MY TATTOOS : THE MERMAID (AND MANNERS)

A reader pointed out to me that it had been a while since I continued my series on the tattoos I have. And yes indeed, I had almost forgotten about that. (I tend to forget about the fact that the tattoos are there, as I am so used to them. Until I start thinking of what I would want next and where ether would fit properly.)

So this one is about my mermaid.  I had it done by hand in Thailand, when I was with my friend on the Phi Phi island. By hand means that it was not made using a tattoo needle machine, but instead bamboo needles and a hammer. They did traditional bamboo tattoos in a lot of places on Phi Phi and I came up with the idea to have the mermaid, one of many ideas I had been thinking of, done. The tattoo guys gave me some paper and I drew it in our bungalow and had it done the next day. My own mermaid was a bit bigger and more Mucha-esque than how the tattoo turned out in the end, but it din't bother me then (I was happy with it), and it don't think about it that much now either, although if I' was getting the picture again I'd do it differently.  The colours were very bright and strong at first but they have fade and the piece become rather blurry now. So it is not actually that pretty anymore. Which doesn't really matter. My ink is not some sort of prestige project that has to be perfect. It may sound odd to some, and it's a little hard to explain. And that's half the truth. On the other hand yes, of course, I want the pieces on skin to be great and perfect. But, also, as I have had my items one by one they are all part of something I've done, and they all tell story in one way or another (however, as you may remember I have said that the story does not always have to be that deep). Which in my opinion is better than inking yourself from top to toe within a year when your 21 with whatever is the current trend. Which of course is totally fine too as long as you are happy. 

The tattooing took about eight hours I think, with one guy stretching out the skin and the other tapping the drawing in with thousands of dots with the bamboo. It hurt much less than being tattooed with a machine, and healed faster. It was a good day and the guys were nice to hang out with and two months later the tsunami came and destroyed the island and I've wondered what happened to them (and all the other people I met too, of course).

Well, that was it about the mermaid.

 I’ve always written bit about tattoos in general in these posts as well. This time it’ll be about some people's attitudes. Not all people like tattoos, of course. Personal taste is called personal taste for a reason; it's personal. But what I find odd is the dislike for tattoos combined with a need to point it out in public. Shout it out.  Apparently the moment you have visible ink on your skin it gives strangers a pass to openly comment on your appearance as they please. Or so it seems. Don’t read me wrong, it doesn’t bother me that some persons will not like my tattoos. Not everyone has to like tattoos, not everyone will, I get that, no prob. But what I don't get is why not just look away or think about something else? Why would that other individual on the street or wherever be interested in what You think about their style? Why does it bother you so much?

Having that said, I have received mainly positive comments about what I have put on my skin, very few negative. Surpriringly often elderly ladies have told me they find my tattoos pretty, often when at places like the public swinning pool and so on where my skin is very visible. But I’ve also had a Burbrerry lady at Stockmann stop me and compliment me on my arms. Well what do you know :) Those few times when something negative has been said, it has always been by a man. My fingers are enough to count the times so it’s not often, but one time should be enough. I know this has happened to a lot of my friends and people I know as well (women. Also women who have shaved their heads). Interesting, to think of from a social point of view.
And annoying.

Is it just here or does it happen elsewhere too?

Last week at the gym I was working out with my personal trainer (best investment for years I tell you, but that’s another story) and these men were biking or what the fuck ever thread milling behind us and they decided to turn up the volume of their conversation all of a sudden. “I never got why women would tattoo themselves /can’t see the point of that /it does not look good on a woman to have tattoos” and so on. Oh jeez. That’s all right guys, you have your thing I have my, we have different lives and styles, so wtf was up with the WE JUST NEED TO SAY THIS IN A LOUD VOICE RIGHT NOW-thing? It made me want to laugh but also raise an eyebrow to wonder over their manners and psychological wellbeing. I've always laughed at this one memory I have from the time I found myself at a “trendy” club I’d normally like to avoid and these guys next to me were talking about me by the bar "what about that blonde one there" until I moved and they apparently saw my arm  - I could then hear one of them disappointed say “oh damn, she’s got tattoos and stuff”. Eyeroll - yes, too bad guys, but it was not going to happen anyway.

Last year I was walking with Dag in his pram and one of those typical Finnish shabby aggressive drunks raised a finger and waved to my son and said “look, your pretty mommy has destroyed herself by getting ugly pictures ” . Yes yes whatever, I just grinned and walked pass in a usual manner when I suddenly got so pissed I had to turn around to tell him he had no right to sit there and just shout out whatever disrespectful things about others he came up with. Well, he of corse told me I was a cunt was and that I should fuck off . “But your tattoos look very pretty” a woman bystander said. That was however not the point - I didn’t care what that loser on the bench though about my looks, it was the fact that he declared it out and loud and to my child, that bothered me.

And it’s just not about tattoos. This is spinning away from the original topic here, but - there are a lot go these men who think they can say whatever they want to women.  As teenagers, girls who were unknown to one another might say nasty things at parties or so to bitch each other up, but from the later teens and on, if something insulting was said it would come from a man (From a Not going to happen anyway-man, may I add, which probably is a big part of  the explanation). I’ve been told that I have a huge broad ass when I was 17, said by some random much older man, for example. My friend always remembered this guy walking up to her from nowhere at a bar saying “do you really think you are sexy with those calves?”. A few years ago some total loser in a tram interrupted a conversation  between me and my friend to tell her that he thought she had a really ugly mouth when she spoke. What the hell!? (Believe me, I really told that asshole off!). Once still in high school out on town we were eating some pastries or so and some old fart came and told us that we shouldn’t do so and think about our figures. Well, the story goes on and on and on with cases like these, but to sort-of sum it up - a lot of people, mainly men, seem to think it’s acceptable to just walk over to women and comment on their looks. And, if that woman happens to be tattooed there's even the more reason to let her know what they think. Seriously, just get over it, let it be.

Like said, this is no issue for me per se, I don't get offended, it’s not something that has happened that much. It turned into a long post all of a sudden. But whenever it has happened -every time is one time too much- or I hear someone else saying their WTF’s about similar situations it does make me wonder what’s wrong with people. It would never cross my mind to ever say anything about the appearance of another person to that person, unless I had something nice to say.

I haven't had my last tattoo done yet :)

OUT OF THE BOX AND BACK IN THERE AGAIN

As many ladies (supposedly) have, I too have a lot of my closet space being occupied by The Box (and also, The Ikea Bag). You know, the box where old and not-so-old-but-unwanted clothes go to die. Although the official function of the contents in  The Box is to "sell them online or on the flea market". I haven't been to the flea market in ages, really, years. Last time I went it was summer and I sold at the big outdoor flea market. I had ironed every single piece I sold and about half an hour after the market opened  the rain started pouring down, everything got wet and wrinkly and some stuff molded in boxes and plastic bags while waiting for me to unpack them (needles to say, the motivation for that was low). Now I had decided that most of the content in The Box will just be donated to charity, just to get rid of it. But I actually ended up giving it one shot at a thrift market yesterday.

I have so much stuff it's actually pretty scary. And, from reading other blogs, I know I'm not alone.

(To my defense -if such a one is needed, one can always blame society - I do donate  a lot more money each month to charity than I put on clothing.)

You know another thing about those bags and boxes of forgotten stuff? Sometimes when I take it down from the cupboard to add something in it I notice old pieces that are "actually pretty nice" and take them back out. Usually to be put back in the next time the box comes out. Perpetuum mobile.

But now, The Box is actually gone! I have space in my closet again! What I did not sell I'm taking to the charity store this week. (You know, those kiddos that made my chain store cardigans can soon be wearing them themselves! The circle closes). The good stuff though to be saved for The Freelancer's Sales Blog though.

Perhaps inspired by the old stuff I yesterday dressed in a way I feel I haven't dressed for years. You know, style changes back and forth and in new directions constantly, or at least varies, without noticing it oneself (unless you are a teenager and go drastically from one thing to another. But now I'm talking about personal style and not teenage phazes). I'm more more casual and less puffy sleeves and bows nowadays.

This blouse has been close to entering The Box many times but as it actually is quite comfy it has been spared. It's also quite loos so it now serves as a maternity blouse.

But the shoes. Remember these wedges? The altered bowed circus wedges!

They were ready to go already as I never really wore them for some reason but while I was packing for the flea market I noticed they are actually pretty cute, and also, should work as maternity shoes. So they made a leap from The Box onto my feet. At the market I changed my mind again and put them on the table to sell them (and put a pair of fifties suede low heels away from the table and on to my feet instead) only to change my mind and put them back on.

But then I remembered why they were in The Box in the first place.

They are too big for me!

(So they will be up for sale soon over at that other blog of mine)

You do know this whole post is just one big first world issue.

Here are some more first world issues for you:

1, 2, 3

DILEMMA

I don't know how it's possile; my home is overflowing and piling up with clothes everywhere - but I have nothing to wear!!!!

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?

TO BE OR NOT TO BE, OR TO HASBEENS?

First I'm going to tell you something and then I'm going to ask you something.

The telling: I'm completely fucked in the head.

To start with I blame the internet, my paypal account and then a bunch of other facts, phenomenons and whatever. The thing is, I just can't stop wanting stuff, not only believing but knowing I need it/that/those/whatever, trying to make my wardrobe complete; perfect for any occasion. You know, one part of life such as it is seen upon nowadays is a constant search for the perfect something - the perfect job, the perfect home, the perfect partner, the perfect hand bag, perfect black skirt, foundation, mascara, every day shoes, life you name it... The longing for all things perfect and then even a little more prefect is something of a challenge we create upon ourselves but also something being fed to us all the time in magazines and commercials.

Well, enough about blaming society for my materialistic cravings as the thing here was about me and my f:d up head, plus, for the moment I actually have the perfect home-in-the-making and a pretty perfect partner (plus perfect lashes done so skip the mascara and I've given up on the black skirt). But, as it seems, not the perfect easy going shoes for summer. As that is clearly something everyone needs. And one fine day when I should have been out in the park enjoying the sunshine but instead sat down by the wonderful never-ending world of the internet I found the perfect ones:

Swedish Hasbeens candy coloured sky high sandals. That at least in my book look comfy enough for the so called every day wear.

But but but. I have a whole box of -yet-to -unpack-and-nowhere-to-put-after-that-shoes (not sandals though! Very few such!) at home. (Not to mention clothes, still a couple of suitcases in waiting. And strangely though, I think I have less and less to wear day by day. How can it be?)

Well anyway, I may be fucked in the head but the sandals are still pretty sweet aren't they? And one pair more wouldn't hurt. Plus my comfy everyday summer shoes so far have been a pair of red H&M peeptoes, well serving their 19 euros since 2006, now falling apart. I mean, these even come in mint green! (Even though I do think one pair of mint green shoes are enough, believe it or not. Might go for pink or natural-shaded ones instead).


Hmmm.

So, now over to the questions: since the apparently much hyped Swedish Hasbeens still are a little bit on the more expensive side I'd really like to know if they are comfortable. That would pretty much be the whoel point of purchasing. I sort of think that if you pay more than 150 euros for a pair of shoes comfot better come with the price - that works for Minna Parikka shoes at least, but you can never be sure.(And no, lower heels are out of the question. I don't think the sky high ones look that high anyway.)
So any experiences on the sky high ones?
Or hasbeens in general?

And does anybody know about the sizing? I read they are rather small but their size chart seems to be pretty regular, almost bit on the bigger side. I've been measuring my feet over and over here at work, even standing on a ruler and the result indicates I should go for a 36 but that would be one size smaller than my normal one and I can't really trust that.

Well over and out, let's see if I end up with a pair or if I find something else more necessary and interesting before I click Buy.

VARFÖR? DÄRFÖR!

My life is full of things right now - my calendar is booked until December (! or Februay 2011 to be precise); we have arenovation coming up and otherwise there are a lot of big things going on in my mind. Sometimes it helps to erase all of those and concentrate on something totally different and less important. Like a pair of shoes (well at least it's a great excuse isn't it). So here's a wellfare country problem for you:

I spotted a pair of mint green Vagabond pumps online and directly dismissed the thought of buying them as I already have plenty more than enough of shoes, but then it struck me - is this it with the shoes? Does this mean I just won't get any new shoes, like, eh, ever? Then I happily reminded myself that my old rule still apply; no new shoes unless in a new colour. (It's not an absolute rule since one is entitled to have more than one pair of black and red shoes, at least). Plus surely every woman needs a pair of heels matching her refrigerator? Well, at least if it is mint green!


Now the only problem is stupid Vagabond Finland didn't have the guts to ever take in the shoes in this colour to the stores. And it seems they are sold out everywhere in my size online. So now a lot of happy size 37 bitches all over Europe are running around with my shoes on them (how dare they!).

This bugs me out like hell. I like the shoes, tried them on in black; they're comfy and has the same shape as a pair of 40's pumps I got from my grandmother but were too small, but they are not the most fantastic shoes in the world. Although right now it still feels like a mission for me to get them. Why? Well - just because. Because I can't have them, which made me reflect over the fact how easy it is to get things these days; I think we are quite accustomed to getting what we want as consumers (unless you loose a bidding on ebay of course :) Of course I do not always get what I want, not even when it comes to those things that money can buy as I am not made of it and do set some boundaries on how I use the money I have (yes I know it's hard to believe when reading this blog...). But a lot of things are so easy to get nowadays, nothing but that magical little click away and off to the post office we go to pick it up or pop by the store. And now I can't have these! Damn.

I will most likely get over this great loss rather soon, but until then, if anyone spots a pair of these green ash palma pumps in size 37 let me now ok? (Or I might just buy them for that German shop that carry them in size 38 and use them with socks or have the clobber somehow shrink them a bit. I can be quite persistent :)

I 'M NOT SAYING I WILL GET IT BUT I 'M NOT SAYING I WON'T (OR AM I?)

I am not one of those to make New Year’s resolutions. No promises, ever.

I have however tried it with improvements - the first time being last year. I was going to improve my manners of taking care of my paper work – organize my accounting, billing, bank and business papers weekly instead of once per the quarter– but that went horribly wrong. I actually became less organized than before. So this year I should probably give up on even trying in order not to fail again and feel all bad afterwards. (I didn't after last year's fail, which is probably a bit alarming. Or annoying. But I’m just born with this 'No Worries No Hurries' attitude towards these things and so far so good.)

Giving up in advance is however not the preppy spirit one is thought of to have around this time of year, ey? So if I would try it with a small restriction instead of an improvement this time? To stop buying things online all the time and instead save up for that mintgreen Smeg I have been babbling about for a very long time already, which I actually am going to get us this summer and put into a bigger kitchen! (Yey!)

That of course means that I will not for example buy this to-die-for jacket from Trashy Diva. No way.

A jacket that could only be used a few months per year due to the climate around here and with me already having enough of practically everything it is of course out of the question. Not even though it also comes in leopard print (oh! oh! I’m having a real hard time here now)!

So I have no intention of getting myself either one whatsoever, ahum, I am merely presenting it to you in case anyone is up for some spring jacket inspiration?

(Oh ♥)

IT'S GETTING DARKER BUT AT LEAST IT'S NOT THAT COLD.

Well hello global warming! I'm wearng my September jacket in November.

I've stumbled across warm weather in blogs lately as it seems to be especially warm for the season everywhere. But where bloggers in the norther part of the US blog about sunshine in something that almost resembles a very late indian summer and middle European girls enjoy nice warm autumn days at + 15 C, a mild November over here means +7 and rain. Sunshine or not, it gets dark a bit over 15 o'clock here already. And it will get darker for one moth still. Yey.

Everything I'm wearing is vintage except for the shoes (which btw are much comfier by now :)

TO SHOP OR NOT TO SHOP

...is actually not the question. At least for me, since I'm really not that much of a "shopper". But it is for some.



So this is K. One of my very best friends and also my work-partner. But besides the work we do together she also wors as an Art Director and she works a lot. So sometimes when she feels really tired and stressed (that's quite often)she does some shopping. You know, some people eat chocolate, others get drunk, some shop. And also shopping whenever the sales are happening, just for the fun of it. Nothing wrong with that really from one point of view (which would be the capitalist view of our well-being society I'd guess. And we're all part of that, one way or another). But if you aready have a lot of things (how many of you reading this will actually need a pair of new shoes for real within say, the next two years?) or if you earn ok money but never really manage to save any of it it might be good to look at things from another pint of view.

K has a lot of really nice clothing and accessoary, she has very cute but still classy style and likes to get stuff from new designers or quality brands. (I wrote this because I've labelled my blog "fashion blog". Otherwise I coul've skipped this sentence :) But on our trip in Berlin, staying with our friend in a house where nobody really works (works in a matter of going somewhere to work and then get paid at the end of the month) but paint and do music and thus live on a quite tight budget K started talking about cutting down the shopping.

Inspite of the small budget our friend (who moved to Berlin from Helsinki last spring) still got by quite well. She didnt have a credit card but had a certain amount of cash to spend every month. She just didn't do any shopping - the only exeption being a pair of blue vintage suede boots for €10 in July (fashionblogger writing here again) - but otherwie lived quite like before. Now of course you can't compare Berlin to Helsinki in a matter of the costs for taking a cab or eating out (or at home either, not to mention the other costs for living) since Helsinki is so darn expensive, but I guess both K and I could get by on a lot smaller budget than now. It's hard to let go of a certain lifestyle one is used to, and I have no need for a drastic change, even though I could cook at home a bit more often than I do for example (half of the things I buy I'm forced to throw away since they go bad before I even try to make something out of them). And I could take the nightbus home with the common people every now and then after a night out on town instead of always grabing that costy cab. (please note my slight tone of irony here. I'm rather common too).

Then there is always the topic of what should you really do with all your money - save it for a bigger flat, travels, the future children, give everything extra away or whatever? I'm not going to go in on that (is anyone still reading at this point btw?) . I'll just stick to the more shallow stuff here.

Well anyway (you can continue reading here if you skipped some text above now), K made a decision not to do any shopping anymore. She didn't really say how long this project would last, I guess it will evolve into just buying less in the future, since I'm still quite sure she hasn't bought her last pairs of shoes yet :)
So, wish her luck!

Because this blog is mainly about pretty things and since it's nice with pics instead of just text I'll post a picture my magnificent mobilephone captured of some cute tings K got while it was still ok for her to consume - a lovely leather purse and leather cuff. Everything always looks like candy on her:


.............
...and a little update. K bought curtains and was a bit worried about that but they don't count since she needed them, they therefore had a purpouse and weren't just for herself but for her house and Mr too.

(If anyone wondres why this is labelled under 'fucked up things' it's just because this whole topic is quite fucked up really, even though it's quite general; there are even blogs about people changing their lifestyles towards non-consuming and so on. It's just fucked up since we make such a big thing about it, in some parts of the world they would have no clue what the hell I'm talking about.)

GODDAMIT!

Top & scarf - Carlings, Shoes - H&M
Trousers - Genlemen take Polaroids (coloured by me)


Today I woke up to maybe the best day of summer so far.

Which sucked since I had to work today.

Yes, I'm still on vacation, but I had promised to do a shift at "the-cothing-store-I'm-employed-at-but-never-work-in-but-still-have-my-discount-at"; the first shift since one in February, the time before that being someting like November 2007. (I'm not sure if the discount is worth it, goddamit I don't even shop there that much anymore!)

Well, I'm there and one hour before the other guy who will finish the day is due to come to work he calls me in the shop and tells me he's ill and won't show up. Seriously, fuck. I really wanted to go home and cathc some beauty sleep bvefore hitting the town big tie tonight. Thank god some of the sweet guys from another of these stores (there are three within five minutes from each other) came and stayed for a while so I could have lunch, and another guy other came to close so I didn't have to stay the whole evening. You gotta love those guys.

About the store... I kind of hate it in a way. They have their own designers and own brands. As an employee you can send in suggestions for designs, and if it is put up fpr production you get 1000 euros. Not much if you've actually designed something, but if you're a regular guy behind the counter and have a cool idea for say, a t-shirt, then one grand and your shirt in the store is quite nice. So, two years ago I drew up a whole collection of mine and my friend's (who was also my storemanager's at the time) ideas. Very what-we-know-they-would-sell and some of what we wanted for ourselves. The responce was that it was "really good, but a bit too much for them to dig in to".

Ummmm, what?

Someone gets a grand for saying "you should make a yellow tee with red stripes" and we had tons of ideas but it's too much for them to look at? Ok, fine, if they wouldn't have wanted those designs at all. But during the year after some similar things showed up in the store, like small details resembling, or the same model but different patterns or colours... Hmm, ok, might be a coincidence and I'm a trend oracle in that case, but this shirt really pised me off:

My drawing of a men's shirt in August 2006:


Sneaky pics of shirt in production fall/winter 2007:


Rrrrip-off!
Sure, I had ska-inspired checks and this shirt dogtooth, but they had never had shirt lined with checks before! And I had put the checked lining under the collar (and on it in another version), they had it inside. But the lining of the buttons and the cuffs are just like I drew them, goddamit, it's the same f***ing shirt!

Sure, fashion industry is a lot about copying or riping off, you know, what you see on the catwalks of the big fashion houses you'll see similar versions of in Zara etc. the season after. That's ok, it's the way it goes and it's a bit different when huge corporations do it as part of a system than when a company rips it's employers of.

So, I'm going to keep on being employed and shop cheaper and then maybe honour the shop with my presence behind the counter a couple of times a year.

I'll be there tomorrow too, all hungover and miserable, matching my eyes with the colour of my top, playing rautalanka-music. So don't come there. Well, unless you'll bring me an ice cream or something.
(hear hear, employee of the year speaking! :)