Browsing Tag

#myhelsinki

Lifestyle, My Work

Rowan essentials

August 4, 2020

(NEST Helsinki)

Rowan essentials – the final designer name in trinity of NEST Helsinki shop. Just like with the Nest Factory and LuluRox jewellery I’m proudly presenting you all what you would need as a first time mom or simply just a mom who has small kids and wants the best materials to be on the skin of the little ones.

Behind Rowan Essentials is another super sweet woman called Eva. She’s a hands on mom but also a graphic designer. Putting these two together, her skills and noticing the lack of items on the market which she needed as a new mother , now mother of two little girls inspired her to start making bedding for baby cots by herself. She also noticed that there were no soft and good quality fabrics , something neutral and kind to the skin of the newborns so that’s what she wanted to bring in with Rowan Essentials.

Soon enough she started to design other items which she wanted to have for her kids so now you can find clothes, cloths and baby carriers as part of her collection. She’s lead with an idea of wanting to design something whimsical not “in your face” type of prints and of course never compromise on the quality and softness of the materials. She is designing her bed linens as reversible ones so she there are 2 different patterns, one on each side.

When it comes to swaddles (baby carriers) she loves to use soft pallets for colours and some more brighter one for the older kids. You can choose between gold or silver details of the metal parts. Eva decided to start expanding her brand by starting to design for older children too like toddlers and up to teen years.

Rowan essentials offers 8 different sizes for the bedding and soon they will be sold as sets too. All of the products are manufactured in India and are 100% ecological.

Eva loves to interact with her customers at NEST Helsinki and is always ready to show you and explain how versatile her designs are and how you can easily adjust them to your needs and preferences. 🙂

Once you meet Eva you will feel like you’ve been showered with rays of sunshine and great vibes so don’t be shy and say hi to her!

*This text has been made in collaboration with NEST Helsinki and Rowan Essentials but all of the opinions are my own.

*Text and photographs by me.

Lifestyle, My Work, Travel

Helsinki boats

August 2, 2020

Experience an unforgettable boat ride and stunning sights of Helsinki archipelago with Helsinki boats!

About 3 weeks ago I had made one little dream come true! As some of you know, I have been living in Finland for over 12 years and this whole time I have contemplated on getting a private boat ride to discover Helsinki archipelago which I have heard about so much yet never got to see it properly. I don’t count mini boat ride to Suomenlinna island and back. 😀

Thanks to Marco, the best skipper and host of Helsinki boats, I made my dream come true and got to bring my daughter and brother along. Yes, Helsinki boats rides are like no others, it’s completely private, customised to your wishes rides and you can bring up to 3 people along with you. You can have whole boat for yourself or you can also share it with others starting at only 20 eur per person.

I want to tell you more about our experience. Marco welcomed us to his boat at Tervasaari, small island in Kruununhaka area of Helsinki. We jumped in and took off. First stop was mandatory fuel filling, since we went for the ride early in the morning and were the first ones to ride with Marco on that day.

We have witnessed some beautiful sights of Kalasatama and Mustikkamaa as well as discovered that there is a secret outdoor sauna in the most convenient spot, right on the rocks, ready to jump into the sea from the sauna.

Then we spotted Honkaluotto island which has nobody living there as it’s so small but there is a house, sauna and yard which you can rent for a whole day. Next off towards Herttoniemi and it’s beach area, lots of beautiful houses and villas, I was impressed. We saw a tiki bar! Yes in the middle of Helsinki archipelago there was a tiki bar and that’s when I thought that I must be somewhere else, this just can’t be Helsinki. 😀

We took a bit of a speed ride towards Itis and Vuosaari area where the stunning views and all sorts of secret spots continued. My jaw was dropping every five minutes and I completely fell in love with Helsinki all over again.

From there we turned back and started our ride towards Suomenlinna, passed it by smoothly as well as Uunisaari and continued towards Jätkäsaari to the Hietalahti and restaurant Hampton Bay.

During our whole ride with Marco we have talked a lot, found him to be such a cool and relaxed guy, it’s hard not to love him at the first sight. 🙂 We were happy to share lunch with Marco and talk some more about life in general and never ending source of conversation – pros and cons of life in Helsinki.

Marco was so kind to give us a short ride to Mattolaturi where we got off the boat and wished him luck with his next rides which he had lined up right after us.

I must mention that during the whole boat ride I felt safe, comfortable and incredibly happy! This was definitely one of the best experiences during my life in Finland and I can wholeheartedly suggest you to try his Italian styled boat and discover the gem of Helsinki archipelago.

*This post was made in collaboration with Helsinki boats, all of the opinions are my own.

*Photos and text by me.

Lifestyle, My Work

LuluRox jewellery

July 31, 2020

(NEST Helsinki)

Continuing from my previous post about Nest Factory and newly opened NEST Helsinki shop, I’m happy to introduce you to LuluRox jewellery. As I’ve already mentioned, NEST Helsinki is a shop of three different designers and one of them you’ll get to know in this post.

Abbie moved from London to Helsinki 7 years ago and from her previous work experience in the Fashion industry and living in one of the world’s fashion capitals she put it all into creating her own brand LuluRox.

She is self taught jewellry designer and what started just as a hobby has turned into her passion and work.

Firstly starting slow from her own home where she used to have a studio to make the jewellery she also used it as a shop but soon realised that jewellery would need a place of it’s own so she opened a small shop in Helsinki city centre. It’s helped her get more noticed and create regular customers but she craved for a shop with more visibility and possibly shared with somebody else but it all needed to fit well together and be the right time for a change.

When Tracey approached her with an offer to open a shop together, it came just in the perfect moment and Abbie was eager to show her collection and newest designs as well as get a whole new group of customers. So far the response has been great and Abbie is excited to see where it all goes. She’s definitely on the uprise of her brand and if you’re not able to stop by and meet her in person at NEST Helsinki, you can always take a look and shop at her newly redesigned webshop.

What makes LuluRox jewellery the one which you will love and wear for a long time? Abbie uses only the best materials such as gold fill which is better than plated because it lasts for decades. She uses sterling silver and charms which are 14 karrat gold fill as well as natural pearls and gemstones.

LuluRox is demi fine jewellery designed for every day use. It’s easy to combine bracelets with each other by stacking them up or to combine necklace, bracelet and earrings from the same materials/ line. It’s customisable and personal jewellery. Everything is handmade in Abbie’s home studio in Helsinki but materials come from UK and only from the small businesses like herself. Abbie is always ready to welcome you at NEST Helsinki and tell you more about her jewellery and if you wish design you a piece of jewellery exactly after your wishes! 🙂

I love elegant, timeless jewellery which is not too official and perfect for any occasion and LuluRoxx is just that!

*This post has been made in collaboration with NEST Helsinki and LuluRoxx jewellery but all of the opinions are my own.

Lifestyle, My Work

Nest Factory

July 29, 2020

(NEST Helsinki)

One of my favourite things to do on days off is to just walk the streets of Helsinki and simply “wonder” around without any specific schedule or reason besides just to be present in the moment and hopefully discover something new, what I haven’t noticed before.

As we live our daily lives, it’s easy to get “stuck” in our usual routines and places which we commute to or walk by. The most interesting shops, secret spots, cute cafes and such are usually found scattered through the outside of the strict city centre. It’s the same case with NEST Helsinki which just recently opened on Korkkeavuorenkatu in Ullanlinna district.

NEST Helsinki is like a breath of fresh air in the most stylish and frequented part of Helsinki. There are lots of little cafes and special shops with different local designer names but only NEST sells unique, ecological and sustainable designs all handmade!

Three inspiring ladies have opened NEST Helsinki with so much love and thought put into it and every detail at the shop is just as if it was supposed to be like that or there. I’m happy to support them and their business and I hope that you’ll be interested to learn more about them and what you can find at NEST Helsinki. 🙂

I’m starting with Tracey, my sweet friend, known under brand name Nest Factory. I’ve known her for couple of years and since the day one, she’s been one inspiring, spot of sunshine human in my life. From her passionate support for women in India who are making all of her designs by hand and in the oldest tradition known, something that’s almost dying out and therefore so rare nowadays to her vision and constant belief in bright future of small businesses and supportive community.

Nest Factory will surprise you with some of the most beautiful patterns and prints which beautifully fall over the most softest and of best quality cotton you’ve ever put on! From kaftans and tops to robes and dresses, you will for sure find something that’s just perfect for you and Tracy will be there to answer any of your questions or give you a style suggestion.

Tracey’s inspiration are colours, her trips (especially to India) and bringing two opposites like India and Finland together in her designs. When deciding on the designs her leading though is “romantic vs. ethnic”.

She loves working at NEST Helsinki and even though Nest Factory has webshop, she loves the interaction with her customers which pop by the shop daily and sharing the space with other two likeminded designers but least favourite part of the job might be the “unknown” situation during pandemic times and depending on delivery services/ post to receive her designs since they’re all made in India.

I asked Tracey if she has any vision or what’s her wish for the future of NEST Helsinki and with a significant spark in her eye she mentioned that she hopes one day they will expand to Copenhagen and Stockholm and maybe become a lifestyle brand.

*This post has been made in collaboration with NEST Helsinki / Nest Factory but all of the opinions are my own.

*Text and photographs by me.