Moomin with a stomach-ache

Just think, never to be glad or disappointed. Never to like anyone and get cross at him and forgive him. Never to sleep or feel cold, never to make a mistake and have a stomach-ache and be cured from it, never to have a birthday party, drink beer, and have a bad conscience...how terrible.

~ Tove Jansson, Tales from Moominvalley

Despite the fact that I don't understand a word of Finnish, I am a 'friend' of the Moominvalley museum at Tampere in Finland (http://muumilaakso.tampere.fi/ - the image above is from there) on Facebook. Recently, they announced that a new guided tour was being launched entitled "Kohdata, vaeltaa, tulla kotiin – olemisen tapa Muumilaaksossa". With the help of Google Translate, combined with my own understanding of the Moomin stories, I am reading this to mean "To meet, to wander, to come home to - a way of being in the Moomin Valley". Any Finnish readers of this blog are most welcome to contradict me (and say hello!). Because the Moomin stories seem to me to be about going out into the world (Moominvalley and sometimes beyond), meeting all sorts of people (or other beings, as the case may be) but always knowing that you have the security of home to back you up and to go back to. Moomin-fans (and others!), what do you think? Just quietly, I think Tove Jansson was something of a philosopher...

Life is all about being alive, in whatever way we may express that. The Moomins get that, and I think I might be starting to as well.

Enjoy x

Bits and Bobs

I seem to be spending a lot of time researching things online at the moment and as I'm sure you know, one Net search can lead to any number of rabbit holes to rush down...

One thing I have discovered is that the Moomin characters I love so much also featured in their own cartoon strips. Did you know that? Have you read them? So now I have a whole other set of Moominalia to collect (yes, I just invented that word)! The cartoon strips above were a part of a very sweet article from the pop culture site Buzzfeed called "50 Lessons that Moomins can teach you about life" (http://www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/50-lessons-that-moomins-can-teach-you-about-life)

I am often obsessed with one historical period or another, and when I was looking at these pictures of Edwardian hairstyles the other day, I was struck by how close most of them are (with a little modification) to long hair styles today. What do you think?

I found these illustrations here: http://blossomgraphicdesign.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/trend-alert-edwardian-fashion-and-style.html

But I haven't been deskbound and square-eyed all week. I have also been doing some practical things and crossing a few craft want-to-do's off the list...

This is a little pouch I made from the wool I bought in Beechworth. I attached blue wren and possum charms to it.

And these are some metal bangles I wrapped in fabric and gold embroidery thread. I have to say, at the risk of blowing my own trumpet, I rather like them! Tomorrow I'll show you a Dr Who style scarf I've just finished which I might, might, might be able to convert into a sontag. I think...

PS Have you heard we are to get a new doctor on Dr Who? Will you miss Matt Smith? I think I will, but not as much as I did David Tennant...

PS I love it

Quite a while I ago, I mentioned how much I love to receive postcards and in fact how much I love postcards in general (I have boxes of vintage ones). Well, lately, I have been receiving some beautiful stamps. I bought some Moomin stuff from Etsy and I was as pleased as punch to see Moominpappa on the envelope when it made its way all the way from Finland.

I love the penguin's rather dubious expression on this English stamp...

And this whimsical one from Hong Kong is so sweetly entitled 'my rabbit and i'...

And if you can't rely on the Japanese for gorgeous stationery, well, who can you rely on?

Have a lovely weekend, friends.

PS Don't forget to watch Eurovision!!

Moominmamma's Pie

Image from http://www.annathered.com/2010/07/21/bento-77-the-moomins/

I made my first recipe from the Moomin Cookbook last night and it was really good. So here it is, my version of Moominmamma's Backpack Pie -

Boil a cup of rice. Boil two eggs to hard-boiled. Combine the rice with a can of salmon. Add some finely chopped dill and then the eggs, also chopped. Mix it all together in a pie dish. Place a puff pastry 'lid' over the top and bake in a 225 degree celsius oven for about 25 minutes.

You can adjust the ingredient amounts depending on how many you're feeding (this one served two). I served it with salad greens.

I'm sorry there is no photo of the actual dish as it turned out, but you know how rubbish I am at photographing food. Suffice it to say, the Yellow Wood household gave it two thumbs up!

This weekend I am going to try out the Fisherman's Lemon Cake (remember him from Moominpappa at Sea?)

Enjoy yourselves!

Moominsummer Madness

What riches the post yielded today! My Moomin cookie cutters arrived this morning from Finland, as did my set of miniature Moomin figures. As if that wasn't enough, Moomins Cookbook by Tove Jansson and Sami Malila was on the doorstep this afternoon! I can't wait to try out Meringue Moominesque, Moominmamma's Best Buns, Whomper's Special Pudding or Moomintroll's Morning Croissants...actually I'm looking forward to giving them all a go. It does genuinely look like a really nice cookbook.

I think it's going to be a very Moominy weekend this weekend...

And you know what they say, you can never be too rich or too Moominy...(actually I only agree with the second bit)...

Random Five for 2013

Image from theweeklystitch.com

Well, this really is a random list in the truest sense of the word - my random five of things I'm loving in these first couple of days of 2013. First up, craft, craft and more craft. This year, I am really going to put some effort into improving my skills in the craft department. Buoyed with some confidence after mastering purl stitch, I've now decided I want to make a blanket composed of knitted squares, each one a different stitch. Moss stitch is first cab off the rank because I love it. I was given a voucher for a gorgeous local wool shop (Sunspun - http://www.sunspun.com.au) so I think a yarn purchasing trip may be in order...

Image from purlbee.com

In a similar vein, I am loving doing some embroidery and really want to polish my skills there too. I can sew but at the moment I tend to be a little slipshod. My needle-handy grandma would not have approved. I loved watching the work done recently by the Royal School of Needlework on The Manor Reborn. Feeling quite inspired.

Image from acmi.com.au

After watching The Mystery of Edwin Drood last night, I am in love with Charles Dickens all over again and I'm prepared to tackle his books afresh this year. I have a talking book of Bleak House on order at the local library to keep me company while I stitch...

Image from moominmoments on tumblr

I had certainly heard of the Moomins but I didn't know much about them beyond that. I read Moominland Midwinter over Christmas and absolutely adored it. I am now halfway through Moominpappa at Sea. So beautiful. They're children's books on one level, but there are all sorts of other levels at work too. They remind me very much of the Winnie-the-Pooh books or The Little Prince.

 Image from fanpop

And I am back in love with all things Japanese, especially things Japanese of the Kawaii ('cute') variety. I have always loved anything with a face, especially when something improbable is given a face - like a tomato! And so I am stockpiling Japanese craft books - so much wonderful kawaii embroidery! I am thinking another visit to Japan may be on the cards...cherry blossom season would be lovely.

So what's your random five this week?