Handmade Dreams of Mine

Two Parties at One Go.

2012-02-13T01:08:00.000+02:00

Hello darlings,

How was your weekend? ♥

Mine was once again spent in Pori, with friends and (soon to be) family.

As I think I mentioned before, we were invited to my fiancé's child's Christening, and we were happy to go. Even though I refuse to be a mood kill, I had a feeling the party wouldn't be too fancy. I was right about that. We had to drive in some snowy desert in the middle of nowhere to reach the party, and the hospitality lacked so much. The people at the party didn't mingle at all, just ate with their own families and ate the food (which was good, I must say).

So, not really a heart-warming event, but at least it taught me how NOT to host one. So, not a lost case, but I felt sorry for the fresh father. He didn't look too happy with the setting, though was clearly happy about his young family. And after all, that's all that counts.

I tried to wear something - well, not conservative, but something like that - to the Christening, because even though we skipped the church part, we didn't know more than the father from the whole party. So, I tried to not make anyone upset because of what I wear. (Trust me, I seem to do that weekly, even though I dress appropriately, don't I?)

So, this is what I came up with:

Outfit of the day #1

Dress: Gift from my grandmother

Leggings: SpiritStore

Cardigan: Mango

Shoes: SpiritStore

Necklace: gift from a close friend

Body harness: GinaTricot

Cuff: GinaTricot

Belt: secondhand

I was pretty happy with this look, though it's maybe not as much "me" as I would've hoped. Oh, well... I tried to work the dress with the metallic shades and my favourite pair of leggings, so that it'd make a nice look for a family party.

Do you think I pulled this off?

After the Christening, we had our friend's 22nd birthday to celebrate. It was a small party, where we just hang out watching videos and stuff, but I felt that as it was his birthday, it would be nice to doll up a bit and look good for the event.

So, I changed into this:

Outfit of the day #2

Asymmetric tunic: GinaTricot

Earrings: Seppälä

Bangle: Europehouse

For other items, check the outfit #1 above ;)

I absolutely loved wearing this, that tunic is one of the best pieces in my wardrobe! It's easy to style both dressy and casual, and it's definitely versatile. Plus, I'm smitten about the asymmetry of it.

What do you think?

Now, my nails this weekend didn't really have much do to with the outfits, I just got inspired by Grace once again (Check out her blog, she's such an amazing young talent! ♥), and wanted to do this trendy half-and-half manicure. I had bought this amazing orange Mavala polish just last week, and wanted to give it a go:

Manicure of the day

Konad being used once again :D Base was Mavala, shades 67, Amsterdam, and 2, Madrid. (sorry for the dark photos, I just noticed - when uploading these - that the setting was wrong when taking these... God bless my fiancé, he hasn't yet got a clue about what's right for what :D)

Anyway, I hope you will all have a lovely start for your week!

(Oh, I have also some lovely news to tell, nothing big, but... I just need to take the time to write about it with thought ;))

Blog ya later!

xoxo

Johanna

Trying to Layer Up.

2012-02-11T02:42:00.000+02:00

Hey lovelies,

How are you all today? ♥ Are you having amazing plans for the weekend?

I am, though, as I'm writing this, it's 2am in Finland. Why would I post anything at this hour - well, my Internet connection tried desperately to fail me again. Luckily, I'm still the smarter one. Thank God we're not having an early wake-up tomorrow, though I must choose a couple of outfits I'll be comfortable for the weekend, and try to find a way to pack the camera, so I kinda would need the sleep. Oh, well.

Anyway, I want to apologize for not commenting too much these few days, but I must say I've been so stressed I rather stayed away from the web, as I like to read your posts with some thought so that I can actually comment with something meaningful. I've been releasing the pressure by tidying up boxes and bags in our place, so, that's why I've been a bit MIA.

I also want to thank you all for being such an amazing bunch of readers, and I love the fact there's already nearly 150 of you! It seems overwhelming to me. ♥

Besides cleaning, I've also been crafting a bit these days. And one of my projects is a cookbook collected from newspaper recipes.

Here's a sneak peek of that, later I'll be showing you the ready one, and telling about the project more.

But you probably want to see the outfit already?

Here we go!

Outfit of the day

Jeans: Cubus

T-shirt: ONLY

Denim vest: H&M

Blazer: H&M

Bow necklace: Seppälä

Wood bead necklace (worn as bracelet): DIY

This was something I just threw on, hoping it works okay. At school, I dress kinda casually, and usually wear more simple looks than even this one, but today I tried layering pieces a bit. What do you think about this look?

I think I need to save the promised manicure for the next post, as it really is for the party look, but Sunday will be here soon, right. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend, spend it with the people you love, and remember to eat great food! (Which reminds me, there's a new recipe in the food site, do check it out!)

Have a fabulous weekend!

xoxo

Johanna

Black and White, Simple. Right?

2012-02-09T01:44:00.000+02:00

Hey lovelies,

How is your week going? ♥

I for one am very excited, I spoke with my mom today and we agreed on a date when she and dad are going to come visit us. (I gave them a "bed & breakfast" ticket for Christmas, which is for my place :D If you think it's stupid, think again. My parents have absolutely anything they need, and mom says every year I shouldn't buy gifts. So, for once, I was a good girl and didn't shop. Apparently, it was the best gift in years. Go figure.)

As you can understand, I'm always super excited to see my parents, because we are really close - plus, I'm the only child, remember?

Since the phone call, I've been constantly thinking of restaurants and places I'd like to visit with them - though I can only pick a handful due the time limit. I'm kinda obsessed with giving them a wonderful mini vacation here, and luckily we've got the place redecorated already. I'm sure my parents are going to love this.

But enough about my family - well, for this post, at least - and let's focus on fashion. (or, well, style.) I want to share with you my outfit of the day. (and apologize for the not-so-fresh look, I was home today and the pictures were taken after my work shift... Not a photogenic combo, but... Oh, well.)

Outfit of the day

Jeans: Stocker

Top: GinaTricot

Bow belt: SpiritStore

Bangle: Only

I kept the concept pretty simple today, and the black and white theme comes straight from my manicure:

Manicure of the day

I don't usually really use leopard print, but I think it makes one darn great manicure. And now, looking at this post, I promise to bring in more colour next time ;D But anyway, I was once again using my Konad set, as it is such an easy way to make a pro-looking mani without much trouble at all. The bases were Mavala (white one) and IsaDora (black one). Oh, and does this count as a half-and-half manicure?

And if it doesn't, just wait for the next post ;)

So, coming up this week: On Friday, I'll post an outfit and a little food post (plus the nails), and on Sunday, I try to cover the parties we'll go to this weekend (plus the weekend playlist). In the meantime, I'll be checking out your amazing blogs ♥ My favourite pastime. ;)

But y'all have an amazing day/week!

Blog ya later!

xoxo

Johanna

Monday Spirits

2012-02-07T00:42:00.001+02:00

Hey beautiful people,

How are you? ♥

I'm happy to tell you that our car is working again (this is for those who remember me complaining about it before) so, I got to work easily, I'm not exhausted, AND I can stick to my personal schedule.

Pure awesomeness.

So, what are your plans for this week? Are you busy, will you have fun with friends, attend amazing events or cook tasty food? Please tell me, I'm interested to know.

I'll be working a lot, but hopefully I'll have some me-time in between. (Thank God my school schedule isn't killing me!) Also, on the weekend I'll get the chance to rock a party look, as we're attending my fiancé's friend's party (Christening of his child). *Excited to wear a party dress for once*

Now, some of you may have noticed a little poll on the right-hand side of this blog. It's there because I'd like to know what you think: I'm changing my blog's layout soon-ish, and I thought I'd ask what you like. Because I usually just see the Dashboard pages, so... I'm keeping the style somewhat original, but I want to know what you think would be the winning colour combo for the layout.

I appreciate if you take the time to vote.

And when it comes to voting, I'm proud to tell you (as some of you might know from Twitter) that the candidate I rooted for as the next president of Finland did indeed win the elections. I'm kinda thrilled about it, though I must say, I would've ended well either way.

Can you tell that I'm a little more talkative today than usually?

If so, you are absolutely right, I'm so full of thoughts and energy - yes mom, you were more than right about the vitamin D - that I feel I could write a whole novel. (It's completely another point whether it would be any good :D) So, because of that, I wanna share some things that have made me happy today:

Heart-shaped donuts ♥

I usually avoid stuff like this on the week, but as today is our sort-of-anniversary (we've been together with my fiancé for exactly 2,5 years today), I thought we could splurge a little. And the Valentines Day box from Arnold's seemed like the perfect way.

Flowers ♥

I bought some flowers today just to make our living room look more spring-inspired, plus, they were awfully cute. I'm not even a tiny bit a florist, but I think I did an okay job on arranging the flowers. ;)

Crafting ♥

I've been working on some DIY projects lately, and I can't wait to get them done so I can show them (possibly with directions) to you! Above some sneak peeks of my projects.

Bookshelf Kittys ♥

Some of you might remember that I got a Hello Kitty advent calendar last Christmas. I thought it'd be a shame to put the little plastic HK figures on the bottom of a storage box, so I put them on top on my favourite books in the bookshelf. Not very mature, maybe, but seriously, I don't care. ;)

What has made you especially happy today? ♥

One thing I also got done, finally, was to photograph this outfit I wore already in last month, but never got around to take pictures of it. So, today, I asked my ill fiancé if he could possibly take a few for me. Seriously, that man is pure gold ♥ He was Happy to photograph me, even with a sickness that gave him (at least) two days off from work. I mean, I give the guy a flu, he feels horrible, doesn't sleep enough at night, and then his happy to take photos for my blog?

I don't know if I've pointed this out enough, but he truly is my Superman.

So, to the outfit:

Outfit of the day

Jeans: Bershka

Tunic: GinaTricot

Necklace: Christmas present from a dear friend ♥

Bracelet: Seppälä

Headband: Accessorize

The best part about this look must be the girly accessories. Pearls, lace, shine... To me, that pretty much equals perfection ;) And I know you've seen the tunic before, but it's comfy and warm, and that's exactly what you need in the middle of Finnish winter. Along with vitamins, that is.

What are your thoughts about this look?

Oh, and the desk and things you're seeing are my little crafting/sewing/blogging corner. After bed and kitchen, this must be my favourite part of our apartment ;)

Now, I wish you a great week, and I'm hoping I'll have the time to post again on Wednesday. That mostly depends on my school work load, which shouldn't be too hectic, but you never know... But anyway, I'm going to get an evening snack, tidy up the kitchen and head to bed.

Have an awesome week, lovelies! ♥

xoxo

Johanna

Lace & Pastel.

2012-02-05T04:51:00.000+02:00

Hey lovelies,

I meant to post this already yesterday, but as the world was a bit against me, I couldn't. No biggie. ;)

How are you all? Sure you're having a fantastic weekend and all that? ♥

I'm listening to fantastic music, writing this post and seriously staying up too late. Well, what the hell. We only live once, anyways. Wanna hear why I couldn't post before? (and I mean Friday now, as I'm still living in Saturday, no matter what time it is.) Our car wouldn't bother starting. At all.

It's so freaking cold here!

So, I had to take the bus to work straight from the school, and do an extra long shift because I missed a day before because of the car. Awesome, huh? Therefore, I was working until 11:30pm, hit home around 1am, and kinda didn't feel like posing, let alone writing. :D

But anyway, that's history now.

You know what else I've been up to this week? Of course you don't ;) I have played Lego Harry Potter on Xbox360 (yes, a video game, and moreover, children's one.). And today, I hit the 100% completion of it. Call me crazy, but I'm darn proud of it.

Okay, you'd probably want me to get to the outfit already? Yeah, let's do that.

Outfit of the day

Jeans: Cubus

Top: GinaTricot

Belt: Seppälä

Necklace: Gift from my mom

Bracelet: Only

I guess this is my cool nerd kind of look :D I have rocked the glasses the whole week since I don't like wearing contacts when I'm sick. The messy hair has also been a trademark :D I really, really liked this look, and not the least because of the lace back of the top. What are your thoughts?

Also, haven't been too keen on doing my nails, but today I got that fixed, too! Yay!

Manicure of the day

Base is Mavala shade Stockholm, the shapes are from Konad plates, done with Konad polishes. The pink kinda wasn't the best choice for the decorating, as it can't be seen that well, but... I still feel it's okay. What do you think?

That's all I got today, and if you're into recipes, I've got a new easy little one in the food section. ;) Be sure to check that out, too!

Playlist for writing:

Loser Like Me - Glee Cast

Hold It Against Me - Britney Spears
Stickwitu - The Pussycat Dolls
Baby Love - Nicole Scherzinger
Hook Me Up - The Veronicas
Poker Face - Lady Gaga
My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) - Katy Perry
We Found Love, Disturbia - Rihanna
Battlefield, Tattoo - Jordin Sparks
Everywhere - Michelle Branch
Evacuate the Dancefloor - Cascada
Not Like That - Ashley Tisdale
Like It Or Leave It - Aly & AJ

Playlist provided to me by Jango, which is amazing music streaming site. Try it out. Now.

Blog ya later, beautiful people!

xoxo

Giveaway Winner!

2012-02-01T20:57:00.000+02:00

Hey beautiful people,

How are you today? ♥

I just needed to pop in to tell you who of you has won the Montagne Jeunesse giveaway.

So, drumroll, please...

The winner is...

Lucky number 5... (the one in pink)

Dian Ajeng from the blog Less Sugar Sweet Candy! Congratulations, girl! ♥(I'll be contacting you right away ;))

Remember to also check out her lovely blog! She's got an amazing style ;)

Next time, more outfit photos, but now, I'm going to enjoy my evening with some DIY ♥

Have a great week, lovelies!

Blog ya later,

xoxo

Johanna

My Green Cardigan

2012-01-31T22:11:00.000+02:00

Hey lovelies,

How are you? ♥

So today, I'll be going through all your Montagne Jeunesse entries, and will reveal the lucky winner tomorrow. However, I also wanted to do a post today (well, technically two, but anyway).

I would like to once again thank you all for being such amazing readers! I love reading all your lovely comments here, and on my other pages too. I'm so grateful for all the support with everything :)

Now, today, I'm home again, being sick, again. Nothing too serious, though, it's just that my body refuses to understand that enough is enough. Well, I bought my vitamins today, so I think that'll take care of it.

During the weekend, I once again made my absolute favourite snack, cheese popcorn. You can check the delicious recipe by clicking the picture. (I strongly recommend, this is such an addictive little snack!)

As for the style, I'm not rocking anything too special today, but, luckily I wore something nice on the weekend.
So, that's what you're going to see today:

Outfit of the day

Top: GinaTricot

Cardigan: Mango

Jeans: Only

Necklace: H&M

Bracelets: Nelly.com

Earrings: H&M

This was an outfit I actually threw on without really thinking, and only when my fiancé said how great it looked I realized the potential for a post. Now, let me explain why so. We kinda rearranged our livingroom a bit, and I thought it's a nice idea put our old mirror to a corner, and buy a new one. The only thing is that I haven't really got a new one since. The one we want (yes, we both) costs 100 euros, so we have to think carefully when to put that kind of amount to a mirror only. But I believe this month could be it.

Fingers crossed!

And speaking about fingers, here's some nail art I've been rocking ;)

Manicure of the day

The base is Mavala's shade 75, Miami, and the patterns are from Konad plates m36 and m51, and done with Konad nail polishes. The pink flowers don't show very well, but I thought they were nice nevertheless. What do you think?

Now, I must go finish up a school email, and try to find something that would actually cure me. I hate this flu.

But, you all lovelies out there, have a fantastic week! ♥

Blog ya later!

xoxo

Johanna

Kreativ Blogger :)

2012-01-29T03:06:00.000+02:00

Hey lovelies,

How are you doing? :) I hope you're all well, healthy, happy and everything.

I'm so full of positive energy today, despite the fact that I've listened our drug addict neighbours bang the doors, walls, and their heads in the hallway. (And I don't even dare to think what they've done to the common elevator, ugh.) It's been so annoying to hear a series of "bang" sounds every five minutes, I mean, I'm supposed to study here! Gosh.

Well, the important thing is that they don't hurt anyone - well, yet, at least.

So, that's what's up here, also, our car got a temporary dashboard from the mechanics, and they will call us (me) when then job is done, and I can take our car back so they ca switch the real one back. I'm so thankful for the amazing service from the people there, they are amazing.

Okay, so after all these great news I can once again say I'm a bad style blogger, as I don't have any outfit pictures for you. (But that's because of my fiancé's schedule, I don't wanna bother every free moment of his with taking pictures of me. Surely you get it ;)) But my dear friend Diva Naomi Addy saved me, and my posting, with awarding me. (Thanks girl, I truly appreciate this award!) ♥

So, here's what I got:

Kreativ Blogger award.

Like every award in the blogosphere, this one also comes with some rules.

And these are the rules for this award:

1. Link back to the person that gave you this award

2. Answer the questions below

3. Award 10 other bloggers and let them know you nominated them

4. Share 7 random things about yourself

Questions:

1. Name your favourite song:

- Fate by Fireal feat. Ana Johnsson

2. Name your favourite dessert:

- Freshly baked cupcakes ♥

3. What ticks me off

- Ignorant and self-centered people

4. When I am upset I...

- make sure my fiancé knows it, too. (I'm bitchy, but not proud of it.)

5. Favourite pets:

- Dogs and cats both :)

6. Black or white:

- Depending on the situation, but I'm gonna say black.

7. Biggest fear:

- Losing everyone I care about.

8. Everyday attitude:

- Be the best person you can be, and never let the haters stop you.

9. What is perfection?

- Something that no human can reach.

10. Guilty pleasure:

- Can I make a list? :D There's tea, chocolate, shopping, Gossip Girl, reading blogs...

And then....

7 Random facts

1. I'm an only child, but when I was younger I always wanted an older brother.

2. I sometimes take notes of Serena van der Woodsen's wardrobe when watching GG. (Yes, I am that obsessed about her clothes.)

3. When I was younger, I dreamed about being a lawyer or an architect.

4. I have inherited my sense of humor mostly from my dad, and sometimes we kinda drive her crazy with that.

5. Unlike many girls, I have absolutely no clue what I want from my wedding. Except for the promise to be with someone for the rest of my life.

6. At the moment I'm very smitten with homemade chinese food. ♥

7. Even though I'm quite active in the blogosphere, I'm most of the time too lazy to update - or even check my Facebook the same time.

And now, the award passes on to:

1. Tammy from A Fendi Bag and A Bad Attitude

2. lapetiteblonde from La petite blonde

3. Erin from Truffles n Ruffles.

4. Miss Crys from Fashionably Geeked

5. Yolandaas from Pink and leopard prints (a pink blog by Yolii)

6. Caroline from COSMICaroline

7. Julie from Pop Champagne

8. Andria from Have a peek inside my wardrobe...

9. Clara from paquetevistasbien

10. Paula from Super Clementina

Congrats, ladies! Hope you can enjoy this little award ♥

Now, this is really all I have time for now. I would just love to mention two things:

First, Please check out my latest post on the "Made by Me" section, there's a little inspiration for updating your storage boxes. (That's somewhat "Kreativ", too, right?)

Second, there's still time to enter the fabulous little face mask giveaway, two whole days, even! Monday is the latest for that, remember ;)

But now, time for some well-earned sleep so I can look fresh for my outfit shoot tomorrow ;)

Blog ya later!

xoxo

Johanna

Brighten Up!

2012-01-27T02:01:00.000+02:00

Hey everyone,

As you might've read, I've been somewhat sick this week. That has meant plenty of liquids and endless hours of Gossip Girl. But it looks like I'm getting back on the tracks soon enough :)

But how are you all? Everyone doing fine? ♥

I hope so.

Okay, I never talk about politics, but how many of you know that we have the presidential elections at the moment in Finland? It's kinda interesting as we've had our first female president here for few years now, but it's time for a man again, apparently... (And that might be a good thing, if you don't mind me saying so.) Okay, so to cut this short, the race is now down to two men, and I'm interested to see which one wins. Not going to share my political views here, but just wanted to tell you what's going on in Finland.

Now, on Friday, I'm planning to focus on some web studies, so if I'm a bit quiet with commenting, don't worry - I'll be fully back in action on Saturday, if not before. ;)

I also managed to finish a couple of DIY projects this week, and I also took some photos, so I'll be posting them to the "Made by me" section during the weekend. ♥ (And I got so inspired by everything that I have big plans for creating details to our apartment. ;)

Anyway, to the outfit. I have been trying to cheer myself up by wearing bright colours this week, and I think it has worked. I feel loads better than on Monday, and I bet next week will go amazingly well. So, here's something I wore the past two days:

Outfit of the day

Jeans: Mango

T-Shirt: GinaTricot

Bolero: DIY

Socks: H&M

Watch: my fiancé's

Okay. So I ended up posing in our messy floor right next to shoes. Not too classy. :D

But what matters is that the clothes look like they should. I'm a bit disappointed that the pictures don't do justice to my make-up, but I try to get a better photo during weekend - in the daylight instead of 11pm shoot with flash. It totally makes the difference.

I don't know if it rings a bell, but this outfit is kind of an adaption of what Sarah Jessica Parker has worn. Who knows? (you can click here, if you don't) Probably a very used look by now, but when I saw that tee on the sales rack, the image of SJP hit me and I just had to buy it. And it's pretty darn cute, I think.

Moving on.

So, has anyone missed my manicures?

If so, you're in for a treat, because... I finally posted one! Yay!

Manicure of the day

Just something simple I made up with Mavala shade 34, Nicosia, and some ordinary crafting glitter. Oh, and I used (of course) some top coat, too. I thought this was cute, but how do you guys like it?

That's all from me now, but on Saturday, there'll be some Kreativ things ;) (in more than one ways. And also, I'll feature a weekend playlist, too!)

Till then, remember to enter the face mask giveaway going on!

Blog ya later!

xoxo

Johanna

Bright and colourful.

2012-01-25T00:40:00.003+02:00

Hey lovelies!

So, finally, I got the time to go through pictures and could make an outfit post.

Hurray! :D

Oh, how are you all doing? ♥

I've been actually a bit feverish today, but that didn't stop me from writing a pile of postcrossing cards, though it will probably stop me from going to school tomorrow. Oh, well. I can always do my independent studies work, so it's all good.

At the moment, I'm wathcing Gossip Girl, trying to get the temperature right on my body so that I could actually sleep - we'll see how that goes :D

Okay, enough of the whining.

You wanna see what I crafted during weekend?

You can see the full story here!

And then the thing that made me most happy during the weekend:

A flower bouquet from my fiancé, which I placed on the livingroom so that I can admire it all times ;) I just snapped a quick photo, so it looks a lot darker than it really is... But you get the idea!

But then, to the main point, the outfit. It's a bit of a 2-in-1 again, and I hope you like the colourful simplicity of it:

Outfit of the day

It must be admitted, that on school days, I really couldn't give a damn how I look. Hence, in many of my school looks, you'll see little to no make-up at all, simple combinations and lots of comfy.

This outfit isn't an exception.

So, what you see above is the day-time look, but when we, business students of Tampere university of applied sciences, go for drinks at night, it looks like this:

Spot the difference?

That's right, we switch our pants to these übersexy overalls, whose colour is termined by our major. (Mine is business, if you didn't know that already.)

And, well, technically we just usually throw these overalls on top of our outfit, but we never - yes, never - wear them like one piece. Never. We just casually wrap the top part around the waist.

And which kinda doesn't show here, the overalls are supposed to always be worn in a way that the school logo and, most importantly, the name of our major shows. After all, we are more than proud to belong to the school community. And why wouldn't we, as I can say I have really met amazing people there already, and I only know like 30 out of our year.

Nothing to add there. Just, I loved the colours!

Jeans: Cubus

Shirt: GinaTricot

Shoes: Puma

Socks: H&M

Earrings: H&M

Cuff: Nelly.com

Blue necklace: second hand

Black necklace: GinaTricot

Do you like to make a simple outfit more special by adding plenty of bright colours?

I know I do. ;)

But hey, I must go now, time to get some rest for tomorrow! ( though I swear I can feel the fever rising by just thinking about it.)

Blog ya later!

xoxo

Johanna

EDIT: P.S. If you want to know random facts about me, check out my previous post ;) And don't forget the face mask giveaway, which is still open for a week or so. ;)

Quickie post - The Honour of Being Tagged

2012-01-24T00:17:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone,

I start out by saying I'm a really bad, bad blogger once again. Why? Because I didn't have the time today to choose the outfit photos - hence, no outfit post. But, that's because I appreciate you as readers too much to just throw whatever here and claim it's a post.

It's not about the quantity, but always about the quality, okay? ♥

So, how has your week started? :)

Mine has started not too well. During the weekend, our car begun to do tricks which I never thought it could. I mean that its dashboard went crazy - full-blown crazy that is - and we have to take it to be repaired. Yes, I talk in the future because I couldn't get time before Wednesday. So that is just super.

But anyways, during the weekend I found out I was tagged by another blogger, and I thought I'd dedicate this post totally for the tag, as I don't have any photos for you. (But if somebody should be interested more about my routines on make-up, you can check the previous post ;))

But, moving on to the tag:

I was tagged by Tori of CottonCandyINK (and she has an amazing blog, do check it out!)

TAG!

The Rules:

1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them that you've tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about 'you are tagged if you are reading this' You have to tag 11 peeps.

11 Random Things About Me:

1. I love all things glittery, whether it's nail polish, piece of clothing, or Christmas tree.

2. I have lived 2 years away from my parents, and I still say "home" when talking about their place.

3. I'm a bit of a tea addict, but living a too hectic life to live by it.

4. I'm hooked to so many tv series I don't even dare to admit.

5. I am very poorly organized person, but this year I decided to learn better ways to keep our home in top condition.

6. I absolutely love doing laundry. And I have absolutely no clue why.

7. I enjoy my job at the Finnish post. I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but it's true.

8. I'm the technology geek in our relationship, so everytime something breaks down, it's me who tries to fix it.

9. At the moment, I'm in the middle of a process on trying to get my hair back to it's natural colour. (So, if you happen to notice nasty roots in photos, here's the reason!)

10. I love cooking for my fiancé, and that truly is one of the best things in my life.

11. I would to own a cat, but I'm allergic to them.

My Questions for You: (from Tori to me)

1. What time do you go to sleep?

Depends a lot from the day, but usually around midnight.

2. How many children do you have or plan to have?

Two or three, if I'm lucky.

3. Whats your favorite type of music?

Pop, rock, pop rock?

4. Scarf or hat?

Scarf. Always.

5. If you had to choose 1 nail polish for the rest of your life which color would it be?

Some silvery, glittery, girly colour :D (or light pink, as I could dress it up with crafting glitter :D)

6. Whats your favorite "naughty food" to eat?

Kebab or hot wings. Hard to say which one.

7. Workout at home or at the gym?

At home, as I have no time for gym.

8. Vanilla or chocolate?

Vanilla ♥

9. Favorite scent?

Vanilla, or Miss Dior Cherie perfume. (and of course my fiancé's shower gel ;))

10. Do you prefer girlie colorful/fruity drinks or hard liquor?

Girly drinks, like strawberry margaritas! ♥

11. Choose a statement piece; necklace, bracelet or ring?

Necklace. Something golden and fabulous ;)

Now, My questions to the ones to be tagged:

1. Who's your biggest fashion inspiration?

2. What's your number one place to meet with friends?

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world for a holiday, where would you choose to go?

4. What was your dream profession when you were little?

5. If they made a movie about your life, who would you cast to play you?

6. What's your favourite of the spring trends?

7. What do you appreciate the most in your life?

8. What is the movie you have seen the most recently?

9. If you could choose any supernatural skill (or any skill we as normal humans don't have), what would be your choice?

10. What's the biggest/most important New Year's resolution you made this year?

11. Name one person, who has made the biggest influence in your life. (and if you want to, tell why)

TAG!

Sacramento from Mis Papelicos

Elisabeth from Dragonfly

Cylia from CYLIAAAA

Leia from Leia's Delights

Adele from intoheblonde...

Tanvii from The Fabulous Life of Not-So-Rich & Infamous

Mally from .SincerelyMally.

Bonnie from Glam Kitten's Litter Box

Jasmine from AdamAlexMommy

Cliff from CROP.CRIP.CROP

Ash Louise from Ash Louise

Please do check out the tagged blogs, as they are all amazing! ♥

Have great week everyone!

xoxo

Johanna

Basics on Creating Your Own Personal Style (part 7)

2012-01-22T00:31:00.000+02:00

Hey darlings!

How's your weekend? ♥

Mine is spend a bit lazily, having a long phone call with a close friend, watching a bit TV, playing with my fiancé, just enjoying the day off, basically. I think tomorrow, Sunday, will be the same.

Don't we all just love weekends?

I know I do.

Okay, so, today, instead of an outfit post, I decided to continue on my style tips. On the same time, I'm going through my make-up bag, just to give you some inside on what I like to use.

(Although nobody maybe remembers, I told you before I'd talk about nails this time... Well, I switched these two, so... Sorry!)

Anyways, here we go:

What should I have in my make-up bag?

First of all, it all starts (to me, at least) from having a great bag (or container, boxes etc.) for storing your make-up. I know there are lots of you out there who need big storage systems for your make-up, but as I still have so little amount of products, I do fine with just a make-up bag.

Storaging:

So, this is what my bag looks like. Unsurprisingly, it's a Hello Kitty one, and pink (bright pink, though the shade of the photo doesn't give the credit to it...). It's kinda huge, and luckily also transparent, so I can actually find what I need fast enough.

Basically, all you need from your make-up storage is to keep everything in quite neat order, without messing or breaking them. Also, it's important that they are in somewhat practical way put for everyday use.

Tools:

I believe in investing in some quality brushes. Although many products are easy enough to apply and blend with your fingers, I think some, on the other hand, need the brush. Yes, I mean mostly the eyeshadows, of course.

This, naturally, comes with the little task of learning the right techniques to use the brushes the best way possible. But of course that's not an issue for smart people like you, my dear readers. ;)

I personally fell in love with the EcoTools here, and I'm planning to buy more of them soon enough. They're made from eco-friendly materials, and they feel perfect when handling them. I also love the bag that came with them.

Do you have favourites among brushes?

Good Base Is the Key

Yep, that's what I believe in. Like I've mentioned many times before, there's nothing more attractive on persons look than a healthy-looking skin. To achieve that, right products are in place. When reaching for a healthy face, few products (at least to me) are a must: day cream, moisturizing foundation, and a primer. Even if you had only 5 minutes in the morning to make yourself look good, these products will always save the day.

Note! Always choose products according to your age, skin type, and the shade of your skin. What works for your friend, might not work for you. If choosing feels hard, consult a stylist/professional/make-up sales person. They usually should have people who know their stuff, working at the make-up department.

Above are pictured the base make-up products I use the most. The Granier B.B. Cream is a recent find through another Finnish blogger, Anniina, whose blog you can visit here. (Note: the blog is written in Finnish.) I have tried the product for a couple of days now, and I love it. ♥

Cover up!

Of course, a good base needs the company of finishing touches. That means using some fixing products and powder. I firmly believe on the Wet'n'Wild palette of four fix shades, that can handle dark circles, redness, spots, whatever... And it also includes a highlighter tone, that can be applied to lighten up your face. Perfect, right?

And, even though I usually don't use powder (as I think it makes my skin look bad), I invested in a Max Factor loose powder to try to learn to use it again. I also have a compact one, but I kinda think that isn't so great one - mostly because of the applier it had along with it. But overall, I think every girl needs some kind of powder in her bag, just in case of emergency. ;)

You Make Me Blush ♥

Blush, blush, blush... Okay, sorry, I just love saying the word!

But seriously, I do love blushes - and bronzing powders, for that matter - as they are the number one way of creating healthy glow to even the most tired of the faces. Believe me, I know, it makes even me glow after 4 hours of sleep, 18 hours of school/work combo, and that routine going on for a week. Hence, I know what I'm talking about.

Blushes are also such a girly make-up, they come in cutely shaped packages, they are pink and pretty. Do I really need to tell more reasons?

Thought so.

Blush and the bronzer make a great (summer) combo, when you but bronzer under your cheekbone - to create some shape - and then adding blush on top of the cheekbone - to make your face glow. Of course, if you have darker skin, you can use bronzer for the glow, too. I prefer very light and young shades on my blushes, but if you are brave and creative, nothing stops you from using brighter ones, too. :)

Little Things

These are sort of my misfit items, that I couldn't place in other categories. There's a coverstick, eyeshadow bases, highlighter pen and an eyebrow kit. All these products I more or less use daily.

The number one out of these is definitely the eyebrow kit, as I think neat eyebrows really define the look on your face. Although I have pretty light features, I like to emphasize my brows to make the eyes come up more. Usually, this works perfectly. I used to use brown eyeshadow before, but now I use the kit only. Loving it! ♥

The other ones are not in regular use, but the eyeshadow bases (by GOSH) are great when I have to create an intensive eye make-up that really stays in place. I recommend them.

That is, unless someone can recommend a better one?

Eye to Eye

Eyeshadows, a bit of a weak spot for me (after nail polishes, that is). As you can see, there's definitely plenty of colours to choose from, but that's how I think it should be. There needs to be choices for any outfit and occasion.

Unless you can do an amazing nude eyes, which I totally can't :D

Eyeshadows come in a large variety of different formulas, and they can basically be anything from dusts/powders to liquid ones, and it depends on the person which is the best. I love the traditional palettes the best, but am a bit intrigued by the eyedusts, too. My skin hates the creamy eyeshadows and basically throws them away in a matter of minutes, so I kinda dislike them, but I believe if they stay on, they look great as well.

If I had to raise a brand above others, I would have to say either Lancome or Make Up Store. However, the giant palette there (with two layers) is from Nelly.com, and it was very cheap (30 euros only) so I gave it a try, and funny enough, I love it. It stays in place well, has plenty of pigment, and is super easy to blend. So, for now, I'm not buying any other eyeshadows.

But you can recommend anything!

Flashy Lashes

Who doesn't love thick, long, curvy lashes?

The difference mascaras make in any girl's face is remarkable. Mascara makes your beautiful lashes darker and longer, which will make your eyes pop. And as your eyes are the mirror of your soul, you would want them to be beautiful, right? Just to make your inner beauty truly shine through.

I don't know about you guys, but personally I love to try new mascaras, and I always have 3-4 different ones in use. I believe in having a few that create different effects, but to be honest, I could do with just my Max Factors. ;)

When buying a mascara, it's good to list the features you want from it, and to remember that the brushes there are drastically different from one brand to another. My list for mascaras in my bag is: One that makes my lashes thicker, One that makes them longer, One that does both, and One waterproof.

Okay. I need to be honest here, too. On a typical day, I just grab the first mascara I can reach, not thinking which one it is. But that's why there are only great mascaras in there.

Where is Your Line?

After the mascaras, eyeliners are the greatest way to define your eyes' shape, size, and even colour. You can change your look a lot just by switching your eyeliner from black to turqoise, white, or anything you can imagine.

Eyeliners also come in a variety of different formulas, and I believe in having at least a kohl liner/kajal and a liquid one, both in black or dark brown, depending on the effect you like. The pencil liners are great for smokey eyes, and light make-up, whereas liquid ones are best for the dramatic looks, and cat eyes. Of course both can be used for any look with a proper technique and patience (plus steady hands), but as I'm not an expert, I can't tell more about that.

But what I can say is that I think any girl looks beautiful with a little winged eye make-up. ;)

Kissable Lips

Although I go usually with little to no make-up on my lips, occasionally it's fun to go with the bright reds. I must admit, I don't own any bright red lipstick. Yet. I was consulting a professional make-up artist on Friday, and she told me a couple of shades and tricks, so maybe I'll be brave enough and purchase one this Spring. ;)

But to get back to the subject, I think lipsticks are a great way of making the look more feminine, and when you can't bother to do much with your eyes, you can always just grab a bright red lipstick to make your lips pop instead. If you are insecure with lipsticks, like me, there are tons of great glosses out there, too. And you can combine them with a lip tint to make it more colourful.

(Here I just must thank Sherin for the amazing gift, Max Factor lip tint! ♥ Girl, how on Earth did you know I had been eyeing that exact product on that exact shade for weeks? Thank you so, so much! I love it. ;))

Also, a look I really like on lips is the nude lipstick. I'm in a process on healing my lips from the unbearable dryness so I can start wearing my nude colour again. Any tips on there? I'd be thankful.

Final words

Okay, so, this closes the part 7 of the personal style series, and I hope some of you have found inspiration, tips, new thoughts, or anything out from this post.

Now, I toss the ball to you, lovelies.

What are your tips & tricks on make-up?

What are your trusted products/brands?

Also, don't forget the little giveaway going on ;) I'll be back on Monday, with some more student style of mine :)

Have a great weekend (what's left of it, anyway)! ♥

xoxo

Johanna

Professional. At least, trying to be.

2012-01-19T20:35:00.000+02:00

Heya lovelies!

How are you? ♥

I just finished a Skype call to my mom, we talked for an hour, and I must say, living this far away from my parents, it's very comforting to see their faces on my computer screen every once in a while. You know what I mean?

I feel weird posting this "early" in the evening, but I thought I'd get this - along with some school work - done so that I could go and have a fun time with my school friends tonight. I admit, I'm feeling a teensy bit of sick, sore throat, warm forehead, cough... But they insisted me going, so I think I'll take my chances :D

Oh, and you should see my most fashionable outfit for the night :D (Actually, I think it'll be up on Monday, so...) It's totally something.

Anyway, here's what I wore to school, and off-school, some days ago. (notice the messy hair...)

Outfit of the day

Jeans: H&M

Striped top: Mango

Jacket: H&M

Shoes: SpiritStore

Furry shoe add-ons: Cubus

Bracelet: H&M

Necklace: Accessorize

Earrings: H&M

Ring: GinaTricot

I was trying to create a bit more sophisticated look than usual, and I think I kinda pulled it off. ;) Okay, I should've had a sleek hairdo to finish it off, but didn't feel like it :D So, sorry... But apart from that, what do you think?

And another thing to be sorry about... I don't know what went through my mind when I removed the manicure I had there without photographing them. Crazy, isn't it? I think so too... And that was such a fun manicure, as I had black and white nails with a leopard print on them... Well... All the more reason to do it again. :D

I'm such a bad blogger, I know.

But hey, I try to make it all up to you on Saturday, when I'm going to write about make-up, give some tips, links, and tell a bit about my routines with the products. :) Would any of you have something special in mind you'd like to know about the products I use, techniques, or make-up in general? Leave your thoughts and questions in the comment box, and I'll go through them before writing. ♥

Now, time for me to go prep my face a bit for the evening...

Blog ya later, beautiful people!

xoxo

Johanna

Oh, and don't forget to enter my giveaway! ;)

Awarded! (and I'm not talking about the Golden Globes)

2012-01-17T23:14:00.000+02:00

Hey lovelies,

How are you all? :)

Once again, I want to take a moment to thank you all for reading, commenting, and following my blog. It means a lot, as you surely can imagine. Thank You! ♥ You are amazing.

Sunday morning, I was pleased (not to mention speechless and surprised) to notice that I had been given an award by Diva Naomi Addy. This one is second I've gotten, and I'm still super excited! Thank you, my dearest Diva ;)

The award is:

The award comes with a couple of rules:

Firstly, I must share 7 things about myself with you.

Secondly, I need to give this award to 15 other blogs.

7 Things About Me:

1. I'm super passionate about cooking, and a bit upset because at the moment I don't have the time or the money to put together as fancy meals as I'd like.

2. I've managed to pull off tricks in NHL12 game, that my fiancé says he has never seen anyone to perform. (and yes, he means it in a positive way.)

3. I would love to craft/DIY more often, but honestly, I suck when it comes to techniques, and I don't always have the patience to learn new techniques thoroughly.

4. I hadn't made a single Skype call until last weekend. And it was my mom who pushed me to it.

5. My fashion goal this year is to make my wardrobe more versatile AND to learn to use as many pieces as I can in more than one way.

6. According to MENSA's web test, my IQ is 132. (Raise your hand if you can believe this. I mean, it still sounds crazy to me, too.)

7. I love singing, but have such a bad case of stage fright I can't even do that in front of my fiancé or my family. (And still, I would love to know if I'm any good at it.)

I guess those are my 7 things this time around. :)

Then, to the harder part:

I Pass This Award to the Following 15 Bloggers (and their blogs, of course):

1. Grace from Haute Couture

2. Thu from Just tututiny

3. Sherin from HiFashion

4. Taj Acosta from Gorgeous Glam

5. Kim from A very sweet blog

6. Naina from Sidewalk Catwalks

7. Laura from the blog of worldly delights

8. Whitney and Mallory of WhitWatWear

9. Ivana from Macarons and Pearls

10. Sofie from Me Llamo Sofie

11. Stella from J'Adore Fashion

12. Juli Ann from It's a glam life

13. Kassi from The Closet Intervention

14. Anastasia from Natbees' Fashion

15. Bessie from Bravoe Runway

I could've named a hundred blogs here, easily, but as I had to choose... (and ladies, I hope that all of you would do at least the "about me" part of this, as I'd love to get to know you all more)

If your blog wasn't on the list, not to worry. It's amazing anyway! ♥ (plus, I'm planning on writing posts highlighting other blogs sometimes in the future... You'll never know when yours finds its way there ;))

What else was I planning to say?

Oh, next time, there'll just a normal outfit & nails post, but on the weekend, I'll continue my Personal style posts with a make-up post! So stay tuned for that ;) (and if you have any thoughts, ideas, questions etc. that you'd like to present to me before I'm posting it, please tell me. You can never have too many fresh thoughts and opinions considered before writing something.)

Also, remember to check my face mask giveaway, it's open until the end of this month! ♥

Okay, enough blah blah blah from me, I guess... Until Thursday, that is.

Blog ya later!

xoxo

Johanna

School style

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

I'm pleased to tell you that there's already 127 readers as I'm writing this post. I can't believe it! People, remember, you are amazing! ♥ I wouldn't be doing my job here as well, if it weren't for you. All the amazing comments, great tips, fantastic opinions... Gosh, can't htank you all enough.

And for those who have left me comments asking me to visit or follow, I'm sorry I'm a bit slow with contacting, I've been a bit busy. :) I'll get down with that right after this! ;)

But hey, how has your weekend been? Mine has been full of household tasks, like cleaning, laundry and rearranging. (I sound really neurotic cleaner here, don't I? Well, the truth is... I'm not.)

Also, today I got this from Ikea:

A mystery box.

...including metal rods, plastic...

And wait, what? There IS a manual?

Thank God.

This stil looked everything but a lamp to me. (Yes, lovelies, this is supposed to be a sweet lamp.)

And when I was done with it, it actually looked like one! Yay! I assebled it all by myself, so I think I can be super proud of myself.

Right?

Anyway, today it's been quite freezing again in here, -18 degrees Celsius, to be exact. I hate it. -10 wouldn't bother me at all, but this... I hate it. And imagine this, this time last year we were having up (or should I actually say down?) to -30 (and even over that) degrees!

I wonder how I survived.

Jeans: GinaTricot

Boots: SpiritStore

White top: GinaTricot

Knit: Mango

Jacket: Mango

Infinity scarf: GinaTricot

Hat: GinaTricot

Bangles: Nelly.com

Ring: GinaTricot

Yep, this is how I dressed for school this week. Well, for two days at least. It was very comfy outfit, and I felt it didn't need any fancy statement accessories. And if the knit looks a bit big for me... It is. At least one size too big. But I had to have it as my favourite sweater has the exact same print, and I'm constantly scared something will happen to it. Now, I don't have to stress. :)

My other school look will be up on the next post (supposedly on Tuesday, if nothing special happens) and so will be a next manicure. ;) Oh, and a surprise I got this morning ;) ♥

Now, I must ask, how many of you has read L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad? Because I bought it few days ago and I'm wondering if it's good or not... Opinions? (I'll be writing a review of my own once I have read it).

I think this is all I have to say now...

... Oh, wait! Have you already noticed my Montagne Jeunesse giveaway? There's still plenty of time to enter ;) (and big thanks to those lovelies who have already entered!)

Blog ya later sweeties!

xoxo

Johanna

Gold. Or should I say, cold?

2012-01-14T02:05:00.002+02:00

Hey, beautiful people!

Are you all having a great weekend? I hope so.

And have you already entered the sweet little giveaway I have? You can find it here.

Today, I have enjoyed my day off after going back to school (for 3 whole days, isn't that a lot? :D). I ran a few errands, like grocery shopping, cooking, and I did my nails - which are featured on an upcoming post.

Yes, that means my outfit posts come a week late - at this point, at least - but that's for having posts for you even if I end up having a super busy week with clothing you don't want to see here. (Believe it, I have plenty of that, too :D)

Anyways, last Saturday, there was the most beautiful winter day here in Tampere, and as I went to prepare our car for a shopping trip, I couldn't resist taking my new Sony with me. And I took these photos:

A view from our front door.

Same as previous, but looking the other way

Some wanna-be artistic shots of few plants/trees on our yard.

And my snowy shoes. Completely random. I know.

Okay, I guess that's enough of random photos for today. (I must warn you, I don't think they will stop for the future, though. Sorry.) Moving on to what - at least most of you - care more about.

Yes, outfit ;)

You will notice sooner or later that when I shop, I will dress as comfy as possible. That particular day was pretty cold, so I was trusting my knit and cap, even inside. Maybe not too girly, but super comfy!

Outfit of the day

Jeans: GinaTricot
White top: GinaTricot
Metallic sweater: DIY (see here)
Knitted cap: GinaTricot
Socks: H&M

I loved this relaxed look, though the sweater tends to be a bit cold for my taste. But hey, could be worse. ;) What do you think of this easy look?

As you might know, I'm trying to learn to be creative with my Christmas present, Konad manicure set (I ♥ it so hard!) and I use any excuse to try a new pattern from the plates. My metallic sweater, and the star pattern trend from the Autumn, made me create this:

Manicure of the day

Base: Maybelline Forever Strong Pro, shade 810, Chic Gold. Stars: Pink and blue Konad polishes (no clue about the shade names or numbers...), and the shapes can be found on the Konad plate m3. This manicure matches my sweater so well, doesn't it? ;)

Today, I gotta admit I wore something totally different. Why? Because we ate out today. I just had to take photos of the food, it was amazing! ♥ (And Cliff, yes, I am indeed a bit of a food enthusiast ;))

Chicken salad.

Pancakes and cherry-chocolate chip ice cream ♥

I need to tell you that I'm in no means a salad girl, I love my steaks, and I like them as raw as possible :D (yep, that's how much of a guy I am with food) But I'll give credit to the chef of the evening, my salad was absolutely delicious. And my dessert was pretty amazing, too. :)

And speaking of sweet things, I want to take a moment to congratulate a fellow blogger for her 27th birthday, so, Laura, this one is just for you!

Happy Birthday, beautiful ♥ This is as close to a real card I could make it this year. :)

Okay, before this post gets any more out of focus than it already is, I'll stop writing and start reading your amazing blogs ;)

Blog ya later!

xoxo

Johanna

Freezing!

2012-01-11T22:57:00.000+02:00

Hey lovelies,

How's your week going? :)

Mine is awesome, we're having a surprisingly fun time at school, even though the long days are one again killing me :D I'm really proud of myself for being able to wake up at 6am, with being at work at 10pm. Crazy.

Thank God I have Friday off, though I need to study and run a ton of errands then. Anyone else in a hurry?

I decided that on Saturday, I can relax and enjoy pampering myself ♥ Would you love that too? There's a giveaway where you can win some face masks to either treating yourself, or for example hosting a girls' movie & spa night at home ;) You can enter here!

Last weekend, we had kind of a freezing weather here in Tampere. -16 degrees (Celsius, that is). Which I didn't know before suggesting a winter night photoshoot.

But as I had dressed up already, I couldn't exactly back down anymore.

So here is what we came up with:

Outfit of the day

Coat: Mango

Jeans: Mango

Shoes: SpiritStore

Gloves: Seppälä

Hat: GinaTricot

Scarf: Secondhand

Bag: Tunnelin Kenkä

Feather earrings: H&M

I gotta say, the gloves were too thin for the weather, but what can you do? :D I fell in love with that hat after seeing many of you (Sherin, you are one of them ;)) and I just had to have it. And it was only 5 euros, so... A bargain. ;) I also loved the colour contrast on this outfit, as we Finns tend to wear only black, grey, navy and brown in winter, and the brave ones might even buy a white coat. So you know, I just wanted to be a bit different.

Actually, a big part of my decision to buy that coat was influenced by the lovely Anna from Fash Boulevard (you need to check her blog this instant, she's so, so talented ♥), as she was wearing a beautiful bright coat here. Anna, if you're reading this, I just want you to know: I think you're fabulous! (and so is your blog) :)

But now, I'm going to make some hot chocolate, read InStyle for a moment, and plan a bit what to write you about the next time... Suggestions? :D

Anyways, keep on having a great week, I'll be back sooner than you'd think.

xoxo

Johanna

Giveaway: Montagne Jeunesse

2012-01-10T01:41:00.000+02:00

Hey sweet people!

How has your week started? :) Well, it's about to get better as I'm having a giveaway! ;)

I know I just had giveaway last month, and I kinda promised myself I wouldn't have another one for a couple of months... But then I saw this post from Kim, and it gave me an idea to host another one now.

Hope you don't mind ;) I just have the best readers out there, so I'm glad to give you gifts for all your on-going support and beautiful comments. ♥

Okay, so here's what you'll get if you win:

A face mask set by Montagne Jeunesse ♥ (Seriously guys, I would love to have this myself, believe me, but then again, I rather make someone of you happy.) This handpicked set includes:

Green Tea Peel Off mask - Detox & pore cleansing, and so on...

Relaxing and deep cleansing Aromatherapy Masque

Pore cleansing & self heating Fudge Sauna - which has a scent of vanilla, too.

Ultra deep cleansing White Chocolate mask - maybe my favourite of the series :)

and last but not least: deep cleansing and refreshing Fruit Smoothie mask.

So, there's a real pampering package as a prize. ;) Tempted?

Here's what you do to enter:

1. Follow this blog.

2. Leave a comment below with your email address.

Easy.

Now, if you are like me, you might just want to take few other steps to increase your winning chances, here's what you can do (this part is totally optional, only the first two are required):

3. Follow me on Twitter.

4. Tweet about this giveaway.

5. Blog about this giveaway.

6. Follow this blog on Bloglovin'.

7. Like this blog on Facebook.

So there you go, 5 extra entries. :)

This giveaway is open internationally, so anyone can enter. (And these are quite okay for the male skin too if there are curious boys out there who would like to enter the giveaway.)

You can enter until 30th of January, and the winner will be announced 1st of February. (yes, I'll need some time to process the entries, as I'll be a bit busy ;))

Good luck, everyone!

♥

I'll shut up for now, and will be back with outfit posts next time!

See ya,

xoxo

Johanna (oh, and some of you might've noticed, I changed my blogger name from "silvertigo" to my own. It just felt right.)

Sales Finds

2012-01-08T04:03:00.000+02:00

Hey Sweeties,

Have you already had enough of the sales going on right now?

Me neither.

Though I haven't had much of a shopping, I found some little things this weekend - which will include a giveaway prize first thing in the morning ;)

However, now I would like to introduce to my dearest new gadget:

Sony SLT Alpha A55V. It must be said, I had seriously no idea Sony makes cameras like this before buying this. And I know that now many people out there think I'm a fool buying this over the old and trusted Canon or Nikon. I'm not saying that they're bad - let's face it, they're brilliant - but this just felt more fitting for me.

And it takes great photos - though would take even better ones if I had a clue what to do with each button, but you know, babysteps... ;)

As some you might have noticed, I told in Twitter I managed to broke our livingroom lamp the other day. Doesn't matter too much, but as I would like to assemble my 3000 puzzle... Well, let's just say that it's a bit hard try to fit 100 all-black pieces in candlelight.

Don't try this at home, children.

Did I mention shopping earlier?

I did? Okay, so we hit the shops on Friday to see if there would be some nice things half price or cheaper - and it was a nice trip. Including a fantastic meal on our favourite restaurant, Coyote.

Like I've said before, I don't like to show off my every purchase here - as I know none of you cares when I run out of mascara or hairspray or whatever. But I thought I could make an exception since these were sales finds. ;) Here's what I got:

Okay, this was what my fiancé found for 70% off, a knit from Dressmann. Which is here because he necessarily wanted me to include this. God bless him, I mean, he's so excited helping me with blogging. ♥ (That is, when he isn't insisting that I must play NHL12 with him.)

Moving on to my stuff. (You can scroll down if you'd rather see my outfit instead ;))

Hello Kitty slippers - H&M

Three hats and a tube scarf - GinaTricot

Coat and sweater - Mango

Not maybe amazing finds, but useful, and I love them all. Especially that coat, and I got it 50% off. Total bargain! I have already so many ideas on how to style them differently, and can't wait to create the looks and post them here. :)

Lastly, few shots of my shopping look. Very casual, though amazingly enough I seemed to be the only one in the mall wearing a short skirt on this weather. (Okay, I'll forgive every woman as it was like -5 celsius, but that really doesn't stop me from being girly. -20 degrees is a different story, though.)

Outfit of the day

Shirt: Only, Skirt: H&M, Boots: SpiritStore (in every damn outfit, I know...), Earrings: H&M, Hummingbird bracelet: Thomas Sabo (gift from my fiancé), Camera bracelet: giveaway prize from Sherin (thanks girl, I L.O.V.E. it! ♥).

A simple, practical (okay, that's questionable), and lovely basic outfit. It was nice to go through shops in a mall dressed like this, because even in the over-crowded shops bathing in spotlight heat, I wasn't feeling too hot and sweaty as some fellow customers seemed to be. I mean, it is apparently hard to realize that even if it's a bit cold outside, the shops are the same temperature as they would be in the Summer. You know, because you are inside.

People are funny. ;) Or is it just me? Please enlighten me about this :D

I've never done the following before, but I thought that some days, I could pick a few favourites of the songs I listen to while writing the blog post of the day. Just so you'd learn something new about me eery now and then. Would you like that? Feedback is welcome. :)

This weekend's hot list:

Pitbull - International Love, Give Me Everything

Bruno Mars - It Will Rain, Just The Way You Are

J Lo - On The Floor

Cobra Starship - You Make Me Feel...

Jason DeRulo - It Girl

Flo Rida - Good Feeling
Katy Perry - Firework

This music was broght to me by Jango, which I ♥ very much. There's nothing better than nonstop free listening to music, and channels you can create and finetune as you wish. (And no, I don't get anything for promoting them, I just happen to like the service - and hate the commercials on the "real" radio stations.)

Now, even though it's extremely late - or early, as you wish - I'll go and play a couple of rounds videogame hockey with the man of the house. (I have no clue how I'm going to survive going back to school rhythm after this 3-week holiday.... If I lack posting, I'll be either learning or sleeping. Just so you know.)

Blog ya later, lovelies!

xoxo

Johanna

One Became Two, Somehow.

2012-01-06T06:36:00.000+02:00

Hello beautiful people!

How are you all? :)

I for one am super, super excited, as my new camera got finally home! (More on that on the next post, as I was too curious to try it out to actually take a photo of it with a cell phone... What am I, a five-year-old? Probably.) So the evening - after work - was full of learning about the camera, and teaching my dear fiancé to use it too.

You should have seen his face when he got home and I had brand new technical piece waiting... Priceless. ;)

I'm already sorry for the photos of few following posts, as it's all about experimenting with the different modes, ISO values, and all that there is. But also, we (read: Janne) is learning how to handle a camera and how to get the best possible shot from each angle, and so on...

You'll be seeing the results :D

Anyways, to the outfit... Which kinda is two outfits, as I accidentally created another one when snatching a random piece from a pile of used clothes to put over my top to work - you wouldn't believe how cold there can be some days... But, never mind that, let's move on to the look itself:

Outfit of the day

Knit: Vero Moda, Top: H&M, Jeans: Mango, Boots: SpiritStore, Bangle: Bijou Brigitte.

More than simple look today, but then again, I was only at home and at work, so... I couldn't bother :D Also, the hair is pretty much my bedhead, it's been starting to think it's curly - though I can safely assure you, it's not. Try to style it with heat, and you'll spend an hour cursing, burning your fingers, and the result is wavy. That is, if you get lucky :D

But focusing to the outfit - I really wanted to style these red jeans ever since I spotted them on Mango 50% off. So here are the two looks I wore today, with the colourful knit at work, and without it at home. I didn't even dream about wearing that knit with these jeans, as I thought it would become super busy and annoying, but I actually love how it looks. Funny.

What do you think?

Besides the camera, there's also some other technical thingy I wanna share with you....

Nintendo 3DS. In pink. How much girly can videogames be? I mean, I'm playing Sims3 with this and all.

Well, I actually know a way to make this even more girly, you'll see what I mean soon enough ;) Just wanted to share this with you, as I am super excited about this one, too ♥

I don't know if you noticed, but I had the same nail polish in the outfit photos as I did in my NYE photos... Yeah, that's exactly how lazy I've been. But my nails thank me, I don't think they necessarily love being painted 2-3 times per week. However, inspired by my red jeans, I made a little manicure:

Manicure of the day

Red base (Mavala shade 2, Madrid) and white strawberries, which is kinda perfect as I have been craving strawberries and whipped cream for days. Not that these would give me the joy of tasting it, but still... Oh, and sorry about the mess in these, still far from perfect with stamping the pictures neatly on my nails :D A learning process there, too.

Now, I think I should crash for some 4,5 hours before hitting the shops - and cleaning the house - tomorrow. Yes, my sleeping routine is as messed up as it sounds. I'm just hoping to even it out by getting really tired, really early. You get what I mean?

Thank God school starts as late as noon on Monday, I'm over the moon about that one.

Okay, seriously, got to stop blabbering and get to bed.

Blog ya later!

xoxo

Johanna

Bye

Welcome, 2012!

2012-01-03T03:50:00.000+02:00

Hey lovelies,

How did your New Year's parties go? :)

Our party was pretty fun, though we ran out of food and didn't have a camera for taking pictures of fireworks :D Small and insignificant things.

I want to start this year by thanking you all, who follow, read, and comment this blog. You mean so much to this blog! ♥

Also, a special thanks to Sherin for a lovely, lovely package of sweet things. You surprised me big time. Girl, you are amazing!

Okay, so it's the last week of my Christmas holiday from school, and I plan to use it for getting my act back together and preparing myself mentally back to school mood :) Which is hard because of my latest purchases... I'll show you the first one on the next post as I want to review it a bit for you, and the second one will be the camera, which should be on my hands any day from now.

Also, when it comes to this blog, I have planned some minor changes, mainly concerning the look of the blog. Those won't probably be done before my break, in week 9. Gotta focus on the school more ;) One more thing that might concern you, is that in upcoming weekend, I'm going to buy you, my lovely readers, a little something... That's right, I'll be hosting a giveaway to celebrate the new year. ;) Stay tuned for that one at the end of the week!

Then, nothing more left for this post than the outfit I wore to our New Year's party, kindly hosted by our friends. (whose kitchen is featuring in the pictures)

Outfit of the day

Dress: H&M, Necklace: GinaTricot, Earrings: H&M, Bangles: H&M, Belt: Pieces (bought from flea market).

I actually feel like a bad blogger as there's no better picture of my nails than the last one of the outfit pictures... But luckily, my manicure consisted of IsaDora's Wonder Nail, shade 651, Silver Sparkles. (I need the get the golden one from IsaDora, too ;)) I'll get pictures of more inspiring manicures later this week.

Now, time to try to go through all your blogs for a while, then some sleep, and then it's an exciting new day ahead!

Hope you're all having a wonderful start for this year!

xoxo

Johanna

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T01:56:00.000+02:00

Hey lovelies,

Just wanted to stop by and say the last hello through my blog this year :)

Next time you see me writing, it'll be a new, exciting year.

So, the question is: How will you all celebrate the New Years' Eve? What will you wear? What are your resolutions for the upcoming year?

Share with me ;)

Though I may not be too active with blogosphere the next couple of days, I'll be checking on Twitter quite often. (If anyone would happen to need that information, which I seriously doubt. :D

Anyways, I'd love to share a few favourite moments of this year in photos. Not new outfits, this time, But I promise to be a better style blogger on Sunday/Monday (haven't decided yet) and post my New Years' Eve outfit and look. So stay tuned for that!

Sorry about the little smudges on the nails, that was my first attempt on doing anything this hard with Konad set... :D

That is the only right ratio on cacao vs. marshmellows. Right?

Love sushi. <3

Chocolate Hello Kitty, gotta love that!

Blood orange cake. Simply delicious.

A handmade postcrossing card.

Quick and easy chocolate cappucino. ;)

One of my favourite spending points: Fash magazines ;)

A pretty little gift from my fiancé...

...and a big pretty gift from him :)

And a few goofball pics that haven't been in spotlight....

...until now :D

Getting ready for my photo... How glamorous. Not.

Yeah. That's me, trying to look like a stylish person...

Sometimes it's just too hard. :D

But hey, have an awesome New Year, and see you next year, with lots of exciting adventures!

Love you all so, so much! You're the best ;)

xoxo

Johanna

Holidays at the in-laws

2011-12-28T02:51:00.000+02:00

Hi Lovelies!

Did you all have a wonderful Christmas? And did you get nice presents? :)

I noticed there's already over 100 amazing readers, and I seriously wanna thank each and everyone of you for supporting my humble little blog! With that said, I promise you a nice little giveaway next month ;) Love you all so much.

Okay, so, like I briefly mentioned in the previous post, I was spending the Christmas at my in-laws (well, technically they aren't that yet, but they will be soon enough). We had a lovely time, and I must say I got really awesome presents.

Wanna see them? (oh, and if you just want to see the outfit, scroll down to the end of the post ;))

Girly things from one of my closest friends. ♥

A jigsaw puzzle that should look like this...

...but mine looks more like chaos :D But hey, there is 3000 pieces, so it's not that easy. I'll let you know when I'm finished with this. Don't hold your breath, though.

More girly stuff, from the in-laws.

An elf box, filled with candy, from my mother in-law.

This one isn't really mine, but I bought this for my fiancé, and play it with him....

...using this remote ;) ♥ (Laura, how adorable is this! It's a bit DIY, too ;))

Then, my favourite present this year, that I couldn't wait to open:

Konad nail art set, which cost more than I can admit spending on my nails (well, okay, Janne agreed to buy it for me). :D You'll be seeing loads of nail art in this blog next year, I swear to you...

I also tried to be fashionably sweet while celebrating, and this is what I wore:

Outfit of the day (+little nail art)

Dress: GinaTricot, Cardigan: Mango, Leggings: Pieces (Only), Socks: H&M, Headband: H&M, Feather earrings: H&M, Necklaces: both a gift from my fiancé, Butterfly ring: GinaTricot, Bangles: Nelly.com.

Also featuring a picture of my first nail art attempt with the new manicure set ;) Do you like it?

And what are your plans for New Years Eve? Got your dresses ready? Accessories chosen?

I have, and I'll tell more about that later. I must mention, too, that I finally am purchasing a proper camera! Yay! No more cell phone pictures.... I mean, after I get it, there wasn't any in the store I r3eserved it, but they assured that in a few days I'll get my own. I'm really excited about that. :)

Now, I got to get reading/commenting your blogs, as I'm a bit behind in that ;)

Blog ya later!

xoxo

Johanna

Merry Christmas! (photo heavy post)

2011-12-24T22:56:00.000+02:00

Hey sweeties!

Merry Christmas to all my gorgeous readers! I hope you're having a lovely time with your loved ones, get enough rest and delicious food. :)
Now, I don't have too much to say today (guess none of us bloggers do, as we're spending our time with our families), but I must share these sweet pictures with you.

Last week, we were Christmas shopping in Ideapark (that's a quite large mall in Lempäälä, Finland), and there was this amazing little gingerbread house exhibit. It's actually a contest, and every visitor can vote their favourite(s). The three houses that get the most votes, will win some kind of prizes.

I kinda dream about entering some year, but don't know if I have the talent... Though, it's not about winning, but having fun and bringing some beauty to all the others.

Pretty ones, aren't they? I would've liked to take even more photos, but as my phone takes such bad quality pictures... Well, couldn't fit them in this post anyways... :D

Then I would like to quickly show how I dressed that day:

Outfit of the day

Tunic: secondhand, Faux fur vest: Only, Jeans: Z.i.p., Shoes: SpiritStore, Headband: H&M, Necklace: Accessorize.

Kept it simple, and I think the inspiration came sort of from Cylia. ;) Love your style, girl, you're amazing!

I'll go back to having a lovely night with my fiancé's family, hope you're having amazing, fabulous, love-filled Christmas, too! I'll be back on Monday with posting.

Loving your support and Christmas wishes,

xoxo

Johanna