One the Road: Roasted Baby Cabbage Salad Makes Jyväskylä Winter a Winner

December 22-26, 2016

Merry Christmas! Yet at the end of the December, it’s always the warmest moment for family to get together, to chill out, to unwrap the surprise, and to cherish every single second.

Alas again, 2016 Christmas is yet another Black Friday in Jyväskylä. Still, the colourful table setting and the lovely smiles from the family never fade away, and after we change the Marimekko snowwhite curtain for a visual pleasure, we then decide to have more greenery salad as the healthier serving for all.

Being more of an Asian cuisine fan, baby cabbage is never easy for me to have idea on cooking. While chopping white onions into tiny cubes, its high sugar content caramelize beautifully balance the crunchy cabbage and bitter chicory.

So all we need for the preparation are:

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and 4 tablespoons of virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 small clove garlic, minced

2 cups chicory leaves (70g), washed and torn into small pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A lemon and 200g of fresh handpicked raspberries

How to make baby cabbage a Winter Winner Dish:

1.Preheat over to 200C. In a baking dish, place onions cubes, drizzle with vegetable oil and season with salt and black peppers. Add thyme sprigs.

2.Boil around 3 dozens of baby cabbages for about8-10 minutes in kettle until they become soft. Place baby cabbages together in the oven with the onions until both turn well browned.

3.In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil. Place cabbage and chicory in a large salad bowl and toss with just enough dressing to coat. Add warm onions and fresh raspberries and toss again, adding more dressing if needed. And a winter winner is ready to serve for up to 6-8 people.

Enjoy the greenery and Stay Merry!!

Special Thanks: Perhe Heikkinen

Beauty Boom Christmas! DIOR Diorific Vernis Gris-Or is State of Gold

Happy Holiday 2016! 

After Chanel le Vernis collection, I am treated in surprise with this beautiful metallic gold limited edition DIOR Diorific Vernis #277 Gris Or! 

With rose platin gold with pearly finish, Dior Gris-Or is perfectly opaque in two coats, shadowing a different beast under various lights. Although it shows some brush strokes, still, it is rather minimal. Under sunshine it is more golden and it has shimmery effect close to metallic nail polishes of Chanel. I decide to matching it with a nice sparkle on top or darker tint with other toes. The top coat of holiday collection---Diorific Vernis #001 State of Gold---is a highly densely packed glitter of mixed silver and gold; therefore, It is possible to apply just the single layer of glitter, and it would show opaque in two coats. I applied just solo coat over Gris-Or and loved the new holiday look! 

DIOR Beauty design is as thoughtful and elegant as its haute couture line. The cap of glass bottle of Dior vernis is coated with brass, while the pure vessel at the bottom with cambria font of 'Dior'; Viewing under the yellow light, those words project the shadows on the surface of le vernis, a rather mini pleasure to enjoy for a moment. Indeed, ‘Tiny details always perform a perfect design.’

In my fashion philosophy, there is never an ‘out’ item, unless it is bought with an impulsive drive just because media or press brag unbearably loud. I have spotted what I desire for Dior 2016 nail polish collection, but now I just enjoy what I own in hand from the beloved family. 

Special Thanks: Perhe Heikkinen 

On the Road: Ich Bin Hier in Berlin!

Where is the final destination of Berlin? The answers are many. It could be Alexanderplatz, Branden Burger Tor, Berliner Dom, Checkpoint Charlie, Museumsinsel Berlin, Kurfüstendamm, and The Wall. Except missing Anne-Sophie Mutter’s performance at Berliner Philharmoniker, and Branden Bruger Tor due to President Obama’s November visit, during my solo travelling, I experience the amazement of Berlin and I truly having loads of inspirations.

The late autumn of Berlin is filled with cloudy raining days, it gives a nostalgic touch of this historical city hence, it makes me spending more afternoons getting lost between the museums and gallery halls. On Museumsinsel (Museum Island), purchasing 72-hour museum pass allows travellers visit and revisit, so again I conquer Neues Museum to visit Nefertiti (ca 1340 BCE, Amarna Egypt) and Golden Hat (1000-800 BCE, South Germany), Pergamon Museum for Ishtar Gate of Babylon (6^th Century BC, Indeed I visited twice) and Alte Mationalgalerie for those colourful Neo-classicism, Romanticism and Impressionism paintings. The whole museum Island was certified by UNESCO World Heritage in 1999.

The most amazing panorama of the museum group of all is Pergamon, which houses three collections, present arte facts from ancient Greek, Roman Empire, Near Eastern cultural history from over 6 millennia, primarily in the regions of Mesopotamia, Syria and Anatolia, and mainly focus of Babylon, Assur Uruk and Tell Halaf. I visit Pergamon twice since the large collections are very difficult to complete within only single day, and I am so intrigued into those Egyptian mummies and coffins, any genre about live and death.

Das Neue Museum stands as a monument to 19^th century art appreciation, museum design and technological innovation. Built between 1843-1855, the complex suffered severe damage during WWII. Nevertheless, Neue Museum provides insights into the evolution of ancient cultures stretching from the Middle East to the Atlantic, from North Africa to Scandinavia. Alas that in 210, Bust of Queen Nefertiti in the Nofretete Room, the guards are preventing any photo shooting, still, the minutes to enjoy the ancient beauty lasts rather longer and quieter beyond my expectation. I appreciate the most is at The Roman Provinces Room, the interactive table allow the readers to push the button and read the letters about mathematics, education, scientific theory or poetry. Those descriptions on document attract me much time linger around.

Paintings are always my major focus while visiting the National Gallery, wherever I am travelling to. Die Alte Nationalgalerie in the heart of Berlin between palace, cathedral and university dates back to Friedrich Wilhelm IV. The Gallery holds the collections of paintings by Edouard Manet, Claude Monet and the largest by Adolph Menzel in existence. One of my favourites among all is by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794-1872), the lady in the centre of the painting playing banjo, wearing poppy red dress and significant berets, as if she is half wondering her path of musician career.  

The shops and boutiques close at 6 PM in Berlin, especially Hotel Haubach, the 2-star hotel I stay, near U-Bahn Richard Wagner Platz, resides in West Berlin, definitely an early bird district. Therefore, having a Vietnamese takeaway at Wittenberg Platz (the wonderful shopping department store KaDeWe is only 3-min walk) is the convenient dinner choices, and I also enjoy bubble tea for my sweet tooth pleasure. For my last supper before next morning departure, I must try out Eisbein. Recommended by my Finnish-German friend who now works in Stuttgart, Gasthaus Mutter Hoppe in Mitte is one of the best in city. I successfully order the huge plate of German Knuckle-stew and Weisse in German as my evening drink and luckily, share a table with a New Yorker who now studies in Italy. Berlin is a friendly and interesting adventure to go, my next challenge shall be a retrial for Berliner Philharmoniker as a fan!

www.smb.museum/veranstaltungen

Fashion Fun Berlin! Gucci Monogram Scarf on the Berlin Autumn At Museum Island

November 2016 Berlin, Germany 

With a population of approximately 3,6 million people, Berlin has the most convenient public transportation, holds the second most populous city proper in the EU. Taking Air Berlin from Helsinki only takes 2 hours to arrive, and the Hotel Haubach I book is only 5 kilometers away from the Tegel Airport.

Berlin is known for its numerous cultural institutions, especially the Museum Island. I bought a Berlin Museum Pass, which allows each individual visiting more than 60 museums without any admission fee within 72 hours. Together with the Altes Museum, the Neues Museum, the Bode Museum, the Pergamon Museum, the Berlin Cathedral and the Lustgarten and the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) make up the Museum Island complex in Berlin. It is connected to the Pergamon Museum to the north, and to the other museums to the south. The Building was designed by Friedrich August Stüler and detailed by Carl Busse, in a style of mixed between late Classicism and early Neo-Renaissance.

Since travelling alone, I enjoy the highest quality of solitary. To discover the city by taking U-Bahn and S-Bahn, to study the map to reach the destination, and to test my instinct to find the proper delicious food at late night, that’s why I miss my good old solo backpacker days and I don’t mind to fulfill this experience once again, as my birthday gift presenting to myself before November 20th. But the most troublesome I encounter as being a single flyer is, that the lack of the photographer to take fashion fun pictures of my daily outfit. Very Luckily, at the front gate of Alte Nationalgalerie, I met this open-minded Brazilian girl from Rio, we chat and we pitch the slightly sunny moments to help each other nailing the photo shoots.

The days I stay in Berlin is partly cloudy and raining, the temperature is around 6-12 degrees, it’s quite perfect to me since in Helsinki the snow has already piled up to knees high. I pack light, as I only take ZARA and Samsøesamsøe wool long cardigans, Louis Vuitton midnight blue/pure black cashmere short cardigans, Equipment and Tsumori Chisato silk camisoles, 2 pairs of Gina Tricot black high-waist jeans, and only a pair of MANGO ankle leather boots is good enough for me to walk around the whole Berlin. Finally, for accessories, I take STELLA McCARTNEY acetate sunglasses, MIU MIU Madras small leather bag, CHANEL logo crystal earrings, and my proud purchase at Bicester Village in September, Gucci light grey long monogram scarf. With size 70x200 cm, it’s practical to wrap around or dangle at the neck, the material contains 70% wool and 30% silk, is both warm and light at any moment. I especially love the double-side monogram design, that either way for darker double G or lighter touch, I can adjust it with any outwear. Accompanying with VIVIENNE WESTWOOD wool scarf, the windy moments are not harsh while walking in the rain. My mix and match materials are mulberry silk, virgin wool and cotton fabric; while the colour tone are light pink sunglasses, grey scarf, blue cardigan and black boots, jeans and leather shoulder bag, and finally, Chanel shining earrings complete the autumn look.

The Alte Nationalgalerie collects Neoclassical, Romantic, Niedermeier, Impressionist and early Modernist artworks. At rainy grey days, let’s have some fashion fun and enjoy the moments of masterpieces.

Special Thanks & Photography: A lovely gal from Rio

ALTE MUSEUM 

GUCCI

Magazine Madness: Felicity Jones as an English Rose, Harper’s Bazaar November 2016

Harper’s Bazaar UK November 2016

Felicity Jones has managed to preserve an enigmatic quality, despite the increasing intrusiveness of the digital age. In Niall Maccormick’s Albatross, in which Jones plays a daughter at a nearly broken family, no doubt Jones’ fragile and doll-faced look with her unafraid attitude, glorifying for The Theory of Everything in 2015 too. During the interview with Lydia Slater, styled by former Lola Editor-in-Chief, Leith Clark, Jones wears Alexander McQueen embroidered tulle gown, Chanel silk dress or Burberry organza skirt, reveals her elegance and British temperament.

Jones looks far younger than her 33 years, but she has her own way to express the function of motion pictures: ‘Film is very powerful so I do feel that there is a certain amount of responsibility to portray reality’ (176). She was ‘instilled from a young age with a sense of independence and making my own way in the world, not relying on a man financially’, perhaps it’s due to her parents’ early divorce at her age of three, but her mother’s passion about theatre and film, makes her falling in love with acting.

Interestingly, through Harper’s Bazaar November 2016 fashion campaign, Jones is wearing highly feminine dresses, under Photographer David Slijper’s lenses, the floral is the eternal theme (such as Kirsten Dunstat May 2014 issue), and the title of the interview states ‘An English Rose’. Does the title means that Jones carries lovely true colours but with thrones? Diana, Princess of Wales was also entitled the same in Sir Elton John’s hit song. Taking a degree in English Literature at Wadham College, Oxford, seems to have offered Jones a different sort of training on selecting the scripts and acting. ‘It’s that disparity between the words we say and the thoughts we think’ (180).

Being very much like her British fellowship, Jones relies on family and friends to ground her, and avoids using social media to guard the peace and privacy of her off-duty lifestyle. That’s why I truly appreciate British actors and actresses, that they keep their profile low, but stand at the stage high. Appearing at paparazzi magazines as few times as possible, it never discounts any levels or popularity while British fellowship walking on the red carpets, pitching the right moments at the screens, or gracing the fashion front rows. A lot of them achieve profound education backgrounds, digesting what they have experienced, and blossoming unapologetically, like a bush of openly lovely English roses.

Photography & Works Cited:

www.harpersbazaar.co.uk