Design Festa 2014

This is really overdue but I felt like I still should make a post about it because it was so much fun!  I went to International Design Festa which is a huge art convention that happens twice a year in Japan.  It takes place at Tokyo Big Sight in Odaiba which is kind of far from me but if course I went anyway.  The event only costs 800 JPY for admission in advance and 1,000 JPY the day of.

he whole building was full of little tables of artists selling their work.  There were also some artists doing live painting and an area for performances.  I didn't bring my camera though but I think it wasn't such a terrible decision just because the event was so hectic and I did not feel like carrying that heavy thing around.

There were really so many cute artists whose work I loved and I took business cards from all of them!  I followed a lot of their twitters so you if you're curious, you can check out this little list I made here.  I'm thinking of doing a write-up on some of them in the future.

I loved this girl who did live painting in a seifuku.  It made me want to try and paint something big too.

Not entirely sure what was going on here but I was down for a photo.

Here are a couple shots of things I bought from artists there!

From the Japan Lover Me booth!  These pins are by Little Miss Paintbrush.

I love this cute little framed embroidery piece. n_n

You can't see it well but it's a gift for my local Japanese friend.  It's a photo holder that looks like a strawberry cake and they even packaged it that way too!!

This pin is amazing but difficult to photograph.  I bought it from this sweet girl who looked like she should be working in the Spank! shop.  She doesn't have a website but her instagram is here.

This event was really so much fun.  I highly recommend going to Design Festa because it's a really inspiring experience.  It's a good way to meet and learn about other artists as well as purchase original artwork at a reasonable price.  I did a lot of gift shopping too.  I spent a lot of money here but it was definitely guilt free because I knew the money I spent was going directly to an independent artist who more than likely was the person I just physically handed my money to.

I had so much fun blogging in Japanese last time around and I will resume that with my next post on my trip to Mt. Fuji so stick around~

Weekend Update: Junko Mizuno/David Cook and Kyary

This weekend was so busy and now I'm happy I don't have to work for the next 2 weeks so I have time to recover.  Although I'm sure the time before I leave for Japan is going to be nothing short of relaxing, not having to go to work will make it a little more tolerable.  Also, there are some little videos included in this post, so make sure you click them to enable the sound so you can enjoy the full experience. n_~

✿ Friday ✿

Friday was my last day of work at the office and even though I had been at work since 9 am, I was ready for the extra, more fun 4 hours of my work day at Cotton Candy Machine for Junko Mizuno and David Cook's opening.  There was an amazing turnout and it was a really busy night.  I didn't even get a good look at the work until after everyone had started to leave.   I was so happy to have the chance to meet Junko Mizuno.  I wanted her to sign a copy of one of my books of hers, but I couldn't find Cinderella or Hansel and Gretel in my house and all the copies in the store sold out before I could reserve one for myself so I just had her sign my sketchbook.  I'll consider it a reminder to make more art.

I also met this artist/musician named Voltaire who just did a Google search on and realized I knew his work without knowing who he was.  Whoops.  After most people left, Junko shared some desserts that someone brought for her.  That was really exciting to me both as a hungry person and a fan.  Photos won't be up for probably a week or something so I only have the few from my phone.  I can edit this with a link to some of the photos once they're online. The show is up until April 1st so check it out!

I helped frame these limited edition prints.

I'm sad that I can't go to any of these shows for the next year.  I'm working on coming to terms with the fact that I can't be in two places at once.

✿ Saturday ✿

I was so tired on Saturday because I was dragged out to a bar the night before for what seemed like forever.   It was 48 degrees out which is almost 50 degrees which is almost warm but not quite.  So that was a pleasant surprise.  I decided not to wear a jacket which wasn't the worst idea because then I didn't have to carry it all day although I would have been happy to have it while waiting in line for the show later.  At around 11, I met up with my friend Kaley.  We grabbed some onigiri from the cafe at Kinokuniya bookstore and we went to see Sebastian Masuda's exhibition.  I already had gone to the opening but 6% Dokidoki model Yuka was doing performances this weekend so I had to go back.

They played old Disney music and as a woman at the gallery explained, Yuka acted similarly to Sebastian's experience when creating the installation. Yuka demonstrated this by existing within the space as if it was her bedroom and alternating between actions like brushing her hair and reading a book, to climbing under the bed sheets. By the end of the performance, she had changed from a white nightgown to a green one.

I look like a goof sry

Yuka is too cute. I saw her later that night at Kyary's show too.

Afterward we went to Vivi Bubble Tea which was a short walk from the gallery.  We wanted to rest our feet and relax a while before sitting in line for the show for hours.  I love this bubble tea place and they have a few locations in New York.  I tried a caramel macchiato flavor and it was amazing.  Here we are:

Eventually we did make it to the infamous Best Buy Theatre line which was already way around the block by the time we arrived after 3:00.  But I was meeting up with Saxon so we just met her in line.  She makes all these super cute tights and gifted me a pair of Creamy Mami themed ones.  I'm so excited to wear them and I'll definitely post photos when I do.

These Japanese TV people came and interviewed me and Kaley and then asked for my email address so they could maybe talk to me more.  Last year they went into people's rooms to talk about their interest in Japanese culture.  My room is currently a mess so I would have appreciated an email from them to motivate me to clean it.  My mom's complaining clearly isn't doing it for me.  Still no email though. ~sad~  Similar to last year, everyone in line became friends.  We saw Elleanor, the Tokyo Fashion blogger, and called her over and she took a photo with me, Kaley and our new friend Cory.

Left to right: Me, Kaley, Cory, Elleanor

Saxon, Kaley and I got our photo taken with Pamyurin!

Kyary's performance was way better than last time and I think a lot of that had to do with the set.  Last time the stage was entirely bare except for these colored banners on the sides and a screen for projections.  After the last tour, Kyary said in an interview that she wanted to bring a whole set.  I'm so happy she was able to do it because it made the performance more exciting.

This bunny danced during costume changes.

My only real complaint was some of the people around me.  Most everyone there was super fun, but there was this one guy who was front and center in the first row of people and at least a head taller than everyone else.  I couldn't even read some of the subtitles on the video's during costume changes or see Kyary sometimes.  There was also another guy who tried to push his way in front of me and the girls next to me mid-set and the one girl asked him not to do that and he was really rude back to her, demanding her to ask him again nicer.  Then he just stood next to us with this smug look on his face for the rest of the show.  Good riddance.  It was a lot of fun without him in front of us.

I love Kyary performances because they are so high energy and she's just way too cute.  I hope that I can see her when I'm in Japan.  There was a really cute little girl with her mother who took some photos of me and my friends.  Her mom told us that her daughter is one of Kyary's dancers in Japan! I wish I knew her name so I could see the pictures she took.

I found Elleanor again after the show

That was my super exciting weekend.  Now my life is back to being boring for a little while so you probably won't hear from me for a little bit.  I hope everyone who got to see Kyary on this tour had the best time ever!

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What to do in NYC Next Weekend!

It just occurred to me that so many people who aren't from the New York area are coming to see Kyary next weekend.  One of my Tumblr followers asked me for recommendations of things to do so I thought it would be fun to come up with a whole list of what's going on in case other people are interested.  This list includes art shows, stores and places to eat that aren't really tourist standards that I think Kyary fans would enjoy.

Junko Mizuno and David Cook at The Cotton Candy Machine

I have been looking forward to this ever since Junko tweeted at me personally after I bought one of her original pieces this summer telling me that she was preparing for a show here.  My heart definitely stopped beating for a second.  Her shows have been primarily in California so this is a rare treat.  Also what a dream that I am going to be working this opening event too!  David Cook is also a fantastic artist so it's definitely worth stopping by to see this show and pick up a cute art thing or two if you can't make the opening.  The opening event is Friday March 7, 7-11 PM but the show runs until April 1st.  Read more here.

Sebastian Masuda's Colorful Rebellion Seventh Nightmare at Kianga Ellis Projects

Yet another absolutely amazing and well-timed art installation.  Sebastian is the owner of the Japanese clothing line/store 6%Dokidoki.  This exhibition is described as being a self-portrait project with 7 different zones within the gallery representing the 7 deadly sins.  I am going to the opening tomorrow and couldn't be more excited.  The process photos have been crazy so I can't wait to see what it looks like it person.  There seems to be some confusion from people interested in this event.  This show, as well as the one at Cotton Candy Machine above are free admission because these are at galleries, not museums!  The exhibition runs from February 28th-March 29th at Kianga Ellis Projects.  There is more event information on this Facebook page including the dates and times that 6% shop girl Yuka will be performing at the gallery.  This is a definite must-see for every Kyary fan!

Kinokuniya Bookstore

Kinokuniya is one of my favorite places in New York City and it's just a 10 minute walk from Best Buy Theatre.  On the entry level, you can find art and fashion books, travel guides for Japan, English books and some toys.  The bottom floor of the store has a bunch of cute stickers, craft items, stuffed animals, childrens' books, Japanese novels, and magazines.  And of course, the top floor is where you can find rows of manga both in English and Japanese, CDs, DVDs and anime toys.  There is also a small cafe and a sitting area where you can purchase food and drinks.  It's really difficult for me to go in there and leave empty handed.  Consider that a warning.

St. Marks Place / East Village Area

There are so many shops and restaurants here that I can recommend.  Search and Destroy, pictured above, is a totally unique store with lots of secondhand items.  It mostly doesn't have anything I would want to wear, but it's worth going in just for the experience that I'm not going to spoil by describing here.  Below it is Kenka, my favorite izakaya style bar.  It too has an interesting interior design that will make you feel like you're somewhere in the Japanese underground.  The menu includes Japanese staples such as onigiri and ramen as well as some things that are more out of the ordinary including...bull testicles...?  The best part is that they give you some sugar to make a cotton candy after you pay for your food.  For more shopping, Trash & Vaudeville is a staple.  In fact, Kyary went there last time she was in New York and it's included in her tour documentary.  Think Hot Topic but if Hot Topic was 100x cooler.  Toy Tokyo is an awesome toy store that's located on 1st just a block or two off of St. Marks.  They sell art toys, plushies, and have a bunch of rare collectors items.

For other food places, there is Japadog (Japanese style hot dogs), and multiple bubble tea places though I am personally a fan of TKettle's strawberry black tea.  Another one of my favorite places to eat is Udon West, where I usually get a set that includes negitoro don and udon soup for what I think is about $8.  There are endless restaurants of different types both on and around St. Marks. My favorite two ramen places are Ramen Setagaya and Ramen Misoya which both offer vegetarian options.  Misoya has several vegetarian options while Setagaya has only one but they're all excellent.

My diet includes an extraordinary amount of Asian food so that's a lot of what I mentioned but if you don't want Japanese food, I highly recommend Indian restaurant Milon which is another place with an unforgettable interior design job.  The whole inside is covered in holiday lights.  I went there for lunch for the first time last week and had a special that included a samosa, soup, and a main dish with rice which only cost me $10 including tip!

I could honestly go on for ages about places in this area because it's where I spend most of my time so if you have any questions, just ask and I would be happy to help.

More Food!

Endless food recommendations because it's one of the best parts of New York.  East Japanese Restaurant is a kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi place that is super affordable and a lot of fun.  There is more than one New York location too.  I used to work for them and I got all the free sushi and I would still eat there again so that says something.

Here are a few places in lower Manhattan:  Mimi and Coco is such a cute little restaurant owned by two Japanese girls.  They specialize in takoyaki-type food items that they call "teriyaki balls".  I love the ones with the potato filling.  Eight Turn Crepe is a yummy Japanese crepe place in SoHo that I also love.  And if you're on a super budget, Vanessa's Dumplings is awesome because you can get 8 dumplings for like $3.  I think the prices on this website are wrong because I definitely only spent $6 last time on 8 dumplings and a egg and chive pancake.  There are multiple locations in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn.

I hope this helps some of you out when you're in town for Kyary next week.  Maybe I will see you around too. n_n  As always, comment if you have any questions and I will be more than happy to help you out.

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$ales $ales $ales

Black Friday is a pretty unfortunate thing, in my opinion.  I just feel like people quickly go from being thankful to being really ungrateful.  Although there isn't any need to get into physical fights at the mall, there certainly is something nice about giving gifts to people you are thankful for.  I can get behind that.

For all of you who, like me, don't want to deal with Black Friday crowds and love supporting smaller businesses- this list of sales is for you!  You will feel less bad about materialism when purchasing from these people.  I promise you.  I have picked out some sales at places where you can get awesome and unique gifts without going through major corporations. n_~

Camilla d'Errico

Camilla's artwork is so beautiful and I was so lucky to have been able to see it in person.  Prints of her would would be amazing gifts and she is having a sale on her website, http://camilladerrico.bigcartel.com/, for 24 hours this Friday November 29th.  She hasn't posted what the discount is yet but I will post it here if I find out before Friday.

Lunar Creations

I am so lucky to have met Saxon while waiting on line for hours to see Kyary.  She is such a creative and kind person who sells one of a kind kawaii fashion items.  She sells some amazing anime-inspired printed tights that I have always wanted a pair of.  From now until December 1st, you can get 15% off at her store with the code "turkeyday".  The offer is limited to full priced items only and it does not apply to pre-orders and clearance items.

Mishka NYC

If you haven't heard of Mishka, you will at least recognize their infamous keep watch eye logo and you have more than likely encountered knock-offs of their products too.  Well, Friday is the day to get your hands on the real deal.  Greg is one of my friends and his company is really cool.  I especially think so because they recently started selling clothes for women.  Not like I'm biased or anything....  I own a sweatshirt of theirs and while I had to buy it in a mens small and it looks like a very glamorous dress on me, I never take it off once cold weather happens.  Shop Mishka NYC starting Thursday for sales up to 75% off in-store and online plus limited edition t-shirt availability.  Plus a extra 20% off with discount code "MOPSTER"- more details here.

The Cotton Candy Machine

If you know me personally, you know this is one of my favorite places ever which is why I am so excited to share this sale information with you.  The image above will be available as a signed and numbered edition of 100 giclee print plus many, many more specials and a free copy of "The Snow Bride" print with every order.  More details here because it would take me a year to rewrite it all for you.

Sara M. Lyons

Sara M. Lyons is an illustrator who sells stickers, prints, and temporary tattoos of her work.  She also sells a bunch of nail stickers an is releasing these all-over print nail stickers now too! She posted on Tumblr that she is releasing new things and having a sale at her store this Friday November 29th at 9 pm EST.  I can't wait to see what she is going to add to her store.

Toy Tokyo

  

Toy Tokyo is a super cool designer toy store in the East Village of New York City.  I stop in often and feel like it's almost like a museum because they have some really old toys from Star Wars and Nightmare Before Christmas specifically.  They have put together a bunch of holiday bundles with themes such as Gloomy Bear, The Simpsons and Domo that are specially priced for this season.  Even Kaws items will be 25% off for Cyber Monday and Gloomy Bear products are 30% off starting Friday and increasing to 50% off on Monday.


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