Popular, Tenugui (Japanese Towel) Art

This character is of famous TABI (kimono socks) company FUKUSUKE's symbol mark.

My favorite SUIKA (watermelon)

FUKURO (Owl) lights. Fu (Non) + kuro (Pain, Worry, hard time)=Happy.

KAMINARIMON Gate / Famous Big Lenten.
When we came this temple for 8 years ago, we couldn't see this big lenten that was repaired.

Calender and Events

Yumeji Takehisa's Art - He is my love.

7 hours before our flight, we went to ASAKUSA - SENSOJI (Temple)

Is florist mery Japasese?

Florist Mary ---- I found this store in Osaka city / Umeda area. One of my next projects is "Gardening Group"
Get some inspirations.

I bought a Hibiscus plant last year around this time.
When it got cold, The leaves shrunk badly.
I would think that it was telling me to be inside.
But I wasn't sure it got healthy again or not at the time.
Fortunately, it was very healthy during the winter in my warm kitchen.
It went back to the front as soon as spring had come.

I was telling my son that I forgot to ask my friend to take care of the plant during our trip.
I thought if it gets rain a couple of days during our trip, the plant should survive.

It was a pretty dumb idea.

When we got back, the plant's leaves were completely dry.
It was very sad looking.

But, I gave the water anyway before I went to bed.

Next day, I opened the door.
The plant was awake! It's leaves had sprouted again.Amazing! Leaves are starting shining, healthy green.
A flower was blossoming yesterday.
I keep repeating, "It's a miracle!"

* I took this picture in this morning, the flower hasn't been blossoming yet. It will blossom later afternoon and another flower is ready to blossom too.

Tanabata in Japan.

We write our wishes on small papers and hang them on the bamboo trees for "Tanabata".
My son did it when he went to the mall with his Japanese friend.
He's learning Japanese culture through his friends.
Hope his wish will come true!
Tanabata (七夕, meaning "Evening of the seventh") is a Japanese star festival, originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the first festivities begin on July 7 of the Gregorian calendar. The celebration is held at night.
----- It was rain in Osaka. We couldn't see stars. Hope they could meet last night.

I took the picture at ISETAN (Department Store) in Osaka. ISETAN that s high-end department store opened a couple of months ago. ISETAN based in TOKYO EAST area, so it is new for OSAKA WEST area. Umeda area (North Osaka) is trendy zone in these days.

My son and I were impressed at the basement floor - food floor.
All department stores provide a food market at basement.
Can you believe this is meat? So neat!!!!!!!

Instant July Calendar

Click the image!

Print it out and put it wherever you want.

My fabric "Fruit-A-La-Carte"
I'm going to make my dress apron (over the head) with this print.
Sewing Patterns is on Simplicity catalog.
The picture will post end of July.

Fruit cocktail

• 30-40 ml vodka (per person)
• 1 tbsp lime juice (if you enjoy your drinks a little more sour, like I do)
• 2 (or more) kinds of different-colored fruit (Example, strawberries and Orange, Apple and Pineapple, etc.) - the amount depends on how much you want to make
• ice

Directions

1. Blend the first type of fruit with half (if you use 2 kinds of fruit) or 1/3 (if you use 3 kinds) the ice, vodka and lime juice.
2. Pour into cocktail glass.
3. Blend the next type of fruit with another part of the vodka and ice.
4. Using a spoon, put the mixture on top of the cocktail glass, creating a layered effect.
5. Yes, it's going to seep through, that's the point :).
6. Repeat for every type of fruit used.
7. Decorate the glass with a piece of fruit and enjoy.

What a great feeling it was when we won!

My has been playing ice hockey since he was 5 years old. I took him skating at the ice house down in Hackensack when he was 4. Just like my father used to take me. I made him use these white figure skates that my friend had sent me from Japan. (I took him skiing when he was 4 as well. He flips now....)
Picture -2005 He was 10.
He didn't like it when I held his hand. He didn't know how to stop, so he used to run into the wall over and over again, until he learned to stop. He would watch other kids skating that knew how to skate like hockey players, and he learned...quickly actually.
He didn't want to wear figure skates any more.

I signed him up for a hockey league without taking any lessons. It was only about 125.00, but I paid 350.00 for his equipment. I told him this,
"You may not quit ice hockey for AT LEAST three years."

He never quit. That was the problem. I would pay a higher price every year..When my son moved up to high school, we discussed his options for his ice hockey career.
The high school he attends doesn't have a hockey team.
We both made the decision not to go to private school just because of ice hockey. He made the choice to play a short season (September - November).
High school hockey starts on November 15th every year.

He needed as much ice time as possible, due to his situation and all. He became an Ice hockey official or a Reff. He also played for a club team this past winter, but many games were lost due to not enough kids showing up based on their High school game schedules.

He showed up to every single practice and even the younger kids practices to fit in as much ice time as he possibly could.
He and his friends found out about this tournament. Little did they know that this was a very, very competitive tournament. The best freshman, sophomores, juniors, and even graduating seniors showed up to this tryout.
Garden State Games Ice Hockey- SCHOLASTIC - High School Tournament.Majority of the kids who participated in this tournament play for famous Hockey schools all over New Jersey. As well as playing for AAA or Junior teams, both already pro hockey. (They play full season from September to March, AA and under play short season from September to November.)
I never thought of him making it. We knew at least 50 kids that were cut from the tryout.
Somehow he was chosen. His friends couldn't make it.

He was the only Player in the tournament that doesn't play for a high school team.
He never even tried out for a AAA or Junior team.
They chose 80 kids and divided them into 4 teams, all very evenly distributed for a competitive tournament.
Every single game was very close. All teams had chance to win.
There were three preliminary games, ours had placed 4th with an 0-1-2 record.
Playoffs @ Prudential Center (Devil's Practice rink) We beat the team who placed first. 5 - 2.

Today was the championship game.
We gave up two goals in the first period.

Third period, our team woke up and scored two quick ones.
Other team scored again making it 3 - 2. Then We tied it again. 3 - 3.Then our team scored one more goal.
We gave them a power play, but we killed it to the end.
After winning they gave the second place team medals, our team got champion hats. (Wasn't a medal, it was a hat. Funny), The director of the tournament who had announced each kid's name asked my son when it was his turn, he said "How did you end up here? Your school doesn't even have a hockey team."
My son said, "I don't know, but I'm trying."He played with and against many graduating seniors who are playing for college teams next season. My son is sophomore.
It was a great experience for him. I was very pleased that he could be part of this.
I enjoyed watching these games a lot.
He is playing for Bandits AA this up coming season.
He learns about life through tryouts and games, I really hope he is.
His new season will start after our Japan trip. He will play with his best friends. It will be a fun season for him!

The most difficult part about it is self discipline, to conquer yourself.

What a great feeling it was when we won!

By the way, am I a good motion photographer? I took about 200 pictures through out the two games at the PruCenter. My son got many great pictures. I think he's a lucky boy! His number was 8. This was a lucky number too.

A gift set for Lily!!

My friend's baby, Lily was born January 2011. Finally, I could meet her. I made small gift set for her. Reversible bib and Card / Cherry from Fruit-A-La-Carte.
She is an adorable baby, isn't she.

These small projects will be on Hoodie's Pincushion sometime soon.

Join the Crochet Dude at Etsy Labs @ Etsy Craft night

I was with Simplicity members, at Etsy 7th floor on Monday.

And Drew and Brett. Brett Bana was interviewing Drew.
Drew was holding my fabric, Hoop dots Col/ Eggplant

Craft night started 4:00, ended 8:00.
I bought some my new fabrics for TT with me.
She was using my Lemon and Raindrops fabrics.Simplicity Deluxe Rotary Cutting and Embossing Machine is amazing. It cut two layers fabrics, even 4 layers. Joint each fabric stripe. Make fabric thread. Then, crochet it.The project was a coaster.

My mother was a master of crochet and knit. I was watching her master pieces since I was a little. I learned from my mother. Besides I had school projects a couple of times. So I can make some easy crochet projects.

Some people never tried crochet in their life. The day was their first trial.
It seems they were hard to hold yarn (or fabric stripe), so they are easy to lose their process.
Once they got the point, they could had made their own coaster.

It was fun to teach people, because I could see happy smile after they could has made their master pieces!!!!! It was my first time to teach crochet in English. I didn't know right English words for crochet, but my demonstrations were helped. Smile!
This coaster is my master piece.
Using the fabrics - Nettie Dots/Brown, Bubble Dots/ Red and Leaf My three collections (Nettie Dots, Raindrops, and Bubble dots) are very good for fabric stripe crochet or knitting projects. Because the collection has many colors and can make much color coordination. I'm planning to make crochet projects using my fabrics. Maybe, hat and bag.

I want to try for knitting too.This coaster made by April. Hoop dots / Eggplant and ForestAfter craft time, many people were taking pictures @ photo stand.I thought "What's a mess"

it wasn't a mess!

These were props for a picture taken.After the event, we walked a couple of blocks to find our dinner!!!!

We didn't go any of place in the pictures. We went to Sushi place. They had Hot and sour miso soup. I never heard it. Spicy tuna! It is a American sushi. Hot and sour miso soup is a Chinese Japanese soup. It is very creative foods. I can't eat this taste in Japan!There was two beautiful American girls with fan at Sushi restaurant!All about craft night @ Dumbo.