Sunday Spirit // 50 Shades of autumn

I have never read the book, but taking a walk in the crisp autumn air yesterday made me notice all 50 subtle shades of late autumn. I have always disliked this time of year. The colorful leaves are gone by now, the days are getting shorter and darker, and summer seems further away than ever. And for a summer-person like me, that's hard to bear. But, yesterday was one of those rare days of late autumn when the sun is shining, and the weather is so crisp and calm, that you can hear your own breathing. And it made me appreciate this season. It made me stop for a second and take in all the beauty this season really has to offer.

I reached for my winter boots and started walking along my favorite paths around my childhood home. Along the road to the park, then to the riverside and back around the pond. It was so chilly, almost wintery. I forgot my cloves, and boy, did I feel their absence. But, it was so pretty, I didn't even care.

 Last week felt like a constant rush and I hate those kinds of weeks. Having no time to rest, sleep, eat or do the things I love (including blogging) is no fun. I keep telling myself it's just another couple of weeks. I'm officially 3 weeks away from my big move to Germany. I have so many things on my mind all the time, it's difficult to keep up with life. On the flip-side, busy times always remind me of the things I really care about. Those things are the ones I miss most.

So, what do I miss most at the moment? I miss creative time. I loved every minute I was working on the new collection last week (update coming soon). I miss me time. Sleeping in, painting my toenails, reading good blogs, dreaming up new ideas for the blog. Those are things I need in my life. I miss Rein. Skype helps, of course, but I miss all the kisses, and snuggles, and hugs. Just being around him calms me. He's my partner in crime, my biggest supporter, my rock to hide behind.

Just three more weeks. That's all. And then, a completely new world awaits me.

What do you miss most in your life right now?

xo. Hanna

Sunday Spirit // Snapshots from Hiiumaa

Today I thought I'd share a few snapshots from our trip to Hiiumaa last week. Hiiumaa is the second largest island in Estonia, and we were there camping with Rein's family, who lives there, and some friends. It was just the right mix of sitting by the campfire, having a laugh, sightseeing and good food.

I have an exciting announcement to make tomorrow, so check back for words for the week, and something a little different ;)

Happy Sunday!
xo Hanna

Sunday Spirit: Kohvik O

Happy Sunday, guys! It's been the perfect weekend for us so far. We met up with friends, went to the biggest flower fare in Estonia, and had a wonderful time visiting my parents. I just love these kinds of weekends!

On Saturday morning we went to a lunch date in the lovely new cafe named Kohvik O that just opened up in my small home town of Põltsamaa. I was so excited when I heard they were opening a new cafe in town, I couldn't wait to try it out. And, it did not disappoint. Rein had a ham champignon omelet, and I had a honey chicken sandwich and they were both delicious. Oh, and the cafe latte I had is definitely the best in town. So, if you're in Estonia, and happen to be in the neighborhood, stop by. I'm sure you won't regret it. (and this is not a sponsored post, lol)

I feel re-energized and ready to start the new week. What kind of fun stuff did you do this weekend?

His and Her Style: The perfect weekend

Hanna's wearing: Houndstooth jacket - hand-me-down from Elle // Jeans - Miss RJ // Scarf - really old // Shoes - Carmens with custom me-made laces (tutorial here) // Earrings - made by me (tutorial coming)

 

Rein's wearing: Trousers, Jacket - thrifted // Scarf - Reserved // T-shirt - refashioned (post coming)  // Shoes - Kangol

We've had perfect spring weather all weekend. Warm, sunny, and quiet - everything you could ever wish for. So, naturally, we haven't done anything useful all weekend. The only reasonable thing to do with this weather is to enjoy it!

Friday was spent being lazy. You know the days when putting on anything other than PJ's seems completely pointless? That was Friday. On Saturday we met up with Rein's Mom to plan my wedding dress. She's a talented seamstress, so I'm trusting the making of my wedding dress into her hands. Later we met up with some friends and enjoyed pancakes and ice cream (overkill, I know). Today we took a stroll along the seaside and it was heavenly. I haven't been on a swing for ages, and I think I found my favorite ice cream for the summer. Perfection.

How was your weekend? Did you enjoy being lazy or did you get things done?

Sunday Spirit: Life through my phone lens

This is how my life looks through my phone camera lens. One of my new year's resolutions was to take on a phone photography challenge. I'm super crappy at taking pictures with my phone. When I finally got a new phone with a decent camera, I was all enthusiastic about capturing my everyday life more. So far, that hasn't happened. So, I did something I should have done ages ago and finally hopped on the Instagram train yesterday. I'm taking on a challenge to post at least once a day. You can follow me @pearlsandscissors, if you'd like. Do say hi, because I'm completely lost in this Instagram world, and I could use your help!

Have a wonderful Sunday and I'll see you around!

P.S! I think my two best friends, Kärt-Katrin and Triin just made their Pearls & Scissors debut. Love you, gals!

Weekend Favorite Reads

the best cup of joe made by my fiance

This weekend is/was all about relaxing, catching up on some reading, wedding planning and time with family. So, I thought I'd share some of my this week's favorite links from around the web with you.

Blogging and everything related is still pretty prominently in my mind. I've been planning a blog design makeover and thinking of ways to improve this place. I want to enjoy blogging and be inspired as well as inspire you guys, so it's really important to me to grow consistently. Speaking of learning and growing, I've been messing around with Photoshop curves. The top photo is edited using Siiri Kumari's free photoshop curves.

I stumbled on a great blog post over at Aunt Peaches that gathers all sorts of awesome articles and resources for people who want to start or grow their blog. I haven't managed to click through all of them yet, but I did find Dana's article about SEO basics super helpful.

my messy studio waiting for spring cleaning

Spring always sparks the creative spirit in me. I find myself wanting to experiment and try new things. When I read about doing my own gel manicure and trying out false lashes on A Beautiful Mess, I wanted to give it a try. I've got plans to try out false lashes this week. Laura mentioned that her individual lashes stay on for about a week, and I'd love to give it a go. Wouldn't it be great if I could cross out applying mascara and removing it from my daily tasks. And, I think I might invest in nail gel as well. I'll let you know how that pans out.

Oh, and if you've been caught by the spring cleaning bug, you might want to check out this article on Apartment Therapy. I know my home and computer are in a dire need of a deep clean, so I'll try to carve out some time for that as well next week.

Have a fun Sunday!

Lazy weekend

A lazy weekend used to be a foreign concept to me. I'd usually use my Friday night to make to-do lists a mile long and then hustle all weekend to get things done. A weekend spent on late mornings, long walks and nights with friends seemed like something I didn't have time for. I felt so guilty taking some time off when I had a million things to do.

Luckily, I've changed a lot. I understand now that a weekend spent doing a million things isn't really well spent. Don't get me wrong, I love checking off things from my to-do list as much as the next perfectionist, but what I've realized is that time spent on nurturing yourself and the relationships most important to you are investments that pay off way more in the long run than any one check on that list.

So, this weekend I invested my time into things that matter. Having a slow morning with my fiance, trying out a new recipe (I finally tried making eggs in a muffin form), taking a long walk, drinking the best coffee latte in town, and watching Eurovision with friends. And sewing, of course!

Yes, I do realize I have a gazillion things I should have done like school work, e-mails and work, but...there's always Monday morning for that, isn't there?

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Creative Spirit: DIY's to try

I don't know about you, whenever I know I have some creative freedom over the weekend, I spend my Friday nights on Craftgawker and Pinterest, sucking in as much creative spirit as I can. I thought I'd share some of my finds with you as well. Creative spirit is meant to be shared, right? So, if you're planning to make something with your own two hands this weekend, you should definitely check out these projects.

// 1 // A fabulous jeans transformation from Pink Stripey Socks. I love the abstract colorful pattern she made!
// 2 // If you're more into geometric prints, check out EmerJa Designs tutorial. Looks awesome!
// 3 // And if you're going to make some awesome jeans, it only reasons to add some sparkle to your shoes as well. I love the rhinestone covered sneakers from Dream a little bigger.
// 4 // Or, perhaps buttons are more your thing. I love this DIY from Spalvotas Dryžuotas. It doesn't matter if you don't speak Lithuanian.
// 5 // To top of your handmade outfit, make this adorable yet fashionable sweatshirt from DIY Studio.
// 6 // Or, try adding a see-through lace heart to one of your old tees with this tutorial.

Have a creative weekend!