Jimi Hendrix. Drew these on small 3x5 inch pieces of paper, thought I'd post em. Not my favorite drawing, but I havnt posted in a while so I figured...what the hey?

Prada Vernice Sfumata Pump

Prada's accessories are always one of the first brands I look at in style.com's accessories preview. Afterall, Prada's accessories are always the sales force behind the brand and they're usually copied by all the other high street brands (thus Prada's accessories almost always form part of the new trends.)

The first time I saw this season's Prada's shoes, I thought err... I hated the gradient colour theme (more so for certain colours like green and black than others,) and I wasn't really into the whole leg-warmers-with-heels trend because realistically, I'm not going to even try that. But when I was wondering around Barneys in LA, I couldn't resist trying on a pair of one of Prada's FW07 runway shoes, the Vernice Sfumata Pump, which to us normal people, are commonly known as the gradient-coloured pumps. So I tried them on and wow, I loved them! I instantly felt like I was sucked into the world of artistic, intellectually glam world of Prada. I especially liked the thick, black, elastic strap in the front. I was wearing a flowery skirt that day so it didn't really match my outfit but I imagine it would look absolutely amazing with black pants -modern, sleek and creative. Sigh, now I'll probably spend the next few months admiring these shoes online everyweek.

Image credits: www.saksfifthavenue.com, www.prada.com

This Weekend In Tokyo

The first weekend of September in Tokyo is shaping up to be a mighty fine one. If you are out and about in the city these are a few spots we think are worth checking out. If you are loving us from afar be sure to click on the links, read up on the Tokyo happenings and impress your friends with your knowledge of rockin' international events!

- This week over at Ping Mag quite the comment riot was caused when a conversation with Japanese artists Yoshimitsu Umekawa and Kensei Yabuno was posted. Seems their current Fancy Head exhibition at B Gallery in Shinjuku is copping all kinds of reviews. Worth a look to see what the comment hype is about we think.

- The Melting Point Exhibition at Tokyo Opera City Gallery has been recommended to us by a few peeps around town. An interactive immersion into an installation by the Scotish, Brazilian and Japanese artists could be just the adventure we are looking for.

- On a more personal note, this weekend, Saturday September 1, we are having a little gathering of our own. Cocktails and Chandeliers will be held right here in our very own Tokyo apartment. Looking forward to great friends, devine food and a chilled evening of cocktails under the chandelier. Considering September 1 in Japan is National Disaster Prevention Day we are planning for a bubbly yet safe extravaganza.

All this and so very much more. When are you coming to visit?

Happy Disaster Prevention Day!
xx

HG's LA Trip II

After yesterday's not-too-positive post about LA's food, I'll move onto LA's shopping today! I stayed at Beverly Wilshire so the place I went everyday was Rodeo Drive. Before going I wasn't really enthusastic about Rodeo Drive because I thought it was just going to be another designer name-packed street which will be like all the other places I usually go to (-Hong Kong, London etc.) I was right about the designer-packed part, but what I didn't expect was that I really loved the street. I loved how there was so much space to walk around and not feel crowded, and the salespeople there were so friendly and helpful! (The sad thing was of course, I could hardly afford anything there!)


The thing I loved most on Rodeo Drive was the Prada shop. The first time I saw it from across the street, I thought, that coat looks like it's from Prada's FW07 collection and those stairs are very NYC Soho Prada-like, is that the Prada shop? You will notice that the shop doesn't even have a Prada sign, and I really haven't seen a store before that didn't display its own designer name! I loved it! (Seriously, if you didn't know Prada well and just walked past it, you would think it was a weird warehouse!)

But walk by at night and you'll be surprised. See those three holes on the ground?



They're like lighted caves filled with Prada goodies. The concept is so cool.

And of course, there is the newly renovated Chanel store, my second favourite looking store on Rodeo Drive. It looks so clean and clear cut, with only white, black and gold.

While I love the atmosphere and all of Rodeo Drive, the shopping place that I really liked was Robertson Blvd. Robertson Blvd is the street where a lot of mix-brand boutiques like Kitson and Madison are, and also boutiques of American brands like Nanette Lepore and Alice + Olivia. For me, Kitson was sort of... blah. I only noticed lots of T-shirts and the new Paris Hilton clothing collection. If anyone visits Robertson Blvd, then you must go to the Alice + Olivia store -the clothes are SO gorgeous. It's not too often that I think clothes look even prettier in real life than on shopbop.com. And there are so many more stores on Robertson -that was def a fun trip.

Unfortunately for me, the only things I could afford on both streets was the BCBG sales rack! Surprisingly, the sales rack still had loads of goodies. I got a boring/ classic, black and nude-coloured dress for only 150usd (half price!) and a very useful black cardigan thingy. And while I love my BCBG purchases, my favourite (and most useful) purchases were probably the two pairs of sporty shorts (great for lounging around the house doing nothing) I bought at Target, where my sister bought her moving-into-college-stuff. So all in all, shopping in LA was pretty cool and it ended up being a really relaxing holiday.

Ooh, and now I finally understand why Mary Kate and Ashley look so wrapped up (with scarves and cardigans) in paparazzi photos even in LA. Even though it was sunny everyday in LA, the temperature was kind of cool ,especially in early mornings and nights. Anyways, I'm leaving San Francisco tonight so I better go pack now!

Vinegar Feet

An oldie but a goodie, I put in on the TOKYOMADE blog. I get so many chuckles out of this. I wonder if others, especially outside of Japan find this funny.
It is an intensely tongue in cheek look at the rules that apply to sushi devouring.

Dip it and enjoy!
TM
xx
p.s. The salt at the door is definitely not for eating, sushi is never made on geta and let me tell you as the lady of this house I don't always pour my man's drink first!
p.p.s I NEVER eat sushi! If you ever look at a real sushi chef's hands you won't either! Rank! Fingers soaked in raw fish and sticky rice all day start to deteriorate, that skin has got to go somewhere. Despite that the sushi in Japan is absolutely exquisite to look at, it really is art much different to the rice wrapped up in seaweed and offered up as sushi back in Australia. Although I must say, before my vegetarianism became more focussed I didn't mind the odd tuna salad, rice and seaweed wrap.

HG's LA Trip I

Today I just wanted to give everyone a quick look at my LA trip. Last week, I stayed in LA for a week suppsedly helping my sister move into USC. (OK I wasn't much help carrying her stuff nor did I attend the orientation but whatever.)

First off, I just want to say how boring LA's sightseeing spots were. The Walk of Fame, Kodak Theatre, Lady something catherdral thingy, the Hollywood sign etc. -honestly, all a yawn. I don't know why people get so excited and take so many pictures there. The only thing worth seeing was The Getty Center -the garden and photography exhibition were gorgeous.

Since the sights were so disappointing, I decided that a trip to LA must involve the young people hotspots. So I made my poor family go with me to Koi, Pink Berry, Sprinkles, Spago and The Ivy. For those who don't know, Koi is one of the 'it' restuarants, where a lot of celebs get their photos taken by the paparazzis when they leave. It's a Japanese fusion restaurant. Admittingly, it was fab for the ambiance and all, but the food seriously sucked (way too salty,) and the tables were just too crowded. Definitely not a place for serious dining. Spago (which claims to be a Californian restaurant with Austrian influences) on the other hand, served fantastic food. The only warning I should give out is that it's pretty touristy.


Sprinkles, the hotspot for cupcakes, always had a line outside the store.


The cupcakes were... cupcakes -Sweet, but nothing special and overpriced. But it was an 'LA experience' for me, to join in the craze with other Angelinos.


Pink Berry is basically the snack place of the moment in LA. They sell simple yogurt, soft ice-cream style, and you add toppings on it. Surprisingly, I actually liked the yogurt there and had it three times in my one week there! No wonder they're earning so much money and opening so many stores. Do try it if you go to LA -it's another 'LA expeience' one should enjoy!


Ah, the oh-so-famous Ivy. I stumbled across it on a shopping trip and surprisingly managed to get a table without reservation in 15 minutes. The food there was pretty good, although my mum and I were more impressed by how the waiting crowd outside the restaurant didn't seem to get smaller even at 3pm! While it wasn't the best Italian food I've ever had, the meal was certainly one of the better ones I had in LA.

So ya, this has been the food-related highlights of my LA trip. Yes I know I'm no food critic but these are just my little thoughts on the restaurants. Tomorrow I'll move onto the shopping!

Teen Choice Awards 2007 Fashion

Hey people, so sorry for the uber late posts. I'm at my aunt's house in San Francisco at the moment and the internet connection is sort of wacky here. (Thankfully BG posted for me yesterday!) I'll talk about last week's LA in the next two days, but first, the Teen Choice Awards! OK, so the fashion there was so boring and uninspiring that I wasn't even going to blog about it but staying in the States for a week has turned me into paprazzi-obsessed (temporarily hopefully,) so I'm going to blog about it anyway.

Hilary Duff -She was the co-host so you will notice that she had more than one outfit. I quite like her wearing this Corey Lynn Calter black, sequined dress, although it feels more nightime than daytime.

Hilary's other two outfits were very 'her'. I like her in the blue and black sequined dress, and so-and-so about green jeans. What I don't like about her is her hair! What happened to those classy locks? What is up with the gradient-coloured hair?

I may like Avril's music but I'm really not a fan of her clothes. I used to like it when she kept it simple with jeans/ pants with tank tops, but now her clothes (and pink hair) are just, for a lack of better words, not cool. Actually I suppose this outfit isn't too bad, but it would have looked much nicer if her hair was just left straight down.

I've never liked Fergie's clothes so I'll just say here that her grey heels don't match her polka dot dress.

Lauren and Audrina -Kind of typical choices for them, but they could have chosen cuter dresses. Audrina's dress is too nighttime clubbing-ish, and Lauren's is just not as fun as her usual choices. (Lauren's dress is from her upcoming collection.)

Jessica Alba's dress is really nothing special, but seriously, that girl can make anything look amazing. Jessica not surprisingly, won the female hottie award. I really want to watch her new movie, Good Luck Chuck!

Emmy Rossum is finally not in a boring long dress, but I don't really like her dress here either. The pink looks great on her, but maybe the way the fabric is draped on her just isn't that cute? Or maybe adding a thin belt around her waist would have added more shape to the dress.

Wow, Sophia Bush looked amazing in a hard-to-wear Herve Leger dress. I love her playful dress with that cute but proper hairstyle. I guess she had to look good, afterall, she won three awards!

Vanessa Hudgens -The dress really suits her, except the clutch doesn't match the dress. OK, I accidently watched two minutes of High School Musical 2 this afternoon, and I don't get why they are so popular! True, they do seem talented (which is not a given in Hollywood these days,) but what is so fun watching a bunch of kids sing on tv? I suppose musical is only cool to me if it's live.

Since I really have no interest in men's fashion, Zac Efron (who won male hottie) is obviously here for eyecandy. He always looks a bit too photoshopped (or madeup?) for my taste, but hey, eyecandy is eyecandy. Enjoy!

What did you think of everybody's dresses?

Image credits: www.justjared.com, http://fadedyouthblog.com

Paul and Joe Beaute: Autumn 2007

First of all, I'd like to say that I am by no means impressed by the quality of Paul & Joe make-up. But I AM very impressed by their packaging. It never fails to make me want to buy everything. I suspect that this is their selling point. Their autumn collection, Dear Diary collection, is no exception. They have a very touching story to go with this collection, something about shades that will allow you to be yourself, but I really fail connect the product/package design with the story. What I do know is that not only do they have a pretty print of flowers and leopards (they assured me that it was not a cat) packaging and a pretty floral pattern inside, but they also have pretty names: Daydream, Pressed Roses and Poetry to go with it. The colors though are not too inspiring. Lip colors all look the same to me. Though my mom uses them, and she assures me that the texture is very moisturizing and smooth and points out that the paper packaging is very lightweight for the purse. The eye shadows, brown on brown, Dark Blue on blue and Pink on maroon is not wow but they are practical. Plus, it has a hint of shimmer, which should be pretty! The only downside is that because they are not separated, the two colors will eventually mix into one ugly mess after a few months of use. But I'm sure they'll come up with some other pretty design by then for you to replace it ;) Such clever marketing.

So the point being that while I am by no means blind to its flaws, I still cannot help but gush and oogle the beauty that is the Paul & Joe cosmetics- its just SO PRETTY!

Image Source: Paul & Joe

Sleep Update

It is 10:21pm I have 9 mins to get to bed or I will be breaking a promise to myself and my tired puffy eyes...but I just found this! How can anyone sleep with riveting stuff like this on the internet to keep them awake??


Alright, alright, I'm going, I'm goooing!

Dr. Sketchy's Tokyo - Under Water August

This month's Dr Sketchy's Tokyo sketchers were plunged into a stunning subterranean world of mesmerizing mermaids and swashbuckling pirates.



The handmade merwoman attire stunned and amazed, twinkling under the bright lights of the Pink Cow.

In a dastardly act of pirate tomfoolery the aquatic angel was whisked from her basking point and carried off into the night.



Later to emerge from the grips of the pirates as an alluring beauty, no longer a mermaid.



Each week at Dr. Sketchy's Tokyo one very talented artist is scheduled to splash their style onto a piece of canvas to be admired and shared in at a future Dr Sketchy's event. This month is was Tomokuni of Team Extasy that did the honors. A man of many talents he showed a new side to his art with this sleek painting of the mermaid come woman.



The next Dr. Sketchy's Tokyo will be held on Wednesday, September 26, 2007.

**SIGH**

Hear that? It is the sound of an intensely long and drawn out guttural sigh coming deep from within me! Why? A lot of reasons really, but mostly because tonight marks the official closing of my lazy Summer vacation from full-time work. Never fear, the moaning and groaning is not going on in a negative sense, it is more like a physical expulsion of my dirty summer habits. 3am bedtimes, sleeping til 10, moseying around gingerly until the espresso gets into my veins and brain, hour long getting ready sessions, extended shopping expeditions and lots of ice cream.

Tomorrow morn, a Monday morning in Tokyo will be a jolt to my system for sure but I am ready for it (or so I am convincing myself). I don't often do well with lots of time on my hands. I am at my best when kept busy, so it is time to exfoliate the lazing and lounging and get my ass on that express train by 7:22am tomorrow.

Anyone who knows me well enough will know that I don't like to go to bed early, my Mum would go so far as to call me a Night Owl. What I am even less good at is "Mornings". You know the old Snoopy coffee mugs with the inscription "I'm allergic to morning" with poor old Snoop draped over his dog house, I feel a mighty strong connection to that mug (and have been bidding furiously on Ebay to nab a vintage version).

As much as I hate to think about all the good quality internet roving hours I will miss tonight by going to bed early, I have made a promise with myself that I will be in close proximity to my futon and comfy pillow by 10:30 (EEEK) a whole 4 hours before my usual bedtime. Early to bed, early to rise makes a woman healthy, wealthy and wise!! I am going to try it, let you know how I go!

Sweet dreams!
xx

I leave you with some pictures that we took in Ibiza last year. The people in Ibiza don't have to sleep if they don't want to, and as a general rule they rarely do!