Sunday, February 14, 2010

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?

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

さっぽろ雪まつり

i'm just returning from a weekend getaway to japan's most northern island, hokkaido. my friend, sandy & i went to the sapporo snow festival, which is one of japan's most famous festivals. we saw amazing snow & ice sculptures, went on crazy rides & ate the most delicious ramen! it was definitely an incredible experience! here are a few of the photos from my winter wonderland weekend:

sandy & i in an igloo:
a temple made entirely of snow!
fish & crabs in an ice house?
sandy & i about to go down the snow slide:
ramen! my new favorite japanese food!
... as usual, i miss you all & think of you every day. i can't wait for june!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

owl always love you.

my obsession with owls has become a problem. during my lesson planning this week, i caught myself doodling owls: owls with bow ties, owls with dresses, owls with glasses & owls holding umbrellas. i simply can't stop drawing these adorable, big eyed birds.

anyways, as many of you know, i absolutely love making cards for birthdays, get well wishes, missing you notes, etc... well, my favorite cards to make are: valentines day cards! as valentines day is just around the corner, i thought it fitting to incorporate my latest owl drawings on my valentines day cards. i finally finished the cards last night (i made 25!!) & can't wait for my loved ones to receive them. they're some of my best valentines cards yet... what do you think?

Friday, February 5, 2010

the boat that rocked.

i finally got around to watching the unbelievable film, pirate radio. not only is this movie hilarious, the soundtrack is outstanding. if you haven't seen it yet, watch it this weekend. it will put you in the greatest mood... trust me!

Friday, January 29, 2010

iPad.

this is just crazy.
& i want one. now.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

listen #8.

stop, look, listen & download. the new urban outfitters CD is out & it is more than impressive. the 25 track picks are awesome & have got me dancing in my apartment like a crazy lady. whether you download this album for free via itunes, or listen to it on the website, just promise you'll check it out... its more than worth it!

a few of the featured artists are:
sister crayon
field music
avi buffalo
& many more : cold cave, yeasayer & owen pallett.

Monday, January 25, 2010

she & him.

zooey deschanel + m. ward = she & him, a very talented indie pop duo whom i love. this march, they will release their second album, volume two. the album will have 13 tracks, one being the song below: in the sun. this song pretty much rocks my world. what do you think?

Thursday, January 21, 2010

midori.

my favorite color is always changing.

















Monday, January 18, 2010

i like giraffes.

every once & a while i have beautiful teaching moments with my students. i try to log them in my journal, so i'll be able to remember these sweet occurrences forever. i figure it will be a great reward to read these little stories years down the road & in turn, jog my memory, taking me back to these wild 18 months of teaching english to japanese children. last week i jotted down in my journal a precious instance i had with two of my pre-school students. in fact, it was so wonderful, i decided to share it.

i was finishing up a unit on "i like" or "i don't like" with two of my favorite 4 year old, adorably pigtailed, students. in their workbook, there were several zoo animals scattered over the page. under each animal, there was a check mark & an 'x' mark. the students were to circle the check mark if they liked the animal & circle the 'x' mark if they didn't like the animal. the first animal was a giraffe. they both circled the check & said, "i like giraffes." the next was a lion. they both circled the 'x' & said, "i don't like lions." the next animal was a zebra...& so on. you get the idea.

after the page was finished, one of the little girls drew a picture of me. under my picture she drew a check mark & an 'x' mark. she then circled the check mark, looked at me & said, "i like leah sensei!" it was the greatest moment ever!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

magnitude of 7.

please read this!! some bbc news website readers have sent in their personal stories of how the haitian earthquake has affected them. these entries are truly devastating, &, along with this tragedy have left me speechless. my heart, thoughts & prayers go out to the people of haiti & all their loved ones.

*photo via getty images at news.bbc.co.uk.