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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Yay, Black Bean Burgers

March 5, 2014

Now that I've gotten the whole criticism thing out of my system, let's talk faux burgers. "Yay, I love black bean burgers!" That's what K actually says when I make these black bean patties. She doesn't realize that under the ooey gooey cheese, there's a chockfull of healthiness. As you can see, I'm continuing my theme of unattractive foodstuffs from last week, and I've gained a whole new level of respect for food bloggers and photographers wrestling with these homely dishes. I've made ... Read more

Filed in: cooking • by sanae • 13 Comments

Criticism and How I Got a Book Deal

March 4, 2014

I started and stopped several light and easy posts for today, but I've been stuck on this idea of criticisms so I decided to just go with it even though it's neither light nor easy. It's also not a short read, so I've inserted random illustrations I've been painting these days to break up the text. When I was in my early twenties, I quietly mentioned to someone I respected -- a much older woman -- that I might want to be a writer or a "creative" of some sort. She leveled her world-weary eyes ... Read more

Filed in: gouache, illustration, writing • by sanae • 42 Comments

Monday Outfit: Geometric Knit Cardi + Improved Khaki Pants

March 3, 2014

Good morning! Skateboarding was awesome. K rocked the skater girl look with a black tee, black shorts, black tights and even after two solid, sweaty hours, she couldn't wait to go back for more. It was all very civilized, really. The youngsters get outfitted with pads galore for knees and elbows, helmets are provided (though K insisted on wearing her neon yellow bike helmet) and the first hour is devoted to a very hands-on lesson by hipster instructors. After a light snack, the second hour is ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for K • by sanae • 14 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

February 28, 2014

Happy Friday! This painting above was not done by me, though I wish it was. It's one of the countless charming things about Seattle. One minute you're rounding the corner onto an unfamiliar street, then the next minute you're met with an expertly painted elephant (Bell Boy? Doorman?) on the side of a building. And the trunk is a drain pipe! People's creativity always amaze me. I wish I knew who the artist is so I can credit him/her properly. It's been a productive week! I met my first big ... Read more

Filed in: life • by sanae • 15 Comments

Baby Sleep Sack

February 27, 2014

A couple of days ago, I had coffee with one of my funnest (and funniest) friends and hung out with her four-month-old cutie pie son. Babies! It's been so long since I've held a tiny baby. The little guy was as mellow as can be and happily let me bounce him on my knee while my friend and I nearly spurted coffee everywhere from excessive laughing. We got quite a few askance looks from the other coffee shop patrons. I had been planning on gifting this wee baby sleep sack I started designing for ... Read more

Filed in: sewing • by sanae • 20 Comments

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I’ve been swimming in nostalgia these past few day I’ve been swimming in nostalgia these past few days, wading through my blog and Pinterest board of the clothes I made for K, who is not so little anymore. what a wild, fun time that was! Remember the old school days of sewing blogs?? I’m back in deadline mode for a number of projects so sewing will have to be put on hold (though maybe I’ll get lucky and sneak in some stitching time). I’m also putting Instagram on hold for the summer, as I do every year. I’ll be back in September with some exciting updates! Have a lovely season, my friends! 💙💙💙💙💙💙
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