What do you wear when it's time to take the train into Tokyo to sign a work contract and you know that Japan is not socially distancing? I've made many styles of mask but by now there are 20 times the online tutorials that there were towards the end of February when I first made … Continue reading Hacking my sleep when so much keeps us awake.
Greetings from Japan. In case you're confused, the left is mini-me (in a mask I just made her so she doesn't worry) and the right is me-me at work on the last day Japanese students attended all classes. I'm not overly worried about coronavirus/covid-19. I wash my hands, have my hand sanitizer, stopped biting my … Continue reading Now even my doll has a mask.
Setbacks and stashes. What kind of person am I? After getting some disappointing but not unexpected results in my life, I take stock of what I have,l and then take two Ambien (the full dose) so I won’t stay awake with worry I can do nothing with. And the following day, as I head home … Continue reading Maybe we go deeper.
Here I am working my way through a doll-clothing book from cover to cover. The book is はじめてのドール•コーディネイト•レシピ (First doll coordinates how-to) by Dolly Dolly books. ISBN978-4-7661-1982-4 (1,500¥ new) The projects are: a dress, medium length shorts, pleated skirt,blouse, tank top (for knits), bloomers, socks (for knits), tote bag, and tailored jacket. Included … Continue reading Work the book: First Coordinates
With the New Year came my first trip into Tokyo for Fukubukuro! LUCKY BAGS! The concept is simple: With the New Year stores put together items from the store into bags you can't see into. The idea is that the contents of the bag are "worth" (priced individually) more than what you'll pay for the … Continue reading Lucky Bag Inspiration: Classical Style
My day-job commute involves a horrid train line. There are three things going against it. Water: for a long stretch it crosses part of Tokyo bay. This means it's vulnerable to dangerous wind and rain. Japan has strong winds, a typhoon season and a rainy season. This creates frequent delays. Tokyo: My morning commute involves … Continue reading Work, Fuji, Home. Repeat.
My friend Ebony rocks. She really does. You should go check out the looks she serves up on Instagram. I'll wait. I can't even tell you how essential she is to my life here. Not since art school have I had someone in my neck of the woods who was not only an amazing friend … Continue reading The dress with EVERYTHING.
It's that time of the year, when the beauty of nature is juxtaposed with a wild uptick in public drunkenness in parks. I know this because: I see them in bloom. I made the mistake of meeting a friend in Ueno recently and he and I were UNPREPARED for the slow-moving packs of visiting foreigners … Continue reading Cherry Blossom Season!
Job stress: Will I be under employed? Can I find a different job quickly? Will I get permanent residency? Should I just go with being underemployed and cram for JLPT N2 6 months earlier than planed? These are the things that make me want to just nap all day. When I'm asleep, I can't consciously … Continue reading Updates: Continue moving forward
I roam the Hobby-off (a used toy/hobby shop) with no real plan in mind. Sure, first I scope the dolls but then I just wander the figures until something speaks to me. This isn’t unlike the time shortly after my first move and job change within Japan in August of 2004. I hadn’t planned to … Continue reading Chibi-Raven
