50's WEEKEND CASUAL IN THE SUNSHINE

The knitted sweater is my grandmother's from the fifties, the rest is old, new stuff. Or how would one put it; new-old, old-new. Hmm. Later in the Easter weekend it got so warm one could stay out with short sleeves on. Finally!

I feel there's been an awful lot of pictures of me here on this blog lately. You know sometimes when blogging this 'what-the-hell-am-I-doing-just-posting-pictures-of-myself-here-all-the-time'-feeling comes over you. Another case of the 'blogsistential crisis' perhaps. But I do remember this little poll I had last autumn where it turned out that in the end outfit posts were the most required. Le sigh. And from time to time there has been very little of those too. I blog in cycles I guess.

Umm, well yes, anyway, if you just can't get enough I suggest you like The Freelancer's Fashion Blog on Facebook too. In the beginning I had no exact idea why I started that page, I just thought it'd be smart at some point or something like that. But it perhaps turned out a less official version of the blog, more face to face interaction. (I mean, as face to face as you can go in the virtual world...) It's also been rather useful. And it is quite fun!

Anyway, now's the time to like it if you will - this blog is reaching 2,000 followers trough Blogger soon and the Facebook page is slowly but certainly climbing up to 1,000 likes. I'm putting togheter something nice for all of you when 2000+1000 happens!

(Btw I also think I look like a squirrel in the first picture but I posted it anyway.)

PARDON MY BLACK & PARDON MY BERET

But yes, ahum, there's been a lot of that lately.

No spring vibes here no!
Welcome to the black-blog where you can get inspiration on how to wear basically the same tuff in similar ways!

No, but seriously, lately I've done a lot of proving ones point regarding black ensembles as the easiest to go for when doing long days and in a hurry -I'm really waiting for some time off... I just always seem to get involved in or take on new projects after one is finished. And most of them are fun or interesting to do. But I should learn to take it easy too!

Here are some of the things I've done and will do lately, packing my bag the night before and leaving home at 05.40 in the morning for work: Thursday - to the studio for the PS show after work and home in the evening. Friday - did a burlesque themed shoot right after work (in the harbour! It got a bit cold after a while :) And this weekend I'll spend 25hours in the harbour as usual (that's the way it goes when on weekend duty, every third week) and on Monday I'll go straight from work to the Casino where we have an evening show. And on Tuesday I need to go to the accountant to get last year's declarations signed and then on to a shoot and then a meeting.

But you know what? I seem to have Wednesday and Friday free (although I'm sure I will come up with something..) so I can actually go to the gym and finally tidy up at home! Droool.

(Oh, I almost forgot as somebody will ask anyway: skirt by Olivia Rouge, shoes Melissa, top from H&M just a few weeks ago so yes they probably still have them :), belt by Vivien of Holloway. The bag & beret are vintage.)

BALLET

Things I did yesterday: booked tattoo time (to May, the boys over at Legacy are popular…), bought a thick interior magazine and enjoyed it alone with sushi, edamame and a beer (sometimes dining seul is just the best thing), went to the ballet with Tinker and Aino, wore black and had before all of this spent a long time wet set waving & drying my hair only to notice the nice waves go rather straight very fast due to the moist air..

Going to the ballet was beautiful - I haven't seen a ballet in years. A long time ago I sang some seasons in the choir at the National Opera for the Nutcracker ballet. We got a personnel discount and I went to see the ballets running at that time. Anyway, tanding on the side of the stage in the choir I was surprised to hear how the weightless appearing dancers actually sound rather heavy when they hit the floor after the jumps and how the male dancers sighed of exhaustion when lifting the ballerinas. And also, how sweaty they got.

This time we went to see Manon. It had some very beautiful scenes and the costumes and setting for some of them were superb, the bordello scene for example. Which I unfortunately don't have any pictures of. But it was a lot of pastel tulle there I tell you.

I suppose one reason for us finally managing to see a ballet was the Black Swan - there has been more talk about ballet lately due to that movie. I've seen the film and wasn't blown away, but started liking it a little more the next day and thought about the film for a while, which I guess is a sign of good cinema in a certain way. What I did like right away however was the set of posters LaBoca made for the film:

(Three of them shown here. I left out the one I didn't like that much. click for a bigger view.)

I like film posters made the old school way, drawn, like Fairey's Walk the Line. I have a look at Polish Posters every now and then. But what annoys me a little bit here (listen to the expert talking here now) is the ballerina in the poster the most to the right... there's something about that silhouette that just bugs my eye but I suppose I can live with that.

Well, back to me. Black always works if having to do stuff during a day that will end up more fancy at, for example, the Opera. Well as you know I think black works pretty much at whatever, whenever. My top is from H&M - I really like the cut - it's rather early fifties. Just as the striped top this one has a big zipper halfway down from the neck that I'm thinking of removing and changing to a button and loop instead. Zippers are apparently trendy now.

(And yes, you saw correctly, trousers!)

SEVEN / ME

(Photo from last Saturday's Burlesque Festival -I'm a really fierce snake as you see- by Adam Monaghan)

I've been blog awarded/nominated by a lot of nice bloggers during autumn and winter (thank you all), often with the list-seven-things-of-yourself included.I don't blog about the awards on but here are some seven:

-I'm addicted to checking my email.

-My parents used to, among other nicknames, call me Iggi Påpp (you know, like Iggy) when I was smaller. And sometimes still.

-I shared a flat with a rocket scientist one summer.

-I get addicted to certain foods for a certain period at the time. Right now; soured milk with blueberries and Caesar salad. I have to eat those five time a week, at least.

-As you may know I have a degree in graphic design and media but I have no intention of working at any agency or studio. To be honest, sometimes I have no ida what my intentions are, work wise.

-I used to hate my behind and there were times when I could not dance in the middle of the dance floor, always the back to the wall. And now I perform and shake that thaeng in front of hundreds of people. Things change.

-I've worked in the harbor for more than ten years. Gone for longer and shorter periods every now and then, but still; a little more than a third of my life.

Seven older ones, from the time I was addicted to berrie pudding and that Happy Cow millshake (I keep on forgetting the name and thinking of it as Mad Cow Milkshake or Crazy Cow but 'm pretty sure that's not the right ones :) can be found here. (I hate the photo of me in that post btw. And if I would be one of those to use internet acronyms I'd add LOL here, but I'm not; I don't. Although I kind of just did).


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IMPROVEMENTS

I've never been much for New Year's promises. I mean, come on.
But, I have however tried it with improvements. Improvements of things I've noticed I don't handle in the most ideal way in daily life. I've however tried improving the same things two years in a row and both times it has gone horribly wrong; I'm even worse than before...

This year I'm going to try and read more.
I have a small pile of books on my bedside table that has been there forever. I should just leave the damn computer and internet alone (sorry guys...)!


I have heaps of books waiting for me as I keep on buying them in a different pace than I actually read them. Goddamit! I also put loads of books on my shelf when packing down my grandparents hundreds of books in boxes for storage in the basement. So many pages, so many words and letters, so little time...


Another thing to improve is the one that I've failed the past years: organize my papers better, instead of giving the pile a go only once a month (if even that). Oh my I am so terribly bad at that, and believe me - I have lots of papers; the regular ones all household gather, my own companies and then the Itty Bitty's company matters. I'd need an assistans (who will work for free and still not screw me over). That improvement would also result in a much more nicer study one could actually spend time in, ahem.


Last but not least I should try to stick to another thing I wanted to start last year already (but did not manage to do, mostly thanks to Teh Internet...); a moment of self pampering each night! Now, you may think that I'd actually do that all the time, yes, in some matters,daily basic stuff like toothbrushing and hair brushing of course (and the occasional cabbage-do :) - but in the end not that much. I was thinking things like a foot bath, some stretching, a scrub, a calm moment. Something small just a few minutes per evening. Lat year I planned that I'd put fifteen minutes on papers and tidying up per night, and fifteen minutes to myself with something nice.
Well, didn't work out.

Let's see if I'll be better (to myself actually) this year then!

WHEN JUST AT HOME pt.2; more soft, more comfy

Last week I wrote about what I wear around the house or on days that I am not particularly "going anywhere". My knitted and stretchy skirt and dresses yes, but there is an even more comfy version that I often do when going to work or going out to the countryside. More practical, but still nice;I like to layer a lot of whatever nice and soft, those items that I have but not get to wear too much otherwise.

Mostly comfy tops or thermals, my print tees and shirts, stockings, a lot of socks and leg warmers, the more the better, a bit boho but even more hobo (you know, in a good way :)

The colder it gets, the more I just layer, my favourite for the time being the a pair of funny black puffy knee-lengh trousers that combined with grey knitted knee socks, my vintage collar knit and old work wear boots (I have a bunch of those as I get new ones every year in the harbour) make me look like it's the thirties and I'm gong skiing (that some of you on my facebook page wondered about yesterday).

But mostly it's just a long cardi, tights and a pair of ridiculously small shorts (as I never get to wear such around town).

Everything in the pictures is old, except for my motorcycle print shirt which is new from Morgan's & Philips.

TWO YEARS AGO

This Saturday two years ago exactly our first big burlesque-related interview was published in Volt magazine.



And our then so active music quiz team had a so called "Little Chirstmas party" and we all happened to be dressed in red ad black. Our taxi driver into town called me Marilyn Monroe.

Later that same night it started snowing, first snow of the year, and it snowed a lot. I was strutting around in my small red patent heels in all the wet white.

And that was also the night that I met my Eddi.

10.10.10

I've been admiring the bright and rich colours this fall somehow feeling there is more of those than last year and then realized, a bit surprised, it is due to the fact that it has not been that windy lately -it has allowed the trees to maintain their colours in full glory. It's normally windy as hell around here this time of year and today we're back to normal; the wind is hard and the air full of twirlling yellow leaves. I've gone to pick up some Nepalses and mango lassi now in between the ships and am waiting to go out and face the wind and the growing waves.

This Sunday may not be a soft one, but one with work (I'd like to say hard work but Sundays are pretty easy so I'd be exaggerating) and cold, but here's some music to go along anyway:



And also, last but not least; as you may know the blog and I are aging gracefully together; I started my thirtieth year last week and the blog will now enter it's fourth (!) one. It's always funny to look back and see how some things m,ong many others have changed,; during the first year of blogging for example my work changed from freelancing with a lot of things to cutting down and mainly working in the habrour. During the second year burlesque went from becoming an interest to something I started doing for real, and the past year for me has been about changes; I moved away from the centre of town to greener areas and how two kids around the house every second week. Let's see what I can wrap up next year then!

KASHMIR AND THE COLD HARBOUR

In late 2006 the company I worked for merged with another one and I started working in a new harbour. Our work teams split up and all routines and systems were new. It was cold and dark late November and we supervised a freight ship that took hours to load, sometimes having to stay at work until two in the night. I was waiting for my winter gear to arrive and froze in my short workwear jacket and rather tight pants (asa they are designed for men there's not a lot of space for the trunk-junk) and hated the fact that the stevedores were checking out my derrière. One of my old colleagues had made a mix CD that we kept in our work van and listened to trough the night. I hated that period and I missed my old work mates.


This song was on the CD and every time I hear it it makes me think of cold those dark nights in the harbour, the cold wind, rusty ship and the big waves splashing up on berth. And now I almost miss that!

A SHORT STORY ABOUT CLOGS (IN PLURAL)

I though I'd write a little about those clog sandals of mine (conveniently now that summer is coming to an end and it's getting colder - well, at least it's still warm in some parts of the world. And ok, it's still sandal-weather here too. Over and out.) as some of you asked me about weather the hasbeens really were comfy or not and how their sizing was. So here's yet another shoe story for you:

As you know, after a lot of talk around town (the internet that is) and hype about what sounded to be the comfiest shoes ever (for this season at least) I was going though a tiny struggle on weather to put or not to put over 200 euros on a pair of clogs. I have had clogs as a kid, those more traditional ones, and clogs are no new pehnomenon for the 00's either - Carrie wore a pair of Hanna Sarén clogs in SATC years ago and FINSK has been all about wooden soles for years too. But now I could not get the thought of soft wood under my feet (or smooth actually, wood is pretty hard) out of my head. And, I was still on that endless quest to find the pair (or, at least a pair) of comfy and high heeled shoes to be able to wear all trough summer. I got a lot of tips from lovely people around the world (well, mostly Sweden since they know their clogs) about other, less pricey brands (than Hasbeens). And I did see a lot of cute clogs out there (again, internet) but none of them were as pretty or as high as the damn sky highs.

Then, on a hot humid July day with aching feet I stumbled across a pair of Moheda clogs (at Indiska) for a third of the price and decided to try them on and Oh! Feet orgasm!
So I bought them, altough not that high and thus not for the same purpose the sky highs would have served. But every woman needs a pair of less fancy sandals for when she goes to the countryside you see! Then one hot evening (you know, those hot humid Helsinki nights we have grew accustomed to...first time I was able to say that, ever!) when I was about to hit town with a big flowing skirt and with flowers in my hair I was reaching for my high heels those clogs in the corner started going all "tum tu dum", whisteling and looking up the ceiling. I tried not to notice them and squeezed a foot in the high heeled shoe. Clogs still all 'tum tu dum dum' in the corner of my eye and goddamit, the walk to the bus (yes! the bus nowadays!) and the strolling around town flashed before my eyes and I couldn't resist anylonger - I had to leave the pretty shoes behind and go for the comfy (and ok, rather cute) clogs.
That was the sign for me; nothing else left to do anymore, I was now allowed to order myself The Hasbeens.

One or two days after the UPS boy stood behind my door and there they were, all bubblegum coloured and new. After two days of walking them in and a little olive oil they were soft enough not to make my feet blister (and almost bleed) anymore. So I thought it to be a good deal although the price, as I did wear them quite a lot during summer. (It might be a bit alarming that I considering something worn a lot if I've had it on me five times or so per season but hey, that's today's world I guess - and I did wear the sky highs pretty much actually).

My clogged feet.

So, my real point here and to answer your questions however was that yes, they are comfy and go for the smaller size if you're in between. And watch out the pastel leather gets dirty easily.