+

after this past week I can finally say I know exactly what I want from life. I've never felt this way before and I must say it feels pretty damn good! 

so I went to visit the helsinki  university of technology today, mainly to see what the architecture division has to offer. after I talked to the tutors, listened to a few presentations and, mostly, saw the spaces the students do their work in (uh huh amazing, all white spaces, cute people, awesome work...I just wanted to go and do the same thing) I knew there's nothing in the world I'd rather do. 

now I've just got some crazy ass advance assignments to do and send off; if I manage to make good ones then I'll have to do tests both in mathematics AND drawing&design..... it's gonna be a tough spring! 

now I'm off to Greece for a relaxing weekend with some friends, so long!

some pretty amazing origami architecture, I want to learn how to make paper art! image source unknown

l'étranger

photo via the sartorialist

arancia

I want an orange lipstick. the only lipsticks I have are pink or coral, and they don't suit me. the problem is that I can't find the perfect shade. I've looked through lots of shops and also the Internet, but I can't seem to find the right one. 

++++++++++++++++

here's a questionnaire thing denise tagged me to do

what is your current obsession?

this one boy I saw at work a couple of times this summer...... I've never been one to obsess over a guy so it scares me that that's what I've been doing ever since I first saw him. not in a scary stalker-like way though, I'm just a nice, quiet fan of his. haha.

what is your horoscope and how do you relate?

I'm a cancer. I didn't know how we were supposed to be so I did a little bit of googling; "a sensitive, moody person. often builds a hard shell on top of her sensitive and emotional inside. usually hold memories dear to them. calm and trustworthy, lovable. has a vivid imagination, intensely romantic. can be cruel, cynical and overly possessive."

haha, sounds like me.

what are you wearing today?

a new black knitted dress with a hood that I think I'll return to the store (left the tags on, how wise!), tights and those rizzo jodhpur boots I love. in addition, a black leather bag.  I wore a black cape outside. it's getting damn cold. 

what's for dinner?

salmon soup! ahhh I love it--for those who aren't familiar with this type of traditional Finnish food, it's a creamy soup with potatoes, dill, pepper and salmon chunks. been craving it for weeks and I finally made some!

what's your favorite decade, fashion wise?

I have to say I'm not particularly fond of any specific period or decade in the history, fashion-wise or any other. there are good things in every decade, I'm sure, but right now is just fine for me. 

what are your must haves for summer?

garment-wise; dresses, sunglasses, sandals, little leather bags, big necklaces. +++ shades of orange and coral combined with black, long hair, long nights, a relaxed feeling and fresh berries and fruits. 

what would you love to be able to afford?

the knitted wham dress from acne +  a surprise trip to australia to say hey to all the friends down there. it's been a year since I left that place and I miss everything about it.

what is your favourite piece of clothing from your own wardrobe?

a well-cut black dress from Zara. sounds boring, but goes with anything from school to partying.

what is your dream job?

I really wish I knew. I think I'd like to be an architect, but my dream job changes according to my moods. I'd like it to have something to do with design though. in the past I've wanted to be a graphic designer or an art director. and oh yes, when I was little I wanted to become a hairdresser because my hairdresser had super long nails I was jealous of. 

what is your favourite magazine?

I most enjoy reading russh and  trendi, but also like FR/AUS vogue, UK elle, pig, oyster.

what do you consider a fashion faux pas?

UGG boots, leggings as pants.  in addition, kitten heels, just like denise wrote. today I saw this chick in my school wearing a mid calf-long floral skirt, a blue denim jacket and baby pink kitten heels made of satin..........need I say more??

describe your personal style?

lots of black, white and grey plus lots of big necklaces. graphic shapes and cuts. classic with a little twist.

which beatle is your favourite?

definitely not Paul. I don't know much about Ringo and George, so I reckon I'll have to answer John. 

what are you proud of?

I'm proud of how well I did in my final exams, I think I deserve some very good parties this weekend!

photo from freshfishh, originally from dazed digital.

like electric sparks in my heart

I've been browsing through different sites and especially net-a-porter like a crazy person waiting to be inspired, but I have to say that the stuff they're selling this autumn is irrevocably boring. the shoes are dull and uninspiring, so are the bags. they're all brown and studded or simple and black which I always thought as more of a virtue than a vice, but now I just crave something a little more interesting. 

I actually think the Swedes have done a better job than the French, Italian and American fashion gods altogether; look at the acne, minimarket and carin wester collections  for example!

all this doesn't mean that I haven't found any items to crave though....

jewelry by ACB except the feather cuff by iosselliani, dresses and atacoma wedges acne, lingerie and black bubble clutch stella mccartney, leather jacket helmut lang, orange leather gloves hugo boss, boots whyred, plaid shirt dress and black padded  computer case henrik vibskov, toe shoes comme des garcons, calculator canvas bag jeremy scott.

ALSO, the jeremy scott black-and-white piano scarf came to my mind yesterday, and now I've been searching through the whole Internet to find a pattern to make a piano scarf myself. I'm not really great at knitting but both my mom and grandmom are....I'm sensing a little xmas-present coming together!

paese che vai, usanza che trovi

photos above from afashiontale, I love that silver feather pendant. 

for the past few days I've been dreaming of a little autumn getaway to a European capital. Paris and Stockholm are the options, but I think I'll end up in Stockholm--it's closer to home and staying there would be a lot cheaper. now I just have to find someone to go with me...

I've been incredibly busy for the past few weeks because of my final exams. the hurry will be over tomorrow at around 3 PM or earlier when I finish my italian exam and hand it in.

now I'm off to study some irregular verbs and the italian congiuntivo, wish me luck!

eye candy

 

Finnish designers are pretty great.

check finnish design shop. they ship to various countries, outside the EU as well.

all around these golden beacons I see nothing but black

DRESS acne wham SHOES comme des garcons BAG sigerson morrison TIGHTS falke LIPSTICK make up store

++

I LOVE HANNELI.

I mean look at those shoes paired with an acne black dress with an open back and a hood detail, paired with the best umbrella ever!

photo hanneli.carousel.no

habitare '09

I went to the habitare fair today and found quite a lot of inspiring things for home. didn't buy anything but got plenty of good ideas.

as you may see from the horrendous photo flow, I mostly took photographs of lamps and chairs; the two things I love looking at. the magis chair one in black (in the first photo) is an item I will surely purchase one day.

I'm looking for a cool lamp for my room and fell hard for the flat diamond-shaped lamps in the fourth photo. however the only lamp I seriously think about right now is the funny fish lamp which is probably a piece designed for children. I can't help but wonder what it would look like hanging from my ceiling though. 

fifty on our foreheads

1 henrik vibskov yes big blouse

2 henrik vibskov judith big pleat shirt

3 henrik vibskov hlunker shirt

4 apc trench coat

I fell hard for the number one item, ahhhh. I currently obsess over loose fitting, knee-length dresses. one can't have enough of those. it's so easy to get out of bed in the morning and throw on something like that with stockings and a pair of nice boots. 

courtesy of azita store

faster than a cannonball

jewellery by origami jewellery

kan du gå som han

these babies finally came home today.

they'll be g r e a t with the whole wardrobe of mine, come rain, come shine --- with dresses, chunky scarves, cape-like coats, leather jackets.....

they just need a little bit of treatment and care before I take them out for a little walk. I've never taken really good care of my shoes, but these I intend to have for a long time.

life's been giving me sweet sweet strawberries instead of the famous lemons;

the autumn is mild and warm, the people are great, there are dozens of parties coming up, I do really well in school without even making an effort AND my dear friend from Australia is coming for a visit in december! I hope there's no end to this goodness.

kor som vältas

I can't shake the feeling that I should maybe do something radical to my hair. ever since my hairdresser completely screwed it up last spring, it hasn't been touched by a professional so it's just straight and half-long with no real cut. 

ms lanphear doesn't make me feel better at all. I don't know if I'll be able to say bye bye to my long hair bur if a radical cut can look this good....why not??

ihjäl

these four people and their clothing just reached the level I usually like to call perfection.

my boot problem got new dimensions today as I went to buy the boots I'd been wanting to buy for quite some time now---there were new styles in the shop, and now I simply cannot choose. on monday I'll make my move!

come to mama

the list of items I would love to get for this fall is growing every day......I mean come on, look at those damn shoes. I don't know the price, don't know about the quality, I just know they'd be perfect with a cape and a chunky scarf. 

ps if you don't happen to like suede, the shoes also come in lacquer. yum. now the only thing I need is a back-and-forth trip to sweden.....

photo from here

wiggle your toenails

I started laughing when I saw these comme des garcons shoes online. they're creepy!

I wonder if a DIY version would look even half as good as the genuine things?

crab claws and bottles of rum

blazer acne tank top kain lipstick make up store aloha leggings helmut lang boots random clutch alexander mcqueen

ah how I wish I could throw on the above clothes tomorrow morning and take it easy for the day. I'd drag my heavy ass downtown, get a latte and just walk around looking at the things surrounding me.

I feel like I sleepwalk through the most of the year. 

I went to see rasta thomas' rock the ballet with a friend on Saturday and even though for the first half of the show the dancers' clothes were terrible (think tank tops in pastel shades with some sequins thrown in on the guys, black leather, sequins and red jersey on the girl....) and the background video was substandard, I really enjoyed it. 

after the break (and some white wine) half through the show the clothing got better (fedoras, black ties, tight black jeans, white shirts on the guys, pink and black on the girl). 

the times I go to see dance performances are very few, but I guess I need to do it more often. 

lose or keep?

what is it with me buying things I regret buying when I get home? where's cognitive thinking and keeping cool, where's simplicity and when the hell did spontaneity replace rationality?

I have solemnly promised myself to stop buying clothes and accessories and shoes until I seriously figure out what I want and need to buy. maybe it's just that I don't find what I look for and therefore end up buying things I'm not happy with.

before being able to quit buying things I'm not too sure about I have to:

a) raid my closet and throw out everything I haven't worn in the past year

b) decide what to do with the grey sweater dress above. I actually love the piece because it is pretty unusual, but it doesn't suit me as well as it could. the dress is 100% cotton though so no acrylics or any ugly polyester fibers which go static the moment you walk out on a winter morning, so I'm guessing this may actually stay in shape for long.

what do you think?

nero non è noioso come dicono

(leather jacket helmut lang boots chloé dress diana brinks beanie lowie necklace ACB)

I'm looking forward to those chilly autumn mornings when I can wear something similar to the clothes above. whoever said black was dull was utterly wrong. at least for me it brings comfort. it feels familiar.

I've never really liked beanies ever since I got rid of those awful, colorful nightmarish beanies all of us kids used to wear in pre school, and well actually I might have had a wannabe-snowboarder phase at one point too where I bought beanies everywhere I went.... anyway, a chunky black one with a big pom-pom actually seems like a good idea. maybe I should try to make one myself.

tomorrow I'll hit the shops to get a pair of gorgeous sand colored leather gloves! another item on my wanted-for-autumn list ticked off.

++ does anyone have any tips for finding shoes like the chloé jodhpurs in the image? I've searched through zio and rizzo in helsinki but I can't find anything. 

they should be black and definitely made of good quality leather but they should also suit my budget. help!

I LOVE LASERS

what a weekend. flow festival was even better than I thought it could be. saw a lot of friends, listened to awesome music like new young pony club, white lies, handsome furs, grace jones et cetera, threw on the first clothes I could reach in the mornings and just felt super good about everything+++got crazy listening to ladyhawke. she's something. fever ray had the weirdest, most amazing show I've seen during this short life of mine. 

lily allen definitely isn't one of my favourites but despite the fact that she cried on stage and complained about her back hurting her music left me a little sad for the rest of the night. 

 

school's started, I've got tons of reading to do, I'm sick and still a tad hungover from last night but I feel beyond happy. weekends like the past one are what keeps me going. 

I snapped the above image of my new vintage glasses. the old lady who sold them to me told me she wore them in the sixties. they make me look like a crazy grandma. love it.

ps grace jones was c r a z y about her clothing, I mean how on earth does she pull off all that stuff?? like a giant leaf-like hat on her head or a structured black silk jacket made of sausage-like things? or a pink hula hoop.