my life in color

Here's a quick peek to what I read last year during my bus rides to and from work.

Good books, meh books, brilliant books, funny books, books that touched your heart and tore into your soul.

The month of September started off by picking up a friend and her dollhouse and driving to mid-Finland for the Dollhouse Association's crafting weekend where we both were teaching classes.

It is such a fun weekend... 

Friends, glorious food and minis.

I finished a pair of soft socks for Niina.

It was my last school sport's day, I've attended them all since 2002 when Saara was on first grade. As Niina is a ninth grader, I am officially done!

I had a photo taken with the school mascot to celebrate.

I found pretty floors at the Habitare exhibit. I can't decide which one I like the most..

I saved the tomatoes from cold nights and bagged them so they could still ripen.

It is so pretty this time of year.

Happy times when you are matching the maple leaves.

The last October haul from the allotment.

Lots of sage, still some tomatoes and a cucumber that had been hiding.

I also had a bigger pumpkin I still left for a week. Then the first frosts hit and it was time to clean it all up and leave until the spring.

Pretty reflections at Saara's new home.

I started another pair of woolsocks for Niina. This was a knit along pattern.

My brother's kids came for an overnight visit. Julia crafted a Christmas wreath for her dollhouse.

This is quite possibly my favorite Halloween costume.

Put together by modifying old clothes from my closet. And repurposing the tulle from the kids ghost costume.

Well, what else would you do when your ticket to the book fair also includes the food and wine fair..

I have a fondness for Italian Amarone....

Niina's confirmation was in August the week schools started again.

It was a lovely day even though there was a thunder storm while we were at the church.

I had made a lovely salted caramel topping for the cupcakes, but for some reason it went all runny... I blame the weather :)

The cakes were glorious though, with sweet surprises inside.

The look of a little boy who just swiped his god mother's mobile phone, pure happiness.

Songs, friends, smiles.

Good times.

She's pretty amazing.

I might be biased.

Just a bit.

She'll go places.

It was time for Lux Helsinki again!

My friend and I braved the -17C (-26 with wind chill...) weather for a lovely hour admiring the light installations. (You can read more of them here.)

It was so cold even my camera thought I was kidding by taking it out...

The presidential palace was pink.... :)

My favorite was this black lit Flowers of Life. 

It was simply magical.

This one had a lovely steampunkish feel.

We finally made our way to our favorite café for tea and cake.

And warmth.. oohhh lovely warmth..

As we have been freezing in a cold front directly from Siberia, it's a good time to look at summer photos, right?

Let's enjoy my July and August.

Because I want to support my friends, I try to attend every year.

It's always such a happy event!

Our dollhouse club held a summer camp for a week, and we ate very well.. these are THE best BLTs in the universe..

*click click* for the recipe.

So in love with all the poppy petals.

When your garden gives you rhubarb, you bake a rhubarb-almond galette.

Summer knitting in fabulous candy colors.

My sweet god daughter Jenni got married. 

The bride was beautiful, the groom handsome, friends and family around. 

Happy day.

I made little things to sell at the fair which coincidentally was the day after the wedding, so I was in bed after midnight and up at 5am the next day.. 

Good fair, even if I nearly fell asleep.

My allotment gave me flowers and food.

And generally made me happy.

Sweet peas!

One of my top three favorites on my flower loving list.

I had pink ones with white roses in my wedding bouquet.

Caipirinha time.

Cheers.

I finished my socks.

These are my bedtime socks. I can't fall asleep if my feet feel cold.

The lilies finally bloomed. It took them forever.

I visited a new-to-me yarn shop.

I like when shop owners make a little effort in presentation :)

I met new friends at the allotment...

Some of my favorites from this year.

I got fantastic carrots, great cucumbers and the mother of a tomato!

That's a 400g (14oz) can of crushed tomatoes for comparison...

Half a kilo... (1lbs)

I chopped it up and added to the tomato sauce.

Niina lifted the lid to add some to her plate, looked up in amazement.. "Mom, did you double the recipe?"

"Nope. Just added one tomato..."

*grin*