This week I love...
...Juhannus! That's Midsummer's Eve and the biggest celebration in Finland, right after Christmas and a little bit before Vappu (Labour Day). Cities are deserted as people head to their summer cottages, just as I have done. The perfect day to relax, eat well and drink too and enjoy the Finnish summer. Yes, this year the weather is not so great although the sun has now finally started to shine. Yay! It certainly puts you in the right mood.
So, in honour of this fabulous holiday, this week's favourites are based on the essentials of Juhannus. If you don't have any idea what I'm talking about, you soon will.
1. I ♥ sauna
The most important part of the Finnish midsummer is definitely the sauna. I decorated our sauna with branches from a birch tree which makes it smell amazing! There's always a bunch of branches called "vihta" which is soaked in water and used to pat or hit (depends how much pain you can take) yourself with. It helps with circulation and also exfoliates the skin. This is a very old tradition and has been used for decades.
2. I ♥ flowers
Another midsummer tradition is an old tale that says "if you put seven different kind of flowers under your pillow as you sleep on mid-summer's night, you will see your future spouse in your dream". Even though I already have S so I already know my future spouse, I still like the part where you pick the flowers. This is what I found yesterday...
3. I ♥ cottage life
There's something special about cottage life. My decorating taste in here is totally different. Much more simple and less cluttered. But also more romantic and I use much more colour than I ever do at home. This year I'm still using blue (like last summer) but I've added a floral print this time. There's a red bench in the cottage but I've obviously covered it up with a white sheet and this year I added a soft mattress on it so it's more like a little sofa now. This is the environment where I really relax and charge my batteries.
4. I ♥ my new wellies
As the weather is more likely to be rainy than sunny this midsummer I have come prepared and bought myself a pair of new wellies. I saw them in the shop and just had to have them. I thought they were so cool and I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of them come autumn.
5. I ♥ midsummer pole
I guess this tradition is more Swedish but we have adopted it this year by building our very own midsummer pole. According to tradition is has the ribbons but we added the flower wreath that my florist auntie made in about two minutes. Now it makes the yard look pretty.
Well, this was it for today. Time to watch some football now. Go Italy!!!!
So, in honour of this fabulous holiday, this week's favourites are based on the essentials of Juhannus. If you don't have any idea what I'm talking about, you soon will.
1. I ♥ sauna
The most important part of the Finnish midsummer is definitely the sauna. I decorated our sauna with branches from a birch tree which makes it smell amazing! There's always a bunch of branches called "vihta" which is soaked in water and used to pat or hit (depends how much pain you can take) yourself with. It helps with circulation and also exfoliates the skin. This is a very old tradition and has been used for decades.
2. I ♥ flowers
Another midsummer tradition is an old tale that says "if you put seven different kind of flowers under your pillow as you sleep on mid-summer's night, you will see your future spouse in your dream". Even though I already have S so I already know my future spouse, I still like the part where you pick the flowers. This is what I found yesterday...
3. I ♥ cottage life
There's something special about cottage life. My decorating taste in here is totally different. Much more simple and less cluttered. But also more romantic and I use much more colour than I ever do at home. This year I'm still using blue (like last summer) but I've added a floral print this time. There's a red bench in the cottage but I've obviously covered it up with a white sheet and this year I added a soft mattress on it so it's more like a little sofa now. This is the environment where I really relax and charge my batteries.
4. I ♥ my new wellies
As the weather is more likely to be rainy than sunny this midsummer I have come prepared and bought myself a pair of new wellies. I saw them in the shop and just had to have them. I thought they were so cool and I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of them come autumn.
5. I ♥ midsummer pole
I guess this tradition is more Swedish but we have adopted it this year by building our very own midsummer pole. According to tradition is has the ribbons but we added the flower wreath that my florist auntie made in about two minutes. Now it makes the yard look pretty.
Well, this was it for today. Time to watch some football now. Go Italy!!!!
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