A BLISSFUL SATISFACTOIN OF THE MIND

A video posted by TurrrboCherry /Ulrika Bachér (@turrrbocherry) on Dec 26, 2015 at 2:19pm PST

Not really that amazing that I wold have to dedicate a blog post about it would it not be for the fact that it is pretty much the main thing I've done the past two days now. So there is (almost) nothing else to post here but CUBES. Cube mania.

Dag scrambles them up when he tries ("it was not so easy" he says) and I practice putting them back together. Very addictive.

And my very first one required wine, some swearing and  a whole lot of internet. Now they get done with a little less. (The explanations from Rubik's were the best, in case any of you decide it's time to once and for all get that damn cube figured out.)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Christmas! Christmas christmas christmas.

I really do love the season, even though we are having a very moist and green one this year.
Last year I was so busy everything was rather last-minute and then went by pretty fast. So I decided I'd start my Christmas preparations early this year to get to enjoy it longer.

Which obviously didn't happen, apart from some lights and starts hung up earlier in December.
I had pretty  much everything left for this week.

^That's me the last three days. EVERYBODY HAS TO GET IN THE CHRISTMAS MOOD NOW!

(picture from Fotolia)

So yesterday I had a turrrrbo-christmas preparation day and fixed soem gifts, sent out my cards and some gifts (YES I KNOW THEY WILL NOT MAKE IT but it's kind of nice receiving them during the so called middle days between Christmas and New Years' as well isn't it, when you can take it easy and eat chocolates and receive greeting that are still wishing you a good time, right?), decorated the tree and baked gingerbreads.

I am rather fine with being in a hurry and doing a lot a once thought, as I'm used to that, but I just miss getting to take it easy and enjoy the feeling.  Well doesn't everybody. But I will do it now and afterwards instead - my Christmas always goes on until at least Epiphany (old traditions here "throw" Christmas out after twenty days so there's still time). And we did have a nice although stuffed day yesterday -

Dag baked gingerbreads for the first time properly.

Classic hearts.

And gingerbread men that Dag and I decorated. (For some reason gingerbread med freak me out. Sometimes when I can't sleep I picture them coming up the stairs with knives in their hands. Merry Christmas!)


We did gingerbread trucks too, upon which Dag is happily munching here.

Last year I did a Moomin-inspired Christmas tree,  one like they do in the books. This year the kids got to decorate it so I just let it go for more is more.


I'm not much of a decorater otherwise; apart from lights I just prefer to add flowers of the season here and there.

Like amaryllis!

I love them as they are so big and bold, but they always grow too heavy and fall down and look drunk. So I placed them in the biggest jar I had, where they should be able to keep their alignment right.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to everybody out there celebrating something!

THE CHRISTMAS SWEATER

Or a. A Christmass-y sweater. Cardigan. That could be worn with ease off-season too.

Eddi calls this my hipster-sweater.

The cardigan is from Lindy Bop.
The skirt is vintage and the heart-shoes are by Frollein von Sofa.

REMEMBERING THE SUMMER LIGHT ON THE DARKEST DAYS

A few weeks (three to be exact) ago the paper would state that the sun would set at 15:29 in Helsinki, and rise the following day at 8:45, while the next sunrise in Utsjoki (in Northern Finland) would be on January 16, 2016. That's kaamos for you. Now, with just a couple of days left until winter solstice, we are at Up at 9:22 and Down at 15:12. So one could say it's pretty dark over here yes.

I'm getting a little nostalgic about midsummer, six months away, when the sun rises before 4 in the morning and sets around eleven at night (and above the polare circle it does not set at all) - it never really gets dark.

As there are no snowy slopes and frosty branches to post for the moment, I'll go for some light summer night memories from last midsummer (...that are very relevant now six months later...) instead.

We were out in the archipelago as usual. 

With the big harbour next to us.

Picking flowers and tasting chives.

And having lunch.

My cats turn into archipelago panthers.

Midsummer dinner set. Next week it's time for huge tables and settings and family dinners again, with a Christmas tree instead of birch branches.

The eleven pm sunshine. I love this moment, the long sunset and it's colours.

 

 The sun has set.

Out on a nightly walk by the shore. Here's a silvery trunk that the sea had washed up, shining in the pale blue night. The wood was so soft.

Around 1 or 2 am and a ship comes in.

The pale midsummer night.

On midsummer's day Dag turned three. He got a lion bag for his birthday, which he now uses when he goes to playschool.

And he was very sad that he could not go fishing with the older boys and guys on the wet, slippery rocks.

Dissapointement maximus. He may have been one year older, but still too small for so many things.

But then got a cake and things were fine again. A rubarb cake. Rhubarbrs are in season in June. I wonder if we'll get any next year as the sheep pretty much munched them all away last summer...

And then some sudden sea fog. Kind of what it looks like all the time now, in December -

The fucked up thing is that the weather was almost the same last June as it is now at the end of the year, which was wrong then and is wrong now. Around plus ten and rain, when it should have been ten degrees warmer then and ten degrees colder now (Celcius, obvuiosly)...

This year summer came rather and late, and last year winter arrived just a few days before Christmas- perhaps we'll get lucky this year again, and get a little snow after all just in time?

STUFF I DO DURING THE WEEKENDS

Last weekend was a busy one with only about seven hours of sleep altogether which at this age means I am starting to recover by now. Just in time for the next weekend (and also fot he next show: The BittyBoyz performing at UGGLA tonight!)

First we had our Christmas Revue show.; Under the Mistle Tease.

While waiting for the actual on-stage photos here's one snapped by Suvi Korhonen with her phone. I am, as you can see, a giant cabaret snowman.

Then I was filming a artsy concept short film.

With a hectic backstage schedule; lots of work happening at once.

After that I drove up to Orimattila for some Christmas Burlesque shenanigans with an awesome crew.

And then it was back to filming on Sunday morning again!

(Making-of shot by Tero Syväniemi)

After the last show of the year- tonight- the next weekend will be filled with, apart from some hours of teaching, more housey things like baking gingerbreads and finaly preparing a bit mor for Christmas. Not that I complain, but my glitter- and make up quota for this year will be filled up very very soon.

DECEMBER PINEAPPLES

More ways of fighting the grey! (I'd like to say November but we are once again in a rainy +10C December it seems..). This time with the obvious anti grey wear -  a pineapple cardigan!

A soft yellow cardigan with two self-attached pineapples in the front. Also with a change in shine and texture around them in a shape strangely resembling an iron. Because all things are done best when done at one 1am when the urge to be creative (or to finally get around making that pineapple cardigan! And wearing it! Right now!) strikes!

I have had the pineapples waiting for a yellow cardigan for almost a year already. I now finally bought one (from Lindy Bop). The skirt in vintage. The pineapple patches were from ebay I think.

Once I was at it I did a lion shirt for Dag. He thinks it was a Christmas gnome, that visits the house during all december nights before Christmas, who left him the lion patch.

SHOWGIRLS, SHANGRILETTES AND MISTLE TEASE. PLUS POSSIBILITES!

Our yearly Christmas show Under the Mistle Tease is only two days away! It started out as a one-time Christmas revue two years ago, which we then re-created as our burlsque school's  Christmas party and showcase. This third year we will also feature the other artists that use our studio as their base camp.

Yup, it's the time of year again when I dress up as a giant package. And will wear strange head gear. And a lot of other stuff. We are known for our outfit changes when we host. (But you have to arrive to the spectacle yourself to see that.)

Our yearly Christmas- and summer show is a great way to grant our students some stage time. But, many of them have started getting it otherwise too, and it's really nice to see how some of the girls that have worked hard have progressed so well and been gettin gigs of their own! Many of our students also get to perform at our RubiesKlubit club evenings too.

 Photo Tuula Ylikorpi.

I am also really proud of our student troupes, as in both proud of the girls and of the work we have created. The troupes and the girls in them have developed a lot during the years we've worke with them. Well, no wonder-  we are already at the fifth season with our Shangri-La Showgirls, and going on the third with The Shangrilettes, and all of the participants are very active. But I am also tapping ourselves, and myself, on the back becaus of the troupes. We have come up with very different numbers and choreographies each season (and this year will be no different, believe me ;) and they are all really good, if I may say so myself – and I may!

 The Shangrilettes.

Photo Tuula Ylikorpi.

The Shangri-La Showgirls

One of the things I like most is coming up with acts and concepts. Not all acts are possible to realise, I realized that a long time ago, sometimes because of practical reason or limitation (like, some ideas being near impossible to actually pull trough in the end because of setup or logistical -or financial- reasons) but mainly because of the fact that you just do not simply have an unlimited access of time. But when you have two student troupes plus a troupe of your own, you can put more of your ideas to use. Now I am lucky to not only work with those, but also to be part of a bigger 9-person strong on-off project group that will do something totally different from all the other ensembles. And for next year we have this totally megalomanic thing waiting. (Some magic extra time for the hour, day or year would be really really cool though...)

Pic by The Shangri-La Showgirls.

But – on to the next thing;  because people work and graduate and move abroad and want to pursue solo careers and all that jazz the way  it always is in life we have a few open spots in both troupes, meaning we will take in a few new girls to the groups now in January! Info here (for the moment only in Finnish, version på svenska and in English coming up at some point when the universe does hand one of us and our webmaster some hours extra to spare). You don't have to have any experience from performing before- we will coach you - but preferably have taken a burlesque class or intro workshop at some point, although it's not mandatory. If you are interested and think this might be it!, do come and check out the show on Friday!

All photos Tuomas Lairila unless else mentioned.
Original photo for the Mistle Tease poster by Asko Rantanen.