Category: Collaborations

Review – Obi Handbag from Sachi and Co

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When I was given the opportunity to review one of Sachi and Company‘s beautiful handbags, I jumped at the chance. The store was started by friends from Okinawa, the United States, and Canada, working together to recycle traditional Japanese textiles into gorgeous modern accessories.  They make beautiful kimono fabric scarves as well as the handbags, and they’re sold along wall hangings and traditional kokeshi dolls. Their passion for tradition and Japanese culture is evident in everything they do, and it’s infectious.

The handbag itself is absolutely amazing.  The primary maru obi fabric was clearly very carefully selected and cut in a way that shows it off very well. It’s incredibly well-finished both inside and out, being fully lined and finished with mofuku obi fabric and solid-feeling plastic handles that are very securely attached. There’s an interior slip pocket for smaller items, and the bag itself holds a huge amount without feeling overwhelmingly big. The only “issues” I had with it, minor as they are, are lack of a zipper and shoulder strap. Living in a big city, the lack of a zipper makes me wary, but I will be keeping it as a special-event handbag so security is less of a concern. It will also help keep the beautiful fabric clean. If you’re looking for a great way to inject a bit of Japan into your western wardrobe, I highly recommend checking them out!

Please forgive the sticker over my face. I used the bag when I went to see The Book of Mormon yesterday, and while I felt fantastic and confident, every photo came out with a vaguely grumpy bemused expression. I just really wanted to include a photo so you can see the size and shape of the bag, and how well it completes my outfit.

 I received this item from the retailer or manufacturer for honest review purposes.

Review: Foof Phone Sleeves

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Over the summer, I came across Foof.Shop‘s amazing Japanese fabric phone sleeves, and contacted them about possibly reviewing one. They got back to me a while later, offering me a surprisingly vast selection of products with one special stipulation. More on that at the end of this post 😉

I received these before the vacation I mentioned in my last post, and figured that would be an excellent time to test one out. They’re made primarily for iPhones, and even the largest I received was a bit snug on my Samsung Galaxy 6S, but I made it work. Through security, customs, several long flights, a jaunt to Downtown Disney in Anaheim, amongst other things, and my phone felt secure and protected the entire time. Not only that, but the cover stayed clean and snug far beyond what I would originally have expected of a fabric cover. The fleece inner is soft and tight, providing a great protective fit and having the added benefit of polishing the screen every time I put my phone away. Overall, I am very impressed with the quality and finishing of these sleeves, and their wide selection of actual kimono fabric and kimono-inspired cotton patterns are an amazing bonus. If you’re looking for something to protect your mobile device that has a bit of flair to it and would look at home tucked into any sleeve or obi, I urge to you check them out!

So, what’s a girl to do with all these extra phone cases? Why, give them away, of course! With huge thanks to the generous and wonderful folks at Foof, many of these will be part of the giveaway I am planning when my Facebook page reaches 1000 fans. If you want a chance to win one of these and some other goodies, follow me there and keep an eye out for news. You can also follow Foof on their Facebook page for news about new fabrics and new releases.

 I received this item from the retailer or manufacturer for honest review purposes.

Review: Origami crafts from Tori Creations

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As you probably know, I am always looking for unique ways to incorporate a bit of traditional Japanese aesthetic into my daily life. At my current size and health level, wearing kimono with any regularity just isn’t practical. Housewares and accessories, however, are an excellent way to accomplish this. Anne-Claire of Tori Creations makes incredible, beautiful works of art using traditional washi paper and various origami techniques. She was kind enough to send me a wonderful assortment of her products for me to review and share.

First up was this wonderful lamp. The lamp itself is very clean-lined and simple, which ensures that all the focus is on the beautiful paper she’s chosen to decorate the shade. The workmanship in this lamp, like all her other products, is impeccable. There is one seam line where the paper edges meet but it’s very clean and easily hidden. All the inside edges are very well-finished and securely adhered. It makes an excellent bedside lamp!

 

She also sent along this charming light string. Each balloon-style shade is a different pattern or colour, and they’re very fun and playful-feeling. The lights themselves are LEDs, which means there’s no risk of overheating and damaging the paper. So not only are these beautiful, you can tell Anne-Claire has put a lot of thought into the functionality of them as well.

Last, but not least, are these completely adorable ornaments. There is a blue crane, a sweet little fish, and a tiny horse. They’re very safely and carefully nestled into delicate glass ornaments, complete with a little bit of “snow” in the bottom. The snow makes these ideal for Christmas, but honestly they’re too cute to keep hidden away the rest of the year. I think I will hang them in one of my windows.

Anne-Claire was a complete pleasure to interact with. These are all very well-made, and were incredibly well-packed. The lights were in one box, surrounded by protective packing peanuts. The ornaments were in a separate box, very safely nestled in cotton wool. The lamp was disassembled (though it was very easy to put together) and all of them were bundled carefully with bubble wrap in another box. She even included lightbulbs! Canada Post is notorious for mangling things, but aside from having to re-inflate a few of the balloon-style lamp shades, everything was pristine.

If you would like to get one (or more!) of these beautiful and practical works of art, Anne-Claire has graciously offered a 25% discount to my readers through her Etsy shop. Simply use the code MOONBLOSSOM at checkout and the discount will be automatically applied.

 I received this item from the retailer or manufacturer for honest review purposes.