Saturday, October 17, 2015

Kaija's Wishlist: THIS Car


Kaija's Wishlist: This Car


Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Love with Food

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Monday, July 27, 2015

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Friday, July 24, 2015

Thursday, July 23, 2015

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 26- Something I Like About Myself

I like the fact that I have a special rapport with animals. Especially those of the one-horned horse-like variety. ;)

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Saturday, May 23, 2015

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 23: Something that I Miss

I really miss my old cat Andromeda. He was a feral cat that never really got along with my dogs and who didn't want to live inside, but I loved him anyway. We used to call him Dromy. Sometimes I wish I'd find him standing on the front porch waiting for me to come out just like he always used to, but he left a while ago to go his own way and I don't think he's ever coming back.

Friday, May 22, 2015

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 22: My Best Friend

My best friend is a panda bear named Steb. His full name is Ziastebtadan, but no one calls him that. He's super chill.


Thursday, May 21, 2015

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 21: My Hopes for the Future

One day, I hope to be married and living in a house of my own somewhere in Skåne. But really, I just want to be happy.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Sunday, May 17, 2015

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 17: Something I'm Proud Of

I'm proud of the way I got my cat. He was a feral cat that I tamed, brought inside, introduced to my dogs, and ultimately rescued. He is now a full house cat and stays indoors at all times for his own safety. (He's still allowed at the window to get some fresh air and look out on his kingdom, though!)

Song of the Day: Impossible


Eurovision Countdown: Surviving Until the Final

If the anticipation of Eurovision is getting too much to bear, here are some things you can do to keep yourself occupied until the 23rd.

  • Rewatch/watch the national finals.
  • Rewatch/watch past Eurovision contests. 
  • Listen to some of the artist's other songs. 
  • See if any past contestants have released any new music.
  • Play a Eurovision trivia game. 

Saturday, May 16, 2015

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 16: Somethings I Always Think 'What If...' About

I think 'what if' about everything! I'm a dreamer. I'm always imagining the 'what if' in life. What if I were a space alien? What if I were a princess of a magical kingdom? What if I had a tail? It keeps life interesting.

Eurovision Countdown: Converting Your Friends into Eurovision Fans

Here's a completely fail-proof (read: it probably won't work on anyone) guide to converting anyone and everyone ever into a hardcore Eurovision fan.

  • Everyone knows that Eurovision songs grow on you the more you hear them, so play your favorite country's song on repeat at full volume until everyone around you starts to love it as much as you do. 
  • Invite your friends over to watch a Eurovision marathon. Start in 2010 and work your way up from there. Bonus: Pretend you don't know the winners of the last ten contests by heart. 
  • Talk about nothing but Eurovision in the days leading up to the final. You're probably going to be doing this anyway, but now you can tell yourself that you're doing it for a good cause.
  • Make Eurovision party invites and send them to all of your friends/co-workers/colleagues/fellow human beings. Someone's bound to show up, right? 
Disclaimer: This how-to guide was created in the spirit of pure fun in order to pass the time until the final. You should probably consult someone who knows things about people, AKA not Kaija, before attempting any of the above. Kaija doesn't know how people work, or even what they are, really. Proceed at your own risk. 

Song of the Day: Irish Road


Friday, May 15, 2015

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 15: My Horoscope

Personally, I think that astrology is a load of rubbish. I don't believe that big balls of gas thousands or millions of lightyears away control my personality or my day-to-day actions. But hey, maybe I was just born under a bad sign.

According to my.horoscope.com, my personality is as follows:

Strong, dependable Taurus leads the way when it comes to reaping the rewards of hard work. Lovers of everything that is fine and beautiful, Taureans surround themselves with material gains. This is a sensual, tactile sign. Touch is very important in everything from work to romance. Stable and conservative, Taureans are among the most reliable of the zodiac. While sometimes viewed as stubborn, this sign will plod along on a task until the very end, ensuring that everything is up to standard. They're highly creative and thoroughly enjoy making things with their own hands.

I don't consider myself particularly strong and while I am dependable, it's because I was raised well. I love beautiful things, but who doesn't? Touch is important to nearly everyone in the world as one of main five senses, and I am anything but stable and conservative. I prefer the term determined over stubborn, and while I am creative, I prefer to write rather than physically create. So, I suppose they got some things right, but I could go to Libra or Pisces or any other sign and find attributes that describe me just as well.

According to the same site, all of the following are also supposedly 'me:'

Strengths:
Dependable, patient, musical, practical.
Weaknesses:
Stubborn, uncompromising, possessive.
Charismatic marks:
Solid, big bones, tendency to gain weight.
Likes:
Gardening, cooking, working with hands, music, romance, high-quality clothing.
Dislikes:
Sudden changes, complications, insecurity of any kind, synthetic fabrics.
Best environment:
A secluded home close to nature. Good food is also important. Beauty and comfort are a must.

I am dependable, patient, not at all musical, and extremely impracticable. I'm determined, and the only thing I'm possessive of is food. I'm not very solid at all, I have a slender frame, and I tend more towards losing weight. I do like gardening, but I can't stand cooking. I don't really work with my hands often, and while I do like music and romance, I will wear anything right down to rags. I dislike everything on the dislike list, and that is kind of is the best environment for me.

Eh, I'm still not convinced.

Song of the Day: This is Gospel


Thursday, May 14, 2015

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 14: What I Wore Today

Pyjamas and a sweater vest! I stay at home most of the time, so I wear nightdresses all day long. It's very comfortable.


Me dressed like a bumblebee.

Song of the Day: High and Low


Wednesday, May 13, 2015

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 13: My Fashion Style

I would describe my style as thrift store hand-me-down boho chic. To be honest, it varies from day to day. Sometimes I rock a sweater vest and other days I'll dress in timeless classics. I like ties and suspenders, but I also like skirts and dresses. I do my own thing.

Song of the Day: Upgrade


Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Kaija's Gardening Saga: May 12th

My garden looked absolutely stunning this morning. Most of the cherry blossom flowers have fallen to create this gorgeous pink carpet of petals, and some of the bushes have begun to bloom in their place.





Song of the Day: Kill This Love


30 Day Blog Challenge Day 12: Celebrity Crushes

Megan Fox in Transformers


Billie Piper as Rose Tyler


Karen Gillan in Doctor Who as Amy Pond


Alessandra Ambrosio in anything


That's all I can think of at the moment, really.


Monday, May 11, 2015

Song of the Day: Compass


30 Day Blog Challenge Day 11: Your Family

My family is small but super-cool.

First, there's me. You already know me. I'm Kaija and I love fuzzy things.

Then, there's my mum. She's an awesome lady. She's got two degrees - one in anthropology, and another in education. Her day job is still that of an awesome super-mum, but at night she turns into the Queen of a magical kingdom, and you can't beat that.

Lastly, there's my MorMor. She used to be a spy, but now she works as a companion.

We also have three dogs and a cat. You can read all about them on my other blog.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 10: Shuffle Time

Today's prompt is to put your music player on shuffle and write down the first ten songs that play.

  1. Suvvi ljat - Adjagas
  2. Set Fire to the Rain - Adele 
  3. Mer' End Kærlighed - Rasmus Seebach
  4. Saturday's Child - the Monkees
  5. Oblivion - Grimes
  6. I Wish You Well - Royal Wood
  7. Невозможное Возможно - Dima Bilan
  8. Kilometros - Sin Bandera
  9. Fact-Fiction - Mads Langer
  10. Running Up that Hill - Emily Lake

Song of the Day: Stole the Show


Saturday, May 9, 2015

Eurovision Countdown: Getting Ready for the Big Day with a Eurovision Manicure

As the big day draws ever nearer, you might want to start thinking about all the flag-themed things you can incorporate into your daily life. In my house, this means changing all of our virtual wallpaper to Eurovision wallpaper, hanging our French, Swedish, Finnish, Icelandic, Danish, and Austrian flags up with pride, wearing flag-adorned clothing from the UK, and painting our nails with the flags of all our favorite countries. Here's what my Eurovision manicure looked like last year:


Song of the Day: Til Dig


30 Day Blog Challenge Day 9: How Important I Think Education Is

What kind of question is this? Any well-educated individual acknowledges the importance of education. I think a better question would be what the civilized nations of the world can do to help developing nations with their education systems. Education is the key to economic, political, and social freedom, and some places in the world really need our help.

Friday, May 8, 2015

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 8: What I Ate Today

Today, I ate:
  • Coffee
  • A croissant
  • More coffee
  • A slice of avocado toast with hot sauce
  • More coffee
  • Pasta with garlic sauce 
  • Ice cream cake
  • Salmiakki

Song of the Day: Dance with Somebody


I'm falling in love with your favorite song.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Song of the Day: Strövtåg i Hembygden


Spring Fashion Special: Kaija's Little Blue Dress

Every year just as the cherry blossom petals begin to fall from the trees, my mum and I go out in the garden to take pictures. It's a bit of tradition. This year, I was torn between a blue dress and a floral dress. In the end, I decided that blue was totally my colour and went for a dress with a semi-open back and a beautiful fit.













30 Day Blog Challenge Day 7: Five Pet Peeves


  1. Mean people. No one likes meanies, especially not me. 
  2. People who are bad at geography. I'm not pointing fingers, America.
  3. Bad coffee. I'm a connoisseur, so I won't settle for less than the finest. 
  4. People who don't know about the Moomins. What did they teach you as a child? 
  5. Shoelaces. They're my mortal enemy. 

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Song of the Day: OctaHate


Eurovision Countdown: Party Invites

If you're anything like me, Eurovision just wouldn't be the same without an epic party. Your party doesn't have to be roaring for you to have a good time; just invite your closest family and friends for the event so you can enjoy good food and interesting music with the people you love best. In my house, our party is always small - it's just me, my mum, MorMor, and a friend - but it never fails to be amazing.

If you're thinking about hosting a Eurovision party of your own, here are some example invitations to spark your creativity.





Stay tuned for more party tips, including Eurovision foods, what to wear, and more. 

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 6: My Views on Mainstream Music

Wow, this is a bit of an incendiary topic for me. I hate mainstream music. I simply despise it. Do I listen to it? Yes, sometimes. Do I even like some of it, sometimes? Yes, I do. But I absolutely hate how the market is completely and utterly dominated by American music. I dare you to find a Top 40 chart that doesn't have Rihanna or Pitbull on it before that country's home-grown, better music.

But, hey, maybe it's just me.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Song of the Day: Prayer in C


30 Day Blog Challenge Day 5: Things I Wish I Could Talk to My Cat About

If my cat could talk, here's what I'd want to ask him:

  • Do you like your food, sweetheart?
  • Do you love me?
  • Are you happy, baby?
  • Do you love me?
  • Are you sure?
  • Where did you put the last five toy mice I brought for you? 
  • Do you see a ghost? Seriously, dude, it's creepy when you stare into the space behind me like that. 
  • What can I, your humble servant, do to make you happier?
  • Do you want me to put cat shows on TV for you or would that just annoy you?
  • Where did you actually come from?
  • Are you magical?
  • Why do you scratch me so often?
  • Why do you walk over my keyboard when I'm writing? 
  • What's it like to poop in a box?
  • Are you positive that you love me? It doesn't seem like it sometimes... 
  • Am I your favourite person in the whole world?
  • Good. 

Monday, May 4, 2015

Song of the Day: Reload


30 Day Blog Challenge Day 4: A Day in the Life

Just because I'm done with my formal schooling doesn't mean that I don't have other important things to do around the castle. Let me take you through a day in the life of the Crown Princess of Stardell.

  • At 06:00, I gracefully wake up to the beautiful sounds of birdsong. It's all very regal. My handmaiden helps me pick out my gown for the day and then we have breakfast together. On any given day, the castle chefs surprise us with a variety of pancakes, waffles, buns, biscuits, croissants, and fresh fruits picked right from our orchards and gardens. We generally spend at least a half an hour engaged in leisurely conversation before it's time to get dressed and greet the rest of the family. 
  • At 06:30, I leave my chambers fully dressed and ready for the day. MorMor, mommy and I have coffee in the alcove next to the throne room and discuss matters of state. 
  • At 07:30, it's time to greet the foreign dignitaries that have ridden in from nearby kingdoms. Most days we get one or two visitors in the morning and two or three in the afternoon who have come from further afield. 
  • Once 08:30 rolls around, it's time for some princess training. Luckily, I'm almost done so I only have to spend two hours with the castle tutors. I may or may not be failing poise class. 
  • At 10:30, it's fika time with mum and MorMor. 
  • At 11:00, my handmaiden helps me get changed into something decidedly less princess-y and we ride out to the ocean. I only have until 13:30 until I have to be back at the castle clean and poised for the next round of ambassadors, but until then it's time to play hard. We generally take a packed picnic prepared by the castle staff so we can make the most out of our time away from the hustle and bustle of royal life.
  • At 14:30, once all the visitors have been settled down into their chambers and properly attended to by servants and entertainers, I like to practice my piano playing. 
  • At 15:30, I generally change into peasant clothes to do a spot of gardening. Most of the Royal Court thinks it's un-princess-like of me, but MorMor does it too and the castle gardeners appreciate the help in any case. 
  • At 16:45, it's time for my royal bath. I fill my private bathtub with scented oils and bubble bath gel and bathe by candle-light in the finest of luxury. 
  • Dinner-time rolls around at 18:00. It would take me hours to describe the variety of delicious delicacies that the castle chefs prepare for us each night. 
  • I spend most of the time between dinner and bedtime reading in the castle library. 
  • And then my day is over, and it's time for bed. Ah, how glorious it is to be the princess of Stardell. 

April A-Z Challenge: Reflections

This year's April A-Z Challenge was my first, but it was also super fun. I think my biggest challenge was brainstorming ideas for each letter and choosing from amongst those ideas. From ABBA to zombies, it was quite a ride. I'm definitely going to participate again next year.

Speaking of next year, the awesome people running the A-Z challenge have invited us to leave our suggestions for the next challenge in our reflections post. I think the challenge is great as it is, but if you guys wanted to make it even better, I think you should add a forum for bloggers to discuss the challenge. I also think that the blog genre category should be mandatory next year to make blogs easier to find and sort through. Other than that, I think the challenge is perfect. You guys are super chill.


Sunday, May 3, 2015

Song of the Day: Blue Skies


30 Day Blog Challenge Day 3: A Book I Love

While I've often expressed the opinion that Paradise Lost is the best book ever written, it's not my favourite. No, my favourite series of books remains the Moomins by Tove Jansson. Of those, Moominland Midwinter is my absolute all-time favourite.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Moomins (shame on you), they are a family of Finnish trolls that live, for the most part, in harmony with their surroundings and neighbors. They are very friendly, and their house is always open to friends and travelers alike. However, they are summer creatures and they hibernate in the winter. Moominland Midwinter is a novel about how the gentle, giving, generous lands of Moominvalley are utterly transformed during winter into a hostile and sometimes brutal environment. Moomintroll awakens in the middle of one such winter, and struggles against loneliness and the elements until spring's arrival. To me, Moominland Midwinter is a paradigm of Finnishness. It depicts the constant winter-time struggle against the elements and it demonstrates the concept of sisu that is, and always has been, at the heart and soul of Finnish culture.

I'd like to finish this post with a (rather long) quote from Moominland Midwinter.

"Moomintroll felt greatly excited all evening. He padded from one room to the next and lit more candles than usual. Now and again he stood still, listening to the even breathing of the sleepers and to the light snapping in the walls as the cold sharpened.

He felt certain that all of the mysterious people would come out of their holes and dens tonight, and all the light-shy and unreal that Too-ticky had talked about. They’d come padding up to the great bonfire that all the small beasts had lighted to make the dark and the cold go away. And now he could see them.

Moomintroll lit the oil lamp and went up to the attic.

He opened the hatch. The moon had not yet risen, but the valley was bleakly lighted by the aurora borealis. Down by the bridge a line of torches was moving along, surrounded by leaping shadows. They were on their way to the seashore and the hilltop...” 

Selfie Time

In which Kaija shares some selfies.






Springtime Outfits: The Casual Dress

You can't dress up every day, so sometimes a casual jewel-tone dress is just what you need.












Springtime Outfits: The Floral Dress

A floral dress of any style, color, or size is a great choice for the month of May.















A floral dress is also perfect for running from bees, as pictured above. :p