MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB- DRESS FOR LAMMAS

  "Mary had a little lamb"-song was the inspiration to this dress. For some odd reason it feels fitting for Lammas (which is a funny coincidence, since "Lammas" means "lamb" in my native language Finnish  =).

Partly see-through, romantic floral and lace fabric in very light yellowish beige. I fell in love with the fabric when I saw it last year, and bought it right away back then. But it took a full year to find the time to turn it into something wearable. It was challenging to find a way to keep it casual enough to still fit to work. I did that by keeping the shape simple and adding a slightly darker fabric underneath.

 

Wearing my hair up makes the wide lace collar show better. I definitely wanted to add some lace to the dress, while still keeping it casual. A wide band of it around the neck hole acts sort of like a necklace in itself.

I just love these clogs! I got them years back from Gudrun Sjodén, and the soles are really a single piece of wood. They feel so natural. It is getting cool already, so I needed to wear pantyhose today. But in warmer weather bare legs are the best option.

The color of the dress is so muted that I wanted to spark it up with yellow jewelry. The necklace is years old, and the earrings are of course my own design aromatherapy butterflies. Makeup is minimal and natural.

  Although this outfit is initially for me to wear at work, I also attended a birthday party in it. My goddaughter turned six, and I thought it would suit her fantasy world of princesses and princes perfectly. Yes, I guess I could say this outfit is a piece of my fantasy world. Turned into reality that is. Yay!

RAW STIR-FRY

  This is a raw version of my long time favorite, vegetable stir-fry with brown rice. Raw foodists often substitute rice with finely chopped parsnip. I still like my cooked rice, so I made a compromise by mixing the two. The result is tastier and healthier than plain old brown rice. Yummy!

Vegetables soften without cooking too. Simply marinate them in olive oil and soy sauce. It is easy to prepare them, say the night before or in the morning, and they are ready to eat by lunch. Quick and easy.

Parsnip pulse-chopped in a food processor looks much like rice, and is nice and easy to eat.

Tuck in!

  The recipe (2 portions):

for the vegetables:
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 small bell pepper, thinly sliced (or 1 cup sliced mushrooms if you have any. I didn´t.)
1 cup broccoli, in small florets
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1 Tbsp dried shredded coconut
1 Tbsp olive or sesame seed oil
soy sauce to taste

+ Combine all and let sit in the fridge for at least two hours to let the vegetables soften.

for the rice:
1 parsnip, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups cooked brown rice

+  Pulse the parsnip in a food processor until the texture resembles rice. Stir in with the rice.

  Place half of the rice mixture on a plate and add a mound of vegetables on top. Serve and enjoy the good vibrations in your body!

RAW BROCCOLI SOUP

  Wednesdays have been my soup days lately. Today I made broccoli soup seasoned surprisingly with cumin.

The main ingredients.

Blender does the same trick as cooking; softening and breaking down particles to ease chewing and digestion. But blending also reserves all the  enzymes. The recipe is from the gorgeous evergreen miss Mimi Kirk´s, book Live Raw. Oh, how I wish to keep my looks the way she has at still way over seventy!

A smooth and velvety combination of broccoli, avocado, and soymilk seasoned with cumin.

  The recipe (for 2-3):

2 cups almond milk (I used soymilk)
2 cups broccoli florets
1 avocado, cut in chunks
1 tablespoon onion (I used chives)
1 clove garlic
1/2 stalk celery
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

+ Blend all in a high-speed blender until completely smooth. Refrigerate for 2 hours to meld ingredients. Warm carefully until baby-bottle warm and serve.

  Two slices of wholemeal bread and 1/2 cup of chickpeas accompanied my meal.

BACK TO PRE-BABY WEIGHT?

  Okay, it´s settled. I will try to see if I can get back to my pre-baby weight after nearly eleven years!
  There is about seven pounds (3,5 kg) to drop, so it´s not that much really. But I guess mentally it makes a bigger difference. My BMI is now 21.0 and my goal is to drop it to 20.0. No more, I do not want to be skeletal.

  While getting ready for the lingerie photo shoot I came up with this plan for weightloss. It allows big portions of food, but restricts calorie dense foods to about 1200 kcal a day. Also apart from my usual lifestyle, I did some exercise. As a result I did see progress in less than two weeks!
  Here´s the plan:

Eating:
Include: grains, legumes, nuts & seeds, some eggs, berries, apples, and vegetables. Exclude: dairy, meats, seafood, sugar and fruit. Grains, eggs, and legumes cooked, everything else raw.

Apples grow here locally, and are now in season, so they are on my menu. Berries are the only other sweetish ingredient allowed, thanks to their locality. 

- Breakfast choices:
1. Viking porridge
2. Yogurt

- Lunch choices:
1. 2-egg omelet + 5oz. (150g) corn + raw veggies on top of the cooked omelet
2.  a generous cup (3dl) cooked pasta + 1/2 avocado +  raw vegetable sauce
3. raw vegetable soup + 1/2 avocado + 3 slices of wholemeal bread
4. vegetable salad + 1/2 avocado + 3 slices of wholemeal bread
5. a snug cup (bulging 2dl) cooked brown rice + 1/2 avocado + raw stir fry
6. a home made scone (2oz. (60g) wholemeal flour + pinch of salt + 1/4 tsp baking powder + 1/2 cup (bulging 1dl) finely shredded zucchini/carrot etc. + water. Combine all, adding water enough to reach a thick batter. Form into a flat round on baking sheet and bake at 440F (225C) for 15-20 min.).
7. 1 lb (400g) cooked potatoes + mustard/margarine/soy sauce + raw vegetable pieces

- Dinner choices:
Make a double batch for lunch and eat the other half for dinner to save time in cooking.

- Supper choices:
The same as breakfast.

Salt is used sparingly, but herbs in abundance. Cayenne pepper sprinkled here and there.

  All the above meals contain about 350 kcal, and if extra hungry, it is possible to have a fifth meal per day without gaining weight.
  Saturdays are the days off of the plan. Then I can indulge in anything I have craved during the healthy week. I have a massive sweet tooth, and it is utopia to think I´ll never eat sweets again. One day a week for the sake of staying clean for the rest.  

  Exercise:

On rainy days I feel heavy and soaked like this bumblebee, but I will need to overcome the uninviting feeling for a greater cause...

  Inspired by this I will do some jogging 3-4 times a week plus 30 min. walking (or other light exercise) twice a week. While preparing for the shoot I did 5min. walking for warm up, then 1min. jogging + 1min. walking x 15, followed by another 5min. walking for cool down. It worked.
  Now I´m doing 2min. jogging + 1min. walking x 10. Next step will be 3min. jogging + 1min. walking. Minute by minute rising the amount of jogging, keeping the total in 30min. so it does not become too time-consuming.

Light and pretty as a butterfly in the end?

   I will try to follow the plan until my BMI is that set 20.0. I have no idea how long it will take, but the firmer I am able to stick with the plan, the sooner I will see results.

  If I ever reach the goal, my pre-baby weight, it will be interesting to see what it would take to stay there. But I´m not there yet, so I´ll worry about that later. =)
  Now I´m off to the new start!

POST-PHOTO SHOOT THOUGHTS

  The photo shoot yesterday went really well. Although the fact that the other woman I posed with in lingerie was seven years younger than me and a fitness model, did not exactly maximize my fabulousness, but I still felt good and beautiful. Do I really have that good of a self esteem? I´m surprised myself.  =)

  The results of the shoot will be seen in November, so there´s quite a waiting period. The publication is nationwide, so it is another nerve wrecking thing to look forward to. But the magazine is totally family friendly, and there are also evening wear pictures, so it is of good taste.

Here´s all the glamor that´s left of the shoot.

   While standing there on the set, nearly naked, next to a fitness girl, I blamed myself for not having exercised, ever. Perhaps it is time to start now, that I know my modeling agency obviously can assign me to do revealing shoots too. I always thought those were for young girls only. But hey, they did tell me I look much younger than my real age (soon 37), and that´s why they put me up for this gig too. The other models were 30-31 year olds. Well, what can one do for being fresh and fabulous by nature?!  =)

  But it did get me thinking about starting exercising. To burn the fat that´s still there. I like outdoors and fresh air, so I´m thinking jogging might be an easy way to start. Not miraculous equipment needed, only the time that it takes, and it can be done anywhere (except at our summer home, where there are no roads because the whole island is so tiny). Definitely no gym, that´s not for me. Fresh air in and out of my lungs is what I need in addition to burning the fat. Perhaps I´d finally reach my original, pre-baby weight, that I´ve never yet been able to get back to.

  The only trouble is that while our daughter is still so small, I always have to take into consideration my husband´s comings and goings to be able to go jogging. But I´m sure he would enjoy the results too, if there ever will be any...

Should I stay or should I go? I´ll think about it over the weekend.

LEMONY GINGER YOGURT

  The past ten days I have been getting ready for a photo shoot (which is tomorrow), in which I am to wear some evening wear and lingerie. I do occasional modeling, but never did I think I would be asked to do lingerie! It is both scary and an honor. And if I survive through it, my self esteem should rise up a few (hundred) notches.

  This yogurt has been one of my favorite breakfasts/suppers during my slim down era. It has no salt in it, so it does not retain water in my tissues. Viking porridge serves the same purpose, and has been on my daily menu too.

My whole breakfast today. Yogurt and green tea.

Plain soy yogurt flavored with lemon zest, fresh ginger, and lemon balm. Needs no sweetener.

  The recipe (for one):

2 cups plain soy yogurt
zest of 1/2 lemon, grated finely
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated finely
a sprig of lemon balm, leaves minced finely

+Mix all and feel good!
  This yogurt has helped me lose some flab in just ten days. It works.

  Sometimes I wonder why I have to challenge myself, push my limits, find new experiences, to broaden my mind. Beforehand it can be nerve wrecking, like right now. But by tomorrow at this time I will be one big experience richer and wiser. I would not have it any other way! Life is for living, to the fullest, exploring, and learning.

CHERRY BERRY DRESS FOR A GIRL

  Red cherries on white is such a delicious classic, that I could not resist buying this fabric when I saw it. Yes, I admit, purely by impuls (shame on me). But it makes such a cute dress for my girl.

Now this makes me crave for a cherry pie!

A real treat. The material is cotton jersey, so the dress is super comfy to wear. The back is identical to the front. The cherries themselves were detail enough for the dress, so I did not want to overwhelm the whole with further decorating. I like a certain sleekness in clothes, leaving room and attention to the person wearing them.

Raglan sleeves.

A ruffle in the hem adds volume and girlishness.

   My daughter got a cherry tree as a gift when she was born. The tree is still very young of course (but alive, which can not be taken for granted under my care... =), but there was not a single berry in it this year. Last year there were like five, but none this summer. I wonder why. So luckily, thanks to this dress, we´re able to enjoy cherries in at least some form!

SUPER HEALTHY VIKING PORRIDGE

  Vikings were fierce and strong folk, who even sailed to America way before Columbus. One of their power meals was "the Viking porridge". A porridge made of grains and seeds.

  Here´s my version of their superfood, including no dried modern ingredients we know as "superfoods".  (I´m not a fan of such long shelf life products that we were perfectly happy without before, and which have not made the masses any slimmer and thus happier so far. Call me a sceptic in this matter if you will.  =)

Oatmeal with local berries and pumpkin seeds.

Gooseberries fresh from the garden, and rolled oats fresh from the local farmer. No sugar or salt.

 The recipe (for one):

1/2 cup (generous 1 dl) rolled oats
1 cup (2,5 dl) water
a splash of soymilk
1/2-1 cup (1-2 dl) seasonal berries
0.7 oz (20 grams) seeds/nuts

+ (I´m lazy and make mine in the microwave oven.) Mix the oats and water in a deep plate and pop it in the micro oven, full heat, for 3 min. Stir and let rest for some minutes. Stir again and add as much milk as you like (I like mine rather runny). Top with berries and seeds.
 The berries taste surprisingly sweet when there are no other strong flavors disturbing the taste buds.

  Without the seeds there are less calories, but also the lot will not keep you satisfied as long. This meal, a viking porridge, keeps me feeling calm but energetic and gets me going until the next meal easily.
  The calorie content is approx. 300. I don´t usually care about calories, but now I have a small project to get ready for. I do occasional modeling, and today my agency informed me that I was chosen to do a lingerie shoot next week. I have never done lingerie before, and that´s wrecking my nerves! So I want to look my best, or should I say do what I can during these few days before the shoot. This porridge is my staple breakfast now (I moved the original omelette for a lunch option).

PATCHWORK DRESS FOR A GIRL

  Once again I´m so happy my second child is a girl! Without her I would not be able to make these adorable little dresses! =) Boys´ clothes are plain old boring, there´s not much room to be playful. And it seems the older they get, the narrower the accepted wardrobe becomes. (Yawn.)

  But back to cute girls´ clothes! Here´s the latest of my creations to my two-year-old:

Floral mimic-patchwork dress in late summer/early fall colors. I still can´t do pink alone, but here it is a part of the whole, and looks more stylish combined with the deep red wine. The pattern is the same I used to make the light blue dress for her, and I still think it is perfectly shaped. This one is completely different style-wise, and once again proves that one great pattern can go a long way.

The only accent is the red "belt" around the waist. There is so much going on with the patches of plaid and flowers, that the rest needed to be more calm to remain stylish.

How could I resist this? I bought the fabric two months ago already, and my fingers have been itching to turn it into this dress. And now it´s finally here, right on time for Lammas.

No tricks in the back either, just a zipper.

  The very first day my daughter wore this dress, she got compliments on it and her cuteness. Isn´t it strange how even young girls are noticed for their looks, compared to boys, who can live a life free from scrutiny? Well, since it is so deeply within us/our culture, why not take advantage of it early on?!   =)

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU DIE?

  You go back to where you came from before birth (and I´m not talking about anyone´s genitals =). That´s my interpretation of it. No biggie, and I don´t want to spend my life concentrating on my after life (which in my opinion is the purpose of many religions).

  My nearly-ten-year-old son came home from school today with a friend of his (11 years old). Soon the friend´s phone rang and all he said during the conversation was "oh dear" and "oh no". The phone call ended to his words "well, call me if you want company". We were all in our kitchen, so I could not help hearing. I did not dare ask him what it was, it was not my business after all. But he shared it with us: his neighbor, a 16-year-old teenage boy had died today. It was the teen´s sister, one of his closest friends, who had called him.
 Last Friday the teen boy had lost control of his motorbike and hit a tree, hard. He had been speeding and his helmet had flown off during the crash. He got hurt badly and rushed to the hospital. He was in critical condition until today.

  Usually these stories end well. Thanks to the amazing medical care these days people recover, get well, and continue with their usual lives. But not this time. It was a surprise.

  I did not know the boy, but knew well his sister - my son´s classmate. She is one of the most cheerful and lively girl I know. I hope her positivity will carry her through these hard times. Considering there are only six kids my son´s his class, and fifteen in their school altogether, this tragedy is major. We live in a small village in the countryside where almost everybody knows each other, so it is needless to say the whole village is in mourning.
  Soon after the phone call my son and his friend got another one: they were invited to go the place where the accident had occurred in the middle of the village. All the teenagers and kids, who had known the boy, had gathered there to support each other. They held hands, hugged, lit candles, and brought flowers. This happened immediately the sad news spread. I was positively surprised by how compassionate and thoughtful children can be in a situation like this.

  I was prepared to answer the question of "what happens after you die", once again. But it did not pop up. We have discussed the matter with my son many times before, so maybe he has his thoughts sorted out already.

  Consequently in the same Friday night another accident had taken place in our peaceful village: a car crash. A middle-aged man had run off the road with a friend along in his pick-up truck. But for that there was a reason: he was quite heavily drunk. Both men were hospitalized, but their lives are not threatened.

  Also the news of Robin Williams reached us; he has committed suicide. So sad.

  Childhood is protected and treasured to the best of our knowledge. We grownups say, after looking back in time, that it only lasts so little. We have plenty of time to live the grownup life, there is no rush.
  How about thinking the same about death? That we should protect and treasure life to the best of our knowledge. I bet the dead say, after looking back in time, that it only lasts so little!

DARKENING NIGHTS

  It is always an inevitable sign of fall approaching, when nights begin to darken. Summer nights are unbelievably light here in Finland, as the sun sets only for a couple of hours (or not at all further North) leaving the sky beautifully lit. But now darkness is creeping slowly back in.

In a way it feels calming, after a hectic and super energetic summer.

And it feels cozy to use light bulbs and candles again.

My zen.

As a bonus the solar lights I installed two months ago in our summer home´s brand new outhouse come in use, finally.

  I count these murk nights as the first sign of autumn.

VISITING CHICKEN

  Since I´m testing to eat eggs now, we took a trip to a nearby organic chicken farm. They produce eggs, not meat. I wanted to see what their chickens´ living conditions are like, and to buy some eggs, whole spelt grains, and rolled oats. It made a nice little field trip for me and my daughter.

The farm is located in this beautiful scenery.

To my surprise they also had a small cafe open in the summer months.

We begun our journey. Different species of chicken are sorted in their own coops.

I was happy to discover they had lots of activities and a chance to climb and fly.

A beautiful individual. I doubt the chicken in mass production farms look this fine and dandy.

The roosters were very handsome and healthy.

Omg, what super cute bunnies they had! This one is still a baby, and stole our hearts immediately.

Quickly it´s mother came to make sure we´re not dangerous.

My outfit is from my Freedom Collection, and my daughter is wearing a mommy-made dress too.

One of their most exotic hens came from China. This is a he...

...and here´s a she with their chicks.

Old-fashioned machinery suit the organic surroundings, and are a proof that the people are not doing it for the money, but for their beliefs and hearts. Admirable!

There was also a playground for kids. Here under inspection is a second (or third or fourth) hand pedal car.

They had also a few ducks. These chicks are a week old.

Then it was time to head home sweet home.

  We both had a fun time and gained new experiences. And when we got home, I made us scrambled egg salad. Truth be told, my daughter did not like the eggs, since she´s not used to eating them. So I guess we´re both learning...  =)

TOO SOUR

 In my eating plan for Lammas I decided to have a cleansing morning drink consisting of water, lemon juice, ginger, and cayenne pepper. Now that´s a tasty drink! BUT I found out that my teeth aren´t up to the challenge. =(  Apparently the juice is so sour that it makes my teeth hurt whenever I chew on food. For the most part of the day that is, not just during breakfast.

So it´s a bitter goodbye to lemon juice (but luckily the rind I can still use, yum!).

  Instead of the original morning drink I now have plain green tea, and I incorporate cayenne pepper and ginger in my daily meals.