December 8th

Oh dear friends, I have been shopping all day and I am exhausted but very, very happy! I got to spend a whole day with my best-ever sister, we got some shopping done for Christmas and home-decor AND I found yet an another addition to my ever-growing snowman collection. I am off to sauna soon, and will be back about this fabulous trip tomorrow, but today it's time to show the last Christmas Stockings 2012.

There's little snowman with his birdie friends:

 Lovely snowflakes on back and inside too... Let is snow, let it snow, let it snow...

And then there's a little birdie with Christmas-flowers:

 Some pretty flowers (or are those lingonberries?) on back...

 ...and in lining too!

Both just large enough for something special to be found on 24th (in here), and on 25th (my friends little further).

Happy December 8th!

Yours,

Mia

December 7th

Our Independence Day (Dec. 6th) really opens the Holiday season around here, and in my family it really is sort of little Christmas (or a rehearse if you may). We gather together for a feast meal, and table is always full of wonderful, Christmassy delicacy. I was in charge of the dessert this year (although my very talented brother-in-law made the most delicious macarons too, my first ever!), and I opted for very, very traditional Finnish things, torttu and pipari. Torttu is a pastry (made mostly from butter *ahem*) with a prune jam filling. You can make the dough yourself or go for a ready-made as I always do as it's tasty and easy. Here's a little how-to, it's not that difficult:

And then pipari! Pipari = a gingerbread man/woman/hattifattener/pig/heart/star any shape or size you wish. There were quite a few years that we didn't eat that much of them, but my nephew loves them and with him we've really discovered them again. Years ago I used to make gingerbread-Christmas-trees for my colleagues in work, the idea for it is from my favorite Christmas-book Christmas Time by  Mads  Moe:

We (me and my sister) have even purchased a special star cutter-set just to make these trees (we have a joint custody), but you could make and use paper/cardboard molds too.

 You need to bake two each of all five different sized stars, and let them cool...

...and then you can get totally crazy with anything you wish! I usually use different sweets, some frosting and melted sugar (hot! be careful with it!) to keep it all together...

And you'll end up most wonderful (yet a bit wonky sometimes like mine here!) and unique gingerbread-tree, which my nephew absolutely loved. I can highly recommend making these trees with your favorite sweets "just because"  - and it's just wonderful not to save them "for some day" but just to nibble bits here and there... Hello Holiday-Spirit!

We had a lovely day, everything was so tasty, and there's  really not that much left but of course I saved some for you still:

Happy December 7th!

Yours,
Mia

December 6th

This morning we had an unusual visitor...

 ...first it didn't look that much of anything, really...

..when suddenly... Could it be...oh yes: SUN!

And when we Finns celebrate*, there's really no limit so MOON showed up as well!

It was a crisp winter-morning (-22C), and everything was sort of festively beautiful. Our flags were up already, and I was the only person around. Peaceful Birthday, Finland!

And oh, suddenly I wasn't the only one around, this little guy was having his snack high, high up in the tree... Hello there, little squirrel!

After a quiet morning I had a busy day, and as you read this we're enjoying our Independence Day celebrations. I wish you a lovely, lovely evening, and will tell you more of all yummy things we had tomorrow.

Happy December 6th!

Yours,
Mia

 * Finland turns 95 today!

December 5th

Here in Finland we usually have a clear winter, spring, summer and autumn (this year has been a long rain-season though), and seasons are really different. Amount of light is the main thing, and that gets many of us to change our home-decoration accordingly. After a light and airy spring and summer autumn brings darker nights and chillier weather, and all wool throws, dark colors and extra-lights are introduced. All this is pretty usual here, and then there's little extra, too... I have quite a few things I take out only for Christmas, and I actually have something in that very spot all year round, but there's a Christmas-one to use in December. Let me show you:

My morning-mugs! They go from happy yellow to pretty blue, and the candleholders and the coasters change accordingly! Wonderfully sunny butterfly coaster is by the sweetest Teje (thank you dear friend, they can be seen more closely here) and the pretty blue&white crocheted ones were a gift from dear Anne, thank you so much!

The little kitchen-jars for important things. Moomins will go and Christmassy red&white arrive...

Towels in kitchen and toilet (these are changed often, of course, but the red-theme is only used around Christmas and maybe in Valentine's) get some red and...

...the cookie jar not only gets festive but it also doubles *oops*. These are the first festive things already changed around here, and little later this month curtains and bedlinen will follow, I will keep you posted! How about your home?

***

I am next off to Post to ship the last custom-order for 2012 *little dance*, and then I will do some shopping for Finland's 95th Birthday tomorrow. My list? Chocolate, marshmallows, some blue&white cookie sprinkles, gingerbread-dough *oops again*...

Happy Wednesday and see you here tomorrow again!

Yours,
Mia

December 4th

Sometimes saying a public thank you gets postponed for one reason or an another. This time it's not entirely my fault but I blame Mr. Postman too. He usually works perfectly well, and my parcels have traveled all over the world with speed of light very reliably. What on earth am I blabbering about here, you may wonder? About this handmade beauty:

I received that from wonderful Kerry last Christmas this January. The little parcel took its time to arrive, and even it made my gray and dark January day, it just didn't feel right to blog about it there and then when everyone was all about spring already. So I let Kerry know how much I loved my candy-cone pot holder (which is way too beautiful to use by the way), and made a mental note to blog about it next December. And here we are now and here it comes: THANK YOU SO MUCH, KERRY!

You can find a PDF for "Candy cane love" in Kerry's shop here, and please take a look at her award-winning tree-pillow tutorial (which I bragged to show you last December already and will get finished this month, hopefully, it'll be the most beautiful addition to my snowmen-collection) too, you'll love it!

Happy December 4th - we'll see here tomorrow again!

Yours,

Mia

December 3rd

December has taken me by surprise, really, and I haven't even taken up my advent calendar yet. It's a plain and simple, it's shown here, just my hand-knitted white wool-pouches with rather rustically embroidered numbers. Simple and re-usable, and it can be filled with chocolate anything fun. I still remember those calendars our mum used to make me and my sister too, she made a big house (matchboxes clued into a cardboard), and each day had something little to be found. I also remember how long December felt as child (and now blink! and it's over), and can also see that on my little nephew... Christmas is so much awaited, and the advent calendar a few little windows opened each day make the waiting a little more bearable...

"This is my main calendar. I thought the first window would have a tree, a Christmas tree but it had a fireman. I like it. I think tomorrow it'll be a saw." (And it was a saw on 2nd window, go figure.)

"This one is my angry birds-calendar, my auntie got it for me. It has pictures only but I like it. And I like the pigreindeers too."

"Here I got a little polarbear-baby, look!"

"This really is my mom's, and it has poems in or something"

 "This one I just open now *nom-nom-nom* did you get the picture of it? (nope)

"It's my Lightning McQueen calendar, and my fifth. Should I tell you how I got this one? I went shopping with my auntie, and we did go to this little sweet-shop, and the nice lady there gave this to me for free. She asked if I had a calendar already and I told "FOUR!". My auntie said something like "ahem" which was silly because the lady really wanted me to take one calendar home. There were Hello Kitty's too but I chose this. Thank you nice lady in the candy-shop!" 

Auntie aka me: "And it's 3rd of December today, so only 21 x 5 = 105 more windows to go before Christmas. Blimey."

***

Wishing you the loveliest December 3rd may you have a calendar window/s or not to open (or fill)! See you tomorrow again!

Yours,

Mia

P.S I just realized that this (this blogging-thingy) is my calendar! So I'm not late or anything, but just in time!

December 2nd

It's the First Advent Sunday, and we have snow! It's just like magic, world feels Christmassy when everything is white and beautiful. Inside (and out) it's sort of beautiful shade of gray all the time, it's not getting bright at all, but snow makes the light softer. The time is perfect for candles, and today it's time to light the first of four. Do you still remember the set of Advent candle-holders I made a few years ago? They work beautifully, but some time last year we had a little accident and one glass was broken. I have been looking for a replacement in thrift-shops ever since with no luck, but I am sure one will come up eventually. So this year I wanted to make an another candle-design, and just a temporary one too. And something me of course too...

I have had this little bird-cage for years, I found it in a local thrift shop and fell in love with little tweets even you can see: the cage has been broken. It's been on top of my cupboard for long time waiting to be fixed, but...

Hello little tweets! The cage is gone, and you're going to have new adventures soon! And just click image above to see how surprised the other birdie looks...And it's just getting better...

What is this now? *peckity-peckity-peck*

Oh no, is this an another cage?

 Of course not, you have a Very Important Job now...

You're the official candle-masters 2012 now!

***

This little candle arrangement was once again based on my dear friend Anne's idea for the snowglobe, and it was first introduced in my blog here. I used the idea last year too, and this is one of the greatest and most versatile decoration-idea I know, you just need a jar/vase/glass, some salt and something pretty to put into the salt. Definitely craft you can do without shopping first. If the candles are very long, I would recommend to use something to hold them in place in salt (light an old candle and drop some stearin on the bottom of the vase first and stuck the candles there, or use little candle holders). And as always, be careful with real candles, dear friends, admire them all the time and do not leave them alone.

Happy First Advent, everyone, and see you here tomorrow again!

Yours,
Mia

December 1st

Dear Santa,

I know you are very busy these days, but please try to find a minute to take a look at my White Christmas 2012 wish-list! I really have been a good girl (ask anyone!), and I think after this long and busy year I really need something wonderful in next to my stocking. So please take a look at my list, and if you can't deliver all this (I understand, you have so many to get gifts for!), just let my husband/sister/mom to know what I would love to have. Thank you.

Happy December, and see you on 24th!

Yours,

Mia

MIA'S LIST TO SANTA 2012

1. "Lokki" By Yki Nummi/ Skyflyer lamp by Yki Nummi 

Image source: Finnish Design Shop

2. Samsung Galaxy Note II in white

Image source:  Samsung.com

3. "Mariskooli" bowl by Iittala in all possible colors (except the ones I already have, please ask list) starting with "matt frosted" beauty here

  

Image source: Iittala Verkkokauppa 

4. Dolce Custo capsule coffee machine "Circolo" (it's a real miracle-maker rather than just a coffeemaker really I've been told)

Image source: Prisma verkkokauppa

5. Pink/Silver Glitz Chronograph Bracelet Blair Watch by Michael Kors (or any other adorable watch of his in silver/pink)

Image source: Michael Kors Outlets UK

***

It's December again, dear friends! I have had a long and busy year, but here we are again, getting the December-posts together! Previous years here and here - we'll see how this year will turn out! There are quite a few things I would love to share with you (news smaller and BIG to come), and today, December 1st, I would love to hear your Santa-wish-lists! If money/space/anything was no object, what would you wish? Please share! If you have a blog, make a post, it would be so so lovely to read! If you haven't got a blog, share in comment post, please! Thank you!

See you tomorrow again!

Yours,
Mia