Have a Wonderful 2010!!!

(the moon tonight - December 30th, 2009)

I wish You and Everyone an amazing 2010!

X's, A =)

New Year New Adventures.

I have yet to summarize my Old Year, create new promises, try and keep them and worry about the fact that the noughties are over. The New Year is already here and it is knocking on the door so hard that I can't turn away and pretend I did not hear it. So I welcome it with open arms, offer some wine and make myself comfortable hoping that this meeting shall be a good one. You and me New Year. You and me. Let's make it happen! Let us make this one a combination of learning, understanding, loving, giving, hoping, traveling, forgiving, letting go and finding new. What do you say, are you with me?

Love, E

When she is gone the bed feels cold and empty.

Now she is gone. My baby sister who is no longer a baby but who to me will always be one. The one who stayed with me through this Christmas smoldering me with love and laughter. The house now feels empty and the bed is cold. No more of her laughter echoing in this house that is more like a room. No more her.
I comfort myself with strawberry milk and Anna Gavalda hoping that she would soon return.

"Girls just Want to Have Fun"

*My apologies, the original size did not fit, I had to mess with the Width and Height.

Merry Christmas to all you lovers!

We just chillin' with some hot wine, meatballs and other
traditional Finnish Christmas delicacies.
We are watching Victoria's Secret show from
earlier this year.
Ha!
And lovin' it too.

We wish you a lovely Christmas and a more than
wonderful New Year!

Love, E

Morning before Xmas Eve

I can't let my cold/flu take over my Holiday.

This morning, despite feeling lethargic...

My agenda is to finish wrapping presents.

This time around, I decided to go minimalist:

- inexpensive Butcher Brown Paper

- hemp twines in various colours

- & mini xmas ornaments

(ps: those xmas decorated papers are not mine)

Moroccan Kefta Tagine

I've been wanting to make this in ages...

And here it is... my Moroccan Kefta Tagine =)

Not bad for my first try.

Perfect with Baguette =)

If I were to be nice enough...

..then please Santa could you give me these beautiful things
for Christmas?
It would truly make me so glad dear Santa.
Oh what are they you ask?
Well...

..
Philosophy Shower Cream in Pumpkin Pie and Cinnamon Roll.
The most delicious little fragrances that I have ever smelled!
And completely free in America, crazy priced in Australia.
(Hate.)
This present would make me squeaky clean and smelling of
baking goods I don't even know how to make.

A book by the Sartorialist who happens to be one of my all time
favourite bloggers. I wish I had some style. Some real style.
I truly think this book could help. (Or is it too late already?)

I have always wanted to look like an old professor. A true academic
intellectual who smokes a pipe in their office full of books that no one
has ever even heard off. Oh and taxidermy! That is an important one.
Anyway getting a pair of Moscot's might be like taking a step closer.
A PhD would be the second one.

A bike. A bike that would use to swish my way to the local deli to
buy the weekend newspaper. A bike that I would then try and
balance between my two hands carrying a hot java and that
darned paper.

Oh and Santa would you mind making me Parisian chic while you are at it?
Thanks I would appreciate that very much indeed!

Love,
E
P.S I promise to be better next year too.

Amazing.

This is why I always wanted to get into science.
It just gives us so much insight about the life of us and others.
In this case it shows us something new about the lives of octopi.

Check it out!
Ah-ma-zing.
And imagine how cool it would be to just hang out in a coconut?

Love,
E

Empowered

Finally...

the bloody paper is done =)))

57 + pages----

nightmares

writing

editing

yelling

venting

crying

frustrations

anxiety

desperation

reading

analyzing

etc...

ALL worth it.

It feels great.

No words will (ever) suffice to describe how appreciative and thankful I am of my Love, Mikey-Ike. And of course the Parentals.

always w/ Love, A

Oh and sometimes rummaging pays off.

From the local shop found with my mum.
She sure has some good eye that lady!
And I only paid 1.50 AUD (1 EURO, 1.40 USD)
True vintage too it is!

Love,
E

Through the bubbly haze.

Last night we went to lover's work function and oh boy
they sure wined and dined us good.
Sushi for starters, Japanese hot dishes like tofu, beef and
chicken for mains followed by ice cream.
It was such joy and I had a blast just chatting with his
workmates!
But today is another day and as the wine goggles are losing
their strength I find myself dee in the melancholy chambers
of my inner self.
So I go and sell some stuff at a garage sale with my best girls
and together we make me smile and feel light.
It all seems better and now we are making tacos with my
mano at our little house on the beach that hasn't got much
but which we have filled with love.
It is quiet and I feel a bit more at peace.

Listening to this while heating up the soul food:



Love,
E

Good Bye...

my Mighty Lap Top =///

You've served me well for good long 6 years.

Thank you.

--- yups, my laptop crashed =/.

I was hoping it'll at least last until the end of this Semester, which is next week!

But sadly, she had to go...

Devastating really.

Christmas came knocking on my door.

So I have never been all that for Christmas and everything
that goes with it. But after moving to my new habitat of
hotness in tropical Western Australia I have started craving
the kind of celebrations that are very typical to my Northern
European roots. And yesterday I did it to a T.
Porkkanalaatikko I screamed and jumped in the car to drive
all the way to IKEA and buy half of their Christmas sortiment.

And look:

GB's.

Christmas candy canes and the Christmas Star (as in Finnish).

My humble abode all pimped up.


My house is now filled with all sorts of goodies like
hot Swedish red wine called glogg, gingerbreads,
decorations and even a singing me baking bread and
listening to my Christmas playlist.

Here's a favourite:



Now how excited are you about the celebrations?
I'm thinking I am about a 100. Non?

Love,
E
P.S I am wearing my vintage apron too. Lalalalala.

My perfect Xmas tree

I found my Perfect xmas tree!
- perfect shape
- already decorated (w/ canary/golden yellow ginkgo biloba leaves)

The only problem is I can't cut it b/c it's in a public park =///

ps: pardon my attire.

What do you do when there isn't enough ice cream...

Why... you half the darn thing.
My smart Mikey-Ike literally halved this individual size strawberry Haagen Dazs.

Lesson: always purchase an ice cream - Always! Or else you'll be halving what is supposed to be yours.

I think I am going to see this...

just for the heck of it. Lol.
It'll be good for me - I hope.

Now I am going to buy books.

This what I looked like yesterday.
Today?
Don't even worry about it!
I've been too busy doing things with
my lovely guests from Finland.
My day went something like:
go to yoga 5.30
come home 7.30
eat quick breakfast
pick people up
go to the beach
surf for one and a half hours
lie on the beach for two (totally forced!)
get a bit raw
take shower
take guests back
hug
buy new yoga gear
come home
die of exhaustion

OK so I didn't die but i sure
picked up some colour on my skin!

Love,
E

This is from BoingBoing.net

Funny conversation between book dealer and customers.
By Mark Frauenfelder on December 2, 2009 11:12 AM

The BookMine, an old and rare book dealer, has been collecting funny conversations with customers and would-be customers. Here are a few:

(phone call)
Hello. I have some old books for sale.
What kind of books?
Old ones.
OK. What subject areas?
Where does it say that?

(grown-up, looks around)
Do you have any real books?
Yes.
Well, not like the ones you have here. You know, real books!

I'm not sure what you mean.
You know, books that are real.
Sorry, none of our books are real!

(phone call)
I have some old books.
Really, so do I.
How much will you pay me for them?
Good question. What do you have?
I'm not sure.
Why don't you bring them by.
Drive all the way downtown?
That's usually the way it works.
You're kidding!
Not really.
How much do you pay for books?
Depends on what you have.
Are there any other bookstores in town?
Yes.
What are their phone numbers?
Hang on, let me look them up for you.
(After being left on hold for 10 minutes, he finally hung up)