Soap

Lush (Fresh handmade cosmetics)

Recently I care about products which I use for skin...
Just remembered there is a shop close to my work.

I bought two soaps today...
Hand/Body soap and hair soap.


Mitsubachi March (March of honey bee) and Torikomania
Engish (AUS): Honey I Washed The Kids and Trichomania

Both have really nice aroma...
Honey one is, you can tell from the name. Aroma is honey. After washed the body or hand still have aroma.
Trichomania is for hair. Aroma is coconut. During wash my hair, I feel like in tropical island. There are rich coconut aroma. After that still have delicate flavour.

I like so much both soaps.

Little bit expensive (I reckon Australia is moore expensive than Japan.), but I reckon if you care about skin it is worth to buy it... and best thing is very gorgeous aroma from natural products.

Summer event

-Summer festival-

In the morning I went window shopping with my friend at inner city.
At night time, there was a summer festival.

It was small festival. Even though there are lots of stalls. Food, drink, games, toys and so on...
I took few photos there and chose good condition one.

In front of the shrine, there are many lantern.
We didn't go into the shrine, but it was very gorgeous...


Shrine and lantern

This might be interesting for foreigner...


Character masks's stall

There are various kind of masks which popular in children.
It's not only for children. We can buy and wear it.

There were many people, but it was fun to go.

Hiking

-Hiking to Mt. Ibuki-

I went to Mt. Ibuki with my parents.
My mum drove us.

The highway was chockablock... It took 3 hours to there. (Normally about 2 hours.)
However I found cute road sign.


Animal caution for Tanuki (Raccoon dogs)

We arrived the parking...
Let's hike!!

There are many rocks.
Most of the rocks are limestone, so it's very slippery when it's wet.






View from mountain toward to ski resort.

Some lives in mountain...

Captured a bird.

However long distance, so bit bad quality...

A locust.

For me, this is creepy...

Gorgeous butterflies everywhere...

A man said me, 'Look, you should take this too.'

I saw many pretty flowers.

(Sorry it's only Japanese name...)

'Ibuki torikabuto'

'Utsubogusa'

'Marubadakebuki'

'Tsuru ninjin' (Maybe this, but might different flowers will bloom...)

'Syurosou'

'Kooni yuri'

'Kawara nadeshiko'

'Ezo fuuro'

'Waremokou'

'Tsurigane ninjin'

'Ruri toranoo'

We arrived top of the mountain...

This mountain is 1,377m.

The building used to meteorological station, but not any more...

Good bye mountain...

These are from the car views.

Twisty road... It was exciting, but I bet mum was tired to drive this road.

Treat time!!

We off to Oogaki to have summer sweets.

Mizu manju/kuzu manju (Water bun/Arrowroot bun)
Pink (grape-an/red beans paste with grape taste), Green (Maccha-an/red beans paste with green tea) and Brown (Anko/red beans paste)

From Mum

-Present from my mum-

My mum went to Hawaii with her co-workers the other day.
I got many souvenirs. In the souveir there was a watch. Mum asked to fix the belt, because it's too big for me.
However it was still big for me, so I had to go Swatch shop in the certre of the city. The other day, I had another thing to do in the city centre, so I went to the shop while I was there.

Finally my watch was fixed by Swatch staff. It was really short time to fix it.
Anyway from now on I have a nice watch.


Looks like small turtles are line up...


I took off three pieces of silver round part...


Signature of 'Swatch'...

I really like this watch. It's so pretty and well designed.

Title: Swatch from my mum
Theme: Jewel...

Making time!!

-Coloured pencil case-

Creativity day...
I wanted to make something today.
I was looking at my pencil case which I made before then came up with one idea.

'My coloured pencil case'

My coloured pencil case is really old... since I bought I use it.


My coloured pencil case...

'Bye bye my old coloured pencil case...'

Here is my new coloured pencil case...


'Sakura' coloured pencil case


Inside 'Sakura' view...

I made it sipmle.
Because colour will give us lots of story...

Theme: Keep it simple
Thing: Old and new coloured pencil case
Title of new pencil case: Sakura

Happy weather.

-Rainbow-

It was rainy in the morning.
In the evening when I was making dinner, I saw the sky. I thought 'There is rainbow', because it was orange coloured sky. I went to see it and I found it.

'Yes, I thought so.'


Rainbow with airplane

When I was taking photos, airplane was coming.
Finally I could captured this photo. At that time, the rainbow was almost gone.
I was so happy to take this photo. I had smile on my face when I took this photo and I felt I will have good future soon...

I hope everyone have gorgeous time like this rainbow.

Gardening

-My vegie story-

I went to farmers market with my mum on Saturday.
There are vegie shop and flower shop. That shops are selling vegies and flower from around the farm... around that area.

My mum bought two pot of Zucchini for me.
I planted on my old pots on Sunday.
(These are bottom photo.)


My Zucchini in old pot...

I wish I lived like Australian house with big garden, but I live in apartment. There are no space like there. Even though I want to grow something and decided to grow Zucchini which is one of my favourite vegies.
I found good one at market. Those plants are really nice and fine.
I hope they are grow a lot and produce some zucchini. I'm really looking forward to seeing some...
I hope one day...

To be continued...

Day out.

~Walking in Tarui area~

I went to Tarui with my dad.
The weather was pretty good. Sometime cloudy, but I could see blue sky.

At first we walked around the town.
We visited 'Jinjya' (shrine).


In front of the shrine.
There were two kind of cherry bloosoms. (Normal one and droopy one)


Droopy cherry bloosom. Behind 'Torii' (Gate of shine)

When we were walking in the town, we found something cute...


In front of someone's house there was a dog...

The dog was really quiet and just sitting in the small garden.
He/She (?) was so cute. I liked very much.

We also visited different shrine. This was different type of shrine is called 'Taisha'.
Before the shrine there were two gates. One of them was huge.


Huge red gate...
You can see some cars bottom, so you can tell how big this gate is.


Top of gates with blue sky.
So gorgeous...

From the red gate, we walked about ten minutes.
Finally we found shrine is called 'Nangu taisha'.


Entrance of shrine.


Inside of shrine.

There was a river in the town that called Aikawa (Ai river).
It was spring festival, so there were lot of peole, but not so crowded.

This river is famous for 'Koinobori' (Carp streams).


'Koi' is a kind of fish which is like above.
This one was in the town when we were walking in the town.

Many 'Koinobori' are here...


'Koinobori' with cherry blossoms and Ibuki mountain.


One of my favourite photos of the day

It was gorgeous day. I could see so many things just for one day.
Thanks my dad.

Day trip with my parents.

~Iwakura city at Gojyou river~

I went t oday trip to Iwakura city with my parents.
There were so many people both side of the river... so it was really difficult to take photos without people.

Near the river some people were making 'Koinobori' (Carp streamer).

This is called 'Nonboriarai' which is washing carp stream. This for taking off 'Nori' which is like laundy starch.

There were a lot of cherry blossoms and rapeseeds.

It was really tired... because of heaps of people were walking narrrow riveside.

Other than that it was really nice day.

Tradition

Momo no sekku/Hinamatsuri (Peach festival/Girl's festival)

This festival for girls. When family has girl/girls we celebrate for them. We pray for girl/girls happiness and health.
Usually each girl has Hina ningyou (Hina dolls). Hina ningyou for protecting from bad luck. We decorate them in the house. There are several type which are different steps.
I have three steps ones. Those are so gorgeous. I wish I could decorate again, but I can't decorate all.. Even prince and princess.. Need lot of space... Sometimes in the future I wish I can show you here...


Chirashi zushi (Decorate sushi)

-Chirashi zushi- (Quick version)
Ingredients
Dried shitake mushroom 3
*Mirin, soy sauce and sugar- 1table spoon each
Rice- 4cups
Vinegar- 7table spoons
Sugar- 4table spoons
Salt- 2tea spoons
Egg- 1or2
**Mirin, milk, sugar and salt- little bit each
Shiso (Japanese Herb)- 3
Sesame- half cup (As you like)
Carrot- half piece
Smoked salmon
Katsuo (Bonito)
Sakura denbu (Cherry blossomed coloured, seasoned codfish powder)

Recipe
1. Day before the cooking put dried shiitake in pot with few water, *mirin, soy sauce and sugar then cooked little while and cool down. (Need to reconstitute.)
2. Cooked rice in rice cooker or pot. (This time, water is little bit less than when normal cook.)
3. While cooking rice, prepare other things. First of all, cooking Suhizu(Shishi vinegar)
4. Put vinegar, sugar and salt in container and mixed. Then put in microwave until sugar and salt are dissolved.
5. Put **Mirin, milk, sugar and salt in to egg and beat and baked thinly in the pan. Then cool down and cut into thin pieces and 3-4cm length.
6. Cut finely carrot and put in microwave few minutes to until soft.
7. Heat up shitake then cut into small dice.
8. When cooked rice, put out the rice in Hankiri (Wooden bowl), pour the Sushizu evenly. (If you don't have Hankiri, you can use normal bowl instead.)
9. Mixed well, but do not knead. Mixed like a cutting.
10. Put carrot, shiitake into the bowl and mixed.
11. Roasted sesame in the pan then put in the bowl and mixed.
12. Decorate on the rice with egg, sakura denbu, shiso, smoked salmon and katsuo.

Enjoy your meal!!

P.S. You can make normal sushi with Sushi meshi (Mixed rice with sushizu).