City Weddings!

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending my cousin's wedding! Yey, parties are always such a good reason to go shopping for a new dress! ;)


The ceremony took place in Helsinki Cathedral, from which we moved to the wedding reception with a small ferry ;) The wedding reception was held in a restaurant called "NJK", which is found on a separate Island called Valkosaari, in Helsinki.


To be honest I'm not the greatest fan of city weddings with restaurant receptions, but this time I must say I liked it! A restaurant on a small island couldn't be more perfect for this occasion :)

The villa-type restaurant NJK, located on the small island of Valkosaari, was built in 1900. Name NJK comes from a yacht club "Nylandska Jaktklubben", founded in 1861. The restaurant is one of the best locations for festivities during summer season, the most popular crayfish restaurant in town - and a wonderful setting for a tasty meal. The tall, spacious Middle room is surrounded by a bright covered veranda with large windows and a view towards the Market Square and Katajanokka.

(http://www.ravintolanjk.fi)

The weather changed all day from sunny to rainy, and sunny again :) And during the wedding ceremony we heard the thunder pounding with a massive rain shower. But it's said that a rain during wedding ceremony brings luck to the couple, so in this case they should have plenty of it! :)

Congrats again to the lovely newlyweds! :)

-Sarppa

Waiting for summer holiday!

My ideal hideout!

It's been too long since my last post, but what can I say -  I'm sorry.

To be honest this summer has taken me away from my laptop so effectively, that I can't complain.

There's so much to do, and the best part is yet to come - Holiday!

I have never waited for my holiday like this...Well, maybe 'cause I rarely tend to plan anything until my holiday starts and I'll begin to stress about not having any plans.. How ironic ;)

But this year everything will be different, as I have made all the necessary reservations and payments in advance for basically every weekend for this summer :) Weekdays I have left open for sunbathing and socializing :) I got tickets to Weekend Festivals in Helsinki, and a Cabin with outside jacuzzi rented for another wknd, then tickets to the Greek's Island Crete, and lot of pre-planned parties with family and friends!

I know this sounds stupid, as who wouldn't plan everything in advance etc... but nope, usually not me! I'm more of an "go with the flow" -kind of person, which means I wake up to things in the last minute ;) So you must try to image how excited I am :))

Well, till then I'll try to enjoy my time at our own summer cabin with lovely quiet nature

Enjoy the summer time!!
-Sarppa

1st of May! - Vappu :)

1st of May -picnic on our own terrace! :)

Oh no, the crazy ass "overalls & hat-people" has again started their party to celebrate the 1st of May in Tampere, for the rights of workers :) Well, to be honest I'm also one of those, excluding the hat and overalls, which I happily left home trying to minimize the self-embarrassment...haha! :P

Anyway this whole May Day action plan started already yesterday, which is traditionally the party-night, as 1st May is commonly a holiday in Finland. The statue in the city center was also given its' own student cap to join celebration in the May Day eve. Today the main event was dipping the poor first-year university students into the freezingly(!) cold water of Tammerkoski rapids in the center of Tampere.. I feel sorry for the poor drunken students, but it's good entertainment and a lot of people always gather to witness the event :D

Tampere city center on 1st of May 2013
(photos by Aamulehti)

The whole city center is covered with balloon, paper streamers and other funny decorations. Especially this May Day celebration is a good time to feel little childish and to be honest is also little required, in order to understand the whole thing invading the city today ;) Tomorrow I only feel sad for the people who have to clean up the piles of trash afterwards...

Anyway, I started this 1st of May celebrations by arranging a sunny picnic on our terrace with sparkling wine, strawberries, doughnuts, and some traditional funnel cakes :) Gotta say it was yummy!! :D
Rest of the day we spent by checking the May Day market place and enjoying a couple of cold ones on some sunny terrace! And the evening went by with a game of good old baseball with a group of friends :)
I LIKE! :)

Hope you enjoyed your 'vappu' as much as I did!
-Sarppa

Sweetie enjoying 1st May!

VAPPU !

Huh huh, taas on aika kun hullu haalarikansa vallotti Tampereen hattuineen, näin työväen juhlapäivänä :) Nooh, kyllähän sitä itekin tohon lukeutuu, vaikkakin kyllä ilman haalareita ja hattua, jotka jätin tarkotuksella himaan säästäen itteni pahimmilta nolauksilta... ;)

Vappuhan starttas jo eilen bileiden osalta koska 1.pvä on yleisesti vapaa päivä meillä Suomessa. Myös keskustan kivipatsas sai oman lakin päähänsä vappuaaton kunniaks ;) Mutta päätapahtuma olikin näin vappupäivänä kun känniset teekkari-raukat kastettiin hyiseen Tammerkoskeen :D Vähän teki pahaa raukkojen takia, mutta hyvää viihdettähän se on, paljon oli katsojiakin :D Ja koko keskusta oli täynnä ilmpalloja ja muita vappukoristeita, ja sääliksi käy sitä joka snkin sotkun joutuu siivoomaan...

Mutta meillä vappupäivä alotettiin pikku piknikillä omalle terdelle, ja nautittiin skumppaa, mansikoita, munkkeja, ja tippaleipiä! NAM :D Loppupäivä menikin vapputoria kierrellessä ja nauttien pari huurteista kaupungilla. Ilmakin oli mitä aurinkoisin :) Vappuilta päätettiinkiin sit kunnon pesismatsilla kaveriporukan kesken! Jee! :D 

Toivottavasti kaikilla on ollut yhtä hauska vappu!
- Sarppa

Resist frustration!

Between all the circles of daily, weekly, or even yearly routines, I try to challenge myself and You to break out from the frustration of everyday cycles and habits, which we normally call Life.

To be honest , I've never written anything publicly, so this blogging thing is a totally new thing for me, and I hope to improve in it along with my posts, so that they would be as useful for you as I believe they will be for me.

Most of the time, at least I, people take the smaller positive things simply for granted without putting any effort nor thought in them, which usually leads to forgetting them easily. Well, I'd like to keep my blog as a reminder how the big & small everyday joys should be better cherished and remembered.

So when we face downhills in the everlasting roller coaster called life, there are hopefully always posts to remind of the small things of life!