FINNISHED!

My friend has her birthday today and I decided to give her, in addition to a present, some summer memories. ...Two and a half years ago we did a small road trip in southern Europe. At Garda Lake in Italy we enjoyed the warm summer nights, ate great Italian ice cream and drank some bubbly Prosecco. It was a great trip.

There, at the beach, I also collected pretty little stones that in the end travelled all the way up to Helsinki. So, with glue I combined the stones and a picture with a frame found from a flea market in Munich and got a present full with memories. Happy Birthday Meri!

With some hot glue I combined stones from Lake Garda with a recycled frame
and a picture taken at Garda to make a present full with summer memories.

Lots and lots of love for you all! And not only today but tomorrow as well.

I really do not like winter but luckily it was not that cold this year in here. Anyhow, what you still need in Finland this time of the year is mittens and a woollen hat. I have the problem that usually all the woollen hats itch my head so I made my hat from Finnish Novita Softy that is soft, lovely, furry and doesn't itch.

I'm also making a new scarf from the same yarn but it's not quite ready yet. Unfortunately they don't sell this yarn anymore but Novita's Teddy is quite near to it. And the mittens to my taste have to be slim, long enough and "fit like a glove", haha. (You can also order the woollen hat from RokRokInc. in several colours.)

Ps. the picture is taken by my hobby photographer
almost brother-in-law whose other pictures
you can find in Flickr by Isko Salminen.

My god, how much crap I had here in Helsinki apartment. But some nice surprises as well. For example I found this old flea market skirt that I had forgotten totally and now it feels like new again. I combined the the old school skirt with RokRokInc. chess pendant and voilá: a new outfit without any shopping!

Yesterday we started the live gig season here in Helsinki in the good old Nosturi. There was a skate/punk evening and the bands playing were mostly the same ones that we already saw like a million times. But, they always rock and luckily they had some new material so it wasn't just exactly the same as three years ago (before moving to Munich). Anyway, I hope we'll find also some new bands during the year.

Helsinki is quite an active rock city though there aren't too many good places to catch a band playing. Here's a list of my usual places. In addition to these there are also some rock bars without live but I'll list them later on. All in all, I would recommend checking out a live act while visiting Helsinki. But be prepared, the beer is expensive. So, to reach the true Helsinki experience you can do it like locals: drink something cheaper before going in, haha.

Hey Nosturi, I'm back!

LIVE ROCK CLUBS IN HELSINKI

NOSTURI is one of the classics and my favourites. The place has original roughness and they have all kinds of gigs. Highly recommendable but of course only if there's a good gig. I heard they are planning to move to bigger location in the future.

TAVASTIA is the only and only classic that has been around for ever. Compact premises, good gigs and a central location. Also a rock disco on Saturdays.

SEMIFINAL is Tavastia's little brother. A  really small venue for small bands. Raw, authentic and nothing extra. Stage and beer and that's it.

LEPAKKOMIES is nothing special but I still like the place. The live venue is downstairs and actually the space there is somewhat tight and not ideal for live but they quite often have bands that appeal to me. The location is in the heart of Kallio that is the ("crappy") bar area in Helsinki so before or after the gig you can hit the classic Kallio tour in the near by bars. (Gig listing here.)

CLUB LIBERTÉ has a bit distant location but it fit the bar's personality well. They mostly have beginners and smaller bands playing. So usually music-wise it's not the high end bar but if you like it real, unpretentious and enjoy "grassroots action" so give it a try.

BAR LOOSE is maybe my true favourite as they have a comfy bar upstairs and the live venue downstairs. Again the shape of the concert space is not ideal but oh well, nothing's perfect.

BAR BÄKKÄRI is a basic rock club but for my taste something is missing. I would only go there for gigs.

HENRY'S PUB is a great choice for stopping in for a beer and snacks when you are not planning to have a party. The place smells like deep frying and grease but has it's unflamboyant underground appeal. Sometimes gigs; mostly unknown or downscale (the venue is not really compatible for a big rock concert) but usually also interesting.

ON THE ROCKS is a club, not a bar really even though they have a bar upstairs. More for heavy/metal people so I wouldn't go there just for fun but if they have an interesting gig, why not.

VIRGIN OIL is a bar, restaurant and a concert venue. You can get some ok pizza in the restaurant but as a live location it is rather cold and unpleasant. But the place is big and so they have many kinds of bands playing. Mostly of course those that can attract the room full. So, in only for seeing the band and then out for some other action.

BOOTHILL is funny, weird, awkward, entertaining and sometimes scary depending on the crowd. But it's always real. It can be totally empty or totally full. You never know. They don't have gigs every weekend but they do have a jam night on Thursday's.

KORJAAMO is more of a cultural center and they mostly have totally something else than rock in their calendar. But sometimes you can get lucky and find something interesting in there as well. 

Check out also my rock bar tips for Munich.

I'm visiting now my hometown Kemi in the North of Finland. Unfortunately most of the snow has melt away but dark it is for sure. Now the day is already getting longer but at the moment the light time of the day is three hours. You can not believe how fast that three hours is gone. You don't even notice it.

It's also so weird because every time I visit here this all seems to shrink. Houses look smaller, open spaces wider and the city emptier. Well, at least some of that is also the truth. If you want to have a look, you can find me at the moment in this house in the Google Maps.

This picture is taken a minute after the year has changed at my family home's backyard. With this I wish you all a Happy New Year 2014! Let's face all the adventures
and the unknown with positive attitude and curious mind.

Merry Christmas from Finland! ...So here I am and trying to get used to my "old life" again. I must admit it was like a punch in your face experience and it still is but luckily Christmas time makes it a bit easier as you are allowed to take it easy and hang out with your family and friends.

Here is my Helsinki livingroom in X-mas lights. ...Or actually in winter lights
as I need some extra lights for the whole long and dark winter.

Today I've been baking some Finnish Christmas cookies and cooking other stuff for tomorrow. In Finland Christmas menu is quite diverse and at least in my opinion delicious. But the beetroot salad Rosolli is my number one favourite as it gives the X-mas dinner the needed freshness and I am sure this would be a perfect add to any Christmas table. Do try it out! (Picture from Valio.)

And so, with my x-mas cookies I wish you a horrible Christmas and a terrible New Year! 

The last RokRokInc. upcycling jewellery workshop here in Munich was again great. We had the room full and cozy Sunday creativity going on. Thanks all you girls for coming and I hope you got noticed with your new selfmade jewellery! Hugs and kisses and I will send you greetings soon from Finland. Keep updated on RokRokInc. new products here in the shop and Facebook and get some inspiration for the future as well.

It's always the same dilemma: what to give a friend as a x-mas present. Everybody already has everything and you don't want to go buying your dear friend something totally insignificant. ...But also not the always needed black socks! This problem I have solved already years by making all the presents. I try to remember a nice little happening that reminds both of us of an happy moment or pick something in my friends hobbies, style and personality that I could emphasise with little handmade jewelleries and accessories. In other words something that means something.

This year I hope I could help also you in finding something small, thoughtful and funny that brings memories and feelings to your friend and makes her/him smile! There is a good variety of different new products in the shop for you to choose. But that is not all! I am also happy to make you and made to order present and send it to you in a cute little present bag.

AND In addition from 15.11. to 15.12. that all without delivery costs!

I wish you an inspiring and relaxed pre Christmas time!