No techno stuff allowed!

Asakusabashi - Bead Shopping

2012-02-15T15:27:00.000-08:00

Asakusabashi is a suburb which is known for its bead, craft and doll shops - so my sort of town essentially!

These doll displays were inside Asakusabashi station.

I think Japanese traditional dolls are so beautiful.

I didn't have time to take many photos, but Kiwa was one of the shops on my list.

When we arrived, the sun was begining to set, so it was fairly late in the day. I also had my kids with me, and after a full morning of fabric shopping, their patience was starting to wear thin. My son used reverse psychology on me and said he would wait patiently outside each bead shop if I promised to take him back to Tokyo station to go to the toy shops again that night. I of course agreed with the plea bargin.

I didn't have a great map of this town, and so I ended just visiting three bead shops, but ran out of time to see all the others and all the doll and craft shops on my list.

So, I am sure this town is fantastic, but the problem for me was that I had many bead projects photocopied from Bead Friend magazines, so I needed very specific beads. Of course, all the signage in the shops were in Japanese only, and it takes me ages to read katakana, and the shops were all multileveled, and Kiwa was even divided between two different stores. With all this against me, it took me a long time to find all my supplies, and even then I ran out of time, so I only ended up with partial supplies for my projects. Paradoxically, there were too many choices for me, so I ended up procrastinating over what I should purchase. Meanwhile, my kids were getting grumpier by the second. So in hindsight, I should have visited Kiwa in Harajuku and Parts Club in Shinjuku instead of travelling out to Asakusabashi. In fact, I cancelled my day planned for Jiyugaoka to go to Kiwa in Harajuku to buy what I didn't manage to get here. So, if you have half a day free and you are travelling alone and you are bead crazy, then definitely visit this town. But if time is limited, then Harajuku and Shinjuku are your best bet. I did however, purchase these beads pictured below, but I would have loved a whole day here to really explore everything on offer. Still, I am grateful that I was able to go there at all.

Nippori Textile Town

2012-02-14T03:47:00.000-08:00

Nippori is a suburb of Tokyo which has a street dedicated to fabric and sewing supplies at reasonable prices. The Nippori station is on the Yamanote line.

As soon as you exit the station, there are many signs which point you in the right direction.

I love visiting these more working class parts of Tokyo. We seemed to be the only foreigners about. I think you get a real snapshot of what daily life is like when you venture away from the central parts of Tokyo.

Good food is never far away in Japan.

There were many shops selling clothes and everyday items at very low prices.

So we found shop after shop selling amazing fabrics and notions. Some shops specialise in particular items, such as buttons and buckles, or leather. I wisely took along my small wheelie suitcase to carry back all my fabric purchases.

The most popular store was Tomato, which consists of four separate shops, each specialising in a particular fabric or notion. The fabric shop was packed with women frantically buying fabric - it was really difficult to move around in this store, and a little hard to browse due to limited space. But even so, shop attendants still came to my rescue and carried my bolts of fabric up to the counter for me. And even though the queues were long, they seemed to process each order quite quickly. There was a huge variety of fabrics to choose from, with each floor carrying a different type of fabric.

Here's a little of what I bought.

My daughter and I want to make fake red leather handbags from this vinyl.

I do recommend Nippori as a fabric shopping destination. However, if you have limited time, you could really do all your fabric shopping in Shinjuku and Shibuya. I was shopping with 2 kids tagging along, and although my son was very patient, there is only so much fabric shopping a boy can take. I was able to bribe him with lunch at Mos Burger, which was near Nippori station. So, maybe head out to Nippori if you have half a day to yourself, with time to leisurely browse each shop - it really is a fun town to explore and see daily Japanese life in action.

Have a look at this website, for some awsome photos of Nippori - http://tokyofashion.com/nippori-fabric-town-pictures-video/

Next post: Asakusabashi Bead Town.

Afternoon Tea and Natural Kitchen - Zakka Stores

2012-02-10T05:06:00.000-08:00

Shibuya at dusk.

Have you heard of Afternoon Tea; a gorgeous zakka store with branches across Japan? I visited the branch in Mark City, Shibuya.

It smells really divine inside, actually you can smell it from quite a distance away. It offers all the things that us girls love: toiletries, homewares, stationery, clothing, bags and soft toys.

I bought just a few things: peach tea, stickers and a gift card. There were so many pretty things to choose from.

Also located in Mark City, is Natural Kitchen, another zakka store, but also a 100 yen store.

It's easy to go a bit nuts in yen stores.

Lots of cute kitchen items, as well as craft stuff.

Everything is little and sweet.

If you are looking for little gifts to take back home, then these are a good place to go to.

Crafting

2012-02-08T04:28:00.000-08:00

A few things I made recently.

Strolling Harajuku

2012-02-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

More on Harajuku,

2012-02-03T04:02:00.000-08:00

After Kiddy Land, we went in search of food, and found some interesting sights along the way. As I stated previously, always venture down the little side streets in Tokyo, where you will get many glimpses of indie shops and restaurants. Most of the international brand name stores are located on the main streets, and they're nice too, but if you want to see something uniquely Japanese, then the side streets are where you should explore.

I did say unique, didn't I?

What a novel idea to decorate a restaurant entrance. The cuteness just never ends in Tokyo!

Pretty gardens and greenery everywhere in Harajuku.

La Droguerie is a French craft store that I had always wanted to shop at. It was really pretty inside, selling some gorgeous yarns in vibrant colours. As I had already bought lots of craft supplies already, I decided to buy just a few beads. Now, this is totally my own fault as I had read on other blogs that this shop was very expensive, but I just grabbed a few little beads and didn't look at the price, just assuming a few beads wouldn't add up to much. But, when the shop attendant told me the price - 6250 yen, I was a bit shocked, as that equates to $76.00 Australian dollars. As she had already wrapped the beads all nicely, I was too embarrassed to say I didn't want to buy them any more.

As you can see, they are just plastic and glass beads and I bought so few. So that will teach me to look at prices in future. And then, when I went to Asakusabashi the next day, I saw identical beads for a much lower price. So, maybe just window shop if you ever go to La Droguerie.

Lastly, thanks so much to all my new followers for joining my blog, and leaving such nice comments. It is great to make new friends on the other side of the world, and I really enjoy reading your blogs and looking into daily life in other countries. Sometimes, I really do want to rant about various things, but reading such friendly comments encourages positivity in me.

Let's Go To Kiddy Land - Part 2

2012-02-02T02:02:00.000-08:00

The Boy's section of Kiddy Land featured everything boys love, including: Tomy, Tomica, Lego, Star Wars and Action figures.

Have you heard of Re-Ment? They are a Japanese company making miniatures of anything and everything you could possibly think of. I have a vast collection. They are released in series. On display here is Hello Kitty Bakery.

My favourite Rilakkuma x food.

Alice in Wonderland Cookie Collection.

Sanrio Department. It seems in Japan, Rilakkuma has overtaken Hello Kitty in the popularity stakes.

When I was a kid,(a looong time ago) Snoopy and Charlie Brown were my favourite characters. Merchandise was difficult to find in Australia back then. Look at what's available at Kiddy Land!

There's something so sweet and innocent about Snoopy. It takes me back to another time, before computers and Nintendos, when kids were happy with a few cuddly toys and comic books. Have you ever seen any Snoopy cartoons? The characters' voices were so cute. Apparently, Fergie from Black Eyed Peas provided the voice of Sally Brown when she was a child. My favourite cartoon was A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Of course, the Japanese like to make many different versions of characters. Look at the bizzare Snoopys on the top shelf; big deformed heads and coloured Afros.

Snoopy E-Mooks.

I like this floral Snoopy. I should have bought it, but I restrained myself.

Thus ends the tour of Kiddy Land. If you are planning a trip to Harajuku in the future, you may be lucky enough to visit the new, revamped store. It doesn't matter how old you are - Kiddy Land will definitely bring out your inner child and put a big smile on your face!

Let's Go to KIDDY LAND!!

2012-01-31T04:14:00.000-08:00

Kiddy Land is a famous toy store on Omotesando Dori, Harajuku. However, at the time of my visit (September 2011) the store was being rebuilt, so a temporary store was set up, just around the corner in Cat Street. Although not quite as big as the original, there was still certainly enough toys to keep the kids and us adults happy. Our Japanese friends had never even taken their kids there before. How funny is that!

Out the front of the store is a large number of Gashapon machines. Quite unbelievably, it was a bit difficult to find Gashapon machines this trip. On our last visit, there was a big Sega near our hotel that had multitudes of them, but that has been closed down now. Other gaming centres we visited, only had a handful of Gashapons. I find Gashapon toys a good choice to get little gifts for children back home. My son likes to keep inserting the coins until he gets the exact toy he wants. I try to reserve all my 100 yen coins for this purpose.

Well the big kid that I am, had to have a few turns at the Rilakkuma machines.

From memory, there was maybe 3 levels in the temporary store.

This was a range of toys I had never seen before, called "Sentimental Circus" Quite cute, I thought.

I would say that Rilakkuma is even more popular in Japan than Hello Kitty now days. Rilakkuma is probably my favourite character.

Kapybara-san

Japan always sells so many different versions of characters that are unique- none of these Disney toys are available in Australia.

I really like these Minnies made from floral fabric.

Anything from Studio Ghibli is always going to be popular. All their animations are truly masterpieces in my opinion.

More pics of Kiddy Land next post. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I enjoyed shopping there.

Let's go to Harajuku

2012-01-29T02:46:00.000-08:00

Today we met up with our Japanese friends in Harajuku. Harajuku is famous for it's whacky clothing shops nestled amongst some high end fashion houses. There are also many quirky cafes and stores along the little side streets. And best of all, Kiddy Land is there!

The main street is called Omotesando Dori which is a lovely wide avenue lined with beautiful trees. It's another great walking destination.

In the past, many people would congregate at Harajuku dressed in bizzare outfits with make-up to match. But it seems only a small number still participate in this ritual nowdays.

This is La Foret, which is a shopping centre devoted to famous Japanese clothing labels, with the odd international name thrown in, such as Kitson. It also is home to one of my favourite stores, Kiwa Beads. Kiwa is basically a fantasy land of beads and jewellery making supplies, with an enormous range of Swarovski crystals.

Why buy Swarovski jewellery, when you can just go accros the road to Kiwa Beads and make exactly the same thing for only a few dollars? I once saw a Swarovski pendant costing over $200.00, however the components only cost about $15.00 at Kiwa. Obviously, not all Swarovski jewellery can be replicated, but most of the simple jewellery can be - and it's alot of fun to create your own accessories.

This is Cat Street. I really love all the little side streets in Tokyo. You never know what little gems you will find. As I was with another family this day, I couldn't go off and explore. How I would love to have a few days by myself in Tokyo. I could accomplish alot without husband and kids sulking because I found yet another craft/zakka/fashion/cosmetics store! I really do love my family, but sometimes it's just nice to have yourself as company for a while.

So sweet!

Next post - Kiddy Land!

Shibuya - an assortment of images.

2012-01-27T18:04:00.000-08:00

The famous Shibuya crossing, or scramble, as it is sometimes called.

This is the view from our hotel elevator, and the best spot to watch the scramble. I could watch it for ages. I describe it as a sea of humanity, just trying to cross the road.

This is the view from our hotel room - rather spectacular, don't you think?

I love everything about Shibuya; the sights, the smells, the sounds, the food, the people and of course, the shopping. Mmmm, the aroma of yakitori cooking is the first thing you notice. The sounds are just a cacophony of sales pitches being yelled through megaphones, music from the huge video screens and traffic. It really is a sound quite unique to Tokyo. Also, the smells wafting from the many cosmetic stores is wonderful - I love Japanese make up and beauty care products- they smell divine.

If you have ever been to Shibuya, you will know what a fabulous town it is for just strolling and people watching. You can feel the excitement of the city as soon as you step onto the street. If you are a foreigner, the fashions of the locals will astound you. Tokyoites, especially in Shibuya, have a certain sense of style. They have a unique flair for off beat dressing. The clothing co-ordinations would look ridiculous on anyone else, but on these people it just looks amazing. Many foreigners try to emulate their dress code, but it never seems to fit in quite the same way. They really know how to put an outfit together!

I love all the winding little laneways. It's such fun to just ramble along, taking different turns, never knowing what is around the corner. I could walk for hours admiring the gorgeous window displays - so artistic and unique. Presentation is everything in Japan.

You will see these lanterns all over Tokyo. I love the ambience they produce.

Look what I found! Beaded cakes! They were displayed in the window of a chocolate shop in Mark City.

I recognise them from the Beads Mania range.

I must try and display my beaded cakes as beautifully as these.

Have I enticed you to visit Shibuya for yourself yet??

Daikanyama Shopping Haul

2012-01-25T03:07:00.000-08:00

Here's some of the things I bought from Daikanyama. Actually, this first pic is a top I bought from a shop called "Index" which is located in the basement in Shibuya station. Basically, everywhere you turn in Tokyo you will encounter a clothing store, so it is quite easy to get sidetracked whilst strolling along.

This top and cardigan is from H & M in Shibuya.

These are the fabrics from Cath Kidston. Aren't they so pretty? The top two are laminated fabrics which will become bags eventually.

This is a "pillow spray" made in France, which is sprayed onto your pillow before you go to bed. It has a lovely crisp linen scent.

Fabric from Cabbages and Roses, in beautiful muted colours.

These lace socks come from "Tabio", a store selling only pretty socks.

A page from the Cath Kidston catalogue. I'm going to try and replicate some of these bag designs with the fabric I bought.

Cute stuff from Aranzi Aronzo.

I found a clothing store having a sale and picked up these tops for a good price. The shoppers in there were in a buying frenzy.

Lastly, a few little things from Cou Cou. I'm going to turn the socks into soft toys.

Daikanyama is such an interesting shopping destination. I hope I can return one day.

Let's Go to Daikanyama - Part 2

2012-01-23T04:42:00.000-08:00

I couldn't eat at every cafe, but I wish I had tried out this Chocolate Cafe! Once again, another sweet menu board and pretty little potplants.

Well, I shouldn't grumble, because we did eat something totally scrumptious at the "Le Cordon Bleu" cafe for our lunch.

Eataly.

Here is an example of the cute little dogs that were a common sight around town.

Tsumori Chisato - I have a couple of her bags.

Cath Kidston was the one store I really wanted to visit, as we don't have it in Australia. But, I had an old map and when we got to where I thought the shop should be, it wasn't there. However, we stumbled upon the shop at its new location by chance. Yay!

We wanted to buy a bag each at Cath Kidston, but they were quite expensive - good quality though. Luckily for me, they sold all the fabrics there, so we purchased a few different designs to make our own bags.

Many buildings had a European flair.

Just cute stuff every which way we turned.

Merceria Pulcina was another store I especially wanted to visit, but they were sadly closed.

I love whacky softies. These ones are are exceptionally hilarious.

The last stop for the day was "Cou Cou", which is a store selling lots of things appealling to females, such as: underwear, stationery, homewares, seasonal decorations, softies and nice smelly things. Everything in the store costs 315 yen. These set price stores are extremely popular in Japan, but it is easy to overspend! I, of course stocked up on bits and pieces here- there are plenty of good choices for gifts for girls.

http://www.coucou.co.jp/

I really enjoyed my day at Daikanyama, but one day is not really enough time to explore all the shops and cafes. It's a great destination for walking, shopping, eating and people watching. I highly recommend Daikanyama, so do visit if ever you are in Tokyo. I'm sure you'd love it too!

Let's Go To Daikanyama! Part 1

2012-01-20T22:36:00.000-08:00

My boys wanted to go to a model train shop out in the suburbs, so my daughter and I went to Daikanyama for the first time. To get there, take the Tōkyū Tōyoko Line from Shibuya - it's only one stop away. Daikanyama is known for its zakka and cake shops, so of course we were going to love it. Japanese seem to have a knack for cute illustrations, as seen on the above menu board.

As soon as we stepped out of the station, we were met with a gorgeous organic cosmetic store and cafe. I highly recommend taking a map along with you, as the streets are little and windy; not in a grid pattern at all, so it's very easy to become lost.

You could define a Daikanyama-ite as, "a cute Japanese person who wears funky and offbeat clothes, pushes a stroller with an equally cute baby wearing an adorable outfit, walks a toy poodle on a leash and who enjoys sipping cafe lattes at a French style cafe" There was a distinct similarity amongst the inhabitants. I would like to live here for a while.....

There are multitudes of lovely clothing stores, which all seem to be unique indie shops. I didn't notice any chain stores. All of them were extremely enticing.

Our first stop was the Aranzi Aronzo store. I have wanted to visit here for years! It just smacks of cuteness.

Japanese stores always display their goods so stylishly I think.

Zakka stores feature heavily in this town, so I was very happy.

This was a really sweet zakka store.

Cocca sells unique hand made fabric and goods.

Outlet is good for cheap nick naks.

We had lunch here at the "Le Cordon Bleu" which is a French cafe run by a real Frenchman! They had some cute tote bags for sale here - I now wish I had bought one.

Cabbages and Roses is an English soft goods store. I purchased a piece of linen floral fabric here.

What I like about these little suburbs is nothing is uniform; each shop and house is so unique. This town is perfect for walking, as there are so many interesting things that catch your attention. I really love the use of dark wood in Japanese architecture.

Look how adorable everything is. You never have to look far to find the next cafe.

Shinjuku Shoppling Haul - Part 2

2012-01-19T00:33:00.000-08:00

Don't go thinking I'm extremely materialistic - most of these are gifts for family and friends. I tried to stock up on birthday gifts so I have something ready to give when each birthday arrives. I have a big family.

Adorable little cards in the shape of macaroons. What more could I ask for?

Have you heard of ranking ranqueen? It's a cute little shop selling lots of popular girly stuff: stationery, cosmetics, jewellery and the like.

These jars of jam are actually tiny single serves.

Soft organic towelling for making baby's toy.

Isn't this stationery from Graphia divine?

Shinjuku is the place to go for virtually anything you are seeking. So, now you know where to go for all your craft, fabric, zakka, stationery, beading and clothing needs.

You won't be disappointed!

Shinjuku Shopping Haul - Part 1

2012-01-18T00:38:00.000-08:00

Enough craft supplies to last me a life time......

More, next post.

SHINJUKU - Shop 'til You Drop - Japan 2011

2012-01-16T04:27:00.000-08:00

I awoke today still feeling very ill, but grateful for my nice soft hotel bed. Today we planned to meet up with our Japanese exchange student Miyuki in Shinjuku, for a day of shopping and eating. Each morning, we ate our breakfast at either Starbucks or Jean Francois Bakery in Mark City, which is a shopping centre attached to our hotel in Shibuya.

Bakeries and cafes are an excellent choice for breakfast in Japan for us foreigners - no raw fish, just a delicious array of breads and pastries. Also, the cost is very reasonable. And a good strong coffee gives you a kick start to a day of heavy duty shopping.

Cafes are popular with people on their way to work. If you go after rush hour, you can always get a table.

I love billboards in Japan. They are so much different to the ones in Australia.

After meeting Miyuki, I wanted to go to Okadaya. Last visit we found it easily, but this time we must have taken one wrong turn in Shinjuku station, which proved to be disasterous! Shinjuku is the largest train station in Japan I think, and even though I knew which exit to take, we found every exit but the one we wanted. So we tried emerging outside thinking if we saw some landmarks we could find which direction we should head. This wasn't successful either (females can't read maps, don't you know). So we just walked around in circles, and luckily stumbbled upon it at the end of some back street alley, thus wasting about 45 minutes of precious shopping time.

I won't try and give you directions to Okadaya, because clearly I am no good with them. It's not far from the station anyway, and close to Studio Alta.

Okadaya is a fabric and craft store, with many branches over Japan. I bought a bit of everything this time, and it's good place to go if you don't have time to go to Nippori.

If you look at Studio Alta from this perspective, Okadaya is on the next street to the left hand side

We then went to a fantastic lot of shops in 0101, which seem to cater for mainly women. The first shop which caught my eye was Un Petit Coeur by Concierge. They sell a lovely selection of zakka, teas, jams, stationery, toiletries and bags. http://concierge-net.com/

Next door was Graphia a la Page, which is a stationery and paper goods store. I went nuts over this store. And even better, another branch of their store was on the 8th floor, known as Graphia Plus, which had some extra ranges of products. Most of their stationery is adorned with cakes and fruit or vintage style images. Products include: masking tape, stickers, note sets, scrapbooking albums, pens, memos, greeting cards, umbrellas, bags, snow globes, stamps and those adorable little Editions de Paris and Editions de Tokyo books. http://www.marks.jp/English/ShopInfo/index.html

Also located on the 8th Floor is Tsutsumu; another fabulous paper goods store which sells,"rich and stylish wrapping materials" http://tsutsumu.co.jp/factory/shop/index.html

Needless to say, I purchased a small selection of merchandise from each store. 0101 has many, many other shops, but that's all I had time for this visit. I would definitely return though.

We had lunch at CAFÉ REJIIG which is located inside Isetan. This cafe is gorgeous inside with exceptional service to match. They even give you baskets to put your shopping bags in whilst you dine. All the posh Tokyoites in their designer couture seem to eat here. We were the only yobbo Australians lunching there (we aren't really yobbos, but we looked like it compared to those stylish Japanese people!)

http://www.isetan.co.jp/icm2/jsp/store/shinjuku/eat/k_rejiig.jsp

This is some of what we ordered.

On the way out of Isetan, I stumbbled across a cute little craft shop called Claire Deluxe, which is a branch of the store Hobbyra Hobbyre. It sold many varieties of Liberty fabric, plus some adorable emroidery kits. I purchased a kit with a French cafe design on it. This is a really lovely store, expensive, but with high quality items. Their motto is,"propose is a brand with a sense of abundant life throughout handmade season" You can't argue with that. http://www.hobbyra-hobbyre.com/

We lastly visited Takashimaya Times Square which is a mammoth department store containing stores such as: Kinokuniya, Yuzawaya, Tokyu Hands, Uniqlo and Franc Franc. I ended up at Yuzawaya which is an enormous craft and fabric store; one of the best I think. I stocked up big on fabric and notions. Then lastly we finished up at Uniqlo, but we didn't buy much there as they we selling mainly winter stock.

We said goodbye to our exchange student- it was sad to see her go. Then we trained it back to our lovely hotel and collapsed, feeling satisfied with our day's exploits. There were many, many more shops I wanted to visit which I had stupidly placed on my itinerary (as if I would really have enough time) But, here is my list for the advantage of any other craft fanatics planning a trip to Tokyo.

Silk 100 yen, Pierre Hermes, Zara, Rock Inn, Franc franc, ABC Craft, Lumine, Kiwa, My Lord, Grain Plaire, Lest Rose, Cath Kidston, Gelato Pique, 3 Coins, Keio, Isetan depachika and Royal Copenhagen Tearoom.

Shinjuku is a must for any tourist in Tokyo. It really is the embodiment of the stereotypical Japan, with its amazing neon lights, gianormous train station and masses of well dressed people. And, don't forget the shopping!!!

I will show you my day's takings in my next post.

P.S: take this map with you http://www.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/foreign/english/pdf/map/guide.html

All photos of store interiors are taken from their respective websites.

Tokyo Station Character Street - Shopping Haul

2012-01-11T19:10:00.000-08:00

Of course, there are many enticing patisseries in Tokyo Station.

From the Tomica Store.

kappybara-san in macaroon form

This knitted Rilakkuma is my favourite purchase.

latte cup

I bought this charm bracelet for my niece.

Tokyo Station Character Street - part 2

2012-01-10T05:51:00.000-08:00

Here are the various shops housed at Tokyo Station. All of them are wonderful.

Rilakkuma is my favourite, and was so with the many other shoppers crammed inside. Anything and everything with Rilakkuma on it was on offer. Some merchandise is exclusive to this store.

Many TV stations have a merchandise store here, selling their mascots and goods from their shows.

And this was my other favourite store; Dean and Deluca, which is an American gourmet food shop and deli.

I am really in love with this store.

It's filled with delicious food and ingredients, plus some really cute kitchen ware and bags. There is also a deli section which sells prepared ready to eat food. All of it looked extremely tantalising. I wanted to buy many of the food in jars, but it would have been too heavy to bring back on the plane.

I did buy some tea and biscuits, and one of these little ramekins just as a souvenir. And it was all packaged and bagged up beautifully. I kept the carry bag of course.

I'll show you how much stuff we purchased in my next post.

MT Tape Stationery Creations

2012-01-08T22:44:00.000-08:00

I can't take credit for these MT tape makes- my daughter created them by recycling cardboard and advertising materials from all the Japanese craft books we own.

A mini concertina files for storing odds and ends. The folders are old envelopes. The tabs are decorative post it notes from Japan (made by Marks Graphia)

A pencil case made from the corregated cardboard packaging that comes with the freebies in Japanese magazines.

Note pad with pages attached by sewing sheets of paper with a sewing machine, and decorated with post it

notes.

Little ticket holders.

I think they all turned out rather well, and it's a fun way to recycle paper.

First Avenue Tokyo Station - Part 1

2012-01-06T03:27:00.000-08:00

We managed to get all our crap onto the shinkansen and settled ourselves for a relaxing trip back to Tokyo. I watched out the window for the entire trip, but I still did not spy Mt Fuji. I've been to Japan twice, and have yet to see it. My son had been counting the days until he could visit the Lego store at Tokyo Station, and he did not let us forget it. So even though I felt terribly ill, I still promised to take him there. So, we dashed back to our hotel in Shibuya to deposit our luggage, and then caught a train into Tokyo. I was desperate to lie in bed, but being the good mother I am, just washed my face and gathered all my remaining energy to go and buy Lego.

Somehow, the Japanese seem to be able to build all these fantastic underground cities, filled with fabulous shops and eateries. And Tokyo Station 1st Avenue is yet another example. According to their floor guide, "The avenue connected Yaesu Exit of Tokyo Station has restaurants, cafes and variety of shops for souvenirs such as sweets, fashion and characters goods"

Tokyo Character Street consists of shops each dedicated to a particular brand or character. These include: Tomica, Plarail, NHK, Snoopy, Rascal, Kapibarasan, Lego and my favourite Rilakkuma!

Of course, we headed to the Lego shop first.

I know I am too old for toys, buy it's as if a spell is cast over me and I start longing to buy everything in sight.
The Kappybara store was extremely cute.

I have lots of little boys in my family, so it was easy to find them all a little gift at the Tomy shop. I really like Tomy products too for some reason.

By this stage of the night, I was literally shaking from my illness. So I was glad to sit down to eat and drink. We had our dinner at a restaurant, it's name I can't recall, but it was maybe similar to a German Beer Hall.

It was a large, lively restaurant offering a large variety of dishes. There were many people eating there with workmates and having alot of fun. I had wanted initially to eat at one of the many ramen cafes in Toyko Ramen Street, but there were so many people waiting out front of each one, and I was not prepared to wait due to my sickness.

Anyway, this beer hall was really nice, and the prices were reasonable. We had: Japanese curry,

potatoes and chicken karaage,

omlette and prawns

and noodles.

Then it was back to browsing the shops.

Domokun always cracks me up. I love his crazy face.

lots more pictures for you next post.

In the meantime, have a look at http://www.tokyoeki-1bangai.co.jp/

I highly recommend this destination if you have children or need to buy souvenirs to take home. There are also many Japanese sweets stores as well as clothing and accessory stores and a book store - something for everyone really.

Kyoto Shopping Haul-part 2

2012-01-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

Back to the rest of our Japan trip number 2.

Above: notepad, stickers and mobile phone sticker, all from Kyoto station.

Nail varnish, purfume and cute chirimen rabbit, all from Kyoto station again.

Paper tray made from washi.

Laquered box

Very scary ninja doll

This adorable doll comes from the Kyoto Handicraft Centre. I met the lady who makes all the dolls there. Imagine being a doll maker for a living! I would love it. How sweet is her face? And those paper cranes are teeny tiny.

and here is my biggest purchase of the trip - a divine bride doll. She is quite big; 42 cm tall. I purchased her from Kyoto Station.

the detail in her clothing is amazing

I love everything about her. This is one doll I have always wanted and I'm so happy I was lucky enough to find one.

To summarise my thought on Kyoto:

Accommodation- Although I did enjoy the hospitality of the backpackers inn, I feel I am too old to stay in one, mainly as we slept on the hard floor and I was very sick at the time. If you want to save money for other things, then backpackers is a good option. I however, would prefer to pay extra and stay in a hotel, especially with four people sharing one room. Also, it is much more convenient to stay close to Kyoto station for ease of using public transport. Our backpackers was just a bit to far away from the action and carrying all our luggage to and from the train station was also another issue. (We should have used a taxi)

Souvenir shopping - You can find almost everything you wish to buy at the shops leading to all the temples and shrines. Kyoto station is also a fantastic place to buy your souvenirs, and so convenient too. Downtown Kyoto has many large department stores and the Teramachi area has some interesting indie shops.

Transport - The train system is not as extensive as Tokyo's of course. My tip is to catch the train as far as you can go and then use taxis. We ended up using alot of taxis as it was more economical than paying for four train and bus tickets. I estimate that taxi fares are about the same as in Australia.

Eating - Food and drinks are easy to find wherever you go in Kyoto, and very good too. Kyoto is reknown for it's haute cuisine, but we didn't have time to seek out these eateries. There are plenty of konbini too if you want a quick snack.

Two days in Kyoto is not nearly enough time to see everything, when you consider the sheer amount of historical landmarks. Do some research and prioritise the places you reaaly want to see. I had so many places on my itinerary that we didn't visit due to time constraints. They were: bead shops, Morita Washi, Nishijin Textile Centre, Idola, Cocon Karasuma, Le Passage, Tanaka, Linnet, Keibunsha, Daimaru, Shin-Puh-Kan... the list goes on and on. Until my next trip to Kyoto...

I love Kyoto !

Kagami Mochi in Beads

2012-01-03T02:53:00.000-08:00

I just finished this beaded kagami mochi; a few days past new years's day. It was exceptionally tedious to complete, due to the complexity of the pattern. But, I am extremely happy I have finished it!

What Santa Brought Me

2012-01-01T18:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone.

I received some lovely Christmas gifts.....my husband gave me this ladder (?) still trying to figure out why.

But things got better. My daughter gave me this adorable sewing kit. I love it so much!

And then, good old Santa Claus read my mind, and left me exactly what I wanted, indulging my addiction to Japanese books and magazines.

I love this craft book, featuring amazing retro projects. It reminds me of the toys I had as a little girl. Smile.

I am definitely going to make these dolls.

I have been searching for this book for years. Luckily for me, it was recenetly re-released.

And yet another retro craft book.

I also received some lovely clothes from Santa.

The only time I get the opportunity to read novels is during the summer holidays.

And lastly, some Cath Kidston coffee mugs. Santa sure was good to me!

Christmas in Australia-Part 3

2011-12-28T18:33:00.000-08:00

Is everyone sick of eating leftover turkey, chicken and ham?

Here are some examples of gift wrapping tecniques I tried this year. I used boxes with lids so the wrapping could remain intact, and so I can reuse the boxes year after year.

For my box, I made a poinsettia from felt, and used a tape measure ribbon. I thought the ribbon was appropriate for me, seeing how I use one regularly, The ribbon is from Typo by the way. I found the paper at a florist shop.

I made this cute little rosette using strips of paper. For the white paper I used a decorative lacy punch. The paper is simply folded concertina style and fashioned into a circular shape.

I had alot of fun wrapping these. Now it is time to face the big clean up, and start cooking for our New Years Eve party.

Christmas in Australia-Part 2

2011-12-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

We held our Christmas party in our backyard. I am very fortunate to have a lovely swimming pool. I have tried to make my yard look like a tropical resort with various tropical plants.

My daughter made the table cloths with fabric from Ikea.

I forgot to take photos of what we ate for first course. We had: ham, turkey,chicken. prawns and various salads and vegetables. I made a variety of small desserts which were all devoured. Above is chocolate mousse with a brownie base, garnished with raspberries and Flake chocolate.

My daughter made these Rudolph reindeers for the kids.

My dessert bar consited of: tropical trifle, choc mousse, brownies, mini chocolate Christmas puddings, apricot balls, layered jelly, fruit mince pies and sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce

I made these Christmas crackers from cardboard and a beautiful sheer white paper I found at the florist. I filled them with chocolates.

Our Japanese friends brought along their friends who were holidaying with them. They gave me a lovely gift of Japanese biscuits.

Every Christmas on the Gold Coast coincides with storm season...and here it is, right on cue!

Christmas in Australia - Part 1

2011-12-26T22:00:00.000-08:00

Did everyone have a good Christmas? I thought I would show you how we celebrate Christmas in Australia, or more precisely, how I celebrate Christmas.

As my family and I are Christians, Christmas means we have been given the gift of eternal life when God came to earth in human form. The great thing about this is, anyone can receive the gift- all you have to do is accept it by opening your heart to God and living the way he intended us to. You don't need to earn your way into heaven. The gift of eternal life is free to anyone who wants it.

I also enjoy the other aspects of Christmas. Even though it is always hot where I live at Christmas, I still can't help decorating using European and wintery icons. In fact, many Australians do, despite our climate.
I had a big party on Boxing Day, so I spent alot of time beforehand creating and cooking in preparation. These little softies were take home gifts for the children. I hand sewed them from sweaters.

Then I packaged them up with a bar of Ikea chocolate. The kids went nuts over them. Even the older boys all wanted one!

I made these gift baskets for all the ladies to take home. They contained: jam, truffles, apricot balls, pudding and cake- all made by me of course.

They were decorated with a handmade fake cookie. Actually, my daughter wrapped all these for me.

My daughter made this table tree from a fake tree, fake snow and berries. We then painted fake birds with white paint and glitter.

These were easy to make from papier mache reindeer, painted with paint and glitter again.

My 12 year old son made all these cones which we filled with chocolate. I got the template from the Marie Claire Idees website. As you can see, my children have inherited my creative genes.

I placed the take home favours on pretty crystal platters. This is the only time of year all the wedding presents see the light of day! When we got married 20 years ago, it was the tradition to receive heaps of crystal as wedding gifts. We even received three whiskey decanters. I've never drunk whiskey in my life!

We made these as table centrepieces, once again using the crystal wedding gifts. I collected pinecones off the street near my work and covered them in fake snow and glitter.

We used to have a Hello Kitty and Thomas the Tank Christmas tree. Now my children are older, I have replaced all the decorations with more stylish ones.

This little bird in a cage is from "Natural Kitchen" in Shibuya, which I picked up on our last trip.

A funny little Danish Christmas Elf.

Please check back tomorrow when I will show you the rest of my Christmas celebrations.

Kyoto Shopping Haul-Part 1

2011-12-16T03:59:00.000-08:00

Kyoto is a shoppers paradise if you love traditional crafts like me. As I mentioned previously, the best places for souvenir shopping are Kyoto Station and the areas leading to temples and shrines.

Delicious green tea cake. There are many green tea products on offer all over Kyoto. They love the stuff!

I love this little tote bag from Kyoto Station.

Cute rabbit display from the Chirimen Craft Museum.

These are from a lovely little shop situated on the Path of Philosophy.

Usagi shop near Ginkaku-ji.

From the Kyoto Handicraft Centre.

Hello Kitty at Ginkaku-ji.

Notepaper and trinkets from Kyoto Station.

Cosmetics from "Porta" at Kyoto Station.
More purchases next post......

Christmas Cookie Decorations

2011-12-14T01:07:00.000-08:00

Have a go at making these fake cookies-they're alot of fun!

You will need a packet of Mermaid Puffy clay. Roll it out about 2mm thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut out two shapes per cookie.

Using a small star or heart cutter, cut a shape in one of the cookies, then glue it on top of the second one. Pierce a hole in the top to thread string through.

Paint the top layer with Modge Podge and sprinkle a layer of white glitter over to represent sugar.

To make the jam; mix together Modge Podge gloss with clear red acrylic paint.

Paint a thick layer of jam in the hole. They look like real cookies, don't you think?

I'm going to hang some on my Christmas tree and use some to decorate gift baskets.

KINKAKU-JI THE GOLDEN PAVILLION- KYOTO

2011-12-09T05:04:00.000-08:00

We had just enough time for one last tourist stop; the famed Kinkaku-ji.

I am totally fascinated by ancient architecture. I love the intricate designs.

It is certainly a spectacular sight. The gold coating reflects in the water to make it appear as if the temple is floating .

We then made the mad dash back to Kyoto station to catch the Shinkansen back to Tokyo, but not before making some substantial purchases at the souvenirs stores there. I'll show you what I bought in my next post.

Christmas Goodies

2011-12-06T04:49:00.000-08:00

I like to make Christmas edibles to give as presents. People always appreciate handmade gifts.

Pictured above are: caramel and chocolate brownies with toffee pecans on top, white Christmas, chocolate fudge and mini chocolate Christmas puddings.

These are little golden fruit cakes with a toffee coating.

Lastly, little chocolate rum and raisin puddings.

The problem is...I always end up eating some that were intended as gifts. I will have to whip up another batch I suppose!

We are having 17 people for Boxing Day lunch, so I am happily planning and making lots of gifts and decorations.

FUSHIMI-INARI TAISHA Kyoto

2011-12-05T05:07:00.000-08:00

I awoke this day after sleeping on the floor feeling even sicker than the day before. But as we had our last half day in Kyoto, I had no choice than to muster all my energy and go sightseeing. I still had a fever and chills accompanied by swollen glands and a very painful throat. I dreamed of being at home in my comfy king size bed dosed up on painkillers.

After checking out of our ryokan, we went to Kyoto station to put our luggage in lockers for the day. Unfortunately, many others had the same idea, so we had to hire four little lockers to fit all our junk in as all the large lockers were taken.

After breakfast at Lotteria, we caught the JR Nara line to Inari station in search of the famous Inari shrine, Upon exiting the station, the shrine is directly across the road.

This shrine is a popular place for tourists, but it is also a working shrine.

The shrine is dedicated to the gods of rice and sake. There are many fox statues which are considered the messenger of Inari.

The above area was used to perform a Shinto ceremony for a family with young children, similar to a baptism I guess. Photos were not allowed of the actual ceremony which involved 3 priest (2 were women) alot of singing and chanting and music played on traditional Japanese instruments (not sure what they are called)

There are actually five shrine erected up a mountain which covers 4 kms.

As I felt so ill, we only walked a short way along, but it basically looks the same the whole way.

A grave stone perhaps?

A very awsome sight which makes for some fantastic photo opportunities.

I highly recommend this shrine. The sheer volume of tori gates will astound you.

NOMURA TAILOR - KYOTO

2011-11-30T23:03:00.000-08:00

Here's what I purchased at Nomura Tailor:

Gorgeous chirimen.

Cotton Japanese prints

Organic cotton towelling for soft toy making.

Sumptuous brocades.

I don't know anyone having a baby, but I had to buy this kit all the same.

Cute fabric labels.

All in all, I had a big whopping heavy bag of fabric, so I was very happy.

A lovely store, with excellent customer service, of course!

Sunshine Award

2011-11-27T01:10:00.000-08:00

Akiko from http://kimonosnack.blogspot.com/ gave me the Sunshine Blog Award. Thank you so much!

The rules :

1. Thank the person who gave you this award

2. Write a post about it and include the award photo

3. Answer the questions

4. Pass on the award to ten (or however many you want) bloggers who you think really deserve it and send them a message to let them know!

It was fun reading her Q&A and here are my answers :

1. Favorite color : Red
2. Favorite animal : Orangutan

3. Favorite number : 4

4. Favorite drink{alcohol free} : Lychee Tea

5. Twitter or Facebook : Neither!

6. My Passion : Japanese crafts

7. Giving or receiving presents : I love to make and give presents!

8. Favorite pattern : Sakura
9. Favorite day : sunny day

10. Favorite flower : Singapore Orchid

I would like to pass this award on to these bloggers:

http://dreamersloft.blogspot.com/ because she travels to some really cool places.

http://mylifeasamagazine.blogspot.com/ because she is always happy and positive.

http://urutoranohihi.blogspot.com/ because she loves Japan as much as I do.

http://hautestuff.blogspot.com/ because she goes to some amazing restaurants

http://thecookiecutterblog.blogspot.com/ because she sews the cutest things.

KIYOMIZU-DERA KYOTO

2011-11-21T03:45:00.000-08:00

Kiyomizu-dera is a magnificent temple built in 1633. You need to see this temple in real life in order to truly appreciate what an amazing piece of architecture it is.

There are many smaller temples on site also before reaching the main temple.

The view from the main temple is beautiful.

My daughter wanted to buy one of these prayer tablets to hang here, but we were told it was "only for Japanese". Ok.

Have a look at the size of the pillars.

The main verandah overhangs a huge drop of a mountain. How did they build such an enormous structure without any heavy machinery? And to think of how many people over the centuries that have stood on this verandah, but somehow it is able to withstand the weight. It just amazes me.

A man painting a watercolour of the temple. What a peaceful pastime.

A quaint teahouse on the descent from the temple.

More pretty yukata.

By the time we reached the end of Kiyomizu-dera, I was sweating with a fever. But somehow I kept on walking and browsing the souvenir shops. I wasn't about to let my virus ravaged body stop me from fullfilling my lifetime's dream of exploring Kyoto.

Kawaii-ness everywhere.

We then caught a cab to Sanjo Dori, as I had spotted a fabric store when we were rushing along the night before. I knew I wasn't going to have time to go to all the craft and fabric shops on my itinerary, but at least one was madatory. My family went off to Teramachi arcade as my daughter wanted to buy some clothes, so I had almost 1 hour to myself in the fabric shop, which turned out to be Nomura Tailor.

From memory, it was 3 or 4 storeys. The ground floor was lots of Japanese prints, Liberty and kimono brocade. One floor was just craft and notions, and there was another for formal fabrics and one for kid's prints. I had to laugh at a tourist husband sitting in the corner of the shop playing on his iphone whilst his wife shopped feverishly. Good to know there are other people out there like me, only I was smart enough to get rid of my husband for a bit. As I stumbbled around the store carrying great bolts of fabric, a nice man appeared out of the blue to carry my fabric to the counter. The customer service in Japan always astounds me. That wouldn't happen in Australia.

I ended up buying several kilos of fabric and craft stuff, which I will show you a bit later. So now I felt I had achieved something. Always happy when I have just bought fabric!

There's also a branch of this shop in the Teramachi Arcade. The store closes at 7.30pm.

http://www.nomura-tailor.co.jp/

We ended up at this family restaurant for dinner. It reminded me of a Pizza Hut as it was a free standing building on a corner block with a carpark, which is unusual in Japan. Inside it had a nice atmosphere and the seating was in cozy booths. I love these menus with the big pictures - they're good for us foreigners.

My son had his favourite karaage and potato wedges.

I had udon with a tempura prawn.

My husband ordered this beef set. I felt too sick to really appreciate the meal, but it was delicious.

We then walked back to our inn which was owned by this cute little family.

I fell into bed, I mean futon on a hard floor, and wished I had remembered to bring my Panadiene tablets.

I was feeling very sorry for myself.

NINNEN ZAKA & SANNEN ZAKA - KYOTO

2011-11-14T04:50:00.000-08:00

Ninnen zaka and Sannen zaka are the roads leading up the hill to Kiyomizu-dera. They are lined with old traditional shops selling some wonderful souvenirs.

There are all sorts of things on offer: chirimen products, ceramics, dolls, bags and lots of green tea products.

This is one of the many green tea stores. This one sells a delicious green tea cake.

Many visitors dress in yukata when they come here.

At the base of the ascent to Kiyomizu-dera, we spotted these ladies dressed as geisha. I'm pretty sure they were just in costumes, as there are many studios in Kyoto who will dress you and do your make-up for a photography shoot. You can then strut around town for a bit and pretend to be a geisha and have the tourists go shutter crazy over you. A way of having your 15 minutes of fame I guess!

They looked lovely nonetheless.

Is this not your typical Japanese scene - geisha and school girls?

They happily posed for lots of photos before heading back to the studio.

KYOTO HANDICRAFT CENTRE

2011-11-13T04:12:00.000-08:00

We caught a taxi to the Kyoto Handicraft Centre. It is three levels of souvenirs, but several different companies are housed within the centre.

This lady makes dolls all day long. They are really beautiful and detailed. I ended up buying one of them which I will show you next post.

The doll department was my favourite section of course. The centre sells all the usual souvenirs, such as: kimonos, wood block prints, laquerware, ceramics and toys.

There is also a restaurant which serves a buffet. We ended up eating there asI was feeling too sick to walk around the district looking for a restaurant. Unfortunately, I can't give a very good review on this restaurant. The food wasn't very nice- very plain and bland, and the price was too expensive for the quality of the food. But I was too unwell to really care at this point, and they did have nice cold drinks which felt good on my throat.

I was a little disappointed in this shop. It did sell a range of things, but alot of the stock looked old. As you will probably arrive in Kyoto via train, I recommend that you do all your souvenir shopping at Kyoto Station. It sells all the same items, but many more. What I liked about Kyoto Station is they stock souvenirs with a modern edge, such as eco shopping bags and cosmetics. It also sells a huge variety of food souvenirs. So, unless you have alot of time to spare, you'd be best to grab your souvenirs at the stations before you catch your train home. And don't forget, all the temples and shrines have many, many lovely souvenirs shops.

Lastly, thanks to all the nice readers who sent me wedding anniversary wishes. I hope some of my advice was helpful to those of you starting out in marriage.

We've been married for 20 YEARS!!!

2011-11-09T02:10:00.000-08:00

Today is our 20th wedding anniversary. 20 years is quite an achievement don't you think? God has blessed us with two wonderful children as well as many friends, a beautiful home, a successful business and fun times. We are extremely lucky to have all this. I don't claim to be an expert on marriage, however I do know a thing or two after 20 years, so I would like to share with you my secrets to a successful marriage.

Dedicate your marriage as a living sacrifice to God. We have what I would call a "covenant marriage", meaning we made our promise of marriage as an agreement between the two of us and God, so it is a promise we cannot break. When you choose your bridal party, choose people who will support your marriage when things get tough. Recognise that marriage is a sacrament and should be considered in the highest esteem. Try and surround yourself with other families who have strong marriages so you can encourage and look after each other. Your marriage should be protected at all costs.

Go to University. If at all possible, go to college or uni. An education will give you so many more opportunities in life. It is also a great place to find your future spouse. You really should marry someone with whom you have many things in common. At uni, there are thousands of people who are in the same age group and have a similar intellect. My husband and I met at uni when we were teenagers, and I am so grateful that I never had to do the whole night club and pub scene thing like many people do in order to find a partner. We had alot in common from the start, as we were studying similar courses and had many classes together. We were both committed to succeeding in our education and careers before marrying. I can even remember the exact moment I fell in love with my husband: it was during the first week of second semester in the cafeteria! We had been friends for a year, but at that moment I thought, "I'm going to marry him one day" I always think it is so amazing that the two of us became partners with all the people in the world we may have ended up with. I guess God knew who the right man was for me. I do not recommend marrying someone that you do not have much in common with: I've seen it end in tears many times. Marry someone with the same values and goals in life.

Make your marriage your first priority. If you are going to get married, you will have to accept that your lifestyle is going to change permanently. Don't think that it is ok to go on surfing safaris every weekend with your mates. You cannot continue to live like a single person if you are married. That's not to say that you can't spend time on your own or do things without your spouse- of course you still can, but there must be limits and boundaries. Also, family and friends need to accept that your spouse is now your first priority, and not them anymore. This can be difficult for some families to accept, but do not fall for the guilt messages or emotional blackmail when they feel you are not giving them enough attention. The bible clearly says that when you marry, you leave your parents and a new family unit is formed and it is the most important relationship in your life now. Your parents and siblings need to understand this, even if it leads to feelings of jealousy. Change can be hard to accept, so assure your family and friends that you still love them, but your own new little family will be the main focus in your life-and that's the way it should be.

Love is an action, not a feeling. I think if people understood this more, there would be less divorce. Marriage can be tough. It is never smooth sailing 100% of the time. If you can accept that there will be rocky times and that nobody has a perfect marriage, then when the tough times come along you can accept it as perfectly normal. There will be times when you won't feel romantic or warm and fuzzy towards your spouse, but if love is an action, you can continue to show them loving actions. Do nice things for one another. So many people think I'm crazy for ironing my husband's shirts every night. Other wives make their husbands do it themselves. I don't enjoy ironing, but I do it as a little loving gesture. I also spend alot of time helping my kids study. I don't have alot of spare time as I work fulltime, but I do it because I want them to know that they are my top priority and that I value education. And don't keep score about who does the most around the house - just do it and work as a team. Have a servant's heart. Give without expecting anything in return. Oh, and husbands, giving your wife a foot rub every now and then will earn you lots of Brownie points!

Don't live together before you get married. I've heard it said that marriage is just a piece of paper. If that is all it means to you, then you shouldn't be in a relationship. Guard your heart and your body and don't give it away unless it is to your spouse. If someone seriously wants your heart and body then they should be mature and respectful enough to formalise their feelings in front of family, friends and God. They should vow to honour you for the rest of their life. If they can't do that, then they don't deserve you.

Have a laugh. Life can be stressful and too serious at times. I recommend that you have fun with your family on a daily basis. Joke around, say silly things, play tricks on your kids! When our kids were little and they asked what was for dinner, we would answer, "vegetable pie amd cabbage pudding". They would sulk and grumble everytime, but if it was a weekend we would end up feeding them pizza or KFC. We got so many laughs from doing that - hey, if your kids are going to give you stress, the you're entitled to get a little bit of amusement out of them. Another funny thing I did once was to buy my husband a really nice jumper. Not long after, I found the exact same jumper in a toddler size, which I bought. When my husband came home I told him I had some bad news and that I had washed his new jumper and it shrunk in the wash. I then brought out our toddler son wearing the toddler size jumper and said, "never mind-it fits our son now". It took him a little while to realise that the there were actually two different sized jumpers!. So by now you may think we are all nuts, but I can guarantee you that not taking life so seriously and acting silly together sometimes, really results in a happy marriage and happy family.

So, I hope you enjoyed my post about marriage and that some of my advice has been helpful. Sadly, we decided not to have an anniversary party, as most of our friends are divorced and can't be in the same room as each other. So we might do something with just the four of us on the weekend. I don't know why God chose me to have such a wonderful life, but I will be forever grateful!

TETSUGAKU-NO-MICHI (Path of Philosophy)

2011-11-07T04:27:00.000-08:00

Tetusugaku-no-michi is a path which runs along a canal just south of Ginkaku-ji. It is lined with sakura trees and some lovely souvenir and handicraft shops.

I would love to see it when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.

It's about 2km long, but as I was feeling sicker by the hour, we just walked a short way, and then walked back to the starting point. Although I felt dreadful, I still managed to make a few purchases from the souvenir shops! He he.

These appeared to be grave stones. They were erected on the side of the road, which seems to be the done thing in Asia.

A cute little temple.

Gorgeous bag shop.

This is a really lovely walk to do. There is lots of interesting things to see on the way, and some little cafes too if you feel a bit parched.

HELLO KITTY KOUBOU - KYOTO

2011-11-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to visit the Hello Kitty Koubou for some years now. I know I'm too old to love Hello Kitty, but something about this shop really enticed me. It is housed in what appears to be a traditional machiya - a lovely wooden building. All the products for sale are in a Kyoto or traditional Japanese style.

The flooring is tatami mats, so I had to remove my shoes before entering. Everything was displayed attractively.

Merchandise included: plushies in kimono, geisha style bags and furoshiki, make up cases, stationery and jewellery.

My main goal was to purchase a plushie, which I did along with a couple of laminated shopping bags, furoshiki and note pads.

If money was no object, I would have bought alot more. As you can see, it was all very desirable. Husband and son waited patiently for my daughter and I to make our purchases. It's only a small shop, but do give it a visit if you are going to Ginkaku-ji.

How to get there: as you are leaving Ginkaku-ju heading west along Ginkaku-Ji Michi, cross over Tetsugaku-no-Michi (Path of Philosophy) and it is on the second street on the left. You should be able to see it straight away. There is a stone statue of Hello Kitty out the front. Hello Kitty fans will love this quaint and sweet little shop.

http://www.kyoto-hellokitty-koubou.com/

GARDENS OF GINKAKUJI part 2

2011-11-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

The gardens of Ginkaku-ji are positively divine. Gardeners keep the grounds in an immaculate condition; pruning and sweeping all day long.

But even the untouched parts of the garden are just so beautiful too. There is something magical about the soft moss amongst the trees. There were many grave stones in amongst the hills. It was just the start of autumn, so the leaves hadn't turned yet. I would love to see it during the late autumn season.

Walking through these grounds was so serene and peaceful, despite my ever increasing aches and pains from the cold that was brewing in my body.

I LOVE Japanese water features. I have tried to make my own bamboo water feature in my back garden, but it doesn't look quite as nice as this one.

The view from the high hills in Ginkaku-ji was spectacular.

More souvenir shops. I did buy a few Ginkaku-ji trinkets from here.

More lovely garden features out the front of some restaurants.

How can something so simple look so beautiful?

I highly recommend Ginkaku-ji if you are ever in Kyoto. It is a UNESCO World heratige site. It was built by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa as a retreat from the civil war in 1482. It was meant to be painted silver, but never was. Still, it called the Silver Pavillion. It amazes me that a building so old is still standing and in perfect condition. It is so relaxing to walk through the grounds and admire the meticulously kept gardens. This site is highly recommended by me,

Coming up next post; Hello Kitty Koubou!

THE GARDENS OF GINKAKUJI - KYOTO

2011-11-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

GINKAKUJI - KYOTO

2011-10-31T06:17:00.000-07:00

There are many wonderful little shops to visit on the road leading up to Ginkakuji (the Silver Pavillion). I loved all of them, but especially the ones selling chirimen and fabirc goods...but no time to look in all of them.

Sweets, cakes and crackers are very popular souvenirs (omiage)

What I found surprising was there are actually residential houses in amongst these touristy shops. I guess tourist think of all these world heritage sites as merely sight seeing destinations, but all these temples are actually in active use for people wanting to come and pray. And they are set amongst people's homes. I wonder what it would be like to live in amongst the touristy parts of town.

Kyotoites sure do adore green tea! They put it in everything; cakes, ice cream, drinks and cream puffs. And there was a very strong smell of green tea in the air in many of the places we visited.

This is the entrance to Ginkakuji. All the structures were magnificent and imposing.

Look at the symmetry of this hedge. The gardens here were enormous, but immaculately manicured.

A beautiful bamboo grove.

I found all the architectural elements fascinating. The work that went into building these structures is truly mindboggling.

And the sand structures..absolutely perfect. This one is meant to represent Mt Fuji I think.

And here it is - Ginkakuji! Only it isn't silver, but still beautiful. More photos to come.

KYOTO - CHIRIMEN CRAFT MUSEUM - GINKAKUJI

2011-10-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

Sleeping on a futon is really uncomfortable! I though futons were foam mattresses, but they are actually only continental quilts. All I could feel was the hard floor beneath. I'm too old to sleep on the floor! When I awoke, my throat felt a bit scratchy as it had the night before, but I thought I was just tired and tried to ignore it. It was raining again, and from our window I saw these cute little kids on their way to school.

We walked uo to Kyoto station to look for some breakfast. Snapped this cute little eatery along the way. I just love taking in all the sights of everyday life when I am overseas.

Shinkansen at Kyoto station.

Unfortunately, all the cafes were full of customers, so we ended up eating breakfast at Lotteria, which was quite nice. Then we caught the subway to Imedagawa station to start our day of temple hopping at Ginkakuji. We then caught a taxi to the road leading up to Ginkakuji. I had read that taxis in Japan are really expensive, but they only cost about the same as in Australia, so we decided not to bother about using the buses. Also, taxis save alot of time when you need to pack alot of sightseeing into one day. By this stage, my throat was really on fire and my whole body ached. Why do I get sick every time I go overseas! I truly felt awful, but I wasn't about to lie in bed, I mean on the floor, all day after I had travelled half way across the world to my dream destination. And, to make matters worse, I was sure I had packed a box of Panadiene in my case, but I had actually left it back home. So I had no drugs even to keep me going, Did I feel sorry for myself! But I was determined to do everything on my itinerary, so I just pretended I was fine and kept plodding on. I drank copious amounts of cold green tea to try and soothe my throat.

Here is the road leading up to Ginkakuji. If there is one way to cheer me up, it's souvenir shopping. The whole road was lined with little shops. And then, look what I found-a branch of the Chirimen Museum!

I adore chirimen. The colours and textures of the fabric are truly exquisite. My dream job would be to make things from chirimen all day.

I love this mobile, but I was very expensive, but so much work had gone into making it.

I of course purchased a couple of items, which I will show you later.

KYOTO - GION

2011-10-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

I adore these wooden houses. I love the colour of the wood and the architecture. I also love the small gardens and their ornaments,especially the water feautures. They seem to have a nack of making everyday settings look beautiful.

The only thing which surprised me about Gion is there are many strip clubs and brothels. I never read about that in my travel guides! We even saw a few girls on their way to work. I wanted to cry when I saw them. How awful for beautiful young girls to end up doing that for a living. I know there are such establishments all over the world, but still it made me sad to actually see these girls. I wonder, what were their dreams when they were little girls, do they have family, have they been educated??? As a mother, I find it devastating.

These are the restaurants along the river in Pontocho. I think they are all private entertaining rooms. I'd feel too intimidated to enter one. There are many restaurants I'd like to try, but as I can't read kanji, I have no idea what sort of eateries they are. I wish I had the courage to just go into one, especially one where you have to bow under the noren curtains.

So that's the end of our Gion expedition. I'd like to return one day and have a better look around.

KYOTO - PONTOCHO & GION

2011-10-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

Next we walked to Pontocho and Gion-the famous historical part of Kyoto. Pontocho runs along the Kama-gawa. The river was flowing rapidly after the typhoon. Many people were strolling along the river or just sitting on the banks.

There are many quaint and traditional buildings in Gion. I wonder what they are like inside?

I have to admit though, Gion is kind of creepy at night. It's dark and quiet, but somehow still alluring. I would have liked to walk further into the streets, but someone's husband was getting impatient so I wasn't able. I would like to visit this area during the daytime on my next visit. Apparently during sakura season it is quite spectacular.

I love the weeping willows along the canal. It really is a beautiful area, and the Japan most people picture in their minds.

KYOTO - TERAMACHI, SHINKYOGOKU & KAWARAMACHI

2011-10-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

Whilst strolling around these areas, we discovered many quaint and interesting establishments.

Most shops in Kyoto close a bit earlier than in Tokyo- about 7.30pm.

TOKYO DISNEYLAND - SOUVENIRS

2011-10-21T23:29:00.000-07:00

Sweets in Minnie furoshiki

I prefer souvenirs in traditional and unique Japanese style.

Various chocolates, biscuits and teas.

KYOTO-DAY 1-PART 2 - JAPAN 2011

2011-10-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

The rain stopped after 3 hours, but I certainly enjoyed strolling around Kyoto station and doing a little shopping. Now the skies were clear, so we set off on foot to our accommodation, "The Sparkling Dolphins Inn" Of course, when you step out of the station the landscape is urban, but the traditional part of Kyoto is not far away. I immediately noticed the architecture in Kyoto is alot more traditional than in Tokyo. Our lodgings were just south of the station, in what I would call a working class part of town - just some ordinary shops catering to everyday needs, but with the odd little cute cafe or quirky looking house here and there.

We were greeted by the owners of the inn; a lovely family of 3 generations. I had chosen the family room, which consisted of tatami mat and futons, plus a private (teeny tiny) bathroom and toilet. There was also another Australian school group staying here.

After checking in, we caught a train from Kujo station up to Shijo Dori, which is known as downtown Kyoto. We got a little lost when we emerged from the subway, but once again, as if by magic, a bilingual gentleman came to our aid and pointed us in the right direction. Japanese people are so kind towards foreigners, which I experienced time and time again during this trip and our last trip.

Shijo Dori is home to major department stores such as Takashimaya and Daimaru, but unfortunately there was not enough time to visit.

A stylish book store.

We walked up to the famous covered shopping arcades, Teramachi and Shinkyogoku. Apparently the famous Nishiki Market is in this vicinity also, but no time for that either! Along the way, I noticed a fabric shop with my special fabric/craft shop radar that is built into my neurological navigation system, and made a mental note to self. Also in Teramachi Aracde I spotted a Parts Club bead shop, but I never got there...boo!

Teramachi arcade seemed to go on forever. We only walked up part of the way.

A beautiful kimono shop.

We needed to have dinner and we decided to try something completely different; a funky little organic restaurant on top of a second hand clothing store. I loved the way all the tables and chairs were mismatched. It had a very homely feel to it. Also attached was a cute little zakka shop- what more could I ask for?

After dinner, we found a green tea ice cream shop. Everything in Kyoto seems to be associated with green tea. They love it, and so do I. As most shops were now closing for the night, we headed off in search of Gion.

KYOTO - DAY 1 - JAPAN 2011

2011-10-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

We were up early to catch the shinkansen to Kyoto. I didn't sleep much the night before due to a small problem in our business back home (which wasn't our problem or responsibility, but my husband still wanted to find a solution for the people concerned) and the start of the typhoon lashing at the hotel window all night. We caught the shinkansen from Shinagawa station using our Japan Rail Pass which was a fairly straight forward process. The trip took about 2 1/2 hours, and the shinkansen is an extremely comfortable way to travel - lots of space and leg room, reclining seats and a cute lady with a food and drinks cart to replenish us.

My husband spent the entire trip ringing Australia back and forth trying to sort out the aforementioned problem, which he managed to solve just before be arrived in Kyoto. Ok, take a deep breath and enjoy Kyoto now! We travelled through the typhoon which was travelling north towards Tokyo. I kid you not, our train stopped at the platform literally on time to the second (there was a clock timer on the platform)

It was raining heavily upon our arrival, and as we had to walk to our accommodation, we decided to linger around the station to see if the rain would stop.

Let me start by saying that Kyoto station is fantastic! One could easily spend an entire day there. It's a veritable little city, with an underground labyrinth of shops and eateries.

I of course spotted these souvenir shops first up which I shopped in on our way back to Tokyo.

It was a little confusing trying to find our way around, and as we were fumbling over our map, a bilingual lady suddenly appeared and directed us to the eateries.

We decided on this French bakery which was filled with yummy offerings and drinks-very welcoming since I hadn't eaten all day.

We also came upon an Australian school group here. By the way, this trip was meant to be with my kid's school's Japanese school exchange program/tour, and I was to be accompanying the students as a "chaperone" - actually I just wanted to go to Japan, so any excuse will do! Unfortunately, the trip was scheduled for June, but the school cancelled it due to the earthquake. We had already purchased our flights and couldn't get a refund, thus we decided to go in September.

After lunch we explored some more of the station. This is the main atrium at street level which is an amazing piece of architecture.

We then were approached by two Japanese school boys who wanted to interview us to practise their English skills. They were very sweet and took our photo at the end.

It's a bit difficult to describe Kyoto station. It's more or less like a huge maze of shops and eateries. One section called "Porta" mainly houses fashion and cosmetics - everything is very beautiful and stylish as one would expect. Have a look here http://www.porta.co.jp/ In fact, I think I could live in Porta!

After lunch, we passed some time in Isetan which is attached to the station. We explored the toy department. I purchased some cute Shinzi Katoh items. I'm unable to show you them, as the staff gift wrapped them. The stationary section was lovely too.

Kid's vending machine - juice only.

TOKYO DISNEYLAND - JAPAN 2011 - PART 5

2011-10-13T05:16:00.000-07:00

Are you sick of Disneyland yet?

Next post will be my Disney shopping haul....