Plum, purple and burgundy

I finished my simple waistcoast yesterday. I am so happy!  I LOVE the colours in it and I think it looks pretty with my favourite, favourite  NOA NOA dress, plum coloured shoes and many of my hand knitted scarves (by me or my mom) and accessories like this necklace I got from lovely Anna. The yarn is Tokyo (Marks & Kattens) and the pattern is Marks & Kattens bolero but I didn't want to add those sleeves.
It is News Year's Eve and I am enjoying simple things - the moist moss under my feet in the nearby forest, gentle weather, my son's joy when he is playing a magician and free time with the family.
With these happy coloured pictures I want to wish you a blessed and happy New year, my friends!! 

hugs,
Anu

A firendly day, today

These little green bouquets from my garden made me very happy today along with the warmness of spicy tea from a lovely friend and Harrods Chocolate Brazil Nuts from our summer trip to Britain. Not much happened and still the day was filled with meaningful moments.
Later today we had some friends over and I wanted to make our children happy by creating a winter wonderland for dessert since there is no snow here this Christmas. So, a few chocolate almonds, chocolates, sugar, rosemary, and two polar bears was all we needed for this. Oh, how nice it was to see the happiness in those little eyes.

- Anu

My Christmas buquet

Today I got this Christmas bouquet from my mother. I am mesmerized by it's beauty and the delicate combination of colour. Hyacinths are my all time favorite Christmas flower.
I have spent the day with my loved ones. We have done the last Christmas shopping, some cheese and fruit, visited a cathedral and admired a nativity scene there built by master Franco Artese. It had a magnificent lighting system which created an illusion of sunrise and sunset. At "night" there was also a shooting star in the sky and the music created a holy atmosphere. I truly enjoyed that visit.
Let Christmas come! I wish you a blessed and happy Christmas time!

Hugs,
Anu

Ps. Now it is time for a little late night snack. We are having cheese and ham, ginger breads, sugar almonds and a little chocolate, too.

Softness of light

Candle light to your days and nights.

- Anu

Joys of mine

 

Recently:

• I have been spending some of my free time in the kitchen baking a gingerbread town. I absolutely love this  little town and wanted to try to make a similar one.
• I had a lovely and very simple dinner today: hot potatoes with good olive oil, some salt and lots of feta cheese. Pure food love!
• We have visited a nearby city and admired beautiful Christmas decorations while window shopping
• I found instructions for a coffee-filter tree from Martha Stuart's videos. 
• We had our first snow today - very little of it but still...soooo beautiful.

I am sending my love,

Anu

Lately

It almost feels like my November has vanished somewhere, like it never existed at all. It has been warmer now but  so, so dark outside. In the mornings when I leave to work it is dark and when I arrive back home it is dark again.  Every day. And I am asking where are you sweet snow??? Could you, please, please, arrive soon? I am waiting for you and the btightness you give to my mornings and nights.
I have been worrying many things lately. Sometimes life is like that. But then again at the same time I can find so many things to be gratefull for, so many joys that are in my life right now.
I have tried to cheer me up by surrounding me with rich colours and deep, intense scentes. I have built some inspiring and cosy nooks here at home - just on the floor. Cadles, tea (this time Hamam that lovely Anna sent me), chocolate and something to read are vital ingredients of a relaxing hide away place. My little almost an oriental nook made me feel like I was somewhere far away. That was just what I needed now.
This Hamam tea is mesmerising - Thank you Anna for that and everything beautiful you sent to me!!

hugs,
Anu

ps. My computer is still broken...I am sad about it. I hope it will either be fixed soon or that I am able to have a new one. This is the reason why my e-mails are sooo late. I am sorry dear friends, I just find it difficult to write mails with phone or tablet. But eventually I am back again :)

The last day in October - About trees and their ways

This morning I stepped into a fairytale like world. It took my breath away.
It is the last day in October and I am dazzled by it's beauty.

The colours of nature make me think about harmony. I really need harmony to feel complete and happy.

Have a good day tomorrow!

- Anu

About trees and their ways - October

Photographing trees is something I enjoy tremendously. Trees speak to me the language of silence and they remind me about  fragility but also about strength and possibility to be renewed. I started this series about trees a week ago and am going to share my love for trees with you by taking you with me to a journey to explore my everyday trees. There will be photograps about surroundings of my trees as well, like fields and  all kinds of natural beauty. I am sharing my photographs just as I have taken them (either with my camera or phone) so there will be no image processing. This series is about modest everyday meetings with trees, not about perfection. But then again I think there is often perfection like the purest kind of beauty hidden inside imperfection. Welcome to my world of Trees and their ways.
This week we had a little vacation and spent it partly in Helsinki. I got to see the Trees are poems -exhibition and found some of the photographs truly inspiring. In Helsinki I visited also some lovely museum shops and my post card collection (very modest though) grew a little. It is a living collection, not something I necessarily hold on to. I often send cards to my friends and like to share my collection that way.
I have also enjoyed a quiet life here at home like organizing my crafting material and clothes. It is already so cold that I have taken warmer coats and shoes out of storage for the whole family.

with love,
Anu

We both think alike - About trees and their ways

Life has loveliness to sell, all beautiful and splendid things, blue waves whitened on a cliff, soaring fire that sways and sings, and children's faces looking up, holding wonder like a cup.

Sara Teasdale

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/sarateasda118433.html#CklduIJY3GWQosjK.99

Life has loveliness to sell, all beautiful and splendid things, blue waves whitened on a cliff, soaring fire that sways and sings, and children's faces looking up, holding wonder like a cup.

Sara Teasdale

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/sarateasda118433.html#CklduIJY3GWQosjK.99

Life has loveliness to sell, all beautiful and splendid things, blue waves whitened on a cliff, soaring fire that sways and sings, and children's faces looking up, holding wonder like a cup.

Sara Teasdale

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/sarateasda118433.html#CklduIJY3GWQosjK.99

Life has loveliness to sell, all beautiful and splendid things, blue waves whitened on a cliff, soaring fire that sways and sings, and children's faces looking up, holding wonder like a cup.
Sara Teasdale
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_nature7.html#fXhm3T4QgizavtDt.99

Life has loveliness to sell, all beautiful and splendid things, blue waves whitened on a cliff, soaring fire that sways and sings, and children's faces looking up, holding wonder like a cup.
Sara Teasdale

Our family is on vacation for a few days. All of a sudden I realized we do not need to plan our days so carefully. There is no need to run. It is such a relief and I started to smile. We do have some plans but nothing too big. 
This morning I walked nearby our home and took quiet photographs. Do you see the quietness in those pictures? The nature is sharing my mood, we think alike this morning.
Now  it is just going to be our family together enjoying each others company, good food and leisure :) Wonderful.

I also wanted to share these two things with you:

• I am madly in love with this brand. Materials are  lovely: linen, cotton, wool, silk, hemp. 

• My corokia plant is beautiful. Isn't it? I hope I am able to take good care of it. 

hugs,
Anu

ps. Welcome to my world of Trees and their ways. I will tell you more next time.

Keeping each other company - Gratitude Sunday

Look who is keeping me company this morning. Isn' t he (?) georgeous. He is having seeds on a branch just a couple of meters away from our kitchen window and I am here in the kitchen having warm scones and tea. Lots of tea. I am grateful for that little creature and that we are keeping each other company.
Today I am also grateful for:

• some news a got yesterday, good news
• my yarn dyeing process this week (you can read about it from my previous post)
• a new haircut
• laughter and silence 
• my mom getting better after her surgery
• a BEAUTIFUL gift I got from Japan - Thank you dear coco! I will write you soon.
• trees - autumn leaves are the prettiest
• our upcoming little autumn holiday 
• this exhibition, Trees are poems. I really want to go there on our holiday.

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I really enjoy my visits in inspirational blogs. One of my favourites is Vibeke's A Butterfly in my hair and it was there where I found this idea of a Gratitude Sunday a while back. Vibeke wrote that she tries to join in on Gratitude Sunday with Taryn and all the others over at her blog Wooly Moss Roots. I am thankful for this lovely idea for Taryn and for Vibeke who brought this to my attention.

 I started listing things I am grateful for some weeks ago here in english (In finnish I have done that on and off for years in my diary). Those most important things I am grateful for in my life like my family and faith are the same as mentioned here. I have so much to be grateful for. We all do.

- Anu