Back from Florida

I'm back from a two week holiday to Florida to visit my parents. It was nice to be back but also glad to be back home in the UK. I don't see myself ever living in America again.

On a high note I met Liza Dalby in Miami as she was there doing a lecture on Geisha and Kimono. It was fabulous to finally meet her. Had a great talk with her after and had her sign one a book for me. Unfortunately I couldn't bring them all to be signed, but figured this was a good one to have done.

Happy Bunny New Year!

Happy year of the Rabbit everyone! I did wear kimono on New Year's Eve. I quite liked my outfit of cream and purple houmongi with tsuru (cranes) and a black haori with matsu (pine) motif. Enjoyed a nice meal out with Elizabeth and Dawn.



As always you can check my flickr page for more photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shigatsuhana/

Obidome

Moonblossom from IG recently posted on her blog about obidome. I thought hmmm... maybe I should have a look. So I did. And this is what I won today: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230546249928&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Happy birthday to me! LOL!

New kiku obi

Just bought this obi! :)
http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/183226

Maybe to go with the momiji kimono to wear to Kimono de Jack in November. If not I have a fabulous tsumugi iromuji in purple that would make a nice contrast.

Yamatoku sale and festival

Thanks to the Kimono Lady here on Blogger, I just bought this: http://www.yamatoku.jp/classic/description.asp?tno=71047904
from the sale on at Yamatoku.

The Japanese Matsuri in London on Saturday was fabulous! Much better than last year. We all had a great time. Sadly, I forgot my camera so you'll have to look out for others who took photos.

Sunday I met up with a Japanese friend in Oxford. We both have shiba inu so we took the dogs out for a tour around the city. We enjoyed a great day out with fine weather. I actually did bring my camera but haven't uploaded the photos yet.

Festival of Quilts

Had a fabulous four days at the Festival of Quilts at the NEC in Birmingham. As always, you can visit my pictures on Flickr to see the event. I even got the opportunity to dress a lovely Hungarian artist named Eszter Bornemisza, friend of my friend Susan Brisco. It was lucky that I lived close enough I could bring my kimono things to dress her. I got a lovely tsumugi kimono from Susan purchased by Katie Chaplin as a thank you for me helping out at her Japan Crafts stall. I also purchased a gorgeous embroidered haori from Katie. Can't wait to get it all on to try!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shigatsuhana/sets/72157624806968344/

New kimono

I've been debating about whether to buy this kimono for a while and today I finally decided to get it. It's rather a bold pattern for me so we'll see how it looks when I get it. It is green. I don't have any green kimono apart from my ro one. This one is hitoe. It has green poppies on it! Very interesting.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270619714205&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT