Keep Calm & Carry On

From the top left: Oil Painting by Maria Kitano, Screen Printed Dog by robin and Mould, Bianca- Fine Art Print by Dilka bear, Organic Wool Lamp hat by Sweet Pea Toad Tots

2nd from the top: Porcelain Budgies by Junkt, Chihuahua in a Scarf- Fine Art Print by Luce Snowe, OOAK Recycled quilt by June Craft, "Play Time" Giclee Print byAlberto Cerriteno

3rd Row: "Many and More"- Fine Art Photograph by Tricia McKellar, Cross Stitch Bird by The Pin Pals, Someday Cottage Fine Art Print by Katie Lombardo, "Mom.. Dad... How many times do we have to tell you that WE'RE VEGAN"- magnet by Mind's Eye Cards

The Bottom Row: Fabric Push Pins by Paper Pumpkin, Seaflower- Fine Art Print by Jennifer Dickenson, Royal Albert Tea Cup by Great Lake State, Fireworks- Fine Art Photograph by Urban Design

(OR view the whole treasury HERE)

Midsummer's Eve and Day 2010

In folk magic, midsummer was a very potent night and the time for many small rituals, mostly for young maidens seeking suitors and fertility. Will o wisps were believed to be seen at midsummer night, particularly to finders of the mythical "fern in bloom" and possessors of the "fern seed", marking a treasure. An important feature of the midsummer in Finland is the white night and the midnight sun. Because of Finland's location spanning around the Arctic Circle the nights near the midsummer day are short or non-existent.*

*Wikipedia

Treasures from Etsy

PURPLE, LAVANDER OR VIOLET:
From top left: Liaison Headpiece by Kat Swank, Maria Kitano Oil Painting, Sugar Craft bouquet by SweetPetalBakery, Ring Bearer Pillow by Weddings and Such

2nd top row: Felt Bouquet Brooch by Designed By Jane, Swiiing; Fine Art Print by Urban Pink Photography, Yarn Wreath by Knock Knocking, Floral Headband by Studio Elenus

3rd row: Felted Collar by rudman, Hand drawn Floral Necklace by Squidlicks, Cassia Beck's "A Quiet Moment" Art print, Blooming Hagberry- Fine Art print by Krista Keltanen

Bottom row: Hand Crocheted Throw by Namolio, Gentle Awakening- Fine Art Print by Lori411, Fox brooch by The Box of Birds, "Generations" print by Pixel and Post

(Or view the whole treasury HERE)

Summer is...

Growing your own vegetables

Grilling (for example Hälsans Kök veggie burgers, and)

mmmm, my favourite: Spring onions, yum yum

New life

Bugs. Ok, I seem to be drawn to these tiny mysterious sylkikuoriainen, what ever they are called in English? Spittle Beetles, ha? (=Souldier Beetle says Wikipedia). They are indeed crawling in all of my pictures. Although I do like the colours and their funny face, and apparently they are superb for your garden:) AND for some odd reason every time I see a beetle, what ever beetle, I keep imagining they have a suit case tucked in their arm pits and are in a hurry to get back to their job, as book keepers. Sitting in their dim- lighted library- like workrooms, surrounded by countless bookshelves filled from top to bottom, and Victorian era furniture:)

Gardener's nightmare, Dandelions, but can't fight their prettiness, can you:)

AND they provide great nutritious leaves for bunnies like Myrsky:)
(Photo taken in our old Secret Garden in London, UK, 2009)

Birds and their offsprings. This particular Great Tit has a nest under our porch roof. The fluffy babies are getting huge and I can see little beaks, curious black eyes and slippery feet sticking between the boarding. Constantly hungry little things they are! Juicy gigantic icky "worms" mummy and daddy deliver, all day long:) Can't wait to see the flight exercises,
(and keeping off Balou, the Garden Cat.)

The indoor hunter; Nuppu 8years old.

Secret Garden

Dickon: Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

Dickon, Mary: With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row.

(My secret garden in Vihti, Finland, 22.6.2010)

Viimeiset Vieraat

Have you seen the Book "Viimeiset Vieraat; Elämää Autiotaloissa" (rough translation: Last visitors, Life in the Abandoned Houses) by Kai Fagerström, Risto Rasa and Heikki Willamo (2010)?

The book is heavenly! It combines "autobiographical" storytelling about the various animals inhabiting buildings people have left behind, a lovely story with dream- like photography about the authors' ( Kai Fagerström and Heikki Willamo) relationships with these surroundings they capture, weathered buildings, nature and the various animals, combined with Risto Rasa's beautiful poetry.

I particularly love how they've chosen the animals. The same animals I personally have a huge soft spot for. The animals, generally regarded as pests or vermins, who are not appreciated as beautiful god's creatures as they are. Badgers (even the word is funny, Badgers!), squirrels, foxes, raccoon dogs, mice and rats just to mention a few. And couple of larger bird species represented too:)

Here is a taster of the photos I found via Google, by Kai Fagerström and Heikki willamo, just to give an idea. The photos are not necessarily related to the book in question, but on my opinion they give a good hint of the heavenly, superbly amazing, beautiful, utterly brilliant and mesmerising atmosphere these two wonderful nature photographers have managed to create and bind together in form of this book of 160 pages of pure life!

Well, little did I know by getting this book for my last Birthday in April- that on Friday, last week, I would stumble across Heikki Willamo's another wonderful book called Kultaturkki (2000), about fox kittens (and lovely chicken photies, one of my favourites of course, ha) from a charity shop for just 2 euros! I was, and still am, in heaven!

If you have a chance, please go and see about this book, the photos and my inappropriate over excited ramble do not make justice for this book:) You will be promised a huge grin for several days after putting down the book! Promise!

To finish off this post; something I came across while searching images for Heikki Willamo!

Have a wonderful new week!

A precious little Harvest Mouse!:

All the photos are © Kai Fagerström and Heikki Willamo

Smile, It's Contagious

Have a wonderful Sunday!

x X x

Affies

As the heavy rain drums my roof, which is the sound I've grown to love more every day, it takes me back to last weekend's Afghan Hound Show in Tuomarinkylä's Hound Centre, Helsinki, Finland ( 12.6.2010). This was my first dog show ever, if you don't count the random two- three match shows when I was in primary school. The day started with absolutely dreadful weather, pouring rain and record breaking winds! We didn't take part with our two Affies, and I still don't really understant the ribbons and all, but I was indeed bit by the Affie Photo Bug and am desperately trying to find a good event where to take more piccies:)

just a few gorgeous creatures to share:

Meet: Khaos Devenish

PMJV-09 Zagorias Naughty Gal

Hienohelman Zaromy

Kirman Taisha

And last but not least, this gorgeous "unknown" very photogenic bundle of muscles

For some reason when I take photos if it's a (Funky) Homo sapien, fauna or flora, I tend to lean towards portraits, don't really know why, but it appears to be a habit which is extremely hard to shake. I also enjoy the moment of unexpected, and mostly lurk behind people's backs to capture funny emotions or moments rather than going up front and pushing the camera to subjects face, he:) Having said this, my hound show photos are very unorthodox, but should you wish to see couple of random more, please click here

Green lovelies

Hellooo!

I'm pondering back and forth if I should write in Finnish or English, apologies. I think I'll stick to English:) All Finns can understand it anyhoo, so no one should feel like an outsider:)

Quite a few weeks have passed by again. Been bombing my Facebook friends with various photos from gardening to pets and other animals, and work, ha. New pics pretty much everyday; my excitement about settling in Finland doesn't seem to be disappear any time soon, so I thought I should perhaps focus my enthusiasm on the mysterious world of Blogging, spare my friends, and maybe even some day find couple of like-minded people to share the passion with:)

So... This spring and early summer have included some rather heavy gardening. Although it doesn't show anywhere yet, it's been nice to tuck in and get my hands dirty. And actually see what sort of flowers the old couple who had built and lived in this house earlier had planted and what needed cultivating:) + Name everything, phew, not an easy task (for me at least!)

Garden piccies, to be followed with some superb flea market findings I'm burning to share:) But first some garden lovelies, and testing my two week old new camera (finally!):)

AND Allow me to introduce our "Garden Cat":) Don't know who he belongs to, but he has spent many nights sleeping in our patio. He's ever so lovely chap! After days and weeks of his lovely company, I decided to name him Balou:) So, meet Balou!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lots of sunshine!

x X x