auld lang syne.

on our way to Hakodate to spend New Year's with grandma and grandpa...

where will you be spending the new year?

from grandma's cafe.

grandma sent over a x'mas delivery from her cafe.

sablés bretons with raisins; our early x'mas basket to grandma 

(Echiré butter) turned into beautiful pastries!

merry x'mas.

a bright blue sea.

a visit to Tokyo Midtown with daddy and mommy.

we saw a bright blue sea of lights for X'mas this year.

i ended up having a great time at MUJI.

and we ran into (grandma's favorite) Hermès' silk caravan.

the deers totally reminded me of Hokkaido...

or are they reindeers?

special delivery.

grandpa and grandma O came to town
so we ordered a traditional full course eel meal
that came in beautiful lacquered boxes and bowls.

holiday holiday.

i caught a mysterious fever last week
and by the time i got better i realized it's almost x'mas!

we made santa boots at daycare.

(polka dot stickers by me)

grandma O brought us baumkuchen in a santa box.

(a new home for all my cars)

mommy pulled out holiday books...

'tis the season to be jolly...

what did you ask santa for this year?

the pantry.

grandma's pantry is stashed with canned/jarred goods for cold winters.

so is grandpa's mini bar.

what's in your pantry?

from grandma's cafe.

layers of smoked salmon with plenty of dill cream cheese spread

on a toasted bagel with a sprinkle of capers.

a perfect lazy sunday morning brunch.

ginkgo.

a season for trees to decorate themselves in beautiful colors.
lots of red and yellow...and a stubborn tree decided to stay green.

this one couldn't decide which color to go with.

i think ginkgo leaves look best when they're yellow.

what's your favorite autumn color?

no man's land.

the french embassy in tokyo moved to new quarters
so the old wing is open to public for the first/last time
as a land of art and imagination.

the entrance.

the courtyard.

each office transformed into individual galleries...

art to play with.

art to feel.

art to observe.

it felt like every detail told a story

it made us think.

messages and emotions will live on long after this building is taken down.

an extraordinary transformation presented by people valuing culture.

rethink.

daddy's book of inspirations.

a container turned home.

a brick turned penholder

a greenhouse turned playroom.

it's fun to think outside the box.

leftovers.

traces of thanksgiving...

turkey + gravy + cheddar cheese bagel.

turkey + stuffing + veggie soup.

no wonder it's mommy's favorite time of year.

daycare.

,

thanksgiving.

grandma was in town to celebrate thanksgiving with us this year.

our gluten-free turkey was exactly my size - 10kg (22lbs).

grandma made traditional oyster stuffing, steamed veggies and a salad.

stuffed mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and cornbread by mommy,

plus my favorite mac & cheese by aunt dacia.

we also requested grandma's signature paella to complete our meal.

oh, and pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream.

families + friends + smiles + laughter = good times.

from grandma's cafe.

basque cakes made with fresh farm eggs, flour, butter, and sugar.

perfect for tea time.

winter.

a new season, new wardrobe.

gemma.

mommy's treasure is her antique mocha cups;

a royal copenhagen gemma series handed down from grandma O.

winter's around the corner and it's time for hot cocoa...

adventures.

Sota moved into a new home.

a new home meant new adventures.

so we headed towards the river...

discovering the biggest riverbed!

but still, after all our adventures mommy is best.