Miles away ....

Irene...

2011-09-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

Of course, I am very late with posting this!

Hurricane Irene! We have experienced many a typhoon while living in Japan, so we werent too concerned about the hurricane as we kind of new what to expect. The only diference this time was that the village where we live is below sea level and is prone to flooding. LUckily we live in a 4th floor apartment so again we werent too concerned. The hurricane was due to hit late into the night and be in full force during the night. At around 4pm we had a knock on the door saying that there was a mandatory evacuation, after runnning around, asking and calling various people we found out that the evacuation wasnt mandatory for us only for all the houses around us.

We knew that the apartment would be ok but the problem was whether the electricity would fail.

So in the end we were flooded in for a day with about a metre and a half of water keeping us indoors, there were boats and kayaks in and out of what the car park should be! and we were without electricity for 2 days. Luckily we had gas so we could cook and have hot water.

Having a baby we though that it would be better to be stuck in rather than stuck out. We stocked up on food stuffs, although the shelves at the local supermarket were quite empty by the time we got there.

We were so lucky in scomparison to those around us, some people lost a lot of things and were without electicity for much longer than us.

Here are some photos.

The Local Park

2011-06-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

We are lucky to have a couple of parks close to us but our favourite is the park next to the local station. It is quite small, although the photos make it look quite big.

There is a small river that runs through it and is home to a variety of birds, Ive even bought a book on the birds of New York so I can swot up on my latest sightings.

There are also a family of geese, the goslings are very cute and growing unbelievably fast.

We often spend an hour here, have a little walk around and then put out a blanket and sit for a while. There are lots of trees so plenty of shade from the blazing heat of late.

Teeth

2011-06-08T15:51:00.001-07:00

Baby M got her first teeth quite early, the first bottom two were through just before 4 months. Now, at 7 1/2 months tooth number 8 is coming through. The five in between all came through at the same time, she did really well and wasnt too bothered by the 5....number 8 is proving to be a little painful for her. As I am still breastfeeding all these teeth have been a little painful for me at times too! ouch!

Recently...

2011-06-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

Baby M is everywhere, everywhere that she shouldnt be! We need to do some serious baby proofing, she wants everything thats she isn`t supposed to have. Wires, remotes, phones, shoes.....!

She is crawling about everywhere now, well it`s more like an army crawl on her knees and elbows..she has crawled properly a couple of times but she gets around much faster scrambling about, very cute....very tiring! :))

Her new favourite thing to do is to lie `in` her bouncer saucer and look at the window! At first she could only get in and not get out but she can do both now, clever girl!

Storm King

2011-06-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

We planned to go away for Memorial Weekend but as we all came down with a fever and a cold in turn we didn`t! The only day that all of is were feeling pretty ok was Sunday so we decided to head out for the day.

Off we went to Storm King, www.stormking.org

This place is about an hours drive from where we are. I am not particularly arty and I know nothing about sculpture but I really enjoyed it. It was an interesting place.

The only downside was that about half of the park doesnt have any shade at all, so in the heat it is quite hard to get round especially with a little one. However, they do have a tram service which will drive you round the whole park, this was great. We were lucky to get a seat though. I wonder if they put on more trams as the days get busier(?)

Food

2011-05-21T12:32:00.001-07:00

Just over a month ago I started giving baby M solids....at first I was thinking that it was going to be hard work making food but it turns out that Im really enjoying it. Maybe slightly addicted.

Boiling,　steaming, freezing into cute little shapes....luckily everything she has had so far she has liked. But she really likes carrots, avocado, tofu and squash.

Left: Rice, Squash,Pear Right: Tomato Clockwise from top left: Cereal, Rice&Pears, Avocado&Tofu

The past month has been lots of funny seeing her funny expressions and trying new food, she is also rolling and scrambling all over the place, time for some proper baby proofing now. Wont be long until she is crawling......then the real fun begins xx

Its been far too long..

2011-04-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

So I started this blog, with all good intentions.　Having my baby put a bit of a spanner in the works....where did the last 6 months go?

So, I promise to post at least once a month......the spring is here so hopefully we will be out and about doing more things. Its been a very long winter in NY...snow, snow, snow!!

Gifts!

2010-12-18T14:12:00.001-08:00

I think that we must have had a parcel delivered at least every other day for the past month and a half! How lucky is baby M to be loved to much already!

Here are a few..

Amazing hand made gifts from my good friend Jo (http://jojoebi.blogspot.com/ )......

Tiffany....

Beautifully wrapped.....

....THANKYOU EVERYONE!!! ....

Has it been that long?!

2010-12-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

Wow, the past 2 and a half months have flown by! And how my life has changed!

I had my beautiful baby at the end of October. I had a natural birth and I was lucky that from the time the contractions kicked in strong to the time she was here was only about 6 hours.

I got to the hospital at 7pm and she was here at 10.01pm. The doctor told me that I should definately get to the hospital earlier when I have baby number 2!

Baby M is doing great! At her first month check up she had already put on 1400g, I can`t believe how much she has changed. Now, at nearly 8 weeks old she is smiling, cooing and grabbing on to things.....oh, I am so in love!

I was in the middle of knitting a blanket for her when she arrived, I so want to finish it but finding the time for knitting is proving difficult at the moment. I get a row in every now and then and I am deternimed to finish it. As it is a lace pattern I can use it in the Spring too so I suppose there isnt that much of a rush.

When I was pregnant I knitted her a cardigan......how cute!

Nappy Pouch

2010-10-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

My first baby is due in a few weeks so I am busy making lots of bits and bobs.

One of the things that I think will be really useful for me and also a great present for friends (once I have perfected it) is a nappy pouch that can be slipped into my bag when we go out.
This is just big enough to fit in a packet of wipes and a handful of nappies. Quite cute I think.

I used this tutorial from the noodlehead blog.

Finally finished!

2010-09-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

I started this quilt months ago....as you might be able to guess from the spring colours that I chose! This was a quilting class that I took back in March, it`s called Strips and Curves.

It was quite a difficult make for a beginner like me, but I am so happy with the outcome. It has been sitting in a bag in my house for the past 6 months and I finally thought that I should bind it and finish it. I love it!

Baby Hat

2010-09-18T14:40:00.001-07:00

This was such an easy knit. It is basically just a rectangle knit in rib, 3 knit then 3 purl. Sew the seam to make into a tube and then I tied it around the top with an i-cord. So simple and quick!

This can also be done on circular needs, I am knitting number 2 now on a 14 inch circular.

Korean Food!

2010-09-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

This is becoming one of my favourite places to eat in the city.

The thing I love about Korean food is all the little dishes that you get and the fact that you can get an endless supply of them.

This restaurant in Korean Town in NYC is delicious and the prices are so reasonable (especially lunch) http://kunjip.net/

Bento Bag

2010-09-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make something for my father in law`s upcoming birthday, I couldnt really think of anything that he would need and then I stumbled across this tutorial by Ayumi Mills in her blog Pink Penguin.

http://http//ayumills.blogspot.com/2010/08/tutorial-lunch-bag.html

This was such a good tutorial, great easy to follow step by step instructions.
I think it turned out pretty well, Im going to make one for hubby too.

Sailing

2010-08-30T10:28:00.001-07:00

Last night we went on a sunset sail around the south of Manhattan. It was a little hot to start off with but as the sun started to set and we picked up a bit of speed it was much cooler. The boat (schooner) was beautiful, and there was champagne, wine and beer to be enjoyed. The staff were friendly too. Would definately recommend it.

Baby Trousers

2010-08-29T05:04:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at making clothing..can I call tiny baby trousers clothing?
Well, its a start eh! They are reversable and so fun and cute. I will definately be making more. Because they are so small its a good way to use up scraps of fabric. I have fallen in love with them.

I got the pattern from the book `handmade beginnings` by Anna Maria Homer.

Front

Back

Reverse side front

Reverse side back

A new quilt

2010-08-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

This has been a work in progress for quite some time and it is finally finished.
I planned on making this for my nephews 1st birthday.....but it`s a little late.
I love the colours in this quilt! I`m so happy with how it turned out.

A few little things.

2010-08-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

Another little thing I have been making recently is bibs. I have had so many friends have babies recently I thought that this would make a nice gift that can be easily personalised. Also, they are something that will be used.
I bought the plain white bibs and then appliqued the shapes onto them, really simple but so pretty I think! I need to do some boy ones now.

Knitting

2010-08-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

Although I have been going to my knitting class every week and enjoying it lots, it has been a while since I finished something. My short sleeved cable cardigan is still `in progress`, unfortunately it is a little monotonous and takes lots of concentration because of the cables. So I took a break and started on a baby cardigan, what a breath of fresh air!! and I have finished two in the past couple of weeks. I have learnt a few new stitches along the way and I have enjoyed the gratification of finishing something so quickly. Here is a picture of one, with two matching hats that I made too.

Niagra Falls

2010-07-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend we decided to go to Niagra Falls. Hubby took Monday off from work so we had 3 days in total. It took 7 hours (one-way) in the car from here so it was a long journey but we took turns with the driving and the time passed quickly.
I loved seeing the falls, as always they look smaller in real life than they do on TV (same I found with the Statue of Liberty) but they were still pretty amazing.

We viewed the falls from both the American side and the Canadian side, you get a much better view from the Canadian side though as you get a full view of both the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls.

The American Falls

The Horseshoe Falls

We went on `The Maid in the Mist` and it was spectacular, to get up so close to the falls and see them from below was quite amazing! If you ever go I would definately recommend it!

View from the Maid in the Mist

Niagra as a town itself is extremely commercialised though, I suppose it is to be expected. But I was only interested in the falls and not all the amusement arcades, shows and tatty shops that come with it. (Think Blackpool on steroids)

On our second night there were fireworks over the falls and they were spectacular! I was very impressed, probably the best fireworks I have ever seen. All in all a great trip and happy to get a Canadian Stamp in my passport, even if I only went in about 1 kilometre inside the border!

Fireworks over the Falls

Done!

2010-07-19T07:05:00.001-07:00

Well, I was actually done a few weeks ago but yet again I have been poor at updating this. The course went extremely well and I enjoyed every minute of it....well, maybe not the grammar lesson so much but it did go well in the end (Grammar isn`t my strongest subject) I havent been to pick up my certificate yet but I will be doing that shortly.

I took the course at Rennert School in Manhattan! I definately recommend it.

The first few days after I finished the course I had so much time on my hands I really didn`t know what to do with myself but I have got back into relax mode and spending my days making...whether it be cooking, knitting, quilting or shopping. The hot weather is keeping me indoors! I

It`s been a while ..

2010-06-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy this past month. I literally haven`t had time to do anything. I am currently doing a 4 week intensive TESOL course. Teaching English to Students of Other Languages. It has been so much fun and such a great learning experience for me but I am tired!! Its 11-8 everyday but I`m usually out of the house at 7.30 and there for before 9pm, then I arrive back at home about 9.30pm. Weekends have been taken up with homework, lesson planning and assignments. This might sounds like a rant or a moan, but it really isn`t I have loves every minute.

I will update more when I have finished, three days to go!!

x

Spring/ Summer Recipe

2010-05-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

One of mine and my husband`s favourite Sring/Summer recipes. So easy to make and delicious.

This a cold noodle salad. Any noodles can be used but we like Udon or Somen Noodles the most.

Cook the noodles as directions say and cool them in ice water.
Chop up any salad that you like, we usually use lettuce, tomato, cucumber, shiso, tuna, chicken. Really, anything is ok.

Then prepare noodle tsuyu (you can buy this in any Japanese or Chinese supermarket)and pour it over the top, add a bit of mayonnaise if you like and that is it. enjoy!

Japan

2010-05-10T06:02:00.000-07:00

I visited Japan last week after 8 months of living here in New York. My friend was getting married last week so I decided to make the trip and go to the wedding.

It was a wonderful wedding and such a great chance to meet up with friends, its strange how Japan seems like home for me even though Im English. I suppose after 7 and a half years of living there thats what happens.

This is a photo from the wedding, the bride wore traditional white and then later changed into Kimono.

Whilst I was in Japan I visited one of my favourite places in Tokyo, Nippori, it`s also known as fabric town. I love to make things (although I am very much a beginner) Nippori is extremely popular place and if you go on a weekend you must be prepared to wait! If you ever decide to go, there is a shop called Tomato which is just great!

Luckily my friend Jo from www.jojoebi.blogspot.com and I went on a weekday and enjoyed the morning browsing and of course buying! I was flying back to New York that evening and I knew how full my suitcase already was so I really had to stop myself from buying that much. However I did get a few bargains....I just have to decide what to make with them now.

Pottery

2010-04-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

I am from `The Potteries`, Stoke-on-Trent. The home of Wedgewood, Minton, Spode. In the past there were many more pot banks (pottery factories) but as the years have past the industry has decreased considerably.

People from Stoke often have a habit of looking at the bottom of the cup or plate that they are given in a restaurant just to see if it was made at home or not, I do this myself all the time.

When I was at school I had a couple of pottery lessons and made a plate but since then I have had no chance to try. I saw a notice in a local magazine for a trial lesson to make a cup and a plate. It is a Japanese pottery studio in Manhattan.
www.nytogei.com

So a friend and I signed up for a trial lesson and went along yesterday and here is what I made.

Part way through making the cup:

Part way through making the plate:

Finished:

Once we had finished we picked the colours that we wanted them to be glazed with and the rest is done for us, they will be ready to pick up in a couple of weeks.

I really enjoyed the day, I was surprised at how easy the plate was but the cup really took a lot of work.

Bento

2010-04-13T17:38:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we had a lovely picnic in Central Park.

The weather was just perfect not too hot not too cold and we spent a lovely few hours eating, playing frisbee and chatting.

The photo below shows the bento that I made. My friend had given me this two tier bento box a few years ago but I had never used it until now. So happy that I made the effort to get up early and prepare it, everyone was quite impressed with my efforts as everyone else had gone to the local supermarket to buy their lunch.

I don`t what it is with me but when I think picnic I think home made, even if its only a little something.

Cherry Blossoms

2010-04-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite times of year in Japan is the Cherry Blossom season. There is so much excitement and energy in the air around this time of year. Going out to the park and sitting and having a few beers is always so much fun.

So when I found out that the Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC are really great too I was really eager to go.

It was out first road trip and we really enjoyed it, 4 hours there 6 hours back!

The weather was just great and the blossoms were beautiful! Take a look!

Is it over?

2010-03-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

Is Winter over? I really do hope so! I love winter I really do, I love winter sports, winter clothes and winter food, chunky soups with bread and butter. Although I love all of these things this years winter seems to have been a long one. This is our first winter in New York and it has been cold.
There has been more snow than I have ever seen in England or Japan and although I was very excited about it at first the novelty had worn off now.

Here are a few photos of our wintertime :

Bring on Spring!

Something new.

2010-03-12T09:52:00.000-08:00

I started knitting last year in October, a friend of mine introduced me to a local knitting circle that she went to every week. Although I could knit (just about) in a straight line it was at the circle where I learnt to do a little bit more.

The first thing that I learnt how to do was how to make baby hats, I started making preemie baby hats to donate to the local NICU. So tiny, so cute!

At the beginning of this year a couple of my friends had babies so with my new found knitting skills I decided that I wanted to make them something, so I started my first big (for me) project of knitting a basket weave blanket. Although easy to do they took quite a while.

After making all these things for other people I decided that I should start on something for myself, so I have recently started making a short sleeved cardigan .....with cables! This is my first time to do cables and although they aren`t particularly difficult to do I have to really concentrate when doing them so the project is going a little slowler than I would like but....watch this space.

Baby things!

2010-03-08T06:16:00.000-08:00

I have the most beautiful nephew who I am totally in love with.
Since he came along I have been itching to make something for him but couldnt quite decide what until I found this great pattern for baby shoes.

http://stardustshoes.blogspot.com/2006/10/cloth-shoe-pattern.html

These are my creations, I think they turned out pretty well. They are really easy to make too.

I think that I will definately be making some more, so cute!

The Beginning

2010-03-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

SO, I made this blog quite awhlile ago but up until now haven`t posted anything on here!

I moved to New York with my husband about six months ago and this blog was supposed to start then....well, it`s going to start now instead.

This will be a few snippets of our life here, hope you enjoy!