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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Happy Thanksgiving

November 26, 2015

Just a little note to wish you and all your loved ones a spectacular Thanksgiving! We'll have our usual unconventional movie + Chinese food Thanksgiving of ultra low stress. Since I won't need to slave over the stove, I'll be using the extra time to sew a recital dress for K, work on the annual Advent calendar (see previous ones here and here and here) and finish up the next Furoku (it might be a day or two late...). I have so many thanks to give. Too many, really, and I think I'll leave it ... Read more

Filed in: gouache, illustration, life, watercolor • by sanae • Leave a Comment

Happy Friday + Randomness

November 6, 2015

Happy Friday! I'm scuttling toward un-sickness, and I'm optimistic that I'll be all better before the end of the weekend. I had a good day yesterday, a day full of lovely moments and quirkiness. As we walked to school in the drizzly morn, K and her friend spotted two ginormous mushrooms flanking a tree trunk (they were red, but I painted only one in blue -- I'm going through a Picasso phase). And then amid the remnants of Halloween decorations, I saw a carved pumpkin ... Read more

Filed in: gouache, illustration • by sanae • 8 Comments

Madame Frump No More

October 21, 2015

When I was a young lass toiling over catalog page layouts amid the design-y and stylish citizens of Williams-Sonoma / Pottery Barn HQ, I used to spend a lot of time and effort on my appearance because everyone around me sashayed about in beautiful attire. One of my good friends and co-workers -- he of the vintage couture connoisseurship and wearer of thrifted Ferragamo loafers -- would appraise my daily outfits and give me a thumbs up or down. We had the sort of honest and hilarious relationship ... Read more

Filed in: gouache, illustration, life, watercolor • by sanae • 24 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

September 25, 2015

It's been quiet around here, which means things are bustling in the background. I have much to share, but one of the highlights of last week was a Little Kunoichi event. It was my last scheduled event and was held at a beautiful Japanese gift shop/gallery called KOBO. There may be some more events in the future, but that particular book reading capped what I considered the launch season. My book has been out for almost five months, can you believe it? I just found out that someone's seen it in ... Read more

Filed in: book, digital, gouache, illustration, watercolor • by sanae • 12 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

July 17, 2015

Happy Friday! So, yesterday marked the third year of this little virtual notebook/sketchbook of mine. Three years that whisked right on by, full of surreal and life-altering changes, the whole nine yards. My thoughts are still very much aligned with what I pondered for my second "blogiversary" here (why, oh why are there so many unpalatable words associated with blogs, including the word "blog"??) I've decided to do something different and will take two weeks off from here. My mom is coming ... Read more

Filed in: gouache, illustration, life • by sanae • 14 Comments

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{Giveaway is closed and all the winners have been {Giveaway is closed and all the winners have been contacted. Thanks for all the comments and recommendations!} Giveaway time, my friends! So, 2026 is starting out in a very exciting way. My latest book, SHIBUI: THE JAPANESE ART OF FINDING BEAUTY IN AGING, is already in its second print run — deepest thanks to every person who purchased a copy, then got more copies to give as gifts!! Speaking of gifts, I have a little giveaway today that’s different from my usual kind. Shibui is available in audio format (a first for me!) read by the talented @edelynokano, and I have SIX free Spotify codes. Please note that you do need a Spotify account to utilize the code. Interested? 

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment below. Any comment would be lovely but if you have an audiobook recommendation, I’m all ears! No pun intended. I’ll leave the giveaway open until Friday, January 30th and will DM the winners shortly after. Good luck!🍀 @sasquatchbooks #shibui
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