10 facts about me

There was this fact-thing going on on Facebook. I wasn't tagged (I'm not that popular - LOL!!) but since one of my favorite things about my life is about being me, I wanted to share some facts about me. I tried to check if I had written about that (about me!) earlier, but lost interest around April so I'm not really sure if it's there or not. But even if it is, I'm sure the facts would be at least slightly different this time. So I hope you don't mind in case I'm repeating myself.

These are not in any particular order.

1. My middle name is Kirsikka, which means Cherry in English. It wasn't given to me as a baby by my parents, I actually (officially) added it myself when I was old enough to do so. Reason: I was/am able to knot a cherry stem in my mouth.
2. It takes me at least an hour to eat my breakfast. It's gotten really bad. The first 30 minutes I don't even eat anything. I just can't get myself started. I don't have this "problem" if I'm having bread for breakfast. Only with raw porridge.
3. Often in the morning, when I'm not like really woken up, but neither in sleep anymore I wonder where I am. And I'm trying to figure out which way I am in the bed, without opening my eyes. Like honestly sometimes I think I'm still at my childhood home.
4. My pinky nail is twice as long as my other nails. I left it long after cutting all others short. It'm my secret tool. And actually it's quite damn useful. And it's getting so long I sometimes secretly admire its bird-like clawness.
5. Ever since the first Sherlock Holmes movie it's been the movie series I've anticipated the most. Like some people wait for sequels for Hobbits, others Harry Potter. I wait for Sherlock Holmes. It wasn't even my fave movie, but uh.. .dunno.
6. I often think what kind of idea/image people would get from me if I died now and they would go through my stuff.
7. I've created for myself a "thing" that makes it impossible to answer phone calls from unknown numbers...
8. There are five female pheasants in my back yard right now.
9. Often when I see my hubby heading to the bathroom I get the urge to rush in before him. I have no idea why.
10. I get a bit too excited and go to extremes a bit too often. Sometimes I wish I could be the person who stays in the middle of the road, but then again - I'v e tried that (w/the help of medication) and it wasn't any fun. Or at least it wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. So I rather go from side to side.

xoxo,
Raisa

Some new dolls:

The one on the left is new. Red Delicious. Doesn't have a name yet. Has to be something juicy and moist.

Momoko! Bought her from a friend. She doesn't have  name yet. The doll. Friend has a name.

Not here yet, but paid and on her way :) Amazingly cute, eh?

The Beauty of Unfinished Things

I have decided to start liking unfinished things. To start looking for the beauty in them. I fucking hate unfinished things! In a way I carry them with me, all the work that needs to be done in/outside of the house, all my unfinished craft projects (PLENTY!), homework, plans for the future -- all that, I can feel it. But from now on I'll cherish them, or at least I'll do my best to ignore the weight of unfinished things on my shoulders.

I do have a tendency of leaving one thing behind and hopping to the next one and not even knowing where I left that thing. They kind of just fall out of my hands and land wherever. And I've always thought it's a bad, bad thing! Not anymore. I'll try to think of it as something to come back to. If I still feel like it. And I usually don't.

Life shouldn't be complete. Like if you collected something, maybe a series of something. You like doing that as long as there's something to search for. But after you've completed your collection, it's done. There's nothing more to do except for the occasional dusting. So you need to look for something else to keep you occupied. But if you never buy that final piece you can keep collecting forever. Beautiful!!

So yesterday, when I was about to finish a project I started maybe a year ago (you know, one of those things you keep pushing deeper and deeper into the closet, because you don't feel like doing it and seeing it would remind you of what a no-good person you are for not finishing what you've started. I had the work with me at school (uh, I know. Doesn't sound good, but it really helps me get through the boring classes and actually helps me to stay focused) and I was about to finish it. You know, the last stitch. And then I felt sad about it. So I left it like that -- waiting for the last stitch.

I've heard one group of crafters here in Finland even arranged a craft exhibition for its members unfinished crafts. And guess what? It was a huge success! So it's not just me!

Oh, well! I should go start something to leave unfinished!

Have a sunny and amazing weekend! I have so many things coming up I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and can't keep track of everything. But I'm sure everything will be left undone on time. ;) And I'll end up being in the wrong place at the correct time no matter what! So I'm just going to relax about it.

Oh, we were finally able to order the damn flight tickets to the States! Yay!! Now it feels real and worth celebrating!

xoxo,
Raisa
 

Gimme some more color, please!

Hello readers!

I don't follow fashion, nor trends. But I do follow the front page on Etsy, and as far as I can remember it has been so pale, so tame, so grown-up and lifeless. Where's all the color? Is this because of the hipsters? Is it cool to be tranquil and calm and all that? If that's the mainstream, is there still room for crazy color combos, silly animal pictures and glitter? Isn't summer suppose to affect the way people dress? Isn't summer suppose to bring out colorful clothes and showy jewelry? What happened this year? Is it because of the recession? Goddammit, will I ever be trendy again?


It's so weird when you realize that even if your whole world is like this, it's not that for everyone else. The way you see the world isn't the way everyone else sees it. I don't understand why, day after day and week after week, the Etsy front page is like that. I don't understand why on earth the most succesful blogs are about food and fashion. I don't understand why the whole world is not vegan. I don't understand why people buy puppies from breeders when there are countless numbers of dogs waiting for a better life in shelters all around the world. I don't understand why not everyone isn't into Blythe dolls. I don't understand why Chocolove's Almond's and Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate isn't sold here in Finland. I just don't get it. Why are you so different from me? Why don't you think being funny is fun? You people are just so strange. I don't think I'll ever get you. *rolling my eyes*

Maybe I'm just way ahead of my time. :) Like I was with my obsession with Hello Kitty and Japan. Or even with skulls. Five or ten years ago they put skull prints on everything! And at first I was happy: finally I could have skulls on my kitchen sponge! But after the first wave of skulls/Hello Kitty I grew bored. It became too easy. Too mainstream.
(This didn't happen w/Japan though, I'm still obsessed. Just like every other person I know).

Maybe one day silly, girly jewelry and bright colors and childish prints will be on the front page of Etsy. Maybe my favorite bloggers will start blogging about their daily lives again. Meanwhile, I'll be lurking here in my bright pink corner. Just like the main character in the book Parfum, he turned into some critter and just waited for someone to walk by. Or something. Usually I never, ever remember any details from the books I read, so that's pretty damn good from someone like me. (Quite strange book, though. Read it.)

I need to read Kafka for my Finnish class. I was sure I'd hate it, but actually I like it a lot! So far it's been very easy to read and very interesting. We also need to read Kalevala. Not the whole saga, but parts of it. Ewww. I don't want to. I hate it when I have to read. I love reading, just don't force me to do it!

See ya!

xoxo,

Raisa

The best husband in the world!

OOLN (outfit of last night, note the holes!)

In Finland we have a stupid saying that goes something like this: The one who has happiness should hide it. Meaning if you get lucky somehow, you shouldn't show it to the others, they might get jealous and try to ruin your happiness. And it's something that sticks quite deep with us. Like during the week I found out I will get really nice tax refund, and I'will be able to travel to Japan next year (which has been a dream for a long time, since it would be 10 year anniversary trip -- meaning ten years since my first trip   -- and it's also Hello Kitty's 40th birthday), so I was super excited! I went to tell to my husband and in the middle of the sentence I realized he's going to get upset, since there are half a million things he'd want me to spend the money on, like a new bed he's been wanting forever, a deck in our back yard, whatever for the house, like anything else but not another trip for me. So pooof, I didn't feel like sharing my happiness. The second person with whom I wanted to share my happy news would've been my mother. But I knew right away what would be the first thing she'd ask: how much would she'd get? (I own her a LOT of money, otherwise I wouldn't habe been able to keep the house we live in.) So I didn't call her.

Just like my hubby R.G. also takes care of animals

To me this is really difficult. It's somehow against who I am. If I'm happy, I want the whole world to know I'm happy! And because I get so excited, for some reason I think my happiness wouldn't upset others, and actually think that they would be happy with me. But this is not the way world works. Some "good people" might be happy for you for a while, but if it has nothing for them, they don't really care. And the rest of the people think you're just rubbing it into their faces and like your happiness even less.

People like you for what they can get from you. Usually it's just something as simple as you liking them back. And that's how it works -- there's really nothing wrong with that. If it doesn't have anything for them, sooner or later those people dissappear from your life. Or you will disappear from theirs if they don't get anything for you. And that's fine. That's life.

But I think it's also very calculative. I don't know how to adapt along with that information. So strange. Okay, whatever. Use me all you want and I'll do the same to you :).

These kinds of things my sweet hubby makes for us!

Anyway, to my topic. That stuff before was kind of extended prologue for my actual subject. And my chosen subject for today is my husband :D (I'd make a heart but blogger gets so upset when I do that so I won't). I have the greatest husband in the world. My husband is the best there is, and I'm not afraid to say it out loud, even if that meant I now have to sleep with one eye open being scared of crazy ladies trying to steal him away from me!

My husband doesn't want his pic to be posted, so I'm using pics of Mr. Gosling, who's almost as handsome as the real thing. My husband takes a really good care of his health: he runs and does sit-ups

Just like my hubby R.G. takes good care of his health

and stretches and eats very healthy. He's compassionate: he's vegan and he'd never buy a dog from a breeder, he didn't support pet stores that sell puppies or kittens (when he lived in the States) by buying dog food from them. He's talented in many ways: he's a writer, he's a poet, he draws well. He's a great househusband: he cooks, he cleans, he fixes things, he takes good care of the dogs, he feeds my kids and takes care of them so I can study/go to doll meeting/or whatever. He's good even with "man stuff": he does stuff to the car, he fixes all of our bikes, he can lift big rocks if needed, he can scare away crazy drivers, he's fun to be with, easy on the eye, he balances me out a bit. Over all, he's amazing person. And he's all mine! Am I lucky or what? And those only few of the things he's giving me, or things I'm getting from him -- hopefully I have enough to offer him!!

And since there's nothing for you in my husband, I think I should cut it short, or you'll get bored and run to some other blog ;).

R.G's happy moment

Super amazing greetings from Japan!

But before that, I just want to share few happy moments with you, even if it meant rubbing it in your face ;). On Monday my third book was finally finished and ready to pick up! We went to get it right away, since I don't like waiting. It's so pretty! Then I received my stickers and notebooks from Janetstore and finally yesterday I got a package from a blog reader!! My Finnish blog has a Japanese reader who lives in Finland. She's a vegan, too so we have that in common :). She had visited Japan this spring and brought me souveniers!!! Super awesome! I got okonomiyaki flour mix, okonomiyaki sauce, Lärabar bars, Hello Kitty netsuke and a cute Japanese magnet. And a sweet letter and very handy instructions on how to make the okonomiyakis. I feel so happy! And I don't feel like hiding it either :).

My newest stickers!

Okay, I guess this is enough for one day. Enjoy the pictures! Hauskaa Vappua! Happy May Day! It's a big celebration here in Finland, but we like to take it easy and just stay home and eat!

Cute and delicious!

The author hides behind her characters

My dinner last night. I absolutely LOVE vanilla Coke. I barely ever buy it though.

Do you have any great or less-great news to share? I'd love to hear!

xoxo,

Raisa

Thank you, Welcome and HappyShinyPerson Post

First of all, Thank You so much Lara for the amazing post on your blog!!! Thanks to her, I got some new readers!! Yay!! Welcome! I hope you like it here, in my little pink corner!

Lately I've been struggling a bit with myself. Like what to do with my life and all that. I have to admit, I might have been a bit down because of it. Until yesterday -- I read about a young woman quitting her well-paying job and actually starting to live. A quote from the book The Anti 9 to 5 Guide: "Still others like Kate Greenen of Detroit, who's twenty-five and has worked in what she calls "the lucrative world of financial planning" since the age of twenty-one, find themselves asking with alarming frequency, Is this all there is?  -- I started really hating getting up. Life lost color -- I was always searching something fun to do or I was out shopping. Earn, consume, die." I too would rather be poor and happy than waste my life in a office where I hated every minute of it.

Life is so much better now than what it was a year ago, when I still was in work-hell. Being unemployed sucks, I'm not denying that. But it's not as bad as wasting your life doing something from which you get nothing but misery (and money, of course).

So I don't feel like complaining about my situation any more. I'm actually quite damn happy :) Thanks to the Finnish society, I get to have my "gap year," during which I'm able to think about what I really want to do with my life, where to aim next. And I get money while doing that. Not much, but enough.

I've been really determined to have "wind under Pinkkis' wings." I've even overcome my phobia of all things related to computers and social media. Now I'm on Pinterest and reading blogs about small businesses, trying to be more active on Facebook and on Flickr as well. It's a lot of work to keep your head above the water!! But as long as I like it, it's okay thing to do :). But it's funny how much on-line stuff can take up your time! Like time I could spend on sewing or watching bad movies :).

All this, all new opportunities and possibilities, and yes! the sun! are making me so happy I could just dance all day long! Dance and sing, but since I don't live alone I guess I'll just settle to jump around a little ;).

Have a great and sunny and succesfull weekend! Hubby, my great computer related stuff help will be adding a lot more treasures on Etsy over the weekend, so be sure to check that out!

xoxo,

Pinkkis (well actually my name is Raisa, so I guess I should use that instead).