally hopeless when it comes to plants.

OK Alright, I know they're called cuttings! I just think ticklies would sound better (and it would derive from the Swedish word for cuttings; stickling).


Had lots of peppermint tea with honey waffles. And Laponian bread cheese! I you may recall I tend to get addicted to certain foods for a period and now it's bread cheese. (Those waffles are a long term favorite.) Its a firm, rather tasteless fresh cheese that goes squisch squash when you chew it. Should be eten with cloudberry jam, although strawberry also works. I remember the disappointment when I first tasted it as a child; I thought it was a pancake.


And then I've been trying to sketch on a work I have waiting for me. With chicks and cup cakes. But so far I haven't made it that far. Blah.

THAT OUTFIT POSING

I'm not too good at taking it too seriously. (And why should one anyway? :)
Also, it does require quite many shots to get one good for the blog. That's at least the way it is around here.

THE DAY AFTER IN TURKU

Two Sundays ago, after that wedding, was spent in Turku as it took us a few hours before we could start driving home. Those weddings tend to last late...

I've actually been quite little over to Turku but Eddi studied there during the nineties. Also, as you perhaps can tell, he does not really like to be in the focus of the camera.


We went to see the Alice in Wonderland Exhibition in Logomo; it's the biggest exhibition of contemporary photography over here so far and it's part of the Turku being (one of the? Not sure) design Capital(s) in Europe this year. (Helsinki is giving back by being World design Capital next year).


We found the first red leave of the season on our way there! Then I noticed that rather many trees were red already, which is strange since they have quite not turned yet at home, not even during this week. And there's not exactly a difference in climate between the cities. Well, nature worked in mysterious ways…


Here's Eddi doing fashion blogger outfit pose; I asked him to take a photo of me but I usually do a test shot first.


Those by-the-wooden-gate shots did not work out so here's me in my clothes (yup, not naked) above the railroad instead. Btw I'm wearing a shawl with a belt instead of a jacket. Quite nice when it's a-little-but-not-yet-that-cold.


Then we saw the exhibition. I can't say I'm a huge fan of contemporary photography per se ; it is such a wide concept - some artist and some works I like, others not.
Snapping photos of one's own was forbidden due to copyright so here's some of the pictures trough the internet instead: my behind (the censored version); the Ateileri boudoir shoots, among other Ateileri O.Haapala photos were displayed at the exhibition.


They also had a Tom of Finland retro perspective there. (You should know your Tom of FInland, at least a little bit. He has inspired a lot of things.) Interesting and oh so nasty!


I've seen lots of pictures of the Logomo café in different interior magazines and we had coffee there afterwards. Yes, very design-y and rather fresh, but as with many other impressive things it gives me a headache thinking of the actual work behind the piece. That somebody actually had to work there with X amount of black tape and stripe the whole place; walls floor ceiling and furniture. Not a good thing to think about on that kind of Sunday.


(Btw have you ever though about the fact that it is nearly impossible taking a photo of somebody eating wihtout having that person look like a moron. But never mind me and my sandwhich, just check out the tape-thing.)


After this I got myself a whole lot of coconut chocolate and then we walked back to the car and drove home.
Over and out!

BEFORE A WEDDING

Last weekend Eddi and I went to another city to attend a wedding.
I like going to weddings because they tend to be fun (duh) and since one really gets to go all dressed up.

I should probably start a series called getting ready for weddings in hotel rooms...




And now, getting ready to do some of that outfit posing... in 3,2,1...

Ta ta!

For the actual weddings I however leave the camera in the room and concentrate myself on the champagne and fun. Pictures from weddings? They have wedding photographers for that and they do it better than me.

My dress is from Trashy Diva, the jewelry vintage and shoes from, hmm, somewhere.

(Previouis getting ready for weddings in hotel rooms can be seen here: 1,2,3,4)

NEW ORLEANS, HORIZONTALLY

With some captions this time!

Bourbon Street.
Which was not a sad lonely jazz tune in the night and Tom Waits sipping whiskey, but more something like Pattaya or Viking Amorella. Broken illusions. But there were other streets near by that had more of that jazzy spirit. (That Clover grill was good; Eddi had a great burger there and they had a waiter just like Lafayette. Seriously.)


Husband and horse.


More of those Mardi Gras beads. I like the fact that they're everywhere. The owner of this house came up from around the corner and was all What The Fuck!?! though, until I showed him I only took a shot of his beads. Not his empty porch.


Uptown shot. The French Quarter is, of course, great, but it is worth taking a walk elsewhere too.


...and back in the french Quarter.


There was also one powder to stop gossip! These were sold by a woman known as Priestess Mariam.
Didn't get any though. (But I sure as hell could use some, cruel and evil world.)


Heart covered coffin! There's nobody in it though.


Tomb / prayer.
But for some seriously fancy cemetary photos, check out those by my New Orleans friend Kaylin Idora, whom we also hang out and had a great time with. She has made a book on the subject.


Tomb of Marie Laveau. Although we were told that the scribble on the tomb and the sacrifices actually are shameful, although people obviously do it with good (and selfish, to be granted wisehs etc.) intentions.


Since we traveled by ourselves after Vegas there are not too many photos of us together. But here's one! By the cemetery. If there would be a small goth in each and one of us, mine would celebrate.


The Easy Rider acid scenes were shot here. They had apparently not asked for permission, but filmed it secretly.


Back on 'our' street. The guy who lived in this pretty house introduced us to a Swedish girl who lived across the street, i.e. next to where we were staying. "You're from Scandinavia? Do you know Linda?" Noup, but turned out her roomate was actually Finnish. We did not know her either though. But it was pretty funny.


The sun is setting outside our room. We did not stay at a hotel but rented a room in the courtyard of a house. Very good solution.


Moon over Bourbon Street.
Well not really. As just said that was neon lights all the way. But nearby.


Last, and least indeed - a video I shot on town. Not that much to cheer about cinematically I'm afraid, but there's some ambience for you; young lads playing in the corner of Frenchman and something.

And this will be the end of my (coincidental) New Orleans themed week.