Halloween round-up, part II

So the second halloween party this year was one that we threw last Saturday. It was second year in a row, because halloween just seems like a good time to gather people together: it's well before all the Christmas stuff, it's the darkest time of the year (a party is a good way to cheer up!) and it's also j-m's birthday. And, one can DIY costume and decoration. I know that not everybody likes dressing up for halloween, but I find it a perfect excuse to use my creativity and diy ideas for something I wouldn't use every day.

We always try to choose a theme for a party since it's so much easier and more fun to organize. This year it was movies and movie characters. Here's what we came up with it!

To go with the movie theme we borrowed a projector to watch movies on a big screen. I'd love to have a projector anyway, it's so much cooler to watch movies this way! We also printed these little popcorn cups and filled them with unspiced popcorn. This way, everybody could spice up their own in the popcorn station.

We had some movie posters lying around so we just put them to the wall. I also printed these, because they were just too cool.
 

As for more halloween-ish stuff, we used my jewellery tree and hang little bats on it. Then we usede these letter wall stickers to write on the walls. I think this is a very easy way to decorate, and it's even suitable for renters, like we are.

I guess we were too busy to enjoy ourselves since there's not really any good photos of my costume but this is the best :) I went as Daisy from The Great Gatsby and J-m as Chaplin. I just combined all these white vintage things I already had in my closet (normally I wouldn't use them together of course) and then I DIYed the headband out of some pieces of old & broken jewellery I had in hand. I cut the leaves in silver faux-leather and put everything together with metal wire so that I can re-use everything again. 

Last but not least I saw this tip on cup of Jo the same day and wanted to give it a try. It totally worked, we got some cool pictures with it! Too bad there wasn't so much light so they're a bit blurry, but they still make fun memories for us.

What do you guys think? Do you have any tips for organizing a great party? I'd love to hear!

Huh, vähän vielä halloweenasiaa, vaikka monilla ajatukset alkaa varmaan kääntyä jo joulua kohti :) Mutta tosiaan, viikko sitten halloweenia vasta vietettiin! Kaikki ei niin ole halloweenihmisiä ja ymmärrän kyllä senkin, mutta itse näen sen hyvänä tekosyynä kutsua kaverit koolle ja käyttää luovuuttani pukuun, jota muuten en ehkä käyttäisi. Ja kyseinen juhla sattuu myös olemaan j-m:n syntymäpäivä!

Tänä vuonna mentiin leffateemalla, joten asiaankuuluvasti piti väkerrellä vähän popcorn- kuppeja ja muuta. Saatiin onneksi projektori lainaan (ihana olisi olla tuollainen aina!). Lisäksi askarreltiin vähän halloweenkoristeita: lepakot ilmestyivät lentämään oksaan jossa yleensä riippuu koruja, ja seinille tarrattiin tekstejä prismasta löytyneillä sisustustarroilla. Noi on kyllä käteviä muutenkin sisustukseen näin vuokraajalle.

Pikkuvinkkinä vielä: kokeilin tästä blogista löytyvää vinkkiä, ja laitoin kameraan kiinni lapullisen ideoita, joita kuvata. Toimi! Suuri osa kuvista on kyllä vähän epätarkkoja, mutta se ehkä kuuluu asiaan :) Ja hauskoja ovat!

Mites te, onko mitään hyviä juhlavinkkejä? Aina olisi kiva keksiä jotain uutta, vai mitä :)

Halloween round-up, part1

What a week! Friends visiting, a halloween party to attend and another to organize... So good kinda busy :) So I know this is kinda late, but I still thought to share our this years costumes&other ideas since we had fun creating them!

First up, a halloween party we attended on Thursday. It was organized by J-m's old employer and they always throw a super party. This year was no exception, with good food, cool costumes, burlesque shows (!) and a photobooth. 

This year they announced a theme that was 70's sci-fi and horror. At first I couldn't come up with anything. I mean, I know some movies alright, but to create a costume that's easy, that wouldn't cost a lot and that I could wear to work since this was just after AND that would go with that theme was kinda hart to imagine. But then it hit me: I had a maxi dress that I could use, and then I just had to get a floppy hat from the local flea market to become one of the Stepford wives (love the original movie, don't you?).

Cool photobooth isn't it? I'd love to create something like this one day, but man, this was a professional work. Also, the "boyfriend jeans are so yesterday" just cracks me up.

J-m, on the other hand, didn't get a costume but fortunately they had a professional make-up artist to help people with their masks. So, he became, well I don't exactly know what but it sure fitted the halloween season ;) 

What about you, did you participate to any halloween festivities? I still have party numbet II coming up, but first I have to organize the photos!

Huh, mikä viikko. Torstaina osallistuttiin yhden firman bileisiin, ja melkoiset olivatkin: ruokaa, juomaa, burleski-esityksiä (!), maskeerausta, ja photobooth. Pakkohan sinne oli mennä vähän itseään kuvauttamaan!

Bileiden teema oli 70-luvun sci-fi ja kauhu. Ekaksi meinasi paniikki iskeä: mistä saada teeman mukainen puku, joka olisi helppo, ei maksaisi paljoa ja jonka voisi ottaa mukaan töihin kun tuonne oli mentävä suoraan? No, vastaus löytyi suurimmaksi osasta omasta vaatekaapista: vain leveälierinen hattu piti käydä kirpparilta hakemassa, ja jo tapahtui muutos yhdeksi Stepfordin naisista!

J-m taas tuli paikalle ihan omana itsenään mutta maskeeraajien osaavissa käsissä muuttui, no en itseasiassa tarkkaan tiedä miksi, mutta ainakin hyvin halloweenmaiseksi hahmoksi vai mitä ;)

Mites te, osallistuitteko mihinkään halloweenjuttuihin? Mulla on vielä bileet nro II tulossa, kunhan saan kuvat järjestettyä!

Up-Shirt

" If we can show the world mass upcycling works, we could really change how the fashion industry treats the environment. "

I love this Kickstarter project by Estonian designer Reet Aus. And then, what's not to live? T-shirts so stylish you'd want to wear them every day, and with an 80% smaller environmental footprint. I think it's so cool that somebody found a way to mass produce eco fashion, and I'm not surprised it's Reet Aus. I participated to one of her lectures once, and if you ever have an opportunity to do the same, just go there. She really knows what she's talking about!

I so wish this project gets the funding needed because I already want to be wearing my Up-Shirt ;) 

Mahtava Kickstarter- projekti virolaiselta designerilta Reet Ausilta. Käykääpä katsomassa ja osallistumassa, sillä mä ainakin haluan saada oman teepparini ;)

on the go

Lately I've really been on the go. Parents-in-law visiting, preparing to move again, work, more work... You know how it goes. This photo dates to more than a month ago when we quickly visited Stockholm, and since that, I haven't been spending a lot of time in front of the screen! And guys, I just realized, it was still a summer then, especially in Stockholm which is a bit southern from here. And this week-end, it already snowed!

Anyway, just to say that I have some projects and ideas coming up. See you soon :)

Viime aikoina olen ollut menossa. Sukulaisia vierailulla, uuden (taas) muuton valmistelua, töitä, lisää töitä, ja niin edelleen. Tämäkin kuva on yli kuukauden takaa, kun piipahdettiin pikaisesti Tukholmassa. Sen jälkeen ei olekaan tullut vietettyä aikaa koneen ääressä. Ja kamut, tajusin just että silloin oli vielä kesä ja tänä viikonloppuna satoi jo LUNTA!

No niin, asiaan. Tai ei sitä asiaa muuta ollut kuin että yritän palailla normaaliin rytmiin ja muutamia vinkkejä ja juttuja on tulossa. Nähdään pian :)

FOTOMARATON 2013

1. Hitsinpimpulat / Damn dingles!  

2. Vihreä illuusio / Green illusion

Oh my, this week I've been in bed with a cold so it has passed so quickly! Obviously, I haven't been out much so I have nothing new to show, but instead I have some photos I haven't posted yet that I wanted to share.
 A couple of weeks ago we had a friend visiting us and together we wanted to find new activities. So, for the first time, we enrolled to a competition called Fotomaraton! Fotomaraton is an annual photography competition where competitors take 12 photos, one for each assignment, during 6 hours. The assignments are handed out in sets of 4 with 2-hour intervals. 

3. Kohtu / Womb

4. Bermudan kolmio / Bermudas triangle

 5. Kuri ja järjestys / Order and discipline

Now we're really not professional photographs so some of our photos are not the best quality, since we also had to hurry to get all of them taken. But oh boy did we had fun snapping them! The competition also got us to places we wouldn't have gone oterwise (such as a food carneval at an old abattoir) and talking to people we might not had talked otherwise. 

So I guess the lesson was that everything's worth trying, even though you know you're propably not gonna nail it. It gets you out of your comfort zone. Have you done something like that lately? I'd love to hear! And have a good Sunday, you all!

6. Kun olimme lapsia / When we were children

 

 7. Mielikuvitusystävä / imaginary friend

Huh, tämä viikko on mennyt lähinnä sängyn pohjalla flunssasta toipuessa, joten paljon uutta kerrottavaa ei ole. Mutta onneksi löytyy vähän vanhempia juttuja!

Joitakin viikkoja sitten meillä oli hyvä ystävä kylässä ja haluttiin etsiä jotain uutta tekemistä Helsingistä. Joten, ihka ensimmäistä kertaa kummallekin, päätettiin osallistua Fotomaratoniin! Fotomaraton on taiteiden yönä järjestettävä kilpailu, jossa otetaan 12 annettuja aiheita vastaavaa kuvaa kuuden tunnin aikana. Aiheet saa neljän aiheen ryppäissä kahden tunnin välein. 

8. Ilman rajoja / No limits

9. Mitä tuleman pitää / What's to come

Mehän ei kummatkaan olla mitään ammattikuvaajia joten kuvien laatu on vähän niin ja näin, varsinkin kun lopussa tuli vähän kiire. Mutta kylläpä oli hauska ilta! Kilpailu sai meidät paikkoihin, joihin ei muuten olisi menty, ja juttelemaan aivan uusille ihmisille. Joten ehkäpä illan paras anti olikin muistutus siitä, että joskus kannattaa kokeilla uutta, vaikka tietäisikin että nyt mennään metsään. Mukavuusalueen ulkopuolelle askuminen on oikeastaan joskus ihan, no, mukavaa. 

Oletteko itse viime aikoina tehneet jotain aivan uutta? Kertokaahan :) Ja hei, hyvät sunnuntait!

10. Menetetty tapaus / Lost case

11. 1984

12. Hämärtää jo / Already dusking

DIY Outdoor cushions

As we still have some sunny days left we've been trying to enjoy the garden before the real autumn strikes! That in mind, I wanted to make us some outdoor floor cushions to make it easy and comfy to sit on our lawn and have a drink or maybe eat some bbq.

We had these colourful rugs in our basement. We used them in our previous place, but they're actually quite small & slippery, so we ended up not using them at all in our current house. So, repurpose as a cushion seemed like a good plan.

There are several tutorials for similar projects on internet (such as this). But how I did, basically, was just to hand-sew two ends together with a big needle and a strong, doubled thread. My rugs were the perfect size so I didn't even have to cut them, which could be a but tricky.

On the other side I laid the fabrics in a way that they overlap a bit in the middle. I didn't bother to make a system for closingthe pillows, but they work just fine for me like this! The inside cushions are out of old sheets and filled with small styrofoam balls from an old beanbag chair. So actually, there are three unused objects merged in one in this project.

ladybug approves!

They're actually really comfy and sturdy so I'm quite pleased with this project. I could also imagine having them inside at home for winter. Hope you like them as well! See you soon!

Pikkuprojekti kesän loppuun: tyynyt vanhoista räsymatoista. Olipa helppoa ja nopeaa, ei tarvinnut kuin ommella sivut yhteen karhunlangalla, kun matot olivat just sopivan kokoisia. Sisälle tein sisätyynyt vanhasta lakanasta ja ikiaikaisen säkkituolin styroksitäytteestä. Eli kolme käyttämätöntä juttua sulautui yhdeksi, jota ollaan nyt sitten oikeasti käytetty ulkona. Ja miksei nämä kävis myös sisällekin, eikö vaan! Toivottavasti tykkäsitte, näkyillään!

current reads

I know I'm kinda jumping from one subject to another, but I quess that's just my thing. Maybe in the future this blog will be more about, let's say, only DIYs, but at the moment I'm mostly experimenting. Last time I told you guys what I've been up to lately, this time it's all about what I've been reading lately!


As for usual, there's both novels and craft/ home decor/ fashion books sitting on my bedside table. Usually, they would also be a weird mix of at least three languages (english, finnish or french) but this summer I've been mostly into reading in english. Maybe that's because of the NYC trip? Who knows! 


The theme on NYC has not been only for the language but also a major theme in my readings this summer. And even more, the pre-fifties New York. Thus, let me represent you: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon and Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. And, as a re-read, The Great Gatsby, by who else that F. Scott Fitzgerald.
I especially appreciated the first one of the list - I think it was the best book I've read in the last year.
 

Then there's of course a lot of craft/DIY/lifestyle/etc books. Lately I've been more into home deco projects, so that's why I've been browsing 82 modern Style Ideas to Create at Home by Tamara Maynes and One Block of Wood by Nina Tolstrup. Both really inspiring!




So that's for my reading. Have you been reading anything good lately? I'm dying to have some recommandations!

Nyt mennään aiheesta aiheeseen, mutta ehkä se on ihan hyväkin juttu. Viimeksihän oli viime aikojen kuulumisia, tällä kertaa lukemisia. Yöpöydällä on lepäillyt varsinkin nämä yllä komeilevat kirjat. Romaanipuolella olen keskittynyt vanhaan New Yorkiin ja noin muuten kodin sisustus/DIY -puoleen. On ollut mahtavaa löytää uutta luettavaa! 

Mutta hei, nyt kaipaan uutta luettavaa! Onko lukuvinkkejä? Mitä olette viime aikoina lukeneet?

Local flowers

 
Last week I got to try flower arranging for the first time ever! They arranged this class at one of the buildings of an old, beautiful manor called Annala. It's also a collective garden, so all the flowers came from their fields just next to the house. Talk about a local product!

Viime viikolla sain ensikosketukseni kukkien sidontaan, kun kävin alkaiskurssin Annalassa. Annala on ihana paikka, ja lisäksi kukat tulivat heidän omilta pelloiltaan ihan vierestä - varsinainen lähituote siis!

And beautiful flowers they were. I just recently read an article about how so many flowers we buy are transported for long distances in cold boxes that it's not really an ecological choice. That's one of the reasons I wanted to take this class - to learn to use the local products better!

Luin juuri artikkelin, jossa muistutettiin siitä, kuinka useat leikkokukat joudutaan kuljettamaan pitkienkin matkojen takaa kylmätiloissa tänne asti. Ei siis varsinaisesti mikään eko vaihtoehto. Se olikin yksi syy kurssille menoon - halusin oppia sitomaan kauniita kimppuja suomalaisista kukista. Ja miksipä ei, sillä tosi kauniitahan nuo ovat!
 

After the class I appreciate the florists even more than before - it took me more than an hour to finish these two bouquets! But it was a nice, quiet pause to the rhythm I've been having recently. Sometimes it's so relaxing to focus on only one thing at a time, right?

Pikkukurssinkin jälkee arvostaa kyllä floristin työtä entistä enemmän. Näiden kahden teoksen sitomiseen meni minulta reilusti yli tunti! Toisaalta viime aikojen aikatauluissa oli tosi mukavaa ottaa pieni paussi ja keskittyä vain yhteen asiaan kerrallaan.

Have you ever tried flower arranging? Do you usually have flowers around? I'm curious!

Oletko ikinä kokeillut kukkien sidontaa? Onko kotona yleensäkään kukkia? Kertokaahan :)