world’s best carrot cake, recipe from this book.
Cooking makes me happy. I miss those days when I had frequent dinner parties with friends… it’s difficult to get motivated when it’s just me. To combat food boredom I am thinking of trying out a new recipe each week. I have a ton of veggie cookbooks to pour through.
Inspiration: Seitti’s amazing food photos (all vegan).
She also contributes to vegalicious.
P.S. Oh no… I kinda like these.
“I think you would like Lisboa. Charming architecture - fun trams - great coffee - warm people - quality graffiti!”
A month or so ago I received a mysterious postcard from London, today one came from Portugal. From the same person! (Who I don’t know, to my knowledge.) Very Amélie-kind of moment in life, somehow. I don’t know which I’d like the best, the whole thing to remain mystery or not… but can’t wait for the next postcard!
Speaking of Amélie, there is this movie festival in Helsinki soon, so there is a free showing of Amélie on Friday night. It’s outdoors, so it might get cold. I am going with a friend and maybe a flask of something hot to drink. What a perfect way to spend a Friday night.
P.S. The earrings are from Etsy. I recently had to get my ears re-pierced and these will be the first non-piercing earrings to wear. They are both by lilikoidesign.
Tired, melancholic and apparently very iron deficient: that is me at the moment. Some days are just more difficult, like certain anniversaries (to be.) I think some rye bread and hugs would fix me.
This week is about trying to get through a ton of work before school starts again next monday. I am working on two magazine illustrations and a christmas card (among other things). It’s nice to be drawing again. I love how the physical act of pen on paper gets my mind flowing… that never happens with computers somehow.
P.S. I am behind on some emails. Will write soon, I haven’t forgot.
Read Silvia’s post here
Monday morning Silvia and I met for breakfast and talked, among other things, about decisions. Then I finally said aloud what I have known all along: “I think I need to go to Rotterdam. I just have this gut feeling… it is where I should go.”
You see, I have been toying with alternatives (Utrecht, Gerrit Rietweld at Amsterdam, Berlin..) and listening to other people. My art teacher says to go to Berlin. Lots of people have had a good point that if I want to do the Type&Media master’s program at KABK, maybe I should take the opportunity to pick another country for my exchange year. I can speak german, I can not speak dutch (yet).
But some have said: go to Holland because you love being there. The question is, Can I just trust my gut feeling?
I know, I know, I have this habit of obsessing about the future, when I should be enjoying the school year ahead here. But I feel so much calmer when I have laid out my plans and can work towards them. To be honest, WDKA is not just about a gut feeling. I have poured through the course syllabus and it looks good, particularly the editorial design minor.
And now I got this crazy idea that I might take a long weekend and visit Holland at some point during the year, to go school-sightseeing and see friends. Even the thought is making me giddy…
P.S. Today I left in my application for dutch courses at the university. Fingers crossed that I get in!
favourite bags: one bought, one mom’s old, one flea-market
Today there was a storm. Water rushing down the drains, thunder, lightning… it feels good to just be home, catching up on work. I declare today autumn 1st, let’s celebrate it with a big cup of tea and a cinnamon bun.
Since spending time away from Helsinki (the week before) and having my Dutch friends here, it’s been difficult to get back to the groove of everyday things. Although I guess, I’ve been somewhat out of the groove all summer. All I’ve done seems to be sleeping and sleeping and watching movies. Despite all my great plans, I have barely drawn a line all summer. But summer is never a creative time for me. During summers I go into a rest mode.
And after all this resting, I feel full of energy. I love how everything is new. Fall fashions (I got new heels and a jacket), new dance classes, new courses at school… new home to nest in. Reading stacks of books and making apple crumble, good things all around. I will try to preserve some of my recent calm when it gets busy again.
Here’s some recent finds:
exljbris - free quality font foundry
Smosch - blog
Turquoise dress by Liebling (I want I want! maybe in black?)
return to sender -cards
Monday: on a picnic at Suomenlinna.
And they are gone!
I am tired too (still). On the last night before leaving Sia and me stayed up talking until 2am… and then got up at six for the early plane. And then I was home alone again and it felt so weird. It was all gone so very quickly…
Now I am listening to rain and Inara George (beautiful website and music).
Somehow, without me noticing, this place has started to feel like a home (and I want to make it more so, maybe just a cheap lamp for the kitchen, painting the old dresser, something…) I want to learn how to make my own iced soy lattes and I want to get back to drawing, dancing, living…
Tomorrow I am seeing Silvia again and later on going to the Flow festival. Have a good weekend!
P.S. Floris had a good quote on courage, it went something like this:
You already have a no, so you might as well try to get a yes.
Sia and me at Bali Hai
They are here! We will be sightseeing Helsinki for a couple of days. It’s almost like I am on a holiday as well… Today we had some lunch turned early dinner at a new place called Bali Hai, and then walked to Senaatintori and enjoyed iced coffees in the inner yard of Cafe Engel. Tomorrow we get to see Silvia as well. (So I didn’t get to go to Holland this year, but Holland came to me instead… kind of)
Sia and Floris, aren’t they cute?