Firefighter Birthday Party

Hey y’all!  (Do you hear my southern twang?) There’s been a lack of posts because… I’ve moved back home to Atlanta!  It’s been a whirlwind of moving and settling in.  Thank you to all who have followed me in Tokyo.  Although I’ll be posting less on Japan, there’ll still be lots of parties, food, travel, and DIY.  My first project back was my dear friend’s son’s firefighter-inspired 4th birthday party.  It was peak summer in LA so I had decor to match – bright, happy, and fun-filled!  There were separate tented areas for the kids and adults, brought together with yellow and red decor.

What kind of cake do you have for a firefighter party?  A fire engine of course…

.. topped off with adorable minions.

And matching water bottles!

I’m kicking myself for not taking photos of the party favors – fire house books and Diddy Reese cookies in custom-made fire engine canvas tote bags.

The topping of the party?  A real fire engine complete with real firemen from 5 Alarm Fire Engine.  These guys were awesome – great with the kids, prepared with tons of activities, professional, and patience galore for the 40+ (yes FORTY!) kids that attended.  I highly recommend them if you’re having a similar party in the LA/OC/Inland Empire area.  The kids and many of the parents were thoroughly entertained with fire hose water shooting, tug of war, dressing in all the gear, and fire engine rides around the neighborhood.  Fun for everyone!

Tomorrow, the adult tables! :)

Black + White Bridal Shower

I’m in love with this black and white striped bridal shower featured on The Sweetest Occasion.  It’s rare to see a bridal shower decorated with mostly black, but with those pops of pink are such a great feminine contrast.

Those stripes and pops of gold? *swoon*

Throwback Rice Packaging

Spotted: awesome throwback rice packaging.  I’ve been seeing this packaging more and more around town from specialty Japanese food and/or rice shops.  This 2kg bag of rice from Arobo in Hiroo is a more modern take on the design.

Note: Japanese rice is a great omiyage (souvenir).  It’s flavorful with a great texture that’s hard to find outside of Japan – especially if it’s from this year’s harvest!  Visit one of the specialty rice shops like Suzunobu in Meguro.

Fresca: Gourmet Online Shop & Toby’s Estate Giveaway

Big news!!  I started working part time for Fresca – a new gourmet online marketplace in Japan.  Right up my alley, right?!  All of the food and products are thoroughly vetted for quality, taste, and brand image.  And guess who gets to do some of the vetting?  Yup – right up my alley, indeed :)

Fresca specializes in famous, hip brands, boutiques, and restaurants from Japan and abroad.  Perfect for expats or anyone who loves food and dinner parties!  Some of my favorites are Intelligentsia and Toby’s Coffee (finally.. good coffee in Tokyo!), common good, Azuman’s Sendai beef (grade 5: best in Japan) and wasabi that I wrote about before, and Nobu.

Japanese Felt Crafts

Thought I’d ‘cute-n’ up your day with these Japanese felt mascots.  This is part of a whole series of equally-adorable craft DIY books made by Hamanaka with instructions on how to make these adorable little creatures.  They’re only available in Japanese, but the books are filled with pictures, and it looks like you can also buy these mascots ready-made if you’re not so crafty :)