pretty odd wonders.

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

2012-05-29T07:10:00.001+01:00

hat marks & spencer, cardigan zara, playsuit matalan, bag ralph lauren, for saddle shoe dyi click here

We have enjoyed some incredible, never could have imagined, weather during the past week. I have enjoyed some lazy days in the park with good company, some refreshing drinks and lots of sunscreen. On Saturday I wore the most summery outfit so far. Last year this playsuit didn't even make it out of the closet as it never got warm enough! Let's have many more of these please!

p.s. three more days and then we're off to San Francisco!

MEMORIES FROM A ROADTRIP part 4

2012-05-26T10:10:00.000+01:00

I realized this week that I completely forgot to post the remainder of the pictures from the trans 'merica roadtrip from four years ago! I figured I should post something before I leave for the long awaited trip to San Francisco next Friday. I'm so excited!
In the last post I was reminiscing about our visit to the Black Hills, Deadwood and Yellowstone. Our next stop was Glacier National Park in Montana. This came to be one of the most memorable parts of our trip and I still think the park is one of the most beautiful places I have been to. We were lucky enough to meet some people who showed us around and even took us white water rafting. On my birthday we spent the evening outside around a fire, playing guitar, singing and having a good time. It's still the best birthday I've had! Happy 22-year-old-me.
From Glacier we headed towards Seattle. I'm not sure why, but none of us seem to have many pictures from there. Seattle was a haze and full of confusion. It must have been a mixture of having spent two weeks in the woods, the plains and other rather deserted areas and finding a strange Scandinavian hub in Ballard. I think none of us were quite ready to face the city when we got there. We quickly continued our journey to Portland. Portland is the first place I ever visited in the US and one of my all time favorite cities. I was so happy to be back! We arrived just in time for last Friday. The streets were full of musicians, performers and stalls selling art & craft. We also visited the rose gardens and the Japanese garden on the hill. We made our way down the Oregon coast towards San Francisco. I remember the views were breathtakingly beautiful and the fog from the ocean created a quiet and mystical atmosphere. San Francisco is another one of our stops that I don't remember much of. We only stayed for a day and a half, so I guess we didn't even have time to do much. I think the most memorable part of our stay was when our hostel caught fire late at night and we had to stand in the street in our pj's. Besides that we went to Fisherman's Wharf, took a turn in Golden Gate park and rode the tram. I remember having such high expectations and our visit not really meeting them. And that's exactly why I wanted to go again and spend some more time there. I really do think I'm going to love it!
Our second to last stop was Las Vegas. We stayed there for two nights and enjoyed the 115F/46c weather, the slot machines (no luck there) and the general craziness of anything and everything happening round the clock. Our five-week journey across the US ended in Los Angeles. I'll remember it as the city of endless traffic and excellent cheesecake and the place where we dipped our toes in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. We saw so much on this trip. I still cherish every moment I spent driving across the country. Although the cities we visited were great, I'm happiest about having experienced the vast nature, driven over mountains and hiked in the national parks. I will never forget those moments. More of them to come soon I hope!

Memories from a road trip part 3

Memories from a road trip part 2

Memories from a road trip part 1

ETSY LOVE: RIVER LUNA

2012-05-22T08:07:00.000+01:00

1 2 3 4 5 6

I'm completely enchanted by these watercolor paintings and art prints by River Luna. These feathers are so so pretty. Perhaps I'll put one on my birthday list...

ON LEAVING LONDON

2012-05-18T23:50:00.002+01:00

It's probably time to scribble down some things that have happened and will shortly happen in this little life of mine.

Three weeks ago I made a decision to move back to Helsinki. Even now I don't really know what to say. I know I should feel happy and I do - I get to start a new chapter in my life and it is such an amazing opportunity. But happy is not all I'm feeling. To be perfectly honest, happy doesn't even reach my top five emotions. The long silence about all of this is caused by fear of the unknown, tiredness, stress, relief, excitement and a hint of denial. Leaving a place I have called home for seven years along with a job I love and friends I love even more is a lot to take in. On top of this it's all the small things that make up my everyday life. Everything is going to change.

It all started when our landlady told us that she was going to sell our flat. I had been toying with the idea of moving back in the fall anyway, so I pretty much just decided to do it now and do it quickly. I loved the idea of having the summer off from everything that requires responsibility, schedules and early mornings. So that became the plan - move back at the end of June, take it easy for a month and then, then find a job. JOB. Oh how that three-letter word has kept me up at night, worrying.

Someone once said that moving back to where you're from is a hundred times harder than moving away. I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified. Of things that could go wrong. Of me not finding a job, not having a home of my own, not adjusting. And all this while being, let's face it, pretty much penniless.

Despite all my fears I know this is something I need to do right now. I have been gone for so long that I don't even know what it's like to live in my home country. I want to find out. I also want to give my relationship a chance to work in a 'non long distance' situation. In a year's time I might look back on this time, smile and realize that my worries were all in vain. I hope that will be the case.

For now, I'll be melancholic for just a little bit longer. A couple more days of adjusting to everything that is happening. Then it's time to start making the most of my last weeks in London!

SMALL HOME THINGS

2012-05-14T07:37:00.001+01:00

1. my vintage and hand made flower crowns

2. my first ever record (picked this up on the street in Philadelphia) and an old wedding photo

3. dyi animal picture frame (I got the idea from Stars for Streetlights - a fantastic diy blog)

4. porcelain bowls with a Native American print

5. Lewis Powell, 1865 (I love these pictures that were taken of him three months before his execution. There is nothing more to it)

6. my belt collection

7. my new vintage dress

8. bridesmaids bouquet hanging from the door to the garden

9. mason jars

These are some small random things in my home that I really like. Most of them have no designated place in the house but perhaps that is the charm. I have been thinking about my home a lot lately and how much it means to me. We were given notice a while back by our landlady who has decided to sell the flat. We already knew this would happen and for several reasons moving out was relevant, but when the moving out date (27th June) gets closer I start to realize how much I've enjoyed living here. This move has also triggered other much more significant life changes that I'll be talking about soon. I'm just trying to get used to the fact that everything will change. Whether it's for the better or worse is completely up to me and that is scary indeed. But right now and for another month I can fully enjoy this little corner of the world, from picture frames resting on chairs shoe boxes to belts hanging from a cowboy hat.

LOOKING DOWN

2012-05-10T20:30:00.000+01:00

I noticed that I've managed to create a little collection of iphone pictures looking down at my shoes over the last five months. Here's the rundown.

KEEP AN EAR OUT FOR JD MCPHERSON

2012-05-08T23:00:00.001+01:00

Hmmm...what more can you ask for!?

JD McPherson - North Side Gal from Rounder Records

SAM & PATRICK'S VINTAGE INSPIRED WEDDING DAY

2012-05-07T11:27:00.000+01:00

I finally got around to going through all the wedding photos from Sam and Patrick's fantastic wedding day. It was so much fun and such a great experience to be part of. Here is a little summary of how their special day went down. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks to everyone who helped make this day so memorable!

photography - all pictures with the exception of a few pictures of decorations were taken by Ben Moore Wedding Photography.

venues - Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, Hampstead, London
- The Garden Gate Pub, Hampstead, London

outfits - bride: dress made to measure
   - groom: trousers, waistcoat, shirt and tie RRL
   - bridesmaids: red dresses Shabby Apple, blue dresses ASOS
           - groomsmen: jeans Levi's, waistcoats Topman

NEW BLOG DESIGN!

2012-04-29T23:18:00.003+01:00

old design

Hello hello! Just wanted to say that I'm so excited about the new design that went up on the blog today. I spent most of yesterday in bed working on the design - a perfect way to spend yet another rainy day. I'm especially pleased with the little 'home' button that you can find at the bottom of each page. It's a little dream catcher design that just came to be without much planning. After that I got so inspired about dream catchers that I added some to the post below (by the way you can find an amazing DYI for a doily dream catcher here). You'll find that a few bits and pieces will still be changing over the next week or so but besides that it's all done. Hope you like it as much as I do!

PRETTY ODD WONDERS

2012-04-28T13:28:00.000+01:00

source

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

2012-04-25T19:44:00.000+01:00

This is what I wore to Sam and Patrick's wedding on Saturday. I spent a good couple of hours a few days prior trying on pretty much every dress and skirt in my wardrobe but nothing seemed appropriate for either the occasion or the it-will-highly-likely-rain-and-you-will-be-freezing weather combo. Then finally I remembered the paper bag full of vintage loveliness that my dear friend Kelly of Heyday Honey had sent me off with the last time I saw her. In the bag was a white dress with green dots from the 50's. It fitted me perfectly! (what a lovely friend I have!). As the weather was cold I decided to wear a green jacket with a faux fur collar on top. I absolutely love this jacket. I got it eight years ago and although it stayed hidden in a box for a couple of years I reconnected with it again about a year ago. I love when that happens. My recent obsession is to wear my cowboy boots with everything I possible can. This was no exception. Oh how I love my boots!

WEDDING WEEKEND PREVIEW

2012-04-23T20:54:00.000+01:00

1. Jaakko flew from Helsinki to be with me over the weekend
2. we took a coffee break during our day-before-the-wedding-preparations
3. hello doggy in the window
4. the farm piglets have grown, how adorable!
5. i'm loving these tiles at campania on columbia road
6. when everything was done for the wedding i started the day with a well deserved glass of pimms. first one of the year
7. wedding table decorations
8. wedding candy station
9. sun.
10. checking out from the hotel
11. pancake (yes well crepe) breakfast
12. seesaw for the first time in a decade

The wedding weekend was absolutely fantastic. I am so happy with how everything turned out. I'm pretty proud of myself too! But most importantly it was a great day for Sam & Patrick and we all had a lot of fun. I thank all the weather demons who have been minding their business right over London for the past week for taking a coffee break and letting most of the wedding day be dry. We've had everything from bucket sized rain drops to hail for well over a week now so a semi sunny and dry day was a true blessing!

I will be sure to upload all my photos to my computer and onto the blog sometime during this week. I also have a the urge to change things on the blog so we'll see if I'll get a new look up during the weekend.

Have a lovely week!

Footnote: all photos via instagram. my username is @prettyoddwonders !

FOOD FRIDAY: CARROT GINGER WALNUT CUPCAKES

2012-04-20T09:11:00.000+01:00

This is a recipe for some delicious carrot cake cupcakes. They somehow expanded quite a bit in the oven, but the frosting got thick and smooth, just the way I like it.

Here's how!

x Ida

12 cupcakes

CARROT GINGER WALNUT CUPCAKES

3 eggs
3 dl sugar
3 dl flour
1 tps vanilla sugar
3 tps baking powder
½ tps salt
1 1/2 tps cinnamon
1 tps cardamom
2 tps ginger
1 1/2 dl oil (neutral taste)
4 1/2 dl grated carrots
100 g chopped walnuts (optional)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

400 g cream cheese
icing sugar
vanilla sugar
butter
walnuts for decoration

HOW TO:

Preheat oven to 175 degrees C.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs and sugar.
Mix all dry ingredients and mix with the eggs.
Add oil, grated carrots and nuts.
Pour into muffin cups.
Bake about 15 minutes and let cool.

FROSTING

Mix butter, sugar and cream cheese. Start with a piece of butter and mixed it soft with a fork, then add some sugar and mix until smooth. Then add the rest of the cheese and sugar in turn. It's better to take small amounts of the ingredients instead of just putting everything in a bowl. In this way you will get the perfect thick and smooth frosting!
Frost the cooled cup cakes and decorate with walnuts.

WEDDING FLOWERS IN JARS

2012-04-16T22:20:00.000+01:00

The budget for flowers for Sam's and Patrick's wedding is limited so I tried to come up with ideas for inexpensive flower decorations. I was meant to get some beautiful dried bouquets with evergreens mixed in but last week I sadly found out that they wouldn't be available until fall. After a little panic I decided to expand the jar theme we have going on by using them for the flowers as well. Yesterday morning I headed to Columbia Road flower market with a big Ikea bag and my fight face on - I can't believe how crowded that place has become. You really do have to fight your way through the crowd! I ended up buying two boxes of English daisies, three boxes of violas, three pots of lovely lavender and two poppies. I gathered a bunch of leftover jars and began planting the flowers in the jars. It can be a bit tricky to get the roots through the opening of the jar but once in the flowers look so great. I also tied some twine around some of the jars and added cute little love quotes that I glued on some labels cut out of vintage maps. I will scatter these flower jars on tables at the reception venue. In addition we're also getting some flower stems that we've ordered to be picked up on the day and will put in empty wine bottles.

note: if you decide to try this idea, just make sure that you leave plenty of air in the jar and don't pack the soil too densely. this will kill the plants, yikes!

CHAIR PAIR!

2012-04-15T22:35:00.001+01:00

About a year ago I fell in love with a blue and white wicker chair that I found at a vintage furniture shop here in Hackney. I have loved this chair with as much passion as one can love a chair. Let me tell you, it's a lot of love. There's just something about a nice chair. Right?

Yesterday while doing some last minute wedding deco shopping at Walthamstow market, something caught my eye. Behind a stall selling incense and all kinds of smelly things was a blue and white chair. I jumped up where I stood and ran over to it. Same shape, same color, same everything except for the pattern. A perfect partner to my passionately loved chair at home! I just couldn't believe it. What are the odds, really? I was so lucky. I spent the rest of the day carrying the chair around Walthamstow Village (our waitress at lunch seemed to find it rather odd when I asked for a table for two and a chair). A good wash and scrub later my two chairs got united. Oh my, how happy I was!

Footnote: I did a little research about the chairs. If you like them as much as I do, you should know that they are designed by Geoffrey Lusty for Lloyd Loom in the late 50's.

EASTER RECAP

2012-04-14T08:38:00.000+01:00

Easter came and went and although it feels like a while ago already I wanted to share a few pictures I snapped during my long weekend in Helsinki. I really needed a break and was so pleased with seeing my family, friends and boyfriend. Things get a bit rough when you're apart for two months so it was so nice to be back!

We did a bunch of nothing and a bunch of running around saying hi to people and eating some yummy Easter food (luckily none prepared by me). I also think I made a record in chocolate egg eating. We took walks around the nicer areas of the city and I admired the old buildings and the pretty views over the sea. We also went on a Friday night date to the movies which felt very everyday and nice (we even saw a romcom so I was pretty pleased!)

For the first time in months I went out for a real drink (the pub doesn't count you see). By a real drink I mean a big one one with fruit, berries, flowers and bright paper decorations that all in one make you want to do the hula. All this went down at Navy Jerry's, an awesome new bar that's all vintage-army-navy-surplus-pinup-G.I-goes-to-Hawaii-and-pays-tribute-to-Sailor-Jerry inspired. Straight A in my book. I was lucky enough to spend an evening with most of my dearest friends who, as a very rare coincidence, all happened to be in Helsinki at the same time.

Nicole and I also visited a cutesy pop up cafe on Sunday and celebrated the bright and sunny day with some tea and buns. Such a lovely cafe that's been put up on an old summer stage on one of the boulevards. The same day Jaakko and I also drove to Porvoo, a smaller town with one of the most beautiful old towns in Southern Finland. We walked up and down the narrow cobbled streets and I drooled over the houses, yet again.

I apologize for the general quietness over here. It's been such a hectic week with last minute wedding things creeping up on me! The wedding is in exactly seven days. So. much. to. do! Will try my best to keep you posted!

Footnote: If you're reading this and happen to both love vintage and live in Helsinki you need to go to Garbo Vintage's closing down (boo) sale! It's the best vintage shop in town. Everything in the shop is 50% off! Kapteeninkatu 3.

NAUTICAL INSPIRATON

2012-04-04T07:39:00.000+01:00

source


source

source

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

2012-04-01T21:46:00.000+01:00

jacket & dress lauren

bag rrl

boots vintage

Yesterday I headed up to Alexandra Palace for Sam's hen do. The countdown to the wedding has begun, yikes! We spent a lovely afternoon drinking tea, eating scones and cucumber sandwiches and playing some hen do-appropriate games. I wore one of my new favorite wrap dresses and my cowboy boots.

DYI RING BEARER'S BOOK

2012-03-31T10:33:00.003+01:00

Special thanks to William Hazlitt, great critic and essayist of the English language whose work is currently little read and mostly out of print, for sacrificing one of his books for this DYI project. Please do not take offense. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the cut out hearts. Please bear in mind that this was a project of love!

MILK

2012-03-30T23:26:00.000+01:00

So one of the coolest milk cartons I've seen. Paola Suhonen for Valio.

AS OF LATE I HAVE

2012-03-26T22:36:00.002+01:00

...enjoyed homemade Scottish pancakes à la Kelly Honey-Bare

...visited Broadway Market

...had me some blueberry cheesecake

...enjoyed the first warm day and a cider in the park (not an original idea it seems)

...walked along Regent's Canal

...thought about love and money and money and love and how much I would need of each to be where I want to be

...wanted wanted some vintage (aahhgain)

...admired magnolias in bloom

...noticed the little things

...picked out some wedding flowers

...enjoyed some street music

...and some more street music

...made some paper doily bunting for the wedding

A relaxing yet productive weekend that made me feel a bit free again. Not chained to everyday sleep (but never enough) - go to work - come from work - eat - sleep (but never enough) pattern that sometimes seems like my entire life. Maybe it's the sun. The lighter evenings. The silver lining.

FRIDAY IN PARIS

2012-03-25T10:13:00.002+01:00

This past week disappeared just like that. I'm glad though. I want these weeks to pass quickly. At least the next two so that I can go back home for Easter! I need some change in my life and I'm pretty eager to make that happen. As it's not happening yet time can pass quickly right now. Friday certainly did (in a good way)! I got up way before dawn and jumped on the train to Paris. Did some work stuff and med up with Nanne for lunch before I had to catch my train back to London. It was all around great day that was finished off with the first strawberry beer pint outside in the warm evening. Excluding the 3.30am wake up I wish I'll have more days like these coming my way.

P.S. Can you spot the Eiffel tower in the second picture?

FOOD FRIDAY: HOMEMADE RAVIOLI

2012-03-16T07:48:00.000Z

This week Ida made homemade ravioli!

Homemade ravioli is delicious and totally worth a try. Once you go homemade there's no going back to super market pasta though! I even bought a pasta machine after I tried this for the first time. You don't need one though, you can just roll out the dough by hand.

x Ida

RAVIOLI WITH RICOTTA, SPINACH AND PECORINO

4 servings

Pasta dough:

2.5 dl wheat flour

2.5 dl durum flour

2 eggs

1-3 tbs water

1 tbs olive oil

Filling:

200g baby spinach

4 tbs olive oil

salt

pepper

2 dl ricotta cheese

2 dl pecorino cheese (grated)

Tomato sauce:

1 onion (chopped)

2 sliced garlic cloves

4 tbs olive oil

1 dl white wine

sugar

salt

pepper

thyme

basil

Pasta dough:
Kneed all the ingredients to a firm and smooth dough. Add water or flour if needed. The dough will become quite hard. Let it rest in the fridge for 1h.

Filling:
Let the spinach fizzle in olive oil and let cool. Mix with the ricotta and pecorino cheeses.

Tomato sauce:
Fry the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil. Add wine, herbs and tomatoes. Let the mix boil slowly for 15 minutes.

Pasta:
Roll the dough out to two long slices. Add the filling like in the picture on one of the slices. Brush some water around the filling. Place the second slice on top of the slice with the filling. Press circles around the filling or cut squares with a knife. I did both. Boil the raviolis for 2-3 minutes and serve with tomato sauce and some cheese.

HELLO SUNSHINE!

2012-03-15T23:11:00.001Z

dress Eva Franco at Modcloth

shoes Clarks

clutch Karen Millen

hat Forever 21

earrings Jenny Jenny at farfetch

camera Diana F+ at lomography

AS OF LATE I HAVE

2012-03-14T00:04:00.001Z

...noticed the first signs of spring.

...met some new neigbors.

...hunted Fabergé Easter eggs.

...♥ my new vintage cowboy boots.

...tried to decide what to order for brunch.

...ordered brunch.

...walked past Liberty's flower stand.

...admired old treasures at Chatsworth Road market.

...drooled on the window of a candy shop.

...enjoyed the comfort of my own bedroom.

...felt overwhelmed about how busy Columbia Road has become.

...seen my first spring blossom.

...thrifted in a garden.

...where I bought a hat.

All my iphone photos can be found on webstagram here. You can also follow me on instagram @prettyoddwonders.

pretty odd wonders.

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

MEMORIES FROM A ROADTRIP part 4

ETSY LOVE: RIVER LUNA

ON LEAVING LONDON

SMALL HOME THINGS

LOOKING DOWN

KEEP AN EAR OUT FOR JD MCPHERSON

SAM & PATRICK'S VINTAGE INSPIRED WEDDING DAY

NEW BLOG DESIGN!

PRETTY ODD WONDERS

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

WEDDING WEEKEND PREVIEW

FOOD FRIDAY: CARROT GINGER WALNUT CUPCAKES

CARROT GINGER WALNUT CUPCAKES

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

HOW TO:

FROSTING

WEDDING FLOWERS IN JARS

CHAIR PAIR!

EASTER RECAP

NAUTICAL INSPIRATON

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

DYI RING BEARER'S BOOK

MILK

AS OF LATE I HAVE

FRIDAY IN PARIS

FOOD FRIDAY: HOMEMADE RAVIOLI

HELLO SUNSHINE!

AS OF LATE I HAVE