Finland & France

Hello! (Yes, I still exist.) July was a busy month around here! We began the month traveling to Finland for 10 days of beautiful summer weather and delicious food, hot saunas, cool swims in the sea, and lots of love from my family. We traveled on busses, in planes, trains and cars and had a really great time. Edwin loved it, although travelling with a toddler is still always harder than I think it will be. Vacation to me still means time to relax and recharge, when will I get the memo? Vacations with toddlers are more work than being at home!! For us though, it was definitely worth it, Edwin had so many wonderful experiences and got to meet his Finnish family—what memories are made of. 

After our holiday in Finland we met our friends from Halifax and headed on a mini-road-trip to Burgundy. We rented a house with some other friends from Paris / Toronto and spent 3 beautiful days in the tiny (80-inhabitants-tiny) town of Essarois. The house was beautiful and old, the backyard large and green and the food delicious. We let the kids run wild, and caught up on each others' lives.

The following weekend we had friends from Montreal visit, and tried to host them as best we could in our new adopted city. It's funny to show people around a city you've only lived in for 4 months! 

Things have quieted down in terms of summer plans, but now the work deadlines loom their heads! Oh, and we still have no child-care! So if you find yourself wondering whatever happened to Bess and English Muffin, I'm still here, mostly likely just hanging out at the playground or out riding bikes. 

xo Bess

Summer Holidays!

Campfire Bags - Adventure Pack (I want one!!)

We're off to Finland this week for 10 days of coastal living, forest walks, saunas, Scandinavian food and design, and maybe even a few Moomins (for Edwin, of course!). I'm so happy that we are once again close enough to Finland that we can afford the airfare for all three of us to go and visit my Finnish family—this will be the first time they're meeting Edwin. We'll be staying with my family in their home in Turku for a few days, and then going to the cottage on the Baltic Sea. On our way back we've booked a night in Helsinki, so we'll spend one day there before flying out.

And, in a super lucky coincidence, one of my favourite Finnish design studios, Polkka Jam, just released a Turku Treasure Map, "Find everything from art, books and records to ecological products, vintage clothing and Finnish design." Sounds great, can't wait!

Hope you're enjoying your Summer!
xo Bess

Canadiana: Mjolk

During the Thanksgiving weekend I had the chance to finally make my way to Mjolk, a gorgeous Scandinavian design store in Toronto. It was also a treat to meet John and Juli, the two fantastic folks behind Mjolk.

(I mentioned last week in my post on Harvesting Birch Bark that I was inspired by a birch bark installation at their store. It's in the front window on the wall above the couch, can you see it? Don't you love it?!)

John and Juli did an amazing job converting what was an architectural firm into a welcoming and warm space to display their wares. Besides a large selection of pieces from Scandinavia and Iceland, they also stock some lovely Japanese products. It's always been interesting to me how similar Japanese and Scandinavian style is, I mentioned it to John and he had some interesting things to say on the subject. You can tell just by being in the store that John and Juli really know what they are talking about. They have exceptional taste and a very discerning eye.

I highly recommend a visit if you're in the Toronto area, it's really not to be missed. For more photos you can check out my flickr page, there's even one of Juli with a mustache!!

Have a great Tuesday!

xo Bess

Ice Fishers

Can you guess what Brand New Thing #3 was? Ice Fishing, that's right!

Big Chuck was so excited to go ice fishing, I on the other hand was perfectly happy to sit inside and play Rummikub with my cousin and aunt. So Big Chuck and my uncle went out one afternoon and unfortunately came home fish-less. The next day they went out again, and were still having no luck when my cousin and I skied by. We decided to give it a try, and of course as luck would have it within 5 minutes of holding the fishing pole over the tiny hole in the ice I was the first and only person to catch a fish that week. We named him Fred...



I am a reluctant fishergirl. I always feel so awful when I accidentally catch a fish, and I really wanted to put little Fred back. I am also a hypocritical fishergirl as I spent the entire week devouring salmon, hearing and eventually Fred the fish too.

I personally find fishing, especially ice fishing, to be rather boring. I think the most exciting part is drilling the holes in the ice. Big Chuck did his fair share using my uncle's Finnish made Rapala ice auger.



Have a great Thursday, and don't forget to tune in tomorrow for the next post in my Small Business, Small Steps series.

Bess

ps. We have a trivia question for all you Northern guys and gals...

What is the blue thing hanging around Big Chuck's neck?

Leave your answers in the comments section. Unfortunately there's no prize, just the satisfaction of knowing that you are one smart cookie. Good luck :)

(photos: Bess Callard)

Ice Picnickers

Remember on Monday how I was telling you about the brand new things I got to experience when we were in Finland last week, well here's Brand New Thing #2: Ice Picnicking.

Have you ever been on an ice picnic before? Well, if you haven't I'd be more than happy to explain how the whole thing works. First, clear a spot on the ice to build a fire. I know what you're thinking, won't the fire melt the ice and cause it to break, essentially sinking our lunch and possibly us too? Apparently, no. (I thought it was a good question too.) Next, you collect all your lunch supplies: hot dogs, sausages and mustard, warm tea and juice, beer, a folding table and chairs, fire poker sticks, some paper towels to hold your wieners, cups for warm drinks and a cute red and white table cloth. Get the boys to carry the big stuff and bring the rest in a pretty little wicker picnic basket. When you're all set up, it's time to eat. Stick your sausage on a fire poker and roast. (Tip: avoid big flames, stick to the areas with nice hot coals.) When you've achieved a nice crispy outer layer on your sausage, it's done. Squeeze on some of your favourite mustard and, taa-daa, lunch is served! That's pretty much all there is to it. There may still be time before the ice melts for you to have your very own ice picnic!



Have a great Wednesday :)
Bess

(photos: Bess Callard)

Helsinki 1952

Me and my camera bag falling in the snow, we were never apart (see below)

One of the best parts of visiting Finland, aside from ice swimming of course, is getting to hear stories and see photos from my family's past. Living in Canada for most of my life, I rarely had the opportunity to see my Finnish grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousin. So every time I go to visit I make a special request to see some of the old family photo albums. Of course, this last time didn't disappoint. Along with the classic black and white photos of my mom and her siblings as children, there were some new-to-me gems. For example, who knew that during the 70's my mom was rocking a hairstyle similar to Big Chuck's? And that my aunt had glasses whose frames were as big around as coffee mugs? Are they going to kill me for writing this, in a word YES!, but I love it - I love knowing the history of my family, the good, the bad and (especially) the questionable fashion choices.

On this last trip I learned a few new things about my great-grandfather. The first was that, similar to me, he always had a camera in his hands. My aunt said that I reminded her of him, and that was pretty neat. The second was that he was a talented artist and enjoyed designing and making furniture. When the 1952 Summer Olympics were held in Helsinki, he made this clever walking stick that doubles as a chair. He even painted the Olympic logo onto the seat, and on the back, the instructions on the correct way to sit on it. This way he was able to walk to the events and have his very own place to sit. Genius, no?!


1. My male model showing us how to use the walking stick
2. 1952 Helsinki Olympic logo, painted on the seat
3. The bottom of the seat shows us how to properly sit on it (backwards)
4. From walking stick to chair

Stay tuned for Canadiana Tuesday later today.

Bess

(photos: Bess Callard)

Ice Swimmers

Sauna towel

I'm back from my wonderful week in Finland and I feel refreshed and ready to tackle what I think is going to be a very busy (and exciting) March. But, before we leap into the future and all the many goals and plans I have to share with you, I'd first like to welcome the new readers who found the English Muffin Blog via this very useful Etsy link. I received so many nice and thoughtful comments on this Small Business, Small Steps post, and am really excited to keep moving forward with that series. So welcome everyone, or as we say in Finnish, Tervetuloa!

In addition to the regular weekly features on the blog, I thought I would share a few photos from our trip to Finland with you this week. We had an amazing time and got to experience some brand new things.

Brand New Thing #1: Ice Swimming
Last Saturday, only four short hours after we stepped off the plane in Helsinki, we found ourselves stepping (or more like hobbling) into the frozen Baltic Sea. That's right - the f.r.o.z.e.n. sea! My family took us to a public sauna and bathing area about 10 minutes from their home in Turku and we earned our very first Finnish badges (there would be more to come as the week progressed!). We all sat in the hot sauna for 10 - 15 minutes and then scampered down the icy dock, then down an even icier ladder and into the water. Believe it or not I repeated this scenario three times. Big Chuck and my cousin were a little braver and went for a fourth round. I'm not sure how to describe it, the whole thing was pretty surreal. It was about minus 20 outside, a dark and windy night, and there we were running from sauna to sea, sauna to sea, with steam coming off our bodies. At the end of it all I felt like I had just run a marathon: exhausted, hungry, thirsty and ready for bed. It wasn't the easiest of activities to photograph, but here are a few that I think capture the spirit of ice swimming.


1. Some images of fellow ice swimmers
2. Big Chuck emerges from the sea, this was his fourth swim
3. I tried to capture the lovely lobster-red hue of my skin in the changing room
4. More swimmers; the man in the foreground was coming back from a jog in the snow

Stay tuned for Music Monday later on today.

(images: Bess Callard)

february: short + sweet

Hello February!

The sun is so bright today that it's almost as if Spring is reminding us that it's just around the corner. Luckily, it comes a little bit earlier here than back home in Canada, sorry guys!

I have this week off from teaching (Austria is the land of holidays - not that I'm complaining), so I'm focusing all my energy on my somewhat neglected kid, English Muffin. I've had a mini surge in Custom Name Design orders lately which makes me kick myself a little for not putting them in the shop sooner. Oh well, live and learn.

The last week of February Big Chuck and I are heading to Finland for a week-long ski holiday with my family. We'll be staying at the cottage and doing lots of cross-country skiing, eating, and generally trying to stay warm. I'm so excited!

I'm off to the post office now (to drop off 7 custom name designs!!) and then to the new Asian grocery that opened up around the corner a few weeks ago.

Have a wonderful first day of February,
Bess

(image: English Muffin 2010 Calendar)

Papershop.fi

This past summer I got my first wholesale order from Papershop.fi, an online paper shop based in Finland. I checked out their store this weekend which recently opened and was so excited to see my Animal Alphabet Posters and Letter Prints in the shop. Anna and her sister Tea have done a wonderful job and I encourage you to pop over and take a peek at all the beautiful paper goods they have to offer.


Papershop.fi

And in other news... English Muffin made it onto Etsy's Front Page for the first time earlier this week! Can you spot the 2010 Calendar?



Have a great Wednesday!
bess

Muffinettes - Bite Sized Fun!

Sparkling Ink

This week's Muffinettes installment is devoted to, you guessed it, Finland! I appreciate you all hanging in there, it's taking me a while to get my head out of the forest. But I promise you there are some real jewels this week.

...a wonderful blog based in Helsinki via Decor8...

...I have to get out of the sauna at 90 degrees, this guys begins at 110!...

...pretty books and brooches on etsy...

...hello favourite things!...

...I bought this...and this... and these...

Have a great weekend!
bess

Finland Pt. 2 - In the forest

Welcome to Finland's forest! One of my favourite parts of being in Finland is visiting the cottage. It is in a little town on the Baltic Sea called Merikarvia. Big Chuck and I stayed in the little cottage that my grandparents built. We had such a marvelous time, I hope you enjoy the photos.

Our little cottage. From the small window on the left hand side you can see right to the sea from the sauna, ummm, heaven?!

The Baltic Sea










See you tomorrow for some Muffinettes :)

Finland (Pt. 1)

Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum, Turku Finland

We're back! Our holiday was so wonderful and relaxing and full of good food and family. I have so many photos, as you can imagine, and I'm trying to sort them all and pick out the best ones. I thought I would start the Photos of Finland Bonanza with some from my favourite museum in Turku, the Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum. The outdoor museum is made up of 200 year old wooden houses, the only ones to survive the Great Fire of 1827. There are over 30 workshops and visitors can watch as the craftsmen and women work.

Grass roof keep the homes well insulated and the roof less likely to leak.

The rope maker.

I think this was the workshop of a metal smith.

The watch maker, one of the wealthier craftsmen.


The book binder.

The workshops all had these beautiful fireplaces. When we build a house, we'd like a similar one.


The basket weaver.


The printer.

Holiday

Camilla Åkrans via Oh Joy!

Well, I've been waiting for this all summer - our holiday! Big Chuck and I are taking a proper week off together and going to visit my family in Finland. I am so looking forward to this trip. The last few weeks have been busy and lonely with both of us working hard on different projects in different countries and I think we've earned a break!

The last time I was in Finland was 5 years ago and I had a wonderful time. It was a strange experience of feeling at home in a country I had never been to before (except at the age of 3). The design, the food, the fashion, the feeling of the cities and country felt very familiar to me and I was so surprised. Looking back on it though, I'm not sure why I was so shocked, my mother grew up in Finland and has raised my sister and I to have discerning eyes, a love of good design and yummy food. Finland also feels similar to Canada in many ways. The forest and climate remind me of the forest I walk through in Haliburton, ON. And although Finns are not known the world over as brilliant conversationalists, I found so many warm people and of course my loving family, all of whom were more than happy to speak in English and make me feel at home.

I'll be back next Wednesday with pictures from our trip and hopefully feeling energized and inspired (thank you saunas!) for the last few weeks of summer!

Have a great week,
Bess

Helsinki remade

Helsinki Remade - Mottoform via Design Forum Finland
Finnish-Canadian designer Elizabeth Salonen established the industrial design firm Mottoform in 2005. After moving to Helsinki from Canada, she became inspired by the details in the city's Art Nouveau architecture. "She worked them into modern graphic motifs and created Helsinki Remade: a collection of vintage textiles with hand-printed patterns remade from the early 20th century buildings – homage to both the history of the houses and old linen." Design Forum Finland



(Photos: Mottoform)
I love how this project brings together old and new. The clean graphics so beautifully contrasted with the old and imperfect linens. If you'd like to have some of Mottoform's vintage linens around your home, you can buy them through Design Forum Finland's Shop.