How about a quick game of biscuit othello? Found it in Poco a Poco. Will show you another something from Decole next week. It’ll be diaper-related and very adorable.

[p.s. Have you heard of using candles to wax paper? Am talking about it on my latest newsletter. Subscribe to find out how. It's free!]

If I’m in Tokyo, I like to pop in to the ranKing ranQueen shop just to get myself quickly acquainted with the current best-selling goods in the country. Goods are displayed in order of sale rankings and categories range from food, drinks, cosmetics, toiletries, stationery and a whole lot more (including insane/weird stuff you wonder who buys and why).

The Happy Matryoshka Bath Fizz was ranked no.1 for bath salts at the time when I was in the branch at Shibuya.

I bought it not for the fizz but for the 2 matryoshkas – the pink casing (with facial features + flowers outlined just like the cover!) and the innermost surprise doll.

What’s amazing about this is no details are spared! From the packaging, the product tag and even to the mini capsule.

Doesn’t the peanut capsule look like it’s shaped for a matryoshka?

naoLoop is a polyester latex band that stretches more than 50% of its size to snuggle stuff together securely. The band comes in different designs with various slots. Great for cards, cellphone, MP3, cash, perfume vial, makeup, pen and etc. There’s also a loft version that has tension straps fastened to a wall-mounted steel board. Available at Naolab.

Have you tried this? Just a paper bag (like this) or an envelope will do the trick.

1. Identify points A and B.
2. Squish A to B.
3. Align.
4. Fold up a flap to seal.

Hanger designs are breaking new grounds, aren’t they?

[p.s. In response to some emails requesting to see my loot from Japan, I hope to get to it soon. Will show you just some. I haven't gone through the shopping bags yet...]

There is a gorgeous collection of leather accessories at Moxie And Oliver that I’m marvelling. Marvelling at how hardy leather painted with chic designs is done with such grace + style!

Remember this wrapper? I like to see nice papers made into paper bags for stuffing gifts and things. For I feel that a bag would stand a higher chance of being reused than if wrapping was more tight-fitting.

Do you make yours like this?

1-2. Paste one end* with double-sided tape. Identify point A.
3. Turn over. Identify B, the mid-point of C.
4. Bring A onto B. Crease the side.
5. Adhere the edge of the other half. Crease the side.
6. Fold up a base.

7-8. Fold up corner triangles. Unfold and snip them off.
9. Open up the 2 flaps.
10-11. Cut off the top flap. Seal with bottom flap.

I’ve trimmed the top just like the base.

* OR bring the far side onto the adhesive end and the joint line will rest along the edge.

To make a bag with a flat bottom, I will:

1. Repeat above steps 1 to 7. White lines indicate the edges of the triangles.
2. Make a fold on each side to align with white line. Crease.
3. Unfold all.
4. Tuck in the side folds.
5. Erect the base and open it up.
6. Push in from the side for a triangle to emerge inside.
7. Then flatten that triangle.

8. Flatten the outer flap.
9. Repeat steps 6 to 8 on the opposite side.
10-11. Seal up the base.

Tune in next week for an interesting twist on the use a paper bag.

We popped in to a crowded Xin Wang outlet for supper after a movie (that being the awesome witty Sherlock Holmes), and I couldn’t ignore the restaurant’s steaming interior, which was especially apparent from where I sat.

Hello everyone! And hello 2010! This is the year where my oldest internet baby turns 10! A decade old! I’m so happy and proud. It hasn’t been easy. Well, it’s great to be back here tending to my youngest and to start the ball rolling, how about take a look at some random pics I took in Nihon?

Moon and Tokyo Tower at 4pm.

A lighted tower at 4:30pm.

Birds on a railing in Hakone.

Famous black eggs cooked in hot sulphuric spring water in Owakudani (which literally means great boiling valley), Hakone.

Fuming sulphur vents.

I noticed this table with a stamp of Clara (and the free Heidi bag on the poster) on one of our stops and wondered where we could get it stamped on. Then my bro mentioned that he saw a page on Heidi on a coupon booklet given to us when we bought the Hakone Freepass tickets. We then began our journey in search for every stamp as we followed the recommended route to see and experience Hakone.

We had all 6 stamps and of course had to collect the free bags too!

i-swing, the 1-man vehicle on display at Toyota City Showcase.

Love the stamp carving pads by Mizutama and super love the Mizutama blog.

Canted window panels on Tiffany & Co.’s building at Ginza.

Rainbow Bridge and the Statue of Liberty at Odaiba.

We crossed the Rainbow Bridge by foot. If only I could capture the force on photo to correctly present a cold and a very mighty windy afternoon. So mighty that me feared me could be flung onto the road! Despite that, it was still a thrilling and refreshing walk. Utterly enjoyed it!

Random jots:

• Exchange rate from the money changer at the airport:
  SGD 1 = 61.58 Yen

• The cold air gave us energy but the warm (and sometimes stuffy) indoors, drained away the energy pretty quickly, then drove us all to sleepiness. Felt it the strongest during this trip.
• At Okadaya, items have to be paid for at their respective levels.

More pictures laid out at Flickr.