Evening thoughts...

We sneaked out to the summer cottage for the night!

It's so beautiful, quiet and mysterious at the same time. 

Birds are gone, candles are lit, sauna is still warm and the moon is rising.

I have a feeling I'll sleep tight tonight!

Let's dream big, my friends!

A Visit to Suomenlinna!

A beautiful evening like Yesterday's required something else than the stony sidewalks of Töölö, so I decided to lift myself up and took the ferry to Suomenlinna!

Husband was dreaming of going fishing for the evening to the summer cottage so he suggested me to upgrade my plans a bit: why not also some sparkling in the sun?!

I was tempted immediately, and also added a beautiful treat from our closest bakery, plus a good magazine, and off I went!

It was beautiful, the smell of the sea, the sun, the moon too!

Season is clearly coming to an end, it was very quiet over there, just a few tourists and myself!

I wandered around for a while and spotted the perfect spot to sit down and enjoy my little picnic!

Oh, it was lovely!

Life is sweet and I love it!

Yummy!

Tastes even better with a pretty straw, doesn't it?!

Friday Night Special: The Reddress!

On Friday night I went to see a very extraordinary concert in Kaapelitehdas.

It was the opening night of Helsingin Juhlaviikot as well as a series of concerts under the name of Reddress: an actual red dress designed by the wonderful designer Aamu Song!

Pekka Kuusisto has curated the program which includes music, dance and speeches, each artist performing inside the dress!

The thing that makes it really unique is that the audience is also a part of the dress, sitting and lying under wraps in its' huge hem!

Oh the sweet feeling of warmth and closeness, music, lights and total relaxation! 

Who says we have to sit stiff in concerts?!

I love people who think outside the box and act on it, giving us new perspectives, new experiences, questioning the old, dusty ways of our behaviour. I want more of that!!

It was such a wonderful experience altogether, go see if you have a chance, it's on until Tuesday in Kaapelitehdas, two different performances each evening!

I'll let the pictures do the talking:

The director and choreographer of the Reddress, a sweet friend of mine, doing the mermaid-pose, beautiful!

And the artists of the evening: 

Sin Cos Tan!

Thank you Minna, I enjoyed enormously!!

Past few days!

Inspite the rain there's been a lot to be glad about this week!

First of all, we went out with the girls Wednesday night!

It was a celebration of a birthday and it took place in Farang!

Oooh, what a journey of flavours, atmosphere and joy we had!

This was my first time there, and definitely not the last! 

It was incredible!! Beyond words really, I'd feel like an idiot if I even tried to start analyzing the food. Such rich and fresh tastes, so many different ones at the same time, it was amazing. We took the tasting menu which was clever, that way we got a vast range of what they had to offer. Have to go back! Soon!

Before the reservation we enjoyed the premiere of the latest Finnish film Kekkonen tulee!, skipped the official party and had some beautiful Prosecco under a tree in Kaisaniemi Park instead, then continued to what they say is the best restaurant in Helsinki today!

It was dreamy, it really was, thank you sisters!!!

And here's the happy girl giving her new bag a walk Yesterday...!!

Out and about!

Today we woke up to a beautiful sunshine!

So many rainy mornings during this week, but today I put on my sweats and went for an hour-long power walk with the intoxicating tunes of Gotan Project from my iPod.

Now there's a band worth giving a try if it's new to you! I LOVE their music!

I felt so good afterwards, this was a perfect way to start Friday!

Later on I went to check out what's new in Frida Marina, had a salad for lunch in GoodPie Bakery, and a cup of heavenly tea in Villipuutarha!

I also visited Ansa, one of the vintage shops of Kallio, in Fleminginkatu.

I've never really found anything from there, but I like to visit every now and then. It's really cute and again the owner is so sweet!

It's not always about finding something, it's also the atmosphere, to get to live in the middle of a fairytale, past era, touch and smell the dresses, gloves, scarfs, imagine yourself as Grace Kelly for a brief moment!

Grace Kelly with dark hair, that is!

Oh, sweet imagination, don't ever go away!

I've written to you about Villipuutarha before, but it's just a fact that everytime I step in, it feels like it was the first time! A little piece of heaven it is!

This suits my mood perfectly, I can keep on dreaming!

Have a fabulous Friday, dear Friends!!

Bags, bags, bags!!

Oh my, what an emotional rollercoster ride Yesterday was!

I found something I didn't know I was after: The Manor Bag by Burberry!!

What I have been after is a bigger black bag for the Autumn, and have been checking Stockmann's and such on and off but nothing has really hit me.

So Yesterday I decided to go through the smaller boutiques in Fredrikinkatu and Korkeavuorenkatu.

I saw this jewel in the oh-so-pretty second hand shop Hepsankeikka in Korkeavuorenkatu, calmly took a good look at it inside out, in front of a mirror, put it in my shoulder, and carried it a little in my arm.

I left the shop, I still had a few other places to go to, and I also stopped to have lunch at Tori. I believe one should never make any desicions no matter how big or small they were, with an empty stomach. And by the way, such a delicious salmon salad with fennel they had!

I went back and the friendly lady smiled at me to which I answered with even a bigger one, and we closed the deal!

The bag is so beautiful!!

It's hardly been used, it's made of thick, black quality leather, it's got golden highlights and enough room for my essentials, even a lunch box! It's just so bloody cool I can't believe my luck!!!

This is destiny! This is meant to be!

Life really is like a box of chocolates!! Hooray!!

Here it is!!

While browsing through different shops I came close to having a stroke at Amado's in Fredrikinkatu: the first thing I spotted was the Dior Goucho Double Saddle Bag!

I have never seen one in my life!!

While we talked about it with the owner I literally got goose bumps!

Oh-My-God it's such a beautiful bag, a true classic with the big buckle, the old keys and the medallions with Dior himself in them! I think I drewled a little!

But if the bag itself is prestigious, so was the price: if you have a spare 700€ in your account, hurry up and get it! It's there waiting!

Such a vision for my eyes, look!!

I also came across something rather odd: in another shop I spotted a black Louis Vuitton Alma Bag in Vernis leather in the window. I've never been too keen on the LV's but the Alma Bag especially in the colour Amarante is quite pretty. So I went in and took a look at it. It had bigger handles than they usually do, there was only one inside pocket instead of two, it had no padlock in the zipper and the label inside looked a little sloppy. I couldn't believe it. Came to my mind if it was genuine at all. And the price was 550€.

I really don't know these bags well, there were other Vuittons too, mainly those traditional Monogram-Bags, so she must know how it is. Perhaps it was an older model, a special edition, something. Don't know.

But here's the Alma in Amarante, isn't it cute!

Ok, now there's been A LOT of talking about bags! 

It's like a can of worms, I can't stop!!

Have a good Tuesday, my friends, inspite the rain!

Rain & Sunshine!

In the morning I thought what to do since the rain was quite heavy. I wanted to go swimming to Uimastadion but would've gotten myself all wet before even reaching the pool, so I was puzzled.

Swimming itself is nice when it's raining. Kind of reminds me of Pippi Longstocking when she decided to water all the flowers outside even when it was pouring down!

But the logistics in me getting to Stadika at that weather made me change my route into tram no.8 and Kallio swimming hall!

And it was so perfect! As if the hall would've still been asleep, it was very calm and quiet, I had my own track and swam away my 1100 meters, aah!

After I got outside, sun had come out!

I had an amazing salad for lunch in Café Cardemumma. I was heading to Café Villipuutarha, but apparently it's closed on Mondays, but I don't think I could've gotten happier anywhere else this time than Cardemumma!

Have you had salads there?

I hadn't, and it was really good!

Loads of main ingredients to choose from: falafel, salmon, cheeses, chicken etc., but the base impressed me the most! Not just the regular tomato-cucumber-lettuce, but broccoli, cauliflower, black and white beans, corn, berries...! Beautiful!

I ate with a good appetite and left very happy!

Go and have a try, it's in Kaarlenkatu, right next door to Villipuutarha!

I headed for a cup of tea to the lippakioski in Karhupuisto and enjoyed the surprising sun beams!

I'm feeling good and relaxed, hope you're too! 

I was so hungry at Cardemumma that I forgot to take pictures!

My bloodsugar reached its normal level again by the time I got to the park so 

camera was ready again!

I also checked out Hoochie Mama's new location, she's moved to Agricolankatu! Nice!

Have to make a proper visit another time, but there's she is!

See you soon, my dears!