Our little felt menagerie keeps growing. You'll remember Bob and Rose; Li'l Fox and Baby Bear followed shortly after. They are now joined by the bunny twins, Kumo (Cloud) and Taiyou (Sun). I was relieved that K came up with such clever Japanese names - perhaps she sensed my imploring look and mental pleadings of "don't name them bunny 1 and bunny 2 or white bunny and grey bunny"... I am staying true to my Valentine's theme and in case you're wondering, they are bunny-cupid-babies. Or ... Read more

Today, I have a little DIY for you: plantable valentine's arrows! In some ways, I feel like "Slap a heart on it" ends up summing up Valentine's Day items, but I am a self-professed lover of hearts. Have you seen my logo up there at the top of this page? It's actually a stamp that a friend made for me when I lived in Japan. It's one of my most prized possessions. She carved my name into stone in the style of a traditional Japanese stamp called inkan. I was so excited when she included that heart. ... Read more

Sometimes, a product can change your life. I've had quite a few of those life-altering moments with the Magic Eraser, my phone, my camera. However, there is probably no other appliance or gadget in our household with greater impact than our espresso machine. M and I got the Pixie for our wedding anniversary this past September, and I think it's safe to say that coffee has replaced blood in my veins. M doesn't get mentioned as frequently here on this blog, but he is our anchor. A ... Read more

  Every year I vow to make Christmas gifts and for the most part, I would run out of time and end up scrambling to the nearest shopping center in a fit of panic. This go around, I fared a little better. I started planning in October and though I was still burning the midnight oil to get things done, it was a significantly handmade gift-giving season. I made about a hundred bear hats (actually six) in different colors. The cookies and caramels were a hit and will become an ... Read more

I have a thing for keychains. I am a firm believer that you can't have too many keychains in your life, and K has inherited my love of these tchotchkes. I especially love using them as gift tags - they add a utilitarian yet decorative flair to packages. A while ago, I made a version with silver pleather, but I wasn't too thrilled with the various methods I tried. Then I spotted these cute wooden tags at a nearby stamp store and knew they were destined to be keychains. Being the one-trick pony ... Read more