Why We’re All Missing the 90s

Posted in Fashion, Lifestyle by

From eclectic style to the golden age of rom-coms and teen horror, here’s why the 90s still captivate us today.

Why We’re All Missing the 90s (and Why Fashion Is Bringing It Back)

There’s been a notable wave of 90s nostalgia lately — not just in fashion, but across social media and culture more broadly. I think it’s because millennials, like myself, are reflecting on life before mobile phones, before ChatGPT, before fast-fashion giants like Shein, before clothing conglomerates ruled everything.

There was a simplicity to life before the year 2000 that feels increasingly appealing right now. The Run-Through by Vogue recently called the 90s the “golden era of fashion” — eclectic, daring, and the birthplace of what we now consider modern style. Aurora James also touched on 90s nostalgia in her Curios Substack, capturing the cultural pull of that decade.

The 90s Weren’t Always So Simple

It’s funny — I find myself missing the 90s, but at the same time, they weren’t always easy years. In Finland, the early 90s were marked by a severe financial crisis. Even as a child, under 10 years old, I remember how much people talked about it and how it shaped daily life.

The news was often heavy: HIV/AIDS was claiming lives of beloved celebrities, the Gulf War dominated headlines, famine in Africa shocked the world, and super-thin models set damaging beauty standards, fueling eating disorders in high schools.

Looking back, the 90s were a complicated mix of optimism and anxiety. Maybe nostalgia is less about the reality of the time and more about how we felt back then. Just as millennials long for the 90s, our parents in the 90s longed for the 60s. Perhaps it’s a generational phenomenon: once we reach midlife, we look back and believe things were somehow better “when we were young.”

The Golden Age of Movies

One thing I genuinely miss: 90s movies. It was the golden era of rom-coms and teen horror flicks. Lighthearted love stories with Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, and Reese Witherspoon became generational touchstones. They were PG-rated, sweet, and full of self-discovery — a genre Hollywood seems to have abandoned in the past 15 years.

The same goes for horror. Films like Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Urban Legend had just the right balance of suspense, gore, and fun. They weren’t traumatizing, but they kept you hooked.

Recently, I’ve rewatched a lineup of these classics with my 12-year-old daughter. The fact that they’ve aged so well proves there’s something timeless about those stories. Maybe it’s time Hollywood reinvents that balance of heart and thrill.

Reliving 90s Fashion with Confidence 

Of course, what excites me most is the fashion comeback. 90s style is everywhere again, and this time, I get to experience it differently. Back then, as a teenager, I carried the usual high school insecurities and lack of confidence. I had a gymnast body with no curves, no feminine shape, just muscly and skinny bony boyish look so of course the 90s clothes looked not quite as on the models 🙂 Today, at 42, I can embrace chokers, ruffle tops, and bootleg jeans with a new sense of self-confidence. 

This wave of nostalgia even inspired me to recreate one of the ultimate 90s accessories: leather bead necklaces. I had completely forgotten about them until I spotted one in a movie — and immediately started making my own. I wore one today and loved how it felt: a little piece of the past, worn with present-day confidence.

What you need for this necklace: skinny leather string, beads with a relatively large holes so the leather string can get through it and then you just do knots and put the beads in the middle. The length of the necklace is your choice, if you want to have a double wrap around your neck you just use more of the leather string.

A Shared Memory

If you were a teenager in the 90s, you probably remember these things too. The fashion, the movies, the feeling that life was simpler at the time. Maybe that’s why the 90s resonate so deeply now — because it carries both the innocence of youth and the lessons we’ve carried forward.

Shopping tip:

If you’re in Australia and looking to embrace the 90s vibe, Cotton On has some fantastic ruffle tops in a range of colours. The fit is beautiful, super flattering, and they’re such an easy way to bring that nostalgic look into your wardrobe. I’m wearing one in the photos above, and I can honestly say — I love it (and I ordered this top in all 3 colours)!

Happy 90s nostalgia! Chat soon.

With Love,

Finnaussity

Crochet is back and Nadia Dafri knows it!

Posted in Australia, Fashion, Melbourne by

Handmade luxury, creative vibe and unique Parisian patterns

It’s a Fad

We were in Noosa over the Easter period and I walked into a local shop called It’s a Fad. They had a row of beautiful crochet bags I had never seen before. Nadia Dafri from Paris the lady told me. I was in love. It was the turquoise and rustic combination of various yarns in an interesting pattern that caught my attention. I messaged to my friend (who is the styling support when I need it the most). Her comment was “Loving the bag but isn’t that a very beach holiday style… will you wear it in Melbourne?”. I have to say I did not want to hear it but I did agree with her. I think it happens to all of us when we go on holidays we kinda slot into the vibe of that particular place whether it is Paris, New York, Australian beach location or Cairns tropical rainforest environment….so I decided I would not buy this particular beach holiday style bag but I committed to find something similar, something more “Melbourne appropriate” online.

My Classico

Typical me, since the Noosa trip I got obsessed with those Nadia Dafri bags. I kept on searching online but realised Nadia Dafri has no other retailers in Australia than the Noosa shop and even in Europe she seemed to gravitate to small French and German boutiques. Eventually I found My Classico, German luxury retailer online that stocked Nadia Dafri bags. I do not know if I was just lucky or simply happened to get the idea at the right time but My Classico had certain Nadia Dafri bags for sale and the colour scheme was more corporate and Melbourne appropriate than what I found in Noosa. 

Ilknur bag

The bag that I ended up buying was black-gold-silver-white themed large tote. It is super spacious, can fit a laptop and a pair of heels. The ultimate work size bag. It was in sale for 167 euros which equals to ~300 Australia dollars so the price was perfect!

You can style this large tote bag a bit bohemian, rock n’ roll or have it as a small bit of something special along your corporate outfit. The bag is very versatile. It is something unique that will stand out! We are transition to an era of quiet luxury and unique handmade pieces. If you are looking for something that fits into both of those categories I recommend to check out these bags. I have enjoyed wearing it ever since!

Kooreloo – The Greek Spirit Woven Into a Bag

Posted in Fashion by

In this post, I want to introduce you to a luxury bag brand you may not have heard of yet—but one that stands out for its uniqueness, craftsmanship, and soul.

Are the “it”bags really worth it: 

I used to be the girl who wanted to have all “it” bags. If I did not have the ‘it’ bag I wanted to make sure I at least have some “it” brands. It is funny however that the quiet luxury revolution made me think of what I actually value in a bag. What I really love in a handbag is originality—a piece that feels surprising, one-of-a-kind, and a little unexpected. Something not everyone is carrying. Something that reflects me, not just the trend cycle.

Inspire yourself from shows you watch: 

One of my favourite ways to discover unique fashion pieces is through TV style spotting. I was re-watching “You” series season 2 when my eyes caught into a bag Victoria Perdetti was wearing. I took a photo of the screen and BINGO. I found it. The brand was Kooreloo—a Greek luxury label I’d never heard of before, but instantly fell in love with.

Ethos matters:

Kooreloo’s creative director, Leila Karr, has built a brand rooted in heritage, individuality, and artful craftsmanship. What makes Kooreloo truly special is their commitment to small-batch, handmade editions—many of their bags are limited runs that will never be reproduced. Kooreloo bags have the Goddess of Athena inside the bag printed on a black fabric. It is Kooreloo’s trademark that makes the bags look so fabulous when you open them. Athena is the goddess of wisdom, intelligence and reason which inspires the brand to create these dynamic pieces that are made from locally-sourced materials, traditionally weaved and luxurious, one-of-a-kind fabrics. All Kooreloo bags are handmade in Greece.

From obsession to possession: 

Once I found this brand and started to follow the brand on Instagram a video that caught my attention had the most beautiful light pink woven “Lollipop bag”, rag rug style. I messaged to the company asking when will this bag become available online (as at this point I was obsessed!). I stalked the website everyday until I got the answer about the release date. When the date came I did not hesitate but pressed the add to cart button as fast as I could. Kooreloo released only 3 of those bags. I have one of them now. I own something special.

When it’s right, you wear it all the time:

This pink lollipop bag is one of the most beautiful and unique things I own. I have worn it almost every day since it arrived. Every time I have worn it without fail there is someone who comments how beautiful and special it is. The size is perfect, the chain length is perfect and this bag can cheer up any simple outfit with its artistic twist.

Small brands will surprise you:

Sometimes it takes time to find the bag that really feels special. What I learned about myself through this experience is that moving forward I will focus on smaller less known brands to find the unique bags that feel more like the pieces of an art collection than just mass produced “it” items. I hope you get inspired to try Kooreloo after reading this post! 

From Love,

Finnaussity

Returning to Blogging: Hello Substack from Finnaussity

Posted in Lifestyle by

From Social Media Overload to Slow Living: Why I’m Returning to the Blogosphere.

In this personal post, I want to share why I’ve returned to blogging—how social media anxiety has shaped my journey, and how reading Careless People pushed me to reflect and reset.

Reclaiming Something Real

Lately, I’ve been feeling a pull back toward something more intentional—something that once brought me real joy. After being constantly “on” and digitally available for work, and spending far too much time on social media, I realised just how much anxiety it’s been creating in my life.

It’s not just the comparison trap or the information overload. It’s how these platforms have pulled me away from the deeper reflections I used to explore—writing out my thoughts and observations, and reading others’ blogs. I miss the slowness. The authenticity. The space to think.

Careless People and the Turning Point

I recently read Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, a behind-the-scenes look at Facebook (Meta) and the troubling reality of what happens to our data, the reckless leadership, and the death of idealism inside the company.

After reading about greed, power, and systemic carelessness, something in me shifted. Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp—they no longer feel like tools I want in my life. Honestly, I want to quit them. Forever.

A Love Letter to Slow Content

More than ten years ago—before I had my first child in London—my favorite time of the day was morning coffee, reading my favorite blogs, and writing my own. Even back then, people warned that life was becoming too fast-paced. But I don’t think we had any idea how much faster it could get.

If someone had told me back then that people would be jamming stories into 30-second TikToks or Instagram Reels, I would’ve laughed. I craved slowness—the kind you find in long-form blog posts or thoughtful reflections written over several days. And I still do.

Returning to OG Blogging

So here I am again. I’ve realized that what I love most is long-form, slow content—blogs, podcasts, and even long videos. I miss this space. I want my blogging mojo back.

Over the past 10+ years, I’ve started and stopped blogging many times. Life between family and a corporate job always got in the way. But this time, I hope I’m here to stay.

The Finnaussity Identity

Finnaussity was born in 2009. The name came from a blend of identities—me, a Finnish soul, and my then-boyfriend (now husband), an Aussie. Boom! Finnaussity. I’ve considered changing the name over the years, but honestly, it’s become part of me. Sixteen years later, it still fits. So I’m keeping it. My Substack will be called The Finnaussity Gazette. There’s something I love about the old-world charm of the word “gazette.” It feels like a nod to thoughtful, slower storytelling.

So, What’s This Blog About?

That’s a hard question—and a good one.

This will be a lifestyle blog, but not in a glossy, overly-curated way. I love arts and crafts (mostly knitting), painting (mainly oils), cooking and baking, and health and fitness. And I love fashion—fashion makes my heart beat. I also want to get back to the old-school blogging vibes—sharing travel stories, restaurant finds, cozy routines, and deeper reflections on life. The kind of content I used to love reading. My hope is that something I share here will spark joy, inspiration, or even just a smile.

I’ll be posting on both Substack and my original WordPress blog, so you can follow along wherever you prefer.

Let’s bring back the OG blogging. The slow, intentional, beautiful kind.

From Love,

Finnaussity

Pizza and winter jumpers

Posted in Fashion, Lifestyle by

I have always been a pizza lover. I remember being the tiny skinny girl that I was but I could eat two full size pizzas! People looked at me like I was some strange thing as they could not work out where those pizzas could fit in my skinny frame.

Italian food is something that if I had to select one cuisine to take with me to a deserted island it would be Italian cooking particularly the pheasant food type of rustic Tuscan cuisine. It is just simply delicious and as we all know from the recent Blue Zone series it is also a very healthy way to eat.

The past weekend I was really craving for a pizza. We have had a bit of an issue for a few years as our daughter got a tummy bug accidentally when she last ate pizza so she has had a very funny aversion to pizza for a long time. It was finally a time to break that aversion.

For those of you who buy ready made pizza bases it is time for an upgrade. When you make your own pizza dough it will be crustier and more authentic. Also simplicity of the toppings is essential, don’t make American style thick base with too much stuff on top. Go simple just crunshed tomato, olive oil, mozzarella and basil. That is an absolutely perfect pizza! Below my guaranteed pizza dough recipe.

Ingredients:

– 2dl (1 cup) water

– 1 sachet dry yeast (7g)

– 1 tsp salt

-4 tbsp olive oil

– 5dl (2 1/2 cup) white flour

Method:

1. Mix warm water and yeast

2. Add oil, salt and flour

3. Let it rise for 30min

4. Make two big thin pizza bases

Toppings:

POLPO finely crushed tomato, fresh big ball of buffalo mozzarella sliced, fresh basil and olive oil! Yum!

Bake it in 230-250 Celsius degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Marble Cake -Tiikerikakku (Tiger cake)

Posted in Cakes, Desserts, Lifestyle by

We in Finland love Tiger Cake -Tiikerikakku-. It is a marble cake where you combine the regular white dough and chocolate dough to create a marble effect. A few weekends back my daughter and I baked this as we now have a lovely hobby together: we bake. Every weekend we decide something we will try!

The recipe we used was from the Finnish dairy producer website Valio. It is a simple and fast recipe. We spiced our recipe up with adding chocolate swirl melted chocolate on top to make it extra devilishly tasty :)!

Ingredients:

  • 200g butter
  • 2dl (1 cup) sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 4 dl (2 cups) flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp vanilla sugar
  • 1dl (1/2 cup) cream
  • 2 tbsp coco powder

1.) Butter the baking dish and cover with bread crumbs. Heat up oven to 175 degrees.

2.) Whisk butter and sugar. Add eggs one by one.

3.) Mix dry ingredients together except not the coco powder. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar-egg mix.

4.) Separate 1/3 of the dough to another bowl and add coco powder.

5.) Layer first white dough, then dark and then white to the baking dish and use knife or fork to swirl it.

6.) Bake it for 50-55 min.

Voila! Enjoy with tea or coffee or even with champagne!

If you want to check out my latest YouTube video, I posted a weekend VLOG just for something different!

Pumpkin soup -Just like in Blue Zones…

Posted in Alkupalat, Appetizers, Lifestyle, Main Course, Soup by

I recently ordered the cook book “Blue zones kitchen” to get some versatility in our home meals. In a family with kids you might end up in a situation where you repeat the same boring recipes day after day. We were in that spot. I was out of inspiration, didn’t know what to trial, limited time after work before bedtime didn’t allow three course French meals! The Blue Zone documentary series on Netflix really hit the nail with me. I have always eaten quite close to the Blue Zone diet without realising it but now with this new cook book I thought I would get some new recipe inspirations with the ingredients I love and also increase the vegetable quantity in our daily dishes. Needless to say it has been amazing.

All recipes I have tried so far have been fabulous and I also feel like I have gotten some recipe inspirations to create my own like for example this pumpkin soup recipe I am sharing below. It has been particularly nice to see both of my kids embracing the new flavours. Yesterday we tried Murasaki sweet potatoes, these are not purple sweet potatoes but sweet potatoes with purple skin, they are white in the middle like regular potatoes. We loved them. They were an interesting flavour combination of parsnip and sweet potato. It was similarly super sweet like parsnip but then it had that slight sweet potato flavour. Anyways enough of the babble..let me share the awesome pumpkin soup recipe now. You should try it, I have made it now twice in just one week and our family thinks it is super extra delicious! It is best served with rye and wholemeal bread. For those who live in Australia, Woolworths actually now has a German like sourdough rye bread that has 14% rye, it is like a sourdough loaf with rye and suits perfectly with this soup. My kids chose the rye bread over white bread when I offered both!

Blue Zone like pumpkin soup recipe à la Pia:

  • 1l vegetable stock
  • 1 onion chopped
  • half a butternut squash in cubes
  • 2 carrots chopped
  • 1/2 capsicum chopped
  • handful of coriander
  • 1tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp ground paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • hint of black pepper
  • 1/2 dl (1/4 cup) cream

1.) Cook onion, butternut squash, carrots and capsicum in vegetable stock until they are nice and soft.

2.) Puree to make smooth soup.

3.) Heat up soup with spices and let simmer for a little while.

4.) Add cream, mix and turn off the heat.

This recipe is so delicious and the secret for the fantastic flavour is the capsicum in the pumpkin soup. It gives this very interesting sweet but spicy flavour. Serve with bread and enjoy!

Lemon blueberry cake

Posted in Cakes, Desserts by

Last weekend me and my daughter craved for a lemon cake however we wanted to make something different so we found a recipe for lemon and blueberry cake. It was tasty and got fully eaten in just few days so wanted to share the recipe to cheer up your Friday!

Ingredients:

  • 100 g butter – I used nuttlex that is oilve oil base butter like mix
  • 2 dl ( 1 cup) sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla sugar
  • 3 eggs 
  • 1 lemon zest grated
  • 0,5 dl (1/4 cup) lemon juice
  • 3,5 dl (1 3/4 cup) flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder 
  • 2 dl (1 cup) sour cream
  • 1,5 dl (1 1/4 cup) fresh or frozen blueberries

Method:

  1. Heat up oven for 175 celsius degrees
  2. Whisk sugar and butter
  3. Add eggs and whisk
  4. Add flour -baking powder and mix
  5. Add sour cream
  6. Add lemon zest and juice
  7. Bake for 50min

Topping:

  • Icing sugar
  • Lemon juice
  • Cream cheese
  • Fresh blueberries

Once the cake has cooled down add the topping mix and sprinkle fresh blueberries on top. Voila!

My top favorite luxury handbags

Posted in Fashion, Shopping by

Luxury handbags can be tricky ones as they might look nice but are not always practical. I wanted to share my top handbags that I find are stylish and quality but also pragmatic.

1.) First one is the YSL Lou Camera bag in beige. I absolutely love this bag. It is spacious, the leather strap is comfortable, the length is good. The leather has kept very well and I have not been cautious or careful with it. This is the bag I always grab as my first option to go out.

2.) Second one is this Tory Burch McGraw Floral camera bag, it is similar camera bag to YSL. This one I love as it has a beautiful print on leather, strap is comfortable, it is roomy and blue and white base colours are easy to match.

3.) Third one is Chloe Drew bag that was extremely popular 10 years ago around the time we arrived in Australia. I still love it as it is classic, timeless, sophisticated however the golden strap is not a practical one for Australian summer when you wear it against bare skin!

4.) Givenchy tote. This has a special place in my heart as my husband gifted it to me at Christmas during the COVID. It came all the way from France and I have not seen anyone wearing it in Australia. It is unique but also extremely practical, one of those shopper bags that you can fit anything in and the perfect bag for airplane travels.

5.) Liberty Iphis Marlborough mini tote. This is a stunning bag, all leather, gorgeous Liberty print. I also love the mini tote style, it is something different. This has recently been my go to bag!

Last one is the sparkling Jimmy Choo bag that I got from my husband over the Christmas period. It is stunning bag, perfect for evening out. I really don’t have any bag like this. I wore it in a recent ball night I went to. It is again incredibly spacious. It can pretty much fit the same amount of items as YSL Camera bag. If you look for sophisticated but slightly different evening bag, Jimmy Choo does some gorgeous similar ones.

Cinnamon roll sugar cake -the best for guests

Posted in Cakes, Finland, Lifestyle by

There is a funny word in Swedish called Kanelbullasockerkaka in Finnish it is Kanelipullasokerikakku. This incredibly long word in both languages describes a heavenly cake that is a sort of combination of cinnamon roll and a cake like the name describes. It is a super fast recipe, the perfect cake for guests that come with a short notice.

In the Bay Side Melbourne there has been a boom for a while to sell cinnamon buns that are coated with delicious cream cheese icing. I thought I could add an additional Melbournian twist to this cake by spreading the divine cream cheese icing on top. We made it last weekend when my daughter’s friend was coming for a sleep over. Below you can find the recipe if you are keen to try!

Cake ingredients:

  • 100g melted butter (I use Dairy free Nuttlex made of olive oil as I like it more!)
  • 1dl (1/2 cup) milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 dl (1/2 cup) sugar
  • 3dl (1 1/2 cup) flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla sugar

Cinnamon swirl ingredients:

  • 1dl (1/2 cup) sugar
  • 0.2dl (1/4 cup) dark sugar ( I use coconut sugar as it is similar)
  • 2tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1tsp ground cardamom

Cream cheese icing:

  • Roughly 1dl (1/2 cup) icing sugar
  • Roughly 1dl (1/2 cup) Philadelphia cream cheese

1.) Preheat over to 175 celsius degrees. Whisk eggs and sugar

2.) Add dry ingredients to white foamy egg-sugar mix

3.) Mix milk and melted butter

4.) Mix cinnamon swirl ingredient together in a separate bowl

5.) Pour half of the cake mix into a cake tin, layer cinnamon swirl on top, pour rest of the cake mix on top and pour the rest of cinnamon swirl mix on top. Use a knife to make swirls.

6.) Bake the cake for 40minutes.

7.) Let the cake cook down.

8.) Mix the icing ingredients and add on top.

Enjoy with coffee or tea!

If you want to check out my latest video on Finnaussity YouTube channel click below: