27/05/2007

seven things

It's been fun to read all the Seven Things -posts at different bloggs lately. Well, now it's my turn since I was tagged by my dear friend - thanks, Tanja! And I tag Nuttula!

"Each person tagged gives seven random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write on their blogs seven facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag one other and list their name on your blog. You have to leave the person you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and need to read your blog".

Well, here are seven random facts about me:

One

Bean soup is my favourite everyday dish. I make it almost every week, at least in the colder months of the year. I got the recipe from Tanja a couple of years ago and have been hooked ever since. The ingredients are simple - potatoes, tomatoes and kidney beans - but the taste is savoury, rich and almost creamy. Yesterday was a soup day once again at our house.



Two


I find ironing the most calming of household chores. The fresh scent of clean laundry is so lovely, especially if laundry has dried on a clothesline outside. Seeing a wrinkled cloth magically turn smooth is very satisfying, too. To add a little luxury to this mundane chore I usually sprinkle some lavender water on the garment while ironing. Today I ironed some of the fabrics I had washed to shrink them before use.


Notice the pretty pincushion in front of the fabrics? It's the one I won from the talented Outi's giveaway. Lucky me!



Three

This stripey creature is a whimsical companion. Oftentimes she's an introvert who keeps by herself, watching us from a far or retiring to a nap into my husband's closet, among his socks. But she has her social moments, too. Then she prefers to set herself on top of anything I'm doing just then, whether it's reading the paper, spreading fabric on the table for cutting or ironing clothes. This cuteness happened on the ironing board right after I finished my ironing.



Four

Linnea Sows And Grows and Linnea In The Painter's Garden by Swedish author Christina Björk and illustrator Lena Andersson were the books I most loved as a child. Like Linnea, I grew scarlet runners on my window sill and decorated my room to resemble hers. I even dreamed of becoming a gardener. Linnea In The Painter's Garden tells about Linnea's visit the garden of Claude Monet in Givérny, France. In retrospect I could say my interest in art and illustration derives much from this book. I truly loved Andersson's illustrations and was fascinated by the way Monet's life and Linnea's journey were depicted.



Five

I do all my sewing with this reliable friend: my Husqvarna sewing machine from the fifties. I bought it from an auction for a very reasonable price. It was in perfect shape and came with all the original equipment, a pretty and useful original manual and an embroidery hoop. It has many benefits like beeing heavy and stable, making a beautiful stich and a nice humming noise. Good looks don't hurt either. I hope we'll have many more years together.



Six

Dresses and skirts are my thing - I like to both wear and sew them. I consider them more comfortable and flattering to my figure than pants. In fabric shops I seem to spot lovely dress fabrics much more easily than fabrics suitable for trousers. Besides, I have an inability to sew trousers that fit.

Here I'm wearing a dress I sewed last summer. It's not quite warm enough for it yet, but I was just so eager to try it on again!



Seven

Old postcards are one of my interests. I look for them in charity stores, flea-markets and antique shops - not systematically to find cards with certain motifs or from certain era but just cards that somehow appeal to me. I love to find pictures of tourist attractions, like these cards from Paris and Biarritz. The card depicting Le Grand Palais of Paris was written in 1926 by a young Finnish woman who seems to have worked as a maid in Paris. She writes to her sister urging her to come to France too, to "a rich American family" and says Paris isn't more expensive than Helsinki. Lastly, she wants to know if the sister is angry because she hasn't heard a word from her. I wonder what happened to them.



18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mun äidilläni on tuo sama Husqvarna ja se on tosi laatupeli. Toimii varmasti ja kuten sanoit, sen ääni on ihana.

Anonymous said...

Haluaisitko jakaa tuon keittoreseptin? En löytänyt sitä Tanjan sivulta ja keitto näytää todella herkulliselta, joten kokeilisin sitä mielelläni. Ihanien kasviskeittojen reseptejä ei ole koskaan liikaa...
Kaunis blogi sinulla!
- Sanna

Tanja said...

Hei Maria! Olen iloinen, että valitsin sinut kertomaan omat Seitsemän Asiaasi. Kuvasi ja juttusi ovat kerrassaan hauskat! Postauksesi oli myös hyödyllinen siinä suhteessa, että olin vallan unohtanut tuon herkullisen keiton. Sitähän täytyy keitellä ensi viikolla!

Jonna said...

Ihania asioita! Tuo keitto sai minutkin kiinnostumaan. Täytyy kokeilla pian, ruokalistamme kaipaakin taas päivitystä.

Anonymous said...

What lovely photos you have taken - it was a fun assignment wasn't it!

The bean soup sounds delicious. I like cats on ironing boards too : )

Nuttula said...

Hieno postaus!! Aivan ihania kuvia! Minäkin kaipaan tarkempaa ohjetta tuolle keitolle. Ja kiitos haasteesta, yritän kehitellä jotain...

Outi Loimaranta said...

Oli ihana lukea tämä!

Hauska huomata, että Linnea-kirjat ovat olleet muidenkin lemikirjoja. Minäkin kasvattelin papuja viilipurkeissa. Samaa sarjaa on myös sellainen keittokirja, sekin oli suosikkejani.

Silityslaudan päällinen on nätti (puhumattakaan kisulista sen päällä torkkumassa), oletko tehnyt päällisen itse. Onko siinä kuminauha vai nauhakuja? Haluaisin itsekin uuden päällisen, mutta en ole saanut aikaiseksi, kun en ole varma miten sen tekisi.

Matroskin said...

Joo, vesi nousi kielelle papusoppaa kuvitellessa. Ihania juttuja ja kuvia. Kun itse lähetän postikortin, yritän kirjoittaa koko rahan edestä eli lilliputtikäsialalla tiuhaan - on hauskaa löytää vanha kortti, jonka kirjoittajalla on ollut sama periaate. Vanhat käsialatkin ovat niin ihania. Sääli vaan, että kortit ovat usein kalliita postimerkkien takia. Minua kiinnostavat vain kuvat ja tekstit.

Maria said...

Kiitos kaikille hauskoista kommenteista! Se papukeitto on tosiaan herkullista, mielelläni postaan reseptin kokeiltavaksenne kunhan ehdin. :)

Violet, mukava kuulla hyvää rakkaasta Husqvarnasta! En ole mikään ompelukone-ekspertti, mutta entisvanhaiset ompelukoneet ovat kyllä minusta kaiken kaikkiaan luotettavamman oloisia kuin nykyiset...

Outi, nyt vasta muistinkin sen leipomiskirjan! Sehän oli samojen tekijöiden, mutta päähenkilö taisi olla poika - "Lasse leipoo ja laittaa ruokaa" tai jotain. Se oli kiva kirja myös. Ja ihania Linnea-kirjojahan oli vielä kolmaskin, se oli nimeltään Linnean luontokirja.

Silityslaudan päällisen tein hyvin konstailematta: piirsin kaavan laudan mukaan, tein nauhakujan, jonne pujotin kuminauhan, ja kuminauhan päihin ompelin kanttinauhapätkät. Laudan toisessa päässä olevan metallitelineen takia päällisessä on ikään kuin läppä, jossa on niin ikään kulmissa kanttinauhat. Ne sitten solmitaan niiden kuminauhan jatkeina olevien kanttinauhojen kanssa rusetille yhteen, niin että päällinen kiristyy hyväksi. Voi että on hankala selittää, toivottavasti sait jonkin käsityksen! :)

Matroskin, minuakin harmittaa välillä tuo postimerkkijuttu, kun en itse ole niistä kiinnostunut! On kyllä kauhean kiehtovaa miettiä kortin lähettäjien ja saajien kohtaloita - etenkin jos teksti on vähänkin epämuodollisempaa niinkuin tuossa sisarelle kirjoitetussa kortissa.

Charlotte, thank you for your kind words! Many commenters asked for recipe for the bean soup, so I'll soon post it. I think it would be especially suitable for you now that it's autumn in your part of the world! :)

Anne Grethe said...

Thanks for visiting me!
I am so impressed by your blog, you seem to be so talented! Sewing, painting, taking wonderful photos... I surely come by again, I will put you on my list of blogs, if you don't mind.

isoinpapu said...

Oh, melkein ostin juuri tuon saman husqvarnamallin kun entinen vanha ompelukoneeni meni rikki viimeisen kerran. Voi että se on kaunis! Ja siinä on tosiaan aivan satumaisen kehräävä ääni...ooh. Ja minä siis en ostanut sitä vaan hieman uudemman husqvarnan. Voi että!

Anonymous said...

I have just found your lovely blog. Your sewing machine is so much nicer than the new ones - why is everything white plastic now?
Also, your pencil portrait is so vibrant and charming.

Maria said...

Isoinpapu, kiitos Husqvarna-ihailusta! Kaunismuotoinen yksilöhän se on, ja värikin on mieluisa. Vaan toki se uudempikin Husqvarna lienee mainio peli! ;)

Milly and Janet Clare, thank you so much for visiting and leaving such kind comments! I certainly won't mind being put on your blogg list Milly, that would be very nice!

Janet Clare, how fun that you found your way here! I took a quick peek at your blogg last night and will surely visit again. :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for visiting my site! I would be very flattered if you added me to your list. Thankyou.

Anonymous said...

Kaunis, mielenkiintoinen blogi Sinulla! Ihanaa lukea "samanhenkisten" kirjoittelua. Linnea oli ja on edelleenkin suosikkini. Aurinkoa!!

lisa said...

your dress looks amazing. where did you get the pattern? and your blog is fabulous!

Maria said...

Lyckoskatt, thank you! This dress certainly is one of my favourites. The pattern is from Burda, but I changed it a bit by omitting the little cap sleeves.

traduction anglais said...

Really nice.