Helbf14 outfit

Hello there, I've been lost in time and space for a while. Here's a look from last weekend's Helsinki burlesque festival, brought to you by my camera phone, so the quality is what it is. The theme for this year's festivities was Tropical Tornado, not the easiest theme when you glance at my wardrobe's oh-so colorful view, so imagination had to try some little magic tricks here and there! But venomous insects and black velvet nights are very tropical, right? 

(the spider in the hat is a gift from Bodyjewelleryshop, other things are old second hand purchases and DIY.)

I didn't have a photo pass for the festival and there's only so much a phone can do, so instead of photographing I concentrated wholeheartedly on enjoying the brilliant shows and working. We had a part in taking care of VIP lounges with my friend, felt so nice to help even a little. I wish I could come up with something else than simple words like "amazing" or "awesome" to portray the stage numbers, but you'd have to see them for yourselves to catch the magic. Loads of respect for the performers, so much love and creativity had been poured into those acts and it showed.

Each year the festival gets bigger, but still somehow succeeds in maintaining a warm atmosphere. Madly imaginative costumes and beautiful, beautiful people. I can't even begin to think how many exotic hair flowers were on the venue this year, but I sure thought about counting them at one point! So glad for meeting some of my readers there, I hope to see you there next year as well! ♥

Masquerade

Some parties rock, but some parties rococo. 

I believe some of you might remember my old dream to take part in a masquerade, and now I finally have! These photos (mine and others' alike, please don't steal them) tell a story of a sunny Saturday and the night that followed. A pastel-hued dimension that took its place a little over a week ago.

Sweet and beautiful Ida was our birthday lady, our queen (or khaleesi) and the sole ruler of the night. ♥

Find the ghost from the pic ♥

Blogging mollies! From the left: Leena, me, Lady Satin and Sasetar

-"You fight like a dairy farmer!"
-"How appropriate. You fight like a cow."

"A SCANDAL!"

Chandeliers cast our shadows on the walls and excited chatter filled the rooms as people made their acquaintances. With bows and curtseys, naturally. I love parties with new faces, and it made it all even better to see how much people had put effort in their costumes! Gorgeous lords and ladies filled the damask-covered rooms. Besides the delicacies, the historical drama and the nearly civilized drinking, there was also some extra nice entertainment involved. 

A duel of swords and wits à la Monkey Island! Treasure hunting! Burlesque show by Lunar Madness! Oriental dance of sabers! Troubadour ballads! Rococo disco! Gossips and photo shoots! And above all, such scandals that only the mansion walls can whisper of them.

I made my dress at the eleventh hour, completely from second hand ingredients. I found a ghastly 80's polyester creamy dream wedding gown with nearly legendary puff sleeves, and turned it into something that resembled a rococo dress. It was quickly made and it looked nice enough, but I was honestly surprised to hear such lovely compliments about my outfit! I even won the costume prize for Queen's Favourite, I felt so honoured! 

My noblewoman's title was Countess Morella Augusta Vladimira von Hexenvogel. 

After each glass of wine it became harder to remember that.

Thank you Laura for the pics! ♥

The day had a shakespearean charm to it, we walked and danced as if in the mists of some fae magic or a parallel universe, open for just one night. And in the strikes of the chilly morning hours the spell vanished, leaving lush memories and happy souls in its wake.

My sincere thanks and love to every lord and lady, the old friends and the new! ♥

Photo by Henry Söderlund photography. You can *click* it larger!

(photos 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18 & 26 weren't taken by me. 

They're from Ida's blog (Shadow Selves), Laura Koski, Maria Maunula and Henry Söderlund.)

Day 22: Origami

Today I fell in love with paper again, but I guess it's a common condition among graphic designers. I love the smell and the feel of different kinds of paper, even the sound of it when you leaf through the pages of some old book. And I especially enjoy how this delicate material can be bent in such many forms.

This post however is about the paper decor I did here in my childhood home today. Oily black and heavy cranes and innocently white and translucent paper cranes captured by the silver thread to silently hang from this branch for many nights to come. Equally many in black and white to keep the balance between light and dark. 

And I just HAD to make these little fellas as well! Totoro snowflakes! I ended up cutting at least five, but the fun was worth the time. The idea and pattern I found a while ago from Books&Stories blog, if you'd like to try this yourself then go check it out! *click*.

Day 12: You're all lit up, like a Christmas tree

The silver ornaments from the previous post found their place today! On the branches I picked from a dying tree in the nearby forest. No trees were harmed in the making of this DIY decoration, I assure you. :) Its ghostly form and colour are far from the traditional idea but oh, so is our family of two people and many imaginary animals (I'm sure some of you have heard of Edgar Allan Pug!). It is also the first fruit of Yule time decoration in this household and the very first Yule tree of our own, and I must say that it suits this home so neatly it might grow roots and stay here permanently.

In high heels we wander through heaven and hell

♥

My lust for crafts is on fire again, here's the first victim of my latest sessions! I've wanted to spike these platform shoes for a long time, and I'm so glad that I finally had the courage to gut them. It's certainly not the freshest of DIY ideas but who cares, and besides, sticking studs through different things is a good substitute for a voodoo doll. ;) And these are also pretty good weapons in case you're walking home alone at night!

Mushroom lights

Haaveilin pienen ikuisuuden näistä koukeroisista vintage-lampeteista, ja monen mutkan ja kaupungin kautta onnistuin vihdoin löytämään sopivat palat seinälle. Maalasin alunperin kupariset koukerot valkeiksi ja metsästin valkeat varjostimet käsiini lukemattomien kirppisreissujen tuloksena, mutta kannatti todellakin nähdä vaivaa! Nukkumaan mennessä tuntuu kuin uinahtaisi hehkuvan sienimetsän alle, tai ainakin mulle tulee lampuista mieleen sienien hatut jotka kurottaa puunrungosta. :> Kodissa pitää aina olla jotain mikä tuntuu edes himpun verran taianomaiselta, vaikka oikeasti kyse olisikin ihan vaan peruslampusta.

I dreamt of these lamps for a long time, and now they're finally on our bedroom wall, after scrutinizing countless different flea markets in different cities. The lamps were originally copper and I painted them white, I like them so much that they're definitely worth all the searching and fixing. It feels like falling asleep in a canopy of glowing mushrooms, at least that's what I think they look like. :> Home should always hold something that feels somehow magical, even if the thing is just a regular lamp.

Spiked

+

=

What do you get when you combine one old jacket, a few handfuls of studs and a lady who's desperately trying to get her mind off schoolwork? Here's the answer, and I kind of love it! Makes me feel like a little hedgehog. ♥