Weekly Love Letter for May 16th, 2014

[ezcol_1half]

“There’s an area in Tokyo that I just love.  It’s near my favorite temple, Senso-ji, and it’s one of the older neighborhoods in Tokyo.  It’s full of family-run izakaya (Japanese pubs), tiny shops and older wooden storefronts.  It’s also near the SkyTree, which is the second tallest structure in the world.  This juxtaposition of old and new is one of the things I love about Japan.  

These are great reasons to like the area, but my personal favorite reason is the street called Kappabashi, which is Tokyo’s kitchen district.  It’s one of my happy places, where you can find almost anything you need for your kitchen, including things you didn’t even KNOW you needed.  I wish we lived closer (it takes almost an hour door-to-door to get there), but it’s probably best for my bank account that we don’t!  If you’re in town and you like cooking or entertaining at all, make sure you stop by this area.”

*I’ve always saved my parmesan (and pecorino) rinds to add them to my pasta sauces, but Food52 takes them to a whole new level.  Parmesan stock is a genius way to add tons of flavor to soups or risotto.  I love the idea of braising vegetables in them.  This is a vegetarian stock that I can really get behind!

*This article from the kitchn hit home.  We host the occasional dinner party, and most of our friends work together (with my hubby).  This leads to frequent conversations about work over dinner, and more than one instance where a work emergency has pulled a subgroup of the party away for a few minutes.  It’s a little annoying, but it also shows how dedicated our friends are to their work, which I try to be thankful for!

*It’s SPRING!  FLOWERS!  I love flowers.  And one of these vase collections with varying shades of blue, pink or yellow in different shapes are just the thing to show off this season’s pretty blooms.

[/ezcol_1half]

[ezcol_1half_end]

“Last weekend was a big one for my niece: her 8th birthday, baptism and then her VERY ADULT present: getting her ears pierced!  I felt like I couldn’t miss the festivities so I went along to the mall kiosk where she picked out starter studs in her favorite color (orange) and waited for it all to go down as though someone was torturing her.  There is something ridiculously adorable about seeing your tiny niece at a significant milestone for her, but noticing that she’s still got a stuffed puppy tucked into her new child-sized purse (“to match Grandma’s!” she said).

One night last year in Tahoe we were asking this same niece to tell us what she wanted to be when she grew up.  I can’t remember exactly, but it was something about decorating houses and feeding animals at the zoo.  When I told her that I wasn’t sure if that exact combination existed she said, with complete certainty: “Well, then you just MAKE it.”  

I’d pay good money for that confidence.  I hope I grow up to be just like her.”

* Have you seen this inspiring story about a boy who created an animal shelter from nothing?

* There is no shortage of outdoor succulent/wood designs, but I like this leaning version with hanging pots from Sugar and Cloth a lot.

*Brandon Stanton (of Humans of New York) shot some wonderful photos for Vogue at the Met Gala, you’ll definitely want to see these.

[/ezcol_1half_end]

    

DIY Maniac included THREE of our projects on their blog this week!  They used our Sequined Vases in their roundup of 19 Beautiful DIY Floral Centerpieces.  They also put our Bud Vases in 18 Amazing DIY Decorations Made from Recycled Materials You Already Have at Home.  And our Relaxing Black Tea Food Soak is in their 25 Amazing DIY Beauty Products for Skin and Hair Care.