recent ozoc/the emporium purchases

Ozoc and The Emporium are two different Japanese brands owned by the same parent company. I was in Utsunomiya recently and stopped in to take a look in the stores inside the train station.

I saw this pink blouse peeking out from under a cream sweater and I couldn't resist; it's perfect for spring!

The cream sweater has pretty metallic gold flecks throughout--not sure if you can see.

The shoes also have gold flecks running through them. I've been wanting loafers for a while, and I thought these were so perfect--especially since black and white seems to be big for spring this year!

michael kors wristlet

I lost my Coach wristlet a while back and after looking for a replacement for a while, I bought this one by Michael Kors:

The wrist strap is removable, which I like, since it allows it to be used as a regular wallet. It has three slots for credit cards and the like, and several others for cash, etc. The middle compartment is supposed to be able to hold an iPhone 4, which is convenient!

The only thing I wish it also had is a compartment with a zip on the inside because I'm afraid I'll lose coins, but it's pretty secure without it too, so it's not such a huge deal.

Overall, I'm really happy with it! The quality is nice; it's sturdy, the leather is pebbled, and has some give. Definite recommend for people looking for a wristlet! (I prefer it over my old Coach one, which was basically just a pouch. This is so much better!)

dreaming of spring

I'm ready for winter to be over and spring to come. So tired of snow and wind and cold!

This was taken last year on a trip to Kyoto, right at the cusp of winter and spring. This is what I'm looking forward to.

last taiwan post: strange food and sweets

Egg tarts sold by...

KFC! No joke.

A sweet soup with sweet yam mochi balls, grass jelly, taro, and tapioca.

Sesame and peanut mochi with peanut soup! Yum!

Lastly, they have Peking duck bake at Costco. I didn't get to try it, but I wish I did! I hope they bring this over to the States--looks amazing!

more taiwan noms

Famous Chuang-hua ba-wan, a Taiwanese snack that is basically a meatball inside a glutinous, clear dough then drenched with sauce.

Looks strange, but it's delicious!

These dumplings are steamed in a fry-pan for that yummy crunchy bottom. 

Xiao long bao!

And of course, the famous beef noodle soup. Love this! Have you had Taiwanese food before?

taiwan part 2: night market!

We went to one of the most famous night markets in Kaohsiung, Liou He Night Market. It's mostly food, but you can find the odd fashion/shoe stalls or stalls selling other knickknacks and trinkets.

Unfortunately, it's completely overrun by tourists now, so it wasn't that pleasant to walk through but the food was still decent!

So crowded!

Dou hwa, a soft tofu dessert with red bean, tapioca, ginger syrup and other condiments. Yum!

Oyster pancake!

And the infamous stinky tofu. Don't let the smell fool you--it's really delicious especially with the pickles!

taiwan part 1

I went to Taiwan over Christmas and New Year's to see family. Loved the warm weather in the south (my family's from Kaohsiung), but then I went up to Taipei to meet up with my boyfriend and it was much colder there (though still much warmer than Japan!).

We drove up to Nantou to stay at a hot springs hotel (my family loves hot springs...it's all they do when they come visit me in Japan too!) and stopped by the famous Sun Moon Lake.

Crossing a bridge to get to our hotel.

Sun Moon Lake. This was really beautiful, but so many tourists!

We cooked some eggs in the natural hot springs.

Part 2 will be up tomorrow: night market!

elementary

I've been so obsessed with this show recently.

Have you seen it? I know a lot of people don't like it, but I think Lucy Liu and Jonny Lee Miller are such great actors. I love seeing their portrayal of the characters and their relationship is so interesting to watch. Once a week is not enough!

recent mini haul

I've been trying not to buy clothes, but I couldn't resist the after New Year's sales. Both items were only 2000 yen!

First is a faux leather jacket from Lowry's Farm. It's really soft and fits really well! The second are faux suede/patent tipped flats from Earth, Music, & Ecology.

more mini edie pics

Full review here. I can fit my Rebecca Minkoff key pouch, a chapstick, my cell phones, keys and a camera (not shown).