is crayfish the appetizer or the main course?

The question at least we have each year. (Writer's comment: For this post I was playing with my camera's function for shooting small objects with vivid colors - I like it!! Just too hard to get the focus in the right place :) :) )When an appetizer, as it usually is during these more 'official' occasions, you are hungry and eat lots of toast and then when the main course is served you are full. When served as a main course it seems too little. Go figure.Well - we usually serve the crayfish as main course, and this year made some heart shaped snacks...

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Birch tree wreath turned crayfish party wreath

They are such funny looking creatures, aren't they :)? Felt like making a wreath the other day - I usually make at least 1 larger flower garland each summer, but this year haven't managed for some reason.My hands were itching to make at least SOMETHING, so it became a wreath made of birch tree branches together with some red roses and white carnations. For the crayfish party I would add a few crayfishes - just because.AHH - and I simply love when I write a post and then blogger decides not to save it, so here we go the second time...And must admit...

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Crayfish party place cards

Sometimes it might feel hard to say, doesn't it? It is easier to write.  Well do :)!We prepared place cards for each guest for the party table, and wrote small messages inside - you make me smile, you are my sunshine, I love our long chats, I love to travel with you...etc. If you invite them to your crayfish party, you've surely done something special together at some point, haven't you?Of course with some guests it is too hard to pick what to write - I guess 'I love you and everything about you' would do in that case ;).The scallop shells...

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tell that you care - today

One is not getting younger, for sure. When still in the 30-range, getting there or slightly passed it, life seemed quite simple: you have an education of some sort, have a job, perhaps in a relationship, planning a life and kids and all that.Now, nearing 40 - you start to question. Some call it the middle-life crisis, some call it spiritual awakening. Whatever - to me it is like - not yet!! Before it was friends' parents falling ill or very rarely a friend - now-a-days it is sad stories about someone's parent passing away, or people in your own...

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Crayfish season start

The season is finally here - from today noon time until end of October it is allowed to catch crayfish in Finland and in Sweden ;). It's been reported that the season might not be as good as previous years due to the cold spring (AND summer! writer's comment), but let's see.I have a plane to catch, will continue more on the subject during days to come - despite whatever, let's make it a fab party this year, shall we ;)?***rapujuhlat, rapujuhlavin...

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it's raining it's pouring

Part II from yesterday...let's see if I manage to write this one, as well, before the life calls...<3Pancakes always work for the kids. And a tent. So yesterday afternoon it became both, and we actually had a really good time despite the rain.  Kids' tent was made in a very sophisticated manner of 3 hay poles and couple of white sheets,  and the kids enjoyed a great deal (making it was another story, as my dear husband wasn't overly keen on the project after woken up from his afternoon nap and thought that I could be a little...

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it's blueberry time

Remember I said when we arrived to the summer house, that this summer I will learn to use a camera? Well, finally I thought to charge the thing (until now it's been my phone) and start using it.I had a grand idea to buy one of those proper cameras, but then someone close by had the wisdom to tell me that I will not have the patience (as I tend to press the ON button on my Canon IXUS and then take the photo) to use it, so don't bother. And and and - guess what? Even the little IXUS has quite many functionalities, when you press the func. set button...

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Life is beautiful

What are you dreaming of? Do you have it figured out where you want to be in 5 years, in 10 years, in 20 years? What are the things you want to accomplish by then? What are the places you want to visit? What are the experiences you want to have, the real 'musts'?While balancing constantly between family life and work, and even though I am having a dream job and doing everything I always wished for, sometimes you just tend to be too busy to enjoy any of it. Having had kind of a nomad -childhood, followed by nomad life, you are adding a...

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DIY flower planters - made of old shoes!

These I saw in Kenkävero, as well, a week ago when going around in the handicraft fair...aren't they fab??I have mine now 'cooking' - let's see if the old recipe worked - taking sour milk and moss, putting them into the blender and sprinkling the shake on top of the sho...

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birch branch inspiration

Last week I was driving from our summer house to Mikkeli Music Festival, and was wondering, what on earth is happening at Kenkävero, a vicarage just outside of the city!! Never seen so many people at once there!So in the next round-about, I turned around and went to check. It was the annual handicraft fair, which I had been completely unaware of! Well, as you know, it gets a BIT cold in Finland during the winter, so everything that happens in this country, happens during the summer. Which means that there are multiple things happening each weekend...

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Crochet sausages

Fender coverYou know those not-so-nice-to-the-eye plastic fenders? Last summer I figured they need some clothing, like they had in the old days! My dear sister was laughing so hard at my efforts last summer to sit down and crochet away, while our 1-year-old was busy trying to get hurt somewhere around the yard. She was convinced they will NEVER be finished. Well  -she didn't know that mom would be coming for a visit... ;)Fender coverI know...it looks like a silly, laced sausage in these pictures :D, but really, they turned out super nice :)....

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Herb table inspiration

Got me a herb-table - made by my father-in-law <3. It is just gorgeous! Someone was wondering a couple of weeks ago, what kind of shop-keeper are you? Always talking about self-made and upcycled and inherited treasures.What can I say? If you buy something, do it with good conscience. But especially for the summer house - there is so much you can make yourself or have custom made by locals. Or then you do like me - ask, very very kindly, from someone extremely handy - or ask your Mom ;)).But this herb table and it's contents -...

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