spilling the beans -long over due

okay, it's way over due to announce this here,

but I am pregnant!

I am not sure how the time went by so quickly this time, but I am almost 21weeks!!

geez!

 this is my second pregnancy and it often gets forgotten/ignored when you already have a little one to chase after.

finally, I made a point of taking some photos(first time!) of this pregnancy today.

I need to start documenting it more often since most likely this is going to be my last one.

my almost-three-yr-old girl is very excited to be a big sister, 

and she tells me she can't wait to hold the baby when he/she comes out. very cute :)

although we're not going to find out the sex of the baby until the baby comes out, and my little girl thinks it's a BOY,

I couldn't resist this baby sailor dress when I saw it at a local thrift store...

well, it costs only a few bucks!

also I found these awesome kids wooden clogs at the same store!

not sure who makes them. can't find a tag. perhaps handmade?

they are still too big for the little one. she has a few more years to grow into!

earthquake in Japan

as the most, if not all, of us know the huge earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, my home county, almost a week ago.

fortunately, most of my family lives down south in Kyushu, so there was a minimum impact.

my sister had been back in Tokyo from a year stay in London a few days before the earthquake,

and I have a couple of uncles and their families near Tokyo.

they are all fine and safe.

although all of my family members are fine,

it is still devastating and heart wrecking to hear and see what's happening there right now...

the overwhelming sadness and grief... 

but there is still a hope.

people are not giving up.

I heard miraculous stories,

a woman giving a birth in the midst of the chaos,

a four month old girl found alive after three days in the rubble,

even the people who are in the roughest condition are caring for others.

I can't do much as a individual to help them out except making a small amount of donation, 

considering what the actual damage is... 

and I am sending my healing prayer to the people and land of Japan.

if you haven't made any donation, please help, even small amounts count.

you  can also do so from may sites, like paypal. 

also I have decided to donate 20% of all the sales from my Etsy shop to Jaoanese Red Cross,

starting today for a whole year untill March 11, 2012.

hoping this also encourage people to lead small changes to a big cause.

happy Valentines! & a very lucky giveaway winner

Happy Valentines day everyone!

hope you all are having a lovely day :)

today I am here to announce a sweet valentine giveaway winner!

  

a very lucky lady is....

Chie!!!

congratulations, chie :)

I will e-mail you later to get your shipping address.

as some of you already know,
but Chie is a fantastic seamstress/designer/fashionista.

if you never visited her blog or her Etsy store please do so!!

thank you all for participating, 

and also thank the new followers of my blog/twitter!!

hope you all enjoyed the giveaway, and hope to do some more of them in the future :)

Anniversary/Sweet Valentine Giveaway!

last Saturday was our 5th (married) anniversary.

we didn't do too much, but had rather a relaxing day.

I got him a small gift, and he took me out for dinner @ Pok Pok, Thai restaurant, on Division 

since he 'looked bad'(so he says) having not prepared me a gift.

also took an offer on baby sitting from our housemate, and went out for a drink after our little one went to bed.

we had never really gone out just two of us since this girl was born,

but it is nice to be able to do that every once in a while!

anyhow,,,

I decided to have a giveaway for this occasion, 

combined with an upcoming cerebration of love event, Valentine's day!

-SWEET VALENTINE GIVEAWAY-

here is the prize

-earring/necklace traveling case-

nice to keep your earrings and necklaces from getting tangled and damaged, don't you think?

this little pouch will help you a big time!

so convenient for traveling, or carry a 'backup' jewelry in your bag,

or just for daily uses! 

-knotted bracelet-

you even get to pick a color!

please pick one of the colors from the above right picture, and state in your comment.

for more details about the bracelet, please visit my etsy shop!

******************************************how it works******************************************

please leave a comment with your e-mail address(if I can't reach you via blogger account),

also with your choice of color for the bracelet.

★bonus entry 1- if you follow my blog, you may leave another comment for an extra entry!

★bonus entry 2 -if you follow me on Twitter, you will also get another entry!! please leave a separate comment.

(up to THREE entries per person!!)

this giveaway ends @ FEB 12th, 11:59pm pacific time.

*********************************************************************************************

GOOD LUCK :)!

P.S. a little apology...

I have so much to blog, but since we only have one computer and my hubby has been using it a lot lately for  work, I have not been able to update it often...
I am little behind, but I will find a time and post more!

new years resolutions vol.2011

goodbye the year of 2010.

and hello brand new 2011!

the whole year flew by, yet another one started.

the last year was a new start of our life in Portland, Oregon.

we're loving it and enjoying the life here so far, yet there is so much more to explore in and around the city!

I still need to keep working on my last year's new years resolution,

I have many more for this year!

here goes the list.

-go on Candida cleanse/diet-

although this year's christmas was much better than the past years, and we did not overeat and did not eat much sweets and baked goods, I decided to give it a try.  even if I don't have any dietary sensitivities and we eat pretty well, I think it will be very beneficial for my body.  I just ordered a book called 'Body Ecology Diet' through library.  it was recommended by my husband who is also known as food Natzi.  can't wait to read it and give it a go. 

-learn to bake non-yeasted bread-

I had been wanting to try baking a non-yeasted bread for a while now.  we buy good organic natural leaven bread from Wholefoods, but it would be awesome to bake our own at home.  I'd probably get a starter somewhere, and try that first to see how it goes.  does anyone know a good source for a bread starter?? 

-start a recipe book-

over the last few years, I have been collecting some cooking recipes, and more recently really good gluten-free(and some are also sugar-free) baking recipes from one of hubby's sisters.  they are all over my notebook, unorganized...  it would be nice if they are all neatly written and in order.

-print photos from computer-

it is as bad as the recipe deal,,, well it's worse actually...

all of our great memories are on a hard drive, and almost all of them have never been developed as photo...  I would like to get the good ones printed and have real photo albums.  especially the pictures of our little daughter since birth.

 -knit a sweater-

I have been knitting quite intensively lately as I freaked out about making christmas gifts to people(as always). made some hats and cowls(hope to do a post on this).  I like quick projects that I can get it done in a couple days, but if it is a "real" knitting project, it intimidates me and make me feel almost anxious... plus, I am not sure if I have that kind of patience.  I may developed more patience and my knitting-speed might be a little faster.  hm,,, maybe it's time to try knitting a sweater(or cardigan)! 

-keep the sewing room(aka closet) nice and tidy-

oh why is this so hard?!  I tend to leave my (so called) creative mess in the middle of a project or in between projects, especially because I don't have a chunk of time to finish it up in one session.  but clean organized work space definitely make the performance much better/faster.  so, yes,,, I should keep that in mind. 

-be able to draft my own patterns-

I am very excited for this patternmaking class that I am going to take at Porland Sewing!  I worked out a child care deal with one of the neighbor mamas, and was able to register for it.  I had been wanting to take a class on patternmaking forever, and this is such a treat for me!  it will be nice to have an official "me-time", and take a time apart from my child(and it is good for her as well).

so these are very few of my new years resolutions for 2011, but plenty to keep me busy for sure!

wish you the best luck and happiness for 2011 :)

明けましておめでとぅございます。

今年もどぅぞよろしくお願いします。

japan trip part2

Hi, everyone!

hope you haven't completely forgotten about me... :I

I know it's been way too long since the last time I really blogged!!

we came back five days ago, and finally jet lag is fading away.

I always find it harder to get use to the time difference back home...  wonder why that is...

anyhow, I know I have to post about LOTS of things, but still not so motivated...  sorry... :(

I will post pictures from the second half of the trip to hold you over for now!

hope you enjoy them!!

at a local beach.

she had a blast! 

that we had to go back!

 with her great grandpa & great grandma watching birds eating tangerines on the tree

 her friend came back to play again :)

right before the loooong plane ride back home...

ahhh, good to be back home and get back to the regular routine, called life!

I will try to post a how-to on the passport case in the next few days.

so please stay tuned!!

******************************************************************************************************

P.S.  I am having a LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS SALE over at my ETSY shop! 

please go visit my site, order, and receive 20% off via Paypal after purchase.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

******************************************************************************************************

Japan trip(coming up) & Sale announcement

at last the completion of my US immigration is in sight( well, we hope!).

I received a letter for an interview, as well as travel document from USCIS two weeks ago.

we had been looking into getting a flight tickets to Japan.

this wold be the last chance for my little doll to fly cheaper and go see mama side family and friends.

I had a hectic time finding a good deal both cost-wise and time-wise,,,

I guess traveling is no longer so affordable especially when you have a kid(s).

anyhow we got a ticket, and little miss and I would be in Japan from November 18th to December 10th!

three weeks is not really enough, but better than nothing.

so excited!

because I won't be around much for the pre-holiday season,

I decided to have a little early pre-holiday sale over at my little Etsy shop.

[SALE] 20% off on all the items listed in my shop.

[time] today Oct 22nd(Fri) - November 7th(Sun)

[deal] please mention about the sale in your comment to the seller when you proceed to purchase.

you will get the 20% refunded via Paypal after purchase.

hope you enjoy the opportunity!

happy weekend :)

xo

 

life in transition + little announcement

my life is still somewhat crazy and unsettled.

well, not there just yet.

we moved into a new place two weekends ago,

and had been painting the room and bathroom for the entire first week!

the walls and sealing were cracking and peeling, which was original old paint.

took us a while to get ready to paint and actual painting part was an experience,too,

because we used all natural/non-toxic paint, called lime paint.

anyhow, it's all done and finally we moved our stuff to the room,

and slept on our own bed first time for the past THREE months!

{{crazy}}

still need some organizing and more furnitures(which my husband will be making soon, I hope!),

but it feels really good, and relieved to settling in!

I have to introduce this unique household/members to you guys,

but I will save it for another post for sometime this week ;)

before I say goodbye for the day, I have a little but exciting announcement to make!

many of you who are also a member of Burdastyle community might already know about this book project.

I am super excited about the book and to be a part of it!

there will be 60 different artists/seamstresses/designers making a variation of the five different patterns(blouse, skirt, dress, coat, and accessory) that are included in the book.

I will be making a coat!

is any of you also participating?? what are you going to make??

would love to know who is participating!

the winner is...

so, this is what I did to chose one lucky winner for the giveaway.

I used to play a lot with this kind of draw when I was little :)

drew 10 lines, one for each participants, then add some horizontal lines to mix it up.

now you don't know which number is going where!

went to RANDOM.ORG to pick a random number.

and the lucky number is two!

now the fun part starts!

here we go!!

then one very lucky winner has been chosen!

congratulations, redhedgingerbread!!

sorry for the people who didn't win,

but I am planning on continue doing much more giveaways in the coming future.

so please come back for them!

well, hope everyone enjoyed this giveaway :)

P.S. redhedgingerbread has an awesome blog and Etsy shop.

please go take a peek :)

you have

24 hours left to enter to win this!

quick and hurry!!

make your way over to this post.

good luck :)

a happy new year!

a happy new year to my dear readers!

hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years.

we had a nice visit with the family and friends up on Quadra Island.

it was awesome to see ALL the family members, and we had a great time!

we just got back home today, and it is time to get back to our normal life and rutines.(good & bad)

so, here is my new years resolutions for 2010!

●be good at organizing things●

I often get lazy about organizing things, especially around my craft corner...

by making sure everything is in where they should be in the best way they need to be,

I should be able to work more efficiently!

well, this is one of many, but I will keep the rest to myself :P

well, for now anyway...

happy new year of 2010 and best wishes to you all :)

P.S. do not foget to entre to the holiday giveaway!

it will close at the midnight of the 4th.

and be sure to come back to check who won on the following day :)

holiday giveaway!!

holiday/little L's first birthday giveaway!!



I've been planning to do this giveaway for sometime,

but didn't get around to make a post until now...

(you all already know that I am a last minute person :P!)

here is the giveaway treasure.

makeup clutch(or however you want to use it!)

coin purse

and a plus alpha mini surprise gift!

******************************************[[[ TO WIN ]]]******************************************

simply leave a comment below!

*bonus entry 1 - if you follow my blog, leave another comment for another entry!

*bonus entry 2 -if you post about this giveaway on your blog/website, you will get another extra entry!
please also put a link to the post with your comment!

please make sure to leave your e-mail address.

all the comments mush be made by January 4th, by midnight(Pacific time).

and one winner will be chosen randomly, and will be announced on the following day.

***************************************************************************************************

hope you enjoy this giveaway :)!

good luck, everyone!!!

and Merry Christmas to you all!!

XO

last day of the SALE!

just a quick reminder:

today is the last day of the pre-holiday sale!

if you have not completed your holiday shopping list,

please gvisit my shop to see if anything catches your eye :)

100

whoa

I am surprised that I am still here, writing another post,

well the 100th post!!

when I started this blog, I wasn't sure where to start, what to write about, and even how long it would last.

but today, I am writing this post very proudly :)

thank you so much for the people who read my blog(mostly my ramblings).

it's been fun blogging and so great to read comments and get feedback from people from all over the globe.

THANK YOU :)

I will try to keep up with it as often as I can within my limited free time.

also, I'd love to know if you have any input to my blog!

any suggestions for the blog?

any requests for how-to's?

anything you'd like to know about me?

pre-holiday sale announcement

I kind of got lost of the dates and forgot about the sale I mentioned in the previous post...

and just realized that was supposed to start TODAY!

because I am starting it a bit late, I extended the sale one day longer.

anyhow, the PRE-HOLIDAY SALE is here and here is how it works :)

PRE-HOLIDAY SALE

******************************************************************************

10% off on ALL the items in my store!

during Nov. 29th - Dec. 6th(till the midnight Pacific Time)

please put a discount code: PRE2009HOLIDAY in the box of "message to seller" when you check out

in order to receive the discount.

then I will refund the amount through Paypal.

*******************************************************************************

a lot of items in the store are one of a kind, unless it's mentioned it is custom order after the purchase.

Happy shopping :)

xo

catch up's and sale announcement

Hello :)

sorry for slacking!

we've been really busy these days.

I have been working on a dress for my best friend.

she is going to a couple of weddings, so I got a commission from her.

I am almost done with it. just need to finish the sleeves and the hem!

I will post pictures when it's done.

since little L(my daughter) is getting more active everyday,

we started looking into baby/kids activities in the area.

in BC, there is a program called Strong Start.

free drep-in programs for preschool kids with their parents/gardians and caregivers.

usually held at elementary schools.

it provides kids a place to play and learn,

and it is an awesome way to meet other families and make friends.

luckily, we have an elementary school in walking distance where they offer this program!

Thursdays are music day, and it is also baby friendly(some activities can be still a bit hard for little L).

so we've been going there on Thursdays and singing and playing instalments, like bells and drums.

it's been really fun and great for little L

not only because she loves music, but also it's so good for her to interact with other kids and babies.

also, we've been going to a baby massage class.

our friend's mom and her co-worker are doing five Friday massage class for FREE!

today was the 3rd class, and it's been awesome.

she does pretty good laying down quietly, if you consider now she is in the phase that is all about moving around!

and everyone in the class is amazed :)

and she passes out after the class.

it is a great way to relax your baby, and an amazing way to connect/communicate with your child.

***************************************************************************************************
okay, now I have a little announcement.

I am going to have a pre-holiday sale at my Etsy shop.

it will be the week of Nov. 29th to Dec 5th.

I will make a post about it again when the day comes closer!

***************************************************************************************************

p.s. have a happy weekend♥

my weekend

my weekend flew by really quickly...

B, my husband, gets three day weekend, Fri, Sat & Sunday, because he works longer hours each day.

it is really nice having three day weekend.

Friday is usually our running errands day - grocery shopping for the week.

then Saturday and Sunday is chill out and play day.

I bought these vintage lace from a local vintage/antique store on Friday.

they were $1 each - score :)

Saturday, I made little L a strawberry custard tart from scratch for her half birthday.

of course, little L didn't get to eat it.

it is too early for her.

she has just started eating a little bit of solid food a few weeks a go.

instead I and B enjoyed it :)

B forgot to take the crust out of the oven while I and little L were having a bath,

so it was a bit over baked...

but it was still quite tasty!

Yesterday, we went to help our friends move.

I carried little L in Ergo Baby on my back, and moved boxes to a truck.

they had a lot of stuff!

*****************************************************************************************************************

I decided to extend the giveaway until Friday the 3rd(till the midnight Pacific time) !

and if you like it in a different size, please mention it too :)

*****************************************************************************************************************

Burda Mode Magazine 07/2009

I had been really excited about this news for ages!

I got an offer to be featured in Burda Mode Magazine two or so months ago.
so, I sent an e-mail back with original photos and such.

I almost forgot about it until recently.
and, I got a bit nervous because I had not heard from them since then.
I thought it might have been a scam!

I guess it takes a while editing to publish things.
well, I knew that,,,
but couldn't stop thinking of bad scenarios.


anyhow, it was all real!
and I received an e-mail with the PDF file of where I was featured :)

of course, it is all in German,
which I don't even understand a single word... :(
so, I went online and used a free translator thing.
but it didn't quite make sense...

does anyone out there understand German?
and could you please translate it for me :)??

unexpected award

I received this lovely award via Akazukin!

I was not expecting anything like this for my blog since it is pretty much for my own complacency!

But yes, it is awesome!

Thank you, Akazukin :)

So, here are the rules:
1)Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2)Pass the award on to 5 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

My awardees are:

sew I do - Very Purple Person: full of sewn items & love to her family :)

Little Sweet Hearts - Karencilla: lovely blog. very fun to read :)

Chelsea Blog - Satomi: I love seeing what she creates! sorry if you don't read Japanese, but check out her photos :)

CREATE - Leigh: I am a big fan of her wonderful art work!

Boubou Teatime - Boubou: She makes inspiring collages :)

hope you enjoy these blogs too :) :) :)

hm

well, I guess I am blogging very first time in my life...
I am not sure if it's going to last, but I'll do my best and keep up with it.

So, basically I will write about the things I love/love to do, but I don't have time for. I know it is just a lame excuse to say 'I don't have time', but it is also true with my two month old. She keeps me occupied all day long along with the other house chore!
But, maybe I can post the stuff I made every once in a while!


anyhow, here I go...