Snowy in the summer kitchen

We've finally made a decision. It has taken couple of years, and this is now the perfect compromise - we both get what we want. This is about our summerhouse - he will get to add another layer of insulation, which will mean covering the beautiful logs from the outside, and I will get to paint the logs white from the inside. And oil the floor grey.Don't know what to do with the yellowish (majorly ugly) pine doors, but it'll come.Don't you agree that white and grey together with small black details are the perfect colors for a summer house? With...

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Recycling flowers

DIY recycled flower arrangementMy husband turned 40 (goodness...) just before Christmas. And with that, he got a fair amount of BEAUTIFUL flower arrangements. One of them came with the sponge thingy, you know the one where you stick the flowers into when you make the arrangements?It was made of red and white tulips, and green leaves, and was stunning until the tulips got tired. The sponge thingy had to be reused, OF COURSE, and the green leaves were also still in perfect shape. We also had some ivy in the garage, only half of the branches dead...

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Christmas traditions

Idea for these ginger bread decorations from http://madebymaryblogg.blogg.se/2012/december/att-dekorera-pepparkakor-med-kristyr-decoration-ginger-bread-with-icing-2.htmlI promised last weekend to write a little more about the Finnish Christmas tradition - and then started to think about it. What is it really? What would be something that everyone more or less agrees with?There is the meal, for example (seems to be very controversial now-a-days among the city folks ;)). The very traditional foods like carrot and sweet potato casseroles. The...

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Beautiful Christmas wreaths

Some magnificent Christmas wreaths in Ulriksdals trädgård...every year I decide to participate their wreath course, and every year I somehow miss it! But aren't these just magnificent?My very favorites with the felt bow...And the couple of wreaths indoors with fresh apples (like the sign above says). Wanted to post these even though the photo quality is really poor - my arm isn't healed yet, and when lifting my arm my hand really shakes...sorry about that :)!***kranssi, joulukranssi, kranssi ideoita, itsetehty kran...

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Christmas at the Cottage

How do you spend your Christmas? We have very specific (very FINNISH ;), more about that later during the week) traditions, but they take place a bit here and there. My favorite? At the summer house.You know how it is so busy at the cottage during the summer with all the possible renovation projects and guests and this and that that you are almost thinking that it is good to get back to every-day life and rest ;)? Well, during winter it is not like that at all, at least not at our summer house.We just basically lazy around all day - the biggest...

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Now or never

Are you a now-person, or when-person? Or perhaps a never-person ;)?I am a now-person, 100%. It just took me 30-something years to realize it (I will be using the 30-something still for many months to come...) A very good friend, with whom there has been excellent discussions lately, has helped me realize this. For me - when going gets tough, it really feels tough. And when life is good, it is really good. Heaven on earth.Many, in my mind fortunate, people are able to think 'soon it is weekend..', 'then, during the holidays...', 'next...

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Let it snow...

We sure have got our share of snow during the past week...beautiful, just beautiful...Even right now, looking out the window from the corner of our couch (where I am spending the day with a little one who is sick, the winter season has REALLY started ;) ), it is snowing. It really looks like we are getting the always wished white Christmas...<3These photos I took in Skogsbo gård last week - I really can recommend ANYONE wanting a moment away from the busy every day life to drop by and enjoy a cup of tea...the atmosphere in this place is amazingly...

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Christmas wrapping paper project - part II

Some more images of our wrapping paper project, as promised - the printing blocks available from the store.&nb...

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Christmas wrapping paper project - part I

My shoulder is infected. Or some nerves and muscles around the shoulder, to be precise. And it is hurting like...well.  Tried working a little on the computer yesterday, and couldn't. So I thought: I'll just take the day off (being self-employed it was kinda quiet and fast discussion ;))! As running a webshop without being able to use your computer is kinda like a weekend without electricity and water. Or something. Can't do much, is my point.Took some pain-killers (for the pain), laid on the couch (for the pain) and took a hot bath (for the...

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Hand-made Christmas cards from Mahaguthi

Hand-made Christmas card, made by MahaguthiIt's starting to be time...every year we have a project with the kids to make Christmas cards, MANY of them. This year we'll take it easy and use partly these beauties made of the world-famous Nepalese paper.The Cottonhut cards are designed in Finland by Nina Perkiö, and hand-made in Nepal by Mahaguthi, Craft with conscience.Hand-made Christmas card, made by MahaguthiHave I told you before the story of Mahaguthi? It was established by the late Tulsi Mehar Shrestha, a Nepali Gandhian, in 1984 (pls. read...

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O Christmas tree

Modern Christmas treeLooking for some new ideas for a Christmas tree? Here you go :).I had this picture in my mind (those are a bit scary, they NEVER leave voluntarily) of a white Christmas tree, and was really keen on spraying a real spruce/fir, but was told it doesn't work out at all with the natural oil on the needles. So lovely lovely Paulina Arcklin came up with this idea.As I received the idea among many others, I realized - we are taking down the old birch trees on the yard as we speak. Even material is available there on the spot!It required...

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Wish upon a star

 Weranna's blog has been quiet for almost a month! I didn't even realize. For those followingregularly, I do apologize. Sometimes life just gives a bit too much to handle, and the past monthhas been really a struggle. Nothing to do with me really, but let's say some negative things aroundus have been trying to take over this overly sensitive soul of mine ;), and there just has been alack of energy to do anything extra.This blog has always been more my dear hobby rather than anything else, and place to sharegood...

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Weranna's showroom

We've had our showroom, located in a renovated 1950's house, open for the past 2 days for the Finnish press to come and FEEL our products. Such wonderful personalities, such good discussions! I was so happy to see so many showed up - to those of you out there - thank you <3.Not so easy to decorate with many products and 3 color schemes to choose from, but I think we managed quite okay with our garden veggies/pebblestones fusion theme ;).Basically all the furniture you see in the photos is either second hand or upcycled or self-made or some...

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Home Spa mys

Getting a bit chilly already, isn't it? This morning, when taking the kids to school and daycare, you really wanted to have something warm on.I don't know about you, but when it starts to get chilly, I start thinking of warm baths and candlelight rather than taking a quick shower. In Swedish there is a perfect word 'mys'. I think the word itself is related to hugging or something, but is used more as an atmosphere. For example, every Friday evening we have 'Fredagmys' with the kids. We cuddle on the sofa, eat pop corn, watch a family movie and...

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Heather hues

Are you one of those who always eats the best part of the cake first, or leaves it last? Or perhaps don't even think at all which part is the best or the least best ;)?Well, I always leave it last...like now this 3rd color trend palette for this fall. Don't you just LOVE these colors?? Different hues of pink, purple and violet...they are such energizing colors on a Tuesday morning when you've been woken not-so-voluntarily at 4 a.m...I am also quite impressed by the photo I've named 'accident' - probably a thousand mistakes when a professional looks...

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DIY dishcloth

We spent yesterday evening with my sister, and the total 6 children of ours, while the hubbies were running the DN half marathon in Stockholm (go, boys!!!). And my sister said at some point - when I was sitting and crocheting some baby booties for a Xmas something  - 'Riikka, I really envy you for having the time to knit and crochet'. And I thought hmmm....how DO I have the time? Well, I am quite fast after doing it for 30 years or so, for one. That doesn't count in this discussion, as she is probably even faster than me. I don't watch TV...

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Paris blues

Feeling blue ;)? Well, to be honest, a little. I've mentioned some time ago that one of our children isn't well, and sometimes, as the symptoms are worse, the little darlings mommy feels VERY blue. But luckily she has her feel-good little business which always brings a smile to her face :).Last week in Paris - really wasn't feeling the least bit of blue, just saw it everywhere around me! The doors and the store displays...it truly is here, isn't it?And - visiting the Maison&Objet fair - I was so very proud of the fellow Finnish entrepreneurs...

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Carrot soup action

It all starts with pouring a glass of white wine...well, it does. After you've self-picked the organic carrots in the pouring rain and gone absolutely bonkers in the 'pumpkin tunnel'...carefully you've, of course, chosen to wear white tennis shoes...Somehow I find it strange that I every now and then blog about food - I am really no cook. I am merely a food maker. But this carrot soup is something the whole family loves. It is based on a Turkish lentil soup recipe, just without lentils...guess why? With lentils the color turns kinda greenish I-am-not-mentioning-what-it-looks-like-soup....

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Pumpkin and earthy hues

Yes...when one has too much to do, she starts to play with the camera and the color picker functionality...I give absolutely every credit of this idea to build this kind of color palettes from photos to Jessica behind Design Seeds, but really just wanted to try it out this month with the wonderful color trends.And give you a hint on what kinds of tools the professionals (not me, I might add...) use to build the color palettes for a living room, for example...I mentioned some time ago NCS (Natural Color System), which has categorized and coded,...

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About cotton, friends and a knotty mind

Does it happen to you that sometimes you keep on thinking something so much that you feel like your whole head is full of tight knots which need opening? Happens to me, and yesterday it caused a migraine, which is why this promised post is coming out later than promised. Sorry about that.Well, usually those knots loosen when you talk to one of those dear old friends, who know everything about you, cry with you, even when they think you are overreacting, and still love you. I am extremely blessed to have such friends, and don't know, how I could...

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