Many Things I Like

Loppu - The End

2008-11-19T17:05:00.003+02:00

Tämä on sadas blogikirjoitukseni. Tämä kirjoitus on samalla ilmoitus, että olen päättänyt lopettaa blogini kirjoittamisen.

Loma oli mukava. Melkein kolmen viikon tiivis yhdessäolo matkaseurueen kanssa jätti kuitenkin jälkensä. Paluu omaan tyhjään kotiin ei tuntunutkaan mukavalta.

Mieltä painavat monet asiat. Freelancerinä työskenteleminen tuo elämään myös oman epävakauden tunteen ja jatkuvan huolen.

Tällä hetkellä ajatukseni ovat siis muualla...

Kiitos teille kaikille jotka olette seuranneet sivujani ja jättäneet kommentteja. On ollut mukava myös seurata teidän muiden bloggaajien kirjoituksia ja voin taata, että tulen vierailemaan sivuillanne jatkossakin!

Kolme Yötä - Three Nights

2008-10-24T20:04:00.002+03:00

Passi on jo esillä ja matkamusiikki valittu. Matkaopastakin on tullut mielenkiinnosta selailtua. Isomman kameran kaveriksi lähtee pienempi malli... ettei mitään tärkeää jää ikuistamatta.

Matkatunnelmissa ollaan. Ja syystäkin. Enää kolme yötä jäljellä...

Ensi viikolla jalkani astelevat New Yorkin katuja, neljän päivän ajan. Pitänee muistaa välillä katsoa jalkoihinkin, koskaan kun ei tiedä millaista taidetta maasta löytyy. Täällä Suomessa kannattaa myös muistaa välillä kääntää katseensa maahan, ainakin kaivonkansien kohdalla. Suunnittelija Piia Keto on nimittäin suunnitellut NC Sourcingille kauniin uniikkikansiston johon kuuluu kaksi mallia, Kukka ja Lintu. Muista katsoa mihin astut!

I have my passport ready and travel music chosen. I also have looked at the travel guide just for interest. I'll be taking my little camera with me as a friend to the bigger one... just to make sure I won't miss anything important.

I'm on a travel mood. And for a reason! Only three nights left...

Next week I'll be walking the streets of New York, for four days. I have to remember to look down every once in a while, because you never know what kind of art you may find on the ground. Here in Finland it's worth looking down as well, at least when there are manholes around. Designer Piia Keto has designed two beautiful manhole covers, a flower and a bird, for NC Sourcing. Remember to look where you step!

Seinä - The Wall

2008-10-15T17:22:00.003+03:00

Monta kaunista maalisävyä olisi tarjolla makuuhuoneen seinälle. Nämä sävyt kuuluvat Tikkurilan Tunto-värikarttaan. Vai laittaisinko sittenkin tapettia...

There are so many pretty paint colors to choose from, for my bedroom wall. These lovely colors belong to Tikkurila. Or should I put wallpaper...

Vintage Vipp

2008-10-11T11:17:00.003+03:00

On aika esitellä kuva-arvoituksen vastaus... Viimeisin löytöni kirpputorilta jota en voinut olla ostamatta. Hinnaltaan todellinen löytö! Nyt tämä puolen metrin korkuinen pönttö vaeltaa ympäri asuntoani etsien oikeaa paikkaa.

It's time to show you the answer to the picture riddle... My latest find from the flea market that I just couldn't leave behind. What comes to the price, it was a real bargain! Now this half meter tall trash can is wandering around my apartment, searching for the right place to be.

Kuva-arvoitus - Picture Riddle

2008-10-07T12:11:00.004+03:00

Okei, tämä on helppo. Pyöreät muodot, sileä pinta ja kyljessä musta pieni "korva"... Mikä se on??

OK, this is very easy. Round shapes, smooth surface and a little black "ear"... What is it?

Tänään - Today

2008-10-05T22:08:00.003+03:00

Tiramisukakkua ja sangollinen tapetteja...

Elämäni ensimmäinen tiramisukakku ei onnistunut ihan toiveitteni mukaan. Maku oli hyvä mutta ulkonäössä olisi ollut parantamisen varaa.
Sangollinen tapetteja puolestaan muistuttivat olemassa olostaan siivotessani vaatehuonetta. Sinne ne jäivät, edelleen sankkoon, odottamaan inspiraatiota tai seuraavaa siivousta.

Tiramisu cake and bucket full of wallpapers...

My very first tiramisu cake didn't turn out as I expected. The taste was good but the appearance could have been better.

The buckett full of wallpapers instead reminded me of their existence when I was tidying up my clothes closet. There they still are, in the bucket, waiting for inspiration.

Täältä tullaan, Amerikka - America, Here I Come

2008-10-03T22:39:00.007+03:00

Viime viikolla se varmistui... viikko on mennyt sisäistäessä, että olen todellakin lähdössä lomareissulle Amerikkaan tämän kuun lopussa. Määränpäänä on Florida ja kenties/toivottavasti New York. Tuskin maltan odottaa!

Minne mennä ja mitä nähdä? Vain muutamia suunnitelmia on vasta tehty...

Last week it became clear... It has taken me a week to really understand that I'll be going to America at the end of this month. Destination will be Florida and perhaps/hopefully New York. I can't hardly wait!

Where to go and what to see? Only a few plans have been made...

Muutos - The Change

2008-09-30T09:55:00.013+03:00

Kirjoitin tämän vuoden alussa kuinka veljeni keittiöremontissa tuntui kaikki menevän pieleen. Kauniita keittiökalusteita myyvän keittiöfirman kompastuskivinä olivat olematon asiakaspalvelu, venyneet toimitusajat sekä huono työnjälki. Kyseinen yritys ei siis ole vielä oivaltanut, että tyytyväiset asiakkaat tuovat lisää uusia asiakkaita.

No, keittiö on nyt viimeistä osaa vaille valmis. Allaskaapista puuttuu yksi tukipuu jonka pitäisi tulla tämän viikon aikana. Onhan tässä jo odoteltukin. Allastaso onkin muuten jo kolmas. Ensimmäinen taso tuli väärällä altaalla ja toinen taso halkesi kahtia kesken asennuksen. Mutta oli miten oli... Kyllä veljen kelpaa nyt kokata!

Ennen - Before

Jälkeen - After

Earlier this year I wrote about my brother's kitchen disaster, when everything seemed to go wrong. The company, where the kitchen was bought at, had a non-existing customer service, long delays in delivery and a very bad quality of work. It seems that this company hasn't realised that a happy customer usually brings more new customers. Or maybe they just don't care.

Well, the kitchen is almost ready now. Only one piece of the puzzle is still waiting to be installed and that should happen this week. Finally! Oh, and by the way... the counter top with the sink is already a third one. The first one came with a wrong sink and the other one broke when being installed. However... my brother has a very good looking kitchen now, doesn't he!

Kupoli

2008-09-29T10:48:00.006+03:00

Helsinki Design Weekin Design Market järjestettiin kuluneena viikonloppuna. Eihän tuota tapahtumaa voinut jättää väliin tänäkään vuonna. Kaikkea kivaa oli tarjolla enemmän ja vähemmän edullisin hinnoin. Oman ostokseni tein jo heti ensimmäisten minuuttien aikana. Puhdas impulssiostos siis... Mukaani tarttui pari metriä tätä Tanja Orsjoen Vallilalle suunnittelemaa kangasta. Liekkö joulu käynyt mielessäni...

Helsinki Design Week's Design Market was held last weekend. Just like before I went there just to see if they had anything special waiting there for me. Well, I didn't leave with empty hands... I bought few meters of this fabric "Kupoli" designed by Tanja Orsjoki for Vallila Interior. To be honest it was a total impuls buy and I think I was thinking about christmas when I bought it...

HDW

2008-09-21T10:18:00.006+03:00

25.9 se alkaa ja päättyy vasta 6.10! Nimittäin Helsinki Design Week 2008. Viikon sijaan pitäisi kai puhua kahdesta viikosta, sillä jo neljättä kertaa järjestettävä Helsinki Design Week tapahtuma tarjoaa erilaista ohjelmaa jopa 12 päivän ajan. Tänä vuonna HDW:n teemana on valo.

Show 100-näyttely on Helsinki Design Weekin päätapahtuma ja ehdottomasti käymisen arvoinen. Show 100 esittelee sata vuoden kiinnostavimmista muotoilutuotteista ja -konsepteista, niin Suomesta kuin myös ulkomailtakin, Kaapelitehtaalla 1.-3. lokakuuta.

Design Market 27.-28.9 tarjoaa tuttuun tapaan ainutlaatuisia mahdollisuuksia designin ostamiseen.
It starts September 25th and ends October 6th! Helsinki Design Week 2008 - an annual festival of creativity. Not only a week - almost two weeks, the 12-day event comprises of a wide array of happenings in the Cable Factory and in other central and inspiring venues. The theme of the year is Light.

Show 100, a design exhibition portraying the year's top 100 interesting products and concepts, form Finland and abroad, is this year's main event and absolutely worth visiting. Show 100 exhibition in the Cable Factory 1-3 October.

Design Market, a popular yearly design outlet sale, in the Cable Factory 27-28 September.

Revontulet - Aurora Borealis

2008-09-16T22:03:00.007+03:00

Aika muuttaa ihmistä.

Muistan kuinka nuorempana en tykännyt Tauno Wirkkalan Revontulet -lasimaljasta lainkaan. Minusta se oli tuolloin niin "mummomainen".
Vaan kas kummaa... nyt tämä lasimalja löytyy keittiönkaapistani ja minusta siinä on sitä "jotain"...

Time changes people.

I remember the time when I was younger and thought that this glass bowl, Revontulet by Tauno Wirkkala, was hideous. It was so "granny-like" back then.

But that was then... now I'm the owner of this glass bowl and I think there's "something about it"...

Kuuden Kopla - Six Pack

2008-08-26T11:12:00.002+03:00

Mukavan kokoisia, kivoja kädessä ja taattua Suomalaista Designia. Vaikka oluen ystävä en olekaan niin nämä kuusi pientä, Oiva Toikan suunnittelemaa 1/3 L tuoppia, päätyivät kesällä keittiön kaapin täytteeksi. Hintaa laseille kertyi yhden pienen setelin verran.

Perfect size, nice to hold and reliable Finnish Design. I found these six glass mugs this summer and I just got to have them, even though I'm not a beer drinker. They were a real bargain! Designed by Professor Oiva Toikka, one of the greates names in Finnish glass.

Biscotti

2008-08-24T19:50:00.002+03:00

Eilen sähköpostistani löytyi Martha Stewartin Cookie of the Day -viesti. Viesti sisälsi herkullisten suklaa-pistaasi biscottien reseptin. Ikinä en ole moisia keksejä leiponut, joten kokeiltavahan se oli. Hieman aikaa ja vaivaa keksien tekemiseen vaadittiin, mutta mitäpä muuta sitä sateisena sunnuntaina tekisi... Reseptiä hieman soveltaen syntyivät elämäni ensimmäiset Biscotit. Lasillinen kylmää maitoa ja muutama suklainen herkku tyydyttivät tämän päivän makeanhimon!

Yesterday I found in my mailbox a Cookie of the Day recipe from Martha Stewart.com. The recipe was for a yummy looking "Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti". I have never baked these kind of cookies before so I had to try. It took a little bit of time and effort but what else is there to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon... I just made a small changes here and there and here's the result.

Lauantai - Saturday

2008-08-23T21:18:00.005+03:00

Suomalaiset, amerikkalaiset ja yksi britti...

Finns, Americans and one Brit.

V niin kuin Vieraat - V is for Visitors

2008-08-22T11:34:00.004+03:00

Mikä mukava yllätys kesken työpäivän! Siskoni kävi pikku pirpanan kanssa kylässä. Ihmeteltävää riitti, puolin ja toisin...

What a nice surprise! My sister and her lovely little daughter stopped by to cheer up my workday.

Pihaprojekti - Garden Project

2008-08-21T16:47:00.007+03:00

Kesäisin työkuvioihin astuu mukaan kauniit puutarhat. Mikäpä sen mukavampaa, kun pääsee ihastelemaan innokkaiden viherpeukaloiden aikaansaamisia. Mutta miten onkaan oman pihani laita?

Säälittävältähän tuo näyttää… Pikkuruinen pihamaani on rikkaruohojen valtaama ja aikoinaan nurmikoksi kutsuttu alue kasvaa polvenkorkuista heinää. Ei siis mikään ylpeyden aihe!! Muutossuunnitelmat ovat kuitenkin jo käynnissä ja tänä syksynä rikkaruohot ja heinikko saavat kyytiä. Tilalle tulee jotain helppohoitoista ja selkeää.

Inspiraation lähteenä ovat toimineet mm. kauniit kuvat niin kirjoissa, lehdissä kuin myös täällä virtuaalimaailmassa. Kauniita kuvia löytyy myös ystäväni ja työtoverini Sari Tammikarin sekä hänen siskonsa, toimittaja Johanna Vireahon tekemästä kirjasta Suomalaisia unelmapuutarhoja.

Uudet halpis-saappaat ovat omiaan pihapuuhissa...

Because of my work I'm honored to visit beautiful Finnish private gardens during the summer season. But how does my own tiny little backyard look like?

To tell you the truth, it's not a pretty sight!! But I'm planning to do something to make it look prettier. I have even bought myself a new garden wellies. They were a real bargain! Simple, modern and easy-care are the key words for my new garden...

I've been searching for inspiration from the magazines, books and the Net. My photographer friend's and fellow worker's garden book of Finnish dream gardens has also been a source of inspiration.

Uniikkia - Unique

2008-08-09T21:33:00.006+03:00

Löytyy kodistani muutakin kuin korttitaidetta. Suuri kiitos tästä kuuluu Tunnepupun Liisalle, jonka taitavissa käsissä on syntynyt tämä uniikki taulu nimeltään 'Tsirp, birdy, tsirp'. Pikkulinnuilla on matkaa takana yli 200 km mutta voivat hyvin ja tekevät jo tuttavuutta tutun näköisen kaverin kanssa, jonka Kristian Vedel on luonut vuonna 1959. Kiitos Liisa, pidän taulusta todella paljon!

Art cards isn't the only art that I have, thanks to very talented young artist Liisa from Tunteellinen pupu blog. This pretty and unique artwork called 'Tsirp, birdy, stirp' is made by her. The little birds have traveled more than 200 kilometers and are doing fine. They are already making friends with Kristian Vedel's Bird. Thank you Liisa, I love it!

Korttitalo - House Of Cards

2008-08-08T22:40:00.002+03:00

Vaihtuva taidenäyttely... Sain veljeltäni pikkuisen Munnyn lisäksi New Yorkin tuliaisina Korttitalon, modernin taiteen museosta MoMasta. Tämä Charles Eamesin vuonna 1952 suunnittelema House of Cards korttipakka sisältää 54 kuvakorttia eläin-, kasvi- ja kivikunnasta. Näillä korteilla saa ajan kulumaan...

Changing Art Exhibition... Including Mini Munny my brother brought me House of Cards as a present from the New York's Museum of Modern Art, MoMa. This picture deck designed by Charles Eames in 1952 contains 54 photographs of things old and new, objects from the animal, mineral and vegetable kingdoms.

Mini Munny

2008-08-06T10:31:00.003+03:00

Veljeni kävi alkukesästä pitkään haaveilemallaan matkalla New Yorkissa. Tuliaisina sain häneltä mm. tämän pienen Kidrobotin Munnyn. Munny on toistaiseksi löytänyt paikkansa vanhan valaisimen juurelta, joka on 5 euron löytö kesän kirpputorikierrokselta.

Munny on ns. tee-se-itse "lelu" jonka voi taiteilla väreillä yms. mieleisekseen. Täältä Kidrobotin sivuilla olevasta kuvagalleriasta löytyy toinen toistaan hienompia Munny-taideteoksia. Minun Munny taitaa kyllä jäädä valkoiseksi...

My Brother made a trip to New York earlier this summer. It was a trip he'd been dreaming about for a long time. As a little present he brought me this Kidrobot Mini Munny, a "Do-It-Yourself" toy. This little guy found his place next to my new flea market find, the old lamp that cost only 5 euros.

Kesä - Summer

2008-08-04T09:24:00.003+03:00

Neljä viikkoa on kulunut edellisestä blogipostauksesta mutta mikäpä sen parempi syy hiljaisuuteen kuin Suomen kaunis kesä. Akut on nyt ladattu ja on aika palata työn ja opiskelun ääreen. Blogigin päivittyy jatkossa hieman tiheämpään tahtiin...

It's been four weeks since my last posting but could there be a better reason for the silence than the beautiful Finnish summer. After relaxing four weeks it's time to get back to work again. I'll be spending more time in front of the computer again so my blog will be updated more often...

Taidekeskus Salmela - Art Centre Salmela

2008-07-07T10:49:00.011+03:00

Pilvisiä päiviä on riittänyt... Onneksi viime viikolla ei satanut, kun kävimme tutustumassa Mäntyharjulla sijaitsevan Taidekeskus Salmelan näyttelyyn. Kauniita teoksia kauniissa miljöössä. Suosittelen!

Taitelijat Sari Tenni sekä Sampsa Sarparanta jäivät upeilla teoksillaan mieleen.

Sari Tenni 'Kiiltokuvacowboy'

Sari Tenni

Sampsa Sarparanta 'Väkivalta', 'Syyssade', 'Sairas'.

Sampsa Sarparanta 'Vaaroja paratiisissa'

We have had so many cloudy days... Last week we visited Art Centre Salmela in Mäntyharju and luckily it didn't rain. Beautiful artworks from very talented artists in a very beautiful milieu. I recommend!

Two artists were above all and they were Sari Tenni and Sampsa Sarparanta.

Ninuskan Napit - Buttons By Ninuska

2008-07-03T23:12:00.002+03:00

Nämä kauniit napit löytyivät tiistaina postilaatikostani. Napit ovat voittoni Ninuskan järjestämästä juhannusarvonnasta. Kerrankin voitin jotain vaikka pääpalkinto menikin ohi :) Onneksi posti kerkesi laatikkoon ennen kuin vaihdoin maisemia Mäntyharjun mökille, joten ehdin ihailemaan näitä kauniita nappeja sekä räpsäisemään alla olevan kuvan. Mihinköhän raaskisin käyttää nämä?

Ninuska on Kuopiossa asuva tekstiilimuotoilun opiskelija, jonka taitavissa käsissä syntyy niin nappeja kuin kauniita kankaitakin.

I won these pretty little buttons from another blogger Ninuska, when she had a Midsummer Night drawing.... Don't they look pretty?!

Tällä viikolla - This Week

2008-06-30T15:10:00.005+03:00

Mahtava päivä tänään! Aurinko paistaa ja sain viikoksi käyttööni Nissan Micran. Ilmaiseksi! Tällä ilmaisella menopelillä huristelen siis tämän viikon. Lisäksi minulla on ilo ja kunnia kirjoittaa oman blogini ohessa Micra Cuts blogiin. Käy ihmeessä kurkkaamassa mistä oikein on kyse!

What a day! Sun is shining and I just got a car to use for one week, for free. So this week I'll be writing also to Micra Cuts blog.

Here Again...

2008-06-27T20:55:00.004+03:00

I haven't forgotten you guys but since it's summer I have decided to spend a little less time in front of my computer. It's time to enjoy the beauty of Finnish summer. The weather hasn't been great so far but I'm keeping my hopes high.

INQUIRY: I'm thinking of changing my blog language into finnish but I have no idea how many foreigners are visiting my blog. So I'm curious to know and I would appreciate if you could leave me a comment and tell where you're from. THANKS!

Tik Tak Tik Tak Tik Tak....

2008-06-18T11:52:00.003+03:00

Time seems to fly when you're busy.

And it flies too fast!

Logs and Stones...

2008-06-15T23:09:00.006+03:00

Just a few photos from our summer house...

Odd Corner

2008-06-12T08:33:00.003+03:00

Greetings from our family's summer house

Our summer house is a log cabin built in 1985 and is conveniently located 200 km from Helsinki. This is a place where I can do both - relax and work. And thanks to the mobile Internet I'm able to surf the Net and read my mails. Horray for new technology!!

Explore!

2008-06-06T00:28:00.003+03:00

Flickr, what an amazing place!

I finally got myself registered. Maybe someday, I even manage to upload some pictures...

10 000

2008-06-02T12:07:00.003+03:00

Eilen illalla blogini kävijälaskuri ylitti 10 000 kävijän rajan. Tämän kunniaksi ajattelin esittäytyä kuvan kera, jotta näette kuka näiden juttujen sekä kuvien takana on. Jätän kuitenkin mielikuvituksellenne hieman tilaa... Haluan samalla kiittää teitä kaikkia, niin hiljaisia sivustaseuraajia kuin myös kommentin jättäneitä, jotka olette käyneet sivuillani. Kiitos!

Tämä kulunut reilu puoli vuotta, on ollut mielenkiintoista aikaa täällä blogimaailmassa. Tästä on hyvä jatkaa...

Oman kuvan ottaminen ei ole helppoa...

It's not easy to take a selfpotrait...

Last night my blog reached 10 000 visitors. In the honor of so many visitors I decided to introduce myself with a selfpotrait, so you'll see who's behind the writings and the pictures. But I will leave some space for your own imaginary.. I want to thank you all, the silent ones as well as the ones who have left a comment, for visiting my blog. Thank you!

Waffle Night

2008-05-31T21:04:00.004+03:00

Few good friends of mine came over yesterday. Good company and a huge pile of waffles made the night fun! I cannot even remember, when was the last time I had waffles. Mmm... they were really yummy!!

What a Weekend!

2008-05-25T22:43:00.012+03:00

Good things and some bad things...

SATURDAY

My car doesn't work. Great! What a piece of s**t! I have to call a tow truck on Monday...

I bought this pretty little bedside table from a flea market (Kumpulan kyläjuhlien Kilometrin kirpputori) for 10 euros. A little sanding and few coats of paint. That's all it needs!

Good food and good company. I spent the Saturday night in with my sister and her little daughter. We ordered chinese food and watched the American Idol.

On my way home, around 10 pm, I noticed a stream of smoke coming out of the woods. I figured out quicky, that it wasn't just a campfire. A little forest, near our public library, was on fire. A call to an emergency number and the help was on its way...

SUNDAY

I went to an open house with my mom. We were just curious...
Tested my car... no luck! Tow truck seems to be the answer this time.
Took a few flower pics in my parents' garden.

Ate the "wrong" leftovers from Saturday... I accidentally took home the food that my sister had ordered. The spicy one...

Found a chocolate bar with Best Before date 3.8.2007 and ate it...

Fever

2008-05-21T19:56:00.005+03:00

Bike fever! I'm suffering from bike fever! Have you had it? I got it from my brother, who bought a new cool bike last week. He called me just few minutes ago to let me now, that his black beauty has arrived. Woohoo!!!

The golden oldie... a 1960's design icon Jopo by Helkama! I would so love to own this white beauty. Or maybe army green... or black...
Basic bicycle with foot brakes and no gears, just like Jopo... This yellow Saint by Tunturi I would also love to own. It's pretty! Black or white would be my first choice, but they make only candy colors.

Friday Night

2008-05-16T22:21:00.002+03:00

Just me and Desperate Housewives (with bowl of popcorn)...

D is for Domino

2008-05-15T22:28:00.004+03:00

My little niece is now six and a half weeks old. She's such a cutie! Since I live quite close to my sister, I've been lucky to be able to follow my little niece growing up. I'm looking forward to the time, when she's a bit older and we can spend some quality time together. Read books, play games... like this wooden Domino I bought from flea market few months ago.

"Patch Of The Earth"

2008-05-12T22:26:00.008+03:00

Nishimoto, no... Ishitomo, no... Last week I was trying to remember who is the artist of this card, that I have had almost 4 years now. Luckily Google is my friend... only few minutes and I had the name. Oh yes, that's the one! Yoshitomo Nara, a Japanese Pop artist. And, of course, Wikipedia tells all.

Under The Cherry Tree

2008-05-09T23:56:00.006+03:00

In my parent's backyard.

42

2008-05-06T22:45:00.004+03:00

Today I did some I-know-I-do-not-have-any-extra-money-but-these-are-so-cheap-almost-free-and-I-am-sure-I-will-need-these-someday-so-these-will-be-a-good-investment-for-the-future shopping.

Arabia/Hackman/Iittala Factory shops sold cutleries for 1 €/piece.

12 tablespoons

12 forks

12 knives

12 coffee spoons

Total amount 42 €

(coffee spoons were only 0,50 €)

Spring Cleaning

2008-04-28T19:07:00.007+03:00

My home needs a little spring clean! Windows are waiting to be washed, few closets needs to be re-organized and the whole place needs vacuuming sooner than later... At least some things are right there where they should be.

Maku

2008-04-25T22:09:00.004+03:00

Butterfly lollipop... No, I haven't eaten it yet, but I promised to tell you something about it. The lollipop belonged to the invitation seen below.

Arabia held a press conference yesterday. They invited us to see their new kitchen collection Maku designed by young designer Sami Ruotsalainen. I like it, it's like old meets new! What do you think? Have a closer look and click on the picture!

Under Construction!

2008-04-23T09:40:00.003+03:00

I'm trying to make some changes here, so please bare with me. The new heading is way too big and way too black so I need to change it again!

But what's with the lollipop?? I will tell you more about it tomorrow...

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

2008-04-21T21:14:00.002+03:00

Sorry, no pictures and no links today! There are just too many things going round and round my head...

Like I told you earlier I have decided to start up my own business. I'm still trying to figure out a good company name. Gosh... Maybe I should just call it Nameless Design.

I have also tried to think what to do with my blog. I can't decide what kind of blog I want this to be. Should I start writing my posts in Finnish instead of English? What are the things I want to write about?

Spring

2008-04-18T22:53:00.004+03:00

Spring, how happy I am that you are finally here! I can feel that my energy level is getting higher every week, thanks to the warmer and brighter days.

Weekend, is it really you again?! I'm glad, that I have already made some plans. My weekend will be filled with friends, good company, a glass of wine, warm sunny days (hopefully), long walks, books and magazines and maybe a visit to a thrift store... I might even think about doing some changes to my blog, but we'll see. Have a lovely weekend!

This picture was taken last year in my parent's backyard. This year the bunny was faster than me...

Award!

2008-04-17T09:43:00.003+03:00

I've been awarded again! Thank you Sitruuna and Anna and more importantly, thanks for reading :)

This time the rules say that I should nominate 5 blogs and each of the blogs should have a purpose. But like I have said earlier, there are so many great blogs in blogland and there's no way I can choose only 5. I read so many blogs from around the world, whenever I have the time, therefore I want to give this award to all of you!

Flirt

2008-04-15T21:26:00.014+03:00

Flirting... gosh, I'm so bad at flirting! I guess it's just not my thing... But you know what they say about men: A way to mans heart is through his stomach. And if only it were true I would just need to make a fancy dinner and let these Flirt cutleries to do their magic! Wine, Food and Flirt... who could ask for more!?

Hola

Hei

And last but not least Hello.

New cutleries from Hackman by Pentagon Design and Dog Design. Available in stores in the beginning of May. Check out for more product info.

Good Name...

2008-04-13T19:58:00.008+03:00

Hi everybody! I'm still here, just been busy with work and school. This week I made a very big decision. It's finally time to set up my own business. I've been trying to figure out a good and catchy company name but it's not easy...

Everybody knows company called IKEA, no doubt about that! Name comes from the words Ingvar Kamprad (the name of the founder) Elmtaryd (the farm where he grew up) Agunnaryd (his home town). Well known name indeed! By the way... Have you seen this new sideboard? WOW!

TROLLSTA sideboard by IKEA.

Markka

2008-04-07T09:00:00.005+03:00

OK folks it's a new week and time for a new post. Hope you all had a nice weekend and took the time to relax and take it easy?! I sure did! I was "supposed" to work on my school project but that didn't happen though. Actually I spent my time doing nothing. Well, almost nothing...

While I was doing nothing I found an interesting website called Markka. Markka is an online shop selling old and some new Nordic and Europian kitchenware, tableware, interior goods etc. There you can find products designed by very well-known names like Kaj Franck, Saara Hopea, Oiva Toikka and many more... Markka is a Japanese site but they do sell overseas. For foreign customers they have english written instructions on how to place an order.

Click HERE to have a look!

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny...

2008-04-03T09:36:00.006+03:00

Yippee, days are getting warmer and warmer. Summer is finally on its way, which reminds me...

Everybody loves the sympathetic characters of Moomin Valley, created by the Finnish writer and artist Tove Jansson. Artist Tove Slotte has designed the delightful Moomin Collection for Arabia, mugs and bowls decorated with the beloved characters. In this summer's seasonal product Beachlife, which will be in stores May 5, the Snorkmaiden (niiskuneiti) is heading down to the beach.

N is for Newborn

2008-04-01T08:35:00.005+03:00

So sweet, so small, so Perfect!

A little niece of mine was born last Sunday. Isn't she adorable?!

Sound Of Music

2008-03-28T20:50:00.010+02:00

I live in a very quiet home. It is sooooo quiet around here! The only sounds I hear are the ticking of my clock and the weird noises that my fridge makes. Oh yeah... and let's not forget the noises coming from the telly when I'm watching it. But there's no sounds of music, no melody, no rhyme, no nothing.

This is what I need and what I want! This would make an end to the two years of silence at my home! Maybe someday...

Tivoli Audio iPal.

Or maybe this one... Tivoli Audio Model One.

In white, of course!

Any Day Now...

2008-03-26T13:00:00.004+02:00

A little niece of mine will be born soon... any day now possibly. I have promised to the mom-to-be, that I will take care of teaching something about good design to her little princess. I think I might start with these ones.

I love these classic wooden toys from Brio and their new(ish) bright and glossy outfit! BTW, the photo above is from one of my daily reads, NOTCOT.

Round And Round It Goes...

2008-03-25T12:27:00.010+02:00

Look what I just found... What a cool space saver, especially for those with many or should I say countles pairs of shoes. Just spin the wheel and choose the pair of the day!

Shoe Wheel by Rakku Design is a mobile storage unit with 20 expandable pockets that can hold up to 30 pairs of shoes depending on the type.

Rakku Design has also a storage for the large footed men. The Shoe Pod accommodates sizes up to 14-plus and holds up to 12 pairs of shoes.

And for the kids there's a mini version of the Shoe Wheel, the Rakkiddo. The Rakkiddo can store up to 20 pairs of children's shoes depending on the type and size.

Not sure how it works? Click here to have a look.

Easter

2008-03-22T22:08:00.004+02:00

HAPPY EASTER!

I'll be back on Tuesday.

Saimaa

2008-03-21T20:33:00.003+02:00

These look pretty.

Saimaa is a brand new tableware set, designed by Paola Suhonen for Finnish Kermansavi. A beautiful embossed butterfly evokes the lacework traditions of Finland. The design is both nostalgic and modern. Products are 100% Finnish, designed and manufactured in Finland.

Have You Heard The Good News?

2008-03-20T11:31:00.004+02:00

Yippee!!! FINALLY... this is what we've been waiting for and now it's true. I read the news from the new interior magazine Divaani. Yep, Habitat is coming to Finland! HOORAY!! Less than two months wait and after that we just need to make our way to Stockmann. From there you can find the nice little shop-in-shop full of cool things from Habitat. I can't hardly wait!

Get Creative!

2008-03-18T12:05:00.007+02:00

Can't find the fabric nice enough to buy? Don't worry... Let your inner designer free and design your very own fabric print!

Bon Bon Kakku is a place where you can start turning visions into reality, after you've registered. Submit your own design to the website where all the visitors can score the designs they like. When the succes finally hits you and your own creation is promoted to go on production, you'll get 5 m of your fabric for FREE!! Every week some designs are getting to the bonbonkakku webshop and then they can be bought 25 €/meter + taxes (shipping costs are added).

Become famous and launch your new career as a designer here.

Did I Solve The Mystery???

2008-03-17T18:05:00.005+02:00

I think I just solved my picture posting problem that I've been having since the day one I started this blog. From now on, all the pictures that I post should open in a new window when you click them. At least the ones that I remember not to drag and drop when I add them into my text... I'm not a computer geek, that's for sure ;) Keeping my fingers crossed... yaiks!!

Now I just have to solve the big mystery of my new calendar clock that seems to be living its own life. This picture was taken two weeks ago, the 3rd of March...

EDIT: I did it, I did it!!!!

Little White Lies

2008-03-15T10:59:00.006+02:00

I have a love/hate relationship with weighing scales. They never show me the numbers that I would like to see. Maybe I should get this White Lies scale by Alice Wang. 'This scale allows one to lie to him/herself. The further back you stand, the lighter you become. The user can gradually move closer and closer to reality'. Perfect, but in the long run, I don't think this would work for me. Mirrors always tells the truth...

This scale with two others scales belongs to the collection called Asimov's First Law. The collection explores whether we are being psychologically harmed by the simple gadgets that surround us.

Almost... But Not Quite...

2008-03-13T11:54:00.006+02:00

Anna from chocolate & Capri blue kindly reminded me, that I had forgotten Chest of Drawers by Tejo Remy for Droog, from my previous post. Well, it is true that all three of them (Assamblage, OTO100 and Chest of Drawers) are easy to separate and assemble. It's up to you how you use them and how you choose to assemble the shelf. But what comes to the Chest of Drawers... the drawers doesn't nest inside each other like the other two storage systems.

But like Anna said, the Chest of Drawers might be the ancestor of the other two storage systems. Chest of Drawers was designed 15 years ago, in 1993. Thanks Anna!

Like Two Peas In A Pod...

2008-03-12T21:01:00.007+02:00

It's funny how sometimes you can find products with the same function and almost the same appearance. But what comes to the use of the product... there is always the winner, no doubt about it.

Assemblage by Seletti.

OTO100 by Muuto.

The Beat Goes On...

2008-03-10T20:42:00.009+02:00

Hi there! Finally, I'm back! After a busy week (decorating, work and school) I have the time to write again. The busy week ended up with sad news... our grandmother passed away at the age of 95. We all miss her. The only thing I can say is that the life goes on and she will be in our memories.

So, what should I write... I have many things to write about but I think I will start with this one...

My brother just called me (the one with the jinxed kitchen) and wanted me to convince him, that the chairs he has ordered are OK and will look good in his apartment. Around his white, round dining table. He is having second thoughts now... I think they will look good! Or, what say you?? Do you like?

More about the chair from Vitra.

BUSY...

2008-03-04T22:24:00.002+02:00

So many things to do, so little time... Phew... Since there's no way to make a clone of myself I have to postpone my blog postings till end of the week. I just came to let you know that I'm still here, in case you have missed me ;)

Bookmarked

2008-02-26T23:14:00.006+02:00

I just bookmarked a site called Harmonie Intérieure and thought I´d share this with you guys. Harmonie Intérieure is a French company creating wall decals, photo prints, posters... They can even create your wedding invitations, thank you and creeting cards. And as specialist graphic designers they also offer their services to professionals, designing websites, business cards, etc...

You can choose the picture you like between 58 different colors. If you don´t find the picture you like they can even create it for you.

These two pictures I like the most. And being dull with the colors as usual, I like them in black, of course!

Escalator, available in four different sizes.

Bed, available in four different sizes.

The Hunt For The Right Shade!

2008-02-23T00:15:00.009+02:00

Latte, Mocha, Frappucino or Cappucino... what coffee flavour would be the right one for a bedroom wall? A friend of mine is redecorating their apartment and asked me to help her. She has started the project from the bedroom. A little this and that has been already bought and now one of the walls needs a new tone, others are white and will stay white, I assume. Just a little bit of brown or maybe grey. Hmm... this one needs a little bit of thinking.

There are so many beautiful shades from Tikkurila, Sadolin and Teknos.

N is for Nursery

2008-02-21T22:36:00.009+02:00

One more month to go... My sisters tummy is getting bigger and bigger day by day. Well, to tell you the truth it really isn't as big as it could be but its growing... The Baby's estimated due-date is in the end of March but I think that this baby is too anxious to come into the world and doesn't want to wait much longer anymore. So, it's time for me to help my sister to finish the nursery. We need to find and buy those missing pieces, put up the curtains and think wether the walls need a new paint or maybe wallpaper.

And a mobile... Let's not forget that little thing that all babies like to look at. Here are few cute ones!

Elephants Mobile from Sparkability.

Expectant Mother Mobile from Modernseed.

Hedgehog Family Mobile from Modernseed.

Weekend...

2008-02-18T22:14:00.009+02:00

Phew, what a weekend! Saturday was beautiful but Sunday... it was terrible. Just awful!

A very good friend of mine got married on Saturday. We've been friends since we were little girls, for over 20 years now. Gosh, how the time flies!! The wedding ceremony was very beautiful and the bride looked like a princess. The whole day was just wonderful and we had a great time. As I said, the Saturday was wonderful, but what about Sunday... Yep, that's right. It wasn't that wonderful at all. No more wine for me, thanks! Or maybe it was just a stomach bug... Well, whatever it was, the wine or the bug, it took me the whole Sunday to recover. I had a lot of time to dream what kind of wedding ring I would like to have if I ever get married.

I really like the idea of these Wedding Bands by Andrew English. These rings come with a hand-engraved imprint of your partner's fingerprint either the in or outside of the ring making it a truly unique.

Safety Comes First!

2008-02-12T15:25:00.000+02:00

Yesterday was a national 112 Day here in Finland. The idea behind this national event is to draw attention to safety, to raise awareness of hazards and accident prevention, every year on 11 February. 112 Day is also a reminder of the national emergency number 112.

It's better be safe than sorry and there are many ways that will help to keep your home and family safe.

Fire Extinguisher is a good thing to have in every home. Most of you probably know those red and dull looking extinguishers that everyone wants to hide if they even own one... It's a good thing that the Arnell Group has redesinged the fire extinguisher for HomeHero so that it's no longer so damn ugly. Look... I think it looks HOT HOT HOT!

The HomeHero Fire Extinguisher has won the Gold 2007 International Design Excellence Awards in Consumer Products, and I really don't wonder why!

Sleep Tight!

2008-02-06T23:25:00.000+02:00

It's almost midnight and I'm still sitting in front of my laptop, working and net surfing. Why? Because, I'm a night owl. I tend to stay up past midnight almost every night. I cannot even remember when was the last time when I went to bed before the Ten O'Clock News. Now as I'm telling you when I sleep and when I'm awake, it's a good time to introduce to you a brand called ChoCho.

Lucky Star sheets and pillowcase with akana print.

ChoCho is a japanese word for a butterfly and also a textile designer Kirsi Päiväniemi's own independent brand. ChoCho is all about different kind of hand printed bags, purses and other accessories. Kirsi gets inspirations for her designs from the Finnish nature and school of modern Scandinavian design. ChoCho is a 100% Finnish product and all patterns, prints and bags are designed and hand printed by the designer.

The latest designs are the Lucky Star Single, Double and Baby sheets and pillowcases. I would love to slip into these! There is nothing more appealing than fresh, new sheets on the bed.

Lucky Star sheets and pillowcase with b-fly print.

Lucky Star baby sheets with b-fly print. The little smiling model between the sheets is Kirsi's baby boy Kaius.

What's Your Style?

2008-02-03T21:16:00.000+02:00

How do you decorate your home? What is your style? Do you like modern, classic, romantic or maybe country style?

What's my style? How do I decorate my home? Well, I like mixin and matching old and new. I like simple things, modern but not too modern. And the colors... I like white as you might have noticed, earthy tones but also bright and bold colors.

I'm a flea-market junkie. I love to search for bargains that I can transform into something wonderful for my home. I like scraping and painting, to give a new life and maybe a new use to something old.

Here is a picture of my latest flea-market finds. Two half litre beer glasses from the 70s, designed by Oiva Toikka. I don't even drink beer, but hey, that doesn't stop me from searching and buying these! I'm not a coffee drinker either, as you might have read from my earlier posts, but still you can see in the picture a coffee machine. Isn't she a beauty!

60 is 75

2008-01-29T22:01:00.000+02:00

This year Artek celebrates Alvar Aalto's 110th birthday and the 75th anniversary of Stool 60. To celebrate Stool 60, Artek is launching a new collection of the stool with laminate seats in primary colours: red, yellow and blue.

"I beg you, don't forget playfulness!"

- Alvar Aalto

DON'T FORGET TO PLAY! -exhibition 6-17 February, The Swedish Museum of Architecture, Stockholm.

Back With The Bags

2008-01-27T09:19:00.000+02:00

So, here I am with the tote bags again. Don't you just love how convenient they are. Totes are very easy to make, but nothing stops you from buying the bag you like! Here are few of my favorite ones...

Girl - canvas tote bag by Shinzi Katoh.

Bambi - canvas tote bag by Shinzi Katoh.

Shinzi Katoh is one of the most famous Japanese artist. His unique and modern works are valuated highly. Read more about Shinzi Katoh from here.

Redig Small Hand Tote by Lotta Jansdotter.

Chick Wool Hand Tote by Lotta Jansdotter.

Lotta Jansdotter is a Scandinavian born designer living in New York. You can read more about her and her work from here.

Bags, Bags, Bags

2008-01-26T21:20:00.000+02:00

I have a confession to make. It seems that somehow I have managed to create an obsession to tote bags. I know it sounds silly, but trust me there's nothing to laught about! I always carry at least one canvas tote in my handbag, usually two, because you never know when you gonna need an extra bag. I even made a tote bag to my sisters wedding last year. Hey, don't laugh! A bridesmaid can not carry all those things necessary in a plastic bag. I even made it go with the theme!

Yesterdays visit to Forma Fair didn't help my situation at all. I met there Ann Bäck, a very lovely women with own company called galleriAnn. Ann use to work as a sculpturer before founding GalleriAnn ten years ago. Ever since Ann has been working with patterns, creating pictures, cards, nice little things for home and BAGS! Fun and simple bags.

Mami, small bag, is GalleriAnn's biggest seller.

The story behind Mami print is that Ann's daughter Nea drew it when she was 4. It is a potrait of her mother. The picture has become like a symbol for galleriAnn and it is one of their most popular patterns.

These bags are from the Forma fair. I really like the bag with words "maito, ruisleipä, kahvi, juusto" same in English "milk, bread, coffee, cheese". What an excellent grocery bag!

Have a look what other cool stuff she has made. Click here!

I'll be back soon with more bags. Very soon!

B is for Baby

2008-01-24T17:45:00.000+02:00

This post I've been planning for a while, because my sister and her husband are expecting their first baby in March! We are all excited and happy for them. This happy event means that I'm about to become an aunt, for the first time! So from now on, every now and then, I will post something fun and adorable for babies and kids.

Meet Stanley and Uncle, the Dreamlets from Velocity Art and Design.

Stanley is a bright yellow boy with dark brown eyes. He's 16 cm tall and 17 cm wide. Lovable plush character intended to remind how brilliant life is.

Uncle is a big boy. He's 30,5 cm tall and 17,5 cm wide. Uncle approaches each moment as a fresh opportunity to see beauty and be astounded.

A Little Bit Of Luxury!

2008-01-22T15:15:00.000+02:00

While I was searching for new USB memory stick, I came across these beauties. Wow, talk about luxury!

Keep your most important files close to your heart! Heart Beat USB Memory Key by Philips and Swarovski. Its name, Active Crystals! Polished stainless steel heart combined with Silver Shade crystals set in Ceralun (TM). For 1 GB of data with password protection, high speed USB 2.0 interface.

Your secrets are safe in Lock Out USB Memory Key, with slide-out and hooking mechanisms.

Award!

2008-01-21T13:33:00.000+02:00

I've been awarded! Sitruuna from sisustusta ja sitruunoita and Anna from Chocolate & Capri blue passed on the award 'You Make My Day' to me. Thanks girls, you really made and make my day ;)

The rules say, that I should give this award to 10 people whose blogs bring me happiness, inspiration and make me feel happy about blogland. There are so many blogs that I enjoy reading, so therefore I want to give this award to all of you bloggers! Keep up the good work ;)

Let's Celebrate!

2008-01-18T13:20:00.000+02:00

KARTIO GLASS SERIE

Happy Birthday Kartio! Iittala's Kartio glass serie was designed by Kaj Franck in 1958 for everyday use. An essential part of his original idea was that the colors should be mixed. The form of the glass is simple and pure and is therefore easy to combine with any dinner set. Kartio is celebrating its 50th birthday. Can you believe it?

Kartio glass, new color: turquoiseblue.

BLACK IS BACK WITH FRIENDS

Have you been missing Black Teema tableware? Well, now you can dry your tears, because Iittala brings Black Teema back in production. Four pieces will find their way to stores in black and they are plate 21 cm, big and small bowls and a mug.

Black Teema bowl.

And the black friends are:

Origo

Aalto vase

Mariskooli

The Enlightenment

2008-01-14T22:39:00.000+02:00

While netsurfing last week, I came across this lamp in the form of a book. If you are a book lover I think this could be THE thing in your bookshelf.

Not a heavy book, a light book! 'Inspired by bestseller such as the Bible, Koran and Thora, we designed an object for lighting and enlightment. A book as a light. A light as a book: The Enlightenment' says Studiomeiboom. Studiomeiboom has launched the 'Light up your world' project which plans to throw a new light on a world famous designs.

The Enlightenment is made of white plexiglas, 24 cm high, 17 cm wide and 8 cm deep and is supplied with a 9 watt energy-saving lamp. It costs 89 € with 10 % of the sales going to charity. Every purchase brings a bit more light!

Panic!

2008-01-10T22:00:00.000+02:00

My brother decided to take a little break from the renovation and went for a little holiday to London, He'll be back on sunday. He was kind enough to ask me if I want him to bring me something. Hmm... what would it be? Something small and cheap! Oh my, I think I'm running out of time. He'll be back home before I know what I want...

Well, I did ask him to bring me Tord Boontje's black Garland light from Habitat because it's so cheap, only £ 14,40. I already have the silver one in my bedroom so I actually don't know where to put this one, but girl's got to have it!

But what else...

Can You See?

2008-01-08T23:25:00.000+02:00

When was the last time you had your eyesight checked? Can you read the last line? Take a closer look!

Innervision mirror by Gavin Coultrip for Thorsten van Elten. On close inspection, the letters spell well-known phrase by Oscar Wilde "It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances". There is also another one available with a phrase "To love oneself is the beginning of a life long romance".

Kitchen Disaster!

2008-01-05T10:08:00.000+02:00

Imagine getting a brand new kitchen. A beautiful and expensive kitchen (at least for your budjet). Those doors, cabinets and kitchen appliances you'll be looking many years after... Then the disaster happens, when the kitchen arrives and the work begins, just about everything goes wrong...

This is what has happened with my brothers new kitchen. Here are only few examples.

My brother ordered a cooking hood cupboard with a door because he didn't want the hood to stand out from the kitchen. (The kitchen opens to livingroom and the whole livingroom/kitchen space is small).

This is what he ordered, this is how the cupboard with cooking hood should look when you open the door...

This is how the cupboard looks now in my brothers kitchen... Can you see the similarity because we can't... There are bits and pieces missing and there is a huge hole on top of it that shouldn't even exist.

And what about the kitchen sink then? Well... the sink is wrong, of course, and it takes more than five weeks to get a new one. My brother ordered a sink with a faucet hole in it but now there's a sink with a hole on the counter, 1+1=wrong sink. How on earth my brother can get water out of this tap when there is now way to open it. Well, I think the photo will speak to itself.

Make a wild guess what are my brothers feelings and thoughts right now!!! I think my feelings and thoughts are quite alike...

Sorry, about the bad quality of the photos ;)

New Year...

2008-01-03T00:00:00.000+02:00

Happy New Year 2008 to everyone! I've been a bit busy these last few days and haven't got the time to update my blog, but here I am again.

I have a very good news to tell you if you are into finnish design. Chad from Finnstyle send me email and told that they have a huge after christmas clearence sale going on. Finnstyle sells many finnish brands like Aarikka, Artek, Iittala, Marimekko, Tonfisk Design and many more... Have a look at Finnstyle.com and hurry, sale ends soon!

Marimekko Fandango Holiday Serving Plate. List Price $20, Sale $12

Aalto Finlandia Blueberry Vase -10". List Price $135, Sale $85

See You Next Year...

2007-12-29T10:37:00.000+02:00

I hope I'm not ruining the holiday spirit that someone might still have by telling that today I'm going to take down all my christmas decorations. Well, there really isn't much to do because this year the decorating has been very minimal. Less is more I think... So, all my beautiful baubles and other ornaments, I'll see you again next year!

For all my christmas decorations it would be nice to have one big storage box with ornament trays. Something similar to the ones that The Container Store sells.

Holiday Storage Box with Ornament Tray from The Container Store.

Archival Ornament Storage Box from The Container Store.

Coming Up!

2007-12-27T22:51:00.000+02:00

New Year is just around the corner so it's time for a little sneak peek at Marimekko's Spring 2008. It seems that there's a lot of green colors coming out...

From left: Metsänhenki bedlinen, Metsänväki tray, Metsänväki teatowels.

Fabrics from left: Kaakaopuu, Korsi, Kevätjuhla, Pientareella.

Christmas Greetings!

2007-12-23T09:31:00.001+02:00

Only one night left before Santa comes so it`s time to turn the holiday mood on... There´s no snow on the ground so I hope Santa has wheels in his sleigh so that everyone can get their presents. I`ll be back in a few days, but before I go, I want to wish all of you a very merry Christmas!

-Maya

Drink With Style...

2007-12-22T21:56:00.000+02:00

Some of you probably already know these fun looking ceramics by Sami Rinne Design. Sami Rinne is a finnish designer designing individual utility and interior ceramics. There is mugs for every drink so pick your favorite one from bunny, bat, birch, angel, reindeer or fish and drink those coffees and teas with style.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

2007-12-18T13:54:00.000+02:00

For all those modernists, minimalists and non-traditionalists. Here is something cool for your livingroom. Relish Six Point Aluminum Tree needs no watering and lasts longer than Christmas. The tree is flat sheet of aluminum, spiral-cut to expand into a tree shape when hung. Size 4-4,5 ft (122-137 cm) as hung.

Slide Show

2007-12-17T10:08:00.000+02:00

It must be more than few years now, when I first came across this Slide Light by SUCK UK 2000. Now I found it again and this time from the SUCK UK´s own website. I have to admit that I had forgotten it already, but nevertheless I think it is still kinda cool way to display those artistic snaps of your family, friends, holidays etc.

Bright Light!

2007-12-16T23:56:00.000+02:00

Have you seen the new bright light designed by Eero Aarnio?! Innosol Origo is a beautiful design bright light that can be used as a cosy interior lamp outside the bright light therapy season, thanks to its dimmer. The entire lamp shade is of flexible and durable plastic (of course) giving an effective, globally dispersed light.

Dreaming Of A White Christmas

2007-12-13T15:41:00.000+02:00

Dear Santa,

All I want is white Christmas...

Apple MacBook.

Samsung R86 LCD-TV.

Swedese Tree 194, floor standing or wall mounted coat stand.

Snow Globes

2007-12-12T10:02:00.000+02:00

Miniaturized scene with miniaturized people inside the glass globe... There is something magical in the Snow Globes by Walter Martin and Paloma Muñoz. A bizarre fairytales trapped in snow globes. Incredible art pieces I would say...

Where To Go, What To Do...

2007-12-10T00:32:00.000+02:00

Are you planning a trip to Helsinki? Have you already made up your mind what to do and where to go? Or maybe you live in Helsinki and have a couple of hours to kill. Helsinki Design District is the right place to get some information where to go when you are in Helsinki.

Design District Helsinki is an area full of design and antique shops, fashion stores, museums, art galleries, restaurants and showrooms. It is a 25 streets and 170 spots on a map from shops to galleries and from design studios to design hotels.

Memory Lane...

2007-12-05T08:40:00.000+02:00

I´m an 80`s kid. I spent my time watching My Little Pony, Care Bears, Dr. Snuggles and all those cool cartoons from TV. Now I can make a trip down memory lane just by ordering this book from Urban Outfitters...

Just Can´t Get Enough from Urban Outfitters.

Up We Go!

2007-12-03T09:01:00.000+02:00

Can`t reach those upper shelves at your home? Climb high with style with these fun looking Cima Ladders.

Cima Ladders are thin and light, weight is only 1 kg. The material used is a carbon fibre composite and the ladders are produced in a single piece making them more stable. No need to hide these ladders in the closet when not in use...

Hot, Hot, Hotter...

2007-11-29T23:45:00.000+02:00

I don`t understand... It seems to be mission impossible to find a decent looking electric water kettle. I`m not a coffee drinker but I like tee. Because I haven`t found the water kettle that I like so every morning I boil some water for my tee in an old kettle. Aargh... is there something wrong with me...

Well, I did find a beautiful looking water kettle but unfortunately it`s not electric...

Suomi Steel Water Kettle by Timo Sarpaneva, from OPA. Size 1,7 L. Stainless Steel. Available at Finnish Design Shop.

The Right Mood

2007-11-28T09:49:00.000+02:00

Create a Christmas mood with this Grinda Christmas light. A modern but still classic light from Swedish LampGustaf, designed by Jennifer Åhman.

Available at PID.se

If I Had...

2007-11-27T11:13:00.000+02:00

If I had my own office or at least my own study room, these three things would probably be hanging on the walls.

Stendig Wall Calendar by Massimo Vignelli.

Karlsson Mini Flip Clock, white.

Vitra Uten.Silo II by Dorothee Becker.

Mix It Up!

2007-11-25T11:21:00.000+02:00

I have a new mixer in my kitchen. I´ve obviously been a good girl this year because a week ago I received this new Kenwood Hand Mixer from the new kMix range. Thank you for the lovely present!

I tested the mixer a week ago when my friends came over to celebrate the coming christmas. Yep, we were early this year! Last night I decided to test the mixer again and baked a chocolate cake to my mom to thank her for loaning me her cake pan (I know it sounds stupid but I don`t have my own cake pan). So, this time, instead of an empty cake pan I`m going to give her this delicious chocolate cake. Thanks for the cake pan loan, Mom!

P.S. The new Hand Mixer from Kenwood is Superb!

Lights Up!

2007-11-23T22:32:00.000+02:00

Well, that was quick! My new living room spotlights have already arrived. It took only four days! I bought two of them.

Decora spotlight from Massive.

KULLA floor lamp from Ikea has been the only light source in my living room for two months now and I still love it.

World On The Wall

2007-11-22T12:47:00.000+02:00

How cool are these Wall Stickers from Ferm LIVING. World Map is one of my favorites.

Ferm LIVING is a Danish company designing Wallpapers and Wall Stickers. Stickers are simple to apply and are easily removable.

For more information visit Ferm LIVING and Ferm LIVING US

Spice Up Your Life

2007-11-21T10:48:00.000+02:00

No, I`m not talking about Spice Girls song. I`m talking about spices. Have a look at these beauties.

Hackman`s new spice mills are too good to leave sitting in the kitchen counter. Display the stylish mills of glass and steel on the dinner table. There are four different mixtures that Santa Maria produces for Hackman`s mills. Touch of Sea brings a salty tang to the table, Touch of Pasta perfects your Italian dishes, Touch of Meat brings out the best in your meat and Touch of Herbs transports the herb garden to your kitchen.

The Hackman Touch spice mills are designed by the Finnish company, Pentagon Design.

HACKMAN TOUCH SPICE MILL 25 €, SPICE MIXTURE 5€, Buy It Here.

Greetings from Finland

2007-11-19T15:58:00.000+02:00

We are living the darkest time of the year here in Finland but there is no need to get depressed. This being my first post I want to present you a beautiful lamp called TRE, by Finnish designer Elina Järvinen.

TRE by Elina Järvinen, photo Kristiina Kurronen

TRE is a lamp with two qualities that every lamp should have. It gives light without dazzling and it is visually pleasing with or without light. TRE lamps are made in Finland.

Elina Järvinen is the Designer of the Month in Design Forum Finland.