be optimistic.

i adore these parings of fashion & art. miss x moss is simply fabulous.

...yesterday during my thrift & garage sale excursions, i found this old belle & sebastian cd in a pile of ribbon! its unbelievable how catchy this song is - i've been singing all day (& now you will be too!).

*i just returned from the grocery store & subconsciously bought 5 things that have wasabi flavoring... is that bad?

美味しい.

i ate this today. are you jealous? because you should be.

鉄板焼き

te (hand) + pan (pan/griddle) + yaki (grilled, boiled or fried) = teppanyaki (one of my favorite styles of japanese cooking). its basically the version of american hibachi grill, except better, more delicious & more exciting. last weekend my students took me to this quaint teppanyaki restaurant. there were no chairs, no booths; only tatami mats, small pillows & 5 low tables, each with a grill in the center. we ordered yakisoba (a type of fried noodles) with shrimp & japanese vegetables. my students insisted i cooked the noodles, which made me nervous - but it was so much fun! i want to go back right away & order something more exotic. enjoy the photos & enjoy your week!

築地市場

the tsukiji fish market is the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. if you are ever in tokyo, you must go to tsukiji - you will be amazed. this attraction has existed since the edo period & handles over 2,000 tons of marine fish every day. the only downside is, you have to get there around 6am (or even earlier if you want to witness the tuna auction) to see the market at its busiest time. yes, you might be tired from traveling - but it will be worth it! last week i dragged my sleepy sisters out of their futons & took them to this market, which turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. we walked through the market, made our way to the warehouse & caught a glimpse of the left over tuna from the auction, saw fish being cut by huge machinery, got run over by fishermen trucks & ate a delicious seafood breakfast. needless to say, it was awesome.

eye candy.

caitlin mcgauley can turn anything into a bright & beautiful masterpiece. she's a watercolor painter from nyc who works for one of my favorite websites, daily candy (you should subscribe). watch a video of her profile here & read more about this talented lady here.

gruyere & havarti.

its a cold and rainy morning in fuji city. i'm snuggled up on my couch, hot tea in hand & surfing the world wide web for my daily creative boost. one of my favorite websites, where the lovely things are, just posted about the awesome kilroy & maw print shop. this duo creates flat or screen printed posters, which are so great! as soon as i move back to america, i will definitely purchase their cheese poster (cheese is my favorite food ever!!!). i can't decide which i like better, the grey or the white?

do: don't:

just in case you were wondering...

*thank you swissmiss.