rain or shine

Make rainy days feel not as bad......!

The new collection from ileava, Ao, was made so that those rainy days won't make you feel so gloomy anymore.

Wear cloud pieces for cloudy days or rain drops for rainy days to make you feel differently about those rainy days.

There's always the sun above the clouds~

Available at Accents Jewelry on Main St. Santa Monica.

Christmas is just around the corner~

ileava's new star and heart rings are sold at Yolk.

and few other selections as well~

it's a little hard to see in this photo.
The little heart and star could be worn together inside of the large open heart or star~

if you are in the area, Yolk is a great store that you can find gifts for others and gifts you want to give yourself!

http://www.shopyolk.com/

I used to drive on this street almost everyday, one summer when I was interning for an architect studio.  I really liked how a busy street filled with stores, (Beverly) turns into a curvy street (Silver Lake) The best part is when you get to the lake and everything is a bit more open.

That summer is filled with great memories. 

little shrimp

The other day I went on a little road trip.

This time it was to Shizuoka. There is a department store I am doing an event at, and I needed to go there to set up.

Since it is almost December and getting cold, we are able to see a snow covered mount Fuji.  People say it is the best way to see mount Fuji.  The white mountain against the blue sky really did make the mountain stand out.

There were low clouds that day, and when we got to our usual spot to take a good look, it was covering the top part of the mountain.




It takes about roughly 4 hours by car to get to Shizuoka.

The city is located close to the sea, and it is famous for tuna.
For dinner we had a variety of fresh raw fish.  How fresh the fish is, key when you want to eat it raw, so this was a great place to try different menus. My favorite was the tiny shrimp. Usually you see these dried. To eat them raw was really good and I didn't expect them to be so flavorful! They are very small, about 3/4"inch.

Another reason why going to different parts of Japan is exciting. Every place has their specialties~

The department store set up turned out like this!

Hearts and Stars

tiny starts and tiny hearts.


I love the weight these little guys have when it's all in my hands.

These got brushed and washed, and made into necklaces.


It's going to be sold at a trunk show in a department store in Shizuoka, soon~!

Its December now...

So many of the leaves turn color in this time of year in Tokyo.


This past whole week I was at Isetan Department store in Fuchu for a week long trunkshow.
It was a great week and I had a chance to meet a lot of great customers !


Everyday, I would pass through a shrine. There are so many large trees there, you really get to enjoy the season.

Because this shrine is so old there are 2 really old cherry trees in front.
It is not that tall for how big the tree trunks are but I can imagine how large and wide the branches will be in the spring time with blossoms.

It was weird for me.  I almost forgot that cherry leaves turn color.
I always remember places where there are cherry trees because in the spring they are so pretty, and every tree is different depending on the size of the trees.

This is a different cherry tree more close to home where I usually come to see cherry blossoms.


I feel like I can remember this view now.
Sunny and warm, but the temperature is not that high. The sky is blue, leaves are orange and the light is crisp. 
This is what end of November, beginning of December feels like.


Next week I can hopefully get a good look of Mt Fuji in December.

Wooden...

Here are my little guys that I drew. They are my hug bear and my bunny that was the start of the hug rings that I make in silver.

Now, I have them on my phone!

Well, on my phone maple wooden case to be exact.

The company who makes this case is Hacoa.  They produce and designs wooden stationary goods, house-wear,  and kitchen-wear. 
Their new product is the iphone case. It comes in walnut, maple and rosewood. 
This is what it looks like in rosewood. 

I like the idea that the things you use everyday is made out of wood, because it will start to age over time, and would have a certain sheen and have deeper color.

I am anctious to to also see jewelry age as well. 
Hacoa and ileava are doing a collaboration, combining wood and sterling silver.

This is the bangle that is my favorite.

Like the wood, silver jewelry also looks better when people start to wear it everyday and gets used a little bit.

We are taking orders if you are interested in the bangles and I will share places where they are available, soon.
As for the phone cases, please go to this site for orders.
They can print names and logos for additional costs.

( sorry,it is in Japanese text only)

http://www.lobjet-d.com/
I might cheat and wax my phone case today~
and see how that turns out.

working late

Winter seems to be just around the corner.

Temperature is dropping day by day and the sun is setting earlier.

Right around when the sun starts to set, my new companion starts to wake up.

It's a flower that opens up only at night.

My grandfather brought it to the studio one night when I was coming back late.

It is amazing how strong the scent is! These tiny little flowers can really fill the whole room.

It's starting to be a competition who can stay up longer.