Kawaii Chika-san's Incredible Studio!

Oh My Goodness today was so inspiring!

My friend Shimizu-chan and I went to Asakusabashi to visit Higashi Chika-san's amazing shop and gallery Le Lieu but we when we arrived Chika-san asked 'Hello Sandwich-san desu ne?' and she gave us a beautiful tour of her studio!!! It's a four storey converted studio building which she shares with her super cute five-year-old daughter and two other creators. At the very top of the spiral staircase is this amazing space which I am so excited to share with you today! I hope you will enjoy this studio tour!



























Chika-san makes these beautiful umbrellas (and parasols) and stunning scarves (below).
You can also see more on Chika-san's website Coci la elle.











Chika-san's adorable daughter and the gallery shopfront.



Sometimes I find myself in situations like this where I have to pinch myself to believe that I-am-in-an-amazing-studio-in-Tokyo-and-they-are-speaking-to-me-in-Japanese-and-I-want-to-live-here-forever!

The moral to this story is that you really won't want to miss a trip to this gallery and shop if you're in Tokyo! Of course this will be in the new Hello Sandwich Tokyo Guide PDF coming soon!

Thank you so much Chika-san for such a delightful day! You're such a cutie!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Tokyo Winter 2012

Afternoon chai.



朝ご飯。







Condensation!





Dinner without the food.





Cutest. Stamp. Ever.



Winter morning sun.





Leftover Quinoa salad.



Tokyo is a really incredible city! I've been indoors a lot lately because it's warm here in my mini-me Shimokitazawa apartment and I work from home. There's been a lot of chai, a lot of coffee, a lot of hot water bottles, constant heating, some trips to Tipness, a spot of 1Q84 reading, sadly no Nihongo study, and some work on my new Tokyo Guide...but when I go out I'm always inspired! Everyday I experience something that brings a smile to my face.

- cute Japanese boys wearing beanies in Tokyo cafe kitchens.
- the girl at Shibuya station, Inokashira sen section wearing black and white polka dot pants.
- cooking nabe.
- getting door-to-door from my apt to Shibuya by train in 15 minutes (ten mins by mamachari!)
- the LoFT Valentines Day section filled with every chocolate / chocolate wrapping / sweets cooking set item you could ever imagine. Also accompanied by the token LoFT Valentines Day song!
- eating mikan.
- the craft + design sections at my favourite Aoyama bookshop.
- being able to watch an english movie (in english) while running 7kms at Tipness.
- being interviewed and photographed for a Japanese newspaper.
- waiting for snow.
- having meetings with Japanese editors and publishers.
- wearing pom pom gloves and riding my mamachari.
- spotting pink and grey stripe trucks.

and wondering around taking instagram photos. I am hellosandwich on instagram if you are so inclined.

I hope you've having a lovely week Sandwiches.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Note: My dear friend Kazumi-chan read this and commented "Your this post was moving my heart ! You tell us "LIVING in Tokyo". Oh she is so sweet!

An ordinary plastic bag

An ordinary plastic bag becomes a cute one with the help of some pompoms and a little mt tape.



Maybe I can use these altered handles for another bag in the future! It's fun to make craft from items which would usually be discarded!

xoxo

コラージュ弁当包み & 弁当 BOX (Collage Bento Wrap + Bento Box) Workshop

It's time for the first Hello Sandwich Craft Workshop for 2012!

We'll be making collage bento wraps and a collage cardboard bento box on 11th February at Kusakanmuri. We will have some boy-ish fabric patches available in case you would like to make a cute bento box wrap for a special boy in your life for Valentines Day. Wouldn't that be a sweet Valentines Day present?

Fun & Cute Craft

オーストラリアからやってきた、カラフルなコラージュなどで人気のアーティスト。母国では、『ヴォーグ・リビング』誌の副アートディレクターとして活躍。キュートで女の子らしいスタイルで、身近なものを手作りするアイデアをレッスンします。

2/11（土）のレッスンでは、「コラージュ弁当包み & 弁当BOX」を作ります。男性向けの布地を選んでコラージュすれば、バレンタインへのプレゼントにもぴったりです！

11th February
11:00 - 12:30

To reserve your spot, book online here. Or you can email me at hellosandwichblog (at) gmail (dotcom)

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Tsutaya Daikanyama T-site

At the moment I'm renewing the Hello Sandwich Tokyo Guide PDF and adding lots of cute places I've found since living in Tokyo. I hope you'll like the PDF guide when it's released within a few months. It's a lot of fun visiting new places to include in the guide. Yesterday we visited the new Tsutaya Daikanyama T-site. Oh my goodness this place is incredible!

Bookshop, Magazine shop, Stationery shop, DVD Shop, DVD and CD rental shop, Lounge Cafe, Starbucks, Family Mart, Cute camera shop, Electronic bike shop...It's such a lovely place to spend an afternoon.




In this section customers can listen to any rental CD before borrowing! Some customers had bought their Starbucks coffees from the cafe downstairs and were relaxing with delightful views at the listening stations.



There is a fancy lounge (coffee is ¥900!) where customers can read books and enjoy a sandwich and a glass of wine. Naturally, on a Sunday this place was packed with a long line up to get a seat. On the plus side, while you wait in line customers can browse the menu on ipads which are given to each customer.




Continuing on the ipad theme, when you're in the DVD rental section you can search for your DVD on many ipads located amongst the shelves. Once you type in your DVD of choice you are taken to a screen which precisely locates the exact location of the DVD. Very convenient. Very Japanese. I made a Tsutaya rental card and got four rental DVDs for ¥1000.The great thing is, if you select to return the DVDs by post you receive a small velcro + zipper postage paid pack to simply pop the DVDs in when you're done. And it's free to return them by post. Amazing!



The outside space, even in winter, is enjoyable. But I can't help but think how lovely it will be to dine at one of the restaurants with outdoor seating sections when the weather warms up.






If you bring your cute little puppy you can tie him/her up at mini puppy stations. Adorable no?



If you're in Tokyo and have a spare afternoon, do pop on into the new Tsutaya Daikanyama T-site for a relaxing afternoon.


Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Shinjuku Gyoen Picnic

What a lovely day it was today!

A spot of embroidery with my morning coffee. A winter morning run along my local nature walk where I spotted these blossoms starting to bloom. I've been riding my mamachari to the nature walk and running 5 to 7 kms through Sangengaya and along to Kannana Dori and back. I've been tracking my runs on RunKeeper. It's an incredible app if you like running outdoors.



After lunch I rode my mamachari to Commune gallery to see the beautiful accessory exhibition and chat with some super cute new friends. If you have time, be sure to pop in to see the accessories before the exhibition comes down on Wednesday.

I then headed off to Shinjuku where I was invited to a lovely picnic in Shinjuku Gyoen by Yuko-san. The lovely Yuko-san was a participant at two of my workshops and she has the most lovely sense. Yuko-san and her husband wore matching Comme des Garcons cardigans (and matching Tupera Tupera badges!) and prepared beautiful scones and hot chocolate to share in the park. They hand decorated paper cups with mt masking tape and presented everything on a mini table that looked like it could have been taken directly from a cute cafe! We all sat down and going around the circle introduced ourselves and spoke a little about what we love / do. I remember when I first moved to Japan how daunting this Japanese introduction system was!

By 4:30 when the sun went down and the 'we're-closing-the-park-now-so-please-leave-onegaishimasu' song came over the loud speakers we brushed the grass off our clothes and headed back to the station. By this time my feet were frozen numb and I was reaching for my bag to see if I had any hidden kairo packs. I did a sneaky detour via Tokyu Hands and Kinokuniya - some of my favourite past times - and took the Odakyu-sen back to Shimokitazawa. A quick trip to my local supermarket Ozeki to stock up on nabe ingredients, and before you knew it I was relaxing at home with a glass of red wine and some delicious nabe.

A perfect winters day.



I hope you had a nice Saturday Sandwiches!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Oz Magazine (Zakka Special)

The new issue of Oz magazine is a zakka special! It's filled with cute zakka shops to visit in Tokyo and some DIY craft ideas. You can have a sneak peek of the issue here.

And I'm so excited because Hello Sandwich Craft Workshops at Shibaura House are mentioned in the issue too!

I hope you can come to some Tokyo workshops this year. The first Hello Sandwich workshop for 2012 is February 11th at Kusakanmuri and other upcoming workshop dates for both locations are:

26th Feb
5th March
10th March
24th March

If you're in Tokyo I hope you might be able to come along! Details to follow.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo