DISCONNECTED

  I have just returned from an eleven-day retreat to our summer home. I staid, while the rest of my family came and went as they pleased. No computer, no internet, virtually no cell phone, and only three tv channels. I deliberately took no books or magazines, or any pass-time with me, so I could concentrate on summer, nature, and being lazy!
  While all alone there, I came to the point where I actually had hard time figuring out what to do after soaking my toes in the water. Should I lay in the hammock or have a drink? Tough.

The number one reason for going to our summer cabin is relaxing. Being able to do different things than at home, or not doing anything at all! I always enjoy sunshine. It charges me up and gives me positive mental energy. Recently there has been a lot of it, thank goodness!

The weather overall is an important factor when deciding whether to head to the cabin or not. Especially when the kids are along (which is almost always), only occasional showers are allowed. Lately it has been so sunny, warm, and nice that the only time spent indoors is when sleeping. All meals from breakfast to supper are enjoyed outside.

The cabin itself is rather small and needs renovating. Originally built in 1968, this little cutie has served three generations before us, and now awaits for our gentle care and remodeling (quite severe plans have risen in our heads so far). My husband is a carpenter, so only our imagination (and the county´s regulations on the size of the cabin) sets the limit to what we can do.

Nature and the sea is the reason we bought this place. Being on a small island, surrounded by the sea, right off the coast creates a magical atmosphere. It´s like no harm can touch us while out there. Like we´ve entered a sub-universe, only available to us. A safe haven.

One day, when I had the privilege of staying there alone, I decided to go rowing our smaller boat. This is initially meant for my husband and son´s use for fishing, but there has been so little fish around the past two years, that the boat does not smell fishy at all. I hate the smell of fish...

The waters around here are difficult to navigate in. This is what it looks like under the surface too. Big rocks everywhere. I have yet no desire to learn boating any more. I´m happy to get to the cabin and back, and row a little occasionally. But I do dream of a kayak!

This pretty little decorative lighthouse stands in our neighbor´s property.

Seagulls are so pretty when in their natural habitat! (And so disgusting in cities and dumpyards. But I do recognize it´s our own fault they go there, after a free meal.)

And then it´s time to enjoy the sun again, doing nothing.  =)

On a hot day it is essential to hydrate oneself properly! This drink only consists of grapefruit soda and lime wedges, but would well take in a splash of gin too.

Every perfect summer day ends with a gorgeous sunset.

  I´m totally loving this summer!!!

LITHA FASHION COLLECTION

  Here it is, finally, the whole of my diy Litha wardrobe at a glance:

"The Biker Boy". (I ditched the original diy jeans because the fabric ended up stretching a lot in use. I have not yet had time to make another pair, so for now I settle for my pair of demi curve Levi´s.)

"Minnie Mouse".

"National Dress of Nelland".

"Nautical Polka Dots".

"The Pirate". The cropped pants look really wide here, which they are not quite so when worn.

  I call this mission accomplished! (For a perfectionist there is always room for little fixing here and there, but is important to keep evolving, for the better that is.)

LITHA FASHION: THE PIRATE

 The classic, positive, non-throat-cutting one that is. My pirate inspired outfit for Litha is definitely a must in my garderobe. It is a happy outfit, especially good for sunny days.

  This is no ode to the real pirates of today, or the past for that matter, but for the imaginary characters we´ve all read about and seen on screen since childhood. The ones that always seek glorious treasure chests, fight with swords, and make tales fun and exciting!

With a little imagination (or too much rum) I can just feel the ocean breeze in my face wearing this!  =)

Back to reality... The only trick in this outfit really is the cropped length of the pants. A pirate often strolls in shallow water, and she needs to keep her clothes dry.

Unlike in the design, I left out the white stripes at leg hems. They would have been too cartoon-ish in real life.

"Ahoy there! Any signs of riches yet?"

This look is all about pure classic style. Nothing more is needed.

Makeup is fresh and classicly feminine with the bright red lipgloss. Initially I wanted big golden "basketball wife´s" hoop earrings, but I have not yet found the perfect pair. So I opted for these happy bow earrings. Why not wear cool eucalyptus essential oil with them to set the right energetic mood for pirating?!

  My pirate look is a more friendly one that what is often seen on screen. After all, I do not want kids to run away screaming when they see me. I rather go for the kind seen in Pippi Longstocking in the South Seas (in 1974). What great summer fun!

LITHA FASHION: NAUTICAL POLKA DOTS

  Nautical style is awesome for Litha! The bright white, red, and blue are so fresh when combined, that they tune in so well with the colors and energy of nature. Not that there´s an abundance of bright red outdoors this time of year, but nature is clad in it´s strongest, deepest, and brightest colors now. Just taking a look at the trees or grass is proof enough. What vibrant livelihood they possess!

  That vibe is my inspiration for the entire Litha collection, and is the primary energy behind this nautical styled outfit too:

Check out the whole story (with more pictures!) on my column, Nelland Living, on PaganPages.org.

LITHA FASHION: NATIONAL DRESS OF NELLAND

  Although it is not the independence day of Nelland during Litha (don´t know when it is exactly... never thought of it really... on my birthday perhaps? =) I strongly feel I need a national dress as one of my outfits. Just to celebrate and honor summer. Like this:

A very traditional and old-fashioned look, but with updated twist. The skirt is short and the vest and blouse are sewn together, all for convenience´s sake of course. My clothes need to be easy to wear, or they will stay in the closet!

Here´s what I pictured it would look like before going shopping for fabrics.

The only major change from the original plan is the skirt. I could not find anything striped and stretchy with black and red on it. So I went for this dark brown with printed-on golden circles to form uneven vertical stripes. But it left me missing the red.

The skirt fabric is very thin jersey, so it drapes beautifully. The white cotton lace at the hem edge binds the top and bottom together style-wise, and brightens up the otherwise quite murky outfit. These beautiful red shoes add a needed red accent to the look.

Plus I found these cute little ladybug buttons from my stash. I could not resist applying a few to enhance redness. This tiny one sits at the neckhole in the back.

To be honest, I ran out of metal buttons here. Luckily I came to think of replacing them with two more ladybugs. They also make this outfit fun, which is important. Life should not be too serious, even for us grownups!

It may be too much, but I absolutely wanted to attach this tiny brooch to the chest. It was made for me by my son when he was about six or so. I still remember how we sat and waited for hours in a hospital during one of the check ups for his allergies, and to kill time he made me this ladybug. A real treasure to me!

  All in all my national dress is an awesome addition to my Litha Collection. If I saw someone wearing something like this on the street, I know it would cheer me up and bring a happy smile on my face. I hope it will do that to others too!

HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE!

  Although it sleeted and snowed here yesterday and the temperature dropped down to near freezing (colder than on last winter solstice!) I have to believe that it is summer solstice. Here´s the proof:

It is 11.27pm in this picture taken at our summer cabin! The sun will set, but only for a while.

The sight of this warms my heart, no matter how cold the temperature!

This is why I love summer more than all the other seasons. Sunlight gives energy and vibe to my being, even at night.

  Happy and lively Litha!!!

EATING PLAN FOR LITHA

  Eating simple and raw keeps fascinating me. I have tried many different ways of eating in the past, including petit macro and raw foods, and have found both good and bad in most. But none have felt perfect for me, so the search continues.

  I love carbs. Often I have been left craving for more carbs, and therefore indulged in generous amounts of chocolate in the evenings (I seriously wonder why I am not heavier than my current state!). So I figured incorporating more fruit and berries in to my diet might help fight the sugar cravings.
 I searched the net, and found banana diet and fruitarian diets, which both sound like the way I want to try next. Besides, what could be a better time to start eating more fresh produce than now, in the middle of summer?

  Here´s my own plan for this Litha:
 

Breakfast:
green tea, plain
raw fruits and berries + handful of nuts/seeds

Lunch:
water
raw veggies + grains (this can be anything imaginable like salads, dips, sandwiches, pasta, brown rice, lettuce wraps, etc.)

Dinner:
green tea
raw fruits and berries + handful of nuts/seeds
dried fruit for dessert (to imitate the concentrated sugar I´m used to in chocolate :)

  I know if I followed this plan to the letter, I would never have to step on the scale again. But I take baby steps, and think of it like a guide map rather than a book of laws. And I do not want to upset my stomach by making too drastic changes!

  Delicious, energetic, and healthy midsummer to all!

 

HOLIDAY AT SEA

  A little humble cabin on a small island  is where I find peace of mind. Our own secret hideaway, beyond public roads, bridges, even ferries. The only way to get there is by a private boat.
  That is the place we bought a couple of years ago. A place I originally hoped and dreamed of getting about fourty years from now, right before retiring. But oops, we did it this early! All the more fun, now we can enjoy awesome holidays at sea with our kids while they are still small. A shared fun is a double fun, as they say.

  Here is a collage of one of our trips this summer:

It all starts with a three-hour road trip.

I keep snacks at hand to prevent me from falling asleep while driving. No, I did not eat them all...

Then there is the 15-minute boat trip.

I can nearly smell the sea just by looking at this picture. Lovely!

This is the sight I wake up to. The cabin itself is old and needs to be fixed in the upcoming years, but who cares when it is located like this! I´m so in love with the sea.

Terns are waking up to a new day with me. They are beautiful birds, but they poop on our pier...

Red-breasted mergansers also inhabit these waters.

I got a moment of peace when the boys went fishing, and our one-year-old took a nap at the same time. As a stay-at-home mom I can dearly appreciate and enjoy moments of absolute solitude. Here I´m reading a macrobiotic cookbook.

Although "our" island is small and rocky, and rather barren I might say,  nature´s flowers still find a way to grow and beautify our life there.

Sauna is a must every evening, and after that I got acquainted with some whiskey and cola. Actually I prefer rum with cola, but this whiskey my husband got as a present, and I´d hate to waste it...

Every day ends at watching the sunset.

Although I´ve seen it so many times, this sight keeps taking my breath away!

    Having a "second home" (without any amenities or anything luxurious) suits our family´s needs of getting away every now and then. We have our paradise only three hours away from our home, and we can go there weekly if we want.
  It is not easy to travel the world with a kid who has severe multiple food allergies, and now the diabetes as an additional challenge. Plus overall I bow to people who limit their flying to the minimum for the sake of our planet. We are definitely doing our share. =)
  This secret hideaway place gives us the feeling of total freedom, detached from the "real world" back in main land. It is a place for family, fun, summer, relaxation, and always a happy holiday!