Old Tokyo in Shimokitazawa

These pics of an old Tokyo were taken within a few minutes walk of my apartment in Shimokitazawa. Tokyo is such an incredible and rich city. And it's so fun taking my new DSLR out!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Enoshima Island

On our day trip to Enoshima Beach we also walked across to Enoshima Island. It was so lovely walking through the historic streets up to the shrine, keeping cool under the giant trees and taking a rest at the lookout. They even have a giant escalator if the walk up is too much for you. The island is worth a little visit if you're at Enoshima Beach.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

みどりの日 (Greenery Day)

A lovely picnic on みどりの日 (Greenery Day) in beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen. Sandwiches, hot green tea, reading books in the sunshine, watching kawaii kids throw balls and roll down grass hills, so many colourful leisure sheets, people taking photos of flowers, afternoon naps on the grass relaxing with sounds of chatter and laughter. This is one of the prettiest parks ever.

2011

Image by the clever bunnies at Present&Correct.


Happy New Year Sandwiches! Thank you so much for your lovely Sandwich support in 2010 and I hope you can continue to enjoy Hello Sandwich in 2011.

明けましておめでとうございます!
今年もよろしくおねがいします。

I started 2011 with Japanese tradition. Sending nengajo, Watching kouhaku, soba at midnight, osechi ryori, mochi rice cake, and then Hatsumoude (the first visit to the shrine for the year).

It will be sad to see 2010 end in a way, it was such a fantastic year! But I'm looking forward to 2011! Did you make some New Years Resolutions? I'd love to hear them! I made a list of 17 'goals'. Eeeps! I am going to do my best this year. がんばります。

Love Love
ハローサンドウィッチ

Easter

A Swedish Easter tree

Polish Easter eggs

I am half Lithuanian and so it is tradition to paint eggs at Easter time.

I spent my childhood Easters at our beachside holiday house dying and then hand painting boiled eggs. I remember running around the garden collecting interesting shaped leaves to use as a relief pattern when dyeing. We would wrap the egg with the leaf and then tightly cover the egg with a stocking before dipping into the dye.

My uncle Gediminas would spend hours designing the one egg usually using a fine point black felt tip pen to draw a family portrait. My aunty Nijole on the other hand would create many wonderfully coloured abstract eggs. I was always somewhere in between - I admired the patience of my uncle Gediminas and yet yearned for the immediate results of the eggs created by my aunty Nijole.

Whichever way you paint eggs though, I promise you hours of fun and some very special family memories. I encourage you to dig out some food colouring and textas and get creative this Easter!