Spring Things.

This whole eternal winter thing seems to be finally coming to an end. It's been really Springy for the last week or so - something i realized the other day when i stepped into some dog crap that had resurfaced from underneath the melting snow. On a more pleasant springtime note, it's not long until you can bring out the sunglasses, sneakers and head for a pint outside in the sunshine. Hells yeah. While we wait for the last of the snow to disappear (and conversely, all the dog shite to reappear), i compiled some stuff into a Spring Wish List.




Like this Marimekko dress, which i fell in love with the other day. 
 



And this one. Both are priced at a little over 100 euros, which isn't too bad. Now if only i had some sort of party coming up as an excuse to buy one (or hell, both!). Like maybe the Opening of Terrace Season. I'm sure that warrants its own dress.




I think i own about six pairs of Converse All Stars (and hey, i like 'em as much as the next guy), but let's be honest: they freakin' fall apart like no one's business. All of mine are in varying stages of decay due to festivals, extensive winter wear and the less than awesome combo and quality of rubber, canvas and glue. Most of my Chuck Taylors have been bought for pretty cheap (Thailand, Camden Market thrift store, Boston outlet, discount sale, etc.), so paying over 100 bucks for these kiddos seems a little steep. They are pretty, though, and i am digging the whole Converse <3 Marimekko thing. And shucks, nothing screams spring like a new pair of sneakers.

Costo from here

Hats. Awesome. Bobble hats. Even more so. This might have to be the Spring that i finally get me a Costo hat. So should i lose all self control and end up buying all of the above things, can someone come buy me a pint when it's finally terrace season? I'll be the kid with all the springy clothes and no money. 

Christmas Shopping at TOKYO

It's that time of year again. People become hordes of cattle rammed through shopping centres, grannies sharpen their elbows to make up for their small size and delicate build, and you hear 'last christmas' thrice an hour, which is enough to send a mass of people (already at the very end of their tether) straight over the edge, into yuletide massacre mayhem. All in the name of Christmas shopping. Ho ho ho.

 

Luckily, it doesn't all have to be shopping centres (or grannies or carols, for that matter. not that i have anything against either). Which is why last Friday i trammed it through the frosty afternoon to Arabia and TOKYO's Christmas sale, in the hopes of finding presents for my nearest and dearest. 

These necklaces are made using a picture or photo, and you can get them with your own pictures, which is kinda nice. As would be giving one of these to your best friend with that pic of her passed out on the floor next to a puddle of vomit.<3

An advent calendar you can happily hang on your wall. None of that Disney-themed plastic crap with fake chocolate in it for me this year!

 

How can you not love these? A perfect gift for anyone. Especially your Grandma. And her sharp elbows. Nutty Tarts, i'm a big fan of your work. 

After all those christmas parties, going for the brown-paper-bag-over-your-head look might start seeming like a pretty bright idea.

 Lots of cool prints, too. I almost bought one daintily titled "Up Your Butt in 80 Ways".

 And pretty cards, too. Couldn't find the ones with the elf flipping the bird, tho. (a pic of which can be found from last year's post on this topic).

And then i saw this. The tentacled bunny had me enraptured from the get-go. It's like The Mad Hatter and Cthulhu made babies. Tea-drinking, totally looney, world-destroying demi-god, semi-lapine babies. Set me back 35 euros, which is not bad at all. And it goes nicely with the print i bought last year, of two girls having a macabre tea party wearing masks, seen behind the rabbit in the above pic. Similarly to last year, i sort of ended up buying lovely things for myself, and failing at getting presents for others. I guess i can always resort to baking, wrapping and lovingly giving out gingerbread vaginas.

Which is what i might do right now, accompanied by the four hour xmas playlist (!!!) i put together on Spotify last night at two in the morning, and an industrial-size mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Have a rockin' weekend y'all!

The NY Chronicles: There's a Tentacle in My Teacup...

Lo and behold! The octopi have taken over! At least this is the conclusion i came to after a recent visit to Anthropologie, where the glorious, bulbous-headed creature of the deep had found its way onto many a curious thing. I don't mind one bit, because everything tentacled infatuates me greatly. Like these dinky teacups and saucers, for example. Notice the handle of the teacup is a tentacle complete with little suction cups.

And gorgeous Kraken dinner plates. "Eat your greens before Cthulhu floats off the plate and devours you!", i'd encouragingly coerce my frightened children in the future, with a house full of octopus china.

Then there was this lovely item, an eight-armed clothes hook. I had a really hard time letting go of this; it would have been right at home on my wall, mounted next to the bambi-skull and winged, grimacing skeleton. In the end, the only thing stopping me from giving this particular octopus a new home was the $48 price tag. Having managed to exercise such impressive self-control, i feel there might yet be hope for the black hole-like, bottomless pit that is my tiny, homeward bound suitcase. But more likely, i'll find myself at the airport trying to rationally explain my octopus-fetish and the second suitcase, bulging at the seams, full of tentacled paraphernalia.

The NY Chronicles: Cupcakes and Skulls.

Cause these are a few of my favorite things.

The scrumptious delicacy above is a Devil's Food Cupcake from Crumbs Bake Shop. While choosing cupcakes, i noticed that the little sign displaying the name of the cupcake also tells you the amount of calories per cupcake. Appalling! Who wants to know what kind of calorie bomb they're tucking into? Who even cares? I'd like my decadence with a side of blissful ignorance, thank you very much. 

I've been looking for a bird skull necklace for ages, so when i found this wood pecker skull pendant in a little store called Norbu in Williamsburg, i was over the moon. It's very similar to Pamela Love's jewelry, which i've been lusting after for a year now, but, lucky for me, comes at only a fraction of the cost. This skull set me back $35. I slipped it onto the same chain as my nerd glasses -necklace, just so i'd have somewhere to put it until i found it a chain of its own, but now i kinda like the skull with the glasses, so i might keep it there.

Cupcakes and skulls. Cause it's the baked goods and head bones that make you happy.

The NY Chronicles: Williamsburg is Burning.

At the beginning of July, yours truly packed her bags, put her last pennies towards a plane ticket and fled to the sparkling, shiny city of New York. A month of exploration, adventure and decadence awaits. At least up until the money runs out. How did this crazy expedition come about? It all started when my lovely Manhattan-based friend Jenny sent me a message on Facebook, the subject of which was "Just to tempt you..". Her roommate was gonna go abroad for a month, thereby leaving her room in their lovely Harlem apartment vacant. Hell yes, is what i said. And to make a long story short - here i am, sitting in a New York apartment in the middle of a heatwave eating frozen yogurt and appreciating air conditioning like i've never appreciated it before.

Saying it's hot here is starting to seem like the understatement of the century. It's not just hot, it's wandering-in-the-desert-seeing-garden-gnomes, sweat-shooting-out-from-your-armpits-like-you're-the-man-from-the-Axe-ad, offensively-slap-you-in-the-face-with-a-reeking-hot-fish kind of hot. 

Despite this hotness, we decided to set out to Brooklyn and do some exploring in Williamsburg. As walking in the heat was rather painful and the going was slow, we stayed mostly on Bedford Street, making sure to keep ourselves properly hydrated (as one should, when one goes exploring and adventuring). 

We stopped by a couple of Vintage Shops, which are plentiful and very decently priced, like the one in the pic above, called Vice Versa. Toying with the idea of getting a Hawaii-print skirt from the seriously hideous 70s and a mallard-print shirt from the wardrobe of facepalm clothing-failures was probably influenced by the heat. In the end, better judgment dictated that the clothes in question would remain in the store, perhaps for some theme-party occasion or next hipster trend. What i did grab with, though, was a pair of black converse trainers for a whopping five dollars. 

Having done some shopping, we decide it's time for food, and decide to sample some serious fusion cuisine at Dokebi Bar & Grill.

The place is air conditioned, the interior is a nice mix of Asian eatery meets American diner, and what's best is, it's happy hour. I go for a spicy mushroom burrito, which is an interesting mix of Asian greens, beans, and mushrooms in a Korean BBQ sauce, served in a corn tortilla. It's good, it's filling, and at 7 dollars, it's a good deal. 

After food and a couple of cold beers, we brave the heat and head out. We don't get too far, cause we spot the nice rooftop terrace of Juliette's Bistro, and decide we've come far enough, and it's time for a drink. 

Cocktails are the way to go. My cocktail of choice - the Guillotine - is heavy on the rum, which seems appropriate for this tropical climate we're enjoying. Also, rather than hydrating us, this alcohol-drinking is doing the opposite. I think i see a garden gnome scampering across the terrace from the corner of my eye. We agree it might be time to head home.

All in all, despite the sweltering heat, we agree it's been a fine day of exploring. I resolve to come back to Williamsburg, preferably on a day when the temperature isn't in the triple digits and the garden gnomes aren't on the move.

Valtsu Flea Market

It happens at least once a year, sometimes more frequently. It starts with you looking for your Horrorpops t-shirt. You go through your closet, pulling out piles of jeans, t-shirts and long johns. You know it's in there somewhere, but you can't find it. Instead you find your ex-boyfriend's socks, a ridiculous torn top proclaiming you're on a pub crawl, and a pink-and-silver striped cardigan you haven't seen in six years (and wish you hadn't come across now). By the end of this useless scavenger hunt, you know it's time. You call your friends (who, curiously enough, often have coinciding cases of losing favorite clothes into the seething black hole that is one's wardrobe), and set a date. And before you know it, you're hauling numerous blue Ikea bags of stuff into a tram at a ridiculously early hour on a Saturday.

This is what i found myself doing not too long ago. Bleary-eyed, tired as hell, i got off the tram at Valtsun kirppis, looking like a deranged bag lady suffering the after effects of a previous night's drinking. Which was more or less the truth. I blow on my fingers, which, in fingerless gloves, are already blue. Hoisting the bags higher on my shoulder, i venture into the building and find our table. 

Valtsu flea market, at Vallilan Makasiinit, is the biggest flea market in Finland that's open all year round. On the weekends, it's a hub for peddling grannies, vintage-hunting fashion-aficionados, thrift-store-favoring students and seedy old men on the lookout for back issues of porn mags (okay, maybe i made the last one up. maybe not. whatever). The premise is to get there as early as possible, with as much stuff in tow as you can manage, and leave in the afternoon with as little stuff and as much cash as possible. For some reason, what frequently happens in my case is that i end up going home with no money, but just as much stuff. (new stuff, tho. or other people's old stuff, but still.) Which is pretty much what happened this time, too. 

This time, i managed to get rid of some of the ugliest shoes i've ever owned (with the added bonus of the lady who bought them being over the moon with her purchase), some really awful clothes (a black top, curiously rubber-looking from afar. And up close, too, actually.) and some jewelry circa 1999. What i managed to find for myself was way cooler: a black tie and pearls, a very Kurt Cobainy grunge dress, and the perfect smoothie glasses. 

I think i went home with about a tenner in my pocket, while my good-spirited, amicable and easily-approachable friends sold item after item, pocketing some serious coinage. So on my part the money-making goal wasn't quite realized. Neither were my well-rehearsed, fool-proof sales skills and marketing techniques or pleasant demeanor. Ladies, the boozy, blue-fingered, haggard-looking bag lady would like to offer an apology. Next time we do this, it'll be a sunny summer day and we'll be by the seaside, at Hietsun kirppis instead. Where bag ladies (and other folk) can counter last night's drinking with ice cold pints from the restaurant terrace just meters away. Ah.

Valtsun kirppis at Vallilan Makasiinit on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9-15.

Book a space online here. Prices about 26 euros per day.

Yuletide mischief.

Well i'll say. The run-up to Christmas has been hectic. i'm only now realizing that the day itself is, in fact, tomorrow. While the fact that Christmas has managed to sneak up on me is in part probably due to natural light being practically absent and days being disconcertingly short, it's also due to the fact that i've been too busy to sit around counting down the days like i used to, back in the day.


Instead i've occupied my time with a precariously balanced marriage of work and play. Going to work in the sleepy darkness of the morning and emerging therefrom at an equally dark hour seems to have wreaked havoc with any sort of natural body clock i might have once had. I find myself frequently at bars and other after-dark establishments until the wee hours of the morning, celebrating someone's birthday, little christmas, or simply the fact that it happens to be a Tuesday (which is a perfectly acceptable reason to celebrate). While this is all fun and games, the daily toiling, nocturnal frolicking and averaging of four hours of shuteye per night has finally caught up with me; i've managed to catch a vicious cold that has rendered me speechless, grumpy and achy. Which means i'll probably be spending Christmas in bed with some Finrexin and a pen and paper as my only means of communication. Which probably serves me right. Oh well, at least i had a good run. And some pics to document it. 

I've written before about the curative properties of various types of chilled, blended fruit beverages. Here's a christmas version i had one morning. I threw in frozen blueberries, cranberry juice, glogi, ice, ground flaxseed and goji berries. And it brought me back to life, it did. 

One happy night at Kuudes linja, where a couple of kids decided to dance on tables outside in temperature that was well below freezing. Altogether a great idea and a brilliant night.

 

One is never too old to believe in Santa Claus. Or receive a Cthulhu stuffed toy from said geriatric, while he downs drink after drink and makes lewd jokes. Which is what happened at this particular gift-swapping shindig. But hell, that little green, winged, octopus creature is the shit. Not many can say the go to bed every night with The Great Old One.

A day trip to wintery Tallinn, featuring my mother, sister, cousin and two aunts. Our expedition enjoyed some hardcore snowfall, delicious food and copious amounts of mulled wine to warm the soul. I never knew how much fun day trips with the extended family can be. This is going to have to become an annual tradition. 

I haven't managed to break the habit of buying presents for myself yet, and i figured a small bottle of perfume could be a personal Christmas present. I'll put it under the tree with a little gift tag reading "For Nina. Love, Nina". I love this perfume though, it' all old school glamour with powdery, rosy nuances in the mix. Also love the scarf the perfume is pictured on, which was a birthday present from a certain lovely lady. In addition to the perfume, I also bought 24 bottles of Crowmoor cider, but i figured putting a pic of the perfume might be a little more classy. And wont serve to advocate a careless lifestyle centered on late nights and whimsical fancies in the run-up to Christmas. 

Now if i could only heed my own words.   

Happy Bearded Birthday.

And so it was that yet another year had passed, and December 11th was once again upon her. Happy friggin' birthday, me.
Now, some folks take this opportunity to dwell on the rapid decline of youth's heyday, and others get hit by serious angst about all manner of things they have yet to achieve in the process. My personal preference this year involves neither course of action. Instead, i'll face this annual aging party head on. Bring it, 24. I'll take you on with a Facial Hair theme-party (an account of which will surely follow), armed with champagne and bearded cupcakes . 
And these lil presents (that i may or may not have bought for myself).

A book, or four. Grimm's Fairy Tales. I've been wanting to get an edition of the original tales for a long while now; these are the hardcore, hardly happily-ever-after versions, not that sugar-coated Disney rubbish. Why eat gingerbread when you can eat children?


The Greatest Show On Earth is rather simply and conclusively subtitled "The Evidence For Evolution". Go on Dick, tell 'em.


I feel like some quality time with the daddy of Gonzo is long overdue, so i'll save Kingdom of Fear for the Christmas holidays.


On Monsters is "An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears". I was drawn to the cover before i even knew what the book was about, and so i was even more chuffed when i scanned the contents: Ancient, medieval, scientific, psychological, contemporary and futuristic - this book covers the whole monstrous spectrum. Especially looking forward to reading about mischievous taxidermists, monstrous births, freaks and creeping flesh, all of which have a section devoted to them.

Then i came across this dress while buying a scarf at Cybershop in Kamppi. At 34 euros, it really was a steal, and very little persuasion was required to convince me of its loveliness. i really like the cut, and the little bow is quite adorable. Also, it'll look rather fetching coupled with a beard. 

'Tis the season of Christmas shopping.

It's gotta be done at some point, and each year the prospect of entering department stores crawling with super stressed-out businesspeople (who rely 100% on the generic gift-wrapping service, cause it takes like, at least three minutes to wrap that gift for your kid), industrious mothers who are on a marathon shopping trip (and are carrying twice their weight in shopping bags) and the scary Burberry-clad grannies with sharpened elbows (which are ideal weapons for swiftly dispersing of crowds - or people ahead of them in the line) seems less and less enchanting. 

So i thought i'd make a start this year by going to one of my favorite places for xmas shopping - the TOKYO xmas sale. Hosted by the students of TaiK (University of Art and Design Helsinki), the pre-xmas market features all sorts of art and design from underwear to baked goods. It's a great place to find something a little more unique, and a great way of supporting up-and-coming Finnish talent. 

Flipping the bird at Christmas. A welcome take on the traditional xmas card.

 

I spotted this underwear at the market last year, and since then i've been wanting a pair of these briefs. What a brilliant idea. The undies, like the accompanying baked goods, are the handiwork of artistic duo Tärähtäneet ämmät, and were among the coolest items i spotted at the sale. 

What i ended up buying was a beautiful set of 36 Ex Libris stickers featuring what looks like bird fetuses in glass balls, with a third ball for you to write your name in. Definitely too adorably sinister to pass. With only three dozen stickers, only my nicest books will get one. Gives me good reason to go back next year, though!

I bought something else, too. My first official investment in art. Two girls in dresses, barefoot, having tea and cupcakes with Venetian masks on. There's something really enchanting about the seeming normalcy of their tea party that i was drawn to. And with echoes of Roman Dirge, Tim Burton and Alice in Wonderland, i was happy to spend my remaining 35 euros on this. All i need to do now is frame it, hang it up, and admire at leisure. 

As a kickoff to Christmas shopping mayhem, the TOKYO sale was great. On the downside (or the upside) my gift foraging was kind of self-centered. But alas, fear not, i tell myself, because our fair city plays host to several other seasonal shopping sales: this weekend one can browse the traditional christmas gift selection at the 78th annual Naisten Joulumessut (Women's Christmas Fair), or jazz up the season by purchasing a fascinator and nipple tassels from the Burlesque/Rock'n'Roll/Vintage themed Ofelia Market. My plan is to attend both, and strictly refrain from buying myself anything. We'll see how that goes.

Naisten Joulumessut 2-6.12.2009, Wanha Satama, Pikku Satamakatu 3-5, Helsinki

Ofelia Market 5-6.12.2009, Kulttuuriareena Glora, Pikku Roobertinkatu 12, Helsinki