Art Gallery – Sakura Valentine

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Sakura Valentine

Happy Valentine’s Day! I had grand plans to do a really sweet, romantic coordination on the mannequin but that went awry as plans are wont to do. I still wanted to share something though, since I love you all so much for continuing to support me. I’ve been working on this illustration for a while now. Initially I was going to share it during cherry blossom season, but the pink floral theme seemed perfect for a Valentine. It’s not much, but it sure is pretty, and I hope you like it!

I’ve also set up a shop on Society6 with some prints of the occasional artwork I do and share here, including this one. I get a few dollars from each one sold, all of which will go back into the fund to help support the blog.

Gentle Vintage Mood

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I received this absolutely gorgeous piece yesterday, from a friend who was clearing out some of her collection. I am slowly turning into the kimono equivalent of a crazy cat lady, but I’m fine with that. I love how soft and subdued this piece is, and I wanted to emphasise a very gentle vintage mood with the coordination.

It started with this breathtaking haneri I posted on Instagram recently. I won it back in late October or possibly early November, and I had entirely given it up as lost. I got it at quite a bargain so I didn’t even bother pursuing the issue, since I suspected it was Canada Post’s problem. not the sellers. So imagine how thrilled I was when it showed up unexpectedly earlier this week! I thought the two pieces would complement each other very well, since the haneri has a bit of a vintage feel to it despite being a modern piece. I was really taken by how well the lilac tone matched the brown of the kimono and thought it would be a good opportunity to use my repaired lilac bird obi.

Some days, the actual physical act of dressing the mannequin goes very smoothly. Some days, every step is a struggle, almost as if the mannequin herself is fighting me. This particular outfit was somehow both! Putting on the collar and kimono went off without a hitch. Smooth lines, clean v-shape to the collars, flat and even ohashori. But then came the obi. This obi is gorgeous but my god it’s a nuisance. It’s floppy and slippery, the pattern is laid out very oddly, and it needs to be pressed again as it’s somehow turned almost puffy. No matter how many different ways I tried to tie it, I could not get birds to show up on the front and the back. Eventually I realised it would be an excellent opportunity to feature this stunning brooch I got from Pinto Pony Productions and use it as an obidome. Rather than fret about the lack of interest on the front of the obi, I worked with it to make it a canvas.

I know I say this a lot, but I love how this finally all pulled together. It’s such a soothing combination, and looking at it just makes me content.

Items used in this coordination

Think Pink Ikebana

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Very, very pink! I think I was inspired by the #monokimono challenge and ended up doing a #monoikebana without really intending to. I found the two different shades of alstroemeria and thought they’d make for some interesting texture and colour interplay, and then I stumbled across a gerbera daisy which just happened to match exactly. The pink vase seemed like the next logical step after that.

Typically when I buy flowers I choose my own greenery and avoid the fluff and frill of ferns (woo hello there alliteration!) but I was rushing to an appointment and there was a new girl behind the counter, so when I saw she’d taken the greens out I decided to just run with it. I do like that they add a good grounding base to the whole arrangement, and another layer of texture. However, the arrangement felt like it was missing height and balance, and I racked my brain to think of something I could add. The green bamboo-like bits are actually simply the stems of the alstroemeria flowers that I cut off. I love the idea of giving them a second life that also helps make the whole arrangement feel more harmonious. I might have to revisit this sometime, working with the entire stem, not just the bloom.

Fudangi First Fr… Saturday?

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Well, that didn’t last long. Only a few months in and I missed a Fudangi First Friday. I was at work until late yesterday and then ran errands afterwards and picked up dinner on the way home. By the time I’d settled in, eaten, and decompressed it was too late to do anything. But I’m doing it today, which is better than not doing it at all, right?

I may not have made any resolutions for 2018, but I have decided that I want to try to re-use more of my collection, especially things I bought for one particular coordination. It seems incredibly wasteful of me to leave things languishing in a cabinet instead of enjoying them and sharing them here. So for today’s outfit, I decided it was time to bust out the Starfleet kimono and try to do something different with it.

Seeing the two outfits together, it’s very clear that I basically did the same outfit with a slightly different obi, so I’m not sure how successful I was doing something “different”, but I still quite like the way it turned out. Heck, I even used the same yellow haneri! I had fun making a wider, otaiko-style bow with a hanhaba obi and played with the objime knot a little though. One of the great things about Fudangi Friday is that since it’s more relaxed and casual, it encourages people to experiment a little. I just need to work on breaking out of my comfort zone and playing with more unexpected colour/pattern combinations.

Items used in this coordination

Tea Time – Pure Leaf Matcha & Ginger with Orange Blossom

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Anyone who has had the pleasure of performing or witnessing a traditional Japanese tea ceremony knows how serene and meditative it can be. It’s a beautiful experience, one I think everyone who appreciates traditional Japan should have at least once in their lives.

However, sometimes you crave the fresh, soothing taste of a hot cup of matcha but just want a quick and easy drink. Thankfully, Pure Leaf tea has a solution! While their iced teas have been available for some time now, they’ve recently ventured into bagged and loose-leaf hot teas. I was selected to review two of their new hot teas; individual servings of matcha and a lovely ginger and orange blossom tisane, courtesy of ChickAdvisor.

First off, I knew I wanted to start with the matcha. It’s a single-origin tea from Japan, 100% pure tencha leaves cultivated specifically for matcha. The trees are protected from the sun as they grow, ensuring even exposure which results in a smooth, delicate tea. The nice thing about these pre-measured sachets is that all you need is hot water, a sachet, and a teaspoon! No fussing with pots, whisks, or braziers.

The tea has the distinctive fresh, grassy taste of the matcha we’re all familiar with. It is a smidge more subtle, less of the “soapiness” of tea from a tea ceremony, but that’s not a bad thing. If anything, it makes it more versatile for folks who might not necessarily be familiar with traditional matcha. Certainly, nothing will replace the experience of a proper tea ceremony, but these are a delicious and accessible alternative. They’re small and convenient enough to keep in your purse!

Next up, Ginger with Orange Blossom. This is much more of a typical herbal tea comprised of ginger, orange flowers, orange peel, lemongrass, and other all-natural ingredients. There are no tea leaves of any variety in this blend, which makes it great for a nighttime drink or a treat for anyone sensitive to caffeine. It comes in wonderful pyramid bags which allow for much more water flow and movement than old-fashioned flat bags. It’s the closest you can get to loose-leaf tea without losing the practicality of the bags.

This is a warm, comforting tea with the familiar heat of ginger at the forefront. It’s very well-balanced, somehow taking very strong flavours but keeping them delicate. I drank it plain, but a dollop of honey would be delicious in it. I also think it would make a fantastic iced tea in the summer!

I highly recommend both of these products, and I look forward to trying out more hot teas from Pure Leaf soon. Thank you to Pure Leaf and ChickAdvisor for giving me the opportunity to try these out.

 I received this item from the retailer or manufacturer for honest review purposes.If you have a topically appropriate craft, product, or service you would like me to review, please contact me.