Back To Basics

So now i do not need a down coat anymore. It is spring. And today I was wearing spring shoes and a light silky scarf and no hat. Only sunnies.

Among some practical things we needed to take care of with Leo we dropped by at Ikea and of course, we did not come back with empty hands. I do have a new home in mind and I would like to decorate it but I need to do it step by step and when we already live there (lessons learnt). But some things i could not resist.

Black and white candle holders. Something in their shape, that little circle on the side - make them very special. Tall candles are very festive always. And this candle holder placed single on a simple wooden table - what could be more stylish? white one is porcelain (at ridiculous 1,95 €) and black is made of heavy metal and is slightly more pricey (5,95€). I think I have seen similar in some design store but can't remember where.

And Leo got his first traffic toys. Believe it or not, there is not a single car in this family yet. Now he got the traffic mat and a wooden railroad with an extra train. I love the feeling of wooden toys. And they last so much longer. Happy play moments, Leo and Laura!

Arabia and Something Very Good

Today is a very sunny day and we happen to have gone to Arabia, particularily to a cozy flea market store for children to reserve a table to sell old Laura's and Leo's clothes. There is a cafe and a play corner and a lot of mums. Which is a guarantee for business success, I hope.

The area around the store is very unique, it is called Toukola. A lot of wooden buildings in cute bright colors. The actual Arabia center is a red brick complex with cool glass roofs and homeware outlets, mostly dishes of Iittala and Arabia and Pentik. They offer very good deals. For new home need to keep in mind. And the place is full of art students. One can see it in the way they dress. Main accessory - a scarf and quirky sunglasses. I saw a girl in jeans short and black leather ruffle top, who was hardly 18-19 but the way she was dressed was very artistic and mature. Arabia is worth a day visit for sure. There is also a shore to walk on a sunny day.

And....seems we got a home! more about this later. But this is for tonight...cin-cin!

Waiting for A Miracle

Are you waiting for Easter? It is such a positive spring holiday. I like to decorate and bake for Easter perhaps even more than for Christmas.

Today my routines were positively broken by an April Elle arrival to my post box. We made a little Easter oasis on the table with Leo and he is a bit too interested in those chickens (for eating purposes). The idea of this oasis is that there will be chocolate eggs appearing there from time to time. And Laura will not be able to ask more from mum as they would come from an unpredictable source, i.e. Easter hen. :) Colourful candles were also selected by Leo.

Dreaming Of A Home...

I have seen so many homes in the past 4 months that I do not expect anything new anymore. I know what to expect from Finnish houses in capital area. I have also been able to come up with the list of things that are important for me right now, things I would love to see in my dream home - in one way or another.

1. Own entrance - it does not need to have a purple door, but maybe I will paint it purple

2. Stairs - I love the spiral ones, they are so architecturally beautiful but of course not practical with children. But I would like to have my home on 2 levels.

3. Functional, light kitchen with a spirit.

4. Spacy functional bathroom with a touch of old school chic

5. A fireplace or a so-called home oven (kakluuni in Finnish, covered with tiles). We have lived now 1 year with a fireplace in the living room and I love the spirit it provides even when the fire is not on.

6. Big windows which let the natural light in.

IMPOSSIBLE? Maybe...

But now I need to stop dreaming and see a "Norwegian Wood" film which I was planning to see for a long time...

3 Hours in Porvoo

On a non-sunny Saturday it was a time for a spontaneous mood-raising trip to Porvoo. Old Porvoo with its wooden houses and cute shops and delicious food restaurants is always a good idea. And spring has arrived to Porvoo, indeed.

Fighting Against the Blues

...of not having a home or any prospect of having a home. Here is the list, how I try to do it.

1. Flowers. Perfect pink tulips.

2. Bright summery bracelets and manicure.

3. A rabbit. On a pillow. For Laura.

4. CHOCOLATE. surprise...

5. Skincare for compensation of #4. :) My new best friend - DayWear by Estee Lauder, tinted moisturizer with SPF 15. There is nothing this tube does NOT do.

Little People's World and Some Life Thoughts

Recent days have been a lot about kids routines and hobbies. I realize each day more and more how little time we have and how short is childhood, but there is a second chance - a childhood experienced through your own children. But that miracle won't work unless you are really really patient. Patient to understand how it feels to be a little person.

How does it feel to want to hold your bottle for several weeks and finally succeed?

To sit down and see the world from sitting position?

To dance in front of the audience?

To visit a toy exhibition?

To get a big chocolate cookie as a surprise?

I like to watch them so excited from minor things.  And it is interesting to see a disappointment from a very minor thing. Because a minor thing can be very very important for a little person and what is worst - grown-up may not understand that. Because little person's logic works totally different from grown-up's. Security is the key to little person's happiness. Security spiced by positive surprises. Does the same go for a definition of happiness for a big person? Maybe it is also about security?..ONLY?

The tiring topic of home is still present here and we are a bit losing our hope. I would like to have a home. Rental, small, under construction, free only after x months - does not matter. But the knowledge that there is a place for you...We do not have such and the May is approaching. Laura will turn 5 on 30.05.2012. She would like to have a birthday party with balloons and Hello Kitty cake. And she made a wish for a birthday gift - a beach set: bikini, hat, sunnies and a bag of course! I hope she will have that perfect day in a new home that we all love. I keep fingers crossed. Tired but I do...