Tokyo Snow



















Hello Sandwiches!
ただいま！I'm home!
Tokyo was so much fun!
It even snowed a lot while I was there. I felt extremely lucky as I am told it rarely snows in Tokyo - perhaps once every two to three years. It started snowing one night when I was in Shimokita with my dearest friend Gracie. It went a little something like this:
[walking to Mois cafe]
HS: 'Dude! It's snowing!'
Gracie: 'It looks like snow but it's just rain'
HS: 'DUDE! It's snowing'
Gracie: 'OMG! It's snow! It's snowing!' Dude look at my umbrella! There's snow on my umbrella'. OMG I can't believe it's snowing in Tokyo! We are so lucky!'







Walking home that evening through the quiet residential area where Mr Y's family home is located I noticed a single track of footprints etched into the snow which seemed to turn around and walk back over itself. 'Strange', I thought. Why would someone walk over existing footprints? And then I noticed some sort of marking under each light-post. Looking a little closer I discovered these markings were in fact the letter 'e' marked with an arrow leading to Mr Y's family home! Mr Y had snuck out in the cold to leave a little message in the snow! So adorable!





Well Sandwiches, I have so many pics and places to share with you and will keep posting about Tokyo this week. Hope you are all super well!

Love Love
Hello (omote)Sando.

7Meals, 7-11's Healthy Bento + Meal Plan













I am very excited about the new 7Meals available from Japan's 7-11 stores which I just read about over at Maki's blog. Think of it as the 'Lite n'easy' of Japan only much more appetising and convenient!

Maki says:
Japan’s 7-11s are not quite the same as the ones in the U.S. to say the least. One of the services they offer is takeaway or home delivery of pre-ordered meals, including bentos. They have a dedicated web site for this service, called 7meal (セブン・ミール) (in Japanese only.)

7-11 does have readymade and ready to buy bentos and other prepared foods for sale in their stores, but this is a bit different. Basically, you place an order via the web site, by phone or at your local 7-11 for a bento or other meal such as noodles (ramen, udon or soba) a day or so ahead. There is a different bento menu every day. You can order a single meal, or order ahead for a full 6 days, say for lunch every day. You can order for lunch or dinner delivery or pickup. Delivery is free.

The emphasis of the site is on healthy, balanced meals. Conbini bentos and other takeout meals have come under a lot of criticism for being unhealthy and fattening, and this is an obvious attempt to combat that. Their 7meals philosophy page states that they do not use any artificial colors or preservatives in their delivery meals, and that each meal is planned based on ‘strict nutritional guidelines’ and food safety considerations.



Check out the online PDF menu or the website (Japanese only) for more information.

I want to order one for delivery when I am over at Gracie's new Shimokita apartment next week! Calorie counting has never been so fun!

P.S. I mentioned to the lovely Bree that Mr Y and I were having onigiri for Australia Day lunch today and she just emailed to say she was inspired to make some herself. Luckily for us she has shared some pictures of her delicious onigiri along with a few recipes. おいしそう〜！

Hello Sandwich Garage Sale #2 (Fabric Pack Special!)



If you missed the first Hello Sandwich Garage Sale (see more here) then you might like to come along to the second Hello Sandwich Garage Sale this Sat! This time the sale is at a very special location...out the back of my mums shop! (Thanks mum!xxx)

I will be selling more of the pre-loved packs but this time I cleaned out my fabric cupboard and have boxes full of lovely little fabric and craft packs! Did you know I used to have my own fashion label and also stocked a range under a 'diffusion' label to chain store Dotti? Needless to say I have a LOT of fabric and sewing supplies so if you are in need of buttons, thread, fabric, trims, wool, patterns etc...then you might like to pop on over.



And, you may have noticed I adore Gift Wrapping? Well, I have put together some little Gift Wrapping Packs containing everything you need to create beautifully wrapped presents. The packs I have put together for the Garage Sale are slightly different (and slightly cheaper) than the packs on my online store!

Remember my pretty tanabata installation? I'm also selling some of the unique elements from this artwork which would look so pretty hanging in any room.

Other items for sale are: Art books, design books, magazines, lots of cute accessories, clothes, shoes, handbags, homewares, pretty rolls of wallpaper, knick-knacks, bikes, furniture, BBQs, CD's, sporting equipment and lots of the usual garage sale stuff!

And...this time Mr Y also got involved with the spring cleaning and has some great Japanese clothes and shoes to sell so bring your boyfriend!

Do come along and say hello and snap up a Pre-loved by Hello Sandwich bargain!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xxx

Mori (Forest) Girls





I would love to be a Mori Girl.




Have you heard of Mori Girls?
Here is a little description from Mori Girls blog:

The mori girls (森ガール) belong to a subculture which began in Japan. 'Mori' means forest in Japanese, and if you're looking for the simplest description of mori girls, they are girls who look like they live in the forest. Indeed, the unique appearance of the mori girls is what attracts most people to join in their adventures.

Mori girls are often seen in loose dresses or smocks, vintage blouses, puffed sleeves, A-line skirts tights and leggings and many-layered ensembles. They delight in beautiful fabrics and textures, preferring natural to synthetic materials, and are impartial to autumnal shades reminiscent of forest glades such as deep reds, greens, blues and browns. They keep warm with knits and furs in winter, and ponchos and leather boleros in the fall.

The childlike nature of mori girls sets them apart from the more aggressive and carnivorous women in the city. They shun stiletto heels for flat shoes and prefer to keep their fingernails short and skin fair. Mori girls are also drawn to animal, candy, checked, floral, vintage or polka-dotted prints. However, they avoid looking overly cute. They wear little makeup, but when they do use it some like to draw pick circles in the centre of their cheeks as a homage to the dolls they played with when they were younger. While every mori girl is a child at heart, they are endlessly fascinated by objects with a history. Vintage items such as pocket watches, small gold pendants and analogue cameras captivate mori girls.

Mori girls are also characterised by certain attitudes to life. While most mori girls really live in the city, they maintain a pace of life that may be considered slow by others, preferring to stop and savour the tiny delights that many deem insignificant. Mori girls like to explore old neighbourhoods, discover hole-in-the-wall shops and read in cafes. Many mori girls enjoy expressing their creativity, never mind if nobody will see or applaud their efforts, for instance through photography or journalling. Scandinavia is for many mori girls a dream destination, and Scandinavian design influences often appear in mori girls' style.

In her own quiet way, the mori girl is an individualist. She does not care that the world may live differently from her. She lives consciously and chooses her own lifestyle. The mori girl often looks whimsical or quirky. When she shops, she buys something based on how it makes her feel, rather than on how fashionable or expensive it will appear to others. While she may enjoy the company of others, the mori girl loves her own company and indeed has embarked on many of her most memorable adventures alone.

How lovely! And the best news is these Mori Girls don't shy away from a bit of Mori-girl-meets-1960's-retro style action! Which suits me just perfectly!

Oh, and I am desperately wanting one of these winter coats (above) from Japanese store Franche Lippee seen on Mori Girls Blog. They would be just perfect for my Tokyo holiday next week.

You can find out more about the Mori Girls here.