Love Letter for Friday, October 9th

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alyssa’s week

“There was a nice long holiday last week, and we spent a week traveling around other parts of Japan.  It’s so refreshing to see Japan outside of Tokyo.  It’s a completely different place (although even the small cities are still have ridiculously good public transportation), and the people generally seem so much friendlier and happier.  It’s kind of like visiting the U.S. and assuming that all Americans are like New Yorkers…which is certainly not the case!  

One of the highlights was trying takoyaki in Osaka, from the famous Creo-ru in the Dotonbori district. It’s quintessential Japanese street food, which I’ve had before.  But it’s so perfectly made in Osaka (the birthplace of takoyaki) that it was like trying a new dish entirely.  If you’ve never had it, takoyaki are golf ball-sized orbs stuffed with tender octopus pieces.  The octopus is suspended in a creamy batter, while the exterior is fried to a crisp golden brown in cast iron molds.  The balls are then brushed with savory sauce, drizzled with tangy Japanese mayo and topped with smoky bonito flakes. Best when eaten with toothpicks on the Dotonbori canal while doing some fascinating people-watching.“

*I want to have a pumpkin carving party so badly, starting with these gorgeous invitations.  Too bad you have to take out a second mortgage to buy a pumpkin big enough to carve in Tokyo.  Oh well.

*The male beauty contests of the Sahara Dessert.  The clothing, jewelry, headpieces, face painting, and the expressions on the female judges faces.  All of it is amazing.

*These contact lenses to complete your Halloween outfit.  Confession: I’ve always wanted lighter eyes.  My dad has beautiful hazel eyes that turn grey or green or brown depending on the clothes he wears, and I wish mine had more of that!  They’re just boring dark brown, with maybe some green or gold if you look really, really hard and my pupils are tiny, lol.  I wish I could play with colored contact lenses, but they’re such an INVESTMENT, and since I already wear contacts I can’t get the prescription-free ones.  Boooo.  First world problems.

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carla’s week

“WHEW.  Whirlwind week at work– and it’s not over yet.  This glorious photo of the setting sun and the back side of San Francisco City Hall was taken at Lunafest’s Kick Off Celebration.  The night kicked off with some great insights about the role of female directors in the film industry and a great talk by Breast Cancer Fund CEO.  One of the most compelling parts of her speech (and it’s definitely hard to distill down into ONE takeaway) was her assertion that women are born with an advocacy gene.  What a GREAT concept, right?”

* The Lettermate.  For writing things in pretty straight lines.  How do I not have this already!?

* Do you start cooking pasta in cold water or boiling water?  Do you think it really matters?  Interesting comparison here.

* Do you follow us on Pinterest?  You might have noticed this ADORABLE DIY Frida Kahlo pumpkin!

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One year ago: DIY lapdesk with storage, DIY neon ribbon necklace. 
Two years ago: Cocoa pumpkin spice granola, DIY natural air freshener.

around the web:

Look for our DIY essential oil sugar scrub in Brit + Co’s great roundup of 11 Ways Beauty Bloggers Use Lavender in their Beauty Routine.