torstai 31. lokakuuta 2013

Who cares about the big picture

As I told you yesterday, details matter - the big picture is not so important. Or maybe it is easier to fix details than to take care of bigger things, you tell me. Our hall is case in point...there are several nice things and arrangements there but the room is still without wall papers (that have been bought several years ago).

keskiviikko 30. lokakuuta 2013

Details matter

We bought a shower cabin about a year ago. It is a necessary equipment as we don't want to soak neither the walls or the floor of our bathroom. We tried to find as simple a cabin as possible but they all look hideous. The more you pay, the uglier the cabin. Thus, we bought the cheapest one that had a ceiling. I plan to hang curtains to cover the cabin but I'll wait till the bathroom is otherwise finished.

The door knobs we changed immediately. The originals were not only ugly but also dangerously sharp - my husband brushed his arm on one of them and got painful scratches. If you didn't guess it already, the knob on the right is the original one and the white on the left is the replacement.

 
 
 

tiistai 29. lokakuuta 2013

Never say never

I used to hate potpurri (dried leaves of roses etc that smell nice) but after trying them at the cottage I now have some in Vårkulla's bedroom.

sunnuntai 27. lokakuuta 2013

I love the 50's

The music, clothes, design and even book covers from the 50's -you name it, I love it. We bought three Swedish crime novels yesterday - they are from 1957 and the graphic is really cool even today.





lauantai 26. lokakuuta 2013

African influences

Do you still remember the African shops in Helsinki in the 80's? We bought a particularly fine wooden fish statue that was broken as wind blew a window open and the window pushed the fish from the window shelf. Rest in pieces, we still miss you :) This one is still live and kicking - or not, but at least it is still in prime condition.

perjantai 25. lokakuuta 2013

Wintry ornaments

Thankfully there are some garden ornaments that are useful for the whole winter. These glass balls are such as they are so high the are seen even if it snows like no tomorrow.


torstai 24. lokakuuta 2013

Looks can deceive

It might seem that the white stuff in this picture is either washing powder or finger salt but it is snow. The first snow this year, the picture was taken on Saturday morning.



keskiviikko 23. lokakuuta 2013

Time for candle light

At last it is so dark you can burn candles in the garden. And these holders look good in daylight, too.



tiistai 22. lokakuuta 2013

I don't want to sit down

It is not very tempting to sit in the garden anymore but at least the sitting group still looks good.


maanantai 21. lokakuuta 2013

Do birds get cold feet?

We went to the cottage yesterday to rake the last leaves. The bird bath was frozen so no more nice baths for forest birds. The ice and frost look beautiful, it is a shame it is so difficult to enjoy the view when your teeth are shattering and hands are freezing.



sunnuntai 20. lokakuuta 2013

Danish winter

I so hope we could have a Danish winter here in Finland,too. A little frost or a touch of snow and minus 0,5 degrees Celcius. Just like today.

lauantai 19. lokakuuta 2013

Coco im memoriam

If you love labrador retrivers, you'd have loved Coco. Coco was a friend's lab that we cared for now and then when the owner was travelling. Its been years since the last time but we still remember her fondly.


perjantai 18. lokakuuta 2013

Memories on the wall

We found a lot of old magazines when we renovated Vårkulla's floors. I cut out the best advertisements from the 40's and 50's and bought a frame from Ikea. Now the frame is on our living room wall at home to remind us of times long gone. By the way, the lamp shade is from England - I saw it in a magazine and just had to get it. In fact, I bought two. I think these were the first things we bought over internet.



torstai 17. lokakuuta 2013

One man's trash is an other man's treasure

My husband found this old shop sign in a trash bin outside his office. This was years ago - I think it is more difficult nowadays to make finds like this. Now the sign is our treasured decoration piece. It is over three metres wide and looks great in our modern kitchen.



keskiviikko 16. lokakuuta 2013

Fish but no chips

A couple of summers ago we visited an art exhibition and bought a fish graphic. After that the other fishes came along to complete the picture.






tiistai 15. lokakuuta 2013

Not so easily bored

This photo of our bedroom (at home in Helsinki) was taken in 2005. Almost nothing has changed since. The photo frame is now at the cottage but otherwise the picture could have been taken today.

maanantai 14. lokakuuta 2013

If this is retro

then so am I. We bought seven of these Hartwall 150 year anniversary bottles.They are from 1986, a year I remember as well as yesterday...


sunnuntai 13. lokakuuta 2013

In evening light

Yesterday evening was magical! The light was pink and everything was more colourful than ever before.


lauantai 12. lokakuuta 2013

You can't have too many chairs

We counted our chairs - if we include chairs from home, cottage and Vårkulla, we easily have seating for about 50 people. Here are some of the chairs from cottage - this "auditorium" is from spring when my husband cleaned all the outdoor furniture and let them dry in the sunshine.

perjantai 11. lokakuuta 2013

Fireworks

Hard to top this view from the "office" window.



Things you buy

You never know what you need before you see it. We bought these old corks because they are from the local brewery, Lovisa bryggeriet. They are not to be used, just to be admired in a beautiful glass bowl.


torstai 10. lokakuuta 2013

New flowers every week

Autumn gets expensive. As there aren't a lot of flowering perennials in Vårkulla's garden, I have to buy colour...these chrysanthemums were bought for last weekend and then I had them inside. I put them outside for the week in hope they'll live to see next weekend.


keskiviikko 9. lokakuuta 2013

A room with a view

The trees would be decorative enough, but I have added a little something. The paper star looks good even without light - I have three of these and they stay in place even in summer.


There is also this small bird candle holder on the kitchen table.


tiistai 8. lokakuuta 2013

If it's broken (or damaged), don't fix it

This could be my new motto. The metal garden table has rust and the blue paint has flaked. And it looks even better than when we found it in a garbage bin :) Yes, you can find usable stuff in bins...this one was like new, maybe someone didn't like the colour.




maanantai 7. lokakuuta 2013

The more the better

I brought most of the metal garden decorations from the cottage to Vårkulla and have to say I love to have a lot of decorations in the garden! The leaves also look good, shame they don't stay like this for the whole winter.








Now it seems like a bad idea

We really should fell a lot of trees at Vårkulla. Now the trees are at their very best and it seems a shame to take them out. Well, maybe after a few weeks with a rake as my best friend I'll love the idea again.


sunnuntai 6. lokakuuta 2013

I found it!

I have tried to find a small cabinet for my books for ages. Yesterday I once again went through the ads at tori.fi and found the one I wanted. Here it is:

It fits under the old cabinet well, doesn't it?





When you need a break

This is a morning view from my home office at Vårkulla. If you are lucky, you'll see a black cat tiptoeing under the apple tree. Not on the morning this picture was taken, though.


lauantai 5. lokakuuta 2013

Turn a new leaf

It is time to put summer clothes away and start using pullowers and rubber boots. I kind of like autumn as it gets dark earlier and you can sit inside without feeling guilty about gardening jobs waiting outside.


perjantai 4. lokakuuta 2013

Cheesy grapes

This might sound a bit strange but this is a really good recipe!

500 g dark grapes
1tbsp honey
1tsp thyme
1tbsp olive oil
1tbsp red wine vinegar
100 g creme fraiche
50g sharp cheddar
100 g camebert
1tsp sage
1/2 dl walnuts, crushed

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Put the grapes in a roasting tin, sprinkle with honey, thyme, vinegar and oil. Roast for ten minutes or until the grapes start to burst open. Take the tin out of the oven and add other ingredients, roast for 15 more minutes or until the cheeses start to bubble. Serve with good white bread.

Let's go for a ride?

Must have been fun being a child in 1950´s. You got to go for a ride with these!

torstai 3. lokakuuta 2013

Sweet as honey

If you visit Loviisa, remember to have a coffee break at Café Vaherkylä (link). They offer a large selection of delicious cakes and pastries!



keskiviikko 2. lokakuuta 2013

Coffee, anyone?

We have tried to find old coffee tins but most of them are Paulig's basic ones with red background. This one is a bit different...

tiistai 1. lokakuuta 2013

Mushrooms growing out of the wall

This is a wall mushroom that is not dangerous for structures. I'd like to get a few more, but as this was found at a flea market it might take several years or forever to get another one.