a new year and a move

the lovely eco-friendly moving announcement is from spotted sparrow.

happy new year! i hope you are excited to start 2011. i know i am. and...i'm moving! actually, i'm just moving my blog, over to feltcafejapan.com where it will be here: http://www.feltcafejapan.com/blog/. i will keep blogging over there, as well as hopefully make some progress on my other other little plans and dreams for that site. i'll leave this blog here as an archive.

but i feel a little sad to be moving on from blogger. it's like that final step in the moving process where your friends have alreay helped you carry all your boxes, and you are left in an echo-y empty apartment with just a broom to clean up the last dust bunnies.

thank you so much for reading what i've written here, and your comments. and i really do hope that you will come join me over in my new blogging home, stop by anytime!

sayonara 2010

new years in japan is a big deal. it's a family holiday, where traditionally everyone returns to their hometown, and gathers with their extended family for 3 days to eat, relax, visit the shrine. there are many customs and traditions, including especially food, but also new years cards, a big house cleaning, and these days bargain sales after new years. it's also 3 days of quiet, although also 3 days where every shrine is crowded! japanese new years is not a part of my own culture, although i am drawn to the idea of starting the new year fresh, which i feel is the basis for much of the japanese traditions. for example, you should clean your entire house from top to bottom to welcome the new year. i started a big cleaning, but am realizing that it's unlikely that i will be able to finish it.

so i am cutting myself some slack. i am not going to feel guilty about things that i can't quite finish when i wanted to. and, i am going to think about the month of january as a whole month of beginnings, for getting organized, accomplishing projects. for example my new years cards, which are also not ready in time for new years day! ahhh, honesty.

in 2010, i made some resolutions that i followed through on: joining a yoga class, a pottery class, and a hiking circle. these are all great, and i want to keep up with them somehow in 2011. and there are lots and lots of other things i want to do! about a million, perhaps. and i want to focus on being positive, and compassionate, and remembering to breath deeply. but as far as resolutions go, i want to start with getting a good night's rest every night. i think that, plus a little yoga, will make a huge impact on 2011.

both the photos in this post are from an amazing little cafe/bar that is part of a new design in a traditional sake brewery on shodoshima island, unfortunatly i can't remember the name!

what about you? any resolutions? or anti-resolutions?

happy new year's eve from snowy kyoto!

magical dutch windmill on shodoshima

ok, the magical part was how we found it finally, after wandering through olive trees on a mountain overlooking the sea, and it snowed fat snowflakes, and we were pretty sure it would be closed or at least pancake service would be over...and there it was! the handmade windmill of dutch pancake camping on shodoshima. and we had pancakes inside, in a restaurant a hobbit (and me!) would love.

louise bourgeios fabric exhibit

this month there was an exhibit of louise bourgeios at hauser and wirth in london, called 'the fabric works.' i heard about it on CRAFT, via the wonderful magazine about textiles, selvedge.
from the show's description:

Fabric played an important role in Bourgeois’s life. She grew up surrounded by the textiles of her parents’ tapestry restoration workshop, and from the age of twelve helped the business by drawing in the sections of the missing parts that were to be repaired. A life-long hoarder of clothes and household items such as tablecloths, napkins and bed linen, from the mid-nineties Bourgeois cut up and re-stitched these, transforming her lived materials into art. Through sewing she attempted to effect psychological repair: ‘I always had the fear of being separated and abandoned. The sewing is my attempt to keep things together and make things whole’.

love it.

merry (portable) christmas

here's our little portable christmas set-up. it was a lovely day on a beautiful island, seeing new art in old houses, eating yummy healthy food. peaceful and slow. I hope your christmas day was lovely as well!

handmade socks

my mom knit me these socks! love them. thanks mom!

amigurumi santas and snowmen

from mochimochi land, the pattern for these are free with purchase until jan 2!

moomin gingerbread house

by axis of aevil, including a construction guide, via whip up.

happy christmas eve eve!

make your own cornstarch ornaments

make cornstarch ornaments, originally uploaded by jek in the box.

when i saw these in the flickr stream of jek in the box, they jumped out at me for their clear design and simple message.
after a few days looking at the pretty intense aftermath of a volcano (part of my research at the university), i was feeling ready for something just simple and sweet.
and the bonus is that these are actually made of cornstarch, and you can make your own with the recipe in the link!

satay ayam

well, it seems like my plan to post everyday has fallen apart. my excuse is that i have been in indonesia for a few days, and especially at first didn't have an internet connection. also have been sleeping not very much and getting up very early for the last few days. i'm actually here on a research trip, but it's aways great to be in jogja. and the food is fantastic. this is grilled chicken on skewers with peanut sauce, and rice steamed (?) in a banana leaf. super yummy.