Random pics from Japan

Have you ever gone on a trip and taken say, 2500 photos and then tried to blog about it and don't even know where to begin? Yeahhhh...

So I'm starting with this. 

Here are some random photos from our trip to Japan.  

Creepy crawly sea creatures at the world's largest fish market - Tsukiji. 

Such pretty dishes.  I bought some tiny ones that could make it back safely. 

I like this set of buildings.  

Holy cute arcade prizes Batman!

A view from the Tokyo Metropolitan Tower. 

Chillin' with snow monkeys in Kyoto. 

Bamboo Forrest!

Fushimi Inari Shrine

Reuniting with Kyoko!

And I really really love the photobooths they have in arcades!

There's a peek for you! I've been working on a scrapbook for the past month which has stolen a lot of my free time.  I hope I can show you more pictures soon!

Tokyo here we come!

I didn't sleep much last night.  I woke up at 6 this morning without an alarm and with more excitement than my last 10 Christmases bundled together.
Today we fly to Tokyo!
I'm going to see my friend Kyoko for the first time in a decade, take a million photographs, spend much too much money on pretty paper and craft supplies and for the next 11 days visit some of the most interesting places on earth!
You can have a peek at the wish list/to do list on my pinterest board here:
http://pinterest.com/melanieg/japan/

I'm sure I'll have loads of photos to share in a couple weeks!
I think I already want to go back again.
See you later!

Overworked.

The past month has had me feeling swamped.
I've been working a LOT to try to have some extra cash for Japan (16 days to go!!) and haven't really had much of a life.  Literally a good chunk of my social time has been with friends who come to my workplace to visit or meet me for a quick coffee before or between shifts.
However! I know it will all pay off soon, when I am in Tokyo and can buy an extra something cute.
Speaking of buying, my 40 shopping-less days are coming to an end soon.  Which is great, because I need a few things for the trip.
It's been hard in some ways and not in others.  The toughest thing to not buy has been spring clothes.  This is by far my favourite time of year to shop - teals, corals, floral prints and pretty dresses! Gah!
But I haven't caved.

I have been doing an exercise that a friend suggested - A Photo Safari - you walk around and take pictures of things that you love, and in the end have a collection of photos that define your style.
Here are a few of my favourite things.
I love spring!

When I was a kid my grandma & I would go and pick some of these, they'll always remind me of her and her surefire sign that spring was on the way :)

 Free David's Tea for wearing green on St Patrick's Day.  The cup is my fave colour.

 Toronto has a Macaron Day! Free macarons around the city in support of charity.  Fantastic! And delicious.

This giant poster at Indigo has the prettiest pillows I've ever seen.  But no, they don't sell them...?
It makes me want to take up watercolour painting, they're so beautiful!

Speaking of beautiful...

Happy Spring All!
I hope you're getting lots of extra sunshine and melting snow :)

The Oldies Dance

A couple weekends ago now, some friends + Steve & I went to an Oldies Dance put on by a radio station in Hamilton.  We were the youngest of the crowd by a couple decades, but it was a blast!
And you know how much I love to dress up!

I found my dress for $35 at a shop on Queen called Tribal Rhythm, which I always forget about/can't remember where on Queen it actually is. But I won't forget now - the dress had never been worn! And in a nearly impossible situation, I actually had multiple vintage dresses that fit me to decide between.

The dance was in a massive warehouse and had seats at tables for 1000 people, a silent auction of musical memorabilia, carnival rides including a merry-go-round, a fun house, games, and my fave a photobooth!
Enough telling - I can show you!

This part of the fun house was spinning, fyi.  :)

I knew we would have a good time, but I had no idea how much of a good time it would be.  Next year I want all of my friends to make the trek to Hamilton too!
Also - I want a photobooth in the hallway of my apartment.  I need to work on it.