R.I.P. Little Puff

Little Puff was one our strays that we took care of, she was killed by a reckless driver last night. Puff was only a little over a year old and she was also pregnant, very pregnant. She was one of the sweetest little cats I've ever known. She lived a short rough life but she was always ready to give the love freely to her human friends. We will miss you sweet Little Puff.

Please if you drive remember to drive carefully down residential streets you never know who will be crossing and you can end a life very easily, human or non-human.




Our neighbor Flora, a little girl in our neighborhood unfortunately watched the whole thing happen so she made this sign because of Puffs death

I met my good friend Michelle today for lunch at Hiroko's Place a Japanese comfort food cafe in Soho. This place has been around for a while but neither of us had ever ventured to eat there. The decor was weird except for the art on the walls was very Japnese Kawaii, the rest kinda looked like leftovers from another place. The menu has curry dishes, Omu (omelette) plates, hamburg and a few other stuff. Michelle order the Omu fried rice, which she said needed some flavoring, plus the green tea smoothie which was yummy. I got the vegetable curry over rice and it was tasty and the iced green tea. We unfortunately waited over 45 minutes to be served our food when there were only 2 other patrons in the restaurant. Apparently they had a large delivery order that came ahead of us, the folks actually sitting in the restaurant. This made the food less appetizing especially since my friend had to go back to work and her lunch hour was practically up when they served us, plus it was pricey for what we got and how long it took, the bill with tip was $36, for two people, which is outrageous in NYC for lunch. The owner, came over to our table an apologized profusely bowing over and over again, saying that it was a busy day. The bowing embarrassed my friend and kinda just annoyed me because she was the same person sitting in a big bachelor pad seat with a refreshing beverage in her hand while we just waited for our food, if she was truly sorry. If you are really jonesing for some Japanese comfort food, go somewhere else, got to Panya in the east village, this place just doesn't measure up, I was truly disappointed.







Since I was already in Soho I figured that I would walk over to Purl Soho in their new location on Broome street and check it out. I was in love with everything they had and I had to control myself (the only part of not working full time I hate is not being able to spend money!). I overheard another customer talking to a salesperson about reupholstering and I remembered that I need to make new covers for my mid-century mod Danish chair, so I followed the ladies. I found some very nice textured solids and I picked a primary blue and I am very pleased, just need to find some zippers because they didn't have the right selection for what I need it for. All in all, my experience at Purl Soho was lovely, the staff is really sweet and the crafting supplies are a plenty! (Sunrise Mart is just down the block too!)






Getting There:
Hiroko's Place
75 Thompson St (between Broome St & Spring St)
Take the 1 train to Canal Station or the A,C,E to Spring St
Map

Purl Soho
459 Broome Street (between Mercer and Greene st)
Take the 1 or N,R train to Canal Station.
Map

All in one Place! Kinokuniya and Cafe Zaiya (image heavy)

Self-made Envelope Stationery by Kazumi Udagawa
ISBN 978-4-8085-8541-9

Yesterday I had a sad morning so I decided to cheer myself up with a trip to my favorite store in NYC, Kinokuniya. Kinokuniya is the greatest Japanese book store, here and in Tokyo. The branch on 6th Avenue and 41st street has three massive floors. The main floor has tons of fashion, doll, general Japanese interest books and so many magazines. Lower Level has a huge stationery section with tons of kawaii Japanese character stuff, like San-x. School, office, painting and drawing supplies, plus some crafting supplies and beautiful papers are all located on the lower level along with the very awesome crafting book section. Also Japanese language books and children's books can be found on this level. The upper level has art and photography books, and if you are a Manga fan you are in super luck because they have a nice collection of Manga books and videos. Toys and other fun stuff can be found on all three floors. Then on the third floor they have Cafe Zaiya, a sister cafe to the larger one a few blocks away. The cafe has great bento boxes, onigiri, pastries, yummy hot and cold beverages, like matcha frappe with a cute seating section.



Origami supplies and books



Tons of kawaii!



art supplies and MT Tapes (washi tapes)!






Cafe Zaiya treats Onigiri (riceball)



yummy green tea muffin or cream muffin



These are the books and mags I bought yesterday at Kinokuniya along with the one at the beginning of the post.



MT Tape craft book (no idea the title) ISBN 978-4-416-30939-1




Super cute Fair Isle knitting patterns (no title) ISBN978-4-579-11318-7



Fudge (fashion mag), 2011 May vol.95, (no ISBN)


More cool stuff that I saw in the store but just had to watch my spending, but I really want them!









Getting There: Kinokuniya bookstore
1073 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue and 41st street), New York, NY 10018
(212) 869-1700.
Take the F or M train to 42nd St Station
Map

Fresh Pies and old goodness

Friday my partner, Debra and our good friend, Dada from Tak for Mad took a nice walk into the Gowanus since we are in the next neighborhood over, Boerum Hill to check out a couple of places. The first place we went to was Film Biz Recycling, a huge warehouse filled with vintage props and furniture used in the film industry and you can either buy or rent stuff, everything is marked with it's option. Of, course everything I loved was for rent only. But how amazing if you want to have a party and want to have some cool furniture or amazing props to impress your friends or date, and just cna't commit the dough to make a purchase you can just rent it!. I found some neat things like a kids turntable, old Kenmore sewing machine, tons of cameras, lamps, and lots of great chairs.






Next stop a slice of pie! For a delicious snack in the neighborhood stop in to Four and Twenty Blackbirds for an amazing piece of pie made on the premises. I had the Salty honey pie and that was absolutely an explosion in my mouth of sweet and salty caramel deliciousness! I recommend going in the afternoon before 4pm and enjoying the sunny seating on the farm style tables. I hear the coffee is good too, but I'm not a coffee drinker so I have to go by what others say, but the pie is two thumbs up.








Getting there:
Film Biz Recycling
540 President street (between, 4th avenue and 3rd avenue)
Take the R to Carroll St.
Map

Four and Twenty Blackbirds
439 3rd Avemue (corner of 9th street)
Take F or G to 4th Avenue Station or R to 9th Street Station
Map

Missing Tokyo

Everyone that knows me knows how much I love Japan and how disappointed I am that I had to leave so early. There's nothing that I don't love about Japan, so I'm missing a lot of things, like....



The walk to the train station, with all it's little shops, restaurants and bars.



The streets, immaculately clean.



My matcha latte from Cafe Doutor in the morning.



Life supermarket with it's amazing selection of meats and fish and giant bottles of green tea.

The combini where I would pick up my tuna onigiri ,which I was so proud that I figured the Kanji out. The only place with a frig dedicated to flan, just flan. Buying a can of beer without judgement.

100 yen stores.



The craft superstores, one of the only places in the world I've been where crafting was equally as important as clothes or food.



Walking along the Meguro river.



My favorite Yakitori place




Loft, one of my favorite stores.



All the amazing vintage stores, not even in Brooklyn do you find stuff like this.



Sweet cafes with attention to detail.



Cute store fronts.



The quiet efficient trains.



The Tokyo lights.




Nakameguro, my neighborhood.

- Posted by misskitty1970