recommendation: marimekko prints

i have the very random but cool privilege of saying that i have been to Finland before. my father went on business and i was job searching as we had just moved to Chicago, so took a break and went overseas with him. it was an amazing opportunity to see another country and spend time with my father.

as we trekked around the country, Espoo to Helsinki to Turku, we drove along the countryside capturing pictures of historical buildings and churches, cobbled brick roads, and painted houses lining the river.

spring flowers and grey skies, bright sun that stayed bright until 10pm at night. birch trees standing tall in purvoo and tall trees chopped down for processing. Finland is the largest producer of wood in Europe and among the largest in the world! european architecture and colorful graffiti.

as we were driving on a road to helsinki, we almost missed a photographers heaven, a still pond that sat

surrounded by trees and touched by the sun. we drove past it, then both turned to each other asking, did you see that? should we back up? was it an opporunity for really amazing shots or just another pond? we ended up going back and were so glad we stopped. it was a moment of serenity and silence.

the thing i will come away with the most were the people. similar to midwestern hospitality

or southern charm, the people of Finland were helpful and polite. the country was clean and modern but still historic. it was relaxed and the people there reflected all of this.

this leads me to the whole point of this post (!!!) which is that while we were in the big city of Helsinki staying at the luxurious Hotel Kamp,

we were strolling around checking things out and found a local store, Marimekko. I instantly loved everything in it. Colorful and playful, the store was filled with great prints. Unfortunately, Finland is expensive!!! So the only thing I ended up with was a cute strawberry covered pill box that was $5. I've always thought about what I shoulda/coulda bought there...until now!

Introducing, Marimekko at Crate and Barrel! They have been there for about a year now and I am loving their new collection, especially the kitchenware pieces.

There are some REALLY fantastic serving trays, mugs, and dishtowels. I think that a lot of the line's items that are available at Crate and Barrel are really reasonably priced (compared to what I was seeing in Finland at least!). I can't wait to visit the store and pick something out as the designs are really just so Finnish - clean and polite, interesting but simple, colorful but reserved. Check it out!