I Hope You Dance

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger

May you never take one single breath for granted

God forbid love ever leave you empty handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance

I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance

Never settle for the path of least resistance

Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'

Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'

Don't let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter

When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance

I hope you dance

Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along

I hope you dance

I hope you dance

Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder, where those years have gone?

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

Dance

Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along

I hope you dance

I hope you dance

Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder, where those years have gone?

Kotini on linnani / My house is my castle

Kuinka paljon iloa voi saadakaan pahvilaatikosta seka vessa- ja talouspaperirullista? Paljon. Tanaan niista syntyi jalokivin koristeltu linna torneineen. Mikas sen sopivampi asuinpaikka prinsessalle. Myos ruskea, siiveton, karvainen lohikaarme (joka asustaa luonamme) piti linnaa mukavampana kuin kylmaa kiviluolaansa, jossain kaukaisilla vuorilla.

How much joy can you get from a cardboard box and toilet & paper towel rolls? A lot. Today a castle with turrets was errected and decorated with jewels. Could there be a more fitting home for a princess. Even the wingless, brown, hairy dragon (who lives with us) preferred the castle to his cold story cave up in a far away mountains.

Joulun viime henkays / Last breath of Christmas

Kaikki joulu korjattiin pois loppiaisena. Itsepaisena sohvapoydalla nokottaa kuitenkin joulutahti ja kukoistaa. Muistuttaa joulusta. Vihjailee jo tulevasta... vaikkakin kovin kaukaisesta. Iloinen varilaiska mutta ihan kuin se ei kuuluisikaan tanne. Annan kuitenkin kukoistaa. Kuiskailkoon, muistutelkoon, vihjailkoon. Tuokoon varia tahan kotiin.

All of the christmas was put away on Epiphany. Stubbornly, poinsetia is keeping its head high on the end table and thrives. It's reminding of the past christmas. Hinting about the coming.... even though still very far away. Happy patch of color, but it almost feels out of place here. However, I let it flourish. I let it do its whispering, reminding and hinting. Let it bring color into this home.

"Scrumptious Toppers for tots and toddlers" arvostelu / "Scrumptious Toppers for tots and toddlers" review

Siis minullako joku hattu fetissi? Ei nyt sentaan? :D Mutta nyt siis kolmannen kirjan arvostelu: Debby Ware, "Scrumptious toppers for tots and toddlers". Henkilokohtaisesti kaksi edellista arvostelemaani kirjaa oli kivempia vaikka on tassakin monta ihanaa hattua. Kirja ei pysy kunnolla auki ellei sita oikein kunnolla lahde murjomaan auki. Mita se tekee sitten sidonnalle..... en tieda. En kokeillut murjomista. Kirjasta loytyy 30 hatttuohjetta. Koot vaihtelevat hieman projekteittain mutta paaasiassa koot loytyy 18kk - 2 vuotiaaksi. Hassua kuitenkin on se etta projektissa ilmoitetaan yleensa pienin koko ja suurin koko ja naista on annettu ohjeeseen silmukkaluvut. Valikoot on jatetty itse pahkailtavaksi. Kuvia kuitenkin katsellen ihmettelen joitakin hattuja. Ne nayttavat hirmu pienilta pikku mallien paassa. En pysty nyt sitten omasta kokemuksesta sanomaan. Ohjeet vaikuttavat selkeilta ja projektista riippuen helpohkoilta.

Kaikkien kuvien tekijaoikeudet kuuluvat James Roderick:lle.

Me? Have a hat fetish? No way. :D Here's the review of the third book I bought: "Scrumptious toppers for tots and toddlers" by Debby Ware. Personally I like the two previous books I reviewed better, even though this one has lovely hats as well. The book doesn't stay open properly without really bending it open. What it does to the binding.... I don't know. I did not try to forcefully bend it to stay open. Yuo can find 30 hats to make in this book. The sizes vary a little from project to project but mainly you have sizes from 6 months up to 18 months/2 years. What I found a bit funny was that the pattern gives you the the stitch amounts for the smallest and biggest size. The others you will have to figure out yourself. When I look at the pictures I'm wondering about the sizing. Some hats look really small on the little models. I cannot say anything from my own experience as I've not made any of these yet. The patterns seem clear and depending on the project relatively easy.

All photo copyrights belong to James Roderick.

Lohduton harmaa / Desolate gray

Taivas itkee. Sataa suuria kyyneleita. Ulkona on lohduttoman harmaata. Taistelen sita vastaan. Sytytin kynttilan. Laitoin viimeiset jouluvalot (vai voisinko kutsua niita tunnelmavaloiksi) paalle. Pistin pataan hiljalleen porisemaan illan ruoan. Tuoksukynttilan omena/kaneli ja kypsyvan lihapadan aromit sekoittuvat toisiinsa. Tekemista olisi vaikka kuinka mutta jalat raahaavat maata eika tee mieli tehda mitaan.

The sky is weeping. It's raining huge tears. It's desolately gray outside. I'm fighting against it. I lit a candle. I put the last christmas lights (or could I call them something else) on. I put the dinner stew in the slow cooker. The apple/cinnamon and the meat stew aromas are mingling together. I would have so much to do but my feet are dragging and I don't feel like doing anything.

HIljaisuutta / Silence

Olen tanaan kuunnellut aina pikkuisen paivaunien aikaa hiljaisuutta. Ei radioita, ei televisiota, ei tietokonetta, ei muita ihmisia.... Koirakin on ollut ihan hiljaa vieressani. Kirjan lehtien kahina on ollut ainoa aani noina hetkina. Tosin se ihana hiljaisuus loppui juuri. Esikoinen saapui kotiin. Vauveli joteltelee siskolleen paivan jutut. Koira rouskuttaa ruokaansa. Radio piti saada paalle - tyttonen pyysi. Hiljaisuus peraantyi ja palaa kun painan paan tyynyyn.

I've been listening to silence when ever the little one has been napping. No radio, no television, no computer, no other people.... Even the dog has been quiet next to me. Turning of the book pages has been the only noise on those moments. However, the lovely silence just ended. Our first born arrived from school. The baby decided it was time to tell all the "gossip" of the day to her big sister. The dog is crunching his food. Radio had to be turned on - my girl asked nicely. The silence retreated and will return when I put my head on the pillow.

Ostoksilla / Shopping

Tehtiin vauvelin kanssa taas pikku kavelylenkki laheiseen askartelu/kangas/lankakauppaan. Hypistelin kankaita ja ajattelin kevatta ja kesaa. Erityisesti frotee kankaat oli mielessa. Harmittavaa oli kuitenkin valikoiman vahaisyys: perati 4 eri kangasta, joista kaksi oli samalla kuosilla mutta eri varisia. Tasta kaupasta ei yleensa paase pois etteiko jotain tarttuisi mukaan. Niin tallakin kertaa. Kangasta en kuitenkaan ostanut vaan kaavat, leivanleipomuslehden seka pikkuruisia sydamenmuotoisia nompparelleja. Ystavanpaiva lahestyy ja ajatukset pyorivat jo vahan siella.
Taman paivan pyhitan koneella olemiseen (siis silloin kun vauveli nukkuu paikkareita) ja polttelen valokuvat talteen jne.

Again the baby and I did a little walk to the close by crafts store. I was fingering fabrics and thinking about spring and summer. Especially I was looking at the the terry cloth fabrics. Big disappointment was the lack of choice. They had 4 different terry cloth fabrics and 2 of them had the same pattern on different background color. Usually I cannot get out of that store without something in a bag and so was the case also today. However, I did not buy fabric but pattern, bread backing magazine and minuscule heart shaped cookie toppers. Valentine's day is coming soon and I have been thinking about it a bit already.
Today I will dedicate to my computer (at least when the little one is napping). Photos need to be burned to DVD:s and saved to the server among other important things.

Missa talvi? / Where's winter?

Kalenterissa lukee tanaan olevan tammikuun 24. paiva. Ulos jos menee niin ei uskoisi. Aurinko paistaa. On ihanan lammin. Varjossa mittarissa todellakin lukemat +13C. Valitettavasti viikonloppuna saadusta lumesta ei ole enaa jalkeakaan. Se suli pois viime yona sateen mukana. Ihan kuin kevat olisi saapunut tanne. Mutta missa on talvi?
Haikein mielin laittelin tanaan vauvelin pieneksi jaamia vaatteita pois. Talteen aarrelaatikkoon kaikkein ihanimmat ja muistorikkaimmat vaatteet ja muut myytavien pinoon. Kylla siina kyynelkin vierahti poskelle kun katselin sairaalasta saatua virkattua myssya ja vaatteita, joissa "Nuppu" tuli kotiin. Ei taida tulla enaa uusia vauvoja tahan taloon.... ainakaan ihan ikiomaksi. Se on tassa viimeaikoina ollut muutenkin mielessa kun imetysta olen lopettelemassa (tosin vain sen takia etta neiti on paattanyt ruveta puremaan maitobaaria kaikilla kuudella upealla hampaallaan). Tulen kaipaamaan niita vain meidan keskeisia hetkia, jolloin saan vauvani ihan lahelle. Melkein sydan sydanta vasten. Saan katsoa toisen keskittynytta ilmetta ja kuinka han syodessaan hypistelee sormillaan omia hiuksiaan. Mamin oma nuppunen.
Paani ei ole ehka ihan niin sumussa kuin eilen. Energiasta en tieda missa se huitelee. Enka varmasti olisi ollut tanaan kovin hyvaa seuraa kenellekaan. Vahan "Joro" -meininkia. Ulos nena sentaan pistettiin ja karryteltiin kauppaan (saan taalla usein kovin kummastuneita katseita kun kavelen vauvan kanssa kauppaan). Nautittiin auringon lammosta ja valosta.

Calendar indicates today being January 24th. If you go outside, you wouldn't believe it. The sun is shining. It's wonderfully warm. The thermometer in the shade shows +13C/55F. Unfortunately there's no sign of the snow we got during the weekend. It all melted away with rain last night. It's like spring has arrived. But where's winter?
With a heavy and sad heart I put away baby's small clothes. The most meaningful and treasured ones went in a treasure box and the other piled to be sold. I did shed a tear or two as I was holding the crocheted hat we got from the hospital and the clothes "Nuppu" (translates to flower bud) wore coming home. I doubt there will be new babies in this house... at least not to stay. This thought has been in my mind lately a lot as I'm winding breast feeding down (only because the little miss has decided to bite the milk bar with all of those six glorious white teeth). I'm going to miss the moments just for the two of us, when I get to hold my little one so close. Almost heart against heart. I get to watch her concentrated expression and how she fiddles with her hair while feeding. Mummy's own little Nuppu.
My head is not quite so foggy as yesterday. What comes to my energy, I don't have the slightest idea where it has decided to take itself. And I still wouldn't have been very good company to anyone today. Bit of a Grumpy feeling. I did go out and walked with the baby to the store (I do get strange looks here when ever I walk to the store with the little one). We enjoyed the warmth and light of the sun.

Mielikuvitusmaailmaan / Into the imaginary world

Digiscrappays on yksi intohimoni. Tosin viimeaikoina en ole paassyt asiaan kovasti keskittymaan. Tietokoneen tyopoydalla on kansio pullollaan kuvia, jotka pitaisi prosessoida digiscrappayskuntoon. Mutta mista aika? Flunssan vieman energian puuttuessa olen katsellut vanhoja tekemiani kuvia. Huomasin etta kaytan paljon samoja kuvia aina uudestaan ja uudestaan. Kerasinkin nyt yhteen yhdesta ja samasta kuvasta tehdyt "maailmat". Olenkin niita vertaillut tassa toisiinsa. Hauska nahda mita kaikkea yhdestan kuvasta voi saada aikaan.

Digiscrapping is one of my passions. Unfortunately I have not been able to concentrate on it lately. I have a folder full of pictures waiting for processing on my laptop desktop. Where to get the time? As the cold I acquired from my family has completely drained my energy I've been looking at the the old layouts I've made. I noticed that I use the same photo quite many times. I collected here all the "imaginary worlds" made from one photo. It's been fun to compare them and see what you can make out of one photo.