V's spot

it is the last Manteli weekend this year. all of us went in the morning, stepped by to say hello to the little baby girl of S & R and the proud big brothers A & O. ("i will protect the little sister!") me and V did a little forest adventure. it was beautiful today, no sun, no snow, but bright frosty green moss. me and V took a bus back. now it's late, i started to make christmas cookies. or the dough, to be baked the next day. piparkakkuja siis, oliko niille joku vakiintunut nimitys englanniksi? i didn't have syrup, but used all honey there was and indian sugar, so i'm sure it's gonna work out fine.
lately, Y has been busy with building "V's spot" in Manteli. it is a secret hide-out place above the closet in "working room". the door in the photo will be the door to the closet. it's ready except for the wallpaper. yesterday i showed V some wallpapers from tapettitalo homepage. Y suggested the cherry tree one that i like for this little space. V liked it too, and picked the colour blue that i also think is the best. (i also showed her the birds, but she wanted to stick with flowers.) then i called Y, who went and picked up a roll of it. there was only 2 rolls left of the old stock, the newer one was paler or something. yey! i find it quite cute and moving that the father who is away on weekends is pouring his heart into this 2m3 space for the precious little girl. there will also be secret door to the attic/second floor...
this week a mason guy is repairing the brick wall behind the oven, a friend of S & R. almost for free. he's just looking for stuff to do, he says.

red blue and glue

some guys who are permanently on the kitchen table. the glue i am so excited about gave me the chance to make wonderful hair for the girls. the blue one is my dream hair! i have to get more heads to make more coiffures.

V wanted this kind of photo because the red ball is so beautiful too.

i made this wonderful decoration from the scraps of calendar numbers (same style as the rowan tree berry thing from autumn, hih). as i was cutting them, i noticed they were coming from Moomin's milk road picture.

i moved them here though, because cat H couldn't resist them.

inai inai baaa!

here's a funny story (greetings to Y): my aunt came over and was asking about J & A's wedding that we're going to (it's next week!!). she's hoping we would get inspired to do the same, and said that she's even willing to pay the expenses!!
i said that we are very much tied together anyway, we have a child (in the photo) and a house (a bank loan). i grew up in a family with 3 different last names though, and i must admit that i would like to have the same name for all of us... (you knew that, Y!)

four days

this week it's four Manteli days for Y. none for me and V. rain for everyone. christmas markets all around. i've started knitting a scarf for V, but ended up buying one today. it's very cute, a fox. V dreams of foxes. a fox eats lingonberry in the forest. the one i'm making is very ugly, i don't know why. but i was looking at the calendar picture here, and it looks like a child made it! here, live, it blends in with everything and looks kinda happy. but happy looks easily quite childish. and the pockets are sewn very un-straight. in the dark and while watching tv. but that's how it is. i'm eager to try and make things, but definitely not too good at it. and usually i don't really have such good materials to start with. now my big enthusiasm is glue. i found erikeeper in my drawer (i always thought i don't have glue). i want to have gluing projects.

fourth day

the advent calendar was finally finished on the evening of Dec 3rd! "secrets" from the pockets so far + an extra present for V that arrived in the mail yesterday from N: beautiful buttons from Kamakura "Milk Hall" - sounds wonderful! my idea was that the numbers are easily taken of, so it can be used as pockets for whatever afterwards. but the pockets are a bit too small for storing things. i want to make another one for that purpose, a bit more elegant one. just a couple of big pockets in nicer fabrics. i'm totally having a christmas crafting mood, even though we won't even be home for it. and anyway, the problem with my mood is that i don't have enough time to realise things. or maybe it has more to do with having energy than time... i've started to make packing lists in my head, exciting busy happy stressed times before the trip. it's been a good letter week, i got a letter from the December bride and a love note from Marseille too. and the ANP magazine arrived normally for the first time!

present mood

this was my birthday present from Y. now that it's present thinking season, it seems fit to show one of my favorite presents ever. like i don't need anything after i've got them. (wish i could give someone something like that!) they are coat hooks from France -what decade was it now? 50s?- that Y found for me (from e-bay). quite in the style of Eames' Hang-it-all, that i've been wanting to have, maybe. now i don't need that anymore. they are waiting to get a place in Manteli. i'm thinking bathroom or veranda. Y went there today with C, i'm hoping they make wonders this weekend.
i realised yesterday around 10 in the evening, that tomorrow is december 1st, and i still haven't even started the pocket advent calendar! so i started it! it' been ages that i've been doing something late at night, and i was so inspired! even Y went to bed before me, and little cat H was confused about why i'm not in bed, offering her a warm sleeping nest. i managed to find enough different fabrics. only first 3 pockets are sewn in their places, otherwise the calendar is full of needles. i have to continue tonight (i have to remember my movie assignment too). in pocket number 1 there was a bird picture. V put it on the kitchen wall.
i found beautiful bird badges in town today! i only have eyes for very small things now, the pockets are pretty small.