Some crafty gals at work and I decided that we’d each make a bunny for Easter. It’s been a busy week, but I did finally finish up my bunny early this afternoon. I gave it away to my mummy, so I didn’t get a lot of detailed pictures of it. I made my bunny from the pattern in this cute little Japanese book:

In Japanese, it’s Hajimete No Nuigurumi, which translates to something like “Beginning Stuffies”. (ISBN: 4529039013) You can buy it on Amazon Japan and there are some preview images available there. The book also includes cat, dog and bear patterns. There are two versions of the bunny, small and large. I went with the small one, but I wish I would have done the larger one in this case. I was all set on button eyes, but buttons on this little guy kind of make him look funny to me. My mom loved him though, and that’s what counts! Like the title would lead you to believe, this book is great for beginners. The pieces are simple, and the construction process is shown step-by-step with illustrations and photos. The finished works are very cute too.

Also of interest, on the back of the book there is a link to this website: http://www.tezukuritown.com It’s in Japanese, but there are a few free patterns there. I like this little cross stitch Matryoshka pattern (PDF link). Maybe I’ll make one!

I bought these crafty goods recently on a few separate trips to the thrift store. I always think it’s amazing to find things like this that are new in the package, and they’re older than I am! I’m curious about the history of these items… Who bought them? Why were they never used? Where have they been stored all this time? What was the cause of their arrival at the thrift store? I waste a lot of time thinking about questions to which I’ll never know the answers! haha It is sort of fun to make up little stories in your mind.

Hazel’s Creative Floral Loom - The package says it’s from 1970. The original price was a whopping $1.61, and I paid only 95 cents! I love the back of the package, it’s a brief instruction on how to make a few flowers. There are some really cute typefaces in there. Click on the thumbnail if you want to zoom in and check it out.

Miniature Tiny Turtles - Because one adjective just isn’t enough to describe the smallness of these guys. haha This came in a bag priced at $1.60 which also contained some nice packages of sequins. I’m not sure if this one is very old. The original price of 49 cents seems a little steep to me for three little bits of green plastic. (Why 3?)

Stitchery Kit - I paid 40 cents for this one. Original tag says $1.99. The back of the package says this one’s from 1979. I like how it says “Adult guidance recommended for youngsters under 10 years of age.” Youngsters. I like that word. I don’t think the child on the package is 10 years old… maybe 7? (I don’t have any youngsters so I’m terrible at judging their ages!) I don’t know if I would have done such a great job, but I would have enjoyed something like this when I was that age.

Decorette Brand Ribbon - This one is my favorite! I paid 1.19 for it at the thrift store. I cannot believe that someone bought this and didn’t open it. I love the color combinations! I’m terribly sentimental—I don’t know if I’ll have the strength to open this and use some of the Decorette until a very special project comes along. I am fascinated that this was a 3M product. “Decorette is a registered trademark of 3M Co.” haha On the bottom of the package, there are instructions on how to make a “Magic Bow” with Decorette ribbon. Click on the image if you want to make your own Magic Bow!!

On Puerto Rico, I bought 2 neat wrap dresses in San Juan! These each have two layers of coordinating fabric with ruffly edges. You can tie them in several different configurations, this photo shows just a few! I don’t know where I’ll ever wear them, other than vacations. I have a lot of clothes like that! I have a little collection of some kimono and salwar kameez sets and one silky saree I won on eBay, and I very rarely get enough guts to wear any of this out of the house. haha At least I’ve joined a Japanese dance group now, so I can wear my kimono once in a while.

Anyhoo, I don’t know what possessed me, but there was a Claire’s in San Juan and I got some new hair sticks. It was strangely comforting to see stores that we have back home. We also saw plenty of McDonald’s, Burger King, Hooters, and Hard Rock Cafes throughout the voyage. We ate at the Hooters in St. Thomas. It was tasty, but a little expensive IMO. haha In St. Thomas I also bought some ginger sauce and some piña colada tea! mmmm I love ginger, and I’ll put it in darn near everything I cook in some form or another. Ginger sauce is very friendly with stir fry and curry. It adds such a nice tangy sweetness.

I made the mistake of not bringing my own camera on this trip and depending on my brother and husband for photos… hence I have none. I will certainly post a few good ones as soon as I get my hands on them, we did take a lot.

I just returned from a Caribbean cruise, and I’m proud to say that I didn’t spend an incredible amount of money! haha This is mostly due to the fact that the island shops are overrun with imported goods, so you see a lot of the same cheesy souvenirs at every stop on the voyage. However, I found some imports in Puerto Rico that I could not pass up! It was a shop selling bellydance gear and various cool things from India.

In a stack on the floor, hiding in a corner of the shop, I found these sweet old skool prints of Hindu deities. They are so beautifully ideal and full of symbolism. Only $3 each. I wish I had bought more of them, but I was afraid they’d get destroyed in my suitcase on the journey home. I’ve been enjoying reading about the adventures of each one on the web. I’ll have to search for a good book so I can learn more…

Polaroid is discontinuing instant film!!
From savepolaroid.com:

On February 8, 2008 Polaroid Corporation announced that it will discontinue production of the instant film that made the company a household name.

Just discovered this today, and as a fan of Polaroid photography and collector of vintage Polaroid cameras, I am saddened. Visit www.savepolaroid.com to do your part in the campaign to save instant film.