What I Made for 2015 SVE

Well, the postal system is still holding hostage my SVE gift, so I thought I might as well show you what I sewed up for my partner Jana. Jana is a multi-talented “Bohemian girl living in Switzerland”, and includes in her CV of eclectic accomplishments: nurse, interior designer, stylist, all-around taste-maker. I love love love […]

Last Day to Sign Up for 2016 SVE!

Hello! Just a quick note today with one last reminder that today’s the deadline to sign up for the Secret Valentine Exchange. We’ll stop taking sign-ups tonight, around midnight-ish my time (PST). We have nearly 150 participants!! Ute and I can’t wait to pair everyone up – there are over 20 countries represented, making this […]

2015 Secret Valentine Exchange!!

  Last year, Ute and I teamed up to host a Secret Valentine Exchange, loosely based on a Scandinavian Secret Santa tradition called Julklapp. We had so much fun with nearly 40 participants (read the recap here) that we’re bringing it back for 2015! For this go around of the craft/sewing swap, we’re getting started a […]

Happy Friday + Randomness

Happy Friday! I may have mentioned this before, but in my family we had this sacred tradition: on the morning of New Year’s Day, my mom would plop a few pairs of new underwear on all the kids’ beds, and the three Ishida offspring knew that it was mandatory to don one of them to bed […]

Heartfelt Thanks

Well, that was exciting! And nerve wracking. And outrageously inspiring. I’m talking, of course, about my Furoku Membership post. You, my wonderful, wonderful friends, have given me so much to think about, hope for and strive toward. I pored over every comment, teared up anew with every considerate and helpful email, gasped and shook my […]