Mihoko Hakata's NEWS

Do a runway walk with this song!

2011-06-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to an audition for African Fashion Show! I met the designer Mimi, her partner Dele, and the photographer David ;D They are all super sweet & warm people plus I LOVE African fashion and music so I felt right at home from the beginning! If you are my friend from my NYC time, you know what I mean! I had a big afro and also one time had dreadlocks with extension one time, taking African dance classes and working at an African gallery in Harlem! ;D Probably because all the humans are from Africa, that is why I feel so close to African culture. Surrounded by African people and hearing African music made me feel energized so when they said, "do a runway walk with this song" ;D I was SO HAPPY to hear this fun song, "Bumpy Ride" by Mohombi, and just had fun doing a runway walk and busted out poses ;))) Hopefully they will choose me for the show!! Pleeeaase wish me luck! ;D

Asian Boston T-shirts shoot!

2011-06-09T22:36:00.001-07:00

Thank YOU sooo much for the kisses, girls!! ;))))

Do you know there is a media group called "Asian Boston"? I met the sweet + hard-working founder Leo Anthony the other night when we had the I Heart Japan Fundraising Fashion Show, and he told me about this Asian Boston T-shirts shoot for their magazine and we had lots of fun walking around the city and promoting Asian Boston.

The photographer for the day was Wei Ye! Here are some of the pictures he took :D It is interesting to see the same scene from a different angle, isn't it? ;D

Joanna and me! :D I love her! She is so sweet and fun, and has such a sexy husky voice ;D

I still don't know why they wanted to shoot me under the Dior logo. Why was it?!

Joanna and me, showing off our muscles! :P

And the group shot in subway! ;D

I really look like a guy, don't you think?! :P My mother used to say my face is super sweet so I should wear very sharp outfits (mostly black and white with an accent of other colors) to get the balance. I used to love (still love) super colorful tropical outfits but my mother didn't like them because then I will look like "chindonya" people :P

Now when I look back my childhood, my parents wanted me to grow as a strong lady. I was taking Kendo lessons, "the modern martial arts of sword fighting," and beating up the boys. I even got the third place in my town! When I played, I always wanted to go out and run around in nature, explore mysterious forest (if I go back now, I bet it is such a small forest but felt HUGE!) around the house. I just couldn't wait to go outside! I didn't have the dress-up time like regular little girls do. Maybe that is why I want to dress-up NOW?! :P These days I just have lots of fun dressing up with crazy hair and make-up! It is artistic, creative, spontaneous, mobile 3D art! ;D

TAKARA Magazine Cover - Spring Mountain

2011-06-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

For May TAKARA cover, Yasuko-san chose my Spring Mountain piece, yellow flowers version :D The weather has been so gorgeous and the air around us feels cheerful ;)))

"I Heart Japan" Japan Disaster Relief Fundraising Event!

2011-06-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

The hard-working & beautiful organizer Mariko Kanto and always fun & sexy fashion by Dawnamatrix, this event was a big hit!!
Here is a picture of my dear friend gorgeous Dawn and me, making heart shapes for the photographer, Wei Ye :D

(Photo by Wei Ye)

This is the first time to meet Leo Anthony and Jane from the media group called Asian Boston! Leo is the founder ;D It was a big pleasure meeting you two! ;)))

(Photo by Wei Ye)

I am smiling BIG in this picture because the lady behind me said, "You are SO HOT!!", which made me smile huge! ;D I said to her, "Thank YOUUUU!!" I looove when ladies give me compliments!! :D

(Photo by Raquel Goncalves)

This place Splash Ultra Lounge was really awesome! There is a pool with cool blue lighting and this deck you see in the above picture outside with tables and chairs! You can feel summer breeze and have a romantic night here ;D

As always, working with Dawn and Mariko was lots of fun! Thank YOU sooo much for having me there!! It was a wonderful & meaningful event!! ;)))

Let's Dance~!! ;D

2011-06-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

Great music for dancing or working out ;)))
"Beggin'" by Madcon!

Jay Cutler says...!!

2011-06-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

"You should be in the next bikini show!"

"Just put more color (meaning tan), and you are good to go!" Wow... that is amazing...!!
I asked him a question, "but I don't have fake ones (pointing my boobs, because many of the ladies on stage had fake ones), do I have to get ones to win?!" thinking I do not want to do that... then he said, "just put some pads on," oh I didn't know there is such an option, that sounds much healthier and more natural :P (I meant to post this much earlier but we met Jay on May 8th :P)

The fact the sweet Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler, remembered our faces from the last show was touching enough, but the fact he thinks I can be in the next bikini competition just blew me away!!! Yeeaaahhh, as you know, definitely my body is not ready for a bikini show and needs loooots of work, but don't you think if I could win the bikini competition that would be super cool?! This will be an amazing + fun + rewarding challenge for me!! ;D

Since we met Jay last time, 6 months has passed. 6 months is a quite long time if we think of the changes we make in life. Brandon started to study for personal training exam and I started to do modeling. Both of us are happy for the new changes and challenges ;))) If I could be in a next bikini show, or next next show, I would be so happy and IF I can win, I would be super psyched!!! and be jumping with joy for several months for sure :P

I worked out even harder that night! Working out makes you feel good, energized, all the fresh oxygen & blood go to the brain and whole body!! Motivation can make you work harder and I am so thankful to Jay Culter who gave me such energy and next big dream ;D

Thank YOU Sooo Much for your warm, sincere, positive energy, Jay!! I am super inspired!!! :D

Thank YOU so much for your support!! :D

2011-05-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

(Bonni & Terry)

The "Art of Japan" event was successful! I meant to report this much earlier but because of final papers, presentation and exam, it had been delayed! According to the charming organizer Sophie, $3,720 goes to the Japanese Red Cross! WOW! How wonderful is that!! Thank YOU sooo much for having such an amazing event, Sophie!!

(Bonni, Bill, Mihoko and Terry)

And guess what! The gorgeous art/photography by Bill Downey was sold!! Bill and we were thrilled!! The buyers actually turned out to be my friend Bonni and her husband Terry! They are such a beautiful sweet couple!! They are going to hang it on the wall in their vacation home in Martha's Vineyard! Sounds amazing, right?! ;D

Happy smiles :D

(Brandon+Mihoko, taken by Bill ;D)

We all love Japan... :D

Love Pink?

2011-05-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

and so do I! :D

Two "Sparkling Pink Flower" Mousepads are sold to Bruce in Michigan and Carol in Australia! Amazing, now somehow people can find my products even in Australia! YAY!!
This picture was taken by my sweet talented photographer Takami a while back :))) Big Arigatooo, Takamiiii ;D

This Awesome Song Goes to All My Super Friends!

2011-05-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

Yes! It's to YOU! Listen and Enjoyyy! ;D
"Friends" by Nas & Damian Marley!

Damian Marley is Bob Marley's youngest son. Obviously he got an amazing talent just like father ;D

I am in Heaven! :D

2011-05-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

I LOVE lizards, especially geckos!! :D One of my dreams was to have a gecko climbing around my cheeks!

And guess what, my dream came true at Skipton Pet Center, big thanks to Douglas! Thank YOU sooo much for guiding me to play with your babies! That was a wonderful surprise! They have such gorgeous curious eyes and amazingly lovable feet! Look at this cutie foot on my forehead ;D We call a gecko "yamori", "家守" in Japanese Kanji character; 家 means house and 守 means protection. Yamori protects our house! :D

Nuts about "Relax and Feel Good" :P

2011-05-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

Made these for Brandon's video project :)))

"E.T." Rocks!!

2011-05-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

My new favorite song! :D "E.T." by Katy Perry feat. Kayne West!
This is such a creative + expressive lyrics video and I LOOOVE watching, singing, dancing and exercising with this song!! My mother said I looked like E.T. when I was born so I feel very close to E.T. :P E.T. in Japanese is Uchujin, 宇宙人! :D
(宇宙= space, 人= person)

"Belief" by Bill Downey!

2011-04-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

The super talented photographer/artist Bill Downey produced this amazing image!! Please click to see a bigger version of the image :D

(photo: Bill Downey, hair: Brandon Welti, make-up: Mihoko Hakata)

It all started when Bill decided to support Japan by donating a piece to the benefit party called "Art for Japan," which is happening on May 6th. I submitted my pictures right away when I saw his posting asking for a model for this meaningful project. I wanted to support Japan in any possible ways. We talked on the phone and I just felt so comfortable with his great energy :D

Arrived at Bill's house. He even chose a Japanese radio station for me, so that I can feel at home, which he succeeded in doing :) He has a living space on the first floor, the second floor is a photo studio and the third floor space is for make-up and hair. What a great set-up!

After a long creative conversation with Bill, he wanted us to re-create the hair and the make-up we did for I Heart Japan gallery show. Here are pictures of Brandon painting on my hair after he amazingly stood my hair up in the bathroom!

Brandon likes this picture of himself :P He looks very dedicated!

And me working on my eye make-up. I love the red accents in this picture which Bill captured:

I didn't imagine doing a geisha make-up, which is my first time, and wearing a kimono, far away from home, in the United States! Thank YOU, genius Ben, for choosing this white face paint for me! ;D

I felt very close to my origin yet at the same time far away from my origin. I felt close because I could feel all the steps women had to go through to dress up, and I felt far because this was my first time to try it even though I am from Japan. Thank You So Much, Bill, for taking these pictures! They look like from a movie scene!

Here, I am getting directions from Bill. He is so wonderful to work with!! He has a cristal-clear vision, gives you precise directions, and says "You are doing great jobs!" which I love to hear ;P

Bill chose a black kimono, which is I rented from my sweet friend Dawn, thank YOU Dawn!!, because he wanted to focus on my facial expression.

The most challenging parts of this shooting was that Bill wanted to capture my emotions, such as sadness, hope, strength, thinking of my parents, even crying...! Oh my, I felt like an actress! This is very challenging because I felt like I am emotionally naked which is more difficult than physically naked.
These days, when I think of my parents and friends in Japan or read newspaper articles of Japan, I start crying so this shouldn't be so difficult for me but in front of camera, you feel a pressure! As you know, my neutral face is smiling, so this was a new level for me! I was happy he didn't choose a picture of me crying for the final version though :P

For the final image, he placed the Japanese sun-ray next to my energetic sun-ray hairstyle. What a great idea! Also, if you click the image to enlarge, you will notice the Japanese character "信念" on the bottom right, which means "Belief" in Japanese. The word and my facial expression work together perfectly!!

Thank You Sooo Much for this amazing evening, Bill!! I am very happy to have met you! :D

It was such a creative, emotional and meaningful project to me. I am really honored to be a part of this project...!

We finished our super fun preparation & photoshoot at midnight, which I couldn't believe it's been 6 hours since we arrived!! Time just flew by super fast!

Before leaving his house, Bill gave me a gorgeous white rose with sweet aroma (in this picture it looks pink, maybe she was blushed because I was taking many pictures of her!).
He said, he gives a flower to every model after a photoshoot. What a sensitive sweet man he is! :D Look, this flower has miracle twin babies!! ;D

Here is the poster for "Art for Japan" party!

Even though I was too late to submit my own artwork, (they quickly received 50 artworks and now it's full), I am so thrilled to be a part of the event!! Please stop by if you are free on Friday, May 6th, 6-9 pm :D

TAKARA Magazine Cover - Art Heals

2011-04-27T16:29:00.000-07:00

For April cover, Yasuko-san chose this piece I made. The title is "Art Heals." We often receive happy sparkling energy by looking at your favorite art. Hope many artworks around the world is healing people and making them happy :D

Try the Delicious Easter Bread at Grandaisy Bakery in NYC!

2011-04-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

If you are in New York City, walking around SoHo in a gorgeous sunny day, you should definitely stop by at Grandaisy Bakery, one of my favorite bakeries in NYC ;D For this year, they used my illustration as a card with beautiful matched colored ribbons around! Thank you so sooo much, Monica!!

I really miss the taste of this magical bread Monica makes! To remember the taste, I went back to my news to see what I wrote before...

... Crispy outside with sugar and almond, then you go into the many layers of softness and will be surprised at the refreshing open-minded orange peel+citron sparkles and Italian chocolate melty in your mouth... Mmmm I miss it!! If you are in NYC, taste this yummy-ness for me!! Super Happy Easterrr ;D

"I Heart Japan" Japan Disaster Relief Fundraising Event Poster

2011-04-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

My picture above was chosen for the poster for "I Heart Japan" event happening at Splash Ultra Lounge on May 12th! I will be in the fashion show by Dawnamatrix so you are around May 12th, please stop by!

Thank you so much for choosing this picture & posting it in your website, Mariko Kanto, and thank you for designing this poster, Ben! I am so honored to be a part of this fundraising event and will continue searching for any opportunities to support Japan, the country I love :D

Must See!! "Journey to Planet Earth - Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization"

2011-04-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

Lester Brown gives us the crystal-clear vision to save civilization and planet!! I was super honored to see him in live when he came to school the other day. Instead of usual comedy movie tonight, enjoy this meaningful movie to educate your loved ones, families, friends and yourself :D Narration by Matt Damon.

To Be Super Fit, Sexy & Strong!

2011-04-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

Brandon has been dreaming about being big but never been committed. I have been dreaming about being really fit, but again never been committed for long enough. To feel more focused and feel good about documenting, we decided to write daily log of what we eat, drink and exercises at this blog: RelaxAndFeelGood.blogspot.com. Check it out! ;D

Ninja Mihoko?! :P

Any feedback is appreciated ;))) We shall see how long we can do this! :P

"I Heart Japan" Tee by Dawnamatrix!

2011-03-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

I am praying for everyone's happiness & health in Japan every day.....

(I made this picture whiter because that suits my feeling...)

My dear sweet friend Dawn made "I Heart Japan" Tee to raise money for Japan! The character "日本" on the t-shirts is read either "Nippon" or "Nihon," which means Japan.
Thank you so much, Dawn, for supporting Japan. She had lived in Japan to study Kimono designs for 3 years so has a special feeling for Japan. She can speak Japanese very well too! Sasuga Dawn!! ;D

(Ben, Dawn, Mihoko and Brandon :D)

You can purchase Dawn's "I Heart Japan" Tee at here!

This fundraising fashion show & art show took place at Hancock 309 Gallery! Huge applause goes to the beautiful gallery owner Valerie Owen and the gorgeous organizer Mariko Kanto! It was such a powerful event! :D
Dawn's "I Heart Japan" Tee Rocks!!

For this fashion show, Brandon wanted to create my hair like Japanese sun rays to echo with Dawn's sun-rays-heart on the t-shirts. My hair was up with the same product Got2b Glued we used for the mohawk you already saw in the previous post, and painted by red and silver face paint to create the sun rays feeling.

I created red graphic shapes near corners of my eyes to depicts eye-drops & sun-rays = hope...!!

Mariko-san & Dawn gave me a nickname for the night, "Amaterasu Oomikami (天照大御神：あまてらすおおみかみ)," Sun Goddess! Arigatoooo! :D

Thank YOU so much for taking many pictures, Brandon, as always!! ;D

And! Looove YOU TWO!!! :D (Do I say this too often?! but true!) Thank YOU sooo much for having me at this meaningful event... Check out Dawn's gorgeous sexy latex clothing at Dawnamatrix, and Ben's super cool industrial designs! :D

TAKARA Magazine Cover - Sinking City...

2011-03-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

TAKARA Magazine Cover for March... Yasuko-san wanted to use this fish illustration because there was a seafood convention in Boston this month. Yasuko-san told me that the creative director of TAKARA loved this cover the best! The original collage artwork is called "Sinking City - New York," and we felt scared to know that the earthquake & tsunami happened one day after the magazine was published. This artwork originally depicts the greedy city, New York, is sinking into shredded money ocean and almost eaten by the huge fish which is made of money.

TAKARA Magazine Cover - You are My Target ;D

2011-03-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

Oooops! Time flew so quickly! Sorry for the delay, but this TAKARA cover was for Valentine's month! :P Yasuko-san chose "You are My Target" illustration for February. Thank YOU so much for printing it so beautifully! Perfect Pink! :D

Harvard Loves Japan!

2011-03-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

There will be charity events in Harvard all week from March 21st to 25th. Sasuga Harvard! Thank You So Much, the Fabulous President Drew Faust and all the people who made this happen!! Big Respect & Appreciation :D

Let's Send Our Love & Care to Japan

2011-03-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

I deeply appreciate all your messages from all over the world... thank you so much for asking about my parents, families, and friends. They are all fine in Japan, which was such a relief when finally I could confirm that they are all okay.
The above picture "Prayer" was taken in New York City by my wonderful friend, a talented photographer, Takami Shimura. I posted here because it depicts my current feeling beautifully. Praying for Japan...

Even though my loved ones are all alright, as you know we lost so many people in Sendai because of this magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami... and still many people are missing and suffering there. Unfortunately this hasn't ended yet, still many earthquakes are happening all over Japan and the radiation from the exploded nuclear power plant in Fukushima has been carried over even to Tokyo. In Tokyo, food is running out in many stores and in many cities planned blackouts are taking places to save energy. I am now concerned if Mt. Fuji will explode stimulated by these continuous earthquakes. I am praying everyday that will not happen.

But worrying & crying doesn't solve anything. We can do now, is to send them positive energy, wish their happiness and health, and send them donation. It will take a while to build the city again so this feeling we have now should be carried on. Please donate Your Love & Care to American Red Cross (in English, click links above or here) or to Japanese Red Cross Society 日本赤十字社(in Japanese, 寄付はこちらから)

All the profits from my store at Zazzle goes to Japanese Red Cross Society to heal Japan. Also, if you are interested in purchasing any of my artworks, please let me know. I will donate all the profits to Japanese Red Cross Society as well.

I hope this incident will encourage all the countries to focus on renewable energy, solar, wind and hydro, instead of nuclear power and coal power plant which has been killing so many people all over the world.

Feeling so many people's love and care... I am forever grateful.

Love & Hope,
Mihoko

Runway Model for Dawnamatrix at New Designer's Show!!

2011-02-14T16:37:00.000-08:00

Ohhhhmyyygoooosh!!! That was tooo much fun, if there's anything like, having too much fun!! I could hear the crowd loving the outfit! Orrrgaaaasmic!!!

This time I wore the fabulous-as-always Dawnamatrix's brand-new super-hot design, the Red Dragon Catsuits!! Here is me appreciating and kissing the genius Queeen Daaawwwwn!! ;D I look like a boy, don't you think? :P

And me with her perrrfect partner Ben and his friend in his hand! ;P

Backstage is always lots of fun!

Waa waa waaaa... my alien friend is talking to me....! ;D

My beloved talented photographer friend Takami said, "Space Goddess!!" I Loooove thaaat!! :D

How about this pose? ;D

Or do you like this?? :P

Brandon made my hair stand-up for the first time! Yay!! My hair must have thrilled to be up for the night!! I was psyched to have a mohawk finally!! I have been dreaming about a mohawk for a while :P I thought my hair was too long to create a mohawk but Got2b Glued product made it possible! See my hair is standing strong! :P

And this time I did the make-up in gold and silver to match the catsuits :D

Thank YOU Soo Sooo Much As Always, Dawn & Ben, for making my life exciting than everrrrr!!! Huge LOVE & RESPECT!!! ;D And Biggest Arigato to Brandon for taking fabulous pictures!!! ;))) It was a perfect half moon night :D

Happy Yummy Valentine's Day~!!! Wishing Everyone Amazingly Sweeeetest Valentine's Day! ;D

Here is updated news for this posting: The photographer Ed just emailed me these super pictures! Thank you soooo much for on-stage pictures! Wooohooo!! That was HEAVEN!!! ;D I really appreciate your sweet comments after the show, Ed! Looking forward to be taken more pictures by you at future shows!! ;D

AAAND! More pictures arrived from Darkwell Studios :D Super cool pics!! Gorgeous lighting! Thank YOU sooo much! Can't wait to do this again!! ;D

TAKARA Magazine Cover design & Interview :D

2011-02-14T15:41:00.000-08:00

TAKARA Magazine is a free Japanese paper in Boston! If you are Japanese, you should know this super useful & fun magazine! :D Thanks to Yasuko-san, my artwork will be on the cover throughout this year! Woohooo!!

Yasuko-san liked my Mt. Fuji collage "Japanese Energy - I am Passion" because it's very New Year's festive "O-shougatsu" look, and chose for New Year January cover ;D
Below is my interview article! You can click the image to read in Japanese. Thank YOU Soo Soooo Much, Yasuko-san, for such a wonderful article which gives me more energy & smiles each day ;)))

So, you might be thinking what's up with this mask?! :P This was made for Harvard Masquerade Ball party organized by HESA - Harvard Extension Student Association! The awesome President Philip Harding & his sweet wife Rachelle Harding and the HESA team made this event so much fun with cool music & delicious dessert!!

So for the Harvard Masquerade Ball, you have to bring your own mask to wear. This was my first time to make a masquerade mask! With Brandon's help, first I made my mask shape with sculpey clay and baked it in the oven, then colored it with silver spray paint. In the picture below, I am putting shiny rhinestones! Also I incorporated our beloved chicken feathers, sprayed in hot pink, neon green and silver. The flower was white but again sprayed in hot pink! Yeah you know my favorite color is ;P

The below picture was taken by a school photographer Evgenia Eliseeva who has great energy and took many pictures at the event! She made everyone comfortable in front of the camera and here is one of the pictures at the event! Thank you sooo much, Evgenia! :D

I really enjoyed wearing this mask and made me want to wear it every day! Brandon is wearing a safety mask which he got an idea when he was spraying my mask! It turned out to be a such a cool mask ;P

Above is the cool Harvard Masquerade Ball poster and 13 Harvard School logos!

Priceless...!!!

2011-02-14T14:21:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOUUUU~!!! Priceless time with my sweet families, relatives and friends!! I had such a fun time in Japan and miss them already! ほんとにすっごく楽しかったよ、みんなありがとう！！！

My Aogaku friends! (Some of them I met for the first time at the party but didn't feel that way at all!!) Yoshimi, thank you sooo much for organizing such a fun party with deliciously healthy food & drinks! Yes, there is Santa!! This was Christmas time! ;D Sorry for my super duper late post :P

Here is Richard Basso, the most charismatic teacher I know, in every season outfit he wears (all season no sleeve!!) :D He is the one who taught me about John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Native Indian spirits, how amazing Mother Nature is, our life is... :D
I was soooo happy and thrilled to meet him again after many years!!! Both of us wearing hot pink bracelet :P but the one he has is more useful, it's a wrist wallet! ;D I LOVE YOU, Richaarrrd!!

My Kamako (Kamakura high school) friends!! I haven't seen them for many years but people don't change sometimes, we all have the same spirits! We say in Japanese, "Mitsugo no tamashii hyaku made 三つ子の魂百まで (The spirits of 3 years old last until 100 years old)."

Arigatoooo Makinu-chan for taking us to such a cool spot, Lounge Cafe 1LDK in Fujisawa! It became my favorite cafe in Japan!! This place is kind of hidden, so you have to know how to get there! "1LDK" means 1 Living, Dining and Kitchen, which we use to describe apartments space in Japan. They beautifully renovated such a small space with modern designs :D

Enjoy their sophisticated delicious food, drinks and dessert! This is Creme Brulee icecrem, first time to have this in my life! Yummm... the sweetness will melt in your mouth... cherish every bite...!

Aya-chan's beautiful hands ;D and perfectly bitter coffee for me! ;)))

Love their utensils...! May I take them home?? :P

So many fun circles... It was like having cafe time in NYC MoMA store! ;D

Ready to leave? How about bathroom? Very welcoming artistic bathroom sign ;)

And finally their cool logo ;D Love it!!

Having not been back to Japan for 4 years made me realized I love Japanese designs, food (even their junk food is healthy!), their "Customers are Gods" service, perfect organization, their environmentally conscious minds, how much I missed my friends and families! Sounds boring, too common, but for me this was an eye-opening feeling. It was almost similar to looking through traveller's eyes. Everything was fresh to me and I could see more good sides of Japan. Sometimes good to step back and see whatever you are looking at. Then you will realize your new perspectives :)

Somehow moody photo of pretty Noriko and me! No filter was used! :P Just seeing the way she speaks makes you love her! :D We found this cool lounge bar/restaurant in Atre Shinagawa, guess what it is called, it is "New York Grand Kitchen"! I guess I Love New York too!! :P

Here is motherly sweet Asuka, her fabulous mama, a very well-behaved beautiful daughter Kanade-chan and sweet son Hitoshi-kun (not in this picture)! :D Asuka is the one said I should change my nickname from Mitan みーたん to Mihoko みほこ when I was 20 years old because I am an adult. So the people I met after her usually call me Mihoko みほこ :P But you can call me Mitan みーたん since I still have the 3 years old spirits ;P

Here is my super-sweet friend Miroku! She is a gorgeous & smart lady and currently looking for a cool boyfriend! wink wink ;D She is a flight attendant for Skymark airline and we are excited for them to have international routes to New York, Paris, London, Frankfurt in the very near future! Woohooo!

I was so happy we could spend more time together, Miro!! Can't wait seeing you in Boston!!!

I had dindin with my mother's friend, Yoriko, and her daughter Mariko and my mother! It was like a fun sister time!! :D This cute Mari-chan is looking for a sweet boyfriend now as well! ;)))

"Yuuri-chan, look at the cameraaaa!" ;D Here are pretty Aishu, her cute daughter Yuuri-chan & sweet Kacchan! :D Thank YOU sooo much for delicious gorgeous lunch, Aishu!! You are a super mom!!! The fun time just flew by so fast. I could have stayed and played with you guys foreverrrr ;)))

Thanks to Tano-kun, I could attended an annual gathering of my elementary school and junior school classmates! That was a fun surprise!! Okay, this time many people have been changed!!

It was so great meeting you again sweet Rie--chan! Thank you so much for introducing Marcia to me! I met Rie-chan at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and now she is enjoying living in Japan, being a graphic designer :D Marcia is working on Half Japanese project - a dialogue about being in between two cultures. It sounds very intriguing. Check out her website! I am not half, 200% pure Japanese, but I know the feeling of not fitting in, feeling like an alien :P I guess it was more about how my parents raised me?! ;D I really love to attend one of her events next time I am in Japan!

AND!! Yes, you know him! My mentor Mako Nagasawa ;D Whenever I meet him, I don't feel like we haven't seen each other for a while! It's like, yeah, we met yesterday too, and see you tomorrow! ;P

Do we look alike? ;))) This hat I am wearing I accidentally kept wearing after we went to the most delicious Ramen place near his house, then at the station, see you sooooon, love youuuuu, then I forgot about the hat and kept wearing it! Sorry Mako but Thank YOU for keeping me warm always!! ;D

Finally, let me thank you to ALL of My Super Precious Friends even whom we didn't take photo with (how did we forget?! but the sweet memory is all in our minds :D) and whom we couldn't get together this time with (gomen ne, but definitely next time ne!!!!).

You know I am talking to youuuu!! I Really LOVE YOU!!! :D

YAY!! Sold more NYC Skyline Stamps! ;D

2011-02-14T00:52:00.000-08:00

Thank Youuu, Janice in New York City, for purchasing 5 sheets of "New York Energy Skyline (white)" stamps, and Michael in New York City for purchasing 6 sheets! ;D Wow!! That's a lot!!

And Thank You Soo Soooo Much, Rachel in New York City, for coming back for "New York Energy Skyline (black)" so many times!!

Love these spontaneous purchases! ;D Wishing this will continue happening... ;)))) Thank YOU sooo much for your support everyone! So happy to be found here!! :D

Big Picture on the wall at the school office!

2011-02-12T14:17:00.000-08:00

Entered the school office and surprised to find the picture on the wall!!

You may remember this picture from my previous post. Yes, this was the picture taken by gorgeous photographer Jeffry Pike, which was used for the school brochure ;D
The pumpkin pancake was amazing, Jeff!!! Yummmm ;D Thank you soooo much for your love & fun spirits, as always!! :D

First Tomato ;D

2011-02-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

The luscious first hydroponic tomato in our garden!
Too precious to eat..... but I had a bite and it was delicious.....!!!

Happy Amazingly Fantastic New Year 2011 ;D

2011-02-12T09:37:00.000-08:00

This winter holiday I was in Japan!! :D Happy super-belated first new year post here!! :P
The beautiful New Year's decoration "Okazari" my mother put on our door says "Welcoming spring" ;D

For 2011...

人のためになることを見つける、人に与えること

Find something helpful to people, giving back to people

感謝と敬いの気持ちを忘れない

Remember to appreciate & respect

期待の気持ちを持たないこと

No expectations

何事もやってみる！

Try everything!

物事を延期ばかりしない

Do not postpone things-to-do

何でもポジティブな面を探してみる

Find positive sides of everything

空を見上げてみる

Look up the sky

鳥たちが楽しそうに飛んでいる

Birds are flying joyfully

微笑む

Smile

心でも微笑んでみる

Smile in your heart

深い深呼吸...　息をすって...はいて...

Breathe in... breathe out.....

愛情いっぱい！

Full of LOVE!

My mother's "Ozouni" is the best!! :D I can have this everyday!!!

The magical ingredients are mochi (Japanese rice cake), carrots, shiitake mushroom, daikon (Japanese radish), shungiku (garden chrysanthemum), satoimo (Japanese taro), yuzu skin on top which has super refreshing aroma, and of course my mother's amazing "LOVE" to make every dish deliciosoooo....!

Runway Model for Dawnamatrix at Variant Ball

2010-12-29T12:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a sexy event poster for Variant Ball :D

You might remember Dawnamatrix from my Halloween Bush posting! Dawn did a fabulous fashion show at Machine Night Club this time ;D
The crowd!

First time to be a runway model!! ;D Woohooo!! I am so addicted!

(Photo credit: super photographer & great friend, Virginia Wang! Hair & Make-up: Sarah Von Terror, Putting on Eyelashes: Brandon Welti :D)

Here is the amazing latex fashion designer Dawn Mostow on stage!!

I love this kimono Dawn made: the way it shows flowers and sunrise! What a great surprise to see them both at the same timeee! Here is me on stage, showing off Dawn's gorgeous kimono sleeves ;D

(Photo credit: Michael Mena @iMn Photography!)

Back stage pics!

Thank you soooo much, Dawn & Ben, for another unforgettable amazing night!! ;D

Ben's words are making my days & nights even brighter; "You look glamorous! I think you found a calling." ;D Now I love to do a catwalk in random situations ;P I really LOVE YOU BOTH!! :D

(Dawn & Ben)

... and of course, it was a magical full moon night!!! ;D

On Stage at Bloodfeast 2010 Halloween Bash!!

2010-11-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

My super talented & awesome friend Dawn Mostow makes uber cool latex kimonos and latex clothing! Check out her sexy collections here at Dawnamatrix!! Dawn and her sweet fiance Ben Gould, also a crazy-talented industrial designer, Brandon and me, we all dressed up and drove to a super fun gay nightclub Machine for the Annual Bloodfeast Halloween Bash~!!

Here is Ben Gould in his amazing costume!! This photo was taken by Derek Kouyoumjian for The Boston Phoenix!

Dawn in her gorgeous sexy outfit! Their theme for Costume Contest 2010 was "Fetish" ;D The Costume Contest started at midnight!

This time they got the third prize but they have been winning for the first prize several years in a row!!

I was lucky to wear one of my favorite latex kimonos from Dawn's collections and Brandon wore Ben's Porcupine outfit! ;D And of course we were selected to be on stage, thanks to them! ;D This year they had 735 people at this event!

What a fun night!! ;D This was the most fun Halloween Party I have ever had in my life!! After the crazy fun party, we were sooo hungryyy at 2 am! Luckily a pizza place was still open next door! If this was in Japan, we would go to a ramen place ;P

(from left: Dawn, Brandon, Shana in her awesome pink elephant outfit, Ben and me)

Thank YOU, Dawn & Ben, for the magical Halloween night everrrrr ;D Love You Twooooo!! :D

Mihoko on TV!!

2010-11-28T07:41:00.000-08:00

WOW!! It was soooo much fun!! This TV shoot was for English as a foreign language program for Cambridge University Press ;D
So excited to be in a TV studio! Being surrounded by all the filming gears reminds me of my father. Shake hands with everyone. The energy is super cheerful and sparkly! Everyone is so sweeeeet and I am in heaven.

(from left back row: Beth, Dina, Dave, Mike; front row: Kerry and me in my recent favorite outfit :P)

First, Dina explains what Kerry going to ask me in the interview: regarding my background and experiences in the United States. Dave puts a microphone on my waist and I feel like I am an important person ;P The lights shine on my face and I get super hot, maybe because I am so excited! Bob Nesson, the cinematographer, takes tons of pictures of me. (He took this pic so too bad he is not in the picture!) I ask if I can take pictures of him. I take many pics. He has such a sweet smile surrounded by his puffy, fluffy, energy exploding hair. I cannot think of any other hairstyles for him! He is a photographer, director and environmentalist at his company Nesson Media :D

The gorgeous producer Beth Cloutier has such a positive pleasant personality and I already love her. She attended the same school with me, the School of Visual Arts in New York City! Now she is a producer and a cinematographer, has her own company, Acazia Studios, and travels all over the world! ;D What an ideal life!

Finally, Daniel (sadly not in this picture either!) places the film slate in front of the camera and... "Action!"

The film shoot was at this pink neon place, CCTV studio! ;))) They will let me know when this program is on TV:D After this fun acting gig, I came outside and felt the delicious breeze... then I realized it was already dark out! I looked up the sky and found the big orange full moon!! That's why it was such a perfect day!! Feeling the amazing full moon energy and I smiled ;D

Muscle Inspiration ;D

2010-11-27T18:25:00.000-08:00

Went to see my super strong beautiful friends, Maria and Tom at NPC New England Championships 2010! Tom trained her for 5 years and this time she won the first place in Figure Overall category! ;D Woohooo!!

Here is Maria's super strong & sweet husband Tom on the right and his friend Robert on the left :) Thanks to Tom and Maria, we could be in the backstage and hanging out with muscle men & women!

And guess whom we saw! Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler!!
Bought a gorgeous black & white picture of him for inspiration and asked for his autograph.

And then he gave us his precious book "CEO Muscle";D Jay Cutler is the guy with big muscles AND a big heart!! Now I should hit a gym~!! ;)))

Thai cooking class with Emilie Hardman!

2010-11-27T16:20:00.000-08:00

I Love Green Papaya Salad. Whenever I go to a Thai restaurant, I order Green Papaya Salad and Pad Thai. That's my regular order ;D When I saw a posting about Boston Vegetarian Society inviting Emilie Hardman from Conscious Kitchen for Thai cooking class and one of the dishes was Green Papaya Salad, I was sold!!
Here is Emilie, who has such a warm personality and positive energy, holding a perfect "Green" Papaya! :D

Here is her recipe for "Som Tam" (Green Papaya Salad)!
It is essential to use a mortar and pestle to mash and grind the vegetables until papaya softened and its color turns more transparent. That is the key to make yummy Som Tam! Now I know many restaurants omit this part because most of the Green Papaya Salad I see doesn't have transparent color like this.

Me and my new friends: mortar and pestle ;D This requires a lots of energy and time! Now I have a new respect to Green Papaya Salad ;)))

Follow a bumble bee! :D

2010-11-26T23:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday Field Trip for Ecology class ;) What a fun assignment: to follow insects around in the angelic Garden in the Woods!
Here is a beautiful hard-working bumble bee landing on Black Cohosh (Actaea Racemosa).

In this precious wildflower garden, Garden in the Woods, there are more than 1,000 native plants including rare and endangered species. This field trip was about pollination syndrome. I really enjoyed your class, the wonderful professor Mark Leighton and the awesome TA Jen Palacio! The best class happens outside, under the sun ;)

Nature makes amazingly gorgeous patterns...

Found a super natural green roof ;D

This could be a dazzling chandelier design, don't you think?!

Wow! Lucky me! "Tombo" (Dragonfly) landed on my assignment sheets!

Sweet frog baby!! This Japanese Tree Frog (Hyla Japonica), we call "Ama Gaeru = 雨蛙," in Japanese, which means Rain Frog :D
I used to play with these wet & smooth sweet frog babies in Japan ;)))

I looove Nature; Nature makes me happy! ;D

Eco Presentation @ Warren Prescott Elementary School ;)

2010-11-24T01:16:00.000-08:00

The dynamite team Alisyn Johnson, founder of Quench, and Wayne Sentman, Oceanic Society Biologist & Naturalist, asked me to present something green and artistic to Warren Prescott Elementary School Green Team :D Since their teacher, Tina Champagne, is a science teacher, I decided to present something science related: a fun way to start growing vegetables at home (or classroom) ;D
(I have been thinking to upload this news and time just flew awayyy!!)

This is what I brought (all biodegradable):
- Organic Yellow Bell Pepper (You can take seeds out from a fresh one or use the dried ones you already took out; either one works!)
- Paper Pot Maker and 8.5 x 11 recycled paper (cut in half before using)
- Paper Egg Carton from Organic Eggs (You can either plant seeds in an egg carton or paper pots)
- Coir Pellets* or Soil
*coconuts husk fiber: excellent water retention, free from bacteria and fungus, saving the environment since they are usually are waste products!
- Hot/Warm Water

The fun part:
- You can enjoy watching your vegetable babies grow! Your appreciation for food goes up ;D
- When you have a fully grown plant, you don't have to buy vegetables from a supermarket = "super" local & organic produce at home (or in classroom)!
- This could be a fantastic gift with a personal message around the paper pot! (which I do sometimes ;D)

All the students had fun playing with coir pellets and watching them expand super fast in hot/warm water ;D They wrote their names and whatever they want to draw on the surface of the paper pots :) Some brought the paper pots home and some left them in the classroom :D
When those babies grow, the kids will smile ;D

Several days later, Alisyn, Wayne, Tina and the Green Team visited Harvard Community Garden ;D Brendan from Office for Sustainability and Tyler from Harvard Community Garden showed us around.

They have all the vegetables you can think of, even watermelon babies!! :D Watermelon plants need more care. They put plastic bottles to protect them from cold nights.
Below are super happy swiss chard and zucchini plants in the back. First time for me to see zucchini plants! They look very similar to cucumber plants but much bigger than cucumber plants!

Gorgeous Mesclun Lettuce Mix!! Bon Appetit~!! ;D

Thank YOU so much for this fun inspiring opportunity, Alisyn, Wayne and Tina! I really had fabulous time with you guys!! It was such a beautiful sunny day!!! :D

(from left to right: Chris, Wayne and Nolan)

About two weeks later, the organic yellow pepper babies stick their beautiful heads out!! ;D

Urban Homesteaders' League Market Stand Poster ;D

2010-11-01T01:06:00.000-07:00

Designed the poster for Urban Homesteaders' League Market Stand!

Lisa, Thank YOU so much for your warm support and superb opportunity! Lisa Gross is the founder of Urban Homesteaders' League, and she continues inspiring local communities through sustainable activities :D

The poster hung on the wall at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square ;D

Lisa and me at the Union Square Market in Somerville :D

New York City Energy!

2010-06-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Yay! Thank YOU so much, Christina, for purchasing 5 sheets of "New York Energy Skyline (white)" stamp, and Jennifer, for purchasing 2 sheets of "New York Energy Skyline (black)" stamp! :D So happy to be found here! Hope you two are enjoying beautiful summer in New York City! I purchased "New York Energy Skyline (black)" stamp sheet for myself as well and loving it!

On the Coverrrr! ;D

2010-06-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

Went to the Harvard University Extension School Information Sessions and found the freshly printed school brochure... and guess what, we are on the cover!! What a wonderful surprise! :D
Huge Thank YOU to the super-sweet born-talented photographer Jeff Pike, for taking a fabulous photo again!! In this picture, Brandon is wearing Jeff's green jacket for color effects :)

Page 1: Yes, everyone loves Dean Shinagel!

Page 2: And the challenging speech class by Steven Cohen!

You can watch Brandon Welti's awesome speech at the Information Sessions (for prospective students) here! ;D
http://gallery.me.com/n2dkq/100169

Canoe Trip to Never-Never-Land!

2010-06-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

Used my tiny biceps and triceps at the Harvard Extension Environmental Club Eight Mile Canoe Trip, hosted by "The" Mike Mahoney! Here is the video (3 mins 26 sec) for you :D

You will see the fun crowd and wild tarzans: Warren Anderson and Brandon Welti doing a rope-swing! Next time I will bring my swimsuits and bigger arm muscles!

The President of the Club, Super Fun Mahoney!

Mike gave everyone Native Indian names for the canoe trip; mine was "Hononegah", which means "Dear Little One." Here is the pioneer woman!

And here is me :D Since I didn't have feather to look more like a Native Indian, I put a Hawaiian flower on my head, which my friend Hon-Yin gave me :)
Yes, breeeathe deeply, smell the water and grass, hear birds singing, watch fish swimming, feel the sun energy.... Nature is the best playground! ;D

He changed my life! :D

2010-05-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

Before going home, I used to stop by at a bookstore in my station back in Japan. I felt like all the books there always give me inspirations. One evening the book by Makoto (Mako) Nagasawa was calling me from the bookshelf. I picked up the book and opened it. The book was filled with his colorful travel illustrations and writings by his wife. I thought his life is just ideal: traveling all over the world and publishing books.

A picture arrived from Mako with my relax and feel good mug ;D

Notice his dynamic watercolor paintings behind him!

Several months later, I saw a poster in the train about his book signing event but sadly the event was already over. My father is a cinematographer and my mother used to design clothes so I grew up in an artistic family but I had never taken any drawing or painting classes. My desire to learn those skills started to grow. I visited all the "culture centers" in Tokyo and Yokohama to see if there are any interesting art classes. (If you imagine an afterschool for adults, that is a "culture center" in Japan.)
One evening amazingly I found Mako's watercolor & drawing course in Yokohama culture center!! This was his first time to teach there. I still remember how excited I was to find his class there! It was my destiny! :D I took the 3 months course then he became my mentor :D As his assistant, I travelled Venezia, Toscana, Positano, Amalfi and all around Japan together!

(The picture above is taken by me in Venezia ;D) I was so happy traveling and making art with him ;D Mako used to live in New York City and showed me his numerous drawings and watercolor paintings, which made me want to go to New York City even after the September 11th! To me, New York seems to be a perfectly crazy place where I can be myself and feel at home ;D
The big inspiration to move to New York City was from Mako and he changed my life wonderfully!

Mako, Thank YOU soooo much for your Huge Love, Encouragement, Inspiration, Support and Guidance as always!!

Super Hydroponic!!

2010-05-31T16:31:00.000-07:00

Earth Day, Everyday! ;D I would like to share one of the ultimate ways to reduce our carbon footprints for both human and planetary health: create an organic hydroponic garden in your urban apartment ;D If you live in a house with a yard or greenhouse, it's even better!
This basil plant is happily growing in filtered water and nutrients! This is the first time for me to see basil flowers and I am speechless in their beauty...!

Here are our baby seedlings in "coir": fiber from coconuts husk:

Happy cucumber babies:

Beautiful sunflower baby is coming out:

Our tiny yet super-local organic garden ;D

If you live in Massachusetts and want to set up a hydroponic garden, you should definitely visit Greenlife Garden Supply in Billerica! These awesome hydroponic gurus, Steve and Matt, will help you all the way to create your garden! They are always fun, the store is full of colorful psychedelic graphics and reggae music is playing so I am feeling at home ;D

From left, Matt, Mihoko and Steve:

All the fun colorful graphics:

And of course their green babies are growing amazingly!! Here is their Swiss Chard; they are as long as my arms!

Super healthy Collard Green:

Matt told me that these purple lights create no heat:

Let's bring organic produce to your super-local garden to keep us and our earth healthy and happy! ;D

Fabulous Moo!

2010-05-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

The Altpick Awards gave me the opportunity to create business cards at Moo.com; the Moo experience was so pleasant! Moo's logo and fonts are lovable and the web-interface is an eye pleaser. Their super-user-friendly instructions are crystal-clear all the way! :D

The big difference between a regular printer and Moo is that with Moo you can print various images on your cards! For example, if you are printing 100 business cards, you can have 100 different images if you like. And Moo cares about the environment! They now have 100% recycled paper, which is produced using wind energy! ;D

My box of Moo cards arrived several days earlier than the estimate delivery date! I respect and admire Moo's packaging ability :D They are thinking about the person who is opening the package; it is a feast for your eyes and super smooth to handle ;) The quality of the "Moo Green" business card is really impressive! All my colors are printed exactly the way I wanted. Several environmental printing companies once told me that the hot pink is very difficult to print on 100% recycled paper but Moo makes it possible!!

Now when I meet people I fan out a deck of my cards and let them choose the one they like, but they quite often love several of the different artworks so I end up giving multiple cards to each person. So the only problem is that you will give away a lot more cards, which is actually great for your business so it's not really a problem at all! ;D

Sending my Huge Thank YOU to Moo for making artists happy & sparkle, and special thanks to Maria Ragusa-Burfield, the founder of Altpick, for introducing me to Moo! ;D

As a side note, my name in Japanese is 羽方美穂子 (Hakata Mihoko). On the information side of my business card you may notice the pink stamp, "hanko" in Japanese, showing the character of my first name 美穂子. I curbed the stone and polished it to create the hanko probably back in junior high school in Japan! Dango shape was my inspiration because it is so comfortable for our hands. When you hold this super smooth and sleek hanko, it will make you want to keep stamping! Usually we use red ink for hanko in Japan but of course I chose hot pink color for the business card! ;D

Big Arigatoooo!

2010-05-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

BIG Thank YOU for stopping by, Bob Breslin, Coralie Henderson, Elvira Ivanova, Jeff Pike, Keyvan Nicoucar, Lauri Murphy, Leah Arnold, Mike Mahoney, Tony Tambunan, even though you guys are super busy!! That meant a lot to me :D You know I don't have many friends here yet! And Thank YOU so much for your emotional support, even though you couldn't make it to the show :D

Below is the Harvard Art Show poster with everyone's artworks :)

Chosen: The Harvard Art Show!! :D

2010-04-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

I am super psyched to know Harvard has an Art Show~!! This is their second year.
This year they received over 665 artwork submissions and the Art Selection and Review committee have selected 120 individual pieces from 76 Harvard artists.

And 4 of my artworks were chosen :D I am SO HAPPY and honored to be a part of this superb art show! YAY!!

Date: April 30th, oh yes Happy Friday!
Time: 12 noon to 8:30 pm
Place: New College Theatre, 10-12 Holyoke St, Cambridge
Website: www.hcs.harvard.edu/artshow

Throughout the show, they will have refreshments, performances and a Silent Auction while you enjoy photography, painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, digital art, wood block print, pottery and jewelry and more! Prices range mostly from $30 to $2,000.

Huge Thanks and Warm Hugs go to Sweet ladies, Co-Directors: Alissa Schapiro and Julia Guren, and Lovely Artist Liaisons: Sarah Natow and Snoweria Zhang! ;D And this wasn't possible without the sponsorship and support of the Office for the Arts at Harvard!

Please join me at this fun annual event on April 30th!! You will encounter all the fun & creative people and art lovers! :D

Strand Tote Bag Design Contest :D

2010-04-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

The Strand Book Store NYC partnered with the School of Visual Arts, TOON Books, Drawn & Quarterly and Fantagraphics Books to offer a Tote Bag Design Contest :D

I love Strand, it is a heaven of inspiration! I was so excited when I received the contest news from the School of Visual Arts! I submitted the design below, a New York skyline made from the top edges of books (many page lines) and decorated with New York City building facades. Hope they like it!!

I have submitted two versions :D

Keep A Child Alive!

2010-03-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

I have donated two artworks for Keep A Child Alive!

Keep A Child Alive is a non-profit organization based in Brooklyn, NY, dedicated to providing care and support to children and families who have been suffering from HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. Thank YOU very much, Alyssa, for organizing such a meaningful event. She says, "From the event, we were able to raise over $800 which goes directly to Keep A Child Alive. This amount of money will pay for all of a child's medication and surrounding care for over 2 whole years!"

I have donated these cats illustrations, which were originally created for "New Beginnings Feline Sanctuary" Charity Cards, requested by Welti & Rose Advertising Inc. I thought to carry the charity spirits all the way! All the cards are already happily sold out :D In the cat sanctuary, Ms. Brown has more than 300 cats!
"Cats Bamboo": to make Ms. Brown's dream come true in the picture, which was to have bamboo gates in the sanctuary.

"Cats Rainbow": to show happy running and playing cats in the sanctuary.

Thank YOU very much for purchasing the artworks, Diana! Hope these cats will make you smile and brighten up your day! ;D

Car-Wrap Design!

2010-03-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

The first car-wrap design experience! YAY!
Submitted the car-wrap design below for 1978 Chevrolet El Camino to Mayan Metzler at MyPlanet and MyHome! Looking forward to hearing his feedback :))) This was challenging because the client wanted to include all the keywords and company information. I incorporated the letter itself and created the design :) The logo will be a reflective green so that even at night people can see it very clearly!

If you click the image and enlarge it, you can see I also included a solar panel texture as the background to wrap the whole car. The pattern itself is beautiful and the message it carries is perfect for this green construction company! Thank YOU for this exciting opportunity, Mayan! :D

Mihoko's Stamp Galore~!

2010-03-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

Recently sold a lot of stamps~!! :D

11 sheets of "ART Your Life" stamp and 11 sheets of "New York Energy Skyline (black)" to Lynn in Long Beach, California ;D

10 sheets of "New York Energy Skyline (black)" to Susie in Connecticut and 1 sheet of "New York Energy Skyline (white)" to Kalee in Michigan!

I am so happy to be found here! Thank YOU sooo much for your purchase and hope you enjoy the stamps as much as I do :D Have a gorgeous spring day~! YAY!!

Donation to Hospice of New York

2010-03-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

Recently I have donated the artwork "Vacance in Bonaire" to Hospice of New York. Hope the painting will make the patients feel relaxed and healed even for a moment... Just remember the quote by Marcus Aurelius, "Live each day as though one's last..."

Thank YOU so much, Ernesto Fana, for this wonderful opportunity and wishing you a fabulous departure!

Altpick : Face To Face Party : Gallery Bar : NYC!

2010-03-31T07:41:00.000-07:00

Altpick Face To Face Party in New York City! I couldn't make it becase I had tight deadlines but here are the pictures! Here is the gorgeous Altpick founder and owner Maria Ragusa-Burfield ;D

Here is my dear friend Richard Borge! Check out his super cool yet elegant animation works at his website!!

Here is my Dubai Skyline illustration for Wassla Weekly, which won the Second Place in New Media category! Thank YOU so much for taking this photograph, Laura June Kirsch! :D All the above pictures were also taken by her. Check out her beautiful photography :)

Paul Lewis Photography ;D

2010-02-07T23:11:00.000-08:00

Super fresh pictures from the talented photographer Paul Lewis~!!
My Relax and Feel Good mug looks super relaxed and happy in his gorgeous space :D Arigato SO MUCH, Paul!!

Paul Lewis is the one who took the below picture a while back at a flea market around W26th St in New York City! Clever Paul cut off all the crowd so it creates this surreal atmosphere. (Yes, I am not smiling because he told me not to! That was really hard to do!)
He is not only a superb conceptually-oriented photographer but also such a funny guy, so we got along instantly :D Then we met again sometime later in Washington Square Park and amazingly he was carrying this picture that day! What a coincidence!
Take a look at his surreal yet super real photographs here ;)))

Aloe Baby from Maureen :D

2010-01-26T19:17:00.000-08:00

Dear friend, Maureen, gave us a baby aloe! Here is the Thank YOU Card I made for her ;D

This soil is the most fresh & softest soil you have ever touched! It is made by our 24 hours open worm factory and this is the first time to plant anything with the soil! I am really excited to make a little garden near the windows here :D The hard-working earth worms digest our organic vegetables and fruits scraps and their poop become the amazing soil :D They are the smartest & perfect pet you can ever have ;P

You can get to know more about the worm factory here, the fabulous article written by Brandon Welti :)))

"Cat" and Me

2010-01-26T17:49:00.000-08:00

Playing with Jacquie Welti's cat in Florida ;D Jacquie is a super talented graphic designer and a founder of the advertisement company Welti & Rose Advertising Inc.! Jacquie named the beautiful black cat "cat" as Audrey Hepburn did in the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

"Cat" is sooooo lovable and huggable~!! She follows you wherever you go and sleep happily soundly on top of you :D Purrrrr....

Happy Amazing New Year~!!! YAY ;D

2010-01-02T17:11:00.000-08:00

Wishing You A Wonderful Super Amazing New Year!! ;D

Hope you, your families and friends are all relaxed and feeling good with radiant spirits of 2010!!

And... Happy Fabulous Birthday to mihokooo, Happy Birthday to meee~!! I really appreciate your New Year's and Birthday messages!! Just what I needed to start a brand-new-born year! :D

My sweet friend Thomas Lehn from Switzerland, who soon will be publishing his first book, gave me bookmark competition information at Book Depository in UK. Congratulations again, Thomas~!! :D

I have submitted above design for the bookmark with a wish of saving lives of our precious trees! You can enlarge it by clicking the image. Hopefully mine will be chosen ;D

Let's make this 2010 another superb year with lots of joys!! ;D

Wonderful Smiles which warm your white snowy night ;D

2009-12-18T20:27:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Happy Smiles from Serge and Elianaaaa!! I am SOOO HAPPY to have this picture from you, Serge! Thank YOU sooo much for sending it to me!! It makes me smile so big ;D

Besides this "Newborn MoMA" painting, he also purchased "POM Wonderful Purple Goodness" and "Flying Easter Dove" piece~!! Hurraaayy! I love his taste ;P He chose one of my favorite pieces from my previous collection and two from recent~!! I love to visit you again Serge and play with your beautiful and super cute Eytan and Eliana!! They are full of joy! ;D

And! My friend Lilly purchased this delicious painting since she loves cooking ;) I miss your cooking, Lilly!! Hope you and your sweet family are all cozy in your fabulous house! :D

And more! This is the most popular products in Mihoko's products! ;D New York Skyline Stamps (black)~!! I had sales a while back but haven't written Thank YOU so here we go!

Big Thank You goes to Rachel, Laurie and Amy in New York and Jessica in Arizona~!! Hope you, your family and friends are enjoying the beautiful holidays!! ;D

As you know, you can purchase Mihoko's products here ;)))

AND! Thank YOU Sooooo Much for all my sweet friends who voted for me in the credit card design competition! I didn't win... ;( but that's okayyy because I have the Altpick Awards~!! Woohoooo~!!! ;D I will keep going and submit more artworks!

Again, I really appreciate your warm support and sweet smiles AS ALWAYS!!

Pleeeaase let me know when you need my help with anything~!!! :D

Joined Altpick!

2009-11-14T22:16:00.003-08:00

New Member in Pink ;DOne of the prizes for the Altpick Awards second place was one year Altpick Membership! Woohooo!! So I just joined! ;D

My URL is http://altpick.com/mihoko , very easy to remember ;)))

Hopefully this will lead to many freelance jobs!!

Coooome to meee~! ;D

Won Altpick Award : New Media : Second Place!!!!

2009-11-12T12:55:00.000-08:00

YAAAAAY!!! I am still jumping with joy, have lots of goose bumps!! Super fresh news I JUST received from the Altpick founder Maria Ragusa-Burfield; my Dubai Skyline illustration for Wassla Weekly won the Second Place in New Media category~!!! Since I Really LOVE this piece, I am SO HAPPY to receive such an honorable recognition!! Thank YOU again, Maria, for the creation of Altpick and your friendly communication, and the Juries for choosing my artwork~!!

You can see all the 2009 winners here! The artwork will be in *Altpick Awards booklet* early next year ;D

HUGE THANKS goes to Ari Kushimoto who designed this fabulous website and decorated beautifully around my art which makes the artwork look much better! and Nasrin Shah Abushakra, the founder of Wassla Weekly, who worked SO hard to make this happen and she successfully created such a beautiful & educational website for Dubai!!

And even more surprisingly, today is Nasrin's Birthday!! This is all meant to be!! Happy FANTAAASTIC Birthday to YOU, Nasriiiiin :D

I really appreciate your phone call, Nasrin! Wonderful talking with you~!! Celebrating this special day from Boston the city you love ;D

Please Vote for me - Harvard Credit Card Design Contest ;D

2009-11-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

Now my Credit Card Design for Harvard University Employees Credit Union is up!

I chose my rainbow fireworks design to celebrate Harvard ;D

Pleeeease vote for me from this page or the link below :D The process won't take you more than 5 seconds! You can choose 4 favorite designs from those student credit card designs. The first prize is $500 and more than that, I would be SO Thrilled if people carry the credit card and feel good every time they see my art ;D

Mine is #13!

https://www.huecu.org/forms/vote2009.html

Huge THANK YOU to everyone~!! Crossing my fingers, hair and everything else!!

Welcome to Haaarvard~!

2009-10-08T11:38:00.001-07:00

From September, I am back in school, this time to study Environmental Management in a graduate program at Harvard University Extension School ;D I am still not sure I can really survive a Harvard education but so far my first papers were 5/5 and 10/10! Whew!! Pleeease wish me luck!!

My creative partner Brandon Welti and I were luckily chosen to be photographed by Jeff Pike for the school website. Jeff took so many pictures and all the pictures look great, which made us want to keep all of them ;P Jeff chose his favorite and the above picture is the approved for the website~!! Woohoooo ;D

Super smile~! Yeeees, makes you smile, right? :D He is the fabulous photographer behind the Harvard University Extension School website, such a fun person to work with, which made us think we were just playing together for several hours ;D Love YOU, Jeff!!

Here are some of my favorites from the shooting :D

Young Professional Theme~!!

Jeff asked us to wear "young professional" clothes one morning. Do we look professional enough?! I love the shining soft-green trees and my hair swinging in the wind ;D

Skateboard + Bike Theme :D

This was done on the day when we met Jeff Pike for the first time!

I thought I will miss New York so much but I learned Harvard Square has a similar New York City feel. You see artists, musicians, homeless people, cute gay guys and crazy happy people with multi-colored hair on the streets ;P Plus New York City is just 4 hours away! :D

So far I am having a great experience here!! People are super sweet, they will stop their cars for you if you are crossing streets, which makes you feel like you are a king or queen crossing the street with a velvet carpet underneath you ;D

Come to Boston~!! Wishing all my friends will move here :D

Speechless Natural Beauty...

2009-10-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

My super talented photographer friend Takami (check out her gorgeous poetic pictures!) came to Concord with a cool hat during the summer and we went canoeing in Sudbury River! Thanks to our sweet neighbour John, we rented his canoe and put on the top of our car! You see the gorgeous reflection here?

Just start paddling the canoe, Che jumped into the water!! She has already experienced taking a bath, riding a loud and busy New York Subway, swimming in the Walden Pond, cuddling with me in bed, so maybe this was her new challenge?! Probably her curiosity made her jump! We are not sure why she jumped, did she like water or she didn't like canoeing? Hmmm... either way, now she is happily sleeping in my arm :D

Beautiful graphic patterns on water... speechless...

Happy moment surrounded by nature... :D Yes, this is taken by Takami Shimura ;D Arigatooo as Always!!!

And the gorgeous sunset!!

Puppy sitting ;D

2009-09-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

My friend Claudine needed a puppy sitting for 2 weeks. Of course, we say, "YES WE CAN!" with big smiles :D

You are right, I don't own a dog, I have never had a dog, this is the first time to do a puppy sitting! It is fun to have such a beautiful sweetest creature with you everyday, it is tough to wake up 6 AM every morning to go for a walk and wait for your dog to do pee and/or poop and the same goes to the night time! Like me, who sleeps and wakes up whenever I feel like, this puppy sitting experience made our life like the one of Buddhist monks! :P

This sweetest Bernese Mountain dog is just a 8 weeks old. Her name is Che, yes, she is a girl but Claudine named her Che, because of her passion for Cuba and Che Guevara. Che smells like a milky baby, super sweet, her stomach is soooo kissable and always smooth and warm. She will be a big dog so she has huge soft paws which I can't stop touching :P Her nose is so cute too, very soft and pink. You cannot get tired of just looking at her!

My super smart friend Roshan is right. A dog dreams! Che often dreams. She moves her legs and make noises, while she is sleeping. Amazing.

If you are single and looking for a partner or just want more new friends!!, I definitely recommend to own a dog ;P But the dog has to be cute and friendly and if possible a rare dog (better to avoid loud barking dogs like chiwawa etc) so people will talk to you! :D So many people stopped us when we went for a walk. It will take a way longer to just walk several blocks because everyone wants to talk to you and touch your dog ;P So be ready for that~!!

"Happy in my shadow" - Che loves a shade, she doesn't like hot weather at all. She is a master of finding a shade! When she gets tired of walking, she often sits in my shadow and gives me a happy smile like this :D

New friends at Kona Skatepark ;D

2009-09-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

Had lots of fun at Kona Skatepark in Jacksonville, Florida, the oldest skatepark in the States! I wish I could have stayed many more days ;P .... the only thing I don't miss is the mosquito attack! Now I have 43 mosquitoes bites! Boooo!!

Flying history of skateboards!!
Sunbathing on Kona's concrete flower ;P

Super freshly made "dcat" hachimaki~!

2009-09-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

"dcat" is ready to conquer the world!! Matt, thank YOU so much for sending me pictures!! ;D

Logo Design for dcat ;)))

2009-09-02T14:37:00.001-07:00

I really enjoy designing logo! What fun!! This logo design was for "dcat" project at super fast growing hedge fund Two Sigma Investments! They are just fabulous people! :D I gave them 5 digital logo ideas:

and they liked the bottom robotic logo idea. We added { } since "dcat" program uses those. I hand-drew one and used illustrator for the other one just to see the comparison. They liked the hand-drawn version better and I was happy because I like the combination of the soft organic hand-drawn lines and the digital robotic logo ;D

This will be printed on ninja style headband, "hachimaki" in Japanese, for the fantastic "dcat" project team and their clients ;)

Relaxation at Shiatsu Moon... :D

2009-09-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

I met this pretty lady, Zoe Moon Culbertson (Yes, that is her real middle name! How cool is that!!) when we were walking down the beautiful trail to the Walden Pond! I was so surprised to hear such fluent Japanese from her mouth! That was the last thing you can imagine when you are in the quiet forest ;P Zoe is not only a master of Japanese Shiatsu but also a woman full of knowledge. She can give you advice about nutrition to live your life healthier.

She asked me to be a model for her website the other day and I said, "of course!!" and the pleasure was literally all mine ;P

Here is her gorgeous website, Shiatsu Moon~! When you need relaxation or find harmony with your body & soul, I am sure Zoe can help you ;D

Flying above the St. Johns River ;D

2009-09-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

Created fun video of "Bosun Swinging" by hanging a bosun's chair from the 50 foot mast of Karavela, lifting it just above the life rail and swinging out over the water on the Freedom 40 sailboat captained by Jacqueline Welti and Jos VanBavel who masterfully navigated around the thunder clouds so we could ride the wind and waves~!! Can't stop!! :D Thanks to Ratatat for the kick'n music~! Woohoooo!!

(You can see the full size video on YouTube)

"Greenest" roof I have ever seen! It is made of gorgeous ivy vines :) This is a garage roof top in Jacquie's house :D

Very GREEN Massachusetts :D

2009-08-12T19:37:00.001-07:00

Oh dear Bloc11 Cafe~!! Found my new favorite place in Massachusetts ;D It is a real deal "Green" cafe with a touch of East Village coziness and New York City cool-ness ;D

Friendly people with delicious food and coffee... I wish I lived near this cafe! Yeah then I would come here every day ;P

They DO recycle, everything! The register lady told us that they have composting bins in the back. And you see, they use "ecotainer" here ;D Viva Bloc11~!!!

You will see only his back in this pic but that is my new fabulous friend Max Jackson with his creation Didgeridoo :D Visit his website to see his Didgeridoo, purchase one, listen to his music and more!! ;D

Maureen sunrise ;P Enjoying delicious brunch in their beautiful garden terrace :D I LOVE this picture of her!

This building was a bank before and they kept the bank doors! How cool is that! Fantastic idea :D Kids were playing inside of the vault ;D

And in Concord, MA, where I spent the month of August, you have to pay $1.50 for these Green tickets and put them on your garbage bags when you throw away :) That is a gooood thing~!!

Cute Frog on the Salad?!

2009-08-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Zoe's cute frog on our super fresh herb salad?! ;D It was SO MUCH FUN as always!! Big ARIGATO to you, Zoeeee ;D See YOU very soon! :)))

Blooming Solar Flowers on Broadway ;D

2009-08-12T17:16:00.001-07:00

When you see huge flowers like these suddenly blooming on Broadway, you will be so surprised! So was I! My dear friend Jeanne, Roshan and Melissa planned to go to the Madison Square Park one night with their cute dog Manny, we found out recently they installed these Toyota "Prius" free Wi-Fi Solar Flowers on Broadway! Here is the press release.

Colorful Encounter :D

2009-08-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

Naked Bodies in Union Square ;P

2009-08-07T09:17:00.001-07:00

One evening I found these naked bodies in Union Square when the vendor was ready to go home! I asked the vendor guy to do this and played with colors but if you see it carefully, the body he was touching was actually a male body! ;P

"Hoping you have a Better Day Today than you did Yesterday"

2009-07-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

Look what I found at C train Spring Street station! Passionate beautiful roses and bright yellow papers on the ground!! It is said, "Hoping you have a Better Day Today than you did Yesterday"... At this same station, I saw several times scattered roses on the ground (no bright yellow papers, just flowers), all smashed, which looks like someone broke someone's heart or some couple had a big fight because everyone stepped on those roses and look rough on the ground... what do you imagine? ...make all the possible scenarios in your head...??
This is indeed "Street" Art, communicating with audience without any control of being stepped on and re-arranged by people, animals or thunder storm! It just hit my heart and went deep inside of me... even my veins are drinking up this fantastic moment... I wish they put their contact information or website address or something so I can express how much appreciate the artist!!
I want to do more artworks like that! Pure intention of making people feel fabulous!!!

Cats Hug Glen :D

2009-07-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

Big Thank YOU for your purchase, Glen!! My pink cats are happy with you and your cutie cat :D
Glen is not only a magician and professional blackjack player who does circus arts, but also a programmer who recently created this cool graphic i-Phone application "5BX"! What a Renaissance man!
"The 5BX exercise system was developed by the Royal Canadian Air Force in the 1970s. "
You can support him by purchasing this program for only $0.99 and write a great review for him! ;)))

Animal Lover Leandra's Favorite ;D

2009-07-21T13:26:00.001-07:00

Original "Animal Hospital" illustration was purchased by Leandra! ;D

Thank YOU sooo much, Leandra!! Since she wants to be a vet, this piece is PERFECT for her! All the animals in the painting must be super happy to be with you~!! Please take care of my babies! YAY! ;D

Recent Sales + Rainbow Splash Unisex Shoes & "Art Your Life" Stamps!

2009-07-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hurraaayyy~!!!

Recently sold: New York Skyline Stamps (black) to Beth from New Orleans!! New York Skyline Stamps (white) to Kimberly from New York City!! And my dear talented photographer friend Takami Shimura~!! Thank YOU so much for your support AS ALWAYS!!!

She is loving the Zipper Unisex Keds Shoes (black) ;D You can see

her beautiful photographs here :)))

I LOOOOVE when I receive surprise sales! Pleeeease happen more often! ;P Thank YOU soooo much for finding me and liking my products!! Hope you are Relaxed and Feeling Goooood :D

Here are more fun products for YOU! Rainbow Splash Unisex Keds Shoes and "Art Your Life" Stamp! Do you want to get Rainbow Splashed?! :P

Hmmm... SO tempting...! I want to buy these shoes for myself again~!! ;P

Mihoko Flying on the Streets ;D

2009-07-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

Longboarding down to Walden Pond for a Fantastic Swim! Loving Loarded Pintail!! ;D Fourth of July Weekend in Concord Massachusetts - on this day exactly 164 years before, Henry David Thoreau came to Walden! What a perfect day to visit the pond! Amazing timing :D

Met a cool lady Sue on the way who guided us to the pond via a secret route! ;) Yay!! Viva local! :D First time to swim in such a big pond! The water temperature is brisk at first but as you swim it becomes perfection!
This was a fabulously fun spontaneous event so didn't bring swimsuits or a towel! But our new friends, the sweet couple Zoe + Robert who put us in the back of their truck and drove us home, which dried my hair + body instantly ;P
Thank YOU sooo much and Fantastic meeting you guys~!!

Freshly Printed Poster for Hair Date! :D

2009-07-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

My fabulous hair stylist Veronica and the beloved poster! ;P

Pink tail?! Pintail~!!

2009-06-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

Yaaaaaay! I was counting down until today! Yes, it's June 17th!! Love UPS, thank you SO much for delivering this beautiful skateboard "Pintail" baby! I am Psyched! Feeling like today is either my Birthday or Christmas, or both at the same timeeee ;P

Loaded Board is made of bamboo so it's very light+flexible and you feel like surfing or flying even! ;D Viva Loaded!! You guys are super duper Awesome!!
You can watch their gorgeously cruising video here. In the video, those guys are on the longer board called "Dervish".
And you are right! Of course I chose the hot pink wheels!! Wow, this is really shockingly pink! :P
Now what kind of design should I make with the super pink grip tape...how about the backside...?! ideas, ideas, ideas.....!!!

Photo taken JUST after opening the golden UPS box and tried the longboard under the bright sun~!! Feeling content.... ah.. shiawase :D

Hahahahahh :D

2009-06-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

Anthony Burrill is a funny guy. I am saying that with big respect! ;D For him, being witty just comes naturally. Not-so-funny-director making a comedy movie could be a tough project, but for a funny man making a comedy should be super easy, right?!

I attended Anthony Burrill's Small Talk at AIGA, a well-coordinated + delicious event! ;D It was very intriguing to hear how he was using a moveable type printing press and Zerox for Cut+Paste in his early career. Those works almost looked more modern. Always inspiring to hear how big artists became big!
The event took place at Bumble & Bumble in Meatpacking District. Very fun place to be in. They have various funky hair cut pictures all around, creative design books in the library where you could spend hours. I knew their products, green seaweed shampoo and conditioner because of the gym I used to go to; David Barton Gym uses their products and I liked them :)
So today, it's all about humor! Another humorous + fabulous illustrator? Yes! You are right! Peter Arkle! He is the one who has been making us laugh through Bumble & Bumble ads like this one ;)

And enjoy his inspiring interview article here! I really adore his sense of humor~!!
Laughing makes our life happier, definitely! ;D

ART Your Hair at HAIR DATE

2009-05-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

Illustration for Hair Date, a fabulous hair salon in New York City! ;D

Brighten Up Your Desk Space ;D

2009-05-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

This Black New York Skyline mousepad is one of the gifts for Mother's Day!! My super sweet mother Yuko is having fun using her computer to study English these days so I thought this would be a perfect gift!! Cheers to your soaring spirit, Yuko-chaaaan ;D

I am shipping this Hot Pink Sparkling Flower mousepad to someone wonderful for her birthday!! It is a secret :P My fabulous friend Noriko in Japan purchased the Orange Relax & Feel Good mug :) Thank YOU so much, Noriko, for your great support~!! Check out more of Mihoko's Relax & Feel Good products : keds shoes, mugs, stamps and mousepads~! Woohooo!! ;D

*These gorgeous pictures were taken by my dear friend, talented photographer, Takami Shimura ;D Arigato SO MUCH for your big love as always!!!

Pleasure of Being Lost

2009-05-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Last night 23:30, just before the submission closes, I sent this logo design for Lost At E Minor!! I wanted to express "the pleasure of being lost", lost in the creativity, ... "Lost At E Minor"... lost in the super cool + fun + creative website... that should be lots of fun, right?! Yes, it is a hand-drawn labyrinth, and it's hot pink, plus all the circles and triangles are playing around you...I am sure you will enjoy all the intriguing views you have never seen..... Hope my design will be chosen!! :D

I Looove Gretchen!!! :D

2009-04-23T13:33:00.001-07:00

My dearest most amazing Yoga teacher, Gretchen Borgum!!

I took her class, Stretch & Abs, at David Barton Gym in Chelsea a while back. That was the first time I saw her. She is such a beautiful positive energetic being!! She just lights up the classroom, opens my heart wide, I absorb everything she said + does, I come out the room super energized + refreshed ever! I feel brighter physically and mentally. After that class, I took many of her fabulous yoga classes until she left New York. I really miss her so much but I am feeling super lucky and happy to be connected with her in my life!!! Can't wait to laugh and share wonderful time together next time I see her again! I will keep you guys posted if/when she comes back to New York City!!

Big Love + Respect to Gretchen Borgum ;D

Spontaneous Haircut :D

2009-04-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

One evening I wanted to have a haircut suddenly! But you know in New York (or even in Tokyo), you have to make an appointment in advance then you wait for several days or a week or even a month before you actually do something about your hair. So for spontaneous people, that doesn't work :P
I looked up and called several hair salons but all booked!! Boooo! Of course. SO! I decided to walk around and find some possible openings! I was thinking if I don't find any openings, I will cut my hair by myself tonight :P I walked around SoHo and then started to walk toward East. Then a miracle happened! I saw the sign said, "Hair Date"! Wooooo!! THAT has to be a hair salon!!

I was super excited, run into the hair salon and asked the ladies if they have any openings tonight! And guess what! YES!! Open! Woohoooo!! Since this is a brand-new hair salon, not so many people know about it yet :D I was SO thrilled I can actually have a haircut tonight! YAAAAAY! My wish came true :D
Fun punk rock music playing, you will get shampoo and conditioning, a great massage on your shoulder, hot green tea is served besides lots of kinds of magazines. What else do you need?!
My lady Veronica is Fabulous!! That's the best part! She is such a great person to talk to, besides that, she has 15 years of experience so she is super confident and precise. She will cut your hair so fast, after a blink, you will see yourself with an amazing looking haircut!!!

Thank YOU sooo much, Veronica, for a great time and the fantastic haircut which makes everyone say "I want to have the same haircut!", even Starbucks casher ladies (before I order any drinks!), French Connection sales ladies (before they say "hello" :P), Gourmet Garage register lady (before I pay for food!)! It's almost funny!! Thanks to you, I am getting so many compliments!! And of course I told them where I got the haircut :) More customers for you, Veronicaaaa ;D And many of my friends and strangers now go to Hair Date! :P Viva Veronica!!! I am such a great promoter indeed! Can I have such a promoter for myself as well?! :P Hahah! Contact me pleeeease if you would like to become one!Check out "Hair Date"'s Google review page! You can read my dear friend Roshan's review too, which he wrote after his wife Melissa went there :D
(All these hair model pictures were taken on a different day, taken by Veronica, my wonderful partner Brandon Welti and me. I went back to the hair salon and Venonica did the hair blow beautifully and took millions of pictures to choose the best ones for her website! The pictures will be uploaded to the website soon. Thank you for the idea, my super friend Patrick!! :D)

Fun Zipper Shoes for YOU~!!

2009-04-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

I made these Zipper shoes for fun!! Red Zipper shoes and Black Zipper shoes :D If someone likes them, that will be a bonus since I had lots of fun making them! ;P You can purchase them at Mihoko's Zazzle online shopping page! ;D
Making these Zipper shoes made me think of my wonderful mother, Yuko Hakata. I wish I learned more sewing from her when I was in Japan but I wasn't into it :P My mother used to own her clothes shop with her beautiful designs in Tokyo. I was always wearing the clothes she made :D
This gorgeous red dress was made by beautiful Yuko and she is wearing it! :D And the little boyish girl in green is tiny me, who always wants to give something to someone, even to a stranger :P

Colomba Pasquale at Grandaisy Bakery!!

2009-04-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

I created this "Flying Easter Dove" illustration for Grandaisy Bakery last year, maybe some of you remember! The other day I bumped into the lovely owner Monica on the street in SoHo. She asked me if she can use the illustration for this year as well, so I said "Of Course!!" with a big smile :D
If you are in New York, you should definitely try Grandaisy Bakery's bread and pastries! They are SO YUMMM!! And of course don't forget to taste this Italian "Easter Dove" bread!!
... Crispy outside with sugar and almond, then you go into the many layers of softness and will be surprised at the refreshing open-minded orange peel+citron sparkles and Italian chocolate melty in your mouth... what a perfect harmony! Cheers to Monica :D You do magic! (I wrote this description after I tasted the Italian "Easter Dove" bread and I still think this is what you really taste and feel after you put the bread in your mouth!)
Happy FUN-tastic Easter, everyone~!!! ;D

Dubai skyline illustration for Wassla Weekly!!

2009-04-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

Wassla Weekly will give you all the useful + meaningful information you need in Dubai! This wiIl make my trip more exciting and inspiring when I visit Dubai someday! :D
I met the founder of Wassla Weekly, Nasrin Shah, a while back. She liked my New York skyline illustration and asked me to create a Dubai skyline banner for her website. She had been working so hard to make this happen! She is such a smart + powerful woman! I am SO HAPPY to have met you, Nasrin! She recently gave birth to a beautiful daughter Lil, bundle of joy!! :D

I also made these 5 illustrations for each category: Aesthetics, Intellect, Virtue, Environment, Appetite.

Thank YOU So Much, Nasrin, for making this exciting project possible!! And it was fabulous working with you, Ari Kushimoto! You have such an amazing taste! Thank YOU for creating such a beautiful + elegant web design!! Can't wait working on more projects with you, Ari!! ;D

Soba packaging + Furoshiki designs for Echigo Tsumari Art Triennial

2009-04-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

These are the soba packaging designs I was working on before I went to Mike Perry's opening!

::: Soba packaging design :::

I submitted these soba packaging designs for Echigo Tsumari Art Triennial competition. Crossing all my fingers, hair and everything else!! :P
They want something they have never seen in gift shops in Japan, not like typical soba packaging, so I thought these would be cooool and original! :D

I arranged the soba noodles like flowers, which was inspired by the neat presentation of "hegi soba" in Niigata area. All the Japanese writings on these packages are the name of the soba, company name and contents.

And here we go! Here is what I created after the encounter with Mike Perry!

::: Furoshiki design :::

These square shaped designs are for "Furoshiki" which is a Japanese traditional square fabric, it is such a convenient fabric, used for wrapping gifts or anything you would like, it could be a scarf as well! Or could be a logo for T-shirts like these ;D

The name of this place in Japan is called "ECHIGO TSUMARI" in Niigata prefecture (Niigata has the most delicious rice!) and there is Echigo Tsumari Art Triennial coming up. This will be their 3rd time and it is making the place + people happier and more alive because there are so many old people there but not enough hands; however, because of this Art Triennial, more people are coming from all over Japan and all over the world, which is changing ECHIGO TSUMARI's history :D It is so great to see that is really happening!

So! I thought it would be fun to see this kind of colorful funky yet regional design: lots of green nature, which are in "ECHIGO" letter, cherry blossom in "TSUMARI" letter, and they have 4500 yrs old Jomon period clay pottery which has circular patterns so I made these circular patterns, which are in "TRIENNIAL" letter.

Also, I put the sunrise watercolor painting in the letter "ART" with the wish for the city's continuous bright success through the wonderful Art. This furoshiki design is just like ECHIGO TSUMARI itself, the combination of tradition and modern elements.

The Typo Genius Mike Perry!!

2009-04-04T17:30:00.001-07:00

I went to Mike Perry's website for inspiration today because I was working on designs for a packaging design competition in Japan and guess what I found! The opening!! Tonight!!! I HAVE to go :D It meant to be!!
I dressed up all in pink like his colorful artworks and took subway downtown to the cool store+gallery Giant Robot New York!There were already happy people having fun inside and Jimmy, the cheerful store manager, was taking many pictures. This was the first time for me to see Mike Perry's original artworks. I was excited to feel his energy from each piece. You can see all his pen strokes and imagine what he was thinking when he was drawing this or that one... Mike was such a gentle sweet person. I told him that I was working on soba packaging designs before I came here and now I am more interested in typography. He said, "You can do it!" The words from the Typo Master gave me such a strength and power!! :D

Thank YOU sooo much, Jimmy, for taking this picture! Plus you posted it on your GRNY website, top of the page!! Wow!! :D I look super happy :P
Now I have Mike Perry's book "Hand Job" with his signature!! Woohooo!! "What a clever name!!" Mike says, "It had to sell" :D Big success, Mike! I bought one ;P
I LOVE the printing ink smell and this book smells delicious~! When I was little, I used to smell my mother's book collection, Chagall, Van Gogh, Picasso, etc, I didn't know their names but I liked their paintings and the smell :P