Fresh Ink |
Feb 23, 2010 - Ginko Papers in Family Circle!
It's official! My favorite crafts and home magazine, the one I grew up with, the one I drooled over, the one I always looked forward to getting in the mailbox has included us in their pages!Family Circle has used our darling Japanese masking tape to decorate Easter eggs with. Here are some photos from their website (photographed by David Prince). The magazine is to hit news-stands later this week.
I'll make a mention of which tapes they've used, so if you want to try this at home, you'll know which tapes to buy. Let's all have fun this Easter!
The Grid Patterns and Solid Colored rolls are sold in the original color three packs (ex. "Japanese Masking Tape - Green").
Small Flower Patterns are sold in the Japanese Masking Tape - Floral three pack sets. (Floral Pink and Floral Red are the colors used in the photo.)
Polka Dot Patterns are sold in the Japanese Masking Tape - Candy Colored three pack sets. (Orange, Blue, and Pink are the Candy Colored sets used.)
Solid Colored rolls are the center colors in both the original Masking Tape sets and the Candy Colored sets.
These strips are narrower than the tape width - looks like they cut the tape.
Stunning! This is just the most remarkable use of lace cutting scissors with tape. A very nice easter egg - one not meant to be eaten!
Feb 19, 2010 - Terrarium Craze!
I've been in love with terrariums and see them on all the great design blogs and in all the cutest shops in town! So after looking at all the prices and feeling a bit hesitant to shell out $50 and up on something so simple, guess what I did today?!I went to my home away from home, Target, and with a terrarium mission in mind, I looked at my favorite store in a new way. Up and down the aisles I went in search of pretty glass. Something terrarium-like and happy looking. Sounds vague, but I knew I'd know it when I saw it. And there, in the candle aisle, I saw this votive that would be perfect.
After putting it in the cart, I went to the garden section looking for something mossy. I'm imagining a terrarium that's a place where a gnome might feel at home - if he could fit!
And I found something funs, just as I'd hoped.
Now, I'm going to Michael's to fins a small deer or woodland creature to live in the terrarium...
Here is what I started with.
Here is where I'm at right now.
Feb 12, 2010 - Pooh's Cafe - Kyoto
One of my favorite cafes in Kyoto is a small little place overlooking a tiny riverbank. Pooh's Cafe seats about 12 people and has a wall of windows that look out onto a trickling river lined with stones. In the summer, there are hydrangeas all around. In the winter, the windows are shut and the cozy cafe keeps us warm for many hours.Here are two images that remind me of how much I love Pooh's.
Feb 7, 2010 - Passport Photos in San Francisco
We're in San Francisco for the weekend visiting Patil and Isaac. It's been a beautiful weekend - brisk, but sunny and bright. We've visited Golden Gate Park, the Academy of Science Museum, Mission Street, Bernal Heights Park, and a few restaurants. It's been full and fun. But I love multi tasking even on holiday, so when I saw this passport photo shop, we had to stop.
Let me explain...We've decided to go to Japan in the spring and that means Mina needs a passport. So what could be better than getting a passport photo in SF with some family?
So here is Mina standing on her stool with Garo holding her from below. She was so excited, she thought she was supposed to do a little show. So she did all her little tricks of clapping her hands and squealing.
We kept trying to calm her down while trying to get her to look into the camera. Not as easy as you may think...
Look at our set-up behind the camera man. What a circus!
In the end we got the photo. I'll show you her passport as soon as we get it. Stay tuned!
Feb 5, 2010 - Mina Loves Big Bird...Of Course!
Garo and I are always on our laptops. So in her short, little life, Mina has come to desire whatever we seem to be constantly holding and playing with - a laptop. Luckily, Garo won't part with anything he's ever bought from Apple, so we had the perfect Mac laptop standing by for her.Here she is watching her Sesame Street You Tube video. She was hitting buttons all along and this time I didn't rush over to pull her away. It's all yours baby!
Dec 24, 2009 - Happy Christmas Eve!
We're getting ready for a few days of Christmas festivities, but before we start, I wanted to share a few Christmas photos from around Ginko Papers.
Here's Mina with her Christmas bib on, crawling down the hall.
I'm waiting for Santa to fill our stockings with cute things...know where we might find such goodies?
Our Nativity scene set up next to the fireplace.
Anything for me under that tree?
And finally, my favorite...a Japanese Christmas wreath we got from Japan two years ago. I always wish I bought a few more Christmas things to go with it. It's made with chirimen, crushed silk, and adorned with traditional Japanese new year symbols.
Dec 14, 2009 - It's Feeling Like Christmas!
It's been a busy time of year and as I look around, it's starting to feel like Christmas. We'd love to send a very Merry Christmas wish to you and your family.Here is our Christmas card photos for this year.
Here we are shopping for Christmas gifts. I'm behind the camera!
Here is a bit of Christmas at the local Japanese market.
More fun photos to come. Until then, Happy Holidays!
Nov 15, 2009 - Ginko Papers on Better Homes & Gardens Website!
Our orange Japanese masking tape is on the Better Homes & Gardens website.Check out the Under $15 Gifts category to find us.
We're really excited about being a part of such a great publication...one that's warmed our coffee table for many years!
Nov 1, 2009 - Happy Halloween
Yesterday was Mina's first Halloween and we had a great day!We visited five houses and even picked up some peanut M&M's for Mina. Thanks to Mina, I had my favorite candy for desert that night.
Here we are right before our first Trick-or-Treating venture.
Oct 17, 2009 - Halloween Coffee - Scary!
Halloween's right around the corner and look what our cafe did to the lattes this morning...Scary pumpkin designs! How wonderful!
Oct 16, 2009 - Autumn Details at Ginko
I love to decorate the house for fall. Here are some pictures of little things here and there at home. Enjoy and hope you're having fun decorating your own part of the world too!
The front gate.
Our front door with some details...
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The dining room table with some details...
Oct 3, 2009 - Christmas Every Day!
The doorbell rings and I run, knowing it's Manny, our mailman."How's business going?" he asks, dropping off another huge box from Japan.
"It's going well...at least I hope so," I say as I sign for another box of Christmas merchandise.
Every day brings something new that I've been waiting for since I placed Christmas orders in July. Here's a little taste of what just came in from Shinzi Katoh...
Christmas plate and mug sets!
Aug 27, 2009 - Where Has the Summer Gone?
It's the end of August already? What happened to the summer?Maybe having a baby in May had something to do with the fact that I've suddenly started to come out of my stupor and realize that I've missed my favorite ice cream eating, beach going, pedicure needing, hamburger barbecuing months! The summer of 2009 has been more of a diaper changing, 2 hour feeding, sleep missing, onesie washing summer!
Mina is already three and a half months old and I've fallen in love. She "talks" to me and laughs at all my silly stories. She rolls around and loves her little animal toys. She's a bit demanding and a bit of a comedian. She's a good egg!
I didn't want to do a baby shower because my husband and I wanted to throw a welcome baby party instead. Finally, that anticipated date was set for 8/8/09 and we had a wonderful party with our close friends and family. Of course, Mina decided to sleep through most of it. "It's my party and I'll SLEEP if I want to" was her motto! Sleep is better than crying, I say, so go ahead. Here's a photo of us the morning of the welcome baby party. We're all dressed up, ready to greet our guests.
I hope you've had a wonderful summer and created many memories to last a lifetime. If not, there's always next year!
Ps. We've already received Mina's first bikini as as gift. Be prepared next year for its unveiling at the beach.
Jul 31, 2009 - Product Photo Shoot
A couple of weeks ago, I got a bunch of new things and thought I'd sneak in a little product shoot while Mina was sleeping. Here's what it looked like....Very professional!
Jul 30, 2009 - I Know It's July, but...
No, I'm not losing my mind yet....It's sunny and summery outside, but in the merchandise world, it's Christmas everywhere! So I've been getting all my Holiday catalogues and placing orders for things I hope you like! Here's something I couldn't help but share.
Back in February, when we made our pilgrimage to Shinzi Katoh's studio and met the man himself, we received a great gift of Christmas plates and mugs. He mentioned that they were still in design and production, but I loved them so much, I placed an order right then and there for our Christmas inventory.
Finally, they are ready to unveil and here they are! I hope you like them. They'll be on the website by early November. Now is that too early??? Maybe mid-November will feel better, a bit more Christmassy!
Jul 20, 2009 - Ginko Papers in Do It Yourself Magazine!
What a thrill to go to the supermarket for my regular Sunday grocery shopping and finally peruse the check stand magazines with a business-like purpose! As I looked through the stacks of tabloids, I finally found what I was looking for...Do It Yourself magazine by Better Homes and Gardens. As I quickly flipped through the pages, my eyes lit up on page 24. There it was, GINKO PAPERS in print! Our little labor of love is making it to bigger places and all thanks to my favorite Japanese masking tape.Here we are under the best title "DIY Must Haves."
Jul 15, 2009 - Gion Festival (Gion Matsuri) - Part 2
The second night of the Gion Matsuri is so exciting. The city streets are shut down and vendors put up stalls all along the inner streets, while the large boulevards show off the parade structures that have been built all week. Here are some photos of the wooden structures that are pulled the next night in the parade. The amazing thing is that not a single nail is used in their construction. You can see the lanterns dangling from the tops of the structures and the musicians sitting in each playing their flutes. As you walk down the streets, this flute music accompanies you from one point to the next. It's quite beautiful!
Once you turn down a small street, you're hit with bright lights and the yummy smells of fried chicken and sautéed yakitori. Get ready to eat as you go. The stalls also sell bright colored toys and masks for the children. The best sight to see are all the yukkata, summer kimono, worn by most of the public. I bought one too, but was too shy to wear it. I promise to go again and dress in my summer kimono too!
The Gion Festival in Kyoto is magical. I highly recommend visiting it if you can! Kanpai!
Jul 9, 2009 - Mina is Growing!
It was my birthday on July 3rd and we celebrated it with four generations of women! Here are three generations: my mom, sister, me, and Mina on the bed.
Here we are, all four generations: my sister, me, my maternal grandmother, Mina, and my mom.
Mina is 8 weeks old and getting to be a big girl (but our cat is still bigger!).
Jul 8, 2009 - Gion Festival (Gion Matsuri) - Part 1
July in Kyoto is synonymous with the Gion Matsuri, Japanese for Festival. The Gion Festival turns the city upside down in an organized kind of way, after all it's Japan! Last year, we had the fortune to be in Kyoto for the Gion Festival and had a blast. Summer in Japan is another wonderful season with so many little traditions that you look forward to the sweltering, humid heat to set in. The riverbank restaurants decorate their patio dining areas with hanging lights and at dusk you see the most beautiful scenes of cranes flying into the water as lantern reflections shimmer in the water below. It's truly magical.The maiko and geisha of the Gion district and neighboring regions are quite busy during this season. At 4pm you can hear the pitter patter of their wooden shoes clacking down the cobbled sidewalks to meet their dinner engagements. often, those meetings take place in the riverbank restaurants. We rented an apartment on the Kamogawa River and were a whiteness to many maiko and geisha standing on the outdoor dining patios as they poured sake for their guests. Of course, Garo couldn't help but pull out his spy-cam lens and take a few photos. Here's one of a maiko and her guests.
When I think back upon this time, it's hard for me to remember anything other than the magic. Although, summer is not the best season to see Kyoto -it's humid and hot - thousands of people still gather to watch the Gion Parade on the first day of the Gion Festival. The parade opens with young men bearing lanterns. Then quickly a procession of the cutest children you've ever seen, make their way down the closed city streets. Here are some images from that day.
The parade leads to Kyoto City Hall. Outside the City Hall is a great plaza where the children gather to await their turn to perform. They dance intricate traditional Japanese dances and carry themselves with great poise and seriousness. It's a sight to see. On the way back from City Hall all the lanterns held during the parade are lit and as the sun sets, you can see a million bouncing lights walking down the street.
Jun 11, 2009 - Mina is a Month Old!
Well, we've made it a month with Mina. Are the nights sleepless? Yes! Does she cry after she's been fed and changed? Yes! Do we know what we're doing? Sometimes....maybe. Overall, it's baby boot camp and I hope there's a diploma or a certificate or something at the end? Note to self: give my mom a gift!!Here are some photos of Mina. She loves bath time and so does our kitty, Wiz!
May 19, 2009 - The Biggest Addition to Ginko!
It's a girl!We've al been waiting in big anticipation for the birth of our baby girl, Mina. She arrived on Friday, May 15th at 5:45am, weighing 7lbs & 3oz. We're happy, tired, and still amazed that she's home and she's ours! She'll be helping me take all the photos of our Ginko summer line of products and we'll keep you posted on her growth with photos!
(Ps. she's asleep now so I'm quickly typing this!)
Here she is, home sweet home...
May 8, 2009 - 36 Weeks!
"When will this be over already?" That's the thought running in my head as I carry and extra 31 lbs in the summer heat of Los Angeles. But then I stop myself and feel grateful that after everything we've been through, all little one had gotten much closer to term than we expected. YAY!But let me be brutal about this...pregnancy does CRAZY things to the body. I know, those of you who've been there and done that are laughing at that statement. But those of us who are not war veterans yet, are surprised by the daily changes.
For example, yesterday, I'm sitting at my desk working my heart out on Ginko Papers when suddendly, I feel a tingling and discomfort in my feet. I look down and WOW, i have elephant's anckles and balloon feet all of a sudden. Needless to say, i start ranting in disbelief, get Garo to look away from his computer, and proceed to walk to the bedroom mirror to make sure I'm seeing things correctly.
Oh yes, my ankkles, feet, and toes were complelty swollen and round. Then I look up to my face - another puffball stares back at me. In panic, I pul out my wedding ring to see if it still fits and it won't go down past my knuckle.
If Garo tied a string to me, I'd float away.
Remedy?
Like in bed from 4pm to this morning and voila, swelling down!
Now I'm on constant ankle watch 2009! Are they swelling? Are they red? Should I prop them up? Oh I love absurd obsessions....
Here's a photo of us taken a few days ago. I see some swelling in my face :-)
And by the way, the jeans I'm wearing in the photo before no longer fit! I think it's time to deliver this baby!
Apr 28, 2009 - I'm Moving Around...
The good news is I've gotten permission to start moving around and I'm slowly getting off bed rest. The bad news is I don't have a lot of energy and get tired as soon as I'm out of bed.On Saturday, my first official day off of bed rest, I had a lot of high hopes. Garo and I decided to go out for a Saturday morning breakfast. But secretly, I was planning to hit Macy's for some new PJs (that will actually fit me), go to the grocery store (because giving people our grocery lists is getting old), and the post office (keep those Ginko order coming!).
But here's what really happened:
I got up and started looking for something to wear. Disaster! I went through all my pregnancy jeans and found only one that would remotely fit and then topped it with my one black T-shirt long enough to cover - well, I don't know what it covered, but it was long!
I asked Garo to take some photos of me in the front yard beacuse we realized I'm going through this pregnancy in a flash and we haven't taken that many photos. The funny thing is now I have about 20 photos of myself in the same outfit, in the same location. I'll work on varying it up soon. I've included a photo from that session.
We made it to breakfast at one of our local favorite places, Breadbar, and were greeted by everyone who first asked, "Where have you two been?" then took one look at my belly and said, "Ohhhhh" in answer to their own question.
Macy's was ten feet away, so I got up enough strength to pop in after breakfast and found TWO PJs that fit. I'm so excited!! And then my OFF switch got pushed and it all went downhill from there. We made it home within the hour, I changed into my new PJs, and lounged for the rest of the week-end.
I've got a bit of energy today, so I thought I'd share before my OFF switch is set again.
Until my next installment, take care!
Apr 27, 2009 - Our Kitty and Friends!
Here's my first entry about our lovable kitty, Wiz. He's the best part of our home and Garo and I love playing with him. He's also quite the man about the block!Wiz has made many friends in the year-and-a-half we've had him. He's especially fond of dogs.
YES, DOGS! Big dogs, small dogs, growling dogs, you name it. He's fearless and wants to play with them. Often, when I see a dog and owner walk by, I know Wiz will run after them. So I leap out onto the sidewalk and alert the dog owner, "Excuse me, my cat loves dogs and is chasing after you. I'm just giving you a heads up!"
I've noticed, the bigger the dog, the less likely they like cats. So far, no mayhem, just some flustered dogs and a curious cat.
Here's a photo of Wiz with one of our neighbors and regular visitors - Eric and Ripley. Wiz is lucky to have found a sweet friend in Ripley. She's a kind puppy who tolerates Wiz's sniffing and playing. We love you, Ripley!!
I just love how Ripley and Wiz posed for this photo. I swear, animals have some vanity too!
Apr 23, 2009 - 34 weeks!
It's been a month since I last wrote. It's been a month of bed rest, movie watching, book reading, laptop snuggling, and Oprah watching. I must say, when the doctor put me on bed rest, I wasn't excited, but I also didn't know how hard it would be. But I will say, I'm very thankful that I got to rest in my own bed and not a hospital bed!And finally today, I am sitting at my desk to type this. I am 34 weeks pregnant and have started to mold my jelly muscles back into working limbs. I've been sitting, walking, and moving since Monday and it's been exhausting. But I haven't had and dizzy spells or blackouts - which I was having before just to use the restroom!
I'm getting back on track.
This means that all the goodies and one-of-a-kind finds I've been saving since our trip to Japan in February are going to see the light of day! I'm planning to take photos all week-end and get the new items up by Monday. You won't be disappointed! I've also placed some new orders for decorative packing tape and cards. Things will be bright and fresh from now on.
That's us, in bed, of course...where else would we be??? Mar 20, 2009 - Guess What??
Well, it's a long story, but I'll give it a shot. First, let me tell you that I'm pregnant! Yes, that's good news and we are very excited. This will be our first child and so everything is new and thrilling. Today, I'm 29 weeks into the 40 week pregnancy road trip.As you know, Garo and I went to Japan not too long ago. But what you don't know is that the last week of our stay was filled with a bit of medical concern. On February 21st, I started to feel painful contractions. At that point, I was 26 weeks pregnant. I thought that this was a normal part of pregnancy. We were in Japan, running around and so I decided a day or two of rest would do the trick. By February 24th, the contractions had become regular (every five minutes) and even more painful. So we called our doctor. Mind you, we should have called the doctor three days ago, but who knew?! The doctor said, "Get to the hospital NOW. These sound like pre-term labor contractions." So we hung up the phone and got on the move.
Being in a foreign country, and not fluent in the language, made getting to the ER a bit of an Odyssey. We called Megumi - remember the couple we met who own Jinta Cafe? The wife! - she rushed to our apartment and got on the phone. Garo had a bunch of hospital websites up and Megumi crossed off the places that closed at 7pm. It was 8pm and it seems that in Japan, not all hospitals admit around the clock. The calls were not looking very promising. Megumi had made a list and kept crossing each one off, until there was only one left.
The last hospital was to be our lucky charm. The Kyoto Red Cross Hospital welcomed us with open arms. Megumi went with us, saw us into the ER, and translated as the doctors began to check and probe me. We couldn't have done any of it without her! It was a miracle we met her and her husband...sometimes, those things just happen!
The doctors concluded that my cervix was alarmingly short and my contractions were indeed pre-labor contractions. I was still in a bit of denial, thinking some medication was all that was needed and we'd be on our way. I was so wrong. The doctor pulled out a clipboard and she wrote on it "Hospitalization" then drew a star next to it. That was it. I was put on a bed, and Garo followed me and the nurses up to our new home.
We were in the hospital until February 28th. There were some ups and downs, some tears and laughs, some red flags and finally some good news. My contractions were stabilized and we were given the OK to get on a plane. That was the our biggest concern - the doctors said that until my body stabilizes, I'll have to stay put no matter how long it takes. So we left it all up to fate and hoped for the best.
On March 1st, we boarded a plane for LA, medication in hand, and made it back home. Actually, we dropped off our luggage and headed to the hospital where our doctor met us and all the test started up again.
Now finally for some GOOD NEWS!!!
I was discharged on March 2nd, with some new medication and a strict bed-rest rule. I had heard about bed-rest and I never thought I'd be pregnant and on bed-rest. Then I figured out the biggest rule of being pregnant...you never know what going to happen, so don't count on anything going as "planned"!!
I am so thankful for being our lovely country, in my own home, in my cozy bed! But let me tell you, bed-rest is not all that it's cracked up to be. I went downhill before I saw the light and got zen about it all. Now I'm living vicariously through you, my Ginko customers, my computer, and my daily fix of Oprah.
So far, all this has not had any effect on Ginko Papers. My husband and some friends have chipped in to help with going to the post office, but basically Ginko is running smoothly. One thing to let you in on is that we have brought back tons of fun things from Japan. Normally, they'd all be up on the website by now...but, being on bed-rest has put a damper on taking product photos. So if you start to see a lot of stationary and cards on a bedspread, just remember why!
Dr. Mabuchi (on our left) and some of the nurses who took care of us day and night at the Kyoto Red Cross Hospital.
Feb 23, 2009 - Cafe Jinta
Garo and I have been eating out every day and have loved some of the Japanese cafes we've found. The typical Japanese cafe serves coffee drink, hot and cold, as well as delicious deserts. Honestly, there is no point in counting calories or trying to eat super healthy here. I've found that for a country full of slim and petite people, they LOVE eating sugar and carbs. Bread, sweets, past, pizza, noodles, noodle sandwiches! If it's bready or sugary, they love it!Anyhow, one afternoon, we were walking down Sanjo Street, a very lively street full of cute shops galore, and we saw a display menu of fresh looking, veggie and meat dishes. So we went up to have a look and discovered out new favorite cafe...Cafe Jinta.
We love our new friends there. Megumi and Jin own the cafe and they just opened in October 2008 - no wonder we hadn't seen it on previous trips! We've been back several times and we've made a date to go out next Sunday night for dinner. That's funny since they serve dinner! But, they close at 8pm on Sunday and they often want to go out and try the dishes their competition is serving up. Since we're always game for a good meal, we decided to join them. I'll be posting photos form our night out as soon as it happens!
Garo and Megumi. Peace!
Garo and me right before we dig in. Yummy!
Feb 20, 2009 - More Paper Finds!
I can't even begin to tell you about all the amazing stuff I've found! Right now the card industry is gearing up to celebrate Girl's Day, a national holiday celebrating girls on March 3 (3/3). Boy's Day is on May 5 (5/5). The dates are very cute, don't you think?There are beautiful card commemorating Girl's Day all over with dolls and special shrines. I've bought a wonderful pop-up card which I'll be putting on the site soon! These cards are mainly red and pink with a lot of gold accents.
Here are some photos of me and the card sections of Japanese stores.
Feb 19, 2009 - Bunny Cappuccinos
Here's how they make yummy cappuccinos in Japan! Bunnies of foam that were so cute, we were almost tempted NOT to drink our hot beverage...but alas, we did! (No Bunnies Were Harmed in the Making of the Blog!)
Feb 18, 2009 - Snow, Snow, Snow
We're sitting near a cafe window and outside is a small Japanese garden. Some large rocks, white pebbles, and mossy grass surround one thin, Japanese maple tree. The windows look accross to another set of cafe windows and beyond it I see a couple settled nicely on a sofa.All last night and today it's been cold in Kyoto. We bundled up for our short walk here with scarves, gloves, coat, and an umbrella on standby. Now that we're cozy in our little cafe, a flurry of snow has begun outside. The flakes are fluffy and light, melting just as they hit the ground. It's cold, but clearly it can get much colder than this. Very beautiful! Very cold!
Feb 17, 2009 - Some Of Our Cards!
Yay! I've just been in a Japanese Department Store, depato - as they like to call them, and seen a bunch of the cards we carry on Ginko Papers! That was very exciting because it only verifies my goal of trying to bring the real Japanese cards to you!!The image on the left is of our Bus Pop-Up Card and Girl Pop-Up Card.
The image on the bottom is of our Puppy Birthday Card , Kitty Birthday Card , and Bunny Birthday Card.
Feb 16, 2009 - Kyoto Shopping Loot
 These little shops are crammed to the walls and every surface is filled to the brim with something wonderful to look at. |
I found a few goodies I couldn't pass up and will feature as "one-of-a-kind" Finds. I've bought some amazing stamp-like stickers, beautiful cherry blossom letter sets, cute-as-a-button greeting cards, and chirimen silk trinkets. I'd love to buy some of everything I see around me, but that would be........impossible?
Feb 15, 2009 - Shinzi Katoh - In Person: Part 2
We were ushered in quickly, asked to change into slippers, and shown into a room to wait. Garo and I sat at a Western style table in the center of the room. we took two chairs on the right side and left the two chairs across us empty. Once we settled a bit, I took a good look around. All along the walls were wooden display cases with glass tops. Inside them were different types of antique Western china. Above them were framed paintings and drawings all by Shinzi Katoh. The art work was modern or more traditional. nothing was done in the Katoh style we are familiar with. Everything in the room showed that there are many more sides to this designer than we know.About five minutes must have gone by, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, the door opened and a young lady walked in. This was Yumi san with whom I'd been talking to via email. She came in with binders and papers and folders and once she sat down, the table was half covered with paper. About fifteen minutes later the door opened and Katoh san himself came in.
Shinzi Katoh is a petit but strongly built man. His black hair was tied back into a pony tail and he was dressed in black. We bowed and said the traditional Japanese greetings. He them broke out into a huge smile, shook our hands, and said "Welcome." That first gesture of warmth set the tone for the entire meeting. He was full of smiles, ideas, energy, and kindness.
We saw many things that are yet to be released and some new characters he's just designed. His staff brought in prototypes for us to comment on and took notes on our suggestions...what an honor!! We got a sneak peak of Christmas 2009 and received samples for our site.
Five hours later and after having seen too many goodies to make mention of, the meeting was over. We all parted having made new friends - something much more precious than business parters. But have no fear, the Shinzi Katoh cards and stationary will be plentiful on our site in this coming year!
Standing behind Shinzi Katoh with
a table full of wonderful stuff!
Feb 14, 2009 - Shinzi Katoh - In Person: Part 1
The skies are bright and clear on this first day of our trip to Japan. We're on the first leg of a three stop journey to Aichi. Aichi is not a large or well known city, but it holds one very special treat for us - the office and studio of Zakka designer Shinzi Katoh. We're scheduled to meet him and some English speaking staff at 2pm.The further out we have travelled from Kyoto the more rural the landscape has become. I've seen straw thatched roofs and small thickets of forests pass by. This time we're not taking the Shinkansen, Japanese bullet trains, so I can really take in the scenery. In a large empty field sits a squre building with the words "Space by Designing" written on it. I wonder what they work on there? Certainly there is no lack of space for designing with such a location!
Leg two of the journey has been on
a quaint older train. Who doesn't love
brown velvet?
Finally, we arrive at the Shinzi Katoh office. But let me rephrase, this is not a typical office. After giving the taxi driver our destination, we watch as he takes us deeper and deeper up a beautiful, residential hill. We stop at a very cute house with two bright blue doors and ivy growing thickly all around. This sign greets us at the front gate.
Creative Studios. Pumpkin Museum.
Sooo Cute!
The taxi driver zooms off and as we wait for the front door to open, we are a bit confused by the location and a lot excited! Here goes nothing...
Jan 26, 2009 - Just Kiss Her!
I was walking accross a bridge next to our house yesterday and right at the midpoint I came across this stencil on the cement, "Just kiss her."It was placed at the most perfect moment on the walk across the bridge - just at the top or it was just at the start of the decent. A beautiful spot for a kiss, a break, a place for reflection and observation.
It made me think about who might have thought up the idea of this stencil? How they must have brought the stencil and spray paint to this location and stealthily did their work. I'm thankful that their plan was realized. It really made my day. Just do those things you might feel shy about or nervous about! That's my new motto.
Jan 15, 2009 - Zakka Fun!
Zakka is a Japanese word that means "household goods," but it's come to mean much more than that! Zakka objects pair the practical with the cute and artistic. One of my favorite Zakka artists is Shinzi Katoh whose fun notebooks and kitchen canisters we carry! I think you're starting to get the picture. In my ongoing quest for anything Zakka, I came across this great sewing book Zakka Sewing by Theresa Laskey and Chika Mori. I've marked it up with post-it notes and am getting ready to hit the fabric shops this week-end. My favorite is this squirrel tea cozy. It makes me want to have people over for tea just to show it off. There's another wonderful pattern for felt, flower coasters. Felt is a huge favorite of mine and very popular in Japan too. I've seen tons of felt coasters on my trips and always thought, "I can make that." Well, now's my chance. Let me know if you've tried anything out from this book and keep watch for more Zakka items on the site!Jan 13, 2009 - Ladybugs
Ladybugs are special. A month ago, I was walking down the sidewalk with my husband and I was feeling a little testy. I was hungry and tired. It had been a long day and we still had another appointment to go to, so the day wasn't over yet. I guess, looking at myself from a distance, I might say I was trudging along and not really walking along. That's how mopey I was feeling. We stopped at the crosswalk and waited for a car to go by. Just as I was about to take a step into the street, a ladybug flew up and onto my belly. It looked perfect against my black top. It was a bright red ladybug with black spots and I froze for fear it might fly away. Garo turned to urge me to walk, but when he saw the red speck on my shirt, he froze too. Finally, my first smile of the day popped on. "You know, this is lucky," I told him. "I know," he said. In that moment, we both felt special and loved. That might sound cliche, but when you need a hug and the universe pops over a ladybug for you, you embrace it! So if you see a ladybug, feel lucky!Dec 5, 2008 - Some of My Favorite Things...
Everyday I take a moment to have a nice cup of tea and visit my favorite blogs. I love seeing things crafty, hand made, and aesthetically pleasing. These blogs have it all and then some.The first is Bloesem. Today they have some colorful textiles from Amsterdam. It makes me want to get on a plane and hit some far away bazaars and flea markets!
Another super cute blog is Creature Comforts. Ez, the blogger, also makes some amazing jewelry and crafts sold on her Etsy store. She posted a tutorial on how to make your own wrapping paper by stamping celery stalks. It's given me a new perspective on what's in the veggie drawer of my fridge!
Finally, my all time favorite blog, the mother of all blogs is Decor8. I always find that Holly not only shares her discoveries of others design ventures, but she also shares the design transformations of her own homes. It's such a pleasure to be invited into someone's world like that. I really treasure her site!
The best thing about these blogs is that they're a great place to discover independent sellers and talented crafts. I've done some of my Christmas shopping from different stores found on each of these blogs. This year, there will be some unique gifts under the tree!
Dec 1, 2008 - We're Live!
It's been an exciting journey, putting all my favorite things on a site together. I wouldn't have been able to do it alone and a few dedicated people came through in a huge way.A big THANK YOU goes to our designer, Isaac Hartman. Isaac designed our logo and our website. He's an old friend and a loved one. He's the kind of guy who makes everyone feel welcome, sees the beauty in things little and everyday, and is a modern-day Renaissance man. Isaac currently lives and works in Northern California. To see more of his work, please go to Turbo Pixel.
That's Isaac in the center with me on the
left and my sister on the right. Double trouble!
Another big THANK YOU to our photographer, Yasu Tanida. Yasu worked tirelessly snapping each image you see. We met Yasu on a music video shoot. He was the cinematographer and I was the producer with my husband, Garo, on set as the technical director. It was a bonding shoot and over time we all became fast friends. Yasu is not only talented behind the camera, but is also quite athletic. We often go hiking and he pushes the group to keep in stride. Yasu currently lives and works in Los Angeles. To see more of his work, please go to his website.
That's me with Yasu in Osaka.
An ongoing THANK YOU to my sis, Patil Armenian, aka P. She's my best sounding board for creative ideas and everything else that comes with life. She's got a great eye for photos and colors. She's also good at helping me put things in perspective. So a lot of phone calls and moral support fall under her sisterly duties!
That's P on my wedding day working
on her Maid-of-Honor speech!
Finally, the biggest THANK YOU goes to my husband, Garo Hussenjian. Garo worked with me on every aspect of the business plan and website development. From helping pick merchandise to working on the photo shoot, Garo has been there. But his main baby is building complex, shopping-cart websites and he dedicated a lot of time to building this one. He's a real trooper! To see more about his work, please go to Xapnet. Garo and I currently live and work in Los Angeles.
That's us!
