Jasminum rex

Oh Tannenbaum, so grün sind deine Blätter!

2009-12-30T10:48:00.000-08:00

As of late I've become obsessed with emerald green. First I found these huge set of rings, kitschy yet so fantastic. THEN I encountered this velvet blazer at Sisley and it was love at first sight! Everything about it was right - the fit, the origami-like cut of the front pockets, and they way the emerald green velvet made my pale complexion glow. Unfortunately on the day we encountered I didn't have any money on me, so I thought I would come pick up the -30% piece the following day. It had been reduced from 120€ to 85€, after all. Alas, the next morning when I returned with all my pennies and a big smile on my face my blazer was gone, replaced by an unshapely specimen which was way to big for me. I was sad.

The next week, however, I returned to the store and foolishly asked if they might have more of the blazers in stock. To my great surprise they did! A box arrived into the shop from the storage and voila, there lay my lover. Things couldn't have been better.... until - the girl at the register said "Oh, it's your lucky day - it's been changed to -50% off." I couldn't believe my ears! I wouldn't have to spend every last penny of this months budget? But when I heard the other sales lady mutter "No, it's 70% off." I was sure I had gone to heaven. It was too good to be true! With shaking hands and glazed eyes I lay the mere 35€ on the table and quickly grabbed the blazer into my hands, hurrying out of the store before anyone could notice how foolish they had been selling this little piece of beauty to me for such a ridiculous price!

Emerald green velvet blazer: Sisley, Dress: Small boutique in Frankfurt years ago, lace top (underneath): same story, Shoes: my mum's from last years summer collection at Zara, Green Rings: H&M

Pixie

2009-12-27T12:59:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Here is the newest addition to our family! Her name is Pixie, she is only three months old and we rescued her from a dog pound. The poor thing had been thrown out into the snow with her sister. Pixie is probably a Chihuahua and Jack Russel mixture, although we're not quite sure because of her dodgy background. Anyways, it doesn't matter because she is the sweeeeeeetest little puppy on earth. She's so playful and trusting - always wants to come into your lap and give kisses. At night she almost has me falling out of bed because she is so cuddly, I'm afraid to roll over her in my sleep when she snuggles onto my stomach!

It feels so wonderful to have a little one to take care of after the greif of losing Twinky a few weeks ago. Pixie is in no way a replacement - she definitely has her own little personality! But now we can all move on! And I feel so motivated to get my own dog in Finland finally too! Expect a little Dachshund to join the family this spring!

Hope everyone is having a peaceful and gleeful holiday!

xxJasmin

Happy Christmas!

2009-12-24T08:35:00.001-08:00

Beautiful photo by Besimo

Dear Santa,

It's been a while since we last talked. When I was little I would write you a letter every year before Christmas and lay it out in the garden for your elves. A few weeks later you would show up on our doorstep, sacks full of wonderful presents. But then you stopped coming. And I stopped writing you. At first I was disappointed - why didn't you want to see us anymore? And what about the presents? But like with everything, I got used to your absence. And eventually I didn't think about the presents as much, either.

This year the thought of presents hasn't crossed my mind once. Don't get me wrong - I've been wrapping up delightful gifts for all the people I love. But I haven't been able to think of anything to wish for myself. There are, of course, always things that would be nice to have. But all those things really aren't that important.

This year has been though. Yes, there have been ups and downs as my life has turned itself over. I have explored sides of myself I didn't even know existed. And gathered much courage to step outside my comfort zone. Yet it's been a really inspiring year - maybe the most inspiring one so far. And along my journey I have come to find more and more, that it is not the superficial things that really matter to me, but those which I already have. Love, friendship and togetherness. Positivity.

So this year Santa, joulupukki, I wish that I can keep all the wonderful things in my life. Let us all stay healthy and alive, and become closer to each other. And let everyone else in the world love each other a little more. And to those who I have not been able to keep, I hope you get along. Say hi to the birds and bunnies in doggy heaven you two (because unlike the human kind, it exists)!

I wish everyone a really happy and peaceful Christmas!

Lots of Love,

Jasmin

P.S. Thank you all for your kind words about Twinky.

2009-12-13T14:45:00.001-08:00

06.06.2000-13.12.2009 Twinky, I love you. RIP.

This is the end

Beautiful friend

This is the end

My only friend, the end

It hurts to set you free

-The Doors

Age of Stupid

2009-12-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me personally or has ever met me has probably heard this before. I often - daily, I would say - stop and laugh to myself. I laugh at the world and think, "This is just one big practical joke, right? People can't REALLY be this stupid!" Then I remember - it's not. Politics, consumerism, environmental neglect, stupid wars, animal abuse, human rights issues, Hummers, McDonalds, swine flu, poverty, fascism, racism, anti semitism... it's all actually happening. And I wonder how people can be so blind. How can they go through life not caring one bit about what harm they are causing to their surroundings?

I have a theory by which every self loving person has the intuition to do good to others. Why wouldn't you? It seems logical to want to share that feeling of love and satisfaction with the rest of the world. Alas, it also seems that in our world people are much too busy setting and achieving goals, making money and spending it. There is no time to sit down with yourself to think about what really, essentially makes you feel good. As a result we are left with a feeling of emptiness and anxiety, the cause of which we don't understand, because we can't admit it to ourselves. And as a cure, of course, we only indulge in more work, consumption and headless running about.

I don't want to criticize you - most normal people go about their daily lives consuming, wasting and working without even realizing the harm they are doing to themselves, their fellow Earthlings and to our planet. We are all, from birth, pulled into the cycle of mindless consumption. It is assumed that we should educate ourselves, get a well paying job, get a promotion, buy lots of nice things and pass on this message to our children. Pulling youself out of this easy cycle is a tough thing to do. And anyone who does manage to escape these norms is considered a wee bit mental and naive for starters.

Like Sir Peter Scott once said "I've always believed the greater danger is not aiming too high, but too low, setting for a bogey rather than shooting for an eagle." So with these words let us not surrender before we ever began, but try to change our own lives, even in small ways, to make this world better for everyone and everything, now and tomorrow. Here is why:

Gone With the Wind

2009-12-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Another day well spent in my new faux Dries heels, and my feet are aching! But hey, it's always like that in new shoes, right? Nonetheless my day was good. I looked around lots of vintage shops, bought nothing, had my last driving theory lesson and FINALLY got to know some of my neighbors! We had a christmas party for the whole building, and it was great fun. There are such interesting people living here, and after two years of living in this apartment it was high time to meet them!

Also, today my brother left for Cambridge to attend his philosophy interviews (good luck!) and tomorrow morning my mum is going back to Switzerland. We celebrated our last night together with some delish mushroom sauce, an incredible goats cheese and honey bake and a few glasses of wine and Glögi (a finnish Christmas drink) too much. Ooops! I hope I'll be O.K. to drive in the morning!

I'm wearing a Kimichi & Blue cape, VILA scarf, Levis 501 jeans, Zara faux Dries shoes, and a black studded blazer brom Zara as well as a basic white shit from H&M. The rings, which you can hardly see here (sorry!), are H&M, vintage and pieces from my grandmother.

Elvis Presley Cupcakes

2009-12-08T14:33:00.000-08:00

Elvis Presley Cupcakes

The one, the only - the King! This dark chocolate, peanut butter and banana delight is sure to clog your arteries! I fell in love with it at Cupcake Berlin and I'm sure you will too!

Ingredients:

Cake:

d 8 tablespoons butter

d 70g bittersweet chocolate

d 1/2 cup cocoa powder

d 3/4 cup flour

d 1 teaspoon baking soda

d 1 teaspoon baking powder

d 2 large eggs

d 3/4 cup sugar (Although I would try it with a bit less as the contrast between a bitter, not so sweet cake and very sweet icing is mind blowing!)

d 1 teaspoon vanilla

d 1/2 teaspoon salt

d 1/2 cup sour cream

Peanut butter icing:

d 1/3 cup cream peanut butter

d 2 cups confectioners sugar

d 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

d 3-4 tablespoons milk

How to:

Cake:

d Preheat oven to 160°C

d Combine butter, chocolate and cocoa in a heatproof bowl. Set over simmering water and wait until all ingredients have melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk thoroughly immediately. Leave to cool until just warm to the touch.

d Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and in a small bowl.

d In a mixer, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt together until fully combined. Add cooled chocolate mixture and combine. Mix in the sour cream until well combined.

d Sift in the dry ingredients in three parts and mix until the dough is homogenous and thick.

d Divide the batter into cupcake liners, filling them 3/4 of the way. Bake for ca. 30 minutes. Leave to cool.

Peanut butter icing:

d In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency.

d Frost cupcakes and decorate with banana slices, banana chips, chocolate sprinkles etc.

Enjoy and grow fat and jolly, my dears! And please do let me know if you come up with any alterations which make this recipe EVEN more orgasmic!

xx Jasmin

Taftiton

2009-12-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

Happy belated Finnish national day, everyone! It was yesterday, but I was much too tired (and busy cringing at the horrendous evening gowns at the president's annual independence day ball on TV) to post anything about it. As for myself, I don't believe in a celebration extravaganza on this day, but appreciate my freedom daily. I rather have a good morning stroll at the flea market and get take-in chinese!

Here are a few outfit pictures my mum snapped when we took my gran to the train. It's been a busy weekend - my brother graduated and we've been celebrating like crazy. He did really, really well and even got invited for an interview at Cambridge to study philosophy!! I'm SUCH a proud big sister right now!

I'm almost as excited about my new shoes as I am about my brothers academic success! They resemble Dries Van Noten shoes very much, but are actually from Zara. I've always loved the slightly outward tilted round shape of many Dries heels. There is something very architectual and beastly about them, I think. And since there is no way I can afford the originals these were a good compromise. Excellent, I might say!

Coat: vintage, Purple knit: second hand, Sheer pink scarf: VILA, cut off black jeans: Jeansmakers, Leather/suede patchwork bag: vintage, shoes: Zara

Now I'm off to bed to catch up on some well needed sleep. I feel like I could sleep for three days straight, but I have a dentist appointment in the morning. Rrrrgh! Goodnight, morning or whatever it is where you are!

xx Jasmin

I love... --Wednesday, November 25th

2009-11-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

RIP Daul Kim.

d Berlin!; Doing lots and lots of vintage shopping and sending back a big (and f****ing heavy) box of delights to Finland. All yummy stuff for my soon to be vintage shop!; Going to the tax office to get a certificate indicating that I've paid all my taxes. I wasn't so sure!; Fucking good Bavaria beer; eating loads of vegetables; Finding the energy to do some sports again. I've really been slacking for a few months and felt super tired and drained all the time. Now that I'm moving I feel so alive!; Not having the swine flu. I'm surprised as I once destroyed my immune system with a bad case of hooping cough and have gotten EVERYTHING since. A sick child, I am; Having a manicure at the Beauty Expo last week. How great is it that someone ELSE does your nails for you!?; Getting really excited about doing my nails since. Next: Nude pink with red tips dipped in copper glitter!; Presenting my business plan to some professionals and getting them excited, which in turn makes me so excited&happy&shlkgjhjgh!!!!; One of these people being Matti Majava, the founder of the first ever second hand shop in Finland (in 1969) and the famous Finnish jeans brand Beavers. I met him at the fashion expo and he was just the sweetest, most excited and genuine man. I would have taken him as my husband in a heartbeat had he been 40 years younger!; Helsinki has been chosen as the world's design capital 2012. Yay to us!

d Scannography is totally fascinating and beautiful. I think I might have to buy myself a scanner and make the photos for the vintage lookbook with it!

d I wish I'd have seen this Lady Gaga Poker Face make up tutorial by Michelle Phan before Halloween! Also, love love love this Brigitte Bardot tutorial! I think I'll sport it this weekend on a trial of a flirt trial night out with my friend! (Yes, we're taking this getting a boyfriend business seriously for once!)

d For more great make-up tutorials see Vorstadtcinderella. She seems super sweet and funny, does great tutorials and has a cute site. Downside for you? She's German, so there might be a slight language barrier!

d We may well have watched Belle de Jour's adventures as a high class prostitute on "The Secret Diary of a London Callgirl" or read about them on the blog of the same name, but so far it hasn't been clear who is behind these witty stories. Now Dr Brooke Magnanti has outed herself as the woman behind the provocative diary, which was also translated into a book. Read about how the professor of informatics, epidemiology and forensic science managed to hide her identity for a whole long six years and what it feels like now, when the truth about her past as a whore is out. I also recommend reading her blog (which she is still updating!), it's most amusing and certainly gets your thoughts rolling.

d RIP Daul Kim. Articles covering her death on the Telegraph and the Huffington Post.

Wouldn't this just be amazing?

d Now I know why intoxicated men are so keen to get to know me!

d For each of us there are dealmakers and dealbreakers in relationships, reasons why we would or would not date somebody. But some people are just weird that way! Here is my favorite: You are not a delicious pizza.

"I see what you are trying to do there. Really, I do. You’re trying to get me to notice you. But you are not a delicious pizza! I know, babe. I’m sorry. I don’t care about that new lingerie, or the new fragrance you’re wearing, or the fancy new hat you bought. I don’t care about any of that. The fact is is that you’re just not a delicious pizza.

See, I want to put you in my mouth. I’m sure - if I really thought about it - I could put you in my mouth. But you are a girl. You just wouldn’t fit.

Now - the PIZZA on the other hand - will FIT in my MOUTH. And it tastes delicious, like the dough was rolled on the backs of Ukranian beauty queens and the cheese is strong, sweet and powerful, like it was fermented between two Hemingway novels. And the toppings! THE TOPPINGS. I can choose The Pizza’s toppings, but I cannot choose yours because you are “a lady” and you “can vote” and “dress yourself”. I can dress the pizza however I see fit.

So no, babe. I don’t care about your naked body, your blowjob practices, or your ability to perform the oft-talked about but nary-actualized ‘Beaver Hat’. The fact is that you are not a pizza, and I’m sorry. Are you crying? Why don’t you me and the pizza sit down and wa - - -

Fine. Be that way. I’ll be here with my baby. The only one that understands me."

d How to build a successful online store. This kind of stuff is so useful to me right now!

d I play the lottery. I am a bit addicted to it. Actually, I am obsessed with it. The worst thing about it is that I always play with the same combination of numbers. So on those (few) dreadful days when I forget to buy a ticket I'm convinced my combination is going to win the jackpot, leaving me empty handed for the rest of half an eternity.

I much rather think about the things I would do if I DID win. If I'm completely honest I would first have an out of control shopping spree on net-a-poter. I mean, who am I kidding, right? Then? I'd put part of the money to the side so I can later start my own little charity and go help orphans in India or something similar. I'd love to physically go help. Next I'd either buy my existing flat or try and find a bigger one in my area (which is kind of impossible), buy another small apartment to house all my guests in, and a third for all my clothes. Then I'd go mad with interior design! There are just SO many fantasies I have about my home. Before I manage to spend all my money I would buy my mum her house. You got to give something back, right? My brother would get an unlimited gift card to amazon.com (which might get me in trouble) and my dad? Well he is one of those people who has everything, so maybe a yoga lesson or two to relieve the stress? With whatever I'd have left over I would travel to Stockholm, Berlin, London, New-York and other fashion hotspots of the world for an all out vintage shopping spree. I'd also buy a lot of shoes, naturally. I'd probably take a few months off and travel the world, see new places and cultures and just chillax. At this point all the money would be spent and I could return home and wear all the delicious clothes I bought. I know this sounds totally shallow, but it's the sheer truth. The things I dream about daily.

The point here was that I'm not the only one who has thought about it. If you won the lottery, you would...

d Man vs. toddler. Who wins?

d I barely ever watch the news or read the papers. The reason is not that I'm ignorant and don't care about the world. It's that I'm tired of reading about the rantings of the idiots who lead this world of ours. Since the summer all Finnish news has had to offer were stories of prime minister Matti Vanhanen and his election money fraud, the swine flu and Obama (well, he is OK). The major problem for me, though, is that I don't believe half the things they tell us. This documentary on failed coup in Venezuela 2002 just proves my point. Hugo Chavez was illegally detained, the National Assembely and Supreme Court dissolved and the country's Constitution declared void. What the world was told was from another dimension. Watch the whole shocking documentary The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (filmed by chance by a Danish crew) here.

d Eight myths about the Swine flu revealed. Still, the fact that Dick Cheney owns Tamiflu makes me suspicious about a) where this whole thing came from and b) how seriously one should take it. Its funny how every time some big political crisis is terrorizing the world, an even bigger pandemic comes along. Here is an article that, unlike the previous one, is very critical of the H1N1 pandemic. Please note: I am no expert on the subject, nor am I a scientist. I just want to get people thinking!

This video made by Americans about the nature of Finns is hillarious! I see how we can seem quite odd to foreigners!

Talking about the Finns complaining... I present you with the complaint choir!

DIY Kim Jong-il leather scallop shorts

2009-11-20T05:50:00.001-08:00

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A few weeks ago there was a huge sale again at UFF (the biggest chain of second hand stores in Finland). Every day the prices drop by a euro, until finally, on the last day, everything costs 1€. I always find this is a great opportunity to pick up otherwise ugly and unwearable pieces you might be able to turn into something spectacular with just a bit of DIY skills. (Because lets face it, by that time there isn't anything left which would be wearable as it is!) This time I took home a pair of ugly brown lady's (or so I thought) motorcycle trousers. I instantly thought they would make a great pair of shorts, and then got really excited by the idea of scalloping them! I must mention: the tag inside the trousers said "Made in Korea," which of course intrigued me very much. North Korea? Might they have belonged to his supreme leader Kim Jong-il? I dare say he would look saucy in a pair of leather scallop shorts, especially with those platforms he wears! If you want to look as libidinous as the master himself, please follow these simple DIY steps!

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For this project you need: An old pair of leather trousers which fit you around the waist and are loose around the thighs; a piece of cardboard (get use out of old cerial boxes!); a pencil; chalk; a measuring band/ruler/other measuring device and shears.

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01. Start by slipping into the trousers. Stand in front of a mirror and think about what length you want your shorts to be. Remember that they will turn out a little shorter once you do the scalloping. Draw a mark on each leg where you want them cut off.

Take of the trousers and lay them flat. Hold the groin and pull the legs straight, making sure there are no folds or creases. With help of the ruler and some chalk draw a straight line where you are going to cut off the leg. check the lines are at the same level (unless you are purposely going for the unsymmetrical look, which could be cool...) With a pair of sharp shears cut off the legs. Look in the mirror to check they really are the same length!

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02. At this point you will probably have a load of lining hanging out from inside the legs. Fold back the leather and trim the lining, making sure it's so short it won't peek out even when the edges have been scalloped. You can sew the seam to make it more tidy, but it's not the end of the world if you don't ;)

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03. Estimate how wide you want your scallops to be. Measure the circumference of the leg and divide it by the estimate you made. Round up to the next whole number and divide the circumference by this. You will end up with the width of each scallop.

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04. On a piece of cardboard trace a line the length of your scallop. Mark the middle. Draw a line down the middle, making it whatever length you want the scallops to be. (Shorter line for "shallow" scallops and long line for "deep" scallops. Connect the lines by tracing a half moon from one end of the scallop to another. You can do this free hand or with help of a cup, lid etc. Cut out your scallop stencil.

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05. Starting at the outer seam of your shorts, laying the stencil centrally over the seam, start tracing your scallop shape onto the leather with chalk. Start each new scallop where the old one ends and leave a few mm. of space underneath each scallop (more space for mistakes later!)

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06. Cut out your scallops carefully using a pair of sharp shears. Try to cut the corner between each scallop in a rounded fashion - it makes for a softer more finished look. Follow the lines and keep checking in between that you really are cutting the right way!

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07. Your Kim Jong-il shorts are almost finished! To remove the excess chalk marks dip a pice of paper in some oil (cooking oils like olive or sesame work just fine) and wipe the leather with it. You can wipe down the entire shorts with a bit of oil to make it softer and more durable!

Before you finish try the shorts on to see if everything looks alright. Go back to make any corrections.

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08. Voila! Your saucy Kim Jong-il leather scalloped shorts are ready and should look something like those above. I recommend either wearing these with neutral colours and keeping the accessorize to a minimum in order to really let them shine or going absolutely bonkers with colours. I see wooden bangles, african necklaces, a bright yellow blouse, Maasai fabrics wrapped into a turban, bright red nails and tall wedges! Uuuuh yes! (FYI: This is a statement piece. I happened to be in the same airplane as the Dudesons and even they seemed slightly amused.)

Below you can see my inspiration for these shorts. See also: Kim Jong-Il.

Inspiration from the Sartorialist and Marieclaire

Berlin Impressions

2009-11-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

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1. The coat of arms of Berlin is a bear. You see this symbol all over the city, plastered onto various walls and gizmos. I have an antique powder compact (from the 40s, I believe), which adorns the Berlin bear. I am totally in love with the various coats of arms of our world - they say so much about cultures and it's fun to decode their meaning. This one especially came to my liking... The slightly comical yet barbaric appearance of the bear itself, the lines and shapes as well as the colours. Perfect!

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2. I wonder if he really worked at Check Point Charlie? He HAS got a lot of badges for his age...

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3. I love the old cars from DDR times. I'm not sure this Mercedes really fits into that category, but hey! - it's old and lovely! What else could you want of a car?

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4. At another S-bahn station in Berlin. We did all our traveling on trains and trams - not so fun when your last minute hostel is in the ass of the world and several lines are broken. Lots of changing and waiting... sigh! Fortunately there are a lot of interesting people in the trains and on platforms: trendy hipsters, punks, drunks (oh how I wish I could have taken portraits of them, but I dare not!), musicians and cute Berlin boys. The bahn sure is a perfect place for an innocent little flirt!

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5. This city is full of black dogs! Can someone please tell me whats up with that?

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6. Me in front of the Brandenburger Tor on the 9th of November. Thats the day when the whole of Berlin (and Germany, and the rest of the world) celebrated 20 years gone by since the falling of the Berlin wall. The highlights of the evening were recreating the wall out of people and knocking over about a thousand huge domino bricks symbolizing the fall.

But a friend of mine put it best "For us Berliners who have experienced the separation the greatest celebration is our every day life. We can do what we like, where we like, and that is the greatest gift of all!" He is so right, indeed! It's hard for us who haven't lived through it to imagine how different life was in those times. But the 9th of November 20 years ago still remains a miracle to all of us - I hope other regions which suffer under similar repression today can find freedom just as peacefully.

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7. I was slightly nervous about going to Berlin around the time of this great festivity, as there have been numerous threats of terrorist attacks against Germany as of late. The thought of blowing up mid-celebration didn't seem too appealing to me. But in the end I decided I was not going to live my life in fear of idiots (it's exactly what they want) and that if I happened to die, at least I'd do it while having a blast!

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8. Are you as much in love with these little fellows as I am? I thought there was something so utterly ridiculous and morbid about these figures when I saw them that I just couldn't help but be charmed. Only thing is that I have no idea who they are made by. They were just sitting there peacefully in a display window - no shop or anything. Next time I'm in Friedrichshain I have to find out what the story behind them is and take one (or two...) home!

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9. Note to self: don't go to KaDeWe anymore in the future. Will avoid getting very upset over not being able to afford that Miu Miu bag or those Chanel heels and crying a bit afterwards.

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10. This warmed my soul so! Incase you didn't kow: CHARLIEEEE!

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11. Just like the real thing, no?

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12. This bag deserves a mention! I used it practically every day in Berlin. It's so great with a faux fur and a little tea dress or to spice up a simple jeans outfit. I'm amazed that my life fits into such a small clutch, though. (O.K. my pockets were pretty full too, but still!!) I bought this bag on sale at Accessorize in Dubai during my holiday there in summer 2008.

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13. This is what christmas should be like: warm and excessive and sparkly and fluffy. Oh goodness, yes! KaDeWe did it right.

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14. Louisaaaaaa! My dear travel companion and the best friend one could imagine. We are so different yet so alike. I couldn't have wished for anyone better to discover Berlin with and to have as my packhorse! Muah!

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15. At this point I must reveal something: I am opening an online vintage/jewelry/furniture store sooooon and was in Berlin to dig for treasures for the shop. I've been keeping this information from you all along because I have been proceeding in baby steps and so far it's all been paperwork and other blahs. On Tuesday I have an appointment to go present my business plan and seek for a government grant, though! I am so excited and am bursting with ideas and new energy & inspiration after this trip. Things are moving fast now and soon you'll be able to buy all the lovely things I find around the world! Iiiek!

Also, I will be doing a separate post about all the vintage hot spots of Berlin in the next few days.

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16. I don't know what exactly happened to me during this trip, but I suddenly became very fond of toys for some reason. I found the sweetest shop, Big Robot in Friedrichshain. It's a mixture of street style clothes, toys and awesome books (I could have bought all of them!). Especially these little Japanese head shaking Tomy fellows made my heart melt. They were just so kawaii!

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17. Possibly the best place of all in Berlin was Cupcake Berlin in Friedrichshain. It's the sweetest little cupcake shop in all pastels and candy colours. Their cupcakes were amazing, too! I had "The King," a deep dark chocolate creation covered in peanut butter cream and a banana chip. The perfect tribute to the one and only Elvis Presley and by far the best cupcake I have EVER eaten. Now thats pretty good! Check out their site for more delicious flavors, yummy pictures and more!

SNOWBALL FIGHTING THE DARK

2009-11-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

As I left Helsinki on Saturday morning I was sure I'd be leaving the gloomy wet weather behind me. Unfortunately I was mistaken and Berlin had rainy shitty weather too. On the upside I'd packed lots of white clothes to fight the dark. It's amazing how the colours you wear effect your state of mind - I felt much more energetic in this white dress and faux fur combo than in any shade of grey. And combined with my new feathered white hat I was cruising through the city feeling like a right old pimp!

White faux fur (which I'm totally in love with!): Zara

White floral tea dress, shortened: vintage

Bead embellished champagne clutch: Accessorize

Boots: old, originally from Dinsko

Off to Berlin!

2009-11-07T14:12:00.001-08:00

OFF TO BERLIN!

The famous Erich Honecker and Leonid Brezhnev kiss.

Darlings, in the morning I am taking off for an epic journey to Berlin with my daaahling Louisa. On Monday it's been 20 freakin' years since that wall came down, so get ready to parrrrtyyyyy! Also, I warn you: posts about my trip and other shizzles (Like DIY Kim Jung Il shorts) will be posted on this blog at random intervals during the next week. Our trip is so disorganized (until this afternoon we didn't even have a place to stay) that I can make no promises as to what is going to be posted and when. Not that you have any expectations of me anyways, as this blog has been going down the drain lately. Looove nonetheless!

xx Jasmin

Halloween

2009-11-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

Halloween

Aaah yes, Halloween! What a blast it was! I had a little bash at my place which involved blood (Bloody Mary cocktails) with eyeballs, lots of liquorish cupcakes, witch's finger cookies (which sort of expanded in the oven...), a new acquaintance from St. Petersburg, the Thriller and dancing till the wee morning hours. As you can see I was not very creative with my cat costume (due to lack of inspiration and money), but I couldn't resist trying black lipstick! It was messy, but fun nonetheless. Plus it makes your teeth look whiter and eyes brighter ;)

Blood with eyeballs... everybody thought it tasted horrid, including me.

Vladimir came to my place from St.Petersburg via Couch Surfing. He was the first person I hosted and so much fun!

Liquorish cupcakes, mmmmm! The night before we had a competition with my friend who can make the puffiest cupcakes. I won, naturally!

My witch's finger cookies expanded in the oven :(

Btw. some things I forgot to mention in the last post due to my involuntary intoxication: 1. The first costume is from my Rock Horror Picture Show party last year and I'm supposed to be Magenta - no red hair though. And the second one is Frida Kahlo, of course! 2. That was my 100th post, yay!

More Halloween pictures in my Flickr stream!

Costumes from the Past

2009-10-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! I'm in the middle of a party, and not really in good enough condition to type, but I'll leave you here with some costumes from past dress up parties. Hope you enjoy. Oh yes, and GET OFF THE COMPUTER, dress up and get out!

Sorry no more on my computer... And I've had a few bloody Mary eyeball cocktails too much, so the pictures may be distorted. Pictures of right now (halloween party) coming tomorrow!

Choc cookie and raspberry cupcakes by Apparently Jessy

2009-10-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

Recipe and picture borrowed from www.apparentlyjessy.blogspot.com

Last Friday I spent a quiet evening at home, working, cooking, watching movies and baking. Well I wasn't planning on baking, really, but then I stumbled upon a new favorite cooking blog, Apparently Jessy. The young candy coloured wig donning Aussie has a blog full of cupcakes so delicious looking I couldn't resist trying one of her recipes! Her whole blog, actually resembles a cupcake. At least it's just as sweet! So here goes, another mind blowingly good cupcake recipe for you to enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

2/3 cup chocolate cookies, lightly crushed

1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (thawed on paper towel then lightly dusted with flour)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.

2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3-5minutes.

3. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add the dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until integrated. Stir in the milk. With an electric mixer onlow speed, beat for 30 seconds. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add the eggwhites. Beat for 2 more minutes. Carefully fold in the crushed cookies and raspberries, don't over mix.

5. Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in thecentre of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.

My note:

Here's a good and simple butter cream recipe I used for the frosting!

Ingredients:

250g softened butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

600g icing sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Method:

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and vanilla. Blend in the sugar, one quarter at a time, beating well before each addition. Beat the milk in and keep mixing until it's nice and fluffy! Keep covered until you're ready to ice.

I love... --Wednesday October 28th

2009-10-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

Juliette Lewis is one hot woman!

Hello Lovelies! First of all I want to apologize to all of you who follow this blog for the lack of content for the past week or so. Somehow I've just felt really deflated, tired and annoyed for a while and just haven't gathered the energy to put together anything of essence to post here. My camera has been broken (or well I just messed up the settings) and all of the many many outfit pictures I took were a waste, because they were defect - frustrating. Also, at the moment it's very dark here in Finland. I feel like I barely see any sunlight at all and it's getting to me - even if I'm trying not to let it effect me. Lastly - I'm feeling unmotivated to post anything on this blog, because it's not really how I want it to be. I'm looking to make this a much bigger and better place for all of us to be, with a beautiful layout and more organized content. It's something I have to work toward. In the meantime I am determined to fight my fall blues and get on with it. There are so many lovely things going on around me and so many things I'd like to write about. You should see my planner... it's FULL of ideas. So in the future there will be more posts like the previous one "Faux it or forget it, " which I hope will stimulate your brain cells and evolve into a larger discussion. It's so interesting to hear about your opinions and get to know my readers better. So thank you for all the comments - they were most engrossing and thought provoking. We need more of this!

But now on to the lovely things in life! Here are some of the things I've been loving in life lately!

!Having quiet evenings at home, cooking hearty food and baking cupcakes. I just tried Apparently Jessy's Choc cookie and raspberry cupcakes and they were divine - recipe coming soon!; Warm candlelight when it's dark&cold outside; Body brushing. I was reminded of this by Mermaid, and started doing it every morning&evening. So relaxing and a great way to defeat my insomnia!; New projects in the making; Going to Berlin in November with my dear dear friend Louisa. On the 9th it's been 20 years since the falling of the Berlin Wall and there will be a HUGE party!; Couchsurfing...We are going to be doing this while in Berlin - how exciting! I'll post more about it soon; Halloween is this week! I'm giving a Halloween party on Saturday. Compulsory: black liquorish cupcakes, eyeball soup and a witch's broth! Plus I'll be posting some Halloween costumes from the past!; My ex-roommate Iida is in Helsinki this week! I haven't seen her for such a long time& it's great to catch up. Today we've been working on our university applications. We are both trying for Edinburgh and other art colleges in Scotland. (Yay - but UCAS is such an ass...); My white lasagne recipe; Dinner dates&underwear shopping; Shopping for knits; My new faux Ann D. corset heels from Freepeople.com which arrived last week! (although the excitement was somewhat destroyed by having to pay lots of taxes at customs - damn you Finland, I'm broke!); Silver jewellery, like lots of bangles and chains; Faux furs - I already got one, but I've been scouring Ebay and feel so tempted to get a few more. I need need need a white one with antique glittery buttons + a leopard number!; Getting a really big hug when you most need it.

!Street Boners and TV Carnage is so hillarious. What "lovely" street style photos, hehe!

!Fonts. I've been totally obsessed with fonts of late. My favorite for free fonts: dafont.com. Thanks to Nubby for having written about this ages ago and getting me all excited!

! Punkelikat. Greta is a 15 year old Swedish blogger... so young and so talented! I love the way she writes and inspires others to write. Plus she looks like a young Agyness Deyn - cute!

! The Corner is another great online designer shop which I didn't know about. (I'm so uninformed!) Love browsing though pages like this!

!The new shoe collection by Finsk is in stores, and I love it! I'd die to have some of those wedge booties for winter! I love the geometric shape and wood heel. Delicious!

!I found these crazy over the knee boots at Bianco and feel SO tempted to buy them! Only thing is that I barely ever wear red and I don't think I'd have much to match them with. In all black brocade they'd be PERFECT, though. Also, Bianco is having a foot orgasm competition. It involves you taking pictures of your feet in a crazy way and winning the chance to empty a whole Bianco store. SHOEGASM! Competition ends October 31st, so hurry hurry!

!These are some really genius tips on how to throw a Halloween bash on a budget. I'm especially loving the radish eyeball garnished Bloody Mary and Witch's Finger cookies. I'll have to give those a try!

!Juliette Lewis and the Licks are playing a gig in Helsinki tomorrow, as I found out yesterday. Now I'm desperately trying to track down tickets. HEEELP!

Alko is the only store in Finland where you can buy booze. This is an educational video they made in the 80s telling kids why alcohol and sex are no good! Funny as hell!

This looks like so much fun! + I was addicted to Mario Kart on Nintendo64 as a kid...oh the good old days!

Faux it or Forget it

2009-10-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

Faux it

or forget it

From Monroe to Moss, they've all done it. All the great style icons of our century have worn fur and, beyond a shadder of a doubt, looked fabulous doing it.

The eternal question, however, remains: in it O.K? A couple of days I go I watched Kill it, Skin it, Wear it, a documentary on Merrilees Parker's search for ethically "produced" fur. Parker visits numerous players in the fur industry to find out if she could wear a fur which had been made of animals that live and die under humane conditions.

It's needless to tell you that animals bred for their fur are treated horribly - anyone who has come across the names Peta or Naomi Campbell will know this. But our knowledge of such torturous conditions are abstract - they come from the media and the oh so repetitive public discussion on the trade (where parties usually just end up spitting abuse at each other). But most of us never touch close to experiencing these horrors first hand. And like with so many other things we are not confronted with directly, it's easy to dismiss the controversy around the fur industry when we need a fashion fix.

Back to Parker. Although she has seen the worst of the worst - foxes chewing their limbs off as a paniced reaction to being encaged, dehydrated and malnurished animals and minks being skinned alive, their skulls being crushed by the boots of evil breeders while they struggle to stay alive - she is determined in her search for an alternative way of yielding fur. And indeed, in North America she finds fur traders who do not breed animals, but capture them in the wild.

A local hunter who has been in the business some fifty years takes her on a journey into the wild, showing how - with a trap and a shotgun - one captures animals without causing them unnecessary suffering. Supposedly his traps don't break their limbs or cause other injuries. (It does however remain unsettled whether leaving an animal trapped for up to days is ethical. Beavers will slowly drown in freezing water, and the rest may try to gnaw themselves free from traps, often biting off their own limbs.) Parker is also dubious, but settles for feeling O.K. wearing the fur of an animal she was able to trap, kill and skin on her own. They have, after all, lived a long and happy life in the great outdoors.

I can relate to this pattern of thinking, because I basically live by the same philosophy as a vegetarian (well, pescetarian to be precise). I only eat things which I know I can kill and prepare myself. Fish being the only live animal belonging to this category it is also the only one I eat (I used to go fishing a lot with my dad). But how exactly do you learn the art of killing? Not just anyone can march into the woods and set traps, and even if you get a permit, you've got to have a pretty good idea of what you're up to. So unless you can find a master hunter to show you the art, you're pretty much going to have to rely on buying the fur.

So where do you buy this ethically made fur? You'd think there are retailers specialized on your needs, but think again. Most of the fur world wide lands at huge auction houses, from where it's shipped to buyers across the globe. The fur here is not, as you might hope, sorted by origin but rather by colour. This means all that blood drenched bad stuff and the few bits from wild animals are mixed. In the end you'll have no idea where your mink gilet came from. It could be made of animals from tens of different places. So the only place you'll get the real, ethical deal is directly from a hunter. Good luck!

This leaves the question why someone would bother buying fur in the first place. (O.K, you might just be a vain fashion junkie - simple as that. I hope your fuzzy shadow haunts you.) Like this season has proven us, there isn't a true need for the real thing when you can faux it in style. I just got myself a beautiful chocolate number, and it's so soft you might mistake it for the original. So instead of spending all this time, money and killing power on real furs, why don't we sit our delectable asses down for a minute and develop a faux thats even more luxurious than mine. It's got to be possible with all this nano technology and everything!

As far as promoting fur as a fashion accessory by wearing faux myself goes, I think it's silly. Furs look good, and if I can achieve the same style without killing a single animal, I don't see how I'd be supporting the industry. Almost every person on this planet knows that there is something fishy about the fur industry. You'd have to be quite a nitwit knot to. So before making the decision of buying a fur I think it's everybody's responsibility to do a bit of research and see if they still feel comfortable about it. I can not take the responsibility of making decisions for you.

And with all that said I leave you with some footage which reminds me of why I could never wear a real fur, even if it's vintage, without feeling like the scum of the universe. You'll probably have seen things like it before, but look at it anyway. And think - really think about it. I hope it shakes you.

For further reading see:

Parts of Kill it, Skin it, Wear it on youtube

Peta on lots of information about the fur industry

Animalia, the Finnish animal welfare society. (My mum worked there for years!)

Jane from Sea of Shoes wearing faux and looking fabulous! Look here & here!

JLoDown.com is dedicated to get Lopez off the fur trip! Smart and funny!

Dahlings, I'd love to hear how you feel about fur! Do you wear it? Do you think it looks good? Is there such a thing as ethical fur? Lets get talking!

xx and lots of love,

Jasmin

Homemade Apple Jam - The Not So Secret Recipe

2009-10-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

Homemade apple jam - The not so secret recipe

Ingredients:

1 kilo of apples (sour ones are best for making jams); 1 kg caster; sugar; Cointreau; Spices: cinnamon, cardemom, ginger

You'll also need glass jars

(apparently 1 kg of apples will fit into 3 standard size 450g jars,

but I just use random ones I have laying around)

Preheat your over to 130°C and place your clean glass jars inside it to sterilize for at least 15 minutes. Boil the lids in water the same amount of time, until ready for use.

Start my chopping the apples into evenly sized pieces and removing the core. You may or may not want to peel the apples, as well. I recommend peeling store bought apples to remove any pesticides and wax. If you use apples from your own garden like me, you can leave the peels. It'll add a nice red colour to the jam :)

Heat some water and boil the apples until soft. The boiling time varies between the different brands of apples. Some are softer than others to begin with. When ready, pour the water out.

To puree the apples, use a hand mixer. Pour the castor sugar in while you mix. It's up to you how smooth you make the jam - it's just about personal preference. At this point you can also add any spices you like. I adore cinnamon, cardemom and ginger in apple sauce, because it's so hearty and warm to eat during winter.

Boil the jam again. This way the sugar will melt properly and everything will be nice and smoothly mixed. After a few minutes take the jars out of the oven, making sure you don't touch their inside. This way they will stay sterile. Pour the hot sauce into the jars though a funnel, add a splash of Cointreau and seal with a steaming hot lid. The steam created by the hot jam and liquer will ensure that your preserve won't go bad! You could probably leave it standing for 5 years and it'd still be good!

Enjoy your apple sauce on bread (with a dab of salted butter), along with a nice strong cheese or accompanied by a stack of pancakes. Yummee!

Dinner for Four

2009-10-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Butterfly relief plates: Hanna Saren for Kermansavi, Glass plates: IKEA, wine glasses: IKEA, metal pie dish: thrifted, Cake plate (under metal dish): Tiimari, Wine bottle (as vase): thrifted, AriZona iced tea bottle, asian style tins (used as candle holders): thrifted, antique porcelain cup with floral detail: thrifted, Chinese tea pot and cups: present from my friend, shredder style lantern: present from another friend, napkin holders: thrifted, napkins: Sokos, coasters: Indiska, placemats: Indiska, candles: Kivi by Iittala, pink crochet placemat: thrifted, tablecloth: unknown.

I'm continuing my segment from last week, where I show how simple it is to "Zimzalabim!" transform your table. To read my tips on how to pull off a decor worth a, well I don't know... something fancy, look here! Notice: I took my own advice and used cake sprinkles to bring a sparkle to my table. Can you spot them?

Noidontsmoke

2009-10-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

aviator hat: my dad's

faux fur trim suede coat: vintage

sequined black top: H&M

button down white lace top: H&M

black skinny jeans: VILA

heels: Dinsko

Some seductive cigarette pictures - how corny you think. Yes I know. Don't be hating! It was really cold and windy while we were taking these pictures in Porvoo last weekend, and my left eye was tearing like crazy. Nevertheless the results I think are quite good. I thought these pictures look great black and white, but I wanted to leave the first one in colour. I thought it illustrates quite well how I look - pale and with tiny little blue eyes. I'm quite fond of it, although I say so myself!

I love... -- Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

2009-10-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Clever photography by Arno Rafael Minkkinen

Aaah, I feel like my list is so empty this week, although I've felt very happy. Maybe I've just been so happy that I didn't have time to search for extra love online? Here goes!

!First on a superficial note: new STUFF! I just ordered a stunning pair of faux Ann D. lace up booties from Freepeople.com, which are due to arrive this week, got a winter coat - a beautiful chocolate brown faux fur. It's like my new home, so warm and comfy and soft - I practically live in it! Also, lace tights which remind me of spider webs - expect outfit posts sooon!

!Yesterday I buried my phone, which resembled a period pad more than anything else, into the depths of my memory for good. It was - as many of us have witnessed - quite bruised up, after all. I have established a fresh, more serious relationship with my new iPhone - we are very much in love.

!The Pippilotti Rist exhibition I visited last week - it was breathtakinglyamazing! The whole upstairs of Kiasma has transformed into a mystical fairy tale land, with video art projected onto the huge walls, trees casting magical shadows all over the space and soft pillows and carpets spread all over the floor. The atmosphere is like being inside a huge candle, I would say. Or drowning while on drugs. I feel very inspired to redecorate my apartment, and projecting videos of clouds, glistering water, fire flies and wild bores onto every surface!

There are few art projects which can touch people so clearly, and bring them together. At Elixir everyone was just in awe, laying on the floor and smiling like idiots. The installation really served it's purpose of being the elixir of life - it really energized me, and left me feeling good all over. We need more of this during the dark and depressing nordic winters!

!Having lots of free food left over from my dad's 50th birthday. And I mean LOTS! It's fun to be able to have friends over and treat them to delicious munchies, plus I don't think I need so spend any money on food this month. Why would I when the freezer is overflowing?

!Is your life blurred? How do a camera objective and your troubles compare?

!Anni from Style Hurricane is celebrating hitting the 300 followers mark by having her first giveaway! The incredibly talented young fashion blogger from Estonia also makes her own zipper jewelry. Up for grabs is one of her rings. Hurry up, before it's gone!

!I just found out that the incredibly stylish Rumi from Fashion Toast has her own online shop. She sells her old pieces on another Shoptoast for pretty decent prices. Sign up for PayPal and get shopping!

!ARTS THREAD is an online community for the arts and design world. It's the first ever possibility for students, graduates, universities and industry to network and showcase their work. Thanks for the link, Phil!

!Bonzai Aphrodite shows how to live a life a little more mindful. A blog on food, fashion, farming for the urban fashionista and more - read!

!There is a possibility that energy efficient houses are going to be tax free in the future. Yay to forward green thinking in politics! (Text in Finnish)

!This recipe for a homemade yeast mask against oily and impure skin. Because my skin is NOT cooperating at the moment!

!Obama's Nobel Price election and the reasons behind it.

Laugher Yoga

2009-10-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

When my mum suggested we go for a class of laugher yoga I didn't really know what to expect. I had heard of the existence of such a thing before, but had no real picture of what it actually was about. A bunch of idiots laughing at mediocre jokes while trying to manage the lotus? Standing on your head while watching Little Britain? Figuring and open mind and a couple laughs had never done me any harm, I went along. A good hour and many hysteric laughs later I was much the wiser.

Laughter Yoga was invented by Dr. Madan Kataria one early spring morning in March of 1995, after the Mumbai native had read a series of studies proving the mental and physical benefits of laughter on the human body. Wondering why adults spent so little time doing as simple a thing as laughing, he convinced a handful of strangers to come laugh with him. Within only a few days tens of new members had joined the first ever laughter club.

In the beginning members of the club would stand in a circle and take turns telling jokes, but problems arose quickly. Members began feeling offended by some of the humor, and the group was in danger of falling apart. Wanting to prevent this Dr. Kataria had to think of a way of getting his students to laugh without jokes. Thats when he learned that laughter, whether real or fake, has the same physiological effects on the body. This is to say that your body has no idea whether you are genuinely laughing or just pretending! And so the Laughter Yoga we know today was born. A combination of yogic breathing (Pranayaama), meditation, voluntary physical gestures like clapping, chanting and animated movements combined with unconditional laughing stimulate your phallic muscles "massaging" your organs, releasing lots of endorphins, increasing intake of oxygen and boosting your immune system. It recharges your metabolism, and you'll feel fresh and energized!

But how can I laugh if I'm not in the mood, you may wonder. It's quite simple! Laughter yoga relies on the two way body and mind theory - the way you feel in your mind effects your body and vice versa. In order to laugh you don't need to be happy. Happiness is a much more complicated term than joy - it's effected by the past, the future and many different variables in each person's life, whereas joy can be instant. The key is to fake it until you make it! It may seem foolish in the beginning, but especially when laughing in a group, you will notice fake laughter turn into real, unconditional laughter very quickly. It's all about letting go of your inhibitions, making eye contact and letting the laughter catch on to you - trust me, it's addictive!

It's shocking how little adults laugh. I'm confronted with it in every day life all the time - as a person who giggles hysterically at the silliest of things I often feel stupid because nobody else is laughing. I used to be ashamed of this, but now I just think it's sad. (Even when I was looking for pictures to include in this post I had real trouble finding any of adults laughing - except for some ancient photos of a nude Heidi Klum grinning seductively into the camera there wasn't really anything of quality. The only suitable picture I found was of a laughing DOG! But the copyright didn't suit my needs, so there are no pictures this time!) The problem with adults is that they need a logical reason to laugh - it's called the mind to body model. You need all the components of a well narrated joke, a joyful state-of-mind and a good sense of humor to get an adult to laugh - which results in us laughing an average of 10-15 times a day (meaning that there are people out there who NEVER laugh!) whereas children, who's laughter functions according to the body to mind model, laugh 300 - 400 times a day! So what if you don't find all these components to get you laughing on a daily basis?

You join a Laughter Yoga club! Western laughing clubs will typically meet once a week or once every two weeks, although it is recommended to laugh every day. Clubs in India, for example, meet daily. You can expect the class to begin with a series of yogic breathing exercises (Pranayaama) followed by some playful acting which includes making sounds and gestures which ease the transition into laughter. For example you may pretend you are pulling on a chainsaw, and every time you "pull" you make the sound "Eeeh" until the machine is "on" and you are laughing "Eeeeehehehehehehehehe" . Everyone in the group would then go around pretending to saw each other while hysterically laughing. (Violent example, I know...) A laughing chant is also an important part of laughing exercises. While clapping your hands, palm to palm, you chant "HO-HO-HA-HA-HA!" four times. Again, this tricks the body into thinking that you're really laughing, stimulates the nerve endings in the palms of your hands and gives structure to the class. After about an hour or so of laughing exercises, the class will lay down on their backs like rays of sun, everyones heads pointing into the middle of the circle. This is free laughing time, when you get yourself to laugh and keep doing it freely. The laughter changes in a wave-like pattern - it may be hysterical at times and near extinct at others, but the sound of your fellow laughers (and yourself) will keep you going. There are not many times in my life when I have laughed so hard for so long - for about 20 minutes we just lay there, laughing away like there was no tomorrow to the point where everyone was in pain. Once everybody has calmed down you have a final meditation session where you focus on breathing and relaxing your body before going home.

On the day of my first laughter experience I was feeling very tired and agitated after a night of hardly any sleep. Dragging myself to an exercise class was the last thing on my mind. But having laughed for over an hour I felt happy and energized - like I could tackle anything! I'm sure if it could take me out of that state, laughing yoga could cure any sour mood and even fight depression. Each one of us has bad days, and in all honesty - we don't laugh enough. Even if you do laugh a lot, it can't hurt to laugh a bit more! So do yourself and the rest of the world a favor - just try it! Even if from now on you only laugh alone or crack up at the worst of jokes, it will improve your life by miles... then I won't have to keep wishing for an answer to world peace for Christmas any longer - I will just have found it!

For more information on laughter yoga you can check out the official homepage, where they explain all about it, as well as tell you where to find your local laughter club. (Trust me, there'll be one!) And the best thing? Laughter yoga clubs are for free!

P.S. Hahahahahaahahahaaaa!

And on a more serious note...

Setting up for autumn

2009-10-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

Glass plates: IKEA, cream coloured salad plates: IKEA, green cake plates: Nanny Still, green glasses: Kartio by Iittala, wine glasses: IKEA, water jug: limited edition Iittala, tea lights: Kivi by Iittala, large ceramic bowl: Hanna Saren for Kermansavi, glass vases: Nanny Still, napkins: Marimekko, napkin rings: thrifted, silver place mats: Indiska, glass bead coasters: Indiska, tablecloth: from my gran's

Decorating your table is one of the easiest (and least tacky) ways of bringing seasonal flair into your interior. It can be hard to come up with ways to alter your setting, though, especially if you are on a tight budget and don't have different tableware to suit your every mood. But worry not! Here are some easy tips on how to transform your table from dull into a pile of seasonal bliss!

1. Don't be afraid to Mix and Match!

Most of us mere mortals only own one set of tableware - if even that! Take me: I have never paid for a plate in my life, but inherited some antique Finnish design glassware like the green plates by Nanny Still from my grandmother, got a lot of Iittala pieces as various gifts, took lots of IKEA plates and glasses used at my mum's wedding home and wished for Hanna Saren dishes as my graduation present. (In Finland it's very common that young people start collecting a series of tableware before they move out, so they get pieces for birthdays, Christmases and other celebrations.)

There is nothing wrong with mismatching your table decoration - in fact, it will probably look more exciting than matching everything. Look for similarities in colour, pattern or design and then get creative!

2. Key pieces

Key pieces in neutral colours go a long way. Just imagine what you can pair a simple white plate with - everything! Keeping basics simple helps to pull everything together. Invest in colourful bowls, glasses and serving dishes instead.

3.Colour scheme

Think about what colours to incorporate into the look you are going for. I recommend keeping the colour palette narrow but playing with different hues and contrasts. You can easily alter your decoration with inexpensive accessories like placemats, coasters, napkins and candles in different colours.

4.Bring the outside in

A beautiful bouquet of flowers will set the table alive, but you can also incorporate parts of nature into your decor in other ways. Think about what it is outside that makes the seasons. In spring you might bring in a blooming branch of Jasmine flowers, during autumn a bowl of bright red apples straight from the garden will look great, and when winter comes along you can make ice candles that bring the sub zero temperatures inside (just place a beer bottle into a bowl of ice and replace it with a candle once everything has frozen) .

5. Think outside the box!

We don't always have to decorate with the traditional flower and candle arrangements, do we? Take a look around the house and see what you have. Why not build a miniature farm on your dinner table using plastic animals, throw cake sprinkles and glitter onto your tablecloth or serve cocktails out of test tubes? The skies are the limits and all, dahlings!

...

I had actually meant to tell you about how to decorate your table for autumn, but by the looks things this is becoming more and more of a winter post... we had our first snowfall today! I still can't believe it - it's only October and fall has barely begun. The beauty and serenity of the first snow is something I've always loved. I can't wait for the world outside to turn a hollow white silence, for christmas lanterns to light our dark afternoons and for ice skating in the evenings accompanied by hot chocolate . The colder it gets outside the warmer I seem to feel inside - all fuzzy and cozy and excited. And it's so crazy to say all this before Halloween!

xx Jasmin

!Dahlings, what are your craziest ideas for table decor? What season is it there now, and how does it make you feel?