Mission accomplished!

My decluttering/organizing/cleaning project is now DONE! Over the weekend I emptied the doll closet and took bunch of crap aside and oraganized everything else and put them back and here are the results:

Before

At one point I couldn't even get the door more open than this!

To get here I had to clear off the floor in front of the closet.

After

I still have too much stuff for that closet, so it's not perfectly organized, but so much better!! I have the same problem with my fabric storage. I simply have too much fabric for my storage space. Sometimes I love my problems! :D

In the dolly closet there's still plenty of items that should be organized better. Like now all food is in one box, and I'd like to have fruits and veggies serated from desserts and so on. So next time I'm super bored instead of coloring my Twin Peaks coloring book I'll sort those.

Once again I've been sewing a lot. (still not that much progress, I'm afraid). Couple days ago I started to wonder if I work too much. That sounds silly. Of course I don't. But still, I'm working all the time. Everything is related to Pinkkis somehow. Online searches, fabric shopping, designing new pouches, sewing, cutting, stamping, packing, emailing, ironing. Seven days a week, hours and hours a day. I love it, but should I force myself to take it easy? To avoid burning out? I thought about that, slowing down. But I can't do it. As a person I can't "pace my self" if you know what I mean. I know there's a better word for it, kind of like portioning, but not quite. I go full speed and then I crash. But this also gives me so much.

Okay, what I wanted to say is that on my To do -list, I wrote Play with dolls! So after I got everything else done (and some extra, too) I had time to play with my precious dolls! I honestly haven't played with them in ages. I just use them as my models for the pouches. Poor things! The dollhouse was a bit of a mess, so I started putting things back on their places. But I was so tired I just kept dropping things and I think I ended up making more mess :( . So I left. And now I need to go back sewing again.

I ordered hand-held luggage scale! And flight socks :D I', really happy about the scale. Even though I have an extra luggage I'm still afraid I have extra weight. This way I don't have to worry about it too much! I can weight my bags every day! Tehee!!

One more thing! My school stuff is all done now! I had my last two major tests last week, that's why I haven't written that much. Not because I've been studying, but because I've been at school working on those tests. I went there totally unprepaired, but I'm sure I'm smart enough to pass. And at this point that's all that matters. I'm so done with studying for now!

Okay, bye!!

xoxo,

Raisa

My desk, my mess! One Month Project, Organize Tehdas. Day 9?

Howdy!

.Yesterday was a very good day! I got so much done! Finished the bat, Totoro and a fox carriers, and got a lot of others almost done. And I cleaned my desk! Not the drawers or anything, but now at least the desk is decluttered and a lot more fun to work on!

Here's the pink haired blogger working on some important details. :)

First time for a very long time I took a short break from sewing and organizing and all that "serious" stuff and played with the dolls a bit. Actually just to organize the house, since dolls were just piling up on two of the top rooms, the ones that the doll house doors don't cover. The main reason for doing that, other than it bothered me that my precious dolls were on piles, was that I needed to locate Miki's (the middie doll) other shoe. Honestly that was awful that I had lost it. It was her shoes I liked the most: little red Mary Janes with a cat face on them! Sorry there's no picture. I tried (twice) but it didn't work. Google Zukin middie. So yes, I had lost one of her shoes. Before I decided to keep the doll, I was thinking about selling her without the shoes, so I could keep them. Even though I wouldn't have a doll who could wear them. That's how much I liked them :) And now I had lost one of them!!

I was a bit worried since it wasn't in the dollhouse. I pretty much never vacuum the room, I have too many miniatures and jewelry bits and beads on the floor. So I sweep. So I was quite sure it had to be in the room still. But wouldn't I spotted it along the cleaning?

I emptied my zipper drawers, since they were underneath where I had kept the clothes, and the drawers are open all the time. The shoe was found in the last drawer!! Yay!! I was so happy!! Now I had the shoe and also more organized doll house! :D And inviting desk! Life is good!

Here's the small closet I did couple days ago. The one I didn't post yesterday. Doesn't look that great, not impressive at all. But that's okay. 

 And here's the bat, finally finished! Well, it still needs the zipper pull beads and deco, but other than that - Done! I'm super happy with the way it came out!

I have so much to do today I won't have time to organize or anything. I'll try to do the zipper pulls this morning, so hubby could photograph everything. But other than that, I just can't. I have some four hour meeting and then I need to go celebrate my mom's birthday! I'll try to drive our broken car to my dad's (who can get it fixed by his brother) and that's making me really nervous. It's 35 km's away. :(

I should get started! Enjoy the sunny weather! (in case you have sunny weather! if not, then enjoy whatever you have!)

xoxo,
Raisa

Dolls, dolls, dolls

Hey you!

I'd like to share some of my dolly news with you! Little by little I'm getting the dream dolls I've always (or at least for the last six months) wanted, and some that I didn't even know I wanted but once I saw them knew they were meant for me. I told you about the Tiina custom I managed to get, right? My Holy Grail girl. There was one on Ebay this week and it sold for over 1,300 euros!!! I'm not going to say what I think about that...but if you have that kind of money to spend on a doll then why not. I didn't pay anywhere near that much for my doll.

I don't know if I can ever have a doll family I of which I can say "This is it, no more for me," but honestly as soon as one special little dolly arrives from Canada, I think I might just settle down and enjoy the ones I already have. So, there's still one more...Okay, there's still Goldie which I've been looking for for a long time now (lost her twice already). So there's still room for one dark haired drinker (there's this amazing photographer on Flickr who takes the funniest pictures of Goldie, and he always makes her a drinker). But at the moment I'm not even actively looking for her. I need to get my financial stuff organized and under control first. So, maybe next year...

I have been re-doing the dollhouse once again. I was never really satisfied with the penthouse bedroom, the room that two dolls (sisters, Alex and Nana, MUG and OKM) shared. It was somehow way too busy for the eye, too crowded. Too something. So something had to be done. And while I was working on that I also redid the rooftop balcony, which came out great!! The bedroom's nice, too. I also rearranged the house's occupants, like who lives where. Feel free to laugh but it was really hard to decide to let Bambi, my first doll, move into the "Glass Palace" and let the new girl from Canada take over her apartment. Also Bunny had to move. :( So Alex could move and the "little girls" Nana and Phoenix (Tiina custom) could share a room.

All this has to be very interesting to you...sorry. It's just that that's all the happy things that's going on in my life. Okay, not true. But there has just been so much stress over the studies and I've been sick and it's sucks to be sick if you're unemployed. But I'm better now and the school stress is over for now, have been having some huge tests and I'm so close to being done with it all, but there's still stuff to do and I still don't have a clue about what I'd like to do.

A few nights ago we were watching a movie and in it a man got one of those cool-looking silver trailers and traveled around the States, and I asked my hubby if that's something we could do after the kids move on their own. To sell the house and just travel. I'd like that :) Hahah! Who wouldn't? What if we could both work for a year or two and then do it again, just over and over again. Work and then quit and go see the world. I dunno, maybe we'd get bored with that too. I just don't like this stability of everything. I want something *more*, some action. And yet I don't want things to change.

Now you see me!

I've been sewing again. This time I have something really interesting I'm working on! A Protective Blythe Tote!! We had a small Blythe meet with few of my dolly friends and sold one of my creations to each participants. :D Yay! And they all really liked the idea. Now I'm working on more and I should be posting them on Etsy today or tomorrow! Wohoo!!

Oh! Did you hear that? That was the sound of my sewing machine calling for me. Gotta go!

Enjoy the autumn weather!!

Now you don't!

xoxo,
Raisa

Me, my dolls and Julia from at our meet

Just wanted to share this with you -- Pinkkis products packed and ready to be shipped :) Cute, eh?

Noriko, AZ

What you looking at? (Phoenix)

Glass Palace

Let's talk about dolls!

Nothing much going on in the real life -- so I'll talk you about dolls. :)

Margo Unique Girl, my first "dream girl"

I had a few-months break from them, but now I'm back, or they are. With a venegeance! The Blythe company just released a new translucent "Dream Girl" with pink hair, and I managed to get one! I still need to wait a couple weeks before she's here, but the toughest part is now done: getting through all of the masses that wanted to get her at the exact same time. She was sold out in less than an hour, I think. That's what the translucent skin does. I really think they are the most beautiful dolls in the world! And they are the ones that will cost fortunes within a year. During my last break they released "Margo Unique Girl," and I didn't see her until months later, but I was completely sold -- she was pure magic! And the prices were three to four times higher than the original price. I managed to get one anyways. And now she's valued even higher than that. :)

not my pic! Blythe body on right, the body I ordered 2nd from left

So now I'm back into dolls, but I do have a small problem: my dollhouse is done and I don't want to start making clothes for them, so I don't really know what to do with them! For some reason (I think it's because of the new Flickr) I don't feel like taking pics of them that much either. So what to do with my precious dolls?

As a resolution I bought a Pure Neemo body for my "youngest" girl. At least now taking pictures is a lot more fun because I can pose her the way Blythe body never could. So there's a lot more variety on that! Too bad the body doesn't hold the heave head that well.

Nana's new body

I've also ordered few new clothes for my girls, and am waiting for a trade I made with amazing Eurotrash. I sent her, with a help of a travelling friend, a bunch of pouches for nappies and such, two vegan cook books, and a pouch that was made specially for her. I can't remember if it said Eurotrash on one side, but the other side said: One crafty bitch, and it had embroidered craft-related fabric patches on it. And I've heard that she liked everything and is now looking for materials to make me something special! Sooooo exciting!! Can't wait!!

I've taken some pics of the dollhouse, the way it is right now. I like to look at the old pictures of it and compare it to what it is now. Hopefully one day Ill be able to compare today's (last week's actually) pictures to something I'll take in the future, meaning hopefully there's still more to do with the house. Hubby and I are planning (okay, I'm planning and doing my best to get him on board) to make a smaller, more portable dollhouse. Just two rooms, attic and a porch. If you've seen Camp Ground cottages on Martha's Vineyard, you know what I'm talking about. I'm thinking of making The Pink House in 1:6 scale. :) Quite ambitious!

Hello! I can wave my hand!

A week ago we rode our bikes to the city, and I'm planning to do it again today. Last week we went to a huge fleamarket, but I didn't get that much. Nothing really worth mentioning, except for my two new Tamagotchis! At first I was: Yay!!! And now I'm: blah! They are so much work! I gave one of them to my daughter, but she left it here, on purpose when she left for her father's. And now I'm trying to keep them alive and happy.

Today I'm hoping to go not to the fleamarket butto the city to get some scrapbook supplies. I'm really running out! I'm so bummed that I wasn't into scrapbooking when we were at the States a month ago. I could've bought so much more interesting stuff. Compared to the States we have pretty much nothing here. Or we do have plenty, but it's just so boring. I don't know why I don't order it online. We have a few really great online stores, but I never seem to order from them. And they are located so far away that I can't really go there. The only time I can buy from them is at scrapbook fairs. And that's like once or twice  a year. Woohoo.

Look! How relaxed!

So yes, I'm also into scrapbooking again. I'm even scrapping at home, which I haven't done in years! I'm almost done with the year 2012, which means soon I can do fresh pictures!! Yay!

Salli, first Tama

AAAAAA, pink tama! (I didn't name him!)

Lempi, daughters tama

Kat working at the Super Sweet Store

 xoxo, Raisa

Bambi baking something yummy

Nuppu with nail clippers

I just love to park a small car!

Nuppy with a reflection

Pinkkis Etsy Store!

Ladies and gentleman, it's here! My PINKKIS Etsy store is back in business! And you are among the first people in the world to hear about it! Woohoo!

***Pinkkis on Etsy*** Check it out! My husband has done a great job picturing the uniqueness of my creations! Hopefully a lot of people will find my store, and most of all will like what they see and maybe even purchase something!

Please help spread the word: share pictures of my jewelry (and eventually pouches) and link to my store on your blogs, Facebook pages and where ever else :). All help is highly appreciated! Etsy is a huge place and my store is still a tiny place, so I need you :).

I'm not sure if I have even shared pictures of my newest creations yet. I have gotten really into making miniature scenes in pendants. I think they are just amazing!

So far all of my information and thank-you notes are in Finnish, so I need to work on those, too. But that's something I really like doing paper: crafts, adding stickers and stamps, etc :)

Hubby and I went to the post office to check all the shipping options and prices. What a bummer! Finland is a much more expensive country to ship from. Hopefully that won't scare customers away!

Yesterday I ordered some new fabrics, even though I don't really need more, but there were so many cute ones I just couldn't resist. And I'm running out of Blythe fabric. Too bad I'm also running out of zippers and don't feel like ordering more right now. I'm trying to leave it to when we go to the States and order them to my mother-in-law's in order to save on shipping. We'll see. I also ordered some stickers, which is super silly. But I want to be able to add something cute to all of the packages and letters I send out. And I was running out of stickers. So it was okay. And they were rather cheap.

Dollhouse's getting a lot better, too! Pictures? You bet!

Okey dokey, gotta go! Take care!

xoxo,

PINKKIS

Simplyfying our food closet

Variety is the spice of life, right? We deserve all the yummy things in the world, right? We work hard, we party hard, so we need our rewards, right? Especially if you follow a certain diet, like veganism, where you cut out animal products. That alone is a lot of  "no thanks, I don't eat/can't eat that." Or consider those with allergies, religious diets and so on. So why on earth would you cut out anything from the foods that suit your diet?

Being a vegan is a great thing. And I don't just mean the ethical part of, the clear consience, but also the surprising impact it had on my diet. Now that there are fewer choices for what to buy and eat, I cherish the produtcs that fit in my diet a lot more than before. There actually has been small hand-clappings and jumping-up-and-downs at a grocery store when I've located new yummy things to eat.

If you eat treats every day, you won't be able to enjoy them as much as if you only eat them once a week or so. Same thing with food: if you eat your favourite foods every day, how are you going to reward yourself?

I think we should take one step backwards when it comes to eating. We should eat more simple, locally grown, in-season foods. The majority of our diet should be based on that, while treats and sushi should be saved for the weekend :). I'm quite convinced that this would save us from a lot of food waste, too, if we mainly bought items we will actually use, instead of buying things we'd like to use but that end up in our compost heap. Women are said to do that a lot -- we buy healthy fruits and veggies, and end up throwing them away because they go bad. But I'm not saying we shouldn't buy fruits and vegetables either! We should simply buy only what we need, even if it means more bike trips to the store to get that last lemon.

So I'm trying to simplify the way we eat. We don't have to have nine different kinds of legumes in our closet the way we do now (soybeans, broad beans, peas, black eyed peas, black beans, green and red lentils and mung beans). Three to four would be enough. But then again, I love having full dry food closet. It makes me feel safe. And by eating a variety of foods, I'm making it more sure we get to have all the nutrients we need. And it's really hard not to buy interesting looking novelties, like purple cauliflower :)

Other than being obsessed with food, I've been working on one of my doll's bedrooms. Here's the result. I think it's really charming!

 And here's how it was before.

Quite an improvement, huh?

I've also been sewing a lot, and just finished a Halloween-themed triangle-banner for a kid's room. I guess my kids are a bit too old for that, but I actually thought of putting it up in our bedroom. No picture of it, since the kids room is not very photogenic, with too many unfinished remodeling projects in there. I also sewed a lot of Pinkkis pouches. Need to have a lot for the upcoming X-mas season! And some more Blythe stuff under constraction, pics later.

I guess that's all! What do you think about my plan to simplify our diet? Pure madness, or is there a way to achieve some balance with it all?

xoxo,

Pinkkis
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