Blue on grey

Photoshop curve used 'digital film' by julia trotti

Photoshop curve used 'left hand blues' by julia trotti

Blazer & cotton jersey dress: H&M, Shoes: DinSko

Photoshop curve used 'digital film' by julia trotti

This was my outfit yesterday when I went shopping with D's sisters. (thanks Evy for taking the pictures!) Because I didn't go back to Finland, I seriously lack autumn and winter clothes and that is pretty much the perfect excuse to go shopping. Yesterday I didn't find much though, only this cute T-shirt at Vero Moda. It was on sale too so all in all a great haul!

I also did a short round on town with D last night since it was 'koopavond' (in Hoorn the shops are open till 21 or so every Thursday) and he had to run some errands. We only ended up buying candy but we also went through a few bag shops to see if anything caught my eye. Alas, I'm too much in love with the satchel to have eyes for any other bags.

While on our way back to D's we came across the traditional cheese market. Pictures will follow (and yes, I should post the vacation pictures too) later...

Tomorrow I'm going to Utrecht for an Open Day at the Utrecht Volksuniversiteit (community college) to meet some Dutch teacher so they can evaluate the level of my Dutch skills and tell me which course I should attend. I'll take a camera with me so you'll get photos of my little adventure.

Oh, and I almost forgot, D's family got another cat so now we have a cute little kitten running around the house and keeping people awake at night. Too adorable, now I want a cat of my own! Check out this instagram picture to meet the little heartbreaker!

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Tällaisella asulla olin liikenteessä eilen, kun kävin kaupungilla D:n siskojen kanssa. (kiitokset Evylle kuvien ottamisesta) Koska en palannut Suomeen, minulta puuttuu suurin osa syys- ja talvivaatteista, mikä on tietenkin täydellinen tekosyy shoppailulle. Eilen en kuitenkaan löytänyt juuri mitään, pelkästään tämän suloisen t-paidan Vero Modasta. Se oli myös alennuksessa, eli kaiken kaikkiaan loistolöytö.

Kävin myös eilen illalla kaupungilla vielä D:n kanssa, kun kerta oli 'koopavond' (Hoornissa kaupat ovat poikkeuksellisesti auki yhdeksään joka torstai) ja D:n piti hoitaa asioita. Päädyimme ostamaan vain karkkia, mutta kiertelimme myös muutamassa laukkukaupassa katsomassa josko löytäisin jotain minua miellyttävää. Taidan olla kuitenkin liian ihastunut satchel:iin huomatakseni muita laukkuja.

Kotimatkalla törmäsimme perinteiseen juustotoriin, josta kuvia myöhemmin. (tiedetään, vielä pitäisi laittaa lomakuviakin tänne)

Huomenna menen Utrechtiin Utrechtin Volksuniversiteitin (työväen/kansalaisopisto) avoimien ovien päivää varten. Tapaan siellä hollannin opettajia, jotka arvioivat hollannin kielen tasoni ja kertovat mille kurssille minun pitäisi osallistua. Otan kameran mukaan eli saatte kuvia pikku seikkailustani.

Meinasin ihan unohtaa mainita, että D:n perhe hankki toisen kissan eli nyt täällä on sitten pikkuinen kissanpentu juoksemassa ympäri taloa ja pitämässä meteliä keskellä yötä. Aivan liian suloinen tapaus, nyt minulla on ihan kamala kissakuume! Katsokaapas tätä instagram-kuvaa jos haluatte tavata pikku kissaherran.

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Dit was mijn outfit gisteren, toen ik ging shoppen met D's zussen. (Dankje voor de foto's, Evy!) Omdat ik niet terug ga naar Finland, heb ik herfst en winter kleren nodig en dat is het beste excuus om te gaan shoppen. Gisteren vond ik niet zoveel, alleen dit schattige shirtje, die in de aanbieding was bij Vera Moda. Echt een topdeal!

's Avonds heb ik met D een rondje door de stad gelopen omdat het koopavond was (de winkels zijn elke donderdag open tot 21 uur ofzo) en hij moest wat dingen doen. Het enige wat we gekocht hebben was snoep, maar we hebben ook wat tassen gezien toen we langs de tassenwinkels kwamen. Helaas vind ik deze satchel bag te mooi om iets anders ook leuk te vinden.

Op de weg terug kwamen we langs de traditionele kaasmarkt. Foto's zullen volgen (en ja, ik moet ook de vakantiefoto's nog posten)…

Morgen ga ik naar Utrecht voor een open dag van de Utrechtse Volksuniversitieit om een Nederlands leraar te ontmoeten, die mijn Nederlands niveau gaat beoordelen en mij gaat vertellen welke lessen ik moet volgen. Ik zal m'n camera meenemen zodat jullie foto's krijgen van mijn avontuurtje.

Oh, bijna vergeten, D's familie heeft nog een kat, dus nu hebben we een klein lief katje door het huis lopen die iedereen wakker houdt 's nachts. Echt zo lief, nu wil ik zelf een kat! Kijk maar eens naar deze instagram foto van het kleine schatje!

1-year blog anniversary (WIN A 20£ ASOS GIFT VOUCHER)

The very first picture I ever posted on my blog

Today it has been exactly a year since I started my blog and what a long way I have come! My blogging career started off quietly at first, because I wouldn't even tell anyone I had a blog. I thought that people would think it silly and pointless to have a blog. Luckily I was wrong and slowly but surely my blog got more and more readers.

The first 4-5 months I concentrated mostly on my personal life, with the occasional outfit pictures taken with my iPhone 3G or D's camera while I was visiting him in October '11. Some of the early posts have been now deleted mostly because they were much too personal. Back in the early days I clearly didn't know where to draw the line. Sharing personal thoughts and feelings publicly is fine to a certain point but nowadays I want to avoid posting overly personal things about my health and family and feelings. Those things I share with my family and friends and those close to me, no need to share them with the whole world.

During the spring '12 my blog has been slowly but surely growing more mature and more stylish, along with myself. I have now a clearer vision of what I want my blog to be and where I want to take it. More outfit posts, more general posts on style and fashion as well improved photos. Don't worry though, you'll still get to see bits and pieces of my life and my blog will still have some depth to it. I will also make sure to post regularly, no more unexpected blogging breaks and unexplained disappearances!

I truly hope you have enjoyed this first year of my blog, I know I have, and I hope you'll stay for the next year as well. My blog would be nothing without all of my wonderful readers and the feedback and inspiration I get from them. That is why I have prepared a special anniversary give-away for you.

This time I'm giving away a 20£ (that's ~25€ and ~32$) gift voucher to asos.com online store. The voucher will be emailed to the winner so make sure to leave your email address or a link to your if your email address can be found there. The give-away will end in a month, on September 30 at midnight (GMT+1) and comments left after that time will not be included in the give-away. I will announce the winner here on my blog the 1st of October and the winner will also be contacted personally through email.

RULES:

- The give-away is open to everyone, you don't have to be a reader to take part

- Leave a comment on this post 

-Anonymous comments will not be accounted for so use a nickname and provide me with an email-address so I can contact you should you win!

- Following me via GFC and/or Bloglovin' will gain you one additional raffle ticket

- Following me on Twitter will gain you one additional raffle ticket

- Liking my Facebook page will gain you one additional raffle ticket

- Following me on Pinterest, Instagram(@sensaatio), Lookbook.nu and Fashiolista will each gain you one additional raffle ticket (leave your username in the comment so I can find you)

- Tweeting or blogging about the give-away will gain you one additional raffle ticket (leave a link or make sure to include @sensaatio in your tweet)

- So in total you can participate in the give-away with 10 raffle tickets!

- Make sure to write in your comment how many raffle tickets you have!

- The winner will be chosen randomly using random.org

Good luck to everyone!!

**note: this give-away isn't sponsored

News!

No, I haven't disappeared from the face of Earth, I have simply been quite busy lately ( *cough* playing sims while D is at work *cough* ) and I am terribly sorry for neglecting my blogging duties. I'll do my best to get back on track!

But, I have some big news for you all. Some of you with sharp memories might remember that I should be back in Finland by now. Well, I'm not, and I'm not going to return to Finland any time soon. Confused? Maybe I should elaborate a little...

I haven't mentioned it here on the blog until it was certain, so here we go:

I'm going to spend the next seven months as an au-pair in the Netherlands!

All of it happened rather quickly, in less than a month. A new friend of mine was an au-pair in the Netherlands last year and now she is studying here permanently, so she recommended an au-pair year for me as well. Of course, at first I was a little hesitant, after all I had heard the horror stories of young girls in a strange country forced to work 24/7 with a ridiculously small pay, but my friend assured me that being an au-pair can be a lot of fun. With the right family, of course.

Luckily I was happy to find a family who seems rather perfect for me. They are a Finnish-Dutch family with two children aged 10 and 12 so my main duties consist of chores rather than changing diapers. They live in Driebergen, which is a 1,5 hour train ride away from Hoorn but since I have weekends off and the family's permission to have D over sometimes, it's all going to be fine. I'm going to "move" there next Tuesday and I can hardly wait!

I'm really excited about this turn of the events because I have been in a dire need of change in my life and here I have the perfect opportunity to work and live in the Netherlands and do things I like (yes, I secretly like doing chores) while getting to attend a language course and being only a train ride away from D. It seems like my luck is finally changing...

And speaking of luck, today is my 1-year blogging anniversary so make sure to check back on my blog later today for a give-away!

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Ei, en ole suinkaan hylännyt blogiani, olen vain ollut hiukan kiireinen viimeisen viikon aikana (niin, on ollut kiire pelata simssiä sillä välin, kun D on töissä) ja pahoittelen kovasti laiskottelua blogin suhteen. Lupaan tehdä parhaani ja ryhdistäytyä. Kesäloma on ohi!

Mutta oli minulla vaihteeksi ihan asiaakin. (ja vieläpä suomeksi!) Jotkut ehkä vielä muistavat, että minun pitäisi olla jo palannut Suomeen. No, en ole Suomessa, enkä ole palaamassa Suomeen ihan lähiaikoina. Hämmentävää, eikö? Selitetäänpäs hieman tarkemmin...

En halunnut sanoa mitään täällä blogissa ennen kuin asia oli varmistunut, mutta tässäpä teille uutisia:

Tämä tyttö viettää seuraavat 7 kuukautta Alankomaissa au-pairina!

Asia järjestyi kohtalaisen nopeasti, alle kuukauden sisällä. Eräs uusi kaverini oli viime vuonna Alankomaissa au-pairina ja nyt opiskelee täällä ja hän juuri ehdotti minulle au-pairiksi ryhtymistä. Aluksi olin hiukan epäileväinen, koska olin kuullut kauhutarinoita nuorista tytöistä vieraissa maissa pakotettuina orjatyöhön 24/7 surkealla palkalla, mutta kaverini vakuutti minulle, että au-pairina olo ei ole yhtään hassumpaa. Pitää vain tietenkin löytää sopiva perhe.

Minulla kävi tuuri ja löysin melkeinpä täydellisesti minulle sopivan perheen. Kyseessä on suomalais-hollantilainen perhe, jossa on kaksi lasta, iät 10 ja 12, eli työtehtäväni koostuvat pääasiassa kotitöistä vaipanvaihdon sijaan. Perhe asuu Driebergenissä, joka on puolentoista tunnin junamatkan päässä Hoornista, mutta minulla on viikonloput vapaina ja perhe on luvannut, että D saa tulla myös käymään eli välimatkasta ei pitäisi muodostua ongelmaa. "Muutan" perheen luokse ensi viikon tiistaina ja tuskin maltan odottaa!

Olen todella innoissani tästä uudesta käänteestä, koska olen kipeästi kaivannut muutosta elämässäni. Nyt sainkin mahdollisuuden asua ja työskennellä Alankomaissa ja tehdä asioita, joista nautin (kyllä, salaa nautin myös kotitöistä) samalla kun osallistun kielikurssille ja D:kin on vain junamatkan päässä. Vaikuttaa siltä, että asiat alkavat vihdoin järjestyä haluamallani tavalla...

Olo on erittäin onnekas, ja ehkäpä teilläkin käy tuuri myöhemmin tänään julkaistavan blogiarvonnan suhteen. Aivan, tänään on blogini 1-vuotissyntymäpäivä, eli arvontaa on siis luvassa!

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Nee, ik ben mijn blog niet vergeten, ik was gewoon zo bezig ( *cough* met sims tijdens D moest werken *cough* ) en het spijt me dat ik niet veel bezig ben geweest met bloggen. Ik doe m'n best zo dat mijn blog zal weer interessant zijn.

Maar ja, ik heb nieuws voor jullie! Sommige mensen misschien herinneren dat ik nu terug in Finland zou moeten zijn. Ja, dat was het plan maar ik bleef in Nederland, en ik heb geen idee wanneer ik ga terug naar Finland. Verwarrend? Misschien moet ik een beetje uitleggen...

Ik wou niets zeggen voor dat alles zeker was maar hier gaan we:

Voor de toekomende 7 maanden blijf ik in Nederland als een au-pair!

Alles gebeurde heel snel, in minder dan een maand. En nieuwe vriendin van mij was een au-pair vorig jaar dus ze heeft gezegd dat misschien zou een au-pair jaar ook iets voor mij zijn. Eerst was ik een beetje onzeker want ik heb allemaal verhaaltjes gehoord over hoe jonge meiden 24/7 buitenlands moeten werken voor te weinig geld maar mijn vriendin heeft mij verteld dat werken als een au-pair kan ook heel leuk zijn. Je moet gewoon de juiste familie vinden.

Gelukkig heb ik een hele geweldige familie gevonden. Ze zijn een Fins-Nederlandse familie met twee kinderen: een dochter (10 jaar) en een zoon (12 jaar) dus meestal moet ik huiswerk doen in plaats van op baby's passen. Die familie woont in Driebergen dus niet heel dichtbij Hoorn maar ik heb de weekends vrij en D mag ook soms bij de familie slapen dus het komt goed. Ik zal "verhuizen" de toekomende dinsdag en ik heb er heel veel zin in!

Ik ben heel bij met hoe alles is gegaan want ik wou zo erg dingen veranderen in mijn leven. Nu heb ik een kans in Nederland te wonen en werken en de dingen te doen waar ik van geniet. (ja, ik vind huiswerk leuk maar dat is een geheim) Ik ben ook heel dichtbij D en ik mag een taal cursus nemen. Eindelijk lukt alles hoe ik zou het willen!

Ik heb heel veel succes gehad en misschien hebben jullie ook succes met het give-away die ik organiseer vandaag voor de 1ste verjaardag van mijn blog! Vergeet niet mijn blog vanavond te bezoeken!

Tuesday tag

Source: divasanddreamsblog.com via Shanda on Pinterest

So, for the next 4 weeks, something little different. Instead of doing one tag every week, I am going to go photographing and each Tuesday I will post ten photos for you to enjoy.

I really hope you will like this idea, and feel free to take part in this challenge yourselves, I'd love to see your photos as well!

Monday must-have

via

I'm back and so is Monday must-have! This week's must-have for me is an oxford satchel bag by the Cambridge Satchel Company. Satchel bags aren't really anything new, and they've been all the rage for a while already but somehow I never really was turned on by this trend until I saw a satchel bag at H&M in Milan.

For a while already I have been craving for a good handbag that's big enough to hold all my stuff, perhaps even my laptop and won't break within a year, like most cheap handbags I have bought do. I have finally understood that a good handbag is an investment, yet I am not even tempted to buy myself an overly expensive designer bag. I want a classic quality bag suitable for my needs and style, and right now the 14" classic satchel in black or brown (or pink??) seems to tick all the boxes... And for a quality leather bag 103 euros isn't even that bad.

But before I go and place an order I'd like to hear your thoughts/reviews. Comments and links are very much appreciated!

Style inspiration vol 1 - Audrey Hepburn

via

Funny Face inspired by sensaatio

"The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It’s the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows & the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years." - Audrey Hepburn

"Elegance is the only beauty that never fades." - Audrey Hepburn

"My look is attainable. Women can look like Audrey Hepburn by flipping out their hair, buying the large sunglasses, and the little sleeveless dresses." - Audrey Hepburn

I have always loved Audrey Hepburn, even before I ever saw any of her movies. She was just so beautiful and she had an impeccable taste. I wish I could dress like her, but in the end I like experimenting with different styles a little too much for it to be possible at this point. 

Audrey's style is very simple: neutral tones and very basic clothes. Jeans, shirts, t-shirts, kitty heels and ballet flats construct a very chic yet a very comfortable look. Being very tall, Audrey never wore high heels, so keep those heels low if you want to go for the Audrey look!

The best thing about a look like this is of course that it's very affordable. For example, you can get simple white shirts for a very budget-friendly price, such as these two examples from H&M.

White shirt (left) - H&M

White shirt (right) - H&M

Combine the shirt with a pair of fitting jeans and cute ballet flats, tie a scarf to your hair and you have a very Audrey-inspired look. Perfect for office or just a casual run to the grocery store!

If you want to go more dressy, you will want to pick a little black dress that's suitable for your body type. Audrey herself was very thin and not very curvy, but getting the look doesn't mean that you have to go on a diet. Instead, choose clothes that are right for your body type, not the exact copy of the dress Audrey was wearing. Again, my examples are from H&M collection.

Black dress (left upper corner) - H&M

Black dress (left lower corner) - H&M

Black dress (middle) - H&M

Black dress (right) - H&M

Different dresses for different body types. An hour-glass figure would perhaps like to enhance her natural curves by choosing a dress that has a fitting waistline, and of course, a v-neck is very flattering to those who have the cleavage to show off. But since we're talking about Audrey, who never even wanted to be a sex-symbol, you should opt for a dress that is classy and flattering but not too flaunting or sexy. Subtle yet sexy, you have to know where to draw the line!

For accessories choose classy and subtle, and of course, the big sunglasses are a must! Pearls and simple stud earrings are perfect, you don't want to go over-board with the bling as Audrey always preferred to be a little under-dressed opposed to over-dressed.

Scarves are also an easy way to add a touch of Audrey, or vintage in general, to any outfit. Choose a small square scarf with subtle pattern and tie it around your neck, or cover your hair from the rain with a big scarf. Perfect combined with a trench and a pair of big sunglasses, like Audrey did in Charade. (also an excellent choice of attire if you're spying on someone)

I hope you enjoyed this quick look into Audrey's style and how to get it for yourself! If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comment box and I will get to them as soon as possible!

Oh, and just for fun, here are 13 steps to looking like Audrey Hepburn!

Baked Alaska

Baked Alaska

Ingredients:

about 250 grams of Digestive biscuits

Vanilla ice-cream

250 grams of berries/fruits/whatever you want

3 egg whites

1,5 dl of sugar

1. Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees celsius

2. Crumble the biscuits in a pie tray or a cake mold

3. Make the meringue

4. When the oven is heated to 300 degrees, put the ice cream on the cookies

5. Place the berries or fruits over the ice cream

6. Cover the whole thing with meringue and make sure that all the ice cream is covered, also from the edges

7. Put the pie tray in the oven for 2-3 minutes so that the meringue gets a light golden color.

8. Serve immediately

Guest pen Trang: My weekend - Madagascar 3 and Pikku Nepal

Hello all chubby bunnies! So cause Senja is camping two weeks without internet connection I, Trang,  promised to help her by doing some blogging so you guys wouldn’t be bored.  Senja has multiple times tried to get me start blogging but I’ve insisted cause I know how lazy I can be so there wouldn’t be posts coming regularly… Anyway we made a compromise that I would try blogging as a guest pen so here we go!

 

                                       Did my make-up with Urban decay: Naked palette

 Dress&belt: Via Ebay, Jacket Banana republic, Bag: Marimekko, Shoes: Vagabond (model Florence)

My weekend started with a meeting at my sister’s workplace. There she decorated my nails cause we would be passing flyers on next week so she wanted to do something different to my nails. If some of you are interested, she works at Chenni’s world at Siltasaarenkatu 12 00530 Helsinki (Hakaniemi).

After we were done with my nails I had a date with my boyfriend and we went to see Madagascar 3 3D dubbed in Finnish. You have no idea how excited I was cause I’m big fan of animations! (Like Sensaatio I, too, H-A-T-E horror films.) I have to say it was very good and I bursted into laughter many times. People usually say that sequels sucks, but not at least in Batman’s case or for the animation movies that I have seen (Ice age, Toy story). 

                                                                        Our snacks

On Saturday we woke up very late and then we headed for Itäkeskus hunting a tunika for me. Of course I didn’t found the kind of tunika I wanted when I had a payman krhm boyfriend… (Do you see what we have in common with Senja here?)  Why do I find all the items I want and need when I’m broke and alone?? Does this happens to anyone else than me? Anyway I left with empty hands and heart-brokened cause I felt as a failure cause I didn’t find anything nice as a shop-a-holic. Buhuu.

                                                                        Picture here

Later that evening I was supposed to be cleaning up but instead I was reading this documentary director’s, Micheal Moore’s, book "Stupid, white men" (in Finnish Tyhmät, valkoiset miehet) which tells about how corrupted USA is. It’s 11 years old book but it’s still fascinating to read about a book that tells you how these greedy politicians are screwing up everybody and using taxpayer’s money to help themselves gain more money. Although this book is non-fiction, it’s very funny due to its heavy sarcasm and I recommend this to all people who are interested about what’s going on in this world.

           Dress: Cawaii, Jacket: Banana republic, Bag: Marimekko, Shoes: Adidas, Glasses: D&G

As for Sunday I did nothing wise since it’s my official lazy day. Just helped my sister to print those flyers and then I headed with my sisters to greet grandpa and grandmom. After that we headed to this restaurant named Pikku Nepal in Kamppi where’s Indian cuisine. I myself ordered lamb in coconut cream with cashews (Btw Senja couldn’t have eaten this since she is allergic to peanuts HA!) and it was very good with the rice and naan-bread.

So that was my weekend and I'm sorry that it became very long post and that's the reason why I'm not going to write it in Finnish, otherwise it would be just too long (this has nothing to do with my laziness of course). If you have anything to ask, then comment below and I will be replying you back by my username merssuliini.

Blog awards

I have received two blog awards recently, the Liebster Blog award from Aino and the Versatile Blogger award from Helmiina. Thank you both!

The Versatile blogger award requires me to come up with seven random facts about myself, and give the award to 15 versatile blogs, whereas the Liebster blog award requires me to give the award to 5 blogs with less than 200 readers. Unfortunately I happen to be a very lazy person (and most of the blogs I read have already received these multiple times) so you'll only get to read seven facts about me without me nominating anyone for either award. Sad, I know.

7 random facts about me

1. I am terrified of whales

2. I can't stand CSI Miami

3. My favorite animal is cat
4. I hate people who wear too much perfume because it gives me a terrible headache
5. I am extremely impatient (might've mentioned it somewhere already)
6. I always want to sit in the front of the plane because I think it will save me time, but I only recently realized that I might get out of the plane faster than others but I won't get my luggage any sooner
7. I can only eat 4 types of fruits without cooking them first (melons, pineapple, mango and grapes)

Guest post by Johanna: Citrus marinated chicken with fruit salad

Hi there, everyone!

As the lovely host of this beautiful blog is currently enjoying herself traveling, I'm here to entertain you a bit. My name is Johanna, and I write a blog called Handmade Dreams of Mine. I was asked to write a little guest post here, so I thought I'd share my love of Latin kitchen with you - by introducing a somewhat Mexican meal I cooked a while back, Citrus marinated chicken with fruity salad.

I hope you'll enjoy this post, and, let's get cooking, shall we?

Papaya-avocado-tomato salad (4-6 portions)

200 gr of different green salads

2-3 chopped scallions

3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

1 small papaya

2 tomatoes

1 avocado

1 tablespoon lime juice

3-4 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (roasted)

Salad dressing

Juice of one lime

Pinch of paprika (powder)

Pinch of ground cumin

Pinch of sugar

1 finely chopped clove of garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

(drop of white winegar)

1. Mix salad leaves, scallions and coriander together. Mix well and place to a big bowl.

2. Split the papaya in two and scoop the seeds out with a spoon. Cut into four pieces, remove the skin and cut the fruit in small pieces. Place the pieces on top of the salad leaves. Chop the tomatoes in pieces and add to the salad.

3. Split the avocado in half, and remove the seed. Peel the fruit carefully, cut it to pieces and roll the pieces in lime juice so that they don't darken. Mix in with the rest of the ingredients.

4. Prepare the dressing: whisk the lime juice, paprika, cumin, sugar, garlic and olive oil together. Add salt if needed.

5. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and mix lightly. Add a drop of vinegar if you want a bit sharper taste. If you want, sprinkle roasted pumpkin seeds on top.

Citrus marinated chicken (4 portions)

1 whole chicken cut in four pieces (or similar amount of chicken)

1 tablespoon mild chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Skin and juice of one orange

Juice of 3 limes

Pinch of sugar

8-10 finely chopped garlic cloves

1 roughly chopped bunch of fresh coriander

2-3 tablespoons virgin olive oil

½ dl (0,2 cup) beer, tequila or pineapple juice

Salt and pepper

1. Put the chicken into a bowl. Prepare the marinade: mix in together the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, and add salt and pepper if needed.

2. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Turn over the pieces of chicken, so that they get the marinade all over them. Leave to marinate for an hour in the room temperature, or if possible, 24 hours in the fridge.

3. Take the chicken out of the marinade, and tap dry with paper towel.

4. Grill the chicken for about 20-25 minutes, or until it's cooked thoroughly. Cook the pieces evenly on both sides, and apply marinade every once in a while. The chicken is well cooked when the fluids coming off are clear - not red.

Serve with desired side dish - I put along the salad shown in this post, but you can also make a tomato-scallion salad and serve the chicken with that, lime pieces and fresh coriander leaves.

I hope you enjoyed this post, at least I had fun writing - and cooking - it.

See ya later!

Friday five

I am currently in Italy but here's a Friday five for you!

1. Vacation

That's all my stuff for two weeks, packed in one small (okay, big but too small in my opinion) weekend bag. I still don't know how D managed to talk me out of taking my whole wardrobe with me. But, it's vacation time!

2. Candy

Do I need to say more?

3. Break from computers and internet

Might sound surprising, but I actually do like the idea. I can for once enjoy my vacation without any time spent behind my laptop or Facebook and what not. I'm also certain that my blogging will definitely benefit from a break. 

4. Dutch sales

Normally the prices of the clothes don't differ that much from those in Finland but during the sales... well, I'm in heaven! Not just because of the significantly cheaper prices, but also because in the Netherlands the smaller sizes are left for the sales, unlike in Finland where you can't find anything below size 40.

5. Stepping out of my comfort zone

Terrifying, yes, but also very liberating.

Thursday tickle

via

This week's Thursday tickle is a famous quote by Oscar Wilde. Simply perfect, and definitely something I can agree with.

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."

Bikini inspiration

Source: victoriassecret.com via Sensaatio on Pinterest

Source: lace-and-leather.tumblr.com via Sensaatio on Pinterest

Source: southbeachswimsuits.com via Sensaatio on Pinterest

Source: us.asos.com via Sensaatio on Pinterest

Source: sexywomenslingeries.com via Sensaatio on Pinterest

As I promised, here's some bikini inspiration I gathered on pinterest. Like my style generally is, my bikini inspiration is girly and cute and quite classy. I don't like loud and bold bikinis, nor do I like a bikini that is way too tiny. 

A white crochet bikini is definitely on my wish list. I saw something like it at H&M but unfortunately they didn't have my size. Got to keep on looking!

In case you were wondering why I am blogging in English only, well, I have been so busy and lazy lately that writing each post in three languages is just such a hassle. I'd rather post in English only instead of posting once a week in three languages. I will get back to blogging in three languages as soon as I'm back from my vacation. We're leaving today, but I have some great things planned for you while I'm away from the keyboard... stay tuned!

Wednesday weakness

Pictures by Julia Trotti

Photoshop curves

It all started innocently enough, when I came across a post on Photoshop curves on one of my favorite blogs. Being still a mere beginner in the wide photoshopping world I had never even paid attention to the curves section. Well, I tried out the free curve provided by Tim Kiukas, and wham, a whole new world opened to me! I googled for more free photoshop curves and came across the talented Julia Trotti's blog. She hosts a free curve Friday every week and well, let's just say I'm hooked...

So, my pictures should be getting a lot better now, all thanks to these amazing and talented and generous people!

Shoplog Primark

Two shirts 

Bikini (not from Primark!) 

Coat with cute scalloped details 

Hair extension thingy (what is it called in English?) for making a sock bun 

Socks

 Red sandals for summer

 Navy blue trousers

 Black wedge heels

 Little pig door stop

I still need a new bikini or two, right now I have three bikinis and I don't think I can survive two weeks in Italy with only three bikinis. Unfortunately Primark's bikini department was pretty scarce and we had no better luck at H&M. Finally at New York (shop, not the city, although I wouldn't have minded an emergency shopping trip to NYC) we found this cute pair of bikini, again navy blue so I hope to find a white bikini too. We found one more blue bikini on Monday by Esprit, but I still want more bikinis. Or just one pair that isn't blue.

Inspiration post will follow.