Dear Ono Castle

To the castle in my beloved Japanese hometown—Ono (大野市):

Dear Ono-jo,

Do you still remember how we came to be acquainted? It was during the first few days of my arrival in Ono and my wonderful Japanese friend, Tomiko, introduced you to me. I looked upwards in the direction she pointed and saw you sitting majestically atop the hill. Wow, our very own castle in our city! I thought you were really cool. And I looked to you in reverence. Gaining entry into your once restricted grounds, I gazed through your windows and saw all of Ono lying beneath your feet. So, this is how it all looks like to you.

Of course I had to return to you many times after that first visit. I especially liked to do so in the late summer afternoons. A sense of calm pervades once I enter your holy grounds.

In the ascension, I hear the sounds of the myriad of insects each singing to its own tune. Occasionally, I pass by an oji-chan and oba-chan on their evening exercise and we nod at each other.

Peeping through the foliage, if I see that the sky is slowly darkening, I would hasten my footsteps a little until I see your familiar gates welcoming me.


Ahh, just in time for the magnificient sunset. I would try to stare at it without blinking so I could actually detect its descending movement.


Once it escapes into the arms of the distant mountains, it’ll be back to you and me, Ono-jo. We enjoy each other’s company in knowing silence.

You always look so coy in Spring when the Sakuras embrace you, Ono-jo. In the day, you look splendid. But in the night you are simply mesmerising. The lanterns light up my path to you.

And then there you are! I see you beautifully adorned with these flowers of the palest pink.

Oh my, that particular Sakura tree just beside your feet is absolutely gorgeous! You certainly keep the best near you.

Look at all the others too, they are all looking beautiful for you!

Silently, you preside over the city all year long. But in the winter, you drape yourself and your grounds with so much snow I find it hard to get to you. But I know your remain. The cold months will end and I will see you up close again soon.

XO

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I’m missing my life in Japan and decided to put to use the numerous photos I had taken. Hm… maybe I should consider sharing more of these here. They’re basically about my life in countryside Japan, with an occasional visit to neighbouring cities. Would that be too dull for you? What do you think? Let me know, ya?

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you can find more of such posts by clicking on “Japan” under the “Cookie Flavour” section in the right panel and scrolling through the posts. I previously wrote a little about Ono as well (you can find it here), as 1 of an 8-parter series I did based on my recent (but long awaited!) trip to Japan. These are also found in the posts tagged with "Japan".

Girls day out - Les Cakes de Bertrand

Hey lovely, you’re a little late for our girls day out. But it’s okay, I had myself an orange juice from the little café next door and watched the world go by as I waited for you. C’mon now, let’s go. The weather’s glorious today. AND, we’re in Paris!

You’re going to love this place we’re visiting! That wasn’t too far, was it? Look, it’s just in front-- Les Cakes de Bertrand. Finished the last bite of your croissant? Ok, let’s go in!

It’s like being transported to the past isn’t it? Oh my! The light from the chandelier is dancing prettily on the gorgeous wallpaper.

Look at all these vintage prints! It’s like looking at a grandmother’s photo collection.

I know you appreciate beautiful packaging like I do. So I bet you are swooning over the soap bars!

Oh excuse me while I check out the purses and bags over there.

Ah huh! There you are. Why should I be surprised? Got yourself some pretty notebooks, I see.

Well, well, that was lovely, wasn’t it? See you on our next date!

[images from source]

[Weekend through the eyes of my iPhone] - #5

Dear eyelid (yes, you the right one over there, I’m talking to you. Don’t look over at others),

Why did you have to go swollen and puffy? And of all days, you picked the weekend! It was harder to keep my eye open because you became heavier. I kept feeling like I had been punched in the eye. Do you know how serious your actions were? Did you even consider the consequences? I had to stay indoors most of the time despite Mr Blue Sky’s beckoning. You should be thankful though that T was more than happy to play couch potato in front of the TV, read almost all the available broadsheets and freesheets and nap. As for me, I can handle this for a weekend but don’t you try acting up again the next weekend! Are we clear on this yet?

xo,

Your rather annoyed owner

Little Birdie Sitting Happily

Tea drinking is said to be a calming experience. How about making it an aesthetic one too?

Green Berry Teabags by Nathalia Ponomareva. As the tea infuses, the little origami birdie gradually expands to become fuller. This is so pretty it could serve as a decorative piece! This one really stole my heart!

[from source, via inspire*inspire]

Wear Heels Today

and feel like a diva...

[images: Shopstyle, Net-a-Porter, J.Crew]

Wear Flats Today

and feel like a ballerina...

[images: top left - We Heart It, top right - Bona Drag, all others from Shopstyle]

[Weekend through the eyes of my iPhone] - #4

Hello there, how are you?
What are you doing right now?
I’m sitting here nibbling on a biscuit while I recall my weekend.
My cup of tea is sitting next to me,

breathing steam into the morning air.
I’ve some images right here to share my weekend with you.

There’s this little boutique I walk by every weekend.

It sells children’s clothing.

I always squeal at how cute the clothing on display are.

This time, I snapped a shot or 2 for you.

I never knew that pinball can be so exciting till I watched T play that day.
I was providing more sound effects than the machine.
It’s almost as exciting as picking a pack of junk food from the shelves.

The glow of the lanterns in the night is mesmerizing.
The mid-autumn festival is approaching.

Ikea
Love
The little Swedish supermarket
Love

A leisurely drive took us to the end of the country
Hello there Malaysia

Sake warms the stomach so nicely
I kept staring at the cute flower on my plate.

[click on images to enlarge]

The sky I wish to share with you

I saw this last week while gallivanting and couldn't help picking it up. The simple handwritten cover really atttracted me. Turning the pages to browse, I fell in love with its presentation. The artist articulates his emotions through self-captured scenes (presented on the left pages) which are accompanied by notes scribbled on postcards/envelopes (on the right pages). A lovely emotive collection of works.

“The Sky I wish to share with you”, by han. You can purchase the art book. They ship internationally! Just click here.

[images from source]

p/s It's a long weekend over here (yay!) so I'll see you back here on Tuesday. Meanwhile, get out of the house, pick up your craft project, have coffee with your pals, do something different this weekend, won't you? :)

Daily Objects Transformed - Yuken Teruya

To be able to see the potential and beauty in everyday objects. To transform them into works of art. Doesn't that make an artist admirable?

Intricate details.

Cute woodpecker!

Mac Donald's bag

By Yuken Teruya.

[images from source]

Sewing coasters

I made this set of coasters for a friend and thought I’ll share it here. Was excited to take the photos and forgot that I haven’t ironed the coasters! Dreaming of having my own little shop like so many of you do.

I’ve always enjoyed sewing but it was often relegated to the back seat for many years. There were more “important things” to do. As I look back, I recall in my primary school days, we had sewing classes once a week for several weeks. These were part of art class. I lost myself in them! We were given this little checkered piece of fabric where we practiced the various kinds of stitches. We put our desks together, sat in a grouped and stitched away while we chit chat. My little fingers worked pretty quickly and I had so much fun! Visualising it now, I find it rather cute and funny—a bunch of primary school girls behaving like old grannies :).

Cute is for Big Girls too

After doing that post on irresistibly cute little girl’s dresses, I had to find dresses that are just as adorable for adults too! I looked to etsy and here’s a glimpse of what caught my eye:

Who says cute is only for little girls?

[images: etsy]

[Weekend through the eyes of my iPhone] - #3

Hi there, welcome back! Guess what, I gave it a thought and decided to make Weekend Through the Eyes of my iPhone a weekly series! I’ve already done 2 such posts (here and here) and today, I thought, why not? It’s been fun and I like that it gives me a chance to document my weekend as well. While Cookie Cutter is first and foremost a blog cataloguing all things beautiful (interior, packaging, fashion, wedding etc), I hope that it will also serve to document the adventurous, fun and creative bits of my life. This will be one of the ways in which I infuse it with my own personality and you might also come to know a little about the person behind Cookie Cutter. The second impetus to turn this into a series stems from something more selfish—it will give me more reason to get out there and do something different. I can’t guarantee that I will be painting the town red every weekend but I think its going to be fun! So, come join me on this ride, yup? Like the idea of this series? I’ll love to hear from you! Ok, on to the post:

What’s your favourite day of the week? Mine’s Friday. Because I have the entire weekend lying ahead of me. And Friday night marks the start of it! We had late night dessert (all brides-to-be go on a diet and I’m failing terribly in this). I fancied the presentation of the menu but it was this chunk of sweetness that stole the limelight! Saturday mornings mean sleeping in and then reading the papers. It’s simple but I like it this way. How often do you get to take it slow like this?

We headed to a little fund-raising event just after noon. Food was the highlight, thanks to all the ladies running the stalls. A bowl of local dessert—black glutinous rice with coconut cream—teased our tastebuds with its sweetness.

A trip to the Thieves’ Market was next on the cards. This is the oldest and most authentic flea market in Singapore. It is nicknamed as such because it was said in the past that stolen goods were peddled here. This is nothing like the flea markets abroad but I visit once in a while in appreciation of its unpretentiousness. Here, you’ll find elderly and middle-age men selling anything underneath the sun. It may take a bit of luck to spot something that gets you excited but it’s fun just to see this side of Singapore. Remember to pile on the sunblock though.

Being the typical Singaporean, going to the movies is one of my favourite weekend pastimes. It’s been a while since I visited this cinema and it made me nostalgic for the pre-multiplex era when cinema theatres were huge. Recall also the old times when movie posters were hand painted? I saw one being used as a decorative piece.

And of course, my mandatory stop at the bookstore to check out the interior magazines.

[click on images to enlarge. Dessert image from Little Corner of Mine. All others from Cookie Cutter. ]

Do the Chacha

Is it me or do you feel it’s been kind of quiet around here lately too? I know that folks are still visiting but when I don’t hear from you, it just feels a little lonely. So, say hello in the comments so I know you’re here with me?

To dispel the “chills” abit, I went imaginary shopping again! You would L.O.V.E what I’m about to share with you, especially if you are a mother:

Aren’t these little booties too cute?! Madame Chacha houses several designers but “delicate”, “adorable”, “charming” will be what comes to your mind when you look at each product. I am ogling over the look of the website too! It’s simple but so appealing!

The sky’s turning a little grey outside but I’m looking forward to my weekend nevertheless. I hope you are too! See you next week :).

[images: Madame Chacha]