Washi Tape Bunny Book Ends

I was ecstatic to find out that the Ichiban Kan store opened the other day.  I could not resist walking in, telling myself that I would not buy anything.  Well, that's pretty impossible, and I came out of the shop with a variety of things that I don't necessarily need.  One of the items were these bunny book ends:



Aren't they the cutest? Of course I had to get them!

So today, I was looking at them sitting on my shelf and thought, why don't I add some color to them.  They're a bit bland.  Here's what I did:

Step one was adding a base.  I love prints, so I traced the silhouette onto a page out of a random book.  I pasted it onto the bunny book end.  The page was quite random, and now after reading it, it's a bit provocative! Didn't plan that one!



Step two was adding random washi tape into sort of a lattice pattern.  I had to remove and replace quite a few times since I'm the type of person who doesn't have a clear cut vision right away.  Here's the end result:



What about you all?  Do you tend to approach your projects with a clear vision in mind? Or do you do it like me with a lot of trial and error?  Perhaps something else? I'm always interested in learning about how other's approach things.

Hope you all enjoy your day, bunnies!

Nothing is more relaxing than...

Enjoying snacks on the beach.









This is going to be an amazing
summer.

RAK packages

It's always nice to send packages, especially when they are random and for no real reason.  It reminds us of the special, regular moments in life.  I know for me, I always have as much fun, if not more, actually making things for other people versus getting things.

I decided that I'd randomly send a very close friend of mine a random package.  No, it's not her birthday, nor is it some holiday.  Plus, the items in the package are completely random as well with no real theme or connection.  They're just things I know she likes and enjoys in general. While it was random, little did I know that the day she receives the package is also the day she finds out she is to be promoted to manager at her company!  I was ecstatic to hear the news and happy there was something in her mail to congratulate her in some form.  Lesson learned, that random packages can sometimes also be a sent at a very opportune time as well.

Cheers to random packages sent through snail mail:

I'm not going to lie.  Part of the reason why I subscribed to birchbox is because of the boxes they come in.  Perfect size and shape for packages such as these.



Got these memo pads from Daiso.  They are the perfect size and shape.  Easy to decorate with washi tapes and random papers.



Time to put random items in package!  As you can see, I decorated the lid to cover the birchbox logo.  I absolutely loved this patterned paper I got from paper source and plan to make envelopes out of them.  Isn't the pattern adorable?



Items inside: Bangles, Stila gold eyeliner (She is also a professional dancer, so I thought this would be fun for her shows!), an assortment of teas (she is also obsessed with tea just like me), and of course the hand decorated memo pad to fill with quotes and fun memories.  The graph paper inside can also be used for packaging!



Tie, package, and add a key.  Ready to mail!



I will definitely send more random packages to friends.  So fun to make!

Business Card

Summer Vacation is a few hours away and what do I plan to do this summer?

Craft!  I want to make hellobunnies a small little brand of its own so in honor of that, I made a sample business card.  I am going to try different types, but here is my first mockup.  I will try to make other types as well.  This one doesn't look very business card-ish, but I thought the handmade touch gave it a nice little crafty feel to it.



That is after I pass a test and also reorganize and clean my house.

Another Blog Giveaway

Just stumbled upon another blog and her giveaway.  Prizes look amazing! Plus her blog is awesome.  Please check it out:

sweets and dreams giveaway

Breakfast

I've had an intense year as I've been easing into my career as a teacher.  This past year, I've held 2 jobs.  One as a sub, and another as an after school program leader.  In addition, I give whatever remaining energy I have to volunteer teaching and coordinating in another community based organization.  It can pretty much be considered another full-time job if you count how long I work and the effort I put into it.

So, It's been a tough and extremely busy year, but I made it through and my fifth graders are graduating on Thursday! I am so proud of them and will probably be in tears as some of them were my very first students ever 3 years ago.  It's been extremely tough balancing everything I've had to do, but it's been an amazing experience that I would not trade for anything in the world.  I love teaching, and I hope to have my own classroom soon.

With such a busy schedule, I have always had to eat on the go.  Today was one of the first times in a while that I actually got to take the time and enjoy my breakfast.  Naturally, I felt the need to commemorate and live in this moment by taking a photo.  I had a simple toast and jam along with a pot of tea.  It felt nice.  A nice taste and preview of the summer vacation.  Now I truly understand why teachers need the 3 months off!  It is exhausting working with kids all day!



Live in the moment and be grateful for the calmness and simplicity that life can bring.  I need to savor and value breakfast more often.

Winning Contests

A few weeks ago, I won a giveaway contest from conscious collection!  I was so happy and excited since I am the optimistic type and tend to enter contests whenever I see them - especially blog giveaway contests.  Today, I was excited to see that I received my package from conscious collection.  Her blog is filled w/ inspiration and crafting endeavors.  She also has an etsy shop w/ cute washi tape designs, zines, and other packaging items.  I love the designs in her shop, so make sure to stop by foraged and found by memtree.

I love getting packages in the mail and am in the process of doing swaps.  I just made a random package for a friend who will be getting it in the mail soon - I plan to blog about it after she receives it.  Here's what I got from memtree from the giveaway:



I got zines, a cd, random paper ephemera, stickers, and a roll of washi tape.  I cannot wait to use these items for my packages - it was such a cute assortment!  I also enjoyed the zines - one of which contains random acts of kindness inspiration.  Love it, and feel like doing some random acts of kindness myself.  So thank you memtree for this lovely package!

Japanese Adventures

Yesterday, I made my way down to South Bay to see a friend.  We went to Strawberry Field plaza.  This plaza has been renovated since the last I've been - when I used to live in the san jose area.  I was happy to see the plaza growing with new businesses!  Saw and enjoyed a lot of the cute stuff and foods.  I got lots of inspiration from skimming through the craft and packaging books.  Here are a few finds:

Meiji Candy Box pencil case holder from Kinokuniya:  As you know, Meiji is one of my favorite Japanese snacks!



Of course, can't go w/o a look at the new washi tape selection.  I particularly like the Eiffel tower pattern at the bottom left corner. Very cute.



My friend introduced me to mochi cream, which was absolutely delicious! I had the white chocolate mochi and it was so good - there were actual white chocolate pieces in the mochi.



Mochi!



Very nicely priced japanese food in the mitsuwa food court.  Only $6 for a curry and ramen set.



Stopped by the Clover cafe which had very unique desserts and buns.  They also sell Japanese pasta and hamburg on the menu.  Looked tasty!  We bought an okonomiyaki and yakisoba bun, which were both very good.



And of course, I can't help but go crazy over cute pictures that remind me of my bunny.

Yakini Q Cafe - SF Cute Cafe

I've mentioned before that I love going into a place based on aesthetics.  Naturally, I walked passed this cafe in Japantown and had to go in.  This cafe has a comfortable and homey feel.  They have a range of European and Asian desserts.  They have games on the book shelves for customers to play while enjoying a coffee or dessert.  Today, the husband and I ordered a pot of tea flower.  This is the first time I've tried this and fell absolutely in love with it.  The tea starts as a ball that blooms into a flower when steeped with hot water. It has a jasmine taste to it.

Tea for Two:



Looks like someone's living room.  Very comfortable setting.  The husband and I played a game of chess while enjoying our pot of tea.



Tea flower blooms!

Happy Mom Day

Hello Bunnies! Happy Mother's Day.  I decided to make a card using washi tapes and stamps since my collection is growing.  Besides, what's better than a handmade card?  I feel like I never want to purchase a card ever again unless I am in a hurry.  I should probably start creating a generic stack of cards to be on hand whenever it's someone's birthday or wedding or baby shower.  Perhaps that is my next project endeavor.  I also want to start making envelopes.  Anyhow, here are the results of my project.  I will probably throw in fresh flowers to go with it.




Happy Mother's Day Bunnies.  I hope you were able to enjoy a lovely day and appreciate your mothers.

Ichiban Kan

Just like Daiso, I absolutely love Ichiban Kan.  They are opening a store near me, and I am very excited about it!  I stopped by Ichiban today and picked up a bunch of items and snacks.

This tea pot was only $2!  What a steal.  Granted, it isn't the most high quality tea pot, it is still very cute and functional.  I like that it has a strainer to strain out the tea leaves into the pot.



Can't leave Ichiban without purchasing my favorite Japanese Snacks:  Meiji Chocolate & Hi-Chews are my favorite sweet treats.



Japanese Ramen Noodles provides for a very tasty afternoon snack.  I love this flavor as well as the soy sauce flavor.



What are your favorite Japanese snacks?

Etsy Find #7 - Doble Ele

Hello Bunnies!  For my Etsy Find #7, I am posting about a recent washi tape purchase I made at Doble Ele.   I purchased the 5 random washi tape pack, 2 washi tapes in rainbow polka dots and starburst patterns, and 1 pack of bakers twine.  I bought all of this with a good cheer deal from oh, hello friend.  I just received the package yesterday, and I have to say I am quite pleased with what I received and how she handled her business transactions.  She was very quick about sending the items and although it came from Hong Kong, I received the items in a timely fashion because of her quick communication and fast shipping.

What I bought:



Decided to use the washi tapes on my container to see how they look.  Although they were random, I was happy with the patterns she sent me!



My Washi Tape/Packaging supply collection.  It's growing slowly!

Oh Hello Friend

$100 giftcard to wanderlust

$100 giftcard to Madewell

One of my absolute favorite bloggers is doing a few giveaways.  Please checkout her blog to enter for a chance to win $100 gift certificate to her store, made well, and other goodies.  She has the cutest stuff - accessories and of course packaging too!