When I went here with my neighbor yesterday I forgot to take a photo. I got one this morning on my bike ride. I think this is one of the cooler buildings in Tokyo.
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My grandmother was hired out to sew for people when she was 10 years old. She sewed until she couldn’t see so well and then she crocheted. One of my favorite things to do was to perch at the end of her big green sofa and watch her sew. I could do this for hours. I think Susan and I learned our sewing skills by watching her so much.
I loved her button can. In it’s previous life it held candy or biscuits. I loved to get out the buttons and line them up and look at them. I would tell my grandmother which ones I liked and wanted on a dress. Funny choosing the buttons first and then the fabric and pattern. There were only two of my favorites and they were connected together with a thread. They were a clear acrylic type button and they were my favorites because of the peach colored dried flowers inside. I think my grandmother had purchased these before I was born. I never remember a day when they weren’t in the button can. Then one day they were on my dress. The dress was quite plain, a dark brown rough fabric with short sleeves and a collar. The part I liked best was the belt that was anchored on each side by my two favorite buttons.
Today my neighbor and I had made plans to go to the Nezu Museum but when we arrived it was closed for the installation of a new exhibit. She suggested that we go to the National Art Center Tokyo. We chose the special pottery exhibit by Lucy Rie. It’s interesting that I had never heard of her before because she lived and worked in London for a big part of her life and many of her pieces are owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Lucie Rie was born in 1902 in Vienna, where she studied from 1922 to 1926. In 1938 she moved to London, where she lived from 1939 in Albion Mews. After the war she opened a pottery and button-making workshop. The button business was how she made her money to stay alive and continue making her pottery. She lived in the same mews house until she died at age 93. As part of the exhibit of over 250 pieces they were showing a 1982 BBC produced interview with her. She was still making beautiful pottery when she was 80.
Lucy Rie is a person I wouldhave loved to know. She created two of my favorite things, buttons and bowls.
Ever since I made the really fabulous Red Velvet Cupcakes and the not so fabulous Lemon Filled Cupcakes, I have wanted to create a lemon version using the Red Velvet recipe. So to keep this rainy Monday from getting me down I decided to try it. So now I have a fabulous Lemon Filled Cupcake recipe to go along with the others in my collection. You can find the recipe by clicking on Vanilla Carrots
PS I have them all packaged to deliver to the full time missionaries serving in the area office.
"Life is Just a Chair of Bowlies
I have always loved Mary Engelbreit’s “Life is Just a Chair of Bowlies” illustration. Today I decided that I could no longer tolerate the dust and crumbs that had invaded my dish cupboard. As I unloaded everything and realized how many Japanese bowls I have acquired, I decided to photograph my own “Chair of Bowlies.” Please note that this is not all of my “bowlies.” I only photographed the Japanese ones, the bowls that I use everyday. My cupboards hold many more “bowlies.” I won’t allow myself to buy anymore bowls unless I get rid of some. If you like bowls let me know and I will send some your way!
Today I walked to Roppongi Hills and wandered around in some of the shops. Â Bals Tokyo is a really interesting shop. It is filled unique household items. They have an many beautiful Japanese dishes.
I have been looking for a reusable water bottle I like for a long time. I bought a plastic one at Appalachian State last year, but I don’t like the way it makes my water taste. My reusable water bottle of choice would be made out of glass, but that’s not practical. Today, I found this stainless steel bottle. The water tastes great.
My second purchase was two cupcake boxes made by OXO. These will be perfect for transporting my little cakes. I wish I would have had them last night to get my cupcakes to the concert. By the way, the concert was fabulous! I noticed Japanese attendees carrying cupcakes out in plates of three, that’s all that would fit on a plate!
Thank goodness for OXO’s great packaging or I might not have realized how well my cupcakes would fit in here. Those are not real cupcakes that’s printed insert.
Two of my former early morning seminary students have been doing annual concerts as fundraisers for the AIDS orphans in Kitwe, Zambia. First, they raised enough money to build a school and now they are raising money for supplies. Since they have been in Japan they have included Japanese friends as part of the concert. I am excited for the concert tonight. Erica is a very accomplished cellist and is also amazing in her musical theater roles at the American School in Tokyo. Elisabeth has just finished her first year at the University of Michigan. She’s majoring in musical theater. She is incredibly talented. My favorite part will be watching and listening to Erica play her cello. Her music touches my soul and allows me a glimpse of hers.
I have been longing to try out a red velvet cupcake recipe I’ve had for awhile, so I offered to make some for after the concert. I made a batch and they are beautiful. The girl’s mom, Lisa, requested lemon. I decided to use the lemon recipe from Hummingbird Bakery, but I am not happy with the texture. I may take this fabulous red velvet recipe and figure out how to turn it into lemon. I’ll post the recipe if it turns out. So click for the fabulous Red Velvet Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting recipe . When I wrote that the Red Velvet Cupcakes were fabulous I had not tasted them with the frosting. They are the best homemade cupcakes. The texture is perfect the tops are nice and rounded. All I can say is, “oiishi desu!”
View of Marunochi from the Imperial Palace grounds