the last day

We have a fire place/snow castle outside, made by V and Y. They copied the idea from M who had made one for his son's birthday party. That's where we will be sitting tonight! The above photo is from Christmas eve. It is V's new doll Mathilda. I found her in a package at a flea-market. And clothes sets too. I had a Mathilda as a kid. The furniture is from a christmas fair.


I wish you a super new year! Gott nytt år! Bonne année!
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Eli superia uutta vuotta! Meillä on lumilinna, jossa on tulisija. Yläkuvassa on Matilda. Minulla oli sellainen pienenä, ja löysin V:lle samanlaisen nuken avaamattomassa paketissa + vaatesettejä. Tuoli ja pöytä ovat Tuomaan markkinoilta Espalta.

Poppanen

One of our favourite new things: the new finnish edition of Mary Poppins. I think I said before I like illustrator Marika Maijala. I like these pictures so much! V thinks the name "Maija Poppanen" is ugly, but today we started to read. I noticed the book's lay-out is by Réka Király, a "blog friend". I could pick out any page, but here are some.
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Olen niin ihastunut uuteen Maija Poppaseen, kaunis kaunis kirja.

princess shoes

It is very funny to have her make the clacking sounds with her shoes. They were not a present but are quite new (souvenir from Spain). The socks are made by her great-grandmother. They are perfect for the too big shoes and winter.

Most photos from the last days are ugly yellow. The daylight moment is so short and then the light is quite blue, difficult season.

There were lots of presents, but V said the oven that Y made was the best present. Isn't that great. And she's been wearing the princess dress I made every day, even though it's very long, a bit unpractical.

The rest of my year will be spent right here, with a deadline on my shoulder. Keep me company!

have a nice one

I wish you a merry, peaceful, wonderful christmas!
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Hauskaa, rauhaisaa, ihanaa joulua kaikille!

some things made

I just finished making a Princess Dress for V. It's been in the making for quite a while, mostly inside my head, and her head too. It's a bit funny and maybe quite big too. Now I have only a tulle skirt and some knitting to finish.

These are some things I've made for V's pocket calendar. V got a "Ken" from my mum some time ago. He's a fashionista, wearing skinny jeans and a teeshirt (looks like diesel). He needed a sweater (#5). I used a real pattern and very small sticks. Then there is the Santa Lucia headpiece (#13). It was a quick decision to make one and I'm happy how it turned out. I didn't plan any candles (some people saw that as a problem...) Then there was the koala (#15). V wasn't completely happy, she thinks a koala should be grey.

I'm staying up too late again. I want to wrap some more and I have a dough to make. It feels nice to be in this mood.
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Illat jatkuu myöhään yöhön puuhastellessa. Se on mukavaa. Sain ihmeellisen mekkosen valmiiksi ja pakettiin piiloon. Nämä on joulukalenterin taskuissa olleita juttuja (nrot 5, 13 ja 15). Nyt paketoin vielä kaksi juttua ja teen piparitaikinan huomiseksi. Huomisen taskussa on oravapiparimuotti (näin sellaisen Liivialla).

helleborus

Ok, now I have a favourite christmas flower! It is a christmas rose, a rose that can actually bloom in winter time (I will plant it in the summer if it survives). I got it from my mum. V's picture calendar is supposed to be the story of christmas rose (Selma Lagerlöf), but so far I didn't find a story that would correspond to the pictures. It's pretty anyway. These 24 days go so quickly!

Little V broke my glasses this morning.
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Jouluruusu, uusi rakastettuni. Äiti antoi. V:n kuvakalenteri pohjautuu Selma Lagerlöfin samannimiseen tarinaan. En ole löytänyt sellaista tarinaa, johon kuvat liittyisivät. Nätti kalenteri silti. Maailman nopeimmat 24 päivää.

art makes sense/dolphins

V got 2 crayons in her calendar pocket, again. First there were "silber" and "umbra" on the 7th, today "gold" and "rotviolett".

Now I will go and wash a doll shirt I bought from the flea-market. She's staying over at my mum's, so the shirt has time to dry over the night.
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We saw "The Cove" and I'm thinking about dolphins all the time. I used to want to become a dolphin/whale researcher. (I would've wanted to skip studying and get straight into action.) A very exciting movie, brave people and such incredible cruelty and stupidness. Maybe you saw it already, maybe you didn't if you're in Japan. It feels so strange this takes place in such a rich and developed country. (Problems in this developed country too, fur farming for example.)
savejapandolphins
say NO to dolphin shows
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The Cove Yle Areenassa.

this and that

The favourite garment these days. I bought this onesie for little V, it's organic cotton with 20% wool. Feels so lovely and is such a great vibrant colour. Looks great on him. Feels so nice to hold him (that feels nice in any outfit, to avoid any confusion). No point to keep it until christmas for him.
A strange flower from the veranda. It was somehow frozen in time.
V is a genius! A phone that rings.
Ella is sick since days. Hendri is taking care of her (what a great name!). Our old cat likes to sleep next to her as well. (Note the music machine on the table!)
I'm knitting a koala finger puppet.
Tomorrow we will visit Chocolate circus.

it is winter.

I think I could live without snow, but it is really wonderful. There hasn't been any snowman snow yet. Helsinki is the snowiest place in Finland, that's special. We're going to a birthday party today. It's good that kids have their birthdays, they are a guarantee to meet sometimes. It's only the second time we visit this family since they moved to their new place. I made another bird. I wonder if I could make really many of them and sell somewhere. I'll show you later (you who I don't know). It is third advent sunday already!
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Talvi on. Lumi on ihmeellistä ainetta. Mutta sitä on vielä tosi kauan. Tein toisen linnun, se on synttärilahja, kohta lähdetään juhliin.

almost 9

My friend V is so sweet (please check out her Ghana project). She said that little V has something from me too, his smile.

When V and me went to the winter circus (it was so nice! Highly recommended if you're in Helsinki) I was away from little V for almost 9 hours. The boys managed very well, but I was crying on the way away from him. V was a little sad too. We're with him all the time, and he's such fun company. But the next time we go somewhere just us girls, we'll be braver and have more fun. V is now in love with Milton Nascimento, her first music love. It reminds her of the winter circus music, which was performed by Kuukumina.

Me and Y have been together for 9 years. The polaroid is almost 9 years old too.

spaghetti

Some weeks ago I wrote the kids' names in spaghetti. Today I finally threw the pieces away. V wrote my name before that. The table cloth is quite new, from flea-market (where else). Table cloths are one of those things you can't have too many, especially in linen. I love this one. It looks different colour in every photo. I changed the handkerchief curtains too, it's all pale blue here now.

We met some nice people yesterday. First my brother+girlfriend, then lots of people at a party. Little V got many offers from willing babysitters. Now Y is in town again, I should knit, and I should decide what to put into the pocket #8.

also

-bought tickets to see Winter Circus and Bob Hund!! (Godspeed you! black emperor is also coming up!)
-almost finished a translation
-made more lists
-a new working table, but it's mostly V who is using it in her painting and drawing (it's little V who has torn some wallpaper there)
-bought new paints (from Stockmar, very nice)
-found a lace collar, I'm gonna wear it a bit differently (it's beautiful)

It's December, V has got a flashlight and horse pictures from her pocket calendar. She has started making a "christmas supply list" (trousers for Sunflower and a koala family).

in the meanwhile

Night shots.

I have been
-knitting (a new project almost every day!)
-baking (piparkakkuja and today a wonderful banana bread)
-reading Milk déco 4 (again the best home was in Marocco)
-abandoning books when I've read about half way through
-listening to Stereolab (introducing them to V) (they don't sound dated!)
-not yet reading ANPQ (I received 3 copies!?)
-making christmas lists
-to town, spending money I don't have on things (wonderful things)
-making flea-market finds (I wish V hadn't been there with me; I would have one perfect gift for her, but now she's seen it)
-arranging home (loving it!)
-wondering what to do with my hair (no idea)
-feeling quite christmas-y, feeling a lot better about winter after reading "Moomin valley in November"

out

Obligatory snow photos. Little V is pretty excited about going out now. It feels like I can almost leave them out on their own now. it's not pitch black when look out the window anymore.

Hel-looks has a new look. "Search" function is nice.
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Ne ulkona, ulkona lunta. Ei pelkkää pimeää. Pikku V on innoissaan ulosmenosta, V on innoissaan pienen kanssa ulkona leikkimisestä. Ei me silti olla paljon siellä oltu. Mun talvisaappaat on hukassa.

boy stuff

It might be that I have very stereotypical kids, a boy and a girl, I don't know yet. I'm very consciously avoiding all determinations by sex. Anyway little V now has this cute boy shirt a friend gave us (she has 2 boys). And this shirt is so cute! He's also "wearing" a knitted ball I made, that's what I've been making lately.

My mum bought this tool set at the market square in Helsinki. We have many puzzles from the same company. I'm happy the guy who sells them always remembers me.

There is snow since yesterday morning. And there is the most wonderful fairy house upstairs, but it's too dark to take photos. Very nice friends came over today.

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Pienellä V:llä on ihanan poikamainen paita, saimme sen ystävien kahden pojan jälijltä. Mun äiti osti kauppatorilta työkalutkin, joten V:n pojan elämä on nyt alkanut. Välttelen aika kovasti kaikkia sukupuolimäärittelyjä, mutta nuo mun lapset saattaa olla aika stereotyyppisiä tapauksia, Poika ja Tyttö. Pojasta ei tietenkään vielä tiedä mikä se on miehiään. Eilen aamulla herättiin lumeen, ja nyt on pakkasta. Ihan kivaa. Yläkerrassa on suloinen keijujen maja. Meillä oli ihania vieraita.

a branch

I gave in and hung some winter lights in the kitchen. There were branches on the yard after a heavy wind. So I call them winter lights, not christmas lights. Yesterday we were in city lights. Friends from France and very special time with V. Y was shooting a very fine exhibition. Anne Koskinen.
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Pihalta löytyi hienoja oksia. Minusta on vähän aikaista jouluvaloille, mutta nämä ovat talvivaloja. Niitä tarvitaan. Eilen oltiin kaupungin valoissa. Ja näyttelyssä. Vietin todella erityisen hetken V:n kanssa. Ihmeellistä ajatella, että sellaisia voi tulla vaikka kuinka paljon lisää. Se on niin iso tyttö. Hengailtiin myös V&B:n kanssa, Ranskan ystäviä.

drawing table

V is drawing a lot again. I would like to frame almost every drawing/painting she makes. Little V is experimenting a little bit too. I love the beeswax crayons. He made a father's day card for Y too, with my assistance. This table is upstairs, towards sunrise. That's where we originally planned our bed would be. (Look there was snow on the ground that day!)

Oh and V learned to read!
And little V learned to walk!
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Yläkerran piirustuspöytä. Tässä piti alunperin olla meidän sänkymme paikka, auringonnnousuikkunan edessä. V piirtää tosi paljon taas, välillä oli hiljaisempaa. En tiedä miten säilyttäisin kaiken. Niin hienoja kuvia, että tekisi mieli panna kaikki kehyksiin.

Lapset oppivat: V lukemaan, pikku V kävelemään! Jee!

giraffes

Knitted one is made from this book. I ran out of the blue organic cotton yarn I started with. Under it is my favorite rug at the moment, new woolen flea-market find.

We've made cookies, a variation of finnish christmas cookies. Instead of cinnamon, ginger and all that, I put G&B's cocoa powder and coconut. Instead of butter I used coconut oil. Stars, mushrooms, moons, worms (my favorite shape, it could also be an "S").

Today we went too late for a lantern party, and missed out on all lantern activity. But met again with some nice people and had some hot juice in the dark.
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Kirahvin ohje tästä kirjasta. Sininen lanka loppui kesken, se taisi olla kesälanka. Suosikkimatto, villaa, kirppikseltä, kaikista kylmimmällä kohdalla lattiaa.

Ollaan tehty jo kaksi kertaa eräänlaisia pipareita. Kaneleiden sun muiden sijaan kaakaojauhetta (G&B's luomu, lempikaakao) ja kookoshiutaleita. Voin sijaan kookosöljyä. Hyviä, kivoja leipoa.

a wish

We went to a kindergarten opening party yesterday. Oh how I wish V could get a couple of days a week there.

It snowed for the first time. We have the first ice lantern outside.
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Toivoisin, että V voisi saada paikan tästä päiväkodista. Se on täynnä, mutta toivon silti.

Ensilumi eilen. Ensimmäinen jäälyhty tänään.