Finnish Independence Day

Screenshot from Google.fi

Google's Finnish landing page shows a tribute to the Finnish Independence Day. A nice touch.

Brussels details 2

Hunting, shooting and fishing

I spent a lovely long weekend in the countryside at Four Seasons Hampshire. It was such an amazing place just an hour by train from central London. I will share some glimpses of my time here on the blog.

Sea Salt Spray

Picture from Amazon.co.uk

I had my hair cut last week at Tony&Guy Regent Street. My hair stylist recommended me a product I had not heard before: Sea Salt Spray. I was told it would leave hair like I had just come from surfing in the ocean. And it is true, this product gives my hair a nice and non-heavy texture, unlike wax or gel. Label.m Sea Salt Spray can be bought at Tony&Guy salons and from Amazon.

Playbook time!

Even though I work with digital design, I tend to be slow to buy the latest gadgets. For long, I disliked tablets as I thought they are too chunky to carry around i.e. not very portable which they are meant for. I still think Apple's iPad is too big. And the Android devices I do not find appealing at all. For some strange reason I have a crush on Blackberries. That is why I have been waiting RIM's Blackberry Playbook tablet with excitement.

Again, I did not rush to buy at when it first hit the stores a couple of ago but read several reviews and then decided to invest in it. My first reactions are very positive. I like the look and feel of the device, and the size. For me, it is perfect size to take with me anywhere. Unlike iPads, Playbook supports Flash and all the other important web technologies which make it a versatile companion. Playbook lacks the plethora of applications at the moment, as the Guardian put it "Welcome to the Soviet App Store". That does not bother me as I do not see the point downloading dozens of apps. I use the internet instead. Connectivity wise Playbook is superb as it can be used with WI-FI and with an existing Blackberry's 3G connection so there is no need to make different models for different uses as Apple does.

Au beurre salé

Package & content, both brilliant.

I am a fan

One of my favorite hotels is Mandarin Oriental Singapore. I spent my first and last Singapore days there. This is my tribute to my favorite hotel in the spirit of their recent ad campaign.

The most beautiful hotel pen

Hotel give-aways are not often very appealing. But there are exceptions, like Kempinski's pens. They have state-of-the-art timeless design and feel. They really reflect the luxury brand they are serving. The pens are actually a collaboration of two heritage brands, Cross and Kempinski. I got mine from Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin.

Finnish print ads from the 1950's

Pommac is a non-alcoholic Finnish soft-drink. It is still in production.

Riihimäen Lasi Oy was a Finnish art class manufacturer. Some of their works are design icons these days.

I love the innocent feel these ads have. The ads are from this book.

Hyvää uutta vuotta! - Happy New Year!

Breaking a pattern

I am one of those who usually buys their parfumes from tax free shops at airports. It can be a cheap option but it is a bit restricting. One can only find the most popular bulk scents from tax free shops but never anything truly new and exciting.

It was time to break my pattern today. I went to Liberty to look - or smell - for those other than usual scents. I went through several lovely bottles, but ended up with a rather boxy one. It was a scent born as a result of Comme des Garçons' and Artek's (Finnish design company) collaboration. It is called Standard. The scent is very foresty. It smells like freshly cut wood. It is also a delicate scent, not too pushy. A bit like me, really. I had to buy it.

Standard can be found at Liberty and Dover Street Market in London.

Advent calendar

Stranger in the night

Hello Blackberry, goodbye Nokia

My new Blackberry Pearl 9105 and old Nokia 8800 Sapphire Arte.

Chocolate cuteness

My most avid readers must be aware of my soft spot for Hello Kitty. It all began when I moved to Asia. Even now in Europe Hello Kitty is haunting me. Last week I got a Hello Kitty baking mould as a present from a friend - thanks Emilia! Today I used the mould for the first time and made some chocolates filled with fudge. Cute, isn't it?

Candy from the past

These legendary PAX pastilles by Fazer were first in production in the 1950s. I have heard that my granddad always used to have a box of them in his pocket. Now they are again for sale in Finland and online. I like their taste of tar and the simple and nationalistic box.

A design classic

Fo some mysterious reason I am intrigued by matchboxes. They are nothing fancy or ultramodern, but nor are the products inside them. Actually it has proven to be difficult to find traditional matches these days as every kiosk and supermarket sells lighters. Now I got a box of Swan Vesta matches into my hands. The design is timeless, purely simple with classic and vibrant colors. I like!

Umbrellas

Umbrellas seem to be on trend. A while ago a posted pictures of an umbrella installation in Helsinki. Now I saw same kind of installation in the Hermés' New Bond Street store display window. Maybe it is the autumn.

Airline ad

Enjoyment. Glory. Achievement. With these words China Eastern airline advertises its flat bed seats. This would never happen with a western airline - although the words might describe the inner feelings of the passengers flying in upper class. I guess it is the Chinese straightforwardness.

Nice ad

I saw this ad at the movies today. It is from a Spanish beer label, Estrella Damm. I like how the ad is filmed but not the topic. It suggests that drinking beer has a positive impact on one's love life.