PB&J.

I have become obsessed with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Indeed so obsessed that one day I just had to Google them and
here are some of the fun facts I found on our lovely friend,
the all too soft and yet saucy PB&J:

* A 2002 survey showed the average American will have eaten 1,500 of these sandwiches before graduating from high school.

* Sometimes people put two layers of peanut butter.

* Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.

* November is Peanut Butter Lovers Month.

* Women and children prefer creamy, while most men opt for chunky.

* Peanut butter was the secret behind "Mr. Ed," TV's talking horse.

* The peanut is not a nut, but a legume related to beans and lentils.

* 96% of people, when making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, put the peanut butter on before the jelly

* Two peanut farmers have been elected president of the United States: Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.

And this is how I make mine:

First I toast some gluten-free organic bread, followed by a thick layer of almond butter which I truly love very crunchy and salty then finally I smear on some organic raspberry jam. Yum yum yum.

I would also like to dedicate my love to this sandwich because she normally saves all my oh so gruesome days at a job that sometimes seizes to inspire me. Thanks PB&J!

Love,
E

Friday night mama on the town.

Friday saw me having the worst day at work since the beginning
of my kind. I was quite ready to give up but then managed to throw
a few things into my brand new bag before jumping on a bus that
would take me on adventures instead of a lonely night of misery.

I barely made it but well on the ol' bus I started thinking how much
I actually missed the times of my youth just catching the random
bus to a house party of some kind with music flowing through my
ears and my heart full of expectations and excitement.

After an hour and a half in the public transport hell and a full
playlist I finally found my way here. To the Basement.





That's where I found some of my new friends.
Squished on a sofa somewhere in the corner surrounded by young
indie boys on long skinny legs that can barely carry their heavy souls
and pretty girls donning the loveliest of dresses from the sixties.
But in the end everyone was feeling Ms Friday and her happy ways.





We played some games..

..had some laughs..

..as well as some little huggies.

I felt like a fish in the water..

..but it didn't really show in these head shots.
Note to self: even the prettiest of dresses WILL be ruined by
ugly squirrel faces. Don't do them.

The next morning I woke up happy to some fresh coffee a-roasting.

In the end I think the most important thing to remember is that if one
happens to be having the most horrible day imaginable then one needs
to seek out the comfort of some lovely friends in a dark
basement somewhere in the dodgy part of town.

Love,
E

Part 3: Philippines Journey 2010

Thanks Much!

--- especially to Mum, Dad, Rej, Mikey-Ike, my aunties and uncles in the Philippines, my maganda's (beautiful in English) and pogi's (handsome/cute in English) cousins in the Philippines. I'll be forever grateful.

***Next time I'll try not to be careless with my camera [seriously, every time i think about i want to scream --- i lost tons of photos that were taken in Bicol =/].

Until then...

w/ Love always,

Allura

Part 2: Philippines Journey 2010

Part 1: Philippines Journey 2010

There are 3 parts of my Philippines Journey movie.

Here is the first one.

Enjoy!

Living life and looking through my iPhone lens.

At one point I was back in Finland. Living and loving and browsing
allmy ol' joints and the familiar streets. This one particular day I
kept finding these little love hearts sprinkled around the city.
I thought it was wonderful.

Mostly I hung out with my beautiful friends and had lovely dinners.
Here we are having some Chicken Coriander at our favourite local
bistro Bar 9. My best friend Frigitte had such wonderful nails that day.
Tres parisienne!

We spent a lot of time in pubs too mind you. Just chatting away.

Sometimes I drew love hearts in the windows as I felt so in love
with all my friends who I only get to see every once in a while.

One weird night..

..needs to be balanced off with some long walks in the forest.
Always wearing wrong shoes too!

My dad took me for some second hand shopping in this little town
called Borga quite close to my house. I found some jackets that he
was kind enough to pay and later my mum dry cleaned them for me.
Now does that make me a spoiled brat?

Then we sat down on a sunny restaurant terrace and I ate some
gazpacho. My summer all-timer!

But before I could say 'favourite soup' I was whisked off to Thailand
in the arms of this hunk-y-dory.

There were sweet kittens everywhere and they were all called NoName!

And I must say that this picture from Thailand makes me look
extremely rattled. Which I probably was too. I tend to be that way
every time I leave my family and friends behind.

Oh well that's life I guess.

Love,
E