kyoto2-nishiki market etc..

The Gion festival in Kyoto was held on 7/17. It is hot in Kyoto, but it is worth it.
These photos are from the trip a month ago, at Nishiki market and at a temple. My friend and I were planning to visit Hinaya, Ms.K had the directions to the store, in Gojo. We started around Nijo area and could not make it. There were so many things to see and we ended up with talking to a shop owner for a long time...Next time for sure.
If you are textile lover, check it out.

city of rivers

My city Osaka has many rivers. When I was a kid, I went to "Toro nagashi"- floating paper lanterns down a river to guide spirits of ancestors who are coming back to our world during the Bon festival.
Whenever I walk along the side of the Hudson river, I miss my city.

I went for a walk to the riverside the other day, and was thinking about the quote from the book I am reading now.
"We live everything as it comes, without warning, like an actor going on cold. And what can life be worth if the first rehearsal for life is life itself? That is why life is always a sketch. No sketch is not quite the right word, because a sketch is an outline of something, the groundwork for a picture, whereas the sketch that is our life is a sketch of nothing, an outline with no picture." -Milan Kundera-

Turtle Forest

I couldn't help telling him "what a beautiful necklace" when I first met him. Few years later, I had an another opportunity to talk to him and found out he has his jewelry line "turtle forest".
He showed me couple of his works in person and they were just gorgeous, of course much better than photos. I also enjoyed talking to him for hours about how things has changed in NYC, Japan and passion for being creative.

His works are available at A&S, Tokyo.
Björk　has his work too.

Easy sewing projects-Apron&coasters

I don't really like sewing, but when I find beautiful fabrics, OK, I will try it.
I found this deep colored veges at Crate&Barrel It was a kitchen towel. I made purple strings out of other towel and attached them to it. It's made in India. I always love fabrics from INDIA!
My mom had this wonderful striped fabric from NUNO and she made a tote bag and place mats. I got the rest of it and made coasters. NUNO shop used to be in Osaka long time ago and my mom made couple of lovely skirts for us.

T's carrot cake

T brings her baking to the studio sometimes and I really liked her carrot cake. I asked for her recipe and she gave it to me. But a few days later, she left a message for me on the answering machine at the studio "It was wrong!!".
Her cake has no frills, but tastes honest with a little twist, and very warm.
I like her and her cake a lot.