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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Rain. Grey. Technical Difficulties and Good Memories.

March 7, 2013

The rain, it is constant. So are the grey skies and the technical blips and beeps and blog outages. My tech support, aka my husband, has promised to rectify the recurring problems once and for all. Exciting stuff, but I have a feeling no one's noticed? This blog is quite incognito after all. This is my favorite photo, and I've had it for almost 15 years. When I lived in San Francisco, I went to a rather well-known little venue called Cafe Trieste daily. Purported to be the hangout of the ... Read more

Filed in: life, writing • by sanae • 9 Comments

Only the necessary and beautiful

March 5, 2013

Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. - William Morris   This is a minuscule corner of my minuscule kitchen in my minuscule house. The uniformity and functionality and zen-ness make me happy. It is the only section that looks this organized in all 1500 square feet of space we call home. I use this small pantry every day, and I love how I can tell at a glance what requires replenishing, especially critical ingredients like dark ... Read more

Filed in: life • by sanae • 10 Comments

Happy Friday + More than you’ve ever wanted to know about me

February 1, 2013

Happy Friday! The lovely An of Straightgrain nominated me for the Liebster Award and you can read her post here (which is awesome and I'm so flattered). Since the word ''Liebster" translates to something like "dearest" in German, it seemed to be in keeping with my general valentine's theme this week. I've been tasked with answering several questions, and just for kicks, I doodled a few quick illustrations - thought it might break up the very long answers a bit. Obviously, I have no problems ... Read more

Filed in: life, writing • by sanae • 12 Comments

Quiet Day

January 24, 2013

Wednesday was a quiet day - it might have looked an awful lot like a lazy day. I'm feeling the onset of a cold and am trying to take it easy. Started some knitting. Thank you, Robin, the cowl pattern you recommended is so quick and satisfying. I'm nearly done and getting ready to block it. I think I've gotten over the sweater trauma. I'd also like to try this chunky cowl. Had too many cups of coffee and pieces of toast. Noticed that the paper white flowers started to bloom. I can't ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, knitting, life • by sanae • 6 Comments

2013 To Do List

January 17, 2013

I don't make New Year's Resolutions because once I label them as such I don't keep them, but I do like to maintain lists at all times and get a thrill every time I cross something off. I've mentioned some inspirational words I plan to abide by, but to keep myself accountable, I'm posting the short version of my 2013 To Do list today. But before I launch into my list, I want to share a little story that's been on my mind if you'll indulge me... In late 2011, I was tentatively diagnosed with ... Read more

Filed in: life • by sanae • 16 Comments

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I’ve been spending less time around here — the I’ve been spending less time around here — the landscape has been feeling dark and murky and I wish I had a magical luminous flower like this bunny to light the way…#procreatewatercolorfun
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