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???

#collegelife

Guys!

I am now officially a student! My school started on Monday and tomorrow is the last day of Orientation Week. Real classes start on Monday. I am so excited and ready to face whatever my new school throws in my face! (ask me again in a few months). 

In case you don't know, I study International Business at a University of Applied Sciences in my hometown of Lahti, Finland. If all goes according to plan, I should get my Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in 3,5 years! Our class consists of a multi-cultural student body and it's so interesting and wonderful to go to school with people from all over the world! Most of my studies are in English, which is also great, since I loooove English. It's my thang! 

Hei moi!

Meikäläinen on nyt virallisesti opiskelija! Koulu alkoi maanantaina ja huomenna on orientaatioviikon vika päivä. Maanantaina alkaa oikee koulu. Olen oikeasti tosi innoissani ja valmis kohtaamaan kaiken, mitä tuo koulu paiskaakin päin näköä (tästä saa kysellä uuestaan sitten parin kuukauden päästä). 

Jos ette jo tienneet, opiskelen siis tradenomiksi Lahden Ammattikorkeassa, englanninkielisellä puolella. Jos kaikki menee suunnitelmien mukaan, niin paperit saan 3,5 vuoden päästä. Meidän luokka on monikansallinen ja on mielenkiintosta ja hienoa opiskella ulkomaalaisten ihmisten kanssa! Ja on ihanaa, kun suurin osa opinnoista on englanniksi; englanti on vaan se mun juttu! 

In Finland, University Students get overalls, such like these, and wear them to events. We get badges from the events and attach them to the overalls. Ours are black, but some schools have all different color overalls for each field of studies. Love 'em! :)

My Friday

Happy Friday, everyone! :) 

I hope you've had/will have (depending on where you are) a good start to the weekend. I certainly did. I got to spend time with my family and I finally got some school supplies! I basically had to start all over with everything, because it has been so long since the last time I studied... I think it's been almost three years. Feels a lot longer, though. I am excited to go back and start a completely different field of studies, and I'm pumped about the fact that majority of my studies will be in English. I also have a very international group of other students waiting! Yay! Nine days to go :)

Hyvää perjantaita kaikille! :)

Toivottavasti teidänkin viikonloppu on lähtenyt hyvin käyntiin. Itse sain viettää perjantaita perheeni kanssa ja vihdoin pääsin myös shoppailemaan koulutarvikkeita! Piti aloittaa ihan pohjalta kun viime kerrasta on aikaa.. melkein kolme vuotta on kulunut jo siitä, kun jätin koulunpenkin. Tuntuu kyllä pidemmältä ajalta. Olen innoissani aloittamassa nyt ihan uudessa koulussa ja uudella alalla, ja vielä enemmän innoissani siitä, että suurin osa opinnoistani suoritetaan englanniksi. Koulussa odottaa myös mukavan kansainvälinen oppilaskunta. Jes! Yhdeksän päivää enää :)

Staples, you rock<3

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!

TMI Tag!

1. What are you wearing?

A black tank top, black&white capri pants. That's it! 

2. Ever been in love?

No, that has not happened to me yet. Still waiting. 

3. Ever had a terrible break-up?

Nope.

4. How tall are you?

I am about 5'9 (176cm)

5. How much do you weigh?

Not a question you ask a lady ;) haha but seriously I don't even know at the moment. 

6. Any tattoos?

Not yet at least. I have thought of getting one, but still deciding.

7. Any piercings?

Three on both ears. So six. 

8. OTP?

Ezria!

9. Favorite show?

Ready? Here we go (in no particular order): Pretty Little Liars, 2 Broke Girls, Revolution, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Grey's Anatomy, 30 Rock, Friends, HIMYM... 

10. Favorite bands?

Not as into bands as individual singers.. but let's say Strange Familiar and Lifehouse. 

11. Something you miss?

My friends in the USA. USA in general. My friends in other parts of the world. 

12. Favorite song?

Currently Emeli Sande's Read All About It and Sara Bareilles' Brave. 

13. How old are you?

I will be 25 really soon.

14. Zodiac sign?

Gemini. But I think they're a load of horse crap, so my zodiac sign has absolutely no meaning to me. 

15. Quality you look for in a partner?

Sense of humor.

16. Favorite quote?

If You Want to be Happy, be. 

17. Favorite actor?

Elizabeth Mitchell, Meryl Streep, Emma Stone, Rebel Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kat Dennings, Cate Blanchett + a bunch of male actors, too, but let's go with girl power now. 

18. Favorite color?

Pink

19. Loud or soft music?

Soft. 

20. Where do you go when you're sad?

Bed. 

21. How long does it take you to shower?

3-10 minutes, depending on whether I need to wash my hair, shave etc. :D 

22. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

About 15 minutes. 

23. Ever been in a physical fight?

Maybe as a little kid. Not in a bad one, I think I would remember that. 

24. Turn on?

Intelligence. 

25. Turn off?

Ignorance.

26. The reason you joined YouTube?

Hahahaha. Wanted to make YouTube videos. Didn't exactly succeed.

27. Fears?

Losing my loved ones. Heights. Bugs. Failure. 

28. The last thing that made you cry?

Probably some movie or TV show. 

29. Last time you said you love someone?

A little while ago to my mom. 

30. Meaning behind your YouTube -name?

No special meaning. 

31. Last book you read?

Panic by Lauren Oliver.

32. The book you're currently reading?

Divergent by Veronica Roth.

33. Last show you watched?

Modern Family.

34. Last person you talked to?

Mom. 

35. The relationship between you and the last person you texted?

Very, very good friends :)

36. Favorite food?

Pasta.

37. Place you want to visit?

All of the States, Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Austria, Italy, Scotland, China, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Cook Islands...

38. Last place you were?

What are we talking about here? Literally, the last place I went to was the bathroom. A place outside my apartment: grocery store. A place outside Finland: Germany. 

39. Do you have a crush?

Not really.

40. Last time you kissed someone?

I gave my cat a big smooch the other day ;D 

41. Last time you were insulted?

Probably happens all the time. The Internet is a vicious place.

42. Favorite flavor of sweet?

I wouldn't call it a sweet, but salty licorice. 

43. What instruments do you play?

Guitar. 

44. Favorite piece of jewelry?

Earrings. Almost any earrings. 

45. Last sport you played?

HAHAHAHHAHA. Oh, seriously? I took a walk. 

46. Last song you sang?

I think it was Ni Una Sola Palabra by Paulina Rubios. 

47. Favorite pick up line?

Do you believe in love at first sight or do I have to walk by again?

48. Have you ever used it?

OhmygodNO

49. Last time you hung out with anyone?

Today, went to see my momma, who's a little ill. Getting better:)

50. Who should answer these questions next?

You.

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

Express Yourself April: Messy. Cluttered.

I may have mentioned once or twice that I'm an extremely messy person. If you didn't know that before, now you do. 

I don't know what it is, but I freaking hate cleaning more than anything in this world. 

My parents had more than enough cleaning-related genes to pass on, but they were all given to my brother. Well, they paid for that. 

I can't live in a perfectly organized, neat environment. I need the clutter around me. I'm not saying I want to live in the middle of garbage piles (don't forget there's a difference between messy and dirty), but I feel so much more inspired and alive when I see signs of life in my apartment. You know how they say that a clean house is a sign of a wasted life? I live by that. If you wanna keep everything clean and never wanna see dust on your furniture, be my guest, I'm not here to judge. I'm just trying to explain my own view, because a lot of people seem to think being messy is something that should be punished by law. 

I know where my things are. When I was still living at home, my mom would clean up after me and move my things and then blame me for losing them due to being so messy. Sorry, mom, you totally did. I still love you. But I control my own chaos. I know which pile of stuff contains my bills that need to be paid. I know I can find that red shirt from under that pile of pillows, I know my comforter is put out of the way in a box labeled 'books'. That's just how I choose to live. I don't stress about cleaning up, I don't care if I have a ton of dishes to do; I'll do them when I do them. 

I'm a creative person in every meaning of the word, and I love it. And I'd rather spend my time doing something else than worrying about my apartment being too messy. It'll always be messy, unless I get rid of everything I own. 

A friend of mine once said it was sort of endearing, when she saw my room. 

Yeah, I think so too ;)

Have a great weekend! <3

TAG: The Common White Girl

I've seen this tag on YouTube by some of my favorite vloggers, but since I haven't developed any skills in vlogging I thought I'd do this tag in writing! 

I think it's a fun tag, and no, I have absolutely no idea why it's called the common white girl tag, but it's not meant to offend anyone in any way, so please just sit back and enjoy! :) And, if you feel up to it, do the tag and leave me a link to it in the comment section!

1. What is your favorite Starbucks drink?

I don't have just one.. gosh. Ok, so my favorites are: Caramel Macchiato with the caramel and vanilla flavors reduced by half, a Vanilla Frappuccino, and an Iced Tazo Tea lemonade, passion -flavor and sweetened. 

2. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

10-30 minutes, depending on where I'm going and what I will be doing.

3. How many selfies do you take on a daily basis?

0-10 :D I only take selfies when I feel pretty. That's when I take a lot of selfies and try to decide which one will be my new profile pic. Sad. 

4. How many Instagram pics and followers do you have?

Currently I have 429 pictures and 209 followers. 

5. Do you ever say 'LOL' or 'OMG' out loud?

No. On a rare occasion I might say them as a joke, but I never say them seriously. But I do write 'lol' sometimes. Rarely 'omg'. OMG. 

6. Do you wear the same clothing item more than once?

Yes. I can't afford to be buying new clothes all the time :D 

7. Are you racist?

Extremely. COME ON! What kind of a question is this?! Of course I'm not racist. 

8. How many tweets do you have?

I don't really use my Twitter account... I don't have the energy to look up how many times I tweeted when I started, but it's something between 20-30. 

9. Instagram, Twitter or Tumblr?

INSTAGRAM! I'm so addicted, I just love it. I don't really get Twitter and especially not Tumblr. 

10. What do you spend most of your time doing?

Wondering about stuff. Watching TV Shows, writing, blogging... 

11. Who are your favorite YouTubers?

Nikki Phillippi

Grav3yardgirl

Jenna Marbles

Beautybaby44

That's a few :) You should check them out!

12. How often do you do your nails?

Um... never :( sadly, my work doesn't allow me to wear any nail polish or have long nails, so I can't really do my nails. Sometimes I do grow them out for a vacation. 

13. Are you a shopaholic?

Definitely not.

14. How many times have you watched Mean Girls?

Probably about twenty times.

15. Do you own a lot of clothes?

Yes. And I only wear a fraction of them. So in a way, no.

16. Do you take pictures of your food before you eat it?

I'm so busy to eat it, I rarely remember to take pics of my food. Unless it looks totally amazing, in which case I do have to brag and put it all over the social media. 

17. Do you wear make-up every day?

Yes. Unless I'm sick. 

18. What are your average grades at school?

I'm not at school at the moment, but I was always a good student. A little above average I think :D 

19. How do you usually style your hair?

Messy bun. I always keep my hair tied and out of the way unless I have a day off and I'm going to places and want to look nice :D 

20. Do you always look presentable?

HAHAAHAHAHAHA. No. 

Day Trip to Estonia + the Titanic Exhibition

It is ridiculously easy and cheap to travel to Estonia from Finland. It's just across the Gulf of Finland and it takes 2,5 hours to cross it. And 20 bucks for a round-trip... Yeah, told you it was cheap. 

Surprisingly, I don't travel to Estonia often. I've been there a ton of times, so it's not really a big deal to go there. It doesn't even feel like I'm going abroad. Go figure. 

Yesterday I traveled to Tallinn, Estonia's Capital city, with my friend H. We wanted to go see the Titanic Exhibition that's being hosted by Tallinn until Monday. You can read more about the exhibit here. 

The Old Town of Tallinn is really beautiful, and it was our first stop of the day. It's only a stone throw away from the harbor and really easy to get to. We had lunch at an Italian restaurant called Controvento. I'd been there before, their food is delicious! We even lucked out with the beautiful, sunny weather :)

From Old Town we walked to Lennusadam (Seaplane Harbor) where the exhibition was held. We took a couple of wrong turns but found the place eventually. 

The guests were given a boarding pass to Titanic that served as the ticket. Each pass included a name of an actual passenger who had been on the Titanic. Mine was Nella Wiggins, and she was a 1st class passenger traveling with her husband. They both survived. 

Under the clock.

1st class cabin.

3rd class cabin.

Some plates collected from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. All in all the exhibition presented 150+ artifacts recovered from the wreck. 

It was definitely worth visiting and I'm happy I got the chance to go. If you live close by and get the chase before Monday, you should go, too! :)

Now I think I might have to watch the movie some day soon... Cry fest it is!

We headed back to the harbor after the exhibition and killed time at a café. After that we checked out a liquor store and left with a ton of Milka chocolate. AH... I'm set for a while now ;)

I went to work today but have the entire weekend off! I am going to enjoy that to the fullest. Hope all you lovelies have a good one, too! <3

Make It Happen March: Doing Things Yourself

Often it can be tempting to let others help you when you have something big happening in your life. And yes, it's good not being too proud and accepting the help that's being offered. 

But sometimes we want to do it alone. It's not necessarily because we are too proud to ask for help, or because we want to show off and prove that we're not too stupid for this. 

I want to do some things on my own simply because I can. 

I get a huge kick out of being able to do something without any help, whether it's paying the bills, buying something I need that's out of my price range, running errands I used to need my mom for, traveling solo, anything. It's sort of reassuring, if you know what I mean. 

It makes me feel like an adult, even though I'm really not one. 

It makes me feel like I can handle anything life throws at me. 

Does this sound crazy?

I don't remember if I told you, but I applied to a few schools a while back. 

Today I received my third invitation to an entrance exam. 

I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen, whether I'll get in or not. I'm prepared for any option, and life will go on never the less. 

It's funny, though, how just an invitation to an entrance exam can make me feel accomplished. 

It's trying. 

See Beauty in Every Day

I am sitting on the floor, eating mini marshmallows and drinking milk. 

I'm listening to Taylor Swift. 

I'm browsing We Heart It. 

I'm scratching my head, because my ponytail is too tight.

I'm thinking I really love blogging.

I'm thinking I really love being creative.

I'm dreaming of buying something I've wanted ever since I was a little girl.

I'm dreaming of traveling this summer. 

I'm dreaming of writing.

I'm reading instructions on how to register for an entrance exam at a school I applied to.

I'm reading news, and wondering if they'll ever find that plane.

I'm reading e-mails and blogs I follow.

You can fit a lot in just a few minutes. 

You can fit a lifetime in just a few minutes. 

Sometimes it's hard to grasp everything that comes in our way. Sometimes everything is just too much. 

Every once in a while it's good to stop for a second and take a deep breath. 

Tell yourself: I am OK. 

Then smile. 

Have a beautiful week, everyone <3

Pictures from We Heart It. 

Things That I Don't Want To Do

Here are some things that I don't have time to do don't want to do. Because I don't care.

1.

 Make my bed. 

Why would I make my bed in the morning when it gets messed up again at night when I go to sleep? WHY? Unless someone who's not that close a friend of mine is coming over, I never make my bed. Ever. My close friends don't care if my bed is made. They freaking jump on it, so why bother?

2.

Brush my hair daily.

Um, no. Basically I only brush my hair on my days off (not always) and when I'm going some place other than work. On work days I just gather my hair up on a bun, because at work I have to wear a stupid hat. After taking that hat off, no matter how nicely I've put my hair, it's flat and ugly. No point in wasting precious minutes every morning trying to make my hair look nice. 

3.

Watch stuff on TV.

YeahNO. Why not? Commercials. Timing. BLAH! I'd rather watch my shows online or on Netflix, or a recording at a time that is good for me and I can just fast forward the commercials. 

4.

Use the library.

Now, I LOVE books. But I don't have time to make a gazillion trips to the library to browse books, take them home and then return them. I'd rather take one trip to a bookstore, a.k.a my heaven, and buy what I want to read.

5. 

Redo my make-up.

Other than reapplying powder and occasionally filling my eyebrows again, I never redo my make-up. I hate putting on make-up, but I'm one of those unfortunate people who look horrible without make-up. I look for easy solutions, and can't wait to go get eye lash extensions again in a couple of weeks, so that I won't have to waste a half an hour every morning to do my eyes.

6. Dress up on my day(s) off.
I know that some people feel lazy and even depressed if they don't put on their every-day regular clothes. Spending the day in PJ's is out of the question. Not for me. I'm perfectly comfortable wearing my sweats or PJ's at home if I'm not planning on going anywhere. I can do the same stuff at home no matter what I wear. And whenever I come home from work, my jeans are the first ones to go!

7. Do the dishes before I go to bed.
Seriously, I have no problem at all going to sleep with my sink full of dirty dishes. I'll do them when I do them!

This is how I choose to rebel.
Feel free to share your wild ways ;)

New beginnings for everyone! (Not you, Iira)

So far this week has been crazy, and it's only Wednesday. Well, I guess it's a good thing; at least time goes by faster. And I could just skip right into next Thursday! 8 days and I'll be USA bound<3

Yesterday I started making serious notes about my novel. Seems weird, considering how long I've actually worked on that novel, and how much I've told you. But I've never been that good in taking notes about anything, so this was a big step ;) And the more I wrote, the more motivation I gained, which is always a good thing. I'm going to start working on the notes again in a few, but wanted to blog first! I feel like I've been neglecting you and that's not good :/

We dined out yesterday with some family friends, and it was really nice. It was a special occasion, too, because one of them is moving to Germany on Friday. Today I said goodbye to him, and to be honest, I feel kinda empty now. He and I have known each other since we were little kids, it's going to be so weird not being able to see him anytime I want to. With whom am I going to watch the Oscars from now on?! 

Seriously, I have to move the heck away from here, too.

Ok, I'm calm now. 

Next year is going to be different. I don't know how, but somehow it will. I can't wait! Oh, wait, I totally can. I have an awesome vacation planned before this year comes to an end. 

Talk to you soon<3

Updates on yours truly + plans for the rest of the year!

Hello, everyone. Another week has gone by and I have been swamped! Besides my job, I've been doing a lot of work at home; I got my new bed delivered and since the bed is a lot bigger than my old one, and I live in a studio apartment, I needed to improvise. I'm getting rid of one of my junk drawers, and now I have to figure out where to place all the junk. Right now it's all laid on my coffee table. I had to move all my furniture except for my couch and TV stand, and I'm very happy with the result. I still have way too much stuff, and I'm planning a major cleaning process starting in January. I wish I didn't hate cleaning so much...

The reason I'm not starting until next year, is that from now until December 18th I will be working a lot, and on December 19th I'm traveling to the States! Finally time for my summer vacation! ;) I am beyond excited and we have so much fun things planned! I will definitely take a lot of pictures and share my vacation with you guys, and I will also do some filming! Yay:) Talking about filming, sorry for the lack of videos since my very first one.. I'm not even going to explain what happened when I filmed a new video, so yeah, it will be a little while until I have something new for you! 

Getting a new bed and having to move stuff around the apartment has a lot of perks to it. Not only do I have a fabulous new bed (it really is amazing. I'm so happy I want to cry), and a new look to my place all together, but also a new, more inspiring environment. I feel like lately I've been lacking some inspiration... Writing hasn't come so easily, but I've been working on my stories in my head, which (as you may have read on this blog before) can sometimes be very exhausting mentally. I'm so bad at taking notes, and I lost a few nights worth of sleep because I had way too much stuff to think about. So for now, I'm taking a conscious break from working on my novel, and just focusing on other things. I will still write every day, but I am not exaggerating when I say I'm in serious need of a vacation. Three more weeks, you guys...

Do share, if the mental exhaustion sometimes gets you, too. And please let me know, if you have any tips! Hope y'all are having a good week so far! :)

-iira

100 Questions TAG

99 questions + 1 bonus from yours truly:

1. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?

- Closed. Sometimes they open up by themselves, because my closet's pretty over stocked!

2. Do you take shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotels?

- No.

3. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?

- Varies. 

4. Have you ever stolen a street sign?

- No, but I know someone who has :D Hooker Street, lol. 

5. Do you like to use post-it notes?

- Sometimes.

6. Do you cut out coupons but never use them?

- Never.

7. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swam of bees?

- A bear. 

8. Do you have freckles?

- Nope.

9. Do you always smile for pictures?

- No.

10. What is your biggest pet peeve?

- People making a noise when they eat. I swear, it makes me go from 0 to 60 in a fraction of a second. 

11. Do you ever count your steps when you walk?

- Yes. I have to make myself stop sometimes, because it starts to annoy me. 

12. Have you ever peed in the woods?

- When I was a kid. 

13. What about number two?

- Haha, that I haven't done. 

14. Do you ever dance even if there's no music playing?

- Of course!

15. Do you chew your pens and pencils?

- I might have chewed a couple of pencils when I was a kid. 

16. How many people have you slept with this week?

- That would be zero.

17. What size is your bed?

- umm.. 120cm wide I think. But I just ordered a new bed! A bigger one :P sooooo excited!

18. What is your song of the week?

- Ellie Goulding: Burn

19. Is it ok for guys to wear pink?

- Yes

20. Do you still watch cartoons?

- YES

21. What's your least favorite movie?

- Punch Drunk Love. Couldn't even finish it..

22. Where would you bury a hidden treasure if you had one?

- Well, it's already hidden I see...

23. What do you drink with dinner?

- Water/Milk/Juice

24. What do you dip a chicken nugget in?

- Chili mayo

25. What is your favorite food?

Mac&Cheese

26. What movies could you watch over and over and still love?

Pitch Perfect, Stand By Me, Mamma Mia!, Forrest Gump, Sleepless in Seattle, In Her Shoes, Ten Inch Hero, The Blind Side, Inception... to mention a few ;)

27. Last person you kissed/kissed you?

- I kissed my mom on the cheek

28. Were you ever a boy/girl scout?

No

29. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?

-NO

30. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?

- Almost a year ago

31. Can you change the oil on a car?

- Um.. I can add oil and I know how to check there's enough :D And I take pride in that

32. Ever gotten a speeding ticket?

- No, but I have gotten a couple of parking tickets.

33. Ever ran out of gas?

- Once. 

34. Favorite kind of sandwich?

- Subway's Chicken Teryaki or Philly Cheesesteak

35. Best thing to eat for breakfast?

- New York Cheesecake Pancakes at IHOP

36. What is your usual bed time?

- After midnight 

37. Are you lazy?

- Yes :D

38. When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?

- Never celebrated Halloween in my life

39. What is your Chinese astrological sign?

- No idea and no interest

40. How many languages can you speak?

- Finnish and English fluently, some Swedish. Very little German and French. 

41. Do you have any magazine subscriptions?

- No.

42. Which are better, legos or lincoln logs?

- Legos

43. Are you stubborn?

- I can be.

44. Who is better, Leno or Letterman?

- I don't really prefer one over the other.

45. Ever watch soap operas?

I watch Bold and the Beautiful like twice a year, and can keep up just fine with that pace :D 

46. Are you afraid of heights?

- Extremely!!! It's a phobia in my case. 

47. Do you sing in the car?

- Yes, I do :D 

48. Do you sing in the shower?

- No. I'm always afraid the neighbors will hear me. 

49. Do you dance in the car?

- How the hell can you dance in the car? 

50. Ever used a gun?

- Yep. A couple of years ago my friends took me and my family to a shooting range. I'd never fired a gun before, and had a little trouble with the hand gun. But I totally rocked the rifle!

51. Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?

- I don't think I ever have..

52. Do you think musicals are cheesy?

- Some are. But mainly I enjoy musicals. 

53. Is Christmas stressful?

- Well, I don't celebrate Christmas, so no :) No shopping for presents or any of that. I mainly just enjoy that one time of the year when people are friendly to each other (because people are such grumpies here)

54. Ever eat a pierogi?

- No.

55. Favorite type of fruit pie?

- Apple, maybe. A year ago I had some amazing Peach Cobbler, though... that was so delicious!

56. Occupations you dreamed of as a kid?

- Librarian, teacher, singer, actress, writer, vet, pediatrician, psychologist... 

57. Do you believe in ghosts?

- No.

58. Ever had a deja-vu?

- Haven't we all?

59. Do you take vitamins daily?

- I never take any vitamins. 

60. Do you wear slippers?

- In occasion. 

61. Do you wear a bath robe?

- Rarely.

62. What do you wear to bed?

- PJ's

63. First concert?

- Does it count that my mother was pregnant with me when she went to a Bon Jovi concert? If not, then my first would be Elton John, when I was thirteen. 

64. Walmart, Target or Kmart?

- I go to Walmart and Target quite a lot when I'm in the States... rarely Kmart. 

65. Nike or Adidas?

- Nike. 

66. Cheetos or Fritos?

- idk

67. Peanuts or sunflower seeds?

- sunflower seeds

68. Ever heard of a group called Tres Bien?

- No.

69. Have you ever taken dance lessons?

- When I was twelve, I did some street dancing. 

70. Is there a profession you picture your future spouse in?

- It doesn't matter. As long as we can provide ourselves and our family.

71. Can you curl your tongue?

- Yea!

72. Ever won a spelling bee?

- We don't have spelling bees in Finland :)

73. Have you ever cried of happiness?

- Yes. 

74. Do you own any record albums?

- No.

75. Do you own a record player?

- No.

76. Regularly burn incense?

- No. 

77. Have you ever been in love?

- No. 

78. Who would you like to see in a concert?

- I'd like to see Celine Dion again, and I hope she's still performing in Las Vegas, when I go there next summer... I'd also like to see Taylor Swift and Adele. 

79. What was the last concert you saw?

- Christina Perri... but I wouldn't call it a concert, it was more like a gig. So I think Celine Dion was my last actual concert.

80. Hot or cold tea?

- Depending on the weather. 

81. Tea or coffee?

- I rarely drink either, but both are fine. 

82. Sugar or snickerdoodles?

- Sugar. Maybe. I'm not really familiar with snickerdoodles :D

83. Can you swim well?

- Well enough.

84. Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?

- Yes. 

85. Are you patient?

- No. 

86. DJ or band at a wedding?

- Right now I would pick a DJ.

87. Have you ever won a contest?

- No :(

88. Ever had plastic surgery?

- No. 

89. Which are better, black or green olives?

- I hate olives. 

90. Can you knit or crochet?

- Not well.

91. Best room for a fireplace?

- Living room, I guess.. I don't know if I would want a fire place. Only if there's someone to clean it :D 

92. Do you want to get married?

- Yes.

93. If married, how long have you been married?

--

94. Who was your High School crush?

- I don't think I had one. I was so boring :D 

95. Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your way?

- No... Always been more of a quiet, sulky one. 

96. Do you have kids?

- No.

97. Do you want kids?

- I think I do. 

98. What's your favorite color?

- Pink.

99. Do you miss anyone right now?

- A lot of people :(

+

100. What's your favorite book?

- soooooo many (I know, I should answer my own question better...)