Tokyo Day 2

Had to make a start somewhere. Buying cute Kawaii items. Why not on the first morning out getting breakfast at the convenience store? It was cute, it was small, it was inexpensive. But i didn't know what it was! lol. I thought maybe a salt dispenser since it was located next to the hard boiled eggs. Later when i opened the package i found out there are some kind of tea leaves inside.

After breakfast me and my hubby ventured out to Harajuku. I had a feeling it would be one of my favorite places in the city and it was! We walked the Takeshita Dori were all the cute fashions are (i spotted some adorable shiny purple and aqua Nike's) and a huge Daiso branch! We spend a lot of time in there. So many cute items for only 100 yen each!

We also found this shop filled with all things cute called World Connection. If you ever get there, do also take the stairs down. If you think you've seen it all, there is a basement with even more goodies! I advise that when you're in a shop you like or even kinda like, always take stairs up or down if you see them. It will always be a suprise what you'll find, but my experience is that almost every time it is a good suprise. I couldn't help myself and picked up a couple of cute notebooks and stationery and this sweet clip.

After some more shopping we went back to the hotel so i could figure out where i was going to spend my afternoon when my Love had a meeting with Ken his producer.
Let me tell you this, if you're into all things cute and crafty the one travelguide you want to take with you is Marcelines Tokyo Shopping Guide. You can read up on it online too on her Asking for Trouble blog, but when going to Tokyo you really want to have the little booklet in your purse. Even with a Time Out Tokyo Guide, the Shopping Guide was my bible! All the great stores are in there plus directions. Thank you Marceline. That and a print out of the circle route of the Yamanote Line was all i really needed.

I decided to venture out to Ikebukuro and see if i could find the Tokyo Hands store. Yes, with directions from the Tokyo Shopping Guide. Found it easily. And Ikebukuro was a great place to. Like many areas in Tokyo, lots of people, lots of lights, colors and sounds. Funny that everything is so loud and the people are so quiet. (i kinda liked that no cell phone conversations are allowed in the subways)
So i got to Tokyo Hands and it was a great store, but i thought it would be more of a craftstore than it turned out to be. More household than crafts. But i did find some great needlefelting kits that were too sweet to pass up on.

Oh yeah, and a Happy Matryoshka Bath Fizz.


And who doesn't want to bathe in a bathtub with Cheesecake bubbles? Or sweet cherry blossom yogurt? They had any desert flavor possible! The other one, with the sweating character, i got somewhere else in a drugstore and seems to turn your bath into a heat bath. Haven't tried any of them yet. Just like to look at the packages for now.

On the very top floor of Tokyo Hands i found Nekobukuro or Cat's House. A place where you can go in and play and pet real life cats! Only in Japan. I was planning to go back with my Love and pet some cats on a later day, but you know how that goes. It didn't. But it is placed on the list of things to do on our next trip!

Right next to Tokyo Hands is the huge shopping mall Sunshine city. I had heard good things about this place, so went in, but after walking around for like 10 minutes i knew this was not for me, not at that time. It was getting late, i was tired and it looked like a place you could really get lost in for hours. Lots and lots of shops and the building has 60 floors and no English floorplans. The floor i got on had lots of clothingshops and allthough wonderful, i was not in Tokyo to go clothes shopping. So i called it a day, left and went back to the hotel to meet up with my Love.

Tokyo Grabbing Machines

I love grabbing machines and especially if there are lots of them and all filled with adorable prizes! Tokyo understands that. Tokyo understands me.

Most of us know that actually winning something from a grabbing machine is harder to do than it looks. We knew that too and got reminded of it on our very first night!

I think i should have read these tips on how to win before we went.

At first i didn't understand how you would ever be able to grab a prize in a box, but then i noticed all the boxes had small holes on the sides where you should put the grabber in, to lift them up. I didn't try. I know myself. Wouldn't be able to get it.

In one arcade hall in Ikebukuro i was told not to take photos. I felt really bad even though i kinda knew it probably wasn't allowed. Japanese people really follow the rules and i really felt like one of those dumb tourists.
So i bowed and apologized, bowed and apologized again and rushed out and went on to the next arcade. (and yes, i took some more pictures there)

Tokyo Day 1 - Arrival

After a long long flight we finally arrived at Narita airport! A bit tired, but very excited! I got even more excited when i saw that even the signs at the airport were of cute characters. You know that makes me happy!

Ken, the producer was waiting for us when we came through customs and i must say it was nice not to have to figure out buses and trains and such right away. He drove us to our hotel to drop off our luggage and then it was on to Shinjuku! We had a city to explore!

We met up with the producers wife for dinner in a Tempura restaurant. It was lovely. One of those places you know you probably would not have found as a tourist on your own. After dinner we wanted to go for a walk and they wanted to show us a bit of Shinjuku. They warned us it would be crazy, but we were up for it!

It was crazy. Mainly because we were still in a daze of being awake so long. Plus just the thought that when we woke up we were still in NY and then all of a sudden we were really there! I of course noticed a Japanese arcade hall. I love grabbing machines! (Tokyo has a lot of those, i will make a seperate post with pics of all the cute grabbers) My hubby and Ken played a guitar hero type game but with huge Japanese drums (and cute characters!). Then Love tried to grab me a cute plushy. First try didn't work. A man from the venue rushed over to place the plush so it would be easier. (as in the picture) Second try. Didn't work. The man replaced it again, it now looked as only one little blow would trow the plushy into the bin, but third try, again no luck. But we laughed a lot.

By now we were getting really tired so they dropped us of at the hotel for a good night sleep. Tokyo awaits tomorrow!
Hah. You would think we would sleep through the next day. But no. We woke up at 3am! Jetlag anyone? lol. Close your eyes and get back to sleep. I really thought i had slept for hours when i woke up again, but it was only 5am by then. So we decided to get ourselves some breakfast in a nearby convenience store and get ready at a leisurely pace for a great sunny day in Tokyo.

Back from Tokyo!

I'm back from Tokyo and back from a dream.
I have been walking around with a big smile the whole entire trip. It was all i hoped for and more. We had such a great time in the city and the people were so kind and good to us, they really made it unforgettable.
Don't even know where to start telling about all the adventures. I think i have enough for multiple (think a lot!) blogposts! So get ready for a bit less vintage and a bit more Tokyo and cuteness the next couple of days.

This was the gorgeous view from the hotel room, no, it's not the Eiffeltower, but the Tokyo Tower.
All though i am a big city girl, i like the quieter parts of a city. To stay in, that is, i venture out in the busy places and like to find my home where it is more calm.
The tokyo tower is not in the most happening place of town, or your passion is for business finances. But i liked going back each evening to where i could rest.
For those who know about my recent accident, my hip was holding up fine throughout the trip. By day 3 i had a blister which hurt me more than my fractures were. But i must admit my hip started to protest around day 5. I kinda overdid it on the walking. But nothing one Japanese aspirin couldn't take care of. I was in Tokyo. The sun was shining. What was i to do then? Stay in the hotel room all day? You're kidding right? I went out. Explore. Adventures awaited.

Stay tuned for more stories and pictures!

Be right Back!

I'm off on my dream trip to Tokyo!
Not bringing a laptop and not sure if i'll have access to a computer and internet, so i'll be back here when i return to NY! Hope you all will be here to welcome me back and read about my Japanese Adventures.
Very excited!

Bedroom to dream by

From 1,001 decorating ideas, book 19, 1962

Remember the use of pompons in vintage decors that i showed not too long ago?
Here's another great example of pompom decorating.
The distinctive use of white pompom braids gives this contemporary setting, by designer Edmund Motyka, its look of luxury. Applied in rows, it coordinates a spread and a contrasting valance.

Where's my white pompom braid and my sewing kit?