Viaggio

I can`t wait to go away from rainy Milan for a few days... Just like last month when I flew to Germany for a break, I have been working long hours before parting. I hope that this time I will do something else as well than sleep, take long baths and eat well. Those are my favorite things in the world, but still it would be nice to see a bit more of the cities and...

The perfect look!

I will still be working late tonight, clean the flat tomorrow morning when Kri leaves, try to pack something classical with sexy heels, meet some customers and hopefully make it in time for my afternoon flight from Linate. Buon viaggio!!! ;o)

Domenica deludente

I have one problem. I can`t say "no" to work when I get the offers and I stress for not completing my works perfectly. This time the situation is partly caused for seeing my friend without a job in Milan for months. The fashion business isn`t doing that great, so I should be extremely happy to be working my butt off. ;o)

Yesterday was the Naviglio market again, where I wanted to go to find some inspiration, accessories for my sewings and maybe get some info where to find the Bvlgari "Coin"-necklace that I am dreaming of.

It has been raining already for some days and the canal banks were pretty empty, despite the Design week-tourists. The weather was depressing... and so looked this vintage store.

My friend stayed home sleeping, so I had noone to take pictures of my Burberry-skirt, flavoured with "Hai"-rubberboots... I so need to get the new boots from Burberry! It is kinda sad that I even have to think about purchasing rubberboots in the fashion capital of the world...

My trip was pretty vain. I saw nothing special (only one necklace draw my attention) and today I learned after some e-mails that my dream necklace of Bvlgary is on sale pretty rare and will cost a fortune if found. Sniif... The weather senses my feelings...

This poor lady was trying to earn her living by selling buttons. She raised her voice slightly for one customer and I learned that having a sales spot for a day costs 510€. It isn`t easy being a "nappikauppias" (button salesman). Hih! Luckily I am enjoying my works at the moment and I am getting closer to my dream day by day... if only the rain would stop. ;o)

Pensando a te

Beautiful video with touching words... I love the clothing and feeling of the scenery.

Festa di venerdi sera a Design Week

If I think about last night, I can only say: Oh No! John!

I have more work to do than I have time and capable hands. During this week I got some new clients from Marangoni and I have been designing all the winter collections that I need to make for the winter 2010-11 to my Dutch sports company. (I got a job!!!!!!) I am so happy for that.

I have my friend here for 10 days and all I do is work from 7 in the morning until midnight. Yesterday after the feeling that my tiny apartment is like a circus with clients, friends and landlords coming and going, I promised to my Bionda to go out with her and have some fun. We heard that the best party in town would be in the Pirelli-building and its 31st floor. We headed there with metro ( I am still saving, but HATING all the public transportations).

I was driving Kri insane with all the pictures. This one is from the Central Station. The streets close to the skyscraper were packed with people and it was chaotic. Nobody knew what to do or where to go and afterwards we learned that there were so many people that the buiding needed to be emptied. Only in Italia!!! I asked advise from the nice police men where to go and they almost promised to give us a ride in the police car. The only reason why not to, was the dirtiness of their backseat (sure, I believe they were just cowards. ;o) )

We couldn`t get a taxi and jumped into a tram... I got a great idea with all the pictures and we had some fun all the way until Naviglio. (That is where I live and from where we left, great trip of the city at midnight.) I would love to take some fashion editorials here in this old tram in the middle of the night of my dresses. Later for sure...

We started it easy and I can`t even add the sexiest pictures here, sorry................ ;o)

I know that we were drawing attention walking in the streets; two almost 190 cm blonds with huge heels. So much fun!!! (My heels are Hugo Boss and the purse is my caramel color Prada.)

We went to Bond where was Oh No! John!-party. I still haven`t gotten used to the idea of standing or sitting outside with drinks like it is here in Milan. If I go clubbing I want to have a table where to have my drinks (hopefully champagne) and seats where to rest my feet after dancing like a superstar with my 14cm heels... No dancing last night, only feeling slightly cold after waiting for my friend, who dissappeared for too long and left me alone with all the guys who surrounded me. Italia!!! ;o)

We saw this cool "Floating seats"-exhibition in the Naviglio canal.

This was kinda funny, I took some pictures inside and these two guys were looking straight into the camera and I didn`t even notice that last night... Meno male! (Not bad!)

Il sogno

I am already waiting for the summer sales in July. I have a compulsive need to get this gorgeous clutch. (I really do, baby...) I think that it is absolutely great for almost every occasion and the size is perfect. I am always in trouble when packing my evening bag, because they are always way too small or then I just carry too many phones and cameras with me. I already have the shoes to match this bag, also from Prada...

I guess I feel the spring/summer in the air, because I have found a terrible urge to do some shopping. The other night I had to make some exploration to my clothes racks, I was surprised how many great summer pants I found, hih hih...

Moet Hennessy di Diageo???

I was chocked today of the rumours that LVMH would sell Moet Hennessy to Diageo...

"April 22 (Bloomberg) -- LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA is not in talks to sell its wines and spirits unit to Diageo Plc, Olivier Labesse, a spokesman for the French luxury goods maker, said in a telephone interview. He was denying reports in U.K. newspapers that LVMH plans to sell two thirds of its stake in Moet Hennessy to Diageo for as much as 12 billion euros."

"In economics, a luxury good is a good for which demand increases more than proportionally as income rises, in contrast to a "necessity good", for which demand increases less than proportionally as income rises. Luxury goods are said to have high income elasticity of demand: as people become wealthier, they will buy more and more of the luxury good. This also means, however, that should there be a decline in income its demand will drop. Income elasticity of demand is not constant with respect to income, and may change sign at different levels of income. That is to say, a luxury good may become a normal good or even an inferior good at different income levels, e.g. a wealthy person stops buying increasing numbers of luxury cars for his automobile collection to start collecting airplanes (at such an income level, the luxury car would become an inferior good)."

"LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) is the largest luxury good producer in the world with over fifty brands, including Louis Vuitton, the brand with the world's first designer label."

What will happen to the value of Moet/ Dom Perignon (see... I only think of champagne) if it will be sold to Diageo? There is nothing wrong with Diageo (I have worked for them), but it is not LVMH. I promise that I will keep on drinking Moet of course, but does it feel as prestige as it feels now. WOW! This is huge news... I need to sleep over night to think this again tomorrow...

Salone del mobile 2009

The Milan Design Week started officially today, but we were already yesterday taking part of all the opening parties. My friend Kristiina flew in from Finland on Monday for 10 days and of course I needed to join her for some fun. (You can`t understand how insanely much I have work to do, I am drowning...)

The first party was the opening of a Fila-store in Corso Como 2. My friends joined us there. The weather was great until it started to rain... Luckily we had seats under roof and the fresh Mojitos kept us warm. ;o)

I have to admit that great work with PR done in this opening. There were a few hundred persons at least and I saw the event invitations going around in ASW and Facebook weeks before. Great job! That is partly how I will arrange the opening of my own store.

We changed place for the opening of Triennale di Bovisa (or something). There you really saw that the rain had ruined the party. The poor Red Bull-dj had to play all night long because the band never came on stage.

I got hungry after midnight and for my great surprise my friend took us to eat downtown. We went to a restaurant behind Duomo, which was kept open just for us 4. Kinda cool having the entire crew serving us in the empty restaurant and the owner sitting in our table chatting... These are the tiny surprises why I love to live in Italy.

La bellezza

Little by little I have started to save with my cosmetic bills. I try not to spend that much on them, but for some products it just isn`t possible. I don`t know when I actually got hooked up for Sisley for face, Kerastase & Tigi-products for my hair, Clarins for my body, YSL & Chanel for make up. I am not a girl from the cheaper end, I know that and I have heard it said soooo many times. "Damn girl, you are expensive!" Hahhaha, I can`t help it!

With this "depression" I have reluctantly changed my smooth Clarins bodylotions to Natusan baby-lotions, but just until I find a real job... ;o) There is an other thing that never changes; why, oi why all the cosmetics end at the same time? That is really a pain is the ass to spend hundreds of euros at the same time when purchasing them again.

I ran out of my scrub and before I can pick up a new one, I tried sugar and honey-mask made at home. It seems to work well. Though I would love to get a real facial as well. In Finland I used to go to the beauty salon once a month to pamper myself, but I still haven`t found a place from Milan. I guess I need to find one from here, seems that I am not going anywhere from bella Milano... ;o)

For Finnish readers I found a great page with all the homemade beautytips: Kauneusvinkit.

Mi piace...

I adore this song... It took me quite a while to figure out how to download the vide0 here the first time, luckily my friend had long nerves to help me over phone... Hih! Despite the name of the song "Home", I am not homesick at the moment. I have had lot of questions about my return to Finland in the last few days, but I think I will travel somewhere else before Finland. Maybe I will call that place home one year, you just never know... ;o)

Weekend

I have been working the entire week with a new research and it is so much fun. (Though the part that I spend more than 100€ for the new trend magazines...Damn expensive!) I haven`t seen my friend Anne since her birthday so we wanted to meet for aperitivo. Last week I was in Noon for drinks and I promised for my old friend to go to see him again asap... so I booked a table there for us. It was great...the same weekday, time and table where we always sat last year. ;o) I missed the place... Anyways, we ended up being 6 Finns all together. Some new blood in town...

Today I have felt great after good night`s sleep, morning run and some working again. My friend came for a surprise visit to help me with some research, which was sweet. Two other friends are coming on Monday and the Design Week starts (Salone del Mobile) on Wednesday so there will be plenty of coctail parties every night to come. Huh! How will I ever manage with my work, being a hostess and attending for all the cool parties...

Piove ancora...

After enjoying of the sunshine and the warmth here in Milan for some days, the rain was a party pooper. I have tried to get up early in the mornings for a run, but yesterday it wasn`t an option... pooring rain until the late afternoon. We had plans to go for aperitivo to Radetzky with ASW-people in the evening... ;o) It was a nice place and there were good looking guys as well. I gotta return there, maybe without my men...

This picture is so beautiful...

I want to get new rubber boots when I get my first paycheck. Options are these two models from Burberry. I will not abandon my Finnish Hai-boots, but when thinking of the rain last winter... the rubber boots were pretty much the only thing I wore the entire December. Why not enjoy a bit???

These would be absolutely cool!!! I wonder if I can get them from the Via Verri-store here in Milan. (Dreaming again...)

Bvlgari

I adore Bvlgari jewelry. I think my M is to blame for that... He once taught me for all the luxury and there is no return from that. ;o) Before christmas I saw this amazing necklace in the fashion magazines and since then I have dreamed of having it. Today I made some research of it and found out that it is almost impossible to purchase, if you are loaded it is a bit easier...

Bulgari coin necklace, circa 1980

"The chunky-chain-and-coin jewelry so closely associated with Bulgari became iconic during the 1980s. They have resonance now, still look great. Alas, they’ve also become rather pricey on the secondary market. Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t find a great faux copy or even an unsigned example. It’s almost Spring, so when you go to a flea market or an estate sale on one of those warm, sunny mornings, take a look around, you never know what you might find…"

I guess I will start going for the actique markets much more from now on... ;o)

I libri divertenti

You know the feeling when all the books you start to read or all the movies you watch are lame... When I was in Germany in March I bought a few books in English. They all appeared to be so entertaining that I just had to read them immediately. All the authors were new to me so I am happy that now I can extend my good writers list...

I can recommend for "chick"-reading:

Carole Matthews: With Or Without You

Tilly Bagshawe: Showdown

Adele Parks: Tell Me Something

La doccia

Again!!!!!!! I burned my shoulders when taking the shower. Luckily for the burnmark the water turned freezing cold afterwards... Is it too much to ask the water to run smoothly with the same temperature??? In Finland this was never a problem, maybe in the summer cabins where you have to mix the water by yourself like in the old times. Damn...

...and the shower is a bit too small... I am still dreaming of a penthouse with the bathtub and a bigger shower. ;o)

La canzone con memoria

The other day I heard this song from my favorite radio channel, 105. They play old classics quite often. There isn`t anything better than to hear a song that creates memories... I remember when I wanted this sond from Marc & Claude so badly that my DJ friend had to burn it to me. And believe me, that was way before you could download the song from internet... ;o)

Passione...nutella e le fragole

I believe that I have admitted having a slight problem with Nutella... ;o) I used to eat it with toast or piadine, but lately I have eaten it with only strawberries or kiwis...and for lunch and dinner. Ups! I don`t know from whom I have inherited this craving for sweets... I guess that my dad is to blame or my mom always baking treats with sugar, butter and cream. I miss home... especially now in Easter-time.

After school finished I have had a bit more free time and making crepes is always nice. Here is a recipe that I have used and my friends like. (They don`t know about the protein powder, neither does my brother in Finland...)

Crepes

5 dl milk (I use soya milk)

2 eggs

0,5 dl sugar

0,5 tsp salt

2dl flour

0,5 dl protein powder (I think they are healthier that way...)

***

For baking I use olive oil.

Lavare i capelli

I can`t understand why it is so disgusting to wash my hair. I love when it is clean but to wash it, that is a pain in the ass!!!!!! For my friends great surprise, during the school year I went for days without washing it and they didn`t even notice... (Afterwards we talked about this... ;o))

Last summer when I worked onboard Silja Galaxy, I found this amazing product from Toni & Guy. The one they sold there was slighty different looking, but it was almost the same product: DRYSHAMPOO!!! When I was a child I knew that it existed, but at this age even considering to use dryshampoo. Wow!!! I can`t live without it, it has saved me so many times in the mornings when rushing out. If you find it ladies -> try it!!!

Il regalo

My friend had her birthday last weekend. I am never good with finding the perfect present, at least when the budget is tiny. I wanted to make something by myself, but I was lacking the time to design and sew a dress. I got a great idea to "pimp" a top. I wanted it to look more like my handwork and something that she would like to wear.

I found the top from a store in Via Torino and the golden pearls from Cadorna station. The tiny pearls and lace I had home. I think it became wearable, I just want to see it on her one day... ;o)

Mostra di Federica Varotto

On Tuesday evening I got an invitation to go to see the exhibition opening of Federica Varotto`s Sogni. She is the mother of my friend. I completely forgot that I saw her work already before in my friend`s office. The exhibition takes place in THE NEW ARS ITALICA in via De Amicis 28. Her works were impressive, but I felt that the galleria walls weren`t large enough to show the power of the art pieces.

From the galleria we went for aperitivos to Le Biciclette. What a cool place! I heard that it is famous in Milan. The evening was about to end too early and Teemu invited us to go to see his apartment. Though we live close to each other, it was the first time for me there. His home was great and the Finnish Salmiakki tasted so good! I hoped that the evening/ night wouldn`t end... I didn`t take any pictures of the evening, because I got kinda hard time on Sunday tagging my friend to some photos... so no more pictures!!! Punto.

Il compleanno di Anne

On the last full day in Milan with Krisse, we finally made it to Parco Sempione and Castello Sforzesco. I hope that this coming summer I will finally have time to have picnik in the park. Krisse`s idea of spending the days here in Milan was sitting in the cafes and looking at people... luckily on the last day we succeeded with that plan.

After tiny party at my place we left to Trattoria Toscana in Ticinese to celebrate Anne`s birhday. I always forget that I should be at least 30 minutes late when meeting Italians for something. There is nothing that I hate more than waiting.

We had plenty of time to snap pictures while the others were on their way.

We planned to go to Punks Wear Prada-party afterwards and their theme for the evening was 80`s and "Girls just wanna have fun". I wore my leopard print-leggings and fuxia red evening clutch to be dressed up as well. (I walked to Duomo and to Santa Tecla Cafe with these 13cm heels after dinner...)

We had a great dinner with Anne`s friends and finally all my Finns here in Milan met each other... It took a year.

Tanti auguri cara!!!

3 blonds and one birhday-brunette.

I think that the jobhunt was already stressing me so much that I couldn`t entirely relax and enjoy the company of my friends. Luckily Teemu came later to calm me down... ;o)

Il giorno 3 con Krisse

We have been busy this week with my friends in Milan. On Friday we did some more exploring of the city, mostly in Naviglio and Ticinese. The weather was beautiful and I am happy that Krisse saw Milan with some sun shine as well.

People have been asking if we are sisters and in the pictures we took last night we for sure look alike. Funny!

Posing at Colonne di San Lorenzo...

In the evening we went for dinner to Premiata Pizzeria at Naviglio. On the way there we had to fool around a bit with the silly sunglasses.

We had a great time eating and drinking well. I was pleased to find out that all my friends got along just fine.

It was Friday evening and the canal was packed with young people drinking and talking with their friends. I can`t wait for summer and all the terraces to open.

We ran into some boys from Stockholm. So cool, you hear Swedish and immediately you can start chatting with total strangers.

When we came home we had my new kitty waiting for us. I like having her inside with me. When the weather is warm she uses my window to enter when she wants. I hope the owner don`t dislike me feeding her...

Il giorno 2 con Krisse

The second day with Krisse here started slowly... There was no rush to get up from the bed because the weather was gray again. We wanted to join M with his business lunch and I wanted to see our friend Stefano again.

We took the metro to his office and walked to our lunch place "Cucina da Oscar". It is a traditional Italian restaurant close to Porta Venezia where you eat really well. Stefano has taken us there some years ago and all I remembered from before was that the owner is a huge Mussolini fan.

After lunch we took a tour at the fashion quarter of all the famous designers. I have been avoiding Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga and the other expensive streets for a while now. It is a torture go there when you can`t shop anything. When I get a job I will be allowed for some designer shoes again.

The blonds under Burberry. ;o)

My new kitty who I have been talking about. She comes in from my open window nowadays. She is soooo beautiful!!!

In the evening we had a crepes-party with Teemu and Shannon who flew in the same night from Canada. Pancakes, nutella, strawberries and some sparkling tasted really good.

Later we took our Finnish boys for some drinks at Naviglio. They had been skiing at Courmeyer for the week. Luca and Andrea by the canal was the only place to have people in the rainy Thursday evening.

It is always so funny to realise how small Finland is. Pekka is from my home city Rauma and with Kalle and Tommi we share quite a few friends in common.

We wanted some night snack and found a place open at that time. The sandwiches tasted good. Tommi was too eager to take some pictures with our mouths ful... ;o)