[Tokyo] - Rainbow Kitchen

I love Shimokitazawa. On this recent trip, I had initially planned to re-visit a favourite cafe which charmed my socks off the last time I was there. After that, I would walk around and leave by late afternoon. Instead, I found myself lingering till after night fall. As it got dark and the temperature turned cooler, the crowd thinned as well. I got to experience a different Shimokitawaza. It was more mellow with the occasional quiet chatter punctuating the air. My stride was light and unhurried as I took in the sights. It was such a beautiful night!

I eventually settled at Rainbow Kitchen for dinner. It is a gorgeous little space! Lucky us got to sit side by side at this cute little table facing the window. As I sipped my drink, I gazed at the people wandering the street outside and then at the beautiful shadows dancing on my table created by the candlelight. 

[Tokyo] - Street Views 1

Hello, I’m sure you are loving that’s it Friday today. So am I. And I’m looking forward to tomorrow too! If you are in Singapore, there will be a zine party happening at Books Actually tomorrow, 29 Oct, 10am - 4pm. Zinesters including yours truly will be there sharing a little about our zines, which you’ll also be able to purchase on the spot. It’ll be fun, so come on by, support the local zine scene! And if you’re reading this, say hi when you see me :)

No, I’m not denying you our Japan series post. Here goes:

So you’ve been reading my current series of Japan posts and you’re wondering if I did anything besides eat. Hmm... let me think really hard...haha, yes I did! I walked. Walking during travels allows me to take in the sights slowly, notice the nuggets of everyday life in that country, as well as the bits that are unusual. When you do this, you will be amazed at how much more you take in. This time when I visited Japan, the temperature was perfect for walking. It was nice and cool. So here are some of the street sights I enjoyed, both kawaii and ordinary. Enjoy!

Hachiko!

Love all the cute ads they have in Japan.

What?? T shirts? Oh well, still cute. Haha!

[Tokyo] - Armwood Cottage

Thank you, lovelies, for sharing my joy regarding the good news in the previous post! Thank you also to the sweet folks of Public Garden (a market which I participated in previously) for their shoutout and kind words. The second Public Garden will be on 5 Nov. I won’t be a vendor this time but will definitely drop by as a shopper. You should too!

And continuing with our Japan series, I’m taking you to a charming cafe in Shinjuku today. What intrigued me about Armwood Cottage was that it was essentially a wooden structure. I was so drawn to its rustic-ness. Nestled between 2 modern high rise buildings, it formed an interesting juxtaposition, which made me want to check it out even more. 

The inside was cozy with not too many tables. I love it this way as it felt more private and exclusive. I took a while ogling around before making my order. The food of course, didn’t disappoint!

Frankie Feature

I hate to interrupt our current Japan series but I’m dying to share this piece of news with you! Cookie Cutter’s FEATURED in issue 44 of the super duper cool FRANKIE magazine!!!! (Feels good to be saying this :p) It’s a small blurb but that’s not stopping me from doing my happy dance (and you’re most welcomed to join in)!!

I know every sentence in this post has ended with an exclamation mark so far. Haha. I’m elated.

Happy Monday to all.

[Tokyo] - Cafe Mame Hico

TGIF! It’s been a busy week for me! I was pretty much tied up with a huge custom plush. In between, I was packing orders for pouches and zines and sending them off to my sweet buyers. I shouldn’t complain really. 

I know you’ve been looking forward and so, here’s the first in my current series of Japan posts! As you may already know, I was in the Land of the Rising Sun recently for about a week. It was so FUN! If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that my travels usually revolve around uncovering cafes with great interiors, crafty stuff, zakka, food and soaking in the street views. Well, this trip was no exception. The difference is, there is SO MUCH of these to do in Japan! So, here we go!

Cafe Mame Hico in Shibuya was a real tough one to find. Why? Because I couldn’t see it on the street level! I had to go to the basement of some random building and after I emerged from the stairs, apart from the cafe, I felt like I was in a different place as before. Still puzzled. But by the time I got there, I couldn’t be bothered to sort this out. I was there for breakfast and my stomach was not very happy with the long walk. 

I entered the cafe and felt a stark difference from when I was on the other side of the door. This was like an oasis of calm. Dark wood furnishings, dim lightings, a huge long table in the middle of the room, beautiful fresh flowers and the smell of coffee greeted me. 

Although there were a couple of individual tables, the few people in the cafe were all sitting at the long table. I did the same. It felt intriguing. We were all seated at the same table, somewhat communal, yet we all had enough personal space. People spoke softly and only the sound of the coffee machine and cutleries punctuated the soft music. 

The breakfast menu comprised mainly of toasts. But you’ll be happy with it. And oh, if you’re a coffee lover, you’ll like this place!

Run of Mill (issue 2)!

So, here’s issue 2 of my comic zine, Run of the Mill! I’m thrilled to say that even though I only recently posted it in my Etsy shop, I’ve already sold a couple of copies! I also had fun decorating the envelopes I packed them in with my MT tapes :)

Like the first issue, this zine is based on my real life experiences. It is light-hearted and seeks to bring out the humour in our everyday lives. This is explored through the theme of “running” in issue 2. The pages are filled with cute drawings and I hope they’ll bring a smile to your lips. Run of the Mill (issue 2) is available here.  

Posts on my recent Japan trip coming right up!

[Tokyo] - Loot

Hi! I’m back from my trip to Japan. It was awesome! I have lots to share with you. So of course, we're going to have a Japan series here! But I’m going to need a little time to sort all that images. I also have a few plushie custom orders to fulfill. So for now, here’s a peek into what I spent on during my time there. 

MT tapes. I can never get enough of them. Growing collection at home.

I’m so into little animal figurines right now. 

vintage wooden spools

Oh, this, I kept to boast :p I finally went to New York Bar at Park Hyatt! It’s been a dream to visit ever since I saw Scarlett Johansson there onscreen. Beautiful place. Even more mesmerizing after some bubbles. 

Needless to say, I also lugged home lots of fabrics. So there’s going to be plushies in new designs and fabrics coming up in the months ahead :) My second zine, Run of the Mill (issue 2) is also out! I’m so excited about it and will tell you more in the next post!

Cute Muji Handicraft Kit

I bought this SUPER CUTE handicraft kit from Muji and am currently loving it to bits! You can have fun decorating the empty faces/objects in the pages. Give them funny expressions, a head of hair etc. There are also sheets of adhesives at the end with various facial features for your use. Imagine the fun and creativity! I'll say it's for both kids and the kid in all of us!

Isn't it awesome?! Confession: I've never stepped into Muji and walked out empty handed before :p

Fun with Food

I've been having some fun with my food! I'm not sure if it's what you're thinking but take a look at these!

I thought my store bought steam cake looks so miserable. So I made it a happy cake!

Spread some Marmite and cut some cheese. Simple but I LOVE these with my bread. 

[Shop Update] - I Own a Zoo!

Hello there, I'll be off to Tokyo early tomorrow morning and I can barely hold the excitement right now (you know how crazy I am about Japan). There are places I MUST go and I hope to check out some new areas as well. I'm already wishing I had planned for a longer trip instead! You haven't been forgotten though. I've prepared some posts for you so you can still check in here :)

I've had several new animal zipper pouches added to my Etsy shop recently. I'm really happy with them and feel that they are true to the Cookie Cutter's spirit of being quirky and happy. 

Lion

Sneaky Owl

Skunk

Raccoon

I have a zoo in my Etsy shop now. Please check them out! :)