Hoo-ray-ray-ray! Today, November 4th, 2025 is the birthday (aka launch day) of my latest book, SHIBUI: THE JAPANESE ART OF FINDING BEAUTY IN AGING. What a wild ride this one has been. It survived a number of tumultuous changes with publishers, editors, deadlines. I am so, so, SO happy it’s out in the world! Thank YOU, you wonderful encouragers out there. As you know, I’ve been at this book-making thing for a long time, and let’s just say it’s not for the faint of heart. If nothing else I’ve ... Read more
Preorder Time for Shibui: The Japanese Art of Finding Beauty in Aging
Yes. Another book. This one feels extra auspicious because it's my 13th book in my 13th year since I started this book-making adventure. If you can't tell, 13 is my lucky number (I was born on a day with that much maligned number). I can't even begin to express how extraordinary it is to see the physical, actuality of this book that almost never came to be. But that story is for another day. Let me start by saying that I have been feeling the impacts of the passage of time -- psychically, ... Read more
GOOD NIGHT, NINJAS + GIVEAWAY! {CLOSED}
[Update: the winners are Maki and Jennifer! Congrats!] Today is the day!! GOOD NIGHT, NINJAS is all about shinobi-style bedtime (shinobi is another word for ninja)! This marks my 12th book, which boggles my mind. To be quite frank, I’m a little hazy about the details of working on this book. There was a lot of fun, to be sure. Excitement about commemorating Little Kunoichi’s 10-year anniversary, without a doubt. As always, I included a lot of Easter eggs and references to Japanese culture in ... Read more
The Last Hurrah of Events and Classes
Happy Halloween! This month got away from me!! I’ve done zero to engage in the Hallow’s Eve spirit, but this sort of pumpkin colored pair of winter booties could be part of an elfin costume, maybe?? Well, by the time my class for these cuties start on November 7th (next week!) Halloween will be a distant memory, but that’s okay. I’m super excited about this special virtual 3-session class that I’ll be teaching in collaboration with Tatter Blue Library. It’s a spin-off of the summer slip one ... Read more
Sashiko’s Stitches Pub Day and Giveaway!! {CLOSED}
Today is the day! My new book, Sashiko's Stitches (published by WorthyKids / HBG), is out in the wild!! What can I say that I haven't already about making books? It continues to be magical, continues to be a joy. With each book, I try to challenge myself in new ways, and with this one I wanted to see if I could create a traditional watercolor vibe with digital painting. I used Procreate (and even created my own brushes), and it was fun. My kids' books tend to be on the silly side, but this ... Read more