Slow Motion

I went to the movies tonight. I can't help but float after I've seen a movie that somehow moves me, touches me, impresses me, inspires me. I can't help but to get lost inside my own worlds, various places my mind has created over the years, and feel like I'm in a world that's full of magic. 

Because I am. 

I feel like I have to write now. But at the same time I'm afraid of ruining the perfect images in my head if I were to write them down. The lack of confidence in myself is sometimes overwhelming, and something I have to learn to deal with. 

I'll write.  

Naked Truth

A Finnish blogger wrote about how it's ridiculous, the way people criticize each other nowadays. She then posted a picture of herself with no make up on, completely natural. A bold move in today's world, when what's on the outside seems to matter the most. 

Eräs suomalainen bloggaaja kirjoitti siitä, miten naurettavaa on se, kuinka ihmiset kritisoivat toisiaan nykyään. Hän postasi kuvan itsestään ilman mitään meikkiä, täysin luonnollisena. Rohkea veto nykymaailmassa, missä ulkonäöllä on se suurin merkitys. 

You will find her blog post/ löydät kyseisen postauksen

HERE!

It really is appalling how some people choose not to get to know somebody based on the way they look. They are missing out on possibly amazing friendships and other relationships for something as fading as appearances. Really, think about it. Think about your friends and family members. They are not all super models, they do not all have the perfect athletic bodies nor the set of white, straight teeth, shiny hair or sense of humor, but they're still there, in your life. True, one cannot choose their own family members, but abandoning them isn't the option either, when you love them. So why should other people be any different? 

On oikeasti järkyttävää, miten jotkut valitsee tuttavansa ulkonäön perusteella. Sillä tavalla voi missata monta mahdollisesti mahtavaa ystävyyssuhdetta, tai muita ihmissuhteita. Pelkän ulkonäön takia! Ajattelepa nyt kunnolla... ajattele omia perheenjäseniäsi ja ystäviäsi. Ei ne kaikki ole supermalleja, ei niillä kaikilla ole täydellistä, urheilullista kroppaa, tai suoria valkoisia hampaita, kiiltävää tukkaa tai huumorintajua. Mutta silti ne on osa sun elämää. Tottahan se on, ettei omaa perhettään voi valita, mutta ei niitä nyt hylätäkään, koska tietenkin omaa perhettään rakastaa. Miksi muut ihmiset ois mitenkään poikkeus?

This is me, without any make-up, and my hair's messy and not brushed after holding it up on a bun. Dark circles around my eyes, shiny skin after applying lotion. Eye-brows that need plugging. This picture has not been photo shopped at all, and it was taken with my iPhone. 

Tässä olen minä, ilman yhtään meikkiä, tukka sotkuisena ja harjaamattomana. Tummat silmänaluset, kiiltävä iho rasvaamisen jäljiltä, kulmakarvat, jotka kaipaavat nyppimistä. Tätä kuvaa ei ole käsitelty ollenkaan, ja se on otettu iPhonellani. 

I hope that reading the post linked above (and this one) will encourage all of you to look a little deeper. And ATTENTION TO ALL THE BLOGGERS OUT THERE! Here comes a challenge: Take a picture of yourself all natural, and post the Naked Truth! Let it spread!!!

Toivottavasti yllä linkitetty postaus (ja tämä) rohkaisee kaikkia katsomaan vähän syvemmälle. Ja HUOMIO KAIKKI BLOGGAAJAT! Tässä tulee haaste: Ota kuva itsestäsi täysin luonnollisen näköisenä, ja postaa Naked Truth! Annetaan tämän levitä!!!

Black Friday

To be honest, I was a little disappointed. I went to a mall downtown, and was expecting to have to elbow my way to the stores, but it was nothing like that. Sure, the mall was busy, but... you know. It was just busy. Not once did I have to stand in line or anything. I guess I should have gone to a Walmart, Target, Kohl's or something, to get the real Black Friday experience. But, due to my foot injury, I didn't want to go anywhere too far and walk more than necessary. 

I didn't spend too much time shopping, but still got myself something nice... :)

Royal blue gardigan from H&M, $15,00. This was on sale, original price $39,95. I love the color, and this is actually my first piece of clothing that is royal blue. Warm and comfy! :)

And the back of it is different material! I like this detail :)

Hello Kitty -hat from Forever 21, $9,80. Not on sale, but once I saw it, I knew it belonged to me! This is just so random and awesome, I had to get it! Absolutely in love with this hat! <3

Comb-in Hair Color from Fuego (at Pioneer Place), $3,80. This is something I'll try on tomorrow ;) 

In case you're not aware of it, but Oregonians put bacon in e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! Bacon gum balls from Fuego,  $4,94.  And these are not for me, btw :D

I'll be doing some more shopping tomorrow! Now I'm about to go and fix myself dinner from Thanksgiving left overs... Turkey wrapped up in -what else than- bacon. Oregon's so weird :) Maybe that's why I fit in so well. 

-i

Poor me!

I've been pretty busy! Working - had my last day yesterday! :'( -, seeing friends, getting rushed to the ER, you know, every-day stuff. Don't worry, I just had to get a wood chip outta my foot. I'll be a slow shopper in the Black Friday MADNESS tomorrow!! I might never get to experience it again so of course I wanna go, even though I'm limping, and I have to wear this hospital shoe on my right foot... But oh well, Portland's weird, I can wear whatever and still not stand out. 

I don't have any special shopping plans for tomorrow, but I might do a post about all my bargains if I find the time! :) Sorry I've been MIA for so long!

Have a wonderful Black Friday everybody, and try not to fall down in the crowd...

Last minute SHOPPING

It's time to burn the cash I have, for I only have 11 days left. 

Today's catch:

Shirt from Ross, $9,99. I love the lace in the back! 

Bag from Ross, $21,99. This fits a laptop and a bunch of other stuff, too. It'll come in handy when I fly out!! Notice the two pins on the top left :) They're both from Powell's book store, $1,50 each.

I sold my large print-edition of The Help to Powell's and purchased this regular print edition. $10,95 minus store credit $6,00 for selling books! This is seriously one of the greatest books ever written. 

That was all the shopping today... gotta save my bucks for sales ;) looking forward to Black Friday!!

Today at work we had a Woodstock-theme, so we got to dress up as hippies. That was so much fun!

Yup, that theme was right up on my alley... 

Love, peace and chicken grease my friends! <3 Hahahaha!

PDX-VA-PDX

Wow... November has been slow when it comes to blogging! Sorry! Oh my goodness... Where to start? 

Well, this past weekend I got to spend in Virginia, one of my favorite places on Earth, with my wonderful friends and their families. I flew to D.C on Friday and back to PDX on Monday. I had a blast! I got to see pretty much everyone I wanted to see (except for a couple of friends who didn't live close by) and we were busy doing stuff the entire weekend! Wine tasting, hiking... I wish I could still be there :) But I'm loving Portland, and going to enjoy my remaining two weeks. 

Beautiful VA <3

Thank you all in VA!!! I'll miss you! 

Keeping it real, weird and weirder.

I believe I'm not the only one who thinks it's so friggin' unfair how time flies when you're having a good time.

I have only 3 more weeks left until I have to return to Finland. 

My time here in Portland has been amazing. I've got a ton of new friends, new experiences, new perspectives, new memories... I believed from the very beginning this would be an experience of a life time, but never did I think this whole thing would have such a huge effect on me. I knew I would come back to Finland so much richer than what I was when I left, but there's something I didn't expect.

I didn't expect to find myself in Portland. 

In Portland you can be whatever and whoever you want to be, and no one will say s**t about it. Be a hipster, be a hippie, be a nerd, a jerk, an artist, weirdo... You'll fit in. You have to be very, very strange to stand out here, and it's only uncool if you try too much to be something you're truly not.

To Thine Own Self Be True. 

I will be facing a big challenge in Finland. Trying to maintain my personality the way it really is, and not falling back into my old ways, when I was the quiet one in the crowd, afraid of big changes and afraid to stand out too much. That's NOT ME! If you ever see me starting to follow my old patterns, feel free to give me a good ol' slap in the face. 

"People are gonna tell you who you are your whole life. You just gotta punch back and say: 'No, this is who I am'. You want people looking at you differently, make them." 

- A quote from "Once Upon A Time".

I want to be me from now on. 

Keeping Portland Weird while I'm here,

-i

<3

Suddenly the bridge was there and... we crossed it.

Today we continued our road trip and headed further south, through the Redwoods!

Pictures don't do justice, you gotta see these yourself!!

And then... one of my dreams came true and I finally got to visit a city I've alwaysalwaysalways wanted to visit. It's ridiculous how many times I've had actual dreams about it... 

San Francisco, I made it!

Baker Beach