Kate For Thoughts

Got delayed Christmas gifts from hubby.

The coin purse I had been using was pretty beat, so he replaced that. And he let me chose the earrings myself.

Thank you, T! I hope you love the latest (and the most pricy) Gundam plastic model that I bought against my will.

Until next time,

Sak

Getting Older Never Got Better Part II

Summer has arrived early this year! For my feet, at least.

T had placed an order of a pair of yet another Kate Spade goodies on line for my 32nd birthday, apologetic he couldn't do anything on the actual birthday because it fell on Wednesday and he had to work late. Is my husband the best or what?

A pair of Iris flats in orange.

Quite literally can I NOT wait for the sun to start shining more! To hell with the sun allergy, I'm gonna go out with these on!

Thank you, T! Love you!

Until next time,

Sak

Getting Older Never Got Better

T got me early-birthday gifts while we were at Kate Spade New York in Aoyama aka my Mecca.

Meet my new bag ...

...and wallet.


For these, I don't mind getting older much! Thank you, T, with much love!

Until next time,

Sak

Goodies a la Southern Hemisphere

Got a parcel deliverty from mom the other day. She was in New Zealand for a couple of weeks earlier this month, and got us a:

Feijoa Jam,


Manuka honey that I like to eat with cream cheese on toast while T likes to lick off spoon,


and my personal favorites, kiwi jam and kiwi lemon tea.



They're making my afternoon tea more like a second breakfast now. Thanks, mom!

Until next time!

Sak

A dear friend K came to visit yesterday, along with a gift of de-caf coffee beans. She has read my blog post of late.


See? This is why I love Japan. They come individually packaged for a single use, and you can directly mount the filter on the cup.


Made me a cup again. I'm gonna start balencing my bills now.


Thanks a bunch, K!

Until next time,

Sak

Happy Valentine's Day!

Made this for my rock-loving hubby for Valentine's day, using the ice-making mold that I found at the Virgin store at Musee Luvre in Paris. Thought the shape resembled his precious guitar...


and turns out, as he pointed out upon opening the box and taking his first glance at it, "it's a bass." Apprently the guitar has more than four chords.

Initially planned to make a chocolate cheesecake with the same mold, but went with chocolate ice cream 'cause my kitchen isn't yet well-equipped with a good oven and I didn't want to take my chance with the toaster.

Let romance spread around the world!

Until next time,

Sak

A Pink Pretty Present

T is the best! Knows me too well. Bought me a bouquet of early-spring tulips last Sunday.


Hmmm. The livingroom looks really lovely. Being given flowers make me happy to have been born a woman. Thank you, T!

Until next time,

Sak

Love from Canada

I was losing marbles when I opened the parcel that was delivered today. My beloved family in British Columbia has sent me a can full of baked Christmas goodies!

Peanut brittle, Nanaimo bar, Butter pecans, and English short bread, all packed in a can of happiness.


NEVER had I imagined that eating my favorite Christmas sweets a la Monica and John would be possible right here in Japan. Thank you, thank you, thank you soooooooo much Mon, John, and Hannah Banana!

Until next time,

Sak

A Delivery a la SF

Nothing gets me going better than a package delivery from a distant friend. Go ahead and debate me on this.

This time, my soul sister E in San Fran got me a belated birthday present.

Amazon Kindle!!



Is this the greatest or what? Until E told me via e-mail a while back about this, I didn't even know what this was. After a bit of internet surfing, I was in love, and could hardly wait for its arrival.

I have been meaning to get back on reading this year, so this is a great start. Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooo much, E! You've literally "kindled" my heart and soul!

Until next time,

Sak

Birthday Gift

My dear friend Y gave me an early birthday gift. And it's so cute!


Called Heart Tree, it will have heart-shaped fruit (inedible) in early summer "if taken care of well". I sure as hell will take care of it well. Stole a photo from their homepage.

Aren't they cute? Thank you, Y, for a lovely gift!

Until next time,

Sak

You Know Me So Well!

The downside of catching a severe cold that lasts for a week and a half and feeling and sounding miserable and ugly and nasty? Getting flowers for encouragement!


Supposed to be a very rare kind of tulips. Thank you, T!

Until next time,

Sak

Power Stones for Christmas

Mother of a student made a cell phone strap for all of our staff with power stones. She made them all with different stones, and I chose the one with pink opals. Very cute.

And she told me that pink opals are supposed to bring luck in love, affection , and well-being and strength.

Thank you, Mrs. N.

Until next time,

Sak

My New Magic Wand

How can a 30-year-old woman not get stoked when she is given a very special wand to give herself pleasures???

...oh my.

As erotic as the line might sound AND as I fully intented it to, you are probably imagining a different kind of wand right now so I should proceed right away to introducing my new...

...curling hair dryer!



It's not just a dryer, it's nano-ion dryer!

What the heck that is is a dryer that blows air that is packed with " (n)ano sized moisture ions (that) deeply penetrate into your hair to make it shine & healthy".



Ever since I got a haircut two months or so ago, I had been needing a curling hair dryer to make my morning ritual of hair styling a little easier. I knew about the nano-ion dryer that is far better than a regular nothing-air dryer, so when I was in Tokyo the other day I visited Bic Camera to look for one.

There were billions of dryers that are regular ones, and only two kinds that are nano-ion. The two are easily 3 times more expensive than a regular dryer. In fact, they are probably the most expensive nano-ness a person would ever pay for. But I really wanted one and I was debating which kind to get when T, who was with me at the time, offered to buy me one.

While I really didn't expect him to, he insisted on paying for one since I tagged along with him all the way to Tokyo just to go to this music store where he wanted to to check out guitars. So I gave in. Yay, it's an early Christmas gift.

Thank you, T! I will use this every day, you won't regret a nano bit!

Until next time,

Sak

White Are The Roses

A dear friend of mine Y had a wedding party, and I was there to be shared the love and happiness that she and her hubby spreaded.

I have been to many weddings in my life. Some traditional. Some unique. Some simple. Some nonparticular. But one thing I can say in common about all of them is that they have always left me with the belief in love. And I LOVE that feeling, like you have become a better person just because you've seen something beautiful.

Ah, weddings...

Anyways, Y let us bring all the center-piece flowers home after the party. Being the flower lover that I am, I jumped onto the roses that I was eyeing the whole time.

In the living room...


...and on my vanity.



Thank you for sharing the love, Y, and congratulations!

Until next time,

Sak

No Trick Required

The cutest Halloween treat ever. A gift from a three-year-old student of mine.

Thank you, little M!

Until next time,

Sak

Macaron Scarf and Hankie

We were at a department store in Shinjuku and I found La Duree macaron scarves that I was looking for.



And and I have T to thank for buying them right on the spot! Loooooooove them! Thank you, T! You are the best!

Until next time,

Sak

Hello to A Kitty!

I am not one of these Hello-Kitty-crazed grown women in Japan who has no idea of what is age-appropriate. But come on! How can you deny me this?


M brought this cuteness in for donation yesterday, and I kindly offered to be its caretaker.

Until next time,

Sak

A Gift for a Maid of Honor

Totally forgot to write a post on the gift from the bride I received: Le Creuiset stew pot in white.

A French cooking ware? And it's white? Thank you, K. You know me too well.

Until next time,

Sak

A Glass Bottle from Egypt

A friend of my family's is visiting from Egypt. It took about five hundred official documents for him to make a travel visa outside of his country, and about the same amount of documents just to fly. Well, he is safely here and having the greatest time, and we are glad.

He gave me a perfume bottle made of glass as a gift.

Very pretty, I love it. And personally, I love the box it came in too!

Thank you, A! Have a blast in Japan!

Until next time,

Sak

A Bouquet of Warmth

I was feeling really down the other day for some compiled reasons and broke down. And I broke down good.

The next day, T brought me a bouquet. With a baby blue wrapping paper. Tied up in a canary bow. Told me that it was OK for me to feel what I feel. Put a shine in my heart and a smile on my face.



Thank you for being you, T.

Until next time,

Sak