Katz and the City- Life is sweet in NYC

SWEET VALENTINE'S DAY

2012-02-14T20:55:00.000-06:00

You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. ~ Buddha

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS...

2012-02-13T02:19:00.000-06:00

I forgot when or why I started obsessing over fresh squeezed lemon juice, but I think it's been few years now. Fresh squeezed lemon has such different flavor than those bottled ones you get from the store. I actually keep a big glass bottle of water on my kitchen counter spiced up with some fresh lemon juice and make sure before the day is over I've finished it. Why I keep it on the counter is because I don't like to drink anything too cold. And refrigeration makes it too cold for me. Doesn't feel nice on my throat. I'm just weird like that, I guess.

I love my retro citrus juicer

Lemons are filled with flavor, while delivering an extra blast of vitamin C and enzymes. Lemon has been associated with boosting liver’s function and tissue regeneration, which is helpful while cleansing, as the liver is our main detoxifying organ.

To maximize cleansing benefits, get into the habit of drinking one hot mug of water with the juice of half a lemon squeezed in, first thing in the morning. Refresh yourself throughout the day with cool lemon water. Source
Let's get lemonized!

MY WEEK IN THE EYES OF MY CELL PHONE

2012-02-10T00:04:00.000-06:00

Having too much free time at work

Writing to do lists at work

My notes from "Spirit Junkie"

View at Park Ave on my way to get lunch

Have a relaxing weekend! I'm excited for my friend's vegan wedding party in Brooklyn on Saturday!

OUTFITS FIT FOR THE OFFICE

2012-02-09T05:55:00.000-06:00

Something little different in our programming today. I was channel surfing looking for my show "The Big Bang Theory" (I love Sheldon!!!) and bumped in to some makeover show with a very fashionable host that immediately caught my eye. The show was "How do I look" and the fabulous host was Jeannie Mai. This discovery came just the right time, because now that I don't have to wear all black uniform at work anymore, I've been experiencing some lack of imagination with my office outfits. I still tend to wear all black. I guess it's been wearing off on me during all the years I spent working at that hotel. The above outfits are perfect for the office! Although I would probably still have to wear a cardigan or blazer over it since this is corporate atmosphere (A reminder to myself: Next job goal is in creative field). I love the subtle blast of color combined with toned down high-waist bottoms.

I HEART MY SIAMESE

2012-02-08T01:22:00.000-06:00

Written records reveal that Siamese cats, in their country of origin, were venerated as guardians of the temples. When a person of high rank died, it was usual to select one of these cats to receive the dead person's soul. The cat was then removed from the royal household and sent to one of the temples to spend the rest of its days living a ceremonial life of great luxury, with monks and priests as its servants. These cats were reputed to eat the finest foods from gold plate and to recline on cushions made of the most opulent materials, which had been provided by the departed one's relatives in an attempt to receive good fortune and blessings. Once they became temple cats, they were supposed to have special powers and could intercede for the soul of the dead person.

Years ago features such as crossed eyes and kinked tail were looked on as characteristics of the breed and many legends exist as to their origin. It was said that a Princess of the Royal House of Siam used her cat's tail as a ring-stand while she was bathing. The kink in the tail prevented the rings from falling off and being lost. Another legend accounts for both the cross-eyed feature as well as the development of the kink. Once, when all the men of Siam left their homes to defend their kingdom, just two cats - one male Siamese, Tien, and one female Siamese, Chula - remained in order to guard Buddha's golden goblet in the sacred temple.

The male cat became pretty restless and, after mating the female Siamese, left her in order to find another priest to look after the temple. The female, apparently, was so overwhelmed by the responsibility of guarding the Buddha's treasure that she never once glanced away from the goblet, wrapping her long tail around its stem to prevent theft in case she should fall asleep. As time passed waiting for Tien to return with a new master, she could no longer forstall the birth of her kittens, who all arrived with the physical characteristics that she herself had acquired during her period as watch-guard - a kinked tail and crossed eyes. Just occasionally, even today, kittens are born with these features - so the legends are kept alive. Source

"People who belong to Siamese cats must make up their minds to do a good deal of waiting upon them."

- Compton Mackenzie

BOOK A MONTH DEAL

2012-02-06T06:20:00.000-06:00

My last year with books didn't go too well despite the great start. I'm a lazy reader, no doubt about it. But I really think I could do good for myself by reading at least one book a month, it can't be so difficult if I really want to do it. I spend a lot of time on the bus and subways which creates excellent environment for some good old fashion reading time. So this year I decided to try again. I've already started my first book and I'm about halfway through it; Gabrielle Bernstein's "Spirit Junkie" that I received from her lecture in December. So already at this point I'm a little late, but that's ok, I'm not going to stress about it. :)

Few weeks back I went to another lecture of Gabrielle's and got her first book "Add more ing to your life" which is going to be my second book to read this year.

My other picks include Noora Shingler's Marjoja & Maskaraa (Berries & Mascara) which I actually got from my mom after she was done reading it. A few years ago, journalist Shingler was not feeling so well. She suffered from mysterious stomach pains that doctors were not able to find what the source of the problem was. Eventually she found help in-depth survey, and Shingler got rid of five food substances: dairy, industrial meat, white flour, sugar and yeast - and improved her health. She sheds light on the many problems that we encounter in daily food and cosmetic selections that are loaded with toxins and keep making us sick.

My other three picks are also in the self-help field; Diane Dreher's The Tao of Inner Peace which "demystifies the Tao and reveals how it can be a powerful source of growth and inspiration--an indispensable tool for facing the challenges of the 21st century". I read this book back when I was a teenager and loved it, so Im sure I'll get some guidance from it now as well. Buddhism has always interested me and I will keep reading about it as much as I can. The book I have about Buddhism is also from my teenage years and I've read it maybe twice, but it's time to refresh my memory on it again. Trump Card will probably give me good advice working my way up in the corporate world which is a new territory for me.

"Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him."

Maya Angelou

Have a wonderful beginning of the week!

THE STORY OF THE GOLDEN BUDDHA

2012-02-05T10:00:00.000-06:00

Few weeks ago Gabby Bernstein had yet another one of her magnificent lectures about clarity, guidance and fresh inspiration.We also received Gabby's first book "Add more ing to your life" as a gift for attending. That's on my list to read right after I finish the "Spirit Junkie". I loved the story she told about the golden Buddha and wrapped the entire lecture around it so magically.

"In 1957, a group of Tibetan monks were informed that a highway was being built and the highway would have to go through the location where the shrine for which they were responsible was currently located. The shrine, a huge clay Buddha, would have to be moved. Arrangements were made and the day of shrine moving arrived. The shrine, located under a roof to keep it safe from the elements, was prepared for its journey. A crane began lifting the clay Buddha. The Buddha, as it rose off of its block resting place, began to crack. It was far heavier than all the engineers had estimated. The monk supervising the movement of the Buddha frantically called to the crane operator. Telling him to set the Buddha down. Quickly, the alert crane operator carefully set the Buddha on the ground. As the monks and the engineers examined the Buddha, they found several large cracks. A larger crane would be needed. That crane would not be brought in until the next day. The Buddha would have to spent the night in its current location. To make matters worse, there was a storm building and the next would be a stormy one.The monks covered the Buddha with water proof tarps on poles to keep it dry overnight. All seemed to be well.

During the night, the head monk awoke and decided to check on the Buddha. With a flashlight, the monk carefully checked the condition of the Buddha. As he walked around the huge clay figure shining his light on the cracks, something caught his eye. He returned to the spot on which he had just shined his light. He peered into the crack. What he saw he did not understand. He needed to see more. He went back to his quarters, found a chisel and a hammer and returned to the Buddha. He began carefully chipping at the clay around the crack. As the crack widened, he could not believe his eyes. He ran to wake the other monks and instructed each to bring a hammer and chisel. By lantern light the monks carefully chipped all the clay from the Buddha. After hours of chiseling, the monks stepped back and stared in awe at the sight before them. There, in front of the monks, stood a solid gold Buddha. When the moving crew arrived later that morning to complete the job of moving the Buddha to its new location, there was much confusion and excitement. Where had the clay Buddha gone? From where had the Golden Buddha come? Historians were called and research was begun to discover the origin of the Golden Buddha.After much research, the pieces of the story were put together.

The Golden Buddha was the cherished responsibility of a group of monks several centuries earlier. These monks received word that the Burmese army was headed their way. Concerned that the invading army would loot the shrine for its Golden Buddha, the monks covered their Buddha with 8 to 12 inches of clay. When they were finished the Golden Buddha appeared to be a Buddha of clay. The invading army would surely have no interest. The monks were correct; the army had no interest in the Buddha. They did, however, kill all the monks before they moved on. The Golden Buddha was lost in history until 1957.

There is a Golden Buddha inside each of us. Hidden away and covered with layers and layers of clay. We start out life as a true Golden Buddha. Then our true self gets put on a shelf and we get involved in the survival game. We each begin to lose our true drive and we lose sight of the gifts each of has to offer.The Golden Buddha story gives us tools we can use every day - the flashlight, the chisel and the hammer. The flashlight represents the power of our individual vision. The hammer represents the power of our individual level of responsibility. The hammer represents the power of our individual sense of team that will get each of us on our road to success. The team we each have available to us are those individuals whom we know are committed to us unconditionally - our true friends and family." Source

Last two photos borrowed from here
"Always concentrate on how far you've come, rather than how far you have left to go." -Unknown

RUNEBERG'S TORTE

2012-02-03T04:03:00.000-06:00

Runeberg's torte (torttu) is a Finnish pastry flavored with almonds and rum. The torte got its name from the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804–1877) who, according to the legend, enjoyed the torte (baked by his wife Fredrika) with punsch for every breakfast. Runeberg's tortes are typically eaten only in Finland around Runeberg's birthday on February 5th.

Photo source

RUNEBERG'S TORTE GONE VEGAN source

1 dl (0,4 cups) mild tasting oil (canola or coconut oil)

1 dl (0,4 cups) brown sugar (I use palm sugar, but you can use whatever you like)

1 dl (0,4 cups) soygurt, coconut yogurt or apple sauce

0,5 tsp almond essence

1,5 dl (0,6 cups) flour (I usually mix coconut flour with whole wheat flour)

1 dl (0,4 cups) bread crumbs (or ginger bread crumbs, or both)

0,5 tsp cardamon (not necessary if you are using ginger bread crumbs)

0,5 tsp sea salt (I use pink Himalayan salt)

0,5 tsp crushed almonds

1tsp baking powder
(rum for flavor, optional)

Mix oil, sugar, yogurt and almond essence. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and add them to the mix. Split the batter to cupcake molds and bake in the oven 190Celsius / 375Fahrenheit for 20-22min. They are ready when you stick a toothpick in them and it comes out dry. Let them sit and cool off completely before starting to decorate.

White frosting

1 tbsp water (you can also put 1/2 water and 1/2 lemon juice for lemon flavored frosting)

2,5 dl (1 cup) powdered sugar

Add 1/2 the sugar to the water and mix until smooth. Add rest of the sugar until you have perfect consistency; stiff, but just a tad runny.

Decorating

Dig a small hole in the middle of the tart for the jam to go in. Size of the hole varies depending on how much jam you like. I like a ton so my hole gets pretty big. Prepare the frosting and put it in a pastry bag and cut one edge open so that you can add frosting around the hole you just dug. Fill the hole with raspberry jam (or any other jam you love if raspberry isn't your cup of tea).

Enjoy with some Finnish poetry :)

I will let you know after the weekend how I did with this recipe and if it's going to be THE recipe that gets to be at my favorites section and which will be passed to my children... On a side note: Our oven has been out of commission since early December and I really hope we can schedule the guy to come in this Friday so that I can actually bake...

"Who has given the wind wisdom,
Lent the air a tongue so lightsome,
Ready speech to the yard's rowan,
And the small birds' tender bevy?
(J.L. Runeberg from 'All Seemed to Be Speaking, Speaking')

I SEE SEITAN SCALLOPINIS IN THE FUTURE

2012-02-01T06:20:00.000-06:00

Weekend was good. We went riding bikes (which we've never done together before) in a nearby park and although weather was a bit freezing it was sunny and we had good time. Since I'm going to start cooking more this year and learning new recipes, I'll to post at least one recipe a week which I'm going to prepare during the weekend. This week's recipe is Seitan Scaloppine with lemon-olive sauce found here, with some of my own changes. I tried this dish at Blossom last summer and it was one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. I would serve it with mashed potatoes and kale, just like they do at Blossom. So I'm going to try to re-create it at home. Wish me luck!

Photo source

Seitan Scallopini with Capers and Lemon

2 seitan cutlets, about 8 ounces

salt and pepper

cooking oil (I use coconut oil)

2 tablespoons flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

(mushrooms, optional)

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1 tablespoon earth balance

chopped parsley, fresh thyme, salt and pepper to taste

Salt and pepper the cutlets. Dredge cutlets in flour. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pan fry the cutlets turning as they turn golden, about 3 -5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Add more oil to the skillet. Add garlic (and mushrooms). Stir and cook until the mushrooms are just starting to cook, about 2 minutes, reducing heat if needed so garlic doesn't burn. Add broth to deglaze the skillet, scraping the browned bits off the bottom. Cook until broth is reduced to about 1/2. Stir in lemon juice, capers, margarine and thyme. Adjust seasonings and serve over mashed potatoes and sauteed kale, garnishing with parsley.

My phone has terrible camera... Time to upgrade.

There's also a Finnish holiday coming up this week and that requires some traditional baking. I will post the recipe later this week, veganized. So excited to have clear plans what to cook and bake this week. Yay! It's the small things in life that make me happy!

ORGANIC HAIR PRODUCTS

2012-01-29T12:27:00.000-06:00

So what does a woman do when she has one hour lunch break? Goes to the nearest pharmacy and spend the entire hour in their new and improved beauty section and starts shopping. You might wonder why that Odwalla Superfood drink is in the picture and no, I didn't use it for my hair. It was the only thing I had time to eat/drink during my break after getting caught up in the world of natural beauty products.

Anyways, I did some nice findings from Jonathan, Giovanni Organic Hair Care and Lacoupe Orgnx. Jonathan, which is completely new product for me, had two interesting products I had to try; thickening foam (I have very fine Scandinavian hair that always needs extra boost) and dry shampoo (washing my hair is a drag). Jonathan Products are Free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, synthetic dyes and 100% vegan.

Lacoupe Orgnx had this lovely scented leave-in conditioner thats just so easy to use for lazy people like myself. Just spray it on and keep doing your thing.
Giovanni Organic Hair Care's Brazenly Brunette color defense conditioner keeps the brown in my hair brown and really great product for ombre colored hair because it keeps breaking the line between the blond and brunette. Which is now more like light brown and medium brown after dying it darker last week.

Hope you are all enjoying the last day of the weekend! Wish it could go on for just a little longer...

HEALTHY SNACKS

2012-01-25T06:28:00.000-06:00

I'm a big snacker and I've come a long way from being addicted to candy to choosing healthier snacks, like these gluten-free brown rice-tamari-seaweed crackers. Just a little peanut butter, hummus and vegetables of your choice (tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, pickles).

When I crave for something sweet (like candy) I get a pomegranate. Way better than any candy! Another yummy sweet snack idea: grapes stored in the freezer. Pop individually for sweet cravings and be guilt free.

WEEKEND

2012-01-22T15:35:00.003-06:00

This weekend we've been staying warm inside the house avoiding the first real snow of the season and coldness. I'm not a winter person at all and dream every day that I could move somewhere warm soon (California, here we come!). The cats feel the same way. They tend to spend most time in our loft space on the top floor of our townhouse because all the heat rises up there. We use the area for storage, but I'm about to make it my nice and toasty office. Seems that all the heat escapes there.

On Saturday we also celebrated Miina's 6th birthday. We got her few special mice and treats from our local little pet shop down the street. She was my first cat ever and I remember how tiny and fragile she felt when I held her the first time. She was a lap cat from day one. And a talker. Or at least after she stopped being afraid and came out from under the bed...

In other news; I'm a bit home sick and really wish we could figure out a way to live so that we could spend summers in Finland. Have more freedom. Mobility. Travel. Experience the world. Life is short, you know. I leave you with these thoughts and hope you'll have a purposeful week that's filled with joy and genius ideas.

"Instead of complaining that the rose bush is full of thorns, be happy the thorn bush has roses." ~Proverb

MY WEEK IN PHONE SHOTS

2012-01-20T08:51:00.000-06:00

My traditional Sunday breakfast; banana pancakes with blueberry jam. Homemade pina coladas from the scratch; fresh pineapple, banana, lemon and some rum.

Traditional Saturday lunch at our favorite Korean restaurant. Hanging out at my sister-in-law's with her million kids. Ok, some of those are her friend's kids... Enjoying Pina Coladas in front of the fireplace. So exotic. Chilling with Miina in bed.

Great Thai food straight from the Thai Elephant Truck on my way home. I don't have time to cook. Except on the weekends. But then I'm allowed to be lazy. I enjoyed lunch outdoors. How crazy is that. It's January and I was not even cold. And I get cold very easily. Had wonderful dinner home made dinner at my friend's gorgeous loft in Chelsea. She is a fan of Finnish design. Stayed in a hotel in Manhattan on Sunday night. Just because. I'm so not a fan of sleeping out. Love my bed and my home

Bella Life Online Magazine's "Colorful Conversations" event with reiki healings and healthy snacks at Olivia's rooftop party room. Ever so gorgeous Nitika Chopra hosted the event. Photo source.

Have a beautiful weekend!

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

CHECKING IN

2012-01-19T06:24:00.000-06:00

Yes, we still have the tree up. It's going to be there at least until next weekend. It brings a feel of festivity to the house. It's been a busy week again and I cannot wait for the weekend. There may or may not be a house party with some cool chicks as well as really re-organizing my goals for the year. You know, making meal plans (resolution to cook at least two meals a week) and scheduling yoga classes. I've started the year off very loosely... Not good.

When I get a moment this week I will let you know about my new skin care routine that's totally natural and 100% toxic free. I will try it at least for a month and see the effects on my skin. It's the cheapest thing ever and you know I'm all about saving money.

Have a beautiful Thursday! It's the day for hope.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." -Maya Angelou

THRIFT SHOPPING IN WILLIAMSBURG

2012-01-16T08:28:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we decided to venture out somewhere not so familiar and leave the island of Manhattan behind. Just a few subway stops away, right across the East River, there's a hipsterville, also known Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It houses many old industrial warehouses that have been turned in to eclectic stores, cafes and restaurants.

We started our day with a lunch at Wild Ginger that serves vegan Pan-Asian food. Delicious. See all that food on my plate? That was Malaysian curry stew and very reasonably priced under ten bucks. And that big glass of ginger ale made with real ginger. So refreshing.

With our bellies full and happy we started walking around and searching for treasures. Beacon's Closet opened in 1997 and now has three stores, two in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan. I found some pretty awesome, unworn looking shoes here for $13. I will introduce you to them later on, but I can tell you they have wild pattern...

Artists and Fleas is a weekends only artist, designer and flea market where over 60 independent artists, designers, stylists, vintage collectors and food makers come out to play, shop and sell. Lots of unique jewelry and clothing.

After we had enough retail therapy it was time for a rewarding cup of something warm. The Surf Bar invited us in with the offer of hot glogg. How amazing! It was pretty cold day so that was just the perfect end to it.

Photos 2,5,6,9,11 by Saara

"Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way." Martin Luther King Jr.

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

MACROBIOTIC FOODS AT SOUEN

2012-01-12T06:30:00.000-06:00

Souen is slowly becoming one of my favorite restaurants. I had dinner here with my mentor again before our Vortex healing session in the West Village. I felt a little nauseous from coffee I had earlier in the day, so I asked for something refreshing with ginger and got this delicious ginger ale made of fresh ginger. What a huge difference compared to those artificially flavored ones.

For appetizer I had miso soup to stimulate digestion and warm me up. Miso is actually extremely beneficial food for your health (B-12 vitamin!!!), read more about it here. We also had some warm seaweed salad my mentor introduced me to, but I forgot now what it was called. Very good as well. For main course I had crispy tempeh (or was it seitan?) cutlets with brown rice and beetroot sauce. So frigging good!

"Macrobiotics is a means to live comfortably in harmony with nature. The basic idea of Macrobiotics is very simple.It is thought that by eating balanced foods such as grains and vegetables that are more local and in season, we can maintain good physical and spiritual health and live in harmony with nature. A typical Macrobiotic plate for our area will consist of a large portion of grains, beans, seaweed, vegetables and vegetable protein, such as tofu, seitan, beans and tempeh. Following the traditional Japanese food model of a simple and natural diet, macrobiotics dictates eating food in a natural way – unrefined and unprocessed. But what does unrefined and unprocessed mean? It means for example, eating whole foods such as vegetables together with their skins and stems. It means not eating husked, processed rice but whole grain brown rice. It means, we living people should eat from a living land – taking food in season, in its entirety." source

COLORFUL

2012-01-11T06:30:00.000-06:00

WE LOVE BEACON

2012-01-10T06:58:00.000-06:00

Yes, we love this restaurant and might never dine anywhere else again, but the food is just so darn good every time. We actually came here at the end of December last time, for happy hour after work to say cheers for the New Year ahead of time since we were spending NYE in different places. The above photos although are from mid December when I took my very dear friend for her birthday dinner. For appetizer the pumpkin apple soup with spiced spun sugar melting on top, for entree the heavenly fall vegetable risotto, we shared some delicious mashed potatoes (we both love mashed potatoes) and for dessert a huge huckleberry and pear crisp that we could only eat few spoonfuls, because oh boy, we were stuffed. They had to roll both of us out of there. Happy Hour this week again!

MEMORIES AND CIDER IN DOWNTOWN

2012-01-07T01:00:00.000-06:00

Even it's quite touristy at times, I still enjoy coming down to South Street area. When I first moved to NYC in 2004 I lived in the Lower East Side and would always take a walk down to South Street Seaport by the water on my days off from work. Wow, that was long time ago. Back then I didn't even think about staying here for more than four months. I lived in a crappy roach filled apartment in the housing projects of Delancey Street. My friend's friend had agreed to rent a room for me in his apartment as a favor for few months. I was happy I had roof over my head. And the rent was just $500/month. Those were very exciting times in my life. Didn't know much anybody in this city, did as much overtime I could at work and volunteered to work even my days off if needed, because the pay was so much better than what I was used to at $21/hour. My lifestyle was quite modest and I saved as much money as I could. I've always been great at saving money, minus the past four years. There were many dates though, with men I met through online dating sites. All good experiences, not one crazy person.

Same year I met the man I am lucky to call my husband today. We went to so many great dates, wonderful restaurants and saw each other very intensively for few months until it was my time to return back home to Finland and finish school. But we kept calling and emailing each other every single day and eventually I decided to spend my entire summer vacation with him back in New York. That was great summer, no work, just fun. And that summer convinced me to come and live here once I got my thesis done and graduated.

So this is what comes to my mind when I visit the places from my past that have now become my present. Thank you universe for guiding me this way.

Drinking cider outdoors in December (Smorgas Chef at Stone Street)

Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind,

Memories, sweetened through the ages just like wine,

Memories, memories, sweet memories…. (Elvis Presley)

NEW YEAR INTENTIONS FOR 2012

2012-01-02T08:05:00.000-06:00

Hot day at the car wash

Sooo... Out of the seven resolutions I had set for 2011 only one became reality (#2), and that really is terrible success rate. Therefore I need to find a way to follow through with what I really want to achieve. What is my goal? What makes me feel most alive, connected and successful? What do I want to experience?

Sunset at Brooklyn Bridge

I found this article on Selfgrowth.com that helps to stick with your resolutions by changing them into intentions. The article advices you to "imagine yourself having what you want. Use all your senses to create the imagery. What does it look like when you have it? What do you hear? How does it feel? Make the picture or impression as intense as you can. Add color, sound and movement until you get the feelings of already having it. With my amazing imagination (in good and in bad) I'm sure I can do this very easily. Now that you know what it feels like to have what you want, change your resolution to an intention."

Brunch in Harlem

Here's the difference between a resolution and intention; "Resolution refers to something you have to figure out, an action you take with firm determination. Sounds like hard work. That's not bad, but it isn't what you most need in order to get you what you want in the long run.

An intention is a purpose held in mind, a desired goal you want to experience. It's more than hope or a wish. It's a steadfast fixed idea. Just thinking about having, being or doing it gives you pleasure.There's innate power in intention."

Palisades Park overlooking George Washington Bridge

MY INTENTIONS FOR 2012
1. Explore and deepen my spirituality by spending time with the right people and attending more workshops, lectures and events

2. Cook gourmet vegan meal at least once a week (veganstoner.com to the rescue)

3. Read one book a month (making my list tomorrow)

4. Do Oprah's Lifeclass

5. Start doing yoga and 30 minute walk at least twice a week (weekends)

6. Get a business plan together (yes, I'm dreaming of starting my own business)

7. Do more creative things such as painting, writing, jewelry making, video shooting and editing (time to get some vlogs in this blog)
8. Spend quality time with my husband and my dear friends. Make time for them.

Best friends make life fun

What are your intensions for the New Year? How do you stick to them?

2011 IN REVIEW

2011-12-31T04:58:00.000-06:00

2011 was a good year. I think reviewing the past 12 months at the end of it will make me remember all the fun things that happened (lousy things are not worth remembering anyway), appreciate and realize that I got a pretty good life going on. Although the worst thing that happened in 2011 hit really hard and close, we are moving forward and my mom is cancer free now. She has adapted healthier eating habits (green smoothies every morning!) and watching out for the toxic chemicals in cosmetics. I have forbidden her from using the microwave and keep pushing healing foods and health articles her way. Just doing my part. :)

In January I had fun night with Aveda and Urban Girl Squad and made a connection to yet another like-minded Finnish girl in NYC. The same time we also celebrated very dear friend's birthday with some sushi, sake bombs and later in the evening few yucky green shots at Stonewall Inn.

February I attended my very first baby shower (!) for a very sweet little boy Preston. I was happy to be invited to his baptism as well in the summer that was held at the gorgeous St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue. In February I went to see the much anticipated "Purge" at La Mama Theatre and discovering yet another wonderful vegetarian restaurant, Angelika Kitchen.

March I hosted my very first giveaway that was inspired by the ever glowing Kimberly Snyder, attended many birthday parties (including my own) and spent a rainy weekend in Pennsylvania countryside. I love the peace and quiet of the country side. I wish we had a country cottage out there. Actually we probably would if I hadn't resisted my husband's wishes to get one few years back. Back then I wasn't feeling the need for it, but now I totally can. I would love to get away from people and traffic on the weekends.

In April I fell in love with raw vegan food from Pure Food and Wine, got my hair bleached blond by accident and visited Limelight Marketplace for the first time.

In May Mr. and I spent beautiful time in Negril, Jamaica in our own private beach house, I saw my beautiful and talented friend perform in a off-Broadway show and got my butt up and did wonderful yoga and meditation workshop "Get Your Flow on!" with Gabby Bernstein and Latham Thomas.

In June we celebrated another friend's birthday in Atlantic City with a fun group of party people. Haven't stayed up that late partying in years. Good to know I still got that soiree loving kid in me. June was also when I visited MoMa for the first time during the DocPoint festival and saw Reindeerspotting.

July we had some funfunfun times at Fire Island, spent a day in Sandy Hook, rented our house to a family that could really use all that space and moved in the heart of a cute town into a townhouse. But we're staying here only a year. Therefore we gotta start looking for new place soon.

In August my parents came to visit us and we took a trip to one of my favorite places; Sedona, Flagstaff and Grand Canyon, survived Irene, but missed our friend's wedding... and escaped to the lake in the middle of the week on a hot day with a friend.
In September there was Fashions Night Out and my first visit to the HighLine Park. I also became regular on Saturday mornings at our nearby (5 min walk) Farmer's Market,

In October I was interviewed by Crash Course City, spent wonderful, long vacation in Finland (oh boy did I need that) and was hugged by Mother Amma. Happy, happy, happy times.

In November we celebrated the grand opening of my friend's shabby chic hair salon, attended Spirit Junkie lecture to deepen my spirituality and then got my party mode on during Halloween in the Village gay bar. How fun!

December is the party month and we had few memorable celebrations, had fun with the Mr. in Philadelphia celebrating our 7th "first date anniversary" and had warm, cozy Xmas with the family here. And, December I also found a new job after being stuck at the old one for way too many years. Cheers to that!

Have a peaceful and joyous New Year! Thank you for being on this journey with me! Let's make 2012 be filled with even greater and happier memories and exciting adventures!
Love & Light,
K

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." ~Robert Brault

OH LOOK WHAT SANTA BROUGHT

2011-12-30T17:55:00.002-06:00

There's nothing I look forward to more than my little package from Finland. Mom knows exactly what I like. Simple and useful stuff, but something that I need. Such as colorful designer dish rags. Reindeer napkins. Licorice. Wool socks. Candle. Oh mommy. You are precious. Wish I could be back home in Finland next year this time.

My favorite holiday movie that I used to always watch as a kid was The Snowman. Still just as awesome. The music takes me way back to my childhood memories. "We're walking in the air. We're floating in the moonlit sky. The people far below are sleeping as we fly".

We used our fireplace for the first time in this new house and does it set the mood or what! Love it so much. I could sit there for hours and stare at the flames. Get some much needed thinking done.

It's almost New Year... And we have no plans. Let's see what we'll come up with. I was hoping for a spa retreat in Pennsylvania countryside, but that is very unlikely to happen. What's everyone doing for New Year's Eve? We need some ideas!

LIFE AS WE KNOW IT

2011-12-29T09:23:00.000-06:00

Just a short note to say hello to you. Hello! Long holiday weekend is over and I'm swamped with work again. The new job has gotten a bit easier and I don't feel so tense and stressed anymore which is something I've been looking forward to. Luckily there's another holiday weekend just around the corner (another four days off!!! Yiihaa!) and I will once again have more time for myself, friends and family. The ones that really matter in this life. My husband. My parents. My grandmother. My sister. My dearest friends. My mother-in-law. My sister-in-law. I like the above guidance for living the life the way you should. Let the universe guide you. I also like the sutras below from one of my Facebook friends Yogi Arwind. Say it like it is!

Take care and do good until we meet again,

MERRY, MERRY TIMES

2011-12-26T06:43:00.000-06:00

MORNING OF THE XMAS EVE

2011-12-24T12:41:00.000-06:00

We've been enjoying this stress-free morning hanging out, napping, watching The Snowman, eating some deliciously colorful beetroot soup and soon we'll head out to Ikea to get some glogg and other goodies because I've been extremely busy/lazy, working long hours and our oven still hasn't been fixed so no baking.

HOLIDAYS AT DYLAN'S CANDY BAR

2011-12-24T12:20:00.000-06:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2011

2011-12-23T06:41:00.000-06:00

It's great to be off for the holidays after all these years working in the hotel. Today we had an early-release as our office closed at 2.30pm and no work until Tuesday! Oh, corporate world, how happy am I... By the way, I haven't bought one gift yet and our e-cards just left my computer last night. Yeah, I'm not very good with this holiday stuff. I would like to try to transform our holidays from materialism to a meaningful, loving time to spend with our family and friends. One gift each. That's it. And tons of great food.

Have a beautiful Christmas, Xmas or whatever it is you celebrate!

PHILADELPHIA MAGIC GARDENS

2011-12-22T18:48:00.000-06:00

SOFITEL PHILADELPHIA

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

Perfect place to stay! Our new favorite!

STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA

2011-12-21T08:42:00.000-06:00

DINNER IN PHILLY

2011-12-20T06:35:00.000-06:00

We are huge fans of Korean food so no surprise, we chose Korean restaurant for dinner. And a very good one it was. Miga is good size, pretty, has nice atmosphere, strong lychee martinis, spicy enough food and great service.

After dinner we took freezing walk around town and back to our hotel. Philadelphia is so beautiful, quiet, but still happening. Small streets, murals, old buildings, historical, diverse, not as crowded as New York City. In many ways the perfect place to be.

Philly, we love you and be back very soon!

BRUNCH IN PHILADELPHIA

2011-12-19T06:49:00.000-06:00

It's already a tradition for us that whenever in Philly we have to go for brunch at Jones' Restaurant. I had their delicious ALT (avocado-lettuce-tomato) sandwich that got nice flavor from aioli and was served on a very tasty bread with tons of seeds (which I love). I also got a mimosa. Well ok, three of them in different flavors. Come on, don't judge me. Sunday mornings are for celebration!

HOLIDAY HOUSE

2011-12-18T12:07:00.001-06:00

We had fun weekend. Nothing special, just catching up with things, some housework and then my sister-in-law's son's (what would be the short way to say this?) 8th birthday party in the evening. She had prepared some delicious caramel-apple cider spiked with caramel vodka. I had few of those during the night...

Temperatures are finally dropping in this part of the country, but luckily we've been getting plenty of beautiful sunshine and today is no exception. I might take a walk to town and see what's going on, there's also free community yoga class at one of our yoga studios I might attend and then I should start thinking about gifts. I've done zero shopping so far. I know what I'm getting for my husband, but that's pretty much it. It will most probably be just gift cards. No stress.

We haven't even taken our holiday card photos yet which means that they need to be sent electronically. Again. As you might notice, I'm not too crazy about this time of the year. Too much unnecessary spending. My only gift request for myself is a ring. I lost my wedding ring while ago (I'm pretty sure a ghost at my hotel stole it), so I would like that to be replaced. That's it. I do not want any more stuff or clothes. I have plenty. And more. This photo makes me rethink the way we live. What is really important and what's unnecessary.

A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes. -Mohandas Gandhi

PHILADELPHIA CHUTNEY COMPANY

2011-12-17T13:10:00.000-06:00

Back to Philly stories. Right down the street from our hotel was the Philadelphia Chutney Company that I found using the Happy Cow app on my phone. We arrived to Philly around 4pm and just wanted something small to eat before dinner that was scheduled for 8pm. So I ran out and got us light, crispy sour-dough crepes made from rice also known as dosas. On top of being 100% vegetarian (vegan by request), Philadelphia Chutney Company's food is organically sourced and low fat. I got the traditional masala dosa (spicy potato filling) and for the carnivore hubby of mine I got the potato masala with grilled veggie chicken and spinach. They both came with a choice of fresh chutney and I picked cilantro and mango. So yummy. Stop by if you're in Philly!

PARTIES

2011-12-16T23:46:00.000-06:00

It has been a crazy week for me. I started a new job which feels very overwhelming because of the amount of new information that I'm trying to absorb as soon as possible. I also had three parties this week that kept me up little too late at night... And then I took my birthday girl out for another birthday dinner tonight at one of our favorite restaurant. Therefore I'm extremely sleep deprived and will sleep veeeery late tomorrow. Yup, don't try to wake me up. I'm so happy the weekend is here! Enjoy it!

SWAMPED

2011-12-13T20:47:00.001-06:00

Thank you all for your lovely comments! Our trip to Philly was wonderful and we got to spend nice sweet quality time together, eat some wonderful foods and explore the town. I've been swamped since I started at my new job on Monday (gosh I hate the first days when you know nothing about anything...), but just wanted to say quick hi to you all.

SATURDAY GAMES

2011-12-10T11:25:00.000-06:00

Tunic: Anthropologie, Shoes: Strawberry

We're about to hit the road to go visit one of our favorite cities on the East Coast; the City of Brotherly Love, for some fun and games. We haven't taken trips together since Jamaica in the spring so it's about time. I already have a long list of things I need to experience during this trip such as the Blackbird Pizzeria for some vegan pizza and Philly Cheesesteaks, Govinda's, Christmas Village, Magic Gardens, Jones' Diner and the list goes on... There's beautiful sunshine out so I'll make sure to take tons of beautiful photos.

Bracelet: Lucky Brand, Ring and Earrings: Kalevala Jewelry

Get out and play!

VACATION WELL SPENT

2011-12-08T13:07:00.000-06:00

I have one week off between jobs (for those that didn't know yet, I found a new job!) and was dreaming about a vacation somewhere in the sun, but unfortunately hubby has the busiest time of the year at work right now, so he was unable to get time off this week. So here I am, home with the cats again. Not that I'm complaining. I'm keeping myself busy with other things such as hot yoga (still get dizzy), decorating the house for the holidays (we just put the tree up yesterday), listening to GabbyTV (www.gabbyb.tv), went to Vortex healing circle with my mentor and today attending a private event at Nygard Fashion in Times Square. I hope that tomorrow we'll be able to take the plane or the car and go somewhere far for a long weekend. That shall remain to be seen. In the meanwhile I keep bombing husband with the text messages about where we should go. I WILL get what I want.

HOLIDAY SHOPS AT BRYANT PARK

2011-12-07T05:14:00.000-06:00

Last year I visited the Union Square Holiday Market and this year it was time for the Holiday Shops at Bryant Park. So many wonderful unique gifts that I'll probably ditch the malls and department stores completely this year. Rather support the small businesses.

Didn't go ice-skating yet, maybe next time. Have to find the quiet time of the day and then do it. I don't want to kill anyone... Kill them with my skills, if you know what I mean. My parents took me to figure skating classes when I was very young, so i believe there's still some talent left to show. :)

Between shopping you can have a drink, or a meal, at the beautiful Celsius Lounge overlooking the entire park.

Another great spot to sit down and relax is the Southwest Porch that's also equipped with heat lamps and serves hot cider (also spiked). I visited this place in the summer time few years ago here.

And there's a firepit! What a wonderful place to get in the holiday mood for real forreal.

HAPPY 94TH INDEPENDENCE DAY FINLAND

2011-12-06T18:54:00.001-06:00

Just a quick Independence Day posting here. I watched the entire Independence Day reception at the presidential castle which is very long and quite boring, but since I haven't seen it in years I was happy to do so. I would've baked a cake too and cooked some Karelian Stew to celebrate, but our oven is broken so I didn't really have to get my butt off the couch at all today. But more seriously, I appreciate what our soldiers did for us to win our freedom. My grandfather was one of those soldiers and as kids we always had fun hanging out at his place eating caramel pop corn and listening him singing war songs about Russians after a few shots of cognac. Rest in Peace vaari. XOXO

Handsome couple Jani Toivola and his life partner after shaking hands with the president at the reception

Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. ~Dwight D. Eisenhower

WINTER WONDERLAND AT CELSIUS LOUNGE

2011-12-05T15:13:00.000-06:00

Last week we attended John Frieda Styling Tools by Conair event at Celsius Lounge at Bryant Park. The event was held at the outdoor terrace (yes, there were heat lamps) overlooking the ice skating rink decorated with beautiful purple flowers and comfy white couches. We were served some pop corn and hot beverages. Wish they had spiked hot cider... And then we got our locks curled by the cutest stylists. I also heard that Celsius serves delicious veggie chili that I must try this winter, so no doubt, I'll definitely be back.

Getting my hair styled by the lovely Naoko Suzuki of Warren Tricomi Plaza Hotel

MY COLD FIGHTING CONCOCTION

2011-12-03T05:27:00.000-06:00

Mr. was struck with cold during the holidays (thank goodness it wasn't as bad as last year) and asked me to brew some green tea for him. Knowing me, I decided to add a few extra ingredients to make it even more effective. I boiled some filtered water and once taken off the stove I added few bags of organic green tea, mango-passion fruit herbal tea for flavor and two bags of Yerba Mate for natural caffeine kick and let them brew for about 5 minutes under the cover so it won't cool off too quickly. Once not boiling hot anymore (hot water kills the beneficial vitamins and nutrients) I added some honey and fresh, finely cut ginger root and let it sit for another 5 minutes or so. Voila!

For lunch; delicious tacos with faux-chicken strips flavored with taco spices.

It's been one busy week at work, but we're being rewarded with a three day weekend. Thank you Martin Luther King. "Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter."

Respect.

PHONE SHOTS OF MY WEEK

2011-12-02T12:53:00.000-06:00

This week has been wonderful. I was finally offered a corporate job with a fast growing, innovative company and I'm beyond excited to start! No more weekends, holidays or evenings at work! I'm staying in Midtown unfortunately, just 4 blocks away from my old job, but it's still new to me and I can't wait to start exploring my new streets and the restaurants on them. And of course I will stop by my old job as well to look for lunch companions and to say hi! So, it is time of celebration. I still have one more day left at the old place and as you can see from the top left photo, I'm taking it really easy. It's celebratory times at home as well and hubby replenished the bar at home with some Finlandia. As you can see, our bar includes also the old Finnish favorite; licuorice licueur vodka. Great for shots! Another fun thing I did this week was to walk the Brooklyn Bridge and had lunch outdoors at Stone Street's Smorgas Chef.

Now I finally have reason to splurge on some really nice fitted blazers for the new job. I found few great ones, but the only problem is that I need something with more elasticity because I like to stretch a lot throughout the day... So I keep searching. Kimchi Taco Truck was being nice this week and parked one block away from my job and I had wonderful lunch from them; tofu-edamame-falafel-kimchi tacos. Yummy! And what's better than hot (spiked) cider under the stars (and heat lamps) at Bryant Park. Holiday season is here!

Have a wonderful weekend sweethearts!

HAUTE AIR GRAND OPENING

2011-11-29T06:31:00.000-06:00

Fabulous friend of mine, Gigi (pictured above serving macaroons in the streets of Soho), opened up her gorgeous shabby chic blow dry salon, Haute Air, in Soho last summer. I attended the Grand Opening Party that included delicious macaroons, beautiful ladies, hipsters, photobooth, hot dog stand and a whole lotta dancing. What a great party!

AUTUMN STREETS

2011-11-25T09:53:00.000-06:00

I didn't celebrate Thanksgiving although I did write down my gratitude list already earlier this week inspired by Gabby Bernstein. To mention few things from the list, it included my husband and my two beautiful healthy kids (yes, the cats), my mother's remission from cancer, my dad starting to do ashtanga yoga (!), all the wonderful new and old friends I have in my life and finally getting a job offer!

Have a beautiful weekend!

PHONE SHOTS OF MY WEEK

2011-11-24T05:14:00.000-06:00

It's been a fun week and many exciting things are happening in my life right now. New friends, new opportunities and challenges and the never-ending learning. I've been manifesting the entire week for something I really want, done my morning and evening meditations with Gabby's guided meditations I downloaded for free from iTunes, and tried to share universal love to all beings that cross my path. Not so easy in NYC... But I'm doing the work and I'm already seeing the results. So it really works.

In other news, the entire US celebrates Thanksgiving tomorrow and I've continued my newly started holiday tradition by adopting two turkeys this year for Farm Animal Sanctuary, Peyton and Amelinda. I'm working on Thanksgiving and don't mind it because I have no emotional ties to this holiday. I also strongly suggest you read this great article by Joshua Katcher about the truth in Thanksgiving. Especially the second video really made me feel sick. So how about we all just have some bean soup and share gratitude with our loved ones instead of stuffing ourselves with not so natural stuff, ey? Check out this vegetarian Thanksgiving menu here and get cooking.

"The abuse of 40 billion farm animals worldwide per year is the worst karmic disaster humankind has ever promoted". Russell Simmons

OUTFIT OF THE DAY

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

After all this spirituality talk I'm going to balance it out a bit here in the blog world and give you one of the rarely seen "outfit of the day"postings. I don't consider myself fashionable nor do I follow or care about trends, therefore you will probably never see another blog post titled this way. Just felt like we had to come down a little to the materialistic world. Oh, and enjoy the beautiful sight of our locker room at work!

These "boxing shoes" are at least 10 years old. I've hardly ever worn them therefore they're still in great shape and extremely comfortable. But not very warm so once weather gets a little more colder they have to go and wait for the spring. I think I got them from Ellos...

Have a wonderful week!

SPIRIT JUNKIE 11-11-11 LECTURE

2011-11-18T13:18:00.000-06:00

Gabrielle Bernstein is the new kind of role model for young women that are looking to add something more to their lives than that new Gucci purse or colorful cocktails with the girls (although we still do love to relax and chic chat with our girlfriends over a glass of wine after work). She is the next generation guru, motivational speaker, life coach and author of two books; Add More ~ing to Your Life- a Hip Guide to Happiness and the Spirit Junkie, a Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles. My second blog post ever in 2008 was about Gabrielle as well, take a look here.

I've been to few Gabrielle's lectures in the past years and have her meditations and lectures in my iPod so I can listen to them when I'm on the train, walking, waking up, going to sleep and so on. Instead of watching TV before bed, I want to fill my mind with positive thoughts. Because the power of mind is so powerful. And I'm slowly starting to realize it.

Spirit Junkie is a story of how Gabrielle has transformed her life and she is offering her spiritual journey as a guidebook for overcoming fear, changing perceptions, and creating a life you’re psyched to wake up for. She has traded self-doubt and addiction for a new kind of high. Choose love over fear.

The Spirit Junkie lecture was held at ABC Carpet & Home's Deepak HomeBase, a space that was just perfect for an intimate gathering for 200 people... :)

Spirit Junkie Power Panel. Photos by Arielle of Be Well With Arielle.

Spirit Junkie lecture included a Power Panel that included Marie Forleo, Tara Stiles, Latham Thomas, Josh Pais, and the Astro Twins. The entire lecture is available for viewing at herfuture.com. To sum up shortly what I got from this lecture was to stop letting my ego control my mind and causing me to doubt myself and fear that I'm not good enough to get that job, be with this man, have real friends or get whatever happiness there is in this world to get. This fear is just an illusion, not even real. I can get that job if I focus and want it bad enough, release this desire to the universe and let her (the universe) do her thing. I no longer push things to get done. My inner guidance and the universe will guide me to the right direction once I let it.

So far I've gotten everything I ever wanted in life so I'm grateful for that. But as you know, there's this one thing that has made me miserable for few years now that I've been stuck in it; my job. I just checked my emails and January 2008 I had my first interview after I felt I didn't want to work in this place anymore. That was four years ago. I recently asked Gabby about my situation and if she had any advice for me. Of course she did. She suggested me to be super clear about what I want, and after I've clarified that I must clear out any fear that blocks me from believing. I'm working on this and I'm happy to say that I feel things are shifting finally and I feel positive that I won't be in this situation much longer. I know the universe has my back.

Gorgeous Gabrielle. Photo by Arielle of Be Well With Arielle.

"The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the most of everything that comes their way."

NOW READING

2011-11-17T05:30:00.000-06:00

My book of the month; Spirit Junkie by Gabrielle Bernstein. Miina approves.

Last week I attended two wonderful events. The first one being "Coming into Unity" celebration at the Alignment Center in NYC where we did lot of meditation, crystal activation, energy-, sound- and shamanic healing and a lecture about shifting of the consciousness. Deep stuff all right. I enjoyed it extremely. My spiritual mentor brought me there with him so big thanks to him for leading me in the right path.

Stargate Activation at Alignment Center

The next day I was lucky to get a ticket to ABC Carpet and Home's Deepak HomeBase where always so lovely spiritual rockstar Gabrielle Bernstein had her "Spirit Junkie" lecture. I will share you the details later this week. In the meanwhile you can purchase the book here and get to know Gabrielle here.
Later lovelies!

ABC CARPET AND HOME

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

Last week I attended a lecture in this elaborate home furnishing and decoration empire north of Union Square Park. I came here once before looking for a birthday gift for my sister-in-law and this is the place to search for inspiration at any home decorating stage. Just browsing around for an hour gets you very inspired and ready to rock your project.

Of course this time of the year they already had all the holiday stuff out and this huge space looked quite inviting. Since I've forbid myself from buying more things I just ended up looking around and day dreaming.

My personal favorite department at ABC is the Tibet Arts & Crafts that transports you somewhere in Asia to adore all the beautiful antiques, jewelry, clothing, fabrics, incense, statues and wall art. Prices are quite steep here as well, so I just look and get inspired...

ABC Carpet and Home is also home for the ABC Kitchen that serves local organic environmentally conscious food with chef Jean Georges Vongerichten. I've never eaten here, but looked at the menu few times and it sounds wonderful. Definitely in my near future plans. Above the restaurant is the Deepak HomeBase where the lecture was held. World-renowned authority in the field of mind-body healing and best-selling author Deepak Chopra actually host a whole array of interesting events here. Take a look at the program here.

I will fill you in on the details of the lecture later this week. In the meanwhile, stay inspired!

I LOVE DAYS OFF

2011-11-14T04:58:00.000-06:00

Apple pie before oven

When I start waking up really late it means my jetlag is over, and no more easy early mornings. But I was in a really good mood and decided to start baking after checking I actually had all the ingredients I needed. My mom made few apple pies while I was in Finland and this one was sooo good. It's more like apple cake, which is what my husband called it. I replaced all white flours with coconut flour and whole wheat flour (half and half) and used brown sugar and palm sugar instead of white sugar. Palm sugar gives it a nice butterscotchy flavor.To make it vegan I used this egg replacer and instead of cow milk I used almond milk. This way it's a little bit healthier than normally.

Little My mug and Pentik's Saaga spoon

While waiting for the pie to bake I enjoyed some white tea from yet another Moomin mug. Pikku Myy (Little My) is one of my favorite characters of the Moomins and I used to wear my hair like that because of her. She was such a tough little lady. Oh Little My. If I have kids one day they'll be watching nothing but the Moomins on TV (this user on Youtube has many full length episodes in English). And of course we'll visit the Moomin Theme Park in Finland. Every summer. Yeah, we will.

As usual, while waiting for the pie, the cats took over my chair.

Pie came out delicious and very moist, it just crumbles too easily. More flour next time. This is my dessert plate from Marimekko. It's only for dessert. Too cute for anything else.

Route 66 Arizona back in the day on our wall.

Have a wonderful week!

THE GREATEST SPEECH EVER MADE

2011-11-12T09:02:00.000-06:00

I just came across this video this morning and it brought my emotions up. It represents my view of the world as I too feel very strongly that things are not the way they were intended to be and we're heading to the wrong direction in the global level. I've spent the past two days in very spiritual company learning things about me and finding my own spirituality and connecting with it and finding ways to strengthen it. I think we all need to step out of our self-centered selves and stop, breathe, be present, acknowledge and connect with what's around you and try to feel more united with the world.

"We all want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone and the earth is rich and can provide for everyone.The way of life can be free and beautiful.

But we have lost the way.Greed has poisoned men’s souls – has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in: machinery that gives abundance has left us in want.

Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little: More than machinery we need humanity; More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost."

Charlie Chaplin 1940

PHONE SHOTS OF MY WEEK

2011-11-11T12:06:00.001-06:00

This week went flying by. I felt like I was getting a cold, but managed to kill it at it's beginning stages with sea buckthorn powder from Finland. It's a miracle berry! So I'm completely over that. This past week I had dinner with my spiritual mentor at his favorite restaurant Souen which serves organic macrobiotic menu near Union Square. We tried few things, like warm hijiki seaweed salad and different types of maki rolls and tempeh croquettes served with delicious tofu-dill sauce and steamed vegetables. Everything was wonderful. Also had a lunch date with my two favorite blonds on Wednesday. The other one is traveling the world for living so we were lucky to find a moment that worked for all of us. Fall is still here and the trees look fabulous. I need to get out and take more colorful photos.

That was my week so far and I wish you a wonderful weekend!

PINK YOGINI

2011-11-08T04:52:00.000-06:00

I've always been huge bracelet collector and wearer and gone through phases from self-knotted friendship bracelets to too much bling bracelets to Erykah Badu type big cuff bracelets to my current favorite; yoga inspired beaded jewelry with inspirational charms such as Buddha's palm, om symbol, cats (of course), tree of life, Mother Amma and owls.

My other favorites for some time now have been big rings, latest being this "Pernio" ring from Kalevala Koru. My mom got it for me for an early xmas present when I was visiting home. Interesting fact is that Kalevala Jewelry is owned by 4000 Finnish women devoted to preserve our cultural heritage, and is one of the largest jewelry groups in Europe. Something to be proud of!

And then some kitty cuteness.

Have a wonderful week rockstars!

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama

EGYPT

2011-11-07T04:44:00.000-06:00

HALLOWEEN AT THE MONSTER BAR

2011-11-04T15:30:00.001-05:00

This Halloween we missed the parade completely because we had too much fun at the proudly gayly Monster Bar (est. 1970),in Sheridan Square West Village.

Strange place with so many fun guys we didn't want to leave the premises. Therefore we didn't see any of the parade even it was going on right around the corner from us. But that's ok because it was like the parade inside the bar but without the cops blocking your way and people elbowing you.

Meet my new best friend Pamela.

BE INSPIRED

2011-11-02T20:39:00.001-05:00

Trying to get inspired, because I'm still struggling getting my butt to yoga classes regularly. I got four studios within 5 minute walk from our house. It's not expensive. People there are always nice. I enjoy doing it. I feel great after class. Yoga makes me happy. I guess I am just so darn lazy...

P.S. Join our little community on Facebook.

PUMPKIN PICKING CANCELLED

2011-10-29T12:42:00.001-05:00

I should've checked the forecast yesterday, because I did not expect this to be the view from our window this morning. I expected crispy, sunny, beautiful fall day perfect for pumpkin picking. How wrong was I. Needless to say we are not going to the farm today, so no pumpkins this Halloween. I might still throw a little party though...

I turned on the heat for the first time in our new place and it seems to warm up the house nicely, minus the bathrooms. Gosh, I would love to find a place with heated bathroom floors. That's number 3 thing I miss the most from Finland. It's just so wonderfully comfortable to walk barefoot on a heated floor.

The kitties are also feeling cold and I find them snuggled up on each other more often than normally.

Today we'll all stay in, cook something good, I might even bake if I have all ingredients necessary, watch some movies, listen to some Soundhouse and enjoy the mood.

MADAME TUSSAUD'S NYC

2011-10-28T10:33:00.003-05:00

Since I haven't got any spare time in my hands this week I'll share some older photos from our Girl's Night Out few years ago. We all worked together at the time and got free passes from work to go check out Madame Tussaud's Wax Cabinet in Times Square so that we'll be able to sell it to our hotel guests. We got there quite late, maybe two hours before it closed so there was hardly any people. And oh my goodness, we had more fun than we could've imagined, took million pictures and even sang some Alicia Keys for Simon Cowell at the Idols stage (there is a video from that but that will NEVER be published...).

Jamming with Mick was fun as always.

Girl Power with the Spice Girls.

One Love. Have a funny weekend! I'm going to try to get the hubby to go pumpkin picking with me to our local farm so that we can have our traditional pumpkin carving partay. These are the beautiful, sunny days of fall.

P.S. Since everyone is on Facebook nowadays, Katz & I had to get there too. If you like us, then please Like us on Facebook too.

BACK IN THE USA

2011-10-26T05:40:00.000-05:00

My wonderful, beautiful, darling vacation in Finland is over and it was one of the best times I've had in a while. I met so many old friends I haven't seen for 10 years (!!!), spent quality time with my family and just enjoyed the slow life. It's going to take few days to get adjusted back to the busy lifestyle over here and I also got to tackle the job hunt again. Yesterday was first day back at work and it was not so much fun (as you can see from my face at the bottom right corner...).

But I'm happy to be back together with my husband and our furry babies. I missed them so.

LIFE IS SHORT. LIVE YOUR DREAM.

2011-10-21T12:29:00.000-05:00

I need to start living by this.

DON'T WORRY

2011-10-20T07:03:00.003-05:00

Source unknown but I love it. There's too much useless worrying in our lives. Stop it!

MOTHER AMMA IN FINLAND

2011-10-19T06:21:00.000-05:00

I've never been religious, but spiritual and like to learn about different religions and philosophies. While traveling in India I was definitely drawn to hinduism, but buddhism became my number one interest and I'm still very eager to learn more about it. But recently I was introduced to someone new; "The Hugging Saint" and Amma "Mother", is a spiritual leader and guru, who is revered as a saint by her followers. She is widely respected for her humanitarian activities all around the world and I had the honor to receive a hug from her when she was visiting Finland last weekend. This was my first time for the hug and I had no expectations about it. But something strange started happening when I was on line, about 5 feet from Amma, waiting for darshan. I felt sudden wave of warmness come to me and my emotions surfaced and I felt extremely happy and grateful. I never felt anything divine like this before. I was on high for sure. Next day I came back just to enjoy the atmosphere, meditate and I also attended the Devi Bhava, kirtan and puja. What an amazing experience.

I wore my rudraksha beads both days with Amma and finally got interested on their meaning and discovered that the brick-red coloured dried berry of the Rudraksha tree has played a dominant role on the Indian arena for a long time now. Rudra (terrible) aksha (eye), the name connotes the effect of the seed on evil and its concomitants. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva used a fire weapon called Aaghor to kill Tripura Sur, the troublesome demon. The weapon killed the demon, but temporarily blinded Shiva too, who had to shut his eyes to escape its dazzling brilliance. When Shiva opened his eyes, they were watery. Places on earth where the teardrops fell sprouted Rudraksha trees.

It is believed that Rudraksha cures many illnesses including those related to blood pressure and heart. Rudraksha's protective powers are known to be that powerful that it can actually protect the wearer from untimely death. Ancient sages maintained that Rudraksha provides peace and tranquility. Note: The effect of the Rudraksha is evident after forty days of wearing it!

And look what I found from my mom's closet to wear as my night gown. Fits the theme here so well! :) Om lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu. May the entire world be happy.

HOW I DID IT: SETTLING IN NEW YORK

2011-10-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

Why did you move to your new city?For love and work. After graduating from college in Finland I received an email from the company where I completed my final internship asking if I was interested in coming back and working for them.

I had hard time finding work in Finland AND I had met a guy in New York during my internship whom I'm happy to call my husband now. So there was no doubt about me coming back and starting to build my life here.

What do you like best about living in New York?Diversity. Good vibes. Excitement. Beauty. Ugliness. It's so rough around the edges. I love that whatever I want I can find it on this small island.

What was the easiest part of your relocation?The visa process, which I did entirely by myself without any help from anyone. I did lots of research online and asked questions from free online immigration lawyer websites and immigration boards.

What was the hardest part of your relocation?Leaving family and friends behind. It's comforting to know I will always have a place to go if I wanted to go back to Finland. My family also visits me usually once a year for few weeks and that's always great.

How would you describe your relocation experience?It went pretty smoothly. I didn't have to be away from my husband more than few weeks at a time during the process and I already had a job to come to, so no stress about that either. I was able to fit the most important ones of my worldly possessions in two suitcases and bring them here in one trip.

Take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise.

* * * *

Read the rest of the interview at Crash Course City, a guide planning your relocation to New York, Los Angeles or London.

ABC'S OF ME

2011-10-14T07:40:00.000-05:00

Age: Age ain't nutting but a number, therefore I am ageless :)

Bedsize: Queen that's starting to feel a bit small for two people and two growing cats.

Chores that you hate: All of them, but vacuuming, mopping and dusting just bores me out of my mind. I'm still contemplating hiring some nice little cleaning lady.

Dogs: I will forever miss my German Shepherd Sizzy. R.I.P. love.

Cats: Miina and Moses. My Siamese sweethearts complete our rainbow family.

Essential start to your day: Tongue scraper, warm water with lemon and my famous green smoothie.

Favorite color: Black. And different hues of orange.

Gold or Silver: Silver. Gold looks good on me only when I'm tanned.

Height: 5'-8"

Instruments you play: None well. Few songs with piano.

Job title: I HATE MY JOB.

Kids: None now. Some day maybe. Three is good number.

Mother's Name: Kristiina

Nicknames: Kat, Katz, K, KK, Special K, BabyKakes, Katupat (my husband made up that senseless tribal name and embarrases me frequently by yelling it out loud when were shopping and I drift away)

Overnight hospital stays: When I was born. I believe.

Pet peeves: when people say "I aksed him why". Dude, it ain't so hard to say. ASK.

Quote from a movie or tv show: "Totally... Totes McGotes!" (I love you man)

Right or Lefty: Righty tighty!

Siblings: Yesh I do. Younger. Sister.

Time you wake up: To go to work at 5.15am and hit the snooze button few times after that. When there's no work I naturally wake up around 9am.

Underwear: Comfort comes first.

Vegetable you hate: Okra (so slimy and nasty). And celery but slowly trying to make friends with it and already allow it in my smoothies. Still hate the taste though, but it's healthy so what am I to do.

What makes you run late: Hitting snooze button few too many times and then trying to have time to make and drink my morning smoothie.

X-Rays You've Had: Only at the dentist once every year (is it really necessary or is it just the way to get my money???)

Yummy food you make: Vegetarian only. Stews. Anything I can just throw in a pot and stick in the oven.

Zoo Animal: Zoos are depressing. There's no reason to keep animals in cages. Watch TV if you want to see them. So many great documentaries out there. I believe in animal liberation.

Now play along if you want and post your answers in comments or in your blog and have a wonderful weekend! Mine is going to be full of friends as well as some spirituality.

COUGAR PILLOW BOOTS

2011-10-11T13:03:00.001-05:00

Dress by Kensie Girl
My friends from Cougar Boots sent me these wonderful boots to test again. Previously I have tried and loved the Rain Boots as well as the Winter Boots which are both in heavy rotation. Amazing quality and comfort, not to forget about the style. Therefore I was beyond excited when the package arrived with their new limited edition Pillow Boots inside.

We have pretty harsh winters here in North East US with our snowstorms and suchs and our shoes should be designed to withstand these conditions. It just doesn't make sense to me to wear high heeled pumps in a foot of snow, although I see many women persistantly struggle with that in Manhattan every winter, and I laugh my evil laugh. The tan (with red fleece lining) Cougar Pillow Boot became a Canadian icon in 1976 and the new improved version has all the qualities of the original - waterproof and warm up to -24 celsius (11 fahrenheit). I prefer my toes to feel warm and comfy, but yet oh so stylish.

For more info check out www.pillowboot.com. You can find out where to buy them here.

Dear readers, please do me a favor and fill out this short survey to tell your thoughts on the Cougar Pillow Boot. For every completed survey Matchstick will donate $2 to the Red Cross.
Thank you and enjoy the beautiful autumn!

JUMPSUIT

2011-10-11T03:27:00.000-05:00

I have just earlier mentioned my love for ponchos because of how comfortable they are, but here comes another favorite; the jumpsuit. I actually wore it under the grey poncho so I doubled my comfort that day. This is few years old, I believe it's from Forever21 or Charlotte Russe and it's very light material and extremely stretchy and has great tight cut at the midsection and flowy otherwise.

Only minus, which is well known with jumpsuits, is going to the bathroom and having to strip down half naked in order to get your pants down. Just don't forget to lock the door. Also I notice now that I should've accessorize this outfit a bit better with some big, long statement necklace. Oh, well, next time. Have a beautiful day!

VISIT TO THE COUNTRYSIDE

2011-10-10T06:37:00.000-05:00

Sunny Sunday gave the perfect reason to get out and seek some (even more) peaceful places and views. We ended up driving about 19 miles south west, through the fields and farms, to get to this cute little farm store and cafe called Maatilapuoti (Farm Store).

They grow their own wheat, barley, rye and oat and you can buy it in the form of flour or hand made, preservative-free breads and pastries. There's also great selection of seasonal produce such as dried mushrooms, vegetables, jams, honey, old-time candies, arts and crafts. All products are individually produced by small producers from local raw materials. By the way, I have to apologize the quality of these cellphone photos. Not good. I'll keep my real camera with me from now on...

I wore a poncho over long sleeve and cardigan and was freezing my butt off. It's getting that cold that I just need to pack my ponchos away and start wearing actual coats. Same time I hear New York has been enjoying beautiful hot weather. What??!! But I still rather be here in Finland...

HOME SWEET HOME FAVORITES

2011-10-09T11:58:00.001-05:00

My room. I feel like a kid again. The pillow case with a cow was bought in India over 20 years ago from Mapusa market near Goa and is still in pretty good shape. I guess the seller wasn't lying when he said "Stockmann quality, Anttila price!". Ok, that's something only Finns might understand, but basically Stockmann is expensive department store in Finland that sells quality stuff and Anttila is a store that sells cheap stuff. The doggy in the bed has been with me for over 25 years and still doesn't have a name! All my other plush toys and dolls do, but not my sleeping buddy. Maybe that says something about me...

Hesburger veggie burger. They actually changed it this year and now it's falafel burger. Still so good. Got to have one every trip. Which means I enjoy one every year.

I can't even tell you how many Karelian pies I've had in this trip. I could eat them every day all the time. Best things ever. Served warm straight out the toaster oven. Yummy.

I didn't loose my good ways when I came for vacation, thanks to my mom. She as well starts her mornings with green smoothies. I know when it's time to wake up when I hear the blender going. Best way to wake up.

FINLAND, FINLAND, THE COUNTRY WHERE I WANT TO BE...

2011-10-06T08:02:00.000-05:00

Yes! I'm in Finland! I came here for vacation for three weeks and it feels great to spend long enough time here for once. My trips are normally barely one week long and that just doesn't leave enough time to relax, take it easy and do everything I want to do and meet everyone I want to meet.

The problem usually is that the US vacation times are pathetic. I still get only two weeks a year. Of course I then take unpaid vacation whenever I can, but never dared to ask consecutive three weeks. Sure it wasn't easy. I had to go back and forth and eventually to the upper management (General Manager) and finally got my vacation. My supervisor propably hates me now, but I couldn't care less. Family is more important.

Of course we had time to stop by Hullut Paivat (Crazy Days) at our fancier department store Stockmann for all the wonderful discounts and deals. But since I'm not allowed to buy more stuff (last move was madness) we bought only food, Karelian pies, 100% rye bread and many other delicacies that I'll introduce to you later on.

My mom keeps the yard always so nice and I just learned that they planted Sea Buckthorn bushes in their yard (not pictured)! I need to be here next August-September when the berries come out. Buckthorn is a superfood that has the biggest concentration of vitamin E than any other plant. Sea Buckthorn berries also contain tons of vitamins C, A and K as well as many B vitamins. Previously, it had been assumed that no plant contains a significant amount of vitamin B12, but recently it has been found that Sea Buckthorn not only contains all the B vitamins, its vitamin B12 content is as high as in liver. That's great news for vegans and vegetarians! Source

Also souvenir shopping is almost done. I love the Moomins!

BEESWAX CANDLES AND BUDDHAS. AND FISHTAIL BRAIDS.

2011-10-05T03:21:00.000-05:00

When we enter the fall time there's always candles burning in our house. Candles set the mood and makes us all cozy up bu the fireplace eating hearty stews and other comfort foods. Few weeks ago me and the Mr. went to visit the Bear Mountain Oktober Fest and after having some beers and waffles went for some shopping. There were many great local vendors that offered different kind of crafts such as jewelry, clothing,. Beeswax candles offer a honey scent, a golden flame, and the longest, cleanest burn of any candle. But there is much more benefit to beeswax candles compared to paraffin candles that are made from polluted petroleum sludge, or even vegetable-based candles that are a big improvement over paraffin: When beeswax candles burn, they clean the air like a great, natural, air purifier, and they are a link to a deep spiritual belief system.

To burn a beeswax candle is to enter into the wisdom world of the bee, and you enter, too, into a world of benefits from the bee. Compare this to breathing toxic fumes from paraffin candles! Air contains billions of electrically charged particles called ions. Ions act upon our capacity to absorb and utilize oxygen, and therefore cause powerful effects on our lives and well being. The ions in the air can affect our mood, energy and health. Negative ions actually feel good. Too many positive ions make us feel bad and they are loaded down with pollution and allergens that are drawn to them and suspended in the air. Negative ions, on the other hand, remove the pollution and allergens from positive ions, allowing them to drop harmlessly to the ground. Beeswax candle fuel is the only fuel that actually produces negative ions, which not only helps remove pollution from the air but increases the ratio of negative ions to positive ions, the ideal and necessary scenario for clean air. Source

From one subject to another. I love fishtail braids and know that it's very simple to do, but never took the time to learn it. A friend recommended this instructional video which is actually quite brilliant. Fishtail braid is easy! I knew it! Guess what's going to be my hairdo for this fall and winter? Yup, it's on.

Have a beautiful day!