The Christmas shopping has begun! I’m feeling much better knowing that at least a few people are crossed off my list now, and I can really concentrate on the toughies… like my dad who has pretty much been claiming he doesn’t need a single thing for the better part of my life.

I had been really trying to keep the “things I’ll make” list pretty short this year, but it keeps expanding – just a project or two at a time – thanks in large part to all of the inspiration I keep stumbling across in internet land and catalogs. Last weekend, I loaded up on fabrics to make soft trees. They’ve been on my Christmas project list since last year when I was completely smitten with the ones at bella dia and little birds. It’s no surprise to me that they’ve seen a huge resurgence in popularity. I think what I really, really like about them is that they seem to look better the more you make. I love seeing little armies of people’s creations. I’ve never made lots and lots of the same thing, but it’s really appealing to me. I wonder how many I can get through… do people machine stitch the bottoms of the tree or is that part done by hand? Hmmm… my little tree farm is going to have to be efficient.

And then there’s this project…

This one came from one of my favorite editions of Cotton & Paint (Vol. 23). The little bird with the washing line (up top) was the reason I HAD to get a copy, but it’s this little dog with backpack and hat that I’m going to try making first. I ordered my copy from Kitty-Craft along with a lot of fabric, and she generously sent me a sample of some pretty cute dog fabric that will be used on the little guy’s hat. (Oh, Kitty-Craft, please come back soon! Molly Chicken, as usual, has some great pictures from this volume if you’re interested.)

So far, I have all of the pattern pieces cut and ready to go. Now, I just need to get the machine threaded and ready to make a mad dash to the finish. If that all sounds too easy… I’ll openly admit that I still have more shopping, Christmas tags, some pretty insane baking goals, and wedding thank you notes on my list. And true to my word, I haven’t freaked out that the decorations aren’t quite up yet. I think we’ll need to do that pretty soon though – I’m not sure how much longer I can maintain my cool.

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 09:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Is it already Wednesday? Really? I lost the first part of this week to a business trip. This morning I'm drinking some strong coffee and revising my To Do list. Um, and writing about my fabric obsession. (Read as: procrastinating when I really should be getting ready for the day.)

My wish list over at Kitty-Craft has gotten out of hand. The fairytale motifs get me. I love all of the little storybook themes (Hansel & Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland, even the Bremen Town Musicians -- and I never even liked that story). I almost don't want to write about them, because I'm afraid you will all go over there and snatch up everything, and I won't be able to have them all to myself.

I have been debating placing an order for ages now. I guess I feel that I'm going to spend THAT much money on fabrics, I should at least know what I would use them for... and hording in a secret drawer doesn't count. Then when I think about what I would make (and I think about it quite a bit because I'm pretty desperate to place an order now), I keep envisioning things for children. (Although I've seen at least one ingenious, non-kid usage of the Hansel and Gretel fabric at Yvestown.) The thing is – I don’t have children and am not planning on having any either.

It is a little odd because a vast majority of the sites I visit and love are moms writing about their kids. And although I've found plenty of fellow softie-loving adults, I'd still say a good majority of the creations I admire are intended for little hands. I think a huge part of that is because I have a wonderful mom who was able to stay at home and made things for me. And it's with a little nostalgia that I enjoy reading about other moms who work equally hard to give their children a happy, magical childhood complete with trips to the library and craft projects and homemade costumes. I think that's one of the reasons I still like children's storybooks and any excuse to play make believe.

And since I'm not having kids, I need my sister to have more than just this one so I can justify spending lots more money at Kitty-Craft.

(Side note – Sorry for the dark photos. I don’t know how people manage to get such great pictures of their kids. It’s hard! They’re so squirmy so you pretty much have to use the flash and cross your fingers they’re still smiling when the camera finally snaps the picture. Fortunately, my little nephew didn’t seem to mind being a part of Aunt Kelly’s photo shoot...)

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 08:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I bought my first ever Japanese craft book/magazine in January, and I am just now getting around to sharing photos. I am lucky enough to live close to both a Mitsuwa and several Japanese bookstores, so you would think I would have amassed quite a collection given how absolutely addictive I find these. Then again, I find a lot of shopping to be intimidating, so it’s probably no surprise that I just stand there in the Japanese bookstore completely dumbfounded over what to buy.

This copy of Cotton Time, Issue 1 was all I went home with… I guess It’s more of a magazine than a book, and it was sealed in plastic when I purchased it. For some reason, it seemed easier to gamble than pick one out myself. (Who knows why?) It also came with a little booklet of extra crafts with instructions and a calendar. Here are some of my favorites pages (sorry some of the scans are a little grainy...)

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 07:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I’m back from my inadvertent break, and geez – I am so ready to bump that last photo off the top of the page. (Not the best picture… and I spend a lot of time in that spot, so I’m happy to look on something else for a change.)

Luckily, I got home on Friday to some fabulous mail – my “favorite sewing, recipe, & paper project club” (Amy’s mailorder) and my Aranzi Aronzo Post Club vol. 22. This postcard cracks me up. I really love the little Aranzi Aronzo characters, but I’ve never really understood this yellow guy with the long nose/beak. I find it really odd that he appears to be eating a bunch of roses with similar little faces on them. I don’t know how they come up with this stuff, but it brightens up my mailbox nonetheless.

Today, my boyfriend and I went on a 2-part mini-adventure to the Gardens of the World and the mall.

I find Gardens of the World pretty entertaining, because it is really trying to be a much bigger experience than it really is. I’m a huge fan of gardens. I’ve never been a big nature person (two words: hello bugs). Frolicking around a well manicured garden is as close to the great outdoors as I usually get. Some gardens are so well-ordered and maintained that wandering amongst the foliage feels magical, almost meditative. Gardens of the World is not like that. It’s a fairly small space (4.5 acres) that contains a pavilion/bandstand, several man-made waterfalls/fountains, a replica of a California mission, and a Japanese pagoda with a blue roof. My favorite part is the ornate gate at the front. Such a tease! Don’t get me wrong – it’s lovely for an outdoor picnic or a little stroll. But it’s not the place to feel like you’re entering a new world – or even a different neighborhood for that matter. It’s free, entertaining, and more peaceful than say, wandering around the mall – so we dropped by for a few minutes. Turned out that was just long enough to get crossed up in what looked like a wedding (but was actually an extremely lavish Quinceanera). We ended up getting stuck in the California mission building as a stampede of teenagers in formal wear paraded inside. Um, awkward.

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Evelyn from the Post Office called today, and she’s looking into the missing mail fiasco. Talking to her, I get the impression that she takes the post office very seriously. She has the sound of someone who is not going anywhere for awhile. In fact, if I envision the post office, I picture it with one lone Evelyn inside – selling stamps and finding everyone’s lost packages. (All right, all right – I’ll stop. I was just figuring that a little optimism can’t hurt.)

In the meantime, I am going to distract myself by posting this Aranzi Aronzo postcard that I received back in October. I like this one. It looks hopeful.

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 06:51 PM | Permalink

From the Aranzi Aronzo Post Club -

Dear Kelly,

Hope you are well.

I would like to inform you that I've posted
the A.P.C. postcard (vol. 20) today.

Here in Tokyo, we had 15cm-deep snow
about 2 weeks ago. Most of snow had melted away,
however, iced snow in the shade still remains.
Is it cold there, too?

Please take care of your health not to catch cold.

Warm regards

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 08:55 AM | Permalink

I’ve been a huge fan of the Aranzi Aronzo on-line store for awhile now. I love pretty much everything they have, but I’m especially fond of their postcards and books. Images like this one make me completely lose it; they are so cute.

Their stuff can be expensive because of shipping, etc., and I agonized over what to get the first time I placed an order. However, everything I received was SO worth it. (Ok, well it felt worth it to me at least.) How can you not feel happy inside when you’re looking at something like this?

It gets better.

Just before submitting my order, I saw the option to join the Aranzi Aronzo post club. For 900 JPY (about $8 USD), you receive one post card each month. I subscribed and promptly forgot all about it.

Somehow I got dropped off of the list, and when they caught their mistake they sent me a lovely e-mail:

As the two cards are delayed, we would like
to extend your subscription for two months.
It should be from vol. 13 to vol. 26.

And I will inform you by e-mail whenever I post
a card to you from next time.

Again, thank you very much.
I hope you will receive the envelope safe and sound.

Warm Regards

So now I’ve been getting all sorts of extra attention, e-mails, and stickers – and that doesn’t even take into account the postcards. They are like little warm fuzzies in my mailbox.

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 08:43 AM | Permalink

Did you see that the Little Wooden People at Acorn Style are even cuter now?

Ack! I can’t stand it.

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 01:11 AM | Permalink

I’m letting the little wooden people go. It’s hard, but I think it’s for the best.

Continue reading "Little Wooden People" »

Posted by The Little Happy Ones at 12:54 AM | Permalink