flickr meme, you know the one ; )

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meme, originally uploaded by redswirl.

Because it’s so pretty, I tag myself

1. What is your first name? I’m named for that lady, my Dad thought she looks like my Mum (she does)

2. What is your favourite food? spaghetti … I’m totally editing this, that wasn’t the first one, but it was pretty 😉

3. What high school did you go to? [redacted], didn’t generally look like that

4. What is your favorite color? red

5. Who is your celebrity crush? don’t care (that’s what I searched for in flickr)

6. Favorite drink? ice coffee … oh, yeah I forgot I’m in Japan, I actually hate coffee like this, shoulda said “iced latte”, I need the milk to make it drinkable, sugar too sometimes

7. Dream vacation? Berlin, forever

8. Favorite dessert? sticky toffee pudding, flickr couldn’t find “and ice cream”

9. What you want to be when you grow up? happy, now too ;P

10. What do you love most in life? my kids, searched for “no photo”, found Shibuya at night, so sorta appropriate

11. One Word to describe you? confused (today)

12. Your flickr name? red swirl

Copying along with craftapalooza and oh, heaps of other people too

this is … my best op shop find

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this is … a photo from my old house, wish we’d taken more … I always say that, never do. Lots of op shop and cheap treasures on those shelves, both mine & husband’s … maybe my memories are all the clearer ’cause the photos are a little dark, a little blurry?

I wanted to show you the angry old lady doll with the fading blue hair and bright orange plastic dress, prim & proper with a white hand bag … but she’s really short and there’ll be no close ups ’till she comes out of storage … next year. She’s from Glebe Markets long, long ago when they had more weird stuff and I used to go for a look most Saturdays …

Playing along with Lino Forest and THREE BUTTONS

this is … the space in which I create

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this is …meme, done around about a week too late?

But I couldn’t resist, and yes, that’s my new sewing machine, just unpacked, exciting!!!

And yes, more prosaically, that’s my washing because it’s been raining all week, and yes, behind there is the oshirei*, the lower part of which has become a cubby hole for the kids, doubt that’s traditional … kid’s craft on the wall, glimpse of the bed, it’s a pretty small flat, oh and the table folds up totally, it’s really nifty, from a 2nd hand store 😉

* Think that’s how it’s spelled … traditional Japanese closet for futons, anyway.

made in Golden Week

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I made these on the last day of Golden Week at Tokyu Hands, Shinjuku. I’d walked past late the day before, seen people making their own shoes, and made sure to come back.

Apparently Tokyu Hands has been doing this in Golden Week for 25 years (although they had a 4 year break). They have people who come back each year to make new shoes for the holidays. I know why, it was really fun!

They said next time they might consider having extra-large size wooden soles … the largest size fit me, but was to small for my husband. There were Japanese men making shoes for their female partners (I suspect their feet were too big, too). It was also nice to see an elderly man with rather swollen feet carefully making shoes to fit (I often wonder whether less-able-bodied people get left behind in the Tokyo rush). Oh, and we weren’t the only Westerners making shoes, either.

It wasn’t difficult, at all. First you cut the 3cm (I think) wide strips of leather, sticky tape the strip in place whilst trying the shoe on, and then duplicate it for the other side/other foot. Then you hammer the studs in place, voilà, shoes. They smell lovely, because of the wood.

The sticky tape was the only problem, I think I was too thorough and it made a mark when I tried t remove it. Oh, and the test drive. It’s hard to go down stairs, but doable. I walked a block to the local shop, which was fine. But after a 10 minute walk I needed bandaids on both feet! In retrospect, I think the Tokyu Hands guy might have tried to tell me they were a bit tight, but I didn’t want them to slip off, you know!

an oven mitt idea

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I picked up this pamphlet, ’cause I thought it’s such a cool idea … an oven mitt can be person-shaped!!

I don’t really want the mitt shown, I realise it’s free if I buy 3 packets of mayonnaise, but I don’t like mayonnaise and I’m not really into the kewpie-kawaii-cute look, anyway.

But it’s fun to think of what type of person I’d put on my oven mitt … what sort of person is appropriate for cooking … a severe school mistress; a chef; a bear??? Once I work it out, I’ll use burdastyle’s Layla pattern. I don’t like the double thumb thing, my person would have one hand by their side.

Found at ライフ, I refuse to call it Life (correct translation), as Life is not a supermarket with a down-market clothing store and 100 yen shop.