SHOOTING

Our dance studio sometimes also doubles as an impromptu photography studio.
Some days ago I had a long shoot with Asko Rantanen (who shot in our three a few weeks back :) in some of my stage costumes, the results to be seen at some point later!
Nadja Mikkilä took the backstage shots.

THE ATTEMPTS OF PHOTOGRAPHING A SUN DRESS

I came back from some business in town. And as I for once because of that was somewhat dressed up -it's around +30C here now and I mostly walk around in some old tiny gym shorts and a floppy tie top here on the farm - I thought it was time for an outfit post.

Me: I’m wearing a fancy-schamncy sundress so maybe you could take some blogphotos?
Eddi: Ok sure, why not.

Me: but no no, keep the camera the other way, portrait!
Eddi: Ok

But then one of the  cats desperately craved attention.
Me: take some pics anyway, cats equals blogpoints hehe

But then a big maddafakking spider appear along my hem
Eddi: I’m still taking pictures
Me: no, stop, stop!
(The actual photo of me freaking out when noticing it won’t make it here though, as I don’t want to flash my underwear to the whole internet.)

Then Dag dropped the watering can on my foot and I lost a chip of my toe nail at the root (more painful than you’d think).
Eddi: click click

Then Dag also wanted to pose for photos.

But in the end we kind of managed to get pictures of the dress as well.

Which is, if you wonder, an Ivana Helsinki dress.
(And which I, however bubblegum coloured and nice it may be, am thinking of perhaps selling next weekend at our Raspberry Fields second hand market -where YOU should come and shop!)

INSTANT STRAWBERRY MARMALADE

Here's a very quick and easy sort-of-marmalade /jam/fruit mash that works with most berries (frozen or fresh; raspberries works especially well for example).

 Take some berries - I hade a some bstrawerries over from a bunch of fresh organic ones which I refrigerated and cooked jam on.

 
And some dates, the more the sweeter (of course). Here I am using fresh dates but I actually think that those drier stickier ones work best for this - if they are very dry they need to soak in some water first though. (If you are tired of dates in everything you can try it with other dry, very sweet fruit, like I did with the raw apricot-coconut cookies, using apricots for the marmalade.)

Mash them together with a mixer or a hand mixer.
And that's it!

Serve on pancakes, scones, your peanut butter sandwich or as cake filling (like here with the raw chocolate pastries filling) or anything else you want to jam up.

INSTA-IMATRA

Last weekend we drove eastwards for a show we had; this summer most of our shows have been and will be in Carelia for some reason. 'Easternfinland14' as we in innovatively named it; this was 2 out of 4. This time we were performing at an outdoor event. We stayed at this jugend-style hotel.

Waiting (in proper style for the 2010's) for our ride to the venue.

After-show bubbly and red nails.

(pic from @ruskarieban)

The event took place at an island in the middle of the big river. It's deep and the current is very strong so you can't swim even though the surface looks mirror calm. Beautiful and scary, especially since it was said the water was 20m deep under the jetty we stood on. 

Next-day-hotel-exterior-posing.

The hotel is just next to the steep, deep dry river bank. I remember standing on the opposite side as a kid looking at the water rushing down the waterfall when they let it out of the damm. I wish I had brought my camera but I also know I seldom have the time to take photos on gig-trips so the iphone had to do. 

On the way home we stopped at our cabin, which is just along the road, for a quick swim.

The water was warm and clear as always.

So time to jump in!

The woods were full of blueberries so we picked some around the cabin before leaving.

The berries then made it to a late night pie when I got home.

MÖLANDET

The day after the party we went to pick up Dag who had spent the weekend in the archipelago with my parents.

First we had some ice cream at shore.

And then we all headed back out to the island. Eddi had some sort of sailor thing going on for the day.

My sister's hubby and the dogs greeted us upon arrival at Mölandet.

My sister is about to pop at any day now.

We had some other things to celebrate as well.

Dag loves playing in the water. "Swimming" as he sees it.

Obligatoire feet-in-water picture.

And it was finally really warm!

Afternoon coffee on top of the hill.

Lilly waiting for crumbs.

I made Dag one of the oldest toys in the world. )This cow/walrus/creature had to be satisfied with only two legs instead of four though.)

And then he took an extempore afternoon nap.

I took a walk.

The garden.

And the garden from outside the gates, in the woods.

The porch on the big house.

The garden shed that's been under construction the past summers is now ready. It's mainly my sister's and her hubby's turf.

I went up to the highest point.

And got some wild strawberries.

Meanwhile Dag woke up.

Checking out some fish the others caught. Apparently fish can come off very scary as Dag started screaming in horror when he saw them.

Then my youngest sister and her fiancé arrived.

They are also having a baby. But still some time to go!

Dinner being set.

Dag has his own little table.

My brother-in-law has started a micro brewery with some of his harbour colleagues, Hopsons!

And it's pretty good!

And then it was time to head home. Here's the same view as last year, when waving goodbye.