We can all agree that black kitties are equally as cute and Halloween is the perfect time to show off their elegant color and beautiful amber eyes. Let Jasper, the adorable witch’s cat show off his magnificnet fashoon sense with this super cute printable paper doll set from Meri Meri.

Have a fun Halloween!

Saturday, October 26, 2024 No comments

It's September and it's officially autumn in many parts of the world. One of the cozy things you can do this season is to do autumn inspired baking--cookies for your tea and coffee and all things pumpkin spice. Sugar cookies are my favorite treat, and I have favorite recipes that I go back to every holiday season.

Check out this recipe that I adapted from Joy Food Sunshine. I had to add more flour (plus 1 cup) to make the cookie dough firmer. It makes for a tough cookie which works great with this kind of cookie cutter.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024 No comments

Image from Life after Breakfast

September is here! Get into the cozy, autumn mood by celebrating all things wild, earthy and woodsy. Enjoy the beauty of mushrooms and better yet, learn how to paint them yourself. Dust off your sketch pad and watercolors and let Alessa of Life after Breakfast teach you how. Get the tutorial here.

Monday, September 02, 2024 No comments

My struggle against clutter is real. It's so difficult to live with constant disorganization. If only I can find a magical fairy who can put my house in order in an instant, I'd be forever grateful. How do we even deal with so much stuff and material things that pile up as the years go by?

I am a hopeless sentimentalist and it is hard for me to part with things that I have been accustomed to seeing on a daily basis. Stuffed animals from my childhood years are comforting reminders of a nostalgic time in my life. Books that I have acquired during my 20's still sit on my shelf. As a forty-plus woman, I should have already transitioned to a more minimalistic way of life.

For people with the same problem as mine, fret no more. One of my favorite websites, Apartment Therapy has a solution for all of us clutter bugs. The 14-day Apartment Therapy Decluttering Cure 2024 will be launched on September 16, 2024. We have enough time to get psyched in fulfilling this year's most important resolution-a clean house and a peaceful mind. Sign-up up to get started on the program. Let's do this together!

Wednesday, August 21, 2024 2 comments

I've always loved sewing and making handmade dolls as a hobby. Lately, I've enjoyed pinning cute kawaii-style illustrations on my Pinterest boards for inspiration. Illustrating is another hobby I'd like to pursue. Anyway, while browsing the arts and crafts section of our local bookstore, I found this book Doodle It-All by Boutique-Sha. Just the perfect book to get me started. The drawing tutorials look easy and fun. For a beginner like me, this book is a good start.

Let's see what doodles I can come up with. Till next update!

Monday, August 12, 2024 No comments

Images from Anthropologie Home

Ok, August. Please don't linger like an endless January since we are all excited for the "ber" months- for September, October and all things fall and pumpkin spice. Here's a sneak peek of Anthropologie Home's Pumpkin and Fall Shop to get you in the mood for our all-time favorite season.

Have a lovely August!

Tuesday, August 06, 2024 1 comments

French Madeleines are a cross between a cookie and a cake and they are so easy to bake for coffee or tea time. Check out this recipe from King Arthur Flour. You can omit the orange juice and add vanilla if you like.

Sunday, July 21, 2024 No comments

My uncle gave me some packaged turkey stuffing and I have no turkey bird to stuff it into (it’s not even fall or halloween yet!). I didn’t know what to make out of it so I searched the web and found out that yes, it can be repurposed into a baked casserole dish. So here it goes- a breakfast strata that can be customized. Add chopped bell peppers, sweet onions, ham or sausage if you please.

Check out the basic recipe below:

Tuesday, June 04, 2024 No comments

Crochet, cooking and flea market shopping with Ame Life

Blogs are not just the only source of arts and crafts inspiration. Youtube is a great resource as well for virtually anything under the sun. I jokingly call it Youtube University! If you like cooking, baking or home keeping there's a treasure trove of great content that's aesthetically produced.

These are some of my favorite lifestyle channels that inspire me to improve my mindset, try a new recipe or redo my space. Hope you find something that you will enjoy as well. Happy watching!

Crafting, crocheting and embroidery with Kiko Sabi

Decor and cottagecore aesthetics with Indoora World-Cottage Library

The Cottage Fairy

Cultivating favorite hobbies with Cups and Thoughts

Tuesday, May 28, 2024 No comments

Japan is a land of anime fantasy turned reality. If you are into Studio Ghibli movies and nostalgic Japanese anime cartoons, you would be delighted to turn your Japan travel photos into authentic retro cartoons with the help of SNOW AI profile app. It makes for unique travel storytelling. Seeing yourself as a cartoon character in Japan is so fun. Travel adventure reimagined as a cartoon story!

We visited Kyoto and Osaka lately and enjoyed the sights, sounds and culinary delights of these prefectures. Just like any other Japanese city, Osaka and Kyoto exceeded our expectations and it's like we stepped into a different dimension where everything we see in cartoon movies just came to life! In this little travelogue, I am exploring the sights in my retro cartoonized self. So kawaii!

Me, Cathy and Aisha in our retro cartoon selves

The kitsune (fox) Tori gate guardian leading to Fushimi Inari Taisha

At the vermillion Tori gates of Fushimi Inari

Stopping for washi tapes and postcards at the Ghibli Store in Higashiyama

Catching a souvenir photo with the Hokan-ji or Yasaka Pagoda in the background

At Gion Tatsumi Bridge in the Geisha district

At the Gion Geisha Village alley admiring the stone streets, lanterns and old wooden houses

Lost in vermillion haze

A visit to Nara Park to see (and feed) the world famous Nara deers. They are so polite and cute! They bow to ask for deer cookies.

Capping off a long walk at the park with Amao Strawberry soft serve ice cream. Only Y500!

Walking the stone streets of Kyoto on a warm spring day can leave one hungry and thirsty! Good thing there are vending machines (jidouhanbaiki) everywhere!