Category Archives: Pretty things

luminous


I went to a party at the weekend where they handed out those bracelets that when you bend them and crack what is inside it lights up in luminous colours.


They also had a karaoke hut :)

Posted in Pretty things | 6 Comments

clomping about

carpt_jul10_001We got this new-to-us kilim wool rug from Ebay. Our last rug had got pretty destroyed by the kitties, they just loved to dig their little kitty claws into it (much more than their scratching post) and give it a good scratch leaving large tumbleweeds of fluff blowing about the place. I think I have conveyed the message that they shouldn’t claw at the carpet upstairs as they aren’t allowed up there by themselves when I’m out but the unsupervised downstairs rug didn’t have a chance. So now we have a new rug, I got this flat woven type of rug as it wouldn’t be so satisfying for the kitties to scratch at and I also got them a new scratching mat. So far it’s working! I like this rug a lot too, probably better than the last one. It’s still got creases in from being posted but I hope that will flatten out soon. It’s pretty huge, about 10 feet by 8 feet.

carpt_jul10_002I was just going to write about the carpet but I realised as I was taking the picture that I am wearing my shoes that I got for this summer, they are Swedish Hasbeens. I know some people are still on the fence about this clog style shoe but I love it :) Quite expensive but I’d saved up and they are handmade and great quality. They are the ‘high’ ones as even though I think the ‘super high’ look really great I wouldn’t have got as much wear from them as I have quite a hither and thither lifestyle that requires some practicality. Oh yes and I wish the box hadn’t said ‘I got nailed in Sweden’ as my neighbours took the parcel in for me and goodness knows what they thought was in there ;D

carpt_jul10_003

Also posted in The house | 12 Comments

sakura time

sakura_Apr10_001

sakura_Apr10_006

sakura_Apr10_007

The word ‘sakura’ (meaning cherry blossom) actually makes me think of the people I have known who are called Sakura. According to my parents I was almost called Yukichan (or if I was to be a boy – Martin). However they thought that as I was to grow up in Britain that British kids might change Yuki to yucky so instead I am Alice Mayumi. I am not sure what relevance that has to anything :)

I took these pictures yesterday lunchtime, ‘more is more’ rather than ‘less is more’ with cherry blossom isn’t it.

Also posted in Oxford, Travel & Places | Comments closed

Show & tell: nonsense

insense
A little incense man from Germany, a gift, you put an incense cone inside his legs and smoke comes out of his mouth.

piglighter
Pig lighter from Japan, you push back his hat and flames come out of his nose. Bought by me in Kiddy Land in 2003.

clock
Alarm clock, not really nonsense, it belonged to my Japanese grandfather and he kept it on his dining room table. I consider that I co-own this with my sister. I guess the nonsense part is because it hasn’t worked properly since I inherited it, the time drifts. Perhaps my grandad used to adjust it often back to the correct time? I keep it as it reminds me of when I used to visit him on Saturday lunchtimes and we would eat Chinese food.

ginkocat
Ginko leaf from Japan. Now broken. I picked it up in November on the street where my great aunt lives.

ginko
I don’t mind that it is broken, that’s the way it goes with leaves.

smallpeople
Little farmers, from Berlin. Have to keep these away from the cats.

smallfarmersnail
Argh, run farmers! Giant snail! The snail is from Womad festival, a gift from my sister who worked there one year.

cakepaper
Cake paper pad. A gift from Japan.

smallcamera
Mini camera, from Ireland. I am not sure how it works. It belonged to my great uncle, my aunt gave it to me.

This was fun to show things! I think I am going to keep show & tell as a regular topic.

Also posted in Show & tell | Comments closed

bring back pretty

rainbow

sparkle

fish

Out with February at last! It has felt like the longest month. I lost my creative inspiration somewhere in the middle of it, but I concentrated on cooking and reading, now I feel I’m back to usual and it’s great. These pictures are a rainbow from yesterday, lights and my fish fan from today.

Also posted in Opinion | Comments closed