The Baby Quilt

I can't quilt but hope to learn one day. I'm lucky enough however to have a mother that is a skilled quilter and will be making a quilt for our little one. Through a very friendly Etsy customer, I discovered The Peace Quilt by Margaret Rolfe.

I knew straight away that this is the design I wanted for the baby quilt. I'm so in love with origami cranes and what they symbolise; peace, happiness, longevity and joy. At a young age, I was read the story of Sadako Sasaki, I was so moved by it and remember it being my first memory of this mysterious land of called "Japan". Many years later, I visited her memorial in the Hiroshima Peace Park and was amazed by all the hand folded cranes that had been sent their from all parts of the world.

I've used origami cranes a lot in my crafts and design; in my wedding, I've made cranes not only in paper but also in fabric and silver and also used in digital design work.

We still don't know if our little one is a boy or a girl. If it's a girl, I've asked mum if the colour theme can be red and pink with a touch of orange. For a boy, the Japan indigo blue and whites. I have of course collected large amounts of gorgeous Japanese cottons for it and have said that I'd like to try to make a few blocks for the quilt myself.

I'll leave you with a hiaku that appears in one version in the Tale of Sadako, thoughts of peace on Anzac Day;

"I shall write peace upon your wings, and you
shall fly around the world so that children will no longer have to die this
way."

Shinzi Shopping

Before I left Japan, I did a spot of shopping, as you do. Not as much as I thought I would, and not as much as I would have like to have, but time and space was running out.

In the process I picked up a few Shinzi Katoh pieces...


A cute drinking bottle with kids shopping at the toy store

Another cute drinking bottle.... while I had already bought one, when I saw this Red Riding Hood one, I couldn't resist.

A Pinocchio plastic container set and cutlery set (for the baby).

On my birthday, early in March, I also splurged and bought myself this tea set.

Now I just have to wait patiently for everything to arrive as it's coming by sea. In the meantime, we're mostly eating off our picnic set.

Getting To Know My Oven

One very exciting thing about moving back to Australia is that I have an oven again! I have said on this blog before that I don't cook, well that wasn't the total truth. I don't really cook meals, but I love to bake. Nothing terribly difficult mind you, certainly nothing up to La Fuji Mama's level, but I love to make cakes, biscuits, slices and the occasional pavlova.

My oven and I are going to take a little time getting to know each other, but it will be fun, like getting to know a new friend. Today's menu was vanilla cupcakes. Yummy, if I might say so myself, maybe a little too sweet (wow, I didn't think I'd ever say that) and didn't quite brown enough on the top, but overall, a decent attempt.


As DH, a good friend and I tried them, this was our view.


The living room feature will be our new rug with some artwork on the walls, pillows and chair covers to tie it all in together. Behind that, you can see my favourite feature of our new place - the gorgeous bush reserve view. It's teaming with bird life. As our bedroom is directly above the living room, we have the same view and the birds singing every morning is magical to wake up to.

I think I will be able to make this a lovely new home and build a lovely new life.

I'm Home and I'm Ready to Decorate!

Well, I made it. I survived the move. The last month has flown by and it has just sunk in that we're here, really here and here to stay. Yesterday we picked up our new car and the internet was finally connected. Fingers (and toes and anything else that can be) crossed, DH may have a job to start next week.

For the past few weeks, I've been in a non-committal daze. I had one day of tears, wishing we hadn't come back (it's quite a shock how expensive everything is here), but mostly it has felt like we were here on a holiday and I'd be back on a plane soon. Yesterday, it all started to feel real and now I'm ready to nest!

The new place, a townhouse (photos to come soon) has been filled with a mish-mash of a few things we had stored (we sold most things before we left), things borrowed from my parents (they had things stored with us while they are living overseas), pieces from secondhand stores and some new. Something old, something new, something borrowed and certainly a few things blue. It's quite a challenge making it all work together.

The living room was today's challenge. We bought a funky rug to cover the old carpet and now I'm trying to work everything around it. I've been looking at how to make my own sofa cover, as the upholstery is looking rather tattered. Next to the entertainment unit, we have two large spaces spare. Trying to keep the apartment baby-friendly, I'm umm-ing and ahh-ing between artwork on the walls and wall decals. I don't know anyone that has used them before, so am a little apprehensive. Here are some of the ones I like....


Forest, from artwallproject
Wildflower, from MarkJamesDesign
Bare Tree, from circlelinestudio
Dandelions, from janeymacpress

Don't think I haven't also been considering the baby's room.....

Leave a Trail of Happiness, from singlestonestudios

Caterpillar, from lewasdesigns

Speckled Lolli Tree, from byrdiekids

Colorful Robots, from designfruit

See you on the Other Side

.... of the world that is.

We're off today. We're leaving Japan. It feels surreal.

It may be a couple of weeks until we have regular internet connection again, so I'll see you all then!

Baby Clothes

The movers have been and gone. The apartment is now looking rather bare and a lot bigger. Early in the packing week I managed to get my camera out to shoot some of my baby clothes collection. We're still waiting to find out if the kicking bump is a boy or girl, so the collection is a little mixed. There is a distinct lack of pink in these photos, but that's only because I was given a lot of pink hand-me-downs that were packed earlier.


And this photo I'll leave you with I call "Baby Belly meets Packing Mess"

Another Half Off

So much to blog about, but sadly, much more to pack. We're in a packing frenzy here with the movers arriving in less that a week and me discovering that packing up a house while pregnant is a bit harder that I expected. Honestly, I thought it would be easier, not having to lift anything heavy, but it seems this pregnant body doesn't like all the getting up and down.

I'm going to finally close my stores on Monday night or Tuesday morning-ish. So, if you'd like anything before then, as one of my wonderful blog readers, take another 50% off the marked price (not the postage though sorry, but my usual postage discounts do apply). Let me know either on the Etsy sale or via eBay messages that you've read this post. If you're buying through the Etsy store or a bit from both Etsy and my eBay store, let me know your Paypal email address and I can send you a new invoice through there.

I still have fabrics that I never got to list, so some will be going into my personal stash and I'll send a bunch to Re-stash a Crafter that I found out through Handmaiden.

See you! I'm back to packing!

Three Years

Three years ago today, I was standing in a little hilltop chapel saying my vows to a wonderful man. There were mountain views out of the doors on three sides and cows could be heard moo-ing during the ceremony.



I walked down the aisle (or actually kind of ran - I was so nervous) to Goreki by Lamb. The lyrics of the song really spoke to us both. My dress was red, the colour of celebration and we both wore pieces taken from a vintage wedding kimono, a symbol of the new life we were about to embark upon together. The kimono was a very generous gift from a dear friend. The kimono had been embroidered with white cranes, a symbol we used with the invites and through the wedding.

In Japanese culture the crane not only symbolises peace and a long life, but also a happy marriage. The cranes mate for life and are devoted to their partners throughout the seasons. They work together to build the nest and share the responsibility of raising their young.

The ceremony was simple but heartfelt and witnessed by wonderful friends and family. We were even showered by origami crane confetti, all folded by my wonderful friends who flew over from Japan to celebrate the day with us.

The reception was casual with lots of delicious finger foods....

... and even some Sakura sparkling wine (my own creation).

A week after the wedding, as newlyweds, we moved to Japan together. The last three years have been filled with ups and downs, learning, growing, adventure and travel, challenges and getting to know and love each other more deeply. Now, three years on, we are eagerly (and very nervously) awaiting the arrival of our first child and preparing for a new life back in Australia together.

Wayne, thank you for the last three wonderful years. I love you.

March

It doesn't seem like that long ago that this month seemed so far off in the distance. It was too far off to get either excited, nervous, sad or all of the above about.

But now, March is here.

For me, this year, this month is a big one.

March means that I've now finished teaching. I still have a number of scattered days left at work over the next two weeks to mark exams and such, but Friday was my last day with the students. It was a lovely day and I got through it without too many tears. I was spoiled with letters and presents of thanks. I will really miss those kids.

March means that I have done my last shop at the kimono flea market for quite a while. I said my goodbyes to many of my usual suppliers and even a number of shoppers that I regularly run into there.

March means that I'm about to be another year older (tomorrow). It's a very happy and exciting birthday this year, unlike the last when I was horribly down about not being pregnant.

March means that when I talk about leaving Japan, I say "this month".

March means that I'm off on my last trip to Tokyo for a number of years (leaving in about half an hour actually). I'm so excited and can't wait to visit some of my craft shop haunts.

March means that I get to see Cirque Du Soleil. We're having dinner with one of the performers (DH's friend) tonight. DH is really looking forward to catching up with him, he hasn't seen him since we left Australia.

March means that I'll be getting to meet my gorgeous new niece for the first time. I'll get to catch up with my brother and his wife when we stop over in Cairns. I'll then see my parents in Brisbane as they come over from New Zealand to help us with the move.

March means that I'll be saying goodbye to many good friends and saying hello to many more back in Australia.

March means that we'll be moving into our new Brisbane townhouse. After living in Japan for three years, we'll feel so blessed with the extra space. I can start nesting and setting up the nursery. It also means that I get to eat many of the foods I've missed over these last few years and craved over the last few months.

March in Japan, also brings my favourite flower, ume plum blossoms, the harbringer of spring.

I Can Still See My Toes

21 weeks.

Pink or Blue?

I have to confess, I'm very eager to find out if this little person growing my belly is going to be made of sugar and spice and all things nice or snips and snails and puppy dog tails.

I'm now 20 weeks along. The time when my western pregnancy books tell me that the doctor may be able to tell. At my last appointment, while in the waiting room, I had a little chat to my bump. "When you come out, mummy is going to tell you to keep your legs together and not to flash your bits around. But tonight, mummy and daddy would be really happy if you gave us a bit of a look. We'd love to know if you're a boy or a girl."

Baby was obliging and during the scan turned to the right position. I excitedly asked the doctor, "Is it a boy or a girl? Can you tell?" He moved the ultrasound-thingy (not sure what that's called) and told me "Too early, too early". He is adamant that doctors can't tell until around week 24, the standard in Japan.

It's only four weeks right? I should be patient shouldn't I? Well, you see my impatience is caused by this; I leave Japan in four weeks (actually a bit less now), the shipping company comes to take everything in less than three. I'm off to the Tokyo fabric shops this weekend when I'd love to flesh out my personal fabric stash in fabrics to make things for the little person and not sure exactly what to buy. I'm also hoping to buy a stack of super cute Japanese baby clothes. So far I've exhausted their stock of gender-neutral items as well as having bought some for girls and some for boys, just in case.

I've been turning to some old wives tales, but they haven't given me much of an answer either.

You are carrying the extra weight out front, so it's a boy.

The hair on your legs is not growing any faster during your pregnancy, so it's a girl.

Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the north indicates that you will be having a boy.

Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.

You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a girl. (Actually, all my life I've refused to eat bread crusts, my husband even cuts them off for me these days).

Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl.

The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.

You had morning sickness early in pregnancy, so you are expecting a girl.

You are looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a boy, because girls steal their mother's looks.

Your chest development has been quite dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a girl. (Mmm... I've gone from looking like I went to Pamela Anderson's plastic surgeon, to Anna Nicole Smith's. DH even joked "I hope your breasts don't get any bigger, or I won't be able to hug you any more - note to DH, not a good thing to say to your pregnant wife.)

Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is an odd number, it will be a girl.

You have a craving for salty or sour foods, which means that it is a boy. (Salty, definitely not sour, but then again I crave sweet too, but not as much as before I was pregnant - basically, I just want to eat all the time now that morning sickness has worn off.)

Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.

You have been craving fruits, so it is a girl.

You have no desire for orange juice, so it's a boy. (Not sure if it's a pregnant thing - I'm orange juice stops me breathing, so that is a pretty good reason not to crave it.)

You are having headaches, so it's a boy.

Your belly looks like a watermelon, so it's a girl.

You show them (people when they ask) the palm of your hand, so it's a girl.

You use the handle(of a mug), so it's a boy.

Quiz taken from here.

Does anyone have any other hints for me?

A Late Winner Announcement after a Busy Week

I'm so sorry that I was late drawing the winner of my giveaway! It was quite a week, a good one, but a busy one.

Let's see, there was a prenatal checkup (all is going well), a sick husband who moved out of the bedroom to try to avoid passing on any germs to me, a farewell party for me thrown by the school Camera Club, presents and a talk about my "Photographic journey" to prepare for that party, bookings every lunch break and after school for students to practice an interview for an extra curricular English exam, tests to write and a birthday party also thrown for me, all on top of the usual. Pre-pregnancy I would have taken it all in my stride, but lately, I'm amazed at how quickly that I not only run out of energy, but gladly give in to the tiredness.

DH was feeling better by Friday night, after having a cold all week, so we thought that we'd try to go out for dinner and a movie. We managed dinner, but I quickly crashed after that and was in bed, asleep by the 8.05 movie start time. So much for the second trimester energy boost!

My bump is getting bigger, one day I will get over my camera shyness and show you a picture. I had my first complete stranger ask me if I was pregnant the other day and some of the girls at school have asked if they can touch my belly. My friend Mel, whose place we had the birthday lunch at yesterday, had told her adorable little one all about the "bubbie" in my tummy. When leaving, I got a big hug and a kiss from him, and the bubbie got a kiss too. So sweet.

I have been slowly listing stock in my Etsy store, but I have to confess I still have a lot more to do. I hope to get some more up (including new pendants) in tonight and will be extending the sale and closing of the store until around March 8th-ish.

But that's enough rambling from me, I'm sure you want to know who the winner was... well there were 32 comments, but one of those was a double, and one person who told me in the comments that they had mentioned the giveaway on their blog (I know at least two other people mentioned it as well, but without the comment and my airhead of a pregnant brain, I've forgotten who that was, please let me know, I'd like to give you a little something), so that made 32 entries.

And the winner was.... number 17, which was Edward and Lilly. Rebecca is such a generous, inspiring woman. Not only has she been busy making the cutest little Bushfire Bunnies to help out those who have lost so much in the Victorian fires, but she's also donating the proceeds from her sales in her Etsy store to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. I'd say this win was really good karma.

In My Coffee Table on a Sunny Day

Rather than actually packing, I've been photographing things from around my apartment. Please excuse me if this becomes a series on the blog over the next few weeks.

An antique Tsuba sword guard

An antique Inro, medicine container

I was happy to read today, that I'm not the only one who's avoiding the packing process.

Back to Loving Fridays

Happy Chocolate Day! What's not to love about a Friday that is filled with chocolate? OK, so I know Valentine's Day isn't until tomorrow, but as with most things, things are done a little differently here in Japan.

In Japan, on Valentine's Day, only women give presents, usually chocolate. They give them to not only their loved ones, but also co-workers and any such. It's not really considered a day of romance. The men give return presents of cookies and candy on White Day, March 14th.

As a teacher, I'm given lots of chocolate treats. As V Day this year falls on a Saturday, it is today that I'm scoring lots of goodies, some even homemade. I even got a sweet (pardon the pun) little letter from one of the students too. I'm starting to get teary already about leaving.

I also have a piece of exciting news. DH arranged tickets to Cirque Du Soleil in Tokyo for my birthday in a few weeks time! Two of his friends are in the circus, one in Vegas and one now in Tokyo. The friend in Tokyo got us free tickets. That also means, I will get a final trip to Tokyo before we leave. Yah to that!

Photo from the Cirque Du Soleil Site.

Lots to love about this Friday. Thanks to TinnieGirl for the Friday inspiration!

The Owl and the Pussycat...

...and the robot and the geisha....

Finally, a store update! They're all on sale too! Still lots more to list, but I'm getting there slowly... There's still time to enter my giveaway for a voucher to the store before I move.

Pushing Tin

There's some lovely morning sun coming through the front window into my apartment this morning. I grabbed a coffee table and pulled it into a warm spot and got to work on some tins for my fabric pendants.

Some fabric strips I prepared last night in front of a DVD.

Finally, some fabric scraps deemed even too small for me to use (but don't think I didn't put some thought into it before throwing them away!).

All finished!

Creative Time

I'm trying to make a commitment to myself, that at least everyday that I'm not working full-time, I put aside some creative time. Here's what I've been playing with today, finishing some pieces I started a while ago.

The Move, the Sale and the Giveaway

The fact that I have only six and a half weeks left until I leave Japan is becoming more and more real. Our packing boxes from the shipping company arrived on the weekend, so stand as a reminder every time I go into the living room. As the living room is in the centre of the small apartment, that is a lot of the time.

For months now, I've been reflecting on where I want to take my business. I've had a few great years playing with ideas, exploring different product ranges and working out where my heart really lies. I've found that I've been spending too much time buying, sorting and photographing fabric supplies, that it has left little time for my real love, creating. As a result, once I move back to Australia, I'm going to be focusing on creating more jewellery, more bags and other things that for now remain in my sketchbook. I'll continue to sell kimono fabric, partly as an excuse to play with the gorgeous textiles.

As a result, I'm hoping to clear as much of the gorgeous Japanese cotton fabrics that I have in store and in stock waiting to list. Soooo... that means, it's time for a sale! A moving, leaving Japan, sale!

For the month of February, there is, and will be of all the new stock I list, 25 to 50% off everything. I hope to list new things every few days.

Mmmm... so that's the move, and the sale. How about the giveaway? I always love a good giveaway.

I'm giving away a US$30 voucher for my store. I'll draw the winner on February 18th, but need to ask that you use the voucher by February 28th. After that, our apartment is in serious, need-to-pack-everything-in-sight mode.

To win? Please visit my Etsy store, then comment on this blog which item is your favourite and if it's a fabric, what you think you might create with it. If you'd like two entries, mention the giveaway on your own blog and tell me in the comments also.

Good luck! I'm back to my packing now.

Tokyomade Eye Candy

Firstly, thank you to everyone's get well wishes last weekend! A few days in bed and lots of homemade chicken soup (thanks DH) later and I'm back on my feet.

Yah! It's Friday! I swear, for some reason, this week has felt like the longest in history. But finally it's nearly the weekend. I'm not sure what I'll do over the weekend, there's much packing and sorting to be done for the move and many more delights of Japan to soak up before we leave.

DH has proposed we go out to dinner tonight, one of the restaurants in a large shopping centre a few towns over. I've been so good with savings lately, I feel it's time for a bit of a splurge. A few more craft books to add to my collection maybe, some more traditional pottery pieces, maybe a Shinzi Katoh piece or two.

But for now, I still have a few hours at work, so here's some pieces I love from the online store Tokyomade.

Mmm.... my ipod could do with a bit of a facelift...

I love these ichigo (strawberry) man prints! There's something very modern Japanese comedy about them.

How sweet is this frog necklace! An original illustration in resin.

I've drooled over boot by this designer on this blog before, but didn't think you'd mind if I revisited them.

If I wore this dress, I could run around singing "I feel pretty" from West Side Story. I may have to wait until I'm baby-bump-less however....

This "nani bird" dressed in her finest kimono, complete with geta sandals and her baby birds are so cute. They come as flat cards with instructions of how to fold.

And lastly, I still regret not getting anything by this designer I met at the Tokyo Design Festa last year. I have pictures of more of her super sweet work here.

All wish list stuff, but a girl can dream can't she, AND it IS by birthday soon... does anyone want to point my husband in the direction of this post?

Blogging in Bed

Germs. Damn germs. Damn cold and 'flu season germs. Damn student germs. Damn make-you-stay-in-bed-for-days germs. Damn make-you-feel-just-awful germs. Damn give-you-a-fever-even-though-it's-not-too-high-it's-high-enough-to-scare-you-when-you're-pregnant (though all is fine, went to the doctor to check) germs.

I hate germs.

Yesterday, I had to practically crawl to even get to the bathroom, but today I can sit up, so brought the computer to bed for a bit of entertainment between naps.

And just so that I could complain.

About damn germs.

Making My Own Jeans

Well... not literally. I don't have that much confidence in my sewing abilities.

I did though, a couple of weeks ago, convert a few pairs of old jeans and work pants (that may not have been going back to Australia with me) into maternity pants. It was surprisingly easy. I used this tutorial on Craftster. Some worked better than others, depending on the t-shirt I used. If I was to make any more, I'd probably try this tutorial by SewChic, as it appears to give a lot more support.

Sorry, no pictures yet, I'm feeling more round than pregnant these days, so I may wait a little while longer before revealing my bump.

But, anyway, that wasn't the jeans making I was referring to. Instead, for the first time, I used the Make Your Own Jeans site. I've been wanting to do it for months, but finally, due to the fact that all of my jeans are about to fall apart, I plucked up the courage. They even have a maternity jeans option. I'm a little nervous, the results of the custom-made clothes I had done in Vietnam were mixed, so I'm really hoping these work out.

It will be a few weeks until I get them, but I'll let you know how they are. In the meantime, cross your fingers for me!

I'm A Lean, Mean, Organising Machine

Well, truth be told, I'm not so "lean". I feel like I'm getting more and more rotund by the day. In the course of about a week, I've gone from having what I thought was a cute little baby bump to having almost lost my waist and looking like I've eaten too many Timtams. I'm not sure where it's all coming from, I've put on almost no weight since I got pregnant (I actually was losing some for a while when the morning sickness was at its worst). Dh says that I must be "redistributing", though I can see any part of my body that looks thinner as a result.

I'd also like to think that I'm not mean.

BUT, I am an organising machine! I have... wait for it... only nine weeks and two days until I leave Japan. It's really snuck up on me! Until the new year hit, I was always able to tell myself that I wasn't moving until "next year". The panic hit on New Years Day, the move was no longer "next year", but instead could be counted in weeks.

In a matter of days I have: booked and paid for flights home; booked a hotel for a stopover in Cairns to visit my brother, sil and to meet my new niece on the way through; procured quotes and decided upon a shipping company (I'm in the process of booking); had what turned out to be a very stressful, but worked out in the end type of conversation with my health insurance company in Australia; booked the hospital for the birth (I'd already booked the doctor); arranged recommendations for a thyroid specialist for when I get back; arranged for quotes for a moving company for our belongings that are in storage; arranged the move in date for an apartment; spoken to the Australian Customs Service about the kimonos I'm importing into the country; and started sorting out our apartment for things to be sent, things to be thrown away and things to be given away.

Funnily enough, I didn't do any of this (except some sorting) while on holidays, but have been madly doing it around my full-time job.

Snowflakes

Outside my window
Fine, tiny
Falling, drifting
First of the season
I could watch them all day

Photo by Rachel's Flickrs

Memories of Red Tori

Tonight, the last night of my holidays, I watched the movie Memoirs of a Geisha. It's a movie I've seen many times and will watch many times more. Despite it inaccuracies, I love it for it's visuals and costumes as well as the story line.

There's a scene, just after Chio meets the Chairman for the first time that she goes to pray at a shrine. On her way there, she runs under the arches of red tori gate after tori gate.

Last October, I went to that shrine in Kyoto, Fushimi Inari Taisha. It's far more spectacular than I had expected. The paths that lead up into the forested mountain are lined with thousands of tori gates all painted in a spectacular orange-red.


I only had two regrets. Firstly that we went there so late in the day. Under the trees, the light for photographs was getting terribly low and we couldn't spend more time enjoying the atmosphere. Secondly, having been to Kyoto quite a few times, I had only found this shrine now, what will be my last visit to the city for a long time.

In case you haven't seen Memoirs, or if you want to be reminded of the eye candy the movie is, the trailer is below. You get to very briefly see the gates in it too, don't blink though or you'll miss them. They're about 48 seconds into the video.

Being Pregnant in Japan

Happy New Year! Welcome to the year of the Ox. I'm an Ox, so big things are supposed to happen to me this year. With the baby coming and a move back to Australia, I'd say that's pretty correct.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for their congratulations on our news. We are just so happy and feel so blessed. It's funny, I conceived when doctors were busy telling me that I might not be able to.

The day I went to confirm the pregnancy, I actually had an appointment for fertility tests. In Japan, you sometimes have a lot more to do with the nurse than the actual doctor. Oh, and there isn't so much privacy. So I went to reception to hand in my clinic and insurance card.

The nurse said to me (for all to hear) "So you should be menstruating now, you're here for the fertility tests aren't you."

I replied, "Well, actually, no. I'm pregnant."

The nurse looked shocked. "Well how do you know that you're pregnant?"

Here, my Japanese failed me. I didn't know what a "home pregnancy test" was in Japanese and at that moment even the word "test" escaped me. Instead, I had to describe the actual process. My Japanese went something like this (with everyone listening in) "Well, I went to the drug store and I bought this thing, it well, it looks a bit like a pen. I pee-d on this pen-looking thing and it told me that I was pregnant."

The nurse looked a little confused for a moment before it all sunk in.

Just one of the joys of being pregnant in Japan, another of which is the fact that I'm going to be pregnant for ten months rather than nine! There have been other moments, but my dad has asked me "please don't write about those on your blog". OK, dad, for now, I'll be good.

Belated Christmas Wishes and Early News for the New Year

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! I'm quite late in my greetings, but I'm afraid it's the way things have gone this year. None of the cards got written let alone sent. Presents are still to be wrapped and I never finished decorating the tree. Dh and I had a very quiet Christmas at home. We drove two towns over where we knew we could buy a roast chicken and Wayne managed to coax our sad little oven into roasting some very yummy vegetables. I made chocolate balls and Wayne ordered a Japanese Christmas cake, which is really a strawberry shortcake. We snuggled in to avoid the freezing weather outside and watched a few Christmas DVDs. It was lovely, but I am really looking forward to spending it with family and friends next year.

So, onto the news..... well, I wasn't the best at keeping it totally secret, but you can pretend to be surprised if you like...

I'm going to have one of these!

1. I *heart* baby toes, 2. Baby Logan...5 Days Old :o), 3. Baby, 4. Baby in Hand, 5. Baby and Godmother, 6. gotta love babies, 7. Baby Bokeh - HBW, 8. New Baby, 9. Baby Feet

That's right, I'm pregnant! I'm with child. I'm knocked up, up the duff. I've got a bun in the oven. I'm in a family way. I'm "carrying developing offspring within the body". I'm expecting. I'm gestating. I'm preggers. I'm prenatal.

I'm also over the moon and very excited.

I'm now 3 months along. I had an ultrasound yesterday and the baby is growing well. Dh has nicknamed the baby "Skippy" as it has been an active little tyke during the scans. Morning or rather all-the-darn-day-and-night-long sickness is still hanging around but I'm hoping that will ease off soon. I'm still very tired, but as I'm on holidays, it's been a perfect excuse to stay snuggled in bed on these cold days. I can't tell you just how many breakfasts, lunches and dinners in bed dh has brought me. He's such a lovely boy and is very excited by it all as well.

I hope everyone is having as blessed a holiday season as we are!

Playing Tag on a Sunny Day

It's a gorgeous day here today, one that feels so special in winter. The yellow leaves that are still hanging onto the Ginko trees in the school yard are so striking against the clear blue sky. The type of sight that makes your spirits soar.

Photo Credit : Momse2600

I'm looking forward to the weekend, I have a lunch date planned with a couple of friends. We will probably go to our favourite little Mexican place. The lunch set (they love sets in Japan), includes a meal, a drink and a piece of the yummiest cake, all for about $10. It's owned by a sweet, funky Japanese couple and the wife lived in Peru for about a year. Each day she bakes different cakes, and the first thing I always ask is what the cake choices of the day are. Her white chocolate cheesecake and pear tart are to die for. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Classes today are fun and stress-free and after today I only have one more week before the winter holidays! My lucky dh has his last day today, which means I'll be getting a lift to and from school each day next week instead of riding my bike in the bitter cold.

Enough Rambling... onto the tag for more rambling. Ages ago I was tagged by Kate of Love you Big. I'm going to be naughty (don't tell Santa) and not write down the rules, as I'm kind of breaking them, but the idea is that I write seven random facts about myself. I've done a few like this in the past, so I'm going to try not to repeat myself...

ichi) I hate wearing long sleeves. I feel terribly uncomfortable in them. Even when it's cold, if I'm wearing a jacket I will often take it off to eat, I find it hard, restricting, to eat with one on.

ni) Until I came to Japan the first time, my pronunciation of certain English words was really strange. I used to say "Saddleday", instead of "Saturday", a fact my family will never let me forget. When coming here to teach English, I decided that I needed to start saying these words correctly rather than pass on my odd-ness to my students.

san) I only seem to be able to hold one and a bit languages in my head at one time. In high school I studied Italian and did quite well with it. I next studied Indonesian before going there for a cultural exchange, the Indonesian pushed all the Italian out of my brain. Next came Japanese, which pushed out the Indonesian. I am in total awe of people who can function in more than two languages.

shi) I didn't learn how to tie shoelaces until really late. I never would have let anyone know though. Instead, every morning I would tie a double knot in my laces and then loop the ends through so that it looked like a bow. I remember my friend in pre-school teaching me how to do it correctly.

go) In some cases, I care more about the texture of food than the taste. I love dried mango, mango juice and mango flavoured things, but won't touch fresh mango. It's so slimy. I hate corn, but love corn soup. I hate the idea of the little corn bubbles bursting into my mouth. The list could go on....

roku) My eyes change colour. Anywhere from blue to green to grey. They are their brightest when I'm dehydrated, usually due to a hangover.

nana) When living in Japan, I crave Western foods. When living in Australia, I crave Japanese food. I think that it has to do with loving both countries and always feeling a little homesick for the one I'm not in at the time.

Rather than tagging anyone in particular (I was equally bad and passing on chain letters), I'd love anyone who hasn't done this tag yet to have a go!

Where My Fabric Goes

I love seeing where the fabric I sells goes. It's always amazing to see everyone's different creative inspirations. Yesterday in Style Discovery there was an article about one of my wholesale customers, Lauren of Dames and Divas and the gorgeous shoes she creates. I'm so proud of her, they have turned out so well! You can read the article and see more pictures here.

Photo Credit : Style Discovery

I just love those last ballet flats! I think they would be a great edition to my wardrobe....

Tagged

I had planned on joining Eye Spy from yesterday, but yesterday ended up being a pajama day. Lovely dh brought me breakfast in bed, Timtams in bad, Lunch in bed and then dinner on the sofa in front of a DVD that he rented for me. Who could ask for better care? I watched two DVDs, finished one book (Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami) and started another (The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova) and slept a lot.

But alas, it's now Monday morning, so I was required to get out of my pjs to come to work.

I have a couple of tags to catch up on, this one is from Jess of In the Burrow.

Outside my window... I'm at school, so, a sand-covered sports field (they don't do grass for sport's fields here) and the school gym. The trees around the field have lost most of their leaves.

I am thinking... that I wish I could go back to bed and about the fun work Christmas party I went to on Saturday night.

I am thankful for... my wonderful husband, family and friends and something else that I'm not telling yet......

From the kitchen... I'm munching on dry Special K.

I am wearing... two pairs of black knee-high socks, black cords, a thermal undershirt, a black woollen turtleneck, a little floral dress over the top and a lap blanket - and I'm still cold!

I am creating... some jewellery and I finished off a dress on Saturday that I wore to the Christmas party that night. I'll have to wait for the weekend to have some light to photograph it in.

I am going... to move to Australia in less than four months now! Time is slipping away!

I am reading... The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

I am hoping... that my classroom will be warm today and my students good.

I am hearing... teachers speaking in Japanese around me.

Around the house... a mess - I haven't done much housework of late.

One of my favorite things... Timtams (I rediscovered just how much I love them this last weekend).

A few plans for the rest of the week... Work, making jewellery, starting on "Christmas", sleep.

A picture I'm sharing...

I'm tagging... I'm not going to tag anyone in particular, but if you have a chance, I'd love to hear your answers to this tag.

Christmas Decorations by Edward and Lilly

Has anyone else noticed that December has already started? Is anyone else panicking? Every year, I tell myself, I'm going to be organised, I'm going to be prepared, and yet, somehow, it always sneaks up on me. I supposed at least I can use the excuse that presents are delayed in the international post....

We're on the last day of test week at school. I've done most of my marking and so can leave work early today. I think it'll be the perfect time to bring out the tree. Fake, sadly, but its fibre optic lights are very cool. One thing I meant to do this year was make some decorations. I started one day, but never quite finished.

That is why I would love to win one of these gorgeous little birds by Edward and Lilly. Drop over to her blog to enter the giveaway, or to one of her stores (links in her sidebar) if you can't wait. I pick red! How about you?

Old Clothes for Good Causes

Every now and then, ever so slowly, I am starting to clear things out for my move to Australia in... oh my... less than four months. I have to confess, I'm a hoarder with way too many clothes! There is a lot of work to get done in those four months.

One reason I am a hoarder is that I hate to throw out things that are still, or could be again, functional. I love buying new things, but hate throwing out the old. Well that's all got to change.

I've been separating my clothes into two lots. Lot 1 - the I still wear or can't bear to part with, and Lot 2 - has to go somewhere. It's the "where" that I haven't decided yet. Some I would love to remake, but know I don't have the time before I leave. I've talked about it before, but it's not as easy to donate clothes (or anything for that matter) to charity in Japan. Clothes get bundles and go out on recycling day. I like to think they they then go to charity, but am not so sure.

Today however, I have found one charity for items that I never thought of giving away before - pre-loved bras. Before moving to Japan, bras were one thing I really stocked up on, knowing that hell would freeze over before I could buy one here in my size. I know have many that, well... um.... no longer fit.

Uplift is a charity organisation that ships pre-loved bras to Fuji for women in need over there.

They say;

Disadvantaged Fijians get much of their
clothing from second hand Australian clothes shops. Bras are rare in these
shops, particularly in sizes to suit the indigenous Fijian build. A new bra
costs $40, and wages range from $1.50- $4.50/hour, for the indigenous people who have jobs.
In heat and humidity, rashes, fungal/thrush infections and
abscesses (intertrigo) occur between the breast and the chest wall. Bras will
help by allowing air circulation. Nursing mums everywhere leak, and bras allow
the dignity of a dry shirt, and the comfort of support. A thrush rash on a
mother's skin may spread to her baby's mouth, and then back into the breast
itself, a very painful infection. In some regions the lack of a bra is a badge
of poverty, and women appreciate the common dignity of wearing one, particularly
to church, business or social occasions.

If you're in Australia or New Zealand, there are many postal or drop off points. As I'm already posting internationally, I'm sending directly to Fiji.

Photo - Bras on a fence by Andrew Caswell

I now have to decide what to do with the rest of my clothing that I'm not taking back. A decent portion of it is good work clothes. I read of an organisation once that helped support disadvantaged women returning to the workforce. Does anyone have any suggestions?