Harajuku Fashion

I just finished browsing Japanese School Girl Inferno. It's amazing how these girls have influenced fashion today. It's no surprise that Anime (Japanese animation or Japanamation) is trickling down into normal cartoons on Saturday morning. I also connect the new color choices of today to closely resemble Anime choices.
While not everyone goes to the extreme of the Harajuku gals (named after the famous street in Tokyo where they hang out) I've noticed the cute prints on bags and shirts. Branding is definitely part of the culture. Candy colors are too. It's now acceptable to have 30-ish females with Hello Kitty accessories, after all she's a famous cultural icon.

Lacy Crochet

Kyuuto! (Cute) I just love this new book I found at the library about crochet Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts!: Lacy Crochet
from Chronicle books. My mom is totally into crochet now. (How hip is she?!). She says it's cause knitting has gotten way too expensive for her blood. She liked the book and says it has simple diagrams and teaches you how to do it all. Thanks for the review mom! I'm going to go out and buy this one! It's a keeper..

Super Simple Recipe

Ok, if you can fry a little and boil. This recipe is for you.
Bread crumb pasta. Sounds boring and possibly crazy. But I saw this recipe (I think) it was with Mario Battali, chef and foodie, he was with some little Italian grandma out in the country, who was making fresh pasta and tossing with bread crumbs. I tried it and even my super picky 5 yr old is liking it.
Just finely slice shallots and garlic, brown in olive oil and add bread crumbs. I didn't feel ashamed to add a little butter into the mix for a little extra flavor. Make sure your bread crumbs look pretty moist with the olive oil or it won't be infused with the shallot and garlic flavors! Voila! I look like a culinary genius! Ok maybe not..But it was tasty and deliciously simple.

Valentines Day

I have always loved Valentines Day. From the cheesy school Valentines to my college years. Coming from a not so expressive family background must have left me craving for that validation of love and trust. Even when I was in college and unattached, I decided that my Valentines would be friends (whether attached or not). I was enjoying giving them the appreciation they deserved. My favorite excuse to share a little love was to hand deliver a rose with a booklet I'd made (inside was a poem I'd found) to each good friend.
This time I'll be sending a custom Valentine.