Back to my trip to Tokyo.   I was very excited to meet the designer of Cicek, Mayuko Sunaga and her daughter, Hana-chan!  Hana means flower in Japanese, which is the meaning of Cicek in Turkish.  We talked about work related things, but also found out our daughter’s birthdays are only one day a part- and believe it is Hana-chan’s birthday today.  Happy Birthday, Hana-chan!!!

Photo of Mayuko-san and Hana-chan. Hana-chan is so cute..and Mayuko-san…so beautiful!

We went to a very chic cafe in Omotesando called, Tokyo Baby Cafe.  The layout, design, the toys….was as if it took you beyond the sky(does that mean heaven!?)!!!  Even if you take an older child with a toddler/baby, the older child could enjoy reading their books. You do have to pay and join as a member, but well worth a try if you are looking for a cool cafe to go with kids.  Another thing to note is, they have private rooms in case you are breastfeeding, as well as a a few diaper changers!!!

Playing in the Sofa play area.  Hana-chan is wearing the Fringe Lace one-piece/tunic from Cicek with the kabocha (ie pumpkin) pants.

Part of the cafe. Lots of books and I love the interior decoration! I wish I took a photo of the kids friendly menu, too!

Asking the girls to pose before going home but I think they were tired.  Hope to see you soon again!

Today is our daughter’s 3rd Birthday. Happy Birthday!!!!  Time does fly by (but if I am saying this after 3 years, I wonder what our parents say about us!???).

The birthday party was held at an art studio called, Colour My World, and the kids had a great time making a mixed media collage, followed by Storytime using puppets and various games. Theme= Yellow. Thank you so much for coming despite the rain!!! The adults had fun watching them, with a glass of wine in hand!

Many thanks to Ms. Anna Tam and her staff at Colour My World who made the day a very special one. We’ll be contacting you about the enrollment into the classes, too!

Waiting for the friends to arrive….

The place is ready…even the chairs are yellow!

Yeay- so many friends came!!! Thank you!

Gingerbread Man collage that we will be making. Will it be hard or easy?

My favorite yellow lemon cake. Yuppeeee!!! Thank you Anna, it was very yummy!

On my recent trip to Tokyo(a personal one), I had the pleasure of meeting Takemata-san, the owner/designer of Nushisa gallery and attelier.  Not only does he carry his own beautiful handmade lines, but also has a great selection of other lacquerware, pottery, and handmade items.  They treated us with such kind hospitality, we had a beautiful time eating his mother’s handmade food on beautiful plates and cutleries.  We walked out with a huge bag of amazing art work.  A must visit.  It is in Saitama prefecture’s Yoshikawa station which is about an hour from Shinjuku and a 10 miniute walk from the station.  Note: cash only.

Takemata-san with co・zen.　A bit camera shy!??

Visited with family from Spain. So focused on buying!

One of the many things I purchased(for myself!)…a very cute wooden broach of little birds.  Aren’t they just so adorable!???

Here is a map to Nushisa from Yoshikawa station. If visiting, maybe you can print this out.

Designed by Mayuko Sunaga, a model and a mother of one. Cicek (which means flower in Turkish) is not her first foray into fashion on the design side; she has a design degree from Musashino Art University as well as had previously launched another line (hand made bags known as mimi).  Cicek launched in 2010, and focuses on using organic cotton in clothing line.  The clothes are not only thoughtful from a fabric perspective, but also from one that allows children to use the beautiful pieces over a long period of time.  Little girls wearing these dresses may wear them as tunics in coming and growing years.  Handmade in Japan-isn’t it amazing!?

I am proudly bringing co•zen to you, a beautiful handmade lacquerware set of cutleries and wooden plate holder.  When I saw this set, I had to absolutely carry them myself as you don’t come across a product as beautiful and original such as this one.  It is a set that includes spoon, fork, knife (so that children can be like adults, but obviously not sharp), ice cream spoon (how thoughtful!) and ohashi (chopsticks).  They come with either a green or red band.  When I received it, not only was I even more pleased by the design, but also the smooth and delicate texture as well as the smell of the wood.

co•zen is:

Handmade using Japanese lacquer

Passed on for generations

Small and cute

To be used by children

As they eat on their own

Created by Atelier Nushisa who stresses the importance of charm in things that are old that continue to teach us as well as things that are handmade, which give warmth- something familiar- like the taste of a favorite dish your mother made when you were a child.

I believe I am one of the very few carrying it outside of Japan….While there has been a huge number of interest on this and with little stock, I am thinking of doing a pre-launch sale of only one-set (red band) before my site goes live in early July.  If interested, please sign up for my newsletter on Storytime (www.storytime.jp).  I will send out the information via the newsletter.　

Here is the background in making a decision on the colours for our logo – I wanted a gender neutral color and with yellow being my daughter’s favorite colour, there was no doubt that it was going to be one of the key colours (and its such a happy colour without a doubt! (☆▽☆)）).

Until recently, she was pronouncing, “Lello” instead of “yellow”. Now that she has learned how to say “Yellow” properly, she proudly says, “My favorite colour is YELLOW!!!” ALL THE TIME ( maybe at least once a day)!

Her third birthday will be coming up soon, and guess what the theme will be?  Yes….YELLOW!

Zozio designer Masayo Thevenon began her creative venture shortly after she gave birth to her first child. Disappointed that she couldn’t find dresses for her daughter to suit her taste, she started her own line. Zozio is a French word used by children that translates to a small bird.The line is defined by “Asia in Europe,” where virtuous colors and savory collections meet traditional Asian clothing and quality craftsmanship. It’s easy for parents to help their children get dressed, but they can easily slip on Zozio creations themselves, making for many proud moments.

You can find the thoughtfulness in organic fabric that is incorporated in some of the collection …or the sophisticated yet fun use of the colors in her collections, as well as the creative details (ex.fringe along the pocket line, or even the colors used inside the dress as opposed to the outside).  Attaching some FUN photos from the photoshoot- the girls all had fun!

We had our first photo shoot for Storytime over the weekend-very exciting!!! Four gorgeous children modeled for us and photos were taken by our friend Rensis Ho (www.rensisho.com / www.love-portraits.com) who always does excellent work.  As you can see from his portflolio, not only has he photographed celebrities such as Marc Jacobs and Isabella Rossellini, but also does family photos….so for those who are interested….you will want to make sure to remember him.  We feel very lucky to have found him (and to have become friends with him).

Also, all the children did a fantastic job. So energetic despite the rain outside..and very patient.  I think they had fun (I hope!).

I would like to thank the cute little models,their mothers as well as Rensis for doing a great job despite the long day- Thank you very much!!!!

Here is a sneak preview of some of the photos (obviously taken by me and not Rensis).