Days around here

Oh my, it seems that December posting is not that intense this year. Days fly by, and it is almost third Advent already, only a week and some to go until the big day! Here are some pictures from the past week:

We had the first hyacinths (LOVE the scent, simply divine), celebrated Finland's 97th Independence Day, baked the first cookies (Hattifatteners are the traditional ones), and two candles were lid on the second Advent...

... first pretty cards arrived, and the first present too! I must not open it yet, I simply must not...

*click to enlarge and to see a bit closer*

...and my Christmas Village Everwood* is up! It has a new tree (with a music box) for its central square, and the happy snowman ice-skating (also with music) I got last year from my hb's sister. Everwood is pretty large already, but I am just off to Christmas Fair and there might be a little something to add still - villages keep growing, right?

Wonderful weekend to you all!

Yours,
Mia

*Oh yes, named after one of my ultimate favorite TV-series 

Start counting

Happy December 1st! It is amazing that we are on this date now, somehow even this autumn was dark and gloomy, it went really, really quickly. And now it is time to start counting the days... And my blog would not be mine without the Advent candles, this year they are in beautiful vintage Festivo (by Timo Sarpaneva) candle holders (thanks, Sis!) and the candles are...pretty me (thanks again, Sis!), or what do you think?

This autumn has been so much better than last year, but I unfortunately didn't find the time to make a Christmas calendar for my blog. Older December-posts starting from December 1st here , here and here - you are so welcome to take a look of those, they were such fun to make. This year I think I will be blogging about my Christmas preparations around this almost-new-still house, but I can not promise everyday posts. But if the days continue to look like today, who knows?

Sunshine*! Oh yes! Almost blue skies! All day! Pure love!

Happy Monday, everyone!

Yours,

Mia

*I was sent some sunshine a while ago from UK, and I think even it sure did take its time, it was from Vivienne& Jane. Thank you ladies, and please keep it coming!

Friday, Friday

In the spirit of Black Friday I am officially opening the Holiday Season already, and all the items in my shop will be in sale 28. - 30.11.2014. Everything will be -20% (excluding the shipping costs) with a coupon code* SNOWSALE - happy shopping! 

Lovely weekend to all!

Yours,

Mia

* Here is more information about Etsy coupon code: etsy.com/help/article/350

Dark times

The title would suggest, that life around here is somehow not that great, but no, all is good*. Except it is dark. All the time. 24/7. No sun anywhere, at all. Makes getting out of the bed morning hard but picture taking even harder.

I wanted to show (and also put them into my shop) some new Christmas-wreaths I made, but once I got the images of the first one (not great, but pictures at least), I went inside to make some last touches to the others and...

...I came out again and without a flash you simply could not get one decent picture! Truth to be told my next thoughts would look close to *%&#**#¤**, but lets just say that I was somewhat annoyed. I seriously wish it is more prettier and brighter at yours!

To beat the darkness around here I bought the biggest star I could find (it is approx. 75cm/29.5inches from one point to an another), and I must say it helps. A little.

Wishing you a good day, I will be back when I have some lighter&brighter stories to tell!

Yours,
Mia

*I am also blogging via my hb's laptop as mine is not feeling well. I am all good about that now, but on Monday it wasn't fun at all. Let's just hope that it can be fixed or Santa's stockings will be significantly less full this year if I need to get a new one. So positive thoughts, please! Thank you!

Sisters

You would not believe the giggling and whispering and dress-trying and photo posing we have had around here past a few days! It has been such fun, and now I am more than happy to introduce the first bunny-sisters (yes, I know, I thought they had a brother but no, all girls this time):

Say hello to Anabel, she is the oldest (and tallest of the sisters), she is a all set to go and make some Christmas-shopping:

And then there is Agnes, she loves knitting (she has knitted her own dress and several others), and she has a new shawl-design on her needles as we speak:

The next sister is Allie, she loves cooking and spending time in kitchen, and has just made a pot of tea - you are so welcome to join her for a cuppa:

Then to the third youngest of the sisters, please meet Ada! Ada, just like Agnes, loves knitting and has just started a scarf to match her pretty light blue smohair-dress, and she is so proud of her new starry-tipped needles too:

Next pretty girl is Adele, she really is the princess of them all! She has a pretty dusk-pink dress and a fancy handbag (she loves the metal chain-handle!) and she is just off to a carrot-singers concert:

And last but not least there is Alma, who you already met on Monday! She is still carrying the Santa-letter with her...I really wonder it is ever gets sent...

There you have all six bunny-sisters! We all have smohair up to our ears here, but now they all are introduced and ready (and eager if I might say so, the hopping and giggling is never-ending) to fly to their new homes. You can see them more closely here, please go and say hello, I wish they will make you smile too!

Happy Wednesday!

Yours,
Mia

Meet Alma

I am not sure if this has happened to you, but sometimes when I have a clear plan what I am going to do I somehow manage to get myself completely sidetracked, and something totally different from my actual plan is created. This is quite close to what happened this weekend, and Alma was born.

I was actually planning something else (bunnies were in my mind but not Alma), but when I was finished, there she was:

She has a special hand knitted smohair (yes, smohair, pretty close to mohair but better she says) Holiday-dress on, her best peppermint-necklase and the special red bag to carry a very important letter to mailbox...

 ... It is to Santa (and we all know Santa lives in Korvatunturi)!

But what I am not sure is if the letter ever gets sent in time; Alma is the sweetest little bunny but she, just like me, gets sidetracked pretty easily, and can be found dreaming of Christmas here and there - the letter still in her bag!

I wish you all loved meeting Alma, and if I just can let her (and her sisters and brothers) go in a few days, the will jump into my shop. Maybe you can help her to mail that precious letter?

Lovely Monday!

Yours,

Mia

Photoshoot in winter wonderland

You would think that once you lived in Finland, in a country with notoriously long and cold and snowy winters, there should be no problem shooting some lovely pictures from winter-ish items in mid-November. Yeah right. There is about ten minutes (well I might exaggerating a little here but not much more, I promise) of light-ish time during the day, and as there is no snow to lighten the scenery up... You got the picture and pretty it ain't. So what does one do?

She tries to fake it, naturally. And with no success, I must say. If it wasn't the not-so-natural looking star lights on those twigs that gave it away, the big bottle on top of the dresser just might.

Is the situation outside really that bad, you ask, maybe it is just a bit gloomy or...

No, bad it is.

But please do not blame the little snowmen, they did everything they could to look as cheerful as possible, even with the fake spruce I wrapped on the terrace fence.

Oh my. But once I realized the snowflakes and glimmering rays of sunshine just were not there today, it all got better. And little snowmen posed little real pros, and a picture after picture was taken. They all are in my shop here, just in case you would need a cheery little snowman to enlighten to your days. And now that I looked those twig-in-a-bottle images the little guys look so cheerful, that I am rolling some white wool here again to make some to stay with us too!

Cheerful Monday, everyone!

Yours,

Mia

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween dear friends! We do not celebrate it here that much, but starting with it made a great disguise for the fact that it is the very last day of October, and my blogging has not been too plentiful lately *ahem* but let's keep camouflaging that with these happy things I have been creating during this month:

It has been quite busy around here lately, but I have found time to make a few mushrooms here, some little balls and birdies there...

... And I simply have not been worrying that I usually have the C-stockings ready by now. This year seems to be a bit different, but hey, as long as my creations are cheery and make me you smile we are all good. So some happy autumn-wreaths here we go:

There are happy birds, autumn flowers and leaves to put up outside or to your window...

...and some happy toadstools for your front door or to cheer up the cabinets inside...

...and the most autumnal of the all birdie-wreath with some happy acorns and a big leaf

All in my shop now. With these I wish you the most wonderful weekend, and ...

...Happy November soon!

Yours,

Mia

Dreaming of the Riviera

"Snorkmaiden, what are you doing?"

"Oh, just trying on these beautiful pearls I got on Riviera, do you still remember our trip?"

"Sure. I think that lovely lady Tove made a scrap-book* or something from our travels... Here it is!"

"We had fantastic time, do you remember that bikini you bought, and there are those pearls too... What? Mamma, did you say something?"

"Oh yes, dear! There is a moving coming out soon of our time on Riviera. Sniff saw the ad on someone's instagram while searching this autumn's latest bling-trends, and I just read about in this newspaper too!"

"A movie? Whaaat? Our travels? Starring us? Snorkmaiden, did you hear that? Snorkmaiden...?!"

*faint* 

***

Moomins on the Riviera-movie opening on theaters here in Finland 10.10.2014 - see all the lovely details (and maybe your hometown too?) here - and here is the official trailer! Check it out, smiles guaranteed!

Sweet dreams, everyone!

Yours,

Mia

*Images from the story Moomins on the Riviera, from the comic book Muumipeikko/Mumintrollet 2 by Tove Jansson. WSOY, Juva 2004.