Monday, January 25, 2016

New Website

Hello Sandwiches!

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Hello Sandwich has now moved over to a new website and I will be blogging from there from now on.

You can find it over here:

http://www.hellosandwich.jp/

Or CLICK HERE to add it to your bookmarks.

Special thanks to Donna, James and Rhys for getting it up and running!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo


Monday, January 4, 2016

Amsterdam Airbnb

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You guys! This is the cute Airbnb I stayed at in Amsterdam late last year. Do you die? I die!

Click over here to see more. My trip to Lithuania came about all of a sudden so I had to book accommodation for my little side trip to Amsterdam at rather short notice. How on earth I got so lucky to find this gem, I have no idea.

I've put my review down at the bottom of this post, but here are a few shots of the studio apartment.

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O. M. G. Do you know what it was like going into a Western supermarket and stocking up on Western goodies. BLUE CHEESE guys!!! And DIPS!!! Dips, yo! And the best packaging!

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So many pretty colours. Making my lunch, with all of these incredible ingredients, gah, I could have stayed forever. The thought did cross my mind.

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Nienke left this adorbs card and a stack of Stroopwafles. OMG, how did I not know about Stroopwafles already?

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"It's me, Skinny Orange"

And, yes, of course I bought Dubbelvla just for that packaging. But as my friend Bjorn suggested, it was in fact, delicious.

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My apartment looked out over this rooftop, which I could also walk out onto. SHUT UP, right?

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Bedside details. It was always 10 o'clock, though. Hah.

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I woke up to the most incredible sunlight every morning.

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And then I would make drip coffee and pour my well-designed-milk-packaging-milk into my coffee.


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I'd listen to tunes on this cute retro radio.

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I'd light a candle, pour a glass of wine and bathe in this gigantic brand new spa bath whilst reading monocle.

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This is the view from the bathroom. Ridic, right?

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If you're looking for a little European getaway I can't recommend this apartment enough.

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Here is my Airbnb review:

Oh my goodness this place was sooooo hard to say goodbye to. If you're coming to Amsterdam I INSIST you stay here.

The studio is AMAZING! Ridiculously clean, beautifully sunny, impeccably styled and furnished, and stocked with the best essentials. The daylight that pours into this amazing top floor apartment will fill you with joy every day. It was hard to leave the apartment and explore Amsterdam. I just wanted to sit in the cute apartment, drink coffee, look out the window and listen to the cute retro radio.

The entire apartment is recently renovated so in perfect condition, and the bathroom is just WOW. Enjoy taking a soak in the giant tub while looking out over the park.

Upon arrival I was met by the sweetest Jordy who carried my gigantic suitcase up the stairs for me. We stood chatting for a while and he showed me all of the essentials such as how to operate a Dutch washing machine! He reminded me of my best friend and I felt instantly at home. Nienke and I emailed almost every day while I was there. Incredible communication! I would ask for an iron and it would instantly appear on my stairs! Or I would do a load of washing and Jordy would bring up a clothes drying rack for me. They were both so friendly that we ended up meeting for glasses of wine and Nienke even invited me down for drinks with her friends. For me it was perfect. So homey!

I fell in love with all of the cute plates and cups that Nienke had stocked the cupboards with and spent half of my morning instagramming shots from the apartment. As I was leaving Nienke offered to give me some of the plates! She is just the sweetest ever. Upon arrival there was a stash of Stroopwaffles for me. OMG. They were gone in a flash. And a beautiful handwritten vintage postcard. When it was time to say goodbye to Nienke I think we must have hugged about eight times. Haha.

It's super easy to get to the center of town from here either by walking, tram or rental bike. But, trust me, this place is so cute you won't want to leave. The perfect place to stay in Amsterdam and I will definitely be back.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Lithuania

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Sandwiches!!!

Hello Sandwiches!

Happy New Year! 2016! It's our year!

Are you having a nice break? I can not tell you how nice it is to be able to sit down and listen to this as I post some pictures from late 2015.

It all happened ridiculously fast, but at the start of October 2015, I was flown to Lithuania by Now Japan to give two presentations about life in Japan. Those of you who follow my instagram would know about this already, but being 1/2 Lithuanian and 1/2 Australian, I was invited to fly to Vilnius for an all-expenses-paid trip to the motherland.

After my father passed away in 2013 I don't have any family connections with Lithuania anymore. In fact, my last trip there was in 1998 with my Dad. So, as you can imagine, this trip was important and emotional. I was incredibly lucky to be selected to take part in this conference. Revisiting Lithuania with this group was honestly the best possible way to revisit!

The Now Japan festival had a team of 70 volunteers who helped us 'guests' with anything. From picking me up at the hotel, driving me around, showing me local cafes, and on my last day in Vilnius they even drove me to the countryside so I could take photos of cute little colourful huts! I can not possibly tell you just how amazing it was to revisit the motherland with the help of these wonderful volunteers. I made friends with the cutest girl, Dovile, who is a few years younger than me, and as we walked the pebbly roads of old Vilnius, she told me stories of how she recalls her life when Lithuania became independent. It could have just as easily been my life, I thought.

I have so many photos to show you, but to start with, let me show you just a few.

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Transferring in Amsterdam.

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View from my hotel in Lithuania.

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Old Soviet style decor in my Lithuanian hotel.

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Lithuanian hotel breakfast. Eggs in baskets, a million cold meats and cheeses AND BROWN BREAD!!! Sooooooo rare in my Tokyo supermarkets. AND herrings. My grandmother used to cut cucumber like this. I almost cried when I saw this hotel breakfast set up.
Lithuanian hotel breakfast. Eggs in baskets, a million cold meats and cheeses, brown bread!!! (BROWWWWWNNN BREAD, GUYS! Sooo rare in my Tokyo supermarkets) and herrings! My grandmother used to cut cucumber like this - See more at: http://iconosquare.com/viewer.php#/detail/1081668563994433494_3481556


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Guys, do you die for these cuties? On my first morning in Lithiania I was whisked over for a TV interview at Body Talk studio. These girls had the cutest studio and were ridiculously sweet and creative. Can you imagine being flown from Tokyo and within hours of landing in Lithuania, being taken to the coolest place in town? I felt soooooooo incredibly lucky! I was pinching myself in the bathroom as I retouched my MAC Lady Danger lipstick ready for the film crew. How did I end up here? Life can be weird and wonderful.

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After my first TV interview it was time to explore Vilnius on foot with the team.

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Dovile colour matching in Vilnius.

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Ridiculously pretty!

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I met THE BEST people!

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We sat riverside and I ate zeppelini, which I hadn't eaten since Mr Y and I ordered it at the Lithianian Club in Bankstown, Australia. Ahhhhhh, so amazing.

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THIS is the grand stage that I presented at during the conference!

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As soon as I got a break from the interviews and presentations I snuck out to take photos. This is one of my favourite shots taken from the tower down the road from my hotel. Such incredible colours.

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It's hard to take a bad shot in Lithuania.

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I have so many other shots I want to show you from the Lithuania trip, and then I popped over to Amsterdam and have so much to tell you about that trip, too!

Stay tuned, Sandwiches, and a very happy 2016 to you!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Friday, December 4, 2015

Last workshops for 2015!

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Sandwiches! Hello!

The last two Hello Sandwich workshops for 2015 are coming up and I really hope you can come along!


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Make a super cute handmade 2016 calendar with me on December 11th in Shinjuku. 

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Or come along to Wrapple in Shibuya and make your own file folder on December 6th.
Pop over to Wrapple for more details.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Tokyo Guide REPRINT!!!

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Due to popular demand I am printing a few extras!

NOTE:
These orders will be posted out on December 15th, 2015.

Don't miss out on your copy!

Click here to order.

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo


Sunday, November 8, 2015

Dakota Crescent, Singapore

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Those amazingly cool kids Ant and Stanley from The Little Drom Store were soooooo spot on with the things I would be interested in seeing in Singapore. One day they took me to explore Dakota Crescent, one of Singapore's oldest housing estates. For me this was photo paradise! Potted plants, pastel doors, clusters of washing, faded play equipment, patterned tiles, and hazy light. As soon as Stanley parked the car I think I was like 'Okay guys, I'll meet you back here in three hours'. That Aussie humour...just can't get rid of it. Unfortunately this beautiful little retro community is due to be pulled down and residents have until the end of 2016 to move out.


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This kind of reminded me of Culburra, where I spent most of my childhood summer vacations.

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The sign reads "Please don't throw cats here". Wahhhhh.

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The top of this stone table has a chess board carved out for local residents to enjoy. The faded paint with the pastel pink is just perfection for me.

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We walked around, popping up the residential stairways and Ant and Stanley even chatted through the windows with some local residents. MAN I wanted to take photos of that. But luckily you can see what the inside of some of these fantastic apartments look like over here.

Miss you, Singapore! And miss you Ant and Stanley! xoxo

And - love you, Tokyo. It's a grey and rainy day over here in Shimokitazawa. I'm listening to Grimes' new album and relaxing looking out over this gorgeous almost-winter weather. OMG and Koichi got us tickets to Grimes' live in Tokyo! Yassssss! ありがとうこいちさん!Man, and look at this amazing tour schedule. I want a dream schedule like this! Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Utrecht...The dream! And she's also going to Sydney and Melbourne for any Aussie readers out there.

By the way, I'm off to Shiogama next week for a workshop with Birdo Flugas, and then back to Ishinomaki to visit Hiro-san again!

Love Love
Hello Sandwich
xoxo