Autumn Bucket List recap

December 31, 2015 CaitlynLeave a comment

It seems like the end of December is a little late to be talking about an Autumn Bucket List, but when you think about it, winter technically just started a little over a week ago. If you add the fact that weather in Tokyo still feels like fall, updating you on fall happenings really shouldn’t be that strange at all! So, without further adieu, let’s talk about my 2015 Autumn Bucket List! #noregrets 😉

Try kirigami– Kirigami, the art of folding and cutting, can really make some neat projects. I was a lot busier than I expected over the past few months, but I did manage to do this quick kirigami pattern out of a 100 yen store kirigami book.
Go to Studio Ghibli- Once again, we were unable to get tickets for Ghibli in the fall. On the bright side, we were able to get tickets for winter, and we ended up going on Christmas Day! We were a little surprised that after all the hype and difficulty getting tickets the museum wasn’t bigger. We also couldn’t believe there is no English at all throughout the museum (and even the English brochure didn’t offer any information other than rules), but we still had a nice time. I really enjoyed the Christmas decorations at the museum, and also walking in the surrounding area (Kichijoji).
Start sewing projects for baby– I started working on this cute sewing kit purchased from etsy.
I used to lack the patience for sewing, but I feel like as long as there is an interesting podcast or video going in the background, I really enjoy sewing. I definitely have a renewed appreciation for all the beautiful sewing work my mother has created–especially after realizing it can take hours to complete only 10 rows or so of stitching!
Go on a picnic– Chad and I had a picnic with our students, and also had “mini” picnics a couple of times (like when we shared those nice pastries at the Rikugien Gardens).
Go on a mini trip & view autumn leaves– in October we went to Kyoto and rode the Sagano Romantic Train. We also went on the Hozugawa River Boat Ride before biking a bit around Arashiyama.The leaves weren’t changing too much yet, but we were able to do lots of autumn leaf viewing after that trip.
We met an oni on the Sugamo Romantic Train…!
One of over 1200 statues at Otagi Nenbutsuji in Arashiyama
Make a birdy mobile– I totally didn’t get a chance to make this, but here is what I had in mind:
Go to Mt. Takao– I was super proud that at 29 weeks I was able to hike all the way to the top of Mt. Takao!
Make Halloween Needle Felts– I made two, and blogged about the projects here.
Holiday/Maternity Leave Planning– I definitely worked on this part of my list throughout the fall, especially in December! With the holidays I did all of the expected: had fun finding special gifts, wrapping presents, preparing yummy food… And for maternity leave, I’ve been trying to do yoga and/or squats every day, to go for a daily walk, and to do part or all of one task I’ve got listed on my To-Do List (for example, washing new baby clothes or organizing a closet to prepare things for sending home). Busy, busy!
Get necessary items ready for baby– We still have a few things to get ready for baby’s arrival, but we have been very lucky to have friends and family helping out with a lot of the basic necessities. We have been super minimal about purchases and requests as 1) we’ve heard that new parents often have WAY more than they need, 2) if we do need something we don’t have, we can always pick up those essentials as we go, and 3) we aren’t planning on staying in Japan for very long after baby is born so we don’t want to accumulate too much.
Thirty five and a half weeks pregnant at The Tokyo New National Theater to see The Nutcracker

I thought about making my first ever winter bucket list for this year, but aside from going to The Nutcracker ballet (which we did a couple days before Christmas, by the way!), my primary goal for this winter is to meet our little girl and settle into being a mommy! I think that will be more than enough to keep me busy.

What are some things you did over the fall, and what have you got planned for the winter?

xx Caitlyn

Fall Bucket List: Halloween Needle Felts

October 26, 2015 Caitlyn1 Comment

Happy Monday! After a weekend of being sick, I managed to get my haircut and attend an hour workshop and not a whole lot else. I was really worried today was going to be a terrible start to the week after a very restless night (runny/stuffy nose, sore throat, being uncomfortable from my changing body, having to pee all the time…), but it was a surprisingly good day at work. At the moment I’m waiting for some rice to finish in our rice cooker so we can enjoy some takoraisu for dinner, so I thought I’d show you the needle felts I finished over the last week or so while I wait!

The last needle felting I did was a while ago: a little bee, and a bit before that a cute little onigiri. Both of those were not kits, but the ones I chose for Halloween this year were! I think there are some pros and cons to choosing kits rather than making things on your own, so I’ll tell you about the kits I got!
First of all, these were both purchased at a 100 yen shop. That’s right: for 200 yen total (less than $2), I got several hours of stabbing fun. Included in each kit was a needle, assorted felt for the project, eye parts, a round jump ring and a ball chain . Things I needed to prepare were glue, scissors, and a mat to work with (the kit also suggested an awl for poking holes for the eyes, pliers to insert them, and a ruler, but I just poked holes with my needle and inserted the eyes by hand. I also didn’t measure anything, but in retrospect probably should have!).
I was a little disappointed my bear and ghost didn’t turn out as cute as the ones in the pictures, but I think part of that can be chalked up to lack of experience, part to not having the natural Japanese talent for making everything ridiculously cute, and part to not measuring *ehem, ehem* I was also a bit frustrated at having a limited amount of felt–I wanted to make my bear fatter (and thus cuter), but ran out of brown felt, and I wanted to cover the ghost with more of the black so less white showed through, but ran out of the black felt.
Something cool I forgot to mention is that each kit came with a “recipe” written in both Japanese and English. This would be awesome if you were trying to study Japanese, and in my case (since I have been really naughty and haven’t studied at all lately) if you just want the English.

I think if you just want to try needle felting, a nice cheap kit like the cuties I got are a good way to go. Plus, once you’ve got a needle, all you really need is felt, a styrofoam mat and your imagination and you can do quite a lot!

Well, dinner is calling! Hope you have a nice start to your week, too!
xx Caitlyn

Autumn Bucket List

October 13, 2015 Caitlyn1 Comment

Happy Tuesday everyone! I had a super busy weekend in Kansai, which included a lovely Saturday in Kyoto and a baby shower in the Osaka area on Sunday (you can see a few pictures on instagram). We spent yesterday back in Tokyo, and although I was bummed to come back at first, it was a good thing I got some rest as I’m feeling kind of crummy today. One the bright side, tomorrow is my next doctor appointment, so I’ll get to see our sweet baby again! And speaking of baby, some of my Fall Bucket List this year is all about preparation for when she joins us this January.
You might notice this year’s list is a bit shorter than years past, but that’s mainly because in the past I baked a lot (still no oven in our apartment *cries*), went to events in Michigan (like the Detroit Beer Festival), or did Michigan-related outdoors things (like apple picking!). Also, some of this year’s list will actually take a lot more time, such as planning for the holidays and maternity leave! Should be fun working through this year’s autumn list.

What do you have going this fall?
xx Caitlyn

Autumn Bucket List

Autumn 2014 Bucket List Recap

November 30, 2014November 30, 2014 Caitlyn1 Comment

Even though it is technically still Autumn, in Michigan we’ve already gotten quite a bit of snow to remind us winter is on its way! I thought I’d give a recap of what I’ve been able to scratch off my Autumn Bucket List so far this year so I can get started on creating one for the winter ahead. As with my Summer 2014 Bucket List Recap, many of the links will take you to posts about the topic so you can remember along with me 🙂

Autumn Bucket List 2014

1. Go apple picking √

2. Make monte cristos √ (This year I made this yummy recipe with my Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, and last year I made this one!)

3. Go to Crane’s in the City for lunch √

4. Make amazing apple pie √ (More details to come!)

5. ~~Make apple rose tartlets~~

6. Make sweet potato bread √

This sweet potato bread recipe was so, so good!

7. Make apple butter √ (recipe here!)

8. Make an apple roll cake √

9. Make acorn crafts √

How to Paint Acorns | Upcycled Garden Style | Scoop.it

I tried making these…. (Source)

…and these! I was inspired to make the little gnomes above by this etsy shop.

10. ~~Carve pumpkins~~

11. Have a ramen party √

12. ~~Have a wine & cheese night~~ (Though we did join a Raclette party which I hope to blog about soon!)

13. ~~Have a chocolate tasting party~~ (No party, but I did try plenty, and even reviewed this one)

14. Eat caramel apples √

15. ~~Make homemade ice cream~~ (I swear I’ll get to this one of these days!)

16. Have an Oktoberfest party √

17. Go to the Detroit Beer Festival √

More pictures can be found on my instagram

18. Go to Traverse City & Sleeping Bear Dunes √

19. Make name silhouette art √

I got this idea from a painting my mom had with her name in this style, and I can’t wait to experiment more with name silhouettes in the future!

20. Thirty Days of Zentangle √

21. Writing challenges 1/week (I only did two, one of which can be found here…)

22. Restart book club √ (In October we read Your Face in Mine, and this month we’re reading the latest Haruki Murakami novel)

23. Try Ethiopian food √

24. ~~Catch up on art journaling~~ (But I’ve been starting to gather pictures and other memorabilia!)

25. Get officially certified as a coffee master √

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee! I got certified yesterday!! 😀

26. ~~Make Jack-O-Lantern tartlets~~

27. Hobo Stew Party √

28. Dandelion blowing √

30. ~~Make a fairy garden~~ (But I did start collecting supplies!)

31. ~~Go mushroom hunting~~ (The weather got too cold, too fast!)

I definitely was a busy girl over the fall months, and I think with our move to Tokyo ahead, I will likely stay that way! What kinds of fun have you been up to this Autumn?

xx Caitlyn

P.S. Don’t forget that tomorrow is the end of the second Little Snail Thrift Store Challenge! I am looking forward to seeing your projects, and will be posting the next challenge soon!!

Autumn Bucket List · Learning · Projects

Zentangle Time!

November 17, 2014 Caitlyn7 Comments

So I’m about a third of the way through my “30 Days of Zentangle” goal for my Autumn Bucket List, and I thought I would share a few of my favorite tangles so far.
Day 4

In case you’ve never heard of Zentangle, it is a “fun, relaxing art form that employs structured and coordinated patterns as a means of creating beautiful and interesting pieces of art.” I got that definition from the workbook I’ve been using on my Zentangle journey: The Art of Zentangle: 50 inspiring drawings, designs and ideas for the meditative artist. I think this workbook is awesome because it starts you off with the basics and allows you to build confidence to progress into more complex tangles. Additionally, more complex does not mean more difficult; contrarily, Zentangling is all about the process of creating without worrying about the outcome or about making mistakes. The Art of Zentangle really provides great ideas and inspiration to make your own unique tangles.

Days 8 & 9

Day 9

I started off my “lessons” by telling myself I needed to sit down for at least 25 minutes to try to get part of the book done each day. I soon realized that tangling makes you lose track of time rather quickly–on days where I had somewhere to go after my Zentangle time was up, I would be startled out of tangling by an alarm, and on days where I had more time, over an hour would pass sometimes before I knew it.

Day 11

I can’t wait to get farther into the book and try out more of the activities. I’m really looking forward to the sections that introduce using shading and colors. As I continue working through the book, I will be sure to update you again with some of my new favorites!

Take care and stay warm on this blustery day!
xx Caitlyn

Autumn Bucket List · Party

Autumn Bucket List: Hobo Stew Party

October 23, 2014October 23, 2014 Caitlyn4 Comments

Every fall, my grandparents host a Hobo Stew Party at their lovely home up north. If you don’t know what a Hobo Stew Party is, you’re about to be introduced to a simple, fun gathering in which everyone participates in the main event: the stew!This year’s party took place a couple of weeks ago, and the main idea (as always!) was this: each person attending the party brought their own additions to add to the stew, and after the flavors had a chance to meld together and everything had been cooked through, it was time to eat!Chad and I brought tomatoes from our garden, kidney beans, and a light dessert. Yum!Above is the dessert I made: Mini Santa Maria’s (little cream puffs with shortbread bottoms). They turned out a little eggier than I would have liked, but they looked pretty at the very least! I love this picture of my brother and Ariel at the party.

After eating, a walk was definitely in order, and it was a gorgeous fall day. I finally got to cross blowing dandelion seeds off my list 🙂

We had a really nice time at the Hobo Stew Party. What is your favorite dish or addition to bring to a party?

xx Caitlyn

Autumn Bucket List

Sleeping Bear Dunes & Leelanau State Park in pictures

October 16, 2014October 16, 2014 Caitlyn1 Comment

Chad and I went up north a couple weekends ago and were able to enjoy a very beautiful weekend (and a check off my autumn bucket list!). I hope you enjoy these pictures from our mini getaway 🙂

Sleeping Bear Dunes, MIStacked stonesIncredibly clear waterChad was crazy and jumped in the super cold water!Here we are after finishing the hike.Leelanau State ParkCouldn’t ask for a better camping weekend!I thought this was such a neat idea!We tried a new brewing company.We also went to a couple of wineries. (Click for a larger image.) I could relate to the last two haha

This wall in Traverse City was part of a poetry project.

We had such a nice time 🙂 Enjoy your day, lovelies!
xx Caitlyn

Autumn Bucket List · Party

Oktoberfest Party

October 14, 2014 Caitlyn3 Comments

Over the weekend we had an Oktoberfest Party at our house, and it was full of amazing food, good beer, and lots of laughter. It was a smaller sized party, but I loved how relaxed it was. We were even able to hang out outside by a fire in our new fire pit!

As always, I had a lot of fun decorating for the party. I bought the glass jars above from the dollar store, filled them with raffia, and then used glue dots to attach the ribbon and bottle caps. Then, I used the completed jars for utensils.

For good measure, I also tied a ribbon around my mums. Amanda came through with a few pretty pumpkins and some gold beads to add some charm, too.

The most memorable part of the evening was the food. Let me tell you, I could. not. stop. eating. Above you can see some homemade bread, a veggie platter, and a German Stir Fry that my coworker Jake made.

Next up: yummy guacamole made by Chad’s mom, potato salad made by the lovely Ariel, some chex mix, sour kraut and other condiments, and the best brats I have ever had in my life.

I couldn’t get enough of this Oktoberfest Stew Amanda made either!

For dessert I made these fun Beer Mug Pretzels (I’ll have a brief and simple tutorial on how to make them soon!).

Chad’s mom also made this yummy Black Forest Cake for dessert. (I almost forgot to take a picture, and by the time I remembered I may or may not have had a couple of beers, so I apologize for the poor photo.)

Michael was a classic photo bomber.

Amanda was good at it too… 😉

Jake, Amanda and I toward the end of the party

I had a lot of fun preparing for and attending our Oktoberfest Party. I found out that the following day (Sunday, October 12th) was actually the anniversary of the very first ever Oktoberfest. We had great timing!

xx Caitlyn

Autumn Bucket List · Food & Cooking

Autumn Bucket List: Apple Roll Cake

October 7, 2014October 7, 2014 Caitlyn6 Comments

I am so excited to share a new recipe with you: Apple Roll Cake! To make this uh-mazing cake, you will need to use this cake recipe, apple butter (I used the apple butter I made and it was fantastic, if I do say so myself!), and whipped frosting (recipe follows).

To start, you’re going to beat eggs with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes until nice and frothy and lemon-colored. Then you beat in sugar before turning the mixer on low and gradually adding water, vanilla, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, all spice, ground cloves, salt and powdered sugar. Once you’ve got your batter ready, pour it into a pan lined with parchment paper and spread into the corners. I carefully dropped the pan a few times on the counter to get out some of the air bubbles, too.Bake the cake for 12-15 minutes, preparing a powdered sugar-dusted towel in the meantime. Invert the cake onto the prepared towel and carefully peel off the parchment paper…

…then slowly roll up the cake and let it rest for 30 minutes before topping.

After the resting period, it’s time to add your yummy apple butter. I used about a cup and a half (nearly a pint jar full).

Because of the strong spices in the cake and the apple butter, I decided to compliment the flavors already present with a nice fluffy frosting.

To make the frosting, I whipped together the following ingredients in a small bowl over another bowl filled with ice water:

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream

After spreading a layer of the whipped frosting over the apple butter layer, it is time to roll up the cake.I frosted the outside of the cake and dusted a little cinnamon along the top to make it look pretty.Finally, your cake will be done! Make sure to store your cake in the refrigerator–it tastes even better cold and served with a complimentary coffee. I brought some of the cake to work and we paired it with Starbuck’s Anniversary Blend. The cake was really good; one of my coworkers described it as an apple version of pumpkin pie. Once you try it, you’ll understand: the apple roll cake has lovely fall flavors, and the texture is moist yet light. Let me know if you try this recipe, and what your favorite cake recipe is in the comments below! Also, don’t forget to check out my Maple Roll Cake recipe if you’re looking to have more roll cakes in your future 🙂

xx Caitlyn

Autumn Bucket List

Autumn 2014 Bucket List

September 29, 2014 CaitlynLeave a comment

I can’t believe fall is already here. Time is passing so quickly that I’ve already gotten a start on my autumn bucket list. I am really looking forward to sharing some of the items I’ve been ticking off the list with you, but first: the list!

1. Go apple picking

2. Make monte cristos

3. Go to Crane’s in the City for lunch

4. Make amazing apple pie

5. Make apple rose tartlets

6. Make sweet potato bread

7. Make apple butter

8. Make an apple roll cake

9. Make acorn crafts

10. Carve pumpkins

11. Have a ramen party

12. Have a wine & cheese night

13. Have a chocolate tasting party

14. Eat caramel apples

15. Make homemade ice cream

16. Have an Oktoberfest party

17. Go to the Detroit Beer Festival

18. Go to Traverse City & Sleeping Bear Dunes

19. Make name silhouette art

20. Thirty Days of Zentangle

21. Writing challenges 1/week

22. Restart book club

23. Try Ethiopian food

24. Catch up on art journaling

25. Get officially certified as a coffee master

26. Make Jack-O-Lantern tartlets

27. Hobo Stew Party

28. Dandelion blowing

30. Make a fairy garden

31. Go mushroom hunting

What’s on your bucket list for the fall?

Little Snail

…inching along

Tag: Autumn Bucket List

Autumn Bucket List recap

Fall Bucket List: Halloween Needle Felts

Autumn Bucket List

Autumn 2014 Bucket List Recap

Zentangle Time!

Autumn Bucket List: Hobo Stew Party

Sleeping Bear Dunes & Leelanau State Park in pictures

Oktoberfest Party

Autumn Bucket List: Apple Roll Cake

Autumn 2014 Bucket List