Moo

I'm in love with Moo! I've ordered from them several times before and I've just received my new mini business cards, mini thank you cards and logo stickers! Moo never disappoints.

It's going to be hard to use them on my packages because I love them too much and it may be hard for me to part with them!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow to see who the winner of my giveaway is. You can still sign up!

Indie Biz

I'm a bit sad because today is the last day of our Indie Business classes and it has been absolutely wonderful.

It refreshed a lot of the things I already learned last year and also taught me some new things. But the best part for me was really all the other classmates and getting to know them and networking with them. I've learned how to use and love Twitter and Pinterest, although I wish I had more time for those and

I really, really love interviewing one of my crafty classmates every Wednesday! I also enjoy being interviewed by them on their blogs, for example about my Etsy or even about Osaka!

And come back on Monday to read about our huge Launch Day Event. I'll be introducing many of my classmates' new shops, new products and new blogs. And many of us are doing giveaways, even me!!

Chibird

There's this highschool girl with a tumblr account who makes the cutests drawings that I just love. She calls herself chibird and also drew that beautiful image for the people of Japan.

I was initially attracted to her work because her style of drawing reminded me of my own drawings. I picked up that style of drawing somewhere in Japan, when I was a teacher. I often rewarded students with a cartoon version of me cheering them on, drawn onto their homework, they loved it. But of course chibird's drawings are way more sophisticated!

Chibird also often covers topics in her comics that sound so true to me and make me giggle to realize that I'm not the only one who's weird like that.

I also love her more advanced drawings, you know people with hair and more defined clothing ;). Basically I love everything she posts and the lessons or ideals that come with her work.

Her tumblr is filled with awesome comics and animations, and I always get excited when Bloglovin' announces chibird has another update on her blog.

Starbucks

I love Starbucks, always have, ever since I first discovered it in London more than 10 years ago. It's rather difficult not to love Starbucks when you love to drink coffee all day long. The concept of take-away coffee was pretty new to me then and I loved it! Now I could drink coffee while walking on the street. Awesome. I also love their new simplified logo:

Starbucks is also special to Yasu and me, as a couple. I remember the day that our relationship went from "people who live in the same dorm but prefer to ignore each other" to "people who are special friends." It was in 2004 at Starbucks in Emory, Yasu was studying there and I was supposed to do some customer behavior research for my marketing class, but the place was packed and the only empty seat was at Yasu's table. Neither of us got our school work done, instead all we did was talk for hours and get to know each other. It was our unofficial but magical first date.

Cupcakes!

Of course I heart cupcakes! I mean, who doesn't? I haven't eaten many cupcakes in my life though, I ate my first cupcake just last September. Since then I've eaten one more professional cupcake and I have baked a few amateuristic ones myself. I'm going to try to bake some rainbow cupcakes this weekend! Why? because I have been looking at pictures of cupcakes all week and now I want to eat some! And I thought I'd share some of my favorite cupcakes with you here:

Cupcakes that I want to eat right now

Raspberry Cupcakes - Marshmallow Frosting Cupcakes - Salted Caramel Cupcakes - Flaming Strawberry Cupcakes

All these cupcakes look absolutely delicious, but if I had to pick just one I would go for the Marshmallow Frosting cupcake. 

Cupcakes that are too pretty to eat

Cookie Monster Cupcake - Happy Face Cupcakes - Painter's Palette Cupcakes - Roses Cupcakes

These are my favorite online cupcakes so far. I wish they were mine, but what's the point really? I would never eat these little pieces of art!

Cupcakes that are not what they appear to be

Sushi Cupcakes - Corn-on-the-Cob Cupcakes - TV Dinner Cupcakes - Granny Smith Apple Cupcakes

Wow, cupcakes in disguise. When you take a bite out of these you might be really surprised when they don't taste like what they appear to be. The corn-on-the-cob looks very realistic, watch out!

Cupcakes that I think I could make myself

Awesome Colors Cupcakes - Fruit Marshmallows Cupcake - M&M Cupcake - Sprinkles Cupcake

These make me the happiest because I'm confident that I can create something similar. And these look amazing and yummy too. I love, love, love the colors of the frosting in the top left picture!

Which one do you wish was sitting on a plate in front of you right now?

Red Velvet's Spring Dress Line

I've admired Elsie Flannigan's work for years. She's an amazingly talented woman and she has done so many different things over the years, and all of them marvelously. When I first discovered her she was really into scrapbooking, since then she's published books, made uncountable cute handmade goodies, painted hundreds of pretty paintings, opened her second brick and mortar shop and now she's designed her first dress line. This woman is awe-inspiring and her dresses are stunning.

Another thing I really admire Elsie for is her time management. She gets so much done in such little time, I really wonder if this woman ever sleeps. She also made this video to promote her new dress line, and it's so amazing, cute and professional. Watching it makes me happy!

These girls make me jealous, wish I could look cute in dresses. Which one is your favorite? Mine's probably the Golden Afternoon dress (bottom middle).

Momiji

To me "momiji" means the colored maple leaves in Fall, which the Japanese love to celebrate, much like the sakura (cherry blossoms) in Spring. But lately I've been seeing a very different kind of momiji online, and they look like this:

These extremely cute modern kokeshi-type dolls are message dolls. If you turn one upside down you'll find a tiny folded card on which you can write a note to whomever you're going to give the doll to. Or if you don't want to give this doll away (which I can completely understand), you can just write a secret message to yourself.

Problem is there are soooo many cute momiji, it's not possible for me to pick just one, I might just have to start collecting them. Which momiji is your favorite?

The House of Mouse

I've been admiring the House of Mouse for a long time. Anna is a British girl who lives in the Netherlands and spends her time making countless versions of cute mice. Her sister Naomi (who still lives in the UK) joined the mouse-making business recently and together they've been going strong.

Look at the detail in these beautiful mice, I especially like the belly dancer! Besides mice with jobs they've also made movie mice! They have turned characters from the Harry Potter (check out Ron's freckles!) and Star Wars movies into cute mice, and also Edward Scissorhands, the Hulk and Indiana Jones. Go check out their Etsy shop for even more mice!

My favorite mice are the Sinterklaas mouse and Zwarte Piet mouse, because they're are typically Dutch characters and they remind me of home.

Valentines

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day! But Valentine's cards are expensive, so I've been looking around online for free printable cards, and I've found loads. I thought I'd share my favorite eleven, just in case you still need a nice or funny card for your loved one.

1. You'll Do by Mmmcrafts

2. Vintage Heart Tree Cake by Amy Rice

3. Fruit Love by Twig & Thistle (not exactly a card, but these stickers are an awesome way to express your love)

4. Wild Zebra by Maquette

5. Valentine's Day Is Nothing Special by 74 Lime Lane

6. Heart Tweet by Oliebollen

7. Brownie Bags & Goodie Bags by Twig and Thistle (again not a card, but I've always been in love with paper bags and these are just perfect)

8. Loving Friends by One Charming Party

9. Wood You Be Mine by Mmmcrafts

10. French Girls by Inside A Black Apple

11. Kisses and Hugs by Maquette

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

The Little Illustrator

I just discovered the wonderful illustrations made by Jen of the Little Illustrator.  I always wonder how people make drawings like that with a computer, the end result is always so beautiful and professional, really wish I could do that too.

Aren't these images just adorable. My favorite is the cute little couple under the colorful tree.

She also has an Etsy shop where she sells prints of her work. Go check it out, but be warned, you can easily lose an hour by just clicking through all of her beautiful illustrations. Once you've seen one, you want to see all of them!

Lue and Sue

I just discovered a beautiful blog called Lue and Sue, and I'm in love with the creatures Cary Bates crochets! Just take a look at these:

I wish I knew how to crochet, because I always love the shapes of crocheted animals, so nice and round! I think Cary's birds are my favorite, but the white elephant is a close second!