open for business

Posted on August 20, 2006 by mariko

logo 1-1.jpg

Well, my friends, it’s time for the BIG NEWS: Buzzville Kelly and I have teamed up to start an online fabric shop, and it’s OPEN FOR BUSINESS NOW. It’s called superbuzzy, and I hope you will all shop there (and feel free to steal the button at right). We specialize in Japanese imports and will continue to add to our inventory so that we can offer you the most fantastic, fun, and unique fabrics. We also plan to offer zakka products (i.e., super cute and crafty Japanese products) down the road. We’re really excited about this endeavor and hope to grow our stock like crazy.
Kelly taught herself CSS and designed the entire web site (and the very cute logo) with help from her husband Jerry. I certainly couldn’t have done it, so I thank the stars she is my partner (you see, the key is to have a really smart and capable partner!). I will be handling order fulfillment, which means my DNA is going to be smeared all over the fabric and packages.
I have to make a few acknowledgements here. We could not have started superbuzzy without the help and support of our families (Peter has been a huge champion of superbuzzy), but we also never would have gotten off the ground without the enthusiastic help of Molly, Jan, and Kat. They were really instrumental in catapulting us from the idea stage into reality. Also, thanks to all of you for your ongoing encouragement in all my crafty endeavors. I don’t know that I would have had the motivation or the wherewithal to really move forward with superbuzzy without your support. Please know that superbuzzy is your shop as much as it is ours, and I hope you will stick with us as we learn the ropes. Now shop on!

Posted in zip | 58 Comments

wet soda

Posted on August 19, 2006 by mariko

It’s hot here in the City of Roses once again, so there’s no better time to drink down some tasty beverages! Action Hero Melissa brought over some fancy sodas (she always knows about the new, hip stuff).

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They are from the Dry Soda Co. in Washington and have interesting flavors such as kumquat, rhubarb, lemongrass, and lavender. Sounds very refreshing, no?

Posted in candy/chocolate | 10 Comments

help me out, fashionistas

Posted on August 17, 2006 by mariko

A dear friend in Japan sent me a package of goodies, including a very interesting top:

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It’s a tank top sort of thing with elasticized armholes and waist. The material is–wait for it–windbreaker nylon. I am not sure exactly how I am supposed to wear it. I know it’s a shirt because the customs declaration form indicated “t-shirt,” and it was the only apparel-like item in the package. Yeah, many of you are probably thinking, “Don’t wear it, you freak!” I have to confess, though, that I rather like it (and I should probably also confess that I am not particularly fashionable. I would say my style is more elderly Chinese tourist, complete with socks with skirts and the like). Anyway, does anyone know the proper way to wear this top?
*Some people have had problems leaving comments. If you experience these issues, please e-mail me, and I will whine to my brother in hopes he can rectify the situation.

Posted in General | 26 Comments

no time to blog

Posted on August 14, 2006 by mariko

I apologize for being so remiss in my blogging lately. We have a houseful right now, so we have been on the go! So, here are some random things:
– I made more ice cream! I made a batch of vanilla ice cream that contains no eggs and requires no cooking. Less work for me! I also made some peanut butter ice cream:

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It also required no cooking! I found the recipe here.It’s super peanut buttery and yummy (if you like peanut butter, anyway).
– My mother-in-law brought me some Japanese gooey treats:
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I think she was a little surprised at how excited I was. People, you just don’t know how difficult it is to find these kinds of sweets!
– We took our houseful out along the Columbia River scenic highway today. We decided it’d be a good idea to stop at Bridal Veil Falls and take the 2/3 mile roundtrip walk.
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Pretty, isn’t it? The walk wasn’t that far, but it was pretty steep. On the way back to the parking lot, Peter’s dad got so hot from hiking uphill that he took his shirt off. He then tried to dry himself off by standing in front of the automatic dryers in the bathroom.
– Speaking of Peter’s dad, here he is along with Peter after our lunch at Skamania Lodge:
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As you can see, he put his shirt back on.
– I hinted at “big news” a while back. I might be able to annouce said news this week.
– The cake we had the other day (the one from Bakery Bar) was poppy seed with citrus curd filling and buttercream frosting. It was delicious, and yes, it was a birthday cake. Thanks for the well wishes!

Posted in General | 12 Comments

the dessert party continues

Posted on August 11, 2006 by mariko

I feel about 20 pounds heavier, and I’m going to pack on some more here after I eat a big slice of this:

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It’s almost too pretty to eat. Ha ha ha! Yeah, right! This gorgeous cake is from the Bakery Bar.
Oh, and from the other day, the vanilla ice cream recipe I used is here. The chocolate gelato one is here. I think the gelato was more successful, both in terms of flavor and texture, so next I’d like to try a vanilla gelato.

Posted in baking | 9 Comments

dessert fest

Posted on August 9, 2006 by mariko

We had an impromptu dessert party this evening. You see, I received this incredible hand-me-down ice cream machine, and I just had to test it out:

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I couldn’t locate my file of ice cream recipes, so I had to search for new ones online. I decided to make a vanilla ice cream and a chocolate gelato. The chocolate gelato base was rather involved, since it included caramelizing sugar, adding milk and cocoa, melting chocolate separately, beating egg yolks and sugar in yet another bowl, mixing it all together, and cooking it again. It was worth it, though, because it created a super rich, dense, chocolatey gelato:
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So that was just the first part of the dessert fiesta. While I was making the ice cream, my brother called and said he was headed right from the airport with some Beard Papa cream puffs (he went to San Francisco for the day for work, and when I found out he was going to the Moscone Center, I prompted him to go by Beard Papa for me, and he actually did it!).
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He got vanilla, chocolate, vanilla with chocolate drizzled on top, and the special flavor of the week–milk tea. I tried a milk tea, and it was incredibly delicious!
So anyway, Project Runway is on, so I don’t have time to post the ice cream and gelato recipes. Does anyone want them? I can post them another day if anyone is interested. Also, if you have any delicious gelato recipes to share, please do so. I am hot for homemade gelato!

Posted in candy/chocolate | 21 Comments

summer shift #2

Posted on August 8, 2006 by mariko

First, thanks for all your barf and mole comments. They were very informative and entertaining! Mole Masters seems to be on task, so we’re hoping the moles find another yard to tunnel through!
So for my final sewing project before the current hiatus, I decided to make another summer shift in case another heatwave hits. I got some cotton lawn and used a version of the Machiko Kayaki pattern I made before. It doesn’t have the ties and is slightly narrower.

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As usual, Peter had some choice comments:
“It’s a muumuu!”
“It looks like a hospital gown.”
“God, that’s horrible.”
“It totally washes you out.”
“It would look better as a skirt. Why don’t you take it apart right now and make it into a skirt.”
When the temps rise high enough for me to wear this dress, believe me, I’m not going to care that it is muumuu-like!

Posted in sewing | 20 Comments

holy mole-y

Posted on August 7, 2006 by mariko

It began with one innocent mole hill. When several more made appearances, we made efforts to discourage the mole (or moles) from returning. They didn’t work. Our front yard was on the verge of caving in on itself, so we decided it was time to call upon professional help.

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I have to say I’m a little peeved. Mole Masters came with a supposed guarantee and promises of a “body count.” Where are you, Mole Masters? It’s been a week, and so far the moles have been undeterred by the ominous-looking MOLE MASTERS cans and traps. More mole hills have appeared. We seem to be the only people in the neighborhood with moles. I watch people walk by and stare at the cans, and I know they’re thinking, “Ha! This is what you get for moving here from California!” Someone suggested we pee into the mole hills. I haven’t tried it … yet.

Posted in General | 17 Comments

garbage skirt

Posted on August 6, 2006 by mariko

Remember Penguin shirts? Well, apparently the penguin is back and in much finer form under the label Original Penguin by Munsingwear. I fell in love with a couple of skirts.

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The one on the left is ON SALE for $165! That is just crazy expensive. I decided to use the skirts as inspiration and make my own.
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What folly! I couldn’t do the V-yoke or those cute little scallop dealies. Oh well, mine didn’t cost $165. I used for the centerpiece a little piece of Liberty of London fabric that Anna sent me a while back. I then went to Fabric Depot and spaced out for a really long time trying to find complementary fabrics. I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for, but you know how that can be. So anyway, the reason I call it the garbage skirt is because the woman who cut the fabric for me asked me what I was going to make, and I said a tiered skirt with some stuff on it, and she proceeded to tell me that she loves to make skirts with all kinds of fabrics and stick a bunch of lace on them. She calls them her garbage skirts, I’m assuming because she uses all remnants. I thought that was great.
Okay, I’d better get back to sewing. My in-laws arrive tomorrow, so I need to get in some last-minute sewing! I might eat some ice cream first, though.

Posted in sewing | 28 Comments

let’s share

Posted on August 3, 2006 by mariko

I can think of two occasions on which I used motion sickness bags. One was on a flight back from Japan when I was about 10. We made it off the plane and were walking through that tube thing that connects the plane to the airport when I had to hurl. Luckily, my brother had taken a motion sickness bag as a souvenir. He was kind of peeved that I ruined it, though.

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The second time was when I went flying on a little Cessna with my brother (again! What’s the connection with puking and my brother?) and his crazy pilot friend. The crazy friend decided it’d be fun to do some air tricks and was doing loop-d-loops and such. Let’s just say that the cherry Pop Tarts I’d had for breakfast made a reappearance.
I can’t believe I’m asking this, but hey, what are your motion sickness bag stories? Anyone?

Posted in General | 31 Comments