Aim High, Willis!

Hello, people of the Internet!

I can't remember the last time I had as busy a busy weekend at work as I just did... I am sore, tired, and so very happy that next weekend I won't have to work. Damn it, I won't work even if all my coworkers got sick. Do I sound awful? Nah.. I earned my time off. Besides, I need to catch up on school work anyway. 

I haven't told you guys yet, but I'm on the lookout for a volunteer placement abroad! If you know me, it's not hard to guess where I want to go :) I have sent out inquiries (a lot of them) and gotten a bunch of replies... but I won't share more until I have something concrete. I know, I'm a tease. You guys know, however, that I cannot keep my mouth shut if I get a chance to go abroad for an extended period of time, so you'll be sure to hear if/when I have good news. 

I just realized I have an unopened bottle of wine here... it's late, so I'll save it for tomorrow. Mondays suck. 

Have a great week! <3

Where I've Been... What I've Been Doing

Hey, guys!

Um... is there anyone left? I've been away for a while, taking a break from blogging and just focusing on other things, so I don't blame you if you've deleted my blog from your reading list. 

I haven't just been chilling, I've actually been quite busy the last few months! Here are some updates from what has happened:

Been busy with school.

Pretty self-explanatory.

I wrote the 1st draft of my novel in November, participating in NaNoWriMo.

And yes, I made it to 50,000 words! I'm so happy and proud of myself for doing that, because to be honest, I did not think I could do it. Now I'm slowly working on the second draft and am psyched to notice the progress I'm making!

I traveled to the United Arab Emirates last month!

We were all sick at some point during the vacation, but had such an amazing trip nonetheless! We spent the first half of our stay in Abu Dhabi, where my friend lives, and it was amazing to see her after 4,5 years. After Abu Dhabi we went to Dubai, and went to see the tallest building in the world among other things. If you'd like me to do a separate post about this trip, let me know! :)

I had a friend visit me from the States.

It can be challenging to see your own country through someone else's eyes and be a good hostess, but I think she enjoyed her stay and she definitely got a taste of the real Finland!

And now I'm back in school. 

Again, pretty self-explanatory.

So that's what's been going on with me. Lately I've been thinking about coming back to blogging, even though at one point I was sure I'd never do it again. I don't know why. But I'm here now. I doubt I'll ever leave for good. 

So, what have y'all been doing???

Red or White?

I recently realized I haven't had a chance to really rest since I moved. Every day I've either been at school or at work, or running errands, or cleaning up and unpacking my stuff. 

My muscles hurt so bad!

Last week was crazy in particular, and after work last night I went to my dad's and said I needed some wine asap. He gave me the whole bottle. So my plan for tonight is to sit at my desk, light a few candles, have a glass (or two) of wine and work on my writing. Sound good? Me thinks it sounds like heaven. <3

In the midst of all this madness, I wanted to share a few tips on how to keep your mind positive and stay happy though your life may not make a lot of sense. 

*Keep your friends close. Just because you're busy, you shouldn't ditch your friends. 

*Get out every once in a while! Don't bury yourself in homework or in my case, cleaning and unpacking. Make sure you get a breather and take care of yourself. 

*Subscribe to Notes from the Universe. Find out more HERE

My schedule eases up a little for the next couple of weeks, so I'm hoping I'll have more time to blog and do more fun things :) I wanna go see movies and hang out with friends, and just relax! Is that too much to ask? Sometimes it is, and that's ok. As long as I can have time for myself every day. Not all day every day, but even a little. 

And that glass of wine doesn't hurt, either. 

Mun elämä on ollut nyt sellasta hullunmyllyä tässä viime aikoina, etten ole saanut levättyä ollenkaan.  Lihakset kipeinä ja väsyneenä painelen menemään, mutta koitan pysyä positiivisena. Ja kun elämä potkii päähän ja persuksillekin vielä, niin haen iskältä lisää viiniä. 

I moved!

Guuuuyyss, it has been a crazy week! Sorry for being so quiet on the blog, but let me tell ya... moving sucks. Even if you're moving to a brand new, renovated apartment, it sucks. It really takes everything out of you, and it's known to be one of the most stressful things in a person's life. 

My moving process wasn't the easiest; at first I heard I wasn't going to have running water until October 6th (my moving day was October 1st). Well, my dad lives in the same building, so I can shower at his place and all. Fine. Then, the workers didn't finish my apartment on time, because someone forgot to tell them I was moving in despite the water issue. So after leaving my old apartment I spent the first night at my mom's, and the second at my brother's. Yesterday I finally moved in, even though there's no water and I can't really use my kitchen. But sleeping in my own bed is the best thing<3 And Monday is already so close, I'll have water and then my apartment is completely finished. And I can start unpacking. 

I hope you all have had a better week, a less stressful one at least. Today wasn't too bad, I got to go to IKEA with my mom ;) got a lot of nice (and necessary) things and I still have to order a home delivery for a couch and possibly a burrow. 

Any interest in seeing a home tour once it's finished? :)

Kaiken saakelinmoisen sekoilun jälkeen pääsin vihdoin muuttamaan. Juoksevaa vettä ei ole, mutta onneksi iskä asuu samassa rakennuksessa ja pääsen sen luo suihkuun ym. Muutto on kyllä yksi stressaavimmista asioista ikinä, ja on ollut rehellisesti sanottuna aika kamalaa :D vaikka onkin uusi ja vastaremontoitu asunto. 

Nojaa.. kyllä tää tästä. Kiinnostaako nähdä asunto kuvina kun on valmista? :)

Sometimes Life Sucks

Well, hello there! 

Above you see the main reason for my absence. That's right. My moving day is getting closer! I am excited and terrified at the same time. I''m stressed and a little tense, and my muscles hurt. But in a week this will all be over. And hopefully so worth everything. 

Besides moving I'm busy with school, so for the next few weeks I will be super busy. 

Right now I'm laying on my bed with a steaming hot cup of tea, watching Friends and just... hanging out. My couch was picked up today and I'm happy about that; I have all this extra space now to start piling up stuff that I've already packed. I'm being rebellious and skipping school tomorrow so that I can continue the packing, because I just love it so much. And I would only have 2 hours of math tomorrow.. so I'm forgiven, right?

No heipä hei!

Tuossa ylhäällä näette syyn poissaolooni.. Jep, muuttopäivä lähenee! Olen innoissani ja kauhuissani. Stressaantunut ja pinna kireällä, lihakset kipeenä. Mutta viikon päästä tämäkin on ohi, ja toivottavasti kaiken arvoista. 

Muuttamisen lisäksi koulun kanssa pitää kiirettä, joten muutaman seuraavan viikon aikana tulen olemaan todella kiireinen. Nyt makailen sängylläni kuuman teekupin kanssa katsellen Frendejä ja.. olen vain. Mun sohva haettiin tänään ja olen tyytyväinen siitä, koska nyt mulla on tuota ekstra tilaa mihin pinota pakattuja laatikoita. Huomenna oon kapinallinen ja lintsaan koulusta, että voin jatkaa pakkaamista, koska sehän nyt on niin ihanaa. Sitä paitsi huomenna olisi vaan pari tuntia matikkaa, joten lintsaaminen annettakoon anteeksi.

Hair Thing

Hey, guys. Remember when I told you I would dye part of my hair pink? Well, I did it! 

I was looking for a darker shade of pink; this turned out super pastel, but starting out with this pinkish shade is a good thing, I guess :) I'll get a darker color if after a while I still feel like keeping my hair like this. This color is semi-permanent and should last for about a month. I only dyed a part of my hair in the very back of my head, so I can hide the pink part if I want to... or I can definitely show it off as well. Love it!

No niin! Muistatteko kun kerroin värjääväni tukkani pinkiksi? No se tapahtui! Olisin halunnut vähän tummemman sävyn, tästä tuli todella pastelli. Mutta ehkä on ihan hyvä aloitella hiljalleen :) Hommaan tummemman värin jos haluan jatkossakin pitää hiukseni tällaisina. Tämä on kevytväri ja kestää vain noin kuukauden. Värjäsin vain osan hiuksistani takaa, joten pinkin osan saa piiloon tarvittaesa, tai sitä voi myös näyttävästi esitellä! Tykkään!

Hommasin värin Cybershopista, ja sävy on tämä.

Fall Inspiration + Vlogging?!

Fall is the perfect time for something new. Anything new. I love fall. I love the promise of new beginnings. It's a clean table, a fresh start. What's not to love?

I've got one more week until I start school, and start a new chapter in my life. (I'm sorry if I've been talking about this too much! Can't help it, I'm psyched!) I'm looking forward to doing some more shopping for school; obviously I still need my school books, more note books and what not. But I'm also looking forward to shopping some new clothes, and maybe doing something new to my hair... I recently cut my hair, and haven't regretted it, BUT, I'm not a fan of my current blonde hair color. In case you're not aware: I am always in the middle of a hair crisis. 

Anyways, I'm wanting to go back to dark hair, because I really feel more like me with dark hair. I just don't know if I'm up to hearing all the complaints about it; my parents just loooooove my blonde hair. Way too much, if you ask me. Not that they are in control of my hair, but I just hate hearing about it, you know? 

Before going back to dark, I decided to spice things up a bit, and do what I've been wanting to do for years. Go PINK!

Not all the way, but yeah... I can't wait. Will keep you guys updated!

Syksy on täydellistä aikaa kaikelle uudelle. Rakastan syksyä. Rakastan lupausta uusista aluista. Voi aloittaa puhtaalta pöydältä, mikä sen parempaa?

Aloitan koulun viikon päästä, uuden kappaleen elämässäni. (Anteeksi, jos tästä on tullu lätistyä vähän liikaa! En voi sille mitään, olen vain niin innoissani!) Odotan pääseväni shoppailemaan lisää koulutarvikkeita; tietysti tarvitsen koulukirjat ja lisää vihkoja sun muuta. Mutta odotan myös pääseväni shoppailemaan vähän uusia vaatteita ja ehkä teen tukallenikin jotain uutta... Hiljattain leikkautin hiukseni, enkä ole sitä katunut, MUTTA en ole tyytyväinen nykyiseen vaaleaan hiusväriini. Jos ette tiedä, niin minulla on jatkuva tukkakriisi päällä. 

No mutta kuitenkin, haluaisin palata tummaan tukkaan, koska tunnen sen enemmän osana itseäni. En vain millään jaksaisi kuulla valituksia siitä; vanhempani kun rakastavat vaaleaa tukkaani. Ihan liikaa, jos minulta kysytään. Ei sillä, että he kontrolloisivat tukkaani, mutta ei niitä kommentteja jaksa koko aikaa, jos ymmärrätte mitä tarkoitan. 

Ennen kuin palaan tummaan, päätin vähän sekoittaa pakkaa ja tehdä jotain, mistä olen haaveillut jo vuosia. Pinkki tukka!

Ei kokonaan, mutta kuitenkin... en malta odottaa! Pidän teiät ajantasalla!

Don't think I'll end this blog without addressing the other thing mentioned in the title! So.. vlogging. Tried it, failed at it. Ready to give it another shot. And I guess I'm just wondering if you guys would be interested in seeing random vids here? Both in Finnish and in English. I haven't filmed anything yet, and I'm not making any promises that I ever will, but I would just like to know what you guys think of the idea. Let me know! :)

Älkää luulko, että lopetan mainitsematta toista otsikossa esiintyvää asiaa! Joten... vloggaaminen. Kokeiltu. Epäonnistuttu. Valmis kokeilemaan uudestaan. Ja mietin tässä, että olisittekohan te kiinnostuneita näkemään randomeja videoita täällä? Sekä suomeksi että englanniksi. En ole kuvannut vielä mitään, enkä lupaa mitään, mutta olisi kiva tietää mitä mieltä olette tästä ideasta. Antakaahan kuulua! :)

End of Summer

I'm sitting on my couch, eating Finnish strawberries. They are probably the last ones of this summer. Year after year I find this moment very bittersweet. The strawberries are so delicious, but fall is inevitably on its way, and I know I won't be eating these for another year. I have probably raved about Finnish strawberries before, but in case you've forgotten: they're the best in the world. Because the summers are so full of light and it doesn't get dark at all, the ground/soil keeps producing sugar even at night, and that makes the strawberries extra sweet and full of flavor. 

It somehow marks the end of summer here, when you can't find strawberries anymore. I was surprised to find these. 

Despite of missing summer already, when it hasn't even completely ended, I am really looking forward to the fall. I'm starting school on September 1st and I'll be moving to a new apartment on October 1st. A lot of new things happening here! This Friday I will be going shopping for school supplies; I've always loved doing that, ever since I was a little girl. That was my favorite thing to do before going back to school. Can't wait!

Istuskelen tässä sohvallani ja syön suomalaisia mansikoita. Varmaan tämän kesän viimeiset. Vuosi vuodelta tämä hetki tuntuu aina katkeransuloiselta. Mansikat ovat niin herkullisia, mutta syksy on väistämättä tulossa, ja tiedän, etten saa mansikoita taas vuoteen. Olen varmasti ylistänyt suomalaisia mansikoita täällä ennenkin (ja te suomalaiset lukijani kyllä tiedätte, että ne ovat ylistämisen arvoisia), mutta jos olette unohtaneet: ne ovat maailman parhaita. Jotenkin se merkkaa kesän lopun, kun mansikoita ei enää löydä kaupoista. Yllätyinkin kun löysin nämä. 

Vaikka ikävöin jo kesää, eikä se ole edes kunnolla päättynyt, myös todella odotan syksyä. Aloitan koulun syyskuun ensimmäisenä päivänä ja muutan uuteen asuntoon lokakuun ensimmäisenä. Paljon uusia juttuja! Nyt perjantaina lähden ostelemaan koulutarvikkeita; olen aina rakastanut sitä, pikkutytöstä lähtien. Se oli lempiasiani aina ennen kouluun paluuta. En jaksaisi odottaa! 

My future apartment will undergo a total renovation before I move in. Can't wait to show you guys the after-photos!

Tuleva asuntoni remontoidaan täysin ennen muuttoani. En malta odottaa, että saan näyttää teille jälkeen-kuvat!

The Creative Process

It's been a while since I've talked about my favorite subject: writing. Sometimes I feel like my blog is the only place where I can really talk about it; unfortunately I have failed so far in surrounding myself with other people who write. Some of my friends ask about it every once in a while, but I tend to stop myself from talking after a while. Otherwise I will not shut up. Ever. 

The creative process is an interesting thing, and different for every person. What works for one writer, might not work for another, that's a given. Some like listening to music while they write, and speaking of that, make sure to check out this post by Kami McArthur. And listen to that playlist. Uh-mazing! 

Some write and write and write, and then rewrite everything. Nothing is ever good enough.

Some let their friends read their work as soon as one chapter is ready, and some never show their work to anyone. 

Most of us have a wide range of emotions and feelings when it comes to our work. I am loving, hating, liking, and resenting my writing. Sometimes all at once. It can be frustrating, but in the end, when I write something I don't want to erase, it's worth all of it. 

Tästä onkin aikaa, kun olen viimeksi puhunut lempiaiheestani: kirjoittamisesta. Joskus tuntuu, että tämä blogi on ainoa paikka missä voin puhua siitä; valitettavasti olen epäonnistunut haalimaan ympärilleni ihmisiä, jotka myös kirjoittavat. Jotkut ystävistäni kysyvät aiheesta silloin tällöin, mutta yleensä estän itseäni puhumasta liikaa. Muuten suutani ei saisi tukkoon. Ikinä. 

Luomisen prosessi on mielenkiintoinen asia, ja erilainen jokaisella. On selvää, että yhden kirjailijan keinot eivät välttämättä toimi toisella. Jotkut haluavat kuunnella musiikkia kirjoittaessaan, ja kun nyt siitä puhutaan, niin lukaiskaapa tämä postaus, jonka on kirjoittanut Kami McArthur. Ja kuunnelkaa se soittolista. Aivan mahtava!

Jotkut kirjoittavat ja kirjoittavat, ja sitten kirjoittavat saman uudestaan. Mikään ei ikinä riitä. 

Jotkut antavat ystäviensä lukea tekeleitään heti, kun yksi kappale on valmis, toiset taas eivät koskaan näytä töitään muille. 

Useimmat meistä kokevat laajan skaalan tunteita kirjoittamisesta. Minä rakastan, vihaan, pidän ja halveksun omia raapustuksiani. Joskus tunnen tätä kaikkea samaan aikaan. Se voi olla hyvin turhauttavaa, mutta loppujen lopuksi, kun saan aikaiseksi jotain, mitä en halua pyyhkiä, se on kaiken arvoista. 

Back in Business!

Hey y'all! :)

I just got back from England today, and am excited to share my trip with you! If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen a lot, but I'm planning on writing a few detailed posts here. I had such an amazing time in the UK, and I wish I could have stayed longer. I do know that I will be going back at some point, though. I got back today around noon, and haven't slept much, so I'm pretty wiped. I'm still on vacation until the end of this week, so during that time I will try and sort out my pictures and other things and get back into blogging! Talk to you guys later, hope you'll have a great week!

Heippa kaikille!

Tulin tänään takaisin Englannista, enkä malta odottaa että pääsen jakamaan reissuni teidän kanssa! Jos seuraatte mua Instagramissa, niin olette nähnyt jo paljon kuvia, mutta suunnitteilla on kirjoittaa yksityiskohtaisia postauksia tänne. Reissuni Britanniassa oli aivan mahtava, ja mielelläni olisin jäänyt pidemmäksikin aikaa. Tiedän kuitenkin, että jossain vaiheessa sinne palaan. Tulin takaisin siis tänään puoliltapäivin, enkä ole paljoa nukkunut, joten oon aika rättiväsynyt. Kesälomani kestää vielä tämän viikon, joten sen aikana pyrin saamaan valokuvat ja muut asiat järjestykseen, että voin sitten palata bloggaamisen ääreen! Palaillaan siis myöhemmin, hyvää viikkoa kaikille! 

Bon Voyage to me!

Hey guys! 

Two weeks of vacation behind, two more ahead. I am happy and relaxed. Only slightly stressed due to packing, because tomorrow it's LONDON, BABY! I am sooooo freakin' excited to go, and cannot wait to get there! I love London so much, and it has been a while since my last visit. Lately I've been so preoccupied with everything else I haven't even had time to think about this trip, and it's sort of just hitting me now. I've been slowly packing my stuff for the last few hours and I'm mostly done! :) Only a few more things that will have to wait until tomorrow morning. My flight is at 4.25pm, which is a nice change. I usually find myself flying at inhumane times.. Anyways, most likely I will not be blogging during my trip, but will surely share everything with ya afterwards! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram (@grasshopper89) for daily updates! 

Heippa vaan kaikille! 

Kaksi viikkoa lomaa takana, kaksi edessä. Täällä kirjoittelee onnellinen ja rentoutunut tyttönen. Ihan pikkuinen stressi päällä pakkaamisen takia; huomenna suuntana LONTOO! Olen niiiiiiin niiiiin innoissani menossa takaisin sinne pitkän ajan jälkeen! Viime aikoina olen ollut niin kiireinen, etten ole ehtinyt uhrata ajatustakaan Lontoolle, joten kaikki vähän niin kuin iski päin näköä tänään. Olen tässä viime tuntien aikana hitaasti pakkaillut ja melkein valmista on jo! :) Vain jotain pientä pakattavaa enää, tavaroita joita en voi pakata ennen huomisaamua. Lento lähtee huomenna klo 16.25, mikä on mukavaa vaihtelua. Yleensä olen lentänyt hyvin epäinhimillisinä aikoina.. No mutta, en usko että bloggailen reissun aikana, mutta todellakin tulen täällä jakamaan kaiken jälkeenpäin! Älkääkä unohtako seurata mua Instagramissa (@grasshopper89), jonne laittelen joka päivä kuvia!

I chopped my hair a few days ago! Lost maybe 30cm.. But I love it! What do you think? :)

About 100 Happy Days

On April I took part in the 100 Happy Days challenge and yesterday, on the 24th of July, my 100 days were full. 

The idea of the challenge is to pick your platform and post a picture of something that makes you happy every day for 100 days. It can be anything; food, friends, places, books, etc. If it makes you happy, post it and share it with everyone! I am happy to report that I succeeded in this and as far as I know I never skipped a day. I posted my pictures on Instagram (@grasshopper89) and also shared some of my thoughts here on my blog. You can find them under the tag 100 Happy Days. 

I'm proud of myself for doing this. It wasn't always easy, but I did it, and this certainly reminded me that no matter how awful my day was, there was always something good in it. This challenge made me look for those things. Some days were easier than others. But every day I was happy about something. Not all day every day, but every day. I encourage you all to take part in this, because I really feel it has made a positive difference in the way I see things. 

Huhtikuussa osallistuin 100 Happy Days -haasteeseen, ja eilen, 24. heinäkuuta, minun 100 päivääni tulivat täyteen.

Ideana on valita jokin sosiaalisen median sivusto, ja julkaista kyseisellä sivulla joka päivä kuva jostain, mikä tekee sinut onnelliseksi, ja jatkaa tätä 100 päivän ajan. Se voi olla mitä vain; ruokaa, ystäviä, paikkoja, kirjoja tms. Jos se tekee sinut onnelliseksi, postaa se ja jaa muiden kanssa! Olen erittäin iloinen voidessani kertoa, että onnistuin haasteessa ja ainakaan omien tietojen mukaan yksikään päivä ei jäänyt välistä. Julkaisin kuvani Instagramissa (@grasshopper89), ja jaoin myös joitakin ajatuksiani täällä blogissa. Kyseiset kirjoitukset löytyvät 100 Happy Days -tagin alta. 

Olen ylpeä itsestäni ja siitä että onnistuin. Se ei aina ollut helppoa, mutta tein sen, ja tämä tosiaan muistutti minua, että olipa päiväni kuinka huono tahansa, siinä oli aina jotain hyvääkin. Tämä haaste pakotti minut etsimään noita asioita. Jotkut päivät olivat helpompia kuin toiset. Mutta joka päivä olin onnellinen jostain. En koko päivää joka päivä, mutta joka päivä. Haastankin nyt teidät kaikki ottamaan osaa tähän, koska ainakin itsessäni näen erittäin positiivisen muutoksen. 

You can find more information HERE.

Changes(?)

All right. I've been thinking, guys... Sweet Mother of Chaos needs some changes. 

"Why?" you may ask.

Well... changing it into something new and better not only improves my motivation but also (hopefully) raises the amount of readers. Also, I want to make the blog more suiting to my current lifestyle and to everything that's going on. My summer vacation is on in just a few weeks, and after it's over, I only have two weeks until I go back to school. Not having studied in three years, it's going to be a big change for me :) a good one, I hope.

I also want to change the name of this blog. Any suggestions? 

Whatever it will be, I want my name to be in it (even if it's just something like sweet mother of chaos by iira). SMOC has been a a lot of fun, and this blog ain't going nowhere, it's just going to be updated. I wanted to give you guys a heads up. Obviously, changes in the appearance of this blog only concern Blogger, and not Glipho. My readers in the latter will only notice changes in the content of the blog. 

I hope you're having a slammin' week so far. I'm in the middle of a long stretch of work, but it's all good. Been in an exceptionally good mood lately. I wonder if my upcoming vacation has something to do with that ;) 

Today I went to see Maleficent at long last, and I have to say, it was awesome! Not what I expected, much better. 

Talk to you later, lovelies :)

Where I've Been

Sooo.. You may or may not have noticed I've stayed away from the blogging world for a while now. 19 days to be exact. 

In case you're wondering, I've done so intentionally. Not that I had too many brilliant ideas for upcoming posts, but my lack of motivation did strike at a good time for once. To be honest, I grew a little tired of blogging, because I felt like nothing was happening. Let's face it; where's the fun when no one reads your blog or writes their own? 

I hate to rant, so I'll just leave it at that, and tell you what I've been up to in the past few weeks. 

Nothing too significant has happened. I know, right? Kinda boring. While not wanting to blog, I didn't really have a reason to, either. I did book bus tickets and hotels with my friend Minna, for our upcoming trip to London! That's always exciting and fun :) Only a little over a month to go! We are super excited and happy about that. 

I've also been visiting friends, went to see an apartment I will be moving in in the fall, have made some plans as to how I will decorate it, I've done some reading and watched a lot of Orange Is The New Black, The Nanny, and Disappeared. I made a little trip to Staples with my mom, to check out what I would need when school starts. I swear, Staples is my heaven. I LOVE office supplies. 

I can't say I've enjoyed summer, because the weather is nothing like summer... it's been very cold and rainy so far, and I can only hope it'll get better by the time my vacation starts, which is July 21st. I'm having a friend over from Germany, and I would love for her to see how lovely Finland can be in the summer :)

This week I've been sick, and spent a few days at my mom's new house in the country side. Even though the weather sucks, she still found wild strawberries from her yard :) so yummy! 

So yeah, that's what's happening. I'm still a little ill, running a little temperature and coughing. I'll return to work this Saturday, though, and can't wait to get back to some kinda routine. Tomorrow I'm getting together with some old co-workers and that ought to be a lot of fun! 

And what comes to my blog's future; I honestly have no idea. I'm sure I won't stop, I just love this too much. I'm excited to share certain things with you, and would love to get back to regular blogging, but right now I can't make any promises. While I love blogging, I also loved not having to stress about it for 19 days. 

If you're reading this, and happen to have good tips on blogging (ideas, how to not give up, etc.), then please leave a comment below. Love you all for reading, and still remaining in my list of followers. It means a lot. 

Hope you're all having a good week so far!

England Calling!

Ah! I am so happy and excited, you guys!

Today I booked a flight to London. 

In case you didn't know, I love London. 

I haven't visited London in six and a half years. My two-hour layover last December does not count. And being away from a place I love for over six years is just wrong. I am so happy to be going back, even if it is only for a week. London has a special place in my heart, and I can go back any number of times and still feel the first love. 

I'm going on this trip with Minna, who is one of my very best and closest friends. And this trip is going to be very special for us, because at the time we will be in England, it will be exactly ten years since the last time we were there together. In the summer of 2004 we spent three weeks in Torquay, South West England, and that journey was what sparked the desire to travel in us. We were just a couple of fifteen-year-olds on a language course, traveling without our parents for the first time. And our hearts were stolen by Torquay in the English Riviera and London. We have both been to London after that first time, but never in Torquay. That's a place where we should go together, and in just two months we will :) 

I will most definitely share my trip with y'all, and can't wait to go! I'm so happy to have something this great to look forward to. 

Have a happy rest of the weekend! <3

Jammin' June: Country Music

I LOVE country music. I thoroughly enjoy everything about it. This is actually something I think not a lot of people know about me :) well, you know now. The thing is, country music isn't a Finnish thing and we rarely hear it on the radio. So I put on my jams on YouTube or Spotify (bless the Internet, right?!) and whenever I'm in the US, I find a country station to listen to. 

Today I want to rave about Lucy Hale and her debut album Road Between, that came out today! 

You might know her from Pretty Little Liars, but in case you weren't aware, she's an amazing singer!

I was so excited when I heard she was working on a country album and now it's finally out... Gotta raise a hat to a girl this young who's doing so well in the entertainment business and seems to have her head and heart in the right place, and her feet on the ground. 

Road Between is a wonderful album with catchy tracks. Lucy's voice is pure and clear (and lovely), and I'm happy to be listening to real country music after a loooooong time. I hate to say it, but I feel like some country singers have lost their touch and are doing music that's not really country anymore.

I'm not lying when I say I love all the tracks on this album, but here are some of my favs:

Road Between

You Sound Good To Me

Red Dress

Nervous Girls

And now, stop reading this, and go get your copy of the album or listen to it online! :) If you love country music, you'll love this album. 

Happy May: New Beginnings!

Hey y'all! :) 

In my last post I said I've received some very good news, and I am so excited to share everything with you! If you follow me on Instagram you already know this, but if you don't, then here it is:

I GOT ACCEPTED TO SCHOOL! YESSS!!!

I am so excited about this! I applied on a whim, took the entrance exam with no expectations, and refused to stress about it. I was prepared for any scenario, but when I found out I got accepted to Lahti University of Applied Sciences, I realized how much I had actually wanted it. I will be studying International Business, and this all makes me very happy and I can't wait to start school in September! Well... I can wait. I have the entire summer ahead of me before school starts, lots and lots of happy things! :) 

I'm a sucker for office supplies, and can't wait to go shopping for school stuff, including a desk! I will definitely need one now.. My bed is awesome, but not ideal for homework. I'm on the hunt for a new apartment as well, because I simply can't fit a desk into my current one + now that I'll be going to school in the same city I work in, it would make more sense to move there, too, right? (I live 20 minutes away now, so it's not that bad, but still).  

And, another month is coming to an end. It's time to say goodbye to May, and embrace June! It's officially summer! Although depending where you are, summer has probably already began a loooong time ago. Here in the north it comes and goes. 

The theme for next month is 

Jammin' June

Ooooo... Next month will be all about music. I look forward to sharing my favorite music with you guys! :)

Love you, and as always: thanks for reading <3

P.S. I do have one more piece of good news to share, but I am waiting a confirmation on that one. Will keep you updated! 

TBT: Home Sweet Home

Hello, lovelies!

Today has been a very emotional day. More so than I expected.

This spring my mother has been renovating her late grandmother's old house, and today she moved in. Today I said goodbye to my childhood home. 

It was weird seeing the house so empty, when just a little while ago it was full of stuff, and full of life. I have so many wonderful memories from there, and those will never go away, of course, but still it was very sad to leave. Even though I haven't lived there in five years, my mom has, and the house was always there for me and my brother to go back to when we felt lonely and wanted company. 

I lived there for 19,5 years. My mother lived there for almost 25 years. When we were kids, my mom attached glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceilings in the bedrooms, and when the lights went out, we fell asleep under those stars. I could go on and on about my happy childhood memories, but you get the picture, right? I'm very blessed to have had such a great childhood and a happy home, and I don't take those things for granted. 

My mom felt it was time to move on, and seeing her so happy and content now makes me feel happy, too. The old home was our home, and her current house is her home. It's time for another family to make memories in the old home. 

The new house has apple trees on the yard, that are in full bloom now. I'll go steal some apples in the fall. 

Now we have another home to go to :) I can't wait to make new memories there!

May Favorites

TV & MOVIES

I have all ten seasons of Friends on DVD, and what can I tell ya.. probably one of the best sit coms of all time. My brother was borrowing the DVD box for a loooong time, and I finally got it back. And watched all of the seasons, back to back. I know, right? No life. 

MUSIC

Lucy Hale - Road Between

Emeli Sandé - Read All About It

FOOD

We got to enjoy a pretty amazing weather here in Finland. For about a week, and now it's cold again. But anyways, during this weather wise weird week I had six days off (I know, right?!) and I got to enjoy the company of my friends and had a loooooooot of ice cream. Yummy!

MAKE-UP & BEAUTY

Primo Self Tanning face lotion by Dermosil. I've never used self tanning lotions before, and I don't intend to start, BUT, this one only gives your face a light, beautiful summery glow. We're not talking about a strong tan here, just some color ;) For us white people in the North, this lotion is perfect! The result is natural and the lotion doesn't leave any awkward lines on your skin. 

BOOKS

I read Lauren Oliver's latest novel, Panic. The plot was absolutely thrilling; young people facing their worst fears in a game that came to be because there was nothing else to do in a small town. 

I'm a fan of Oliver's other books, too, and this one wasn't a disappointment either! She has a unique way to depict young peoples' lives. Make sure to check this book out!

I usually prefer to read the book first before I go see the movie, but I admit I hadn't even heard about Divergent until they started promoting the movie. I'm so off the wagon when it comes to YA literature right now... My reading has taken a hit lately, but I'm working on fixing that. So yeah, I went to see the movie and loved it, and bought the book the same day. I'm now reading it and loving it so far. I think I might have to go out and buy the other two books as well :P

These were my monthly favorites from May! What do you guys think? I know there's not much to promote now, but it's been kinda slow. Again. I have received some VERY GOOD NEWS this month, but instead of sharing them in this post, I will be doing a whole separate post about them. Stay tuned ;) 

SO MUCH TO SAY! Too Much.

I don't talk about my writing that much with my friends. Most of them know I love to write, they know I would love to be a published author, but for some reason it's not a subject that comes up often. I always hear how writers should surround themselves with people who share the same passion, and I too think it's extremely important. But I don't actually mind that my friends don't ask too many questions. When it comes to my writing, I'm very private. I haven't shared the details of my novel with anyone so far, and won't be doing so in a long time. 

But when it comes to talking about writing in general, I could go on and on. 

Which is probably why my friends know to keep their mouths shut ;)

There are a couple of beautiful souls in my life who still ask me how my writing is going on a regular basis. They are the two people I've promised will be the first two to read my novel when it's finished. 

I could not appreciate their interest and input more, even though I can't share too much information. You know who you are, and if you're reading this, I love you for putting up with my endless rambling about writing. I rarely get to do it outside my blog. 

And you, my precious reader, I love you as well. Thank you for sticking up with me. 

Have a beautiful week <3