Sun energy

Oh me oh my! This sunshine! It's so ENERGIZING!

I have had another productive day, I couldn't help myself! I woke up with no alarms, just by the magnificent sun shining in disregarding our curtains... Sometimes you just know it's going to be a good day! 

I really really love this time of the year. Honestly, it's not surprising I got married in March! The sunshine is warm and the temperatures are mild, it's clear and white and crisp, and the anticipation of spring is like a drug. It won't be too long before the snow melts away and the trees bud and flowers come back! 

Ah spring ♥

Feeling like this, I did my part cleaning this morning (vacuuming) and quickly finished the little baby hat I started last night. My husband's friend just became a dad to a sweet little thing named Sofia, so I made her a little hat perfect for spring. I have no idea whatsoever if it will fit, I have no real experience of baby heads, but it was cute if nothing else! 

And let me tell you, never look up baby and crochet together. If there is anything to ignite a baby fever, it's all the cute stuff you can make for them! 

I also started a new little project for the fourth nephew last night. He's the little guy I crocheted a turtle outfit for. :) I won't reveal what it is because I don't want to ruin the surprise for his parents, but I think the whole family is going to like it! It was tough coming up with something for him that reflected both his parents and his aunt and uncle here in Finland. Also, a baby living in sunny Florida born in the warm spring doesn't really need many blankets, hats or other wooly things. I had to think outside the box! Can't wait to see the finished product! :)

Sneak peek!

I just had to get some painting in today as well... I couldn't bear to let the amazing light flowing through the windows go to waste. So I set up my little atelier again and enjoyed painting summer. Summer is the equivalent to strawberries and yellow sunshine. The strawberries won out over a picture I took last summer of the lake. I want to start landscapes soon, but today I just wanted some instant gratification and to indulge in summer thoughts! 

I will be spending tomorrow with my mama, which means I just might spend some time with granny squares. I like letting her pick out the color combos. It makes it more fun! I think she likes it, too. :)

Thanks for reading! Hope you can enjoy this spring sunshine, too! 

P.S. 

Had to share their good buddy moment they had while I was painting :) ♥

Painting spree

Ah, sweet vacation... Honestly, I should be considering school work, but on the other hand, I couldn't care less! 

So I'll sit here on the couch typing one-handed because a cat I know is asleep in my lap with her head resting on my arm! I take any affection I can when it comes to her, she's usually so moody!

I have had a very unproductive day thus far, just finished the book I started last night. I don't read that often, but when I do I try to finish the book in one sitting almost. I love the nonsense of these chick lit novels, so scandalous! And I almost only read British authors because I love the language and slang! Lol!

My unproductivity is also due to the fact that I was so darn productive yesterday! 3 small paintings in one day, and despite my intention of leaving details to a minimum and focusing only on highlights and lowlights and colors, I ended up using the smallest brush for most of the time on each painting! I blasted my ipod and sang along loudly and enthusiastically, much to the neighbors pleasure, I imagine! Honestly, I have the most eclectic taste in music. Tori Amos was followed by Rebelution, by Maroon 5, by Otep, by Slightly Stoopid, by Tool, by Charles Aznavour... I love the diversity! 

It was even a sunny day so I was in such a good mood! :)

I loved finally setting up my "atelier" for the first time. It's been something I have been thinking about for a while, making the desk and corner of the bedroom a little studio space and creating storage for my craft supplies instead of having them here and there throughout the house. Slowly but surely, I have been arranging and organizing, and yesterday was the first time I used the space as I have been wanting to. It's not a complete atelier yet, I still need to do some more cleaning and arranging and I have a fantasy of crocheted bunting across the shelf, but I am on my way!

(While it's annoying, I love when I make mistakes in paintings because it means I probably won't make them again. I see a huge problem in this photo here, but hey, artists interpretations and whatnot...)

Actually, I have been playing with the idea of churning out more paintings and by the end of the year opening an etsy store. I would call it "Anneli's Atelier". I have also been toying with the idea of starting a new blog with the same name to make a cohesive "brand" of sorts. Also because I am rather regretting my choice of "a sorta fairytale" as a blog name. No matter how you google it, my blog is lost in the internet among other blogs of the same name, as well as all things pertaining to the song originating the name. I started this blog as just an outlet for what I do best: crochet, bake, paint, take flower pictures. I didn't think I cared if anyone ever read it, and honestly, I still haven't told many people about it because I like having it semi-private. However, I am beginning to have a change of heart, I think this blog was good practice but mainly just that perhaps. I'm thinking once I have finished my atelier, I might finish this blog and start the new one. Hopefully, it will be the blog of an art student! Lord knows I have been practicing drawing for the pre-tasks! 

 (My favorite of the day, the colors are a lot brighter in person. The last painting was finished as the sun was going down --> no pictures, maybe another time!)

Until then though, this is my outlet for my creative tendencies... and I am so very grateful! :)

 Thanks for reading, my next post will be about rainbows and sparkles, wait till you see! :)

Busy week -> Early weekend

This has been a busy Monday-Wednesday. I am so happy we have Thursday and Friday for "independent studies", which translates itself in my mind as 4 day weekend with a side of homework. God forbid a teacher reads this! 

(In that case, I love to diligently work on school projects at home and I will try not to spend my time doing everything and anything that sounds more fun!)

I have some pictures to share from Sunday and this week, so I may as well get started!

Sunday:

(The Finnish poet) Runeberg's day = Runeberg Torte Day

Runeberg Torte is a kind of cupcake made with cookie/bread crumbs, flour and ground almonds. It's buttery and crumby and delicious. 

They are baked with a drop of (raspberry) jam in the center. After cooling, you add a bit more jam and a ring of powdered sugar/water icing. Traditionally, you are supposed to add rum to this. Unfortunately (or is it?) we didn't have any rum on hand, the only alcoholic beverage would have been hubby's beer.

(Read more about this traditional Finnish dessert  here!, non-Finns!)

These are gluten-free because my parent's were coming over for dinner and dessert! Always fun! :)

Later that evening, inspired by my decision and days of research and thought, I broke out the oil pastels and started practicing. ...This was at 10.30 pm on a school night... BUT oil pastels will be the medium for my self portrait (because they can be used on paper and they dry quickly), which will hopefully aid me in getting into art school, so I figured practice is good practice no matter the time!

I am still obsessed with learning more, and very pleased with how the orange rose turned out, although the colors are something I have to get used to. I looooove oil paints but nothing else is like oil paint! I've yet to see any medium produce the kind of colors and variety that make painting fun. 

However, these are supposed to be the next best thing. I read somewhere online that oil pastels were invented in the 1920s, but perfected by Sennelier per request by Pablo Picasso. Apparently, he wanted to draw but still wanted to paint... Sums them up pretty well. I was using a small brush and small dabs of turpentine to blend the colors. (I just can't let go of painting!)

ALSO on Sunday night (geez, I was hyperactive!), I played around with sock buns, and curls. I will have to show you sometime the before and after, it's pretty cool. I have gotten better since Sunday, at least the curls this fine Wednesday morning were a lot nicer than the  ones on Monday! Lol! I was a skeptic when I first saw this stuff months ago, but it really works! And it's not hard to do! (I'm proof of that!)

I learned about sock curls through pinterest, here is the link to learn more!

Monday:

Monday the moon looked gorgeous, but by the time I set up the tripod etc, it disappeared behind massive clouds. 

Tuesday:

We had fun at school applying wrist and leg casts to each other. I was nervous about it because I get claustrophobic easily (like if I try a shirt on at a store that is too small and I get my arms stuck, I silently panic!). Fortunately, it wasn't so bad and we all had more than a few laughs. 

 I took my body parts home on the bus with me. Needless to say, I got more than a few odd looks! 

 Later Tuesday evening, the moon came out (no clouds to be seen!) but it was being difficult. I couldn't get a clear photo because of the glare that the layers of glass produce...and we don't have a zoom lens so it was a speck.

Fortunately, I got to practice something else and realized I could write with the moon! I contently scribbled away, making lots of shapes and blobs! 

 Of course I had to make a heart! 

Wednesday:

I am taking it easy tonight. I've already got my pajamas on at 5 p.m. and I am making brownies for dinner. I also am going to be very naughty and start yet another crochet project. Ok, so it's now going to be my 4th WIP and we are only in February, but who's counting?! 

I'm envisioning a hat and scarf. This is Novita Puro, the color is luumupuu (plum tree). It is variegated and I have been holding on to some of this since 2010, some since last November. Glad I finally figured out what to do with it! 

So that makes the WIPs

1) pink hexies

2) granny squares

3) baby things... (is the mother to be reading this?!) ;)

4) plum hat and scarf. 

I guess I will be busy this extended weekend... 

Thanks for reading!

Christmas gifts

I went the DIY route this year for gifts. Partially because I enjoy it (an excuse to be creative) and because it suits our student budget well. 

Here is what I made...

 

I made/am making 4 of these. The pattern is the South Bay Shawlette by Lion Brand.

Can you believe my HUSBAND sewed this?! Amazing! I love it, we had a hard time giving it away LOL! (made with the make it and love it tutorial)

I also got some DIY presents. 

These chairs were finally painted black by my pops. (I can't seem to find the post of the original blue color but it was a project we started this past summer).
EDIT: HERE IT IS!

And this was a coffee table surprise made by my hubby. It was inspired by Iittala Aalto.

Next time I'll share more of our Christmas. It's hard to believe we're on to Boxing Day in 25 min! 

This has been a really nice and relaxed Christmas. The food and company have been top notch! ;)

Thanks for reading, hope your Christmas was everything you hoped for! :)

Apple inspiration

We took a walk through the arboretum yesterday, fortunately in between the rain and hail (?!) showers! The peonies were still in buds and unfortunately looked a bit like they have been a bit too damp for too long with all the rain we've been having. Hopefully they dry out and open!

The more "fancy" roses are still growing, but on the hill up to the rose garden, there are a bunch of rose bushes that are the kind that bloom all summer and do well with the Finnish climate. I loved looking at (and smelling) the rose bushes and fantasizing about rose hedges around my future farm garden one day. Ah, daydreaming is one of the best past times. :) I'll share the pictures in the next post, as I think it might just be a bit too much to upload at the moment. Instead, here's a picture of a rose-like geranium of my mom's as a consolation. 

We've been feeling a bit down about the patio business and in general about the cramped living space in our current apartment. So we applied to move to another student housing building and landed the number one spot...so hopefully we get offered an apartment there soon! It's slightly more dated (ahem, 70s...) and a bit further (but close to the lake and forest) from downtown, but it's almost twice the size of our current apartment. We've gotten so excited that we've been discussing the placement of furniture and art. Lol!

The kitchens in the apartments are really horrendous, 70s harvest gold yellow. Dog puke yellow.

What do I do? I decide to paint on the biggest canvas ever here at the folk's house... the one that has been intimidating all of us for years. And I decided, if you can't beat harvest gold, join it. Therefore, inspired by a photo I took recently of my yellow glass bowl with apples, I painted it. And I painted. I almost cried in between. I got frustrated, to the brink of giving up. I got excited. I sang and danced most of the time I painted it. And I love it. The end result is very me: quirky, off center with complete disregard for actual reality. But I'm happy with it. And proud I stuck it out. So take that ugly kitchen!!! You're gonna get prettified!

I couldn't believe I broke out of my comfort zone of painting pink flowers with blue backgrounds. 

"You're not a still life artist, it's your interpretation"

Thanks hubby for the words, I love ya!

Another boat trip was in order today and while we caught a bit of a shower, it was mostly sunny. And yes, the motor died again a few times, but oh well. She is just a crochety old one. Lol. The scenery was gorgeous and I thought I would share some pictures of the picturesque and semi-famous Pispala. It is a historical part of Tampere. I love the old wooden houses and the scenery -- lake views!!! It used to be the poor folk's part of town, these days, it's everything but. 

I also was on a baking mission today, this time for my dad's birthday. Happy birthday Isä!!! 

Gluten-free coffee-chocolate-coffee cake made up by yours truly. I moistened it straight out of the oven with Disaronno. Mmm... and then poured caramel made from scratch on it. Yup, because I can. 

Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow!