Hello Sandwich Wrapping

Hello Sandwiches.
I hope you had a lovely weekend.
Here is a little sneak preview of a project I've been working on lately!
xoxo

P.S. This song is by cute Japanese band Capsule.

Tokyo Textiles

It's so super hot here in Tokyo that an essential handbag must-have is a cut little handkerchief. You're not truly Japanese until you daintily pull out one of these from your Marc Jacobs handbag to pat your cheeks dry every now and then. Extra Japanese bonus points for drying your hands with them after a visit to a LoFT bathroom. I'm still yet to master the dainty Japanese style, but I do my best to stock up on cute new handkerchiefs every now and then. I bought these Vivienne Westwood ones from Kichijoji OI yesterday.
Aren't the textile prints pretty?


Speaking of textiles...I've become a little obsessed with fabric shopping of late. Last week I took two trips out to Nippori fabric town stopping at a few fabric shops in Shinjuku on the way. If you like fabrics you won't want to miss a trip out to Nippori. Before you visit, download the English map here. Tomato is my favourite Nippori fabric shop and they have quite a few branches there (one of which even has an entire floor filled with fabric costing just ¥100 per metre!) Oh My Goodness the fabric in Japan is amazing. They even have liberty floral print bias binding! And look at these oil cloth table cloths I picked up!







Naturally I've decided to take up sewing clothes for myself again and bought a little lemon floral sewing machine online last night. I think my first project will be to sew a cap-sleeve t-shirt from NaniIRO's mizutama fabric!



If you like craft and creating handmade things, it's dangerous to go shopping in Tokyo! It took all of my will to walk out of Tokyu hands without an enitre bookbinding kit the other day! I'd happily stay inside making craft everyday here in Tokyo...if only there wasn't so many other fabulous things to go and see.




When I'm not dreaming of craft activities I've been enjoying things like:

* Hearing things like 'calorie half' and 'price down' in my local supermarket.

* Drinking home made iced-lattes from ¥189 carton of iced coffee.

* Buying a weekly bunch of flowers in pretty pre-mixed bouquets. Think carnations, babies breath and daisies!

* Riding my mamachari to Setagaya-koen and drinking iced-tea.

* Giving presentations (in Japanese eeep) about my favourite Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugito to my Nihongo private sensei.

* Working on VOGUE Living layouts from my mini-me apartment.

* Going on searches in Harajuku for mexican food with my dear friend Gracie.

* Buying strange vegetables in the supermarket and needing to google recipes to cook them with.

* Exploring new to me areas like Asagaya with Hiki-chan.

* Wondering around Sangenjaya and Kichijoji taking photos of patterns.



Happy Friday Sandwiches! Hope you have a lovely creative weekend!

Love Love
Hello Sando
xoxo

Tokyo Flyers

When I used to work as Deputy Art Director for VOGUE Living, one of my favourite parts of my role was creating 'inspiration scrapbooks'. Actually, I'm pretty sure it wasn't exactly in my 'role' job description, but it was, for me, an important part of my layouts. My Art Director and I used to refer to these little scrapbooks often for inspiration. Oooo I miss flipping through those books over a 3pm cup of chai with my lovely Art Director.

There are so many beautiful flyers and free papers in Tokyo and yesterday I started a Tokyo version of my design inspiration scrapbooks. The design here is just incredible! The Japanese are just so clever and they just seem to get everything right. Here are a few favourites.

Mini Tokyo Apartment

Sandwiches, Hello!

I'm slowly getting settled in my mini-me Tokyo apartment! It's so lovely and sunny and I just love hanging out here. But I won't be completely satisfied until my super cute housewarming present arrives! I've been in love with these Confetti System Tassle Garlands since I can remember and after seeing them again recently at Third Drawer Down's Sydney Pop Up Shop (which also stocked my Tokyo Guides) I decided it would be a nice little Tokyo housewarming treat! I have ordered the multi colour one!












Aren't they gorgeous? It's like having your own Tanabata installation all year round!

xoxo

ゴミの日！

It's rubbish day in Tokyo today. It's possible that I'm going Tokyo mad but I quite like seeing the colourful stacks of gomi on my morning walk! All those little boxes tied neatly together. All those beer cans neatly separated.

I'm mad aren't I?

'Hi I'm Hello Sandwich and I take pictures of rubbish. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!'.


Don't worry, I took some other pics today too!

















So now it's 'Hi, I'm Hello Sandwich and I take pictures of rubbish and potted gardens. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!' Now that sounds heaps better!

Love Love
Hello Sando
xoxo


P.S. I can't wait till I get a fancy camera so I can take nice pictures like this.

Mt Fuji Climb

Sandwiches! I climbed Mt Fuji! And here is my certificate to prove it.
I can't say it was exactly 'easy'... But it was certainly amazing.








I took off on Saturday morning armed with my oxygen can, Japanese map and strange jelly sports 'drink' and up the mountain I headed.


Oh my! The Japanese have the best outfits - the mountain was dotted with bright colourful specks of flammable tracksuits!





No one really tells you, but it's actually a teeny bit tough trekking up in the freezing cold. It also rained on my way up and silly sandwich didn't pack a rain coat. It wasn't long before I started spotting climbers who were either breathing out of oxygen tanks or feeling poorly.







This poor lady threw up a moment after I took this photo :( poor petal!



After four hours of climbing, it's time to rest over night. And the accommodation half way up isn't exactly 'luxury'! ha ha! I have never ever slept in something quite like this. A giant communal bed with pillows the size of laptops, and one giant sleeping bad cover. The beds were triple stacked too so it was, well, let's use the word 'cosy' shall we? ;) For your own comfort, I'll leave out the 'bio' style toilet information, and get on with the trek!






So after a few hours sleep in said communal style beds, it was now time (4am) to rise and shine to continue the trek up to the top of the mountain. Everything that you have been through is worth it for the very moment of seeing the sunrise above the clouds from Mt Fuji! It was AMAZING!





There is nothing quite like being 3700m high and viewing the sunrise!







The other climbers LOVED it too, and in true Japanese style, a million photos were taken by all! The sound was beautiful too, people 'oooooooo'-ing each time the sun peeked out through a cloud. It was a little foggy unfortunately, so probably not the clearest of views :(









After reaching the top, I bought a can of hot green tea to drink with my salmon breakfast bento. It's not everyday that you get to eat breakfast at 3700m high on Mt Fuji!

If you ever have the chance, climbing Mt Fuji is an amazing thing to do. It's so rewarding! The mountain huts are open only two months a year during July and August. There is some more information here. Ah, well now it's back to hot Tokyo and getting some work done :(

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

Love Love
Hello Sando
xoxo

Banana Dada Toilet Typography

Funny post title isn't it but I have too much to tell you. Starting with what a silly Sandwich I am! I can't stop buying design books from Shinjuku's Kinokuniya. But look at this beautiful typography book I bought yesterday! It's meant for embroidery I guess, but I think the letters would look so adorable hand drawn too no? I've been a bit type obsessed lately (more than usual) because time has come where I can no longer exist in Tokyo without a meishi! It's been a great excuse to buy design books and some new fonts for 'inspiration'.


Yesterday, while in Shinjuku, I had lunch with the super talented and lovely Jordon. One of the best things about moving to a new city is meeting lovely new friends don't you think? Jordon is a radio producer, band extraordinaire, runs no less than three websites, and is an all round cheery, creative and charming person. If you don't believe me, just take a look at his live performance on a Tokyo train.



Adorable isn't it?! You'll be singing 'banana' for at least a week after watching this. Trust me! ;)

Jordon took me to Dada Cafe which is a sweet little cafe in yoyogi set inside an old Japanese house. It reminds me of two of my favourite cafes here in Tokyo...Aoya in Nakameguro and Mois cafe in Shimokitazawa. If you are around Shinjuku area and need a break from shopping, it's a nice cosy little hideaway.

Jordon's band 'Baron and Jordon' are playing here this Friday night. If you are in town, make sure to pop in and say hello! Or if you are not in Tokyo, you can buy their first CD, Swingset, online here.



P.S. Oh My! I fell in love with Naoko Ogigami's new film 'toilet' when I saw the trailer for it at the cinema in Shibuya on the weekend. And just a day or so ago Make it Easy posted about another Naoko Ogigami film, Megane. And you might have also seen Hiki's post about Kamome Shokudo which also looks beautiful. I can't wait to watch these films.



There are just too many beautiful things in Japan! I still can't stop smiling that I live here. One last thing...Gracie tells me this interactive exhibition is one not to miss if you are in Tokyo.

Love Love
Hello Sando
xxx