Ladies' High Tea and Fashion P - a - r - t - y...because I gotta!

A few weeks too late, but better late than never! These are some pics we snapped at the ladies’ high tea I held at the apartment a while back. All in the name of fashion, food and fun, it was a fabulous afternoon of chit chat, shopping, eating and drinking. Thanks to all the lovely ladies that came to support Trixie and Flo! I have three very important recipes to share with you: The best carrot cake, the best cream cheese icing, and the best sangria recipes IN THE WORLD!

Goodbye Spring

The longest day of the year has arrived, which means it’s the peak of summer season here in Japan! You wouldn’t think so considering grey skies dominate and beaches are yet to officially open. I always thought it amusing that even if it was a very hot day, 99% of Japanese people won’t go to the beach if it’s not officially beach season. I’ve been asked countless times if South Africa experiences four seasons, and thinking it a silly question I’d always say an astounding yes. After living here in Japan for nearly two years I think I view that question in an entirely different sense. It has allowed me to experience each season’s distinct foods, flora and festivals in all of their cultural pride.  It’s honestly a pride and distinction unlike anything I’ve ever experienced at home. The year is actually further divided into 24 “sekki” which are given names that translate into things like “summer solstice”, “small heat” and “large heat”. These pictures I snapped in April can act as a final goodbye to Japanese spring and a hello to the “large heat” that will soon grace us with its sweaty presence!

I got a streetshot thrill in Osaka

 Sneak a picture, or ask and run the risk of being denied?

In Onomichi and Setoda, I wandered lonely as a cloud

A set of pictures that remind me of some solo wanderings, times when I made the effort to notice my surroundings and see the beauty in the little things: views from above and views from below, sunsets and heavy skies, colours and textures, layers and landscapes. Wordsworth describes it best: 

“For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills

And dances with the daffodils.”

These photographs may not be of daffodils, but I can look at them and think back and smile at many a time when I stumbled upon beauty while “wandering lonely as a cloud”. 

Hiroshima Art Exhibition

There’s nothing like a good deadline in the form of an art exhibition to motivate and inspire! Hiroshima’s Charity Art Bonanza provided just that… an exhibition featuring work from 8 different artists, including painting, photography, fashion and embroidery. The event was an incredible success, raising just over 100 000 yen for “Brighter than Tomorrow”, a charity run by Estelle Hebert, which supports the victims of the March 11 disaster in the fishing town of Funakoshi in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Sarah, Harriet, Dave and Jackie did an amazing job organising, and thanks to everyone that popped in for support. I couldn’t have asked for a better afternoon in the city: chatting, sipping wine and appreciating unexpected talents.

Check out my portfolio to read more about the three dresses I exhibited as part of a range called “When I grow up”. In hopes of not sounding too pretentious, I did attach personal meaning to each garment, and hope it proves that fashion can also be a personally symbolic form of art. The last two dresses have already been pinched but if you’re interested in purchasing the first white one please drop me an email at trixieandflo@gmail.com. Or just let me know what you think of the range! xoxo 

DIY flower crown

With summer approaching and the fresh memory of spring blossoms, I’d been thinking about making one of these flower crowns for a while. I’d seen the hippie headbands all over stores in April, but if like me, you happen to be blessed with pixie ears and thin hair, you’re going to need something with a little more structure. If you know me well, you’ll know I’m a hippie at heart so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some silk flowers and wire and get to work. Thanks to Bleubird and Green Wedding Shoes for the inspiration and know how, and thanks to Sayo for snapping my end result. What do you think? Hope you like it! xoxo.

I got a streetshot thrill while trying to call a taxi in Kyoto

If cute were a nation it would be Japan

Lunch in Harajuku - Salvatore Cuomo

After a morning of shopping and wandering through a drizzly Harajuku, a lunch hunt began as we tracked down the ever swanky Omotesando Hills shopping complex, designed by renowned architect, Tadao Ando. The hunt led us up to the top floor, to Salvatore Cuomo, a gorgeous Italian restaurant that offers a daily lunch buffet between 11am and 3pm. For just 2200 yen we could each order a main dish pizza (highly recommended) or pasta, and then help ourselves to the appetizer, dessert and drinks buffet. It was an absolute pleasure meal for sure and as the sun peeped in, we felt full and refreshed, ready to head back to Harajuku’s streets for an afternoon of sightseeing.

Is there a better birthday present than full blooming cherry blossoms?

The best part is I took all of these pictures on my birthday within a 15 minute walk from my apartment

Aaaand the winner is.......

Megan!! Congrats girl, I'll be mailing you shortly to get your postal address ;) xoxo

Shibuya Crossing

Sitting in Starbucks on a rainy day, watching the crowds go by

Ps: Don't forget to share in the love and enter Trixie and Flo's birthday blog giveaway. Only one week left!

Happy First Birthday and Happy Giveaway!

Well, it’s been a year long journey of blogging for Trixie and Flo. To be honest, when I started this blog I wasn’t sure of its direction or purpose. I may not be famous and it may not have thousands of followers, but it has become something very personal to me. It has provided a platform for some much needed self-branding and it consistently pushes me to be more creative, do more, see more, take better pictures, network and make more connections. So I’d like to say thanks to all those that check it out and I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have. In true first birthday celebratory style, and to say thanks to all of Trixie and Flo’s followers, I’m officially hosting this blog’s first giveaway!! The prize? A dear pair of hand painted 100% silk vintage earrings. All you have to do to enter is be a follower of the blog, either on google follow or bloglovin, and then comment on this post with your first name, email address and your favourite item from the blogstore or etsy store. Simple as that! I’ll be announcing the winner on April 22^nd. xoxo

Hot cross buns!!!

That just happened! I'm so excited I had to post this immediately. Yes, I'm at home at 10pm on a Friday night baking, but I'm smiling from ear to ear. My friend mentioned hot cross buns the other day and the craving got me and I just HAD to try. We can’t buy them in Japan so homemade is officially the new “Woolworths”. I used this recipe (thanks Sarah!), and have (of course) already sampled the final product…only thing I’d change is to add more spices. It may have been because I had to make my own mixed spice concoction. I used a teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkling of nutmeg and ginger but they definitely need more. I also left out the peel because peel just doesn’t rock my boat, sorry peel.  My little toaster oven is such a trooper, it’s so tiny I could only bake three at a time! If you’re in Japan and want to try baking them in a toaster oven, cover the top with tinfoil for the first 10 minutes and then let them brown for the last five…else they’ll burn ya’hear. Happy baking, and Happy Easter everyone xoxo.

Seoul food

(well…Busan as well, but that would’ve ruined my play on words)

I love Korean food but why oh why was I born with such embarrassingly weak taste buds!? Some of the kimchi even had me shedding a tear or two. It makes me a little nervous for any future Asian travels because I absolutely love trying new food but I just can’t handle the spice. Living in Japan hasn’t exactly helped…with the exception of wasabi I can’t think of a single food here that packs a punch. Better start on operation taste bud spicy bootcamp. I think a couple of Durban samoosas would be a good start.

Busan fish market

 

The first thing that struck me about Busan fish market was how clean it was…until I witnessed the most horrific sight of a woman skinning live eels in one quick serial killer sort movement. I think I’m still having nightmares about it. After some recovery time and leisurely meandering we headed upstairs to the open-plan restaurant section. We were led to a table and ordered (well we weren’t really sure what we had ordered) but ended up with a table full of seafood dishes, sidedishes and beer. We left full and happy, beaming at the success of our first Korean meal.

Korean barbeque (Gogigui)

The gogigui meal we had in Seoul was possibly one of the best meals I have EVER had!! I love food that involves experience…and sitting together at a grill, with plates of meat and a multitude of sidedishes, while cooking it up ourselves and chatting about the previous night’s antics all seems a sweet memory to me now.  Our looks of apprehension had the very pushy/disguisedly sweet Korean waitress picking up our food for us and showing us how to wrap the meat, rice and sidedishes in a perilla leaf and then gesturing to eat up with our hands.  It was glorious, and I even tried one with a whole clove of garlic in it, which no doubt led me to tears again. Gogigui places are everywhere, so just ask your hostel/hotel to recommend a good one. 

 

  Bibimbap

 

 A great meal in Myeondong before a shopping marathon! We were beckoned into a restaurant, which at first I was apprehensive about entering. I assumed if they were desperate for business their food wouldn’t be so great, but  we obliged, a little out of fear (I’d be scared to ever say no to a feisty Korean woman), and ended up having a perfect bibimbap meal. It’s a rice dish mixed up mainly with seaweed, vegetables and a fried/raw egg. They served up the gochujang (chilli pepper paste) on the side so my weak taste buds and I could add it in moderation.

I wish I’d had more time to taste all that Korea had to offer! The food there is a travel experience in itself and I hope I’ll be back someday to try more. Recommendations are most welcome!