Soho Magic

I love Soho. I know many Londoners find it touristy and uncool, but I know you can pretty much find anything you need from the hedonistic hub of our dear old London. 

As we did last night with a good friend of mine. Sushi overdose at delicious Kulu Kulu on Brewer Street was unavoidable. The only thing you can do after that is to retire to the Friendly Society on Wardour Street for some more wine and get your feet up in their little snug. Good times.

He makes the most luscious prawn tempura hand rolls

At Kulu Kulu the sushi is prepared in front of you and delivered on a conveyor belt

12 plates later, that's us done!

Richard digesting at Friendly Society

For the White Nights of Summer

How beautiful was the Dolce & Gabbana SS 2011 collection at Milan fashion week? Underwear as outerwear has been a trend for a good while but this collection took the concept to a new level. Tonnes of white lace and fabrics that looked like they could have been cut out of grandma's old curtains (in the best possible way) defined the collection  inspired by “sensual kind of elegance and tradition that characterises the typical trousseau of Southern Italy”. And an almost all-white collection is a clear signal of the colour we are going to wear next summer.

Not So Hot on Holiday

I’m overly excited about my upcoming holiday in Spain. Not only is the weather forecast SUN SUN SUN  when in the UK it’s misery misery misery, I’m also going to stay with a dear old friend of mine. 

Packing for your holiday is an acquired skill and something that oh so many people get oh so wrong. And according to a recent study done by  money saving website DiscountVouchers.co.uk, the tourists from Birmingham and Midlands are just the worst of them all, followed by Newcastle and Scotland. Americans were voted as having the worst fashion sense in world (Germans, Greeks and British came close), Italians the best.

The biggest fashion errors were thought to be socks with sandals and exposed beer bellies. Skimpy trunks for men, thongs for women, football shirts and logo overload were also considered to be bad taste.

I think we all agree, except that socks and sandals is one of the greatest (and comfiest!) trends of the moment. But just to make sure, I think I’ll leave them for my return to the chilly autumn. After all, the study did show that the best dressed British tourists come from East England (and Yorkshire).

Socks so chic! Prada Autumn 2010 Collection

Colour By Numbers

There’s a one thing every Finn packs with when moving abroad: a cheese slicer. Because no one does them like  Fiskars do. Sharp and easy on the eye – just right. And because we Finns are so proud of our little things, I have now got three of them, gifts from friends and family. But when there is a Colours range, who cares, keep them coming!

Live Fast Die Young

I want my pop stars spectacular! I adore Courtney Love, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Britney and Boy George.  I loathe Leona Lewis and all the other boring X-Factor wannabes, including the judges. And I’m not alone. We are all fascinated when the pop stars go into meltdown. There’s a website where you can guess when Britney is going to die and no matter how much we burn the candle from both ends ourselves, there’s rarely any sympathy found for the “poor millionaire pop stars” and their addictions.

So it’s not really a surprise that a study done in Liverpool John Moores University shows that rock stars drop dead younger than the rest of us. But to find out that the life expectancy of an European pop star is only 35 years, sounds rather harsh. The yanks don’t do much better: a North American star can expect to die at 42 years of age.

The study looked at 1050 musicians, that had featured in the All Time Top 1000 albums list between 1956 and 1999, covering rock, pop, funk, R&B, electronica and new age genres. It found stars were more than twice as likely to die early and even more likely to die within five years of becoming famous. About 25 years after shooting to fame, European stars returned to the same levels of life expectancy as the general population while North American stars continued to experience higher death rates.

The main reason for the premature death of a pop star is obviously consumption of too much drugs and/or alcohol. I find the whole thing utterly depressive. Not that I really want to be a pop star but I know that if I was, I would definitely consume too much drugs and/or alcohol. But to die in your mid thirties? That’s so last season.

And I’m not the one to preach to the kids (or adults) what to do and think, but isn’t it just a tad questionable that the pop royalties are still being presented to us as role models? And don’t go saying they haven’t chosen that role. If they hadn’t, they wouldn’t be selling shampoo to us. 

Britney's back!

Elton John in his heyday, you got to love the look!

Princess for a Day?

I’ve never understood the traditional wedding dresses (I don’t really get the whole fuss about weddings in general to be honest, but more of that some other time). I’ve never had a dream of being a princess for a day. To dress in white, looking like you just jumped out of a Disney movie and marry your prince. The wedding gowns are useless after your wedding day, they cost a fortune and most of them really look rather dreadful.

A good friend of mine got married this summer so we went wedding dress shopping. Luckily she is my type of girl and even the sight of the Bridal Boutique at Liberty’s gave us both the chills - and not in a good way.  She found a beautiful dress in the end, the wedding was a hoot and they are now living happily ever after. 

Now I think I’ve found my fairytale. The story was told on New York Fashion Week. The Marchesa’s S/S 2011 show was full of most gorgeous, breathtaking and stunning dresses that just knocked me out. I still wouldn’t wear a wedding gown but the princess inside me was born.  

The Evil Has Landed

So the most evil (looking) man in the world has entered this island. As a woman and human, I’m absolutely appalled that my tax money is being wasted in his visit when he really should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. We don’t see the UK government bending over backwards to please other hate clerics, do we? If Catholics want him here so badly, why doesn't Vatican foot the bill for his visit? 

And just to make matter worse, on the eve of Pope's visit, one of his cardinals compared Britain to a third-world country blaming it for secularism and pluralism and stating that the UK is marked by "a new and aggressive atheism". 

Pope himself reminded us of his that his love indeed has got boundaries just two days before his visit by claiming that gay marriage laws “contribute to the weakening of the principles of natural law” and to “confusion about society’s values.” He is known to believe that all gay people possess a tendency towards evil.

Read the anti-pope  letter by signed by 50 public figures from the Guardian website:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/15/harsh-judgments-on-pope-religion

If you’d like to join the anti-pope demonstrations:

http://www.protest-the-pope.org.uk/category/events/upcoming/

You evil little man....

Autumn Coat Picks

Yes, it’s getting chilly out there! If you got totally bored with your winter warmer last year, it’s time to get a new one. Pick one of these trends to be in vogue. 

Camel Coat, the biggest trend of the autumn by Stella McCartney 

Military is back -again, loving Matthew Williamson's Military Wool Coat

Aviator jacket is big this season. Think Top Gun. By Acne. 

Capes are possibly my favourite coat trend EVER. This trench cape is from H&M

Sexy Seventies

I’m loving the Marc Jacob’s S/S2011 collection at New York Fashion Week. I don’t care what anyone says, the 70s style was awesome! I love the floating dresses and massive accessories (although they are terribly difficult to travel with, don’t you think?). The accessories are also the cheapest and quickest way of updating your look. So go on, ebay your hair straighteners, get your hot pants on, and get ready to disco!

Check the collection on the Vogue website: 

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/catwalk-report/id,9762

Abba was real hot in the 70s

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Boss?

Today I did a training course, provided by work, about Influencing Skills. I didn’t become a master of manipulator, as you might guess, but instead I did learn how to communicate effectively with different types of people. And hopefully learned what in my style of communication may confuse or annoy people (waving those hands around, get too passionate about things and making up my own procedures to reach the common goals).
In the end of the day we had a look at case studies, fictional, of course. One of them being a case of a highflying negotiator, making a lot of money for the company, closing deals, but failing to communicate with rest of the staff. Sound familiar? I thought so.


We all know these super achievers with zero emotional intelligence. They don’t like to be told what to do. To get them do what you want, you should get them to believe it was all their idea in the first place. You should give them options and let them decide.


Except that I don’t think that is right. I don’t think we need to give in to these egoistical rhinos who don’t care whose feelings they hurt and whose dreams they destroy on their way to another success. Who make workplace unbearable for a dozen of people just so they can get better results.

It’s not rocket science to treat people with respect. I think that rather than understanding their despotic manners, companies should offer them treatment, like they do to alcoholics. When they have reached a sufficient level of personal development, they could be released back to the society, even work environment. Reformed. Humanbeings.

Autumn TV picks

What to watch this autumn? Well, this:

Lip Service – a new beep drama following the lives and loves of a group of 20-something lesbian, set in Glasgow. For anyone who loved the L Word. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/comingup/lipservice/

Episodes – a comedy about an English couple who after producing a successful British TV show, move to LA to remake it for the American audience. Starring Matt LeBlanc aka Joey from Friends as himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zdifiN8ngA

The Big C – Showtime’s new comedy (really!) about a suburban teacher and mom Cathy who is diagnosed with terminal cancer, starring Laura Linney. Brilliant! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grwTFjohG5o

Superb or stinkers? Remains to be seen:

Being Human US – the Americans have remaked the fantastic British show. They usually don’t get it right but if this is the case there’s no reason for despair as the shoots for the third season of the original are on the way too. The trailer for the original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifgNBT_0hSs&feature=related

The Event – NBC’s high-concept drama trying to fill the void left by cancellation of 24, Lost, Heroes and Flashforward. What is the event? Will we ever find out? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4vumb8J-x8

Hellcats - CW’s cheerleading teen drama. Do I need to say more? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CucOd13xsKo

And of course the new seasons of the old favourites: Dexter, True Blood, Nurse Jackie, Gossip Girl and Mad Men. Bring on the rain and darkness, I don't care!

Hot lesbians of the Lip Service

Even the French Know Better Than to F**k with Me

Even though I actively hate it when artists stretch their work to sequels (think Kill Bill 1 and 2, Matrix 2 & 3), I can’t help but LOVING Robyn’s Body Talk pt2. She is so incredibly hip, cute and blonde delicious that you just want to eat her for dessert.

Robyn’s releasing a trilogy of albums this year. Body Talk pt 1 was released in June and included the brilliant fuck-off-and-leave-me-alone-song Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do, cute Fembot and dance hit Dancing On My Own. 

The second part of the trilogy was apparently released this Monday. I got it from a friend ages ago, completely oblivious of the questionable legality of the copy, and have been wondering why is nobody talking about it. Because it is great: clubby, beatsy, dancy, robyny.  The hit of the album is likely to be the first single Hang With Me but my favourites are the weirdy Criminal Intent (which sounds a lot like Britney's Blackout) and gutsy U Should Know Better featuring Snoop Dogg.

Body Talk Pt 1 and Pt2 are now available to buy and download. She’s also touring the UK in October. Go see her if you can, she’s awesome live! 

Check her video for Hang With Me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3a2qoyONVA&ob=av2n

Photo by Lewis Chaplin

High Street Fashion Evolution

So the news is that the big high street fashion chains are going online. H & M online shop is already open for “VIP shoppers” (meaning anyone who’s subscribing their newsletter) and launches officially on the 16th. The Spanish fashion giant Zara opened its website for shopping on 2 September and Gap launched its UK site in August.

I don’t get it. Sure, I do shop online. You can find awesome bargains from websites like koodos.com or brandalley.com. It is however always a bit irritating. You can never be sure of the size, you have to wait for your orders for days, sometimes for weeks and you obviously can’t try anything on. But you’re willing to go through all this because of the amazing designer bargains you can find (and because you can do it on work time. Oh come on, we’ve all done it!).

But isn’t the whole point of the high street fashion that you can just wonder in the shop and get yourself a new outfit for a price you don’t have to feel guilty about? And you want it instantly. And you surely want to feel the material knowing the quality of the products sometimes?

Speaking of online shopping: I found a really cute Louise Amstrup dress from Koodos (they’ve got 20% off all dresses today) for under hundred quid on lunch. How fabulous is that?!

The Ugly Side of Football

So we have learned that footballers are all cheating whores (did you hear the rumour about Steven Gerrard having an affair with his wife’s sister?). And more is surely on the way as three England players have recently been granted injunctions banning the reporting of allegations about their private lives.

This comes around the same time as the findings from the survey, done by researchers Ellis Cashmore and Jamie Cleland, suggest that gay footballers are being pressured to keep their sexual preferences secret by their agents and their clubs. Out of half a million professional football players in the world, not one is openly gay.

 “Of the professional players, coaches and referees (polled in the survey) 27 percent said they personally know gay players currently in the game, though none have taken the step of coming out," Cashmore said in a statement released to Reuters.

Seriously? It’s fine for your brand as a footballer to cheat your pregnant wife with a prostitute but it’s not ok to be gay? Pass me the sick bag please!

The cheat of the moment Wayne Rooney

In It for the Money

Last night I travelled to Canary Wharf, a weirdy business district of London. A friend of mine who’s got a weirdy business job I don’t quite understand, lives there and was celebrating his birthday with football and take away, as you would if you’re a straight man.

Canary Wharf was looking strangely beautiful, with its shiny skyscrapers glittering in the evening sun. It’s breathing business, with stock prices running on the walls of the buildings  and a dozen clocks reminding you that time is money. This is where the American Psycho lives. The devil wears Prada. 

Mind the Gap

So it’s that time again: London Underground staff is on strike. And man, are people moaning! You'd think something really bad has happened. 

Why don’t we stop and think for a moment? There is a reason democratic countries have trade unions. That is because there SHOULD be someone or something to protect the employee from the actions of companies, whose only objective is to make profit. A strike is the last resort, when everything else has been done. Like in this case, LU still threatening to sack over 800 employees.

Yes, it’s a nuisance. But so are fat people walking too slowly in the pavement in front of me. Get over it! Walk to work. Burn some calories. Get in late. Work from home. Or if you really think that working for the Tube is so cushy, well paid and easy, why don’t you go and get a job from there? 

Best Coffee in Town?

There are times, when you just want to meet  your friends for coffee rather than for cocktail. It doesn't happen often but as I've sworn off booze for the first two weeks of September, there was no better time than yesterday to check out what's claimed to be the best coffee in London. 


The Flat White, that is. Small, busy coffee shop with Australian / Kiwi origins on Berwick Street in Soho. The coffee was decent, as it should be with the price tag of £2.50 / cuppa. And what's fantastic is that they also serve fresh mint tea, something you can get pretty much everywhere in Amsterdam, but for some reason seems to be hard to find in the London cafes.


The Flat White
17 Berwick Street, W1F 0PT

The staff at Flat White know it's all about the presentation

Manolo Mania

Every girl’s shoe god Manolo Blahnik teams up with Liberty. The department store is launching Manolo Blahnik's pop-up store, The World of Manolo, on the night of London Fashion Night Out next Wednesday 8th September. In addition to a line of shoes, Blahnik will design a new set of Liberty prints as well as specialty items like candles, scarves, Christmas tree decorations, cushions, shoehorns etc.

I do think that Manolos are basically works of art, and I’m not alone. The maestro will be signing shoes at his Old Church Street shop after his appearance at Liberty on the Fashion Night Out.

I wouldn’t dare to go close. After realising that I’ve got a good 30 pairs of beautiful heels in my closet (and I don't have Carrie Bradshaw's walk-in closet) but still run around mainly in comfy plimsolls, trainers and flip flops (which I own in every shape, form and colour as well), I’ve banned myself from buying ANY new heels until I wear out at least one old pair. Then again, I guess a quick visit to Liberty’s wouldn’t hurt...

Faking It

Last night I took an advantage of the National Gallery's late night openings and went to see their exhibition Fakes, Mistakes and Discoveries. The exhibition demonstrates how the science can reveal the secrets of a work of art: the fakes and the forgeries but also sometimes revealing how the painting has been altered later on.


Super interesting! As my lovely and talented boyfriend said, a well done fake is more interesting than the original one. I think that's not only true in art, but life itself. The exhibition runs until 12 September and the admission is free. Go check it out!

An Allegory by Botticelli. Or is it?

It's Total Happiness

I’m seriously looking forward to the debut album by a Manchester duo Hurts. The very stylish pop band is sounding totally awesomely 80s and the guys obviously look rather luscious. And, get this, they got Kylie to sing a song on their first album!

I also think there’s something very Scandinavian in their video Wonderful Life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pYbCHNCHug&feature=related.

Hurt’s first album Happiness is out 6^th September.

Vibrating mascara? Seriously?

An old friend of mine works in retail and as you should, gets a lot of bribery free gifts from the representatives of the cosmetics industry. And as it’s not humanly possible for one person to get through all that make-up, I’ll get my share. My latest addition: vibrating mascara. I’m sorry: Pulse Perfection™ by Define-A-Lash® Vibrating Mascara. Seriously.

I guess you can’t blame the cosmetic industry for being creative. How else could a girl justify buying a new mascara way more often than necessary. In addition to the weirdy dildo mascara (actually it’s not a bad mascara, there just really isn’t any justification for the vibration) my make-up bag also contains L'Oréal’s Telescopic Clean Definition Mascara as well as Lash-Power mascara, High Impact Mascara and High Impact Curling Mascara from Clinique. And I’ve got a university degree.

I’ve only ever met one person working in the cosmetic industry. He was an ex-Olympic rower from the British national team. He was recommending me the new foundation Maybelline was bringing out. I’m sorry mate, no matter how impressive your thighs are, I’m not taking make-up advise from straight men. Ever. 

Get Your Cargos On

Everyone’s favourite Swedish fashion warehouse H & M is having Jeans Days with £10 off all jeans (http://www.hm.com/gb/#/fashion/, until 15 September). And as the prices are not massive to begin with, this is a good chance to bag yourself a bargain. I finally jumped on the skinny cargo jeans trend. They’re super comfy and cheap at £19.90 and my answer to  J Brand’s Houlihan cargos, sported below by everyone.

Vogue's Fashion Night Out gets a touch of Finnish flavour

Just found out today that Sanna Annukka has designed a really cool T shirt and tote for this year’s Fashion Night Out (happening in London on September 8^th). She’s half-Finnish half-English illustrator & print maker and using Finnish folklore as her major influence. Check out more of her awesome prints http://www.sanna-annukka.com

Kate Moss is being replaced by a younger model

So unlike it was commonly thought, there is some justice in the world: Kate Moss has been sacked is leaving Topshop as a "designer". The cokehead supermodel (I like to affectively call her "the rat face") whose overpriced rags are selling less and less is being replaced with Topshop owner Philip Green's 19 year old daughter Chloe. Moss is likely to return to her life as a second class groupie. Bye love, you won't be missed! 

Who Do You Think You Are?

OMG, can't stop crying when watching Lisa Kudrow in Who Do You Think You Are! Apparently she's Jewish and her roots are in Eastern Europe where most of her relatives were killed by the Nazis.


And, yes I know that BBC has been making WDYTYA for ages now but the Americans celebs are just bigger and do it better. Can't help loving the scene where Kudrow meets distant relatives in Poland. She's moved to meet her father's lost cousin. They get emotional too: "I can't believe Lisa Kudrow is in my house, not in my television"!


No wonder Friends was such a good show. Kudrow really is like Phoebe. When is someone going to pay me millions for playing a quirky, silly blondie?

New life, new me

When my dad is joining Facebook, it's time to upgrade to something bigger and better in the digital world. Anyway, it's September, the start of the new Blondie year! New year in January is so last season.


Got slightly traumatised today when I was brainstorming (=googling) trying to find a name for my blog and found out that Hitler's dog was called Blondi. That's the first thing that comes up when you type Blondi in Google! Hitler's dog. Not porn. Giving us blondies a bad name. Bad Adolf, bad!


Why do I mention Hitler in my first ever blog? It's like my first ever presentation at work and I managed somehow to slip the word penis on it. What's wrong with me?


Anyway, welcome. Please don't leave me hanging like a yo-yo.