Zzzzzzz

I am having a lazy day, so today it is going to be shorter than usual.

I am remembering and dreaming and definetely I would love to be going down these stairs

enjoying this landscape

or this one

or laying down in the sand and sleeping, with the flavour of the salt in my mouth and the tiredness that the sun brings.

I am going to surrender to my imagination and travel there again. Anyone want a lift?

Moments that make me happy (3)

I love watching how good friends they are.

 

They play and laugh.
     

They share secrets and tales and even they have their own secret place.

 

This is their secret place. In a small beach just in front our home. 

After playing football, when both are tired, they sit there together.

Sometimes they are quiet, sometimes someone explain something to the other.

I watch them from our balcony (or sometimes hidden nearby) and I cannot avoid smiling.

#momentosquemehacenféliz

Beee

Something that every child learns before even being able to talk is how to imitate the sound of any animal.

Pol is not very keen at it, maybe because it is difficult to understand why the animals make different sounds depending on the person that teaches them.  Animals do not sound the same in Spanish, Catalan, English and Finish, that's a pity.

But if he needed to choose a favourite animal, I am sure it will be the beeee or the muuuu, easy question

We spent part of last holidays in a farm in Portugal and Pol went everyday to say good morning and good night to them.  Beeee.

So when I started thinking in a special way to decorate his bedroom, it become clear that a flock of sheep would be the best option. Now they observe how he plays and watch him while he is sleeping.

I have to admit it. Although I already have plenty of boxes to open after the moving, I prefer to spend my time crafting small things that without effort can change the feeling of a room.

A garland of beees.

Simple idea and simple execution. I was looking for something that could be finished fast. Have you seen the view from Pol's window? The day was amazing and the winter is approaching, so I didn't want to spend more that an hour inside and this is what I did.

I looked into my crafty drawer and foamy was the most appealing material to me.

In Spanish we call it Goma eva. It is a clean material and it is very easy to use, even for the youngest ones.

I looked for a pattern in internet (I am not very good at drawing), but the truth is that I am in love with Black Oveja. Pol (and me) are very grateful to have them hanging in our home. Thanks Merche.

Once you have the pattern you only need to trace it in the foamy and cut it.

If you don't know Black Oveja, I invite you to visit her blog or if you are so lucky to be in Madrid, her shop. 

Merche has one of the most amazing shops in the world.

Then you have to choose the material to hang your garland. The most difficult moment for me, as I was not able to decide which to use.

At the end, I chose a green rope, a grass environment for my dearest sheep. The truth is that after all my doubts, the colour cannot be properly seen as the light comes from its back.

Before hanging it, I recommend you to test first the location of each sheep. That way you will be sure that you have more or less the same space between them.

You can use tape, with one or two faces, or if you feel very creative, washi tape.

Once you have everything set, it is the time to glue. I preferred not to use liquid glue or silicone as I was not sure whether they stain the foamy.

Instead I used glue pearls, usually used for sticking pictures or in scrapbooking. I use them for almost everything. They are clean, easy to use and glue almost every material.

Ready.

They are beautiful and I love how they have changed Pol's room. They look amazing on the window.

He also loves them and keep saying hello every time he comes in.  Beeeee.

The room is far to be finished but I think that this is a good beginning.

Now we are saying good-bye. It is time for feeding our friends. Beeee.

Moments that make me happy (2)

Today I had prepared a different moment, but something much more important  happened in my life this week, so I decided to change it.

 My mum, sick for a long time, is now recovered and we cannot be happier than we are.

Today I make a toast for all the laughs, the happiness and the health to come.


And I use this platform to remember myself that I should take more pictures as these ones, because although the moments are there, it is always magical to come back to them.

#momentosquemehacenfeliz

Knit'n'Tag

One of my goals when I came to Finland was to learn how to knit and crochet.

I haven't started with the knitting, but I am kind of a beginner regarding crochet matters.

Last May, my friend Helena recruited me for a very special project: decorating a tree.

Introducing you our tree.

Helsinki's Youth Department organised an event for covering with yarn graffittis the trees of one of its most famous parks: Ruttopuisto park. The event was part of Helsinki's World Design Capital 2012 programme.

Everybody was able to participate, not depending on age, nationality or any kind of condition.

The morning of the 25th of August the park was full of people willing to decorate the trees with all the colours of the rainbow.

The trees became more alive.

And I didn't know where to look or which pictures I should take

It was as if the summer finally arrived to Helsinki and the flowers started growing after a long winter.

It was not only the view and the trees, it was also atmosphere. After having a not so warm summer, the weather was almost perfect so the people organised picnics and ad hoc teaching lessons.

It's amazing how many original people there is out there!

Do you remember the rings I learned to make in June?

They were part, together with many others, of a very long chain that was used to decorate three trees.

It was a pleasure walking or having a sit underneath them.


And you should be wondering about our tree. Ok, this was the result of 5 people working apart but together in the same topic.

My collaboration was the two buntings that decorate the upper and down part of the tree, plus some granny squares that we used to close the round.

Nothing compared with the beautiful things that my colleagues did, but I am just a beginner.

Here 4 of the 5 members of the group.

The park became so nice that it was a pleasure walking to work every day. Not even the rain, that has been with us almost every day since then, has diminish the positive effect of all that colours.

A nice day to remember, I am not going to forget it.

Moments that make me happy

After a period in my life where things seemed to be more difficult that expected, I have decided to remember myself that the small things are what make our life special.

I love it all

For that reason, every Thursday,  I will try to post here special moments that remind me (and you) that life is beautiful and a perfect adventure.

Here you have the first pill:

Picture taken by Jaume with the phone.

Many thanks :)

I was trying to take some nice pictures of the ground, specifically of one small mushroom, but it was not possible. My little helper was too interested in my exercise and he didn't get quiet enough.

This was the best I could do:



#momentosquemehacenfeliz

(I always publish first in my Spanish blog. It could be possible that I will be late for the translated post, but I will do my best to come here any Thursday :) )

RAWR magazine

Long time ago, when my little one fell in love with dinosaurs, I found this poster on internet:

JSGD shop en Etsy

I don't know whether YC and Daniela knew it when they created  RAWR magazine, but I feel that the previous sentence is a definition of what they usually do.

RAWR is an on-line Finish magazine about kids' fashion, children, home-made parties with a sense of style, design, real but exceptional mums and everyday life in Helsinki.

Although being located in Finland, they write in English (thanks god) and I am lucky enough to be a monthly collaborator, writing post from the point of view of an expatriate family living in  Helsinki.

During October, they are participating with Design Forum, one of my favourite shops in Helsinki, in a kids shop in shop section: Scandinavian design for the little ones.

 The inauguration was this Saturday, so we went there to have a look to the exhibition and say hello. As expected, it didn't disappoint us.

There was furniture as colourful and special as those stools with the shape of a button.

(I wanted to tell you from which brand they are, but I do not remember. Promise that I will try to know it)

Design toys as these Pony from Eero Aarnio.

Rattles for babies, so cute as those ones:

And clothes from many Finnish brands, all available in the same place:

Those little dogs are sold in a diy package. The package contains the fabric with the silhouette of the animal printed on it and you have to cut it and sew it at home. We have one but it is currently at grandma's as I am not very good on those matters.

Do you know Aarrekid?

It is a Finish brand that sells kids clothes with beautiful prints. I love it and so does Pol.

Besides all I have shown you and much more Finish design (not only for kids, I must say), RAWR has opened a pop-up store with Scandinavian brands as  BANGBANG Copenhagen, Mini Rodini, Jumina and the famous Finish brand  Ivana Helsinki , that has created a girls collection specially for RAWR.

YC and Daniela welcome us with cold lemonade and a big smile. They are so lovely!

If you live in Helsinki or if you are visiting us this month, I highly recommend you to pay a visit to the Design Forum shop. It is one of those shops that always have something to offer.

And if you feel so, you can take some Finish design with you. I was on love with almost everything, even with the package, isn't it beautiful?

Do you want to share a lemonade with me?