HOSHIKA

Fine Silver Jewelry, Fall 2010

2010-09-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

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New Crochet Earrings, Fall 2010

2010-09-27T08:47:00.001-07:00

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New Items Online!

2010-07-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

Fine Silver Jewelry.

Best for Animal Lovers!!!

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Alice in Wonderland!

2010-05-02T09:40:00.001-07:00

Couple blocks away from the house, there is a walking trail.

The entrance is just like "Alice in Wonderland"!

Walking about 30 minutes, we met this little one.

Spiritually healed day!

Thank you for coming again

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New Jewelry Line. Spring 2010

2010-04-16T13:28:00.001-07:00

Cotton Yarn Crochet Jewelry. Lovely.
You can choose the corsage color!

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Crazy about Knitting Baby Goods

2010-03-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be an aunt soon, and I am getting crazier and crazier about making the baby boy knit goods.
Yesterday, I finished making the squeeze toy.
It has a bell inside each bear heads, which one looks like a mouse and one looks like a baby tiger.

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First Peanut Butter Cookies with Hershey Kisses!

2010-03-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

When I was watching West Wing Season 5, they were eating cookies with Hershey's kisses on.
Then I asked my husband, and he knew about this kind.
In 14 years of living North America, I have never heard of it!!!

So, two days later, I googled it, and here I made them!

It was a big hit.
Added on my recipe books!

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Baby Vest

2010-03-18T08:49:00.001-07:00

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American Cuisine and Japanese Cuisine

2010-03-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

When I came to North America, I was a true pick-eater.
I thought I was going to be hard to live in a dorm.

But!
It was opposite.
I was pretty much open to anything, and now, I have very little of things I do not want to eat.

American food is very simple and straight forward.
So, the quality of ingredients and the cooking skill will show up-front.
On the other hand, Japanese food has a lot of complicated stew type recipes.
It does not mean that it will not show the skills and quality.
As long as you do it as the recipe tells, you will not make a mistake. (Maybe similar to sweets/bakery)

Cooking is very similar to mixing colors.
It is exciting to see how it will come out.
I like to cook good fusion food.

Many professional chefs might think I should never stand in the kitchen.
Since I came here in my early age, I, myself became like a fusion lady.
I feel isolated, because everywhere I am a misfit.
However, sometimes I think it is okay to be misfits and mixed, because that is what I am living for. Creating new world.

Image1: My home-made fusion cooking. Curry puff
Image2&3: Examples of American and Japanese foods. Borrowed pictures :P

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Baby Hat and Shoes!!

2010-02-25T12:40:00.001-08:00

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Objectnalty?

2009-10-13T05:12:00.000-07:00

I love to see that sometimes there is an personality in objects (objectnality).

Here is one of them. It is almost sculpture, not just an object though.

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New Prime Minister in Japan

2009-09-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, nobody might care, but a dramatic change happened in Japanese politics.

"Japan saw the dawning of a new political era Wednesday as Democratic Party of Japan President Yukio Hatoyama became prime minister, ending five decades of almost unbroken rule by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party." (Japan Times)

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New Jewelry line!

2009-09-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

I've been exploring the crochet jewelry.
They are very colorful and fun!!

If you are interested in, please visit http://www.hoshika.etsy.com

Dolphin Slaughter

2009-09-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

Do you know the documentary film called "The Cove"?
It is about one part of the little village, Taiji (Wakayama, Japan) where few fishermen hunt dolphins.

I learned about this film through a person who loves sharks, whales and dolphins.
He writes about them on his blog.
No matter what people say I'm from totally different place, or I never knew Japanese people eat whales or dolphins,
I truly feel bad just watching the preview of this film.

It is very interesting mechanics that we think we represent (/or feel responsible to) our own countries.
So, something bad happens to a country, that country's citizens feel ashamed no matter where he/she is.
At the same time we try to protect it. We try to make sense why do such a thing.
Who in this world decide that I have to reason or make a excuse for them?
No one. but we all do in some level.

I admit that I do it too..
Here is the Japan Times article about the dolphin hunter actually took only 1% of that village.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090902a2.html

Jellyfish!

2009-08-22T08:07:00.001-07:00

I love jellyfish.
In Japanese, it is called Kurage.
How they move elegantly makes me happy and calm.

Somehow, in any aquarium, they always in a blue background tank.
All in Japan, Canada, and U.S.A.
Maybe it shows well of their bodies.

I once watched a TV program in japan about a boy who is the expert of Jellyfish.
He knows every single name when he sees them.
One day, I would like to be like that.

Unfortunately, they are hard to live with. ( I cannot pet them easily :( )

If you are also a fan of Jellyfish, I recommend this Japanese movie called "Bright Futre-Akarui Mirai".
It is a weird story about a man and a life, and jellyfish takes a big part in this.

North Carolina Aquarium

2009-08-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

Are you enjoying the hot weather?
It is sticky and HOT! but it sure feels good.
Here are some more "summerly" pictures for you!

Yumigahama Beach

2009-08-11T06:26:00.000-07:00

Today I would like to introduce everyone Yumigahama Beach.
It is located in Shizuoka prefecture.

大きな地図で見る

It is very small beach that you can see the two sides of ends.
About 2-3 hours from Tokyo by train, we can forget the urban life and relax for a while.

Seafood is good there too!
When you visit Tokyo/Kanto area in Japan, I recommend to visit one of those small beaches as well!

Beautiful Friday

2009-08-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

Today is very sunny and beautiful in NYC!

It is not hot like normal August.
It is not rainy.

Mini Park!!

2009-08-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

I found very small tiny public park in the middle of Brooklyn, NY!!

From outside, it looks like a camping car. If you step inside, the camping car turns into a relaxing park!

Language Boundaries

2009-07-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

Languages are interesting.
I have been in English speaking countries for almost half of my life.
But still, I have been treated as a foreigner, because I do not fully cover north american culture.
I like how Japanese uses its languages.
Most of time, I mix those two languages into my own.
Some people get irritated, some don't.

I do have a lot of issues with speaking problems, being self-contained.
However, I have also met beautiful and amazing people over the years of my life.
No matter how you speak, the inner beauty shows up without words.
The form of language is uncertain. Many people forget.
I have a lot of hard time with those people, but I still believe that I have this inner beauty in me that somebody will discover..

Artists and Flea Market in Williamsburg!!

2009-07-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am going to sell at the Artists and Flea Market in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, this weekend!

This is first time to attend this market, so I do not know the crowd yet, but it is still exciting.

Please come and see if you are around and free!
Williamsburg is fun neighborhood to shop, so even to visit there is worth it.

The Weirdest Clouds Ever!

2009-06-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

Around 8pm in New York City, the sky was going crazy with colors and shapes.
It just looked like a drawing or a painting.. I could not believe what I was seeing!

The clouds were like jellyfish!!

New Discovery in Wire Wrapping

2009-06-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

More and more I tried to create new forms with wires, I discovers that it can be very complex and interesting.
I am kind of being a kid who is trying something out (but not really getting anywhere) on the small table.

Point of View

2009-06-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

When I start to explain something, I can never make sense.
This is because I believe that everyone has its own point of view.
I cannot decide whether snow is white or Tofu is soft.
For somebody else, their sense is totally different from what I experienced and grew up with.

Being different culture for long enough, to see the "normal" is not " normal" in different countries/cultures makes me ask what should I really believe? Do I really like this? Am I really happy about this?

Recently, whenever I meet a new person, I regret what I have said or acted. I did NOT act like myself.
How do I know I did not act like myself?
I am confused myself, but I certainly have myself.
This is what they have been talking about in Philosophy class?

The A.W.A.R.D. Show! 2009

2009-06-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends, who is a choreographer and a performer, participated in the A.W.A.R.D. Show! 2009 New York City.
Her group was chosen last 12 finalists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTZfrgcnDV8

The winner is going to be elected by audience votes. (sounds familiar??>>my last blog post)

I went to see them yesterday.
It was difficult to evaluate, because they were all different kinds and forms.

About 4-5 years ago, I took some dance workshops of hers and other Butoh (Japanese avant-garde form of dance) masters' .
It was quite experience for me. I, who do not normally move my body athletically, trying to learn how my body works.

Dance is a strange form of art. (in a good way)

and I enjoy to see how people try to figure out the expression in the limited container: body.
Body is something we all have to deal with..always..

good luck to my friend.

Mug Cup Contest

2009-06-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

I've chosen as one of 100 mug cup contestants of first stage!
Being rejected many times, this feels really good. Yeah!!

http://www.gallerycomplex.com/mugcom/overview_e.html

Second stage is done by voting system.
This feels more nervous than the first stage....

Wedding Invitations

2009-06-15T16:06:00.001-07:00

Many ladies dream about their weddings, and it is all the same in different countries.

Wedding invitations are little bit different in Japan and USA.
In Japan, most of invitations are folded cards with reply cards.
It seems to be American invitations are bigger, and they are often in flat cards.
Both country can be invited from the bride and groom' s parents, or themselves.

The big difference is that Japanese wedding has a seat program shows where everyone sits and who they are (connection with bride and groom). It seems american wedding has table tags instead.

In any cases, it is very pleasant feeling.

Do you believe in realistic world or unrealistic one?

2009-06-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

As a dreamer, I love to connect unrealistic things to my life.
At the same time, I am living in a realistic world, so what I am connecting with is brought into realistic world. That makes unrealistic realistic.

Bunny

2009-06-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

What was the beginning for me to become "bunny crazy"?
That was back when I was in Grade 2.

My mom was a teacher in the elementally school, and she suddenly brought 5 bunnies from school on one rainy day.
That was the beginning!
Since both of my parents were working, I often had a time alone in the house after school.
The fist thing I had to do when I came home was to look for all five bunnies hiding somewhere in the house.
(They were in the cardboard box, but bit quickly and escaped)

-Po
-Mimiwa
-Abarenbo Shogun (Abarenbo=daredevil (?))
-Kuishinbo (=big eater)
-Kenami (=good fur)

Those names are ridiculous after many years... but everyone in my family called them what I named those bunnies.

As you know, rabbits do not stay alone.
So they increased increased and increased...

Maybe because they helped me with my lonely time in the house when i was a kid, I feel like they are my life friends.

The picture above is a stuffed knit rabbit made last year. I made a gift for my sister who is also a rabbit lover!

Jewelry

2009-06-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

On my etsy shop, I added affordable jewelry recently.

Metal works are fun and deeper, but it will be little pricy, since it takes time to create one.

I would like to go back making metal sculptures again.

Wire wrapping and crochet jewelry could be much more creative than I thought. (I'm sorry those artisans who are working with those materials for long time:) )

I am actually enjoying exploring this new place.

Shokunin-Craftsman/Artisan

2009-06-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

I have always dreamt to be a "Shokunin". Shokunin directly means a working person. It really means more specifically, a professional who creates something by using his/her hands.

They have incredible hands. Doesn't have to be pretty and smooth. Those hands tell you how much they worked, just like wrinkles.

Multi-cultural

2009-06-09T07:55:00.001-07:00

Born and Raised in Japan, moved to Canada mid-teen, and here in Big City as a young adult, I have pretty much mixed culture in me.

Sometimes very confusing, because I feel like misfit in anywhere.

At the same time, there is always somebody who understands me no matter where I am.

First Entry!

2009-06-08T17:58:00.001-07:00

Well, I have done this many times, but not in English.

Not good at writing, but will give a try!!