Monday, June 18, 2012

The Day of Princesses (and one Prince...)



Sweet Kaisla Kerttuli

Lovely Pirjo and Cute Adelma








Paju Helmiina with big sister Kaisla in their own little house!









On one shiny spring day I visited the city of Oulu, which is kind of my home city. Through years I have kept contact with some good friends there. Most of them have families and big houses nowadays... Buying an own big house is more affordable in nothern parts of Finland than in Helsinki metropolitan area. It is easier to have your own castle and kingdom or queendom, how ever you like!

One Lovely Lady there is Pirjo, who is a good highschool friend of mine. When growing to adulthoodness we spent some great time together with the company of her then boyfriend Janne. Now Janne is the father of their three children and they live in a very pretty house quite near the center. I am also honoured to be the godmother of one of their little princesses; Paju Helmiina, a two years old. The other girls' names are as adorable as her: Kaisla Kerttuli is the oldest of them, she is 9 years old and the youngest, Adelma Ottiilia, was just born in January of this year. The day was quaranteed to be full of joy and happiness!

Welcoming me was the eldest princess, Sweet Kaisla, who had just got her ears pierced for beautiful jewellery she is keen to. She was dressed in a pink princess gown so I would not be less than utterly impressed! She turned out to be an excellent model for my photographs posing routinely in many different angles. The middle princess, my god daughter Perky Paju, was still taking her beauty nap of the day. She was expected to appear soon. The youngest princess, Cute Adelma, was a new acquiantance for me. I was ever so much pleased to meet her!

On the fine tea table which Lovely Pirjo had set were lots of delicious goods and sweets to be enjoyed with elegant tea, which was organic sencha green tea with zests of mandarin and pineapple, pedals of marigold and cinnamon. Princess Sweet Kaisla had already tasted some of it without us others noticing. She asked; 'What is this luscious grass? It tastes so good!' Her mother Pirjo warmly taught her how this drink of noble should be savored. 'Oh, said Sweet Kaisla, could I also have it?'. 'Could we also listen to the music of Princesses'?

This empire is reigned aswell by one prince, Prince Merry Janne, who happily takes care what is going around and about in this castle. He is a very musically talented fellow with a great timbre in his voice and he plays skilfully guitar, now more-or-less solemnly in his kingdom.

Finally, the waited princess Perky Paju woke up and it was time to dance a Desmond Dance!*

(*Desmond Dance is a special dance and play princesses Kaisla and Paju like to entertain themselves with!)

Monday, June 11, 2012

Ode to Tea of Highgate





Tea: Green tea with honey, lemon and ginger / High Tea of Highgate
Infusion: 70-75'C 2-5 minutes

While travelling in London I must always visit one of the treasures of the charming Highgate Village. In this cute little tea shop and tea room, 
High Tea of Highgate, coloured with white and black stripes softened with delicious pink, you cannot be anything but tempted to stay for a cup of tea and piece of their delicious freshly baked cakes. You can also enjoy their famous high tea or cream tea with scones and all essentials. Every time (and that is not too often) I end up leaving the shop with several packets of tea and some other tea accesorries as they are too sweet to be left behind! Quality coffee is also served there so you could take your tenacious coffee friend with you as well. Since it's last summer I visited there last time I need to go back, hopefully soon, to make a full story of this lovely place. Now I will introduce you one of its' excellent teas.

As the package tells:

'Delightfully soothing and refreshing the addition of spicy ginger, zingy lemons and sweet honey to green tea makes for a cleansing and comforting cup of tea.
Perfect for times when feeling 'under the weather', but also when feeling 'on top of the world!'

Why not, I say. For me it goes also for the occasions somewhere in the middle. As a devoted ginger and honey lover I do find this tea very uplifting and it always cheers me up.