Birch hill

My midsummer break is over and this week I've been doing work projects. And it's totally fun because one of the project is renovating a house that my dad bought last autumn. My job is to design the garden and we all (with my dad, sister and brothers) get to design and do the whole house. It's a project that takes a while but we are not in a hurry and it's nice to just do little things here and there.

This week I cut down some trees from the garden and just walked around to get inspired. You can follow our house project (the house is called Birch hill) here. We still haven't done anything inside the house but I'm in love with all the colours and the 60's feeling that it has.

Midsummer

The Midsummer is the second biggest festive time for Finns. Everyone goes to the countryside to enjoy bonfires, alcohol, good food, swimming and mosquitoes. Which means that usually all the cities are quiet and empty. It is also traditional that in midsummer the weather is cold, cloudy and rainy (like now) and the trains are fully booked and not working on the schedule (like now). But I have packed, I have booked my train ticket last week and now I'm off for a while again.

This photo is just what midsummer is suppose to be: warm, sunny and with someone on a little towel in swimsuits (like my grandparents in the 60's).

Twin Peaks

I'm totally addicted to Twin Peaks. This week I started my latest project: watching the whole series. Now I cannot stop. And I cannot decide which character I like the most. Maybe Hawk or Andy or Cooper or... I don't know. I need to see more.

Textiles of food

The colours, the weirdness, the wonderful idea. De Culinaire Werkplaats by textile designer Marjolein Wintjes and chef Eric Meuring makes food papers which they use in their restaurants dishes. Art, food and design at the same time.

Found via MocoLoco

Johan

Yesterday we talked about how to create a life that makes sense, that makes us happy and just how to stay positive. Then we remembered Johan Venninen. A few years ago I saw a document about this extraordinary blind man who was building a garden high on the cliff, fishing in his lake and playing music to fish. He lived his simple life just the way he wanted and was happy. I think everyone should see the documents made about him. And if you don't understand Finnish you should still watch those clips because they show you more than the talk.

Mökki

Mökki (cottage) is a place where Finnish people go for a summer vacation. A while ago I told you that we were going to go to "Clay island", our annual holiday place in Kuopio. So that was last weekend and it was so nice to spend a sunny day and night mostly feeding mosquitoes, swimming and just relaxing. Just what we all needed. (And when you put five graphic designers, two textile designers and one youth leader together, you get a vacation with at least six different cameras, macbooks with indie music, the perfect mökki wardrobe and hours spent almost quiet and reading magazines on the deck.)

Lego

I think every child should have legos to play with. Especially those really colourful and basic legos. I miss legos. And that's why I love the idea of bringing legos back to my life, in a bit more grown up way. Like having a Lego digital camera. Or building a table out of legos. Or a chair. Or anything you can imagine with Lego's DesignByMe -program. Cool.

Found via Apartment Therapy

Sangria v. cake

I decided to have sangria for my birthday (rather than birthday cake).

Passion

My passion flower (Passiflora) is flowering again! That is the weirdest flower I know. And I have moved all my plants to the balcony for the summer. Now it's my jungle.

Venus

Lost and found. Those words will tell you about my relationship to Air's song called Venus. And when I also saw this video for the song (that a fan has made so nothing to do with Air actually) I was going straight to dreamworld. A little research later I found out that the clip is made of shots from Busby Berkeley's short movie called Wonder Bar (1934). I know I have a thing for early old movies and combined with Venus this is just amazing!

New computer

Something that makes my life a lot easier has arrived. Made just for me.

Karin

Yesterday I realised how much I really need my computer. Last week I was building an exhibition in another city, without my computer (or time to use one). And now that I have been back home for few days I don't have a computer. Well, actually I do but it is still just in pieces. Because my new computer has arrived with its large 24'' screen (that I'm loving allready) but today we are going to put it in order. So hopefully after today I will be able to update my blog, read my emails, read news and blogs, pay my bills do some work and everything that I do with computer (now I have my friends mini laptop for a few hours).

But for now I will tell you how much I like Karin who has this beautiful and interesting blog called Karkki. It's totally addictive blog and great excercise for me to practice my Swedish (as it is written in Swedish). 

Graffiti

Yesterday evening I saw in the news a story of an organisation called K65. It's a group of old people who want to do stuff that young people normally do. Like paint graffitis. There are so many cool graffitis in the world and I found a website where you can see many amazing ones.

And sorry if I'm little slow with my bloggings the next week. I'm visiting my family and doing some work projects. But I hope that I will be back to normal soon.

Found via Designers Couch

River in acid

I think this is the weirdest river that I have ever seen (well, seen in photos). In  Cano Cristales or Crystal River, Colombia you can find different colours that are actually waste product of many algae.

Thunder hut

When I was a kid we used to make a blanket hut inside if there was a thunder outside. I loved different kinds of huts and my grandmother just encouraged me. I designed blanket huts, tree houses, huts made into a large wood pile or under a fallen tree and my favorite: a large underground hut. Everywhere I saw a potential place for a hut (and notice that I liked the designing phase more than the building. Normally I didn't have the patience to build all those designs).

So that is why I love the idea of the Treehotel in Sweden.

And today they promised a big thunder here. I think I'm gonna build a hut of a somekind.

Inspired by OutsaPop Trashion