MY MORNING

View from bed x 3 and my favourite doorway/window combo.  I walk past this old sushi shop every day on my way to work.  The photo doesn't show the scale well.  The door is tiny and super narrow and you would have to bend down to look in the window.  I am not even sure if the store is open anymore.  The plastic display food is the only sign of life(?) that I have seen.  I must investigate.

Oh, and no progress on the quilt yet.  I am waiting to go back to part time hours at work next month thus giving me more sewing time.  Yahoo!

WEEKEND PHOTOS

I finally got around to making bagels, something I have been meaning to try ever since I ate the most insane Super-Bagel on Granville Island, Vancouver.  It was stuffed with stewed apple if you can believe it and I have been pining for one ever since. Anyway I started off small on Saturday kneading dough enough for 8 plain ones from a 'No Fail' recipe.  I ended up with 2 and a half that were edible and 5 and a half doughy bricks.  The ones that were good were great so I tried again on Sunday.  Out of the 8 all were edible but looked ridiculous so things are really looking up.  Round three this weekend then on to the apple ones.. YUM!

On Sunday the cherry blossoms were at their peak and we headed out to a festival in our old neighborhood.   The weather was amazing and we managed as we do every year to fill up on festival food.

Monday was my birthday and I was lucky enough to get two cakes!  I can't remember the last time I received even one cake so I made the most of it.  I am now feeling older AND larger (thank you very much cake givers) so am looking forward to starting my birthday resolution of running more.  It's not going that well so far..

I'M ON A MISSION!

With the shift to our new apartment we have been thinking up creative ways to redecorate or breath life into the things we already have.  I am so happy with the extra light and space that it feels like a fresh start. 

This means it's time for a new duvet/quilt cover.  The only problem is they are HORRIBLE!  I have only found one that is gorgeous but not perfect and they don't ship overseas. The rest are boring/plain/drab/terrible fabric etc.  So I have hatched a plan.  Make one!  I know I want colourful, I know I want bright, I know I want interesting and I know I want it to be personal so....

I have taken this photo of O

And turned it into this (using Picnik)

I will only use the right 3/4's of the picture (from the orange squares) then all I need to do is find varying shades of cotton in all the colours in the image and piece together a quilt!  I am off fabric shopping in the morning.  Wish me luck and I promise to keep you posted on my progress.

SATURDAY..

After last weeks eventful weekend these two photos sum up my day today. 

B was kind enough to shout me an amazing mint chocolate chip ice cream.  'Take a photo' I said..

 

Two spoonfuls later..

Bummer. 

SATURDAY! CELEBRATE!

My Day by N.C.E.McKenzie.

Morning Hiroshima!

Market by the river.

My loot.. Obi and Kimono for new bags.

And an amazing, super old clutch purse with a beautiful clasp.  The outside is so old that the very fine leather feels like the paper that it is lined in.  It also came with a note inside it and a receipt from the bank after taking out $12,000 USD.  Haven't deciphered the note yet but am hoping it says something exciting!

Was given a tiny envelope from our Hermes-scarf-wearing taxi driver with a shiny new 10yen (1 US cent) coin in it. This was a refund for our having to phone the (all women) company instead of flagging down a car.  So sweet.

Hung out with my boys.

Stole some Daphne, my favourite smelling flower from the park.  Spring is in the air!

Relaxed in our sunny new lounge.

And ended the evening with a cup of tea, NZ treats and a game of cards with B. xoxo

EGGS

I am feeling a bit nauseous today and am wondering if it has anything to do with blowing 40 eggs for Easter art class??  I have twenty 5 year olds so doubled the amount of eggs needed in case of breakages.  Their teacher had little faith in their ability to sit still, concentrate and paint without major egg casualties but only one egg was injured and by the most sensible girl in the class. 

NEW ZEALAND TRIP

BOO and YAHOO I am back in Japan!  YAHOO because I have a fabulously large and sunny new apartment organized by B while O and I were away and BOO because NZ was sooooooooo generous to give O the best Kiwi Kid holiday ever.  It was also amazing for me to catch up with family and friends at both a birthday and a wedding.

  

  

  

 

MOVING DAY

Friends of ours are moving back to the USA (BOO) but we are taking over their apartment (YAHOO)! We are all packed and waiting for the movers.  It's only a few blocks away but we have too much stuff to move ourselves and are a wee bit lazy (I am not carrying a double bed up 6 flights of stairs if it doesn't fit in the elevator..).
I will be internetless for a while but look forward to posting before/after photos of the new place once we redecorate.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Nothing says 'I Love You' like pork packaged in the shape of a heart.. and deep fried heart shaped chicken and heart shaped potato cakes.  Supermarket shopping today was terribly romantic.
Come to think of it these gifts just don't seem right because on Valentines Day in Japan it is custom for only boys to give presents to girls.  White Day, exactly a month later has the guys on the receiving line. 

WHAT A DREAMY CHRISTMAS..

I know it's already February (how it is I'm not sure) but today was SO super cold in Hiroshima that the day left me dreaming of New Hampshire/Boston/New York.  B's parents are moving back to New Zealand this year so this was the perfect last USA winter holiday sendoff for the McKenzie clan.  Here are more pics from my snowy old holiday.