My parents met in New York forty-two years ago. They were in their early twenties, both from Japan, staying in a boarding house across Central Park. My mother had recently arrived via Germany, where she had been an au pair for a Chinese family (confusing, I know). My father was traveling around the world with friends. My mom boasts that there were several choice young men to choose from back in the day (she claims to have been proposed by an African prince), but my father was by far the ... Read more

This summer, I read The Floating Islands, a fantastic young adult book about cities that are buoyed in the air, tethered by magic and unfathomable technology. There are dragons and wizards and the usual suspects of fantasy novels, but the book felt fresh and was one of my favorite summer reads. I am a huge fan of young adult sci-fi/fantasy novels. From Twilight to Hunger Games to the Wildwood Chronicles (which, by the way, is awesome) - I am fully up-to-date on the latest YA hits. Maybe it ... Read more

Lately I've been eyeing the fiddle-leaf fig trees on all the design and style blogs that I obsessively read. I have a serious black thumb and can rarely keep even succulents alive for long...however, I think a giant house plant could change all that. Creating an inviting home is challenging. I spent countless hours rearranging furniture and painted many rooms this summer, but I still feel like our house is missing that "aahhh, so cozy" factor. I have friends over often, but I usually ... Read more