10 Things I love on Etsy Fall 2015

Are you familiar with Etsy?

If not, you should be! It's a wonderful site driven by the creative community. Whether you're into crochet, leather, one-of-a-kind jewelry, fashionable handmade clothes or prints, there's something for everyone! I've been a proud member of the community for over 6 months now, but I've still got a lot to learn. One of the best parts of being in their creator community is all the beautiful work there is throughout the site and all their helpful forums and blogs for connecting users. For this feature, I'm sharing some of my favorite finds from other artists! Let's begin, shall we?

Japan: Daily grind 2012年10月

Clockwise from top left: Natto, mozuku (slippery vinegar seasoned seaweed), soy sauce, coffee with milk, mackerel sashimi with 2 umeboshi & shredded daikon, cooked white rice (from 711!) 

View from the bus window during my morning commute.

Flowers in front of Ikspiari during the walk to work from the bus stop.

Reading materials. The only books I haven't managed to read yet are Player Piano and Mr Rosewater by Vonnegut. I quite enjoyed The Grand Design and Cat's Cradle has long been a favorite of mine. I got The Science Delusion to help counterbalance the Dawkins, as both can be a bit dogmatic. Always best to gather as much information as you can before coming to any conclusions. 

"The Cat Returns" film Comics & Howl's Moving Castle art book.

Zaru soba with iwashi (sardines), umeboshi, mozuku and tare. 

Dessert sweet puffs and takoyaki from Gindako in Ikspiari.

Goofing off X3 We have exceptionally good balance or particularly flat heads…hm...

Touch screen vending machine with cute Halloween & fall themed animations that would float by from time to time until someone approached the machine.

Japan: Fune party 2012-10-19

For many years the Tokyo branch of the Arribas company threw holiday parties for their employees. In a rare meeting of upper management and makers, artists and their handlers were welcome to join the managerial staff in an evening out together sponsored by the bosses. This was the first, and last, holiday party I attended with the company in my three winters with them, as the tradition seemed to die shortly after.

Oh well. The times, they are a'changin.

I'd covered this evening in a previous post, but now I can go a bit more into detail and provide more photos.

An ode to the weirdos of Fremont Street

Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas attracts all sorts of people. 

All sorts.

From this bearded lady...

To these Italian plumbers and their reptilian friend...

The body painted nudists and your Super heroes/Super villains...

To this chick with her blow up doll...

To this drunken Santa...

Cupid and this patriot...

To this super casual dude and his pet.

Oh, yes…

Fremont street.

I recommend visiting if you're ever in Vegas. 

Cheaper booze than the strip and free entertainment!

The people watching is hard to beat.

Tokyo Disney Sea 2012-04-26

For two and a half long years I worked my tail off at Tokyo Disney Sea.

Despite working in the park, I was never allowed to explore beyond my area and I most certainly never got free entry into the park. There are strict regulations about costumes and the regions they inhabit so you'll never see a Mermaid Lagoon employee in full costume hanging out in the Mediterranean Harbor. 

Because I worked for Arribas and not Disney directly, I couldn't even use the Disney employee parking lot for my bike. I got an awkward warning from a guard one night and a note I couldn't read.

Bummer.

But it was still worth taking the time to visit the place I worked at, at least once!

So one overcast spring day my friend Yuka & I met up at the guest entrance of the park we worked in.

After dutifully (albeit grumpily) paying our $45-50 some odd bucks (with a local discount), we entered for a day of fun. Our friends Noriko & Naoko were both working, but promised to meet up with us when their shifts ended. 

By the way, did you know that the Japanese Disney parks are cheaper than their U.S. counterparts? Now you do!  Not everything is more expensive in Japan. ^_^