Happy Spring

Thank you, Dianne and Kate for the special delivery!  They are adorable! 

Mending

My favorite jeans have many holes on the front and the back.  No, I'm not letting them go yet.  You know people, mending is not bad to do.  And it looks pretty cute to me. 

Happy Friday!

Last Week

pickled mini peppers and gingers...

dried my thyme...

baked a coffee cake...

shared the coffee cake...

had snack #1, chips and pico de gallo...

had snack #2, chips and guacamole...

had snack #3, taiyaki (a red snapper shaped waffle filled with sweet red bean paste)...

received a package with photos from grandma and grandpa, the boy and his orange tree in 2006...

the boy and the orange tree in 2007...

the boy and the orange tree in 50 years, ooops, it's grandpa and the orange tree in 2013...

the package contained santa cruz grown citrus...what a perfect timing to help cure my cold!

worked on more stitching...

loving this quiet moment...

made buttermilk pancakes for the first day of Spring Break...

the two sleepy heads...come on, get up and eat breakfast.

Just Stitching...

Hand stitching is meditating.  Really.  You should try it.  

I don't even know what these will turn to...

Tennen Seikatsu, "Natural Life"

I just got the current issue of Tennen Seikatsu, "natural life" in literal translation.  This is one of the Japanese monthly magazines that focuses on natural, organic, slow life. It's been around for a while, and it is available here in the States at any Japanese bookstore. I don't subscribe to it, but when I go to Japan, I always pick it up. I just had to buy this copy because it features people's cupboards.  Don't you want to see what other people have in their cupboards?  :-) Anyway, I love their minimalist styling and concept to promote quality, not quantity.  (note: the photos are mixed of the current and past issues)

I love this cupboard...

The owner of this kitchen uses a retail display cabinet as a cupboard...

This kitchen is small like most Japanese kitchens, but it feels light and airily...

This one is owned by a ceramist...

The shopping guild for ceramics...

Food in this magazine is all about comfort food, both Japanese and non Japanese, and the styling is pretty rustic and modest, yet so beautiful...

Coffee in a Japanese antique tea cup and chocolate on a Urushi lacquer plate...

Japanese comfort food, the kind that grandma makes.  I love the textile on the background...

In traditional Japanese cuisine, each dish has designated plates or bowls.  This is why each household usually owns a variety of ceramics...

Seafood chowder and pasta...

Peasant style lunch wrapping...

The reason I love this magazine is because it values craftsmanship on many levels...

Nationally well-known blacksmith, Aritsugu in Kyoto.  Their knives show their pride and craftsmanship and also last a life time...

Again, its emphasis is quality, not quantity.  Even for a simple everyday thing, choose one in good quality so it will last longer. 

Handwoven chair covers...

This old issue featured bread making and bakers from all over Japan...

I have a thing for bakeries.  I just can't pass them up when I see them...

Of course, sewing/crafting is a big part of this magazine...

Hand embroidery to upcycle your old skirt...

Feedsack applique...

Breakfast

blueberry muffins ready to go into the oven...

20 minutes later...

yup, the grey plate is my work...

did you enjoy your breakfast?